A moment later, Ning Zhuo parted ways with Shen Xi and Su Lingkou outside the main hall.
Watching Ning Zhuo’s departing figure as he flew away, Su Lingkou stood beside her cousin and asked, perplexed, "Cousin, you are the genius and hope of our clan, and this time you’ve joined Myriad Images Sect with the aim of becoming a True Disciple."
"What does this person have to warrant you lowering yourself to befriend him?"
Shen Xi said, "Didn’t you see? Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo was accompanied by another Cultivator, and they came here together using the Transmission Array. And although that person concealed their aura, they inadvertently revealed some aura of a Confucian Cultivator, yet didn’t pay for the Transmission Array."
"This makes me think that Myriad Images Sect has this policy: if you possess the status of a True Disciple, returning to the mountain gate requires no payment."
Su Lingkou said, "I see."
"But, situations where no payment is required aren’t limited to just True Disciples, right?"
"Moreover, even if his companion is a True Disciple, their relationship might not be that close, right? Maybe they just happened to meet on the road."
"Cousin, think about it, if he truly had an elder in Myriad Images Sect, why would he need to purchase such expensive information?"
Shen Xi nodded, "You’re right, any of those possibilities could be true."
Su Lingkou, a faint trace of annoyance appearing on her face, said, "Ning Zhuo is somewhat ungrateful. You, cousin, took the initiative to invite him to jointly lease a Cave Mansion and travel together, yet he refused. If this were Nine Palace Immortal City, countless Cultivators would rush over in gratitude to you, cousin."
Shen Xi frowned slightly, turning serious: "Cousin, that kind of arrogance is unwarranted."
"My qualifications and strength may rank among the best in Nine Palace Immortal City, but this is Myriad Images Sect!"
"Every Feiyun Conference is a gathering of the wise and talented. Cultivators like me, or even stronger, come here to show their strongest posture to compete for high positions in Myriad Images Sect."
Su Lingkou stuck out her tongue, wrapped her arm around Shen Xi’s, and gently shook it, saying in an admiring tone, "Even so, I still believe you’re the most brilliant among those geniuses, cousin."
"You." Shen Xi shook his head slightly, sighed indulgently, and no longer reproached her.
He watched Ning Zhuo disappear into the clouds, his eyes flashing with a clear light: "Though Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo’s attire is simple, he has an air of his own, calmly and leisurely interacting with us."
"Even if he’s not from a super family, he’s surely not from a humble background."
Su Lingkou thought for a moment and did not refute this time: "Indeed, that’s true."
Ning Zhuo stepped on a cloud, slowly traveling high in the sky.
This Cloud Riding technique was something he created on the spot, inspired by the scene before him.
Clouds are closely linked to the Water Element, and with Ning Zhuo’s profound Five Elements Realm, achieving this was not challenging.
Initially, he moved slowly, focusing more on observing his surroundings.
Within the main gate of Myriad Images Sect, mountains soared, numerous entryways abounded, with countless people traveling through the clouds. It seemed chaotic, but hidden within were a well-established set of traffic rules.
With the Jade Slip’s contents in hand, Ning Zhuo quickly adapted.
At times, he branched off onto side paths alone; at other times, he joined the crowd on the main road.
Soon, he scattered the clouds and landed on the summit of a broken peak.
The mountaintop had been directly leveled into a flat ground, where a palace stood.
The palace, made of black stone, had Spiritual Patterns flowing faintly; a golden symbol sat over the entrance, dignified and majestic.
The palace was not large, incomparable to the commercial division halls just earlier, but it was crowded, with people constantly coming in and out of the palace entrance.
This was one of the sub-divisions of the Internal Affairs Hall.
Upon entering, Ning Zhuo was soon led out by a middle-aged Cultivator.
"Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, do you have a riding creature?" the middle-aged Cultivator asked upon reaching the cliff’s edge.
Ning Zhuo shook his head, executed a Finger Technique, and created a cloud of mist beneath his feet.
The middle-aged Cultivator directly opened his Beast Taming Bag and summoned a Four-Winged Flying Centipede, which had several rows of seats on its back.
He beckoned to Ning Zhuo, "Your cloud is slow, come and sit on my Flying Centipede."
Ning Zhuo cupped his hands, "Then thank you, senior."
The middle-aged Cultivator quickly said politely, "We’re both Foundation Establishment Cultivators; I’m no senior."
Ning Zhuo chose a seat and sat down. The middle-aged Cultivator stomped once, and the Flying Centipede spread its wings and soared, indeed very fast.
The middle-aged Cultivator stomped again, activating Array Patterns on the seats, forming a Light Shield that blocked the mountain wind and clouds coming at them.
He explained, "Each year before the Feiyun Conference, the main gate swells with numerous Cultivators, all coming to rent Cave Mansions."
"During this time, I’ve been so busy I’ve gotten dizzy, yet the tasks just keep piling up."
"So, we need to save travel time as much as possible."
"If Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo sees any place he likes, rent it quickly. It’s very likely that if you wait a moment longer, someone else will have taken it. Not everyone conducts on-site inspections; some make decisions just by browsing Jade Slips in the halls."
Ning Zhuo quickly thanked the other for the advice and handed over ten Mid Grade Spirit Stones.
The middle-aged Cultivator immediately became more enthusiastic, his smile much more genuine than before.
Shortly after, the Flying Centipede landed, and the two arrived at the first Cave Mansion.
"This is Spirit Wind Slope, with a total of eight Cave Mansions. What we’re seeing now is the most luxurious among them."
The middle-aged Cultivator pointed at the highest cave and then shook a Token to open the entrance Prohibition.
The entrance was quite open, unobstructed, as sunlight poured in abundantly, illuminating the interior stone walls to a jade-like warmth.
The two entered the cave.
The interior was rather dry and clean, complete with stone tables and stools, and several shallow natural stone niches on the walls for placing books and items.