Qinghe Immortal Clan.

When Lu Yue invited him, Song Qingming initially thought it was just an invitation to catch up.

But when he saw He Yuliang, the leader of the "Demon-Slaying Palace," also appearing here, he already had a feeling that today's meeting was probably not as simple as he had initially thought.

As Song Qingming had predicted, Lü Yue and He Yuliang had indeed invited him specifically because they wanted something from him.

Seeing that the other party had already stated his purpose directly, Song Qingming pondered for a moment and slowly replied:

"Fellow Daoist Lü and I are old friends. Please speak frankly. If I can help, I will do my best."

However, if it is beyond my capabilities, I hope you two fellow Daoists can understand.

Although his cultivation level has now reached the late Nascent Soul stage, Song Qingming still dared not be too arrogant in the face of these two experts from the Demon-Slaying Palace, whose cultivation levels were both above his own.

Hearing Song Qingming's words, which seemed somewhat cautious, He Yuliang, who was sitting to the side, immediately spoke up:

"Fellow Daoist Song, rest assured. The favor I need from you is not a difficult matter; it is related to the upcoming Sword Trial Tournament."

Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but a few years ago, Senior Chen found an ancient immortal abode in the Falling Star Sea that had not yet been explored. However, it was blocked by the great formation outside and he has not been able to realize his wish until now.

Senior Chen has already conveyed a message to our sect regarding this conference, instructing us to select some Nascent Soul cultivators from various sects to assist us in breaking the formation at Falling Star Sea.

If you can perform well in this Sword Trial Tournament, you will have a great chance of being selected by Senior Chen.

This ancient immortal abode is a hidden paradise, left behind by a powerful cultivator from ancient times. If we are fortunate enough to follow Senior Chen into it, it may be a great opportunity for us to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime.

"At that time, we hope that Fellow Daoist Song can join our sect and act alongside us, so that we can look out for each other."

The so-called ancient immortal abode generally refers to cave dwellings left behind by ancient ascended cultivators, such as the "Ziyang Heavenly Palace".

When the human realm was first created, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was several times more abundant than it is now, and there were quite a few who could cultivate to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm and break through to ascend to immortality.

Before ascending to the upper realm, these ancient powerful cultivators would also leave behind some inherited spiritual objects in their lower realm caves in order to gain the favor of the Heavenly Dao and repay the Heavenly Dao's karma in this realm.

Although most of these ancient immortal abodes have been explored by later generations of cultivators, even for Nascent Soul cultivators, finding a well-preserved immortal abode is extremely rare.

"An ancient immortal abode in the Falling Star Sea. I never expected that Senior Chen would have such an opportunity to find an unexplored immortal abode."

Senior Chen is the number one expert in our Eastern Phoenix Kingdom. May I ask what kind of grand formation is in that immortal mansion that even he couldn't break and had to rely on our strength?

In the entire Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, the only person whom He Yuliang would address as Senior Chen is Chen Qingxuan, the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Imperial Sect, a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

Upon hearing that it was this senior who wanted to send Nascent Soul cultivators to the ancient immortal mansion of "Falling Star Sea" to help break the formation, Song Qingming was surprised and couldn't help but ask a question.

But in response to the doubt in Song Qingming's words, He Yuliang, the head of the "Demon-Slaying Palace," simply smiled and shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist Song, please forgive us. Only Senior Chen has been to this ancient immortal abode. We don't know much about it. We don't know what kind of great formation is inside."

However, Senior Chen has already made plans to break the formation, and we only need to follow orders. There's no need to worry about Fellow Daoist Song.

Senior Chen has not yet made this matter public. Regardless of whether you are willing to cooperate with our sect, please do not mention it to others, lest Senior Chen find out and blame us.

"Rest assured, fellow Daoists, I am not one to gossip. This matter concerns Senior Chen, how could I dare to go out and speak nonsense to others?"

However, the Sword Debate Tournament has not yet begun, and I, Song, have only recently advanced to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. I am not so sure whether I can be noticed by Senior Chen.

"How about we wait until the conference concludes before I give you two a reply?"

Even without the other party's reminder, knowing that this ancient immortal abode was related to Chen Qingxuan, the Nascent Soul Ancestor, Song Qingming naturally dared not go out and spread the news.

If this causes any trouble and angers the number one expert of "Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent", it would be disastrous.

I'm afraid Chen Qingxuan wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators under the "Tianyu Sect" alone would be more than enough to flatten the entire cultivation world of the Floating Cloud Mountain Range.

Otherwise, He Yuliang and Lü Yue would not have been so confident as to inform Song Qingming about this matter in advance.

Seeing that Song Qingming seemed to want to consider it further, He Yuliang and Lü Yue exchanged a glance and then spoke up:

"Junior Brother Lü had already mentioned to me that Fellow Daoist Song's supernatural abilities are quite remarkable. I think that as long as Fellow Daoist participates in the Sword Trial Tournament, there is still a good chance that Senior Chen will take notice of him."

However, there's no need to rush this matter. Today, we two were merely having a casual chat with you, Fellow Daoist. We can decide after the conference concludes, Fellow Daoist Song."

After He Yuliang finished speaking, he picked up the spiritual tea beside him, took a sip, and then turned his gaze back to where Song Qingming was.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Song, you made an agreement with our sect back then that you would bring a junior to borrow the Heart Refining Tower."

So many years have passed, and I have yet to see you come to settle this matter. I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist Song, have already thought this through now that you have come to our sect for this grand assembly?

"Thank you for the reminder, Sect Leader He. I have already thought about this matter and have brought a junior member of my family with me. They are currently in the market."

After the war to destroy the demon in the "Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World", Song Qingming obtained an opportunity to enter the "Heart Refining Tower" from the Demon-Slaying Palace, but he had not been able to find a suitable candidate.

Among the many Golden Core cultivators in the Song family, the Grand Elder Song Yuanfang is a Pseudo-Golden Core cultivator and has long lost the opportunity to advance further.

Song Siqing, Song Linrui, Song Linyu, Song Yu'an, Song Yushan, and others formed their cores relatively late, and their cultivation levels have not yet reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, so they are still far from forming their Nascent Soul realm.

Only Song Yuanhao's cultivation speed is acceptable. In recent years, his cultivation has successfully broken through to the ninth level of the Golden Core realm, and he can prepare for the formation of the Nascent Soul at any time.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to participate in the "Eastern Phoenix Sword Tournament", Song Qingming brought him to the Demon-Slaying Palace, planning to let him enter the "Heart Refining Tower" Heavenly Fire Illusion to train his mind after the "Trade Conference" ended.

Song Yuanhao was originally a cultivator with a unique spiritual root. His talent was among the best of all the cultivators in the Song family. At the age of three hundred, he had already successfully cultivated to the ninth level of the Golden Core realm.

As long as a cultivator can survive the "Heavenly Fire Illusion" and emerge from it, their chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future will increase by 10% to 20%.

With Song Yuanhao's talent, and with the support of Song Qingming, Song Qingyu and others in the future, he still has a great chance of successfully condensing his Nascent Soul.

Hearing that Song Qingming had indeed thought this through, He Yuliang smiled slightly and took out a bamboo slip from his person, placing it in front of Song Qingming.

"Fellow Daoist Song, before I formed my Nascent Soul, I also entered the Refining Heart Tower of our sect for training. This is a reflection on my training experience written based on my own experience back then."

If you have already decided on the person to enter the Refining Heart Tower, you can give this note to your junior.

"If you are still worried, fellow Daoist, after I finish the trade fair, I can offer him some pointers. I think that should be somewhat helpful in his entry into the tower."

"Oh! Then I'll thank Master He on his behalf."

Looking at the notes about the "Heart Refining Tower" that He Yuliang took out, Song Qingming remained silent for a moment before smiling and accepting them.

The three chatted for a while longer in the cave before Song Qingming took his leave and returned to his residence in the market.

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw two figures looking in his direction. It was Song Qingyu chatting with Li Xuanyi.

Upon seeing Song Qingming enter, Song Qingyu quickly stood up and said:

"Seventh Brother, you're back. I'll head back now!"

"I just got back, why are you in such a hurry to go back? Did you say something bad about me?"

Seeing Song Qingyu looking anxious about to leave, Song Qingming asked her with a smile, only to see her shake her head repeatedly with a serious expression.

"It's so late already. Wouldn't it be disturbing your cultivation if I stayed here? Senior Sister Li, don't you think so?"

Before the two could reply, Song Qingyu smiled and quickly left, making sure to close the door tightly behind her before she left.

"This girl really has a sharp tongue!"

Shaking his head with a hint of helplessness, Song Qingming then waved his hand to set up a soundproof barrier at the door, before turning to look at Li Xuanyi beside him.

"Husband!"

".."

The next morning, before Song Qingyu and the others could come to him, a spirited Song Qingming left the market alone and went to the Xuankong Temple, which was not far from the foot of the mountain.

There are still nearly two months until the start of the "Trade Conference".

Rather than staying in the market and waiting to be dragged around by Bai Yuxian and the others, Song Qingming preferred to talk to his old friend, "Master Bukong," about Buddhism.

Decades later, Xuankong Temple remains exactly the same as it was back then, except that there are noticeably more young monks at the entrance.

Upon receiving a report, Song Qingming was led by a young novice monk to the foot of a Buddhist pagoda on the mountaintop, where he met the monk Bukong, whom he had not seen for a long time.

“Benefactor Song, it has been many years since I last saw you. You have actually cultivated to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. It seems that this humble monk was not wrong back then. You have achieved such a feat at such a young age. Your path to enlightenment is truly boundless.”

"You are too kind, Master. I have only been fortunate in my cultivation. How could I dare to accept such praise from Master Bukong?"

After decades apart, not only has Song Qingming's cultivation level changed, but the "Monk Bukong" in front of them has also made further progress and has reached the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

Compared to Taoist cultivation methods, Buddhism is not particularly flourishing in this world. For "Monk Bukong" to have cultivated to such a level, he can definitely be considered a genius of his generation.

The two had been close friends for many years, so naturally they had to discuss the Dharma and philosophy when they met again.

Although Song Qingming practiced Taoist techniques, he also gained some understanding of Buddhist techniques and Zen secrets after meeting "Monk Bukong".

He had once improved his physical body by refining the "Golden Relic," so it could be considered a kind of fate.

"You've come here to attend the trade fair, have you found it, Benefactor Huang?"

Faced with Master Bukong's question, Song Qingming smiled bitterly and shook his head. "My wife left all these years ago, and I haven't heard from her since. I don't know where she is now."

In addition to visiting the master, Mr. Song also came to participate in the Demon-Slaying Palace Trade Fair.

Now that my cultivation has reached the late Nascent Soul stage, searching for spiritual items useful for my cultivation is extremely difficult; I can only try my luck here.

"Whether we cultivators can advance further depends on our own opportunities. Fellow Daoist Song, follow your heart and fate will take its course!"

After answering Song Qingming's question, "Monk Bukong" slightly raised his hand and suddenly took out a porcelain cup from his body and placed it in front of the other party.

Seeing the porcelain bowl in front of him, Song Qingming felt a strange sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. He could only ask, somewhat puzzled:
"Master, what is this?"

"Fellow Daoist Song, this was obtained by a disciple of the temple from an ordinary family when he was begging for alms at the foot of the mountain not long ago."

To be honest, after Ms. Huang left, I found several similar cups at her residence. If I'm not mistaken, this cup might also have been made by her.

I noticed there was a seal on it, and I was thinking of having someone send it to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range for you, but I didn't expect you to come so soon.

As the saying goes, "Fate brings opportunities," and this is the opportunity for you, benefactor!

"seal!"

Upon hearing Master Bukong's revelation, Song Qingming quickly turned the cup in his hand around and discovered that there were indeed a few somewhat blurry large characters on the bottom.

After Huang Siyuan left, Song Qingming, Song Qingyu, Li Xuanyi, and others searched the courtyard several times and did see several similar cups.

If this cup was also made by Huang Siyuan, then this seal was most likely left by her as well. Could it be that the senior who took her away from here back then was related to these words?

Looking at the porcelain cup in his hand, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

I only ended up here because I was distracted today; I've really come to the right place.

".."

Time flies, and two months have passed quickly.

As the time drew near, the "Trade Fair" that had shaken the entire Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent in the Demon-Slaying Mountain Market finally began.

Just like the "Tianyu Sect" back then, the "Dangmo Palace" held its trade fair not in the market town at the foot of the mountain, but in a huge palace complex at the top of the mountain.

The surrounding sea of ​​clouds was swirling and shrouded in an array, with numerous palaces standing tall within, resembling celestial pavilions in the sky.

Once Song Qingming and his group reached the mountaintop, it was as if they had entered a heavenly palace, surrounded by endless white clouds.

Apart from a few taller palaces specifically for monks to rest, the lower palaces were already occupied by various merchants.

This time, the number of people attending the trade fair held by the "Demon-Slaying Palace" was no less than that of two hundred years ago; in fact, it seemed to be even more, with at least ten thousand people.

Those who can ascend to this palace must have at least the Golden Core realm. The only place that can gather so many high-level cultivators at once is the "Eastern Phoenix Sword Gathering" held only once every few hundred years in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.

The process of the conference was basically the same as it was two hundred years ago. For the first three days, cultivators could freely purchase spiritual items in various shops, and the following days were the time when the main hall would hold a fixed "auction".

The most interesting event, the "Sword Trial Tournament," is open to all Nascent Soul cultivators and consists of five days of competition, with the first day being the registration period.

After finding their assigned accommodations, Bai Yuxian and Song Qingyu immediately led their disciples to the palace below to search for the spiritual items they needed.

The "Trade Fair" has just begun, and the shops are still well-stocked with spiritual items. As long as they are not rare or high-level spiritual items, you can find them almost anywhere.

If you wait a couple of days, and most of the items have already been sold, you might not have the same luck to look for them again.

In order to attend this "Trade Conference", Bai Yuxian and the others emptied the sect's treasury and brought with them almost all the spirit stones and spiritual items they could.

Now that we're here, we can't miss this opportunity.

Compared to Bai Yuxian and Song Qingyu, who were busy purchasing spiritual items, Song Qingming, who also brought a lot of spirit stones, was not in such a hurry.

Now that his cultivation has reached the late Nascent Soul stage, it's almost impossible for him to find any useful pills or spiritual items among these merchants.

At most, they can only purchase some materials or exchange their excess spiritual items for some spirit stones.

First, Song Qingming went to register for the martial arts and sword-testing tournament, and then he took Li Xuanyi for a leisurely stroll along the palace complex.

It has to be said that when it comes to shopping for spiritual items, no matter how much a female cultivator tries, she finds it hard to resist.

Song Qingming remembered that when he was with Li Xuanyi before, he didn't even notice how much she liked this aspect.

Having spent so many days accompanying Bai Yuxian, Song Qingyu, and others through the market, Li Xuanyi had clearly gained a lot of insights by the time they arrived at the mountaintop trade fair.

Every now and then, they would stop and ask about any novel spiritual objects they saw. In just over half an hour, the two of them had already spent a lot of spirit stones, which made Song Qingming sigh.

After walking along the palace complex for a long time, Song Qingming suddenly saw a somewhat familiar sign and stopped in his tracks.

"Qingxin Pavilion, it really is here!"

Having confirmed that this should be a shop under the "Four Seas Business Alliance", Song Qingming immediately led Li Xuanyi into the shop without hesitation.

As soon as they entered the store, seeing the extraordinary aura emanating from Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi, two Foundation Establishment female cultivators immediately came forward with smiles to greet them.

"Esteemed seniors, may I ask..."

"Oh! So you are a distinguished guest of our alliance. Please, senior, follow me to the private room upstairs for a short rest. I will send someone to fetch the elders immediately."

Just as they were about to ask, a blue light flashed before their eyes, revealing a token engraved with dragon patterns.

Upon seeing this item, the Foundation Establishment female cultivator was immediately surprised. She quickly and respectfully invited Song Qingming and Li Xuanyi to the second floor, which was reserved for VIPs.

Not long after the two sat down to enjoy tea, a figure in purple suddenly appeared.

Upon seeing the somewhat familiar figure before him, Song Qingming smiled slightly and quickly stood up, cupping his hands in a respectful greeting.

"I was just strolling around when I was surprised to be personally received by Fellow Daoist Long. I am truly honored!"

"Hehe! Greetings, fellow Daoists. It's been many years since we last met. I never expected that Fellow Daoist Song's cultivation has advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage. Congratulations!"

Compared to you, Fellow Daoist, Zi Yun is truly ashamed!

As early as the celebration, the news of Song Qingming's advancement to the late Nascent Soul stage had already alarmed the entire Floating Cloud Mountain Range, and naturally it could not be kept from Long Ziyun, the person in charge of the "Four Seas Merchant Alliance" in the Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent.

Even after seeing it with her own eyes, Long Ziyun couldn't help but feel a little envious.

“Fellow Daoist Long and I are old friends, why belittle yourself like this? I see that your cultivation has reached perfection, and you will soon advance to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. At that time, I, Song, will be the one to congratulate you.”

"Then I will accept your kind words, fellow Daoist."

Long Ziyun achieved Nascent Soul formation around the same time as Li Xuanyi, and her cultivation has now reached the peak of the third level of Nascent Soul, not far from breaking through to the middle stage of Nascent Soul.

Although her cultivation speed is not as fast as Song Qingming and Xia Mo's, it is by no means slow. If nothing unexpected happens, she will be able to reach the peak of the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage in about two hundred years.

As for whether he can advance to the late Nascent Soul stage, Song Qingming had no idea.

After greeting the two, Long Ziyun asked, "Fellow Daoist Song, is there anything you need to purchase for this trade fair?"

This time, our Qingxin Pavilion has specially transported a lot of spiritual items from Leiyuan Sea. If you need anything, please feel free to purchase it here.

Please rest assured, our prices will never be higher than those of other shops.

“We naturally believe what Fellow Daoist Long says, otherwise we wouldn’t have come here specifically for that purpose.”

Here is a list of materials I need to purchase. If your store carries them, please pack them for me. Also, here are a few items Xuanyi wants; we can settle the payment in spirit stones later.

He handed the prepared slip of paper to Long Ziyun, who glanced at it briefly and then quickly summoned several shopkeepers to prepare the spiritual items.

After taking a sip of the spiritual tea, Song Qingming continued speaking to Long Ziyun in front of him: "Besides purchasing these spiritual items, there are a few other things I would like to ask you about."

"Fellow Daoist Song is an honored guest of our alliance. Please feel free to speak frankly if you need anything. Do not stand on ceremony with me. As long as Zi Yun knows something, she will not hide it from you."

"Fellow Daoist Long, I am here to attend this trade fair in the hope of finding a high-grade level four magic weapon with ice attributes. Do you know if such a weapon is available at this auction?"

"A high-grade level four ice-attribute magic weapon. This is an extremely rare spiritual object in the cultivation world. I remember that Fellow Daoist Song doesn't seem to specialize in ice-attribute cultivation techniques, right?"

"Fellow Daoist, are you specifically inquiring about this item for someone else?"

In the cultivation world, ice-attribute magic treasures are generally only refined by cultivators with ice-attribute spiritual roots who cultivate the same type of technique, making them a very rare type of magic treasure.

Needless to say, an ice-attribute magic weapon that can reach the fourth-grade superior quality is even better.

I'm afraid that, looking across the entire cultivation world of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom," apart from those top-tier sects, there are very few people who could produce such a figure.

Long Ziyun had fought with Song Qingming before and knew the approximate attributes of his main cultivation technique.

Upon hearing that he suddenly needed to find a high-grade level four ice-attribute magic weapon, Long Ziyun was slightly taken aback, and then asked a question out of curiosity.

(PS: I caught a cold recently due to the changing weather, so I'm not feeling well and haven't been able to update regularly. I apologize for that.) (End of Chapter)