"Hehe, these two sisters are quite pretty, but they seem somewhat unfamiliar. Could it be their first time in the East Sea?" Bi Shuirou appeared to be a very sociable person, grabbing the hands of Yan Sijing and Yan Siyun, pretending as if they were long-time friends and sisters who cared deeply for each other.

On a regular basis, the Yan sisters managed Hundred Pills Square and naturally had to deal with all sorts of people, so they exchanged greetings with Bi Shuirou and chatted idly for a few moments.

After the pleasantries, everyone found their seats.

"Fellow Daoist Bishui, the Immortal Fruit Conference is drawing near. What is the situation on Fusang Island?" Xi Ying got straight to the point.

"The islands participating have mostly gathered. The situation in the Central Plains is unstable, and I heard that the Wuyue Sect has re-emerged in the Northern Desert, affecting us here in the East Sea as well. The islands attending the conference are all determined to win over the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit, aiming to strengthen their own power; the situation is much more dire than we previously anticipated." Bi Shuirou wore a look of concern, seemingly not very hopeful about the outcome of the assembly.

Yuan Ming's expression flickered slightly upon hearing this.

He had not expected the news of Wuyue Sect's resurgence to have reached the East Sea so quickly; it seemed they had caused quite a stir recently.

Having secluded himself for over a year to cultivate, he was out of touch with current events and decided he would need to contact Xu Che later to inquire about the situation in the Black Wind Desert and the Wuyue Sect's movements.

"Speaking of which, Sister Xi Ying, the assistant you've brought along is Fellow Daoist Yuan, isn't it?" Bi Shuirou observed Yuan Ming and inquired.

"Indeed, I am the person in question. Does Fellow Daoist Bishui believe that I am too weak and unreliable?" Yuan Ming spoke indifferently.

"Since Sister Xi Ying has invited Fellow Daoist Yuan, naturally I trust her judgment. It's just that Fellow Daoist Yuan's early-stage Core Formation cultivation level might be a bit insufficient." Although Bi Shuirou had a smile on her face, there was a faint hint of doubt in her eyes.

"The competition is about personal strength and means, not merely the level of cultivation. Otherwise, one could simply showcase their cultivation level on stage to determine the victors and losers, eliminating the need for an elaborate conference," Xi Ying said dismissively, shaking her head.

"Fellow Daoist Xi is right, but I, Sister Bishui, am in urgent need of the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit for alchemy. With only sixteen spots available at the conference, and those first-class islands nearly guaranteed to take twelve of them, that leaves only four for second-class islands like ours. Therefore, I must be cautious. Would it be possible to exchange a few moves with Fellow Daoist Yuan, just to set my heart at ease?" As Bi Shuirou spoke, she suddenly beamed a smile at Yuan Ming.

Her smile seemed to carry a unique charm, reminiscent of a delicate, dew-laden lotus blooming after the rain, making her appear even more alluring and delicate.

However, when Yuan Ming saw her smiling face, his expression was like that of a still well, unfazed.

"Fellow Daoist Bishui, competing is one thing, but let's forgo such petty tricks," he said coolly, while casually gesturing with his hand to the side.

At the tips of his fingers, a faint glimmer of lightning shimmered as he halted a nearly invisible slender shadow midair—a three-inch long transparent embroidery needle with a plum blossom pattern etched on its end.

Seeing this, Bi Shuirou's eyes twitched.

This Shadowless Plum Blossom Needle was a magic treasure she had painstakingly refined. It could conceal its presence, suppress fluctuations of aura, and was exceptionally sharp.

With this artifact, she had successively defeated several cultivators of the same rank. Two of them had even died without realizing what had struck them. Yet Yuan Ming had nonchalantly blocked the needle with a simple gesture as if he hadn't paid it much mind.

"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Yuan to hide his abilities so well. My little move has indeed become a joke in front of you," Bi Shuirou said awkwardly, standing up and giving a bow.

Yuan Ming withdrew his finger, his countenance as calm as still water.

He had already learned about the situation on Red Ganoderma Island from Xi Ying. The island's strength was average among the second-class islands, and its most notable features were seduction technique and hidden weapons. Yuan Ming had easily seen through her tactics with his Divine Sense. Although there had been no real confrontation, from this incident alone, Bi Shuirou could tell she was no match for him.

As Yuan Ming revealed his strength, the atmosphere in the elegant room eased considerably. Bi Shuirou yielded willingly, threw in a few good words, and when the moment was right, steered the conversation toward the intelligence she had gathered in the past few days.

"There are a total of one hundred twenty-eight islands registered for the conference. To decide the top sixteen, there will be three rounds of competition. The specific grouping and opponents will only be known once the competition officially begins, but I have already summarized a few second-class islands worth paying attention to, each with a Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator in residence," Bi Shuirou analyzed earnestly.

Yuan Ming was not particularly concerned, but Xi Ying was attentively listening, occasionally asking for more details.

"Merely Core Formation Stage cultivators, even if they are at late-stage, with your strength, they are but a wave of the hand away from defeat. Is there a need to be so cautious?" Yuan Ming communicated telepathically with Xi Ying, somewhat dismissive.

"The East Sea Immortal Cultivation World is a mixed bag of dragons and fish; it's possible that a master could emerge at any moment, so it's better to be careful," Xi Ying replied.

"With our abilities, taking down two rounds of the competition shouldn't be a problem. However, it seems that Bishui's abilities aren't quite up to par; she has to take part in one of the rounds, and if she loses, all our efforts will be in vain," Yuan Ming shared his concerns.

"Out of the one hundred twenty-eight islands, we can't possibly face only the strong ones. Bishui's seduction technique is useless against us, but it can still threaten ordinary cultivators, and together with her hidden weapons and Divine Skills, winning the first round should not be an issue," Xi Ying communicated back.

"That said, there must be some other reason you chose Red Ganoderma Island, right?" Yuan Ming asked.

"Indeed, first, I developed some acquaintance with Bi Shuirou during my Foundation Establishment, and I thoroughly understand her background; second, it's because she only needs the seed of the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit for alchemy, while the Five Elements Infant Condensing Pill requires the flesh of the fruit, so our needs do not conflict, which can spare me some trouble afterward," Xi Ying explained.

"Speaking of which, there must be quite a few islands like those Bi Shuirou has asked to assist in inviting Core Formation Cultivators. It's fine when they encounter us, but if there are Loose Cultivators harboring malicious intentions, wanting to monopolize the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit, how would they deal with it?" Yuan Ming suddenly thought of something and asked with curiosity.

"There's no need to worry about that. If such a situation indeed occurs, Fusang Island will personally dispatch people to hunt down that Loose Cultivator until the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit is retrieved," said Xi Ying.

"Would Fusang Island be so kind as to stand up for the Second-class Islands?" Yuan Ming was somewhat surprised.

"No, they do so to ensure that each Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit is given out according to their arrangements," explained Xi Ying.

"It seems like a show of authority," Yuan Ming mused thoughtfully.

"Indeed, there was an incident where a Loose Cultivator refined the Red Mulberry Immortal Fruit into an elixir and consumed it before being caught. However, after being captured by Fusang Island, a Nascent Soul Ancestor personally took action to refine that cultivator into an elixir, reportedly managing to retain forty percent of the original potency of the fruit. In the end, it was returned to the island that suffered the misfortune, and the Island Master consumed it," Xi Ying slowly recounted.

Yuan Ming was silent. For some reason, he suddenly thought of the Chang Chun Temple. Fusang Island, as the dominator of the East Sea, shared a style of operation that was strikingly similar to that of Chang Chun Temple.

Perhaps, in the other Three Domains, it was the same: the rules set by the top Sects and powers had to be followed by everyone, without exception.

Some called it tyranny, some called it oppression, but there were also those who called it order.

At least, Yuan Ming did not dislike such practices; after all, to some extent, they also served to maintain the peace and stability of the Immortal Fruit Conference.

Although he yearned for freedom, he also knew well that freedom without any constraints and limitations would only drag everyone into an abyss of indulgence and chaos.

Yuan Ming and his companions lingered in Xia Guang City for a day, collecting and organizing the information they had gathered before setting off for Fusang City.

...

As the largest city among the Eastern Sea Islands, the prosperity of Fusang City could be said to be the greatest Yuan Ming had ever seen in his life.

In order to please the Golden Crow that lived atop the Divine Tree, the buildings in Fusang City were predominantly in shades of gold and red, and from the sky above, the whole city looked like a Golden Crow spreading its wings, coexisting harmoniously with the Fusang Divine Tree.

As a result, the city was divided into five distinct districts by six broad avenues and one ring road, namely the Crow Head District, Tree Heart District, Left Wing District, Right Wing District, and Wuzu District.

Connected closely with the Tree Heart District, which encircled the Divine Tree, was the Crow Head District to the north; only direct descendants of Fusang Island could enter these areas.

The largest sections, the Left Wing and Right Wing Districts, were designated for cultivators to reside in, with most dwellings open for temporary stay in exchange for Spirit Stones.

The 128 residences in the Right Wing District were specifically vacated by Fusang Island, intended for the use of the 128 islands that were qualified to participate in the Immortal Fruit Conference.

Each of the 128 residences has its own separate garden courtyard, set far apart from one another, ensuring that competing islands would not interfere with each other due to close proximity.

The Wuzu District, although smaller, was exclusively for trade and was even busier than other areas, with shops of all sizes crowded together, vying to attract customers. The merchandise sold was incredibly varied, including specialties from the other four domains.

Red Ganoderma Island, as one of the participating islands, was promptly placed in a spacious residence in the Right Wing District, thanks to the reception and arrangement by Fusang Island cultivators upon their entrance into Fusang City.

There were enough rooms in the residence that even Yan Siyun and others who had come with Yuan Ming had more than enough space after moving in.

With several days still left before the official opening of the Immortal Fruit Conference, the delegation from Red Ganoderma Island was busy right after settling in. From Bi Shuirou to those in Foundation Establishment, every disciple was employing their own methods, trying to gather intelligence on the islands participating in the conference.

Meanwhile, Yan Siyun and the others who followed Yuan Ming did not rest for a moment, heading to the Wuzu District to discuss potential partnerships with the merchants who had come for the grand event.

Consequently, Yuan Ming and Xi Ying found themselves with no obligations.

Xi Ying, who had already been to Fusang City and was not too interested in its sights, went back to her room to cultivate.

Yuan Ming did not go out either and returned to his room to sit cross-legged.

He set up a Forbidden array inside the room, then took out the Silver Token, unfolded the silver barrier, and entered the Stealing Heaven Tripod Space.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.