244: Chapter 26 Jiageng 244: Chapter 26 Jiageng The Jiageng was enveloped in silence.
Xie Xuanyi, carrying his umbrella sword, boarded the ship and saw only scattered silhouettes—three or four in total.
The cloud ship was not large; it could accommodate only about twenty people.
These few were clearly solitary cultivators, simply occupying a corner of the cloud ship, quietly cultivating.
Xie Xuanyi boarded the ship.
They merely glanced briefly at him before averting their eyes.
Now… in the entire imperial city, who did not know of Xie Zhen?
Those cultivators coming to participate in the Northern Hunt would at least remember a few names… Xie Zhen was undoubtedly one of them.
Perhaps it was because they knew that Xie Zhen was not one to be trifled with.
Boarding went unexpectedly smoothly.
Xie Xuanyi did not engage in conversation with anyone.
After getting on board, he found a spot near the stern to sit down, near a huge mast pole, under the dark shadow it cast.
The reason he chose this spot was that it was remote enough to avoid dealing with anyone.
This Northern Hunt required the cloud ship to take two days to leave the northern realms of Da Chu and nearly three days to reach the borders of Li Lan Mountain.
This small ship also did not provide reserved guest rooms.
The Northern Hunt was intended for hunting Great Demons and achieving fame, not for sightseeing and amusement!
“Young Master Xie!”
After Xie Xuanyi sat down, before he could enter meditation, he heard a faint call.
The Jiageng halted beside another ship, which was twice the size of his own cloud ship.
On the Yigeng, fragments of Liu Ye leaves were floating in the air.
This was the emblem of the Baihua Valley’s Array Patterns and Talismans; this cloud ship… belonged to Baihua Valley, but the person currently transmitting her voice was not Yuan Yi as Xie Xuanyi had imagined.
It was Lu Yuan.
This senior sister from Baihua Valley stood at the stern of the Yigeng, overlooking the “desolate” Jiageng, and chuckled as she transmitted her voice, “It’s a pity, Young Master Xie, that you didn’t draw Yigeng.”
Although this larger ship was drawn by Baihua Valley, they did not monopolize it.
Many solitary cultivators had also boarded.
Most solitary cultivators preferred not to travel with the big sects like the Xie family, Qiantian Palace, and Taoist sects.
But Baihua Valley was an exception.
Baihua Valley was comprised solely of female disciples and had just survived the turmoil in Qing State.
The sect was greatly weakened, and whether it was during the founding ceremony of Sword Palace or this Northern Hunt, Baihua Valley was merely going through the motions… In other words, they did not care about their ultimate ranking in the Northern Hunt, they simply wanted their young disciples to gain more exposure and experience in dealing with “big events.”
“We’ll get a chance.”
Xie Xuanyi smiled and asked, “Is Yuan Yi also participating in this Northern Hunt?”
The Yigeng was already shrouded in array patterns, impeding his Divine Thought from scanning it.
“I knew you’d ask about her.”
Lu Yuan explained softly, “As soon as my junior sister boarded, she found a secluded place, set up array patterns, and said she wanted to meditate quietly.
She’s right in the middle of it now.
I don’t know why, but since she returned from the founding ceremony of Sword Palace, she seems to have become a different person.
She used to be neglectful of her cultivation, but now she has become the most diligent cultivator in our valley.”
She says she doesn’t know why.
But Lu Yuan knew better than anyone why Yuan Yi was so diligent in her cultivation.
The darkest moment at Beihai Ling.
Yuan Yi had encountered Xie Zhen.
Xie Zhen had saved her and the entire Baihua Valley… The thoughts of a girl of that age are hard to conceal.
The reason she devoted herself to cultivation.
Was the vast difference between them, as if one was in the heavens and the other on the earth.
The first time they met, Xie Zhen was merely a spy in the library.
When they met a second time, Xie Zhen had defeated the Prince Jiangning and had become the new master of Xuanshui Cave Heaven, once in sixty years.
This third meeting was during the Northern Hunt.
“Diligence compensates for dullness; this is good.”
Xie Xuanyi nodded and said, “Miss Lu, the Northern Hunt is perilous.
Baihua Valley must be cautious in their participation.”
“You are entirely right, Young Master Xie,”
Lu Yuan smiled bitterly, “Baihua Valley is now greatly weakened, and for the Northern Hunt, we don’t hold much expectation.
Even if our eldest sister was here, we probably couldn’t compete with Qiantian Palace…”
This era was more splendid and more brutal than she had imagined.
The Saint Heirs and Dao Heirs of these great sects were nearly all at the ninth or the Perfect level of Cave Heaven, monstrous freaks.
They simply couldn’t compete or compare!
…
…
While they exchanged pleasantries, a dozen or more people successively boarded the Jiageng.
Xie Xuanyi noticed…
These people seemed to have boarded together.
Interesting.
The drawing of the lots was random, but a particular force, or a particular sect, could send a representative to selectively draw for everyone.
In this way,
Even solitary cultivators could contact each other before the Grand Hunt and form alliances to stay warm together.
This also meant
That there seemed to be fewer loners on this ship than he had imagined.
In the northern suburbs of the Imperial City, the roar and tremor of sounds erupted as the several fully-loaded cloud ships began to burn Primordial Stones, activating their array patterns.
The Jiageng was no exception.
With a “boom” of explosion!
The bow of the Jiageng lifted, like a swiftly shot arrow released and initially skimmed the ground at high speed before shooting into the sky, becoming faster and faster, with the sounds of sonic booms around.
But once the array patterns of the large ship were fully activated, like a magnificent canopy, they enveloped the body of the ship, smooth out the bumps, and the ship gradually steadied, with the bow slowly sinking.
Eventually, the Jiageng glided between the clouds, like a young whale.
Xie Xuanyi sat beneath the shadow of the mast pole, silently observing the cloud ship with twenty-three people on board, all of whom seemed to wear “Treasures” that concealed their stage of cultivation.
His Divine Thought, when scanned over them, felt obstructed, and any attempt to probe forcefully would surely trigger the Treasures’ response.
“Fellows, I am the ‘ship examiner’ for this Northern Hunt.”
After entering the sea of clouds.
Above the Jiageng, a low and hoarse voice suddenly sounded.
An ethereal and elusive shadow appeared at the top of the Jiageng’s mast, draped in a black long robe; the figure merged with the shadow of the mast, resembling a lean crescent moon, emitting a fierce killing intent.
Xie Xuanyi squinted his eyes.
As far as he knew, every Northern Hunt, the Great Chu Imperial City would send a variable number of supervision ships responsible for the safety of the cloud ships and for maintaining the order during the whole event.
To qualify as a supervision ship, one must at least possess the strength of the Yin God Realm!
Moreover, they had to be among the best in the Yin God Realm!
The Northern Hunt was a battle against the Demon Country.
Every year, there were some “sudden” situations where the ship examiners had to intervene, and there was even an instance when, during the Northern Hunt, they were ambushed by the Demon Country, with several venerates targeting the human geniuses to execute a reverse hunt!
However, since the number of participants in the Northern Hunt and the number of cloud ships were both large,
It was impossible to arrange a supervision ship for each vessel.
Xie Xuanyi could tell that the “supervision ship” on this vessel was merely a divine thought manifestation activated by the Divine Soul array patterns engraved on the Jiageng.
If he was not mistaken, the true body of this ship examiner was on a large cloud ship not far from the Jiageng.
A strand of Yin God divine thought was enough to deter everyone.
The voice of the supervision ship reverberated, rendering the already silent Jiageng even more deathly still.
Eyes from all around focused on the top of the mast.
“Before the Northern Hunt begins, there are a few things that need to be clarified with everyone…”
The supervisor spoke in a cold tone, discussing the rules that should be adhered to during this Northern Hunt.
The rules for the Northern Hunt weren’t many.
The more great demons one hunted, the more rewards one would receive.
The whole Northern Hunt lasted for fifteen days, which wasn’t long.
Since the Li Lan Mountain was far from the Great Wall of Da Chu, if the Northern Hunt were prolonged, venerates from the Demon Country might trek over causing significant losses.
“This is the border map for this Northern Hunt.”
After explaining the rules, the ship examiner waved his large sleeve, and a map of the Snow Mountain border appeared before everyone.
“Lastly.”
“The Northern Hunt is an event for Da Chu’s geniuses to hunt demons…
Thus, before leaving the territory of Da Chu, private fighting on the cloud ship is strictly forbidden.”
He glanced around, his voice cold as he declared, “Whoever violates this will be stripped of their Northern Hunt qualification and immediately ejected from the cloud ship!”
The voice slowly resounded throughout the area.
This shadow also gradually dissipated into dark clouds of smoke.
The crowd on the ship shifted their gazes back.
The Jiageng returned to silence once more.
On the surface, everything seemed calm.
But in reality…
it was not so.
Xie Xuanyi silently pondered the ship examiner’s last statement.
Private fighting is strictly forbidden before leaving the territory of Da Chu?
So.
Once they left the territory of Da Chu, whatever happened didn’t matter?
He looked again at the last batch of loose cultivators boarding the ship.
Xie Xuanyi was no naive newcomer to the Jianghu; he certainly did not believe…
that this “lottery” was absolutely fair and just, without anyone meddling even slightly.
It should be known.
The people responsible for maintaining the order of the cloud ships in the northern suburbs of the Imperial City were the Black Scale Guard under the command of the Imperial City.
The head of the Imperial City, Yuan Jimo, was just short of having the word ‘kill’ written on his face.
“Are you Xie Zhen?”
In this final group of loose cultivators, everyone flocked around a figure in a white linen robe.
Clearly, this was the representative who “drew lots” for everyone.
This young man, though dressed simply, exuded a subtle malevolence in his eyes and expressions.
Xie Xuanyi watched the young man before him without saying a word.
“I’ve heard much about you.”
The young man smiled, “I am ‘Wu Qiong’.”
Xie Xuanyi responded emotionlessly, “Sorry, never heard of you.”
“It’s normal not to have my information in Fangyuan Fang since I’ve never ventured from the mountains before.”
Wu Qiong sighed slightly in regret, his smile broad, “But no matter, Mr.
Xie will soon know who I am.”
“…”
Xie Xuanyi continued to sit in the shadow of the cloud ship’s mast.
He was utterly uninterested in engaging any further with Wu Qiong.
Fangyuan Fang had previously provided him with files collecting the young talents from various sects and families.
Yet, in this vast world, there were always omissions, and Wu Qiong’s name wasn’t on that list.
But…
that was unimportant.
With just one look, Xie Xuanyi had guessed it.
This young man hailed from the South Border.
Though wearing a treasure that concealed his realm, the fact that he knew what happened in the Imperial City and dared to board this same ship meant he probably had some confidence.
Pegging him, maybe he was in the later stages of Grotto Heaven?
The three major sects of South Border’s evil cultivators.
Yin Mountain, Hehuan Sect, Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Although he hoped that Wu Qiong was a practitioner from Yin Mountain, Xie Xuanyi was all too familiar with the aura of Yin Mountain’s evil cultivators.
The malevolence emanating from Wu Qiong did not match the Cultivation Technique of Yin Mountain.
If he wasn’t wrong, this was a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.