vstars Chapter 56: Beneath Mount Qiong
Chapter 56: Beneath Mount Qiong
After what happened with Chen Xiang, the enthusiasm of the people on the dragon boat gradually subsided.
However, the scattered sounds still allowed Cao Xing to hear quite a bit of information.
At this Qionglou Incense Gathering, the Shangfang Temple naturally intends to participate in the incense-grabbing competition. However, all sects have an agreement that only Foundation Establishment stage disciples are allowed to participate. The entry-level disciples, led by Hong Kaiyuan, are the main force in this competition.
This competition for incense has no limit on the number of participants, and it is held once every ten years, making it an unprecedented event with tens of thousands of people competing. Although it is cruel, it is also an opportunity. Disciples from each sect who participate will receive a lot of resources from their sect beforehand, such as interest-free loans, free cultivation techniques, mid-grade magic weapons that match their own abilities, and various elixirs, etc.
Otherwise, Foundation Establishment disciples like Hong Kaiyuan wouldn't have participated in such an event.
However, compared to the incense-grabbing contest, Cao Xing was more concerned about the behind-the-scenes actions of this Qionglou Incense Gathering.
Even now, I still don't know what those gods are trying to do.
Hmm... it seems I need to go to the bathroom to find out more.
The dragon boat was very fast, and the two hours passed by in the blink of an eye.
"arrive!"
Someone stood on the deck and shouted, pointing in the direction of Qiongshan in the distance.
The group walked forward and saw the outline of the mountains in the distance. The mountains were not high, but they stretched for thousands of miles, running through the land of Hezhou.
"dragon!!"
With a gasp, everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a golden dragon shadow flying swiftly overhead in the sea of clouds.
It moved so fast that no one could even see the whole thing clearly; they only caught a glimpse of a few golden scales flashing by.
"There really is a dragon!"
Wu Peng stared wide-eyed at the golden light shimmering in the sea of clouds, his eyes filled with awe.
"What dragon is there? It's just a carp demon at the Golden Core stage." Jin Yuan Daoist walked out of the cabin, with Chen Xiang by his side.
Everyone glanced at Chen Xiang and were surprised to find that Chen Xiang's appearance seemed to have returned to its previous state.
His expression was no longer listless; instead, his eyes were even more determined than before, clearly indicating that he was no longer bothered by the reprimand he had just received from Daoist Jin Yuan.
"A carp demon?" Some people were puzzled, but given Chen Xiang's example, they dared not ask rashly.
Seeing what everyone was thinking, Jin Yuan Daoist said to them, "A carp leaping over the Dragon Gate can transform into a demon, which can be considered a unique species. However, it is still far from being a dragon."
"Uncle-Master, I've heard that the demon race is skilled in battle. This time, they're fighting for the incense..." Hong Kaiyuan frowned. Although the demon race's cultivation speed is not as fast as that of humans, their lifespan is long, often reaching hundreds of years of cultivation. Their bodies are as hard as iron, and ordinary magic weapons can hardly harm them. He was worried about encountering the demon race during the competition for the incense.
Jin Yuan Daoist waved his hand: "Alas, I know you are worried. There is no need to think too much. When you encounter demons, just use your talismans and treasures to kill them. Our Shangfang Temple is close to the gods of the Six Divisions of the Southern Dipper, and is best able to restrain these demons and evil spirits."
Cao Xing, standing behind, heard these familiar words and couldn't help but curl his lip, thinking to himself, "Of course we're close, we've already paid for it."
The dragon boat did not sail directly into Qiongshan, but landed on a mountaintop outside Qiongshan.
Jin Yuan Daoist looked at the disciples and said, "Disciples who are not participating in the incense-grabbing competition, please disembark here. You can enter the mountain from here. The incense-grabbing ceremony is thirty miles ahead. It is a long journey, so please be careful. I will wait here for one day after the incense-grabbing ceremony ends. I will not wait for you after that."
"Yes!" Everyone clasped their hands in greeting, and then several people took out a Cloud-Soaring Talisman, took off into the air, and rushed straight into the mountain.
"Old Cao, hold on tight to me, I'll take you flying!"
Wu Peng also took out a Cloud Soaring Talisman. This thing wasn't cheap, costing fifty taels of silver each. One talisman could last for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, and the only condition was that one had to be at the Foundation Establishment stage to activate it.
Wu Peng felt a pang of heartache, but getting on his way was the priority, so he couldn't worry about it. He had consulted some elders on his way here and knew that the earlier you arrived, the better the position you could secure. If you arrived late, the good positions would be taken by others, and you would have to wait until they were sold out and then spend extra money to buy their positions.
In comparison, what is a mere fifty taels?
As soon as Cao Xing stepped forward and grabbed Wu Peng's lower back, Wu Peng took out a Cloud-Soaring Talisman, leaped into the air, and a wisp of black cloud appeared beneath his feet, carrying the two of them away quickly.
Watching Cao Xing and the other man's departing figures, Hong Kaiyuan narrowed his eyes and sneered inwardly, "No rush. Once we get there, I'll make sure you two die without a burial place."
"Phew~~"
A gust of wind swept across Cao Xing's face, making it impossible for him to open his eyes. Although the Cloud Soaring Talisman could grant him the ability to fly, it was ultimately not his own cultivation level. It was fast, but it did not provide any protection from the wind.
Fortunately, the distance of thirty li was not far, and soon the two saw smoke rising from the mountains in the distance.
"Old Cao, we're here. Hold on tight, let's jump!" Before Cao Xing could see clearly, he heard Wu Peng shout something strange.
Good grief, this thing can only fly, it can't land??
Before Cao Xing could speak, Wu Peng suddenly jumped off the cloud, and the two of them fell directly down from mid-air.
At the critical moment, Cao Xing reacted quickly, somersaulting in mid-air and landing heavily on the ground with a thud.
But Wu Peng wasn't so lucky; he fell flat on his back like a starving dog landing in poop.
The commotion caused by the two immediately drew the attention of many people. Seeing Wu Peng's embarrassing behavior, some couldn't help but laugh, while seeing Cao Xing land steadily, some even shouted "Good!"
Cao Xing walked up to Wu Peng and asked irritably, "You can fly but not land? It's a good thing it's not high; if it were any higher, wouldn't you be afraid of falling to your death?"
Wu Peng spat out a mouthful of mud and sand, slowly got up, and thankfully his face was wrapped in gauze, so you couldn't see his bright red face underneath. He said embarrassedly, "This Cloud Soaring Technique costs 1000 taels of silver. I don't have enough money, so I could only buy the first half of the scroll. It'll do for now."
It turns out that this Cloud-Soaring Talisman also needs to be used in conjunction with the Cloud-Soaring Technique. One thousand taels of silver was indeed too expensive for Wu Peng at that time.
So he discussed it with his senior brother from the Transmission Pavilion and only bought half of the book. He didn't learn the part about ascending to the clouds and riding the mist, but the second half about descending to the clouds and dispersing the mist.
"You're such a... meticulous person!" Cao Xing rolled his eyes upon hearing this.
"Money should be spent wisely. As long as you don't die from the fall, that's enough." Wu Peng has the concept of being economical and practical ingrained in his bones.
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and grab a spot. If you're late, you'll have to pay extra, and all my efforts will have been for nothing."
Wu Peng pulled Cao Xing and quickly walked inside.
This Qionglou Xianghui is not just a simple stall set up in a mountain valley. This place has been a town for a long time, with pavilions, streets, and small stone bridges.
It is only used during the incense festival held once every ten years; at other times it is abandoned.
The two walked a few steps forward and saw a memorial archway standing in front of them, with a faded plaque on it that read "Qiongxiang Society" and a couplet hanging on either side of the archway.
First line: People in the marketplace offer coins devoutly at dawn and dusk.
The second line reads: "When the soul returns to the underworld without offerings."