Longevity: My Cultivation Talent Can Refresh Chapter 546: Acceptance - Novel Cool

Chapter 546: Acceptance

Chapter 546: Acceptance

As the duel between the two drew to a close, a few Nascent Soul cultivators standing a hundred meters away exchanged glances, their faces reflecting their astonishment.

"It appeared as though Brother Yuan Lang had the advantage in that final strike, but only marginally," one of them remarked. "It's astonishing that someone as young as Fellow Daoist Chu could have attained such profound cultivation."

"Indeed," another cultivator concurred. "It seems Brother Yuan Lang had to resort to his secret spirit sense technique to force Fellow Daoist Chu to abandon his sword formation. Though Brother Yuan Lang still has a few tricks up his sleeve, it's impressive that Fellow Daoist Chu, with only a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, was able to push him that far. His abilities are truly remarkable."

The four cultivators' barrier ensured their privacy, so they felt no need to whisper or hold back in their discussion, unconcerned about Yuan Lang overhearing them.

However, after the two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators finished speaking, they turned to look at the old Daoist and the plump, white-haired elder. They had been deep in conversation earlier, but now they remained silent, their faces wearing expressions of bewilderment.

What the other cultivators didn't realize was that the old Daoist and the plump elder were utterly astounded.

"Brother Yuan Lang did use his spirit sense secret technique," the plump elder said, "but Fellow Daoist Chu's reaction didn't seem like that of someone affected by it. Rather, it looked intentional. On the other hand, Brother Yuan Lang's activation of his defensive shield and subsequent use of an escape technique seemed more like instinctive reactions to a perceived threat. If we interpret it this way, Fellow Daoist Chu had the upper hand!"

The level of astonishment in the hearts of the old Daoist and the plump elder was beyond measure.

They shared a glance, each seeing the same realization in the other's eyes, and then fell into a thoughtful silence.

As the other two cultivators were about to add something, the old Daoist waved his hand, dispelling the barrier that had shielded their conversation.

He then laughed heartily and said, "Brother Yuan Lang, Fellow Daoist Chu, this exchange has been most enlightening. As they say, 'you never truly know someone until you fight them.' Brother Yuan Lang, since you're still in search of the Returning Origin Stone, why don't you invite Fellow Daoist Chu back to your abode for further discussion? To be frank, we're all quite intrigued by Fellow Daoist Chu's background."

Yuan Lang, equally curious about Chu Ning's origins, nodded in agreement. "Please, Fellow Daoists, follow me."

With that, he led the way into the stone pavilion, and the others followed.

Seated within the pavilion, the tense atmosphere that had prevailed earlier dissipated.

Yuan Lang casually instructed one of his disciples to retrieve the Returning Origin Stone.

He then proceeded to introduce Chu Ning to the Nascent Soul cultivators.

The old Daoist introduced himself as Yun Chenzi. He had been a wandering cultivator in his early years but established the Yun Chen View after attaining the Nascent Soul stage, though he still considered himself a wanderer at heart.

The plump, white-haired elder introduced himself as Jian Qingshan, the patriarch of the nearby cultivator family known as the Jian family.

The other two cultivators were Tang and Qiu, both of whom were also wandering cultivators.

Yuan Lang didn't seem inclined to talk much, and after the introductions, he fell silent.

Daoist Yun Chenzi, however, was brimming with curiosity about Chu Ning's background. "Fellow Daoist Chu, may I inquire about your origins? Which sect or clan do you hail from? Your spiritual techniques and treasures are unfamiliar to me."

"I'm a wandering cultivator as well," Chu Ning replied, opting to use the identity he had prepared for his journey across the Tianmu Continent. "I cultivated overseas previously."

After all, the overseas regions of the Tianmu Continent were vast, so it wasn't unusual for Nascent Soul cultivators to emerge from there.

As expected, Yun Chenzi's face lit up with understanding at Chu Ning's response. "So, you're an overseas expert. No wonder we hadn't heard of you before. We thought you might be a genius from one of the major sects, but it turns out you're a fellow wandering cultivator. It's liberating to be unbound by sect restrictions; if you were from a powerful sect, we'd have to be more guarded in our interactions."

Chu Ning smiled at Yun Chenzi's words.

Indeed, the mighty sects of the Tianmu Continent commanded respect and wariness in equal measure.

For example, the Xingyu Sect boasted three late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators alone.

It was only natural for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators to approach such sects with caution.

At this point, Yuan Lang spoke up, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're from overseas, and yet you knew that I possessed the Returning Origin Stone. Did Fellow Daoist Shi Hansong or Qu Zishuo inform you? You see, after acquiring the stone, I've only displayed it on one occasion, and I recall that those two fellow daoists were from overseas as well."

Chu Ning was impressed by Yuan Lang's remarkable memory.

According to Shi Hansong, their encounter had taken place a hundred years ago.

Yet, Yuan Lang had immediately connected the dots and associated the stone with Shi Hansong.

However, while Yuan Lang knew that Shi Hansong was an overseas cultivator, he made no mention of the Xuanling Sect and seemed unaware of their connection.

Fellow Daoist Shi certainly keeps a low profile, Chu Ning thought.

With Yuan Lang having voiced his suspicions, Chu Ning saw no point in further deception. "I did indeed hear about it from Fellow Daoist Shi," he admitted.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Lang nodded but remained silent, his eyes now holding a thoughtful gleam.

The old Daoist, however, was eager to learn more about Chu Ning's experiences overseas and peppered him with questions.

Fortunately, Shi Hansong had shared insights about the overseas cultivation world during their previous conversations, so Chu Ning was able to provide answers that satisfied his inquisitors.

As for the questions he couldn't answer, Chu Ning attributed his ignorance to his solitary focus on cultivation and lack of interaction with other cultivators, which seemed to appease them.

Seeing that Chu Ning had some knowledge of the overseas cultivation world, the group seemed to accept his identity without further doubt.

Jian Qinghan's disciple, whom Yuan Lang had previously instructed to retrieve the Returning Origin Stone, soon approached carrying a jade box.

Yuan Lang took the box, opened it, and glanced inside before handing it to Chu Ning.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, this is the Returning Origin Stone."

Chu Ning opened the box and examined its contents, revealing a piece of ashen-gray material about the size of a fist.

It would be more than sufficient for refining the Primordial Turtle Shield, and so he smiled and accepted it.

He then bowed slightly to Yuan Lang in gratitude.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist.

Earlier, I offered a jade slip containing a list of items I possess. I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist Yuan Lang, found anything of interest?

Or perhaps, is there anything you seek that I might have?"

Upon hearing these words, Yuan Lang couldn't help but recall their earlier duel, and the more he thought about it, the more displeased he felt.

He hadn't gained the upper hand at all during the fight, and he wasn't sure what the outcome would have been if they had continued.

However, Chu Ning had easily sustained himself for the duration of the duel, and there was no doubt he could have lasted much longer.

At this moment, Yuan Lang didn't feel right about asking for anything from Chu Ning in exchange, so he waved his hand and said, "As I mentioned before, Fellow Daoist, your abilities are indeed formidable, and giving you this stone is no trouble at all.

Although our match didn't last for a full incense stick's worth of time, I must admit that I'm quite impressed by your skills and treasures."

Before Chu Ning could respond, the white-haired, plump elder, Jian Qingshan, interjected with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, you may not be familiar with Brother Yuan Lang's ways.

While many cultivators view him as proud and aloof, he is actually quite amicable once he takes a liking to someone.

Take us, for instance. Who among us hasn't received some kindness from Brother Yuan Lang?"

"In that case, I must thank you, Fellow Daoist Yuan Lang," Chu Ning replied with a smile as he accepted the jade box.

"Indeed," Jian Qingshan continued, "We gathered here at Yuan Lang Mountain to exchange treasures, and since you, Fellow Daoist Chu, hail from overseas, I'm sure you have many items that we rarely come across."

He paused briefly, then turned to Yuan Lang.

"Brother Yuan Lang, why don't we invite Fellow Daoist Chu to join us?"

"I agree!" Yuan Lang nodded.

Jian Qingshan promptly asked Chu Ning, "Fellow Daoist Chu, what do you say?"

"I'm eager to broaden my horizons and would gladly accept the invitation," Chu Ning replied.

One of his primary goals in coming to the Tianmu Continent was to acquire various cultivation techniques and manuals, and another was to find rare materials for crafting artifacts.

Moreover, the items he sought were particularly uncommon, making them extremely difficult to obtain through regular markets.

He relished the opportunity to trade with Nascent Soul cultivators like these.

"Then let's begin!" Yuan Lang declared, signaling the start of their exchange.

They had originally intended to begin their transaction earlier, but Chu Ning's unexpected arrival had disrupted their plans.

Now that they had confirmed Chu Ning's participation, they could proceed.

Each of them presented a selection of treasures they were willing to trade, along with a list of items they sought in return, and they began to peruse each other's offerings.

Chu Ning's desired items were, of course, the materials needed for crafting the three artifacts.

However, for precautionary reasons, he didn't list all the required materials.

In fact, he had already gathered quite a few materials, and these were not included in the list.

Additionally, Chu Ning cleverly intertwined the materials for the three artifacts, making it challenging for anyone to decipher which materials corresponded to which artifact.

Even if someone managed to gather all the materials on the list, they would likely be perplexed as to their purpose.

As for what he offered in exchange, Chu Ning presented a diverse array of items, including artifact crafting materials, spiritual herbs, pills, and even artifacts.

Jian Qingshan was the first to examine Chu Ning's jade slip, and he couldn't help but be impressed by the contents.

"This Fellow Daoist Chu truly has many desirable items. It seems the reputation of the abundance of treasures in the overseas immortal isles is well-deserved."

With these thoughts, Jian Qingshan set down the jade slip and turned to Chu Ning with a smile.

"I notice that the items you seek are mostly artifact crafting materials, while the items you offer include spiritual herbs and pills.

Fellow Daoist, do you also have a talent for pill and artifact crafting?"

Chu Ning smiled in response, "I can't claim to be an expert, but I do have some experience and interest in both pill and artifact crafting."

Jian Qingshan nodded slightly and then passed the jade slip to Daoist Yun Chenzi.

"Old Daoist, I believe you'll find Fellow Daoist Chu's offerings particularly intriguing."

He shook his head as he continued, "Unfortunately, I don't have much use for high-level pill and artifact crafting materials myself.

If Fellow Daoist had some demon beast pills or pills used by Golden Core cultivators, I would be more interested. As for the items on your list, Fellow Daoist, it might be possible to find one or two of them with some effort.

Ah, the demands of my large clan are never-ending. My descendants always expect me to provide them with something."

As soon as Jian Qingshan finished speaking, Chu Ning waved his hands, and a pile of items appeared on the stone table before them.

"Sixth-grade demon beast pills, seventh-grade demon beast pills... There are so many!

And here are pills refined using demon beast pills and even pill formulas?"

Jian Qingshan's eyes lit up with delight as he examined the items, and his plump face was filled with joy, his small eyes nearly disappearing into slits as he smiled.

(End of Chapter)

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