Mount Kienga was the name of a mountain located at the center of the country. The towering mountain range that pierced through the sky until one could see clouds floating around at a distance of over two kilometers was a distinguishing feature no other place could compare to. Besides the perfection of nature, this place was also full of civilization and history that ordinary people couldn't perceive.
The Alchemists' Association was one of them. A palace standing isolated on one mountain ridge, separate and independent. The towering structure full of history was its most obvious characteristic. Though it stood on the mountain range, the routes used to travel to this place were extremely convenient and spacious.
That was because besides the Alchemists' Association, the Kienga valley also had another equally famous place.
It wasn't an ancient, archaic place like the Alchemists' Association.
But it was a "village"—one located in the central area, surrounded by towering mountain ranges. This "Village Beneath the Clouds" was Bai Fanxian's destination.
Because it was the place where the respected being known as the "Divine Doctor" resided and performed closed-door cultivation.
Originally, Village Beneath the Clouds was a village that served as a gathering place for a number of cultivators. They had deep connections with the Alchemists' Association—some were disciples there, some were teachers, some were patients who needed medicinal elixirs.
In an era when travel wasn't as convenient as now, crossing a mountain range required tremendous strength and endurance.
Therefore, they had certain ideas.
And began "constructing" this Village Beneath the Clouds about five hundred years ago.
It became the residence of cultivators, including some alchemists. Most who lived in this village usually had some relationship with the Alchemists' Association.
Originally, this place was just an ordinary village, but as time passed it began to grow and became a place full of wonder. The cultivators who gathered together began settling down, making all their descendants have cultivator bloodlines and start cultivating from a young age.
Combined with about ten years ago, when this village welcomed the great being "Divine Doctor Wu Jia," since then this place became more bustling and developed progressively. Travel and contact with the outside world became convenient. The Divine Doctor's fame attracted tourists and patients who wanted to meet him in an endless stream.
Until the Divine Doctor began closed-door cultivation about five years ago. But instead of this place becoming quiet and lonely, it filled with bustle, because the village had already developed into a tourist village. Many hotels and lodgings sprouted up in the village. Combined with the discovery of a large hot spring source beneath the village, it became a travel destination for many cultivators to rest.
Therefore, when reliable news came that the Divine Doctor would emerge from cultivation, and that during this time of year the Alchemists' Association would hold its alchemy sciences seminar, it made many cultivators gather at this Village Beneath the Clouds like a festival!
Bai Fanxian, sitting in Tang Tianjie's luxurious black car, looked outside the window with interest, because just entering the territory of Mount Kienga, she could sense that traffic was starting to jam. This huge number of vehicles made the once-spacious road visibly narrow.
Besides this, both sides of the road also had cultivators who traveled on their own. Their faces were filled with joyful excitement. Some slowly walked admiring the valley's beautiful scenery. Some quickly released their qi and ran up the mountain at maximum speed.
"So many people..."
Bai Fanxian grumbled. Hui'er and Tang Yeye, who had never seen so many people, nodded in agreement. Tang Tianjie himself laughed lightly and explained:
"Normally there are this many people. But this year there are two major events overlapping, so people gathered especially much."
"Once we go up, these cars must come down from the mountain. Only when the events end can they go back up to pick up again. So don't worry it will be too crowded."
What Tang Tianjie explained sounded reasonable, because judging from the tremendous number of vehicles she saw, if everyone went to park on the mountain, it would certainly make travel there congested and inconvenient.
Besides this, she also saw quite a few vehicles driving down through another lane, meaning that above was already filling with people.
They took about ten minutes to reach the mountain peak. The route after that was extremely smooth. The two little girls' eyes sparkled when looking down at the scenery below.
The Kienga valley had a shape like a bowl. From the mountain peak where they were, one could see throughout the entire valley. Bai Fanxian noticed that at the opposite mountain ridge appeared a structure with an ancient and sublime atmosphere. Many people walked in and out of that place like ants.
Let her guess—that place must be the Alchemists' Association?
Below, she could see people gathering in a large village. Houses that looked like a blend of ancient and modern arranged in rows created a mysterious charm that made people fall in love.
Bai Fanxian could sense the heat from beneath the village. At one corner, she could observe many small and large hot spring pools. They were modified until they became small rivers flowing around the entire village. Trees with light pink flowers similar to Japanese cherry blossoms were planted scattered along both riverbanks. Many people brought out mats to spread and rest under the trees while immersed in nature. When they scattered, it created a special atmosphere that was a unique characteristic.
But she knew well they weren't ordinary trees.
She could sense faint qi power and a strand of natural power nourishing those trees.
It would help cultivators relax and also promote slightly better qi circulation.
Bai Fanxian could immediately imagine herself soaking in hot springs while sipping good tea, with a backdrop of mountain ranges and clouds, including those pink flowers falling down petal by petal.
Tang Tianjie himself was extremely excited. After his granddaughter fell ill, he hadn't come out to rest in places like this. This was also his first time in many years.
After ordering A-Ma and A-Tian to pick them up in several days, they walked into the village. Though the children were excited, they didn't dare run around wildly for fear of getting lost. On both sides of Bai Fanxian's shirt hem, small hands grasped on.
Inside the village was full of bustle like a festival. Just walking in, there appeared street vendor stalls with both food and strange items for sale everywhere.
The walking areas and both banks of the small river were all filled with tourist cultivators immersed in the atmosphere.
Wooden bridges only five to six meters long spanning between both banks became the most popular photo spots, because besides seeing views of both riverbanks, sometimes people rowing small boats passed under the bridges periodically.
And because only cultivators were here, they could bring out materials and miraculous items to sell without worrying about ordinary people's eyes.
Bai Fanxian looked at the shops around with interest. From birth until the age of ten thousand and twenty-five years, this could be said to be the first time Grandmaster Bai had toured a festival like this.
Huang Zihan himself was also happy. When he saw both little girls were interested in some shops, he used a Martial Master level cultivator's speed to disappear in a flash, and appeared again with two beautiful pink cotton candies in hand.
"Will Grandmaster Bai have some too?" Uncle Huang turned to ask Bai Fanxian after handing snacks to Hui'er and Tang Yeye, who were smiling happily.
"It's fine..." Bai Fanxian didn't really eat much sweets or food. What she preferred was a good cup of tea.
"Once we reach the lodging, I'll go find the village's famous tea for you."
Uncle Huang bowed. He knew well what Grandmaster Bai wanted most.
"I'm troubling you..."
Bai Fanxian showed a smile at the corner of her mouth. Huang Zihan never disappointed her.
Suddenly, commotion appeared ahead of them when a middle-aged man tried to push out from the crowd toward Bai Fanxian. His face was full of excitement and astonishment. If one observed closely, they'd find he was holding a small microphone in his hand, making people turn to look at him with interest.
Not long after, behind the middle-aged man who was full of astonishment while staring at Bai Fanxian appeared a pair of men and women running after. Their faces were full of exhaustion, gasping for breath, because they had to carry large cameras on their shoulders while running through the crowd.
"That's someone from the cultivators' community..."
"Yeah. They make programs about cultivators to broadcast on the website. They interview celebrities, film reality shows, or even the strength rankings—they organize those."
"But that woman is incredibly beautiful."
Because she wasn't at home, Bai Fanxian couldn't wear a Little Bear t-shirt and shorts. So now she was in an ancient-style robe that helped emphasize her beauty and extreme sublimity instead. This was another outfit she had worn when she was the great Divine Alchemy Palace Master.
It was custom-made for her by her people. Therefore, it suited her best.
"I heard lately Director Wang is organizing the martial world's Goddess Rankings 5th edition."
"The one ranking only female cultivators, right?"
"Exactly! I think that woman must be in the top ranks for sure!"
"But I've never seen her face before. Maybe she's a rookie cultivator?"
What kind of being was Bai Fanxian? The words of people around—with her physical abilities, naturally she heard everything. Hearing that this strange middle-aged man came from the cultivators' community website, she lost interest.
"Wa...wait a moment!"
Director Wang, seeing that Bai Fanxian suddenly left without paying him any attention at all, felt flustered. He quickly ran to block in front of Bai Fanxian again with speed.
Huang Zihan, fearing Grandmaster Bai would start to get annoyed, stepped forward to block in front.
In the first moment Director Wang was displeased, but when Huang Zihan's 5th-stage Martial Master pressure exploded out, it made his face pale.
"Hu...Huang Zihan?"
Being someone who worked in this field, he had studied the faces and distinguishing features of famous cultivators just in case. Especially cultivators who were mid-level Martial Masters or above—he could almost remember them all.
But in the records, wasn't Huang Zihan only a 2nd-stage Martial Master?
Besides the old butler, Director Wang sensed another quiet pressure line coming from the old man beside them.
Tang Tianjie!?
Besides his status as Tang Clan head, recently Tang Tianjie had just achieved results in reviving ancient elixirs like the Vitality Elixir, and could even identify its extremely dangerous side effects. His fame therefore soared even higher among alchemists.
And at this seminar, he was one of those who would go up to lecture!
Why were they with this beautiful young woman?
"Could you please make way..."
"My lady is traveling to the hotel. If you have business, come talk to me after that... alright?"
Director Wang trembled uncontrollably. The qi power and pressure of the butler before him seemed even more intense than a 5th-stage Martial Master! For now, they could only politely make way and choose to follow quietly from behind until reaching the lodging according to Huang Zihan's words.
The crowd watched Bai Fanxian's group walk past with awe. Many among them turned to look with interest.
"A butler who's even a 5th-stage Martial Master?"
"Has the Tang Clan developed to this extent..."