The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 153 Repairing the Magical Artifact, Flying North from the City Gate

The three were terrified and quickly maneuvered their cloud-piercing boat to dodge. However, the sword energy seemed to have eyes, relentlessly pursuing them. Just as they were about to be struck by the sword energy, a golden light suddenly flew from the side, accurately striking the sword energy and instantly shattering it.

"Stop!" a dignified voice rang out. The three looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man in a golden robe standing atop a golden phoenix. He exuded an imposing aura, giving off an aura of authority without anger.

"Lord City Lord!" The middle-aged man bowed respectfully upon seeing the old man. Clearly, this old man was the city lord of this city.

"This is the territory of my City Lord's Mansion. Who dares to cause trouble here?" the old man asked coldly. His gaze swept back and forth between the middle-aged man and the three others, as if searching for the truth.

"Lord City Lord, please calm down!" The middle-aged man pointed at Qi Yuan and the others and said, "They were the ones who used the flying artifact here first. As the guardian, it is my responsibility to stop them."

"Oh? Is that so?" The old man turned his gaze to Qi Yuan and the others, and asked, "Why are you using flying magical artifacts here? Don't you know that this violates the prohibition?"

"Please calm down, senior!" Song Han bowed again and explained, "We did not mean to offend you. We are just new here and know nothing about the rules. We thought we could fly freely here, but we did not expect to violate the prohibition. Please forgive our ignorance, senior."

The old man pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Considering this is your first offense, I'll let you off this time. But remember, if you dare to use flying artifacts here again, don't blame me for being impolite!" Although his tone was calm, the authority in it made no one dare to disobey in the slightest.

"Thank you for your forgiveness, senior!" The three were overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks. They knew they were extremely lucky to have escaped this time. Therefore, they decided to be more careful in the future to avoid violating the rules here again.

Upon returning to the inn, they didn't rush to rest but immediately began a detailed inspection and repair of the Lingyun Boat. They meticulously examined every inch of its structure, identifying potential safety hazards and reinforcing them immediately. Simultaneously, they repaired the damaged sails, ensuring they could fully deploy and provide stable propulsion for the boat. All these efforts were aimed at ensuring the Lingyun Boat could safely navigate the rivers and lakes, no longer hindered by any unforeseen events.

During the repair of the Lingyun Boat, they also deeply reflected on their actions. They realized that their previous rashness and impulsiveness had brought them considerable trouble. Therefore, they decided that in the future, they must thoroughly understand the local rules and prohibitions before taking any action to avoid making the same mistakes again. Only in this way can they better establish themselves in the martial arts world and achieve their goals and dreams.

At the same time, Dugu Xin, Chu Ji, He Shihui, Ji Mi, and others also returned to the inn late at night. As soon as they entered the lobby, they found several familiar faces. It turned out that these were the twelve Tang Clan swordsmen and three wandering cultivators they hadn't seen for two days. They were gathered in small groups, talking quietly. Seeing this, Qi Yuan and the others couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised.

Among them, Ouyang Terrace, Dongfang Yao, and Linghu Mao, three independent cultivators from the Floating Life Continent, bid them farewell. They stated that they had decided to stay in the city temporarily to better understand the local customs and traditions of the martial world. Six of the twelve Tang Clan swordsmen also decided to remain in the city to continue their cultivation journey. This time, Song Han did not try to persuade them to stay, because he knew that everyone had their own choices and pursuits.

Song Han and Qi Yuan agreed to set off together early the next morning. Afterwards, everyone exchanged the information they had gathered that day and went back to their rooms to sleep.

The next morning, when Qi Yuan finished getting ready and went to knock on Song Han's door, there was no answer.

At this moment, the waiter walked over and said to Qi Yuan, "Young Master Song has left. He left you a letter before he left."

Qi Yuan took the letter and read it. He was a little puzzled. He didn't know why the people from the City Lord's Mansion would invite the Tang Clan swordsmen. However, Song Han said in the letter that he would set off for Wuzhong Kingdom immediately after finishing his business, so he didn't think too much about it. He called Dugu Xin and the others and set off.

After leaving the city gates, they used their magical artifacts to fly north. They knew that the road ahead was long and required continuous effort and struggle.

On the Lingyun Boat, controlled by Yu Fengfan, the group once again began to sort through the intelligence they had gathered in the past few days.

Dugu Xin, Chu Ji, He Shihui, Ji Mi and others told Qi Yuan some news that surprised him.

"I never imagined that the Illusionary Star Continent would have such detailed written records about the path to immortality, and that these records have been passed down to this day," Ji Mi exclaimed in amazement. He held in his hand a handwritten copy of an ancient book, which contained detailed information and history about the path to immortality.

“Yes, the path to immortality opens once every twenty Jiazi (60-year cycles), and there are a total of eighty-one steps,” Dugu Xin added. “They call these steps the Heavenly Ladder, not the Heavenly Gate or the Teleportation Altar. Here, they call the fixed teleportation points within the continent teleportation arrays.”

“The largest sects on this Illusionary Continent should be the Illusionary Pavilion and the Star Palace. We will definitely encounter people from these two sects after we reach the north,” He Shihui added to the discussion.

He continued, "It is said that these two major sects have a long history, profound heritage, numerous disciples, and great strength. They control many resources and forces in the northern part of the Illusionary Star Continent, and are the true overlords of this land."

"They do sound incredibly powerful." Qi Yuan nodded, his heart filled with awe and curiosity towards these two major sects. He imagined the scene of meeting them on his path to immortality, his heart brimming with anticipation and nervousness.

"The people from the Xuantian Sect and Wuji Sect on the Xuantian Continent have also gone north. Tell me, which of these sects is the most powerful?" Ji Mi asked.

This question made everyone ponder deeply. In the martial arts world, the struggle and competition between sects has always been an eternal theme, but it is often difficult to determine who is stronger and more powerful.

“The Phantom Pavilion and the Star Palace are deeply rooted in the northern part of the Phantom Continent, and their strength and foundation are very profound.” Dugu Xin spoke first. “Although the Xuan Tian Sect and the Wuji Sect are also top sects in the Xuan Tian Continent, they are probably still somewhat inferior here.”

"However, we shouldn't underestimate the Xuantian Sect and the Wuji Sect," Chu Ji added. "After all, they come from the Xuantian Continent, a world we don't understand. Maybe they have some secret weapons that we don't know about."

“Yes, in the martial world, strength reigns supreme.” He Shihui nodded. “However, our most important task now is to improve our own strength, not to compare who is stronger. Only with sufficient strength can we gain a foothold in the martial world and realize our dreams.”

"Yes, we must keep going." Ji Mi clenched her fist. "Although we come from different continents, we share the same goals and dreams. We must work together, grow together, and face the challenges of the future together."

……

"Qi Yuan, you must be extremely careful when you activate the Wind-Riding Sail. Every detail of the flight path must be taken into account, especially those clearly marked no-fly zones," Chu Ji solemnly instructed. Then, he held up a detailed map, pointed to the no-fly zones on it, and handed it to Qi Yuan.

"The five human kingdoms marked as Chen, Dai, Cao, Guo, and Nie are mostly large cities, not human kingdoms. The real danger lies in the no-fly zones marked there. Therefore, when planning your flight route, you must carefully check the map to ensure you avoid all no-fly zones. Safety first; we cannot afford to be negligent," Chu Ji relayed the map seller's words.

Qi Yuan took the map and carefully scanned it, memorizing every no-fly zone. However, he couldn't hide his excitement, for the world he could fly in was the true martial arts world he envisioned.