'An Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse?!'
'Not a Lotus Seed!!'
'It's an insect corpse?!'
When Yang An saw that consuming the insect corpse would cause hallucinations and make it hard to tell truth from illusion, a horrifying thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
'In other words, this thing doesn't actually have any water-repelling properties. The only reason everyone else thinks it grants the ability to survive underwater is because of a hallucination. And it's highly likely that everything they see from now on will be affected by that same hallucination!'
HISS!
At that moment, Yang An suddenly felt that this Co-dining Assembly was not as simple as Pan Shi had made it out to be.
'Why would Mother Divination True Master pass off Illusion Mimic Insect Corpses as Water-Repelling Lotuses for the other Cultivators to consume?'
'Is it to prevent these Cultivators from seeing something they shouldn't? Or does she have some other motive?'
'Since it doesn't actually allow them to survive underwater, will they still enter the river?'
'If they don't enter the river, where will this wooden boat take them?'
Countless questions flooded Yang An's mind. The more he thought about it, the more he suspected a conspiracy was at play.
Yang An suddenly regretted following Pan Shi here. 'If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have been better off parting ways from the start and not getting involved in this mess.'
'But it was too late for that now. I've already boarded the thieves' boat, and getting off now will be difficult.'
'If I had chosen to back out before boarding the boat and not participate in the Co-dining Assembly, perhaps no one would have said anything.'
'But now, with the Lotus Seed already in my hand, suddenly backing out would undoubtedly make people suspect I've discovered something.'
'Although there were only the three of them and the Snake Daoist, Hei Mei, on the wooden boat, who knew who else might be hiding in the shadows? Otherwise, where did that voice come from?'
'In other words, from the moment we boarded, our every move has been secretly watched!'
'It seems I have no choice but to eat this insect corpse.'
After some careful consideration, Yang An realized he had no other choice. He would have to take things one step at a time.
"Fellow Daoist, please consume the Water-Repelling Lotus at once!"
Right on cue, the voice urged him on. The others were all waiting for Yang An to consume the Water-Repelling Lotus; he was the only one on the boat who hadn't taken it yet.
"Alright."
Yang An nodded, trying his best not to show any sign of distress. Then, without hesitation, he chose to use Purification on the object in his hand.
[Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse: Formed from the carcass of a deceased Illusion Mimic Insect. Its exterior is round, emerald green, and shaped like a lotus seed, making it extremely difficult to distinguish.
Cost of Use: None.
Status: Purified!]
The cost of the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse was instantly eliminated. Suppressing his disgust, Yang An tossed the thing—which looked like a Lotus Seed but was in fact an insect corpse—into his mouth and, with a GULP, swallowed it down.
He had to admit, it was a good thing the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse had no particular taste. It felt just like a real Lotus Seed. Otherwise, Yang An might not have been able to stop himself from spitting it out.
"Fellow Daoists, don't blink now. You absolutely cannot miss the wondrous sights in the water. I've been here several times, and it's an unforgettable and truly stunning experience every time."
Seeing that Yang An had taken the Water-Resistant Lotus Seed, Hei Mei chuckled and began his commentary, his voice filled with admiration.
At his words, expressions of anticipation appeared on the faces of Pan Shi and Pan Yu.
As a disguise, Yang An also put on a look of eager anticipation.
"Fellow Daoists, if you please!"
At that moment, the voice spoke again.
At the exact same moment, Yang An keenly noticed that the people beside him wore looks of slight surprise. It was as if, in their eyes, the wooden boat beneath their feet was suddenly sinking toward the riverbed, leaving them mesmerized as if they were watching a seascape.
But what Yang An saw was a completely different picture.
Only a gentle breeze brushed his face. Slight ripples appeared on the river's surface, followed by a splash of water that shot up like a water dragon emerging from the sea. The waves on the river then coiled into a vortex, perpendicular to the water's surface.
The wooden boat beneath his feet didn't move an inch, as if it were rooted to the spot, completely unaffected by the churning waves.
A semicircular arc then appeared on the water in front of the boat, formed by the surging tide. It looked like a tall archway, its surface constantly rippling.
Only then did the wooden boat begin to move forward, eventually passing straight through the vortex.
Yang An kept his expression perfectly in sync with the Pan Shi Brothers and Sisters, as if he too were admiring the beautiful underwater scenery. In reality, he was secretly alarmed.
'Just as I'd guessed,' he thought. 'The boat didn't take us into the water. Instead, it brought us to some unknown place.'
The scene that appeared after they passed through the vortex was equally shocking.
A moment ago, they had been on the river under the night sky. Now, they were before an island shrouded in dense fog, yet the sky above was bright with daylight.
The sudden shift from night to day made Yang An instinctively want to shield his eyes from the abrupt, bright light, but he forced himself to hold back.
Then, Pan Yu, beside him, let out a gasp of wonder, as if she had seen something spectacular.
"This is Mother Divination True Master's domain, and also the former Celestial River Dragon Mansion of the Rhino Moon Flood Dragon King!"
Hei Mei explained at just the right moment.
"This is practically an underwater Dragon Palace!"
Pan Shi exclaimed with great exaggeration.
Yang An instantly understood. He and the others were still seeing two different scenes. The illusion from the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse was still in effect.
But he decided it was best to see through the deception without exposing it. Since he was already here, Yang An wanted to see for himself what tricks this legendary Mother Divination True Master was playing.
"Huh? Senior Brother, your face..."
Just then, Pan Yu, who was standing to the side, let out a soft cry of confusion. She looked quizzically at Pan Shi, then glanced at Yang An and Daoist Hei Mei, and spoke in surprise.
Pan Shi, thinking something was wrong, touched his own face but didn't feel anything different.
But when he looked at Pan Yu, and then at Yang An, he also noticed something strange.
"Haha, Fellow Daoists, no need to be alarmed. After entering the Dragon Mansion, everyone's identity and appearance are concealed by a water mist. This prevents others from recognizing you, so you don't have to worry about being targeted by people with ulterior motives during the Co-dining Assembly.
This is all to protect you and ensure your transactions go smoothly, and to prevent any incidents of murder and robbery."
Although Hei Mei had achieved the Dao as a cold-blooded snake, he had a warm heart and was quick to explain the situation to them.
Hearing his explanation, the Pan Shi Brothers and Sisters were no longer surprised.
It made sense. The Co-dining Assembly had attracted all sorts of people in recent years, both good and bad. Without such measures, some vile incidents would be bound to happen.
If such things were allowed to happen, the reputation of the Co-dining Assembly would only worsen, and fewer and fewer people would attend in the future.
They had to admit, Mother Divination True Master was truly thoughtful.
Yang An stood quietly to the side without a word. In his eyes, nothing had changed; everyone's faces were still perfectly clear.
'The water mist Hei Mei mentioned that could conceal their appearances was, as expected, another hallucination caused by the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse. In fact, from the moment they consumed it, everything they saw was fake.'
'Only I am seeing the truth.'
'It gives me the distinct feeling of "the whole world is muddled, I alone am clear; all men are drunk, I alone am sober."'
Yang An sighed softly to himself, unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Soon, they all disembarked from the boat.