Chapter 408: The Only High-Grade Harmony Cloud

"Damn."

Were Harmony Clouds really that rare? So much for his dream of flying through the sky.

What a depressing reality check.

"Stonehaven, since you’re Liam Windrunner’s guest, the Harmony Peak Sect can’t exactly be stingy. I happen to have a high-grade Harmony Cloud here. You can take it."

Just as Marcus was wallowing in disappointment, Iris stepped forward from the drifting mist. Her long robes fluttered lightly around her, making her seem almost one with the clouds themselves. In her pale hand rested a small white cloud no bigger than a palm.

Just like Shadow Panther had said, she was actually giving him a high-grade Harmony Cloud.

"Seriously? Thank you!"

Marcus nearly snatched it from her in excitement before catching himself and taking it properly. The moment it landed in his hand, he checked the stats immediately.

—

Harmony Cloud: Ghost Artifact. Requirement: None. A flying artifact crafted by the Harmony Peak Sect using Twin energy and the black-and-white clouds of Harmony Peak.

Effect: Speak the command word to ride the Harmony Cloud and soar through the sky. Increases flight speed by 20%. This high-grade Harmony Cloud can be used anywhere with sufficient Twin energy. In areas lacking Twin energy, it may be used for one hour per day. Maximum flight altitude: 500 meters above ground. Capacity: 3 people. Minimum lifespan: 5 years.

—

"Holy hell..."

Marcus stared at the description in disbelief.

The thing could carry three people at once. And those stats were absurd.

He had already seen Shadow Panther’s low-grade Harmony Cloud earlier, but compared to the one in his hands now, the difference was ridiculous. The low-grade version looked like a cheap knockoff beside this thing.

His luck today had gone completely insane.

"Thank you, Miss Iris."

Marcus said it again, this time with genuine sincerity. She had been unbelievably generous, and the more he looked at her, the more he felt she really was something special.

Still, admiration could wait.

Right now, all Marcus wanted to do was fly.

He immediately turned toward Shadow Panther with the excitement of a kid who’d just gotten the world’s greatest toy.

"Shadow Panther, come on. Let’s go test this thing out."

Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the man by the arm and headed for the exit.

"Junior Apprentice Sister Iris, we’re going to take a quick look around."

Shadow Panther gave Iris an awkward nod before being dragged away.

Outside the wooden hall, Marcus could barely contain himself anymore. Flying through the sky like some immortal cultivator. It was finally happening.

"Ready?" he asked impatiently.

"Ready."

The Shadow Panther spoke a command word, and a black Harmony Cloud instantly formed beneath his feet, lifting him smoothly into the air.

Marcus blinked.

"That fast?"

He immediately recited the command word for his own artifact.

Whoosh.

The white cloud in his hand suddenly expanded into rolling mist, gathering beneath his feet in a swirl of glowing vapor before lifting him upward with effortless ease.

Marcus’s eyes widened.

"Go!"

The moment he gave the command, the Harmony Cloud shot forward so quickly it caught up to Shadow Panther almost instantly, the two of them flying side by side through the sky.

"This is insane!"

The wind whipped through Marcus’s hair as excitement surged through his entire body. He felt untouchable. Like a god soaring above the world.

He even started striking poses while recording videos of himself midair.

Compared to Shadow Panther’s cloud, the difference was obvious at a glance. Marcus’s high-grade cloud was larger, thicker, and flawlessly white, glowing faintly with a soft mist-like radiance. Riding it genuinely made him feel like some immortal descending from heaven.

He could already imagine showing this off later.

Even Shadow Panther looked jealous.

"Stonehaven, your luck is unbelievable. Junior Apprentice Sister Iris hates people with dark attributes or demonic energy, but because of Liam Windrunner, she still gave you a high-grade Harmony Cloud."

Then his gaze suddenly locked onto a marking near the edge of Marcus’s cloud.

His expression changed instantly.

"Wait... Stonehaven, do you even know what this cloud is?"

Marcus looked over. "What?"

Shadow Panther stared at the cloud in disbelief.

"This high-grade Harmony Cloud was the very first one Iris ever crafted under Elder Mist’s guidance. And as far as I know, it’s also the only high-grade cloud she’s successfully made."

He paused before continuing.

"I heard she planned to keep it for herself. Nobody could borrow it and nobody could buy it. She never let anyone touch it."

The more he thought about it, the less it made sense.

"And yet she actually gave it to you."

Marcus suddenly felt uncomfortable under that burning look of envy.

"Maybe Elder Mist just had no other high-grade clouds left?"

Shadow Panther gave him a deadpan stare that clearly said he didn’t believe a word of that.

For the next several hours, Marcus flew all over Harmony Peak with him acting as a guide. They passed through towering mountains, drifting black-and-white cloud seas, ancient pavilions suspended near cliffs, and massive cultivation grounds hidden among the mist.

Marcus recorded everything. The scenery was too good to waste.

At one point they even sneaked into a dangerous high-level area just to get better footage. Fortunately, the monsters there couldn’t fly, otherwise the two of them would probably have died horribly for the sake of "good angles."

Harmony Peak itself was enormous. By the time they finally finished exploring, they had already run out of time to return to Mist Terrace and properly thank Elder Mist and Iris again.

Liam’s five-hour limit was nearly over, so Shadow Panther quickly escorted Marcus back toward the mountain gate where he had first arrived.

"Stonehaven, this portal will send you to a random safe location outside the sect. Unless something extraordinary happens, and unless the nine great sects unseal their mountains again, you probably won’t be able to return here."

"Got it."

Marcus nodded.

Those were simply the system’s rules. Even the hidden entrance Liam had shown him earlier likely wouldn’t work anymore.

"Goodbye!"

Marcus waved at everyone nearby, lingering a little longer on the two young female disciples who had invited him to accompany them earlier before finally stepping into the portal.

Light swallowed his vision as Harmony Peak vanished behind him. The next moment, Marcus appeared on a quiet hillside scattered with sparse trees.

’Finally.’

He could go home.

For the first time all day, Marcus genuinely felt emotional. He was finally about to see his girls again.

He reached into his inventory for a Town Portal Scroll, but before he could use it, loud shouting suddenly echoed through the forest nearby.

Yelling and weapons clashing. It was pure chaos.

Marcus froze.

"...No way."

Behind a cluster of large trees, dozens of people were fighting. Judging by the noise alone, the battle was intense.

"Seriously? First minute back and I already walk into a warzone."

But then a grin slowly spread across his face. Chaos usually meant loot, and loot meant profit.

No chance he was walking away from free money. Keeping low, Marcus quietly moved through the trees toward the battlefield.

---

Back at Harmony Peak, Iris stood quietly at the edge of Mist Terrace, watching the endless black-and-white clouds drifting across the sky.

For some reason, she kept thinking about Stonehaven. And the more she thought about him, the more irritated she became.

"That idiot..."

She had given him her personal high-grade Harmony Cloud.

Her personal one.

And what did he do afterward?

Said "thanks," then immediately dragged Shadow Panther away to go flying like an overexcited child.

Worst of all, he had looked more interested in the cloud than in her.

Was she, the most beautiful woman in Harmony Peak, somehow less attractive than a flying artifact?

Not that she cared about such shallow things. Cultivation was supposed to free oneself from worldly attachments.

Still...

That guy’s attitude was unbelievably annoying. Iris glanced toward the distant mountain gate.

He was probably already gone by now.

Right then, a figure flew toward Mist Terrace on a Harmony Cloud.

Shadow Panther. And he was alone.

Iris immediately turned to head back inside.

"Junior Apprentice Sister Iris!"

Shadow Panther hurriedly called out before she could leave.

She stopped and looked back.

"Senior Apprentice Brother Shadow Panther. Is something wrong?"

"Uh..."

Shadow Panther suddenly looked deeply uncomfortable. He scratched his head awkwardly, hesitating so long that even Iris started wondering what was wrong with him.

"So... well..."

At that moment, he regretted agreeing to this more than anything in his life. But he had already promised, there was no escaping now.

Gritting his teeth, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out the most beautiful flower found anywhere in Harmony Peak.

A Harmony Five-Colored Flower. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Stonehaven said he really appreciated the high-grade Harmony Cloud you gave him. He didn’t have enough time to come back personally, so he asked me to deliver this flower to you as thanks."

Shadow Panther wanted to bury himself alive. Actually delivering flowers for another man...

His reputation was finished.

Stonehaven had somehow talked him into this with an absurd amount of shameless persuasion.

And the worst part was that everyone in Harmony Peak, and even the other eight great sects, knew countless people had tried giving flowers to Iris over the years.

She had never accepted a single one. Shadow Panther silently cursed.

"Stonehaven... if I ever see you again, I’m killing you."

---

"Achoo..."

Deep within the forest, Marcus nearly sneezed loud enough to expose himself.

He barely managed to hold it back at the last second.

"...Damn."

Rubbing his nose, he frowned suspiciously.

"Someone talking trash about me?"

Still, that wasn’t important right now. Marcus had finally reached the edge of the battlefield.

Hidden behind a large tree, he carefully peeked out and got his first clear look at the chaos unfolding ahead.