Chapter 468: High Master Arrived in a Day

The master departed in a flash of light. Some of the spirits, monsters, and demons aboard the ship were slow to rise, still shaken. The mere sound of the recent thunder had been terrifying, akin to a vast heavenly might descending as a tribulation. It was a great horror for them, and they hadn't yet recovered from the shock.

With Ji Yuan gone, the starry river around the Profound Heart Manor's flying boat also dispersed, signaling the end of tonight's Grand Lunar Feast. Though the Yin-Yang Sail continued to draw lunar power, it seemed ordinary and unremarkable compared to the magnificent display they had just witnessed.

The two old cultivators on the stern deck had long since ceased their spellcasting. They watched the starlight vanish from the sky, then glanced at the bottle-shaped magical artifacts in their hands, which sloshed audibly as if half-filled with water.

“In less than an hour, we've collected so much True Lunar Water.”

“Our luck is certainly good, but who exactly was the master who just cast that spell, and what is their relationship with the Profound Heart Manor?”

“That, we don't know.”

As they spoke, their gazes converged on the bottle-shaped artifacts in their hands. After a moment of shared surprise, they exchanged glances, each seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes.

“Did that master collect the entire starry river?”

“It seems so…”

Even though they knew the starry river wasn't a true celestial body, the immense lunar power, formed by concentrated moonlight and starlight, was undeniably real. What could possibly contain all of that in a single instant?

Among the Jade Cauldron Mountain group, after receiving Ji Yuan's spiritual message, they exchanged glances, their expressions confirming that everyone in their immediate vicinity had received his transmission.

“Mr. Ji has returned to seclusion. You may continue your cultivation here for a while, or simply enjoy the night view. I will go back first to guard him.”

Ju Yuanzi stood up, and as his robes fluttered, his form vanished like an illusion.

Once Ju Yuanzi departed, the younger disciples of Jade Cauldron Mountain visibly relaxed. Wei Yuansheng, in particular, could barely contain his excitement as he looked at his master, Qiu Feng.

“Master, was that vast starry river just now created by Mr. Ji?”

Qiu Feng looked at him with amusement, then swept his gaze over the young cultivators around them, who resembled curious children. He exchanged a smile with his senior brother Yang Ming and the two other Real Persons.

“If it wasn't Mr. Ji, did you imagine it was done by the fellow Daoists from Profound Heart Manor? Even if the Yin-Yang Sail could withstand such a divine ability, the cultivators of Profound Heart Manor on this ship don't possess that level of cultivation. Even their two stewards are far from it.”

Seeing the young disciples unable to suppress their excitement as they discussed the recent spectacle and their cultivation gains, Qiu Feng offered a reminder.

“Do not casually reveal this matter to outsiders. Few people knew it was Mr. Ji who did it. Keep the discussion among yourselves.”

“We understand, Master!” “Yes!” “Understood, Martial Uncle!”

As the Jade Cauldron Mountain disciples responded, Yang Ming and the other Real Persons from Jade Cauldron Mountain already spotted several cultivators in golden robes hurrying toward them—indeed, they were from Profound Heart Manor.

At this moment, a steward from Profound Heart Manor's flying boat, accompanied by two disciples, approached the deck area where the Jade Cauldron Mountain group was seated. Before reaching them, he bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, fellow Daoists from Jade Cauldron Mountain!”

Even though he knew Ji Yuan was certainly not present at that moment, the flying boat steward couldn't help but glance around, searching among the Jade Cauldron Mountain group.

Yang Ming, Qiu Feng, and the others stood up together, leading their disciples in returning the greeting.

“Greetings, fellow Daoists from Profound Heart Manor. May we ask the purpose of your visit?”

The Profound Heart Manor steward straightened his robes, smiled, and gently shook his head.

“Daoist Yang, please don't play dumb or speak in riddles. May I ask if the Real Persons among you would be willing to speak privately?”

One of the Real Persons from Jade Cauldron Mountain then said, “Senior Brother Qiu, Senior Brother Yang, I'll take the younger generation back to our cabins first. You can speak with the Daoists from Profound Heart Manor.”

“Very well, thank you, Junior Brother Wang.”

The Profound Heart Manor individuals quickly bowed slightly to Real Person Wang. After he returned their greeting, they watched him lead his group away into the distance.

Then the Profound Heart Manor steward turned his gaze back and spoke earnestly.

“Fellow Daoists from Jade Cauldron Mountain, has Mr. Ji returned to his guest room at this moment?”

Yang Ming exchanged glances with his junior brothers and then spoke.

“Mr. Ji was tired and has already returned to his guest room to rest.”

He didn't say Ji Yuan was going into seclusion, only that he was tired, and the Profound Heart Manor cultivators didn't doubt it. The steward then turned to look in the direction of the Yin-Yang Sail.

“Mr. Ji's cultivation is truly profound and mysterious. Though not a cultivator of our Profound Heart Manor, he was able to activate the Yin-Yang Sail to perform such an astonishing and world-shaking technique. The image of that descending starry river is still captivating…”

Saying this, the steward looked at Qiu Feng and the others, then lowered his voice.

“Fellow Daoists, is Mr. Ji a revered master of Jade Cauldron Mountain?”

Since they were asked so directly, Yang Ming, Qiu Feng, and the others had no choice but to answer truthfully.

“Do you know Mr. Ji's sect or school?”

Qiu Feng shook his head and replied, “Mr. Ji has never mentioned having a sect. Even if he did, it would not be any of the well-known immortal abodes of today.”

“Oh…”

The Profound Heart Manor steward hesitated, then cautiously inquired, “Do any of you Daoists have some understanding of the cultivation method Mr. Ji practices? Uh, what I mean is, will Mr. Ji perhaps activate the starlight for cultivation again tomorrow, or on another chosen day? If so, could you inform us of a rough time? Ideally, a prior notice would be best, so we can arrange our formations and activate the flying boat's array to its maximum, lending Mr. Ji our assistance!”

“Hahahaha…”

The several Real Persons from Jade Cauldron Mountain all laughed.

“Fellow Daoist, we understand your intentions. However, Mr. Ji is always free-spirited and acts as he pleases. We, being of humble understanding, simply do not comprehend his profound and mysterious methods, nor do we know if he will activate the starlight again. Fellow Daoist, such a magnificent celestial spectacle is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“Alas, how could we not know? That's why we came to subtly probe you, fellow Daoists from Jade Cauldron Mountain. By the way, since you are heading to Hengzhou in the Northern Reaches, you must be going to the Immortal Gathering, correct?”

“That is correct!”

“Is Mr. Ji also going?”

“Mr. Ji is also going!”

Hearing this, the Profound Heart Manor steward, surnamed Zhou, bowed again.

“Then I won't disturb you Daoists any further. Please rest well on the flying boat. We will visit again another day. And at the Immortal Gathering, please engage in more exchanges with our Profound Heart Manor!”

Yang Ming, Qiu Feng, and the others' eyes lit up slightly, and they quickly returned the bow.

“Absolutely! Our Jade Cauldron Mountain has not participated in the Immortal Gathering for many years, so we will need the assistance of our fellow Daoists from Profound Heart Manor!”

“Oh, not at all, not at all! Not to mention Mr. Ji, who is traveling with you, even the elder Real Person Ju is an extraordinary figure. We can simply exchange knowledge with each other!”

“Hahahaha, yes, mutual exchange!”

“Please be seated, fellow Daoists. I bid you farewell!”

“Farewell!”

The Profound Heart Manor cultivators arrived and departed swiftly. It wasn't for lack of desire to converse more, but certain questions were simply too sensitive to probe deeply. With such a revered master on the same ship, the proximity was too great; their spiritual perception might sense their true intentions. Therefore, delving into such topics would require a formal introduction to the master first, lest they commit an impropriety.

For Jade Cauldron Mountain, having not attended the Immortal Gathering for many years, establishing early contact with Profound Heart Manor was naturally beneficial. Though they had “borrowed Mr. Ji's prestige,” the Jade Cauldron Mountain cultivators understood Ji Yuan's character well enough to know he wouldn't mind.

Inside the guest courtyard, Ju Yuanzi sat by a wooden table, slowly sipping a pot of hot tea.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuan had already lain down on his side in his room, entering a dream state in the quiet, sensing the changes within his body.

This tribulation lightning had plagued him for several years. Now, his body felt incredibly light and at ease, like someone who had been running with heavy weights suddenly removing their cumbersome leg wraps. His magical power flowed even more smoothly, finally able to complete a full circulation.

However, because Ji Yuan managed to guide the residual power of the tribulation lightning throughout his body at the last moment, diluting it and purifying each part, his body was still slightly tingly and numb. Yet, compared to the previous agony, this tingling sensation was quite comfortable.

Within the conceptual landscape of mountains and rivers, Ji Yuan, in his consciousness form, closed his eyes in contemplation. The stars in the sky vanished, obscured by a dark cloud from which thunder boomed.

This was a manifestation of his mental and spiritual activity, indicating an advancement in his lightning magic.

As the saying goes, no one is perfect. Even though Ji Yuan felt he had always been quite diligent in his cultivation, he wasn't outstanding in everything. For instance, his lightning magic had always relied entirely on his Edict Thunder Spell. Now, after a long “struggle” with the tribulation lightning, he had gained a “painful enlightenment” regarding lightning magic, marking a significant breakthrough.

Putting other things aside, Ji Yuan now had some ideas for refining and restoring his Edict Thunder Spell, which had not yet fully recovered. This Thunder Spell was truly extraordinary; if fully restored, it would be an absolute trump card, a technique of devastating power. Once unleashed, it would be akin to a lightning tribulation descending upon the world.

At this moment, Ji Yuan's only problem was the excessive surge of lunar energy through his body. Even with his perfected Five Elements, he experienced a slight imbalance of Yin and Yang. Fortunately, he also possessed a method for swift adjustment: he carefully guided the True Samadhi Fire energy to circulate throughout his body. This also served as an opportunity to temper his physical form. However, the “ice and fire” ordeal during this process was hardly any more comfortable than being struck by lightning.

Although it was initially said to be a few days, Ji Yuan slept for a full half a month.

During this half-month, every evening, cultivators from Profound Heart Manor, other practitioners on the flying boat, and even the common folk, all eagerly anticipated something.

Even though the spirits and monsters had been terribly frightened by the thunder that night, they still went out to wait every evening. A scare wouldn't cause them physical harm, and besides, cultivation was paramount; what did it matter if they lost a bit of flesh?

Unfortunately, the magnificent sight of the flying boat traversing the starry river never reappeared. According to whispers on the flying boat, the master had collected enough lunar energy after casting his spell on the first night, so there was no need for another grand display.

It made sense. Many people had acquired a significant amount of lunar energy in less than an hour. All the cultivators present had witnessed the entire starry river from that night being collected by the master.

The sheer amount the master, who single-handedly collected the starry river, had taken was unimaginable. Either his own cultivation was unfathomably high, or he possessed an incredibly miraculous magical treasure, or, more likely, a combination of both.

At this point, the people of Profound Heart Manor were no longer so anxious. As long as they could establish communication with Ji Yuan, it was far better than other cultivators outside who had no news at all. After all, there would be plenty of time in the future.

On the very day Ji Yuan emerged from seclusion, the landscape beneath the flying boat was already a vast, boundless ocean.