The group from Silent Night Palace disembarked from the ship in front of the Boundary Gate, and Jin Ling Zhenren stored away the Treasure Ship.
Standing at close range on the platform before the Boundary Gate, everyone was drawn to the black-and-white waterfall that connected heaven and earth in their field of vision. In their ears rang Jin Ling Zhenren’s voice, which seemed to come from afar.
“Do not get too close. It is easy to be pulled in by the surging spiritual power and Demonic Qi, losing oneself in the process, with one’s body and Purple Mansion decomposed and assimilated into a strand of the waterfall’s waters.”
Upon hearing this, Shen He instinctively took a step back, drawing slightly closer to Xie Linlang.
Night Senior, perched on Xie Linlang’s shoulder, stared at Shen He with disdain, as if he wanted to shoo the kid away with a squawk.
A disciple asked Jin Ling Zhenren, “Then who set up this Boundary Gate? Since it was established, one should be able to linger within it, right?”
“Hahaha, there is a legend that it was ancient Qi Refining cultivators who set it up as a national border to ensure a pure land for the Human Race. Later, cultivators reinforced and repaired it generation after generation based on the remnants of the formation, turning it into the current Boundary Gate.”
As Jin Ling Zhenren led the group forward, he explained, “The Boundary Gate was not created by a single person or faction overnight. It is a vast project passed down through generations of cultivators to accumulate spiritual power. Similar projects were commonplace in ancient times. Alright, everyone, rein in your minds. We are about to pass through the Boundary Gate.”
The black-and-white dual-colored waterfall crashed down thunderously, slamming into the earth and forming an unfathomably deep abyss.
Yet some of the force still struck the rock walls on either side, splashing outward in a large expanse of shallow spiritual power phantoms.
Jin Ling Zhenren observed for a moment before suddenly raising his hand and forming a Magic Formula.
“Fellow Daoists, please lend me a hand. Do you see that large swath of spiritual power waterfall flow about to descend?”
Several Nascent Soul Cultivators stood beside Jin Ling Zhenren, circulating their Demonic Qi together to envelop all the disciples.
Gao Chunqiu, as a Soul Transformation Cultivator, did not step forward.
After recent recuperation and treatment, Gao Chunqiu could finally walk normally, but he had yet to recover his strength.
At this moment, he wore a cloak that shrouded his face, hiding himself within the group.
The youth slightly raised his head, gazing at the majestic Boundary Gate waterfall before him, his mood utterly different from when he had come.
Pei Ji had so boldly let him return to seek verification from his sect, clearly fearless, which showed that what Pei Ji had said was indeed true.
But his sect’s grace was as heavy as a mountain. His Shizun and senior brothers and sisters had taken great care of him, even if their motives were impure. In the end, he had safely cultivated and grown to this point.
Gao Chunqiu could not suppress the anger he felt toward Pei Ji, nor could he decisively abandon a century of nurturing and cultivation from his sect.
He wanted to question the Tianling Sect Master as to why he had ignored the Qiu Family’s slaughter by the Nine Spirits Sect, and also question Pei Ji as to why he remained in Silent Night Palace when the people there were in cahoots with the Nine Spirits Sect.
But his unrecovered demon power and the faintly aching flesh and bones reminded him that with his current strength, forget finding the truth or seeking justice—he might not even be able to protect himself.
Gao Chunqiu was somewhat distracted. What exactly should he do?
At that moment, Jin Ling Zhenren abruptly unleashed his spell technique. A veil of pale purple Demonic Qi enveloped everyone, and like swallows returning to the forest, they plunged into the descending swath of spiritual power waterfall flow.
The disciples only felt their vision blur, as if they had been swept up by a rapid current, their bodies carried along with the water to another place.
In the next second, they floated down lightly like riding on clouds and mist, landing on a small boat.
The scenery before them suddenly opened up—it was a serene lake!
The lake surface was calm as a mirror, stretching out with endless green waves, only faintly revealing distant mountains and rocks far away.
Jin Ling Zhenren smiled and said, “Look behind you.”
Shen He instinctively turned around and was surprised to discover that the black-and-white waterfall was now a dozen li away from them!
“Uncle Master, did this small boat under our feet appear automatically?”
“Exactly. The great power who established the Boundary Gate back then also considered the needs of cultivators coming and going. On the Demon Domain side, it automatically teleports to positions around the Boundary Gate. On the True Realm side, a ferry boat appears automatically. Further ahead, there is a market on the lake.”
As Jin Ling Zhenren spoke, ships gradually appeared on the lake surface ahead.
These ships connected together, collectively floating on the lake and forming a large-scale lake market.
“Alright, we will stay at the market for a day. This old man will go find fellow Daoists from the Dream Flower Immortal Sect. You can browse around here for a bit.”
Jin Ling Zhenren pointed in a certain direction of the lake market. “Do you see that place? Where the pole with the flag is hanging? Below it is a super-large circular platform. We will gather there in two hours.”
The small boat was as fast as a flying sword. At first, they could only see the edge of the lake market from afar, but in a few breaths, the group arrived beside the ships on the outskirts of the market.
Some low-rank cultivators who were obviously in the business of gathering information had wanted to swarm over, but upon seeing the leading Jin Ling Zhenren and the more than a dozen cultivators who had clearly come as a group, they immediately stopped in their tracks and hesitated at a distance.
Jin Ling Zhenren ignored them and vanished directly.
The several Nascent Soul Cultivators had clearly been here before. They nodded to the disciples and went off to handle their own affairs.
Gao Chunqiu pulled his cloak tighter and turned, disappearing into the sheds between the rows of small boats.
Pei Jiye withdrew his gaze, only then noticing that Shen He had sidled up to Xie Linlang again. The two were discussing how to tour the lake market.
