Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Two days later, south of Cloud Mountain City.

A gigantic flying ship steadily rested on a narrow dock.

Unlike the Cloud Sun Flying Warship, this vessel boasted five decks and sails on all four sides, towering like a building, its base sharp and widening upwards.

If the Cloud Sun Flying Warship was a military vessel, then this was a cruise ship. The difference between the two was immediately discernible.

The flag hanging above the bow bore the emblem of the Four Seas Commerce Association.

Wang Chen sat in the luxury cabin, looking out at Cloud Mountain City through a crystal porthole, feeling quite emotional.

The past half-month, which had been relatively tranquil in his cultivation journey, was like being struck by a giant stone and saw a whirlwind of dramatic changes.

Everything happened so fast, it even caught Wang Chen off guard.

But he had no regrets about his choices.

Withdrawing his gaze, Wang Chen took out a short sword from the Storage Bag.

It was the Messaging Flying Sword from Chang Chun.

The central message left in this flying sword could be summed up in one word.

Go!

It wasn't just that, the flying sword also contained three seals of Sword Intent.

For Wang Chen's self-defense!

As a nominal disciple of Chang Chun, this Purple Mansion Superior really did his utmost for him.

Wang Chen didn't know.

Whether he would have the chance to repay his master when he left this time!

Woo~

As the deep sound of the horn resounded, the sails on the first deck were hoisted in succession.

The immense flying ship gradually ascended, heading southward.

Its altitude continued to climb until it was above the clouds!

Wang Chen had taken the Cloud Sun Flying Warship before.

But in terms of comfort, it didn't compare to the luxury cabin he now occupied.

The single-passenger cabin on the second deck had every facility one could need, and it was even endowed with a Spirit Gathering Array, making the concentration of Spiritual Energy hardly inferior to that of the Inner Sect.

The service of the luxury cabin was also top-notch.

If he wished, he could call for two beautiful maids to serve him at any time.

However, Wang Chen had no interest in that.

And such luxurious service was not free.

A first-class cabin ticket had cost him three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!

To complete his guarding mission in Great Qian, thousands of miles away, aside from flying there himself, taking a merchant ship of the Four Seas Commerce Association was basically the only choice.

The merchant ships belonging to the Four Seas Commerce Association made a round trip to Great Qian every ten days.

They transported supplies while also carrying passengers.

Although Great Qian was in the Spiritless Land,

within the tens of thousands of Inner and Outer Sect disciples of the Cloud Sun Sect, many were from this mortal nation.

Unless they had completely severed their worldly ties, there would be a need to visit relatives.

This included some Loose Cultivators.

Ordinary Cultivators couldn't afford the cost of the luxury cabins.

The standard cabins below deck only cost thirty Spirit Stones per berth.

If Wang Chen had chosen a standard cabin, he could have been reimbursed for the travel expenses upon completing his mission and returning.

But after understanding the situation, he had gritted his teeth and splurged.

The standard cabins below had communal bunks, crowded with no privacy to speak of.

Moreover, they lacked the boost from a Spirit Gathering Array.

Most importantly, the upper-deck cabins had the highest defense, and in case of danger, passengers in luxury cabins had priority evacuation over standard cabin passengers.

So for the sake of privacy and his own safety, Wang Chen still spent those Spirit Stones.

One can only say that the Four Seas Commerce Association really knew how to do business.

As a matter of fact, three hundred fifty spirit stones were still a discounted price for inner sect disciples!

As the flying ship's distance from Cloud Mountain City grew further, Wang Chen's mind settled down accordingly.

The gloom that had haunted him tirelessly finally dissipated.

It was as if he had shed a burden of thousands of pounds, and he felt much lighter all around.

Wang Chen withdrew his gaze, no longer observing the scenery outside.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion, beginning to practice his cultivation techniques.

In the half month just past, Wang Chen had not been able to cultivate properly, and his cultivation level had not advanced at all.

The Four Seas Commerce Association's ship, sailing from Cloud Sun sect to Great Qian's imperial capital, required roughly ten days' time.

He planned to make good use of these ten days to catch up on the progress he'd lost in his cultivation!

During the following days, Wang Chen stayed inside the VIP cabin without leaving.

All his meals were taken care of in the room.

Perhaps due to the special environment, and because he was focused and undistracted, his cultivation practice went exceedingly smoothly, and the daily progress with his Five Elements Skill had reached unprecedented peak values.

If he could continue like this, Wang Chen would be able to break through to the ninth level of Qi Cultivation in just a month!

Regrettably, on the ninth day after leaving the Cloud Sun sect, the merchant ship that had been flying above the clouds began to descend.

Tap tap!

The door to his cabin was knocked gently.

Wang Chen, who was practicing his cultivation technique, opened his eyes and waved to open the door.

Standing before him was a lovely maidservant, who bowed respectfully and said, "Immortal Master, Qian Capital is nearly upon us."

Wang Chen nodded, "Understood."

Qian Capital was the imperial capital of Great Qian, a mortal city with a population of one million.

According to the itinerary, he was to disembark in Qian Capital and report to the Cloud Sun Heavenly Master Clan Manor before taking up his post in the prefectural city.

Boom!

Accompanied by a muffled roar, the flying ship landed on the mooring platform.

Wang Chen stepped out of the VIP cabin, through the outer hatch that had just opened, exiting the ship.

In that instant as he disembarked, he immediately sensed that something was amiss!

The feeling was akin to a person moving from a cool, moist place to an extremely dry, scorching one, where every fiber of one's being felt uncomfortable.

It even aroused irritability.

No spiritual energy.

There was not a trace of nature's spiritual energy outside, which made Wang Chen, accustomed to spiritually enriched environments, suddenly feel the impulse to turn back and return to the cabin!

Though he had been mentally prepared.

Only upon truly experiencing the appalling conditions of the Spiritless Land.

Did he truly understand.

Why countless loose cultivators would rather struggle for survival in the dangerous outer domains than opt for a life among mortals.

Why the inner sect disciples of Cloud Sun sect were unwilling to take on this task!

"You'll get used to it."

Right at that moment, a voice came from beside him, "The Heavenly Master Clan Manor has Spirit Gathering Arrays, and as long as you are willing to spend spirit stones, you can still cultivate. At the very least, it won't affect your realm."

Wang Chen turned his head and saw a young white-robed cultivator standing next to him.

The latter flashed a toothy smile and neatly greeted him, "Let's get acquainted, I am Fei Xinghe of the Lonely Sword Peak, in charge of guarding Jing'an Prefecture City!"

Wang Chen already knew that several inner sect disciples had received the same guarding mission and had taken this flying ship to Great Qian.

No doubt, this Fei Xinghe in front of him was one of them!

"So you're a senior brother from Lonely Sword Peak."

Wang Chen bowed, "I am Wang Chen from Sunset Peak."

If he remembered correctly, the Nan Shao Prefecture that he was responsible for guarding was adjacent to Jing'an Prefecture.

This Fei Xinghe of Lonely Sword Peak would be his neighbor!

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Here comes the third update.