A closer look revealed that it was Featherless Bird.
He had guarded the frontier of the star domain along the Azure Sky Dao Orbit for years. Though he looked old and weathered, his bearing had lost none of its former flair. Whenever he saw newly arrived juniors, he would bow deeply and refuse to rise. They were all unfamiliar faces, which made it easy to wheedle gifts out of them.
"A savage beast?!"
"Senior, what are you doing!"
"I know! That's the peerless savage beast of Immortal Realm legend, Featherless Bird. I've heard my sect elders speak of him. Give him a treasure, and blessings are sure to follow!"
"Savage energy, you mean?"
"You... ridiculous...!"
"Better to believe it exists than dismiss it outright."
"Heh, the Immortal Realm values the threads of karma. First, I believe man can conquer heaven. Second, when a legendary senior like this pleads with us, I have a treasure called the Heavenly Thunder Water Wings that I'm willing to give Senior Featherless."
The area around Featherless Bird instantly bustled with activity. One junior cultivator after another offered treasures with "tears streaming down their faces," unable to bear his profound bows. And so this bizarre scene unfolded.
The chaos lasted a little while.
At last, Featherless Bird happily wheedled a sizable haul out of them. Judging by the way he sorted everything, he was preparing to move on to the next group.
The surroundings were lively.
Most were discussing their visions of the frontier and their own futures in cultivation, with members of myriad races coming and going.
Amid the sea of people.
Featherless Bird's expression suddenly froze, and his whole body trembled.
Through the gaps in the passing crowd, he saw three familiar figures smiling at him.
"...Dao Ancestor, Ox Ancestor, Crimson Ancestor."
He