"Fellow Daoist Yang, perhaps you're unaware, but transactions involving Cultivation Techniques have always been the rarest among Cultivators. It's a rare sight to see someone offer one up for trade."
"Why is that?"
Yang An didn't quite understand.
"As you should know, Fellow Daoist, not just any Cultivation Technique is compatible with a given Cultivator. If one can't adapt to the technique's cost during the Resonance Stage, it means that Cultivation Technique isn't the best choice. It ends up wasting a lot of time, which makes for a very strict screening criterion."
"Second, Cultivation Techniques are incredibly expensive, and very few Cultivators can afford them. Meanwhile, the Cultivators who *do* have the means generally won't spend a fortune on one. It makes them something of a white elephant, unless the technique is exceptionally powerful."
"The third and most important point is that every Cultivation Technique represents the exclusive secret of a faction or a Great Power. Most techniques found circulating in the wild are common, widespread ones. If you're lucky enough to find a top-tier technique that has leaked, acquiring it could actually bring you a world of trouble."
Pan Shi explained in great detail.
"Take my Sansong Mountain, for example. If we discovered a Cultivation Technique from our sect was circulating outside, we would stop at nothing to find those involved. We would show them no mercy! Any other sect would do the same."
"Even the Immortal Mountain you hail from, Fellow Daoist, would do the same. Preventing the heritage from leaking out is the only way to preserve a sect's very foundation!"
This was all relatively simple common sense, but Pan Shi didn't suspect Yang An because of it.
In his eyes, a Cultivator like Fellow Daoist Yang must come from a Sect with a profound heritage, so he's never had to worry about something like obtaining a Cultivation Technique. It was a classic 'let them eat cake' situation.
In fact, it was the same for him and his junior sister, Pan Yu.
Such were the benefits of being backed by a power with a sufficiently deep heritage.
Hearing Pan Shi's words, Yang An understood, but he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
He had originally planned to see if he could find a Cultivation Technique at the Co-dining Assembly and begin his cultivation journey.
Now, after hearing what Pan Shi said, he realized it wasn't going to be so simple.
To find a Cultivation Technique with no strings attached, that was suitable for him, and was also incredibly powerful...
Fulfilling all three conditions at the same time was simply too demanding.
'In that case, to satisfy these three conditions, get a Cultivation Technique, and become a Cultivator...'
'The best way would be to join a cultivator faction or become the disciple of a Cultivator.'
Yang An sighed. However, given his unfamiliarity with these Cultivator Sects, he decided to look around a bit more first.
After all, so many Cultivators were attending the Co-dining Assembly—at least a thousand—from all sorts of factions and Sects. It was a real motley crew.
Besides, he possessed the ability of Purification, which could eliminate a technique's cost. While others needed to satisfy three conditions, he only needed to satisfy two; he didn't have to worry about whether he could withstand the cost of a Cultivation Technique.
Therefore, he could accept any Cultivation Technique, as long as it wasn't terrible.
'Maybe I'll get lucky and run into one.'
The three of them chatted as they walked. The number of Cultivators was growing, and many areas were packed so tightly they were impassable. It seemed some Magical Artifact had drawn a large crowd.
Out of curiosity, the trio decided to go take a look and join the fun.
Yang An walked at the rear, but before he had taken more than a couple of steps, he suddenly realized several Glue Insect Children had closed in on him, instantly surrounding him.
Yang An's heart clenched at the sight. These humanoid creatures, formed from countless clinging Gooey Insects, had surrounded only him. They were clearly here for him.
Meanwhile, Pan Shi and his sister were walking ahead. They had already gotten some distance away and seemed not to have noticed.
A faint sense of unease crept over Yang An. Just as he was about to speak, the Glue Insect Child before him said,
"Fellow Daoist, the True Master requests your presence. Please come with us."
'True Master?'
'The only one the Glue Insect Children would call "True Master" would be the Mother Divination True Master of Xiyue River—their master.'
'This is bad,' Yang An thought. 'I can't think of any reason why a True Master would go out of her way to send someone to fetch me.'
'I'm just one inconspicuous Cultivator among the many attending the Co-dining Assembly.'
'Don't tell me my impersonation of a Life Crane Sect disciple has been exposed?'
'But how could that possibly attract the attention of a Visceral Stone True Master?'
He glanced at the Glue Insect Children, who had blocked nearly every escape route. It seemed he had no way to refuse.
"Please!"
The Glue Insect Child urged him again.
Yang An looked toward Pan Shi and his sister, who still hadn't noticed him. Even the other Cultivators brushing past them seemed oblivious to his situation.
'This is all a bit strange.'
"Alright!"
He took a deep breath and nodded.
Soon, Yang An was led by the Glue Insect Children to a remote place where almost no one else could be seen.
Once there, Yang An grew even more tense. He hardly dared to breathe.
But even after they brought him to this spot, the number of surrounding Glue Insect Children only increased. He had no chance to escape.
"If I may ask, Fellow Daoist, where is the True Master?"
He plucked up his courage and took the initiative to ask the Glue Insect Child, but as soon as the words left his mouth, everything within his sight was plunged into darkness in an instant.
Suddenly, Yang An felt as if he were completely enveloped by something dark. All around him was pitch black, so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Even the Glue Insect Children had vanished in an instant.
A dreadful feeling—of isolation, silence, and profound unease—washed over Yang An.
But just then, a female voice, one that sounded inexplicably gentle, suddenly spoke beside his ear.
"Where did this junior come from, daring to sneak into my Xiyue River? Your sect is… Hmm?
No Mana… You're a mortal?!"
The female voice had been about to question Yang An, but she suddenly discovered that he didn't have a trace of Mana on him and was momentarily stunned.
'Anyone who enters Golden Egg Jade Island must have consumed an Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse to arrive here.'
'And if a mortal consumes an Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse, they are supposed to fall into illusions worse than death and die, unable to withstand it.'
'So how did this mortal get in?!'
The female voice's sudden appearance and disappearance startled Yang An, but just then, a bright light suddenly appeared beside him.
A perfectly round, fist-sized sphere materialized, emitting a golden glow that immediately captured Yang An's attention.
But just as he looked at the glowing sphere, the light suddenly burst apart and was annihilated into the darkness. Then, the female voice appeared again.
"You can see it?! That means the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse has no effect on you. How did you do it?"
'The sudden light was just a test.'
'The Wooden Ship Lamp Soul responsible for greeting the Cultivators would never dare neglect its duties, so this person undoubtedly consumed the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse. Yet he didn't fall into the illusion.'
The strangeness of it all immediately piqued the voice's curiosity.
Before Yang An could even speak, his scalp began to tingle. He'd guessed the voice belonged to the legendary Mother Divination True Master, but he never expected she would see through him so completely in a mere instant.
However, Yang An did his best to steady his emotions while his mind raced, trying to figure out how to answer the Mother Divination True Master's question.
But just as he decided to play dumb and claim he had no idea how it happened, just as he was about to answer the Mother Divination True Master...
CRACK!
In the silent darkness, the sound of something unknown shattering suddenly rang out.
Along with a faint, sudden glimmer of light, a massive, human-head-sized avian head suddenly emerged from the darkness, barely a foot away from Yang An.
Reflecting the faint light, its eyes seemed to brim with savagery and impatience. And from its long, sharp beak, it spoke in a human voice.
"Mother Divination, you old hag! You're this slow just to bring one person over? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"