Countless feet stampeded over the ground, but each and every one of them belonged to a single entity.
The Earth Overturning Centipede scurried under the shade of a forest, and there were a myriad things on its segmented back.
Sun was one of them. He sat beside Liming Zi and two other Cultivators, and each of them seemed absorbed in their own pastime.
Soon, a peculiar mountain rose into view.
An abundance of trees populated the base of the mountain, each reaching some dozen meters high.
But from the mid-section of the mountain and upwards, the trees abruptly become scarce, leaving the mountain's upper sections bare.
The mountain's appearance was like a dark, dull brown protrusion rising from a forest.
This was Wind Shaven Mountain. The sky was clear. Night Sky dominated over the Starlit Sky, leaving the world dark.
Although there was another protrusion within the peak of the mountain, one which seemed to shimmer lightly, even with the scant starlight.
It seemed like a massive column, rising about high above the mountain's peak, shining with a dull, metallic lustre.
'We will finally arrive soon...'
Sun's thoughts were full of anticipation and slight trepidation.
Their travel only took one night and a few hours, and now their destination was upon them.
Over these hours, Sun stilled himself in Cultivation. Liming Zi had told him to focus on immersing in the world around them.
The constant change in the scenery, the soft gales which carried wilting leaves, and the mix of dark and light within the sky.
Sun rarely blinked; despite the constant drying of his eyes, it did not bother him too much. However, the constant strain on his head was quite troublesome.
'I'll take a break... I need to be in peak condition for the time to come.'
There was still anticipation and trepidation lingering in his body, but Sun resolved himself.
He could not let himself be weak during such a perilous time.
'The tides of fog... I only have a smidge of experience from my last encounter, and the information from Liming Zi... I am finally getting a chance to experience this accursed disaster myself...
'I will not fall victim again...!'
...
Eventually, the Earth Overturning Centipede reached the column's walls.
There was a path extruding out of the walls, circling up the column, which the Earth Overturning Centipede used to reach the top of the column.
The top of the column revealed a flat plain, some hundred meters wide, and a great hole in the centre.
Buildings of stone surrounded this hole, creating a ring of modest-looking buildings; a wall surrounded the perimeter of this ring.
When the Earth Overturning Centipede came to a halt, it lowered its body as Silver Extreme lightly jumped off.
"Brother Silver."
With his fist wrapped in his palm, a middle-aged man, clothed in pale azure green robes and wearing leather padding with dark silver armour, bowed politely as he introduced himself,
"I am General Feng Jiangjun of Qing Mao Dao Settlement's militia. I am here to receive all of you from Union Settlement."
"Our gratitude."
Silver Extreme returned the greeting and had everyone unmount the giant centipede.
"Please retrieve all of your belongings. I will have a few people come around to retrieve and settle the provisions you've brought with you, and bring your Earth Overturning Centipede to a stable."
"Much appreciated, Brother Jiangjun. After my Retaliatory Division has settled into their accommodations, we will begin discussing the situation of the tides of blue-grey fog."
While Silver Extreme was talking with Feng Jiangjun, Sun was stretching his muscles.
"Mmh... We finally get to move around."
"It is an astonishing sight, isn't it, Sun?"
Turning around, Sun found Liming Zi working the idle hours out of her limbs.
Liming Zi was also gazing around, taking note of the column's outermost edge and the gaping hole in the centre.
"It is... I would never have expected a Settlement to be built upon a structure like this. But... The name of this mountain was 'Wind Shaven Mountain', no? It isn't particularly windy..."
"That is because it's not the right season."
It was the peculiar-looking man who sat in front of Sun and Liming Zi during the journey.
He was tall, with wavy black hair that fell to his shoulders, and tanned skin resembling bronze.
This visage was unfamiliar to Sun, and he could only guess that this man was a foreigner, but the more peculiar aspect was the colours of his clothes.
Dark green was a common colour, but it was also mixed with a black aesthetic, which was not commonly worn.
"From Autumn's Season to Winter's Season, intense winds will blow high across the sky. Most things below a certain point will remain unaffected, but this mountain breaches that safe line and suffers as a result."
He explained with a firm but easygoing tone.
Liming Zi took note of this information and questioned further.
"We are nearing the end of Summer's Season. Would the winds begin blowing immediately as we step into Autumn's Season?"
"No, usually it only happens around the tenth night that those intense winds begin blowing."
"You know quite a bit about this place."
"I'm a frequent visitor here. I usually run deliveries because few people can cross the soil."
It was Sun's turn to raise a question, looking at the man with a raised brow.
"What's wrong with the soil?"
"The soil is loose, abnormally loose. If you try to step on the soil without special methods, you will sink. I have heard from the denizens of this Settlement that they've lost quite a few people to the soil."
"You are very knowledgeable."
"I do make frequent visits here; it is also why Brother Silver had invited me to be a part of this Retaliatory Division."
Sun and Liming Zi remarked on this man's extensive knowledge and decided to get to know him better.
The latter was the first to ask,
"What is your name?"
"Wolk King Lan, but please, just refer to me as Lan."