Chapter 237: Cloud Whale
White clouds surged like ocean waves, and a cloud whale slowly appeared on the horizon.
Its body was enormous, almost occupying half of the sky. The giant figure cast a faint shadow over the mountains below, under the blue sky.
As the cloud whale continued to approach, the huge shadow on the ground gradually covered the foot of Mount Huoshi.
"Look! What is that?" The citizens of Huoshi Immortal City pointed at the sky, exclaiming in surprise at their discovery.
"Such a massive demon beast, with the aura of a Nascent Soul stage! Run, a Nascent Soul-level great demon is attacking the city!"
However, before panic could spread, Fei Si's voice rang throughout the city.
He informed the citizens that there was no need to worry; the approaching creature was not a demon beast, but a transport vehicle from the Flying Cloud Country merchants, a cloud whale.
Upon hearing this, the citizens began discussing excitedly.
The panic quickly dissipated, replaced by excitement and curiosity.
Everyone knew about the Cloud Merchants. The merchant caravans of the Flying Cloud Country often traveled across the world, with footprints throughout the entire cultivation realm, making them quite famous.
The reputation of the Flying Cloud Country's merchant caravans was also very high, earning the trust of the masses.
"But using a cloud whale as a transport vehicle is something I've never seen before. Clearly, this is a large-scale merchant caravan."
"Is that really a cloud whale? It's massive, truly awe-inspiring."
Many cultivators used their own techniques, looking up to the sky and observing the cloud whale carefully.
The head of the cloud whale was round and broad, with its enormous forehead seemingly capable of encompassing the entire sky.
It had a pair of large eyes, as blue and sparkling as gems, as large as small lakes, exuding tranquility and wisdom.
The whale's side fins were like giant white feathers, and with each gentle movement, they stirred up a soft breeze, causing the surrounding clouds to swirl into vortexes.
Its tail fin was extremely wide and powerful. Every gentle flick seemed capable of moving the entire sky.
The cloud whale glided through the sky, its speed alternating between slow and fast. Natural clouds seemed to be summoned toward it, forming magnificent streams of clouds.
The whale's enormous body moved leisurely through the cloud streams, as if it were the guardian of this land, serene and composed.
Although the cloud whale’s life force was of Nascent Soul-level, it did not give off any sense of oppression; instead, watching it brought a sense of calm to the onlookers.
Suddenly, the cloud whale let out a deep and resonant cry. The sound seemed to come from the depths of the sky, piercing through the clouds, carrying a primitive and pure power that reached deep into people’s hearts.
At the moment the whale cried, the entire sea of clouds fell silent, and countless citizens of Huoshi Immortal City stood still, listening intently to this heavenly sound.
The cloud whale silently glided across the sky, gradually approaching Huoshi Immortal City.
Sunlight poured down, filtering through its body, transforming into a soft glow, as if the blazing sun had also become gentler because of it.
The citizens of Huoshi Immortal City almost all raised their heads, gazing at the cloud whale.
Every movement of the whale’s fins and tail was so graceful and composed, full of natural rhythm, as though it had merged with the sky.
It truly was a spectacular sight!
Finally, the cloud whale slowly came to a stop, hovering high in the sky, maintaining a safe distance from Huoshi Immortal City.
Although the Cloud Merchants had a globally trusted reputation, the fact remained that this cloud whale was a Nascent Soul-level creature, so there was still some caution, and it consciously stopped in the air.
After a short while, a group of people emerged from the cloud whale's body, slowly flying toward Huoshi Immortal City.
Within the city, Fei Si flew up to meet this group.
Under the watchful eyes of the public, the two sides met in midair.
Fei Si was not surprised, as the Cloud Merchants' invitation letter had been submitted over ten days ago.
After receiving approval from Meng Kui, Fei Si allowed the Cloud Merchants to come to Huoshi Immortal City for business.
"Lord Fei Si, I am Song Fuli. It is truly an honor to do business in Huoshi Immortal City!"
Fei Si nodded and smiled, carefully examining the Golden Core cultivator before him.
Song Fuli was a middle-aged man with ordinary features, a broad nose, and a pair of tiger-like eyes that shone brightly. He gave the impression not of a merchant, but of a valiant general from the battlefield.
After greeting each other, Fei Si requested to inspect Song Fuli's Cloud Merchant identification token and the documents issued by the Flying Cloud Country.
Fei Si carefully checked the identification token, then unfolded the documents to see if they bore the official seals of the Flying Cloud Country and Southern Dou Country.
Once everything was confirmed to be in order, he returned the token and documents to Song Fuli.
"Mr. Song, this way, please." Fei Si led Song Fuli back to Huoshi Immortal City.
Song Fuli, along with a few companions, followed Fei Si into the city, while the other half of his team stayed behind to signal more people to emerge from the cloud whale.
A large group of cloud beasts, in various shapes and forms—cloud horses, cloud oxen, and others—began towing countless cargo crates in a long snake-like formation, slowly flying toward Huoshi Immortal City.
The citizens grew even more excited, with some even cheering aloud.
They murmured among themselves.
"No wonder the area west of the city was cleared out early."
"It seems the City Lord's Mansion made arrangements in advance. That area was set aside for the Cloud Merchants to set up their shops."
"I’ve never seen such a massive merchant caravan. I wonder what kind of exotic goods they’ve brought. I’m really looking forward to it."
Huoshi Immortal City became lively.
At Ning Zhuo’s residence.
The sixteen-year-old young cultivator stood by the window, looking at a corner of the sky through the window.
"Flying Cloud Country's merchant caravan, huh?"
Ning Zhuo also showed a hint of anticipation.
In fact, he had always had a favorable impression of the Flying Cloud Country, as his mother had come from there.
Song Fuli and Fei Si traveled together.
During their descent, Song Fuli glanced down at Huoshi Immortal City and saw a scar—ruins left from the previous Golden Core battle.
Song Fuli showed a trace of concern. "I wonder what your City Lord thinks about the recent Golden Core battle?"
Fei Si quickly reassured him. "It’s just that Lord Meng Kui didn’t intervene. The battle didn’t reach the point where he needed to take action! Your merchant caravan can rest assured, everything is under the control of the City Lord's Mansion."
Song Fuli sighed lightly. "Huoshi Immortal City was built not long ago, a brand-new city. Because of the Lava Immortal Palace’s existence, the city's protective formation wasn’t completely laid out."
"The emergence of the Lava Immortal Palace might actually be a good thing. It could be the opportunity to reestablish the city’s formation."
"But before that, I hope the merchant caravans entering the city have the means to protect themselves."
Fei Si nodded slightly and glanced at the cultivators behind Song Fuli.
These cultivators all had an air of ferocity. Some had scars on their faces, and others had cold gazes, clearly seasoned fighters.
Cloud Merchants, who traveled the world doing business, naturally had strong military power to back them up.
The Nascent Soul-level cloud whale was one layer of protection, and these guards and cultivators were the second layer.
Fei Si pondered and said, "As long as your merchant caravan adheres to the standards we agreed upon, carrying equipment that meets or is below the standard, we have no objections."
Song Fuli smiled. "That’s good."
He needed to do business and make money here, while the City Lord's Mansion, represented by Fei Si, needed to satisfy the demands of the large number of visiting cultivators.
Huoshi Immortal City’s resources were not sufficient to meet the needs of the many incoming cultivators.
After all, Huoshi Immortal City was still a new city and had never accommodated so many outsiders before.
In the past, Huoshi Immortal City could be self-sufficient, but now the overwhelming demand caused businesses throughout the city to thrive, yet they still struggled to meet the buyers’ needs.
This situation led to a series of security issues, increasingly affecting the City Lord's Mansion's stable control over Huoshi Immortal City.
The Cloud Merchants made money, the vast number of cultivators obtained a large supply of materials, and the City Lord's Mansion maintained security and earned a significant amount in taxes.
It was a win-win situation for everyone.
Thus, the Cloud Merchants were warmly welcomed as soon as they arrived.
They quickly set up a large number of shops, tents, and even built tall buildings on the vacant land in the western part of the city.
From the very first day of business, the Cloud Merchants’ goods sold out completely!
On the second day, Ning Zhuo donned an ordinary mask artifact, slightly altering his appearance, and left his residence to visit the Cloud Merchants' shops in the west of the city.
In just one day, the western part of the city had undergone a significant transformation.
Numerous large and small shops had sprung up, all bearing the characteristics of the Flying Cloud Country. These buildings, mostly white, grey-white, and mottled white, were generally tall and slender, as
if reaching for the heavens.
In comparison, the buildings of Huoshi Immortal City were constructed to be broad and thick, giving off a sense of sturdiness.
The thicker the buildings, the better they could insulate against the heat.
The temperature around Mount Huoshi remained relatively high.
On the other hand, Flying Cloud Country had a more moderate climate, though it experienced frequent rains and thunderstorms.
The taller the buildings, the more they could accumulate rainwater and harness lightning and wind.
Ning Zhuo walked among these shops, taking in the exotic atmosphere of the Flying Cloud Country.
People bustled around him, and his ears were filled with the constant clamor of voices, from haggling to laughter.
The entire Huoshi Immortal City had entered a festive, celebratory mood due to the arrival of the Cloud Merchants.
Ning Zhuo chose to enter a material shop.
He needed to purchase some clouds to use as materials to refine back into the Floating Cloud Scarf.
The clouds generated by the Floating Cloud Scarf were not merely formed through mana. Every time they were used, they also consumed the cloud threads stored within the scarf.
Inside the material shop, business was bustling, with many people purchasing these basic materials.
After asking about the price, Ning Zhuo bought some clouds, as well as some cloud threads.
Clouds were considered raw materials, while the cloud threads had undergone some processing, making them more expensive than the raw clouds.
(End of Chapter)