Chapter 725: So Close the Heavenly and Earthly Momentum

When Ji Yuan boarded the Heaven-Devouring Beast, he could clearly sense that the enormous mythical creature was in a state of semi-consciousness, sometimes with its eyes open, yet not truly awake.

On the entire Heaven-Devouring Beast, apart from those from the Wei Mei Sect, the only real passengers were Ji Yuan and his companions. The Heaven-Devouring Beast was not just the structures on its back; a much larger space was actually within its belly, accessible through its dorsal spiracles and the Wei Mei Sect's formations above.

Although Ji Yuan felt that the Heaven-Devouring Beast had not fully awakened, it was clearly becoming more active now. Its body subtly twisted, causing the surrounding clouds and mist to rise and fall like waves. Ji Yuan and his group stood on its back, gazing down at Jade Spirit Peak. Hu Yun and others were still waving, but they became increasingly indistinct as the mist deepened.

Like a colossal fish splashing water, the clouds on Jade Spirit Peak's summit suddenly rippled and burst open. The Heaven-Devouring Beast, carrying layers of misty ripples, swam towards the horizon.

This layer of vibration directly transmitted to Jade Spirit Peak. Those below felt layers of wind blowing past them. Many with keen spiritual senses could even perceive a sensation of their minds rising and falling, similar to being on a rocking boat, but this feeling vanished in less than a breath.

"The Wei Mei Sect's Heaven-Devouring Beast is just as awe-inspiring no matter how many times you ride it!"

Lian Baiping watched Jade Spirit Peak shrink in the distance, speaking with emotion, then turned his gaze to Ji Yuan.

They were in a pavilion on the Heaven-Devouring Beast's back. Although the wind-controlling formations prevented strong gales, a gentle breeze continuously flowed through.

At that moment, Ji Yuan was neither looking at the distant Jade Spirit Peak nor elsewhere. His eyes were slightly closed, seemingly in thought or contemplation. Only when he slowly opened his eyes did Lian Baiping ask.

"Mr. Ji, this is your first time riding the Heaven-Devouring Beast. Do you have any particular sensations?"

Ji Yuan looked at the other Wei Mei Sect cultivators in the pavilion.

"This Heaven-Devouring Beast is always asleep. Or, more precisely, has it never truly woken up?"

Jiang Xueling held her whisk and looked at Ji Yuan. Zhou Xian, seeing her grandmaster remain silent, quickly spoke up.

"Mr. Ji, you're truly remarkable! The Heaven-Devouring Beast is incredibly lethargic and rarely wakes up. Little San is especially so; I've hardly ever seen Little San fully awake. It's either in a deep sleep or semi-conscious!"

Ju Yuanzi also had a moment of realization, looking thoughtfully at the clouds and mist that constantly enveloped the Heaven-Devouring Beast, never fully dispersing even when it moved.

"So, the swirling mist around the Heaven-Devouring Beast is also generated from its state between sleep and wakefulness?"

"Master Ju, you are also correct!"

Zhou Xian smiled, genuinely admiring these two esteemed figures, and also subtly covering for her grandmaster, who sometimes had peculiar reactions.

Jiang Xueling's gaze swept over Ju Yuanzi before settling on Ji Yuan as she asked.

"Mr. Ji, do you have any deeper insights?"

Ji Yuan's smile remained unchanged as he shook his head. He didn't have so many "deeper insights" to share; he was merely curious.

"I was simply curious, nothing profound."

"You will speak of it eventually, Mr. Ji."

Jiang Xueling smiled, a rare sight, and after nodding to Ji Yuan, she turned and departed. This left Ji Yuan and his companions in the pavilion, while Zhou Xian, not daring to leave with her, appeared quite awkward.

"Mr. Ji, Senior Lian, Master Ju, my grandmaster is straightforward by nature and didn't mean to be disrespectful. Um, I will accompany you all as you move around the Heaven-Devouring Beast until you are familiar with it..."

"It's fine." "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Fortunately, the immortal cultivators present were true masters of the immortal path, broad-minded when fundamental Daoist disputes were not involved. They would not take offense at such a minor matter, which greatly relieved Zhou Xian.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, since this beast is named 'Heaven-Devouring,' it must have a huge appetite, right?"

Zhou Xian couldn't help but find it amusing as she explained.

"Mr. Ji, the Heaven-Devouring Beast's name mainly comes from its immense size; its original namer was astonished by its physique. In reality, the Heaven-Devouring Beast primarily consumes the essence of the sun and moon and spiritual energy, rarely eating physical objects."

"Yes, I've heard that."

Ji Yuan smiled again, intending to turn and leave.

"Let us go and see inside the Heaven-Devouring Beast. I would like to witness what its internal realm is truly like."

"Very well, then I will lead the way!" "Please come in!"

"Please!"

Zhou Xian led the way, with the others following behind. Ju Yuanzi and Lian Baiping, being closer to Ji Yuan, noticed that he had slowly closed his eyes while walking, leaving only a slight slit. However, given that Mr. Ji's eyes were, in a sense, already blind and often not fully open, they didn't give it much thought.

At this very moment, after several attempts, Ji Yuan also entered a state of being both awake and asleep, much like Little San, the Heaven-Devouring Beast. However, the depth of his sleep varied, and Ji Yuan continued to experiment.

"Everyone, this time we will enter through Little San's spiracle!"

Zhou Xian led everyone to a massive hole on the upper back of the Heaven-Devouring Beast's head. Several bluestone paths converged here, forming several rings around its perimeter.

This enormous hole was calm, without wind or rain, and combined with the Heaven-Devouring Beast's thick hide, it resembled a bottomless sinkhole. Yet, faint luminescence shimmered within it. Upon closer inspection, one would notice this luminescence seemed to coalesce into a spiraling path, extending downwards.

"Please enter, everyone. Uh, Mr. Ji seems to have fallen asleep?"

Ji Yuan remained silent. Lian Baiping and Ju Yuanzi exchanged glances, and the latter said.

"It's fine. Mr. Ji is just resting his eyes. Let's go."

Zhou Xian looked at Ji Yuan with a puzzled expression. When he gave a slight nod, she smiled and led the group downward.

Traversing this large sinkhole within the Heaven-Devouring Beast, there was no reaction from any formations nor any sensation of weightlessness. But upon reaching a connecting path below, a daylight-like glow appeared ahead. In the distance, a unique landscape could be seen: a floating island amidst vast mists, adorned with scenic mountains and clear waters.

At this very moment, Ji Yuan was not only walking with his eyes slightly closed but also had a wisp of thought soaring through the sky.

Once, twice, thrice... After countless attempts, he had never found dream-travel so challenging. Even something seemingly preposterous like unfolding a world from a book had been a success on his first try.

After a long while, Ji Yuan reopened his eyes, imbued with the intention of dream-travel. Everything before him had changed. He was moving forward on the wind, and beside him was a large fish.

This large fish, enveloped in layers of mist, leaped and darted within them, as if swimming and jumping in water. Ji Yuan himself was riding the wind, pursuing this large fish.

This large fish was none other than Little San, the Heaven-Devouring Beast. However, compared to the Heaven-Devouring Beast's mountain-like body in reality, it appeared to Ji Yuan now as a fish merely half an arm's length long. While not small for a fish, it certainly didn't live up to the name "Heaven-Devouring."

Then Ji Yuan's gaze swept over his surroundings and the distance, only to see mountains and ridges continuously passing by, not appearing particularly majestic either. At this moment, a thought suddenly struck Ji Yuan: it wasn't that the Heaven-Devouring Beast had shrunk, but that he, Ji Yuan, had grown larger in the beast's wondrous dream, or perhaps, it was a manifestation of his Dharma Form.

"Woo-woo—"

The Heaven-Devouring Beast leaped forward, emitting joyful cries. The clouds and mist around its body seemed to expand at that moment, gradually covering the landscapes below, transforming into an ocean of mist. This mist truly resembled an ocean, with waves continuously leaping up and down and tides surging.

"Whoosh-la-la..."

The Heaven-Devouring Beast's movement even created a sound of splashing waves, while Ji Yuan leisurely followed.

"Boom..."

A large wave of mist erupted, and a fierce-looking, four-clawed, scaly monster burst from the misty sea. Of course, in Ji Yuan's eyes at that moment, although the monster was very clear, it appeared somewhat miniature, resembling a rat. However, compared to himself, it was certainly no small creature.

"Woo-woo..."

Little San seemed extremely excited now, strenuously chasing the monster. The latter, apparently only just noticing the Heaven-Devouring Beast, roared and fled in a panic, moving faster than the Heaven-Devouring Beast and quickly opening up a vast distance.

"Woo-woo...woo..."

"I'll give you a hand!"

Seeing that Little San seemed unable to catch up, Ji Yuan chuckled, reached out to scoop up a palmful of misty seawater, stepped forward on the clouds, and held his hand in the air. Little San, seeing this, leaped energetically onto Ji Yuan's palm, its tail giving a powerful flick against Ji Yuan's palm and the mist.

Ji Yuan's palm trembled. The next moment, Little San, the Heaven-Devouring Beast, dramatically increased its speed, transforming into a white rainbow trailing mist, rapidly approaching the monster ahead. Although it still hadn't caught it, it seemed to have reached a suitable distance and then opened its mouth.

In the vast space ahead, the clouds and mist inverted like an overturning ocean; even the daylight seemed to roll over. Ji Yuan only felt the surroundings darken, and the expansive area in front of the Heaven-Devouring Beast's gaping maw, spanning more than a semicircle, became particularly dim and obscure.

Rumble...

Amidst a slight tremor, in just a few breaths, everything within a considerable range ahead had been swallowed by Little San, naturally including the monster.

"Woo."

The Heaven-Devouring Beast let out a joyful sound. Ji Yuan, standing behind it, watched in a daze, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the previous scene. In his eyes, the massive Heaven-Devouring Beast subtly cast the shadow of a sleeve.

The repeated experiences of deducing the Sleeve Dimension; the Old Dragon's claw used to seize people; the Old Beggar's magic forming a mountain to suppress the fox demon; the Heavenly Fall Sword Art's suspended blade, bringing down the might of heaven and earth; the Heaven-Devouring Beast's internal realm, a scene of it swallowing the sky in one gulp...

"The Heavenly Fall Sword Art uses the power of the universe to strike at the heart; the Sleeve Dimension uses the power of the universe to collect forms... To wield the power of the universe, one must possess its momentum... Once a mouth opens, heaven and earth grow dim..."

Never before had there been a moment like this, where Ji Yuan felt so close to the divine ability of the Sleeve Dimension.