Chapter Thirty: The Moonlit Cavern Over the Water

"Ruoxue, I'm sorry I haven't had much time to spend with you lately. You don't blame me, do you?" In a small courtyard on the Divine Sword Peak, Tang Yi and Hua Ruoxue sat across from each other at a stone table.

"Of course not. Important matters come first; we have plenty of time to be together," Hua Ruoxue replied, shaking her head.

"You're right, we do have all the time in the world now. But, Ruoxue, you shouldn't think about joining a sect anymore. I've found a good cultivation technique for you to practice." Tang Yi spoke excitedly.

"Oh, really! Thank you, Brother Tang!" Hua Ruoxue said happily.

"Is there any need for thanks between us? Don't use that word again!" Tang Yi gently tapped her cheek.

"But, Brother Tang, didn't you say you hadn't found a suitable technique yet? How did you suddenly come across one?" Hua Ruoxue asked curiously.

Tang Yi chuckled, "Well, I suppose I was lucky. A few days ago, I came down from Talent Selection Peak. The weather was nice, so I took in the scenery and flew out toward the East Sea. There, something sparkling in the sea caught my attention, and then..." Tang Yi recounted the entire tale of his adventure to Hua Ruoxue.

It turned out the sparkling object was a drifting cultivation mansion left behind by an ancient cultivator, a water-element cultivator. The mansion had originally been submerged on the ocean floor but, due to the passage of time and disturbances such as underwater volcanic eruptions, tectonic shifts, and attacks by giant sea creatures, its protective formations had loosened, causing it to rise to the surface. Tang Yi happened upon it by chance—his luck was indeed remarkable. The mansion was surrounded by many formations, but for Tang Yi, they posed no real challenge. He slipped inside and immediately realized it belonged to a female cultivator. On the stone table in the main hall were two lines carved: "Today, I ascend to immortality; this mansion is left for those fated to find it!" It was signed: "Li Qiushui!" The signature startled Tang Yi. Beside it lay a jade slip, in which Li Qiushui described the mansion as the Water Moon Sanctuary. It contained a vast collection of books, most of them about formations, to Tang Yi's delight. His knowledge of formations was still lacking, and, having read countless online novels, he firmly believed formations were of utmost importance—a belief confirmed in the cultivation world. The jade slip also mentioned that the Water Moon Sanctuary was equipped with numerous formations, enabling it to sink into the deep sea or soar through the skies, even fly through the void. There were also books detailing the techniques Li Qiushui practiced and her cultivation insights.

"This is the technique Li Qiushui cultivated, the Water Moon Divine Art. I've looked it over briefly—it's indeed a superb technique. Not only can it be practiced directly up to the Grand Completion stage, but it also allows for progression to celestial techniques in the Immortal Realm. Li Qiushui truly was extraordinary, creating the technique herself," Tang Yi sighed in admiration, secretly contemplating, when he had time, building a mansion like this—one that could traverse both heaven and earth. Or perhaps a spaceship; a cosmic vessel that could travel anywhere would be truly impressive!

...

Soon, the time for the Cultivation Trade Conference arrived. Tang Yi regrouped with Hua Shaojie and the others. The group—Tang Yi, Hua Ruoxue, Hua Shaojie, Lu Zhengyang, Ding Pengfei, Zhang Qiang, Liu Mingde, and Gu Zhenzhen—eight in all, represented Eternal Communications. At the conference, they planned to launch the company's new product: the Mobile Video Communicator.

Tang Yi and his companions arrived at the Qingcheng Sect, where Sect Master Cai Yunshan warmly welcomed them and arranged for them to stay at the scenic Bamboo Peak Villa. Once everything was settled, Sect Master Cai drew Tang Yi aside for a private conversation.

"Taoist Friend Tang, your company has only a few people. Shouldn't you recruit more?" Cai Yunshan probed.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel we're a bit short-handed. Why, do you have a good candidate in mind?" Tang Yi nodded.

"Taoist Friend Tang, isn't it too formal to call me Sect Master Cai? I'm a bit older than you, so why don't I call you Brother Tang, and you call me Brother Yunshan? It would feel much friendlier," Cai Yunshan suggested.

"In that case, Brother Yunshan, I'll gladly accept," Tang Yi replied, clasping his hands in courtesy.

"That's the spirit, Brother Tang! Wait a moment, I'll have someone bring the candidate over. You may have met him before," Cai Yunshan said, and sent a disciple to fetch the person.

"Hey, isn't that Brother Sun Lang?" Lin Jiang spotted the newcomer and called out.

"Haha! Brother Lin Jiang, it's been a long time. I'll greet the Sect Master first, and we can catch up later," Sun Lang smiled at Lin Jiang, then greeted Sect Master Cai politely.

"Sun Lang, this is Tang—Brother Tang, how should I introduce you? I'm not sure what title to use," Cai Yunshan admitted, uncertain.

Tang Yi laughed, "Just call me Brother Tang. So, this is Sun Lang?"

"Yes, that's right. Sun Lang, greet Brother Tang!" Cai Yunshan urged.

"Greetings, Brother Tang!" Sun Lang said respectfully, bowing to Tang Yi.

"I remember now; I saw you at the Talent Selection Conference. You sparred with Lin Jiang—quite evenly matched. Although Lin Jiang won in the end, it was only because he used a special ability to gain a slight edge," Tang Yi examined Sun Lang seriously.

"Brother Tang, you see, I never recommend the wrong person!" Cai Yunshan said proudly.

"Good, excellent. He's the one," Tang Yi said, grasping Sun Lang's hand. "Welcome to Tang Group. I hope you thrive here. Let's meet your colleagues now!"

Tang Yi's words and actions left Cai Yunshan and Sun Lang a bit dazed, but they followed him inside.

...

"Alright. Tomorrow is the Trade Conference. We need to set up our booth properly today, so we make a splash and let everyone in the cultivation world know about Tang Group. Are we confident?" After Sect Master Cai left, Tang Yi immediately called a meeting.

"Yes!" the group shouted enthusiastically.

"Excellent. Now, let's eat!" Tang Yi declared, and everyone laughed.

The next day, the main square of Qingyun Peak at Qingcheng Sect was packed with people. Even the nearby dozen or so small training grounds were crowded.

Tang Yi's team had set up their booth in the center of the main square, lavishly decorated and attracting many cultivators. Some, reading the booth's advertisements, asked, "Is it true that you can make video calls anytime, anywhere?"

"Absolutely. As long as you have this communicator and a number card, you can call anyone else who owns one, whether they're on Earth or the Moon. Of course, you need to have call credit," Hua Shaojie, now acting as the spokesperson, explained.

"I have a few questions..."