Three days passed quickly.
Lin Mu's group spent the first day gathering a few supplies and the remaining two ditating and preparing ntally. The situation of the baby weighed heavily on Lin Mu's mind, and though the others joked or relaxed, they all knew he would not truly rest until he saw the child himself.
On the morning of the third day they made their way to the teleportation hall of the city nearby. Their reservation was confird, and soon they stepped into the shimring gateway leading into the teleportation channel.
Inside the tunnel of warped space, ti felt slippery. Colors blurred into streams of light. Despite the distortions the group had grown accustod to these long transits. The channel was calm and stable, and they spent most of the ti ditating or talking casually.
Little Shrubby slept on Lin Mu's lap the first day, while the twins lounged across Cattaleya's shoulders. Daoist Chu read several scrolls on local cosmology, and ng Bai tried sketching so new formation diagrams but gave up after his brush drifted because of spatial pressure.
Two days later they finally stepped out of the end of the passage and erged under the bright sky of White Owl World.
The air slled faintly of incense and spring breezes.
The landscape was serene with gentle mountains, green plains, crystal lakes, and flowering willow groves everywhere. Far in the distance they could hear soft bells coming from ditation pavilions scattered across the hills.
ng Bai took a deep breath. "This looks peaceful. Too peaceful considering the rumors."
Elyon stretched his shoulders. "That is White Owl World for you. It is famous for serenity and wisdom. The na ca from the White Wisdom Owl King who ascended here a hundred and seventy thousand years ago. It beca a world of diviners, fortune tellers, on readers, and destiny scholars."
ng Bai blinked. "So the whole world beca a pilgrimage site?"
"Pretty much," Elyon replied. "People co here to seek answers about their past and future. And apparently in the past five thousand years this world also beca a popularity spot for female cultivators who co to ask for readings on their love lives."
Cattaleya smirked. "ng Bai should get a reading. Maybe he will learn who his future wife is."
The others chuckled. ng Bai blushed and stared at the ground.
Lin Mu did not.
He kept his focus ahead, already thinking about the baby. "Where is the baby's clan located."
Elyon pointed southeast. "Four major cities in this region. The clan is not in any of them. Their town is a smaller one located nine hundred kiloters away. With Little Shrubby we can reach it by morning."
Lin Mu nodded and summoned Little Shrubby, who grew into his large form. They climbed on his back before the beast shot forward like a streak of burning red lightning.
They sped over forests and plains, over misty lakes and jagged peaks. They passed quiet shrines, ditation platforms floating on clouds, and little villages where fortune tellers displayed banners advertising their skills.
Despite the peace of the journey, Lin Mu remained silent and by dawn of the next day they finally saw their destination.
The town appeared first as a speck on the horizon. As they approached, the full scene unfolded. The town was dium sized, with about ten thousand houses spread across the gentle slopes. The roofs were mostly tiled, and wisps of incense smoke drifted upward. There were several markets, a bell tower, and at least two training halls.
Normally the town would have held around two hundred thousand people. But today, it was overflowing.
Tents stretched across the surrounding fields like a sea of colors. Tens of thousands of visitors had gathered. So camps had banners of sects, so had symbols of traveling shamans, and others belonged to rchants that arrived hoping to profit from the chaos. A massive column of people, as dense as migrating ants, stretched from the town gate to the farmlands.
Lin Mu narrowed his eyes. "This is absurd."
Cattaleya tapped her chin. "So many just to see a baby."
Daoist Chu sighed. "Curiosity and fear draw crowds like this."
Little Shrubby growled softly, sensing Lin Mu's growing irritation.
Lin Mu gave him a pat. "I am fine. For now."
Elyon pointed ahead. "That area over there is the Binggan Clan's estate."
It was not difficult to identify.
The clan courtyard was at the northern portion of the town, and the walls surrounding it were covered in banners, talismans, and glowing seals of protection. Outside it sward thousands of cultivators, forming the longest line Lin Mu had ever seen. It snaked all the way to the main road and continued
beyond the town gate.
ng Bai stared. "It will take us months to get in."
They joined the line briefly to judge its pace. Ten minutes passed. Only one
person moved forward.
ng Bai did so calculations and groaned. "At this rate it will take half a month for the line to move even a quarter of the way."
Lin Mu did not comnt. His face darkened when he saw several Binggan clan mbers walking around collecting money. People handed over piles of immortal stones just to get a number token for their turn.
Daoist Chu frowned deeply. "This is distasteful."
Elyon's lips twitched in annoyance. "Greedy fools"
Even Cattaleya crossed her arms with disappointnt.
Lin Mu inhaled sharply to steady himself. He stepped toward the nearest clansman. "I want to speak with the child's family. We are willing to pay extra if
needed.""
The clansman, a young man with a mulberry colored robe, snorted. "Even if you threw a million high grade immortal stones at us, we cannot let you skip. Those people would riot. Try it if you want. You will not get far."
People nearby overheard the conversation. They sneered loudly.
One woman laughed. "Another arrogant cultivator thinking he is special."
A talisman master shook his head. "Sit in line like everyone else. Even elite monks cannot get in quickly."
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