Free Web NovelChapter 320: Arriving at Flowing Cloud City
The silver light shuttle sped across the sky above the Flowing Cloud Plain. Fang Hao sat cross-legged in the cabin; his face was slightly pale, but his aura had gradually stabilized.
Although he had successfully killed the Green-Winged Wind Eagle by forcibly activating the Soul-Shocking Spike just now, it had caused some backlash to his Divine Soul. Fortunately, there were many Medicinal Pills for nourishing the Divine Soul in Mo Yunhe’s storage ring, so he was now out of danger.
He controlled the flying shuttle, maintaining its speed within a relatively safe range, while his Divine Sense remained highly vigilant, alert to his surroundings.
That sudden attack just now had made him more cautious about this seemingly calm plain. The world of cultivation was full of crises everywhere, and one could never let their guard down at any time.
After flying for about an hour, the outline of a city finally appeared on the horizon ahead.
The city was not large in scale, with cyan-gray walls. The figures of patrolling Cultivators could be vaguely seen on the walls, and there were Cultivators entering and exiting the city gate, making it appear quite lively.
"Flowing Cloud City..." Fang Hao checked the map and confirmed the name of the city.
Flowing Cloud City was a medium-sized city on the Flowing Cloud Plain, controlled by the Flowing Cloud Sect, and served as an important stronghold for Cultivators in the nearby area to gather and trade.
According to the map, this place was still tens of thousands of miles away from the Myriad Laws Immortal City, but at least it had entered a relatively safe area where he could take a short rest and gather information.
He steered the silver light shuttle to land a few miles outside the city, put it away, and walked towards the city gate.
Since this was a gathering place for Cultivators, rashly riding the flying shuttle into the city would easily attract attention and might even violate certain rules, so it was better to keep a low profile.
Arriving at the city gate, he saw a plaque hanging above it with the three ancient characters "Flowing Cloud City" written on it. Two Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators dressed in the attire of the Flowing Cloud Sect were guarding the gate, conducting simple checks on the Cultivators entering and exiting.
Fang Hao restrained his aura, suppressing his cultivation to around the Middle Golden Core Stage, and entered the city slowly with the flow of people.
After paying the entrance fee of ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, Fang Hao successfully entered the city.
The streets inside the city were wide, with shops lined up on both sides; there were Medicinal Pill shops, Magical Artifact shops, Talisman shops, and Material shops, everything one could need. Cultivators shuttled back and forth on the streets, with cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refinement to Golden Core, and occasionally, he could even sense a few auras of the Nascent Soul Stage; clearly, the strength of the Cultivators here was not weak.
Fang Hao did not linger too long on the streets but instead found a seemingly elegant inn and asked for a high-class room.
He needed to rest first, completely recover his state, and then make further plans.
Entering the room, Fang Hao immediately set up several layers of Restrictions to isolate the inner and outer auras, then sat cross-legged, took out a Medicinal Pill for nourishing the Divine Soul, and began to regulate his breathing.
Although the battle with the Green-Winged Wind Eagle just now was short, it consumed a lot, especially the backlash to his Divine Soul, which required time to recuperate.
Several hours later, Fang Hao opened his eyes, a flash of light passing through them, and his state had recovered to its Peak.
He stood up, removed the Restrictions, walked out of the room, and prepared to go into the city to gather information.
After stepping into the inn’s lobby, Fang Hao’s gaze quickly swept across the surroundings, finally resting on an empty seat near the window.
He walked towards that seat, gently pulled out the chair, and then sat down elegantly.
After sitting down, Fang Hao beckoned to the waiter and ordered a pot of fine Spirit Tea.
After the waiter brought the tea and filled the cup, Fang Hao picked up the cup, gently blew away the heat on the surface, and took a slow sip.
The rich aroma of the tea instantly filled his entire mouth, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
However, this was only a facade. In reality, while Fang Hao appeared to be leisurely tasting the tea, he was secretly using his powerful Divine Sense, spreading it out like an invisible net to cover the entire lobby.
In this way, he could clearly capture every corner, every conversation, and even subtle changes in expression could not escape his keen perception.
"Have you heard? The ’Myriad Laws Assembly’, held once every three years at the Myriad Laws Immortal City, is about to begin. It is said that the scale of this assembly is unprecedented, and even the other top Sects in the Western Region will send people to participate!"
"The Myriad Laws Assembly? That is a grand event in the Western Region’s cultivation world! It is said that during the assembly, the Myriad Laws Immortal City will host various trade fairs and auctions, and there will even be high-level Cultivators preaching the Dao. If one could attend, one would surely be eye-opened!"
"It’s a pity, the Myriad Laws Immortal City is too far from here. With our cultivation, it would take several months to get there. Moreover, the journey is dangerous; without sufficient strength and financial resources, one wouldn’t dare to go easily."
"Yes, it is said that for this assembly, even some reclusive old monsters will appear, and there might even be Soul Transformation Stage Seniors preaching the Dao! If one could listen to a Soul Transformation Stage sermon, it would be of great benefit to one’s cultivation!"
The conversations of the surrounding Cultivators reached his ears, and Fang Hao’s heart stirred. The Myriad Laws Assembly? Soul Transformation Stage sermon? This was an unexpected delight.
He had originally planned to go to the Myriad Laws Immortal City to look for the nascent soul pill formula, and if he could catch this Myriad Laws Assembly, perhaps his chances would be greater.
He continued to listen without changing his expression.
"However, the journey to the Myriad Laws Immortal City is long, and one needs to pass through several dangerous places on the way. Without Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, it is too dangerous to go alone. It is said that many Cultivators have recently been traveling together, and some chambers of commerce will even organize caravans, hiring guards to go together."
"Oh? Is there any specific route and information?"
"The ’Hundred Know Tower’ in the east of the city specializes in selling all kinds of information; perhaps you can go there to ask."
Hundred Know Tower? Fang Hao noted down this name. He needed to understand the specific route to the Myriad Laws Immortal City, the dangers along the way, and detailed information about the Myriad Laws Assembly.
After listening for a while longer and confirming that there was no more useful information, Fang Hao stood up, settled the bill, and walked towards the east of the city.
Flowing Cloud City was not too big, and Fang Hao soon found the Hundred Know Tower. It was a three-story pavilion with a small facade, but many Cultivators were entering and exiting, and business was clearly good.
Fang Hao stepped inside, and a Qi Refinement Stage attendant immediately came up to greet him: "Senior, what information do you need?"
"I want to inquire about the route to the Myriad Laws Immortal City and information about the Myriad Laws Assembly." Fang Hao said indifferently.
"Senior, please follow me." The attendant said respectfully, leading Fang Hao to a quiet room on the second floor.
A moment later, a middle-aged Cultivator wearing a green shirt with a cultivation level at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage walked in, cupped his hands, and said: "I am a deacon of the Hundred Know Tower. I wonder what information you would like to inquire about, Senior?"
Fang Hao repeated his requirements.
The deacon nodded, took out a Jade Slip, and said: "We have detailed records of the routes to the Myriad Laws Immortal City, including several main routes, dangerous places along the way, markets, teleportation formations, and other information, for a price of one hundred Medium-Grade Spirit Stones. As for the news about the Myriad Laws Assembly, we do not have much information at present; we only know that the assembly will open in half a year. For specific content and arrangements, we need to wait for more detailed news to arrive, and the price is fifty Medium-Grade Spirit Stones."
Fang Hao frowned slightly. This price was not cheap, but for someone with his current substantial wealth, it was nothing. He took out the Spirit Stones and handed them to the deacon.
The deacon took the Spirit Stones, handed the Jade Slip to Fang Hao, and added: "If you are planning to go to the Myriad Laws Immortal City, Senior, perhaps you can consider joining a caravan. Recently, many caravans and groups of Cultivators have been preparing to go to the Myriad Laws Immortal City, and our Hundred Know Tower can introduce you for a small fee."
"Oh? Which caravans are there?" Fang Hao asked.
"Currently, there are three caravans recruiting guards or companions. One is the caravan of the ’Flowing Cloud Chamber of Commerce’, controlled by the Flowing Cloud Sect, which is the strongest but has higher requirements, needing at least Late Golden Core Stage cultivation. Another is the caravan of the ’Black Wind Chamber of Commerce’, which is slightly weaker but has looser recruitment conditions; Early Golden Core Stage is sufficient. There is also a team composed of Loose Cultivators, led by a few Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators, which is relatively free but not as safe as the caravans of the chambers of commerce." The deacon introduced in detail.
Fang Hao pondered for a moment. Joining a caravan could indeed reduce the risks of the journey, but it might also expose his own trump cards, and his actions would be restricted. He was now carrying heavy treasures and needed to be even more cautious.
"Thank you for telling me, I will consider it." Fang Hao did not make a decision immediately, put away the Jade Slip, stood up, and took his leave.
Leaving the Hundred Know Tower, Fang Hao strolled around the city again, bought some Spiritual Plants and Materials unique to the Flowing Cloud Plain, and incidentally gathered some information about the Flowing Cloud Plain and the surrounding areas. After confirming that this place was relatively safe and there were no traces of the Tiangong Alliance or other enemies, he returned to the inn.
Returning to his room, Fang Hao took out the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense into it. The information recorded in the Jade Slip was quite detailed, not only marking the three main routes to the Myriad Laws Immortal City, but also detailed the pros and cons of each route, the potential dangers along the way, areas to avoid, and the locations of some markets and teleportation formations where one could rest.
"Three routes..." Fang Hao checked carefully. The first route was to head west along the Flowing Cloud Plain, crossing the ’Black Wind Mountain Range’ and the ’Red Flame Desert’. It was the shortest distance but had the greatest danger; the Black Wind Mountain Range was occupied by Nascent Soul Stage Demon Beasts, and the environment of the Red Flame Desert was harsh, with sand bandits appearing.
The second route was to take a detour to the north, crossing the ’Heavenly Wind Canyon’ and ’Jade Wave Lake’. The distance was longer, but it was relatively safe, only requiring passing through the territory of several large Sects, which had many rules.
The third route was to go south, passing through the ’Sunset Cloud Mountain Range’ and the ’Golden Sand River’. The distance was moderate, and the level of danger was also moderate.
Fang Hao weighed the pros and cons. He had plenty of time now and was not in a hurry to reach his destination; safety came first. Although the second route was a detour, it was relatively safe and passed through many markets, making it convenient to replenish resources and gather information.
"Let’s choose the second route." Fang Hao made a decision. As for whether to join a caravan... He thought for a while and decided to travel alone. With his current strength and trump cards, as long as he did not encounter beings above the Late Nascent Soul Stage, he would be safe. Joining a caravan might instead expose his golden puppet and exotic fire, leading to unnecessary trouble.
After determining the route, Fang Hao stopped thinking about it and began to close his eyes to regulate his breathing, preparing for the long journey ahead.
The next morning, Fang Hao left the inn, replenished some Medicinal Pills and Talismans in the city, then left the city, summoned the silver light shuttle, turned into a silver light, and sped away towards the northwest.
The Flowing Cloud Plain was just a stop on his long journey to immortality. Ahead, there was a wider world, more Opportunities, and... more challenges.
The silver light shuttle cut through the sky and soon disappeared into the distant horizon.
