Early the next morning, Yun Qi arrived at the gate of a courtyard diagonally across from his own and waited.
It was only at last night's banquet that he learned that Luo Wanhua, who lived in this courtyard, was registered at Shouyin Mountain.
He had arranged to hitch a ride on Luo's cloud to visit Shouyin Mountain and purchase a cloud.
The main reason Yun Qi wanted to buy a cloud now was actually for the purpose of absorbing qi.
With a cloud, he could absorb the fiery qi of the sun high in the sky, the watery qi of the great lakes, and the wooden qi of the forested mountains.
Wouldn't that be convenient? Besides, he had just received a bonus, hadn't he?
He didn't have to wait long before Luo Wanhua pushed the door open and stepped out.
The man was on the thinner side but preferred wearing wide robes with large sleeves, which fluttered dramatically as he walked.
With a feigned look of annoyance, Luo Wanhua pointed at Yun Qi and said, "You, you! Even though you've been given a bonus, you still need to be careful with your spending. There will be plenty of expenses in the future. If you want to buy a cloud today, you'll have to spend money, won't you? Last night, those brats from Guting Street were ready to bleed, and we wanted to take advantage of them. Why did you secretly pay the bill? You made both groups feel quite embarrassed!"
Yun Qi quickly clasped his hands and bowed, laughing, "I won't dare do it again, I won't dare!"
Luo Wanhua was clearly in high spirits.
With a flick of his wide sleeve, he summoned a cloud of water-green color.
He pulled Yun Qi onto it, and Yun Qi felt that the texture under his feet was similar to Feng Jihu's cloud—soft and fluffy, but this one felt cooler, as if he were standing in morning mist.
"This is my cloud, named 'Rain Lake.' Shouyin Mountain is located in the southwest corner of the sect. We'll head west, cross Xiping Ridge, and when we see the endless sea of clouds, the tallest mountain within it will be Shouyin Mountain," Luo Wanhua explained.
Luo's cloud initially flew at a low altitude, and along the way, he pointed out the sect's scenic spots and mountains.
They first flew northwest for about seven or eight miles, where they saw a mountain covered in azalea flowers.
Luo Wanhua told him that this was the Azalea Valley.
Yun Qi gazed at the valley, which was truly a sea of crimson flowers, breathtakingly beautiful.
After traveling another ten miles west, Luo Wanhua steered the cloud southward, making a detour to avoid an area filled with ancient trees and clear lakes.
He explained to Yun Qi that this area was the Longevity Garden, a sanctuary for divine beasts and immortal birds.
Ever since a few female dragons had accused sect disciples of spying on them while they bathed, no one dared to fly directly over the Longevity Garden anymore.
To the northwest of the Longevity Garden was the Alchemy Hall, where the sect's disciples refined, sold, and collected pills.
Yun Qi looked toward the gentle slope and saw clusters of pavilions, bustling with people.
Wisps of green smoke rose into the air, and a strange fragrance wafted over.
About five or six miles southwest of the Alchemy Hall was the Ten Thousand Immortals' Welcome Peaks, where the sect's guest elders resided.
Luo Wanhua explained that within the sect, the mountains associated with the character "万" (ten thousand) were the Ten Thousand Scrolls Facing Heaven Peaks, where registered disciples like themselves lived; the Longevity Garden, home to divine beasts and immortal birds; and the Ten Thousand Immortals' Welcome Peaks, where guest elders resided.
Sect disciples often referred to them as Little Wan Mountain, Big Wan Mountain, and Immortal Wan Mountain, respectively.
After passing Immortal Wan Mountain, Yun Qi could faintly see the towering Xiping Ridge through the mist, stretching dozens of miles from south to north.
The two of them skirted around the southern edge of Xiping Ridge.
Here, Yun Qi witnessed a strange phenomenon: to the east of Xiping Ridge, the clouds were level with the mountain peaks, while to the west, the clouds only reached halfway up the mountains.
"The mountains are often shrouded in mist, which is actually part of the sect's protective formation, called the Six Dragons Returning to the Sun and Nine Heavens Cloud Restriction Formation. Under the formation's control, the clouds rise and fall as commanded, and the mist thickens or thins at will. We've never seen the full power of this formation, but we've certainly admired its beauty."
To the west of Xiping Ridge, the sea of clouds turns red at sunset, earning it the name Red Sea.
To the east of Dongping Ridge, the sea of clouds turns orange at sunrise, hence the name Orange Sea.
"I've also heard that the sect plans to build a Nanping Ridge to the south, but I don't know when construction will begin."
Yun Qi nodded, taking in the lesson.
At this moment, the Red Sea stretched beneath his feet, vast and boundless.
However, due to the towering Xiping Ridge blocking the sunlight, the Red Sea wasn't red at the moment.
The morning sun in the east cast an endless shadow, making the clouds appear bluish-gray.
The clouds swayed gently in the mountain breeze, resembling an endless deep lake.
In the middle of this lake stood a solitary peak, so tall it seemed to touch the sky.
"That's Shouyin Mountain. There are over two thousand cultivators living there, and the clouds produced here are renowned far and wide," Luo Wanhua explained.
He then pointed to the area where Shouyin Mountain met the Red Sea and said, "This is where clouds are caught and collected. The cultivation grounds for the masters and disciples are further up."
Yun Qi followed his finger and indeed saw people casting nets on the sea of clouds.
It was a fascinating sight, and the area seemed much livelier than Mingzhi Mountain.
"Let's go."
With that, Luo Wanhua led Yun Qi higher into the sky.
Soon, they flew past the height of Xiping Ridge and reached the second layer of clouds.
As Feng Jihu had mentioned, this was where the sect's disciples practiced their spells, evasion techniques, and cloud-riding skills.
The remnants of various spells and the glow of magical weapons lit up the area.
If the layer below was the elegance of the immortals, then this layer above was their might.
The clouds above the core area of Sanqing Mountain appeared pure white and silky when viewed from below, but from above, they were dyed in a kaleidoscope of colors by the remnants of spells and the light of magical techniques, earning them the name "Rainbow Sea."
Above the Rainbow Sea was yet another layer of clouds, piled up like cotton.
Each cloud was as large as a hill, and the peak of Shouyin Mountain still towered above them.
The two continued to ascend, and Yun Qi began to feel the cold.
Ever since he absorbed the pure spiritual qi in his youth, he hadn't felt cold in a long time.
They flew through the thick layer of clouds, surrounded by a milky white haze.
Yun Qi could no longer tell which direction was which.
Suddenly, the surroundings brightened, and the intense light forced Yun Qi to close his eyes.
When he opened them again, the breathtaking scenery left him almost breathless.
Above him was the sky, a clear blue so deep it looked like an inverted ocean.
Beneath him were clouds, white as milk, stretching endlessly like a snow-covered plain.
This layer of clouds was called the Milky Sea.
Between the sky and the clouds was the golden sunlight.
The rays of light, visible to the naked eye, stretched from the golden-red morning sun in the east to the eyes of the observer.
The light shifted between bright gold and a rainbow of colors, dazzling to the eye.
On the white plain of clouds stood several peaks.
The closest one was Shouyin Mountain, but in this vast expanse, even the towering Shouyin Mountain seemed like a mere hill.
To the south was a sharp peak shaped like a sword.
To the east, a mountain protruded from the sea of clouds like a turtle's head.
To the north, there was a gleaming, perfectly shaped platform.
In the center of this snowy plain stood three mountains, truly towering above the rest.
These three mountains formed a triangle, facing each other from a distance.
Even at this altitude, they remained lush and green, like three sacred figures clad in green robes, standing tall and mighty.
"The one to the south is Toujian Mountain. To the east is Aohe Peak. To the north is the Flying Immortal Platform of Lotus Blessed Land. And those three are the Jade Capital, Jade Splendor, and Jade Void Mountains," Luo Wanhua explained, following Yun Qi's gaze.
"Is there more above this?" Yun Qi asked.
Luo Wanhua nodded.
"The clouds above are hidden, but as far as I know, there are at least two more layers. It's said that the topmost layer contains spiritual aether, though few have been there. After all, that height is equivalent to the third heaven outside the sect."
Yun Qi looked up at the sky but saw no trace of anything, only an endless expanse.
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(End of Chapter)