Mortal: Starting by looting Han Laomo's entire herb garden

The steward thought for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Senior has asked the right question. The outer seas have indeed been quite turbulent lately. The Suanni tribe has been making quite a commotion. I heard that the Suanni King left his lair for some reason, and things have been very chaotic outside lately."

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat. The Suanni Clan? Could it be that the Suanni Clan's young master's incident has come to light? However, it's possible that because the Suanni Clan's young master's soul lamp hasn't been extinguished, the Suanni Clan hasn't gone mad yet, so they haven't started attacking the human stronghold.

Never mind, it has nothing to do with him anyway.

The steward led Lu Yan through several streets and alleys to a three-story pavilion built of black stone.

A plaque reading "Hongguang Courtyard" hung at the entrance. Two Qi Refining stage disciples stood guard outside the door. When they saw the manager leading people over, they quickly bowed and paid their respects.

"Please wait a moment, senior. I will go and inform Elder Jinxia." The steward jogged into the building.

Shortly after, footsteps came from upstairs. An elderly man with white hair walked down the stairs. He had a thin face, bright eyes, and the logo of the Hongguang Gate was embroidered on the corner of his clothes.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Red Light Sect followed behind him, their expressions respectful.

Upon seeing Lu Yan, Elder Jinxia quickly stepped forward, cupped her hands, and said with a smile, "This fellow Daoist looks unfamiliar. I am Jinxia, ​​and I am the Supreme Elder of the Red Light Sect. May I ask your esteemed name and where you come from?"

Lu Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Lu Yan, a rogue cultivator, has long admired Fellow Daoist Jinxia's name and has come to pay him a visit today."

"A rogue cultivator?" Elder Jinxia's eyes flashed with surprise, then she smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Lu has already stepped into the Nascent Soul realm at such a young age, truly a dragon among men. Come, come, please come upstairs. I just got a pot of fine tea, perfect for sharing with you."

The two went up to the living room on the third floor and took their seats as host and guest.

Elder Jinxia personally brewed tea, pushed a cup in front of Lu Yan, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lu, please try this. It is a spiritual tea from the outer sea. Although it cannot compare with the famous teas of the inner sea, it is still refreshing and delicious."

Lu Yan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and nodded, saying, "It's indeed very good."

Elder Jinxia also picked up her teacup, took a sip, put down the cup, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Lu has come from afar. May I ask what brings you here? If there is anything we can do to help the Red Light Sect, please feel free to ask."

Lu Yan put down his teacup and got straight to the point: "I'd like to inquire about someone from Fellow Daoist Jinxia, ​​the Golden Flower Ancestor. I heard he was recently spotted in the outer seas. Does Fellow Daoist know his whereabouts?"

Elder Jinxia raised an eyebrow slightly, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Ancestor Jinhua? What business does Fellow Daoist Lu have with him?"

"I have an old matter with him to settle," Lu Yan said calmly.

Elder Jinxia glanced at him, seemingly weighing the truth of his words. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Ancestor Jinhua did indeed appear near Bilin Reef a few days ago. However, I am not entirely sure of the exact location."

"Azure Scale Reef?" Lu Yan asked.

"About 30,000 miles southeast of Qiyuan Island lies a rocky sea area."

Elder Jinxia said, "The terrain there is complex, with numerous hidden reefs and many demonic beasts. Fellow Daoist Lu, if you wish to go, you must be very careful."

Lu Yan nodded, then casually asked, "Does Fellow Daoist Jinxia know what Ancestor Jin Hua is doing in the Outer Sea?"

Elder Jinxia shook her head: "I don't know. That old man has always been elusive, and I don't have much of a relationship with him. However..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "The outer seas have been quite turbulent lately. The Suanni and Jiao clans are making a lot of noise, seemingly searching for something. The Golden Flower Ancestor's appearance in the outer seas at this time might be related to them."

Lu Yan's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained impassive: "The Jiaolong Clan? The Golden Jiaolong King has personally mobilized?"

"I'm not sure about that," Elder Jinxia said. "But the demon race is patrolling the outer seas much more frequently than before, and they're even searching places they don't usually go. The disciples of the Red Light Sect have been attacked multiple times."

Lu Yan drank a few more sips of tea, chatted with Elder Jinxia for a while about the situation in the outer sea, and then got up to take his leave.

Just as Lu Yan was about to leave, a streak of light descended from the horizon and stopped in front of the Red Light Courtyard.

The light dissipated, revealing a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe. He had a thin face, three long wisps of beard, and held a whisk, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.

The early Nascent Soul stage cultivator made no attempt to conceal his spiritual pressure, and his body was faintly glowing with spiritual light, clearly indicating that he had just flown a considerable distance.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Elder Jinxia smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Sifa, what brings you here?"

Master Sifa cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Jinxia, ​​I have come here to ask for your help. I have discovered traces of a level seven demonic beast in the outer sea and would like to ask you to help me hunt it down."

Elder Jinxia raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise on her face: "A level seven demonic beast? Fellow Daoist Sifa, you can't handle it by yourself?"

Master Sifa gave a wry smile and shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Jinxia is unaware of the situation. The outer seas have been quite turbulent lately, with the demon race making frequent moves. It is rumored that a powerful demon in human form has appeared near Bilin Reef."

Although I am confident that I can defeat that level seven demon beast, if I were to encounter a being at the transformed level, I fear I would be in grave danger on my own.

If this demon core weren't crucial for my breakthrough, I wouldn't want to take this risk at this time.

Upon hearing this, Elder Jinxia pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I see. The area around Bilin Reef has indeed been quite turbulent lately. Disciples of the Red Light Sect have sensed powerful demonic energy in that area on several occasions. It's right that you're being careful."

He glanced at Lu Yan and smiled, "However, I can introduce you to a fellow Daoist, this is Fellow Daoist Lu Yan, a rogue cultivator with Nascent Soul cultivation. If you two were to cooperate, it would be a good choice."

Master Sifa looked at Lu Yan, sized him up, and cupped his hands, saying, "So it's Fellow Daoist Lu. My apologies for my rudeness. I am Sifa, and I am the Supreme Elder of the Sifa Sect."

Lu Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Fellow Daoist Sifa, you are too kind."

Elder Jinxia chuckled from the side, "Fellow Daoist Sifa, Fellow Daoist Lu is heading towards Bilin Reef, which is on the same route as yours. The two of you can travel together and look out for each other along the way."

Master Sifa's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "That's quite a coincidence. Fellow Daoist Lu, would you be interested in going with me? The place where that level seven demon beast is located is indeed not far from Azure Scale Reef. After the deed is done, the demon core will belong to me, and all the other materials will belong to Fellow Daoist Lu, how about that?"

Lu Yan glanced at him and smiled, "Then I, Lu, will accept your offer without hesitation."

Elder Jinxia chuckled from the side, "You two are quite straightforward."

Lu Yan nodded: "Then I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Sifa to lead the way."

Master Sifa was overjoyed and laughed, "Fellow Daoist Lu is so straightforward! Let's not delay any longer, shall we set off now?"

Lu Yan glanced at Elder Jinxia, ​​cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for the introduction, Fellow Daoist Jinxia."

Elder Jinxia waved her hand: "Fellow Daoist Lu, you're too kind. Please be careful on your journey. Things aren't peaceful at Bilin Reef, so don't cause any unnecessary trouble."

Two streaks of light rose from the front of the Red Light Courtyard and sped off in the southeast direction.

Master Sifa was in front, and Lu Yan was behind. The two of them, one in front and one behind, quickly disappeared into the vast sea.