Chapter 868: Group Tour

“You want to spar with me? Why not your father?”

Ji Yuan found the idea a bit absurd, but quickly realized why. As fellow dragons and father and daughter, his old friend would likely know all of the dragon girl's techniques inside and out.

If the old dragon and the dragon girl were to truly spar, it would be a completely one-sided domination. And beyond that, every step of the domination would likely be utterly predictable and uneventful. In other words, there would be no point in sparring at all.

Ji Yuan pondered for a long time, unsure whether to agree to the dragon girl's request. It wasn't that he feared losing, but now that the dragon girl was a true dragon, controlling the intensity of their combat would be difficult.

Many of Ji Yuan's techniques were incredibly powerful and not suitable for a friendly spar. His swordsmanship and fire manipulation, if used at full strength, would cause injury with a mere graze; a direct hit could lead to minor qi damage or even death. While dragons were indeed tough-skinned, the dragon girl had only recently achieved true dragon status. As for the Immortal Binding Rope, Ji Yuan was certain the dragon girl wouldn't be able to withstand it either.

After some thought, Ji Yuan made up his mind: sparring directly with the dragon girl here was definitely out of the question.

Winning or losing was secondary. Ji Yuan was well aware of the dragon girl's temperament; she would certainly remain humble in victory and resolute in defeat. However, if her vital energy were severely damaged, especially before she opened up the Wild Sea, not only would Ji Yuan himself object, but the old dragon would also hold him accountable. Of course, Ji Yuan himself could not afford to suffer any vital energy damage either.

“Ruoli, are you truly set on sparring with me?”

Seeing Ji Yuan's solemn expression as he asked, the dragon girl calmed herself and answered earnestly.

“Ruoli knows she is no match for Uncle Ji, but she wishes to gauge her own cultivation and, even more, yearns to experience Uncle Ji’s unparalleled divine abilities. This will help Ruoli understand that, even having become a true dragon, the path of cultivation has no end.”

Ji Yuan nodded.

“Very well, I will grant your wish, but not here.”

“Ruoli understands that sparring with Uncle Ji would create a significant disturbance. We should go to the sea!”

Ji Yuan smiled.

“I have a suitable place. You also won't need to worry about either of us suffering severe vital energy loss during the spar. As long as I control it properly, at most, some spiritual sense might be damaged, which can be fully recovered within a month.”

The dragon girl was a little confused. Damaging spiritual sense—did that mean they would be engaging in mental attacks?

Ji Yuan smiled; the idea suddenly struck him as interesting after he thought of this method.

“I possess a divine ability called Wandering Dream. Since I created this technique, countless marvels have been integrated into it, giving it effects that ordinary people would find inconceivable. If you wish to spar today, this technique will be quite convenient.”

Wandering Dream, as described in the book, was astonishing for its profound realism. It wasn't merely lifelike; it felt absolutely, undeniably real, to the extent that one could even bring personal items into this "dream."

Upon "waking," only an instant would have passed in the outside world, making it even harder to discern whether the preceding dream was truly illusory. Because at least within that "dream," it could potentially be a real world, just like the Zhengyang Tongbao coin Yang Hao had once obtained.

“Wandering Dream?”

With her sharp intellect, the dragon girl naturally thought of a divine ability related to dreams in an instant. However, given that even Uncle Ji, a man of such humility, described it as containing "countless marvels," it certainly couldn't be as simple as she imagined.

“Ruoli, I ask you: do you wish to spar with me privately, or would you like to have observers?”

This question actually touched on her state of mind and purpose, but the dragon girl blurted out her answer without a second thought.

“If possible, Ruoli hopes her parents and brothers will all be present, and all the guests will observe.”

“Alright, that’s what we’ll do. After the banquet resumes tomorrow, we will announce the spar, and all who are interested may observe.”

Ji Yuan nodded in agreement. At the same time, he took a book from his sleeve and placed it on the table. The dragon girl's gaze instinctively shifted to the book.

“‘Phoenix Seeks Phoenix’? Uncle Ji, is this book…”

The dragon girl paused, slightly bewildered. The title made her think of those unsophisticated, often risqué and suggestive, popular novels from the mortal world. Zao Niang had mentioned them to her before, and of course, she wasn't entirely ignorant of such books.

“Yes, it’s related to this book, but it’s not *this* book.”

Ji Yuan smiled as he looked at the dragon girl, then subtly furrowed his brow.

“You recognize this book?”

That couldn’t be right. Ji Yuan had barely mentioned this musical score since he composed it. Yet, by Ruoli's reaction, it seemed she recognized the book? Oh, Zao Niang must have told her.

Ji Yuan understood.

“Zao Niang told you about it, didn’t she?”

The dragon girl knew she had definitely overthought things, but hearing Ji Yuan’s words still made her blush. She nodded somewhat flusteredly, then quickly shook her head.

This left Ji Yuan somewhat perplexed; he couldn't for the life of him figure out what the dragon girl was thinking.

The following afternoon, within the Dragon Palace, tables in the main hall and side halls were all set. Various dishes had been laid out in advance, and plenty of wine was available. The aquatic creatures of the Dragon Palace, serving the Dragon Transformation Banquet, were also in their respective positions. There was no trace whatsoever of the previous day's apprehension of the Dragon Palace criminals.

Even if some guests had noticed the commotion from the day before, they did not show any curiosity at this time, all returning to their seats with smiles.

Ji Yuan entered the main hall with the Da Zhen envoy delegation, and many people bowed to them. The old dragon, the dragon girl, and others arrived a little late. By the time they were seated, most of the guests had arrived. Although some guests were already missing from the upper seats, they had generally completed the formalities of this Dragon Transformation Banquet and departed earlier.

After the old dragon and Ying Ruoli arrived, they did not rush to sit down. Instead, they walked directly to the front. Under the curious gazes of the many guests, the old dragon took another step forward, first glancing at Ji Yuan, then speaking in a deep, resonant voice.

“Today’s Dragon Transformation Banquet, besides the feast itself, has something even more important to announce…”

The old dragon’s voice echoed not only in the main hall but also reached several side halls. Except for not extending outside the Dragon Palace, it spread throughout almost all of the palace's banquet areas, drawing the attention of numerous guests.

“My daughter, Ruoli, wishes to spar with Mr. Ji, and Mr. Ji has agreed. This spar will commence shortly, and all present guests who are interested may observe—”

At this moment, the entire assembly was filled with shock and clamor. Guests in both the main and side halls could not hide their astonishment. Many turned their stunned gazes towards Ji Yuan and the dragon girl, but neither offered any objection.

“A spar?” “With Mr. Ji?”

“A spar, how incredible!”

“But Dragon Lord has already stated it; it absolutely cannot be false!”

“Then this banquet was truly worth attending!” “Indeed, even if dangerous, I must witness this spar!”

“Me too, I absolutely must see it!”

The guests below discussed animatedly. The old dragon's gaze swept over everyone as he made a symbolic inquiry.

“Is there anyone who does not wish to observe? Simply inform this old one or the yakshas in the hall.”

Clearly, no one wanted to miss this spar. They were already discussing where and how it would begin, and how they would get there, but absolutely no one wanted to withdraw. Some even gloated, saying that those guests who had left early would likely be green with regret when they heard about this later.

Seeing that no one was leaving, the old dragon nodded and looked calmly at Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, please cast your spell.”

Ji Yuan felt a bit helpless looking at the old dragon's gaze. *It was Ruoli who insisted on sparring with me, it's not like I'm causing trouble. You can't blame it all on me, can you? If you're so capable, go persuade Ruoli yourself!*

However, Ji Yuan wouldn't voice these thoughts. At that moment, he simply looked beside him, where a fish maid was hurrying over, carrying a tray covered with a red cloth. It was unclear what was on the tray.

All eyes in the hall were on Ji Yuan. The fish maid slowly stopped before Ji Yuan’s table, placed the tray down, and lifted the red cloth, revealing… a stack of books underneath.

Before Ji Yuan could speak, Yin Zhaoxian, who was beside him, looked a bit bewildered and instinctively murmured aloud.

“‘*On Flocks of Birds*’? Mr. Ji, why have you brought my books?”

Yin Zhaoxian reached out and flipped through the books on the tray. From *A Child Scholar’s Sayings* to *Night Roaming on Patrol*, from *A Thousand Autumns and Ten Thousand Miles* to *A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix*, all several volumes of *On Flocks of Birds* were there.

“Because many people read Master Yin’s books, many learn from them, and even more believe in the principles within them. Alright, you’ll know soon enough.”

Ji Yuan smiled mysteriously, then slowly stood up and bowed to the guests in all directions.

“I have a small request. In a moment, I may employ a technique. Those who feel drowsy, please do not resist, so that I do not need to expend more magical energy to bring you into it. Of course, if anyone strongly resists or is unwilling, I will not force them; they can simply choose not to observe. I won't explain too much now; you will all understand shortly.”

After saying this, Ji Yuan sat back down, neatly stacked the books on the table, and then gently placed one hand on them. His magical energy flowed with his thoughts, as if he could feel all the stories within the books and also sense the breathing of all the guests in the Dragon Palace.

Many guests watched intently, but some suddenly noticed that everything before their eyes seemed to gradually twist. Remembering Ji Yuan's words, they did nothing to resist.

Ji Yuan sensed the reactions of all the guests with his spiritual awareness. At that moment, his finger gently tapped the cover of the book.

“Dong…”

A soft, echoing sound spread out. In the eyes of all the guests and the Ying family, it seemed that from the location of the books, black and white ink flowed out, slowly engulfing the tables, the divans, and the palace. Light and color shifted during this process, the sounds of the Dragon Palace faded, and strange murmurs began to rise around them…

“Everyone, please stand up. It’s no longer convenient to sit.”

Ji Yuan’s voice came, and everyone instinctively stood up.

Then, at a certain moment, as if involuntarily closing their eyes, the world briefly dimmed, then brightened again. Their surroundings widened. There were no more tables laden with food and wine, no more opulent halls adorned with treasures, and no trace of the Dragon Palace at all.

All the aquatic creatures, including the true dragons, and the other guests instinctively looked around in shock. Besides the recognizable Dragon Palace guests, there were also countless other people—mortal commoners.

The crowd seemed extremely agitated. Some commoners clutched wooden sticks, others carried baskets filled with rotten vegetables and stale eggs, constantly moving forward. The Dragon Palace master and many guests found themselves surrounded by these commoners, some even moving slightly, involuntarily, with the crowd.

Following the crowd's gaze, some guests saw a troop of soldiers and a long procession of prisoner carts. They were on a wide street, but it was now packed with people. Had it not been for the large number of officers and soldiers blocking the way, the crowd would have surely rushed toward the prisoner carts.

“Kill them, kill them!” “Don’t let them get away with it!”

“Behead them, behead them!” “Ptui.”

Some people continuously threw vegetable leaves and rotten eggs towards the prisoner carts, while the Dragon Palace guests had yet to fully recover their senses.

*What’s going on? Where are we?*

At the same moment, Yin Zhaoxian gazed at everything before him in surprise, then looked beside him. Ji Yuan was squinting, watching a line of prisoner carts advance.

“We’re here, alright. There are too many powerful cultivators, so there was a slight deviation. The complete *On Flocks of Birds* isn’t truly just about phoenixes and a hundred birds after all…”