April 18, 2018

To the west of Shen City, outside the towering city walls, there’s a large platform sprawling across vast land. A wide road connects the platform to the city gate, bustling with people coming and going, fully showcasing the vibrancy of a city with a million inhabitants.

This is Shen City’s largest external transportation hub: Shen City West Station. The platform houses over a hundred Ascension Platforms to surrounding cities of all sizes, more than eighty of which are open to the public. Regardless of status, anyone who purchases an Ascension Coupon can board various specifications of the Immortal Platforms, ascending into the sky with a resonant hum, then swiftly reaching their destination through a vacuum channel created by the Immortals.

Since its completion three hundred years ago, Shen City West Station has been continually expanded and now handles over ten thousand passengers daily. Aside from a few elite guests with private means, most people’s intercity travel relies on the Ascension Platforms. However, as the station’s passenger flow increases, many wealthy families are unwilling to crowd with the commoners and prefer private passageways instead.

By submitting an application to Shen City’s authorities and passing a review, one can set up a small Ascension Platform in their own backyard, entering and exiting without obstruction from the city guard array, much more convenient and faster than waiting for scheduled platforms at the West Station.

As a result, the once prestigious VIP room of the West Station has become quiet, although the environment is still full of pavilions and terraces with celestial clouds lingering, and the servants are still Immortal Family members with cultivation. The standards have not diminished, but the popularity can never compare to its heyday.

————

On this day, the VIP room at the West Station welcomed several rarely-seen elite guests.

Leading the way was a young man of average height, slightly thin, with a slightly pale complexion. His features were delicate, with a hint of immaturity between his brows, appearing about fifteen or sixteen years old. At his waist hung a sword with intricate engravings, the sword scabbard surrounded by a spiritual glow, indicating his Immortal status.

The young man led the way, approaching the attendant at the entrance of the VIP room and presenting his ticket.

A stunning woman in a low-cut colorful dress bowed respectfully, revealing a deep gorge, then took the ticket and softly read, "Li Xinyu, Golden Jade Immortal Platform, please enter. The platform will depart in half an hour."

Li Xinyu nodded, "Alright, thank you."

During this, he remained calm, his gaze unfaltering, as if the snow-white and profound gorge held no allure whatsoever.

Following Li Xinyu was a voluptuous young girl, no less impressive than the welcoming attendant, with a look of distaste as if she had stepped on something dirty. She glanced at Li Xinyu ahead, then also handed over her ticket.

"Li Chaolu, Golden Jade Immortal Platform, are you all together? Wishing you a pleasant journey,"

The welcoming woman said, squinting her eyes for a careful look at the young girl before her, especially making a detailed comparison on her ample bosom. With a slightly despondent sigh in her heart, she thought of the saying that the waves behind drive on those before, then straightened her posture to hide her gorge.

"Nobody’s with him, he’s on his own!" Li Chaolu brusquely detached herself from any association with Li Xinyu.

Behind Li Chaolu, Li Wanqing asked with amusement, "Little Sister Chaolu, you’re not being fair. A few years ago, you disliked Xinyu for being fat, and now that he’s succeeded in slimming down again, becoming so handsome that he makes ignorant girls on the street turn their heads..."

"Shouldn’t you know what’s going on with him!?" Li Chaolu retorted irritably, "Obsessed with Battle Arrays... oh no, Dream of Scarlet, lost in a stupor, nearly meeting King Yama within days. It was only through the Shen Family’s desperate efforts to feed him nutrient fluids that he was saved. Now his Divine Sense is unstable, and his True Essence is depleted... Our Li Family hasn’t had such an embarrassing clown for years!"

Li Wanqing chuckled, "But at least he succeeded in losing weight."

"But he’s become completely twisted! Just look at him, all composed like an enlightened monk, eyes straight and thoughts pure... But heaven knows how much darkness is brewing inside that fat body, ready to erupt at any moment. Sigh, hopefully, he doesn’t act up on the Golden Platform..."

Li Wanqing said, "Don’t worry, if he really acts up, I’ll be responsible for knocking him out."

Li Chaolu shook her head again, "I say, just throw him into the Chaos Battlefield for a few years, and everything will be fine. But no, they insist on sending him to Golden Jade City for some advanced Elemental Magnetism treatment..."

"With origins in the Li Family Mansion, it’s only appropriate to at least make an effort to save him when needed."

The two continued talking as they entered the VIP room, and behind them, the girl Shen Qingming looked displeased, hands on her hips, muttering, "What was supposed to be a nice trip for two has to include these random people. The big thigh can be tolerated; after all, back in Cyan Cloud, she clung to people all day long, so I’m used to it. But even Sister Wanqing is joining in the fun..."

Though the girl’s voice was faint, it couldn’t escape Li Wanqing’s ears.

At the end of March, having successfully advanced to the Cloud Flipping Realm, Li Wanqing’s five senses became ten times sharper than before. Especially regarding Shen Qingming, her sensitivity multiplied even more, not missing a single detail.

"To be honest, I’m also forced to do this, Little Sister Qingming," Li Wanqing turned around, revealing a bitter smile, "Initially, I was scheduled to return to Cyan Cloud City in March; the sisters over there miss me dearly, and going back would be like a fish returning to water. But Sister Xin unexpectedly came here to lead the overtime team, so I was drafted all the way to April. Then I heard you were heading to Golden Jade City, and I wanted to say goodbye to you—don’t look at me like that, I know how to time things well; I wouldn’t casually spoil your wonderful two-person time. However, when I mentioned you receiving the City Lord Golden Jade’s invitation in a letter to the sisters in Cyan Cloud City a few days ago, they wanted me to seize the opportunity to go to Golden Jade City to shop for them..."

Shen Qingming was utterly persuaded: "Why do they have to ask you for shopping? Can’t they find someone else? Doesn’t Dobao Pavilion have shopping services?"

Li Wanqing replied, "This is where you’re mistaken. The commercial pace in Golden Jade City is far superior to remote areas like Cyan Cloud City and Shen City. The shopping catalogs at Dobao Pavilion update so quickly that the fashion trends there might change three times before a new edition is released. To correctly pick items from the plethora of products that aren’t outdated and suit individual characteristics, you need an expert with exquisite aesthetic ability. Such experts are rare, so they decisively turn to me. It’s also my fault for gifting them small presents so thoughtfully, raising their expectations so high that I can’t find anyone else to fool them now."

"..." Faced with this reasoning, Shen Qingming had no choice but to accept it wholeheartedly since the few dresses Li Wanqing had given her earlier were indeed cherished.

In silence, Shen Qingming proceeded with her master, Wang Jiu, through the ticketing procedure and entered the earthly paradise behind the door.

Though its popularity had waned considerably, even to the point of desolation, the budget for maintaining the VIP rooms at the West Station had never dwindled, so it still deserved its top-tier VIP room reputation.

As she watched a waterfall a hundred feet high cascade from the sky beside her, Shen Qingming suddenly had a revelation about the flaw in Li Wanqing’s words.

"Wait a moment, why did you mention Ah Jiu getting the Golden Jade City invitation in your letters to the sisters in Cyan Cloud City? You purposely want them to request you to shop so you can use this as a reason to travel with us, didn’t you?!"

Li Wanqing turned back in surprise, "Qingming, you’ve really gotten much smarter after advancing to the Cloud Surge Realm!"

"Eh, really?" Shen Qingming touched her head embarrassedly, and only realized a few seconds later that she had been fooled by the simplest trick. The moment for redress was gone, so she could only shake her head helplessly and then asked, "Ah Jiu, you don’t mind... suddenly having so many more people, right?"

Wang Jiu replied, "It doesn’t fundamentally affect my itinerary; the fastest way to travel from Shen City to Golden Jade City is currently using the Ascension Platform. Until resonance technology matures in Xiangzhou, even I have to adhere to general traffic rules; it’s impossible to traverse thousands of miles instantly like the Yuming Sword."

With that, Wang Jiu couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret.

Resonance technology, Xiangzhou’s inherited advanced transmission technology from the Primordial Era, theoretically allows cultivators to achieve instantaneous movement regardless of spatial distances by utilizing the omnipresent resonance phenomena between heaven and earth.

Realistically, of course, it is not as ideal as the theory. The larger the mass and the more complex the content, the more challenging it is to transmit. Even if using resonance technology, a Yuming Flying Sword sent from Golden Jade City by Zhao Chenlu would take one or two hours to reach Shen City.

As for living beings, or even cultivators, transmission is utterly impossible; forcing transmission would tear a person apart in an instant with no hope of recovery.

The Celestial Divine Sword is equally an impossible target for transmission, and the difficulty of its transmission surpasses any person or object in the world. The World in the Sword truly has the weight of an entire world.

If forced to transmit, although the Celestial Divine Sword need not worry about being torn to pieces, it would certainly become lost in the endless void, and with his current capabilities, returning to Xiangzhou Continent would be extremely difficult.

In the past, during the Jiuzhou Era, before the Demon Race invasion, the Myriad Immortals Alliance once saw the dawn of a breakthrough in resonance technology, but it remained just a dawn until the Immortal Demon War ended. Nowadays, the Fire of Civilization in Xiangzhou is far from restoring the glory of the Jiuzhou Era, and it is unknown when such technology will mature.

As he thought about this, Wang Jiu followed his mount through the VIP room to the transportation needed for this trip.

In the half-real, half-illusion scenery of Qingshan and green waters in the VIP room, a circular white jade platform was set amidst the green trees. As the group stepped onto the platform, the surrounding scenery transformed into a magnificent gilded hall.

Gold and jade filled the hall, dazzlingly splendid. The central round table was laden with an array of mesmerizing wines and delicacies, while skilled performers sang and danced lightly on both sides of the grand hall... It was as if this place was truly a palace of nobility rather than a mere transportation tool.

Immersed in it, Shen Qingming couldn’t help but sigh, "Golden Jade City truly deserves its wealthiest reputation; even the Ascension Platform is crafted so lavishly... Say, if I were to take one of the gold bricks off the wall, do you think anyone would notice?"

Wang Jiu hadn’t had time to respond when a soft laugh echoed within the hall.

"Of course it would be noticed, but this Ascension Platform is a gift from the City Lord specifically for you."

As she spoke, a woman in white formed from the fountain on one side of the grand hall and gracefully walked to Wang Jiu.

"Hello everyone, I’m Zhao Lingbo, the City Lord’s maid, and I’ll be providing services throughout this journey. If any of you have needs, please feel free to ask me, and I’ll do my utmost to fulfill them."