Chapter 3300: Cattaleya’s Teasing

Morning arrived softly over the Nine Seas World, the horizon painted with streaks of gold and lavender. The ocean glistened under the rising sun, and the faint cry of seabirds echoed across the docks. From the balcony of the Azure Tide Pavilion, the view was breathtaking.

Lin Mu stood there for a brief moment, breathing in the sea air. The briny scent mingled with the sweetness of distant flowering reefs, and the sound of waves was rhythmic, almost meditative. It was a peaceful world, at least on the surface.

But peace rarely lasted long for cultivators like them.

After a light breakfast of seaweed bread and warm coral grass tea, Lin Mu’s group packed their belongings and prepared to leave.

Elyon had already confirmed their teleportation slot the night before, so there was no need to hurry. Still, the streets were bustling even at this hour, the fishermen and traders already hard at work as the group made their way through the city.

The local teleportation array they needed to use was conveniently located within the same city, in another district known as the Coral Spine District. The route took them across a series of arched bridges and narrow walkways that connected small floating platforms together. The city truly was a marvel of oceanic architecture.

After about an hour’s walk, they reached their destination a few minutes before their scheduled departure.

The teleportation plaza was massive, with nine different array platforms, each glowing faintly with blue runes. Workers in light blue robes hurried around, recording fees, checking identification tokens, and ensuring stability.

Lin Mu’s group walked up to one of the counters where a middle-aged man was sitting. His beard was flecked with white salt stains, and his tanned skin had the texture of old driftwood.

"Traveling to Granite Crown Kingdom?" he asked after checking their tokens.

"Yes," Elyon replied, handing over a pouch of immortal stones. "Five of us."

The man counted quickly, nodding. "That will be ten thousand high-grade immortal stones total. Payment received."

Lin Mu didn’t miss the way the man’s expression changed the moment he examined the group properly. His eyes widened slightly as he looked from one person to another, as if realizing that these were no ordinary travelers.

The others in the queue began whispering too, drawn by the unusual mix of a wolfkin, a noble warrior, a scholar, a youth, and a woman who looked like she could wrestle an ox into submission.

Cattaleya’s height and build were impossible to ignore. Her tanned skin gleamed faintly under the morning light, and her well-defined muscles made her look more like a warrior goddess than a traveler. The workers couldn’t help but stare.

"Is she a spirit beast in human form?" one whispered. "Or maybe a beastkin?"

"Look at those arms. She could probably crush a boulder with her bare hands."

"I think she could crush a person instead," another muttered nervously.

Unfortunately for them, Cattaleya’s hearing was very sharp.

She turned her head slowly toward the group of workers who were huddled together, her amber eyes gleaming with mischief. The men froze instantly, realizing too late that she had heard every word.

With a grin that promised trouble, Cattaleya raised one large hand and made a slow, deliberate squeezing gesture in the air, as though she were crushing an invisible head between her fingers.

PAH!

A loud popping sound followed.

The air itself compressed from the force of her movement, creating a sharp sonic snap that echoed through the plaza.

Every single worker yelped in unison, their faces pale.

"She—she just crushed the air!" one shouted, stumbling backward.

"I told you she could do it!" another cried, tripping over a crate.

Within seconds, half the workers had scattered, some diving behind storage barrels while others ran for the nearest door.

Cattaleya laughed heartily, hands on her hips. "Ahaha! Look at them run! I was only teasing!"

Lin Mu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, though even he couldn’t help but smile a little.

Meng Bai leaned toward her and said, "Senior Cattaleya, if you scare away all the workers, who is going to activate the teleportation array?"

"That’s a good point," Daoist Chu added with a chuckle. "Though to be fair, those were just assistants. The real array masters won’t scare that easily."

Cattaleya smirked and waved off the concern. "Relax. It was just a little fun. They’ll come back once they realize I’m not breaking anything."

Indeed, a few moments later, an older man with a serious expression appeared from the control room. His robes were trimmed with golden runes, marking him as one of the official Array Masters. He glanced at the scattered workers, then at Cattaleya, and sighed heavily.

"Another muscle-headed cultivator trying to prove dominance?" he muttered under his breath, but then cleared his throat and addressed Elyon politely. "Please, step onto the array. We will initiate the transport shortly."

Elyon nodded. "Thank you."

The group stepped onto the circular array, the engraved runes glowing brighter as the master activated the formation. A low hum filled the air, resonating in their bones. Lin Mu glanced once more at the horizon, the ocean stretching endlessly in all directions.

Then the world dissolved into light.

The sensation of teleportation was brief this time, barely an hour in duration. Since this was an intra-world jump rather than an inter-world transfer, the strain on their bodies was minimal.

When the light faded, the first thing Lin Mu noticed was the ground beneath his feet. It was solid, firm, and warm. The air smelled different too... dry, with faint hints of stone dust rather than salt.

They had arrived.

The new city they stood in was impressive, though vastly different from the oceanic beauty of the previous one. Its streets were wide and paved with shimmering gray stone. The buildings were tall and block-like, constructed from dark granite with faintly glimmering silver veins.

Elyon stretched his arms and smiled. "Welcome to the Granite Crown Kingdom."

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