Chapter 334: Drumbeats and Echoes

After a while, the waters of the Tongtian River finally stabilized. Many of the still-dizzy aquatic creatures scattered, buzzing with questions, some even personally heading to the River God’s Palace to inquire about what was happening.

The Yakshas of the Underwater Palace, somewhat flustered, hurriedly returned to their posts, anxiously questioning each other.

“What just happened?”

“It seemed like an anomaly from the Dragon Pool!”

“Huh? His Majesty the Dragon Lord isn’t hurt, is he?”

“It’s currently unclear. The Commander has already gone to the Dragon Pool to check!”

Some of the Yakshas and aquatic creatures were restless, swimming back and forth within the Underwater Palace. Others went to salvage furniture and items from the collapsed palace sections, propping up fallen items.

They now suspected that the Underwater Palace had been attacked, a situation they had not encountered in hundreds of years. Casualties were still unknown, but it was clear that the Tongtian River’s turmoil had been widespread.

A long while later, a red-haired Yaksha wielding a long halberd emerged from entrance of the Dragon Pool’s. He looked at the concerned aquatic creatures.

“Everyone, disperse, disperse! It’s nothing serious. The Dragon Lord merely sneezed twice. The Dragon Lord asks us to restore the Underwater Palace to its original state and return to our respective posts.”

“Oh. . . so that’s it!”

“So it was the Dragon Lord sneezing…”

“As expected of the Dragon Lord! Just a few sneezes caused such a commotion in the Tongtian River. What would happen if he truly got angry?”

“Heh, I certainly don’t want to see the Dragon Lord angry.”

“Me neither!”

The Yakshas of the River God’s Underwater Palace and all the underwater beings now understood what had happened. They dispatched messengers to reassure the other aquatic creatures, and the small disturbance in the Tongtian River ultimately subsided.

However, the Old Dragon found himself unable to sleep in his own Dragon Pool, no matter how he tossed and turned.

The brilliant light of luminous pearls shone around him, and rich spiritual energy gathered from all directions, dense water essence spontaneously entwining itself around his dragon body. A pair of colossal, amber dragon eyes blinked once.

“Strange. Why can’t I stop sneezing? Am I under some kind of spell? No, that can’t be right. Could it be some cultivator with an extremely strong sympathetic connection, speaking ill of me behind my back? Who would possess such cultivation?”

The Old Dragon narrowed his eyes in thought, reviewing everything he had done recently, before suddenly blurting out:

“Could it be that fellow Ji Yuan?”

…

“Achoo…”

Aboard the Nine Peaks Mountain’s Realm-Crossing Flying Ferry, Ji Yuan had just settled down at a restaurant on the top deck market, when he couldn’t help but let out a mighty sneeze.

This left Chi Gui, Lin Jian, and even the Dragon Daughter Ying Ruoli around him wide-eyed in astonishment. The higher a cultivator’s cultivation level, the stronger their control over their bodily sensations. For an Immortal Cultivator of Ji Yuan’s caliber, sneezing was virtually impossible unless it was intentional!

“Uncle Ji, is something wrong with this restaurant?”

“Yes, Immortal Elder Ji, if you don’t like it, we’ll go to another one immediately!”

“Right, right, I know a restaurant at the far end of the market that often uses fruits and vegetables imbued with spiritual energy in their dishes!”

Seeing their expressions, Ji Yuan shifted in his seat, one hand rubbing his nose, the other raised and waving dismissively.

“It’s nothing, nothing serious. Just a sneeze. Someone must be praising me. Let’s eat, let’s eat!”

As he spoke, Ji Yuan reached out to beckon the shopkeeper over, who had been carefully serving them. The shopkeeper had personally come over from the moment they entered the establishment, but hadn’t dared to speak, fearing to disturb them.

Other mortals might not recognize Chi Gui and Lin Jian, but for someone whose family had run a tavern on the realm-crossing ferry for generations, not recognizing the two True Immortals of Nine Peaks Mountain would have shown a severe lack of discernment.

Seeing Chi Gui and Lin Jian personally bring guests to the establishment, he could basically understand that this man and woman were very likely the “whale riders of the sea” that everyone had just been talking about so excitedly.

Seeing Ji Yuan’s gesture, the shopkeeper naturally took a step closer.

“Esteemed guest, how may I serve you?”

Ji Yuan inquired:

“Your restaurant is located on a flying ship frequented by immortal cultivators; you must have some special skills. What are your signature dishes?”

“Er, haha, what are you saying, esteemed guest? We mostly serve common home-style dishes here, but we meticulously prepare them with care. As True Immortal Lin just mentioned, we do indeed have dishes made with vegetables and fruits imbued with spiritual energy.”

Ji Yuan nodded, patting the table to indicate that the Dragon Daughter and the two True Immortals from Nine Peaks Mountain should sit as well.

“In that case, shopkeeper, just select a few of your favorite dishes and send them over. Around nine dishes with one soup should suffice. Oh, and two jugs of fine wine, please.”

“Right away!”

The shopkeeper replied, then stepped away to personally give instructions to the kitchen. After a moment, he returned once more to attend by their side.

Ji Yuan looked at him and couldn’t help but ask.

“Have you always lived here?”

The shopkeeper smiled.

“Some may have just arrived, others come and go, but my Ma family has been here for generations.”

As if knowing what Ji Yuan was about to ask, the shopkeeper continued.

“On this Immortal Ship, there are no harsh taxes or levies, no natural disasters or man-made calamities, and one can behold magnificent scenery rarely seen by ordinary mortals. Moreover, we live and thrive here, and if one day we can forge a good connection with an immortal elder, leading our descendants to embark on the path of immortality, then even our chickens and dogs might ascend to become celestial beings.”

Ji Yuan looked at Chi Gui.

“Are there such cases?”

The latter nodded.

“Indeed, there are. After all, the spiritual energy on the flying ship is somewhat more abundant than outside, so long-term residence here truly offers benefits. However, it’s actually best to land and live on the ground for a while every now and again before returning, as a flying ship moves through the heavens, unable to touch the ground, which ultimately presents a deficiency in terms of cultivating the Five Elements.”

The shopkeeper, who had been listening from the side, quickly bowed with cupped hands towards Ji Yuan and the others to express his gratitude.

He had heard such information before, but it was never truly confirmed. Now, hearing Chi Gui’s words, he knew it must be true.

Before long, several dishes, each with their own distinct color, aroma, and flavor, were brought out. The young waiter brought the trays to the table, and the shopkeeper personally served the dishes, with the two pots of fine wine arriving at the same time.

The two True Immortals from Nine Peaks Mountain merely symbolically touched their chopsticks; essentially, Ji Yuan was the only one eating. Ying Ruoli, meanwhile, stood by, sleeves pulled back, pouring him wine.

In the restaurant, Ji Yuan felt no embarrassment at all, simply eating heartily and drinking freely. Chi Gui and Lin Jian occasionally chatted and answered questions, while the Dragon Daughter ensured Ji Yuan’s wine glass was never empty. A few young waiters, dazed, stared blankly at the vibrant beauty of the Dragon Daughter.

This scene was quite harmonious and pleasant. If any painting connoisseurs were to have been present, they certainly would not have wanted to miss this sight.

It was just as the third round of wine was poured and the dishes had been half-eaten, a sudden loud whistle erupted from beneath the flying ship.

“Lady Ruoli—Mr. Ji—where have you gone? Did this strange flying ship abduct you? Hand over Mr. Ji and Lady Ruoli quickly… Rooo-woo… Rooo-woo-ooooooh…”

1

A whale cry, both violent and strangely melodious, pierced the air, grating fiercely on the ears. Even aboard the flying ship, many mortals and cultivators covered their ears.

The dishes on Ji Yuan’s table rattled and shook.

“Clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter…”

Chi Gui formed hand seals, casting a technique in the air. In an instant, all sound vanished, likely cut off by the flying ship’s enchantments.

But the very next moment.

“Boom!”

With this sound, the dishes on the table lifted two inches directly into the air. The entire flying ship rocked violently, and some of the ordinary shopkeepers and patrons inside the restaurant staggered, some even falling to the ground.

“This fool is quite loyal, he’s gone mad. Ruoli, go calm him down.”

“Understood!”

The Dragon Daughter stood up, a slight amused smile on her face, and flew directly out after responding. As she was leaving, Chi Gui reopened the sound barrier, and the piercing, intense whale cry once again reverberated:

“Roooo-wooo-wooo…”

“General Giant Whale, stop making a fuss! Uncle Ji and I are guests on this flying ship!”

Though Ruoli’s clear, cool voice wasn’t loud, Ji Yuan could hear it distinctly. Sure enough, the whale cry ceased abruptly, replaced by a mixture of joyful and panicked calls.

This farce came and went quickly. Soon, the Dragon Daughter returned, while General Giant Whale continued to circle and swim beneath the flying ship, drawing many onlookers who peered over the ship’s rails.

In the dark night, visibility was quite good when aided by the flying ship’s glow and the starlight.

But this night was destined to be anything but peaceful. As Ji Yuan was still enjoying his rare meal, a sound like a drumbeat began to grow slowly louder, as if something was approaching.

“Boom… Boom… Boom… Boom…” . . .

It was a vast and echoing drumbeat, particularly noticeable in the darkness of the night and ocean, slowly approaching from afar. Ji Yuan’s chopsticks paused.

Ji Yuan looked around and found that Chi Gui and Lin Jian had no reaction. Even the Dragon Daughter who had just returned seemed completely unfazed. Seeing Ji Yuan looking at her with a strange expression, Ying Ruoli even asked with concern:

“Uncle Ji, what’s wrong?”

Ji Yuan furrowed his brow, put down his chopsticks, and looked at the two Nine Peaks Mountain True Immortals, then back to Ying Ruoli.

“Ruoli, and you two as well, can you hear a drumbeat?”

Ying Ruoli glanced at the two True Immortals; their expressions showed they shared her thoughts. She then shook her head, saying,

“I haven’t heard anything!”

“Boom… Boom… Boom…” . . .

The drumbeat grew louder and louder. Ji Yuan could no longer ignore it. He stood up directly and walked outside, continuing until he reached the ship’s rail, peering in the direction of the sound.

The night sky was pitch black, with stars twinkling brilliantly. Ji Yuan opened his supernatural eyes, channeling all his spiritual energy into his vision. On the horizon in his sight, a peculiar red color began to emerge.

Faintly visible, yet seemingly infinitely distant, it drifted like flickering flames.

There were no clouds, no discernible unusual phenomena. This patch of light drew closer from afar, and the drumbeat growing increasingly resonant.

“Boom… Boom… Boom…” . . .

“Do you see it? Do you hear it?”

Ying Ruoli strained her spiritual energy, looking intently in the direction of Ji Yuan’s gaze, but still found nothing. The two True Immortals beside her were in the same predicament.

Ji Yuan’s gaze shifted. The red light on the horizon passed overhead, continuing eastward. It felt incredibly distant, and though it appeared slow, it was actually moving extremely fast.

Ji Yuan rose up onto a cloud, heading straight for the red light on the horizon. But no matter how he flew, the sense of distance didn’t diminish in the slightest.

The distant red light receded further and further, yet grew brighter and brighter. Just as the drumbeat was about to vanish…

“Ro-woo…”

General Giant Whale, beneath the flying ship, let out a faint whale call.

“Ohhhahh—”

On top of the drumbeat, a strange cry echoed from the distant red light. Then, the light vanished, and all sounds faded into nothingness.

‘What exactly was that on the first day of the New Year? ’

Ji Yuan looked down at the area beneath the flying ship. At this moment, General Giant Whale appeared unusually quiet.

‘Were those two calls an echo?’

T/n: more strange phenomena, wheee! JY is enjoying his foodie road trip of the cultivation world and would prefer not to be bothered by all the strange Main Character events preventing him from eating good food

Whale noises, LOL