The Innkeeper

Chapter 1370  A prison

The feeling of being watched did not last long, and faded, as if it lost interest. Why wouldn't it? Based on all appearances, both Lex and the turtle were in the mortal realm. Because that completely made sense. It was a very common thing for mortals to teleport on an interstellar scale without suffering any harm. Why wouldn't they? It was not as if their physiques were so weak that the pressures of such travel would destroy them.

Sarcasm aside, mortals really could travel the universe as long as they used the golden keys of the Inn. Yet others could not know that.

Such an obvious loophole should have aroused greater suspicion from anyone scrutinizing them, yet since the turtle wished for his camouflage to be perfect, it was, and mere immortals could not see through it, or even conceive the idea that there was something amiss.

This was only the first step in the turtle's plan.

Lex, on the other hand, viewed the interface to see the details of the planet they had teleported to.

Planet: Zuri

Planet Rating: 5.5 Star

Planet Environment: Extremely fertile, extremely hungry, extremely dangerous

Planet Galaxy: Adissa

Lex froze, blinked, and read again. The planet was Zuri, and the galaxy was Adissa. Either the clover he was familiar with took her name arbitrarily, or her existence and influence was closely connected to the entire galaxy.

Lex also considered the possibility that, like certain plants back on Earth that became unbelievably huge, Zuri had actually fused with, or maybe grown into an entire galaxy. But such a thought was too absurd, too fantastical. Although he was in the business of doing the impossible, that does not mean others could so easily do it as well.

But he quickly pushed that thought aside. Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"Zuri, we have arrived. How are we to proceed?" Lex asked out loud, as if he was speaking to someone nearby. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Instead of receiving a verbal response, he saw the forest around him began to move, paving a way for them.

The two mortals began to walk, with each step covering dozens of miles, as normal mortals usually do.

When they emerged from the forest, what they saw was that they were atop the peak of a massive mountain, with other similar mountains all around it, forming a deep bowl in the center.

The center was covered in mist so that all view of what lay within was blocked, not just from sight, but from all senses. Even the spirit sense, or Lex's discerning eyes failed to pierce through the veil of mist.

All they could do was venture down, following the path laid out for them, ignoring the heavy sense of surveillance that covered this valley. Whatever had gazed towards them was looking deep into this valley as well, trying to look through the mist, but even it was failing.

Lex, a mere mortal, looked up and took measure of the weight of the rainbow, which was the source of that gaze, but aroused no suspicion. Everyone knew that human mortals could resist the pressure of powerful Immortals, and gaze upon the source of their power without cowering or feeling pressure. It was as basic knowledge as the fact that water was wet.

As they entered the mist, Lex lost all sense of what was around him, and even the path underneath was no longer visible, nor could it be sensed. Fortunately, the turtle at least could follow the path, so Lex simply sat upon his shell, and awaited their destination.

The journey actually ended up taking them several hours even with their fast speed, demonstrating how deep the valley really was. In truth, Lex was able to sense that even his perception of time was skewed within the mist - something he could only tell because he had clones and projections in other planets and realms.

Or perhaps it was the turtle underneath him that allowed him to sense this anomaly. It was not common or easy to encounter someone who delved in laws related to time. Of the many Celestial immortals he had met, none had ever displayed any mastery of time. The fact that Zuri dared to do so demonstrated that she was far from as simple as she appeared - not that she seemed simple at all!

Eventually, they reached the base of the valley. Lex did not know what to expect, but he certainly wasn't expecting a simple meadow. There were no grand structures, no towering trees, no ancient glories.

Just a simple meadow with a few fruit trees here and there, and wildflowers all around.

The turtle hummed, as if appreciating the place, though Lex was utterly incapable of determining what was so special about this place. It seemed like any other meadow.

Then again, the very fact that he could not see through it revealed just how special it really was.

The path continued under their feet, so they continued walking, all the way to the center of the meadow, where Lex saw something unbelievable.

Right in the middle was a small, inconsequential four leaf clover, looking no different from any other clover he had ever seen.

If all signs had not been pointing towards the fact that this was Zuri, he would not have believed that such a small thing could be a Celestial Immortal! Didn't all things grow bigger and grander as their cultivation developed?

"Welcome," Zuri spoke into their minds, her voice soft and gentle. "You are the first beings to see me in person in… a very long time. It feels very different to be able to see people in person, and not through a clone."

"Silly clover," the turtle said with gentleness in his voice Lex had never heard before. "Plants are meant to grow in a garden, not in a prison."

A thought flashed through Lex's mind, and he looked up. Though the mist still blocked his view, he could still recall what the sky above looked like. An endless rainbow covered the sky, from horizon to horizon, and though it looked beautiful, it also felt… suffocating.

Who the hell was holding Zuri Adissa, a Celestial Immortal, prisoner? Could it be a Dao Lord?