Chapter 731: Expand Heaven and Earth to Pull the Strings

Ji Yuan, Ju Yuanzi, and Lian Baiping decided to go to the back of the Sky-Swallowing Beast. Naturally, they didn't need to inform anyone else. Currently, inside the entire Sky-Swallowing Beast, there were fewer than twenty disciples from the Weimei Sect, plus Ji Yuan and their group of seven or eight passengers. Such a small number of people in the vast space made the place extremely quiet.

The three proceeded unhurriedly, encountering no one else. They followed a suspended path through the mist, which connected the island, directly to the Sky-Swallowing Beast's blowhole, which resembled a massive sinkhole.

Ji Yuan observed carefully and noticed that the blowhole even had winding steps ascending around the "sinkhole," numbering at least a thousand.

"Those who ride this Sky-Swallowing Beast, if they can't fly, must at least have excellent stamina..."

As Ji Yuan spoke, Ju Yuanzi, who was beside him, chuckled.

"Sir, you are mistaken," he said. "One could also use the Weimei Sect's formations to be transported down."

Lian Baiping, however, shook his head.

"This formation is guarded by the female cultivators of the Weimei Sect, and it's not actually available to everyone. It's said that ordinary mortals on the Sky-Swallowing Beast can use the formation to go up or down once, but only once. If they want to enter or exit again, they'll have to use the stairs."

However, due to the Sky-Swallowing Beast's unique nature and the somewhat aloof reputation of the Weimei Sect, few mortals permanently resided on the beast. Currently, "Little Three" (the Sky-Swallowing Beast) had none.

Smoke billowed under their feet, gently lifting the three upwards. They soon reached the exterior of the Sky-Swallowing Beast, then slowly descended onto a platform on its back.

The space on the Sky-Swallowing Beast's back was naturally vast, but only a long strip along its central spine featured buildings. Even this limited development was substantial. The platform where Ji Yuan and the others stood was a stargazing terrace near the center.

Landing on the stargazing terrace, the three stood quietly for a moment. Ju Yuanzi and Lian Baiping also followed Ji Yuan's gaze towards the sky.

"Watching the stars on a quiet night, it's as if they're within reach."

Lian Baiping sighed this, and without employing any complex technique, a thin wisp of starlight descended like a silver thread from the heavens, held between his fingers, even dangling like a real thread.

Ji Yuan was captivated by Lian Baiping's skill, looking down at the silver thread he held. This method of grasping starlight to form a thread was arguably the most refined use of star power he had ever witnessed, apart from his own.

However, just as Ji Yuan's praise arose, the dangling star-thread in Lian Baiping's hand instantly dissipated, lasting less than a breath.

"Fellow Daoist Lian, why didn't you let that star-thread last a little longer?"

Ji Yuan asked this, and Lian Baiping shook his head, answering truthfully.

"This is merely like the moon in water; I can capture its reflection but not its substance. Unless I use a real thread as a conduit to gather star power, I cannot forge a true star-thread."

Ju Yuanzi, on the side, stroked his beard with a sigh.

"If that's the case, it cannot be called a true star-thread! Oh, Mr. Ji, Fellow Daoist Lian, please be seated."

While Lian Baiping demonstrated his star-weaving trick, Ju Yuanzi had already set up a table and laid out four meditation cushions. Ji Yuan and Lian Baiping naturally each chose a cushion and sat down, seemingly unconcerned by the extra cushion.

"Please have some tea."

"Thank you!"

Clear tea was already brewed on the table. Ju Yuanzi lifted the teapot and poured tea into three cups. Ji Yuan picked up a teacup and sniffed it; a faint spiritual aura rose from the tea, not merely the slight spiritual energy found in certain fruits.

"Excellent tea!"

Ji Yuan couldn't help but praise it. Lian Baiping, who had already taken a sip, agreed.

"Indeed, it's excellent tea. I didn't expect Mount Yuhuai to possess such spiritual tea. It's far superior to those ordinary teas that claim to be 'spiritual' just because they contain a hint of spiritual energy."

The tea was pure and elegant, so Ji Yuan decided against adding honey, as it would be superfluous.

"Does this tea have a name?"

At Ji Yuan's question, Ju Yuanzi smiled.

"Sir, you've probably heard of it. This tea's name is actually widely known. It's the famous spring tea from Jizhou. Of course, in the markets of Jizhou, it's further categorized into pre-Qingming spring tea and pre-Grain Rain spring tea, but in Mount Yuhuai, we don't distinguish it so finely."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan looked puzzled. Of course, he knew about pre-Qingming and pre-Grain Rain spring teas; they were quite famous. Whenever he was at the Jū'ān Pavilion, the Wei family would invariably find ways to procure the finest quality and send it to Ning'an County.

"Actually, the spring teas currently found in Jizhou originated from tea saplings that were first brought out from our Mount Yuhuai. After centuries of cultivation, they led to the spring teas now grown throughout Jizhou. It's quite an interesting story..."

Ji Yuan and Lian Baiping nodded slightly. Before they could say anything, a faint female voice drifted to them on the wind.

"So there's such a story! May I join your tea gathering?"

Two people arrived: Jiang Xueling, who spoke, and Zhou Xian, who followed behind her. The wind beneath their feet was like a ribbon, carrying them to descend onto the stargazing platform, which was roughly the size of a basketball court.

Ji Yuan and the others stood up as a gesture of basic courtesy, bowing with cupped hands. At the same time, Ju Yuanzi, who had set up the table, also extended an invitation.

"Please, be seated."

Ju Yuanzi gestured towards the single remaining meditation cushion, but he had no intention of adding another. It wasn't that he lacked etiquette; rather, in his view, this evening's tea and stargazing would surely mark the beginning of a philosophical discussion. For Zhou Xian to even observe was rare enough; sitting down wasn't a matter of being unqualified, but rather that she simply wouldn't be able to stay composed.

Nevertheless, Ju Yuanzi looked at Zhou Xian, indicating that if she dared to request a cushion, he would still provide one.

Lian Baiping, on the side, also watched Zhou Xian with a half-smile. If Zhou Xian were to sit, he wouldn't object, but it was highly probable she wouldn't be able to stay awake later.

Zhou Xian, being clever, quickly waved her hand.

"This junior doesn't need to sit. I'll just stand behind Grandmaster!"

With that, Zhou Xian quickly moved to stand behind Jiang Xueling, saying nothing further.

"Very well. Both of you, please have some tea!"

Ju Yuanzi personally poured tea again, offering a cup to both Jiang Xueling and Zhou Xian. Jiang Xueling merely sniffed the aroma, not drinking the tea, but instead looked at Ji Yuan. Zhou Xian took a small sip and also secretly glanced at Ji Yuan.

Ju Yuanzi smiled and muttered.

"They say they're joining our tea gathering, but it seems they're not actually here for the tea."

Although the voice was quiet, those present were not ordinary individuals and naturally heard it clearly. Jiang Xueling, uncharacteristically, offered Ju Yuanzi a bright smile, then openly looked at Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, when you first boarded the Sky-Swallowing Beast, you promised to discuss the art of artifact forging with me. Now that you've emerged from seclusion, even though I've had Little Three repeatedly slow down, the Southern Wild Continent isn't too far away. You wouldn't want us to wait, would you? The next opportunity might not come for decades."

Lian Baiping shook his head. Indeed, he had suspected something was amiss with the Sky-Swallowing Beast's speed; it turned out the Weimei Sect was responsible.

Ji Yuan smiled slightly apologetically.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare keep Fellow Daoist Jiang waiting for long. However, I wouldn't call it a philosophical debate; let's simply consider it an exchange of ideas."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan looked at Lian Baiping. Although Lian Baiping's earlier demonstration of drawing a star-thread was akin to the moon in water or a flower in a mirror, it had given Ji Yuan significant inspiration.

While the 'Universe in the Sleeve' technique had been perfected, this divine ability required complementary artifacts. At the very least, the sleeve itself couldn't be too ordinary; otherwise, the power to contain the universe could be broken by the universe itself.

"Coincidentally, I also need to gather some materials related to artifact forging. Consider this my humble opening for today's discussion."

Ji Yuan took another sip of tea from his cup, then slowly stood up, feeling a slight thrill. This would be his first true demonstration of the 'Universe in the Sleeve' technique.

Suppressing his excitement and calming his mind, Ji Yuan slightly raised his head to gaze at the vast starry sky. With a flick of his right hand, which had been behind his back, he unfurled his sleeve towards the heavens.

In the next instant, the other four present felt the starlight in the sky dim. In a daze, they seemed to see Ji Yuan's wide sleeve infinitely extending and even obscuring the sky for the brief moment it swept across. The next moment, Ji Yuan's sleeve had fallen, but the starry sky did not immediately brighten.

Threads and streaks of endless starlight faintly appeared in the sky, not falling like rain, but continuously converging downwards as if drawn by a magnetic force. The starlight spun and contracted without ceasing.

To everyone's eyes, it looked as if a tangled mass of threads was suddenly twisting downwards, becoming thinner and brighter.

This process, though seemingly slow, contained a profound regularity. The moment Ji Yuan's right arm slowly descended, a thin line of starlight was already held between his fingers. Its brilliance enveloped the nearby individuals in a hazy silver glow.

With this 'Universe in the Sleeve' technique, collecting myriad stellar rays and then augmenting them with the Way of Artifacts from the Heavenly Book of Marvelous Transformations, Ji Yuan successfully twisted and condensed them into a genuine star-thread in mere moments. The ease of this first success filled Ji Yuan with joy.

Miraculous and astonishing beyond words, everyone gazed in wonder at the thread in Ji Yuan's hand. One end seemed to be inside his sleeve, while a segment held in his fingers dangled beside him.

Lian Baiping's expression was one of shock. He instinctively reached out to touch the star-thread dangling beside Ji Yuan. The captivating silver glow gave no sensation of hot or cold, and though the thread was extremely fine, it had a substantial feel—definitely not an illusion like the moon in water.

Zhou Xian, with her mouth slightly agape, felt an indescribable emotion within. She simply gazed, mesmerized, at the dangling star-thread; it must have been the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"I intend to weave this thread into my robe to create a magical garment," Ji Yuan said. "However, one thread isn't enough. And, well, it would be best if we could also ascend a bit higher."

Ji Yuan glanced at the others, then spoke aloud again, but this time, he addressed the Sky-Swallowing Beast.

"Little Three, how about we fly a bit higher, beyond the layer of gale winds?"

Jiang Xueling recovered her composure and and said with a smile,

"Mr. Ji, to make Little Three obey, you must..."

"Whoosh-moo!"

The Sky-Swallowing Beast's joyful cry interrupted Jiang Xueling. Then, with a flick of its tail, it rippled the night sky, changed its direction of travel, and abruptly ascended into the high heavens.