Chapter 427 – Farewell and Greetings
The time to part with everyone had come.
Aiko got her reward for finding the cure for the Inscription Poison, but it was quite strange.
'They gave me Divine Meteor, which would now allow me to finish my Cauldron completely with a bit of leeway, and they also gave me this blank card...' Aiko looked towards the blank card, unsure how to feel about it.
"If you ever come across one of my establishments, just show them that card." Lian said with authority in her voice.
"I will. Thank you for having me." Aiko smiled as Fang Jia clung to her.
"Do you have to leave?" Fang Jia's eyes sparkled. She didn't wish to let go of Aiko, but she also knew that she couldn't keep her either.
"We will meet again one day." Aiko smiled.
Fang Jia let go of her, allowing Aiko to board the flying ship.
"Keep your mind steady." Lian believed that Aiko would be able to go far... As long as she didn't lose her way.
"You too." Aiko chuckled as the flying ship vibrated. This was not a high-grade flying ship, and it was also small.
It was a perfect flying ship that would be able to deliver Aiko to her destination.
Fang Jia suddenly ran up and hugged Aiko.
Aiko hugged her back in return, but she didn't expect a sudden ambush from her.
Fang Jia stole Aiko's lips before running away without looking back.
Aiko was stunned as the flying ship took off.
Fang Jia was giggling to herself. "That's what you get for not paying enough attention to me!" She smiled mischievously, but the fire was lit inside her. 'To keep up with her, I will have to work harder.'
Fang Jia narrowed her eyes, and only Fang Jie could see that strange twinkle.
'Oh god... this will turn into a mess...' Fang Jie knew those eyes since she had those same eyes when she pursued her husband.
Lian, on the side, was likewise stunned. She didn't expect the meek girl to suddenly turn so bold.
"It's good to be young..." Lian wrapped her hands around Fang Jie.
"Not here..." Fang Jie tried to squirm away.
"So it's fine in private?" Lian smiled mischievously. Her nine tails swayed behind her gently, ready to entangle her.
"You know what happened the last time!" Fang Jie glared at her, but Lian just laughed back.
"That mischievous Fox is no longer here, so come here!" Lian picked up Fang Jie.
"Kyaaa!" Fang Jie yelped from the sudden movement.
'Ugh... get a room...' Fang Jia groaned. She was the only single one here.
...
......
.........
"This ship is quite unstable..." Aiko looked around the small ship. It was around the size of 3 small fishing boats.
It was also empty, with only a single hut that had pretty much everything inside it.
From room to storage room to the control room. It even had the Floating Stone.
"That is only natural, Young Miss." The 'driver' said slowly. "As you make the ships smaller, it will naturally get harder to control the Floating Stone."
"Why is that?" Aiko already switched her gears since there was no time to dwell on things.
"As everything gets smaller, it also gets lighter. As you get higher, everything gets more chaotic." The driver said slowly once again.
"The winds and currents..." Aiko thought she understood.
"You really are an exceptional Young Miss." The driver nodded his head.
"But it's not quite good enough." Aiko's comprehension was good, but it was not good enough for her upcoming plans. She had to consider too many things, some of which she didn't understand yet.
"Wisdom comes with time. If you can't solve something, just give it time." The driver chuckled as he carefully steered the flying ship.
It's been a while since he was allowed to have such a conversation. Most Disciples would avoid him for the sole reason that his sentences were hard to understand.
"What if you have to do it now?" Aiko paused for a moment.
"Then you better make the best use of your current knowledge. The river will never pause or slow down just because you want to cross it." The driver spoke ever so slowly, but Aiko didn't dislike it.
"I see..." Aiko thought that she understood, but there were still things that made her on edge.
"How long will it take to get to our destination?" Aiko looked out of the flying boat for the first time since they embarked.
The scenery was breathtaking. Mountains converged and rose to the heavens.
Rivers took their time to carve the earth.
And greenery was trying to take over the rest.
It was simply breathtaking...
"In a month..." The driver paused. "Is what I would say if it was someone other than Young Miss."
"...?" Aiko tilted her head. She couldn't understand this part.
Suddenly, his whole body rose with mighty pressure.
"I'm one of the Elders from the main 'continent'. I would like to take you as a Disciple, but too many are already imprinted on you. There is no need for me to do it too." The Old Cultivator stomped his feet, and the space below them distorted.
No, the space itself made a wave like it was made out of water.
Aiko couldn't even mutter a surprised sound when the sound of breaking spread.
The space in front of the ship shattered, and colourful stardust spread far and wide.
"Try not to fall down. It would be a bottomless fall." The Old Cultivator laughed as the flying boat went through the shattered opening.
An endless nebula spread around them. The main colours were yellow, orange, and red.
The colours playfully mixed together, bringing in a sensation that Aiko never experienced, yet she felt familiar with it at the same time.
"Maybe we will see a star pass by if we are lucky." The Wise Old Cultivator chuckled.
Looking at him closely. He was full of vigour and energy, unlike his previous self. It felt like he was a mischievous brat who liked to play around, but at the same time acted like he was a weak elderly man.
His clothing was white, like any other Cultivators, but it was adorned with decorations from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
A kind and elderly smile was plastered on his face, but his eyes soon widened.
Not just one star passed around them, not just two.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Maybe even thousands of stars passed by them.
The already colourful panorama became even more stunning as more and more colours joined.
The stars felt intimate with Aiko, and she leaned against the railing, enjoying the sight.
Her tails formed into [Little Nightmares] even in her Moon Form, and those tails curiously glanced around.
The Wise Elder sat down. It was not good to disturb someone of this stature. He would just watch over this magical sight in silence.
The amount of passing stars someone could summon in this place was different from person to person.
Usually, the more heinous the person was, the fewer stars one would get, and the whole scenery would be bleak and dark.
Yet not only did it not happen this time, but the whole scenery was filled with beautiful colours and stars.
He was wise and would not pry for her identity, but he knew that their Young Miss caught a big fish.
Trying to court her was a different matter, but at least she was a good person.
*Cough*
The Wise Elder almost coughed up blood when he saw this Young Miss playing with the stardust.
'This is not good for my heart.' He might be a Void Amalgamation Stage Cultivator, but that didn't mean he could be unfazed when someone played with stardust like that.
*Coooooough*
He almost choked to death when he saw Aiko play with the stars that were moving around.
'Close your eyes. Close your eyes. Don't die prematurely!' The Wise Elder patted his chest slowly.
He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the beautiful scenery where a gorgeous Fox defied common sense.
...
Aiko was sitting down, leaning against the railing. The stars had already gone away, and she was just nudging the dust around like she was playing inside the river.
"Young Miss, we are almost there. Please retract your hand." The Wise Elder smiled.
"Thank you for this." Aiko's mind was at peace like she just reached nirvana.
"Everyone will gain something different from this. There is no need to thank me." The Wise Elder smiled as the space shattered in front of them.
The flying boat passed through the shattered space slowly, leaving behind the beauty.
As she left, the space dulled again, and a few sights spread from here and there...
...
"We are close to the Fox Village. I can descend somewhere here, and you can leave, Young Miss." The Wise Elder smiled as he observed the surroundings to find the best spot.
"Thank you so much, Elder." Aiko bowed towards him with her hands cupped.
This didn't even take a day, and she arrived at her destination!
"No need. I only did what I was ordered to do, Young Miss." The Wise Elder smiled again. 'Although I did suffer some mental damage...' He coughed awkwardly.
"Then I will be going." Aiko suddenly jumped down from the flying boat.
"..." The Wise Elder blinked a few times. "!" He immediately rushed to the edge of the flying ship to catch her.
There, a certain young Fox treads in the sky by simply kicking it with her feet.
The Wise Elder almost had another coughing fit before calming his mind. 'It's not Void Walking. It's not Void Walking. It's not Void Walking!'
It seemed like his mind was quite fragile these days, and he would have to work on his Tranquil Heart Technique again.
The flying boat slowly turned around, flying into the horizon.
...
'There is so much to do...' Aiko thought as she kicked the air below her feet.
She was currently using [Wind Jump] repeatedly to take flight.
It was not that she didn't want to walk or land, but because of the sensation she was currently having.
'I think I will be able to do something with the metals now!' Aiko believed that she reached a state where anything was possible.
It was called Enlightenment.
It rarely happened, and it also had different ways to manifest.
Some would spend years in a daze as their Mind Cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.
Others would get a sudden spark, just like Aiko did.
It varied, but it was still Enlightenment, something that all Cultivators sought after.
