The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Chapter 96 Flowing Cloud Immortal City

"I knew from the start that this job of escorting ships was by no means an easy or pleasant task."

A slightly languid yet impatient voice came from the upper deck.

A young cultivator dressed in the inner sect robes of the Qinghe Sword Sect was seen leaning against the carved wooden railing on the second floor, casually tossing a token that was neither gold nor jade into his hand.

Xu Changqing looked in the direction of the sound, and was momentarily stunned when his gaze fell upon the person's face.

The young man's right eye was long and sharp, radiating vitality.

However, his left eye was a chillingly pale white, with no pupil and no white part, like a piece of white jade covered in dust.

Only in the shifting light could one vaguely see a faint spot of light hidden deep within the white shadow, like a remnant pupil.

"Was it due to naturally heterochromatic eyes, or did practicing some secret technique damage your fundamental constitution?"

Xu Changqing pondered to himself.

The young man seemed to enjoy the awe and fear in the eyes of the people on the deck. A mocking smile appeared on his lips. He suddenly paused in his hand as he tossed and caught the token, and then grasped it in his palm.

"If it weren't for those damn secret realm slots, who would bother with a bunch of stupid idiots like you?"

His cold gaze swept over the two men on the ground, who were clutching their chests and groaning, and then around at the silent crowd.

"No wonder that on this Demon-Slaying Embankment, only six or seven out of ten of you vassal families survive. Your brains are full of dog shit. Even if you go to the front line, you're nothing more than food for the demon beasts."

"They died for a worthy cause; they all deserved to die!"

Upon hearing this, the deck fell into a deathly silence, with none of the hundreds of cultivators daring to utter a word of rebuttal.

The reason was that the spiritual pressure emanating from this young man was already at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining!

The young man launched into a tirade, then, seemingly finding it uninteresting, let out a cold snort.

"I don't care how much you bully others in your respective family communities."

"But once you step onto this warship, you've entered the sect's army! Anyone who engages in unprovoked private fights or causes trouble won't have to wait for the monsters to devour them; this sword of mine will send you on your way first!"

"Get back to the hold, everyone!"

"Yes—yes—"

The two men on the ground dared not utter a word. They scrambled to their feet and slunk into the hold.

The surrounding cultivators who had been watching the spectacle scattered like birds and beasts, afraid that if they were too slow, they would incur the wrath of this evil star.

Before long, more than half of the huge deck was empty.

Xu Changqing didn't linger. He turned around and mingled with the crowd, heading towards the cabins below the deck.

The cabins were partitioned with wooden boards to create cramped spaces that could only accommodate one person at a time; these served as the living quarters for everyone.

Xu Changqing didn't mind at all. He sat upright on the hardwood couch, flicked his sleeve and produced a soundproof talisman, completely blocking out the noise of the waves crashing against the boat.

His eyelids drooped slightly, and in the blink of an eye, his mind swirled, sinking into the sea of ​​consciousness.

"Based on the analysis, the opportunities that will appear within a hundred miles of Black Wind Pass in the next two months are distributed, omitting the details and specific methods of seizing them, only indicating the locations and the degree of danger."

If he were to meticulously analyze every single opportunity, the resulting causes and effects would be vast and complex, and the process would likely take years.

Now that the warships have been launched, all he needs is a "geographical map." Once he arrives at the destination, he will choose the safest target based on his own situation and circumstances to conduct a simulation.

Planning before acting is the way to long-term success.

[Deduction begins]

[Deduction Item: Feng Shui Map of Heifengkou (Black Wind Pass)]

[Time required: Seven days.]

Xu Changqing stopped thinking about it, took out a low-grade spirit stone from his sleeve, held it in his palm, and closed his eyes to practice breathing exercises.

The mighty river flows on and on, day and night.

In the blink of an eye, the majestic warship had been sailing on the river for three days and three nights, cutting through the waves.

After the young man swiftly suppressed the cultivators who were fighting in private, the hundreds of vassal cultivators who had been conscripted became completely obedient.

On the deck, silence reigned all day long.

The monks either sat cross-legged and practiced breathing exercises, or leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance, lost in thought as they looked at the turbid, churning river.

The wooden door on the top floor of the ship was tightly closed, and the young man with heterochromatic eyes never showed up again.

Until the morning of the fourth day.

The river breeze gradually subsided, and a thin mist enveloped the river surface, vaguely revealing distant clouds and mist, as if a thousand auspicious wisps of air were rising.

Xu Changqing stood on the left side of the ship, wearing a straw hat, gazing at the gradually thickening water mist ahead.

"Brother Xu, judging from the direction of this moisture, we should be able to reach Liuyun Immortal City today."

Beside him stood an old monk with white hair and beard.

This man, named Fang Chang, is the patriarch of a small family called "Kuye Island" downstream. His cultivation level is hovering around the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Along the way, because we stayed nearby, I became somewhat acquainted with Xu Changqing.

Xu Changqing tilted his head slightly and nodded in response, "The warships have been traveling day and night; judging by the distance, we should indeed be arriving soon."

A hint of awe flashed in Fang Chang's eyes.

"I heard that it's the largest market in the Great Swamp, suspended high in the sky. I wonder if it's true."

"Whoosh—!!"

Just then, a desolate and deep horn sound suddenly reverberated from the top of the towering mast.

"The fog has lifted!"

Someone on deck let out a soft cry.

Xu Changqing looked up.

In front of them, countless thick black iron chains stretched across the void, supporting a magnificent city.

The city was half-hidden in the clouds and mist, with pavilions and palaces layered upon each other, their upturned eaves appearing and disappearing in the mist.

Countless spirit boats, like carp crossing a river, shuttled back and forth among the clouds and mist, their precious light soaring into the sky, illuminating half the horizon with dazzling brilliance.

This is Liuyun Immortal City, a den of iniquity in the eyes of countless cultivators.

Well-deserved name.

"Buzz"

Just as everyone was stunned by the strange sight before them, the dark warship beneath their feet suddenly trembled.

Xu Changqing felt a lightness beneath his feet, and the giant ship that had been cutting through the waves lifted off the water and slowly rose into the air, flying towards the floating immortal city.

"So this ship was originally designed to fly—"

The slow, leisurely journey on the water these past few days was simply to save the spirit stones needed for aerial flight.

"Squeak"

The young man with heterochromatic eyes in the blue robe walked out slowly, still looking listless.

"This place is only for one day of resupply. Anyone who wishes to disembark and make purchases must return to the camp by Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow. If you miss the deadline, you will be considered deserter and handed over to the Enforcement Hall for punishment."

The warship's massive body slowly slowed down and crashed against a huge white jade pier that stretched for several miles.

Xu Changqing followed the crowd down the gangway from the warship. His feet touched the solid bluestone ground, and his nose was filled with a complex smell that mixed the fragrance of pills, the smell of blood, and the stench of spirit beasts.

The wharf of Liuyun Immortal City is more than ten times larger than that of Qinghe Market.

Around the pier, there are hundreds of spirit boats and treasure ships of various styles.

The Immortal City was a place where all sorts of people from different religions and schools gathered, including unorthodox sects and heretical sects.

As far as the eye could see, there were burly men with bare upper bodies and bulging muscles, and old women with venomous snakes around their necks and leaning on bone canes.

Several other female cultivators from different races, dressed in revealing clothing and light gauze covering their bodies, walked barefoot on the bluestone slabs, their ankles jingling with silver bells, exuding charm and allure.

Spiritual pressures intertwined, and turbid energy soared to the sky—this was Xu Changqing's first impression of Flowing Cloud Immortal City.