Yuan Ming's vision cleared as the clouds dispersed, leaving a vast expanse in sight.

The sky, a pure and clear azure, looked like the clearest sapphire, its beauty heartbreakingly stunning. In the distant horizon, a red sun slowly rose, bathing the world in a brilliant light.

Such a sunrise in the east was a scene Yuan Ming had witnessed countless times elsewhere, yet it was an exceptionally spectacular sight from above Fusang Island, taking even his breath away for a moment.

Yuan Ming quickly calmed his mind and looked straight ahead.

Above the Fire Clouds, the Fusang Divine Tree fully revealed its true face, with lush green leaves and sprawling branches forming an immense canopy that shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

Within the immense green tree sat a bird's nest, hundreds of feet in size, constructed from red spirit wood piled up one on top of the other, emitting intense Fire Attribute fluctuations. Even the surrounding temperature rose significantly, causing visible ripples in the air.

"Could this red spirit wood be the legendary Phoenix Perch Wood?" Yuan Ming's eyes lit up.

Phoenix Perch Wood was also one of the legendary spirit woods, said to be stained with the flames where a phoenix rests, no less extraordinary than Fusang Wood. Where could this Golden Crow demon beast have obtained it?

The red nest within was empty; the Golden Crow demon beast was clearly not there at the moment. Yuan Ming felt quite disappointed, not knowing where it had gone.

Just as he was about to withdraw his Divine Sense and leave the Stealing Heaven Tripod Space, his expression suddenly changed, and he paused.

Another Nascent Soul cultivator had arrived at Fusang City, and this one was at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

This individual paid no heed to the island's prohibition and directly entered Fusang City using an Escape Technique.

"Water Escape Technique? But this casting is truly exquisite. Not only can he use Water Escape in a place without water, but he can also cover more than ten miles at once. Impressive!" Yuan Ming watched the person's casting process with admiration.

This new Nascent Soul cultivator appeared to be in his forties, with a pale, beardless face and a gloomy aura. He was wrapped in an extremely heavy killing aura, which flickered coldly as his eyes opened and closed.

"He must be a Demon Hunting Cultivator," Yuan Ming guessed, with a vision and insight that weren't comparable to his past. A killing aura as dense as this was a sure sign of heavy slaughter.

The man entered Fusang Island and headed straight for the market in the Wuzu District, seemingly intending to purchase something.

Yuan Ming didn't inquire further, withdrawing his Divine Sense and leaving the Stealing Heaven Tripod Space.

After half a day's Breathing Control, he too left his residence and headed towards the Wuzu District workshop.

As the Immortal Fruit Conference approached, more and more cultivators flooded into Fusang City. The market was also bustling with Loose Cultivators setting up stalls, their wares varied, with no guarantee of their exact value from these small setups. Snatching good deals depended entirely on the cultivator's own judgement.

Yuan Ming strolled through the stalls, casting casual glances, and indeed found some spiritual objects of not bad quality. Unfortunately, they weren't what he needed, and even if he bought them, they would be of little use to him.

However, suddenly, as he passed by one of the stalls, his wandering gaze abruptly fixed in place.

The stall owner was a dark-skinned old man with only Foundation Establishment Cultivation, and in front of him were mostly common Spiritual Medicines, not many kinds, but plenty in number.

"How much for these Red Core flowers?" Yuan Ming reined in his aura and stepped forward to ask.

"Thirty Spirit Stones for five stems," the old man replied, extending a hand as black as ink and gesturing the number five.

After hearing the price, Yuan Ming surveyed the Spiritual Medicine on the stall and then nodded, "All right, I'll take them all."

The old man's face lit up with joy as he quickly fetched a wooden box to pack up the red core flowers on the stall and handed it to Yuan Ming.

Red Core Flowers were a type of Middle-level Spirit Grass, useful for refining Healing Pills during the Foundation Establishment period. However, because they grew so quickly, the price was quite low.

Yuan Ming quickly counted the number and then handed over the Spirit Stones before turning and walking away, leaving the old man alone, excited about closing a big deal.

When Yuan Ming reached a secluded corner, he quickly took out the wooden box containing the Red Core Flowers and carefully picked out a tender red blossom.

The bud of the Xiao Hua was bashfully closed, with a simple and elegant color, and even upon smelling it, there wasn't much of an aroma, seeming every bit the Red Core Flower. Yet, when Yuan Ming carefully peeled back the petals, a citrus-like sweet fragrance spread from the red powder clusters in the flower's stamen.

With the aroma of the flower invigorating his spirit, Yuan Ming became even more certain that what he had bought was not Red Core Flowers, but Red Beautiful Flowers.

The appearance of the Red Beautiful Flower was almost identical to the Red Core Flower, except the fragrance was even more subtle, and the vein patterns on the stems and leaves had slight differences. If one were not familiar with them, it would be very hard to distinguish the two.

Compared with the Red Core Flower, the Red Beautiful Flower not only ranks higher in quality, but its essence is also condensed within the powder clump in the flower's pistil, containing a more potent medicinal power than the common Spirit Grass.

But the most crucial point was that the Red Beautiful Flower was the main ingredient required for refining Common Poppy Spirit Incense. Yuan Ming had intended to search diligently for it after the Immortal Fruit Conference; unexpectedly, he managed to purchase quite a few here.

Yuan Ming stowed away the Red Beautiful Flowers, feeling even more pleased and refreshed in his heart. He turned to continue browsing the market but with a tad more seriousness than before.

However, just steps away from the alley, his expression suddenly shifted, and he looked up towards the front left, his gaze landing on a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who was haggling with a stall owner.

"Two hundred Spirit Stones is just too expensive. Although this piece of spiritual material is rich in spirituality, it's far too small to serve as the main material for refining Magic Artifacts. Using it as a supplementary material would be excessive and not worth it," the Foundation Establishment Cultivator complained while pointing at a fragment the size of a baby's palm on the stall.

His appearance was plain and would blend into a crowd so well that if one looked away for a moment, it would be impossible to spot him again. And with his Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, there was nothing about him that would catch Yuan Ming's attention.

However, Yuan Ming sensed a faintly familiar aura emanating from him—seemingly similar to a spell he knew.

While Yuan Ming observed him, the man seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, locking eyes with Yuan Ming.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any advice for me?" the man asked with a hint of caution in his eyes.

Yuan Ming did not respond but scrutinized the man's face. With the aid of his powerful Divine Sense, he easily saw through the man's disguise.

Upon seeing that familiar face, Yuan Ming chuckled with a mix of nostalgia and teasing, "No important matter, I just thought you look somewhat like an old friend of mine who used to wear a tiger's skin."

At these words, a flicker of surprise crossed the man's eyes. He stared intently at Yuan Ming, as if he had come to some realization, with a trace of joy emerging in his expression.

To avoid trouble, Yuan Ming also used a Blood Bone Mask to alter his appearance while out and about. But judging by the man's reaction, it seemed that he had recognized Yuan Ming through his words.

"I feel an instant connection with Fellow Daoist. There seems to be a tea house nearby; why don't we move there and continue our conversation?" Yuan Ming invited with a smile.

The man burst into laughter, tossed down two hundred Spirit Stones, picked up the broken piece, and headed to the teahouse with Yuan Ming.

Soon, the two sat down in an elegant booth in the teahouse, shedding their disguises to reveal their true faces.

"Heh, Brother Wu Lu, it's been a long time indeed. I didn't expect that you've also advanced to Core Formation. Congratulations," Yuan Ming said with a smile.

Indeed, the man he had encountered was none other than Wu Lu in disguise. The barely noticeable aura of the spell was the effect of the Hidden Element Technique.

Now that Wu Lu had ceased using the spell, his Core Formation aura was unmistakable.

"Hehe, congratulations to us both. It's all thanks to Brother Yuan saving me in the mine back then that I could undergo such a transformation. Even though I've reached Core Formation, I've merely caught up a little with Brother Yuan's pace," Wu Lu laughed as he poured a cup of tea for both himself and Yuan Ming.

They lifted their cups, substituting tea for wine, and toasted each other.

"When I left those years ago, I said we'd meet again in the martial arts world. I didn't expect to encounter you here in the East Sea today. With Brother Yuan's strength, you must have come for the Immortal Fruit Conference as well. Do you already have an identity to participate? If you haven't found a suitable island yet, I've got some connections," Wu Lu offered.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Brother Wu Lu. However, I've already formed an alliance with Red Ganoderma Island and plan to participate in the conference under their banner," Yuan Ming declined Wu Lu's offer.

"Red Ganoderma Island? Yes, Island Master Bishui does have some capabilities and prefers not to conflict with others. The most crucial point is, I've heard there are many beauties on the island. Brother Yuan is quite lucky," Wu Lu said with a teasing smile, indicating he was familiar with Red Ganoderma Island.

"You misunderstand me, Brother Wu Lu. I am hardly a man greedily after beauty; it's just that I happened upon this doorway. Let's not talk about this. It sounds like you're here for the Immortal Fruit Conference too. Which side are you representing in the competition?" Yuan Ming inquired.

"It's the same as Brother Yuan; just a Second-level Island named Blood Bird's Nest Island. If we cross paths there, I'll have to ask Brother Yuan to show mercy," Wu Lu responded with a bitter laugh, continuously bowing his hands in respect.

"Brother Wu Lu, are you after the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit? That fruit is greatly important to me; I'm afraid I cannot yield it to you," Yuan Ming frowned slightly, expressing some discomfort.

"Hehe, don't worry about it. I am here mainly to witness the grandeur of the Immortal Fruit Conference. Although the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit is precious, it's not indispensable for me. Brother Yuan need not have any reservations," Wu Lu waved his hand dismissively.

Yuan Ming sighed lightly and poured another cup of tea, toasting Wu Lu, "I've put you at a disadvantage."

After draining his cup, Yuan Ming suddenly recalled a matter and asked, "Brother Wu Lu, back then you mentioned being coerced by your clan. Are you still troubled by this? Would you need my assistance?"

"There's no need for that. Since escaping from the Guiyuan Sect's mine, that Elder Niu tried to find me several times but ultimately I managed to evade him. When I wanted to plot his demise after reaching Core Formation, he mysteriously disappeared. Perhaps some major event occurred within the clan. I'm not aware of the details. So many years have passed, and now that I'm at Core Formation and in the East Sea, it's not possible for the clan to send a Nascent Soul after me. Thus, that matter has also come to pass," Wu Lu said.

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