Chapter Thirty-Four: Soaring Cloud Peak

"Daoist Qiu, greetings!" As Tang Yi opened the communicator, he began chatting with Qiu Chuji. He noticed several others behind Qiu Chuji on the screen.

"Daoist Tang, greetings! Today, I'm calling to respond to your previous invitation. My master has agreed. Allow me to introduce him—this is my teacher, Wang Chongyang." Qiu Chuji stepped aside, and a middle-aged Daoist appeared on the screen.

"Wang Chongyang? I've long heard of you, Master Wang!" Tang Yi greeted Wang Chongyang with a cupped-fist salute.

"Oh? Daoist Tang, have you heard of me before?" Wang Chongyang replied modestly.

"Yes, I came across your name by chance," Tang Yi replied evasively.

"I see. Daoist Tang, if you ever have time, you're welcome to visit our sect," Wang Chongyang offered.

"Of course, it would be impolite to refuse. When the time comes, I hope to benefit from your guidance," Tang Yi replied.

"You're too kind. I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. Please, continue your conversation," Wang Chongyang said, then departed. Qiu Chuji then introduced the rest of the Seven Perfected Ones of Quanzhen to Tang Yi, one by one. When the others had left, Tang Yi spoke privately to Qiu Chuji.

"Daoist Qiu, you may come to the Changbai Mountains tomorrow. The Tang Corporation's headquarters is set atop Flying Cloud Peak. And if any of your fellow disciples wish to join, our Tang Corporation would be most delighted to welcome them!"

"I'll ask around for you. So, we can set out for the Changbai Mountains tomorrow?" Qiu Chuji inquired.

"Yes, we'll be heading there as well," Tang Yi nodded.

...

Flying Cloud Peak of the Changbai Mountains remained shrouded in snow year-round. Today, yet another heavy snowfall blanketed the peak as Tang Yi and his companions arrived.

"Auspicious snow promises a bountiful year..." Tang Yi sighed in admiration.

The others fell silent.

"Ah, right, Hua Shaojie, could you make a few shelters from the snow? It's coming down so hard, it's exhilarating!" Tang Yi said to Hua Shaojie.

"Tang, why is it always me? Can't you have someone else do it next time?" Hua Shaojie grumbled.

"Fine—next time we're at sea, you can take a break," Tang Yi waved him off. Dutifully, Hua Shaojie set about his task, forming several interconnected shelters with a wave of his hand. With a thought, Ding Pengfei produced a pile of dry logs inside one of the caves. Lü Zhengyang, seeing this, snapped his fingers, sending a bright red flame from his index finger to ignite the wood. The cave was instantly aglow and much warmer.

Applause rang out. Tang Yi clapped his hands and said, "Excellent, the three of you are working more seamlessly together by the day—very good!"

No sooner had he spoken than a voice called from outside, "Daoist Tang! Is that you?"

"Daoist Qiu, you've arrived! Come in, come in—the snow is heavy out there!" Tang Yi had noticed their approach long before.

Laughing, Tang Yi greeted, "Daoist Ma, Daoist Wang—welcome!" The newcomers were Ma Yu and Wang Chuyi; Ma Yu excelled at alchemy, Wang Chuyi at forging.

"With both of you joining us, the Tang Corporation has truly reached new heights!" Tang Yi said happily.

"Rest for now, everyone. I'll be back shortly," Tang Yi said to the group.

"Tang, with the snow coming down like this, what are you up to?" Hua Ruoxue asked with concern.

"Uh, just going to the restroom..." Tang Yi slipped away before finishing his sentence.

"The restroom? At our level of cultivation? Unless someone's been poisoned!" the group scoffed, thinking Tang Yi's excuse was laughable.

Naturally, Tang Yi wasn't off to relieve himself. He had two tasks: to connect Flying Cloud Peak, the Tang Corporation's base, with Divine Radiance Peak, the base of the Rapid Cultivation Academy. He etched flight arrays, defensive arrays, and a host of other formations across both peaks—every enchantment he could conceive and execute. In fact, these two peaks had become the second and third Selection Peaks, although unlike the original, they weren't inverted. Moreover, under Tang Yi's design, the two peaks were essentially starships. The arrays nearly exhausted all the materials Tang Yi had scavenged recently, making his heart ache.

"It's nothing—easy come, easy go. I'll get more of these things sooner or later," Tang Yi consoled himself. Gazing at his handiwork, he mused, "I really am a genius—turning mountain peaks into starships! Incredible. But they still lack that modern touch. Someday I'll build a proper metal starship, more futuristic. Yes, that's decided." Truly, he was one to forget pain once the wound had healed.

It took Tang Yi two full days to complete these tasks—unavoidable, as even with his powers, he couldn't perform them in stopped time. Snow fell without pause throughout those two days. When he returned, he found the others each occupied: some meditated, some napped, others chatted. Hua Ruoxue and Gu Zhenzhen whispered together. After surveying the scene, Tang Yi clapped his hands and called out, "Everyone, it's nearly time to get to work! In a few days, Tang Corporation staff will arrive. If we don't finish preparing the headquarters, we'll be out of time."

Hua Shaojie glanced outside, then closed his eyes and said, "With snow coming down like this, construction quality will suffer. We can wait until it stops—it'll be quick with me here anyway!"

"Heh, snow, is it? I can put a stop to that," Tang Yi replied mischievously. He stepped outside...

"Incredible—he waves his hand and the weather changes! Daoist Tang, what kind of divine art do you practice?" Qiu Chuji exclaimed, watching as Tang Yi gestured and, in moments, the heavy snow ceased and warm sunlight flooded into the cave.

"Just a little trick. We can discuss it later. For now, our chief task is getting Flying Cloud Peak ready," Tang Yi replied, then set about assigning duties.

Ding Pengfei was first to clear the trees from the peak, then Hua Shaojie used his powers to shape the buildings designed by Tang Yi. Next, everyone worked together to refine and perfect the structures. Once that was done, Hua Ruoxue and Tang Yi thoroughly cleaned the mountain, and Lü Zhengyang used his abilities to dry any moisture.

After three days and nights of hard work, the Tang Corporation headquarters was finally complete. Bathed in sunlight, the glittering buildings filled everyone with pride. It hadn't been easy—even for cultivators, expending spiritual energy for three days and nights was no simple feat.

"At last, the Tang Corporation is established. Now..." Tang Yi began, but was interrupted.

"Food!" Hua Shaojie and the others shouted.

"Wrong! First, pick your rooms!" Tang Yi called, dashing off toward the villas meant for rest before he could finish.