Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 670 - 670 669 The Lonely Traveler

670: Chapter 669: The Lonely Traveler 670: Chapter 669: The Lonely Traveler After sorting out some trivial matters in Pingliang State, there actually wasn’t anything troublesome.

Li Shipeng was still ardently grinding his sword.

There was no need for him to worry about the Ancient Langzhong Sect.

The general trend was unchangeable, inevitable.

One day, after having breakfast in the city, he strolled out with a premonition; the time had come.

Soaring in the sky, he glanced at Zhongqing City awakening in the early morning.

With a slight smile, he felt a sense of accomplishment in this place and thought he should be content.

Ascending to thousands of feet in the sky, the State below was clearly visible.

Without hesitation, he flew southward using Sword Control, commencing his rare vacation.

Less than five years remained until the next Quanzhen year gathering.

Since leaving the Yuqing circle, he had served in the Northwest’s Kneecap Desert and Pingliang State for several years.

Time had silently flowed by, and before he realized it, the next gathering was drawing nearer.

Time waits for no one.

This so-called vacation of his wasn’t exactly a holiday.

For cultivators, there was no such thing as rest.

Like rowing against the current, progress was necessary to avoid regression.

He had two main destinations: the winged people’s tribe in the Yaoguang Mountain Range and the newly established Mirage City in the Northwest, which were the locations of the Earth and Water Spirit Pearls.

The effects of the Five Elements Mysterious Light greatly satisfied him, naturally leading him to deepen his understanding.

The best way to achieve this was through further in-depth contact with the Spirit Pearls.

His previous efforts were somewhat superficial.

Now, with a clear direction, he believed he could enhance the power of the Earth and Water Mysterious Light, which was essentially deepening the foundation of his primary Cultivation Technique.

As for visiting Bai Qingqian in Mirage City, that was also one of his objectives.

Many years had passed, and he missed her deeply; thus, he decided to bring her along on his journey to revisit the places where he had battled.

Travel, after all, should be accompanied by the company of a woman to lift the spirits and add pleasure.

This expedition was rare in its lack of pressing duties, relatively relaxed, making it the perfect time to travel together.

There was another deep stratagem at play.

What were Tang Yan’s methods like?

Could he be unscrupulous?

What if he learned of his woman and made a move in secret?

Bai Qingqian’s existence wasn’t hard to investigate; the incident back in Mirage City had caused quite a stir…

He had to be cautious, which was also a part of cultivation.

To keep her by his side, to strut openly…

Then wait for Tang Jindan to come knocking, to continue their past engagement?

Ten-odd days later, the salty smell in the air became stronger.

Twenty years on, he returned to the place where his dreams began, feeling good about it.

………

Mirage City seemed to be engulfed by a sea of joy; the centennial Sea God Festival had already begun three days earlier.

And this was just the start.

As the most significant festival in the Northwest coastal area, the Sea God Festival typically lasted for ten days.

The festival period was packed with various activities: parades, school holidays, discounts in shops, advantageous offers in restaurants, celebrations for both cultivators and mortals alike.

The origins of the Sea God Festival come from an ancient legend, predating the restoration of spiritual qi on the Continent, boasting a history of at least a few thousand years.

Legend has it that the southwest coast was not as calm as it is today.

The climate was harsh, with strong winds and fierce waves.

But then one day, a mysterious light appeared over the sea, bright as day for several days straight, as if a Heavenly Immortal descended to Earth or a great power ascended to heaven.

From that day onward, the climate and sea conditions of the Lizhi Sea began to change, becoming more suitable for human habitation, leading to the emergence of Mirage City.

From a tiny fishing village, it evolved into a famous coastal stronghold known far and wide.

Why is it celebrated every hundred years?

Most human festivals are annual or occur every few years.

More infrequent celebrations are typically related to cultivators and have little to do with ordinary mortals; this is the norm.

However, the Sea God Festival is different.

That inexplicable mysterious light appears every hundred years and lasts for about ten days, making this time a holiday for all coastal cities, unmatched by any other festival.

Some scholars with profound knowledge have analyzed that this phenomenon might be an aurora, a natural event occurring due to the interplay of celestial bodies and the unique marine environment.

But over thousands of years, the Sea God Festival has taken root in everyone’s heart, and no scholarly explanation can reverse it now.

It embodies humanity’s longing for a better life; for those who rely on the sea, it is a solace for the soul, irrelevant of cultivation or mortality.

For cultivators, this ten-day phenomenon of auroras does have an impact, and not a beneficial one.

The biggest hindrance is that during this period, a cultivator’s Divine Sense is greatly interfered with at sea – an area usually covered by tens of miles might now only extend a few miles.

With this in mind, cultivators prefer to not venture out to sea easily, opting instead to close off their islands or return to the city to celebrate.

For cultivators of the Lizhi Sea, life is a daily routine where relaxation is welcomed; it’s a time to meet friends, communicate, and resolve issues that couldn’t be settled at sea over the years.

All these reasons combined create the bustling, shoulder-to-shoulder spectacle of the Sea God Festival.

Initially, it was a simple celebration.

But with each successive occurrence, more and more entertainment elements were added, covering all walks of life: discounted shops, poetic meetings for students, sea rituals for shipbuilders, parades from brothels, and so forth.

Everyone played their own games; it was very lively.

Cultivators, of course, did not have such idle time, but given the rare opportunity to gather once in a hundred years, it indeed presented a valuable chance.

The Liang State’s Jiedu Mansion would often take the lead in organizing, providing an environment for mutual exchange.

For instance, right now, in the vast gardens of Jiedu Mansion in Mirage City, such a grand meeting was taking place.

It could be called a Dharma assembly, a trade fair, or a tea party; there was no set program, with various elements intermingled.

Usually, not so many people would attend private gatherings, but now everyone had arrived.

Not only did it include the biggest names of the city, reclusive experts, passing traveler cultivators, but also overseas island masters and even formidable pirates donning new faces, mingling harmoniously.

With a scale of several hundred to a thousand people, they came and went.

Among them was a God Sensing Realm female cultivator, her face veiled, her figure graceful and charming.

Each frown and smile provoked lingering thoughts.

Although her features were somewhat indistinct, there was no mistaking her for a peerless beauty.

Time, particularly kind to female cultivators, passed.

Ordinary mortals have but fleeting youth, but cultivation is the best upkeep for women, making life more flavorful the longer they live.

When beauty combines with the settling of time, it often brews even more exquisite wine, causing longing at just a distant glance.

Amongst her, there were also some ladies from various factions.

When it comes to the ratio of men and women entering cultivation, the numbers are quite similar.

But considering the harsher living conditions faced by male cultivators, at such a universally festive event, there were surprisingly more female cultivators.

Even so, among the throng of flowers, this woman’s unparalleled elegance could not be concealed.