SFS Chapter 11 From the Seven Star Realms Cultivators
Chapter 11 From the Seven Star Realms Cultivators
Wang Tianlong entered the main hall, his gaze sweeping casually across the space. Soon, in a corner near a pillar, with a wide view yet not particularly noticeable, he spotted an elderly man dressed in a simple blue robe, with a lean face and a gentle demeanor. The old man was sitting alone behind a table, leisurely sipping tea, emanating a vibrant energy that subtly resonated with the surrounding wood-attribute spiritual energy.
It was one of his old acquaintances, Master Qingmu. This old man came from "Hundred Herbs Valley," a medium-sized sect renowned for cultivating spiritual plants and refining elixirs. He was gentle and unassuming, disliked fighting, and was skilled in alchemy and cultivating spiritual herbs. He was quite popular among Nascent Soul cultivators in the human realm. Back then, Wang Tianlong had several pleasant transactions with Master Qingmu in order to find some special spiritual herbs to draw talismans.
Seeing that the seat next to Master Qingmu was still empty, Wang Tianlong strolled over, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Qingmu, it's been a long time. Observing your harmonious aura and abundant vitality, your cultivation has become even more profound. Congratulations!"
Upon hearing the voice, Master Qingmu looked up and saw Wang Tianlong. A warm smile appeared on his face as he stood up and returned the greeting: "So it's Fellow Daoist Wang. You flatter me. I've only made a slight improvement because I'm old and have lived a few more years, which has given me some insights into alchemy. These insights have been used to improve my cultivation. I still have a long way to go before reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. It's nothing to mention."
He changed the subject, his gaze lingering briefly on Wang Tianlong, a hint of undisguised surprise and admiration flashing in his eyes. His tone became even more sincere: "As for you, Fellow Daoist Wang, your aura is like a dragon lurking in the abyss, or a gentle breeze, ever-changing. Compared to when we last met, you have improved by more than one step. You are probably not far from the threshold of the late Nascent Soul stage, are you? Truly, the younger generation is formidable, and I am quite envious."
Wang Tianlong sat down on the futon opposite Master Qingmu, waved his hand, and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Qingmu, you flatter me. I have only recently made some progress. However, the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm is the key to communicating with heaven and earth and inquiring about ascension. You know how difficult it is. I am still far from that level and dare not speak presumptuously."
"Fellow Daoist Wang is too modest." Venerable Qingmu smiled and shook his head, personally pouring Wang Tianlong a cup of fragrant spiritual tea. "With your aptitude, temperament, and... well, your experiences," he paused, clearly thinking of Wang Tianlong's "rich" experiences, "breaking through to the late stage is merely a natural progression. I wish you a speedy success."
"Thank you for your kind words, Fellow Daoist." Wang Tianlong picked up his teacup, offered a toast to Master Qingmu from afar, took a sip, and found the tea to be fragrant and refreshing, with a gentle spiritual energy; it was indeed a fine tea.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two chatted like old friends about recent events in the cultivation world. Master Qingmu was quite well-informed, especially about the production of spiritual herbs in various regions, the opening of secret realms, and the subtle changes between sects and forces.
"I heard that a few years ago, an ancient cultivation site in the desert of the Tiansha Continent was discovered, which caused quite a stir. It seems that an ancient pill formula was leaked out, but unfortunately I was not fortunate enough to see it..." Master Qingmu said with a hint of regret.
"In the nearshore area of the Chaotic Star Sea, it is said that a rare high-level 'Tide Sound Shell' has appeared. Its pearl has some wonderful effects on nourishing the divine sense, attracting many fellow cultivators to go there..." Wang Tianlong also shared some of the information he had heard.
Their conversation, seemingly casual, subtly avoided any potentially private or sensitive topics, focusing instead on exchanging information and keeping abreast of developments in the cultivation world. In this gathering of Nascent Soul cultivators, such conversations served both as a social activity to maintain relationships and as a discreet form of intelligence gathering. Wang Tianlong appeared to listen casually, but in reality, he was also gleaning clues from Qingmu Shangren's words that might be relevant to him, especially regarding rumors about "unknown demonic cultivators" or unusual events.
Inside the main hall, the Nascent Soul cultivators sat in quiet contemplation or whispered among themselves. The atmosphere seemed peaceful, but undercurrents were lurking beneath the surface as they awaited the grand trade fair that was about to begin, a true event for the pinnacle of this world.
Inside the main hall, Nascent Soul cultivators arrived one after another, exchanging nods or telepathic messages. The atmosphere seemed peaceful, yet an invisible, heavy pressure permeated the air.
Not long after, a slight movement of light and shadow appeared at the palace entrance, and four more figures entered together. Their appearance immediately attracted the attention of many within the hall, including Wang Tianlong. This was because all four possessed profound auras, their cultivation levels clearly exceeding the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm! Especially the middle-aged Daoist in the lead, clad in a star-patterned robe, with an ancient face and eyes that seemed to hold the illusion of stars fading and shattering, exuded a spiritual pressure as deep and vast as the sea—he was actually a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
What stirred Wang Tianlong's heart even more was that he didn't recognize any of these four people. There were only two hundred Nascent Soul cultivators in the human realm, and those who had lived longer had at least heard of their names or seen their images, even if they had never interacted with them. But these four were completely unfamiliar to him, both in appearance and aura.
Seemingly sensing Wang Tianlong's scrutinizing gaze, the leading late-stage Nascent Soul Daoist paused slightly, calmly turning his head to look. Their eyes met, and Wang Tianlong felt a chill; the other's gaze was profound, seemingly able to see through illusions. He remained expressionless, habitually displaying a seemingly amiable smile, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
The Taoist in the star-patterned robe showed no arrogance whatsoever. He nodded in return, his gaze lingering briefly on Wang Tianlong. He seemed to have noticed that Wang Tianlong's cultivation at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm was quite remarkable. He then naturally looked away and, with the three people behind him, found an empty seat on the side of the hall and sat down comfortably, waiting for the auction to begin.
Master Qingmu, who was standing to the side, saw this scene. Noticing that Wang Tianlong's gaze lingered on those few people for a moment, he stroked his beard and chuckled, transmitting his voice, "Fellow Daoist Wang seems quite interested in those fellow Daoists?"
Wang Tianlong withdrew his gaze and replied telepathically, "Indeed. These fellow Daoists appear unfamiliar, and their auras differ slightly from those of cultivators in our realm. May I ask who they are? Fellow Daoist Qingmu, with your vast knowledge, do you know their origins?"
"Haha," Master Qingmu chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Wang, you only recently arrived in Jinjing, haven't you?"
"Uh, that's true." Wang Tianlong said, somewhat puzzled. "What does this have to do with their background?"
"That's right," Master Qingmu explained. "Just a few days ago, Fellow Daoist Li from the Huayi Sect hosted a small-scale exchange meeting for Nascent Soul cultivators. The purpose was twofold: to exchange information and to welcome these fellow Daoists who came from afar. Those fellow Daoists are not cultivators from our human realm, but from the Seven Star Realm."
"The Seven Star Realm? Cultivators from other realms?" Wang Tianlong was startled upon hearing this. Although he had long heard that with the help of powerful spiritual treasures or extremely profound special talismans and formations, it was possible to find and pass through spatial rifts connecting different realms to travel across realms, this was extremely risky. Spatial rifts were highly unstable, and the situation on the other side was unknown. Only those with great supernatural powers and perseverance dared to attempt it. Usually, those who dared to do this had to be at least at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm to ensure they had sufficient self-protection.
Back when his cultivation was stuck at the early Nascent Soul stage for a long time, he had considered whether to "wander" around other realms, partly to look for opportunities, and partly... perhaps to complete the bizarre "Cut a Knife" system's tasks more efficiently in a different location. However, after inquiring with several close friends who enjoyed exploring ancient ruins and secret realms, he learned a crucial piece of information: their human realm was actually the one with the best cultivation environment, the richest resources, and the largest number of Nascent Soul cultivators among all known realms of the same level! Other realms were either lacking in spiritual energy or resources, with only twenty or thirty Nascent Soul cultivators at most, and perhaps only a handful at worst, far fewer than the two hundred or so in the human realm.
After weighing the options, Wang Tianlong abandoned the idea. After all, crossing over into another realm was too risky, and the benefits (especially in terms of completing the system's tasks) didn't seem to be any greater than staying in the human realm to "mess around." On the contrary, the unfamiliar environment and different rules might add many variables.
Therefore, these four people in front of him were the first living Nascent Soul cultivators from other realms that he had personally seen in his thousand years of cultivation.
"So that's how it is. They're fellow Daoists from the outside world. No wonder their auras are so different." Wang Tianlong suddenly realized, and when he looked at the four figures again, his gaze held a hint of scrutiny and curiosity. The Seven Star Realm... I wonder what kind of world that is?