The ferry was not large, yet it carried tens of thousands of cultivators, departing from the shallow sea towards the most prosperous and vast region of the Ancestral Star.
It was said that this region concentrated seventy percent of the sects of the entire Ancestral Star, and was also the place where the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect originated, as well as where the Crimson Saint attained enlightenment.
If the Ancestral Star was the center of the entire star region's southeast, then this area was the center of the center, where millions of cultivators wished to establish themselves.
Chen Xia and Bai Lu sat at the front of the ferry, squeezed in with the other cultivators, chatting idly.
"Why is there not a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation from you?" Bai Lu suddenly asked.
"Because I have no cultivation," Chen Xia replied honestly.
"Then why can you remain ageless for hundreds of years without cultivation?" Bai Lu pressed.
"It's just my nature," Chen Xia responded calmly.
Bai Lu was speechless, shaking his head before turning his gaze to the mountains and sea before them. This was a path he had traveled once before, setting out with high spirits then, imagining the brilliant days ahead.
Now his mood had calmed, without ripples.
Chen Xia had brought his rocking chair along, lying on it, feeling the ferry's sway and watching the mountain and sea scenery pass by. It was indeed a good way to while away the time.
It was certainly more interesting than lying alone in a small room.
Beside them were some young cultivators, probably on their first sea journey, looking exceptionally excited and engaged in lively discussion.
"How powerful do you think those big sects are? Are they much more formidable than the grand cultivation grounds in our towns?"
"The grand cultivation grounds are nothing! My father said that as long as you enter one of the inner big sects, you bring glory to your ancestors. If you can cultivate for a few hundred years and become an inner disciple, even the grand cultivation grounds in your hometown will have to bow respectfully to you when you return!"
The young cultivators spoke of their various aspirations.
Bai Lu watched them, his eyes slightly flickering, reminiscing about the past.
Chen Xia lay lazily to the side, occasionally twisting his body.
The sea waves surged, and the ferry sailed through the sky.
The scenery shifted slightly, and by the time Chen Xia sat up, the ferry had already arrived at its destination. Before them was an enormous town that stretched beyond sight.
And this town was just a single sect.
The Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect.
The location for each grand selection on the Ancestral Star was always within the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect.
"Huff, huff." Bai Lu took two deep breaths, then clenched his fists, encouraging himself.
"It's okay, I'll set my goals lower this time. I can do it."
Chen Xia stretched lazily, noticing that the other cultivators had already started entering the town in succession. He patted Bai Lu's shoulder and said with a smile,
"Let's go."
The two quickly walked in.
The city gate was forged by a grand formation, with hundreds of techniques' radiance stretching straight to the sky, forming the foundation of this gate. It could be said to connect heaven and earth, reaching from the celestial realm to the earth's core.
A grand gesture indeed.
Bai Lu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration before quickly entering. Now, there were numerous participating cultivators inside the city, naturally divided into various ranks.
The lowest rank consisted of small cultivators like him who came from the outskirts of the Ancestral Star, lacking both cultivation and background.
The next level up were the internal cultivators, those with families inside, participating in the selection hoping to enter better sects and simultaneously revitalize their families.
The highest-ranking cultivators were those from the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, considered to have the highest status in this town. Even ordinary Heaven Mending Realm cultivators wouldn't dare to offend them.
Chen Xia and Bai Lu were of the lowest status, unable to find accommodation. They could only sit under a bridge, which at least provided shelter from wind and rain.
"I'm sorry for bringing you to stay in a place like this," Bai Lu said apologetically, scratching his head.
"You should indeed be sorry," Chen Xia nodded, looking up towards the bridge.
Cultivators came and went above them. Flying was prohibited within the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect, so this bridge was a necessary passage.
Countless cultivators walked above their heads, their footsteps creating a cacophony.
Chen Xia waved to Bai Lu, saying, "I'm going out for a stroll."
Without waiting for Bai Lu's response, he left.
Bai Lu, meanwhile, began to meditate, striving to showcase his talent during the grand selection and join an internal sect.
The town was vast, and Chen Xia clearly couldn't explore it all. He didn't intend to, either, just seeking out a bustling area to walk around.
This was a small alley, surrounded by formations and cave dwellings, seemingly where the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect disciples usually cultivated.
Now, many cultivators were walking along the alley towards the interior.
Chen Xia followed.
After passing through the alley, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
It was a spacious square, with three statues carved from expensive spirit stones.
Sunlight poured down.
People curiously looked over, quickly identifying one of the statues.
"The Crimson Saint! Isn't this the Crimson Saint from the paintings? Wow, it's truly domineering. Just looking at this statue makes me feel a bit breathless, such heavy pressure!"
"Wait, why is the Crimson Saint only standing on the left side? Who's in the middle, do you recognize them?"
"Never seen them, no impression. The statue's face is carved too vaguely to see clearly. I can make out something about the statue on the right though, it looks like a dog."
"You don't need to say 'looks like,' it's definitely a dog."
While everyone was marveling at the statues, Chen Xia stood alone at a distance, the corners of his mouth lifting in a slight smile. After scrutinizing for a while, he shook his head slightly and said,
"It doesn't look much like me."
Indeed, it didn't look much like him, but the spirit was there.
Chen Xia's lips maintained a constant smile; there weren't many things in the world that could make him this happy anymore.
This counted as one.
Time passed unnoticed as he strolled the streets.
It was nearly evening when he realized, and Chen Xia leisurely walked back towards the bridge.
He thought Bai Lu must be waiting for him by now.
However, when Chen Xia arrived under the bridge, he didn't see Bai Lu. His brows furrowed slightly as he surveyed the area under the bridge, noticing some signs of a struggle.
The River of Time in Chen Xia's eyes began to turn, directly rewinding to the scene at noon.
At this time, Bai Lu was meditating when a few young cultivators approached, saying they couldn't find a place to stay in the city and asking if Bai Lu would allow them to temporarily stay under the bridge as well.
Bai Lu had always been kind-hearted, so he agreed, and the group lived harmoniously together under the bridge.
But soon after, another group of cultivators passed by, wearing luxurious robes embroidered with flame patterns, clearly internal cultivators.
This group of cultivators naturally discovered Bai Lu and the others, and immediately became displeased. They directly berated them:
"This is the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect. What right do you outsider beggars have to occupy a place to rest? If you really want to occupy a place, go outside the city!"
They didn't want money, nor were they extorting anything. They simply looked down on Bai Lu and the others.
Bai Lu initially wanted to swallow his pride and leave, but most of the cultivators under the bridge were young and had never suffered such humiliation. They actually directly confronted this group of cultivators.
The result was simple.
Bai Lu and his group were all arrested, said to be taken to the disciplinary grounds for public judgment, to teach these outsider beggars a good lesson in manners.
It was estimated that Bai Lu would be bullied and tormented for a while.
Chen Xia, using his time manipulation technique to enhance his body, followed the trajectory of time and quickly rushed towards the disciplinary grounds.