Da Zhi and Tianyue were two Wood Spirit Cultivators from the north, a branch lineage established when Qianmu Temple’s Ancestral Master traveled the northern lands. Now, it seemed their line was on the verge of extinction.

Yang Tian finished speaking and turned to Yu Cheng Taoist to explain in detail. It stemmed from the turmoil in the north a century ago, which had sparked wars of annexation among the sects. They fought endlessly, yet in the end, no one profited, leaving only chaos in their wake.

After a century of recuperation, the sects had managed to catch their breath, but their lineages were just barely hanging on. With their own lifespans nearing their end, the two had no choice but to enter Death Seclusion in an attempt to prolong their sect’s existence for a few more decades.

Yu Cheng Taoist sighed after hearing this. "After all these years of scheming and calculating," he said, "it seems we’re still just treading water."

"You can’t put it that way. Cultivation is like rowing a boat upstream; if you don’t advance, you fall behind. If we hadn’t been planning, I’m afraid we wouldn’t just be treading water—we’d have been eaten alive."

Wenyang Taoist added, "For example, when Qianmu Temple was ambushed, if not for our plans, we probably wouldn’t have even been able to hold Shang’an Prefecture. And without our calculations this time, we might still be in the dark about the great changes about to sweep the world."

As soon as he finished speaking, two people emerged from a nearby cave. They looked like a married couple...

The man was dressed like a Scholar, with the tall, somewhat lean build characteristic of the north. He appeared to be around forty, his face clean-shaven. The woman, in contrast, was attired as a Female Knight in a practical, dark gray outfit. She wore iron bracers, and her hair was woven into a braid that fell to her waist. Her looks were that of a delicate southern beauty.

When Wang Ping saw them, information about them immediately surfaced in his mind. They were indeed a married couple. The man was called Lv Wen, and the woman, Jiang Xiaomei. Both husband and wife had Second Realm Cultivation and practiced on Yunque Mountain in Hai Zhou Road.

The couple rarely involved themselves in worldly affairs, but both held the title of Fourth Seat in the Daoist Scripture Hall. Their disciples were spread across Hai Zhou Road, and they controlled much of the border trade between Hai Zhou Road and Hu Mountain Country. Moreover, they maintained a close relationship with the Upper Dan Sect.

"Fellow Daoists, it’s been a long time."

Once again, it was Yuan Zheng Taoist who spoke first. As the only Second Realm Cultivator from the Upper Dan Sect at the gathering, he was on good terms with nearly everyone present.

"It’s been nearly two hundred years, hasn’t it? My husband and I had already withdrawn from the world, planning to just live out our days on Yunque Mountain. But with the way things are now, we have no choice but to get involved again. Otherwise, even our Dao Field might be destroyed." Jiang Xiaomei replied to Yuan Zheng Taoist, while Lv Wen clasped his fists in greeting to the others.

"There are fewer old friends and more new faces, I see." Jiang Xiaomei’s gaze swept over Wang Ping, Guangxuan, and Li Xingwen.

What followed were mutual introductions, another round of pleasantries, and some small talk. Afterward, Guangxuan invited, "Everyone, please, have a seat inside."

Accepting Guangxuan’s invitation, the group followed Wenyang and Yang Tian into a tall pavilion built against the cave wall. After everyone had taken their seats, Guangxuan silently removed three chairs.

The others watched the three chairs being taken away with mixed expressions. Some were lost in memories of the past, while others shook their heads in regret.

Wang Ping quickly scanned everyone present. The first time he came here, including the chair added for him, there had been a total of seventeen chairs. Now, including himself and the absent Yue Ziyu, only twelve remained.

Guangxuan put the chairs away and returned to his seat. A silence followed.

"It’s been so many years. We’ve all grown distant."

Yang Tian broke the silence. He looked around at the group and said, "Then let me start. I need to hunt two members of the Demon Race, both with two-hundred-year Fake Pill cultivation levels. Does anyone have information they can provide? Alternatively, if you hunt them for me and bring me their Fake Pills, I can offer two refined Arrays in return—the kind that can help one break through to become a Third Realm Artifact Cultivator."

"Going all out, are we?" Yuan Zheng looked at Yang Tian. "Are you planning to attempt a breakthrough to the Third Realm?"

"Yes!"

"You should still have another one or two hundred years left. Aren’t you going to wait?"

"Wait my ass!" Yang Tian’s gaze was resolute. "When the world descends into chaos, those bastards from the Central Secretariat will probably shove me onto the front lines as cannon fodder. It’s death sooner or later anyway. My friends and family are all gone. All I have left are you old friends. I’m going to give it a shot. If I fail, then I’ll just close my eyes for good."

After listening, Wenyang looked at Yang Tian and said, "Members of the Demon Race with two-hundred-year Fake Pill cultivation are equivalent to the Second Realm in strength. Finding them in Zhongzhou is nearly impossible—they all have legitimate identities from the Daoist Scripture Hall. You’d have to search in Hu Mountain Country or the Southeast Islands, or perhaps on other continents."

"That’s why I’m asking you all. Do any of you have connections?" Yang Tian asked.

Guangxuan and Wang Ping exchanged a glance. This deal was actually feasible. The two of them could act as intermediaries using their connections with Lishui Prefecture. That way, both sides would be grateful to them.

"I have connections with Lishui Prefecture. I can ask around for you." Guangxuan said this after a signal from Wang Ping.

"How long will it take?" Yang Tian first glanced at the low-key Wang Ping before his eyes met Guangxuan’s.

"Two months. I’ll give you a definite answer after I hear back from them."

"Good!"

Guangxuan breathed a sigh of relief. At least the conversation hadn’t died.

Yu Cheng Taoist also nodded in gratification. He had been uncertain about this large-scale gathering, fearing that these old friends would arrive full of anticipation only to leave in disappointment.

If that had happened, the gathering might have disbanded for good.

After one deal was struck, a brief silence fell before Jiang Xiaomei spoke up. "My husband and I have come this time because we have an Outer Realm Demon we wish to trade..."

She paused, then continued under the gazes of the crowd, "This is the first time we’ve seen an Outer Realm Demon as well. It looks very strange... Our disciples obtained it from the East Continent Western Alliance."

After saying this, Jiang Xiaomei looked at Wenyang. "Under certain conditions, it can generate Demon Soldiers with fire-spirit attributes. And there’s a high probability that the generated Demon Soldiers can merge."

What a treasure!

Everyone present showed expressions of interest, especially Wenyang. He couldn’t use it himself, but he could give it to his disciples or hand it over to his superiors. It would definitely be a great contribution.

"What do you want for it?" Wenyang asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind.

"When my disciple obtained this item, he offended two Cultivators from the First Sect. They are both in the Second Realm. My husband and I primarily cultivate life-preserving arts and lack offensive capabilities, so dealing with them is a struggle. Our primary condition for trading this Outer Realm Demon is that you first help us eliminate them."

At that, another silence fell over the room.

Dealing with two Second Realm Cultivators would be simple for those present, but the First Sect was another matter. Unlike First Day, they were incredibly difficult to deal with. Moreover, they were a sect officially recognized by many regional authorities. Their doctrine preached tranquility and non-action, but they were not recluses and would engage with others.

Even the True Yang Sect would have to think twice before confronting the First Sect, because a single misstep could ignite a war of doctrine—the kind that could lead to all-out warfare!

"I have an idea..."

Li Xingwen said in a very soft voice, "Why don’t we... tell First Day the news?"