Chapter 463: 恐怖妖羽

After the disciples from Yu Huai Mountain departed, the female cultivators of Wei Mei Sect, led by their elder, finally entered the building with green bricks and glazed tiles. However, the elder still turned to look in the direction the Yu Huai Mountain cultivators had left.

She realized she couldn't discern the cultivation level of the man with the pale eyes who had just been there. Clearly, he couldn't be a mere mortal, and it seemed he had even heard the private transmissions of her juniors.

The leading woman of Wei Mei Sect knew that this wasn't due to the man intentionally eavesdropping with magic. Rather, when one's cultivation reaches a certain profound level, and their mind is clear and enlightened, they sometimes instinctively sense when others around them are discussing them.

"Grand Master, I never expected Yu Huai Mountain, whose people have shunned travel for centuries, to send so many cultivators this time, especially a few whose cultivation levels are unfathomable. We certainly underestimated them before."

The woman who had just spoken clearly noticed Ji Yuan's slight glance earlier, as he had been looking at her. Moreover, Ju Yuanzi, who was next to Ji Yuan, also possessed unfathomable cultivation, prompting her current reflection.

Hearing her disciple-granddaughter's remark, the leading female cultivator paused slightly and turned to look at her.

"Do you know why they are here?"

"Uh... Grand Master, it's the Wuxu year, and it's this season again. They are naturally here to attend the Immortal Travel Assembly."

The leading female cultivator then nodded in realization.

"Oh... has another sixty years passed already?"

The group fell silent and slowly walked inside the building. The interior space was much larger than it appeared from the outside, likely due to a spatial compression formation.

The first floor was a spacious hall, where various talismans hung on the walls at different heights. Some glowed, others were dim, indicating the names of various flying boats, exotic beasts, and floating islands. Cultivators from Moon Deer Mountain were also present, handling related matters.

Upon seeing the distinctive female cultivators of Wei Mei Sect enter, a Moon Deer Mountain cultivator quickly approached to greet them.

"My name is Li, and I am one of the administrators responsible for Peak Crossing at Moon Deer Mountain. Fellow Daoists of Wei Mei Sect, you must be tired from your journey!"

"No need for formalities, Fellow Daoist Li. Just tell us who wishes to board the Heaven-Devouring Beast and if there are any additional items to transport."

The people of Wei Mei Sect were known for being laconic and avoiding excessive interaction with outsiders. Cultivator Li, as an administrator, was well aware of this, so he quickly retrieved a bundle of jade slips used for records. His fingers swiftly scrolled to find the entry for the Heaven-Devouring Beast that arrived today, then he pulled out that specific slip and handed it to the Wei Mei Sect cultivators with both hands.

"Please take a look, fellow Daoists, all the information is here. Unless there's an urgent matter, we hope the Heaven-Devouring Beast can remain docked at Peak Crossing for two days, allowing others who decide to travel last minute to board. If you require a place for secluded cultivation, please feel free to go upstairs!"

"Understood."

The Wei Mei Sect members had no interest in visiting the upper floors and intended to turn and leave. If they wished to cultivate, wouldn't their own Heaven-Devouring Beast be a better place?

However, as they turned to leave, the disciple-granddaughter of the leading female cultivator suddenly asked Administrator Li a question.

"Fellow Daoist Li, as an administrator of Peak Crossing, you must be familiar with all the distinguished seniors who pass through. May I presumptuously ask, do you recognize the two highly cultivated seniors from Yu Huai Mountain who were here earlier?"

Fellow Daoist Li thought for a moment before replying.

"The long-bearded elder is Ju Yuanzi, a true immortal from Yu Huai Mountain. This esteemed senior rarely ventures out. Moon Deer Mountain's earliest record of him dates back six hundred years, so his true age is unknown, but his profound cultivation is evident."

Age isn't always the sole measure of cultivation; for example, due to talent, a sixty-year-old young cultivator might not have lower cultivation than a centenarian. However, when one reaches a certain advanced age, it becomes a definitive factor, as without sufficient cultivation, they would have long since succumbed to old age.

After speaking about Ju Yuanzi, Cultivator Li thought of Ji Yuan and continued.

"As for the other senior, I have never seen him before, but the cultivators from Yu Huai Mountain show him great respect, and even Ju Yuanzi does so, referring to him as 'Mr. Ji'. In my judgment, that senior is likely not a Yu Huai Mountain cultivator, but he shares a good personal relationship with them."

"Alright, thank you for the information, Fellow Daoist!"

"You're welcome!"

The Wei Mei Sect female cultivators left as soon as they finished asking questions, demonstrating a swiftness that surpassed many men. Once they departed, Administrator Li on the other side subtly let out a sigh of relief. The people of Wei Mei Sect disliked dealing with outsiders, and outsiders who knew their habits felt similarly.

It wasn't that Wei Mei Sect members were unreasonable—truly unreasonable individuals among righteous immortal cultivators were rare. However, there were many who were obstinate or intolerant of even the slightest deviation. Wei Mei Sect leaned more towards the latter, with a touch of the former. Their cultivation method emphasized tranquility, clarity, and a mind as still as water. Consequently, their demeanor sometimes appeared very aloof, and when opinions clashed, their impassive, seemingly indifferent yet unyielding nature made the Wei Mei Sect female cultivators particularly formidable.

In the Peak Crossing market, the Yu Huai Mountain cultivators also split into groups to wander around. Ji Yuan, Ju Yuanzi, and Qiu Feng traveled together, with Qiu Feng, who had arrived earlier, introducing some of the market's distinctive buildings to Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi.

These were primarily establishments run by cultivators, mostly selling various treasures and spiritual items. Some cultivators, with their unique discernment, specialized in appraising spiritual objects for others, thereby forming good karma.

Some were market stalls, while others were standalone buildings, clearly having developed a certain "brand effect."

This market was clearly much livelier and offered a far greater variety of goods than the small market Ji Yuan had once visited on the Nine Peaks Mountain flying boat. There were countless peculiar and wondrous items.

Ji Yuan even saw immortal cultivators selling various rare small spirits. These spirits were very weak; some could even be accidentally killed by mortals, yet each possessed unique uses. He passed a stall where an elderly immortal cultivator was selling a type of deep blue spirit.

It was a thumb-sized humanoid creature with a pair of transparent blue wings on its back, confined within a black metal cage. The cage was covered with a black cloth, but due to a magical enchantment, people could see three small figures playing inside through the cloth, while the figures inside could not see out.

One significant difference between immortal cultivators' stalls and secular markets was that stallholders rarely hawked their wares. Instead, they typically meditated quietly at their stalls and only spoke when an interested Daoist friend approached.

Seeing Ji Yuan and the group of Yu Huai Mountain cultivators pause, the elderly cultivator began to introduce his wares.

"Fellow Daoists, these in the cage are Blue Dream Sprites. They like to steal dreams, or rather, mental essence, from people's ear orifices while they are asleep. If someone feels constantly listless despite getting enough sleep, it might be these creatures at work."

"Do they have any other uses?" Ji Yuan inquired. The stallholder thought carefully.

"If they are willing, they can help people revisit dreams, or even re-enter or extend the same dream. However, they are also very fragile and often get crushed by people tossing and turning in their sleep."

As spirits born from the nexus of mind and dreams, most of their bodies dissipate quickly after death, leaving only a few traces of blood. If someone wakes up in the morning to find bloodstains on their pillow or bedding but no injuries on themselves, it might be because they accidentally crushed such a spirit during the night.

"So, are the three of you interested in buying them? The cage comes with them. I'd accept one tael of Wood Essence Condensate, or vitality-replenishing elixirs like Rejuvenation Pills."

Qiu Feng couldn't help but speak.

"These spirits are of no real use to us. Why bother buying them? This item, however, looks rather special."

As he spoke, Qiu Feng picked up a golden-red feather from the stall, about the length of a forearm. After infusing it with spiritual energy, it faintly radiated warmth into the surroundings.

"I don't know what kind of demonic creature left this feather behind. It doesn't carry any common demonic aura. I found it in the East Sea years ago. It occasionally emits heat, but only to the extent you've just activated. It can't be used to forge magical artifacts, nor can it aid in cultivation. Perhaps it has other wondrous uses, but this old man is unaware."

Ji Yuan had initially paid little attention to the feather, but as Qiu Feng infused it with spiritual energy and activated its warmth, a sensation of extreme dread emanated from it, startling Ji Yuan so much that he almost recoiled several steps. Only with immense mental fortitude did he manage to remain still.

'What a joke... no demonic aura? It's absolutely overflowing with it!'

Ji Yuan had already opened his Dharma Eye, staring intently at the feather in Qiu Feng's hand. The feather, which Qiu Feng and the stallholder were calmly discussing, was emitting waves of terrifying, dark red demonic aura—faint, yet incredibly horrifying.

In recent years, Ji Yuan had very rarely experienced true fear.

If a single feather possessed such power, Ji Yuan dared not imagine what kind of demon the owner of this feather would be if its true form were present. Could it be...

As he pondered, Ji Yuan instinctively looked up at the sky, as if he could see the sun above through the perpetual mists that shrouded Peak Crossing.

"Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji?"

"Huh?"

Ji Yuan snapped back to attention. The demonic aura from the feather had caused his mind to wander, a rare occurrence for him.

Ju Yuanzi and Qiu Feng were among the Yu Huai Mountain cultivators who were more familiar with Ji Yuan. They knew that his trance-like state while looking at the feather likely meant it was extraordinary, but the stallholder was unaware.

"Um, Mr. Ji, this feather does look quite nice. Are you thinking of buying it to use as decoration?"

Qiu Feng asked, and Ji Yuan, after a brief surprise, replied with a smile.

"Indeed, but not for decoration. Since this feather can absorb spiritual energy, I'm inclined to dismiss any superstitions and want to take it back to cast a spell and investigate if it has other wondrous uses. By the way, Fellow Daoist, how much is this feather?"

The elderly cultivator glanced at the three of them and held up two fingers.

"Two catties of Wood Essence Condensate, or two catties and eight taels of any other Five Elements condensate. Vitality-replenishing elixirs like Rejuvenation Pills would also suffice!"

"That expensive? Didn't you say it was of no use?"

Qiu Feng couldn't help but ask, and the elderly cultivator smiled.

"Rarity dictates value. While I'm at a loss with it and can't trace its origin, these two fellow Daoists possess profound cultivation; perhaps they know its methods and uses."

"You're being a bit..."

Qiu Feng started to speak further, but Ji Yuan stopped him.

"Fellow Daoist is right, and I won't haggle. However, I don't have any Wood Essence Condensate or vitality-replenishing elixirs on me. Would you consider this item as payment?"

Saying this, Ji Yuan took out the two newly refined Dharma Coins from his sleeve.

As the Dharma Coins appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy subtly stirred. A deep, brass-colored radiance flowed along their edges, and an aura of Dao essence solidified without dissipating.

The elderly cultivator instinctively leaned closer.

"May I examine them closely?"

"Take them."

Ji Yuan handed over one of the Dharma Coins. The elderly cultivator took it and used his magic to examine it, gradually discerning its profound mysteries, though not fully grasping them.

"These are called Dharma Coins, meticulously refined by me. Their wondrous uses are numerous, to say the least. Would two such Dharma Coins be sufficient for the price?"

Qiu Feng stared at the Dharma Coins, his hand instinctively rising.

"Mr. Ji, I have Wood Essence Condensate, I do! As for these Dharma Coins, why don't you just..."

"Sold, sold! I'll take these two Dharma Coins. Even if you offer me Wood Essence Condensate now, I wouldn't want it. I want the Dharma Coins!"

The stallholder, an immortal cultivator, was now quite impatient, warily watching Qiu Feng, fearing the Dharma Coins he was about to acquire might change hands.

"Haha, alright. Here's the other one too. Please keep them safe."

Ji Yuan handed over the other Dharma Coin, then reached out and took the feather.