Before the astonished eyes of the youths, a celestial cyan silhouette of a vessel suddenly broke through the layers of clouds, descending toward the City Lord’s Mansion. The sight was unforgettable, as if a huge chunk of the azure sky had suddenly fallen.

The cyan vessel descended swiftly. In the blink of an eye, it was hovering above the City Lord’s Mansion, suspended fifty feet over the Inner Mansion, faintly emanating a celestial cyan glow. Beneath this faint light, wisps of a gentle breeze wafted from an unknown source, and the entire Inner Mansion was soon filled with a refreshing draft.

"True Artifact!" The youths stared intently at the small cyan vessel. Feeling the faint Suppression emanating from it, two words surfaced in their minds simultaneously.

The cyan vessel descended another twenty feet. Only then could everyone see a man and a woman, both dressed in purple, standing at its bow. The pair radiated an aura as vast as the ocean, an aura that could be clearly felt even from hundreds of feet away.

Everyone had seen the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes before, but the woman standing beside him was a complete stranger. The purple-clad woman’s face seemed to be veiled in a mist, making it impossible to see clearly. Her figure, however, was incredibly captivating. The moment the young men’s eyes fell upon her, their hearts skipped a beat, and they quickly lowered their heads to avoid losing their composure.

Zhaang Ye also found the purple-clad woman exceptionally alluring. However, he was far more mature than his peers. Though he marveled inwardly, his expression remained calm and composed, showing no signs of being flustered.

Zhaang Yijian reacted in much the same way as Zhaang Ye. Zhaang Yijian’s face remained perpetually cold, like a statue. No matter how beautiful the purple-clad woman’s figure was, he paid it no mind.

"Hmph!" Not far from Zhaang Ye, Lin Chong suddenly let out a muffled grunt, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. It turned out that he cultivated the Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique, which gave him a naturally domineering nature. Just now, unable to see the purple-clad woman’s face clearly, he had unthinkingly stared a moment longer. Unexpectedly, an indescribable Suppression had descended upon him. In an instant, this wisp of Suppression left him breathless, and the shock to his Heart Spirit had caused a minor injury.

At that moment, the voice of the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes rang out. "All of you, board my Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel immediately. We are heading to the True Hall."

Hearing the man’s voice, a flicker of excitement flashed in everyone’s eyes. This Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel was clearly a Flying True Artifact. What a wonderful thing it would be to ride such an artifact and fly above the clouds.

Brimming with excitement, the youths executed their Body Techniques, leaping several dozen feet into the air and landing steadily on the bow of the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel.

"Ah!"

The moment they landed on the bow, the youths’ expressions suddenly changed.

The bow of the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel was suffused with wisps of Suppression. This pressure weighed on the youths’ hearts like a ten-thousand-pound weight, causing their faces to pale.

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes’ voice sounded again. "Make your own way into the cabin and regulate your breathing with your eyes closed."

The youths managed a strained reply and began walking, step by step, toward the vessel’s cabin. The Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel was not large; it was only five or six steps from the bow to the cabin. But those few steps were incredibly difficult. Some of the youths with lower Cultivation were completely drained and weak by the time they reached the cabin, as if their energy had been completely depleted.

Zhaang Yijian entered the cabin at an unhurried pace and was slightly taken aback.

Inside the cabin of the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel, ten people were already seated. They all appeared to be in their twenties—seven men and three women—and all were meditating with their eyes closed, regulating their breathing.

Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Yijian exchanged a look and nodded slightly. These ten were not old, but their auras were exceptionally powerful. Needless to say, they were also talented youths heading for the True Hall.

Although the Suppression inside the cabin was slightly weaker than on the bow, it was still a considerable force for a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer. Once inside the cabin, the youths dared not get distracted. They immediately closed their eyes to regulate their breathing and resist the Suppression.

WHOOSH—

A faint whistling sound arose. In the next moment, Zhaang Ye felt the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel begin to move, and his body grew heavier and heavier. Zhaang Ye turned and looked out a small window on the side of the cabin. He saw the City Lord’s Mansion below shrinking rapidly as the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel ascended at high speed.

The Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel flew higher and higher until Zhaang Ye could no longer see the scenery outside. Only white clouds drifted past the window. After reaching a high altitude, the vessel began to fly forward, accelerating continuously. Zhaang Ye felt the clouds ahead rushing toward them, only to be split in two by the vessel and tossed far behind.

As the vessel’s speed increased, Zhaang Ye felt the Suppression in the cabin grow stronger. It made the other youths’ faces turn pale as they desperately circulated the True Qi in their bodies to resist it.

Having experienced the terrifying Suppression of the Ancient Mammoths in the Mammoth Cemetery, Zhaang Ye had an extremely strong resistance to such pressure. Though the Suppression in the cabin was powerful, it was still within Zhaang Ye’s range of tolerance. While the other youths wore grave expressions, Zhaang Ye was completely at ease.

As Zhaang Ye was looking at the scenery outside, he noticed that Lin Chong was also at another small window, gazing at the view.

In the entire cabin, only the two of them were not meditating.

Zhaang Ye was slightly startled, then he recalled something. Lin Chong’s Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique was a Heart Method that placed extreme emphasis on one’s imposing presence. Having cultivated this technique, Lin Chong surely had a unique understanding of auras. Although the Suppression in the cabin was powerful, with his strength, resisting it was not a problem.

The Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel streaked through the sky. When there were no clouds, Zhaang Ye could clearly see the rivers and mountains below. The rivers and mountains of the Barbaric World were magnificent and beautiful. Zhaang Ye watched them in silence, becoming lost in the view.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s relaxed appearance, a flash of frustration crossed Lin Chong’s eyes. He had more or less lost to Zhaang Ye in their earlier exchange. He had originally intended to use his Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique to compete with Zhaang Ye in secret, to see who could last longer under the vessel’s Suppression.

But he never expected that Zhaang Ye would look so completely at ease under the pressure. It seemed as if he could endure it indefinitely without any issue.

The Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique was a domineering Cultivation Technique. Pure force could not be sustained; such an aggressive technique was not meant for endurance. Lin Chong held on for the better part of a day using his Purple Mountain Overbearing Technique. Seeing that Zhaang Ye was still engrossed in the scenery outside, he could only clench his fist in frustration, close his eyes, and begin to meditate.

The Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel’s speed was incredible; it could easily travel hundreds of thousands of li in a single day. It passed over countless great mountains, rivers, and plains. The variety of magnificent sights brought a sense of calm to Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit.

Back in the City Lord’s Mansion, watching others kill could temper one’s state of mind. Now, aboard the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel, watching the shifting landscapes below had a similar refining effect on his mentality.

After three days and three nights of flight, Zhaang Ye suddenly felt the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel tremble slightly as it began to slow down. Zhaang Ye looked down and saw an immense, unfamiliar mountain peak suddenly appear outside the vessel’s window. Atop this vast mountain, he could faintly make out layers of palaces and pavilions, looking exceptionally ethereal.

WHOOSH— The Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel broke through the clouds and descended, landing on a massive platform.

Before the vessel had come to a complete stop, Zhaang Ye heard a burst of hearty laughter from outside. Someone was striding over, laughing as they spoke, "Senior Brother Zhao, Junior Sister Fang, I didn’t expect you back so soon! So? What kind of geniuses did you bring back this time?"

A clear, beautiful voice replied, "I actually found two rather promising youths this year. And, well, Senior Brother Zhao also found two with good potential. All four of them have a good chance of entering the Inner Hall."

"Good, good!" Senior Brother Xiong boomed. The shout was so loud it made even Zhaang Ye frown slightly. The other youths inside the vessel were startled awake by the roar and quickly opened their eyes to look outside.

They heard Senior Brother Xiong laugh again. "As long as there are good prospects, that’s what matters! Hahaha, it’s been a long time since we’ve had any good prospects from our Three Western Counties. Now, the Five Eastern Counties, the Nine Southern Counties, and the Five Northern Counties all look down on us, saying everyone from the Three Western Counties is trash. Senior Brother Zhao, Junior Sister Fang, bring out the kids you brought. Let me see if there’s anyone decent in this batch!"

The clear voice chuckled softly, then called out, "Since you’re all awake, you can come out on your own."

Hearing this, the youths stood up, exited the cabin, and, enduring the Suppression from the Celestial Cyan Flowing Cloud Vessel, walked out step by step.

Outside the vessel, besides the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes and the purple-clad woman, stood a large, bearded man. The large man’s gaze swept over the youths, finally settling on Zhaang Yijian, Lin Chong, Zhaang Ye, and a pair of remarkably similar-looking boys. He said, "Not bad, not bad. Five decent kids! Huh..."

Senior Brother Xiong’s eyes fell on Zhaang Ye. After his sound of surprise, a hint of astonishment appeared in his eyes. "Senior Brother Zhao, this kid is from your Cyan Forest County, right? He seems a bit too young. I wonder what his strength is like."

As he spoke, Senior Brother Xiong moved slightly, and an imposing aura, tinged with the essence of the Wilderness, suddenly pressed down on Zhaang Ye.