Chapter 333: Immortal Boat Interior

Ji Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, holding the brush horizontally in the air and silently observing the weasel-hair brush he had made. The faint blue light on the brush tip's fur gradually faded, and the bamboo body of the brush, originally withered yellow, now appeared vibrantly green.

After a while, the light on the weasel-hair brush gradually dimmed, and it slowly returned to the appearance of an ordinary brush.

Ji Yuan was extremely satisfied. Mimicking a habit from his previous life, he twirled the brush in his hand, and the leftover ink on the tip drew a faint trail of light in the air before he put the brush away.

"Not bad," he murmured. "My efforts weren't wasted after all."

Ji Yuan's voice was tinged with a smile, reflecting his excellent mood.

The Dragon Girl beside him had already recovered, looking at the brush in Ji Yuan's hand with curiosity. She knew it wasn't an immortal artifact, but it was certainly extraordinary.

"Uncle Ji, what was that transformation? Did you cause it?"

Ji Yuan shook his head.

"How could I possess such power?" Ji Yuan replied. "This is a celestial phenomenon that occurs at the transition between the old and new years. It always appears around midnight on the first day of the new year. Ordinary people can hardly perceive it, and even those with profound cultivation might not see it. It is an image of the life force transformation of all things in heaven and earth."

At this point, Ji Yuan looked at the Dragon Girl.

"Did you see anything just now?"

"Thanks to Uncle Ji," the Dragon Girl replied, "I just saw the clear and turbid qi distinctly separated, as if drawing open the curtain between heaven and earth. My state of mind also seemed to undergo a baptism, giving me a deeper understanding of the path of transformation."

Although the Dragon Girl was the daughter of a true dragon, her father, the old dragon, was clearly not very adept at teaching, especially regarding the control of profound realms and states of mind, which he didn't approach as systematically as the immortal path. The Dragon Girl had few special enlightenment experiences while following her father previously. However, following Ji Yuan, the few opportunities she had were crucial, laying the foundation for her future dragon transformation. Because of this, the Dragon Girl both respected and deeply trusted Ji Yuan.

"Whoosh..."

A wave surged in the sea beneath them, causing both the Dragon Girl and Ji Yuan to feel a sway underfoot. General Giant Whale, who had been riding the waves, stopped, bobbing in the water for a while before coming to a standstill.

The Dragon Girl looked towards the area in front of the giant whale's head, grinned wryly, and said, "Uncle Ji, he seemed to have forced himself to observe it too, but his cultivation wasn't sufficient, so he fainted."

Ji Yuan smiled. General Giant Whale was quite endearing, and he was happy to see him gain something from the experience.

"Heh heh, let him sleep," Ji Yuan chuckled. "He's probably tired from swimming continuously for so long. The realm ferry is coming over there anyway. Do you want to go take a look?"

The Dragon Girl actually had no desire to go see for herself, but seeing Ji Yuan say so, she figured he was likely curious about the flying boat. Since her elder had this idea, as a junior, she readily agreed, saying "yes."

The realm flying boat slowly approached from one side. Almost everyone on board was looking in the direction of the giant whale, as it was common knowledge that an exalted figure was being carried across the sea on its back.

On one side of the flying boat's upper deck, several young people, led by their elders, also watched the approaching giant whale.

"That whale looks so massive, it's like a building."

"Uncle-master, you said the woman on the whale's back is a Flood Dragon. What about the other person? Is he a dragon too?"

The person asked was an old man who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with a long white beard and a small crown on his head. He gazed at the distant giant whale and replied with a sigh of wonder. "The other person is likely not a dragon or flood dragon," he explained. "He must be a highly cultivated immortal. Just now, he held a brush and wrote in the air, and the timing was precisely at the transition between the old and new years. Coupled with the indistinct phenomena we saw, this is no coincidence; it must be a profound technique!"

"What profound technique, Master?"

The old man sternly glared at his young apprentice. "If I knew, I'd be cultivating it myself!" the old man retorted. "Also, as we get closer, be respectful and don't act rashly, understand?"

"Understood, Uncle-master!" and "Understood, Master!" came the replies.

The group answered in unison, their eyes still fixed on the distant giant whale.

"Riding a whale, writing at a desk, and traveling freely across the vast East Sea—it feels so artistic!" one young person mused. "When can I do the same?"

"Don't be silly," another retorted. "This isn't about artistic atmosphere. Without that level of cultivation, where would you get a giant whale to ride and a dragon girl to attend you?"

Hearing this, the old man turned and smiled at his apprentices and nephews. "You're right," he said. "So don't slack off in your cultivation. Don't truly believe you're above the mundane world. There are countless exalted figures in the world; how they see us might be no different from how we see ordinary mortals. Moreover, evil demons are ever-changing. Without achieving the Dao, it's hard to speak of true freedom."

"This nephew has been taught!" and "This nephew as well!"

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance!"

The young immortal cultivators quickly bowed their hands in thanks.

Meanwhile, the flying boat's speed decreased repeatedly. Having seen the giant whale stop, the people on the flying boat naturally assumed that the exalted figure had done so intentionally, perhaps wishing to make contact. Thus, the flying boat also reduced its altitude and speed.

Finally, the flying boat came within ten *zhang* of the giant whale. Most people on board bowed their hands in the direction of the giant whale as a sign of respect.

Ji Yuan and the Dragon Girl also politely bowed their hands in return. Then, both ascended on the wind and flew towards the flying boat.

"They're coming! They're coming!"

"The woman is a dragon, right?" "Shhh, keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish?"

"Where will they land? The bow or the stern?"

Ji Yuan was still in the air, and the sounds of whispering were incessant. He pretended not to hear them and landed at the bow of the boat with the Dragon Girl.

There, two cultivators, similarly dressed, were already waiting. Upon seeing Ji Yuan and the Dragon Girl land on the deck, the two cultivators immediately bowed deeply.

"Chi Gui of Nine Peaks Mountain." "Lin Jian of Nine Peaks Mountain."

"We greet both of you!"

After completing his bow, Chi Gui looked up and inquired, "May I ask where you both hail from, and do you have any important business aboard this realm flying boat, which is under the jurisdiction of my Nine Peaks Mountain?"

The Dragon Girl bowed first. "My name is Ying Ruoli, and this is my Uncle Ji. We have no important business; we just happened to encounter it and wanted to see this realm flying boat."

Chi Gui looked at Ji Yuan, who nodded and said, "That's correct. To be frank, I rarely leave my abode, so I've essentially never seen what a realm ferry looks like, inside or out."

Never seen?

Chi Gui and Lin Jian subconsciously exchanged a glance. Such an exalted figure had never seen a realm ferry? However, such doubts wouldn't be voiced directly; perhaps he simply hadn't seen *this* particular one. Chi Gui, with a hint of enthusiasm, offered, "In that case, how about I show you two around?"

"That would be excellent, thank you for the trouble!"

Ji Yuan politely accepted, then stepped forward with Chi Gui and Lin Jian. Before doing so, he also bowed his hands towards the people near and far who were saluting him, returning their greetings.

Standing on the ship, he could more intuitively grasp its immense size. It surpassed the ten-thousand-ton colossal ships Ji Yuan had seen in his previous life, and its construction was entirely different. Besides being undoubtedly driven by magical formations, it also had sails, appearing extremely spacious on deck, and even featured a small market.

Chi Gui said he would show Ji Yuan and the Dragon Girl around, but he wasn't a tour guide. He mostly just accompanied them, occasionally saying things like, "This is the market," or "The guest rooms are below." Most of his other comments were about their Nine Peaks Mountain. Ji Yuan, unfortunately, had never heard of Nine Peaks Mountain and had no prior acquaintance with anyone from that immortal sect, but it still left an impression on him.

There were too many people on the upper deck observing Ji Yuan and the Dragon Girl from a distance. To avoid inconveniencing the two, Chi Gui and Lin Jian first took them to tour the interior cabins of the ship. This ship was divided into many levels, from top to bottom. Its interior didn't resemble individual cabins at all; instead, it felt like a collection of ancient buildings and even gardens. The basic necessities were not lacking, with everything from guest rooms to grand halls and various living quarters readily available.

Chi Gui led Ji Yuan on a tour through the lower corridors. Many of the living and seclusion areas were protected by magical formations. Numerous spots even featured different environmental zones, with vegetation from various climates, forming courtyards of distinct styles. Inside, formations drew in natural light, dispelling any sense of gloom, which was truly wondrous. Walking through the ship's interior completely revamped Ji Yuan's impression of the flying boat. It was not at all as crowded or primitive as he had imagined. It was no exaggeration to say it surpassed some large cruise ships from his previous life, with various divine formations creating many special environments and functions.

"Mr. Ji, this way please!"

After the tour, Chi Gui led Ji Yuan out of a cabin door at the stern, back onto the main deck. Looking towards the bow, he could see the market, filled with pavilions, in the center.

Once outside, Ji Yuan looked at the distant market and couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "Fortunately, I came to see this today," he exclaimed. "It's truly an eye-opener. The realm flying boat is indeed a treasure vessel! For Nine Peaks Mountain to be able to refine such a spiritual object by itself, it must be extraordinary!"

Hearing such a statement from a person like Ji Yuan, even as immortal cultivators, Chi Gui and Lin Jian felt a degree of pride.

"Mr. Ji, you flatter us," Chi Gui replied. "Realm ferries often need to cross inter-continental desolate oceans. The journeys are long and fraught with dangers, so naturally, they require thorough preparation. Come, let's go browse the shops over there. Besides those run by mortals, there are also cultivators involved."

"Cultivators also conduct business?"

Ji Yuan felt slightly surprised. In his impression, cultivators primarily focused on cultivation and rarely engaged in superfluous activities.

Chi Gui was already accustomed to Ji Yuan's questions about such "basic" matters. He replied, "Sir, you may not know that immortal cultivators naturally seldom engage in mercantile arts, but not everyone is self-sufficient. Some items are also put out for exchange for needed goods. For example, talismans from high-level rune refiners are extremely popular. Exchanging them for other items, or for a favor or a karmic connection, is all beneficial."

"So that's how it is!"

Ji Yuan nodded and headed to the market with Chi Gui.

Of course, there was no official currency in the cultivation world, nor was anyone capable of issuing currency. It was mostly barter, with value often determined by the amount of spiritual energy and mystical properties contained within items. Many exchanges were simply based on mutual need. Of course, while there was no currency, there were also some universally desirable items for most immortal cultivators, such as immortal herbs and spiritual medicines, elemental spirits like earth and water spirits, and other Five Elements and Yin-Yang spirits. Some miraculous talismans could also be highly valued, as well as treasures like deep-sea spirit-gathering luminous pearls. Incidentally, these pearls were everywhere in the old dragon's sleeping place, and each one was exceptionally large.

Overall, the Five Elements spirits or Yin-Yang spiritual items could grudgingly be considered the most universally accepted currency. Everyone needed them, and everyone could acquire some. They were often carried in jade or similar objects, condensed to finger size, and weighed about a catty. Therefore, these spiritual items were measured in catties and ounces.

Interestingly, on such a realm flying boat, while cultivators needed to pay a certain amount of spiritual items to board, ordinary people or those who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation, if they were fated to find where the flying boat docked and had the courage to board, could do so without any fee. To Ji Yuan, it felt very much like the "children under 1.2 meters free" rule.

Ji Yuan was almost entirely unaware of these basic facts previously. No one had ever explained them to him; it was Chi Gui who explained them as they walked, and even the Dragon Girl couldn't help but occasionally interject to clarify. Although Ji Yuan maintained a calm demeanor, his curious reactions were naturally noticed by Chi Gui and the others. Chi Gui and Lin Jian were puzzled, while the Dragon Girl became thoughtful.

Ying Ruoli remembered her father once mentioning that her Uncle Ji sometimes lacked knowledge of basic matters in the cultivation world and also seemed very curious. At the time, the Dragon Girl had asked, "With Uncle Ji's level of cultivation, how could he not know these things?" Her father's reply then was: "Having not traveled in the world for a long time, some changes naturally require relearning." The Dragon Girl had then asked, "How long is 'a long time'?" She only saw her father's smile become quite enigmatic. He merely replied, "It might be a very, very long time," after which he said no more.

Now, thinking back, it was very thought-provoking.