Yuan Ming and the bearded man followed Cui Wuran to a nearby tavern. They went straight to the second floor and entered a spacious private room.

The floor was covered with a crimson carpet, and the walls were adorned with intricate carvings of flowers and birds, inlaid with gemstones, exuding an air of luxury.

In the center of the room was a round mahogany table, around which three people were already seated: a young man in a black robe who looked about ten years old, a plump middle-aged woman, and an elderly man with gray hair and a ruddy complexion.

They were engaged in a low conversation, but stopped immediately when Cui Wuran and the others entered, their eyes sweeping over the newcomers.

“Haha, Daoist Cui, you finally made it,” the gray-haired elder said with a smile, standing up first.

“We were delayed on the way, making you wait. I’ll punish myself with three cups later as an apology,” Cui Wuran said with a chuckle.

“Let me introduce you to these two friends. This is Daoist Shi, a distinguished disciple of the Fire Yuan Sect from Zhao Country. And this is Daoist Yuan, an old acquaintance of mine from Great Jin,” he said, introducing the bearded man and Yuan Ming.

“So it’s Daoist Shi and Daoist Yuan. A pleasure to meet you,” the gray-haired elder greeted warmly.

The young man in the black robe and the plump woman merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The bearded man remained aloof, nodding curtly before pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Yuan Ming, however, did not put on any airs and cupped his hands in salute to the three.

Cui Wuran then introduced the three seated individuals. The young man in the black robe was surnamed Ruan, and the gray-haired elder was surnamed Qu. Both were rogue cultivators from Zhao Country.

In the Black Wind Desert, cultivators were generally cautious. Unless among close friends, most would only reveal their surnames during introductions.

The plump woman introduced herself as Madam Gu San, hailing from a small sect in Zhao Country. She had left her sect to travel at a young age and was considered a half-rogue cultivator.

Yuan Ming scanned the three with his spiritual consciousness, quickly assessing their cultivation levels.

The young man in the black robe and the gray-haired elder were at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, while Madam Gu San was at the late-Foundation Establishment stage with abundant spiritual power, surpassing Yuan Ming. It was clear she had been at the late stage for a long time.

After some polite exchanges, everyone took their seats. Cui Wuran ordered a lavish feast, not only delicious but also containing ingredients imbued with spiritual power, beneficial to their cultivation.

Cui Wuran and the gray-haired elder were both eloquent, and during the meal, the bearded man gradually lowered his aloof demeanor, occasionally joining in the conversation.

“It seemed you three were discussing the Soul Burial Abyss earlier? What happened there?” Cui Wuran asked as the tavern staff cleared the table.

Yuan Ming’s interest was piqued. He had heard of the place before. The Soul Burial Abyss was a unique area deep within the Black Wind Desert, significantly lower in elevation than its surroundings, resembling a massive abyss.

The black winds there were unusually frequent, and it was home to various strange insects and other dangers. Even Nascent Soul stage cultivators could not guarantee their safe return, hence it was called the “Soul Burial Abyss” by the cultivators of the Black Wind Desert.

“It’s not a major event. A few months ago, someone saw thick black smoke rising from the Soul Burial Abyss, covering a vast area and reaching the clouds before gradually dissipating,” the gray-haired elder explained.

“Such a strange occurrence? Could it be just a rumor?” Cui Wuran asked.

“It’s no rumor. The black smoke lingered for half a day before dissipating. Many cultivators witnessed it firsthand, so it’s definitely true,” Madam Gu San said in a gruff voice.

“If Daoist Gu says so, it must be true. Could it be a sign of some treasure about to emerge?” Cui Wuran mused, stroking his chin.

“It’s hard to say. The Soul Burial Abyss is a place where only Nascent Soul stage seniors dare to venture. Even if there is a treasure, it has nothing to do with us rogue cultivators,” the young man in the black robe said.

“Indeed, such phenomena are peculiar. I wonder if the True Gang Sect or the Black Desert Alliance have sent anyone to investigate,” Cui Wuran said.

The group continued their casual conversation, occasionally discussing cultivation. Each had their own insights, and the exchange was beneficial for everyone.

Yuan Ming shared some of his experiences with wood attribute techniques, in exchange for some late-Foundation Establishment stage tips from Madam Gu San, feeling the trip was worthwhile.

As night fell, their enthusiasm only grew. They finally got to the main topic, discussing the exchange meeting.

However, with only six people present, Cui Wuran suggested inviting more friends. After the earlier conversation, everyone felt more familiar and less guarded, so they each used communication talismans to call others.

Soon, seven or eight more cultivators arrived, and the exchange meeting officially began.

Everyone, except Yuan Ming, had come prepared.

The gray-haired elder brought out a rare Barrier-Breaking Pill, which could increase the chances of breaking through when encountering a bottleneck, effective even for Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

The young man in the black robe offered a damaged top-grade magical artifact, more powerful than a high-grade artifact but with limited uses.

A rogue cultivator invited by Madam Gu San took out a piece of Kutu Wood, which could be used to craft top-grade magical artifacts.

The other items presented were also valuable, with nothing worthless among them.

Yuan Ming used some Zixuan Incense and two sets of beast materials to exchange for two pieces of ore filled with abundant thunder energy from a newly arrived cultivator.

He didn’t plan to cultivate thunder attribute techniques himself; these were for Lei Yu.

The Black Wind Desert was dry, with hardly any rain, let alone thunder energy for Lei Yu to absorb. Lei Yu’s cultivation had stagnated for a long time.

When it was Yuan Ming’s turn, he hesitated briefly before placing three materials on the table: a yellow armor piece, a purple hook-shaped stinger, and a green ore emitting a misty green glow.

The yellow armor piece was from a mid-second-level Rock Piercing Armor Beast, and the purple stinger was from a high-second-level Purple Pattern Scorpion, both obtained by Hua Zhi after hunting beasts in the Black Wind Desert. The last item was a green ore called Pine Wave Stone from Zuo Qinghui’s storage, a top-grade spiritual material emitting a compelling spiritual energy that caught everyone’s attention.

“Daoist Yuan, you truly have hidden depths. What are you looking to exchange for?” the elder surnamed Qu asked.

“I wish to exchange these three materials for information,” Yuan Ming replied.

“What kind of information are you seeking?” Madam Gu San asked, her eyes fixed on the Pine Wave Stone, which she needed to craft a wood attribute artifact.

“Something practical, like methods to assist in forming a Nascent Soul or information on obtaining such methods. If it exceeds the value of this material, I can compensate with spiritual stones,” Yuan Ming said.

Although the Soul Pill secret technique could increase the chances of forming a Nascent Soul by fifty percent, his aptitude was poor. To maximize his chances, he needed to find additional methods.

As he spoke, Yuan Ming spread his spiritual consciousness, closely observing everyone’s expressions.

The people present were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, from various regions and circles. Perhaps someone had encountered such secret techniques.

He didn’t expect anyone to provide a method to assist in forming a Nascent Soul, but if anyone’s expression changed, he could use Black Incense to possess them and extract the relevant information with a soul imprint.

Everyone exchanged glances but remained silent, with no one showing any unusual expressions.

Yuan Ming frowned and looked at Madam Gu San and a newly arrived red-haired young man. Both were at the late-Foundation Establishment stage and should have started paying attention to methods for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

“Don’t look at me, Daoist Yuan. My aptitude is poor, and I’ve reached this stage purely by relying on elixirs. I have no potential for further advancement and don’t dare to hope for the Nascent Soul stage,” Madam Gu San said with a bitter smile, shaking her head.

The red-haired young man quietly sipped his tea, ignoring Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming felt a bit disappointed and was about to retrieve the three materials.

“I have two methods here, Daoist Yuan. Would you like to take a look?” a voice suddenly came from the side. It was Cui Wuran.

“Daoist Cui has methods?” Yuan Ming asked in surprise.

Everyone else also looked over.

“Let me clarify first. These two methods were obtained by chance. One is somewhat reliable, while the other hasn’t been verified. I can’t guarantee its effectiveness,” Cui Wuran said, taking out a white jade slip.

“One reliable method is enough,” Yuan Ming said happily.

Hearing this, Cui Wuran wrapped the jade slip in spiritual power and sent it over.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the jade slip, their expressions filled with longing. Although the hope of forming a Nascent Soul was slim for most Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, no one would pass up even a slight chance to advance.

At that moment, a red hand formed of spiritual power suddenly reached out to grab the jade slip.

“What is the meaning of this, Daoist Wen?” Yuan Ming’s face darkened as he looked at the owner of the red hand, the red-haired young man.

“I’m also interested in this method to assist in forming a Nascent Soul. How about letting me take a look at this transaction?” the red-haired young man said with a smile, sending his spiritual consciousness towards the jade slip.

Yuan Ming’s eyes turned cold, and a blood-red blade of light shot out, severing the red hand with a “shhh” sound.

The jade slip was caught by the blade of light and flew back. The red-haired young man’s spiritual consciousness was shattered by the fierce, bloody aura of the blade.

“This transaction was agreed upon between Daoist Cui and me. If you also want these two Nascent Soul methods, you can discuss it with Daoist Cui,” Yuan Ming said calmly.

The red-haired young man’s eyes turned cold, and a black whip appeared in his hand, flashing with dark light. With a flick of his wrist, the whip extended several feet, reaching for the white jade slip.

“Top-grade magical artifact!” someone whispered, and the others’ expressions grew serious.

Yuan Ming remained expressionless, his fingers spread open as the white jade slip continued to fly back.

The blood-red blade of light shot out again, striking the center of the black whip.

This was the weakest point of the whip’s spiritual power. Ordinary cultivators might not notice, but Yuan Ming’s spiritual consciousness was incredibly powerful. With a single sweep, he could see through the whip’s condition as if reading his palm.

With a soft “snap,” the black whip was knocked away, spinning back towards the red-haired young man.

The blood-red blade revealed its true form, the Blood Transformation Blade, emitting a sinister, bloody aura that flowed into the red-haired young man’s body through the whip.

The young man’s meridians went numb, his internal energy churned, and he felt nauseous, almost vomiting.

His face twisted with rage, and black flames erupted from the whip, releasing a powerful, chilling aura.