Chapter 5: The Mortal World
“This is practically robbery,” Song Changsheng muttered discontentedly, brushing the wrinkles from his robe after being thrown out of the hall.
He was fuming inside. He had clearly let success get to his head. Knowing full well that Fifth Uncle was stingier than a plucked goose, he’d still tried to push his luck and now he’d paid the price...
Back in his courtyard, Song Changsheng wasted no ti and dove straight into weaving formation flags.
In the art of formations, one needed formation bases, formation flags, formation patterns, and spiritual veins. These were essential components for laying down a permanent formation like a clan-protecting formation.
Among them, formation patterns and flags could be used independently to set up arrays. For instance, inscribing a formation pattern onto a magical tool could grant it special properties and improve its quality.
However, the most common thod was combining formation flags with patterns to create what were called temporary formations. These were cost-effective and quick to deploy.
What Song Changsheng was doing now was weaving a new set of first-rank formation flags.
Setting up a first-rank formation required twelve flags. Depending on the rank of the formation master, the resultant array could be categorized as rudintary, interdiate, advanced, or peak, four levels corresponding to the cultivator’s realm.
Song Changsheng had always been cautious by nature. Though he already had a complete set, he wanted a backup. After all, better safe than sorry.
Weaving flags was ticulous work, demanding patience and focus. And just like that, ti slipped quietly by...
“Cousin Changsheng! Ti to depart!”
Early in the morning, just as Song Changsheng finished his daily cultivation, a youthful voice rang in his ears.
Looking up, he saw four people approaching, two elders and two youths. One of the teenagers was already waving at him.
Song Changsheng quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully to the two elders. “Nephew greets Second and Third Uncles.”
The taller man was nad Song Luding, over seventy years old, at the peak of Qi Refinent, and served as an elder in the clan’s Spirit Testing Hall.
The shorter one was Song Luzi, in his sixties and at the ninth layer of Qi Refinent. He too was an elder in the Spirit Testing Hall.
“No need for such formalities, dear nephew,” Song Luding chuckled. “These are Changjiu and Changying, descendants of your Fourth Granduncle. They'll be joining us on this journey to broaden their horizons.”
“Greetings, Cousin Changsheng,” the two juniors bowed respectfully. Song Changying carried herself with elegance and composure, while Song Changjiu kept sneaking glances at him, eyes filled with curiosity.
As he returned the gesture, Song Changsheng also took a mont to size them up. Both were around fifteen. Changying was at the fourth layer of Qi Refinent, and Changjiu at the fifth.
Still a far cry from his own level, but among their peers, the two were certainly promising.
“It's getting late, let’s set out,” Song Luzi interjected abruptly.
“Indeed. The sooner we go, the sooner we return,” Song Luding nodded and waved his sleeve. A large paper kite unfolded before them, hovering in midair.
Qi Refinent cultivators were not yet capable of flying with their swords. Instead, they used flying artifacts like shuttles or paper kites to travel.
However, such artifacts were difficult to forge and required mid-grade spirit stones to power.
A single mid-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for a hundred low-grade ones, well beyond what the average person could afford.
“Whoa! So this is a paper kite? I’ve never seen one before!” Song Changjiu exclaid like an excited monkey, darting here and there, examining every inch of the kite with awe.
Song Changying turned her head, clearly embarrassed, her expression practically screaming: Don’t look at , I don’t know him.
Watching Changjiu hopping around, Song Changsheng couldn’t help but recall the first ti he’d seen his father cast a spell. He’d been just as wide-eyed and giddy.
The five of them boarded the kite. Song Luding gently infused it with spiritual energy, and the artifact beat its wings and soared skyward, gliding toward the endless stretch of forest in the distance...
The Great Qi cultivation world was located in the southernmost part of human-controlled territory, officially referred to as the Southern Stream Wilds or more commonly, the Southern Continent. Among the five great continents of the human race, it had the shortest recorded history.
The land was riddled with hills and mountains, and spiritual resources were scarce, hence its rather desolate na.
Of all places, the remote regions where the Song Clan resided were the most barren, dominated by endless mountain ranges and lacking even the faintest hint of spiritual veins.
In the beginning, the Song Clan’s numbers were small, and the expanse of Cangmang Peak was sufficient to house them. But within two hundred years, the mortal population had ballooned to several hundred thousand, far beyond what the mountain could support.
Moreover, the intermingling of mortals and cultivators posed many inconveniences.
And so, the clan’s third patriarch Song Yun’gui, a Purple Mansion cultivator, took charge of creating a separate settlent for the mortal branch of the family.
After careful deliberation, they chose a small plain roughly four hundred li from Cangmang Peak. It took the entire clan more than ten years to transform it into a habitable zone.
But human flesh was a delicacy coveted by both demonic cultivators and spirit beasts. To protect the mortals, Song Yun’gui oversaw the construction of seven fortified cities.
These seven cities were arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. Each one sat atop several first-rank spiritual veins, and at their center, even a second-rank vein pulsed with energy.
The clan invited third-rank Earth Vein Masters and formation masters to link the terrain and spiritual lines, weaving them into a vast third-rank low-grade formation known as “Seven Stars Locking the Mountains.”
Although it lacked the support of a third-rank spiritual vein, the formation could still hold off a Purple Mansion cultivator for several hours.
That window was enough for the clan to dispatch reinforcents.
Later, when the clan no longer had a Purple Mansion cultivator to hold the fort, the current clan head Song Xianming enhanced the defense by embedding the “Xuanwu Mountain-Suppressing Seal,” a low-grade magical treasure left behind by Ancestor Song Yun’gui, into the array as its core.
As long as there is a skilled formation master to manipulate it, the array could now stand toe-to-toe with even a Purple Mansion cultivator, becoming the very symbol of the Song Clan’s hidden strength!
...
The paper kite moved swiftly. They encountered no ignorant spirit beasts on the way, and within half an hour, they had covered the four-hundred-li journey.
“Wow, Cousin! Is that the Demon-Illuminating Mirror? They say even Purple Mansion-level demonic cultivators can't hide from it!” Song Changjiu exclaid, he was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, finding everything fascinating along the way.¹
Suspended in the sky at the center of the seven cities was a massive glazed mirror radiating brilliant light. That was the very object he referred to.
“It’s true. Without it, who knows how many demons and monsters would have infiltrated the place,” Song Changsheng nodded.
“Amazing…” Changjiu's eyes sparkled as he gazed up at the glowing artifact.
This chatterbox and walking curiosity cabinet had long since stopped surprising anyone.
Song Luding piloted the kite directly into the central city and landed it within a grand estate.
The city’s governor and his entourage were already waiting reverently. Before the kite even touched down, they had fallen to their knees en masse, voices ringing out in unison, “We greet the Immortal Masters!”
Despite having prepared himself, Song Changsheng still found the scene rather jarring. The way the people looked at them, it made his skin crawl.
“There’s no need for such formalities,” Song Luding said kindly. “We are all of the sa clan. I am Song Luding, the overseer of this Immortal Ascension Assembly.”
The middle-aged city lord rose cautiously and asked, “Esteed Immortal Master, may I inquire when the assembly will begin?”
Glancing back at Song Changsheng, Song Luding replied, “Three days from now. Go and make preparations.”
The city lord accepted the order and left with his group. Though he was eager to exchange pleasantries, he knew better than to overstep, better to complete the task properly and earn favor.
Once they departed, Song Luding turned to the group. “There’s still ti. Go pick your rooms and settle in. But, Nephew Changsheng, I’ll trouble you to pay a visit to Fifth Elder on our behalf.”
Song Changsheng lit up. “Understood, Uncle!”
(Chapter End)
¹ Granny Liu, a humorous and wide-eyed character from the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber. The phrase “like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden” is now a common idiom used to describe soone who is amazed or overwheld by a new and extravagant environnt, or so I glead from wiki. Also while I'm here let remind you to bookmark this novel and help out by comnting any errors you found in the chappy. Alright ty, Zila out.
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