High Martial Arts: Starting with a Martial Saint Peak Cultivation

After the Azure Cloud Shuttle entered the border area of ​​the Cloud Ripples Immortal Realm, its speed slowed down a bit.

Outside the porthole.

Silver-gray stardust, like a thin veil, gently covered the deep black starry sky.

The distant stars were as dense as sand, their light forming a pale golden mist.

The disciples were still crowded in front of the porthole, chattering away.

Some people pointed to a bright star and shouted, "That's the Sunset Star!" Others muttered that they needed to sleep for three days and three nights before going back.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord stood in front of the control panel, his hand resting on the control crystal surface, his expression much more relaxed than before.

But this relaxation didn't last long.

Three silver-white patrol boats silently cut across the path in front of the Azure Cloud Shuttle, blocking its way.

The flying boat was engraved with the immortal emblem of the Cloud and Blue Immortal Realm, and the sides of the boat were lit with a striking blue-green warning light.

On the deck of the lead flying ship stood a cultivator dressed in silver-white armor.

The cultivator was of medium height, with a serious expression. His right hand rested on the immortal sword at his waist, and his eyes were as sharp as two knives.

He was followed by more than ten patrol members, all of whom were fully armed and exuded spiritual energy.

"Stop the ship immediately for inspection of that shuttle ahead!"

The voice of the Celestial Patrol Commander pierced through the starry sky and rang clearly within the Azure Cloud Shuttle.

The voice carried an undeniable coldness.

Inside the Cangyun Shuttle, the disciples immediately fell silent, and many of them showed nervous expressions.

"It's a patrol team from the local Yunchui Holy Land!"

A young disciple muttered to himself.

"I heard the checks have been particularly strict lately."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord turned around and glanced at everyone, then raised his hand and pressed it down.

"Don't panic."

His tone was flat.

"Just a routine check."

At the control panel, he calmly tapped a few times on the control crystal surface.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle trembled slightly, gradually slowing down, and came to a steady stop in the starry sky.

They showed no intention of resisting, not even activating their shields.

Seeing the other party's cooperation, the patrol commander's cold expression softened slightly.

But he did not let his guard down; his hand remained on the hilt of his sword, and his voice still carried a sense of oppression.

"Please identify yourself."

His gaze swept over the massive hull of the Cangyun Shuttle, his tone cold and stern.

"Please allow us to board and inspect your vessel."

"If you resist, you will bear the consequences."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord walked to the porthole and bowed slightly to the patrol commander through the transparent crystal wall.

"Fellow Daoist, I am Immortal Lord Xuan Ying of the Nine Nether Valley."

His voice was neither humble nor arrogant, and it carried clearly.

"The Azure Cloud Shuttle carries the exploration team jointly dispatched by the four major forces of my Cloud Ripple Immortal Realm."

"The Purple Cloud Sect, the Azure Water Palace, the Taiqing Hall, and the Nine Nether Valley were the four families that jointly established this organization."

"We returned today after carrying out this exploration mission."

The patrol commander's brow twitched slightly upon hearing the names "Purple Cloud Sect, Azure Water Palace, Taiqing Hall, and Nine Nether Valley."

He certainly knew about these four forces.

Each of them has a Celestial King-level ancestor presiding over them, making them all formidable figures within the Cloud Ripple Immortal Realm.

An exploration team jointly dispatched by four major powers—that's certainly a significant undertaking.

But after hesitating for less than half a breath, he shook his head.

"Feel sorry."

His tone became more polite, but his attitude remained firm.

"It is my duty to board the ship and conduct an inspection."

Most importantly, their Cloudfall Holy Land has an even more powerful Immortal Emperor-level expert, who is above the Immortal King level, guarding it, so they are not afraid of these four major forces.

On the contrary, the four major powers are terrified of them.

He paused for a moment, then added a sentence.

"Recently, extraterrestrial demons have been active frequently, and the Holy Land has issued a strict order."

"Any foreign spacecraft, regardless of its identity, must be inspected."

Please cooperate.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord nodded.

"understand."

He raised his hand and tapped the control crystal surface, and the hatch of the Azure Cloud Shuttle slowly opened.

"please."

The patrol commander waved behind him.

"Four people go up and check carefully."

"yes!"

Four patrol members stepped forward and flew to the door of the Azure Cloud Shuttle on their swords.

They entered the cabin and began to inspect each room, starting with the outermost layer where the disciples lived.

Some used their spiritual power to detect, some checked the identity jade tokens, and others specifically looked for any residual demonic aura on the bulkhead.

Although the disciples were a little nervous, they all stood quietly and cooperated with the inspection.

Xuan Ying Xianjun stood at the door of the control room, his expression calm.

The patrol commander also followed on his sword and stopped at the door of the control room.

His gaze swept over Immortal Lord Xuanying, sensing the steady and profound fluctuations of immortal power emanating from him.

With a cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Celestial Immortal realm, his aura was pure and without any trace of demonic energy.

A moment later, the four patrol members returned to report.

"Commander, the personnel's identities have been verified."

"There is no trace of evil spirits left in the cabin."

"All disciple identity jade tokens are genuine."

The patrol commander finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Immortal Lord Xuanying, his tone much more polite than before.

"Thank you for your cooperation, I apologize for the inconvenience."

He paused, then explained.

"As you may know, not long ago, an extraterrestrial demon infiltrated a lower realm called Yuqing Continent under the jurisdiction of Yunlan Immortal Domain."

"After that demon was exposed, it caused considerable damage to the entire interface."

"In the end, they even managed to escape the pursuit of the Zhenyu Immortal Mansion, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day."

The patrol commander's expression darkened as he finished speaking.

"The Immortal Realm has issued a strict order requiring all patrol teams to strengthen their checks."

"We are only acting under orders, and we hope you will understand."

Upon hearing this, Immortal Lord Xuanying nodded slightly.

"understand."

His tone was calm.

"I've heard about that too."

"It is indeed remarkable that an extraterrestrial demon could escape the pursuit of the Zhenyu Immortal Mansion."

"A more rigorous search is also for the safety of the Immortal Realm."

The patrol commander smiled slightly upon seeing how understanding and reasonable Xuan Ying Xianjun was.

"Thank you for your understanding."

He clasped his hands in a fist salute again.

"I won't keep you any longer. Have a safe journey."

After saying that, he waved to his teammates behind him.

"withdraw!"

Four patrol members flew back to their patrol boats on their swords, and the three boats parted to the sides, clearing the way.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle restarted, slowly passed the patrol team, and continued flying deeper into the Cloud Ripple Immortal Realm.

The patrol commander stood on the deck of the airship, watching the light trail of the Azure Cloud Shuttle disappear into the distance, and gently exhaled.

"Exploration teams from the four major factions."

He muttered to himself.

"This trip has probably brought back quite a bit of intelligence."

He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and continued to direct the patrol team to patrol along the established route.

Inside the Cangyun Shuttle, the atmosphere relaxed once again.

The disciples started chatting and laughing again, making the atmosphere even more lively than before.

"That startled me; I thought it would take a long time to investigate."

"It's normal for them to be strict in their investigations; the matter of the extraterrestrial demons has caused too much of a stir."

"Speaking of which, how's things on the Jade Purity Continent these days?"

"I heard it caused a lot of damage. Almost all of the local high-level cultivators were killed, and resources were also looted. The Zhenyu Immortal Mansion is still investigating, but they haven't found it yet."

"It is said that the direction in which they finally disappeared was in that unknown land we explored."

"That demon is quite powerful, managing to escape from the Zhenyu Immortal Mansion... However, during the exploration of that unknown land, I did not hear any news about that extraterrestrial demon."

"They're not stupid, they're not that easy for you to find."

The disciples were discussing amongst themselves, but Immortal Lord Xuanying listened without interrupting.

His gaze passed through the porthole, looking towards the approaching starlight in the distance.

At the very center of that starlight, the outline of a continent so vast it defies description was slowly emerging.

That continent is too big.

It's so large that you can't see the edge of it at all when you look out from the porthole of the Cangyun Shuttle.

The outlines on both sides extend infinitely upwards, downwards, leftwards, and rightwards, like a huge wall stretching across the starry sky.

The continental surface was covered with dense spiritual light, like countless lamps that never go out.

In the midst of the spiritual light, one could vaguely see the outlines of mountains, rivers, cities, and palaces, smaller than a grain of rice, yet densely packed.

The continent is surrounded by nine layers of visible immortal-patterned light bands, one on top of the other, like nine enormous protective barriers.

Between the bands of light, flying boats and celestial birds shuttled back and forth, leaving trails of light in their wake.

On the innermost band of light, one can vaguely see the outlines of some extremely large palaces.

Those palaces were made entirely of celestial jade, towering into the clouds and exuding a suffocating aura of power.

As Xuan Ying Xianjun gazed at the continent, a hint of emotion flickered in his eyes.

"Cloudy Immortal Realm"

He said softly.

"No matter how many times I watch it, I'm still amazed."

Zi Ning Immortal Lord had walked up to him at some point, glanced at him, and nodded slightly.

"yes."

There was a hint of pride in her voice.

"This continent is more than a thousand times larger than a lower realm like Shangqing Continent."

"Immortal King-level experts are stationed in all directions, while Immortal Emperor-level powerhouses reside deep within."

"Under the command of the entire Yunlan Immortal Realm, there are over a thousand planes."

"Although our four major powers can be considered dominant in the Southern Region, they are just a drop in the ocean when compared to the entire Immortal Realm."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord hummed in response and said nothing more.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle continued its journey.

As they got closer, the details of that continent became clearer and clearer.

The mountains resemble dragons, the rivers resemble ribbons, and the cities resemble chessboards.

A rich spiritual energy surged in from the direction of the continent, and even through the protective barrier of the Azure Cloud Shuttle, one could feel its refreshing coolness.

The disciples pressed their faces against the portholes, their eyes shining with an alarming intensity.

"We're here! We've finally arrived!"

"My goodness, the Immortal Realm feels even more magnificent than before I left!"

"That means the spiritual energy is much denser! Didn't you see that those celestial patterns and light bands are brighter than before?"

"When I get back this time, I must go into seclusion and digest everything I brought back from the secret realm!"

"Contribution points! Contribution points! I've saved up so many, I'm definitely going to exchange them for that immortal technique this time!"

"........."

The more they talked, the more excited they became, and the atmosphere inside the cabin was as hot as boiling water.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord watched this scene, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Don't rush."

He raised his voice a few decibels.

"Return to the sect to report first; you'll receive your due contribution points."

"yes!"

The disciples responded in unison, their laughter echoing throughout the cabin.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle slowly entered the Cloud Ripples Immortal Realm and continued its journey along the route in the central and southern regions.

More and more flying boats and celestial birds appeared around us, and occasionally we could see some patrol flying boats passing by.

The distant city drew closer, and the mountains and rivers flowed slowly beneath our feet.

Until a continuous mountain range appeared ahead.

The mountain range was a deep blue-green color, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, like a giant dragon lying on the earth.

A mystical mist swirls among the mountains.

Countless palaces and pavilions can be vaguely seen hidden among them.

In the very center of the mountain range, a massive peak rises abruptly from the ground, soaring into the clouds.

At the summit of the mountain, a palace entirely made of nine-colored immortal jade floats in the air, radiating a deep and profound light.

Nine Nether Valley.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord looked at the familiar nine-colored palace and gently exhaled.

"arrive."

He turned to look at the other three leaders of the major factions in the control room.

Zi Ning Immortal Lord stood on the left, wearing a light purple dress, with a beautiful face and a cold and aloof temperament.

Bihan Immortal Lord stood on the right, tall and slender, dressed in a blue outfit, with a touch of heroic spirit between his brows.

Qingxuan Immortal Lord stood at the very back, with a gentle face, wearing a gray-blue Daoist robe, and exuding a calm and composed demeanor.

All three of them wore expressions of relief and ease.

"Gentlemen."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord cupped his hands in greeting to the three of them.

"We've arrived in the Southern Region."

"It's time to part ways and return to our respective sects to report the news."

As he spoke, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

A faint light flew out from his body and condensed into a small black flag the size of a palm in his palm.

The flag is embroidered with intricate celestial patterns and exudes spiritual energy fluctuations of the highest rank.

It was the Heaven-Covering Curtain, the shielding treasure of the Jade Water Palace.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord handed the Heaven-Covering Curtain to Zi Ning Immortal Lord.

"Fellow Daoist Zi Ning, this is the most precious treasure of the Biyue Palace. It should be returned to its rightful owner intact."

Immortal Lord Zi Ning reached out and took it, then put it into his sleeve.

She nodded slightly to Immortal Lord Xuanying, her tone cool and aloof.

"it is good."

She paused, then added.

"Take care, Fellow Daoist Xuan Ying."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the cabin door.

The disciples of Biyue Palace were already waiting at the cabin door. When they saw Immortal Lord Zi Ning coming, they all made way for her.

The hatch opened, and Immortal Lord Zi Ning led the people of Biyue Palace out of the Cangyun Shuttle and landed in the starry sky.

With a thought, a magnificent blue flying treasure appeared out of thin air, its hull crystal clear, like a giant blue crystal.

The disciples of Biyue Palace boarded the ship one by one. Zi Ning Immortal Lord took one last look at the Cangyun Shuttle, nodded slightly, and then rode the ship away.

Immortal Lord Bihan and Immortal Lord Qingxuan also stepped forward.

Immortal Lord Bihan cupped his hands in greeting to Immortal Lord Xuanying, his tone somewhat cheerful.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Ying, we are so grateful to have you by our side along the way."

"I, Taiqing Palace, will take my leave now and will visit you another day to express my gratitude."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord returned the greeting with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Bihan, you're too kind. Take care."

Immortal Lord Bihan nodded, led the disciples of Taiqing Palace out of the Azure Cloud Shuttle, took out a gray-blue flying boat, and carried everyone away.

Qingxuan Immortal Lord stepped forward last.

He smiled at Immortal Lord Xuanying, his tone gentle.

"Brother Xuan Ying, it's been a pleasure working with you this time."

"My Nine Nether Valley and your sect are both under the command of the Purple Cloud Sect, and we will inevitably have to interact with each other in the future."

"I will personally visit you another day."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord clasped his hands in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist Qingxuan, you are too kind. I will be waiting for you at any time."

Qingxuan Immortal Lord nodded, led the Ziyun Sect disciples away from the Cangyun Shuttle, took out a purple-gold flying boat, and soared into the sky.

The three spaceships headed in three different directions and quickly disappeared into the starry sky.

Inside the Azure Cloud Shuttle, only the disciples of Nine Nether Valley remained.

Everyone's faces were filled with the joy of returning home, and they were all in high spirits.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord returned to the control panel, adjusted the flight path, and flew towards the direction of Nine Nether Valley.

At the same time, he took out a communication treasure and sent a message back to the sect.

"Sect Master, Xuan Ying has returned with the exploration team."

"We have arrived in the Southern Region and are expected to reach the sect within half an hour."

"Details about the unknown land will be reported after meeting with the sect leader."

After sending the message, Immortal Lord Xuanying put away his communication treasure, leaned against the control panel, and gazed at the Nine Nether Valley Mountains that were getting closer and closer.

Nine Nether Valley.

One of the largest sects in the Southern Region, its territory covers tens of thousands of miles.

The valley is crisscrossed by spiritual veins and filled with immortal herbs, making it a sacred sect that countless cultivators yearn for.

At this moment, outside the protective formation of the Nine Nether Valley.

The spacious welcoming platform was already packed with people.

The leader was a tall man with a dignified appearance.

Her long, black and white hair cascaded down her shoulders and was tied up with a black jade hairpin.

He wore a long black robe embroidered with patterns of the Nine Netherworlds, the hem of which moved without wind, exuding a subtle but powerful aura.

It was none other than the sect master of Nine Nether Valley, the Youxuan Immortal Lord, who was at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm.

Behind him stood more than ten elders.

Some had white hair, some looked middle-aged, and some even looked only in their twenties or thirties.

Yet the aura emanating from each of them was astonishingly profound.

Behind the elders were hundreds of elite disciples.

They were all dressed in neat religious robes, standing upright and full of energy.

On both sides of the Welcoming Immortal Platform stood dozens of huge clan flags, fluttering in the wind, embroidered with the emblem of the Nine Nether Valley.

Nine enormous spirit lamps floated in the air, their light pillars illuminating the entire Welcoming Immortal Platform.

This was an even more grand affair than when welcoming distinguished guests.

In front of the Welcoming Platform, the light screen at the entrance of the sect's protective formation was slowly rotating.

All the elders and disciples' eyes were fixed on that light screen.

"They're here."

Immortal Lord Youxuan suddenly spoke, his voice deep and clear.

Everyone followed his gaze.

In the distant starry sky, a dark blue streak of light was rapidly approaching.

The light trail grew closer and clearer.

The dark blue hull and intricate fairy patterns on it are none other than the Azure Cloud Shuttle.

Inside the Cangyun Shuttle.

Xuan Ying Xianjun stared blankly at the dark mass of people on the welcoming platform through the porthole.

He had thought that upon his return, he would at most be greeted by a few disciples at the sect gate.

I never expected the sect leader to come in person, and he brought so many elders and disciples with him.

This pomp and circumstance was many times more grand than when he set off.

"The sect leader has come in person."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord spoke softly, a hint of surprise and emotion flashing in his eyes.

The disciples behind them also saw the scene outside, their eyes widened, and their faces turned red with excitement.

"My God! The sect leader himself came out to greet us?"

"And so many elders! Those are the First Elder! The Second Elder! The Third Elder!"

"This is such a grand display!"

"We're heroes this time! The sect leader will definitely come to welcome us!"

"This is so prestigious! My life has been worth it!"

The disciples patted each other on the shoulder in excitement, their laughter and cheers blending together.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions.

He raised his hand and tapped a few times on the control panel.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle gradually slowed down and landed towards the entrance of the sect's protective formation outside the Welcoming Immortal Platform.

The light barrier of the sect's protective formation slowly receded to both sides, revealing a wide passage.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle traveled along the passage and landed steadily in front of the Welcoming Immortal Platform.

The hatch opened silently.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord was the first to step out of the Azure Cloud Shuttle and land on the Welcoming Immortal Platform.

He looked up and saw Immortal Lord Youxuan standing in front of him, with the elders and disciples behind him all looking over.

Immortal Lord Xuanying stepped forward quickly, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands in a salute.

"Sect Master, Xuan Ying has returned with the exploration team, and they have successfully completed their mission!"

Behind him, the disciples of Nine Nether Valley also emerged from the cabin and lined up behind Immortal Lord Xuan Ying.

Everyone bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Sect Master! Greetings, Elders!"

As Immortal Lord Youxuan looked at the row of disciples before him, who were covered in dust but full of energy, a smile appeared on his face.

"Get up, everyone."

He stepped forward and personally helped Xuan Ying Immortal Lord up.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Master Youxuan patted him on the shoulder, his tone unusually gentle.

"It's good that you're back."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord stood up and looked at the sect leader's dignified yet concerned face, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

"Sect Master, this exploration..."

He had barely opened his mouth when Master Youxuan raised his hand to interrupt him.

"No rush."

Master Youxuan smiled.

"Let's go back to the sect first and talk about it slowly."

He turned and glanced at the elders.

"Go back, all of you."

The elders nodded and made way for them.

Immortal Lord Youxuan personally led the way, guiding Immortal Lord Xuanying deeper into the sect.

Behind them, the elders and disciples escorted the returning exploration team members, marching in a grand procession into the Nine Nether Valley.

The clan banners on the welcoming platform fluttered in the wind, and the light of the spirit lamps cast long shadows of everyone.

The Azure Cloud Shuttle rested quietly beside the Welcoming Immortal Platform, its dark blue hull gleaming faintly in the reflection of the Nine-Colored Immortal Jade.

In the distance, the melodious sound of bells echoed from the depths of the Nine Nether Valley.

One sound, two sounds, three sounds.

It meanders among the mountains, lingering for a long time.