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Master Mu Long composed himself and said calmly, "So it's Fellow Daoist Qi. I've heard of you before. I'm Master Mu Long, and these two are Master Yuan Jun and Master Kan Qin, the deputy island masters of Kuixing Island."
Qi Yuan smiled gently. "I've heard of the esteemed reputations of the two deputy island masters. Now that we've met, I see the rumors are indeed true."
Yuan Jun chuckled, though he was secretly surprised by Qi Yuan's profound aura. "It's just an empty reputation. Now that all our guests have arrived, Brother Mu Long, let's head inside."
As Master Kan Qin turned, she couldn't help but steal another glance at Qi Yuan, inwardly sighing at how striking he looked.
Qi Yuan followed them into a spacious cave, where seven or eight black wooden chairs inlaid with gold were occupied by Jindan stage cultivators. Beside each seat was a small table with spiritual tea and exquisite snacks.
A sinister-looking man at the early Jindan stage sneered, "I thought Mulong had invited an important guest, but he's been loitering outside instead of coming in. Turns out, it's just a wandering cultivator I've never seen before."
The cave's atmosphere grew tense.
In the Chaos Star Sea, any cultivator who reached the Jindan stage would naturally have some level of recognition. Yet, no one present recognized Qi Yuan, which made them curious and watchful.
Master Mu Long's expression remained unreadable. He merely cast a glance at the sinister man, who was a prominent figure in the magic sect with a promising future.
Qi Yuan chuckled and bowed. "Please forgive my tardiness, Fellow Daoist."
The sinister man snorted and said nothing.
Seizing the moment, Master Mu Long gestured for Qi Yuan to sit.
As Qi Yuan observed the gathering, he noted that Mu Long's circle included both righteous and demonic cultivators, making for a rather mixed company.
Once all the guests had arrived, Master Mu Long stood and spoke. "Thank you all for attending this secret meeting. We also have a new friend joining us today. Fellow Daoist Qi, please introduce yourself."
All eyes turned to Qi Yuan, their expressions varied.
Without hesitation, Qi Yuan stood, bowed, and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am Qi Yuan."
Some responded warmly.
"Welcome!"
"Brother Qi, let's stay in touch after this."
"What a striking new friend! Would you like me to introduce you to a female cultivator from the Miaoyin Sect? I guarantee you won't want to leave her side."
Master Mu Long cleared his throat. "Let's stay on track. As usual, we'll begin by discussing our cultivation insights before moving on to the exchange of treasures."
For the next several hours, the Jindan cultivators shared their cultivation experiences, posed questions, and engaged in lively discussions.
Qi Yuan mostly listened, gaining valuable insights and resolving many minor doubts in his practice.
Once the discussion ended, Master Mu Long took out a jade box. "Let me start. This is a Cloud Essence Stone, a magical material. I'd like to exchange it for a wood-attributed spiritual medicine of similar value."
Qi Yuan's eyes flickered at the sight of the sparkling, fist-sized stone. It was a rare treasure, and he had wood-attributed spiritual medicines in his possession.
An old woman with a hoarse voice spoke up. "Cloud Essence Stone? I didn't expect you to have such a thing, Mu Long. I don't have a wood-attributed spiritual medicine, but would you accept a wood-attributed demon pill instead?"
With a soft thud, a level-five demon beast inner core landed before them, radiating strong wood energy.
"Deal, Granny Baihua."
Seeing no other offers, Master Mu Long readily agreed, and they exchanged their treasures using magic.
With the first trade completed, the atmosphere grew even more animated.
"I have an ancient short sword. I'm looking to exchange it for an ancient long flute."
"This is a top-tier mental cultivation method left by a Nascent Soul cultivator five hundred years ago. I need elixirs to further my practice."
The trading continued.
Master Mu Long turned to Qi Yuan. "Fellow Daoist Qi, what do you seek?"
Qi Yuan smiled. "I'm looking for information on five-element materials, specifically Five Elements Phantom Jade, Five Elements Earth Fire, and Five Elements Sky Star Stone. If anyone has information or the materials themselves, I'm willing to exchange spiritual medicines of equal value."
The crowd murmured.
"Five Elements Phantom Jade? Isn't that a legendary treasure?"
"I've never heard of the Five Elements Sky Star Stone, but I do know of the Ten Thousand-Year Heavenly Star Stone."
A scholarly-looking cultivator said, "I have information on the Five Elements Earth Fire, but I need an earth-attributed elixir that's at least eight hundred years old. Demon pills are not acceptable."
Qi Yuan's eyes brightened. He hadn't expected to gain such information so soon. With a flick of his wrist, a jade box flew toward the scholar.
The scholar opened it, revealing the required elixir. Satisfied, he transmitted the information to Qi Yuan through telepathy.
Qi Yuan silently absorbed the knowledge and sipped his tea.
Master Mu Long smiled and stood. "Now that we've all made our exchanges, this secret meeting is concluded."
A sharp voice interrupted. "Not yet. I still have an exchange to make."
The sinister man from earlier, Night Crow, smirked.
The scholarly cultivator stiffened, a hint of hostility flashing in his eyes, but he remained silent.
Qi Yuan was intrigued, curious to see what Night Crow had to offer.
Master Mu Long hesitated. "Daoist Ye Ya, who do you wish to trade with?"
Night Crow pointed straight at Qi Yuan.
The cave fell silent.
Master Mu Long frowned, quickly weighing the situation.
Qi Yuan remained composed. "Daoist Ye Ya, what do you seek?"
"A three-thousand-year-old earth-attributed spiritual medicine." Night Crow tossed a storage bag forward. "This contains the spirit stones to purchase it."
Qi Yuan caught the bag, glanced inside, and handed it back. "Did you grab the wrong storage bag, Daoist Ye Ya?"
A hush fell over the cave. Everyone knew Night Crow's reputation—he often bullied lone cultivators, forcing unfair trades.
All eyes turned to Master Mu Long. As the host, he had the authority to intervene. Would he?
"You dare refuse me, mere wandering cultivator?"
Night Crow spat out a black nail inscribed with red ghost patterns. It radiated a deathly aura and shot toward Qi Yuan with chilling speed.
The temperature in the cave plummeted, eerie whispers filling the air.
Dead Man's Nail.
The cultivators tensed, wary of the notorious magic weapon.
Qi Yuan remained calm. He hadn't intended to kill anyone, but respect in this world came only through strength.
He plucked the strings of his magic harp. A single note echoed through the cave, locking onto Night Crow's soul.
A blood-curdling scream shattered the silence.
The nail halted inches from Qi Yuan's forehead before clattering to the ground.
Night Crow collapsed as his soul was forcibly ejected from his body, his expression frozen in terror.
Qi Yuan plucked another note.
A crushing force engulfed Night Crow's soul.
"No… Daoist friend, spare me!"
With a final, anguished cry, his soul twisted violently before shattering into nothingness.
The cave was deathly silent.
Qi Yuan calmly retrieved the Dead Man's Nail and Night Crow's storage bag.
Master Mu Long swallowed hard, his earlier schemes dissolving in the face of Qi Yuan's overwhelming power.
Qi Yuan gave him a small bow. "Until we meet again."
With that, he turned into a streak of light and vanished.
Master Mu Long's face darkened. He had lost a valuable potential ally.
Qi Yuan, however, was unfazed. He had gained crucial information on the Five Elements Earth Fire and eliminated a troublemaker.
As he sifted through Night Crow's belongings, he found a detailed chart of the Inner Star Sea.
He smirked. Finally, he had a clear path forward.
(End Of Chapter)