125: Chapter 54 Yun Zhongzi Descends from the Clouds 125: Chapter 54 Yun Zhongzi Descends from the Clouds This was Li Ping’an’s first visit to Fantasy Town.
He had only glanced at it from a distance before, where he could see a multitude of Immortal Pavilions towering up to the sky, and an uncountable number of Qi Cultivators crisscrossing through the air above various majestic buildings enshrouded by all kinds of Formations.
But upon entering the City, Li Ping’an saw a different scene altogether.
The grand city was split into upper and lower sections.
Tall Immortal Pavilions spread from the ground up to the sky, propping up ‘Magpie Bridges’ in the air, where the shops of the Immortal merchants were located, and Qi Cultivators moved up and down, shuttling through this upper layer.
However, at the base of these lofty Immortal Pavilions were shadowy alleyways deprived of sunlight, where many ordinary people and nascent Qi Cultivators at the threshold of Qi Cultivation made their homes.
The scale of the City, capable of ranking within the top ten along the shoreline of the East Sea, stretched a hundred miles from north to south;
For Qi Cultivators who could traverse the skies, a hundred miles was but a trifle, but for the multitude living there, half commoner and half cultivator, it was enormously vast.
Commoners wished to rise above, Loose Cultivators aspired to leave.
The intersection of light and shadow seemed to be the microcosm of the cultivation world in the East Continent.
A multitude of insights bubbled up in Li Ping’an’s heart as he stood quietly at the window of the top floor’s private room in the viewing pavilion, gazing silently at this grand city.
In the City, atop the viewing pavilion, the ten thousand miles of azure waves remain undisturbed by the wind.
Though filled with extraordinary occurrences of the Immortals, it still stirs some worries of the mundane.
A rough and aged male voice came from outside the door, “Ping’an my noble grandson?
What are you gazing at?”
The wooden door to the private room was pushed open, and the Formation within momentarily ceased, as a burly elder strode in, followed by a dozen beautiful maids in simple long dresses, holding trays.
The third disciple and the fourth elder from the Wanyun Sect, who were sitting by the table, rose hastily to their feet.
Gu Qingcheng’s face clearly displayed three words:
The expression on Yu Yingshu’s face showed a different set of three words:
They were clearly befuddled in their cultivation hearts, at a loss to understand what was happening or why the Grandmaster of Artifact Refining in the cultivation world of the East Continent had suddenly shown up, and moreover…
moreover, exceedingly affable.
“Senior Xu,” Elder Yansheng promptly said, “You should have let us make the arrangements, there was no need for you to come here in person.”
The robust elder laughed with his hands on his waist:
“Today is my turn to treat Ping’an, my noble grandson.
You lot just came to saddle on a free meal!
If I let you arrange things, wouldn’t I be the one treating you instead?
“Noble grandson, come!
Come take a seat here!
“I want to have a nice, close chat with you!”
Looking at the seat indicated by the elder Immortal Xu Sheng, Li Ping’an repeatedly clasped his hands in respect and quickly walked back to his seat beside Ningning Mu.
Li Ping’an said with a smile:
“How dare a disciple sit equal with a senior?
“If my father knew about this, I’m afraid I would be in for it again…
Father seeing his son doesn’t pass away, a foot flies onto the wall!”
Ningning Mu couldn’t help giggling, and the Immortals present were all amused to laughter.
If you won’t come over here, then I’ll come to you!”
Xu Sheng carried his chair over next to Ping’an.
Gu Qingcheng and Yu Yingshu were quick-witted, hurriedly moving their chairs aside to make room for the senior elder.
After a round of polite refusals, the elder Immortal still grabbed Li Ping’an’s arm and pulled him to sit together.
Warmth and humor filled the old Immortal’s eyes.
“I have matters to discuss with you, what are you dodging for!”
Li Ping’an could only offer an apologetic smile beside him.
He had already been aware that sects such as Wei Yuan and Tianyuanmen were quite eager for Castcloud Hall’s branch to establish itself in their territories as soon as possible to start working on gathering Spirit Stones and resources, in order to bless their own sect members and disciples.
But he had never imagined…
…that Wei Yuan, the founding Sect Leader of Yuan Sect, who had participated in the final battle for the rising path of the Human Race and held significant prestige in the cultivation world of the East Continent, in the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and a Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, would personally seek him out, this junior.
An elder with white hair, thousands of years older than the revered Elder Kongming of the Wanyun Sect, was chatting casually with a younger disciple…
If the Immortals of Yuan Sect were to witness such a scene, it would indeed be a bit bittersweet.
Li Ping’an sighed inwardly: ‘It’s all for the sake of one’s own sect, after all.’
However, though he had a good impression of the senior Mr.
Xu, the matter of establishing a branch of Castcloud Hall was indeed not something he could agree to lightly.
The elder Immortal urged, and the dozen maids bowed in response, proceeded to lay out the dishes and pour the wine, then gracefully took their leave.
All the maids in the viewing pavilion were female cultivators of the Condensing Light realm.
Seeing them reminded Li Ping’an of a certain Wen Ling; such loose cultivators with average cultivation qualifications and decent looks usually ended up performing miscellaneous tasks when they joined a major sect.
Let’s get the banquet started, and skip all the needless formalities!”
Xu Sheng’s large hand swept through the air as he lifted his wine cup and gestured to those around him.
Elder Yansheng, along with the Wanyun Sect elders and disciples, stood up to return the toast, maintaining impeccable politeness.
The elder Immortal initially did not delve into anything serious, merely chatting with Elder Yansheng—the longest-serving elder present—from the Wanyun Sect about recent interesting events in the East Continent.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, Xu Sheng turned to look at Li Ping’an with a narrowed smile.
“Yes,” Li Ping’an bowed his head slightly, half rising from his seat, “your junior is here.”
The old Immortal drained his cup in one gulp, then sighed deeply, a trace of melancholy in his old eyes:
“I heard from my disciples about the last time you visited our Wanyun Sect, and deep down, I truly envied that occasion.
“Magic Artifacts generating Magic Artifacts, Spirit Stones manoeuvring by themselves, such clever thoughts, such wonderful ideas, why is it that in the tens of thousands of years of Artifact Refining in Yuan Sect, no one could achieve this?
“To tell you the truth, when I was young, I too had a similar idea, but back then I wanted to create a furnace that could refine pills automatically.
I tried for hundreds of years, spent I don’t know how many materials, and in the end, I could only give up in frustration.”