Ji Yuan slowly retracted his hand, holding the brush horizontally in the air and quietly gazing at the wolf-hair brush he had completed. The soft blue light on the brush tip gradually faded, and the bamboo of the brush handle, originally withered and yellow, now became exceptionally verdant and fresh.
After a while, the light on the wolf-hair brush gradually dimmed, slowly reverting it to the appearance of an ordinary brush.
Ji Yuan was extremely satisfied. He twirled the brush, imitating his movements from his previous life, the residual ink at the tip of the brush tracing a faint streak of light in the air before he finally put the brush away.
“Good, my efforts weren’t wasted.”
Ji Yuan spoke with a smile, clearly in an excellent mood.
The Dragon Daughter beside him had long since recovered her senses, observing the brush in Ji Yuan’s hand with a curiosity. She knew this brush certainly wasn’t an immortal artifact, but it was absolutely extraordinary.
“Uncle Ji, what was that transformation? Did you cause it? “
Ji Yuan shook his head.
“How could I have such an ability? This is a heavenly phenomenon that occurs at the turn of the new year, appearing every year around midnight on the first day of the lunar calendar. Not only is it difficult for ordinary people to perceive it, even those with profound cultivation might not be able to see it. It is a sign of the transformation of life in all of creation.”
As he spoke, Ji Yuan looked at the Dragon Daughter.
“Did you see anything just now? “
“Thanks to Uncle Ji, I saw the pure Qi and turbid Qi clearly separating, as if unveiling the curtain between heaven and earth. My spiritual state seemed to undergo a sudden awakening, and I gained a deeper understanding of the path of transformation. “
Although the Dragon Daughter was the daughter of a True Dragon, her father was clearly not very skilled in teaching—or rather, he lacked the orthodox methods of immortal cultivators when it came to profound realms and the control of one’s spiritual state of mind. The Dragon Daughter had experienced very few unique experiences of enlightenment while following her father.
But in accompanying Ji Yuan, the few opportunities that arose were all extremely crucial, laying down key elements for her future transformation into a true dragon. It was precisely because of this that the Dragon Daughter both respected Ji Yuan and trusted him greatly.
“Splash, splash, splash…”
A surge of waves crashed beneath their feet. The Dragon Daughter and Ji Yuan felt the surface beneath them sway. General Giant Whale, who had been riding through waves, stopped, bobbing in the seawater for a moment, before coming to a standstill.
The Dragon Daughter looked at the area in front of the giant whale’s head, gave a wry smile, and said helplessly.
“Uncle Ji, he seemed to have attempted to observe as well just now, but his cultivation level wasn’t high enough, so he fainted. “
Ji Yuan smiled. This General Giant Whale was quite endearing, and he was happy to see it gain something.
“Haha, let him sleep. He’s been swimming non-stop for so long, he must be tired. Just in time, the realm-crossing ferry is coming over. Would you like to go up and take a look? “
The Dragon Daughter previously had no intention to go up and take a look, but hearing Ji Yuan’s words, she figured he was probably curious about the flying ship. Since her elder was inclined to go, she, as a junior, could only agree.
The realm-crossing ferry slowly flew in from the side. Almost everyone on the flying ship was gazing in the direction of the giant whale; everyone on board knew that a profound master was riding on the back of the giant whale, traveling across the sea.
On one side of the upper deck of the flying ship, several young individuals, following their elders, gazed at the approaching giant whale.
“This whale looks so big! It’s practically the size of a building. “
“Martial Uncle, you said the woman on the whale’s back is a flood dragon. What about the other one? Is he a dragon too? “
The person being asked these questions was an old man who looked to be in his sixties or seventies, with a long white beard and a small hairpin crown on his head. He stared at the distant giant whale as he answered with admiration.
“The other individual is likely not a flood dragon or of the dragon lineage. He must be a highly skilled immortal cultivator. Just now, he held a brush and wrote in the air. The timing was precisely at the juncture of the old and new year. Combined with the hazy phenomena we witnessed, this is absolutely no coincidence. It must be a profound cultivation technique! “
“What kind of profound cultivation technique, Master? “
The old man straightened and glared at his young disciple.
“If I knew, I’d be cultivating it myself! Right, when they get closer, you must be respectful and not act rashly. Understood? “
“Understood, Martial Uncle!”
“Understood, Master! “
The group answered in unison, their eyes still fixed on the distant giant whale.
“Riding a whale, writing at a desk, freely roaming the boundless Eastern Sea—what a poetic atmosphere! When will I be able to be like that? “
“Don’t be silly. This isn’t a matter of poetic atmosphere. Without that level of cultivation, how could one have a giant whale as a mount and a dragon as an attendant?”
Hearing this, the old man turned and smiled at his disciples and martial nephews.
“Well said. Therefore, your cultivation must not be neglected. Don’t truly think yourselves above the mortal world. There are countless profound masters in this world; they may not see us any differently than we would see ordinary people. Moreover the world’s demons and evil spirits are ever-changing. Without attaining the Tao, one cannot yet speak of true freedom.”
“This disciple understands now!”
“This disciple too! “
“Thank you, Master, for your guidance! “
The group of young immortal cultivators quickly bowed with cupped hands in gratitude.
Meanwhile, the flying ship’s speed further slowed. Having already seen the giant whale stop, the people on the flying ship naturally assumed the profound master had intentionally arranged it, perhaps wishing to interact with them. Therefore, the flying ship intentionally descended and slowed.
Finally, the flying ship within ten zhang of the giant whale. Most people on the vessel bowed respectfully with cupped hands in their direction.
Ji Yuan and the Dragon Daughter also politely bowed in return, then they both rose with the wind and flew towards the flying ship.
“They’re coming! They’re coming! “
“That woman is a dragon, right?”
“Shhh! Keep your voice down! Are you tired of living? “
“Where will they land? At the bow or the stern? “
While Ji Yuan was still in the air, he could already hear the unending sound of whispers in his ears. He pretended not to hear, and landed on the bow alongside the Dragon Daughter.
Two immortal cultivators dressed in similar robes were waiting there. Seeing Ji Yuan and the Dragon Daughter land on the deck, the two cultivators immediately bowed deeply.
“Chi Gui of Nine Peaks Mountain–“
“Lin Jian of Nine Peaks Mountain–“
“–greets the two guests! “
Chi Gui raised his head after completing his bow and asked.
“May I ask where the two esteemed immortals hail from? Do you have any important matters that bring you aboard this realm-crossing ferry, which is under the jurisdiction of my Nine Peaks Mountain? “
The Dragon Daughter bowed first.
“My name is Ying Ruoli, and this is my Uncle Ji. We have no urgent business; we just happened to come across this flying ship and wished to come see it.”
Chi Gui looked at Ji Yuan, who nodded.
“Indeed, that is the case. To be frank, I rarely leave my courtyard and have basically never seen what a realm-crossing ferry looks like, neither the inside nor outside.”
‘Never seen what one looks like?’
Chi Gui and Lin Jian instinctively exchanged a glance. Such a profound expert had never seen a realm-crossing ferry?
But they wouldn’t voice such doubts openly; perhaps he had simply never seen this particular vessel before. Chi Gui spoke with a touch of enthusiasm.
“In that case, how about I give you two a tour? “
“That would be wonderful. Many thanks for your trouble! “
Ji Yuan said politely. They began walking alongside Chi Gui and Lin Jian. However, before they set off, he also bowed with cupped hands towards the people bowing to him from across the ship, returning the greeting.
Only after standing on this ship could one more intuitively appreciate its immense size; it surpassed the ten-thousand-ton ocean liners Ji Yuan had seen in his previous life, and its structure was completely different.
Aside from being obviously driven by array formations, this ship also had sails. The deck appeared extremely spacious, and there was even a small market area.
Chi Gui claimed to be taking Ji Yuan and the Dragon Daughter on a tour, but he wasn’t a tour guide; he basically just walked alongside them, occasionally mentioning things like, “this is the market” or “the guest rooms are below decks.” The rest of the time was spent talking about their Nine Peaks Mountain.
Unfortunately, Ji Yuan had never even heard of Nine Peaks Mountain, nor was he acquainted with anyone from that immortal sect, but it still left an impression.
There were too many people observing Ji Yuan and the Dragon Daughter from afar on the upper deck at the moment. To avoid causing any discomfort for the two, Chi Gui and Lin Jian first took them to tour the interior cabins of the ship.
This ship was divided into many decks, from top to bottom. The interior did not resemble a series of individual cabins at all, but rather a series of antique-style, elegant buildings, and even gardens. It wasn’t lacking in basic amenities either; it was fully equipped with everything, from guest rooms to grand halls and various living quarters.
Chi Gui led Ji Yuan on a tour through the lower decks. Some living quarters and secluded cultivation spaces were protected by arrays, and many even had distinct environmental zones, with vegetation suited to different climates, creating courtyards of varied styles. These courtyards were further enhanced by formations that channeled natural light, eliminating any sense of darkness. It was truly remarkable.
Ji Yuan completely changed from his initial impression after walking around inside the ship. It was completely unlike the crowded and outdated image he had imagined. In fact, it was far superior to some of the large cruise ships he had seen in his previous life. Some of the divine power formations achieved many truly unique environments and techniques.
“Mister Ji, please come this way! “
After the tour, Chi Gui led Ji Yuan out from the cabin door at the stern and back onto the main deck. Looking towards the bow, they saw a market area filled with pavilions.
Once outside, Ji Yuan gazed at the distant market and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
“Fortunately, we came to see it today. It’s truly an eye-opener. The realm-crossing ferry is indeed a treasure! For Nine Peaks Mountain to refine such a spiritual artifact by itself is truly extraordinary! “
Hearing these words from a figure like Ji Yuan, even as true immortal cultivators, Chi Gui and Lin Jian felt a certain degree of pride.
“Mister Ji, you flatter us. Realm-crossing ferries often need to traverse continents and desolate oceans; the journeys are long and arduous, so naturally, we need to be thoroughly prepared. Come, let’s go browse the shops over there. Aside from those run by mortals, there are also some run by cultivators. “
“Cultivators also do business? “
Ji Yuan was slightly surprised. In his impression, cultivators focused on cultivation and their foundation and rarely did superfluous things.
Chi Gui had already gotten used to Ji Yuan’s questions regarding such “basic” matters and replied.
“Sir, you may not know, but while immortal cultivators naturally rarely involve themselves in the art of commerce, but not everyone is self-sufficient. Some things are displayed to exchange with others for what they need. For example, talismans from highly skilled talisman refiners are extremely popular. Using them to exchange for other items, favors, or connections is always beneficial.”
“I see!”
Ji Yuan nodded and followed Chi Gui into the market.
Of course, the cultivation world had no official currency, nor would anyone be capable of issuing it. Exchanges were mostly done through barter, with value often determined by the amount of spiritual energy and mystic properties contained within the items. Many transactions were simply about mutual benefit.
Of course, while there was no currency, there were still some hard currencies that most immortal cultivators favored, such as immortal herbs and spiritual elixirs, spiritual items
1
of the Five Elements or Yin-Yang. Some miraculous talismans and treasures like deep-sea spirit-gathering pearls could also be included. Well, these things were everywhere in the old dragon’s bedroom, and each one of Ji Yuan’s was enormous.
All in all, Five Elements or Yin-Yang spiritual items were arguably the most readily-available items. Everyone needed them, and everyone could obtain at least a couple. Spiritual energy was usually contained in jade or other similar materials; a concentration the size of a fingertip would weigh about one jin
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by weight, so these spiritual items were also described in terms of weight in jin.
Interestingly, on this realm-crossing ferry, only cultivators needed to pay a certain amount of spiritual items to board. Ordinary people, or those who had just entered the path of cultivation, could board for free, so long as they were fortunate enough to find the ship’s dock, and had the courage to come aboard.
In Ji Yuan’s perspective, it felt very much like the “children under 1.2 meters tall get free admission” rule.
Ji Yuan was almost completely unfamiliar with these basic pieces of knowledge; no one had ever explained them to him before. It was Chi Gui who explained them as they walked, and even the Dragon Daughter couldn’t help but occasionally chime in to help explain.
Although Ji Yuan remained composed, Chi Gui and the others naturally noticed his curious reactions. Chi Gui and Lin Jian were puzzled, while the Dragon Daughter was pensive.
Ying Ruoli remembered her father once mentioning to her that her Uncle Ji sometimes lacked an understanding of basic things in the cultivation world, and also appeared very curious.
At that time, the Dragon Daughter had asked him, “With Uncle Ji’s level of cultivation, how could he possibly not know these things? “
Her father’s had replied:
“Having been away from the world for so long, some changes naturally must be relearned.”
The Dragon Daughter had then asked, “How long is ‘so long’? “
She only saw a mysterious smile appear on her father’s face, and he simply replied, “perhaps a very, very long time.” After that, he said no more.
Thinking back on it now, it was quite intriguing.
灵 (líng): spirit/departed soul, 物 (wù): thing –> lit. “spirit thing,” could refer to any kind of weapon imbued with spiritual energy, but I suspect it’s a little more than that
~500g
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