Daoist Known as Black Brow and the Insect Corpse

"So, fellow Daoist Yang's sect is called the Fate Crane Sect. I wonder what immortal mountain this Fate Crane Sect hails from. Once I return to Three Pine Mountain, I must ask my master. Master should know."

Pan Shi thought to himself. He hadn't heard of this sect before. He figured it must be an immortal mountain north of the Xi Yue River, or perhaps the Old Man Fate Crane was a renowned figure he'd never heard of. This only piqued his curiosity further.

As everyone knew, cultivators in the Viscera Stone Realm were commonly referred to as True Persons. For example, Pan Shi's master was True Man Rou Shu, and there was also True Person Mother Diviner in the Xi Yue River.

But this Old Man Fate Crane wasn't using the title of True Person.

Either he disliked the title and chose his own, or perhaps he was a mighty figure in the Flesh Rupture Realm above the Viscera Stone Realm. If that were the case, his background would be terrifying.

As Yang An announced his immortal mountain, he felt a slight nervousness waiting for a response. He wondered if people from the Xi Yue River knew of the Fate Crane Sect. It would be quite embarrassing if they hadn't heard of it.

"Since you are fellow Daoists from Three Pine Mountain and the Fate Crane Sect, please come aboard."

Fortunately, the welcoming party from the Xi Yue River acknowledged their identities and let them board without much scrutiny.

Yang An couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It made sense. Those who knew about the Communal Feast Convention were basically cultivators from various factions. It was unlikely anyone would impersonate members of major sects.

The three of them boarded the boat immediately, waiting for it to take them to the location of the Communal Feast Convention.

However, after waiting for a while, the wooden boat beneath their feet remained still.

Yang An curiously glanced at the boat's interior. There wasn't even a single oar. Besides the three of them, it was empty.

This is bad! They're not going to make us row ourselves, are they?

For some reason, a scene from a classic movie he'd watched as a child flashed through Yang An's mind: the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their unique powers...

Just as his thoughts drifted, a figure suddenly sprinted rapidly from afar. Simultaneously, an unfamiliar voice followed closely behind.

"Don't rush, don't rush! Wait for this old Daoist priest!"

Soon, a figure in a coarse cloth Daoist robe, with a hood covering his face, appeared at the Serpent Dragon Ferry and finally stopped before the dock.

"I am Old Daoist Black Brow, from Autumn Wind Mountain. I've come specifically to attend the Communal Feast Convention."

He announced his origin as soon as he arrived, clearly familiar with the rules. It was likely not his first time attending.

"Please board the boat, fellow Daoist."

A voice responded again from the lantern on the boat. The Daoist who called himself Black Brow immediately boarded the wooden boat.

As soon as he stepped onto the boat, the wooden boat, which had been stationary at the dock, began to move on its own, without any wind, and slowly sailed into the river.

So, they weren't expecting us to row ourselves. They were just waiting for someone.

Yang An suddenly understood and then looked at the newly boarded Daoist.

"I am Old Daoist Black Brow. Greetings, fellow Daoists. What should I call you?"

As soon as he boarded, Black Brow nodded slightly at Yang An and the others. But under the lamplight, when they saw Black Brow's appearance, Yang An and the others were startled.

Beneath the large hood was a giant snake's head, flicking a blackish-red tongue.

In the firelight, countless dense gray scales gleamed. Two prominent black stripes ran beneath its eyes.

Being so close, Yang An could almost hear the "hissing" sound of its tongue flicking, as if a scorching breath washed over him, making goosebumps erupt all over his body.

Pan Yu immediately hid behind Pan Shi, tightly gripping his sleeve with a pale face.

Even Pan Shi, the burly man, was visibly startled and instinctively took two steps back.

Is this self-proclaimed Daoist really not a demon?!

Seeing their reactions, the Daoist Black Brow burst into laughter. He was clearly accustomed to this.

But their laughter sounded incredibly eerie to the others.

A large snake's head flicked its blackish-red tongue, its mouth curving upwards to reveal sharp fangs. Anyone would be terrified.

"Please don't mind, fellow Daoists. This old Daoist priest is a spirit that has attained the Dao, but has not yet fully transformed. I may be a bit ugly, but I should still be somewhat presentable."

Black Brow explained with a smile.

It was better that he hadn't explained. His explanation only made Yang An and the others more horrified.

It really is a snake!

Although they were quite frightened by Black Brow's appearance, the other party seemed to have no ill intentions. It was just that his appearance was truly indescribable.

In the end, they mustered their courage and responded one by one, introducing themselves again. However, they maintained a distance between the front and back of the boat, not daring to get too close to him.

Black Brow didn't seem to mind. Instead, as if they were old friends, he began telling them amusing stories about people's first encounters with him.

A lone boat sailing the Xi Yue River at night, a lantern's glow illuminating the guest boat.

Before long, the wooden boat carrying Yang An and the other two, along with Black Brow, had traveled far into the Xi Yue River, a considerable distance from the dock.

Finally, the wooden boat slowly stopped. Unbeknownst to them, it had sailed into a patch of river covered in lotus flowers.

It was hard to imagine that such a large expanse of lotus flowers could grow in the middle of the river.

Lotus flowers blooming, flowers and leaves so dense.

The night scenery on the river was breathtaking.

The people on the boat watched this scene in astonishment, but only Black Brow remained calm.

Just then, a voice came again from the lantern on the wooden boat.

"This is the White Jade Lotus of our Xi Yue River. Its lotus seeds, when consumed, grant water-repelling abilities, allowing entry into the river! Fellow Daoists, please!"

Amidst the vast expanse of lotus flowers, the lotus seeds actually contained the power to repel water. Yang An marveled at this, finding it quite extraordinary.

Black Brow was clearly a regular at the Communal Feast Convention and was very familiar with the rules here. He explained to the others:

"The location for the Communal Feast Convention is within the Xi Yue River, specifically underwater. Without consuming the Water-Repelling Lotus Seeds, it's impossible to enter. Allow me, this old Daoist priest, to demonstrate for you all."

With that, Black Brow slightly turned his body, and his bright red tongue flicked out from his mouth.

The snake's tongue quickly touched a lotus bud on the river, coiled around it, and plucked a green lotus seed from the bud. It then swallowed the seed with a gulp.

Hiss!

Seeing the bright red snake's tongue dart out and retract, Yang An always felt a prickle of unease. He then looked at Black Brow's Daoist robe, which had two empty sleeves, clearly indicating the other party had no hands or feet.

Even though Black Brow had said he was a snake that hadn't yet transformed, the image of a giant snake wearing human clothes was quite unsettling.

Yang An dared not look further. At this moment, Pan Shi followed suit, reaching down from the side of the boat and quickly retrieving two lotus seeds. He and Pan Yu also consumed the seeds.

Seeing that none of them showed any unusual reactions after consuming the lotus seeds, Yang An finally felt relieved. He bent down and picked out a lotus seed from a nearby lotus bud, holding it in his hand.

But just as he was about to pop the seed into his mouth, the very next second, a message box suddenly and unexpectedly popped up before his eyes.

"[Illusionary Insect Corpse]: Formed from the corpse of an Illusionary Insect after death. It is round and emerald green in appearance, resembling a lotus seed, making it extremely difficult to distinguish.

Cost of Use: Consuming it will induce hallucinations, making it hard to differentiate between reality and illusion.

Status: Purifiable!"

Upon seeing the message that suddenly appeared before him, Yang An's hand holding the lotus seed trembled slightly, almost causing him to drop the object.