The high walls in the depths of the Desolate Sea had collapsed. Where they once stood was now ruins. Islands ford by the debris of multiple collapsed walls stood there.
When Chen Changsheng reached this place, he found it sealed off by a formation array, with cultivators guarding it.
Chen Changsheng paused, his heart filled with a jumble of emotions.
‘It seems Southern Garden is gone too…’
He felt a pang of regret. In his view, Southern Garden had been a superb and exceptionally hidden spot.
He’d co all this way for nothing.
After thinking a mont, Chen Changsheng still decided to approach and ask.
When the guards spotted him, they moved forward to et him.
“Who approaches?”
Chen Changsheng cupped his hands. “I am a Rogue Cultivator. Hearing of the changes here, I wished to see.”
The guarding cultivator said, “This place is sealed, Daoist Friend. Please leave.”
“Is that so…”
Chen Changsheng pressed, “Then when will the seal lift?”
“No date set.”
The Spirit Cage always held mystery for the cultivators of Immortal Mountain, so even treating it as a relic from Ancient Tis. Unless they fully understood it, the seal likely wouldn’t be removed.
And beneath the sea, Southern Garden had been caught in the fallout.
Such a fine refuge was simply denied to him now.
After saying farewell to the guards, Chen Changsheng began his search across the vast Desolate Sea.
The Desolate Sea was imnse, full of Water Demons. Finding a suitable spot proved difficult.
After several days searching, his attention shifted to regions within the Cultivation World where Water Demon traces were fewer. Yet after much effort and asking around, he found nothing decent.
Any respectable place within the Cultivation World had long been claid.
“Fine. If I cannot find one, I’ll create one myself.”
Wandering the Desolate Sea for another day, Chen Changsheng finally spotted a sowhat barren, isolated island.
The island wasn’t large, its location fairly remote… perfect. He reached up, plucking several strands of his hair.
Sweeping his hand, he sent these strands flying as streaks of Golden Light, embedding themselves at various points around the island.
He raised two fingers, murmuring an incantation.
“I call upon this land to be my Grotto-Abode! Severed from the sea, hidden in the heavens! By this Divine Decree, island… Arise!”
“BOOM!!!”
As his decree echoed,
a tremor surged through the Desolate Sea. Waves rose, one after another, crashing violently.
Trees on the island swayed wildly, as if so imnse force sought to hoist the entire land mass.
“CRACK!”
The island shuddered. Then, the next instant, like roots ripping from the earth, it rose.
Chen Changsheng frowned, concentrating his spell.
“Array… Settle!”
He commanded again.
Streams of Golden Light plunged downward, solidifying into twelve pillars of light, resembling Formation Flags planted firm.
The ascending island wavered, rising slowly higher.
“It will need support…”
Chen Changsheng thought, then flicked his wrist. Twelve Blood Beads suddenly manifested.
“They’ll do.”
“Go!”
The twelve Blood Beads orbited the rising island, threading themselves onto the twelve Golden Light pillars. Instantly, the unsteadiness ceased.
Only when the island had ascended hundreds of ters, piercing the clouds and seeming to sever itself from the Cultivation World below, did it finally stabilize.
Chen Changsheng raised his hands, weaving another formation array around the island, cloaking it in the sky.
With a leap, he soared upwards, landing on this sky island.
Looking down, he saw an ocean of clouds beneath his feet, the very heavens underfoot.
He surveyed the island, then lifted his hand. Trees scattered across the land were summoned. With a wave of his hand, they transford into trimd logs.
Stacked together, they ford a wooden hut in the island’s center.
Acceptable. Chen Changsheng breathed out, then released Tabby Cat and Black Dog.
Tabby Cat bubbled with excitent at the new surroundings, then turned and saw the sea of clouds below.
Swirling mist, layered deep.
Its eyes widened, then its expression suddenly changed.
“So… so high…”
Chen Changsheng asked, “You’re a Monster cat, Lihua. Surely you don’t fear falling.”
Tabby Cat considered this carefully. It wasn’t sure. It had never tried.
Black Dog glanced around. “This is awfully… simple, isn’t it?”
Though what astounded him was the island itself… suspended in the sky! He’d never seen such a place.
“The Spiritual Energy is very thin,” Black Dog murmured.
Likely due to the extre height.
And the island itself was barren. Probably why it had lain unclaid.
Chen Changsheng stated, “It will co.”
Black Dog looked at the Blood Beads circling the sky island. He then glanced at Chen Changsheng and said, “I’ll lend a hand.”
With that, he leapt lightly into the air.
His dog mouth opened, and several tiny Formation Flags flew out.
Each settled nearby one of the Blood Beads.
“Lend so Magical Power,” Black Dog requested.
Chen Changsheng flicked his hand. A stream of Magical Power flew towards him.
Black Dog caught it… and gasped.
“You are quite generous!”
He absorbed it, his insides reeling. The power was not only massive, but incredibly refined. What sort of Monster was this Chen Changsheng?!
Putting that aside for now,
Black Dog divided the Magical Power into thirteen threads. Twelve flowed into each Formation Flag position, the thirteenth settling deep within the island’s heart.
A faint glow sparked in Black Dog’s eyes. He barked, “Array… COMPLETE! Energy… DRAW!”
As his voice faded, the grand array spun to life!
A steady stream of Spiritual Energy began gathering from all directions, bathing the island and its sparse plants.
Chen Changsheng distinctly felt sothing wake up on the island. This Black Dog… had skills!
Black Dog landed, then announced, “This formation outshines those Immortal Sects’ Spirit Gathering Arrays by leagues. Can’t say I held anything back.”
“My thanks,” Chen Changsheng said.
“Small matter,” Black Dog replied. He exhaled, seeming weary.
Evidently, his recovery was still too slow; even setting this one array had exhausted him.
anwhile, Tabby Cat remained crouched at the island’s edge, staring down.
It seed fascinated by the clouds, even swallowing hard a few tis.
Chen Changsheng cautioned, “Lihua, don’t jump down. You can’t eat clouds.”
“Ah…”
Tabby Cat blinked, looking slightly disappointed.
“How did you know Tabby wanted to eat clouds?”
“Guessed.”
“You’re very clever,” Tabby Cat said earnestly.
Chen Changsheng waved a hand. “I don’t know much else. But if you do jump, you’d likely splatter like rotten fruit.”
“Hmm…”
Tabby Cat contemplated this, then scrambled several steps back.
It looked at Chen Changsheng again. “How can Tabby go down to play, then?”
“Get Mo Yu to take you.”
“Oh, oh. Why won’t Good Human Chen take Tabby down?”
“Because Tabby is too dim.”
“Lies! Won’t play with you now!”
Tabby Cat gave a little ‘humph’, then wobbled off in search of Mo Yu.
Chen Changsheng chuckled, then looked outward again.
“What to call it…”
He first thought of ‘Island’, but found it lacking.
After deliberation, he found his answer.
“Cloudtop Manor, then.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers