Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 288 [Cloud Omen] (6800)

Chapter 282 [Yun Zhao] (6800)

The flying boats shuttled through the clouds.

Chen Yan stood on the deck of the flying boat, leisurely watching the drifting clouds around him.

This was a merchant ship belonging to a trading company. He only boarded the ship after revealing his identity as "Zhao Shanhe, a disciple of the Refining Hall of the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang He Huan Sect".

The business itself is located on the territory of the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect, so it is naturally considered a force under the Holy Gate and relies on the Holy Gate for support.

With the identity of a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect, Chen Yan's journey by boat this time was much more convenient than before. He didn't even need to pay the fare; he could simply show his sect token to board the boat.

The so-called wandering disciples of the Weapon Forging Hall are meant to travel the world. They need to be given some conveniences by all the large and small forces under the sect.

With this token, Chen Yan could travel throughout the realms and eat and sleep in many places without spending money.

The ship's manager was an old man from the company, and he treated Chen Yan very well. He wasn't exactly respectful, but he was very polite. On the first day of boarding, he even invited Chen Yan to his cabin for tea and a chat.

Chen Yan was also savvy in social interactions. Knowing that he, as a newly initiated disciple, was not important enough, he deliberately brought up the name of Nangong Sheng, an inner disciple, and mentioned that he and Nangong Sheng were on good terms and had drunk together.

The person in charge immediately became much more polite.

"It turns out that you have such a good relationship with the Nangong family. I was disrespectful."

·
This airship went directly to the City of No Return in southern Xinjiang, and the journey took about seven or eight days.

That afternoon, after the airship broke through a dense cloud, the sunlight overhead suddenly shone brightly!
The sunlight, unhindered by any clouds, shone down on the airship without obstruction. Combined with the arcs of light emitted from the wind-sheltered array on the airship, the combined rays of light from both sides made the airship appear as if it were edged with gold.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and the ship's steward came over, smiling, "We'll be arriving at No Return City in half an hour. Young friend, would you like to go back to your cabin to pack?"

"No need, I didn't bring much." Chen Yan smiled. "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days."

The manager nodded: "You're too kind. I often travel this route. Young friend, we'll have plenty of opportunities to interact when you travel in the future."

As he spoke, he took out a jade token from his robes and handed it to Chen Yan, saying with a smile, "If you ever return to the sect and pass through a city, you can come to my shop for tea. With this jade token, you can enjoy a 10% discount at all our branches throughout the realm—this discount is fine, since disciples of the Holy Sect are entitled to these discounts anyway."

However, some rare goods are not sold publicly, nor are they even displayed openly. Holding this token allows entry into the back warehouses of various merchants to select goods.

Chen Yan's heart stirred, and after accepting the token, he cupped his hands and smiled, "Then thank you very much."

"Young friend, is there any official business you're taking to the City of No Return this time?"

"I don't really have any specific goal, I'm just wandering around and looking around." Chen Yan said with a smile, "I heard that things are quite chaotic in No Return City right now, with constant conflicts between the Ghost Clan and the Demon Clan. I'm afraid things aren't very peaceful in the city."

The steward nodded and said, "The Ghost Clan has been bullied by the Demon Clan in the Southern Frontier for decades, simply because the Ghost Clan's Venerable Saint Ancestor has gone into seclusion and does not concern himself with worldly affairs."

The ghost clan naturally became like orphans without a mother. And coincidentally, the venerable ancestor worshipped by this branch of the demon clan in the southern border was... well, a free spirit who also liked to meddle in other people's business.

Comparing the two situations, one has gained at the expense of the other. The Ghost Clan had indeed had a difficult time in recent years.

Chen Yan nodded – he understood.

A child without a mother and a child whose parents both protect each other—when a conflict arises between the two sides, the demon clan has no one to back them up, so naturally they are bullied.

However, the Ghost Clan Ancestor... that is, my own old lady, her previous so-called "seclusion" should have been when she left the realm and went to her own world, those years when she was a shaman in the countryside.

"However, all of that is ancient history." The steward suddenly changed the subject: "Just over half a year ago, that Ghost Clan ancestor suddenly emerged from seclusion and appeared, causing a sensation and excitement throughout the Ghost Clan."

That old ancestor of the ghost clan had kept a low profile for many years, but this time, after emerging from seclusion, he acted very ostentatiously.

He even personally descended and appeared once, severely punishing several demon clans in the Southern Frontier who had bullied the Ghost Clan too much.

Later, the commotion escalated to the point that a powerful demon patriarch intervened…

"And then?" Chen Yan asked curiously.

The manager's eyes flickered, and he said with a wry smile, "And then? What else can there be? If there's a conflict between the two sides and they can't reach an agreement, then they'll just have a fight. Whoever has the bigger fist is right."

Chen Yan was taken aback: "Even among Venerable Ones... there are conflicts and disputes?"

"Of course there are." The steward sneered: "In the eyes of low-level cultivators and mortals, the Venerable One is a god from heaven."

But even among immortals, there isn't always harmony.

Moreover, the ghost and demon races in the southern border region have been fighting for territory for countless years. Their conflict is deeply rooted and often stems from hatred that has been brewing for generations.

There's no such thing as something that can be erased just like that.

You can say that there's a piece of land, and someone here says that my family has shed blood and died for generations to fight for this land.

They said that my family has been a place where generations have bled and died...

In such a situation, even if a respected person were to intervene, it wouldn't be appropriate to simply offer empty words.

Both for public and private reasons, we must protect our own people, so we have no choice but to fight.

After the fight, regardless of winning or losing, the people below had nothing to say.

However, this Ghost Clan Venerable Ancestor is also formidable. After years of seclusion, he emerged surprisingly vigorous.

I heard that he made a bet with that old ghost clan ancestor, and they have agreed to five matches in a row.

He won five consecutive battles, defeating the demon clan's ancestor in one go, and finally subdued him.

The demon race thus relinquished a large tract of land in the southern border region and withdrew four thousand miles.

Now, the City of No Return has become the last major city occupied by the demon race in the southern border region—and it is still shared with the ghost race.

Things have come to this point, and the demon race is unwilling to retreat any further. If they retreat any further, they will have to give up the colorful world and retreat into the mountains.

Therefore, the City of No Return is actually more turbulent than in previous years. The two sides won't openly escalate the conflict, but secretly, casualties are happening every day!

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan raised an eyebrow.

The steward then softened his tone and said with a smile, "However, young friend, there's no need to worry. The ghosts and demons, let them fight it out."

We are a sect under the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Harmony Sect, a sect of saints!

Even if the fighting is fierce, both sides know the gravity of the situation and dare not easily provoke other forces. Therefore, as long as you reveal your identity as a disciple of the Joyful Union Sect in the City of No Return, neither side will cause trouble.

Chen Yan smiled and thanked him, but he kept everything the steward said in mind.

The airship entered the City of No Return. Chen Yan stood on the deck and looked down, immediately noticing the huge difference between this "City of No Return" and the Xitai City of Xijiang.

Xitai City was surrounded by mostly flat desert. However, with the vigorous transformation by various forces, large-scale magic arrays were used to change the landform and soil, and gather vital energy to create farms and medicine shops.

The city of No Return is located in the southern border region, which is mountainous with little flat land. Even when there are flat areas, the terrain is narrow.

As a major city in the southern frontier, the City of No Return covers a larger area than the City of West Terrace—but in fact, there are mountains within the city, and cities outside the mountains.

Only by encompassing several mountain peaks within the city could the boundaries of this "city of no return" be defined.

In the northern part of the city, a hillside was leveled to create a clearing, which became the storage yards and piers for various merchants.

Nominally, it belongs to the jurisdiction of the City of No Return, but since the City of No Return itself is still unclear about its affiliation with the Ghost Clan and the Demon Clan, this wharf is actually managed by a management alliance formed by several merchants, who pay a management fee to the jurisdiction every year.

As the flying boat slowly landed on the storage yard, Chen Yan waited until it was stable and then looked around. Banners were waving and the shadows of flags were like clouds.

Flags of dozens of businesses, large and small, were planted in front of the yard.

Beneath the flying boats, crowds thronged, a bustling and vibrant scene unfolded.

The manager also sent someone to escort Chen Yan off the ship and to the main gate of the storage yard—a main road leading down the hillside.

Looking at this winding mountain road, which is as wide as a two-lane road in the real world, it is actually built to be even more beautiful than Xitai City.

Chen Yan had already received instructions from the manager. After descending the mountain path, there was a checkpoint leading into the city.

Originally, this checkpoint was set up by the city's administrative center and was guarded by garrison troops who did not return to the city.

However, the city is now in an uproar. The city's administrative center has been divided into two: one for the ghost clan and one for the demon clan. Neither side recognizes the other.

This checkpoint, however, was occupied by the Merchant Alliance, with each family gathering some of their family's trained cultivators to serve as guards.

Chen Yan showed his token as a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect. The guards didn't make things difficult for him and were relieved that he agreed readily.

The armored warrior guarding the checkpoint, clearly the leader, glanced at Chen Yan a few more times, his eyes softening with warmth: "A disciple of the Hehuan Sect?"

"Indeed, I am Zhao Shanhe, a disciple of the Weapon Forging Hall under the Holy Sect." Chen Yan deliberately smiled and asked, "May I ask what advice this general may have for me?"

"I wouldn't dare accept that title. I'm not a general, just a captain." The man laughed and said, "What a coincidence. My younger brother went to the Hehuan Sect a few years ago to participate in the selection of the outer academy's prospective disciples, but unfortunately he wasn't lucky enough to be selected."

However, he did get to know several classmates who participated in the training together. One of them even entered the Holy Gate and was later invited to my home to serve as an instructor, teaching the children in my family how to begin their spiritual practice.

In a way, we're practically family.

Clearly, the other party was trying to get close to him, so Chen Yan naturally went along with it and asked the "disciple of the Holy Sect" for his name.

However, Chen Yan did not know the name the captain gave, only that he had heard that the captain worked in the alchemy hall.

Finally, the captain smiled and revealed his true intentions: "I have a son, fourteen years old, who has already begun his cultivation journey. I plan to send him to the Holy Gate in two years to participate in the selection of prospective disciples for the outer academy..."

Chen Yan immediately understood and smiled, "Then I wish your son good luck in being selected. If we become fellow disciples in the future, we will be true family."

At that moment, Chen Yan took the initiative to ask the captain's son for his name, and even wrote it down carefully on the spot. After saying a few polite words, he said that he would definitely take care of him if they met again in the future.

This was exactly the answer the captain wanted, and his smile immediately became much warmer.

He also took something out of his storage equipment and handed it to Chen Yan, explaining earnestly: "Now that we are no longer in the city, the southern territory has been occupied by the Ghost Clan, and the eastern territory belongs to the Demon Clan."

The two sides are arguing fiercely, and these days they are building city walls at the border between their respective forces in the city, each trying to define their own territory.

So when you enter the city and see a place where the city wall is being repaired, try to stay away and don't get close.

Although you are a disciple of the Holy Sect, and others will not easily provoke you, the current situation is tense, and there are bound to be some bloodthirsty fools who forget to verify the other party's identity before making a move, and then resort to sneak attacks and stabbings.

After you pass my checkpoint, keep going until you see the outer city wall of the City of No Return. Walk along the city wall to the left, then head north and circle around to the north gate to enter the city.

The guards at the north gate are now the neutral faction from the original city government office—that is, the local celestial officials dispatched by Sendai.

These people lacked the power to suppress the ghost and demon races, and could only huddle in a small area in the north of the city. However, they maintained close ties with various merchants and major powers, and the ghost and demon races, not wanting to escalate the situation or attract the intervention of the Sendai, simply let them occupy this territory in the north of the city without provoking them.

Now, the north of the city is the most peaceful place in Manbugui City.

Even the two trading companies under the Hehuan Sect have set up bases in the North City.

Since you are a disciple of the Holy Sect, you may stay here.

Chen Yan looked down and saw that what this guy had stuffed into his hand was a small jade knife.

“This is something I always carry with me to play with. After you enter the North City, you can stay at Huanqing Tower and find a man named Ma Xing—that’s my younger brother.”

Although I wasn't fortunate enough to become a disciple of the Holy Gate back then, I still managed to get into the City of No Return through connections. The Joyful Pavilion is a branch of the Holy Gate, and my younger brother is now a servant there, which can be considered as serving the Holy Gate.

Take this jade knife of mine to him and give it to him. He will recognize it and treat you well.

Sure enough, social etiquette is everywhere. Chen Yan smiled and thanked him, packed his things, bowed, and took his leave.

·
As the captain said, Chen Yan passed through the checkpoint and arrived at the foot of the mountain. The merchant alliance's storage yard and dock halfway up the mountain was shrouded in a large array. Apart from the flying boats with array tokens that could enter and exit from the air, the only way for people on the ground to go up the mountain to the storage yard was through the checkpoint.

After leaving the checkpoint, they came out of the mountains and arrived at a canyon area. On both sides were still towering mountains. Chen Yan walked quickly on the road, using his movement skills to leap and traverse. It took him more than ten minutes to go around a rocky area and see the outer city wall of the City of No Return.

The cities in southern Xinjiang are not as tall and magnificent as those in western Xinjiang; they appear to be slightly shorter.

However, the color of the city wall was no longer the jade-like color of the cities in the Western Frontier, but rather a bluish-black hue.

Beneath the city wall, a distance of more than ten meters, no vegetation grows, clearly due to a magical array separating the area.

Chen Yan walked along the city wall to the left, then to the north. He encountered several convoys along the way, each with two flags on its vehicle.

One side displays the flag of the business alliance, while the other side displays the flag of their own business.

The convoy came and went in a hurry, paying no attention to Chen Yan, this lone traveler passing by.

Chen Yan noticed, however, that the carriage was not carrying goods—the realm was a magical civilization, and the transportation of large quantities of goods could be accomplished entirely with storage equipment, without the need for heavily loaded vehicles.

A truckload of goods, packed with storage equipment, can be carried by one person.

Both of these caravans consist of horse-drawn carriages carrying people, and they are probably heading to the dock to catch a boat.

Chen Yan was walking alone and hadn't paid any attention to the passing vehicles. But after walking for a while, he suddenly heard the sound of carriage wheels rolling on the ground behind him. He subconsciously moved to the side of the road and made way for the carriage.

But after he stepped aside, the carriage, which had just passed by, suddenly stopped.

The driver of the carriage was an old servant, with white hair and beard, downcast eyebrows and cold eyes, who remained silent.

However, a corner of the curtain was lifted from the carriage window, and a clear male voice came from inside: "Fellow Daoist, are you going to the North City?"

Chen Yan was taken aback, but still politely replied, "Indeed, may I ask what brings you here, fellow Daoist?"

The person inside the carriage laughed and said, "Actually, I have seen you before. When we were at the storage yard, I saw you disembark on a flying boat. The boat was flying the flag of the Hehuan Sect."

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and frankly replied, "I am Zhao Shanhe, an outer disciple of the Hehuan Sect."

"So you're a disciple of the Holy Sect." The man in the carriage said with a smile, "I'm also heading to the North City. I'm new to the Southern Frontier and don't know anyone yet. Since we've met, it must be fate. If you don't mind, why don't you get in the carriage? I'll give you a ride."

Chen Yan sensed that the other person's tone was calm and their words were frank, so they seemed to have no ill intentions. However, he didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble while traveling, and was trying to think of a reason to politely decline...

The man inside the car chuckled again, "Speaking of which, I also have friends within your sect. Since you are a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, you must know Jiang Mo, right?"

Jiang Mo?

Chen Yan was slightly taken aback, then immediately remembered that this was the first inner disciple of the Hehuan Sect he had ever met.

He was also the leader of the team that investigated the cargo ship hijacking case.

However, he was an inner disciple. Although he led the team to conduct the survey, he didn't interact much with Chen Yan. On the contrary, Chen Yan and his follower Zhao Wuji became more familiar with each other later.

“Jiang Mo is my friend. I have something that he asked me to find. I just found it. I was originally planning to send someone to your sect to deliver it. Since I have met you, fellow Daoist, I might as well give it to you and ask you to give it to Jiang Mo on your way back.”

Having said all that, Chen Yan couldn't refuse any longer. Besides, since the other party knew Jiang Mo, they probably weren't a bad person.

What's more...

While the other person was speaking, Chen Yan had already taken a look at the carriage.

The carriage was exquisitely crafted and painted with gold paint. Chen Yan could smell the scents of at least three types of refining materials.

Moreover, the faint glow of the precious light indicated that there were several formations inside the carriage, which were likely used for weight reduction and shock absorption.

The two horses pulling the carriage were also tall and strong. Two bony antlers were faintly visible on their foreheads—not as long as those of a unicorn, but shaped like deer antlers.

Chen Yan knew that this was a breed unique to the realm, called "Dragon Horse," which was said to have a little bit of dragon blood, a hybrid offspring.

These horses are often exceptionally fine, with a strong load-bearing capacity and remarkable endurance, truly capable of traveling a thousand miles a day.

Don't underestimate the standard of traveling a thousand miles a day.

In the real world, although the ancients described a thoroughbred horse as capable of traveling a thousand miles in a day and eight hundred miles at night...

That's all boasting; it's just an exaggerated way of expressing praise for a good horse.

In fact, most horse breeds are not good at long-distance running.

Even the Mongolian and Yunnan horses, renowned for their endurance, are far from being able to travel a thousand miles a day.

But this kind of dragon horse...

Chen Yan knew even better that this thing was a "luxury item" in the realm.

It is a decorative luxury item that has little practical use and is purely for showing off and pretentiousness.

For cultivators, traveling a thousand miles a day is like a tortoise crawling!

Even when using transportation, cultivators have many ways to travel a thousand miles a day, or even many times faster.

Why would they need horses, such an ancient and slow mode of transportation?
Only wealthy families would keep such a flashy but impractical creature as a dragon horse to decorate their image.

To put it bluntly, it's just that it looks nice and impressive, used for showing off.

The other party's carriage was exquisite, and it was even drawn by dragon horses, so their status must be extraordinary—to be friends with an inner disciple of the Holy Sect, their position must be exceptional.

Why would someone of that status bother to harm a stranger on the road?
Thinking of this, Chen Yan nodded decisively: "In that case, I'll take my leave."

After saying that, he walked to the parking space, jumped into the car, bent down, pushed open the car door, and crawled inside.

Upon entering, Chen Yan's gaze sharpened!
The carriage was far less cramped and confined than he had imagined.

From the outside, the carriage appears luxurious and exquisite, but its space is ultimately limited.

But once inside, you'll find the carriage spacious enough that you don't even need to bend over; you can stand up straight and your head won't touch the roof.

The interior of the car is as big as a small room of ten square meters.

A row of wooden cabinets was placed on the left, with seven or eight drawers on top.

In front of them was a low table with drinks, fruits, and candied fruit.

Such a large space must have been created using some kind of powerful magic array.

Two prayer cushions were placed facing each other on the table. A man dressed in black was sitting opposite Chen Yan. He had long, flowing hair, large, bright eyes, and a handsome and extraordinary appearance.

As Chen Yan entered, the man in black raised his hand, pointed to the futon opposite him, and said with a smile, "Please sit down."

Chen Yan cupped his hands in greeting, walked over and sat down, then looked up at the man in black, only to suddenly freeze in shock!
It wasn't because the man in black was exceptionally handsome, but rather...

Two rows of fine, wispy hairs were clearly visible beneath his temples...

Down!

It was just that the color was also black, and it was next to the hair. I didn't see it clearly when I was standing far away and only caught a quick glance. Now that I'm closer, I can see it clearly.

“Eh? Your Excellency…” Chen Yan said in a low voice.

The man in black smiled faintly, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect: "Yun Zhao of the Black Feathered Skylark Clan greets fellow Daoist."

Black Feathered Lark Clan?
lark?!
"Are you a demon?" Chen Yan took a breath, his expression turning serious. "If you are a demon, why are you going to the North City?"

The man in black, Yun Zhao, paused for a moment, then stared at Chen Yan for a while before making a look of realization and laughing, "Fellow Daoist, you're not very familiar with the demon race, are you?"

Chen Yan shook his head: "I'm not really familiar with it."

He sighed: "Right now, in the city of No Return, the demon race and the ghost race are fighting fiercely. The North City is a buffer zone that both sides have agreed upon. Aren't you afraid of causing trouble by going to the North City like this?"

Yun Zhao laughed heartily, then picked up a cup and poured Chen Yan a glass of wine before slowly saying, "Fellow Daoist, you've misunderstood."

My Black Feather Lark Clan is a demon clan from the southern foothills of Yinshan Mountain in the northern frontier. Although we are called the same clan as the demon clans in the southern frontier, we are not actually from the same group.

This is my first time visiting the City of No Return. I have come here on behalf of my clan to inspect the clan's property within the city.

"The demons of the City of No Return in Southern Xinjiang..."

As he spoke, Yun Zhao winked at Chen Yan and said in a strange tone, "You can think of them as, to me, a group of distant relatives I've never met or had any dealings with... poor relatives."

After a pause, Yun Zhao sighed helplessly: "The demon races in the world are said to number in the tens of thousands—that's an exaggeration, of course, but there are always hundreds of tribes. Demon races inhabit all over the world. For example, the demon tribes on the southern slopes of Yinshan Mountain in our northern border have no contact with the demon races in the southern border. Even the demon ancestor they worship is not the same one."

As he spoke, Yun Zhao pursed his lips and said with a wry smile, "However, it's not surprising that you have such prejudices, fellow Daoist. Although the human race and the demon race live in peace, they are actually quite different. Many people mistakenly believe that all demon races under heaven are one family. I've gotten used to it."

Chen Yan reacted quickly, immediately revealing a relieved smile, and said, "I was ignorant—what you said makes sense. In this world, even among the same human race, there is regional discrimination. People with prejudices can even become mortal enemies, even if they are true blood relatives."

There are countless demon races in the world; how can they all be one family?

·
I have something to say. I have to go out to run errands tomorrow (Friday), and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get home in time to write tomorrow night. So I'm letting you know in advance that I can't confirm tomorrow's update. If I get back late, I'll have to skip an update for a day.

Even if I rush home at night, the update will be quite late, so please don't have too high hopes.

Regardless, there will be a regular update on Saturday.

·
(End of this chapter)