Chapter 462: Fish and Dragons Mixed Together

Such an enormous monstrous or immortal beast, even setting aside other factors, its sheer size alone conveyed an unparalleled sense of oppression and destructive power. Furthermore, its ability to fly indicated not only innate special abilities but also impressive spiritual energy and magical power.

Even with Ji Yuan's current cultivation and composure, encountering the Sky Devourer stirred an uncontrollable emotion, causing him to murmur unconsciously.

"A Sky Devourer... it does look a bit like a Kun..."

Ji Yuan had, of course, never seen a real Kun, but with its aquatic, fish-like features, immense size, and the name "Sky Devourer," it was hard not to associate it with the Kun.

Moreover, in his previous life, Ji Yuan had endured a period of relentless "Kun-raising game" online advertisements. And surprisingly, from certain angles and at certain moments, this beast bore a resemblance to some of the images from those web pages.

Ji Yuan's murmur was naturally heard by Ju Yuanzi, who, after a moment's hesitation, inquired.

"Mr. Ji, what is a Kun? Is it also a giant monster?"

Ji Yuan nodded.

"You could say that; it's a giant fish."

Many people around them cried out in astonishment and excitement. Most were mortals, but there were also many cultivators; even those who had seen the Sky Devourer before felt a thrill.

A short distance from Ji Yuan and his companions, in front of a building with green bricks and glazed tiles, a group of people sat sprawled on the ground, terrified by the recent passage of the Sky Devourer.

"Uncle, Uncle... what was that?"

"I... I don't know either!"

"It was so, so scary!" "I almost wet myself!"

A young cultivator nearby, though also awestruck by the Sky Devourer's transit, was amused by their reactions.

"Get up, get up, look at yourselves. That's an immortal beast of the celestial realm; it's looked after by celestials and won't harm anyone."

One of the youths stared blankly at the cultivator and asked.

"If that thing took one bite, would an entire city of people be enough to feed it?"

"It can survive by absorbing spiritual energy. If it eats, it devours fierce demons and monsters, not mortals."

The young cultivator patiently explained. He was responsible for picking up these six individuals. He had waited for some time and, seeing no one arrive, had even considered going to Zenan Country himself. Today, however, they had finally appeared.

The six of them mentioned that their ancestors had lost their tokens, almost preventing their entry, but they were brought in by cultivators they met along the way.

Observing that others were watching them, the people on the ground, despite their still-shaky legs, quickly stood up. This was, after all, a celestial ferry port, and one dared not act disrespectfully.

"Esteemed Ancestor, we..."

The middle-aged man was cut off before he could finish.

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not your ancestor. I'm not much older than you. I'm just here to pick you up for my master's uncle..."

The young cultivator was again at a loss, caught between laughter and tears. When these people first arrived, he went to greet them, and they actually knelt down, performed a grand kowtow, and all shouted, "Greetings, Ancestor!" It had utterly bewildered him.

Hearing the young cultivator's words, the middle-aged man realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself.

"Yes, yes, yes, Immortal Senior, Immortal Senior, I wanted to ask..." *Grumble*

Before the middle-aged man could articulate his question, his stomach seemed to speak for him, followed by the rumbling of the five young men and women beside him.

*Grumble, grumble*

"Uh, so, I just wanted to ask..."

"Hahahahaha... Mortals are truly amusing! So that's how loud stomachs can growl when people are hungry! Hahahahaha..."

Suddenly, exaggerated laughter erupted nearby. A young-looking person, holding a peach blossom branch, was clutching their stomach and roaring with laughter a short distance away. The peach blossom branch trembled incessantly in their hand as they shook with mirth.

The young cultivator beside the middle-aged man bowed respectfully to the other person.

"Fellow Daoist, these are the juniors of my master's uncle. Please forgive any disrespect!"

Then, the young cultivator turned to the six individuals.

"Traveling through the mountains must have tired you out and made you hungry. I'll take you to get something to eat. Come with me quickly!"

After saying this, the young cultivator took the lead and started walking. The other six naturally followed close behind, knowing that in such a place, they had to stick close to the person in front, lest something unexpected happen if they got lost.

The youth with the peach blossom branch stopped laughing and, without returning the young cultivator's bow, watched them walk away. As his gaze followed them, he was suddenly startled by something else and immediately turned his head to look in another direction.

In that instant, the youth with the peach blossom branch seemed to perceive an illusion: water rippled in the dimness before settling, and a full moon emerged within it. Then the illusion dissipated, and his gaze focused on a pair of ancient, watching eyes.

A group of cultivators was strolling towards the building with green bricks and glazed tiles. The youth with the peach blossom branch withdrew his gaze and quickly hurried away to the side.

Ju Yuanzi's gaze also swept over the departing youth before settling on the nearby brick building.

"Mr. Ji, that's where one checks for inter-domain ferries. Some ferries send notifications before they arrive, allowing people to know in advance, while others are fixed to specific times within the four seasons. This place has changed a lot, but this building remains the same."

"Hmm, let's go take a look!"

Having witnessed the Sky Devourer's passage, Ji Yuan was not in a hurry to visit the Outer Peak Immortal Port for curiosities, as his Dharma Eye could easily pierce through the mist and clearly see the Sky Devourer hovering in the air. Instead, he developed a strong interest in the other ferry vessels. This was a good opportunity to identify them and make a "reservation."

Before entering the building with green bricks and glazed tiles, Ji Yuan's gaze finally withdrew from the distance. Although he could no longer see the youth with the peach blossom branch, his gaze seemed to follow him still.

It was only when Ji Yuan's gaze moved away from him that the youth, who was winding through distant paths, felt a pressure lift from his heart and breathed a deep sigh of relief.

'Oh heavens, where did that old monster come from!'

Meanwhile, the young cultivator led the six individuals from the Yan and Zong families for a while until they reached an inn run by mortals. He looked back and around at the slightly distant area. Seeing nothing amiss, he turned back to the group behind him with a smile.

"Let's eat here. I think the food is delicious, so it should suit your tastes too!"

The six looked up at the very upscale inn, hesitated for a moment, then followed the young cultivator inside. After all, eating with an immortal, they surely wouldn't have to worry about the bill.

Perhaps they were extremely hungry. At the dining table, once the food was served, the six, after asking the young cultivator, ravenously devoured their meal at the large eight-person table. They showed no restraint, eating with great relish and exclaiming their satisfaction.

"Judging by how hungry you all are, the two fellow Daoists who brought you in earlier must have secretly assisted you, otherwise, you probably wouldn't have made it to the Peak Ferry."

"Mmm, delicious... Yes, yes... *gulp*... so..."

"Just eat at ease. Swallow your food before you speak."

"Okay... *gulp*, Immortal Senior, you should eat too!"

"Alright, alright, I'll eat too..."

The young cultivator daintily picked up his chopsticks, took a few slices of vegetables and a piece of meat to his mouth, then took a small sip of wine. Subconsciously, he glanced back outside the inn, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After a long pause, when he looked back, a portion of the dishes on the table had, as if by magic, disappeared.

"By the way, Immortal Senior, was there something wrong with that person earlier? I noticed you saw him looking at us, and then you quickly led us away."

A girl, after swallowing her chicken and taking a sip of soup, carefully asked. This made the young cultivator give her an extra glance as he nodded and quietly said.

"Indeed, this bustling Peak Ferry is actually a mixed bag. Most of the time it's safe, but one must always be cautious. Although I couldn't discern that youth's true nature, I knew he was certainly not human. The moment our gazes met, I felt an uncanny sensation, fleeting as it was, but I couldn't have been mistaken."

As soon as they heard "not human," the six slowed their eating, and some even showed a hint of lingering fear, naturally imagining something sinister.

"Remember this: in places like these, creatures openly displaying their monstrous forms usually won't cause much trouble. Instead, it's those who look perfectly human who might be hiding something unpleasant, some of whom occasionally lose their sanity..."

"Oh..." "Is that so!"

"Alright, don't worry, I'm here. Just stick close to me in all matters. We won't leave the Peak Ferry until we take the flying boat to Hengzhou and go straight to my master's uncle."

"After all that, the Sky Devourer still has the most imposing presence. If it opened its mouth to eat, how much would it devour in one bite?"

The group from Yuhua Mountain emerged from the building with green bricks and glazed tiles. One young disciple jokingly remarked, and Wei Yuansheng chimed in.

"My mundane family owns a large horse farm. I dare say even a thousand horses there wouldn't be enough for that Sky Devourer to swallow in one gulp!"

Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi walked at the front and center. Though they didn't speak, Ji Yuan was listening to the lighthearted discussion behind them. Suddenly, they looked up and encountered a group of women.

Among these women, some carried swords on their backs, others held them in hand, and some even had whisks. Some wore light veils, while others had their long hair styled in buns. As they moved, an ethereal aura surrounded them.

The leading woman held a whisk, her long hair reaching her waist. Red silk ribbons were braided into the hair on both sides of her temples, flowing down to her feet. She appeared delicate and beautiful, but in reality, her cultivation was extremely profound.

"Mr. Ji, these are all Daoists from Weimei Sect. They rarely have male members and generally prefer not to socialize in the cultivation world."

Ju Yuanzi whispered to Ji Yuan, who instinctively nodded, his gaze still fixed. The two groups passed each other without a greeting.

As the Yuhua Mountain group looked at the Weimei Sect members, the women on that side were also observing the Yuhua Mountain party. Some scanned the jade pendants at the Yuhua Mountain cultivators' waists, instantly recognizing their affiliation.

"Grandmaster, they're all from Yuhua Mountain. Hmm, the one with the strange eyes doesn't have a jade pendant."

A woman transmitted her voice to the female cultivator in front. As the latter subtly nodded, she keenly noticed that when her junior mentioned "strange eyes," the man in the green robe briefly glanced sideways, smiled, and then departed with the Yuhua Mountain group.