Chapter 232: Cloud-Riding Immortal Physique! Tianhai Pass! Deserted Wastelands and Rocky Plains!

Blackie was a rare and exceptional donkey; it was powerful, enduring, and even better than most prized horses. Riding him was a top-tier experience: smooth, stable, and comfortable.

The only downside? He was an open-air ride, exposed to the wind from all directions.

Especially now, since Li Yanchu was headed beyond the pass, where the climate was harsh and frigid.

Mount Hengduan was known for its treacherous terrain, which even birds found it hard to cross. So, he chose not to bring Blackie along.

After leaving Wei City, he found a quiet, deserted spot. There, he directly summoned clouds under his feet and soared upward, heading straight for Tianhai Pass.

He had the Cloud-Riding Immortal Physique; this was a celestial gift he had obtained by consuming a Golden Pill. The distance from Wei City in Beifeng Prefecture to Tianhai Pass was over twenty thousand li.

Li Yanchu rose onto the clouds, activating his Cloud-Stepping ability, and sped toward Tianhai Pass.

The enemy had captured Hongtu ten days ago. He needed to get beyond the border quickly and catch up.

Li Yanchu calculated that with Cloud-Stepping, he could travel a thousand li per day.

Each day, Li Yanchu traveled onward, and during his rest periods, he would meditate on the Yin-Yang Diagram Visualization Method from Mount Longhu.

This technique was truly extraordinary, and among the Four Great Celestial Masters, only one had ever studied it.

Li Yanchu could feel that with every session, his primordial spirit became significantly more refined.

In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed. He had finally arrived at Tianhai Pass.

This mighty stronghold of the Kingdom of Qian was incredibly grand, like a natural chasm guarding the frontier.

Construction had begun during the Great Xia Dynasty, and through generations of emperors who constantly reinforced it, it had become the imposing fortress it was today.

Beyond Tianhai Pass lay a bitter and frigid land. There were deserts, rocky plains, icy mountains, and snowy tundras, all surrounded by towering ranges. The largest of these ranges was Mount Hengduan.

Within Hengduan lived many barbarian tribes, who frequently traded with the Central Plains, exchanging goods and resources.

As a result, Tianhai Pass was filled with merchant caravans. Some were from the Central Plains, while others from tribal settlements.

These tribes were different from the nomadic Hu tribe of the steppe. They didn’t possess overwhelming military power, so the northeastern frontier had remained relatively peaceful for many years.

That peace, in turn, allowed trade to flourish.

Li Yanchu didn’t cross Tianhai Pass directly; instead, he entered the city. There were two reasons: first, to gather intelligence; second, to purchase supplies.

Beyond the pass, the climate was harsh and unpredictable; at times clear skies stretched endlessly, and at other times one could encounter tornadoes or sandstorms in the desert.

Sandstorms especially carried the awesome force of nature, capable of reshaping entire landscapes.

However, the deserts beyond Tianhai Pass weren’t vast. Most of the terrain was made up of mountains and grasslands, unlike the endless deserts of the northwest Gobi.

The soldiers guarding the gate noticed a handsome young Daoist Master, wearing a long sword of elegant, ancient design.

They couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times.

His Jiaoslayer had a refined, archaic appearance. Its saber was straight and narrow, resembling a Tang saber, so it was often mistaken for a sword.

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Li Yanchu stepped into this border fortress city and saw people in a wide array of clothing styles, and travelers and traders from both north and south.

All of them were merchants conducting trade across the pass.

Jingle, jingle...

He suddenly heard the pleasant ringing of camel bells, and he turned his head to look.

It was a trade caravan, loaded with goods. Leading them was a Hu man with sharp eyes and a curved saber hanging from his waist. He looked fierce.

He exchanged a glance with Li Yanchu, then led the camel team away. They were headed beyond the frontier to Mount Hengduan, to trade with the barbarian tribes there.

Li Yanchu frowned slightly, not because there was anything wrong with the leader himself. But because there was a faint aura of yin qi around him, as if he had come into contact with something unclean.

The scent was very faint. Li Yanchu looked at his departing figure, then turned and left.

He was heading toward an inn, as inns gathered all kinds of people from all walks of life, making them ideal for gathering information.

At first, he was only traveling along the road, but later, whenever he passed through a major city or a checkpoint, he would stop to investigate the whereabouts of that mysterious Shamanist group.

But he had found nothing so far.

He came to an inn named Tongfu, paused for a moment to glance at the signboard, and then stepped inside.

Tongfu, Yuelai, Youjian...

These seemed to be very popular names for inns. He wondered why innkeepers all seemed to come up with the same names.

As usual, Li Yanchu inquired about Bai Hongtu. He thought it would be another dead end.

But the young servant suddenly said, “I think I’ve seen the young master you’re talking about.”

Li Yanchu’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

The servant looked troubled and thought for a moment. “It’s just that it was quite a while ago, so I can’t remember clearly.”

Li Yanchu took out a silver ingot and waved it in front of him. It was a full five taels.

The servant broke into a smile. “Ah yes, I remember now. That young master came to our inn three days ago. He was accompanied by a big, burly man. The man was so huge that he was scary and more ferocious than a bear from the mountains.”

In truth, although the servant had grown up near the borderlands, he had never actually seen a bear.

Li Yanchu asked, “Was there anyone else?”

The servant thought for a moment. “They came in a carriage and wouldn’t let anyone get close. There was also an old man with them, his eyes made you feel uneasy just by looking at them.”

Li Yanchu nodded. It seemed the servant wasn’t lying.

The servant continued, “They didn’t stay long before they left, looked like they were heading out beyond the border. I’ve had a good memory since I was young, and those people looked strange, so they stuck in my mind.”

Li Yanchu handed him the silver. “What was the young master’s mental state like?”

The servant was momentarily stunned. “His eyes looked kind of dull... other than that, there wasn’t anything unusual.”

Li Yanchu nodded. Hongtu was likely under some kind of mind-control spell. The Shamanist Sect was skilled in spirit-summoning and had deep knowledge of the primordial spirit.

After the servant left, a thoughtful look appeared in Li Yanchu’s eyes.

“It seems this group really is after the Heavenly Palace of Myriad Phenomena. If one were searching for it, it’s highly likely they’d encounter them.”

However, Li Yanchu frowned slightly.

“From Wei City to Tianhai Pass, they didn’t leave a single trace. So why did they suddenly reveal themselves here? Could it be they’re meeting someone? Or did they deliberately leave clues?”

He speculated.

But he quickly dismissed the idea that they had left traces on purpose. This Shamanist group operated in secrecy and possessed formidable power.

Hongtu’s Flying Sword Technique and Xu Lingsu’s Painting Dao were both difficult to deal with, yet even with such talents, and a martial arts master among them, the group still ended up with one dead, one wounded, and one captured.

And the Shamanists still had the strength to chase Xu Lingsu for days. They clearly weren’t worried about being tracked, so leaving traces intentionally made no sense.

Recalling that the mysterious black-robed figure Xu Lingsu described wasn’t present, Li Yanchu guessed the group might have entered the city to meet someone.

After pondering briefly, he began inquiring about the

Heavenly Palace of Myriad Phenomena

.

But whether locals or passing traders, everyone avoided the topic like the plague. It wasn’t that they didn’t know, they either didn’t dare speak or refused to.

Even when Li Yanchu offered money, it was no use. He didn’t push it. He had only intended to ask around anyway.

After all, what ordinary people knew was likely just legends.