Chapter 131: White Cloud Palace

Cloud City, the capital of Yun Province, is located in the central region of the province. It sits upon a vast plain, bordered by mountain ranges to the west and a great river to the east, which flows southeast along the flat terrain until it reaches the sea.

Fang Yue departed from Longchong Prefecture, traveled by horse to Balin County under the jurisdiction of Tianbao Prefecture, and then boarded a seagoing vessel to return to Baiquan Prefecture. From there, he switched to a riverboat, traveling northwest along the Baiyun River. A few days later, he arrived in Cloud City.

"It truly lives up to its reputation as the heart of the province," Fang Yue remarked to himself as he walked through the bustling streets, observing the throngs of people.

As the capital and largest city in Yun Province, it boasted a population approaching one million. The streets were lined with numerous shops, teeming with carts and carriages in a display of great prosperity. In the southern part of the city, a tributary of the Baiyun River flowed through, crowded with an endless stream of passenger and cargo boats. What caught Fang Yue's attention most were the Xiantian masters and Foundation Establishment cultivators—figures rarely seen elsewhere—whom he had already encountered twice during his short walk.

"The White Cloud Palace is not in the city, but on a mountain outside," Fang Yue mused. "I know the general direction, but it won't be easy to find on my own. I should find someone to guide me."

Just then, he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd: a young man wearing Daoist robes, his hair styled in a topknot, a precious sword on his back, and a purple jade gourd hanging from his waist.

"Isn't that the young Foundation Establishment Daoist I met in the wilderness that day?"

Back then, Fang Yue had been on his way to Longchong Prefecture when he encountered a pair of siblings running an inn of horrors at the border of two prefectures. Just as he was about to intervene, this Daoist had suddenly appeared and taken the lead. At that time, Fang Yue had only been at the peak of the Houtian realm and felt slightly inferior to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Being in a desolate, uninhabited area, he had remained cautious and did not converse much with the man. Now that he had reached the Xiantian realm and was within the city walls, he felt far less restrained.

...

"Daoist Li, I trust you have been well?" Fang Yue called out to Li Tianmu on the street.

Li Tianmu turned, recognized Fang Yue quickly, and said, "Oh, it is Young Master Fang. You have come to Cloud City as well?"

Fang Yue replied, "I was hoping to join the White Cloud Palace, and as luck would have it, I ran into you. Are you a local of Cloud City?"

Hearing that Fang Yue intended to join the White Cloud Palace, Li Tianmu took a closer look. He noticed that the young man in the scholar's robe no longer emitted any martial aura at all; even his vital energy seemed entirely ordinary. He looked like an average person, not a Xiantian master capable of joining the Palace.

Li Tianmu felt a shiver of apprehension. When he had first met this scholar, although he couldn't discern his cultivation level, he could at least sense a vigorous life force. Now, just a month later, having made some progress in his own cultivation, he found that not only could he not read the scholar's level, but he could no longer sense his vitality at all.

Either the other man’s cultivation was far beyond his own, or he had mastered some technique to conceal his aura. That his cultivation could surpass his own seemed impossible to Li Tianmu, who was confident in his own talent; the man was younger than him, after all. Therefore, it must be a concealment technique, yet even so, to hide his cultivation so thoroughly was incredibly impressive.

Li Tianmu replied, "I am not a local. I have come to the White Cloud Palace on business."

Fang Yue laughed. "What a coincidence. I only know the general direction of the Palace and was looking for a guide. Since you are headed there, would you mind showing me the way?"

It was a minor request, and since Li Tianmu was indeed heading to the Palace, he agreed without hesitation.

...

The White Cloud Palace stood atop a large mountain not far from the city. The two moved quickly; once outside the city, one using qinggong and the other using magic, they soon reached the foot of the mountain.

Fang Yue looked up to see a massive palace complex perched on the summit, wreathed in clouds and mist, possessing an imposing grandeur. "To build such a magnificent palace on a mountaintop—I can only imagine the labor and resources it took," Fang Yue marveled.

Li Tianmu explained, "The White Cloud Palace was built by Yellow Turban Warriors acting as laborers, so it didn't require much human effort. By the way, the entire mountain is covered by a formation. From the foot to the summit, one must walk; the use of magic or martial arts is prohibited."

Fang Yue nodded. He had heard of this rule from Qiu Shiyan. When he had asked her how much she knew about the Palace, she had repeated the stories and rules her father had once told her.

As they slowly ascended, they encountered other Xiantian masters and Foundation Establishment cultivators on the path twice. One of them was an acquaintance of Li Tianmu, with whom he exchanged a few words. Upon reaching the summit, they heard that Fang Yue was there to join the Palace, and a guide was promptly sent to receive him.

"Daoist Li, I must go handle the paperwork. I'll see you later—let's get a drink."

"Certainly, I have some supplies to collect over there anyway."

...

Fang Yue followed a servant of the White Cloud Palace to a side hall.

"Young Master, please wait a moment. The Elder will be with you shortly," the servant said respectfully.

Everyone who came to join the White Cloud Palace was at least a Xiantian master or a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Such individuals were not people a mere servant could afford to offend. Once outside the city, Fang Yue had stopped hiding his cultivation, and his aura was clearly that of a Xiantian martial artist.

Fang Yue waited in the side hall for a while before an elderly cultivator with gray hair walked in. The old man looked decrepit, like a candle flickering in the wind, but his aura was profound and inscrutable, making Fang Yue dare not show the slightest disrespect.

"Fang Yue pays his respects to the Senior," Fang Yue said, bowing formally.

The old man sat down at a desk, flanked by two graceful maidens in white. One held a register, and the other carried a purple jade gourd.

"Your name?"

"Fang Yue. 'Fang' as in 'square,' and 'Yue' as in 'a carp leaping over the dragon gate.'"

"Age?"

"Twenty-one."

"Realm?"

"Xiantian Initial Stage."

"Origin?"

"Ban Shan County, Baiquan Prefecture."

The old man sat at the desk, using a brush to record the details in the register.

"Release your Xiantian true energy," the old man commanded.

Fang Yue complied. A gust of wind seemed to sweep through the side hall, causing the white robes of the two maidens to flutter. Only the old man’s clothing and the register on the desk remained perfectly still.

"No taint of resentment or malice; this is not a crooked path. Very well. Deng Jian, give him the purple jade gourd. Also, inform him of our rules and the necessary common knowledge."

With that, the old man stood up, tucked away the register, and walked out.

"Yes," the maid named Deng Jian replied. She walked over to Fang Yue, holding the purple jade gourd.

"Young Master Fang, this purple jade gourd is used to contain the resentment and malice of heaven and earth. Please keep it safe. I will now explain some necessary common knowledge to you; if you have any questions, you may ask me afterward," the white-clad maiden said with a smile.

Fang Yue took the gourd, stunned. Although Li Tianmu had told him the process was simple, he hadn't expected it to be quite this easy.