Chapter 949: Old Acquaintances of Ji Ling

In fact, the Dragon Lady's guess was not wrong; Lian Ping'er had indeed taken Aze aboard the Xuanxin Manor's airship.

After several days of interacting with Aze, getting to know him well, and earning his trust, Lian Ping'er decided to take him to someone who could resolve his current predicament. Of course, Lian Ping'er had no intention of acting in Aze's best interest, and the proposed solution to his predicament would certainly not be to his liking.

In fact, Lian Ping'er could have genuinely taken Aze to Ji Yuan and used it to gain his favor. However, she seemed instinctively wary of and repelled by Ji Yuan, to the extent that she chose to deceive Aze the moment she learned of his connection to him. Having previously interacted with Ji Yuan and later learned about his relationship with Yin Zhaoxian, as well as witnessing the release of the book "Yellow Springs," Lian Ping'er vaguely felt that trying to win over Ji Yuan was unlikely and perhaps even inappropriate. Regardless of what others thought, at least she believed this to be true. However, certain high-ranking lords seemed to harbor fantasies about Ji Yuan. Lian Ping'er remained noncommittal on this, but she absolutely disliked Ji Yuan. After deceiving Aze and gaining his trust, how could she possibly hand over such a miraculous individual, who had cultivated the "Demon Heart Sowing Dao," back to Ji Yuan docilely?

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Aunt Ning, tonight the airship has activated its formation to draw starlight. Let's go to the deck to cultivate too!"

Aze knocked on Ning Xin's door and spoke. Inside, Lian Ping'er opened her eyes, made a quick calculation with her fingers, and immediately smiled, realizing they must be arriving soon.

"Alright, I'll be right there!"

Lian Ping'er tidied herself up slightly, then opened the door and stepped out. Together with Aze, she went from the cabin to the deck.

On the deck, many cultivators had already gathered, along with numerous mortals. All looked up at the sky. The Xuanxin Manor's treasure ship was currently emitting a faint, hazy glow, and high above, the stars twinkled brightly, appearing much more luminous than usual.

"Aze, this is a star-rich area, a necessary route for the Xuanxin Manor's airship. In places like this, they will surely activate the airship's grand formation to draw starlight. Look at the sea below; every clear night like this, many fish and even aquatic creatures gather here."

Following Lian Ping'er's direction, Aze leaned over the railing and looked down. Sure enough, on the undulating sea reflecting the starlight, dense schools of fish had already gathered. There were even many large fish, like whales, and some ancient sea turtles; it was a vast, dark mass if one looked closely.

Just as Aze was looking at the sea below, a streak of starlight, like a raindrop, fell, followed by a second and a third. Aze looked up, and the starlight in the sky was already falling like rain.

"So beautiful..."

Aze stared blankly at the beautiful scene, secretly regretting that Sister Jin couldn't see it.

"Heh heh, Immortal Master, when it comes to the beauty of falling stars, what you see now is actually nothing."

Aze turned to look. Standing beside him was an old man, evidently not a cultivator, but he possessed an aura of scholarly refinement, so much so that he appeared somewhat luminous against the backdrop of the starlight.

"Could it be that you have seen something even more beautiful, esteemed sir?" Lian Ping'er asked with a smile. The old man stroked his beard, nodded, and a reminiscent expression appeared on his face.

"My teacher and I often traveled far and wide across the world aboard this airship of the Xuanxin Manor's immortal masters. More than twenty years ago, it was also on this very airship that I witnessed the marvelous sight of the ship traversing a sea of stars. The starlight was so dense it was as if a river of stars had materialized right beside us, as if one could reach out from the railing and touch its formation. That was truly the most beautiful starlight. My teacher even painted that scene at the time. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed!"

The old man sighed, walked to a small table nearby, and sat down. On it were writing implements such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. He picked up a brush, dipped it in ink and fine silver and gold powder, and began to fully concentrate on his painting art.

Aze stared blankly at the old man. He wasn't foolish; he naturally understood that the "teacher" the man spoke of had probably long since passed away. Yet, the man's face displayed a smile filled with fond memories. He then remembered something Master Ji had once said.

Immortals grasp their own Dao, and mortals have their own joys. Whether life is short and bitter or a brilliant journey, though a hundred years of life may not be long, living through its ups and downs can still be wonderfully fulfilling. Some cultivators, perhaps, are even worse off than mortals.

"There are countless beautiful sights like this outside. It's a pity that you and your family were trapped within the incomplete realm of Nine Peaks Cavern-Heaven, devoid of human spirituality and the beauty of the world. It's even harder to be revived after death..." Lian Ping'er sighed softly, speaking in a voice only he and Aze could hear. Aze immediately turned to look at her. She slightly covered her mouth with her hand, as if just realizing she had misspoken.

"Master Ji said that the dead cannot be revived. He wouldn't lie to me!"

"That's not entirely wrong. But after reading 'Yellow Springs,' do you still believe that the dead absolutely cannot be revived? Furthermore, Ji Yuan might just be slightly protecting his Nine Peaks Mountain Daoist friends. After all, the mortals kept in captivity within Nine Peaks Cavern-Heaven, though seemingly living carefree lives, had their primordial spirits trapped within, making it truly difficult for them to ever recover. Perhaps it was only marginally better than a demon cavern-heaven."

Aze looked away and remained silent, his hands in his sleeves clenched into fists. Lian Ping'er, meanwhile, looked at the starlight in the sky with an unreadable expression.

Aze trusted Ji Yuan too much. Many times, Lian Ping'er had tried to guide him toward hatred for Ji Yuan, but without much success. She could only settle for the next best thing: first leading him to Nine Peaks Mountain, then slowly working her plan.

"Anyway, once we find Ji Yuan, you can just ask him directly. Don't be afraid. Auntie is on your side, and I doubt he'd dare to be fierce with you!"

Aze smiled. Even though he believed Master Ji wouldn't be fierce with him, he still thanked her.

"Thank you, Aunt Ning."

"Hmm, I do hope that one day you'll call me 'Master's wife'..."

As Lian Ping'er said this, a faint blush appeared on her face. Then she suddenly felt an impulse and looked into the distance. A faint glow flickered in the sea over there.

"Aze, come on, let's go find those Daoist friends. They can help you break free from your cultivation shackles."

After Aze nodded, Lian Ping'er took him and ascended into the air. However, unlike some surrounding cultivators who were absorbing starlight while flying or hovering around the Xuanxin Manor's airship, they directly left the airship's formation range and flew off into the distance.

On the airship, some Xuanxin Manor cultivators also noticed this but did nothing. It was the others' business if they wanted to leave the ship, though it had been stated beforehand that the ship would not wait for them.

Lian Ping'er and Aze flew rapidly for nearly half an hour, finally flying towards a shallow reef in the sea. Aze clearly saw that several people were already standing there, some looking like scholars, some like immortal cultivators, and some like strong men.

"My apologies for making you all wait; it is Ning Xin's fault," she said. "This is Aze, a close junior of Master Ji. He was imprisoned in Nine Peaks Mountain for nearly twenty years and only recently escaped."

The people on the reef were slightly startled. Lian Ping'er changing her appearance and calling herself Ning Xin was secondary, but the fact that Aze was actually connected to Ji Yuan was the real surprise. Everyone below reacted quickly, cupping their hands in greeting.

"Immortal Ning, what are you saying? We haven't waited long," they said. "Fellow Daoists must be tired from your journey!"

"Alright, let's go inside and talk," someone said. "The Daoist friends below are still waiting."

The last to speak was none other than Beimu. This Northern Demon's cultivation was now unfathomably profound. Even before Lian Ping'er spoke, his attention had been entirely focused on Aze. How could that peculiar demonic essence escape his notice? And beside Beimu, Lu Shanjun remained silent. He squinted his eyes, observing Lian Ping'er and Aze, causing Aze's heart to skip a beat as he felt only that this person seemed extremely dangerous. Only after Lian Ping'er glanced at Lu Shanjun did the latter shift his gaze. He was still not affable, let alone fawning like the others. Although this Luwu was arrogant, he also had the capital to be so. Lian Ping'er still held him in high regard, and his refraining from sarcastic remarks was already considered giving her face.

"Alright, please, everyone!"

Beimu extended his hand, gesturing towards the sea beside the reef. Instantly, the waters parted, revealing a passage, and everyone then descended. Passing through an underwater entrance beneath the reef, they found another world within. It was actually a spacious and bright grotto-heaven, complete with pavilions, terraces, towers, grand halls, and pagodas—clearly a magnificent immortal's dwelling.

The group finally arrived at a grand hall. Inside, over a hundred people were already waiting, all possessing immortal qualities, though some had the appearance of demons.

"Aze, look at those strange-looking ones," Lian Ping'er whispered. "They are actually immortal beasts raised by immortal families. Though their appearance is strange, each possesses its own pride. They are also righteous Daoist friends; you must not offend them."

Aze remembered every word Aunt Ning said, trying his best not to look too much at those "immortal beasts." However, there were many immortal cultivators in the hall. Some were from Thousand Reef Island, some from minor immortal sects, and even some from renowned immortal mansions. All were gathered together, and at this moment, they all watched Lian Ping'er and Aze with amused gazes.

"Everyone, everyone—please listen to me for a moment," Beimu announced. "Our grand gathering today welcomes two distinguished guests. This one, I presume, needs no further introduction from me: she is Master Ji's Dao-companion, Immortal Ning Xin. And this one is very likely Master Ji's future accomplished disciple, named Zhuang Ze!"

Niu Batian, who was sitting near the head of the table, frowned slightly and looked at Lu Shanjun. The latter's expression was indifferent, and in response to Niu Batian's gaze, he merely raised an eyebrow.

"So it's Immortal Ning!" they exclaimed. "Hahahaha, Immortal Ning's charm remains as ever!"

"I said Immortal Ning would definitely come."

"Yes, yes, yes, this Fellow Daoist Aze also possesses striking spiritual energy!"

"Please, have a seat, quickly!"

Beimu now walked over, pointing to several tables near the head. "Aze," Beimu said, "Master Ji and I are old acquaintances. Moreover, it is by his grace that I was able to inherit my father's Dao tradition. How about you sit with me?"

"Are you not inviting me?"

"Hahahaha," Beimu chuckled, "Immortal Ning, of course, you'll be seated at the head! Please!"

"And everyone else, please take your seats!"

The atmosphere in the hall warmed, filled with pleasant harmony. Some discussed the Dao with each other, some chatted idly, and many were discussing the book "Yellow Springs," lamenting that great changes might be occurring in the underworld. It seemed like a casual gathering of many familiar Daoist friends.

Of course, there were also those who were more uniquely practical. For instance, a seemingly honest-looking man nearby was continuously drinking. As Aze looked on curiously, Niu Batian seemed to look up at him, showing him a row of neat teeth.

"Would Fellow Daoist like some wine?"

"No, thank you. I don't drink."

"Hahahaha, Fellow Daoist, how can a true man not drink?" the old ox bellowed. "Many of us here have received 'favors' from Master Ji!"

The old ox deliberately emphasized the word "favors," almost grinding his teeth. Beimu glanced at him. The latter said nothing, shook his head slightly, and continued drinking. But Aze felt a strange uneasiness in his heart. The look in that person's eyes just now seemed quite unfriendly.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuang, pay him no mind," Beimu said with a smile. "That Daoist friend is a bit drunk. Regarding demonic thoughts, I have quite some insight. Why don't you tell me about it? Perhaps I can help you."

Lian Ping'er, standing nearby, nodded to Aze with a smile. "Let Fellow Daoist Bei use his spell to examine your meridians," Lian Ping'er instructed. "Don't be on guard mentally; just imagine Auntie is checking your pulse."

"Okay..."

Lu Shanjun sat alone not far from Niu Batian, not conversing with anyone nor drinking tea or wine. At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Waiting for two days, dilly-dallying," Lu Shanjun declared. "Do you really think this is a tea party? State your business. I, Lu, don't have the leisure to keep playing house with you all!"

Lu Shanjun's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to be heard by those nearby.

"Ah, Brother Lu," the old ox boomed, "those who achieve great things don't fuss over minor details. You should be more patient. How about having a drink with your brother here? Hahahahaha!" The old ox spoke loudly, laughing tipsily, his gaze sweeping across the true immortal cultivators in the hall. "Look at these Daoist friends; their cultivation of vital energy is excellent," he continued. "It's something you and I should learn from, heh heh heh..."

Lu Shanjun cast a disdainful look at some of the immortal cultivators. Others didn't sense it, but those he looked at could all perceive the intensely insulting gaze.

"Demons will always be demons..."

An immortal cultivator, unable to bear it, muttered a curse under his breath. The old ox, with his drunken expression, instantly stood up.

"Who are you calling a demon? Are you perhaps tired of living?"

"Bang..."

The wine jar crashed to the ground, startling everyone in the hall. No one had expected this old ox to actually disregard the rules.