Lin Xiuyuan slowly descended the escape light and arrived at the mountaintop, where he used his divine sense to activate the great formation.
A short while later, a boy emerged from within. He was about twelve or thirteen years old, with rosy lips and white teeth, and a face as handsome as jade. He possessed the cultivation level of the early stage of Qi Refining. He looked at Lin Xiuyuan with a hint of doubt. According to his master's roster, this young cultivator did not seem to be listed. Was he a friend of that guest?
However, he was still extremely polite and respectful, saying, "May I ask how you are addressed, senior? Are you here at the invitation of this banquet?"
The aura emanating from Lin Xiuyuan was clearly that of a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator. Although there was a hint of dejection, he was still incredibly powerful in his eyes, on par with his master!
"No, I was just passing by when I saw this gathering and came here uninvited."
Lin Xiuyuan smiled and saw that the boy looked troubled, as if he wanted to report something. He continued speaking calmly, with an unquestionable tone.
"I'm new to this place and don't know anyone here. I just have a few things to ask the fellow Daoists here. Please take me inside to meet the owner of this place!"
"Yes, senior, please follow me!"
Seeing this, the young Taoist dared not say anything more and could only make a formal request to invite him.
As Lin Xiuyuan stepped into the formation, the scene before him changed instantly.
From the outside, it looks like an ordinary mountaintop with scattered boulders and overgrown weeds.
Upon entering the concealment formation, one discovers several pavilions in front of them, exuding an ethereal aura. Several banquet tables are set up, with nearly twenty Qi Refining stage cultivators seated there, of whom nearly a third are Great Perfection stage cultivators.
Halfway through the banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses and exchanging toasts, the sudden appearance of an outsider, Lin Xiuyuan, inevitably drew the attention of many.
“Master, this person said he was just passing through this place and was unfamiliar with the area. He saw that we were holding a gathering here, so he came uninvited, saying that he wanted to learn about the surrounding area.”
The young Taoist walked quickly to the banquet in the pavilion directly in front of him. He whispered in the ear of a middle-aged man who looked extraordinary. This man had the cultivation of the peak of Qi Refining. Judging from his aura, he was the strongest among all the Qi Refining cultivators present!
"Hmm." Wu Pengyi waved his hand, stood up, looked at Lin Xiuyuan with a warm expression, cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar? Are you from another region?"
After a pause, Wu Pengyi extended his hand in a gesture of invitation and continued, "I am Wu Liedao from Bianshan. Because I have mastered a superb sword technique, most of my fellow Daoists call me by that name. It just so happens that we cultivators from Bianshan are having a gathering. Since you have come from afar, please take your seats if you don't mind, and we can have a long chat."
"Since you are surnamed Lin and come from afar, you are not very familiar with this place. You have passed through countless desolate areas and just happened to stumble upon this treasure land. How could you possibly complain? Then thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Wu."
Lin Xiuyuan didn't stand on ceremony. He cupped his hands in greeting and, following the other party's signal, led the boy to a nearby banquet table where he sat down.
This table is mostly filled with cultivators at the late stage of Qi Refining, about five or six people in total.
Upon seeing Lin Xiuyuan arrive, they all stood up, cupped their hands in greeting, and said:
"Senior Lin..."
"Greetings, Senior Lin."
"Fellow Daoists, you're too kind." Lin Xiuyuan cupped his hands in greeting and then sat down.
Since everyone here is a cultivator, with exceptional hearing and perception, even whispers can be heard.
After Lin Xiuyuan sat down, Wu Pengyi raised his cup and said, "Fellow Daoist, where do you come from? You don't seem to be a cultivator from the Great Yue Kingdom. You must have come from the Liang Kingdom of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance! Judging from your aura, you seem a bit listless. Did you encounter danger on your journey? I heard that things have been quite chaotic there recently, with a great battle in progress?"
"Yes, recently the righteous and demonic forces have started a war in the southern border and are gradually sweeping into the inland areas. Even the cultivation world in the Western Plains where I am located is somewhat unstable, for fear of being caught in the crossfire."
"After all, I am a talisman master, so I planned to cross the You Kingdom and travel through the Liang Kingdom to the Great Yue Kingdom to cultivate slowly. However, it seems that the Liang Kingdom has forces that are in cahoots with the Northwest Demonic Path. The major sects and families of the Liang Kingdom have joined forces to eliminate them. I unfortunately encountered the demonic cultivators on the way and was injured. I only recently arrived at the border of the Great Yue Kingdom. It is just a coincidence that I met you fellow Daoists at this gathering, so I came uninvited."
Lin Xiuyuan spoke in a mix of truth and deception.
However, as soon as Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, several gazes from all around turned strange.
Wu Pengyi was surprised by Lin Xiuyuan's honesty. After a slight pause, he raised his cup and said with a smile, "Then we are truly destined to meet. Fellow Daoist, you have come to this place, so there is no need to worry too much. Come, Fellow Daoist, please have a good taste. This is a feast that I specially paid a high price to invite a spiritual chef from Quanyang County."
At this moment, one or two of the Qi Refining Grand Perfection cultivators sitting there also spoke up in agreement:
“Our mountainous area is located on the border and is quite barren. Only someone as generous as Fellow Daoist Wu could probably hold such a banquet a few times.”
"Fellow Daoist Lin seems to possess remarkable abilities, traversing three kingdoms and arriving in Dayue at the Qi Refining stage. This truly amazes us."
These two different statements have different meanings, either flattery or a test.
Lin Xiuyuan chuckled inwardly and exchanged a few casual pleasantries.
And at this time.
A voice transmission quietly reached his ears.
“Fellow Daoist, although our Great Yue is located in the Southern Continent, and it is widely believed that this place is a sacred place for spiritual masters to cultivate, and is more peaceful and stable compared to other cultivation worlds, this is only on the surface. In reality, they are all the same, full of deceit and treachery.”
"Fellow Daoist, you are new here and not very clear about the situation. Perhaps your previous words have attracted the attention of some people. After the banquet, there is no need to leave so soon. This place is a place for Dao discussions among cultivators of my side mountain, and it is very safe. Although this side mountain is small, it is very suitable for your cultivation. A Great Perfection cultivator like you is already among the strong here and will surely thrive."
"At the end of the banquet, I have something to announce that will benefit my cultivation in Bianshan. Fellow Daoist, you may wish to hear it later."
The words that came into my ears were none other than Wu Pengyi's voice.
Lin Xiuyuan was somewhat surprised, not expecting the other party to offer a reminder.
Lin Xiuyuan felt it was unlikely that it was purely out of goodwill. Having come from a place like the Southern Frontier, Lin Xiuyuan knew very well that any goodwill was mixed with self-interest, and most of the time, ninety percent of those goodwill was driven by ulterior motives.
Was this Fellow Daoist Wu trying to win him over, or did he have ulterior motives?
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