Chapter 167: The Most Dangerous Moment

Ji Yuan tilted his head, glanced at "Chu Mingcai" beside him, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"What a coincidence, we were just talking about him, and now the old dragon is here."

Seeing Chu Mingcai's troubled expression and the gloomy aura emanating from him, Ji Yuan felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

"Even though this old dragon is a thousand years old, he can be quite petty sometimes. If I were to sit here drinking tea with you and not acknowledge him, he'd surely hold a grudge. I learned that lesson at his last birthday, so I really must greet him!"

Ji Yuan's words were almost entirely true, yet they made Chu Mingcai nearly crush his teacup. Chu Mingcai struggled to formulate a response, but no words came out.

It wasn't that he couldn't think of a valid reason to stop Ji Yuan from greeting the old dragon. Instead, Chu Mingcai had come to a profound understanding of the phrase, "circumstances dictate."

Ji Yuan hadn't yet decided on a suitable way to signal his presence to the old dragon when he felt a fresh breeze, laden with moisture, blow through. Instinctively, he extended his right hand.

A long strand of hair, swirling in the wind, naturally drifted back into his hand.

Ji Yuan's expression remained neutral, but he was inwardly surprised, wondering about the hair. He had felt a subtle presence when it entered the Huang Manor's grounds and realized it hadn't been sent by the old dragon's magic; rather, it had returned on its own.

Chu Mingcai's attention was completely fixed on Ji Yuan, to the point where he momentarily forgot about the true dragon circling in the sky.

Unlike Ji Yuan, Chu Mingcai observed two things. The hair's self-return was one, though he didn't perceive the complete lack of magical traces as keenly as Ji Yuan did. The crucial second point, however, was something Ji Yuan himself seemed to miss.

The wind, carrying a faint misty drizzle, swirled indoors, inevitably raising dust. Yet, as the dust approached Ji Yuan, it seemed to slide away. From the perspective of a true demon, tiny grey water droplets that landed on Ji Yuan's clothes miraculously remained, while any accompanying dirt simply detached itself. This was certainly no ordinary dust-repelling spell.

Throughout this, Chu Mingcai meticulously observed Ji Yuan's expression, noting that his attention was solely on the strand of hair. He seemed utterly unaware of, or perhaps indifferent to, the other phenomena occurring with his person. It was all remarkably natural and effortless, clearly not the result of any spell.

As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details." This phenomenon was unlike anything the true demon had ever witnessed. Although he didn't fully comprehend its implications, the term "Immaculate True Body" naturally formed in his mind as a fitting descriptor.

'This person beside me... is probably far more formidable than I imagined. How could such a terrifying True Immortal have remained hidden in Dazhen all this time, completely unknown to the Ten Directions of the various realms…'

In the brief interim, Ji Yuan had a closer look at his long hair. Driven by curiosity, he simply removed his Daoist crown and brought the strand of hair to his head.

His scalp tingled faintly as the long hair remarkably reattached itself and grew back, leaving even Ji Yuan inwardly astonished.

Whoosh… whoosh…

The wind outside the living room, now carrying a distinct misty drizzle, intensified. This was clearly unusual, and it drew the attention of both Ji Yuan and the apprehensive Chu Mingcai towards the front of the room.

"Clatter… clatter-clatter-clatter…"

The open doors of the living room swung back and forth ceaselessly, their sounds betraying the chaotic wind direction.

The air grew heavy with the scent of fishy rain, and an oppressive, ink-dark cloud cover settled over all of Dongle County. In Maoqian Town, the sky also grew dim, making visibility hazy.

Rumble…

Thunder rumbled across the sky, and lightning briefly flashed, bathing the area in a stark, pale light.

As the lightning illuminated the world, two figures in brocade robes stood before the Huang Manor's living room. One was youthful, the other elderly; they were none other than the Ying father and son from Tongtian River. A fierce wind, swirling with dust and fine drizzle, swirled around them.

"Gulp…"

Chu Mingcai, still holding his teacup, swallowed a mouthful of tea with effort.

"Hehehehe... I knew that following that strand of hair would surely lead me to Mr. Ji. But I didn't expect such an additional surprise, hehehehe..."

The old dragon's voice began hearty, but then grew slightly hoarse as dragon qi continuously seeped from the corners of his mouth.

The dragon son, Ying Feng, being more pragmatic than his father, spared a glance for Chu Mingcai, then focused his gaze on Ji Yuan and bowed respectfully.

"Your nephew greets Uncle Ji!"

"Mmm, that big carp was quite delicious. I am indebted to Your Highness."

Ying Feng's address of "Uncle Ji" at that moment made Ji Yuan quite comfortable; it certainly fit the occasion. While he usually found the dragon son a bit too persistent, now he found him exceptionally agreeable.

Ying Feng, who had been trying to maintain a serious demeanor, could no longer hold back his expression. A wide grin spread across his face, and his secret joy intensified.

"Hehehe... As long as Uncle Ji enjoyed it, I merely did it on a whim..."

Sensing the atmosphere, however, Ying Feng, having played his part, knew when to stop.

Ji Yuan also rose and cupped his hands in greeting towards the old dragon.

"Elder Mr. Ying, I trust you've been well. Please, come in and have some tea!"

The old dragon returned the gesture.

"Indeed, I'm very well. Had I not been so busy traveling around the time of Grain in Ear, I would have visited you in Bingzhou long ago, Mr. Ji. But my arrival today is quite a coincidence, hehehe..."

As the old dragon chuckled, his peripheral vision remained fixed on Chu Mingcai.

"Quite coincidental, quite coincidental indeed, hehehehe..."

Ji Yuan also chuckled in agreement.

The two continued their pleasantries, seemingly oblivious to Chu Mingcai, the outsider. Yet, an immense pressure gathered around the table, directed solely at him. The true demon felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down, simultaneously sitting on pins and needles. The discomfort was immense.

Thus, a moment later, the seating arrangement in the Huang family's living room subtly shifted.

Ji Yuan and Chu Mingcai remained seated at the head of the table, one on each side. The old dragon, Ying Hong, and the dragon son, Ying Feng, took two side seats on Chu Mingcai's side, effectively sandwiching the true demon. His face had been dark and grim ever since.

"Oh, oh, oh... So this Huang Xingye is nurturing a 'human body spirit'? That truly is rare!"

Having just heard Ji Yuan's rough account of the situation, the old dragon expressed his surprise, then once again fixed his gaze on Chu Mingcai—this time joined by the dragon son, Ying Feng, both pairs of dragon eyes focused intently.

"Yes, it is indeed rare. I was quite surprised myself."

Since his identity as "Mr. Ji" had already been revealed by the old dragon, Ji Yuan dropped his previous self-deprecating address.

With these preliminary matters concluded, it was time for the main topic.

Ji Yuan set down his teacup, which he had just taken a sip from, then picked up the teapot and courteously refilled Chu Mingcai's cup, a smile playing on his lips.

"It seems Your Excellency is quite fond of tea, drinking it rather quickly. Now that these minor matters are settled, we should proceed with the main business."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan glanced at the old dragon, then turned his gaze back to Chu Mingcai.

"To be frank, Your Excellency mentioned earlier that you came to partake in Dazhen's 'excitement.' What exactly did you mean by that? I'm used to a reclusive life and am quite out of touch with current events, so I genuinely don't know."

Chu Mingcai opened his mouth, but before he could finish uttering "This...", the old dragon interjected, sounding surprised.

"Mr. Ji doesn't know? Hahaha... Well, I suppose that makes sense. Even I only found out recently, and Mr. Ji prefers a life of 'idle clouds and wild cranes,' so it's unlikely he'd seek out news."

With a flick of the old dragon's finger, the teapot floated to his side and automatically poured a cup of tea into his own teacup.

"Legend has it that within the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion of the Xuan Heaven Grotto-heaven, three long-bearded elders, while comprehending the Dao Transformation Stone, received a prophecy several years ago. They spent a year on divination, concluding that in the southeastern corner of the Eastern Cloud Continent—roughly where Dazhen is located—there is an indistinct sign of burgeoning destiny, with infinite opportunities for Dao cultivation hidden within."

"Anything else?"

"That's all. I heard that the Xuan Heaven Grotto-heaven has now opened its restrictions widely, only to then completely seal itself off. The Celestial Mechanism Pavilion is refusing all visitors, and the three long-bearded elders reportedly sustained severe injuries. It's unclear how this news even got out."

Chu Mingcai finally found an opportunity to speak, and as if to lighten the mood, he kept his tone as gentle as possible.

"It's already peculiar that such a matter could spread. So, there are all sorts of rumors, both true and false, and no way to verify them with the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion. The 'excitement' in Dazhen, as it's called, stems from this. I also came to observe, and upon seeing Huang Xingye nurturing a 'human body spirit,' my curiosity led me to watch for a while..."

The old dragon cast a cold glance at him.

"Oh? And what about this physical body of yours? And those past incidents? Although my old friend here doesn't harbor any prejudice against demons, immortals, or devils, he utterly despises wicked acts and perverse magic. Don't be fooled by his smiling face and the tea he's sharing with you; the boundless sword intent cultivated within his Green Vine Sword might be on the verge of unleashing itself."

"Hehehehe..."

The dragon son, Ying Feng, chuckled rather uncharitably. With both his father and Uncle Ji present, he felt no pressure and certainly enjoyed a good spectacle.

The old dragon's words made Chu Mingcai feel a cold sweat about to break out. He glanced furtively at the immortal sword behind Ji Yuan. It hung quietly, emitting no trace of sword intent or qi, yet at that moment, it strangely felt as though its stillness belied an earth-shattering power waiting to unleash.

To his left was a true dragon, to his right a true immortal. The true dragon was a thousand-year-old elder, and the true immortal was even more unfathomable. A stark realization dawned on him: 'This might be the most dangerous moment I have faced in a very long time.'