Star Martial Soaring Cloud

The Central Mountain Range looks close, but it's actually not close at all.

Wang Xiao, Su Qinhe, and Yan Zixi truly experienced what it means to be "seemingly close at hand, but actually far away."

The hazy mountain peaks had stood before them since the very first day they broke through the illusionary mist, their outlines so clear they seemed almost within reach.

But they traveled day and night, crossing wheat fields and wilderness.

It took six whole days before I finally stood at its feet.

At first, they thought they had encountered some kind of ambush, but in the end they realized that the journey was really that long.

October 10th.

The morning sun shines down from the eastern horizon, gilding the entire mountain range with a faint golden hue.

Wang Xiao looked up and saw the entire Central Mountain Range for the first time.

The mountain is about four or five thousand meters high. At three thousand meters, there is a dense primeval forest at the foot of the mountain, with ancient trees reaching the sky, deep and quiet.

Morning light filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns of light in the forest. The light dances and sways gently with the leaves, playing with the shadows.

The stream meanders down from the mountain ravine, its waters gurgling and crystal clear.

Wildflowers in the valley are vying for attention, displaying a riot of colors—red, orange, yellow, and purple—like scattered stars, as if someone had spilled a box of colorful ink paintings onto a green canvas.

In many places, the climate is like spring all year round, warm and humid, and even the air is filled with the faint sweet fragrance of grass and trees.

Further up, the vegetation gradually thins out.

Apart from some tenacious low shrubs and moss, the rest is mostly bare rock and weathered gravel.

The gray-white rock walls gleamed coldly in the sunlight, dotted with patches of white snow, like the graying hair at an old man's temples.

Higher up, clouds and mist swirled, completely obscuring the mountaintop.

Occasionally, a gust of wind blows, and a gap is broken in the clouds, revealing snow-covered peaks and silver-clad ice peaks.

Its snow-white color was dazzling, and against the backdrop of the blue sky, it resembled a celestial palace suspended in the heavens, sacred and distant.

Wang Xiao, Su Qinhe, and Yan Zixi stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the majestic peak, and remained silent for a moment.

What first caught their attention was not the height of the mountain, the depth of the forest, or even the whiteness of the snow, but the clearly visible array patterns at the foot of the mountain.

Those patterns are etched on the rocks, embedded in the soil, and extend into the depths of the forest, like a giant net that firmly covers the entire base of the mountain.

They are by no means the dilapidated and nearly exhausted formations found in ancient cities; on the contrary, they are vibrant and lively, flashing with rosy light from time to time, with light and shadow alternating and changing, creating a beautiful scene.

"Look, those patterns at the foot of the mountain..." Wang Xiao pointed ahead, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Yan Zixi followed his finger, a slight smirk playing on her lips, "Lu Yang, pretending to be stupid again? Don't you even recognize this? It's just a Spirit Gathering Array, a formation that gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, why are you making such a fuss?"

Wang Xiao ignored her sarcasm, his gaze remaining fixed on the shimmering patterns.

As Yan Zixi spoke, she lightly touched the ground with her toes and slowly rose into the air.

The suction force of the no-fly zone completely disappeared here, and she floated freely in mid-air like a bird that had broken free of its restraints.

"However, it's rather surprising that one can fly here with such a powerful spirit-gathering array." She looked around, her tone thoughtful.

Su Qinhe slowly ascended into the air, patiently explaining to Wang Xiao, "Spirit Gathering Arrays are one of the most commonly used arrays among cultivators. Their grades range from Yellow Rank to Heaven Rank, and their functions vary. Low-grade Spirit Gathering Arrays can only gather spiritual energy within a radius of a few feet, for cultivators to use for cultivation or alchemy and weapon crafting; high-grade Spirit Gathering Arrays can draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a hundred miles, and even change the climate and topography of a region."

She paused, her gaze falling on the shimmering patterns, her tone growing increasingly solemn: "The spirit-gathering array here is of such a high grade that I have never seen anything like it before. Look at the direction of those patterns, the density of their arrangement, and the frequency of the flashing spiritual light... Ordinary spirit-gathering arrays can only gather spiritual energy, but this array seems to be able to compress, purify, and even transform primordial energy into some kind of power that we do not know."

The three of them hovered in mid-air, looking down at the mountains below.

From a high vantage point, the entire outline of the mountain can be seen.

The array patterns started from the foot of the mountain and extended in all directions like intertwined tree roots, covering the entire mountain and even spreading to the distant plains and forests.

They are not random, but arranged in a regular pattern, circle after circle, layer after layer, like huge concentric circles, wrapping the central mountain range layer by layer.

The outermost ring has the sparsest patterns and the dimmest aura; the closer you go in, the denser the patterns and the more intense the aura.

"Is this why Jun Guo was resurrected here?" Yan Zixi gazed at the intense spiritual light, lost in thought. "This spirit-gathering array is enough to provide him with a continuous supply of vital energy."

"It doesn't seem like it." Su Qinhe stared at the array patterns on the ground for a long time, then suddenly shook her head, her tone filled with surprise. "Look at the direction of those patterns. The primordial energy of heaven and earth gathers here, but it doesn't flow to a fixed node. Instead, it seeps evenly into the ground."

Wang Xiao examined it closely and found it to be true.

The shimmering lights did not converge at the mountain peak; instead, they slowly seeped into the mountain halfway there, disappearing into the rocks and soil.

"Looking at the overall layout of the Spirit Gathering Array," Su Qinhe continued her analysis, "it doesn't radiate spiritual energy outwards, but rather wraps it inwards layer by layer. Layer upon layer, circle upon circle, it's like a giant cocoon, no, more like..."

She paused for a moment, as if searching for the most fitting description.

"A seal?" Yan Zixi blurted out.

"Yes." Su Qinhe nodded emphatically. "This spirit-gathering array collects the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, not to supply anyone, but to suppress something."

Yan Zixi's brows furrowed instantly: "Could it be that Jun Guo is sealed here? Is the Five Ninjas of Fusang only tasked with destroying this Spirit Gathering Array? And all we have to do is guard this array, and everything will be fine?"

"It shouldn't be." Wang Xiao shook his head. "The message left by Asagi Kuramoto's divine fire cannot be false. When a person is about to die, their words are good. Looking back on their life, how could they deceive themselves? Therefore, Jun Guo's place of resurrection must be at the mountaintop."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire majestic mountain: "Furthermore, Tetsuya Hatoda and Kenjiro Koyama must have arrived before us. If Junko were truly sealed here, they wouldn't have remained completely inactive. But look, is there even the slightest sign of damage here?"

It really doesn't.

The array patterns were complete and clear, and the frequency of the flashing spiritual light was stable and regular, showing no signs of being damaged or disturbed.

"Then," Yan Zixi's tone suddenly turned serious, "besides Jun Guo, are there other powerful beings sealed away in these mountains?"

"That's hard to say." Wang Xiao's gaze was fixed on the intense spiritual light, and his voice deepened. "It's possible, just as you guessed."

The three of them fell silent for a moment.

Things seemed to be far more complicated than they had imagined.

Just then, Wang Xiao's body swayed violently, almost falling from the air, and his consciousness wavered for a moment.

In a daze, a very faint sound suddenly pierced his ears.

"Thump...thump..."

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it carried a steady rhythm, like an ancient heart beating slowly, one beat after another, striking the soul.

Even more strangely, the sound did not come from the outside world, but rather seemed to surge from the depths of Wang Xiao's heart, lingering and impossible to shake off.

"Lu Yang!" Su Qinhe reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and asking with concern, "What's wrong?"

Wang Xiao did not answer immediately, but instead frowned, strained his ears, and tried his best to capture the strange sound.

"Didn't you hear anything just now?" His voice was slightly weak and incredulous.

"No, there isn't." Yan Zixi immediately leaned over, reached out and touched his forehead, then pressed it against her own to compare. "What sound is there? You haven't been traveling for days and overworking your brain, have you? Are you having brain problems? All those brilliant ideas you usually have, are they just from these random thoughts?"

Wang Xiao ignored her, but noticed that Su Qinhe was also looking at him blankly.

The two of them really didn't hear anything.

Am I hallucinating?

Wang Xiao closed his eyes tightly, concentrated his mind, and spread out his divine sense to scan the surroundings inch by inch, trying to find the source of the sound.

No matter how he investigated, there was nothing unusual in the area his divine sense reached. The heartbeat-like sound also seemed to have never existed, disappearing without a trace.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his forehead already covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and thought to himself: Did I really hear wrong?

"Miss Su, and this guy over there who likes to make sarcastic remarks, you two should find a place to rest here and contact Xiao He and the others." He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, spoke very quickly, and with an undeniable decisiveness.

"And what about you?" Su Qinhe asked.

"I'll go take a look at the summit." Wang Xiao raised his eyes, gazing at the cloud-shrouded mountaintop with a determined look. "You can fly here, I'll go and come back quickly."

"Are you going alone?" Yan Zixi's teasing expression vanished, replaced by a rare seriousness in her tone.

"I'm just going up to investigate and see if I can find any clues," Wang Xiao waved his hand. "Too many people will only alert the enemy and hinder our actions. If anything happens, I'll leave immediately. With the Seven Star Rain Steps, even if I encounter a Dragon Gate Transformation Realm expert, escaping won't be difficult."

Wang Xiao has this confidence.

The three Fusang ninjas who died earlier did not not want to escape, but simply had no chance to escape.

Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi exchanged a glance. Although they were still worried, they knew his temperament and ultimately did not stop him.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath, his vital energy rippled slightly, and his figure slowly rose into the air.

From the ground to mid-air, from mid-air to high altitude, he flew higher and higher, and the scenery below him shrank accordingly.

At first, Su Qinhe and Yan Zixi could be clearly seen, but in an instant they became two blurry dots. In the end, even those two dots were completely swallowed up by the mountains and forests, and could not be found again.

The wind howled in my ears, carrying the biting chill from the mountaintop, whipping against my clothes and making a rustling sound.

The clouds surged and undulated beneath his feet, like a boundless white ocean with rolling waves that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Sunlight streamed down from the higher horizon, piercing through the thin atmosphere and transforming into a cool, golden ray that enveloped him.

Thousands of meters in the air—this was a height Wang Xiao had never reached before.

Since entering the Dragon Gate Divine Realm and gaining the ability to fly through the void, the highest he had ever flown was only thirty to fifty feet above the ground, and he had never reached such a lofty realm.

At this moment, the mountains and rivers are all beneath my feet.

Those towering mountains that once made him look up in awe, the rivers and lakes that once made him hesitate, and the vast plains that once made him lose his way, are now all miniature landscapes, quietly unfolding between heaven and earth, small and peaceful.

He could even see the outline of the ancient city in the distance, a hazy gray mass, like a giant rock forgotten by time, lying quietly on the earth.

An unprecedented feeling surged from the bottom of my heart and instantly swept over my entire body.

It wasn't the fear of being high in the sky, nor the excitement of looking down at the world, but an indescribable sense of control.

It was as if all things in heaven and earth were within one's sight; as if all the hardships and obstacles in the world were nothing more than a mound of earth or a hill beneath one's feet, nothing to fear.

The silver-clad landscape blends seamlessly with the verdant greenery, and the snow-capped mountains and forests shine together.

The vastness of the sky and earth, the magnificence of the mountains and rivers, all come into view, making one's heart open and one's ambitions lofty.

Every blade of grass, every tree, every mountain, and every river in the world is taken into one's heart, involuntarily inspiring a sense of grand ambition and dominance over the world.

So this is what it feels like to be standing on a cloud.

This is the sky.

Nothing in this world is more or less the same than this.

Wang Xiao hovered in mid-air, letting the biting cold wind whip his robes and long hair. The chill was piercing, yet it couldn't penetrate his skin at all, completely blocked by a layer of faint Yuan Qi.

He was initially cautious, his divine sense spreading out like a large net, vigilantly scanning every inch of the surrounding space, afraid of missing any abnormality.

But as he flew around the Central Mountain Range again and again, all he could see was a vast expanse of white snow.

There was no trace of human presence, no fluctuation of vital energy, no flashing of array light, and not even the slightest hint of life could be found.

He got closer and closer to the mountain wall of the Central Mountain Range, and finally flew almost close to the cold rock wall. He could see clearly the thickness of the snow layer, the shape of the icicles, and the texture of the rocks.

Occasionally, a few snow pigeons could be seen perched in the crevices of the rocks. Startled by this outsider, they cooed and cast wary glances at him timidly. This was the only sign of life on the mountaintop.

nobody.

Wang Xiao flew around the mountaintop three times, checking every inch and searching every detail. His divine sense covered every crack, every patch of snow, and every rock on the mountaintop, leaving no hidden corner unchecked.

In the end, all that remained before my eyes was the vast expanse of white snow, all that remained in my ears was the howling wind, and all that remained beside me was the silent mountain wall.

Apart from the few startled snow pigeons, he did not detect any human presence on the mountaintop.

Where are they?

Wang Xiao hovered directly above the mountain peak, his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with doubt.

Junguo's resurrection site should have been here, and Tetsuya and the other should have arrived before him, but the mountaintop was deserted and deathly silent, as if no one had ever set foot there.