Chapter 93
Ever since her second excursion was practically confirmed, Baek-Cheong had thrown herself into Pill Refining.
She couldn’t expect to Refine pills while traveling, so she needed to stockpile a massive amount of Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pills before leaving.
As soon as she opened her eyes in the morning, she headed straight for the Pill Room.
When she placed the five Five Elements Golems on the pill furnace and infused them with spiritual energy, the golems each took on their respective roles to concoct the pills.
They churned out Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pills without rest, three at a time.
The Inscribed Attribute Pill for Suppressing Unified Latent Spirit Root only needed to be taken once a month to prevent Nutrient Erosion, so she didn’t need to stockpile many, but since it was 1st-Grade Mid-Tier, she couldn’t yet produce it through Golem Pill Refining.
It was annoying to have to stop the golems and Refine them herself, but since she only needed to make the required amount, she poured most of her time into stockpiling Inscribed Spirit Gathering Pills.
Running the Pill Refining process four or five times a day made the days fly by, and her resolve to stockpile was that one could never have too many.
“Just one more batch.”
Glancing at the accumulating pills, Baek-Cheong muttered softly as she infused more spiritual energy into the pill furnace.
Even while the Pill Refining was running, she was using Divine Sense Division to connect to the Nameless Forum, so her forum-browsing remained as constant as ever.
The problem arose from somewhere else entirely.
Thick, dark clouds gathered in the sky above the Clan.
At first, she considered it an insignificant change, but they didn’t scatter even after a day passed, and by the second day, the color of the clouds grew even darker.
The Family members of the Clan showed signs of anxiety.
They had recently experienced the heavenly tribulation clouds during the Supreme Clan Head’s Minor Realm Breakthrough, and they had previously stood beneath the tribulation clouds during the Clan Head’s Golden Core Breakthrough, so it was a natural reaction to be sensitive to dark clouds.
However, no vortex could be seen in these dark clouds.
There was also no sign of a lightning tribulation.
“Is it because of me?”
Baek-Cheong looked up at the sky while Refining pills.
It was likely just the Heavenly Dao showing a brief sign of discomfort.
“I did Refine a bit excessively.”
Still, her judgment that it would stop at a mere threat remained unchanged, so she didn’t slow down her Pill Refining.
* * *
The day to head to the Biun Sect finally dawned.
It was still a long time before the New Year, but since the journey to the Biun Sect Main Sect took over ten days, they could easily be late if they didn’t set off early.
An incredibly massive Flying Dharma Treasure sat on the Flying Immortal Platform of the Yeonha Baek Clan.
Its scale was entirely different from the Tower Ship she had ridden when going to Yeonha Immortal City.
The length of the hull alone looked to be double that of the Tower Ship, and the Pavilion erected on the deck reached three stories high.
The Formation Glyphs densely carved along the gunwales absorbed the early morning spiritual energy and glowed faintly, while a heavy aura flowed from the entire hull.
‘So this is our Clan’s 3rd-Tier Flying Dharma Treasure… Baek Yeon-Ju.’
For simply flying long distances stably, a 2nd-Tier Flying Dharma Treasure was sufficient.
However, there was an undeniable consideration of not wanting to appear inferior in prestige compared to other sects or clans.
But to handle a 3rd-Tier Flying Dharma Treasure, the pilot’s cultivation realm had to be up to par.
One of the law enforcers from Yeonha Immortal City, a cultivator who had reached the Gadan-gi, was accompanying them on this journey.
It would have been good if her grandfather or father had stepped forward personally, but both were in a position where they had to maintain their seats at the Clan’s New Year’s Banquet, making it difficult for the Supreme Clan Head and the Clan Head to leave their posts.
There was also the option of bringing along Golden Core Rogue Cultivators, but people like Han Gyeong-Do, Yuk-Muk, and Seo Un-Bong hadn’t been with the Clan long enough to build the deep trust required to accompany them on such an important matter, and they were already deployed to their respective roles.
As a result, the only ones attending the Biun Sect as envoys were her uncle and she, with a Gadan-gi Law Enforcer attached to pilot the Flying Dharma Treasure.
“This will be a more proper excursion than the one at Yeonha Immortal City.”
At an hour when the morning fog had yet to lift, Baek-Cheong was out on the Flying Immortal Platform.
Her father and mother stood on either side of her.
Her mother adjusted her collar and gave her various instructions.
“It’s a long journey, so you must make sure to eat your meals regularly. Listen well to your uncle.”
“Yes, mother.”
Her father, who had been waiting, added a word.
“Gyu will be waiting, so go and have a good time. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.”
“Yes.”
Baek-Cheong bowed her head in greeting.
Her reluctance to go to the Biun Sect remained unchanged, but she couldn’t grumble in front of her parents who had come to see her off.
Soon after, her uncle strode over.
“Let’s go.”
At his short remark, Baek-Cheong glared at her uncle once before boarding the Baek Yeon-Ju.
As she stepped onto the deck, a heavy impact was transmitted from beneath her feet.
The Formation lying across the entire Flying Dharma Treasure was circulating spiritual energy, preparing for takeoff.
At the bow, the Gadan-gi Law Enforcer stood with both hands bound in a Hand Seal.
He had his eyes closed and was infusing spiritual energy into the Flying Dharma Treasure; although the power Source operated separately on spirit stones, piloting it required not only Divine Sense but also a certain Amount of Spiritual Energy.
Her uncle followed her onto the deck and gave a light nod to the Law Enforcer.
The Law Enforcer replied with a tilt of his chin while keeping his eyes closed, then focused on his Hand Seal again.
Baek Mu-Yeong lightly pushed Baek-Cheong’s back, guiding her toward the Pavilion.
“Go take a Seat.”
Below her feet, she could see her father and mother.
Her mother gave a small wave, and her father stood silently, looking up.
Presently, the Flying Dharma Treasure moved.
The massive hull slowly rose, and the moment it left the Flying Immortal Platform, it instantly picked up speed.
Given its size, it looked heavy, but its actual speed exceeded expectations.
The sound of the wind striking the gunwales brushed past her ears, and the scenery beneath her feet rapidly receded.
The grounds of the Yeonha Baek Clan retreated into the distance until even their outlines blurred.
‘It’s fast.’
It had been reasonably fast when she went to Yeonha Immortal City on the 2nd-Tier Tower Ship, but a 3rd-Tier Flying Dharma Treasure was on a different level.
The distance covered in the same amount of time felt like it was more than double.
She marveled at the speed of the 3rd-Tier Flying Dharma Treasure, but something else drew her gaze even more.
It was the Formation Glyphs carved all over the gunwales and deck.
Thanks to studying the Jinmun Formation Diagram, she could read some of the glyphs, and the ones carved into the Baek Yeon-Ju were several levels higher than what Baek-Cheong had handled.
The composition of the Origin Glyphs and Main Body Glyphs interlocked complexly; the Boundary Glyphs formed a large Protective Barrier along the exterior of the hull, and Anchor Glyphs were embedded at key points to stabilize the entire Formation.
“Wow, all of this is interlocking and running together?”
Setting up a single Formation with the four roles of origin, Main Body, Boundary, and Anchor was no easy task, yet the large-scale Formation spanning the entire Baek Yeon-Ju was interlocking and operating without a single inch of error.
It was a structure where the Formation handled everything - not just flight and speed maintenance, but also direction changes, the Protective Barrier, and Spiritual Energy Circulation.
It was likely the result of a cultivator building upon it over hundreds of years.
“Someday, I too…”
She was lost in thought, tracing the glyphs on the gunwales with her eyes, when - “Still, you seem to like it now that you’re actually out.”
Her uncle’s voice came from behind.
Baek-Cheong quickly turned her head.
A small smile played on her uncle’s face.
“Did he notice something strange?”
If she were caught looking closely at the Formation, the fact that she had learned Formations could be exposed.
She couldn’t reveal the origins of items like the Jinmun Formation Diagram or the Five Elements Banner, so she was currently hiding them even from her Family.
She quickly changed her expression while simultaneously glaring at her uncle like he was her sworn enemy.
“What’s there to like? What is there to even like about this?”
At her sullen voice, Baek Mu-Yeong blinked once.
“I just thought you were excited because this is your second time seeing the outside.”
It seemed he interpreted her behavior as being excited because this was her second excursion following the trip to Yeonha Immortal City.
Baek-Cheong felt relieved inwardly, but outwardly she pouted and averted her gaze.
“Excited, my foot. Who even wanted to go?”
“Since I forced you to accompany me, if there’s anything you want at the auction held at the Biun Sect, I’ll buy you a couple of things.”
“Really?”
Baek Mu-Yeong nodded as if it were no big deal.
“Gotcha.”
Feeling as though an opportunity for revenge had quickly arrived, a wicked smile escaped him.
She swiftly disguised it with an innocent smile, pretending to be delighted like a child.
“Wow, I’m so excited. I’m looking forward to the Biun Sect’s banquet so much I won’t be able to sleep.”
She spat out the words, but her tongue felt stiff.
Baek Mu-Yeong gave a small laugh and raised his gaze to the sky.
“A Sect’s banquet has a different nature from a Clan’s banquet, so you really can look forward to it. Especially since the Biun Sect is a Great Sect, it’s more of a grand gathering than just a banquet.”
A Sect’s banquet would be on a completely different level from the Clan’s modest(?) feasts.
Since it was a Great Sect boasting a Soul Transformation Old Ancestor, along with numerous Nascent Soul and Golden Core Cultivators, the majesty of the banquet would surely match its status.
“But where is the Biun Sect that it takes so long to reach?”
“Ah, the Biun Sect Main Sect is located at the northernmost tip of the Southern Continent. It’s the closest location to the Central Continent. Even at this speed, it’s bound to take a good ten days just to get there.”
The distance was hard to even fathom, compared to the distance to Yeonha Immortal City, which took half a day to reach.
The sheer size of the Continent felt real to her once again, from the Yeonha Baek Clan located in the center of the Southern Continent to the Biun Sect at the northernmost tip.
Suddenly, she felt curious.
“Then, if you go just a little further from the Biun Sect, is it the Central Continent?”
However, her uncle shook his head.
“It’s true that the spiritual energy grows denser the closer you get. But there is a Barrier between the continents, so you cannot cross over directly.”
“A Barrier?”
“A Barrier blocks the way between the continents, so not just anyone can cross. I’ve heard the one for the Central Continent is particularly thick.”
Baek Mu-Yeong looked at the sky beyond the Railing and continued.
“To go to the Central Continent, you cannot head straight north; you must take a massive detour and actually go all the way down to the southernmost tip. That is where the passage connecting the continents is located.”
“From the northernmost tip to the southernmost tip?”
Baek-Cheong tilted her head in confusion.
It was a strange structure, not being able to go through the closest side and having to detour to the farthest side.
“Is the Barrier that hard to cross?”
“I’ve heard there are cultivators with high realms who force their way across, but usually, people travel through the designated paths. And they say the Barrier of the Central Continent cannot be compared to those of other continents.”
Her uncle shrugged once, as if that was all he knew.
Baek-Cheong leaned her arms on the Railing and looked at the receding scenery.
“This…”
She was puzzled because her uncle’s story seemed to overlap with a somewhat familiar structure.
Each Lower Realm was divided into countless parts, and a membrane existed protecting the Boundary.
And the Barrier between the continents resembled the Realm Boundary Membrane.
It sounded almost as if each Continent was a separate Lower Realm.
‘I’m probably overthinking it, right?’
She had never seen the intercontinental Barrier herself, and everything she knew about the structure of the realms was just stories she had picked up from the Nameless Forum, so it was hard to make a hasty judgment.
However, there was one thing she could feel.
This place where she lived was different from a normal Lower Realm.
“Is this really a Lower Realm with a problem?”
Baek-Cheong pushed herself up from the Railing and looked down at the receding Earth.
It was nothing more than an ordinary landscape, but it somehow felt different from usual.