Morning sunlight peeked through the clouds as a warm breeze swept across the deck of the Sacred Divine Ark. Tens of thousands of people stood in awe as they watched the darkness gradually give way to the sunrise.
For almost a week of sailing, this had become the daily routine of the people of Glory City. They would start the day by gathering on the spacious deck, together with their family members and friends, watching the sun rise before busying themselves with anything they could do to keep their minds occupied and distract themselves from thinking about the fate of their loved ones who had chosen to stay and defend their Home.
As time passed, they would gather again in the afternoon to watch the sun set, considering it the end of their day. Considering that there were only a handful of things a person could do while aboard the Sacred Divine Ark, sleeping early had become the norm for everyone.
Chen Wenrou, who was basked in the morning rays, let out a weary sigh. She looked into the far distance, her mind occupied by thoughts of her family.
Despite their journey going relatively smoothly, she couldn't bring herself to be happy.
Being away from her family felt like torture, one that had no right to be so painful.
"You okay there, Chen Wenrou?" Chen Wenrou was snapped from her reverie when a familiar voice reached her ears. Looking to her side, she saw Yang Xin giving her a worried look.
Sighing, Chen Wenrou shook her head as she forced a reassuring smile. "I'm doing fine, Yang Xin. I'm just lost in thought. Nothing to worry about."
Yang Xin returned the smile. She didn't need to ask twice to know that Chen Wenrou was, in fact, not fine. Though she kept silent about the topic, at this point, there were no words that could mend a mother's longing heart.
"I was told by Shu Mao that we're close to reaching our destination. She was asking if there's anything you want to do before we get there," Yang Xin informed her.
Hearing this, Chen Wenrou showed a thoughtful expression before closing her eyes and using her Soul Communication technique to speak with Shu Mao.
Yang Xin saw this and immediately recognized the action, remaining quiet on the side as she waited for Chen Wenrou to finish relaying her orders.
Time passed, and the morning breeze was replaced by warm air. One thing that made everyone realize they were no longer anywhere near Glory City was the fact that the atmosphere had stopped being chill, as Glory City was situated in a snowy mountain range.
Eventually, the entire ark let out a low rumbling sound as the Sacred Divine Ark's sailing speed gradually decreased. Seeing that they were about to arrive at their destination, people gathered on the deck to see in their own eyes the place they're going to call their new home.
The sight of it took their breath away. Their hearts pounded in their chests as looks of awe and amazement appeared on everyone's faces.
From their vantage point, one could see an enormous mountain covered in lush, colorful forests, towering waterfalls, vibrant rainbows, and beautiful mist, completing a picture of a dreamlike paradise. The sight caused everyone to gasp in awe.
"I-I can't believe it, we're actually here!" Yang Xin exclaimed in disbelief. Her eyes were glistening with childlike wonder and excitement as she drank in the sight of what many alchemy masters considered to be paradise.
"Mhm, I heard about this place from Xue Hui's stories. The image I had formed in my mind completely paled in comparison to the sight in front of us. This is not just a mountain; it's like it has its own world," Chen Wenrou said in amazement as she drank in the majestic sight before her.
Twice the size of Saint Ancestral Mountain, Heavenly Luster Mountain stood in the middle of a vast, open plain, with a vast ocean to the east. This picturesque mountain was undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking sights everyone had ever laid eyes on..
Finding themselves being targeted by powerful forces like the Demon Beast Clan and Demon God Sect, Xue Hui, Chen Zhenlong, and Ye Zong decided to move their place of residence to somewhere that offered more strategic advantage.
Unlike Saint Ancestral Mountain, where the entirety of Glory City was built within a vast crater at the very center of the mountain, easily turning it into a death trap whenever the demon beast horde attacked, Heavenly Luster Mountain could provide them with a vast view of the surrounding land.
Building Glory City on top of Heavenly Luster Mountain would give them more protection from demon beast hordes, as the mountain had proven to be inaccessible to larger beasts due to its unique mountainous terrain. This was also the reason why almost only smaller beasts reside in the mountains.
Not only that, Heavenly Luster Mountain itself was a place rich in resources, precious herbs, rare minerals, and hidden treasures.
These resources could be used to increase the overall strength of Glory City.
"I-Is that a giant sword?" Both Chen Wenrou and Yang Xin were snapped from their train of thought upon hearing the astonished voice of a man not far from them.
Curiosity washed over the two of them as they shifted their gazes toward where the man was pointing.
A look of shock appeared on their faces, their eyes widening and jaws dropping as sounds of astonishment escaped their lips. Through the morning mist, the sight of a gigantic sword gradually came into view.
"Behemoth Slayer Sword! T-That sword sheathed on the face of the mountain near the Wu Zhen Yi Ruins! H-How was that sword moved here!?" Chen Wenrou exclaimed in shock, recognizing its appearance from the drawing Xue Hui had made for Chen Linlin many years ago when they had returned from their journey.
"Mama! Look, our house is over there, next to Grandpa's favorite tree! Hihihi! Our house and Grandpa's tree got here before us!" Little Ki'er exclaimed in excitement, as she happily pointed to one of the mountain peaks.
"Heaven! Is that our home!? My beloved house, it's really here!" Choked with overwhelming emotion, the old lady shakily took a step as she approached the edge of the ark, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she saw that the house she and her late husband had built many years ago had survived the demon beast horde's attack.
Just like Little Ki'er and the old lady, everyone on the ark whose eyes had been captivated by the Behemoth Slayer Sword quickly shifted their gaze to the mountain peaks and began searching for their homes. Cries of joy filled the enormous ark as they realized that Glory City was still standing, waiting for them to return.
Chen Wenrou's eyes glistened with awe as she admired the new appearance of Glory City. Unlike before, when the entirety of the city was built in one place, the Glory City atop Heavenly Luster Mountain was divided into three sections, each occupying one of the mountain's three peaks. The entire thing looked more like a massive mountain fortress than a city.
Then suddenly, a single firework shot into the sky from one of the city's peaks. It whistled through the air before exploding into colorful bursts of light. This was followed by a few more, until the three city peaks erupted into a festive celebration as the sounds of bands playing entered everyone's ears!
Standing on the city walls, waving and jumping with joy, were the demon spiritualists and fighters of Glory City. They wore bright smiles on their faces as they welcomed the arrival of the Sacred Divine Ark.
"Husband!" Chen Wenrou choked out as she saw Chen Zhenlong flying toward her.
Unable to endure her longing any longer, Chen Wenrou kicked off the wooden floor and leapt into the air, letting gravity pull her down as she fell straight into her husband's embrace.
"Husband, I'm so happy you're safe," she cried with joy as a massive weight was lifted off her shoulders.
Chen Zhenlong let his wife pour out her emotions as he tightened his hold on her.
"Not only me, everyone is safe. Lin'er, Jian'er, Xiao Hui, Yin'er, and Father, we are all safe and waiting for you," he reassured her as his hand gently stroked her back, making Chen Wenrou let out a relieved breath, as she herself basked in Chen Zhenlong's warmth.
Not far from the two, the Sacred Divine Ark was being guided by Chen Fei, Ye Shuo, Ye Xiu, Huyan Xiong, and other Legend rank experts. They flew alongside the enormous ship, guiding it near one of the city's peaks and allowing the people to finally return to their homes.
Chen Wenrou saw this and raised an eyebrow as a question crossed her mind.
"How? How is the city here!?" she asked curiously, looking very confused.
Chen Zhenlong let go of her and reached out to hold her hand as the two of them descended.
"Simple answer. Xiao Hui did this."
"After we successfully helped Father break through to the Heavenly Fate Realm, Xiao Hui did something that caused most of the demon spiritualists and fighters with us to fall into a deep slumber, leaving only me, Ye Zong, Father, and Xiao Hui's friends awake. After that, he made the entire Glory City, along with the slumbering experts, disappear, saying that he had simply placed it somewhere safe. He then spent some time using his Origin of Devourer to absorb all the corpses of the demon beasts. After that, the others and I also fell asleep. When we woke up, we were already here, along with Glory City."
Chen Wenrou wore a perplexed look on her face, clearly confused by everything she had just heard.
Chen Zhenlong could only give her an awkward smile, as he himself was at a loss for what had happened.
Seeing this, Chen Wenrou let out a helpless sigh. She decided not to give too much thought to everything. Her husband was safe, her family was safe, and Glory City as a whole was also safe. The rest were just minor details.
The two eventually landed on the second peak, where their Divine Family Mansion was located. There were still a lot of things that needed to be done. The city walls needed to be repaired, and roads needed to be constructed and connected to the other mountain peaks, all to make Heavenly Luster Mountain their new home.
But for now, spending time with everyone would suffice.
Meanwhile.
Saint Ancestral Mountain Range.
Atop a cliff stood Ye Mo, his eyebrows tightly knitted as his hand stroked his long white beard. Confusion was etched across his aged face as he looked out over the vast, empty land.
"So this is what going senile truly means. I'm certain that Glory City should be located in this place, but the walls and the city itself are gone. Did I come to the wrong place or something?" Ye Mo pondered, looking somewhat at a loss.
He was very confused, so much so that he failed to notice a group of people approaching him.
"Ah-um! Excuse me, Senior. C-Can we interrupt you for a moment? We would like to ask for directions, if that's okay."
Ye Mo was snapped from his deep contemplation as the voice of a girl entered his ears. Turning toward its source, he saw hundreds of people gathered together, giving him curious looks.
They looked worn out and exhausted, proof that these people had traveled far and endured much.
Ye Mo was honestly surprised. While it was no longer unusual for him to encounter people here and there in the outside world, seeing this many people gathered in one place was still a shocking sight to him.
"Go on, little lass. I'll try my best to answer your question," Ye Mo replied in a friendly manner. speaking like a kind old grandpa, making the people lower their guard and become less wary of him.
"Uhm, greetings, Senior. My name is Yun Ling. We're the people of Heavenly Fate Plateau. We came at the invitation of Young Master Xue Hui and Lady Ye Ziyun to move to Glory City, but..." Yun Ling trailed off as her gaze awkwardly swept over the empty land. "...it's gone? We were just wondering if we've come to the wrong place or if something happened to Glory City. We... we, the people of Heavenly Fate Plateau, desperately need to find a safe place to settle down, so we beg Senior to help us locate Glory City, if that's okay?" Yun Ling asked in a pleading manner. It was clear from her tone that they desperately needed help.
"Ahh, so I'm not going senile. That was relieving to hear, hahaha," Ye Mo let out a hearty laugh, confusing everyone.
"Child, you're not in the wrong place. This is where my Glory City was supposed to be," Ye Mo said after composing himself. "But as you can see, they're all gone, including the city. My guess is that young Xue Hui did something and transferred the city somewhere else." Ye Mo theories.
If there was anyone capable of performing such a feat as moving an entire city, it would undoubtedly be Xue Hui, as the boy had proven to be quite crafty with his methods.
His words made Yun Ling and the people of Heavenly Fate Plateau grimace.
For months, they had traveled from their home to the Saint Ancestral Mountain in hopes of escaping the harsh living conditions of the Heavenly Fate Plateau.
This exhausted both their strength and resources. At this point, traveling back to Heavenly Fate Plateau would be virtually impossible for them, and even if they miraculously managed to return, Heavenly Fate Plateau was no longer safe to live in, as the huge plateau was beginning to show signs of collapsing.
"Child, you don't have to look that dejected. How about this? I'll join your group, and we can all search for the whereabouts of my Glory City," Ye Mo suggested.
His words immediately gave Yun Ling and the people of Heavenly Fate Plateau a renewed sense of hope, especially the elders, who could sense Ye Mo's overwhelming strength.
"Ah! If that were the case, we thank you, Senior, for your kindness," Yun Ling replied quickly, feeling extremely relieved.
Ye Mo nodded as he gazed at the empty land, a glint of curiosity flashing through his eyes. "Now the question is, where should we start searching for them?" Ye Mo pondered to himself.
End of Chapter 128.
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