Chapter 5 - Crossing the Sea of Clouds, the Hidden Azure Mysteries of Yunlu Mountain

On the other side, the young girl holding Xu Taiping's hand simply smiled and silently watched him.

Xu Taiping looked at the young man in front of him, then at the red-clothed girl beside him, and finally at his second uncle and aunt, who were still wrestling with the Bai family steward. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes faded away.

"I am willing."

Xu Taiping nodded firmly toward the two young disciples.

Hearing this, the young man laughed heartily and then waved his wide sleeve. A gust of wind swept Xu Taiping and the red-clothed girl into the air and onto the back of an immortal crane.

"Taiping, my name is Dugu Qingxiao. I am the second disciple of the Seventh Peak of Qingxuan Sect."

"And I am Zhao Linglong, the sixth disciple of the Seventh Peak of Qingxuan Sect. From now on, I'll be your senior sister."

"Taiping greets Senior Brother and Senior Sister."

Amid playful chatter, the villagers could only watch as the immortal crane gradually disappeared into the sea of clouds. In the blink of an eye, it was gone.

As for Xu Taiping's second uncle and aunt, they ultimately failed to overpower the Bai family steward and his servants. Left with nothing—neither money nor property—they could only slump under the old elm tree at the village entrance, pointing at the sky and cursing loudly.

Yunlu Mountain

In just one day, Xu Taiping, riding the immortal crane, reached the legendary Yunlu Immortal Mountain.

To be precise, what the mortal world referred to as Yunlu Mountain was merely the entrance to Qingxuan Sect.

It was akin to an iceberg in the sea: the part visible above the water's surface was only a small portion of the whole.

"The Yunlu Mountain you mortals speak of is merely the barrier to the Seven Peaks of Yunlu. The true Yunlu Seven Peaks are perpetually shrouded by a barrier of clouds and mist. One must have a spirit beast to guide the way in or out."

As they ascended into the sea of clouds near the mountain's summit, Linglong enthusiastically explained to Xu Taiping while sitting on the immortal crane.

"So how big is the real Yunlu Mountain?"

Hearing Linglong's introduction, Xu Taiping couldn't help but grow curious about Yunlu Mountain.

"The Yunlu Mountain range stretches for ten thousand miles, with its seven main peaks towering over ten thousand zhang (heights). Its area is likely no smaller than your Great Liang Kingdom. However, because the entire Yunlu Mountain exists in its own isolated realm, it appears to mortals as just a small peak."

This time, it was Qingxiao, who had been meditating nearby, who answered Xu Taiping's question.

"No smaller than the Great Liang Kingdom?"

Xu Taiping's understanding of the world was shaken once again.

"Exactly. In the cultivation world, there are many other secret realms like Yunlu Mountain. Our Qingxuan Sect on Yunlu Mountain is merely a third-tier cultivation sect," Linglong said with a smile.

"What's above third tier—"

"Boom!"

Before Xu Taiping could ask more about the cultivation world, a sudden gale hit them, and the immortal crane let out a sharp screech.

"Junior Brother, this is the protective grand array's barrier wind! Hold onto Senior Sister's hand, or you'll fall!" Linglong shouted as she grabbed Xu Taiping's hand.

"Understood!"

Xu Taiping nodded and tightly gripped her soft, boneless hand.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

In the blink of an eye, the chaotic barrier winds dispersed. Before him, Xu Taiping saw a clear, pristine sky, with rolling mountain ranges, towering peaks piercing the clouds, and numerous floating mountains hidden within the sea of clouds.

"This is the real Yunlu Immortal Mountain," Zhao Linglong said proudly, standing up to look out at the view.

"Qingxiao, Linglong."

At that moment, a sweet, gentle voice came from the side.

Xu Taiping turned to see a streak of azure light emerging from the sea of clouds. Upon closer inspection, it was a tall and beautiful woman with a sweet smile, accompanied by a little girl, both standing on a flying jade gourd.

"Senior Sister Ziyan? Why have you come down the mountain too?" Zhao Linglong waved enthusiastically at the woman called Ziyan.

"Not long after you went down the mountain, the Spirit Bone Monument responded again. This time, the Sixth Peak has also been blessed with a disciple chosen by the monument," Ziyan said with a smile, glancing at the little girl behind her.

The little girl wore a white dress and had jade-like skin, appearing like a flawless porcelain doll, stunningly beautiful.

"What a pretty little girl," Zhao Linglong praised sincerely.

"Congratulations, congratulations! The Sixth Peak has gained another promising talent. It seems Sixth Peak will take the top spot in the next Seven Peaks Competition," Qingxiao said with a laugh, cupping his fists toward Ziyan.

Hearing this, Ziyan covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, her brows exuding a subtle charm.

"Buyu, greet Senior Brother Qingxiao and Senior Sister Linglong," Ziyan said as she patted the little girl on the shoulder.

"Buyu greets Senior Brother Qingxiao and Senior Sister Linglong," the little girl said, somewhat stiffly, bowing to them.

"No need to be so formal," Qingxiao replied with a smile.

Linglong, on the other hand, turned to Xu Taiping, patted him on the head, and said, "Taiping, quickly greet Senior Sister Ziyan and your future Junior Sister Buyu. Among the Seven Peaks, the Sixth Peak is the wealthiest, so you'd better get on her good side."

"Taiping greets Senior Sister Ziyan and Junior Sister Buyu," Xu Taiping said, though still a little dazed, bowing respectfully towards Ziyan.

"No need for such courtesy. Once you officially become a disciple of the Seven Peaks, I'll gift you a Foundation-Building Pill," Ziyan said with a smile.

"Thank Senior Sister Ziyan right this instant!" Zhao Linglong pushed Xu Taiping's head to bow again, urging him to express his gratitude.

"Th-thank you, Senior Sister Ziyan," Xu Taiping stammered, still somewhat overwhelmed.

"Qingxiao, are you heading to the Dragon Gate Hall next?" Ziyan asked, changing the subject.

"Indeed. Before Taiping officially joins the Seventh Peak, we must assess his Spirit Bone at the Dragon Gate Hall," Qingxiao confirmed.

"In that case, I'll accompany you," Ziyan said, steering her flying sword to approach the immortal crane.

"Let's go together, then," Qingxiao nodded.

"How about this, Senior Sister Ziyan? Why don't you ride the crane with my senior brother, and I'll take Buyu flying on the sword?" Zhao Linglong said mischievously, a sly grin on her face.

"Zhao Linglong, do you want me to smack you?" Ziyan's cheeks turned red as she scolded playfully.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll kick you off the crane myself!" Qingxiao added, glaring at Linglong.

"I won't dare anymore! I swear!" Linglong hugged Xu Taiping's shoulders playfully, repeatedly begging for mercy.

At this moment, Xu Taiping's face was also flushed. Never in his life had he been so close to a woman, let alone hugged by one.

But what occupied his thoughts more was Qingxiao's earlier statement—"We need to assess your Spirit Bone at the Dragon Gate Hall."

"Senior Brother Qingxiao, why do we need to assess the Spirit Bone?" Xu Taiping couldn't help but ask.

"Although you were chosen by the Spirit Bone Monument and can join the Seventh Peak without testing, it's still necessary to determine the type and grade of your Spirit Bone. This will greatly benefit your future cultivation," Qingxiao explained.

"Little Taiping, you probably don't know yet," Linglong chimed in, wrapping an arm around Xu Taiping's shoulder and gesturing theatrically as she began to explain. "In the cultivation world, having a Spirit Bone means you can cultivate. However, Spirit Bones are divided into different types and grades."

"For types, the most common are the five elemental Spirit Bones—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Beyond those, there are rarer types like ice, lightning, and wind."

"As for grades, they're divided into four tiers: Purple Spirit Bone, Gold Spirit Bone, Black Spirit Bone, and White Spirit Bone. Among them, the Purple Spirit Bone is the rarest and is also known as the Heavenly Spirit Bone, while the White Spirit Bone is the least useful."

Hearing this, Xu Taiping finally began to understand.

"Why is the White Spirit Bone considered the least useful?" he asked curiously.

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