"Fellow Daoist Xu Ping, please make yourself at home, no need to be so formal."
Li Feiyu looked at the middle-aged and elderly Cultivator standing before him, his temples streaked with grey.
With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Li Feiyu roughly understood Xu Ping's situation.
Over four hundred years old, at the Major Achievement of the late stage Core Formation, he was stuck at a Bottleneck, unable to advance. Li Feiyu estimated that even if he took a Advancement Nascent Pill, his chances of breaking through the Bottleneck and successfully forming a Nascent Soul would only be a little over ten percent.
"Thank you, Senior. These are the items I mentioned."
Xu Ping handed a Storage Pouch to Li Feiyu. Li Feiyu scanned it, nodded in satisfaction, confirming that everything was indeed as described.
Then, with a flip of his palm, a small white jade porcelain bottle appeared. The small porcelain bottle landed in Xu Ping's hand, and he clutched it with an excited expression.
It wasn't until Li Feiyu told him to examine it that he opened the stopper. The unique medicinal fragrance, imbued with the power of water and fire, diffused, invigorating him and causing the Bottleneck, which felt like an unyielding diamond gate, to subtly loosen.
Xu Ping's eyes were filled with wild joy. He immediately replaced the stopper and bowed, clasping his fists, "Thank you, Senior."
Li Feiyu waved his hand, "The Inverse Star Alliance will likely send scouts to monitor outside Sangxing Island. It's unlikely you'll be able to leave safely."
Xu Ping's expression was calm, knowing the situation. "If I wish to attempt to form a Nascent Soul on the island, what are Senior Li's conditions?"
"If you wish to, you may stay."
Xu Ping felt a sense of relief.
Afterward, Li Feiyu said, "However, I offer you another choice: join my Blazing Zenith Sect and become a Nascent Soul Elder. Swear an oath with your Dao Heart and a life-bound vow never to betray the Sect, and I can provide an additional Medicinal Pill to assist you in forming your Nascent Soul."
Xu Ping was slightly shocked, "Only betrayal? There must be more, right? Senior, please speak plainly."
"Of course there are rules. You must guard the island, ensuring the safety of Sangxing Island. Each year, you must complete a certain quota of refining Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, and Magic Treasures. Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators are exempt from this. "
"If you are fortunate enough to advance to Deity Transformation, you may leave my Blazing Zenith Sect. If your lifespan is exhausted, you must leave your Legacy within the Sect. If you have descendants, they likewise may not leave my Blazing Zenith Sect."
"Of course, I will also place a Restriction in your Primordial Spirit, preventing you from leaking any information about the Blazing Zenith Sect. Even if a Great Divine Ability User captures you, they will be unable to forcibly examine your memories."
Xu Ping frowned deeply. Years of being a Loose Cultivator had accustomed him to freedom, and he felt some reluctance.
"So many Restrictions, just for another Nascent Soul Medicinal Pill? This Junior feels it's not quite worth it. Thank you for Senior's kind offer."
"As you wish. The path of Cultivation is fraught with difficulties. If you are confident in forming a Nascent Soul on your own, you may do so on the island. If successful, you may leave as you please."
"My Sangxing Island is an open place and will not impose any Restrictions on anyone."
Xu Ping nodded, "Thank you, Senior."
"This Junior presumes to ask, if I agree to Senior's terms, does Senior have a way to guarantee my successful formation of a Nascent Soul?"
Li Feiyu laughed heartily, "You certainly dream big! How can there be a guaranteed method for forming a Nascent Soul in this world? But do you know why great powers always have a higher success rate in producing Nascent Soul Cultivators than Loose Cultivators?"
"Foundation? Experience?"
"Indeed. However, I won't force you. After all, the value of each Medicinal Pill for forming a Nascent Soul is comparable to the entire wealth of five or six ordinary late stage Core Formation Cultivators. Moreover, due to the extreme rarity of the raw Materials, they rarely appear."
"If you successfully form a Nascent Soul, my rewards will naturally be generous. If you fail, I will also have to pay a great price."
"This is a huge gamble for both of us!"
Xu Ping fell silent. Although he had heard so much from Li Feiyu, he was somewhat hesitant, but in the end, he still politely declined.
Li Feiyu would not force him.
After the Spiritual Plant auction ended, Xue Yi found Zhang Lingshan in the crowd.
"My master invites Fellow Daoist to come for a discussion."
Zhang Lingshan naturally knew who "his master" referred to. "Li Feiyu wants to see me? Could it be that he's taken a fancy to some of my Spirit Medicine and wants to trade with me?"
He felt it was an opportunity and readily accepted.
At this time, Li Feiyu was making a transaction with Ling Yuling. After some haggling, Ling Yuling finally exchanged all the items on the previous paper for a Advancement Nascent Pill.
Fire Cloud said, "The quality is excellent, even a bit higher than what our Star Palace's Alchemy Great Master refined in the past."
"Fellow Daoist Li, we are now returning to Star Palace."
Ling Yuling bowed slightly to Li Feiyu, her smile as bright as a flower, "Fellow Daoist Li, I look forward to our next collaboration."
"We'll see if there's an opportunity."
Ancestor Xing and his group left with Ling Yuling and her companions. Since they were all going to Heavenly Star City, they naturally departed together.
Afterward, Li Feiyu came to a quiet room where Zhang Lingshan was already waiting.
"I originally thought Fellow Daoist Zhang was a late stage Core Formation Cultivator, but I didn't expect you to only be at the Core Formation Middle Stage. How dare you participate in the auction with such a cultivation?"
Zhang Lingshan seemed to have taken some kind of age-preserving Medicinal Pill, appearing to be around thirty years old.
Observing his bone age, he was also over two hundred eighty years old.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang has both Fire and Wood Spiritual Roots?"
"Senior Li has discerning eyes, that is correct. Besides Cultivating, I usually spend my time searching for Pill Formulas, Spirit Medicine, and practicing Alchemy."
No wonder the medicinal fragrance on his body lingered!
Zhang Lingshan felt a little uneasy, "Did Senior call this Junior here for some instruction? Or have you taken a fancy to some of this Junior's Spirit Medicine and wish to exchange for it?"
"How did you know I was looking to exchange Spirit Medicine with you?" Li Feiyu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"This Junior believes the Spirit Medicine I offered earlier is incredibly rare in the Chaotic Star Sea. Although its age is insufficient, its rarity is its strength. Even a great power like Star Palace might not possess it."
Li Feiyu smiled, "Those are indeed rare, but if there isn't a corresponding Pill Formula, their medicinal properties would simply be wasted."
"I called you here this time to invite you to join the Blazing Zenith Sect."
Li Feiyu repeated everything he had told Xu Ping earlier, and also added that he would provide a large quantity of Spiritual Plants to hone his Alchemy skills.
"Of course, rare Pill Formulas and Spiritual Plants will require you to exchange them with contribution points. Submitting Spiritual Plants to the Sect, as well as refining Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts, can earn you contribution points."
Zhang Lingshan's heart stirred, "Can Divine Sense Pill Formulas, Spiritual Plants, etc., also be exchanged?"
"Naturally. Even Advancement Nascent Pills or some other items of similar level can be exchanged, but those kinds of rare Spiritual Plants are difficult to acquire unless there are extras."
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, what do you think?"
"Your nature should prefer peace and research. Joining my Blazing Zenith Sect is your best choice."
Zhang Lingshan pondered for a moment, then looked up directly at Li Feiyu, "Thank you, Senior, for valuing me. This Junior is willing to join the Blazing Zenith Sect."
...
Li Feiyu successfully obtained the Sun Radiance Flower and Moon Essence Flower as he wished, and began to prepare them.
Two weeks later, he began refining Nascent Soul Pills, and then entered secluded Cultivation, using the Nascent Soul Pills to rapidly increase his cultivation.
A year later, dark clouds suddenly rolled over Sangxing Island, and thunder roared.
Everyone looked up at the sky in shock. The scope of the dark clouds was so vast that it almost covered the entire Sangxing Island.
Terrifying Spiritual Qi condensed, forming an astonishing sight of a downward pour.
Li Feiyu swept his Divine Sense across, a faint, contemptuous smile on his lips, "He really couldn't wait!"
However, the abnormal phenomenon lasted for less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before suddenly disappearing, with no further anomalies seen.
"Below the Nascent Soul, all are but white bones. How could it be so easy?"
Li Feiyu sent Xue Yi to Xu Ping's secluded Immortal Cave to retrieve all of his collections.
And he, of course, would not emerge from seclusion for such a minor matter, continuing his daily arduous Cultivation.
Zhang Lingshan, meanwhile, settled on Sangxing Island. Li Feiyu kept his promise, sharing some of his Pill Formulas with him, and providing him with Spiritual Plants periodically for him to refine into Medicinal Pills, which were then placed in the trading pavilion for transactions.