Mortal: I have a gathering technique

In the eastern part of the Taiyue Mountains, in front of a beautiful peak with clear waters and lush mountains.

Chen Qiaotian gestured with his eyes, enthusiastically introducing Fang Qing to the person beside him:

"Senior Brother Fang, this mountain is called Muguang Peak, which is my master's place of practice."

Fang Qing nodded slightly and looked him over.

The peak was lush and verdant, with a spacious area at its top where a large number of pavilions and halls were situated, gleaming in the sunlight.

In terms of scenery alone, Muguang Peak is unremarkable. However, because it is the highest peak within a radius of over a hundred miles, it gives people a sense of standing out from the crowd.

"Senior Brother Fang, please."

The two landed on the summit, and Chen Qiaotian immediately gestured towards a large hall in the middle.

Fang Qing nodded. Although he didn't understand Hui Ming's purpose, he still had to give face to a Core Formation Elder, so he accepted the invitation.

At that moment, he and Chen Qiaotian walked side by side into the central hall.

The entire hall is built of bluestone, and it is square. Stepping into the hall, the first feeling is that it is spacious and bright.

Apart from a row of tables and chairs at the head of the hall and on each side, there were no other furnishings inside.

Just then, the middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table in the hall saw Fang Qing enter and immediately stood up to greet him:

"Hey, Junior Brother Fang, you've finally arrived."

This man was dressed in a silver robe, with deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and a fair complexion without a beard. Although Fang Qing was seeing him for the first time, he knew that he was Huiming because he had seen portraits of the various Core Formation elders in the sect from Li Huayuan.

"He called me 'junior brother' the moment we met; his intention to be friendly is quite obvious!"

Fang Qing's mind raced. He cupped his hands in a respectful greeting and said solemnly:

"I dare not accept the title of junior brother; elders, please just call me by my name."

As he spoke, he glanced at the guest chair on his right.

There sat an elderly man in a green robe, with graying hair and beard, and a deep wrinkle on each cheek. Judging from his appearance, he was clearly Chen Shouzhou, the patriarch of the Chen family.

Behind the old man stood a petite woman with beautiful features; she was none other than Chen Qiaoqian, whom Fang Qing had seen from afar.

When Fang Qing glanced over, his eyes met Chen Qiaoqian's. The latter, unaware of what was happening, blushed instantly.

"Wow, what's this all about?"

Fang Qing secretly gasped, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

On the other side, Huiming laughed loudly and enthusiastically:

"Junior brother is too modest. With your talent, forming a core is a piece of cake for you. It's only a matter of time before you become the junior brother."

As he spoke, seemingly noticing Fang Qing's gaze, he immediately pulled Fang Qing toward Chen Shouzhou:

"Come, let me introduce you, junior brother. This is Qiaotian's ancestor, junior brother Chen Shouzhou."

Fang Qing bowed and said, "Greetings, Elder Chen."

Chen Shouzhou had already risen to greet him. Hearing Fang Qing still address him as "Elder," a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes, and he laughed loudly:

"I've long admired your reputation, Junior Brother. Meeting you today, I can confirm your exceptional talent!"

Fang Qing's eyes flashed, and he shook his head, saying:

"Elder Chen, you flatter me."

After speaking, he turned to Huiming and asked, neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"I wonder what important matter Elder Huiming wishes to discuss with me?"

Huiming smiled slightly and brought up another matter:

"Junior brother, have you ever heard of the Yan family's 'Treasure Hunt'?"

A treasure hunt?

Fang Qing's eyes flashed, and he slowly nodded. He had naturally heard about this matter.

The Yan family that Huiming mentioned is the same Yan family where Yan Ruyan was born, the number one immortal cultivation family in the Yue Kingdom.

The so-called treasure hunt was a social event organized by the Yan family to make friends with Core Formation cultivators in the surrounding cultivation world.

Those invited were all disciples of Core Formation cultivators.

In the original story, almost all the Core Formation cultivators in Huangfeng Valley received invitations.

At that moment, Huiming explained:

"This treasure hunt is extraordinary; the Yan family has offered the 'Qiankun Tower' talisman as a prize."

"Although this is a talisman, its power should not be underestimated. It is of great use even to us Core Formation cultivators."

"Originally, I planned to send my eldest disciple, but he had something come up and couldn't be in two places at once. The other disciples' cultivation levels are too low, so sending them would be a waste of the opportunity..."

At this point, Huiming looked at Fang Qing:

"After much deliberation, I finally thought of you, Junior Brother. In terms of cultivation, you are already at the late Foundation Establishment stage. In terms of skill, your Yang Body is most adept at combat. If you are willing to participate, this Qiankun Tower talisman will surely be within our grasp!"

As soon as Huiming finished speaking, Chen Shouzhou immediately followed up:

"Indeed, with Junior Brother Fang's cultivation and abilities, that Qiankun Tower talisman treasure will surely be yours."

Fang Qing's heart stirred slightly, but he was not swayed by their flattery. He replied humbly:

"You flatter me, Elders. Since the Qiankun Tower talisman is so precious, I imagine the participating cultivators are all elites from their respective sects. Fang Qing has only just broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage; I dare not claim victory." (The last sentence appears to be an unrelated advertisement and has been omitted from the translation.)

"Junior brother is too modest. With the power of your supreme yang body, even though you have just broken through, you are far superior to other late-stage cultivators."

"The only thing to worry about is the treasure's trump card."

"However, since Senior Brother Huiming and I have allowed Junior Brother to participate, we naturally have to consider his well-being. We believe that with this item in hand, Junior Brother will be able to ensure his safety."

As he spoke, he stretched out his palm, and a yellow talisman appeared out of thin air.

The yellow talisman is about the size of a palm, as smooth and warm as jade, with a thin, long needle imprinted on it, appearing and disappearing.

Fang Qing glanced at it subconsciously, and his eyes suddenly narrowed. He had seen this object before; it was the "Invisible Needle" talisman treasure of the Old Monster Qiong of the Hidden Moon Sect.

In the blood forbidden trial bet back then, Old Monster Qiong lost three items to Li Huayuan. If there are no surprises, the one in front of us should come from Li Huayuan.

In terms of power, this item is no less powerful than the Qiankun Tower Talisman!

Unsolicited kindness is either a sign of ulterior motives or theft!

Fang Qing's heart tightened, and she looked up at Chen Shouzhou.

The latter, perhaps sensing Fang Qing's thoughts, chuckled and said:

"Junior brother, there's no need to be nervous. I didn't take this out without conditions."

At this point, he turned to look behind him:

"Qiaoqian, come here."

Upon hearing her ancestor's summons, Chen Qiaoqian walked shyly to Fang Qing and gave a soft, gentle curtsy.

"Qiaoqian greets Senior Brother Fang."

Fang Qing returned the greeting with a cupped hand, only to realize that after several years, the girl had actually entered the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

At this moment, Chen Shouzhou said:

"Among my younger generation disciples, Qiaoqian has the best aptitude. I wanted her to go and experience the treasure hunt, but the cultivation world has been quite unstable lately. For her safety, I would like to ask you to look after her on the way."

"As for this invisible needle talisman, it is the reward for this trip!"

"..."

This script looks so familiar!

Fang Qing's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Chen Shouzhou, then at Huiming, speechless.

Could this forced pairing be any more blatant?

After a moment of hesitation, he did not respond, but instead inquired about the invasion by the demonic forces.

"Are you two elders aware of the demonic invasion?"

Huiming let out a soft exclamation, and said in surprise, "I thought Junior Brother was focused on his cultivation, but I didn't expect that he had also heard about this matter."

Ok?

Fang Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself, "My master hasn't revealed the secret that I'm the one who discovered it."

He had no complaints about Linghu Laoguai's actions, knowing that it was to protect himself.

Although Huiming didn't understand why Fang Qing suddenly asked about the demonic invasion, he still told her everything he knew:

"A little over a month ago, the six major sects of the demonic path launched a full-scale attack, brazenly invading the Kingdom of Cheqi and the Kingdom of Jiang."

"That evil scoundrel thought his actions were secretive, but little did he know that our several nations had already discovered them."

"Because the two kingdoms of Cheqi were well-prepared, in the battle, the six sects not only failed to gain any advantage, but also suffered heavy losses of disciples..."

"Currently, with the assistance of the Great Yue, Yuanwu, and Zijin kingdoms, the cultivation communities of the two kingdoms of Cheqi are safe for the time being..."

Huiming quickly recounted the situation at the front, then looked at Fang Qing and smiled:

"Junior brother, do you think it's inappropriate to hold a treasure-hunting tournament at this time, with the demonic invasion imminent?"

Fang Qing shook his head:

"Elder, you misunderstand. I just feel a bit unsafe..."

Huiming frowned:

"How so?"

Fang Qing pondered for a moment and said:

"The invasion plan that the demonic forces have been plotting for many years has been exposed by our countries. They must hate us to the bone."

"The Yan family's treasure-hunting event is famous far and wide, and those invited are all elite disciples from various families."

"With so many elite disciples gathered together, who knows if the six sects of the demonic path won't send people to infiltrate and wipe them all out?"

hiss!

Upon hearing this, Huiming and Chen Shouzhou both gasped in shock.

They hadn't even thought about this yet.

As for whether it's possible, given the tradition of not using dough in the Demonic Path, it's almost certainly possible!

Thinking of this, Huiming and his companion exchanged a glance, a hint of lingering fear flashing across their faces.

Huiming looked at Fang Qing with a relieved expression and said:

"Junior Brother's thinking is more comprehensive; I almost harmed him..."

Fang Qing quickly raised his hand to stop him: "Elder, there's no need to blame yourself. To be honest, you were also doing this for my benefit."

Upon hearing this, Huiming sighed softly, "Junior Brother has a magnanimous heart; I admire him greatly."

At this point, he hesitated for a moment, then said urgently:

"This matter is of great importance. I need to go out for a while. Junior brother, please return to your cave and go into seclusion. I will find an opportunity to express my gratitude after this matter is resolved."

Fang Qing understood Hui Ming's intention and immediately took his leave.