Chapter 6: Arrival at Mount Taixu... on Foot

Luo Lin gazed at the bustling crowd on the street, listening to the familiar dialect around her, sighing, "Ah, the land of Shenzhou still feels so familiar."

Without a second thought, she rushed to the roadside and bought a bunch of breakfast items with distinctive Shenzhou flavors.

Steamed buns, fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, porridge, steamed buns, salted duck eggs, pancakes, rolled vegetables, spicy soup, rice noodle rolls, shumai, barbecue pork buns...

Of course, Luo Lin didn't forget to send a portion to Senti and Selunen who were inside her system space, and Seele in the Sea of Quanta.

This also led to passersby casting respectful glances at the black-haired girl—Luo Lin carried a stack of heavy bags on the road, and the contents inside visibly decreased at a rapid pace, while she still was unsatisfied and even bought some more delicious treats.

"I have to say, Shenzhou cuisine is really delicious, much better than the cafeteria in St. Freya... Uh, the cafeteria's Shenzhou cuisine chef is actually quite skilled, but many people from the Far East aren't used to that taste..."

Luo Lin actually wanted to eat more, but tragically, she was already full. After all, she wasn't like Kiana, who had an endless appetite, so she could only save it for later.

Next, the Valkyrie tidied up her appearance and randomly interviewed some passersby on the street, asking about any information they had regarding Mount Taixu.

In Shenzhou, the fame of Mount Taixu was actually quite subtle.

Because of the widespread stories about the Immortal Jingwei, everyone basically knew there was a place called Mount Taixu, but the specific location of Mount Taixu was not very clear.

Of course, some people thought Mount Taixu was just a fictional place from myths and legends, and the Immortal Jingwei, as the "Guardian of Shenzhou," should also be an ordinary mythical figure.

The "person involved" expressed great indignation at this.

"The old timer used to just go out every day to hunt down Honkai Beasts, then come back to Mount Taixu to rest, and when she was about done resting, she'd go out again to hunt down Honkai Beasts..."

Herrscher of Sentience commented, "Now, this city is so close to Mount Taixu that it's just a stone's throw away. Even the locals don't know the location of Mount Taixu. As the Immortal, she is really... tsk tsk tsk, she really doesn't know how to manage her influence at all."

Luo Lin pondered for a moment, "Is there a possibility that it's like asking locals about any special scenic spots in the area, and they can't answer because locals don't go to those places?"

"Tsk, if it were up to me, the Taixu lineage would have already flourished throughout the land of Shenzhou..."

Luo Lin casually found a dark corner without anyone's attention and used the Key of Revelation to manifest a flat, wide-bladed long sword.

Then, she flew into the sky using the "Sword Flight" technique taught to her by Fu Hua and, guided by the Senti, towards the real Mount Taixu.

The closer she got to Mount Taixu, the more Luo Lin could feel the surrounding Honkai energy tending to stabilize. Even when she got closer, the Valkyrie could sense subtle energy fluctuations coming from that direction.

—It's the Edge of Taixuan!

Luo Lin raised her altitude, looked down from high in the sky, and saw Mount Taixu before her eyes.

The entire mountain looked just like it did in games, with rugged rocks and steep slopes. The mountain path climbed up along the peculiarly shaped mountain, with plenty of grass and shrubs along the way. The girl could vaguely see houses inhabited by people at the foot and waist of the mountain.

There weren't many houses, but enough to be called a village.

The houses also appeared to be of traditional Shenzhou style, with wooden pillars and green tiles. Firewood was piled up in the yards, and there were even some chickens and ducks leisurely strolling around.

Thin smoke rose up and mingled with the mist at the mountaintop, giving off a dreamy feeling as if transported back to ancient times.

Witnessing this scene, Seele let out a sigh of admiration.

But what the Senti and Luo Lin focused on was something else.

"Wow, what a huge barrier!"

With her keen perception, the black-haired girl discovered a "large net" enveloping the surrounding Honkai energy at Mount Taixu, then visibly "digesting and absorbing" it at a rapid rate.

"Oh, so this is how the old antique utilizes the power of the Key of Dominion."

Herrscher of Sentience observed for a while before suddenly realizing, "The array they form can convert Honkai energy into harmless natural energy! The old timer intentionally adjusted its output to create a pleasant climate in the vicinity... She's quite considerate of ordinary people."

"I have to say, this is very Fu Hua-like."

"...Indeed."

Luo Lin lowered her altitude and landed lightly near the village. She was surprised to find that there was actually a paved road leading directly to the village, which she hadn't noticed from the air, as most of it was covered by trees.

The Valkyrie tapped the ground lightly and observed the traces on the ground, confirming that this road was frequently traveled by vehicles.

"To get rich, first build roads..."

Luo Lin quickly entered the village and found that it wasn't as "traditional" as she imagined. At least, there was electricity and running water, and the villagers dressed quite modernly. She even found some strange "satellite dishes" in certain odd corners.

She felt like she was back home.

The villagers curiously stared at the stranger who came to the village, but fortunately, Luo Lin had a Shenzhou face, so she didn't cause much commotion.

The girl straightforwardly expressed her intention to visit the former residence of the Immortal Phoenix, and the villagers immediately became enthusiastic, leading her to the only (?) inn in the village.

Compared to the surrounding houses, this inn was somewhat better. It not only had electricity and running water but also had good internet speed. It was spacious and tall, with three floors.

Luo Lin felt that ordinary villages wouldn't have a dedicated inn, let alone one that could accommodate hundreds of people simultaneously like this one.

The innkeeper revealed the situation to the Valkyrie, "Actually, during a certain period every year, a group of extraordinary, obviously high-ranking individuals come here to stay for a while, both men and women... They also come to pay their respects to the Immortal Phoenix, and they're quite generous."

Luo Lin raised an eyebrow. This sounded like official personnel?

The Senti protested, "No, I'm not dead yet! Pah, the old timer isn't dead yet either! What are they paying respects for?!"

The innkeeper appeared to enjoy seeing the surprised expression of the guests and continued, "Our inn can keep running thanks to these people, and the nearby city also gives us some preferential policies. We can even make some money from it."

Well, now it's confirmed that it's the official Shenzhou personnel who come regularly to clean the former home of the Immortal Phoenix... How unexpected that they also inadvertently boosted the tourism industry of Mount Taixu.

"You're also here to visit the former residence of the Immortal Phoenix, right? We have a room with a particularly good view. Let me show you..."

The innkeeper led Luo Lin upstairs and opened the door at the end of the corridor.

It was a room with a large panoramic window. Luo Lin leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the scenery outside directly facing a huge statue of the Immortal Phoenix.

Sunlight pierced through the mist, casting a faint rainbow on the weathered statue.

"Oh, don't look, don't look, don't look!!!"

Senti let out an indescribable scream.

"Clearly, when I left, there was no such thing here!!! Who carved this on the mountain?!!!"