Chapter 341: The Thousand Sails Event (Two)
Over thirty petals, layered like a colossal blossom, formed the platform. The outer petals were a deep sea blue, transitioning gradually to a pale, jade-like green near the core, which pulsed with an ethereal azure light.
Zhao Qianyun stood upon it, his stage floating above the water.
Before him, a fleet of over a thousand vessels bobbed in anticipation: grand ships, nimble boats, sleek skiffs… and even a few rafts.
Zhao Qianyun blinked. “Why are there even rafts?” he muttered, bewildered.
His gaze swept across the water and froze.
Beyond the rafts, there was something even more audacious.
The Calyx Boat.
The enormous, jade-white flower stood out among the conventional vessels like a swan among geese, instantly becoming the focal point of every cultivator present.
“That must be Fairy Beiyun on board, right?”
“What incredible fortune! To think we’ll be sailing the same waters as Fairy Beiyun!”Inside the Calyx Boat, a look of profound regret crossed Long Ao’s face. “I’m suddenly having second thoughts.”
Jiang Chen shot him a sidelong glance. “A little late to be feeling embarrassed, isn’t it?”
“Junior Brother, I’ve made a terrible mistake!” Long Ao lamented, his expression pained.
They were surrounded. Ships and cultivators pressed in on all sides, their voices a constant chorus calling out, “Fairy Beiyun!” A relentless barrage of spiritual senses swept over them, frantically trying to pierce the boat’s defenses, only to be repelled by its protective formations and runes.
Just then, Jiang Chen felt a new presence approaching, one that carried a bone-chilling cold. “Someone’s coming.”
A new vessel slid through the water toward them. Its hull wasn’t wood but appeared to be carved from a single block of glacial ice. The entire craft was a crystalline white that shimmered with a cold light, resembling a crescent moon floating upside down on the waves.
The hull was incredibly thin, barely three feet across at its widest point, and stretched over ten feet in length with exceptionally sleek, ethereal lines. The bow was a rounded lunar tip, while the stern fanned out like scattered wisps of cloud. It lacked a traditional mast; instead, a jade pole slanted up from the bow, from which hung a translucent sail shaped like a lunar halo.
Several jade meditation cushions rested on its deck, which was draped in a lustrous Frost Silkworm Brocade.
Two figures stood upon it. Both were women.
One of them spoke, her voice as crisp and cool as a winter morning. “Fellow Daoists piloting the Calyx Boat, would you be so kind as to show yourselves?”
Inside, Jiang Chen and Long Ao exchanged a look. “Should we?”
Long Ao considered it. “Judging by its design, that boat is likely on par with the Calyx Boat. The people on it are definitely not simple.”
Jiang Chen understood. He stepped out onto the petal deck. “How may I help you, Fellow Daoist?”
The two women stared, momentarily taken aback to see a man. “Ah?”
A moment later, Long Ao emerged behind him.
Seeing a second man, the two women were utterly dumbfounded.
Jiang Chen’s eyes focused on one of them, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. “Long Xiyao?”
Long Ao’s eyes widened as he recognized the other woman. “Fairy Beiyun?”
Both were renowned beauties. Long Xiyao was famous in her own right, but Fairy Beiyun was on another level entirely—a breathtaking beauty whose looks could rival even Senior Sister Yu’s.
Her skin was exceptionally fair, not the soft white of most women, but a cold, luminous white, as if it had been steeped in moonlight. Under the sun, it held an almost translucent glow. Her features were so exquisitely pure they bordered on austere. Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with ink, yet they held a sharp, defined edge, arching slightly like the tips of a crescent moon. Her eyes were a pale, glassy color, the irises ringed with a faint violet halo. A high, straight nose bridge was softened by a rounded tip, tempering the coldness in her gaze. Her lips, a pale pink with sharp contours, were pressed into a thin, serious line.
Though tall and slender, she was anything but frail. Her posture was as straight as a pine, her waist as supple as a willow. Her neck was long and graceful, like the neck of a jade vase. Nestled in the hollow of her throat on the left side was a single, tiny cinnabar mole, like a winter plum blossom blooming on fresh snow, adding a trace of almost imperceptible allure to her otherwise frigid temperament.
She wore a moon-white, wide-sleeved Flowing Immortal dress, its fabric the unique Cloud Gauze of the Inviting Moon Immortal Sect. The hem stopped just above her ankles, revealing a pair of perfect, jade-like bare feet.
In looks, figure, and aura, she embodied the title of “Fairy.”
Snapping out of her surprise, Mu Beiyun spoke, her tone indifferent. “I am Mu Beiyun, a core disciple of the Inviting Moon Immortal Sect. And you two are?”
Jiang Chen cupped his hands in a formal salute. “Jiang Chen, Spirit Cultivator Envoy of the Cloud Sea Sect.”
Long Ao followed suit. “Long Ao, core disciple of the Cloud Sea Sect.”
Mu Beiyun gave a slight nod. “So, you are disciples of the Cloud Sea Sect. It is a pleasure.”
Jiang Chen glanced at the still-dazed Long Xiyao before turning back to Mu Beiyun. “Fairy Beiyun, what business did you have with us?”
Mu Beiyun was direct. “I wish to ask if this Calyx Boat is for sale.”
To Jiang Chen, selling it or giving it away made little difference. He offered a slight smile. “That depends entirely on your sincerity.”
Mu Beiyun grew thoughtful. Pointing to the vessel beneath her feet, she asked, “What if I offer you this Shattered Moon Flowing Frost in exchange? Would that be acceptable?”
Though Jiang Chen didn’t know the precise value of the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost, he was a master of negotiation. He frowned, his expression tinged with dissatisfaction. “Fairy Beiyun, surely you know how difficult it is to acquire a Calyx Boat in the current market.”
Mu Beiyun hesitated. “Then… I will add 10,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones?”
Jiang Chen remained perfectly still, his gaze unwavering as he stared directly at her.
Seeing her offer was still not enough, Mu Beiyun hesitated again. “Very well. In addition to the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost and the 10,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones, I will add a personal handkerchief.”
Jiang Chen’s face twisted in disdain. “A handkerchief? How could that possibly—”
“We can consider it!” Long Ao suddenly blurted out.
Jiang Chen shot him a look of pure astonishment.
“In the Inviting Moon Immortal Sect,” Long Ao sent via voice transmission, “there’s a tradition. Giving someone a personal handkerchief is an offer for a private meeting—a date.
“And a handkerchief from Fairy Beiyun currently fetches 3,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones on the open market!”
Jiang Chen was incredulous. “That much? Wait a second, how do you know all this?”
Long Ao gave an awkward mental laugh. “Have you forgotten? My Master snatched this very Calyx Boat from the Orchid Fairy of the Inviting Moon Immortal Sect. And Fairy Beiyun is the Orchid Fairy’s disciple.”
Jiang Chen’s eyebrow twitched. “You’re changing the subject. I asked why you’re so knowledgeable about the market price of Fairy Beiyun’s handkerchief.”
Long Ao’s mental smile froze. “I… have a friend who’s interested…”
Jiang Chen couldn’t be bothered to press the obvious lie. He waved a dismissive hand. “Never mind. It’s not important.”
Mu Beiyun was not a patient woman. Under any other circumstances, she would have already turned and left. But the Calyx Boat had truly captured her heart, leaving her no choice but to wait.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long. Jiang Chen cupped his hands once more. “Fairy Beiyun, how about we discuss the specific details of this transaction after the Thousand Sails Event concludes?”
Mu Beiyun nodded slightly, a wave of relief washing over her. As long as he hadn’t refused, there was still a chance.
Suddenly, Zhao Qianyun’s amplified voice boomed from the front, explaining the rules of the competition.
“Remember, fishing must be done individually! No cooperation between vessels is permitted!”
“Once you accumulate 60 points from fishing, you may proceed to the next stage!”
“For hunting sea monsters, cooperation is allowed! Please distribute the points amongst yourselves!”
“Accumulate a total of 80 points to enter the final sprint!”
“I now declare the Thousand Sails Event officially open!”
A deep, resonant “WUUUUU” from a massive whale horn echoed across the sea, and with it, over a thousand ships surged forward as one.