Qinghe Immortal Clan.

"Fellow Daoist Song, have you looked closely? This person is a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent. Have you never heard of him before?"

Seeing that Song Qingming answered very readily, a middle-aged man next to the thin-faced old man asked another question, seemingly still somewhat unconvinced.

"To be honest with you two, there are many Nascent Soul cultivators in Donghuang Immortal Continent, and it has only been a few hundred years since I, Song, advanced to the Nascent Soul realm."

Although I have made many friends, not everyone has the opportunity to meet me; indeed, I have never seen this person before.

I'm truly sorry if I haven't been of any help to you two.

As soon as Song Qingming finished speaking, Lu Yuan immediately nodded in agreement:
"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Song is right. Although Donghuang Immortal Continent cannot compare to our Zhongyuan Continent, it probably has at least one or two thousand Nascent Soul cultivators."

This person was originally just a rogue Nascent Soul cultivator, so it's not surprising that you haven't seen him before.

Seeing that Lu Yuan seemed to be speaking up for Song Qingming, the thin-faced old man remained silent for a moment before putting away the portrait in his hand without saying anything more.

He then stroked his white beard and looked at Song Qingming not far away again.

"Since Fellow Daoist Song does not recognize this person, then I have another question I would like to ask you."

"Half a month ago, Fellow Daoist participated in an exchange meeting here and exchanged a Grade 4 superior Taiyi Flame Fire Talisman with Fellow Daoist Li of Kunyuan Mountain. May I ask if this talisman is still with Fellow Daoist Song?"

"Taiyi Flame Talisman, why do you suddenly ask about this, fellow Daoist?"

"Could it be that this talisman has some connection with you?"

Upon hearing the thin-faced old man ask about the talisman he had obtained at the "exchange meeting," Song Qingming's expression changed slightly, and he asked the old man a question in return.

Seeing that Song Qingming seemed unwilling to answer his question directly, the thin-faced old man's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Fellow Daoist Song, half a month ago, my Yuqian was ambushed and killed on the way after leaving this place to participate in an exchange meeting. I'm sure you've heard about this."

After some investigation, we discovered that the robber had used several high-level talismans, including the Taiyi Flame Talisman I just mentioned.

This matter concerns the life of a Nascent Soul elder of my Qi family. I urge you, fellow Daoist, to tell me the truth and not to intentionally conceal anything.

"What do you mean by that? Do you suspect that I was tempted by money and killed Fellow Daoist Qi?"

Fellow Daoists, if you have evidence that I, Song, made this, then just say so. Why bother asking about talismans in such a roundabout way?

I had long heard that Xuantian City treated us cultivators from other places equally, which is why I chose to stay here for a long time.

In the past few years, I have lived an upright and proper life in the city and have not broken any of your clan's rules.

I was merely invited to attend your exchange meeting, and now you're accusing me of being related to your death without any reason? This is simply outrageous!

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist Lu, does your Xuantian City have absolutely no sense of reason?"

Seeing that Song Qingming's usual kind face had suddenly changed, and he was now confronting the thin-faced old man, they realized that Song Qingming was no longer the kind person he used to be.

Standing to the side, Lu Yuan quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying:

"Fellow Daoist Song has misunderstood. When Fellow Daoist Qi went missing, we had already verified that Fellow Daoist had not left Xuantian City."

I can attest to this; I have absolutely no intention of doubting Fellow Daoist Song.

"However, Fellow Daoist Qi's death is indeed related to the Taiyi Flame Talisman, which is why I've come to inquire whether you have used this talisman for trade or given it to anyone during this time."

“Fellow Daoist Song, the place where Yu Qian fell is near Xuan Tian City, and apart from you, no one else here has a Taiyi Flame Talisman.”

If you still have the talisman on you, please take it out and let us examine it.

If it is truly a misunderstanding, I, Qi Guangchun, am willing to apologize to you on behalf of the Qi family, and will also compensate you with a mid-grade fourth-level spirit talisman.”

After the thin-faced old man finished speaking, he looked at Song Qingming, who was not far away, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Lu Yuan, standing quietly to the side, remained silent.

The next moment, as a crimson talisman slowly appeared in their hands, the expressions of the three people in the room changed slightly.

"This is the Taiyi Flame Talisman!"

"Hehe, there's no mistake. I verified this item at the exchange meeting that day. It is indeed the Taiyi Flame Talisman that Fellow Daoist Li took out."

I've said it before: Fellow Daoist Song has only been in Xuantian City for a short time, so this must be a misunderstanding, but you two just won't believe me.

Now that the talisman is safely in Fellow Daoist Song's hands, you should have nothing to say now!

Upon seeing the "Taiyi Flame Talisman" held by Song Qingming, Lu Yuan's attitude immediately changed 180 degrees. He turned around and questioned the two members of the Qi family with some displeasure.

The old man named Qi Guangchun also softened his expression and quickly put on a smile.

"It turns out that it was all a misunderstanding."

Previously, Yu Qian suddenly and inexplicably passed away, and I have been exhausted in recent days. I did indeed speak carelessly just now, and I hope Fellow Daoist Song will not take offense.

I am willing to apologize.

The "Taiyi Flame Fire Talisman" is a high-grade fourth-level talisman. Even a high-level talisman maker would not be able to easily create it without several months of work.

Previously, Qi Guangchun had conducted an investigation and only learned that Song Qingming happened to be from Donghuang Immortal Continent and possessed the "Taiyi Flame Fire Talisman," which led him to have some suspicions about him.

There is no substantial evidence.

Faced with the "Taiyi Flame Talisman" in Song Qingming's hand, which seemed like irrefutable evidence, he realized that he had misunderstood the other party and quickly apologized.

Although the Qi family is the royal family of the "Golden Cloud Kingdom" and one of the top ten cultivation families in the Central Yuan Immortal Continent.

The clan not only has many Nascent Soul cultivators, but also maintains good relations with many major Nascent Soul sects in the surrounding area.

In the cultivation world of Zhongyuan Immortal Continent, its strength is second only to the six major Nascent Soul sects, making it a top-tier Nascent Soul force.

There's no need to be overly afraid of Song Qingming, an outsider Nascent Soul cultivator.

Having cultivated for many years, he naturally knew how to weigh the pros and cons, and would never deliberately offend a great cultivator just for the sake of saving face.

Moreover, the presence of Lu Yuan, a Nascent Soul elder of the Tai Zhen Sect, in the main hall also made them wary.

It's one thing to be at odds with Song Qingming, but if they really anger the "Tai Zhen Sect" because of this, then it's not something the Qi family can easily bear.

Therefore, after confirming that Song Qingming was not involved in the matter, Qi Guangchun immediately apologized.

Not only that, he also took out a decent-quality mid-grade level four spirit talisman from his person and handed it to Song Qingming.

This can be considered as fulfilling his previous promise to apologize.

Faced with the mid-grade fourth-level spirit talisman that Qi Guangchun offered, Song Qingming did not hesitate to accept it.

Not only did he take the talisman directly into his hand, but he also smiled politely at Qi Guangchun and thanked him, as if he had gotten a great deal.

Song Qingming's seemingly unintentional action caused another Qi family elder who had come with Qi Guangchun to show a hint of displeasure.

However, given that their own elder had offended the other party first, they couldn't say much.

Soon, the two members of the Qi family bowed and took their leave.

".."

After leaving "Tianyun Tower", the Qi family elders were still somewhat indignant.

Even after the two left "Xuantian City", they couldn't help but secretly whisper to Qi Guangchun.

"Elder, this man surnamed Song clearly had the Taiyi Flame Talisman on him, but he deliberately didn't say so, causing us to lose a high-level spirit talisman for nothing."

It's unbelievable that a great cultivator would be greedy for such a small gain.

I really don't know how he cultivated to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

"Elder, do you think we should continue to have someone keep an eye on him?"

"Alright, Song Qingming comes from Donghuang Immortal Continent, and he's not from any major sect. It's not surprising that he likes to take advantage of others."

I've seen plenty of people like that.

Since Yuqian's matter has nothing to do with him, and that person has not asked him for help, we shouldn't waste any more time on him.

To avoid being discovered and having difficulty explaining to the Taizhen Sect.

In that battle, Yu Qian used the Thunder Flame Pearl I gave him. He was also seriously injured and could not have escaped far; he must still be in the vicinity.

Quickly notify the third brother and the others to return to the family immediately, and also send the bounty notice to all the nearby sects.

Whether they are alive or dead, anyone who can find news of that person can come to the Golden Cloud Kingdom to receive a reward.

"I must take his head to offer as a sacrifice to Yuqian."

Having said that, a fierce glint flashed in Qi Guangchun's eyes, and he suddenly unleashed the powerful aura of a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator.

".."

Inside the "Tianyun Tower".

After the Qi family left, Lu Yuan insisted on keeping Song Qingming, who had taken the initiative to leave.

Although Song Qingming tried his best to say that he didn't care, Lu Yuan still specially arranged a lavish banquet as an apology for what had just happened.

During the banquet, Song Qingming took the initiative to ask about the Qi family and Qi Yuqian, and heard a lot of useful information from Lu Yuan.

It turns out that Qi Yuqian, who participated in the exchange meeting at "Tianyun Tower" that day, was the eldest son of Qi Guangchun, the first elder of the Qi family.

Because he had a son late in life, and because Qi Yuqian possessed an exceptional talent for alchemy, Qi Guangchun doted on his youngest son.

Not only did they support him all the way to the Nascent Soul realm, but they also cultivated Qi Yuqian into a fourth-grade high-level alchemist.

If Qi Yuqian can advance to the late Nascent Soul stage in the future, he will definitely succeed as the head of the Qi family.

No wonder, even at the risk of offending the Tai Zhen Sect, Qi Guangchun still took the initiative to go to Xuan Tian City to confront Song Qingming.

After all, Qi Yuqian was the future heir cultivated by the family, and his death was not as simple as that of an ordinary Nascent Soul elder.

Because of his birth into the powerful Qi family, a prestigious immortal clan, and the favor shown to him by Elder Qi Guangchun, Qi Yuqian developed an arrogant and domineering personality from a young age, offending many cultivators around him.

However, due to the Qi family's power and influence, most people dared not speak out against it.

Because his natural talent for cultivation was not particularly outstanding, Qi Yuqian consumed too many elixirs in his early years to enhance his cultivation.

His cultivation speed was not fast; he only managed to successfully form a nascent soul at the age of five hundred.

After breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm, Qi Yuqian tried to take a crooked path in order to increase his cultivation speed.

It is said that this person cultivated a secret technique that was explicitly forbidden in the cultivation world, secretly training female cultivators as his cauldrons for absorbing their essence and improving his own cultivation.

It was through this unorthodox secret method that Qi Yuqian managed to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Although many cultivators near Xuantian City had heard about these things, Lu Yuan's face clearly showed some disdain when he talked about Qi Yuqian.

However, because of Qi Guangchun, the eldest elder of the Qi family who had already reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, no one dared to discuss the matter openly. On that day, Lu Yuan also invited Qi Yuqian to attend the "exchange meeting" out of respect for Qi Guangchun.

"When I saw that Qi Yuqian's cultivation was somewhat weak, I thought it was because he had taken too many pills. I never expected that he was secretly practicing the evil path of 'replenishing the body'."

I knew it. Why did he suddenly set his sights on my sister and even ask Fellow Daoist Xiao about us?

Looking back now, I'm afraid this kid must have had ill intentions.

But unexpectedly, he had committed too many evil deeds and was eliminated first.

"Fellow Daoist Song, to be honest, after the exchange meeting that day, I originally wanted to find an opportunity to remind a few fellow Daoists."

Before I could even speak, I suddenly heard the news of Qi Yuqian's death.

When they came to my door, I was worried that this matter might be related to you, fellow Daoist, but fortunately it was just a misunderstanding.

"Hmph! If Qi Yuqian really dares to make a move on Qingyu, even if he has two lives, I will grind him to dust."

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Song Qingming's eyes, making Lu Yuan, who was standing to the side, shiver.

"Hehe! Fellow Daoist Song, please rest assured, our Xuantian City is not a place where the Qi family can run wild."

"Knowing that you fellow Daoists are in the city, and that you will not violate the rules of Xuantian City, our sect will certainly protect your safety."

"Then thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Lu."

After raising his hand to toast Song Qingming, Lu Yuan changed the subject and chatted with him about some martial arts techniques. The two of them left Tianyun Tower together after they had eaten and drunk their fill.

".."

Half a day later, in a mortal town tens of thousands of miles away from "Xuantian City".

Several children, around five or six years old, were playing and frolicking in front of several piles of straw that had already been stacked.

"Hey Dog Bro, look what's that?"

As one of the little boys suddenly shouted, everyone turned to look behind them.

Only then did they notice a faint white light flashing rapidly in the haystack not far away.

The children thought they had discovered something interesting, so they mustered their courage and slowly gathered around the haystack.

Just as they were about to pry open the haystack, a bloodstained human hand suddenly emerged from inside.

"A ghost! Oh my god, there's a ghost!"

This sudden scene terrified the children, who cried and ran back to their homes.

Only after the children had run away did a somewhat trembling figure emerge from the haystack, clutching a white talisman that was emitting a spiritual light in its blood-stained hand.

As the man was about to cast a spell to open the talisman that was constantly flashing in his hand, he suddenly stopped.

His expression changed slightly, and he immediately put the talisman back into his waistband, then turned into a ray of light and disappeared from the spot.

Shortly after the man left, two more streaks of light flew in from the distance and landed above the town.

Within the shimmering light, a man and a woman were releasing their divine senses to carefully scan every corner of the town.

They quickly sensed a trace of lingering cultivator's aura from the haystack below and landed directly there.

"Fellow Daoist Qi, how is it? Can you confirm that it was him who left these traces?"

"The scent and aroma are about 70-80% similar, so it's probably true. He's not only been here before, but he hasn't been gone for long either."

Although this person is injured, the two of us alone might not be able to stop him.

I'll first send a message to the Grand Elder, asking him to send more people over.

"Yes! Fellow Daoist's move is certainly prudent."

After the two exchanged a few words, a talisman quickly flew into the air.

The next moment, the two continued their pursuit ahead.

".."

Inside the cave of "Xuantian City".

Looking at the communication talisman in his hand that was still unresponsive, Song Qingming, with a hint of anxiety on his face, could only withdraw his magic power for the time being.

This talisman was the very one Li Xianyun had given him.

The reason Song Qingming was in such a hurry to contact the other party was because he had only recently learned about it.

The cultivator who killed Qi Yuqian was none other than Li Xianyun, who had recently entrusted his affairs to him.

Unexpectedly, the reason the other party risked entering "Xuantian City" that day was not only to see him, but also because they had their eyes on Qi Yuqian.

Although Li Xianyun successfully killed his opponent, he also used a fourth-grade high-quality "Taiyi Flame Fire Talisman" that Song Qingming had given him.

This led the Qi family to suspect Song Qingming and confront him.

What Qi Guangchun and the others didn't expect was that Song Qingming actually had more than one "Taiyi Flame Talisman" on him; he also had one that he had obtained when he attended a trade fair in Donghuang Kingdom.

Including the other two high-level spirit talismans that Song Qingming gave to Li Xianyun that day, they were all made by himself and could be taken out at any time.

Knowing that Li Xianyun was going to seek revenge, Song Qingming's move was a clever substitution, and also a way of keeping his own interests in check.

Unexpectedly, it came in handy at a crucial moment.

Not only did it help him easily clear his name of any suspicion related to Li Xianyun, but he also received a mid-grade level four spirit talisman as compensation from Qi Guangchun.

If the two members of the Qi family knew the truth, they would probably be so angry that they would vomit blood on the spot.

After returning from Tianyun Tower, Song Qingming wanted to contact Li Xianyun to confirm his whereabouts and safety.

However, despite his repeated attempts to cast the spell, he received no response, and a sense of worry began to rise in Song Qingming's heart.

Li Xianyun killed Qi Yuqian, even using the "Taiyi Flame Talisman," so it must not have been an easy victory.

The Qi family has already sent people to search for his whereabouts. If he falls into their hands, Li Xianyun will surely die.

If he were captured alive, he might be implicated.

Whether for his friend's sake or for his own safety, Song Qingming hoped that Li Xianyun could escape safely and contact him as soon as possible.

".."

Song Qingming waited in the cave for more than a month, but still received no news of Li Xianyun.

However, his image was seen again on the wanted poster issued by the Qi family.

In order to capture Li Xianyun, the Qi family offered a reward of one million spirit stones to search for information about him.

This caused quite a stir in the entire "Xuantian City".

As the saying goes, there must be a brave man under a heavy reward.

Many Nascent Soul cultivators and even Golden Core cultivators in the city were very interested in this and formed teams to help the Qi family find Li Xianyun's whereabouts.

And so, the excitement lasted for more than half a year, with many cultivators going to search for it.

However, no one brought back any useful information to claim the bounty offered by the Qi family.

The matter gradually faded away, but the bounty posters in the market were still hanging there high.

The Qi family cultivators continued their all-out search, sending people to gather information from time to time, never giving up on finding Li Xianyun's whereabouts.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Song Qingming and his two companions have been living in "Xuantian City" for eight years now.

Once you become familiar with this enormous market, acquiring various high-level spiritual items becomes very convenient.

In recent years, Song Qingming, Li Xuanyi, and the others have not only gained a lot of knowledge, but their cultivation and "immortal cultivation skills" have also improved.

Standing in the cave, Song Qingming looked at the magic array that had been set up in front of him, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

With the help of Xiao Ziliang, Lu Yuan, and others, Song Qingming collected a set of array materials.

He then spent several years studying the array formation manuals he had on hand and successfully created this "Six Yang Star Array".

This "Six Yang Star Array" was set up by Song Qingming based on the simplification of ancient arrays in the array manuals left by the original master of the ancient immortal mansion.

Although this formation is far less powerful than the "Heavenly Yin Star Formation," it is still at the fourth-grade high level, making it a powerful high-level formation.

The fact that Song Qingming was able to successfully refine this "Six Yang Star Array" means that his array formation skills have stabilized at the fourth-grade upper level, making him a fourth-grade upper-grade array master.

Seeing the magic array in his hand, Song Qingming's face showed a satisfied smile.

All the hard work over the past few years has finally paid off.

After putting away the array in his hand, Song Qingming walked out of the secluded stone chamber. Soon, a figure came to greet him; it was his avatar.

"During my seclusion, has anyone come looking for me?"

"Besides Xiao Ziliang, who comes here often, someone else recently sent a letter."

After saying this, his avatar took out a letter and handed it to Song Qingming.

After glancing at the letter, Song Qingming nodded slightly and soon arrived at the cave where Li Xuanyi was in seclusion.

Seeing that the other party was not in the cave, Song Qingming went to the weapon refining room not far away and soon saw Li Xuanyi busy at work.

"Husband, when did you emerge from seclusion?"

Li Xuanyi also collected a lot of high-level weapon-refining materials in the market. In the past few years, apart from cultivation, she has spent most of her time in the weapon-refining room.

Over the years, her "weapon-refining skills" have also improved considerably.

Not only did he refine many level three or higher magic weapons, but he also recently successfully refined a level four low-grade magic weapon of good quality, earning a lot of spirit stones in the process.

Even Xiao Ziliang, who is also a master of weapon crafting, has made a point of exchanging ideas and seeking advice from Li Xuanyi every time he visits Song Qingming in recent years.

"I just came out of quarantine. I have some things to do and need to go out for a while. I estimate I won't be back for a month or two."

During this time, no matter what happens, remember not to leave the market area easily.

"Don't worry, my husband. I will give Qingyu some instructions once she comes out of seclusion."

After exchanging a few words with Li Xuanyi, Song Qingming nodded slightly and quickly turned and left the cave. (End of Chapter)