Otherworldly Desert Dust-Chapter 434 - 389: Very Pleasing to the Eye
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The scorching sun, fiery as it was, seemed inexplicably softened in its radiance when crossing over the Cloud Holy Country, diffusing its brilliance onto the overlapping layers of cloud-capped peaks and presenting different heavenly strata, surpassing even the ninth heaven.
This marked Wu Hen’s tenth day in the Holy State.
During these ten days, Wu Hen did nothing but quietly cultivate within Yun Mansion.
Living under someone else’s roof meant he was also cautiously observing the Cold-blooded Woman, and upon realizing that she mostly regarded the three of them as air—as long as they did not wander in her cultivation area, she probably wouldn’t care even if they demolished the other buildings of Yun Mansion.
Feeling cooped up, Wu Hen wanted to take a walk around.
He wasn’t aimlessly strolling, either; he had a purpose in mind.
"I wonder if what that murderer said is true or not, I should verify it. But where exactly is Tongtian City?" Wu Hen scratched his head, starting to feel troubled.
In the Cloud Holy Country, there were many rules to abide by, and there were also not a few Holy Sect authorities near the region where he was permitted to move. If he accidentally trespassed onto their territory, his body and soul could be annihilated, as murder was treated as commonplace within the entire clan of the Holy Sect.
He hadn’t walked far when the burly and mighty Ming Venerate appeared once again.
Bear Teng Ming Venerate scrutinized Wu Hen from top to bottom, a hint of a smile squeezing out from the corners of his eyes, unclear whether it was of good nature or disdain.
"Not bad, you’ve become a family member," Bear Teng Ming Venerate commented upon noticing Wu Hen’s attire.
"That’s that. I’ve mostly been wandering outside and am not very familiar with the situation of the Holy Sect. Please forgive me if I’ve overstepped," Wu Hen also politely replied.
"Ha ha, I thought when you saw me you would have to slap me first, considering this watchdog of mine has blocked your path," said Bear Teng Ming Venerate.
"Watchdog?" Wu Hen was somewhat puzzled.
The Holy Sect had strictly hierarchical positions, with the Ming Venerate being above the masters, and the Ming Venerates were those who had cultivated Holy Origin to reach the Saint Master realm.
Wu Hen was currently a Holy Infant, and even if he made a breakthrough, he would only become a Holy Child; it was only one realm down from Holy Origin...
Being two great realms apart, in principle, any Ming Venerate would be a revered existence above all the masters of the Holy Sect, but the real Holy Sect Ming Venerate before him claimed to be a mere watchdog.
He was watching the gate for the Cold-blooded Woman!
"If you can survive under the Qilin Girl’s scrutiny, it means at the very least you’ll have a status no worse than mine in the future. Moreover, you’re closer in blood relation to the Qilin Girl; I’m only from the same clan. Perhaps someday I might even have to respectfully call you the Second Master," Bear Teng Ming Venerate said.
Compared to his previous arrogance, Bear Teng Ming Venerate seemed quite amiable today.
It was hard to believe it was the same person.
"Then may I ask Brother, where is Tongtian City? The Cloud Realm is immensely complicated, and I always get lost," Wu Hen asked.
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"I’ll call a purple-robed one to take you there," the Ming Venerate said.
With that, Bear Teng Ming Venerate flew off to who knows where.
Before long, he was leading a woman dressed in a master’s purple robes flying over.
"You set aside your own affairs for now and accompany this little brother of mine to Tongtian City," Bear Teng Ming Venerate said with an authoritative tone.
"But this matter is urgent..." the purple-robed woman began to explain, but upon seeing the Ming Venerate’s gaze, she promptly stopped and squeezed out a smile, "All right... okay."
Wu Hen paid special attention to the woman’s clothing.
A purple robe implied the position of a master within the Holy Sect.
She was probably on the same level as Xin Feng and Cai Huang, but her status as a master in the Cloud Holy Country was definitely higher, her strength undoubtedly greater.
The purple-robed female master seemed somewhat reluctant, yet didn’t dare disobey the Ming Venerate’s instructions.
She led Wu Hen towards a Cloud Ladder.
The Cloud Ladder, a vast spiral, was bustling with peculiar birds flocking around; they used the silver vines of the Cloud Ladder as perches and occasionally circled the people walking there.
Inside the Cloud Ladder, one had to walk on foot, but it was evident that the ladder possessed some kind of spatial mystery; with each step taken on the stairs, one felt significantly closer to the vast, dazzling earth below.
"Tongtian City is a city our Holy State allows outsiders to enter, and it also borders the Cang Chu Divine Realm within our Cloud Realm," the purple-robed female explained to Wu Hen.
Wu Hen nodded, quite moved by the grandeur of the surrounding cloudscapes.
Just the scene of himself and the purple-robed woman descending from the Heaven’s Cloud Ladder felt like a descent of immortals from heaven to inspect the Mortal World. And as he looked down upon the so-called Tongtian City from a high vantage point, no matter how vast and splendid, how luxurious and regal it was, Wu Hen couldn’t help but lift a corner of his mouth in a smirk—oh, mortals!
"Could I ask you, junior brother, to wait a moment for me while my disciples are waiting below?" the purple-robed woman inquired.
"Sure."
Wu Hen waited at the Cloud Ladder.
At this point, he was only about three kilometers away from Tongtian City; this height didn’t allow a full view of the entire Holy City to be taken in at once. The city’s opulence was extreme, and to describe it as magnificent wouldn’t be an overstatement. Despite an overall style reminiscent of the True Martial Continent’s rusticity, numerous palaces were spread throughout, resembling the most bustling central areas of many a capital city fused into one, forming picture after picture of a prosperous era.
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Even with Fourth Rank Spiritual Vision, Wu Hen couldn’t possibly see everything at once; Tongtian City seemed boundless, with myriad homes still lit beyond the horizon.
"Junior Brother has waited a long time, these are my disciples, most of the time they are out executing Sect missions, and this is also their first time in the Cloud Holy Country, in Tongtian City. I worry that they are not familiar with the place and might get bullied, so I need to keep them close at all times. I hope Junior Brother doesn’t mind," the purple-robed female master said.
Wu Hen’s gaze was originally captivated by the limitless splendor of the city, but when he caught a glimpse of the purple-robed woman’s disciples, his eyeballs were immediately attracted to them!
A group of female disciples!
What’s with this female master, so imbalanced with yin and yang, not taking even one male disciple.
It’s not that these female disciples are all beauties that bring down nations; it’s just that the sight of thirty-odd female disciples standing together, neatly and demurely bowing their heads, with their ancient-style attire, silver jewelry, and colored sleeves, unknowingly lifted his spirits.
"This is Master Cai Ting," the purple-robed female master introduced.
"Master Uncle~"
The voices of thirty-odd lovely ladies were not loud, but they played together like chimes and porcelain colliding, sending Wu Hen’s already distractible spirit into a whirl.
Ah, this is the fragrance of power!
For some reason, the phrase Ol’Bastard Cai Huang used came to mind: what’s wrong with leading a life of comfort?
Naturally, Wu Hen could also tell that the purple-robed female master was usually extremely proud and not too keen on interacting with strange men.
But before the Ming Venerate gatekeeper, she didn’t dare say a word of refusal, and there was no need to mention the Cold-blooded Woman, Cai Lan.
No matter how important or urgent things were, she had to act like a secretary, accompanying Wu Hen on a casual stroll through Tongtian City.
"What brings Junior Brother to Tongtian City?" the purple-robed woman asked.
"Sister Qingxi, I am entrusted by a friend in distress to visit his ailing father, who lives on the eastern side of Tongtian City, next to a temple called City Heart Rain Temple," Wu Hen said.
In Steel Eagle City, after solving the energy problem, the murderer kept his promise and told Wu Hen a secret.
This secret, in Tongtian City, he emphasized, would be of great assistance to Wu Hen, even at a very high realm, especially in dealing with the Holy Sect.
A dying man, merely hoping to end his life less disgracefully and painfully, Wu Hen felt that his words held some credibility, so he decided to come and see for himself in Tongtian City.
The murderer was also a practitioner of Mystical Cultivation; Wu Hen was unclear about the specifics, but he was so certain, and it was like a dying wish, so moved by human compassion, Wu Hen still decided to have a look.
"My disciples haven’t settled in yet; how about I first arrange for them to stay within the Sect in Tongtian City, then I’ll accompany Junior Brother afterward?" Qingxi suggested.
"Sure, my business isn’t urgent; I could take the chance to stroll around Tongtian City, just like your disciples, it’s also my first visit," Wu Hen said with a smile.
"Master, it might not be so comfortable returning to the Sect either; we’d also like to walk around Tongtian City and see the world," the senior disciple said.
Qingxi pondered, her affairs had yet to be properly settled.
Her disciples would probably be bullied if they went to the Sect sub-branch.
"Let’s do this, I will find an inn first where you can rest in the city. Try not to identify yourselves as disciples of the Holy Sect for the time being and be discreet in your actions," Qingxi instructed.
The female disciples were all vibrant, their cheeks unable to hide their anticipation and excitement.
While they had waited at the Cloud Ladder, they had already become quite interested in the bustling Tongtian City; as for the higher Cloud Holy Country, they couldn’t see much and just felt a sense of oppression, disinclined to approach.
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"This is the Rain Temple; I’m going to visit my old friend. How about Master Sister settles your disciples, and we meet at that pavilion in the evening?" Wu Hen said to Qingxi.
"That would be fine," Qingxi nodded. Walking around Tongtian City with a group of conspicuously eye-catching female disciples was indeed inconvenient.
Wu Hen headed towards the Rain Temple, following the murderer’s description to find a house shaded by green trees.
As soon as Wu Hen left, the female disciples, as if unrestrained, started chattering excitedly about him, incessantly asking their master Qingxi who this young Master Uncle was, guessing he must be an important person from the Holy Country to be able to live in the Cloud Realm.
"You girls shouldn’t indulge in wishful thinking; he’s just the brother of the Shou Tian Ming Venerate. I’ve probed his cultivation before; he’s merely at the Holy Infant Realm," Qingxi’s tone cooled a little.
As their Master, how could Qingxi be unaware that some disciples inherently admired strength?
Admiration of strength wasn’t a bad thing, but mistaking a man with familial relations as a major figure in the Holy Country was indeed quite foolish, so she made a point to warn her disciples.
"So that’s the case, that sister with ulterior motives must be in a rush, talking to him with a voice like a courting magpie!" the senior disciple immediately jeered.
"I did not!!" A female disciple’s face turned red with indignance.
"Ha ha ha, a guilty conscience!"
"Maybe Junior Sister Zao simply thought he was handsome."
Master Qingxi was also feeling irritable. She had urgent business on her hands, yet she had to accompany the Ming Venerate’s brother on a stroll through the city.
The problem was, if she couldn’t even manage this small matter, the Shou Tian Ming Venerate might not even bother to give her notice.
She desperately needed to meet the Qilin Girl.
