'So Fellow Daoist Yang's Sect is called the Life Crane Sect. I wonder which Immortal Mountain it's on. When I get back to Sansong Mountain, I'll have to ask my master. He should know.'
Pan Shi thought to himself. He had never heard of this Sect, so he figured it probably wasn't an Immortal Mountain north of the Xiyue River. As for the name Elder Life Crane, he had never heard that either, which only made him more curious.
It was common knowledge that Cultivators in the Visceral Stone Realm were addressed as True Masters. For example, Pan Shi's master was Meat Tree True Master, and there was also Mother Divination True Master of the Xiyue River.
But this Elder Life Crane didn't use "True Master" in his title.
'Either he dislikes the title of True Master and chose a different one for himself, or he might even be a Corpse Transformation Great Power, a stage above Visceral Stone. If that's the case, his background is truly terrifying.'
After Yang An announced the name of his Immortal Mountain, he waited nervously for a response. He wasn't sure if the people of the Xiyue River had heard of the Life Crane Sect. 'It would be awkward if they haven't.'
"Since you are fellow Daoists from Sansong Mountain and the Life Crane Sect, please come aboard."
Fortunately, the person from the Xiyue River who had come to greet them acknowledged their identities and let them board without much scrutiny.
Yang An couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
'That makes sense,' he thought. 'Anyone who knows about the Commensalism Convention is likely a Cultivator from some faction or another. Few would dare to impersonate someone from a major Sect.'
The three of them immediately boarded the boat, waiting for it to take them to the location of the Commensalism Convention.
But after waiting for a while, the wooden boat beneath their feet still hadn't moved.
Yang An glanced around the boat in confusion. There wasn't even a single oar, and it was completely empty aside from the three of them.
'Oh no! They're not going to make us row it ourselves, are they?'
For some reason, a scene from a classic movie he'd seen as a child flashed through Yang An's mind: the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each revealing their unique Divine Powers...
Just as his imagination was running wild, a figure suddenly came speeding over from the distance. At the same time, an unfamiliar voice called out.
"Not so fast, not so fast! Wait for this old Daoist!"
Soon, a figure in a coarse Daoist robe with a hood obscuring his face appeared on She Long Crossing, coming to a halt at the edge of the dock.
"This old Daoist is Hei Mei, from Qiufeng Mountain. I have come to attend the Commensalism Convention."
Announcing his identity the moment he arrived, the man was clearly familiar with the rules here. This was likely not his first visit.
"Please board the boat, fellow Daoist."
The voice from the lantern on the boat responded, and the Daoist who called himself Hei Mei immediately stepped onto the wooden boat.
Just after he boarded, the wooden boat, which had been stationary at the dock, began to move on its own despite the lack of wind, gliding slowly toward the center of the river.
'So we weren't meant to row it ourselves, it was just waiting for someone else.'
It dawned on Yang An. He then turned to look at the Daoist who had just boarded.
"I am the old Daoist Hei Mei. Greetings, fellow Daoists. How may I address you all?"
Upon boarding, Hei Mei gave Yang An and the others a slight nod. However, when the lantern light illuminated his features, Yang An's group jumped in fright.
The face hidden beneath the large hood was a giant snake's head, its blackish-red forked tongue flicking in and out.
In the firelight, countless dense gray scales shimmered. Two striking black stripes ran down from beneath its eyes.
They were so close that Yang An felt he could almost hear a HISS as it flicked its tongue. It was as if a scorching breath washed over him, and he felt goosebumps rise all over his skin.
Pan Yu immediately ducked behind Pan Shi, her face pale with terror as she clutched his sleeve.
Even Pan Shi, a burly man himself, was visibly startled and took two steps back instinctively.
'With a face like that, he calls himself a Daoist? Are we sure he isn't a Demon Fiend?!'
Seeing their reactions, Daoist Hei Mei let out a hearty laugh. He was clearly used to this.
But to the others, his smile was utterly bizarre.
A giant snake's head flicking a blackish-red tongue, the corners of its mouth turned up to reveal sharp fangs. Anyone who saw it would be terrified.
"Fellow Daoists, please don't be alarmed. This old Daoist is a mountain spirit who has attained the Dao but has not yet fully transformed. I admit I'm a bit ugly, but I hope I'm not too hard on the eyes."
Hei Mei explained with a laugh.
His explanation, far from reassuring them, only horrified Yang An and the others even more.
'So he really is a snake!'
Although they were terrified of Daoist Hei Mei's face, he didn't seem to have any malicious intent. It was just... his appearance was beyond words.
In the end, they mustered up their courage and responded one by one, once again stating their names and origins. However, they maintained the full length of the boat between themselves and Hei Mei, not daring to get too close.
Hei Mei didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, he was quite gregarious and began telling them amusing stories about how other people reacted the first time they saw him.
The lone boat sailed through the Xiyue River at night, its lantern casting a faint, greenish glow across the water.
Before long, the wooden boat had carried Yang An's group and Hei Mei to the middle of the Xiyue River, far from the dock.
The wooden boat finally slowed to a stop, having drifted imperceptibly into a stretch of the river covered with lotus flowers.
It was hard to imagine such a large patch of lotus flowers growing in the middle of a river.
Lotuses bloomed next to lotuses, their flowers and leaves packed densely together.
The nightly view from the middle of the river was breathtaking.
The travelers on the boat stared at the scene in amazement. Only Daoist Hei Mei remained perfectly calm.
Just then, the voice came from the boat's lantern once more.
"These are the White Jade Lotuses of my Xiyue River. Eating the Lotus Seed inside will grant one water-resistance, which is required to enter the river! Fellow Daoists, please, help yourselves!"
'The Lotus Seeds from this vast field of lotuses can actually grant water-resistance,' Yang An marveled to himself.
Hei Mei was clearly a regular at the Commensalism Convention and knew the rules well, so he explained to the group:
"The Commensalism Convention is held in the Xiyue River—at the very bottom. You can't get in without eating one of the Water-Resistant Lotus Seeds.
"Allow this old Daoist to demonstrate for you."
With that, Hei Mei turned slightly, and his scarlet forked tongue shot out of his mouth.
The snake tongue quickly reached a lotus pod on the river's surface. With a gentle flick, it plucked a green Lotus Seed from the pod and swallowed it with a GULP.
HISS!
Watching the scarlet tongue dart in and out, Yang An felt his Scalp tingle. He glanced at the two empty sleeves of Hei Mei's Daoist robe and realized the creature obviously had no hands or feet.
Although Hei Mei had said he was a snake that had yet to fully transform, the visual of a giant snake wearing human clothes was still deeply unsettling.
Yang An didn't dare to watch any longer. Just then, Pan Shi copied the action, reached over the side of the boat, and quickly retrieved two Lotus Seeds. Both he and Pan Yu swallowed them.
Seeing that none of them had any adverse reaction after taking the Lotus Seeds, Yang An finally felt at ease. He bent over and plucked a Lotus Seed from a nearby pod, holding it in his hand.
But just as he was about to put the Lotus Seed in his mouth, an information box suddenly and unexpectedly popped up before his eyes.
[Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse: Formed from the remains of a dead Illusion Mimic Insect. Its exterior is round and emerald green, resembling a Lotus Seed, making it extremely difficult to distinguish.
Usage Cost: Consumption induces hallucinations, making it hard to tell truth from illusion.
Status: Can be Purified!]
Seeing the message that had suddenly appeared, Yang An's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the so-called Lotus Seed.