Yuan Ming and the bearded man followed Cui Wuran to a nearby restaurant, walking directly up to the third floor to a spacious private room.

The floor was carpeted in crimson, and the walls around were carved with exquisite patterns of birds and flowers, inlaid with gemstones, exuding an opulent aura.

In the center of the private room stood a mahogany round table, already occupied by three people: a young man in his twenties dressed in a black robe, a middle-aged woman with a plump figure, and an elderly man with a ruddy complexion and grey hair.

The group was engaged in a quiet conversation, but when they saw Cui Wuran and his companions enter, they stopped talking and turned their gaze toward them.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Cui, you've finally arrived," said the grey-haired old man as he stood up with a smile.

"We were delayed a bit on the way, sorry for making you wait. I'll drink three cups as a penalty later," Cui Wuran laughed.

"Let me introduce you to our friends: this is Fellow Daoist Shi, a prominent disciple of the Fire Origin Sect from Zhao Country, and as for the other, Fellow Daoist Yuan, he is an acquaintance I made in Da Jin," and with those words, he turned to introduce the bearded man and Yuan Ming.

"So, it's Fellow Daoist Shi and Fellow Daoist Yuan, a pleasure to meet you," the grey-haired old man greeted enthusiastically, while the black-robed young man and the plump woman simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The bearded man, still with an air of arrogance, nodded to the three and then pulled out a chair to sit down by himself.

Yuan Ming, however, did not put on any airs and gave a cupped fist salute to the three.

Cui Wuran then introduced the other three individuals at the table. The black-robed young man's surname was Ruan and the grey-haired old man's surname was Qu; both were Loose Cultivators from Zhao Country.

Cultivators in the Black Wind Desert were wary, and apart from close friends, most people would only reveal their surnames when introducing themselves.

The plump woman introduced herself as Gu Sanniang, originally from a small sect in Zhao Country, but she had left the sect to travel around at an early age, making her a semi-Loose Cultivator.

Yuan Ming's Divine Sense swept over the table and immediately discerned the Cultivation of the three individuals.

Both the black-robed young man and the grey-haired old man were at the Mid-Stage of Foundation Establishment, while Gu Sanniang was at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, with a much stronger Mana than Yuan Ming, clearly having reached this stage quite some time ago.

After the initial courtesy, everyone sat down. Cui Wuran ordered a lavish meal, appetizing and comprising ingredients that contained Spiritual Power, aiding in Cultivation when consumed.

Both Cui Wuran and the grey-haired old man were eloquent speakers. During the meal, they frequently toasted, and the bearded man's proud demeanor gradually eased, and he occasionally joined in the conversation with others.

"It seems you three were discussing the Soul Burying Abyss earlier? Has something happened there again?" Cui Wuran asked after having the waitstaff clear the dishes from the table.

Yuan Ming's heart stirred; he had also heard of this place.

The Soul Burying Abyss was a special area deep in the Black Wind Desert, noticeably lower in elevation compared to its surroundings, almost resembling a vast and deep abyss at first glance.

There, the Black Wind occurred frequently, home to numerous unusual demon insects and rumored to contain other dangers. Even Core Formation Stage cultivators dared not assure their safety if they ventured in, hence it was named "Soul Burying Abyss" by cultivators of the Black Wind Desert.

"It's nothing major—several months ago, someone saw dense black vapor rising near the Soul Burying Abyss. It covered a vast area and shot up into the sky, taking a long time to dissipate," explained the grey-haired old man.

"Could such an odd occurrence be just a rumor?" Cui Wuran asked.

"This was no rumor. The black vapor persisted for half a day before it disappeared, seen by many cultivators with their own eyes, there's no falsehood in it," said Gu Sanniang, her voice deep and rough like an old cow's.

"Since Fellow Daoist Gu says so, it must be true. But I wonder, could it signify the advent of some treasure?" mused Cui Wuran, stroking his chin.

"It's hard to say. With a place like Soul Burying Abyss, aside from Core Formation elders, who would dare to explore it recklessly? Even if it truly were a treasure, it's irrelevant to us Loose Cultivators," stated the black-robed young man.

"Such an anomaly is indeed bizarre, just not sure if the Five Thunder Sect, True Gang Sect, and Black Desert Alliance have sent anyone to investigate it," continued Cui Wuran.

The group chatted casually, occasionally discussing their Cultivation experiences. Everyone present had personal insights into Cultivation, and after exchanging views, they all felt they had gained much.

Yuan Ming shared insights on the wood attribute cultivation methods and received some tips on late-stage Foundation Establishment from Gu Sanniang, feeling the trip was especially worthwhile.

As evening approached, their enthusiasm only increased, and they finally got to the main topic—discussing the exchange meeting.

However, with only six people present, it felt insufficient. Cui Wuran proposed inviting more Fellow Daoists.

After the earlier exchanges, everyone became more familiar with each other, and their guardedness lessened. They immediately used Communication Talismans to call others.

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

All the attendees, except for Yuan Ming, came prepared.

The grey-haired old man produced a rare Breakthrough Pill, aiding in increasing the likelihood of breakthroughs during cultivation bottlenecks, effective even for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The black-robed young man's trade item was a damaged top-grade magical tool with power surpassing that of top-grade magical tools, albeit with a limited number of uses.

A cultivator called by Gu Sanniang from a small sect presented a piece of Bitter Tung Wood capable of refining top-grade magical tools.

The other participants also brought out items of significant value, none of which were useless.

Yuan Ming used ten sticks of Purple Mysterious Incense and two pieces of demon beast materials to trade with a newcomer for two stones imbued with abundant power of thunder and lightning.

He did not intend to cultivate a Thunder Attribute Magical Artifact; it was meant for Lei Yu.

The climate of the Black Wind Desert was dry, hardly seeing half a drop of rain, providing no thunder and lightning energy for Lei Yu to absorb. Lei Yu's cultivation had been stagnant for a long time.

When it was Yuan Ming's turn, he hesitated briefly before placing three items on the table, consisting of a tan-colored armor, a curved, purple spiked stinger, and a green stone surrounded by mist-like green light.

The yellow armor was the outer shell of a Second-level Middle Stage Rock-piercing Armor, while the purple spikes were from the stinger of a Second Rank Upper Stage Purple Patterned Scorpion, both of which Hua Zhi had obtained after hunting demon beasts in the Black Wind Desert.

The green ore was called Songtao Stone and was one of the top-grade spiritual materials in Zuo Qinghui's storage magic tool.

All three materials emitted impressive spiritual energy fluctuations, attracting the attention of everyone present.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Yuan really keeps his cards close to his chest. May I know what you wish to exchange these for?" the elder with the surname Qu asked.

"I wish to exchange these three materials for a piece of information," Yuan Ming said.

"What information does Fellow Daoist Yuan seek?" Gu Sanniang asked, her eyes fixed on the Songtao Stone as she was planning to refine a wood attribute magical artifact and could use this stone.

"Something practical, either a method to assist in Core Formation or information on obtaining such a method. If it exceeds the value of these three spiritual materials, I can compensate with additional spirit stones," Yuan Ming said.

Although the Soul Pill Secret Technique could increase the chances of Core Formation by fifty percent, his talent was truly not outstanding, and to possibly enhance the success rate, he had to seek other methods.

While speaking, Yuan Ming spread his Divine Sense, closely observing the expressions of all those present.

All people here were Foundation Establishment Cultivators from various places and circles, and it was possible that some of them might have come across such secret techniques.

He did not actually expect anyone to provide a method to assist in Core Formation, but if anyone showed an unusual expression, he could use the Black Incense Possession and imprint a Soul Seal to dig out the corresponding information.

The crowd exchanged glances, silent for a moment, with no unusual expressions on their faces.

Yuan Ming furrowed his brows, looking towards Gu Sanniang and a newly arrived youth with red hair.

Both individuals had reached the Late Foundation Establishment stage and would likely start paying attention to methods that could aid in breaking through to the Core Formation Stage if they intended to advance.

"Don't look at me, Fellow Daoist Yuan. With my poor natural aptitude, accumulating to my current level through elixirs, I no longer have any potential for advancement, let alone aspire to reach the Core Formation Stage," Gu Sanniang said with a wry smile and a shake of her head.

The red-haired youth merely sipped his tea quietly, ignoring Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming paused briefly, about to retrieve his materials.

"I have two methods here; Fellow Daoist Yuan might want to take a look," a voice suddenly came from the side, it was Cui Wuran.

"Fellow Daoist Cui has methods?" Yuan Ming's face showed surprise.

The other people in the room looked his way as well.

"I must declare beforehand, these two methods were obtained by chance, one of them is fairly reliable, but the authenticity of the other has not been verified, and I cannot guarantee its effectiveness," Cui Wuran said as he took out a white Jade Scroll.

"One reliable method is already enough," Yuan Ming said joyfully.

Upon hearing this, Cui Wuran wrapped the item in mana and sent it over.

The eyes of others were fixed on the Jade Scroll, all filled with longing.

Although the hope of reaching Core Formation was faint for the vast majority of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, if there was even a slight chance, no one would want to miss advancing further.

At that moment, a mana-conjured red palm suddenly stretched from the side and snatched the Jade Scroll.

"What are you doing, Fellow Daoist Wen?" Yuan Ming's expression darkened as he looked towards the owner of the red palm, who was the red-haired youth.

"This secret technique for assisting Core Formation intrigues me as well. What do you say to letting me join this transaction?" the red-haired youth said with a smile, projecting his Divine Sense towards the Jade Scroll.

Yuan Ming's eyes suddenly turned cold, and a blood-colored blade light shot out, severing the red palm with a slash.

The Jade Scroll was also enveloped in the blade light and flew back. The Divine Sense emitted by the red-haired youth was smashed by an intense bloody aura when it encountered the blood light.

"This transaction was already settled between Fellow Daoist Cui and me. If you too desire these two Core Formation secret techniques, you may discuss it with Fellow Daoist Cui," Yuan Ming said calmly.

The red-haired youth's eyes turned chilly, and a dark glow flashed in his palm where a black long whip appeared, his arm flicked.

The black long whip lengthened in the wind and crossed several meters in an instant, coiling towards the white Jade Scroll.

"Top-grade magical tool!" someone in the room murmured, the expressions of others becoming slightly serious.

Yuan Ming remained expressionless, his fingers outstretched as the white Jade Scroll continued to fly back.

The blood-colored blade light shot out again, instantly striking the central part of the black long whip where the mana was weakest. An ordinary cultivator might not notice this, but Yuan Ming's Divine Sense was exceptionally powerful. With just a sweep, he understood every aspect of the black long whip as if he were reading the lines on his hand.

With a light "snap," the black long whip was knocked backward, spinning back towards the red-haired youth.

The blood light also revealed its true form, the Blood Transformation Saber, emitting a malevolent and bloody aura along the whip, transferring into the body of the red-haired youth.

The red-haired youth's muscles and veins twitched in pain, his internal qi-blood churning intensely, almost causing him to vomit from the extreme discomfort.

The expression on the youth's face became fiercely threatening. The black long whip suddenly surged with a layer of black flames, releasing a powerful chilling air that burst forth in an instant.

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