Divine Transcendence

Liu Tianming removed his bamboo hat, "I received your message last night and immediately started arranging everything. But I couldn’t shake my worries, so I decided to come myself."

"Aren’t you afraid of being discovered by the people of Changchun Temple?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"What can they do to me if they find out? Let’s not talk about that. Ming brother, as per your secret letter last night, I’ve arranged ten identical carriages that will leave the city in different directions for various destinations. We’re in one of them right now, and the coachman is an unsuspecting guard. You can proceed with your plans," Liu Tianming explained in a low voice, waving his hand dismissively.

Yuan Ming smiled, "You’ve really gone through a lot of trouble this time."

"Our relationship doesn’t require keeping score! Oh, and take good care of this." Liu Tianming produced a communication talisman and handed it to Yuan Ming.

He continued to explain, "This is a specially made two-way communication talisman, imprinted with my magical power. If you encounter any difficult situations outside, just contact me."

Yuan Ming nodded and accepted the communication talisman.

Seeing this, Liu Tianming smiled, stood up, and said, "I didn’t expect we’d have to part ways so soon after meeting. Take care, Ming brother."

Yuan Ming gave him a fist salute, and the two parted ways.

Soon, the carriage sped away, passing through the city gate under the watchful gaze of the signboard bearing the characters "Qujiang," leaving a trail of dust as it raced towards the rising sun.

A middle-aged city guard at the gate watched the distant carriage absentmindedly and turned to his colleague, "Did you hear about what happened at the abdication ceremony yesterday?"

"Of course, I heard. Who in Qujiang City doesn’t know about such a big event?" The younger colleague casually replied while picking his teeth with a bamboo stick.

"Sigh, it’s incredible how Young Master Yuan cultivates. Three years ago, he was just a mortal rejected by Changchun Temple due to his poor aptitude, and now he’s actually defeated the National Advisor," the middle-aged guard remarked with amazement.

The young colleague tossed away his bamboo stick, perking up, "It’s truly unbelievable! Speaking of Young Master Yuan, I heard that the ’Travels to the South’ sold by Tianming Bookstore is adapted from his own experiences in the Southern Border. I have to buy a copy after my shift to see if I can glean anything from it."

"You? Dream on," the middle-aged guard scoffed.

"A man without dreams is worse than a salted fish, for even a salted fish can turn over!" the young colleague retorted nonchalantly.

The middle-aged guard was taken aback, then after a moment, he coughed twice and said, "Ahem, well, when you do, grab a copy for your older brother too. I want to see what opportunities lie in the Southern Border."

***

A month later, in Wohe City.

Named for its proximity to the Wo River, the city was not large, but due to its docks connecting the north-south waterways and the endless stream of passenger boats and cargo ships, it was exceptionally prosperous.

As such, there were many who made their living from the waterways, and Wang Laowu was one of these inconspicuous individuals.

His ancestors had been fishermen for generations, and it was only in his generation that he had managed to save a little money. His father had intended to expand the fishing business, but Wang Laowu, unwilling to spend his days in the company of fishy smells, resolutely bought a passenger boat and started a ferry business.

However, in this city, there were no less than a hundred or two hundred ferry businesses, and Wang Laowu’s boat had nothing special to offer. With few customers, he quickly found himself in financial trouble.

Now, unable to even afford to hire a deckhand, his entire family lived on the boat, helping to steer and sail just to scrape by.

At over thirty-five, facing his wife’s daily complaints, his father’s disappointed looks, and his growing son’s increasing appetite, Wang Laowu was anxious, spending his days wandering the docks in search of passengers.

Today, just past noon, Wang Laowu squeezed next to the coolies resting at the tea stall and asked for a cup of free cold water, sipping it while surveying the dock.

Normally, there wouldn’t be any passengers at this time, but perhaps it was Wang Laowu’s lucky day, as he spotted a potential customer looking for a boat.

The man was dressed in a plain long robe. Despite his simple attire, his handsome features and sharp, phoenix-like eyes made him stand out.

This man was Yuan Ming, who had left the capital alone to avoid retaliation from Changchun Temple.

Wang Laowu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly gulped down his water, hurrying over.

"Esteemed guest, do you require a boat?"

Yuan Ming had just finished talking with another boatman and, seeing Wang Laowu approach, nodded, "Indeed, I need to go to Leizhou City. Can your boat make the journey?"

Wang Laowu was overjoyed, sensing that the gentleman before him was not stingy. He probed, "The journey to Leizhou City is treacherous, sir. The rapids can damage the boat, and I’ll have to return empty. It’s quite a trip!"

"I’m well aware, which is why I’m asking if your boat can make it. I’ll charter the entire boat," Yuan Ming stated.

Wang Laowu’s eyes darted around, and after a moment’s hesitation, he held up four fingers, "We can make the trip, but it’ll cost this much."

He quoted a price more than double the usual rate.

Yuan Ming didn’t haggle and replied, "That’s fine, but I need to leave immediately."

"No problem, my whole family is on the boat, we can set off right away!" Wang Laowu was ecstatic, nodding repeatedly and leading Yuan Ming to his boat.

His boat was not large, but it was tidy. The deck had been partitioned into six rooms, one occupied by Wang Laowu’s family, the rest vacant.

Yuan Ming casually chose a room to settle in, instructed Wang Laowu not to disturb him unless necessary, and that meals should be left at the door. Then he sent him off to set sail.

Once Wang Laowu was gone, Yuan Ming silently performed the Death Moon method, releasing a soul crow to keep watch in the sky. He also summoned Hua Zhi from the spirit beast bag to hide below deck, finally feeling a bit more at ease.

Over the past month, he had traveled by carriage and horse, changed disguises, and journeyed day and night, with little rest.

Now on the boat, following the river downstream, he no longer needed to switch between carriages and horses, affording him some respite.

With his tense mood slightly relaxed, Yuan Ming summoned the Stealing Heaven Cauldron and inserted a stick of newly made black incense, lighting it.

As the incense smoke swirled, Yuan Ming recalled his father’s image in his mind and soon projected his consciousness into him.

***

Compared to a month ago, Yuan Zuochong hadn’t changed much. At this moment, he was sitting in his study, penning a memorial.

"Your servant, Yuan Zuochong, petitions to retire..."

Soon, he finished the memorial, exhaled a breath of stale air, and after rereading it, he put it away.

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Zuochong took out the communication talisman left by Yuan Ming, studied it for a long time, but ultimately set it down.

"I wonder how Ming’er is doing now. With his cultivation, courage, insight, and experience, he’s returned from the Southern Border. Even if he encounters trouble, it shouldn’t be too much for him."

With a long sigh, Yuan Zuochong’s thoughts lingered.

***

At that moment, Yuan Ming ended the projection and returned to his own body, his heart filled with melancholy.

Quickly gathering his emotions, since his family should be safe for the short term, he began to plan for his own journey ahead.

His spiritual consciousness entered his storage ring, and after a quick inventory, he found that most of the elixirs and talismans he had prepared were used up, with only a few remaining. The useful ones were the Foundation Establishment stage elixirs he had taken from Elder Meng Shan and Xu Changqing.

As for the "Copper Skin Elixirs" taken from Liu Su, he would have to wait to find a suitable body refining technique before using them.

Regarding spirit stones, he had a total of over two thousand, which seemed like a lot, but if he were to buy Foundation Establishment stage cultivation materials, it wouldn’t be enough.

Aside from these, he still had quite a few magical artifacts.

He only had one high-grade artifact, an unnamed black needle, while mid-grade and low-grade artifacts included the Cold Star Sword, Nine Rings Golden Saber, Short Emerald Dagger, and Golden Serpent Sword, among others, totaling about a dozen.

Yuan Ming selected some artifacts he wouldn’t need and planned to sell them at a market in Leizhou to exchange for spirit stones. He then began to examine the spiritual materials in his storage bag.

The materials used for making incense had been significantly depleted, and he would need to replenish them in Leizhou. He also found several other materials he had forgotten about and took them out.

First were a piece of earthy yellow carapace and a clump of gray silk the size of a human head, acquired from a storage bag mishap at the Black Rock City market.

Next was a fiery red horn, obtained during a mission in Bi Luo Cave. Its origins were unclear, but according to a fire refining master, its grade could be above mid-grade.

Lastly was the skin of a Golden Patterned Leopard, a second-level lower-tier fierce beast, which also had considerable value.

As he sorted through the items, Yuan Ming suddenly found a green sphere, the Heartbreak Thunder he had bought at the Black Rock City ghost market.

He had originally purchased three, one used on Elder Meng Shan, another against the Vortex Beast, both with impressive results. Now, with only one left, he wouldn’t use it unless absolutely necessary.

This artifact was a unique creation of the Wulei Sect from Zhao Country. With Leizhou neighboring Zhao, it was possible that Heartbreak Thunder might be circulating secretly in the market.

Yuan Ming made a mental note, carefully put away the Heartbreak Thunder, and organized the remaining talismans and items until he had finished inventorying everything in the ring.

He shifted his consciousness to the soul crow and saw that Wang Laowu’s boat had already left the dock and was sailing north along the Wo River. His family didn’t try to converse with him, which suited him just fine. He withdrew his consciousness and began to cultivate.

Half an hour later, Yuan Ming sighed, frowning as he stopped cultivating.

Ever since obtaining the complete Nine Elements Formula from Liu Tianming, he had been practicing for some time. Although his cultivation had improved slightly, it was far less significant compared to the rapid progress he had made during the Qi refining stage.

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