Chapter 162: 162 Cloud Sun Cleansing Realm (Part 1)
Due to the extremely high cost of production, the Cloud Sun Sect, even after a millennium of accumulation, possessed fewer than twenty mangonel flying ships.
Yet this Cleansing Realm Operation saw the dispatch of a full fifteen flying warships.
It was evident how resolute the Cloud Sun Sect was!
It should be known that flying warships are driven entirely by spirit stones, not just any Low Spirits, and the consumption for just one outing was incredibly staggering.
Average sects simply could not afford it.
As the Sunset Peak lineage had a large number of disciples, they were allocated four flying warships.
Wang Chen was aboard one of them.
This flying warship was tens of zhang long, the surface of the ship displayed a metallic luster and was engraved with countless complicated and mysterious runes, and on the uppermost deck, there were heavily damaging heavy crossbow magical artifacts.
A sight to strike fear into anyone!
The flying warship was divided into three tiers; Wang Chen and hundreds of his fellow disciples sat in the lower tier.
The middle tier was allocated to the chambers of true disciples, while three Purple Mansion Superiors occupied the upper tier, clearly distinguishing the hierarchical order.
Although it was a second-rate Type-Yi flying warship, the interior space was still quite spacious. Even the lowest chamber, which accommodated four to five hundred cultivators, did not appear crowded at all.
Yet, as soon as the flying warship lifted off, the disciples from Sunset Peak naturally began to form groups in the cabin.
Some groups had as many as thirty or fifty people, while the smaller ones also had seven or eight.
Everyone gathered in their own circles, with clear distinctions between them.
But since the true disciples were all in the middle tier, these groups lacked a core figure.
They seemed like a collection of undisciplined mobs!
Wang Chen had long been accustomed to such scenes.
He was not sure about the other lineages, but the Sunset Peak disciples really enjoyed forming cliques.
Grouping up had completely become their instinct.
This time, having been forcibly conscripted to participate in the Cleansing Realm Operation and likely to be thrown into battle, the desire to band together was obviously much stronger, with some disciples even discussing cooperative strategies.
However, their commotion had nothing to do with Wang Chen.
He sat quietly in a corner of the cabin, intensifying the Stealth Breath Technique on himself.
As the flying warship began to accelerate, a faint light passed over the surrounding walls, surprisingly showing the outside scenery!
Instantly, the cabin was filled with cries of astonishment.
Although everyone possessed flying artifacts, no one could fly this high.
All around them, the Cloud Sea churned, the brilliant sunlight cast rainbows of seven colors, a dreamlike vision as if in a heavenly realm!
Moreover, what appeared on the cabin walls was merely a projection, and those inside were completely unaffected by the fierce winds outside, so most of the disciples riding the flying warship for the first time were captivated by the beautiful view, finding it extremely novel.
The unease and dread they felt in their hearts vanished without a trace, and they began talking excitedly.
Wang Chen found it quite fascinating as well.
He had not expected such a feature within the flying warship.
It was then that he heard a very faint “tada tada” sound nearby.
Wang Chen couldn’t help but turn his head to look, and saw a young man with a pale face sitting about four or five chi away.
The other seemed to be about his age, or perhaps even younger.
The young man had delicate features like that of a girl, a rather thin and frail physique, and he was trembling non-stop.
The sound Wang Chen had just heard was actually the chattering of the other’s teeth!
When Wang Chen’s gaze fell upon the delicate young man, the latter also sensed his gaze and managed to squeeze out a smile.
An incredibly awkward smile!
Wang Chen thought for a moment and pulled out a large peach from his storage bag to offer to the other.
This young man was clearly afraid of heights!
A cultivator fearing heights was laughable when spoken aloud.
No wonder he was sitting in a corner just like Wang Chen, with hardly anyone paying him any attention!
Wang Chen felt a bit of pity for the guy.
A peach for you so you won’t catch a chill.
“Thank you.”
The handsome young man took the peach and bit into it tenderly, his eyes lighting up slightly.
His expression visibly relaxed.
Without the desire to strike up a conversation, Wang Chen closed his eyes to meditate and began to practice the Five Elements Technique.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
He had long integrated the practice of the cultivation technique into his daily life, seizing every opportunity to gain a bit of experience.
Little by little, a big pile is made from small accumulation; breaking through to the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation was just a matter of time!
The most important thing was that the Five Elements Technique was exceedingly balanced and stable, unfazed by unexpected disturbances.
Otherwise, Wang Chen wouldn’t dare to be so casual about it.
The handsome young man, having eaten Wang Chen’s Spirit Peach, managed to stabilize his emotions.
He had wanted to express his gratitude again, but seeing him in that state, he dispelled the thought of conversation.
The flying ship sped through the clouds above, with majestic mountains stretching endlessly below.
After about a quarter of an hour, the flying ship began to lower its altitude.
Sitting in the cabin, the disciples of Sunset Peak had no idea where the destination of this trip was.
Nor did they know who the enemy was.
The initial excitement and eagerness having abated, many now felt a twinge of unease.
“Caw, caw, caw!”
Suddenly, a shrill screech pierced everyone’s ears.
A large flock of strange birds with black feathers and long necks appeared ahead, quickly converging on the flying ship like a dark cloud.
They flapped their long wings furiously, whipping up gusts of wind that consolidated into crescent-shaped Wind Blades, assaulting the flying ship with the force of a storm.
Crack, crack, crack!
The Wind Blades were incredibly fast, and the large flying ship couldn’t dodge in time, getting hit by countless attacks in an instant!
“Ah!”
The many disciples inside the cabin cried out in unison.
The images on the cabin walls were so realistic it felt as if the Wind Blades were flying toward them directly.
Some instinctively dodged to the side.
Others promptly raised Spiritual Light Shields!
However, all the Wind Blades were blocked by a sudden burst of golden light from the surface of the flying ship, shattering and dissipating instantly.
Not a scratch was made on the hull!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next moment, the flying ship launched its counter-attack.
Heavy Crossbow Magic Artifacts mounted on the deck fired flaming rockets at the long-necked monster birds.
The birds at the front plummeted like dumplings being dropped into water.
Pierced by the Crossbow Arrows, bodies erupting in flames, they exploded like fireworks in the air.
The spectacle was incredibly magnificent!
The flying ship truly lived up to its reputation as a treasure of conquest, capable in both offense and defense.
No matter how numerous these monster birds were, they were merely live targets for the Heavy Crossbows, bursting one after another.
In a short time, hundreds of monster animals were almost entirely wiped out.
Only a few managed to escape.
The flying ship continued on its course.
The disciples of Sunset Peak who had witnessed this scene were thoroughly invigorated.
And there were those among them who were eager for combat, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the real battle to come!
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Here’s the first update; two more are coming tonight. Thank you, everyone.