He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

No more than four days after the selection concluded, the date for the Kunlun Secret Realm gathering arrived as scheduled. Just as dawn broke, before the morning light pierced the mists of the Huashan Secret Realm, figures had already gathered on the mountain gate plaza halfway up the main peak. When Zhang Bufan arrived with Ye Qingxue and Yue Ling'er, five Qi Refining stage disciples and two Foundation Establishment stage senior brothers and sisters, Xie Ding and Liu Yan'er, were already waiting. All were dressed in neat sect robes, their belongings stored in their storage bags, their faces filled with anticipation and trepidation for the unknown secret realm. Their eyes met, and they bowed respectfully. After a few pleasantries, the atmosphere became more lively as they waited for the arrival of the Ancestor and the Supreme Elder.

In just a few breaths, several figures appeared out of thin air in the center of the plaza. They were none other than Ancestor Yue Buwei and the two Supreme Elders, Zhou Heming and Elder Liu. Upon seeing this, the ten disciples immediately bowed and respectfully said in unison, "Greetings, Ancestor! Greetings, Elders!" In the midst of their bows, everyone's gaze unconsciously fell upon Yue Buwei's side—there stood a cultivator in a gray robe, with a square face and clear eyes. He was none other than Elder Ma Changsi, the outer sect's chief steward.

Seeing this, Elder Liu stepped forward and explained, "The list of cultivation resources you disciples submitted this time is quite complex. He Ming has just advanced to the Core Formation stage and is not very familiar with resource circulation and negotiation. I alone may not be able to handle it all. Elder Ma has been managing outer sect affairs for many years and is most skilled at dealing with all parties. I have specially asked him to come along and assist, specifically in charge of resource procurement." Elder Ma smiled and nodded to everyone, his tone humble, "It is my honor to serve the sect. I will do my best to handle the procurement matters and not delay your cultivation." Everyone suddenly understood and secretly praised the thoughtful arrangement—ten disciples would be in charge of the sect's style display and competition, while Elder Ma would assist Elder Liu in managing logistics and procurement. Each had their own responsibilities, and they complemented each other perfectly.

With everyone present, Yue Buwei, no longer wanting to delay, waved his hand and said, "Let's go." He then took the lead and walked out, with the others following closely behind. They passed through the mountain gate's restrictions and arrived at the secret exit valley deep within the Huashan Scenic Area. It was only seven in the morning, and the valley was deserted. Morning dew dampened the grass and trees, and only the clear chirping of birds could conceal their movements.

Before the disciples could even stop and look, Yue Buwei raised his hand and waved it towards the void ahead. In an instant, golden light burst forth, and an incomparably powerful pressure spread out from the void, enveloping the entire area like Mount Tai pressing down. The five Qi Refining stage disciples turned pale, their legs went weak, and they almost collapsed to the ground, their breathing becoming rapid and difficult; Zhang Bufan, Yue Ling'er, and the other five Foundation Establishment stage disciples also tensed up, their spiritual energy stagnating and difficult to circulate, their meridians aching slightly from the pressure, they could only grit their teeth and endure. Elder Liu, on the other hand, remained calm, clearly having already witnessed such a sight, only a trace of awe for this treasure flashed in his eyes.

Everyone stared intently, and from within the golden light, an enormous dragon-headed warship slowly appeared, hovering dozens of meters in mid-air. The warship was entirely crafted from an unknown golden spirit wood, a hundred meters long and over thirty meters wide. Its hull was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, its patterns ancient and simple. At the bow was sculpted a roaring dragon head, its whiskers flying, its scales and claws clearly defined. Its eyes were inlaid with two luminous pearls the size of pigeon eggs, which still emitted a warm glow even in the morning light, as if it were about to soar into the clouds at any moment. The pressure emanating from the ship was thick and persistent, on par with the aura of Ancestor Yue Buwei, chilling everyone to the bone. Only when Yue Buwei released his spiritual domain, enveloping everyone within it, did the suffocating pressure suddenly dissipate. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, panting heavily, their eyes filled with shock and horror as they looked at the dragon ship.

"Come aboard with me." Yue Buwei's figure flickered, and he landed steadily on the deck of the dragon boat. Without hesitation, everyone activated their spiritual power and leaped onto the deck. The deck was wide and flat, paved with specially made spirit-patterned wood. It felt warm and comfortable underfoot, and one could clearly feel wisps of spiritual energy flowing into their bodies through the meridians beneath their feet. Clearly, an eternal spirit-gathering array was engraved on the deck. Half-person-high railings were installed on both sides of the ship, engraved with intricate spirit-gathering and defensive arrays, faintly shimmering with spiritual light. Touching the railings gently, one could feel the slight vibrations emanating from the arrays in operation.

Yue Buwei raised his hand and pressed down on a fist-sized groove in the center of the deck. Instantly, a pale purple light enveloped the dragon boat, concealing the entire vessel. With a soft "hum," the dragon boat transformed into a golden streak, rapidly ascending into the air and speeding towards the western Kunlun Secret Realm. Its speed was astonishing, even tearing apart the surrounding clouds in an instant. The group quickly steadied themselves and moved to the railing, looking down at the rapidly passing mountains and land. Their shock deepened; the ship had already covered dozens of miles in just a few breaths, its speed far exceeding their expectations.

After regaining his footing, Elder Liu walked to the group and pointed to the dragon boat, explaining slowly: "This boat is named 'Escape from the Sky,' a mid-grade Heaven-rank magic artifact, passed down from the previous ancestor of our Immortal Sword Sect, with a history of over three thousand years. In terms of speed, it can travel a million miles a day, and the distance to the Kunlun Secret Realm is only ten thousand miles, which will take less than an hour. In terms of offense and defense, the hull is engraved with a triple nine-turn defensive formation, capable of withstanding the full force of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator's attack. The dragon's mouth at the bow can spew out the Nascent Soul power injected by the ancestor, and the resulting attack power is no weaker than that of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator."

"A Heaven-Rank Magic Weapon!" The twelve accompanying disciples exclaimed in surprise, their faces filled with disbelief. Most of the disciples present usually used Profound-Rank magic weapons, and obtaining an Earth-Rank magic weapon was already a luxury for the few core disciples. They had never imagined that the sect would possess a Heaven-Rank treasure. Zhang Bufan also raised an eyebrow slightly. In Xuanqing Daoist's inherited memories, Heaven-Rank magic weapons were already the top treasures that cultivators in the Pangu World could access. A Heaven-Rank magic weapon required a Nascent Soul stage weapon-refining master to spend a hundred years crafting it. He never expected the Immortal Sword Sect to have such a foundation.

Elder Liu's expression gradually became complicated, and he changed the subject, saying, "However, this Void-Transfer Ship is actually somewhat useless. Its activation conditions are extremely demanding. It either requires a Nascent Soul cultivator to drive it with their own spiritual power, or it requires consuming a massive amount of top-grade spirit stones. Our sect currently only has our ancestor as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. With his cultivation level, his flight speed and offensive and defensive capabilities far surpass this ship. He doesn't need to use this ship for daily travel, so this dragon ship is of no help to him. Heming and I are both Core Formation cultivators, and we cannot activate the core formation of this ship at all. We can only control it for a short time with the spiritual power that our ancestor injected in advance. As for top-grade spirit stones, they are a strategic reserve of the sect. One top-grade spirit stone can support a Core Formation cultivator's full cultivation for a month. Activating this ship requires consuming ten top-grade spirit stones per day, and we will never use them unless it is a matter of life and death."

Elder Ma Changsi added, "I once saw a record of this Escape Ship in the sect's ancient texts. It has rarely been used since the passing of the previous ancestor. Only a thousand years ago, when the sect was besieged by demonic cultivators, did the ancestor use this ship to transport the core disciples to safety. That time, it consumed five top-grade spirit stones that the sect had accumulated over a thousand years. It has not been seen since then. The ancestor used this ship this time for two reasons: first, to allow the disciples to conserve their energy and arrive at the Kunlun Secret Realm in the best possible condition; and second, to demonstrate the sect's strength and deter other hidden sects."

Zhang Bufan suddenly understood; no wonder it was called a "chicken rib" (meaning something of little value). Such a treasure was unusable on ordinary days and couldn't be used as regular combat power. It could only be brought out to make a grand display during sect gatherings, showcasing the sect's millennia-old heritage. He subconsciously circulated his spiritual energy to probe the dragon ship's interior, only to find that the spiritual energy contained within the ship's array was unusually obscure. With his current spiritual energy, he couldn't even penetrate the ship's spiritual patterns. Clearly, the dragon ship's array formation was far beyond his comprehension.

Yue Ling'er curiously pulled Ye Qingxue's hand and slowly walked along the deck, her eyes constantly examining the patterns on the ship's hull: "Sister Qingxue, look at this dragon head, it's carved so realistically, even the patterns on the dragon whiskers are clearly visible." Ye Qingxue smiled and nodded: "This dragon head is not just decoration, it should be the core array hub of the dragon ship. The groove that the ancestor pressed just now must be the array eye that controls the dragon ship." The two looked around and talked in hushed tones, their eyes full of curiosity.

Xie Ding and Liu Yan'er stood on the other side of the deck, discussing the dragon ship's power in hushed tones. Xie Ding sighed, "If we could control this ship, we could easily escape even if we were pursued by a Core Formation cultivator. It's a pity that such a treasure is ultimately just a mirage to us." A hint of regret appeared on Liu Yan'er's cool face: "On the path of cultivation, strength is fundamental. Only by breaking through to the Core Formation stage as soon as possible will we have the opportunity to come into contact with such a top-tier treasure."

Ancestor Yue Buwei stood alone at the bow of the ship, hands behind his back, gazing calmly at the sea of ​​clouds ahead. He could clearly sense his disciples' thoughts, but said nothing. To him, this Void-Transforming Ship was nothing special. Its use this time was not only to demonstrate his power, but more importantly, to let his disciples witness the power of a top-tier magical artifact and inspire their desire to cultivate.

Zhang Bufan walked to Elder Liu's side, cupped his hands, and asked, "Elder Liu, besides flight and offense/defense, does this air-transfer ship have any other uses?" Elder Liu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Bufan is indeed meticulous. This air-transfer ship has three levels. The bottom level is a storage cabin that can store a massive amount of supplies; the middle level is a rest area with more than a dozen rooms, each engraved with a spirit-gathering array, which disciples can use for cultivation during the journey; the upper level is a council cabin where the patriarch and elders can discuss matters. In addition, the ship's hull can conceal our presence, so even Nascent Soul cultivators would find it difficult to detect us unless they deliberately search for us."

Upon hearing this, everyone showed curiosity. Elder Liu smiled and said, "If you are curious, you are welcome to move around on the deck. However, please do not touch the key points of the ship's array to avoid triggering the defensive array. Alternatively, you can cultivate in your cabins to conserve your energy."

Everyone bowed in agreement and then dispersed. The Qi Refining disciples gathered together, excitedly discussing the wonders of the dragon boat; Xie Ding and Liu Yan'er sat cross-legged in a corner of the deck, cultivating with their eyes closed, cherishing this rare spirit-gathering array; Yue Ling'er pulled Zhang Bufan and Ye Qingxue along the deck, slowly exploring the structure of the dragon boat one by one.

As Zhang Bufan walked, he circulated his spiritual power, carefully examining the spiritual patterns on the deck. He discovered that the dragon ship's formation not only had the ability to gather spiritual energy and defend, but also contained the rudiments of a spatial formation, which was probably the key to its ability to travel millions of miles a day.

Ye Qingxue seemed to see through his thoughts and whispered, "If my husband is interested in the formation of this dragon boat, you can ask the ancestor for instructions in the future. Perhaps the ancestor will allow you to study it." Zhang Bufan nodded, "There's no rush. The gathering in the Kunlun Secret Realm is fraught with unknown dangers. We'll make plans after we return."

Zhang Bufan then chose the innermost room with Ye Qingxue and Yue Ling'er. After entering the room, Yue Ling'er was the first to run to the jade bed and sit down. Feeling the rich spiritual energy emanating from the jade bed, she excitedly said, "The spiritual gathering effect of this jade bed is even better than the cultivation room on Qinglan Peak. If I can cultivate here for a month, my cultivation will definitely advance further."

Ye Qingxue smiled and walked to the window, looking at the sea of ​​clouds rushing past outside: "It's a rare opportunity to be able to ride on such a top-notch dragon ship. Husband, why don't you take this chance to cultivate for a while?" Zhang Bufan nodded: "I'll first consolidate my late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. You should also seize the time to cultivate, conserve your energy, and prepare for the upcoming gathering."

Upon hearing this, the two said no more and sat down cross-legged to cultivate their techniques. Zhang Bufan also found a corner to sit down and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. He could clearly feel that the spiritual energy in the room was even denser than on the deck. After circulating the "Mysterious Purity Dao Inquiry Technique," the spiritual energy surged into his body like a tide, circulating along his meridians and nourishing his dantian and meridians. He secretly sighed, thinking that although this Void-Transfer Ship was somewhat useless, its ability to gather spiritual energy alone was enough to make countless cultivators flock to it.

Half an hour later, the dragon boat slowly slowed down, and Elder Liu's voice came through the array into the cabin: "Disciples, we have arrived at the Kunlun Secret Realm. Please assemble on the deck immediately." Everyone quickly put away their cultivation techniques, got up, and left the cabin to go to the deck. At this time, the dragon boat was already floating in a vast sea of ​​clouds. Below the sea of ​​clouds, a majestic mountain peak could be vaguely seen. The mountain peak was shrouded in a layer of light curtain, on which were engraved complex runes, obviously the entrance restriction of the Kunlun Secret Realm.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Ancestor Yue Buwei gazed at the mountain peaks below the sea of ​​clouds and said in a deep voice, "The entrance to the Kunlun Secret Realm is just ahead. In half an hour, cultivators from various sects will arrive one after another. Remember, once you arrive at the secret realm, you must not act on your own. Follow the arrangements of me and the elders."

The crowd responded in unison, their gazes fixed on the mountain peaks below the sea of ​​clouds, their eyes filled with anticipation and wariness. They knew that the Kunlun Secret Realm contained not only abundant cultivation resources but also countless dangers, and the top disciples of other reclusive sects; a fierce battle was about to begin. The celestial dragon ship floating in the sea of ​​clouds, like a silent guardian, quietly spoke of the Immortal Sword Sect's profound strength, giving the crowd a sense of confidence.