Exchange Meet

Han Changming wandered the streets for a few laps to ensure no one was following him before finding a teahouse and stepping inside.

An hour later, Han Changming walked out of the teahouse.

He circled the streets once more before returning to the Spirit Talisman Pavilion.

Han Changming found Han Dehai, took out the cyan seashell, handed it to him, and said, "Thirteenth Uncle, I've gathered news about the Green-Eyed Fish Demon. It is said there is a school of them, including several second-tier Green-Eyed Fish Demons. I bought this information from a rogue cultivator; I'm not sure how reliable it is."

"You bought the information from a rogue cultivator? How many spirit stones did it cost?"

"Three hundred spirit stones. It should be reliable."

Han Dehai nodded, his expression grave as he cautioned, "I understand. Do not speak of this to anyone else, do you hear? If the information is accurate, the family will reward you."

"Understood, Thirteenth Uncle."

Han Changming agreed honestly and returned to his room to craft talismans.

Just as he took out his talisman-making tools, a commotion stirred at his waist.

He patted his Spirit Beast Bag, and two Alligator Turtle Beasts crawled out.

They had grown to half a zhang in length and were still first-tier low-grade, but their appetites were enormous.

They rubbed against Han Changming, opening their mouths to reveal rows of sharp teeth, seemingly hungry.

Han Changming took out a two-zhang-long red carp and tossed it onto the floor. The two Alligator Turtle Beasts lunged forward, tearing into the carcass of the red carp with large bites.

Before long, the red carp was eaten clean, not even the bones remaining. A large amount of blood and fish scales splattered across the floor, and a pungent, fishy odor filled the room.

Han Changming cleaned up the blood and scales from the floor, cast a Dust Removal Spell, and opened the doors and windows, allowing the fishy smell to slowly dissipate.

He played with the two Alligator Turtle Beasts for a while before recalling them into the Spirit Beast Bag.

After sitting quietly for a moment, Han Changming picked up his Talisman Brush, dipped it in Cinnabar, and set the tip to the paper.

Before long, a red rune appeared on the talisman paper, followed by a second, a third...

A day passed by in the blink of an eye.

Gathering Immortal Pavilion was the largest teahouse in Kuixing Market and an excellent place for cultivators to make friends and gather information, though the prices were a bit steep, so rogue cultivators rarely appeared there.

On the third floor, over twenty cultivators had gathered. Their robes were embroidered with various patterns, indicating they came from different cultivation factions. Han Changming and his three companions had arrived at Gathering Immortal Pavilion early.

The Talisman Maker Exchange Meeting was primarily for internal exchange among talisman makers, while the small-scale exchange session was mainly for making friends.

Among wealth, companions, methods, and land, companions ranked second only to wealth. Companions referred not only to fellow practitioners and kin but also to any cultivator who could offer guidance.

Han Changjiong's gaze wandered around the room, his mouth chewing incessantly as he held a pastry in each hand.

Qi Refining cultivators arrived one after another, mostly descendants of cultivation families, along with two rogue cultivators.

Han Changming caught sight of a tall, blue-robed youth, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

If he remembered correctly, he had seen Ye Xin and Ye Xue with this blue-robed youth a few days ago.

A quarter of an hour later, over forty cultivators had gathered on the third floor, their cultivation levels ranging from the fourth to the ninth level of Qi Refining. There were rogue cultivators, cultivation family descendants, and disciples from the Fire Cloud Sect, though no disciples from the Ocean Listening Pavilion had arrived.

"Fellow Daoist Mu, didn't you say disciples from the Ocean Listening Pavilion would attend the exchange? Have they not arrived yet?"

Ye Yufeng asked Mu Yunxiao.

Mu Yunxiao shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou and the others had a last-minute matter and couldn't make it. However, my cousin will be coming. He is the only son of the Azure Cloud Sect leader, one of the Seven Sons of Azure Cloud, and is being heavily cultivated by the Azure Cloud Sect."

Hearing this, some of the female cultivators present showed expressions of curiosity.

"Cousin Yunxiao, you flatter me too much." A hearty male voice drifted up from downstairs.

A light sound of footsteps followed, and a youth in his early twenties wearing green robes walked up.

His face was as smooth as jade, his features handsome, and he was tall and slender. He held a cyan folding fan in his hand, looking every bit the refined young master.

Seeing the green-robed youth, Mu Yunxiao's face lit up with joy, and he said, "We were just talking about you! Cousin Lin Xuan."

"I am Lin Xuan, greetings to all fellow daoists."

Lin Xuan bowed to the group, speaking politely. His tone was gentle, giving off a feeling as refreshing as a spring breeze.

After a brief introduction, Lin Xuan took his seat.

Following tradition, the group first exchanged insights on cultivation.

The cultivators present practiced different techniques, but there were some things that could be learned from one another, such as methods to break through bottlenecks.

Listening to the methods others used to overcome bottlenecks, Han Changming gained some inspiration.

In addition to cultivation insights, they also exchanged skills, such as talisman making, alchemy, and artifact refining.

When the topic turned to alchemy, Han Changshuo spoke quite a bit.

Lin Xuan was also a first-tier high-grade alchemist, and his level of alchemy was far superior to Han Changshuo's.

Half an hour later, they entered the exchange phase.

As the initiator, Mu Yunxiao was the first to bring out items for exchange.

A fish tail, two fist-sized cyan ores, and five white fangs, each a chi long.

"The tail of a first-tier high-grade Sea Cloud Beast, five fangs, and two pieces of first-tier high-grade artifact refining material, Azure Moon Stone. I am looking to trade for a second-tier Talisman Brush or second-tier Cinnabar. Talisman-making materials are also acceptable, but I have no need for common materials."

Han Changming was not interested in any of these items, but others certainly were.

Han Changying used a piece of first-tier high-grade beast hide, two zhang long, to trade for those five teeth and two pieces of Azure Moon Stone.

After Mu Yunxiao finished his trade, Lin Xuan stepped forward and took out three items: a pale cyan Talisman Brush, two pieces of red beast hide about a zhang long, and a piece of red ore.

"One second-tier low-grade Talisman Brush, which provides a certain bonus to talisman making; two pieces of hide from the first-tier high-grade Red Carp Beast; and one piece of Red Glass Stone, a first-tier high-grade refining material. I am looking to trade for century-old Flowing Cloud Grass or Seven-Leaf Flower. A water-attribute second-tier demon core would also work. If you don't have those, items of equivalent value are acceptable."

Ye Yufeng used three pieces of second-tier ore to trade for that second-tier low-grade Talisman Brush.

One cultivator after another stepped forward in turn to exchange their items.

Han Changming did not have anything worth trading, so he did not intend to step forward.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a tall, well-built youth in a blue shirt stepped forward and took out three items.

A cyan turtle shell, a pair of black feathered wings, and a cyan wooden box.

"One shell from a first-tier high-grade Azure Profound Turtle, the wings of a first-tier mid-grade demon bird Black Cloud Crow, and the eggs of a Ghost-Faced Scorpion."

Upon hearing the words "Ghost-Faced Scorpion," Lin Xuan's expression shifted, and he asked curiously, "Ghost-Faced Scorpion? You aren't mistaken, are you! That is an exotic insect on the Heaven and Earth Exotic Insect Ranking, ranked one hundred and twelfth. They spit poisonous mist and are impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire."

"Of course. I obtained the Ghost-Faced Scorpion eggs from an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling. It's just that they have been stored for too long; I've been trying to hatch them for several months with no success, but they still possess a life aura, so they should be hatchable."

As the blue-shirted youth spoke, he opened the cyan wooden box, revealing five pale golden insect eggs.

Thanks to Ge Jiushi Name, boyvt, and Maoyuan Sanjiaolian Luhe for the tips. Thank you all. Regarding the request for scheduled updates, I seem to have made an operational error.