Fengguan Ferry.

Unlike Chen Yan’s impression that immortal sect ferries should be bustling with activity, filled with the constant flow of vessels shuttling through the skies, Fengguan Ferry was not large—in fact, it could be described as quite small.

There were only a few Outer Court Disciples of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect stationed here. After all, within a radius of five hundred thousand li, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect was the only cultivation sect. It could be said that all aerial ferry docks within that five-hundred-thousand-li range belonged entirely to the Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

When the Outer Court Disciples at the dock saw Luo Ao, they all bowed in greeting:

“Manager Luo.”

In the Qingxuan Immortal Sect, the status of manager disciples was higher than that of manager disciples in many cultivation sects on the Chenping Continent.

After a brief half-hour stop here, everyone boarded the ferry headed for the Qingxuan Immortal Sect. However, the appearance of this vessel gave Chen Yan a slight shock. It was far too crude—so much so that Chen Yan found it hard to believe this ferry could traverse a hundred thousand li to reach the Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

The ferry was about four zhang long and two zhang wide. If placed on the Chenping Continent, such a shabby vessel wouldn’t even be allowed to dock at any ferry port. Selling it on the black market for the price of fifty high-grade spirit stones would already be a miracle.

It had two decks and four rooms total. The Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s Outer Court Disciples occupied two rooms, while the other ten newly recruited disciples—five male disciples in one room and five female disciples in the other—shared the remaining space. To put it bluntly, it was cramped.

...

Boarding the ferry, heading to the Qingxuan Immortal Sect. Chen Yan sat on a chair by the window in the cabin, his gaze falling on the unfamiliar mountains and rivers below. He could still feel the heavy threads of cause and effect weighing on him—over sixty thousand years’ worth. This immense karmic burden was like a time bomb, though for now, it remained relatively stable.

Chen Yan pondered his path forward. Perhaps he could uncover the truth about the Chenping Continent from this world. In his view, the history of the Chenping Continent was riddled with too many suspicious points. Historical records clearly stated that before Heavenly Summit Mountain emerged, the end of the Path of Immortality on the Chenping Continent was merely the Dao Union Realm. It wasn’t until the appearance of Tian Su Realman that the Chenping Continent gained its first cultivator in the Immortal Ascension Realm.

“Chen Yan.”

Just as Chen Yan was deep in thought, someone suddenly called out to him. It wasn’t “Senior Brother Chen,” but simply “Chen Yan.” For Chen Yan, how others addressed him didn’t matter at all. But the purpose behind this form of address was clear: provocation.

Chen Yan slowly turned his gaze, shifting his focus to the person who had called him by his full name.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

The one who had directly called out “Chen Yan” was the male disciple who had asked Su Ying for an apple on the carriage earlier: Gui An. The atmosphere in the cabin grew tense. It wasn’t just Gui An—the other three male disciples were also staring at Chen Yan.

Chen Yan couldn’t help but find it amusing. These brats were far too simple-minded; one glance was enough to see right through their thoughts. They all resented him. The reason was simple: Su Ying. Su Ying had been thriving among these brats, effortlessly playing them like pawns. At the same time, she had been aggressively pursuing Chen Yan. But Chen Yan had always remained cold toward her, keeping his distance. His attitude infuriated those brats.

“I’ve been wondering all along: what makes you think you can act so high and mighty? Just because you have cultivation talent?” Gui An stepped closer to Chen Yan, as if trying to use his body to pressure him.

“What, can’t I?” Chen Yan didn’t bother to argue back.

“You...” Gui An seemed caught off guard that his accusation had been so casually admitted, leaving him momentarily speechless. “What gives you the right to look down on people?” he demanded loudly, as if trying to use volume to project authority.

“Didn’t you already say it? Because I have more talent,” Chen Yan replied.

“What’s so great about talent? Talent is just a starting point. Working harder and staying humble are what let you go further on the immortal path!” Gui An shouted.

“I think you’re right,” Chen Yan said, simply nodding at Gui An’s point.

But it was precisely Chen Yan’s response that ignited Gui An’s fury.

“What the hell are you talking about? Right now, you’re nothing but a mortal! What are you so smug about?” With that, Gui An stepped forward and swung his palm toward Chen Yan’s face.

Chen Yan effortlessly raised his hand and caught Gui An’s wrist. Then, with a slight push downward, he yanked Gui An’s arm toward the ground. Gui An’s body instantly lost its balance, and his head slammed heavily onto the table beside the window.

*Thud!*

A dull thud rang out. When Gui An raised his head again, his face was already swelling rapidly, and with every breath, blood gushed from his nose. Chen Yan didn’t stop. He yanked Gui An’s wrist downward again. His face slammed into the table once more. Then again. And again...

Gui An’s face was completely smeared with his own blood. When Chen Yan finally released his wrist, Gui An’s body wobbled unsteadily, then fell backward, collapsing to the floor.

“Waaah, waaah, ahhhh...” Gui An sat on the ground, bursting into loud, sobbing cries.

Chen Yan ignored Gui An’s wailing on the floor. Instead, he calmly swept his gaze over the other youths, who had stood up when Gui An tried to slap him, ready to swarm him. But now, after Chen Yan had dealt with Gui An, they were frozen—neither advancing nor retreating.

“What’s the noise?” After a few seconds, the door was violently pushed open from outside. Standing at the threshold was the Qingxuan Immortal Sect’s Outer Court manager disciple, Luo Ao, who was at the early Martial Spring Realm.

Hearing Manager Luo’s voice, Gui An seemed to clutch at a lifeline. He turned his head toward Luo Ao and pointed at Chen Yan. “Brother Luo, Chen Yan, Chen Yan he...”

“I hit him, Brother Luo,” Chen Yan said softly.

Luo Ao raised his head, glanced at Chen Yan, then looked down at the miserable Gui An sitting on the cabin floor. “Gui An, get the hell out!” he barked sharply, then turned and left the doorway.