Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Dragon Spine Archipelago
The banquet concluded.
Fang Cheng and Feng Mo bid farewell to Wang Pan and walked out of Shuiyun Hall. Just as they were about to leave together, a clear voice called out from not far away.
"Brother Fang, please wait!"
He turned and saw a slender-faced man in magnificent robes standing outside Shuiyun Hall, smiling at him.
It was none other than Wang Xingzhi.
"Brother Wang!"
Fang Cheng offered a greeting as Wang Xingzhi strode toward him.
Feng Mo glanced at the two of them and chuckled. "You two can catch up," he said. "I’ll be heading back first."
With that, his body was enveloped in a blaze of fire. He shot straight into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Wang Xingzhi looked at Fang Cheng and said, "Brother Fang, since you’re here on Chixia Island, why don’t you come visit my Cave Mansion if you have nothing else to do? It would be a good chance for me to be a proper host."
Fang Cheng laughed. "I’m free anyway, so I’d love to see your place!"
"This way, Brother Fang!" Wang Xingzhi’s figure slowly floated into the air as he made an inviting gesture.
One flying behind the other, the two arrived at the foot of a small, secluded mountain on the eastern side of Chixia Island.
Wang Xingzhi’s Cave Mansion was located on the mountainside. Two ancient, verdant trees stood before its entrance, their cloud-like canopies dense and lush, lending the scene an air of antiquity.
The two strolled inside and found the Cave Mansion to be quite spacious. Its walls had been polished perfectly smooth by some unknown means, and lustrous pearls on the ceiling glittered brightly.
In the main hall, there was a particularly large pool. Its surface was clear and pristine, shimmering with golden ripples. Fish darted about in the water, adding a lively touch.
Wang Xingzhi had already prepared a table laden with fine wine and delicacies inside his Cave Mansion. A beautiful, delicate-featured young woman was in attendance, pouring wine for them.
Fang Cheng could tell at a glance that this woman was Wang Xingzhi’s concubine. A strange, mystical link connected their auras, which he presumed was a result of practicing the Joyful Zen Skill.
Fang Cheng and Wang Xingzhi had known each other for a long time, so Fang Cheng felt quite at ease in the Cave Mansion. They traded cups and chatted about everything under the sun, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
During their conversation, Fang Cheng learned that Wang Xingzhi had reached a tacit understanding with the Wang Family’s Clan Elders Council.
The Wang Family would do everything in its power to help him break through to the Life Talisman Realm!
However, he also needed to perform many tasks for the Wang Family; he couldn’t just sit back and enjoy the rewards like the core disciples did, at least not yet.
Only after he broke through to the Life Talisman Realm would his status undergo an earth-shattering transformation.
After all, in the entire, vast Wang Family, there were still only sixteen Elders in the Life Talisman Realm.
A second-tier family like the Zhou Family, for example, had only three.
The Life Talisman Realm. It was easy enough to talk about, but actually breaking through was incredibly difficult.
With his family’s support, Wang Xingzhi no longer lacked the Tripod Furnaces required for the Joyful Zen Skill or the treasures needed to dissolve demonic thoughts. His cultivation was now progressing at a startling pace.
In just a few years, he would probably be able to attempt a breakthrough to the Life Talisman Realm.
Slightly drunk from the wine, Wang Xingzhi shared many of his insights from practicing the Joyful Zen Skill with Fang Cheng.
After listening, Fang Cheng wasn’t very interested in the Cultivation Technique itself, but a few of the Divine Techniques within it piqued his curiosity.
One Divine Technique within the Joyful Zen Skill was called Red Nether Condensing Light. This ability itself had no killing power. However, once mastered, it allowed the user to cast a divine light that filled the victim’s mind with illusions, plunging them into a sea of insatiable desire and birthing a Heart Demon that was nearly impossible to eradicate.
Wang Xingzhi had been practicing this technique for many days without making any headway, so he couldn’t help but ask Fang Cheng for advice.
Fang Cheng demurred, claiming he had never practiced the Joyful Zen Skill. After a brief discussion, he steered the conversation to a different topic.
...
Fang Cheng stayed in Wang Xingzhi’s Cave Mansion for the better part of a day before taking his leave.
After leaving Chixia Island, he gazed into the distance and saw the Dragon Spine Archipelago, home to the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Sect. He immediately flew toward it.
Far in the distance, where the water met the sky, a towering peak soared into the clouds.
Below this majestic mountain stood nine other precipitous, slightly shorter peaks.
Together, the ten great mountains formed a colossal island that dominated the center of the Abyssal Marsh.
After Fang Cheng had read the jade slip distributed to Outer Disciples, he knew that was the legendary Yinluo Island!
Centered around Yinluo Island, countless other isles dotted the vast water’s surface, like scattered emeralds and pearls.
On the southernmost edge of Yinluo Island’s periphery, dozens of islands lay scattered across the vast Daze, resembling the spine of a Celestial Dragon.
This was the Dragon Spine Archipelago, home to the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Sect.
On the highest island in the center of the Dragon Spine Archipelago stood a magnificent, imposing mountain gate. A plaque hung above it, inscribed with the two large words, "Yinluo Sect."
Passing through this gate meant one had entered the Yinluo Sect.
Each island in the Dragon Spine Archipelago was scenic and brimming with Spiritual Qi. Palaces stretched across them in continuous chains, with pavilions and towers scattered about in picturesque arrangements. Spirit Beasts and cranes roamed freely, and flashes of spiritual light gave the entire place an ethereal atmosphere.
The majority of the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Disciples and Outer Elders cultivated here.
Dressed in the robes of an Outer Disciple, Fang Cheng flew in from the horizon, riding an auspicious cloud.
Above the Dragon Spine Archipelago, many Cultivators traveled to and fro. Some rode in chariots, some on Spirit Beasts, and others on Magical Artifacts. Escape Lights of every color flashed as they flew about, creating a bustling scene.
The Outer Sect’s institutions, such as the Scripture Pavilion, Merit Pavilion, and Law Enforcement Pavilion, were all located on the main island where the mountain gate stood.
Fang Cheng took out his Outer Disciple Identity Token, hung it at his waist, and slowly flew above the main island.
As he passed through the Yinluo Sect Mountain Gate, an invisible ripple swept over him. A stream of light pulsed from his Identity Token, flashing a few times before subsiding.
To the southeast of the main island, a colossal tree towered over the mountains.
This giant tree was over a thousand feet tall, standing majestic and upright with a vigorous trunk and lush foliage. Its canopy alone was several miles across, making it look like a towering green mountain on the island.
Compared to it, the surrounding trees seemed as insignificant as blades of grass.
’Thousand Cloud Divine Wood...’
Fang Cheng was stunned by the sheer visual impact of the tree.
Nestled within the canopy of the Thousand Cloud Divine Wood was a magnificent, resplendent hall.
As he flew closer to the Thousand Cloud Divine Wood, he was immediately struck by a wave of incredibly dense Wood Element Spiritual Qi.
’If I cultivated the Cyan Yuan Demon Tree Skill here...’
A flicker of longing appeared in Fang Cheng’s eyes as he gazed at the majestic Thousand Cloud Divine Wood, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
’This is the Outer Sect Merit Pavilion, guarded by several Outer Elders on rotating shifts. How could they possibly let me cultivate here whenever I please?’
He landed his Escape Light before the Merit Pavilion and walked into the grand hall.
Inside the vast, magnificent palace hall, a ball of vines dozens of feet in diameter floated in mid-air. Over a hundred leaves swayed upon its surface.
Words flickered on each and every leaf—they were sect missions!
A closer look revealed that these missions were issued by the Yinluo Sect’s various Elders and True Disciples. They included tasks like searching for Spirit Grass and minerals, refining specific Talismanic Elixirs, assassinating the sect’s enemies, delivering messages, escorting treasures, patrolling sect grounds, and guarding herb gardens...
The sheer, motley variety of tasks was enough to give Fang Cheng a headache.
The number of merit points awarded for each mission’s completion was marked on every leaf.
With these merit points, one could go to the Merit Hall and exchange them for all sorts of Magical Artifacts, Talismans, elixirs, Spirit Beasts, and precious materials. They could also be used at the Scripture Pavilion to exchange for various Cultivation Techniques.
Therefore, the first thing any Disciple did upon entering the Outer Sect was, without fail, to visit the Merit Pavilion.
