CHAPTER 340: CHAPTER 340 GRATITUDE

"Ahgggg..." Senior Adam rubbed his forehead, his wrinkled fingers pressing against his temple as he released a weary sigh.

What had begun as nothing more than idle curiosity had now spiraled into something far more serious—an investment, a gamble, perhaps even a responsibility.

It was Riley’s youth that unsettled him most.

Normally, those who could manifest a sovereign domain were aged experts, cultivators whose Dao hearts had weathered countless tribulations or perhaps very very old and experienced mortals who have ruled for a long time also.

Yet this boy—no, this young man barely at the beginning of his prime—had unknowingly crafted a sovereign domain that even seasoned experts would envy.

The sheer impossibility of it made Adam’s ancient heart stir.

If Riley continued on this path, if he ascended to the Dao Searching Realm, then his foundation would allow him to pierce realms others could only dream of.

The boy had the makings of a future giant—one who might shake the heavens.

"We’re ready, Senior Adam."

The voice was calm, steady, confident. Adam blinked, shaken from his reverie.

His sharp eyes followed the sound, falling on Riley himself.

Behind the young man stood more than three hundred figures—men, women, children, and loyal retainers—all lined in strict order.

Their gazes flickered between awe and nervousness, the weight of the moment pressing on their hearts.

These weren’t just warriors or servants.

Riley had insisted on bringing those closest to him: his harem, his children, his trusted allies, even distant clan members who had proven loyal.

This was no mere departure. It was an exodus.

Adam’s lips twitched, half amused, half speechless.

"Isn’t this number too little? Tell me, boy, do you plan to bring your entire clan with you next?"

Riley smiled lightly, as if the jab pleased him. "Now that you mention it, Senior Adam... could I really do that?"

The old man’s jaw tightened, and he gave a sharp snort. "No."

The single word carried the weight of finality.

Still, Adam could not help but note the audacity in Riley’s tone.

The young man had not even stepped into the wider world, and yet he was already daring to negotiate as if he held all the cards.

Audacity... or vision? Adam himself could not decide.

With a flick of his sleeve, Adam ended the discussion.

A ripple of spiritual light erupted from the air before him, and then...

whoooom!

A colossal treasure emerged.

It was a flying boat, its body carved from ancient spirit wood said to withstand even the fires of tribulation.

Golden runes etched along its sides pulsed softly with light, humming with the resonance of countless formations.

Spiritual energy rolled off it in waves, pressing against the hearts of those nearby.

For many of Riley’s people, it was the first time they had seen such a heavenly artifact.

Gasps filled the air.

"What is that...?"

"A boat that flies?"

"Impossible...!"

Children clung to their mothers, their eyes wide with wonder.

Some of the braver men reached out as if to touch the divine vessel, only to recoil in awe at the oppressive aura it exuded.

To them, it was not just a ship—it was a miracle, a symbol that the heavens themselves had opened.

"Board." Adam’s voice was calm but firm.

One by one, the people of the Rice Clan stepped onto the glowing ramp that extended from the vessel.

Their footsteps were hesitant at first, as if they feared the ship would vanish like an illusion, but when their feet touched solid deck, relief and excitement spread across their faces.

Riley was the last to ascend.

He placed his hands behind his back, his expression composed, though inside his heart stirred faintly.

He glanced back once at the land below—his land.

The sovereign domain he had unknowingly created stretched as far as his eyes could see, its qi rich, its rivers flowing, its mountains standing proud.

This was his foundation, his root, his pride.

Senior Adam thought that he could not see it but with his immortal treasure in hand, such a thing was child’s play.

But he did not linger. His journey lay ahead, not behind.

The moment Riley’s foot touched the deck, the ramp dissolved into motes of light.

With a wave of Adam’s hand, the runes along the flying boat blazed to life.

Spiritual energy surged through the vessel, and with a deep, resonant hum, the flying boat lifted into the skies.

The world below shrank rapidly.

Villages became specks, rivers thin silver lines, mountains no more than jagged stones.

For many of Riley’s clan, the sight brought tears to their eyes.

They were leaving behind everything they had known, soaring into a future uncertain yet vast.

From start to finish, Senior Adam had lingered in the Rice Clan for no more than eight days.

Yet in those eight days, the fate of the clan had been rewritten.

Adam stood at the prow, his robes fluttering in the wind, his hands clasped behind his back.

His eyes gleamed faintly as he studied Riley, who stood tall at the center of the deck, unbowed by the awe of his people, unshaken by the vast skies above.

"This boy..." Adam thought, his lips curling faintly. "He is either destined to blaze like the sun... or burn to ashes chasing it."

***

"Is this really the right decision, husband?" Aurora asked softly, her tone fragile as the hum of the flying ship carried through the air.

Her slender fingers intertwined with Riley’s, clutching a little too tightly—as though the strength of her grip alone could anchor them back to the world they had left behind.

Aurora was his official wife in this land, the woman whose status the clan recognized, yet even she carried a rare uncertainty.

She knew that Edith and Juliet—called concubines in name—were no less loved, and the three of them together had grown closer through the years.

But titles aside, the weight of responsibility always seemed to fall on her shoulders first.

"I hope so," Riley replied evenly.

His words were calm, but the faint crease in his brow betrayed the seriousness of the matter.

His gaze lifted toward the vast skies outside, where the clouds blurred into streaks of silver and gold, dissolving into nothing beneath the immense speed of the vessel.

The heavens themselves seemed to bend before their path, but Riley’s eyes were sharp, steady—focused on horizons far beyond what could be seen.

Aurora rested her head lightly against his shoulder, her long dark hair swaying with the motion of the ship.

"It feels so... final. As if we’ve abandoned everything we fought for, everything you built with your own hands. Even if we return one day, won’t it be different? Won’t the people feel as though we’ve left them behind?"

Riley’s lips curved faintly, almost a smile, though his tone carried the weight of certainty. "If you’re worried about our clans, don’t be. We can return in the blink of an eye."

He spoke with the ease of a man who knew the truth.

One of his demands of Senior Adam had been non-negotiable: a permanent spatial portal linking the sect and the Rice Clan.

Through it, no matter the distance, their home would remain at their side, and their people would never know abandonment.

Aurora blinked, a soft sigh of relief escaping her lips.

For the first time since they had set foot aboard the flying ship, her eyes no longer trembled with doubt.

"Then... it really is like we’ve never left at all."

"Exactly." Riley’s thumb brushed gently across her hand, grounding her.

His gaze shifted toward her, his eyes carrying that familiar calm brilliance.

"The land we built will always be ours. What we’ve done there won’t fade—it will only grow stronger in our absence. But this step? It’s necessary. With what’s coming, with what the heavens themselves will demand of us, I cannot afford to stay rooted in one place. It’s time to build something greater—something that will outlast even the stars."

The ship cut through the sky with a low, resonant hum, its protective qi barrier shimmering against the rushing winds.

All around them, their clansmen and servants murmured, some nervous, some excited.

Children peered wide-eyed through the transparent panels, laughing at the endless sky, while older warriors clutched their weapons with unease, unsure of what awaited them.

Edith and Juliet had been quiet until now, but their eyes lingered on Riley’s back, their own thoughts unspoken.

They, too, had feared the unknown, had worried about their children’s futures in a place filled with strange cultivators and powerful beings who might look down on them.

Yet Riley’s words had a way of stripping fear from their hearts, replacing it with certainty.

Aurora lifted her chin and glanced back at them.

For a moment, the three women’s eyes met, and in that silent exchange was a promise: no matter what awaited them in this sect of gods and immortals, they would endure it together.

The tension that had weighed heavily on them since their departure slowly eased, replaced by quiet anticipation.

Riley, still gazing at the horizon, tightened his hold on Aurora’s hand. His lips curved again, this time with genuine confidence.