Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 203 Bottomless Ship

Although he was somewhat anxious, Chen Ye wasn't so hasty as to ignore everything.

As the leader of a sect, Chen Ye had to make arrangements for various matters after leaving the Yellow Springs Sect.

After explaining the situation to the Lord, the Lord agreed, saying that it was long overdue to increase the workload for those wandering spirits.

Compared to Chen Ye's womanly compassion, even the Venerable Lord wished he could whip these wandering spirits and make them do hard labor.

The Venerable One solemnly said to Chen Ye, "Cinnabar mines are not uncommon, but if they can be produced for a long time, they can be a considerable source of income. You must acquire this cinnabar mine. Even the most ordinary talismans can be very useful if you have a large quantity."

Chen Ye nodded; how could he not know that this thing was important?

Digging it yourself and purchasing it are two completely different things.

After explaining everything, Chen Ye was about to leave the Yellow Springs Sect when the Venerable Master stopped him again, handed him a magic treasure, and instructed, "Take this with you."

Chen Ye took it and examined it, then asked in confusion, "This is... the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?"

What a heavy long banner! And it's completely black. Compared to the previous Ten Thousand Souls Banner, this one looks more like a magic weapon used by a demon.

The Venerable Lord explained, “While you were in seclusion for a month, I didn’t do nothing. The Yellow Springs Sect ultimately lacks sufficient resources, and they can’t produce many magical treasures. So I crafted this magical treasure. Although it can’t compare to the brow bone of the Demon Lord Wujiu, it is still far superior to the ordinary Myriad Soul Banner.”

Chen Ye infused his spiritual energy into it and immediately sensed many familiar ghosts.

Yang Chongguang and the other ghost messengers were among them. After sensing more carefully, they discovered that there was also the ancestral spirit of white bones inside.

Chen Ye asked in surprise, "Grandmaster, how did you manage to refine our City God into it as well?"

The Venerable One said matter-of-factly, "Otherwise, how could it be powerful enough? You are the Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Sect, you can't possibly take 100,000 Yin Souls with you every time you go out. Anyway, not many people worship the White Bone City God, so sending him into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to accompany you is the most suitable thing."

"Moreover, this Ten Thousand Souls Banner has collected a wisp of spiritual energy from all the City Gods. If necessary, it can borrow magic from all the City Gods in the City God Pavilion. We can't let these ancestral spirits just sit in the City God Pavilion, eating incense without doing anything. Our Yellow Springs Sect isn't a charity."

Chen Ye thought to himself, what kind of heartless boss am I? The Venerable One is the real demon, and he can be ruthless when he gets wicked.

However, Chen Ye did not refuse, as he was indeed lacking a suitable magic weapon. Moreover, the Myriad Soul Banner, which he had been using since the beginning of his cultivation, had now come to an end.

Moreover, it seems that every disciple of the Yellow Springs Sect will need a Ten Thousand Souls Banner in the future, which would truly make it worthy of its name.

With this new magical artifact, Chen Ye was finally able to set off for the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Summoning the Black Whirlwind, Chen Ye mounted the spirit beast and flew towards Qinghe.

High in the sky, the black whirlwind spread its wings, and it had become a truly enormous creature.

I don't know how the Lord fed him, but Black Whirlwind's wingspan is now nearly twelve zhang, and his claws are indeed thicker than Chen Ye's waist.

With a size like that, hunting lions and tigers is commonplace; it might even be able to grab an elephant and carry it away.

In this way, the Black Whirlwind's flight speed increased significantly. Chen Ye roughly estimated that it was probably not much slower than Su Chunyi's sword light flight.

Normally, Chen Ye would probably have been blown off the stage.

But now, lying inside that exquisite windproof cover, he can leisurely play with the newly acquired Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

It has to be said that this windproof cover is the most worthwhile thing Chen Ye has ever bought.

It's just unknown where the cultivator who made this barrier is now. It's said that he's exhausted and on his deathbed. I wonder if he's gone to Fengdu City to check. If he's lucky, he might still have a chance to survive.

Thinking of many past events, I flew towards Qinghe, leaving a trail of tearing clouds in the sky.

The journey from northern Xinjiang to Qinghe is long; it would probably take half a year to walk there. But if Black Whirlwind were to travel at his speed, he could arrive in two or three days at most.

If you travel day and night, it should take about two days and one night to get there.

For someone who has cultivated to the level of Chen Ye, not sleeping is not a problem at all. The same goes for Black Whirlwind; flying for two days is not a burden.

Chen Ye then sped along, passing through many prefectures and provinces, and arrived directly at Qinghe.

Before even reaching the Qinghe Sword Sect, we first saw that magnificent river.

The Qinghe River used to be incredibly turbulent, breaching its banks almost every year, causing immense suffering to the people on both banks.

Although the Qinghe River is still turbulent today, it is now confined to its channel and is no longer murky. The water is clear and cool, and can be drunk directly from the river.

This is the origin of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

When Zhang Qi had achieved mastery of his cultivation, he returned to his former hometown and used his sword to cleave the breached river, suppressing the towering waves.

Then, over many years, he meticulously shaved Qinghe Yijian into its current form.

The Qinghe Sword Sect was built in the center of the Qinghe River, forever guarding the heart of the river.

As long as the Qinghe Sword Sect exists, the Qinghe River will never breach its banks.

Chen Ye dared not fly directly to the center of Qinghe. No matter which sect it was, they all had their own protective formations. If he flew straight over there, he would probably be cut into mincemeat by the Qinghe sword energy.

Chen Ye chose to land on the east bank of the Qinghe River, and carefully transformed the black whirlwind into the shape of a small crow, for fear of colliding with the Qinghe Sword Sect cultivators here.

Then Chen Ye slowly walked towards the densely populated riverside town.

Because of the special nature of the Qinghe Sword Sect, the people on both sides of the Qinghe River live in peace and contentment. Although it is nominally under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, the officials here know that the immortals are real and live in the middle of the river not far away.

Therefore, the officials on both sides of the Qinghe River are all well-known good officials and honest officials... Whether you like it or not, if you dare to harm the people, you might get your head chopped off the next day.

Although officials would find it difficult not to exploit the local population, positions along the banks of the Qinghe River were still highly sought after.

Although corruption and disregard for human life are forbidden here, it is a prosperous land with bountiful harvests and abundant tax revenue every year. As long as one serves as an official here for three years, there will be no problem with his political achievements, and promotion will be just around the corner.

Moreover, if you perform well and have a bit of luck, you might even get a few pills from those immortals.

That's a treasure that prolongs life, something even a prime minister couldn't buy.

If this thing were offered to the imperial court, then one could live a life of leisure and comfort.

Therefore, both banks of the Qinghe River are home to good officials who love the people like their own children; no matter what they really think, they have to put on an act.

Over time, the banks of the Qinghe River developed a tradition reminiscent of ancient times, where people would not pick up lost items on the road. There were no city walls, and anyone could come and go as they pleased.

As Chen Ye walked into this well-connected town, listening to the lively shouts and cries, he immediately felt the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life.

After wandering around for a while, Chen Ye ended up with a bunch of wooden skewers in his hand, having tried almost all the various snacks on the street.

However, Chen Ye only took a bite, and fed the rest to Black Whirlwind's bottomless stomach.

This guy is willing to eat anything now; I wonder if he can digest it all.

However, the banks of the Qinghe River are indeed prosperous. You can't see a single beggar on the road. Most people look rosy-cheeked, and it seems that they have no problem with food and clothing.

This is how it should be; the places where cultivators reside should be paradises. Making the land bountiful is not difficult for cultivators; what is difficult is doing it year after year, consistently helping mortals resist natural disasters.

Doing good deeds occasionally is fine, but cultivators always need to cultivate; who can be a babysitter for mortals every day?

Chen Ye didn't think the Qinghe Sword Sect could do it either. A mortal's life is too short. In ten years, they might encounter all sorts of natural and man-made disasters. But for a cultivator, ten years is really just a short time, like taking a nap in seclusion.

Who can live a mundane life without cultivating themselves every day?

There must be some other ingenuity involved. Chen Ye was also very interested, and thought that the Yellow Spring Sect should learn something from this.

After walking and eating his way through the streets, Chen Ye finally came across a teahouse and went inside to rest.

After generously tossing down a lot of loose silver and ordering the innkeeper to serve him a pot of the finest tea, Chen Ye finally asked, "Innkeeper, I'd like to go to the heart of the river to see the immortals of the Qinghe Sword Sect. I wonder which way to go?"

The shopkeeper was discerning; although Chen Ye's face was half-covered, his attire and demeanor were unlike those of an ordinary person, suggesting he was one of those legendary cultivators.

Every year, many immortals come to seek an audience, and the shopkeeper has been asked this question many times. He replied, "It is not easy to see the immortals on the Qinghe River. There are bottomless boats on the shore. If you are capable, you can cross the river in a bottomless boat and reach the immortals' palace."

"If you don't have that ability, then you can only go to the Qinghe Sect in town. It's a place where many cultivators stay, and you might be able to find out some information there."

Chen Ye asked in confusion, "A bottomless boat? Do we have to pass a test first? Do visiting guests also have to pass this test before they can go?"

This sounds rather impolite and doesn't seem like the way Qinghe Sword Sect treats its guests.

The shopkeeper chuckled, "A visitor? If you know any immortals on the Qinghe River, wouldn't it be enough to just let them know and come out to meet you?"

Chen Ye remembered that Su Chunyi seemed to have left him a talisman that could transmit messages.

Now that I've used it, Su Chunyi should be able to come and pick me up.

But Chen Ye's curiosity had been piqued; he wanted to see what this bottomless boat was.

Chen Ye was simply restless and wanted to relax and see the sights around the world. Since there was something so interesting, he decided to give it a try.

Chen Ye inquired carefully about the location of the bottomless boat, finished his tea in one gulp, and left the teahouse excitedly.

Seeing him squander his tea like a cow chewing on a peony, the shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh, "Another impatient fellow. I'm afraid he won't get past the bottomless boat hurdle."

Following the shopkeeper's directions, Chen Ye walked all the way to the bank of the Qinghe River.

There are many tourists here, including scholars reciting poems and children flying kites. It looks lively and bustling, and it doesn't seem like a sacred place where immortals test people.

However, Chen Ye quickly found the location of the bottomless boat.

This thing was tied to the shore; it looked like an ordinary flatboat, but there were crowds of people around, as if they were all watching a spectacle.

This bottomless boat must be a scenic spot in Qinghe, which will naturally attract many tourists.

Chen Ye also went over to join the fun, but when he got closer, he found that the ship was just an empty shell.

This bottomless boat truly lives up to its name; it's supported only by a wooden frame, with the bottom completely empty.

Chen Ye could see that there was spiritual energy flowing on the hull of the ship, which was obviously specially refined, but he didn't know what kind of restrictions were placed on it.

Before Chen Ye could even see clearly, a nimble figure darted out from beside him and flipped over to land steadily on the ship's frame.

"Gentlemen, I'll go ahead to meet Immortal Qinghe."

The move was quite elegant, but Chen Ye could tell at a glance that the person only practiced the martial arts of an ordinary person.

His lightness skill is impressive, but how could such a heavy person be carried on this bottomless boat?

Sure enough, after only pushing the boat half a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) with the oars, the bottomless boat began to sink and soon hit the bottom.

The martial arts master who had just been waving his hand so casually was now half-submerged in the water, and no matter how hard he rowed, it was no use.

Fortunately, the water was shallow and the current was not strong, so he was not swept away.

This must be the mercy of the Qinghe Sword Sect, giving those who overestimated themselves a chance to regret it.

The man from the martial arts world fiddled with it for a long time, but in the end he couldn't make the bottomless boat float, and could only swim ashore in disgrace.

Amidst the laughter of the audience, the man ran away in shame.

The bottomless boat was quite magical; after the man left, it floated up on its own and returned to the shore, settling steadily in its original position.

Chen Ye wasn't in a hurry to board the ship, so he mingled among the spectators and watched the excitement.

Perhaps because there is little danger, many ordinary people have dared to challenge this bottomless boat.

Even if a particularly thin woman boarded, the boat seemed to have no buoyancy at all; it sank as soon as she got on and stopped moving completely once it touched the bottom.

This actually has nothing to do with buoyancy. Even if a bird landed on it, the ship would still sink.

The Qinghe Sword Sect tests not agility, but strength.

How can we prevent a bottomless boat from sinking?
The answer is to use one's own magic to support it.

Carrying this bottomless boat, we sailed towards the center of Qinghe, and the boat would become heavier and heavier. We had to persevere to the end to succeed and be received by the Qinghe Sword Sect.

It is impossible for ordinary people to do this; it is a threshold set for cultivators.

However, to prevent ordinary people from dying, the first half is all shallow water, giving you a chance to regret it after you sink to the bottom.

If you have the ability to tow the boat to deep water, then you are no ordinary person, and you don't need to worry about drowning.

This design is truly ingenious; Chen Ye felt he should take a look at it as well.

If anyone wants to visit the Yellow Springs Sect in the future, first create a maze of ghosts and mazes for them. Only cultivators can walk out of it, but they will be blocked by the ghosts and mazes after only a few steps.

Having figured out the effects of this bottomless boat, Chen Ye took a step forward.

This step allowed Chen Ye to step directly onto the river surface.
The water didn't reach his shoes, as if something was supporting them from below.

Such a miraculous sight immediately drew cheers from the onlookers.

After watching the performance of falling into the river all day, I can finally see the real skills.

Chen Ye then walked across the water onto the boat.

Then, the bottomless boat slowly sailed towards the Qinghe River, and even after leaving the shallow waters, it did not sink at all.

A sharp-eyed person looked down at the bottom of the boat and saw a huge shadow carrying the boat and people towards the center of the Qinghe River.

(End of this chapter)