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

Chapter 229 The Jeweled Pavilion

As Chen Ye rode the Black Whirlwind away from the Yellow Spring Sect, Qu Heng repeatedly reminded him to be careful.

He wished he could take all the evil spirits of Fengdu City with him.

But this can no longer be done, as the ghost messengers have been dispatched one after another to perform their duties in various parts of the northern frontier.

Chen Ye couldn't possibly take all the ghost messengers with him, nor could he carry the most powerful Ten Thousand Souls Banner with him. All the ghost messengers relied on this Ten Thousand Souls Banner for their "pay," and they couldn't be short even for a day.

Therefore, Qu Heng could only let Chen Ye take something else with him.

For example, those mirage demons that have just submitted.

After Lingguang Xian changed her name to Chenguang, she was nominally an elder of the Huangquan Sect, but everyone knew that she was not much different from other ghosts.

The mirage demons he brought were led by Chen Guang. They did not become the city gods of the Northern Frontier, but simply followed Chen Ye's orders and did things in exchange for incense offerings to make a living.

The mirage demon is fond of quiet and usually likes to hide in a corner to sleep. It lies down whenever it can and never moves unless necessary.

After some time, everyone in the Yellow Springs Sect almost forgot about the existence of the Mirage Demon.

This time, Chen Ye was going to Lietian Mountain. To ensure his safety, Qu Heng had all the mirage demons enter Chen Ye's Ten Thousand Soul Banner and travel overseas with him.

Chen Ye was initially worried that the Mirage Faction would recognize him, which would cause unnecessary trouble.

However, Qu Heng confidently asserted that the Mirage Sect was at most speculating and had absolutely no way of proving that these "ghosts" were mirage demons.

This master is very knowledgeable; if he says it's nothing, then there's probably no problem.

The ocean is the home of the mirage demons, and it should be able to provide a lot of help. So Chen Ye listened to Qu Heng's advice and packed all the mirage demons into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

As a result, Chen Ye appeared to be going out alone, but the Ten Thousand Souls Banner contained a Day Wanderer, five Mirage Demons, and a full four hundred Yin Soldiers.

This number is more than the combined number of disciples from many smaller sects.

Even so, Qu Heng still felt it wasn't enough, so he stuffed Chen Ye with a lot of one-time use talismans. However, most of them were left behind by the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect and were of an extremely vicious type. Chen Ye could not use them unless it was a matter of life and death.

With everything prepared, Chen Ye mounted Black Whirlwind and set off.

This trip is a real long-distance journey, not the kind of short trip that can be reached in a day or two.

Mount Lietian is far overseas, unlike the Mirage Sect which is located near the sea. Instead, one must first go out to sea and then fly for ten to fifteen days to reach it.

Moreover, he couldn't fly directly to Rift Sky Mountain. Even though the invitation letter had a sea chart and directions, Chen Ye couldn't go there on his own.

The ocean is not land; once you fly out there, there are almost no reference points.

At the speed of a black whirlwind, it flew over two or three hundred miles in a flash. Chen Ye wasn't a professional, so he couldn't estimate the distance so accurately.

If we fly too far or deviate from the angle even slightly, we might miss the location of Rift Sky Mountain.

Once you get lost at sea, it can be quite troublesome to find your way back.

Chen Ye wasn't sure if he could find the right direction through divination, so he decided not to take any risks.

However, the person who sent the invitation had also considered this problem, so it clearly stated that as long as Chen Ye came to Zhuguang Port on the coast of the South China Sea, he could find the cultivators of Tianxin Island, show them this invitation, and the cultivators of Tianxin Island would naturally take him to Lietian Mountain.

Among the five major sects, the most mysterious is not the Mirage Sect, which is skilled in illusions, but Tianxin Island, which is far overseas.

Chen Ye had met their disciples a few times in Baihai Valley, but did not recognize any of them.

Rumor has it that among the disciples of Tianxin Island are overseas merfolk, who are truly alien races. Therefore, they usually live overseas and rarely have any dealings with the various sects in the Central Plains.

If the Demon Lords hadn't fled to the sea, Tianxin Island might not have participated in the final battle.

Following the map, Chen Ye arrived at Zhuguang Port.

From the air, it looks like a bustling port with dozens of large ships docked along the shore. The city itself is also lively and bustling, suggesting that ordinary people here must be living quite well.

In most cities where cultivators reside, ordinary people generally live quite well.

After all, this is a time when the righteous path is flourishing. Cultivators can easily change many things by intervening in injustices in the mortal world. Righteous cultivators have almost no need for mortals, and they don't need mortals to do hard labor. Although they are high above, they rarely oppress good people. As a result, mortals are even more comfortable.

Although there is no shortage of intrigue and scheming among cultivators, the righteous path is still the righteous path, and the world is indeed in a good state now.

Since this place is within the sphere of influence of Tianxin Island, Chen Ye would not swagger into the city to avoid offending others.

After landing far away on the ground, Chen Ye had Black Whirlwind revert to its crow form, and then walked into the city.

Zhuguang Port is very well managed. There are no city walls or checkpoints, and the roads are well-connected, so you can enter the city from anywhere.

From north to south, the sea breeze becomes stronger, but the surrounding buildings become more densely packed, and there are more pedestrians on the road.

People live off the sea; most of the people here are fishermen with weathered faces, and there are also many business people, but you rarely see people from the imperial court.

Mo Ci's voice came from within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner: "This is a good place. If I had known this place was so wealthy, I should have come here to see it for myself."

Chen Ye retorted, "Master, you're a demon! Aren't you afraid of dying on Tianxin Island's territory?"

Mo Ci said, "I don't kill people to practice my skills, so who would know I'm a demon? I just come here to eat and drink, and then I leave. Who would know who I am? It's a pity that I was hunted down when I had just achieved some success in my training, and then I met someone like you who shamelessly wanted to become my disciple. I've lived for hundreds of years and I've never even seen the sea." Chen Ye felt that Mo Ci was talking more than usual.

My mouth never stopped moving the whole way.

Are all people who come back from the dead this talkative?
To fulfill Mo Ci's wish, Chen Ye had no choice but to carry the Ten Thousand Souls Banner around the port, buy some street food, and walk around the port twice.

Having seen those large ships and gazed at the shimmering sea, Mo Ci was finally satisfied as the sun set.

Chen Ye hadn't expected that he would have to appease his master for coming out, but since his master was his mentor, he would just consider it tuition.

As dusk fell, Chen Ye stepped into a magnificent, golden building bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

This is the Pearl Treasure Pavilion, the most famous place in Pearl Harbor, which specializes in selling all kinds of rare and precious items from the sea, such as pearls, corals, gold and jewelry.

Chen Ye wasn't there to hunt for treasures or find bargains. Rather, the invitation stated that the Pearl and Treasure Pavilion was run by cultivators from Tianxin Island. By showing the invitation upon arrival, he could have the cultivators from Tianxin Island take him to Rift Sky Mountain.

As its name suggests, the building has a spacious interior, with various treasures displayed on both sides upon entering.

The silver baskets were overflowing with perfectly round pearls the size of a fingertip; vibrant corals, adorned with gold and gemstones, shimmered in the candlelight…

The person who designed the Pearl and Jewel Tower must have had a clever mind. Even though it was just a luxury item that ordinary people pursued, Chen Ye was somewhat tempted by it.

In particular, there was a coral ornament. The bright red coral, along with several exquisitely carved jade figures, looked not only beautiful but also seemed to have a story behind it, making Chen Ye want to ask the price.

Take this back and put it on your desk; it will surely be a pleasure to look at.

Unfortunately, this first floor seemed to be just for show, and there were no staff from the Pearl and Jewel Pavilion to ask about prices.

The invitation indicated that the second floor of the Pearl and Jewel Pavilion was specifically for entertaining cultivators, but the regular staircase went straight to the third floor. Only by passing through the hidden door in the southeast corner could one see the staircase leading to the second floor.

Only cultivators who have undergone spiritual awakening can see through their spiritual eyes that this is a hidden door, which conveniently separates mortals from cultivators. The design was quite thoughtful.

Chen Ye avoided the crowd and headed towards the hidden door.

Before he could even go upstairs, a smiling young man appeared in front of Chen Ye. The man looked quite young, probably in his early twenties, but cultivators couldn't judge a person's age by their appearance, so Chen Ye guessed that this man was definitely much older than he looked.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Fang Zhixuan from Tianxin Island."

The young man was slightly plump, not the kind of fat man who was bloated, but his round face was very endearing. He seemed to be the kind of person who was good at dealing with people, no wonder he was a greeter at the Pearl and Treasure Pavilion.

Chen Ye was about to cup his hands in greeting when he heard Fang Zhixuan whisper, "Fellow Daoist, please wait. It's best not to move your hands to avoid any misunderstandings."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Ye felt water vapor spreading around him, as if the sea breeze was blowing in front of him.

Chen Ye frowned and asked, "What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Fang?"

Although Fang Zhixuan had already used his magic, his smile remained unchanged, and he said in a very polite tone, "It's nothing. Better safe than sorry. I just heard that you carried a Myriad Soul Banner around Pearl Harbor for a whole day. Isn't that a bit too disrespectful to our Tianxin Island?"

Chen Ye then realized what was happening and quickly said, "Fellow Daoist Fang, this is a misunderstanding. I am not a cultivator from the Demonic Sect."

Fang Zhixuan laughed and said, "That's not what I meant either. What kind of demon would dare to swagger around Pearl Harbor with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner? That doesn't make sense, unless the demon has gone astray in his cultivation and lost his mind. Of course, that's very unlikely."

"Fellow Daoist, you are a handsome man, a rare sight indeed. It's obvious you're not a bad person. I believe you must have a reason for carrying the Myriad Soul Banner. But as a disciple of Heavenly Heart Island, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Don't you agree?"

Although the words were polite, Chen Ye could tell that Fang Zhixuan's smile was forced and his eyes were fixed on him. If Chen Ye dared to make any move, a battle of wits would be inevitable.

Chen Ye smiled wryly. He had gotten used to wandering around Hundred Seas Valley, and the rogue cultivators there were used to him carrying the Myriad Soul Banner. He never expected to cause such an accident.

Chen Ye had no choice but to explain, "I was reckless and shouldn't have been so ostentatious. But Fellow Daoist Fang, rest assured, I am really not a demonic cultivator. I was invited to participate in the Rift Sky Mountain Gathering, and I have an invitation letter from one of the five major sects with me."

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhixuan quickly apologized, saying, "That was my overthinking. I offended the guest. Could you please lend me the invitation to take a look?"

Although he spoke politely, Chen Ye could tell that the man's wariness had not lessened at all, clearly indicating that he did not believe Chen Ye's words.

Chen Ye wasn't angry. He figured he'd be just as wary if a strange cultivator carrying the Myriad Soul Banner wandered around Fengdu City. Fang Zhixuan, though wary, spoke politely and was very courteous. For a major sect, that was more than enough.

Chen Ye slowly took out the invitation and handed it to the cultivator from Tianxin Island, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding.

Fang Zhixuan reached out and took the invitation, but the moment he touched it, a thin layer of moisture covered the invitation, preventing his fingers from touching the envelope.

Chen Ye realized this and thought to himself, "This Fellow Daoist Fang is truly cautious to the extreme, as if he's afraid that Fang might have left some kind of trap in the letter."

Chen Ye patiently waited for Fang Zhixuan to open the envelope and carefully read its contents.

When he finished reading the contents of the invitation, he immediately showed a surprised expression.

"The Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Sect... Chen Ye?!"

Fang Zhixuan examined the invitation letter repeatedly, as if he couldn't believe it. After confirming that it was correct, he hurriedly returned it with both hands and said excitedly, "Sect Leader Chen, I was blind to your greatness. Please forgive me."

"Fellow Daoist Fang, you flatter me."

Chen Ye made a polite remark, but he was somewhat puzzled; this person's reaction seemed a bit excessive. Not only had his tone and demeanor changed, but his hands also seemed to be trembling.

Even if you feel apologetic, it shouldn't be this exaggerated, right?
Moreover, just now Chen Ye saw a dark pattern flash across Fang Zhixuan's face, the pattern looked like scales.

(End of this chapter)