Seeing that Ji Yuan was so easy to talk to, the middle-aged man was so excited that he kept bowing.
"Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!"
The teenagers standing nearby also thanked the middle-aged man.
"Okay, follow me, we're not far from the summit."
After Ji Yuan said this, he and Ju Yuanzi started trekking towards the top of the mountain, and the group of people behind them hurriedly followed.
The people behind didn't dare to get too close, but by following closely, they could find that the two people in front were trudging along as if they were taking a normal stroll, with their hands hardly touching the ground, unlike those behind who often had to use their hands and feet.
Moreover, some weeds and vines seemed to be floating in the air when Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi passed by, and they slipped past their clothes. Of course, the same thing happened to the people behind them, who were also not bothered by the weeds, dead branches, and thorny vines. However, they had suffered a lot during their previous trek.
"How did you know where Dingfengdu is, and why do you want to go to Dingfengdu?"
Ji Yuan looked back at the six people who had been following him and asked casually. Seeing that the middle-aged man wanted to salute again after hearing the question, he quickly added a sentence.
"When you climb mountains and cross rivers, you must use both your hands and feet. Don't salute. If you fall, I won't save you."
"Yes Yes!"
The middle-aged man wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeves and answered while climbing the mountain.
"In reply to the Immortal, our ancestors of the Yan and Zong families were once from the Langming Kingdom of Hengzhou. According to the legend, our ancestors encountered a great disaster and fled for months. When they got lost in the mountains, they mistakenly entered the fairyland, which was a fairy ferry. Later, they found some jobs at the ferry and on the ferry boats of the immortals to survive. Some people also found a quiet place to live after going down the fairy ferry. We are the descendants of one of them..."
The man answered respectfully and slowly told his family stories.
Ju Yuanzi also stroked his beard and turned back.
"Then why do we have to go to the top of the mountain now?"
"To reply to the immortal, we are living quite well in Zenan Country, but we received news not long ago that one of our ancestors was able to enter the immortal palace a hundred years ago. Now they want to select those with outstanding qualifications from among the younger generations to lead them into the immortal path. This is tantamount to a shortcut to heaven. When the descendants of more than a dozen Yan and Zong families in Zenan Country heard about it, they were very excited. Finally, the right person was selected, and I brought these younger generations to find Dingfeng Ferry. However, even with the map of our ancestors, the immortal ferry is still difficult to find. If we hadn't met the two immortals, we mortals would have had to wander for who knows how long."
In fact, our ancestors once left behind a token, which was given by the immortal Yuelu Mountain many generations ago. Unfortunately, it had been lost long ago. It is said that some second-generation rich man owed a lot of gambling debts several generations ago and stole the token from the ancestral temple and sold it.
Since then, no one from the two families has returned to Yuelu Mountain, or rather, no one has been able to successfully enter the fairyland. This time, they came to try their luck after receiving a message from their ancestors, and sure enough, with the blessing of their ancestors, their luck has turned.
If one person succeeds, all the family members will benefit. This is what Ji Yuan thought when he heard the middle-aged man's words. Although this is not entirely true, it still benefits his descendants overall.
In order to take care of the people behind them, Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi deliberately slowed down their pace, and the group chatted as they walked. After about two hours, the mountain path under their feet became wider unknowingly, and the annoying thorny vines almost disappeared.
The surrounding scenery became more and more beautiful. The middle-aged man and the others felt that the air they breathed became fresher. A sound of "pattering... ding-ding-dong..." was heard, and a mountain stream that was more than one person wide appeared in front of them.
"water!"
A boy behind the middle-aged man shouted subconsciously.
Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi deliberately slowed down their pace and stopped by the stream, while the people behind them rushed to the stream at once.
"Drink water, drink water!" "The water is so clear!"
"It's spring water. It's okay. You can drink it!"
"Gurgle~Gurgle~Gurgle..."
A few people didn't care about all that and knelt by the stream, scooped up the water to drink, or simply lowered their heads to drink.
"Wow, this water is sweet!"
"Don't just drink, fill it with water!"
"Yeah!"
Several people drank a lot of water to quench their thirst, then took off their bamboo tubes and started to fill the stream with water.
"Here we are."
When several people were busy drinking water, they heard Ji Yuan's faint voice and subconsciously looked up. It seemed that the hazy fog in the distance gradually dissipated, and a magnificent mountain that was originally not in sight appeared in the distance.
A low peak is topped by a high peak that slants into the clouds. It is a type of mountain that no one has ever seen before, as if a high peak has fallen down and is supported by the top of another slightly shorter peak.
There was clearly nothing there before we reached the stream.
"Have you had enough to drink? If so, let's set off."
"Yes, yes, yes. Let's listen to the Immortal. Let's set off, let's set off!"
The middle-aged man became even more excited. It was the first time for him to see the fairy ferry. Even he felt this way, not to mention the young people behind him. Although the two who had been following him were also fairies, these fairies trudged along just like them and there was nothing magical about them.
After crossing this stream, the road became much easier to walk on, and you might even run into other people from time to time. Some of them were cultivators, and some were mortals.
When they arrived here, Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi parted ways with the middle-aged man and the five teenagers. They had already been brought here, and all that was left was to slowly climb the mountain. The mountain at Dingfengdu was not steep, and there was a wide mountain road, and there were even some pavilions and shops on both sides. The six of them could just go up by themselves.
About half a quarter of an hour after parting with the six people, Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi had reached the top of the ferry. The real ferry was on the outer mountain top, and a large-scale building complex had been formed on the inner mountain top.
There are about dozens of large buildings and even more small buildings in this market, including restaurants and inns. Some are opened by mortals, and there are also stores run by immortal cultivators. Some of the buildings are ordinary, while others are shining with flowing light.
There were also quite a lot of people, and it looked quite lively. Ji Yuan even saw a few monsters wandering around. Some mortals would subconsciously avoid them when they saw them.
Standing outside, Ji Yuan looked at all this in surprise. Although he had thought that he might see a similar scene after getting off the flying boat from Jiufeng Mountain, he never thought it would be so lively and could be considered a real market.
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect that after not being here for so many years, Dingfengdu has become so lively!”
Ju Yuanzi smiled with emotion and said to Ji Yuan.
"Mr. Ji, let's go for a walk too. In the world of immortal cultivation, such scenes can only be seen at various ferry crossings."
As he spoke, Ju Yuanzi sent out a thin stream of light, and then he and Ji Yuan truly stepped into this "bustling city" of the world of immortal cultivation.
Any store that can survive here is no longer ordinary, even if it is just an ordinary shop. Providing good service is a must, and no one with a bad temper would dare to lose their temper here. Some food or tools and gadgets are even made to the highest standard.
Some things that are regarded as treasures in the secular world, such as calligraphy and paintings by masters, and objects carefully crafted by skilled craftsmen, also have a market here. After all, they are things that embody the spirit of the creator, and many of them have their own charm. Even people who practice Taoism sometimes become interested in them, such as Ji Yuan.
Therefore, there are also some discerning dealers who specialize in searching the secular world for things that may be of interest to the immortals, and then send them here.
If a mortal could earn some magical items from the immortals with the help of such items, he would be truly rich.
However, those who cultivate immortality are not really detached from worldly affairs. They have gold and silver in their hands. Unless it is really special, they mostly use gold and silver to pay for such things. It is impossible for them to give immortal things casually.
In addition to gold and silver that can be circulated among mortals, immortals can barter with each other, and there are also some hard currencies such as the essence of the five elements and elixirs. If the basic value is reached, no one will refuse it.
Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi were walking in a busy market. Anyone with a keen eye would try to keep a distance from them.
One of these two men is wearing a plain long gown but has an extraordinary demeanor, while the other has long white hair and a white beard and a childlike face. They don't look like ordinary people at first glance, but at the perception level, they look like ordinary people, and they seem calm and confident and full of novelty about their surroundings.
There is no need to think too much, ninety-nine percent of them are old immortal masters who are extremely skilled in Taoism and rarely go out. Such people have unfathomable cultivation, their Dharma eyes can see through the world, and if they are not stupid, everyone will respect them.
"Master Ju, Mr. Ji!"
Wei Yuansheng's voice was heard, and then Qiu Feng, Yang Ming and Yu Huaishan's group appeared in the eyes of Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi. Wei Yuansheng even trotted over and rushed in front of the two of them.
"Mr. Ji, it turns out there is such a lively place in the world of immortal cultivation. I thought it was always like Yuhuai Mountain!"
"Haha, I was surprised too!"
As they were talking, Qiu Feng and the others also came closer and saluted towards Ji Yuan and Ju Yuanzi. This time, Yu Huaishan sent out more than a dozen people, from real masters to disciples. Ji Yuan knew some of them and had never seen others before, but they basically all recognized Ji Yuan.
"Master Ju, Mr. Ji, since you have come so early, let's take the Xuanxin Mansion's cross-border flying boat. If they are not delayed, they will reach Dingfengdu in two days, and then they will reach Hengzhou in the northern border in about two and a half months."
"What do you think, Mr. Ji?"
Ju Yuanzi asked Ji Yuan, and the latter nodded.
"Haha, you guys decide. I'm just a country bumpkin and haven't seen much of the world."
Just listen to this kind of words. Even though Ji Yuan is easy-going, no one dares to make fun of Yu Huaishan.
Seeing Ji Yuan nodded, Ju Yuanzi spoke and made his final decision.
"Since Mr. Ji has no objection, let's take the Xuanxin Mansion flying boat."
Ji Yuan couldn't help but think of Lao Long Yinghong at this moment. If Lao Long were here, he would definitely be laughed at by the other party for what he had just said. Sometimes the people in Yu Huaishan are too rigid.
Woo… Woo…
At this moment, the clouds surrounding the mountains in the sky were suddenly stirred, and gusts of air formed strong winds with whistling sounds, but when they reached the market, they became a breeze. However, many people, including Ji Yuan, still subconsciously looked up.
The shape of a huge monster loomed in the clouds.
“Mmmmm~~~~~~~~~~”
A long and distant cry was heard. It was from a gigantic monster with fins growing on its sides and top. Judging from its size, it was like a mountain, even bigger than the majestic Peak.
"The Sky-Swallowing Beast of the Weimei Sect, one of the most famous realm ferries!"
Ju Yuanzi watched the giant beast fly towards the outer peak in front and introduced it to Ji Yuan in his ear.