Skin and Flesh Shell, Irrelevant

The Crane Head, which had initially closed its eyes in boredom, suddenly opened them. Its gaze was sharp as it looked askance at the person beside it.

"Heh heh, old man, when did we get a new disciple? Don't tell me one of your illegitimate sons finally showed up?"

"Don't talk nonsense. I never married or had children when I was in the mortal world, nor did I ever engage in such scandalous affairs."

Old Man Fate Crane immediately denied the Crane Head's wild speculation.

Hearing the exchange between the person and the crane, Mother Diviner True Person understood.

"So, the cultivator named Yang An isn't Senior Fate Crane's disciple, but rather impersonated one of your disciples?"

"That is indeed the case!"

The Crane Head nodded.

He had twelve disciples under him, and not a single one was named Yang An, nor did any of them have the surname Yang.

He had also never dispatched a disciple to participate in this Communal Feast Convention hosted by Mother Diviner True Person.

The reason was simple: this was merely a resource exchange among low-level cultivators. Even if his disciples were incompetent, they wouldn't stoop to coveting the items here.

What Old Man Fate Crane found a bit unexpected was that someone dared to impersonate his disciple and openly infiltrate the Communal Feast Convention.

Even though his Fate Crane Sect had been dormant for decades, no one would dare to be so audacious.

Logically, if someone used his disciple's name, they would know of his existence. Did this person not fear offending him?

"How truly bold. Not only did they sneak into our Golden Egg Jade Qiong Island, but they also dared to offend a senior. This person is incredibly audacious. I will personally apprehend them and hand them over for your judgment."

Mother Diviner True Person had invited Old Man Fate Crane because she needed his help. She hadn't expected someone to practically deliver themselves before they could even get to the main topic.

She was struggling to find an opportunity to broach the subject, and the Crane Head kept interrupting her. This was perfect timing, like a pillow arriving just as she was falling asleep. She could show her goodwill before discussing the main business, which would make it easier to speak later.

By going herself instead of sending someone, she demonstrated her sincerity.

"Good, good, good! Hurry and bring that person here so I can kill them! I'll do it this time, old man, you're not allowed to snatch this from me!"

Upon hearing Mother Diviner True Person's words, the Crane Head immediately perked up.

It was as if it had taken a stimulant, its eyes glowing red. It stretched its neck and laughed maniacally, shamelessly revealing the cruelty in its heart.

However, Mother Diviner True Person didn't look at it. Instead, she turned her gaze to Old Man Fate Crane. The Crane Head's words were to be taken with a grain of salt; the real authority lay with Old Man Fate Crane.

As expected, a hint of hesitation appeared on Old Man Fate Crane's face, indicating his rationality, unlike the Crane Head's ferocity.

Ultimately, Old Man Fate Crane nodded, agreeing to Mother Diviner True Person's proposal.

"Old hag Mother Diviner, what are you waiting for? Go! Hurry! I can't wait any longer! You slut!"

The Crane Head also frantically urged her on, its words extremely harsh and unrestrained, venting its dissatisfaction.

Mother Diviner True Person suppressed the anger in her heart. This damned Crane Head! Damn it!

The next moment, her tall figure vanished from the cave like a wisp of smoke, disappearing in an instant.

Meanwhile, at the Communal Feast Convention, Pan Yu's attention was once again captured by an item. It was a jade talisman.

This woman seemed to have a fondness for jade artifacts, holding it in her hand and cherishing it.

"Quick, fellow Daoist, help me examine this item!"

Before the cultivator who produced the item could even begin their introduction, Pan Yu eagerly handed the jade talisman to Yang An, asking him to appraise it.

Yang An happily took the jade talisman. The moment he touched it, an information box quickly appeared before his eyes.

[Forbidden Child Talisman]: Originating from Jade Lang Artifact Forging Workshop, this magic artifact is crafted from Stone Pattern Jade. It is inscribed with restrictions and can withstand one magical attack from a mid-stage False Eater Realm cultivator. It can be bound by dripping blood.

Cost of use: Once this talisman shatters, stone patterns will spread across the user's entire body, causing a certain degree of slowed movement for one hour.

Status: Purifiable!

After examining the information about the jade talisman, Yang An, to avoid suspicion, pretended to scrutinize it for a while before stating his findings.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a Forbidden Child Talisman. It can block an attack equivalent to that of a mid-stage False Eater Realm cultivator. It's indeed a magic artifact."

Upon receiving Yang An's assessment, Pan Yu's face immediately broke into a smile.

The cultivator who had presented the item looked at Yang An with surprise.

"Your eyesight is remarkable, fellow Daoist! To recognize my magic artifact at a glance!"

"You flatter me, fellow Daoist. It's merely a stroke of luck and some knowledge, nothing worth mentioning."

Yang An smiled humbly, believing it was best to remain low-key in such matters.

Having confirmed the authenticity of the item, Pan Yu was eager to trade with the cultivator.

Yang An hesitated for a moment before speaking to her.

"This item is made from Stone Pattern Jade and is inscribed with restrictions. Once the magic artifact is damaged, stone patterns will spread all over your body, affecting your speed to a certain extent. If you intend to trade for it, you'd best consider it carefully."

Pan Yu was a woman, and women were often concerned about their appearance and figure. Therefore, Yang An felt compelled to remind her.

If her entire body were covered in patterns resembling stone cracks, she likely wouldn't look very good.

As soon as Yang An said this, the cultivator selling the item was even more surprised.

Unfortunately, due to the influence of the Illusionary Insect Corpse, his appearance couldn't be seen, making it impossible to glimpse his true face.

"Fellow Daoist, you know the forging process and cost of this item so clearly? Could it be that you are a master skilled in this path?"

Yang An smiled and shook his head, denying the other party's guess, and had no intention of striking up a conversation.

Upon hearing Yang An's reminder, Pan Yu only pondered for a moment before deciding to acquire the item. She then smiled at Yang An again.

"Compared to staying alive, these external things are not important. If I cared about them, I wouldn't have embarked on cultivation. I might as well have remained an ordinary mortal."

"Fellow Daoist, you are too fixated, heehee."

This was Pan Yu's reason, which made Yang An feel ashamed.

Indeed, through his understanding during this period, Yang An now knew that none of these cultivators were normal people.

Anyone who embarked on cultivation and encountered various cultivation-related matters had to bear various corresponding cruel costs.

Compared to that, their external appearance and fleshly bodies were truly insignificant to them.

It was just that he hadn't expected Pan Yu to see things so clearly; he had underestimated her.

Soon, at Pan Yu's urging, after Pan Shi confirmed the grade of this magic artifact, he completed the transaction with the cultivator.

Yang An saw him take out a total of five elixirs from his embrace and hand them over to the other party. Although he didn't know what these elixirs were, judging from the cultivator's delighted expression, they were definitely valuable.

However, Senior Brother and Junior Sister Pan Shi acted as if they were wealthy and didn't care, making the transaction very decisively.

Their demeanor was exactly like two rich second-generation heirs... no, cultivation second-generation heirs.

This gave Yang An a deeper understanding of the immortal mountain sect behind the two.

It seemed that Three Pine Mountain was a force with very deep foundations, and their positions within Three Pine Mountain must not be low.

After completing the transaction, the three left the area and continued walking towards other places.

As more and more cultivators arrived on the island, it had become very lively and noisy, truly like a bustling marketplace in the mortal world.

But after browsing for a long time, Yang An felt a bit disappointed and anxious.

He had seen many items displayed by cultivators who came here, but he hadn't found the cultivation method he was longing for.

He couldn't help but look at Pan Shi and ask doubtfully:

"Fellow Daoist Pan, why haven't I seen any transactions related to cultivation methods?"