Chapter 89: Skycloud Island

“All disciples whose blood and qi strength has reached the level of two dragons and five tigers or above are to proceed to the Transmission Hall within an hour and be teleported to Skycloud Island.”

Reading the message on his disciple token, Xu Chen suddenly felt as if a grand event was about to unfold.

Just at that moment, a knock sounded at his door.

“Junior Brother Xu, let’s go. No need for the teleportation array; I’ll take you directly to Skycloud Island,” came the voice.

Opening the door, Xu Chen found Li Chengfu waiting, and not far away, a luxurious spirit vessel hovered in the air.

“Let’s go, then,” he said.

He followed Li Chengfu aboard the magnificent spirit vessel.

“What kind of place is Skycloud Island?” Xu Chen asked curiously.

“It’s where the sect’s elders reside and cultivate. It’s nine hundred miles above the sect itself. Regular disciples can’t get up there, so they need the teleportation array,” Li Chengfu explained.

The exquisite spirit vessel rose quickly, soaring skyward like an elevator, climbing ever higher.

“I never imagined our sect had such a place.”

“By the way, is this spirit vessel a treasure tool? I’ve heard the top-tier treasure spirit vessels have tool spirits; once recognized by their master, even those at the blood and qi realm can control them,” Xu Chen said, a little awed.

He’d seen this level of vehicle treasure in the artifact shops before—it was incredibly expensive.

“I am not a treasure tool. I am a spirit tool—one of my master’s carriages: the Xuan Nan Spirit Vessel.”

“Please address me as Lord Xuan Nan,” a strange and childish voice suddenly sounded. A palm-sized phantom of a little horse appeared on Li Chengfu’s shoulder.

“You have no business speaking here!” With a wave of his hand, Li Chengfu dispersed the tool spirit.

“So this is a spirit tool!” Xu Chen gazed at the luxurious vessel, wondering when he might have one himself.

“If you like it, I’ll give you one,” Li Chengfu offered.

“No, thank you. I’ll buy one myself when the time comes,” Xu Chen quickly declined, not wishing to owe such favors.

The spirit vessel moved swiftly; in the blink of an eye, it had reached the altitude of a hundred miles.

Here, fierce winds swept across the heights, but they could not shake the vessel’s shield.

“Do you know why we’re going to Skycloud Island?” Xu Chen asked casually.

Below, the land stretched vast and wild, like a miniature world.

In the sky, the fierce winds blew, obscuring the view.

“We’re headed to the Human Realm to take the Immortal Path trial,” Li Chengfu answered. “All the major sects are selecting disciples with high combat power and potential.”

“So, we’re truly going to represent the sect—and the human race. If we perform well, the sect will be honored and receive support from the Human Realm’s destiny and the Human Sovereign in the future.”

“I understand,” Xu Chen replied.

The spirit vessel continued to rise; the winds grew stronger, almost tangible.

Endless gusts battered the vessel’s shield, causing it only to ripple with layered waves.

Just as Xu Chen grew concerned, the sky suddenly calmed.

Sunlight bathed the world; not a cloud marred the vast expanse.

At that moment, the vessel was enveloped in shadow. Xu Chen looked up to see a floating giant island, as large as a city.

“Come, all these years since entering the sect and I’ve never seen the illusion array of the Human Realm,” Li Chengfu said.

The spirit vessel surged forward, piercing the island’s array shield and entering within.

It was as though they’d stepped into another world.

“This truly is a land of immortals,” Xu Chen murmured, gazing down at the island’s many immortal abodes.

Palatial halls, jade towers, and a thick atmosphere of spiritual energy pervaded all.

Xu Chen breathed deeply; the gentle spiritual power flowed into his body, nourishing his flesh.

“In a place like this, even without cultivating, one’s strength would improve daily,” he marveled.

“Indeed. As one of the five great sects of Lei Prefecture, our sect has some power,” Li Chengfu agreed.

They sped across Skycloud Island and soon arrived at a plaza outside a palace.

Already, more than a hundred disciples had gathered here.

In the distance, more disciples streamed in from all directions.

“Our sect has over five thousand disciples at the blood and qi realm above two dragons and five tigers,” Li Chengfu remarked. “Most will be eliminated, almost ninety percent.”

Before Xu Chen could reply, a figure squeezed past.

“Junior Brother Xu, once you’ve eliminated Little Fu, let’s find a new teammate,” Zong Changshou said, pushing his way in.

“Don’t jinx it,” Li Chengfu shot back.

Xu Chen glanced into the distance and spotted a familiar figure.

Sensing his gaze, Bai Ningxue turned around.

Xu Chen smiled and nodded in greeting; Bai Ningxue nodded back, her expression somewhat awkward.

Suddenly, a massive array enveloped the plaza outside the palace.

Then, over five thousand columns of azure light appeared, each large enough to enclose a single person.

“Step inside the light column to enter the Human Realm. Follow the guidance to traverse the Immortal Path. Four thousand miles is passing; six thousand miles is outstanding. The farther you go, the better. The top one hundred will receive rewards and great opportunities,” a vast, emotionless voice rang out across the plaza.

Hearing this, Xu Chen looked at his two teammates.

“You don’t think we won’t make it, do you?” Zong Changshou winked at Xu Chen.

“Rest assured, if we can’t handle this, we have no business going to the Ancient Saints’ Battlefield. Let’s tackle the Immortal Path first, then talk afterward.”

“Agreed,” Xu Chen nodded, found an empty azure light column, and stepped inside.

His consciousness blurred; when he regained his senses, he found himself in the plaza of the Immortal Path.

Yet this time, unlike his previous journey, he was alone; not far away, only one teleportation gate to the Immortal Path stood.

“Entering the gate is the Immortal Path,” he thought.

A screen of light appeared nearby, displaying a brief introduction to the Immortal Path.

“I wonder how far I’ll get this time,” Xu Chen mused as he strode into the teleportation gate.

With a single step, he seemed to enter another world.

At the Immortal Path’s five-thousand-mile boundary marker, Xu Chen stood on the broad road, gazing up at the winged race soaring through the sky.

“It can go even farther.”

“That bird—does it remember me?” Xu Chen called out.

“I kill more than a million humans every day. If I remembered every name, it would be exhausting, wouldn’t it?” the winged being retorted, suddenly flapping its wings and launching several feathers like arrows at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen couldn’t be bothered to dodge; his protective force stopped the feathers three meters away.

What once seemed troublesome—the winged race—now appeared less than mere foot soldiers in Xu Chen’s eyes.

With a mighty palm strike toward the sky, Xu Chen sent the winged being crashing down like a broken kite.

Looking ahead at the boundless road, Xu Chen activated Wind-Stepping Technique, his body becoming a blur as he rushed forward.

The attacks and minor monsters along the way needed no effort; the lethal power of Thousand Illusions was enough to vanquish them.

At the six-thousand-mile checkpoint, Xu Chen struck out, obliterating a hidden beast in the void, its form exploding into a mist of blood.

At the seven-thousand-mile checkpoint, a white-robed, dustless swordsman barely had time to draw his blade before Xu Chen shattered his heart with a single palm.

At the eight-thousand-mile checkpoint, a towering Golden Thunder Ox, wielding twin hammers of wind and lightning, confronted him.