Mortal: My name is Ma Liang, and I also possess a magic brush.

Just as Ma Liang was about to refuse, he suddenly remembered that forming the core required Heavenly Fire Liquid and Snow Spirit Water, which these two people happened to have. He wondered if he could find a way to get them from them.

"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer. I happen to have some matters I would like to discuss with you two seniors."

Elder Miao smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly, "Excellent, excellent! Please, young friend! Let's drink and chat!"

After saying that, he turned to a deacon behind him and instructed, "You shall preside over the remaining closing matters of the ceremony."

The steward bowed and replied, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Elder Miao then withdrew his gaze, raised his hand and waved it, and the protective barrier covering the arena dissipated like ripples on water.

He turned to the side and gestured "please," saying, "Young friend, please."

Ma Liang moved swiftly and landed beside the two elders. "Please go first, seniors."

Elder Miao smiled broadly and stepped aside to lead the way, saying, "Young friend, you're too kind."

After saying that, he left through the side door of the VIP area with Ma Liang and Elder Gu.

As soon as the three left, the arena erupted in chaos.

"Who on earth is this master? Tianyuan Zhenren? I've lived in this area for decades and have never heard of this name before!"

Just as everyone was arguing heatedly, the deacon who had just received the order strode out, cleared his throat, and called out, "Silence!"

The noise immediately subsided by more than half.

The steward surveyed the crowd and announced loudly, "The Demon-Suppressing Ceremony has successfully concluded! Rewards for all participating cultivators will be distributed shortly. If you have no further business, you may leave in an orderly fashion!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

The people in the room gradually packed up their things and left in twos and threes, but the topic of conversation never strayed from the mysterious "Tianyuan Zhenren".

Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who were in the same group as Ma Liang and won without even having a chance to make a move were all beaming with joy, holding the spirit stones they had just received as if they had gotten a huge bargain.

Yuan Yao was staring blankly in the direction Ma Liang had left when Yan Li nudged her arm and whispered, "Yuan Yao, what do you think of this senior?"

"What does his condition have to do with us?"

"That's not necessarily true!"

"Think about it, someone who can command level five demonic beasts and has a Nascent Soul cultivator as a backer! If you can get close to someone like that, will you ever have to worry about resources for your future cultivation? Forget about Foundation Establishment pills, you might even be able to snag a tiny bit of the opportunity to form your Core!"

"You're just dreaming." Yuan Yao rolled her eyes at him. "Didn't you realize that day? They didn't even consider us a threat."

She paused, glanced at Yan Li's hand clutching the admission ticket, and said, "What do we have to offer to climb the social ladder? Don't even dream about it."

As he spoke, he turned to leave, but after taking two steps, he turned back, pointed at the empty arena, and sighed.

"And tell me, we spent those spirit stones to come in, and we didn't even get to see a decent match before it all ended like that. Isn't that a waste!"

Yanli caught up with Yuan Yao in a few steps, grabbed her arm, and said with a playful smile, "Hey, don't be angry! What's wrong with us? We're both top-notch in terms of looks here!"

He scratched his head, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "I know! Are we dressed too plainly? Look at all those female cultivators in the arena just now, they were all dressed so brightly, showing off their arms and legs! Why don't we go back and buy a couple of outfits? Guaranteed to turn heads!"

Yuan Yao forcefully shook off her hand: "If you want to switch, you switch! I can't afford to lose face like this!"

She walked quickly off the field, her steps rapid.

Yanli chased after her, panting, and called out, "Hey! Don't go! It won't hurt to try! What if it really works!"

As soon as the ceremony ended, Liu Su leaped up from below the stage and landed on the viewing platform.

Wen Siyue immediately ran over and called out, "Mother!"

A gentle smile spread across Liu Su's face as she bent down and scooped her daughter up in her arms, ruffling her hair and softly saying, "Good girl, Yue'er."

At this moment, Wen Qiang also came over, and nodded to Liu Su.

Liu Su, holding her daughter, looked at him and said, "Come on, let's go home. There's something I need to tell you."

Wen Qiang responded, and the three of them left the arena with the dispersing crowd.

……

Ma Liang followed Elders Gu and Miao to a quiet courtyard.

Elder Miao had already sent someone to prepare a banquet. As soon as the three of them stepped into the courtyard, they saw three tables set up on the stone platform in the courtyard, with fruits and spirit wines all laid out on them.

Elder Gu and Elder Miao each took their seats at a table on one side, and then gestured for Ma Liang to sit at the table opposite them.

This casual seating arrangement, without any distinction between host and guest or between superiors and inferiors, clearly shows to anyone with discerning eyes that Elder Miao intends to treat Ma Liang as an equal, and is full of goodwill.

Ma Liang sat down without ceremony and picked up the wine cup that the maid had just filled.

He had already meticulously noted down the details of the fine wine in his cup with his divine pen, showing no fear of any trickery. "You two are the hosts, and I, a junior, presume to offer you a toast first!"

With that, he flicked his wrist and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, his movements swift and decisive.

Miao and Gu immediately raised their wine cups.

Elder Miao laughed heartily, "Young friend, you are indeed straightforward! I like this kind of temperament!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, and the wine even brought a ripple of spiritual energy as it entered his throat.

Elder Gu set down his wine cup, tapped lightly on the table, and changed the subject, asking, "I just heard you mention that your master is True Person Tianyuan. To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that I've been wandering around the Chaotic Star Sea for many years and have never heard of this senior. May I ask where True Person Tianyuan's immortal abode is?"

When Ma Liang heard the other party ask about his master's whereabouts, he thought to himself, "It's bound to happen," but he showed no sign of panic on his face.

"My master is a free spirit who loves to travel the world. He has never had a fixed abode, and I don't even know which sea he has traveled to now."

He patted the storage bag at his waist, "However, my master and I have a way to communicate, so if there is any emergency, we can still send a message."

"Do you two seniors have something important to discuss with my master? If so, I will send a message to him immediately."

He reached into his storage bag and took out an item—an ancient, dark jade token, its surface lustrous and radiant with spiritual light. The token was carved with a miniature pagoda, its ancient patterns seemingly containing the mysteries of heaven and earth.

Gu and Miao immediately scanned it with their divine senses and felt a subtle fluctuation coming from the token, which was definitely not something an ordinary cultivator could possess.

Elder Gu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly waved his hand, laughing, "No, no, no, young friend, you've misunderstood!"

Fearing that Ma Liang might actually send a message, he said, "I have only heard of the great power of Master Tianyuan and asked out of curiosity. I had no intention of disturbing your cultivation, young friend. Please put the token away!"

Elder Miao chimed in, "Indeed, indeed. It was just a casual question, young friend, don't take it seriously. Let's drink, let's drink!"

Ma Liang replied, "I see." Then he put away the token.

At this moment, Elder Miao put down his wine cup. "By the way, my young friend just said he had something important to discuss with us. May I ask what it is?"

Ma Liang put down his wine cup. "It's like this. I was only focused on seclusion and cultivation before, and I accumulated a lot of unused magic weapons and pills. I was planning to find an opportunity to sell them to the Six-Linked Palace in exchange for some spirit stones."

"However, I would like to ask you two seniors if you have any Heavenly Fire Liquid or Snow Spirit Water? If so, I am willing to exchange them for those magical artifacts and pills, or make up the difference in spirit stones. I hope you will grant my request."