The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the central square of Wuyai City was already bustling with activity.
Xiao Chen and Shi Tou arrived on time and saw Lin Jingxing standing beside a huge silver airship from afar.
While conversing with several cultivators, the spaceship was surrounded by a faint glow of spiritual energy, clearly ready to depart.
"Brother Xiao, Stone, you've arrived!" Lin Jingxing greeted the two as they approached with a smile. "Everything's arranged. Let's board the ship now and try to reach Sunshine City before evening."
Xiao Chen nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping across the plaza. Besides Lin Jingxing and Luo Qingyang, there were more than a dozen cultivators dressed in the robes of different sects.
Most of them were young talents, gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones. Their expressions showed both the seriousness of the border war and the youthful spirit of young people.
Xiao Chen didn't recognize most of these people and had no interest in talking to them. He just glanced at them briefly before following Lin Jingxing and Shi Tou toward the airship.
"Everyone get on the bus... oh no, get on the ship!" Lin Jingxing turned around and shouted to the crowd.
"Although we come from different factions, we share the same goal in heading to Sunlight City: to guard the border and resist the demons! We'll look after each other on the way, and await further instructions upon arrival!"
Everyone responded and boarded the airship in an orderly fashion. The airship was spacious, divided into two levels: the lower level was a rest area, and the upper level was an observation deck and a council chamber.
Lin Jingxing led Xiao Chen and Shi Tou to the upper level, where they happened to encounter several cultivators standing by the observation platform.
"Brother Xiao, let me introduce you." Lin Jingxing pointed to an elderly man in a purple robe, with white hair and beard but a vigorous spirit, his tone filled with respect.
"This is Elder Lu Mingyuan of the Southern Li Sect, and also the senior with the highest cultivation level in our team, having reached the peak of the Creation Realm!"
Lu Mingyuan looked up at Xiao Chen, his gaze sweeping over him like a tangible object. He then nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, "Not bad. To have such cultivation at such a young age, the younger generation of the Xuanqiong Realm is indeed full of talent."
Xiao Chen cupped his hands in greeting: "Junior Xiao Chen greets Senior Lu."
He could sense the unfathomable aura emanating from Lu Mingyuan, knowing that this old man was no ordinary person.
Lin Jingxing then pointed to a girl in red not far away. The girl had a high ponytail, a pretty face, but her eyes held a sharp edge.
Surrounded by a faint aura of flames, she was the red-haired girl Xiao Chen had noticed in the plaza earlier.
"This is Bai Xi, the Holy Maiden of the Nanli Sect. Like us, she is also a prodigy who went to Sunlight City to provide support. Her cultivation has reached the late stage of the Dao Proving Realm."
Bai Xi nodded to Xiao Chen, her voice clear and crisp: "I had heard of Young Master Xiao's name when I was in the Nanli Sect. His treasure hunt in Misty Valley and his slaying of a Creation Realm demon in the valley are indeed well-deserved."
Xiao Chen replied calmly, "Saintess Bai is too kind. I was just doing my best."
Afterwards, Lin Jingxing introduced several other prodigies. Xiao Chen mostly just nodded in acknowledgment and did not discuss them in detail. For him, the most important thing at the moment was to resist the demon race. As for befriending prodigies from other forces, it was not a priority.
After the introductions were finished, Lin Jingxing said to Xiao Chen, "Brother Xiao, our team is a temporary squad. Senior Lu is the leader. After we arrive in Sun City, the elders of the various forces will jointly formulate a defense plan. We just need to follow their instructions."
Xiao Chen nodded: "Okay, I understand."
Just then, Xiao Chen's storage bag vibrated slightly. He took out a communication jade talisman, which was flashing with familiar spiritual energy fluctuations. It was a message from his master, Lin Zhou.
Xiao Chen walked to a corner, injected spiritual power to activate the jade talisman, and Lin Zhou's lazy voice rang in his mind: "You brat, I heard you're going to Sunlight City to fight the demons? Not bad, you're starting to look like my disciple."
"Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. Your junior sister Jiang Li and junior brother Su She have already arrived in the Xuanqiong Realm. Once the fighting subsides a bit, take some time to go see them."
Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Li and Su She had also come to the Xuanqiong Realm!
When he left the Cangxuan Realm, Su She was still in the sect and Jiang Li was still in the Lingxu Realm. It must have been his master who arranged for them to come to the Xuanqiong Realm for training and to support him.
"Understood, Master." Xiao Chen responded softly to the jade talisman, his tone revealing a hint of warmth.
Having fellow disciples in the Xuanqiong Realm gave him a greater sense of belonging in this unfamiliar realm.
Putting away the jade talisman, Xiao Chen returned to the observation platform. Shi Tou was leaning on the railing, watching the clouds rushing past the airship. Seeing him return, he immediately asked, "Senior brother, whose message was that just now?"
“It’s Master.” Xiao Chen smiled. “Your senior sister Jiang Li and senior brother Su She have also come to the Xuanqiong Realm. We’ll be able to see them after we finish fighting the demons.”
"Really?!" Shi Tou's eyes lit up, his face full of excitement. "That's great! When I see Senior Sister and Senior Brother Su, I'm definitely going to have a good fight with them and see if their cultivation has improved!"
Xiao Chen looked at his honest and simple appearance and shook his head with a smile.
Lin Jingxing and Luo Qingyang, who were not far away, breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the two looking relaxed. With the addition of Xiao Chen and Shi Tou, two powerful figures, they had more confidence in defending Sunlight City.
The airship sped through the clouds, heading towards Sunshine City on the border.
In the distance, a faint wisp of dark red mist could be seen on the horizon. It was the aura emanating from the demons' territory, reminding everyone that the real battlefield was drawing ever closer.
The spaceship sped through the clouds for no more than two hours before the outline of a majestic city appeared on the horizon ahead.
As the distance closed, the full view of Sunshine City gradually became clear. The entire city was built against the mountain, backed by the undulating Sunshine Mountain Range, whose peaks were perpetually shrouded in golden light.
Like a sun that never sets, it bathes the city in a soft golden light; the city's circumference is tens of miles.
The city wall, constructed of thick black iron rock, stood over ten zhang tall. Its surface was covered with densely packed defensive runes, which shimmered faintly, clearly indicating that they had been fully activated.
The city walls were bustling with people, cultivators holding weapons and looking warily out of the city, the air thick with a tense atmosphere of preparation for war.
“That’s Sunshine City.” Lin Jingxing stood by the watchtower and pointed to the city below. “It is the first and most important city on the border of the Xuanqiong Realm. There is a saying that ‘as long as the sun shines, the border will not collapse.’ It has always been a crucial point for resisting foreign enemies.”
Xiao Chen nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. Just by looking at the scale and defensive arrangements of this city, one could tell that it was far from an ordinary border town. No wonder the major powers would gather their main forces here.
The airship descended slowly and finally came to a steady stop in the huge square in the center of Sun City.
The square was already filled with all kinds of flying ships, and cultivators came and went in an endless stream, some carrying supplies, some practicing formations, a scene of bustling activity.
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