Chapter 289: Strange Visitors

The Netherworld Sect’s cooperation model is fundamentally different from the Taohua Sect’s.

The Taohua Sect needed more land for this Spirit Grass.

But the players were not prepared to share the secret of the Thunder Stone Treasure with disciples from other sects.

This was something they had to control internally.

Unless they gained the capital to flex their muscles in the future.

If the Netherworld Sect could agree to let players from the Longevity Sect station themselves there, it would be the best possible form of cooperation.

[Zhou Nvzi: Once we have more Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators and refine more Thunder Stone Treasures, these few sects won’t be much of a threat to us. The biggest threat right now is the Sea View Sect.]

The Sea View Sect genuinely has Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

And more than one, at that.

They are a behemoth that would be difficult to deal with.

An ordinary sect wouldn’t even dare to have designs on the Sea View Sect.

But the Longevity Sect had to seriously consider such things.

Small sects were easy to handle, but major sects presented a conflict of resources.

For example, the mineral veins and key spirit material resource sites controlled by the Sea View Sect were inaccessible to members of other sects.

[Fan Guzhou: Don’t rush. We have to take this one step at a time.]

[Shuang Xiahuai: If we could refine a Heavenly Grade Thunder Stone Treasure, I can’t even imagine what that would be like.]

[Fan Guzhou: Then we’ll just have to put the pressure on the master, Xue Yao.]

[Xue Yao: ...]

[Fan Guzhou: By the way, a rather strange group of people has arrived in Wang’an County. Tell the other players to mind their words and actions.]

[Zhou Nvzi: How strange?]

[Fan Guzhou: A group of Cultivators protecting a mortal.]

[Zhou Nvzi: Are you sure? That seems unlikely. Maybe that mortal is a master hiding their aura? It’s not like we don’t have those around here. That old man is clearly a Cultivator disguised as a mortal.]

[Fan Guzhou: I’m not sure either, but I saw the person coughing constantly, and they didn’t look well. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a sickly person in the Cultivation World. In any case, we should be careful. The origins of this group are unknown.]

The group Fan Guzhou mentioned was indeed a bit strange.

They had just arrived in Wang’an County.

There were five of them, four being Cultivators with clearly powerful auras.

The players weren’t fools; they could tell at a single glance.

Their appearance in Wang’an County immediately drew attention.

"Young Master, let’s rest in this small county town first."

The person at the head of the group, who appeared to be a mortal man, was as transcendent as jade, with looks like that of an Immortal.

His face, however, was visibly pale and sickly.

From time to time, he would cover his mouth and let out a soft cough.

And despite the warm climate of Wang’an County, he was wrapped in a thick, snow-white robe.

He had no aura of Cultivation about him and seemed to be a mortal.

But to be protected in the center by four other Cultivators, one could tell at a glance that his background was anything but ordinary.

The players, however, couldn’t help but stare.

For no other reason than that the man was truly handsome.

"Young Master, these people from the small sects don’t know the rules."

The players were used to being relaxed, so their gazes were rather unconcealed.

They were especially curious about the man in the center.

However, they did know some basic etiquette. When the four Cultivators beside him showed clear displeasure, the players quickly lowered their heads and looked away.

’So stingy. Can’t even look at a handsome guy!’

And these four Cultivators of unknown origin clearly disliked being scrutinized and sized up in such a way that crossed the line.

One of them, a Cultivator with a scar near the corner of his eye, said, "Should we..."

The man immediately raised a hand to stop him. "This is the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect. Don’t cause trouble."

At the man’s words, the Cultivator immediately lowered his head, not daring to say more. "Understood."

The roads in Wang’an County were now wide, and many places could be seen at a glance.

The man looked toward the area where there were clearly more active players and said, "Let’s find a place to eat. I’m a little hungry."

"Yes!"

The four Cultivators carefully protected him, leading the man to a tavern in town.

Facing the guests from outside the county, the mortal Shopkeeper was extremely cautious. "What would my guests like to eat? We have many signature dishes."

"Just bring us whatever. Mostly light dishes."

The Cultivators’ faces were cold, but having been stopped by the man, their attitudes weren’t hostile.

The Shopkeeper immediately nodded. "Alright. We also produce Spiritual Wine here. Would the guests like to try some?"

"Spiritual Wine? COUGH, COUGH..." The man seemed a little interested. "What kind of wine is Spiritual Wine?"

The Shopkeeper said, "It’s a Spiritual Wine brewed from certain Spirit Grass and mortal grains. Although it’s made with mortal food, it also contains Spiritual Energy. Plus, it tastes great. Our Spiritual Wine is very popular with the nearby sects."

"Then bring a few bottles for us to try."

The man appeared to be quite interested, but his eyes betrayed no emotion.

The four Cultivators led him upstairs.

Although there were private rooms, the man didn’t choose one. After all, unless it was reinforced with a sound insulation array, a private room in a mortal tavern was merely decorative.

It didn’t matter where they sat.

Their group found a table by the window, giving the man the seat with the best view.

At the table next to them, Zhai Xiaotian was savoring the tavern’s new Spiritual Wine.

The production system for Spiritual Wine from First-rank spirit grass was already mature, and now they were beginning to brew with Second-rank Spirit Grass.

Even before tasting it, he could feel that the Spiritual Energy was much richer than in the previous Spiritual Wine.

Even the other four men felt it.

Originally, these Cultivators hadn’t paid much mind to anything upon arriving in this small place.

But after seeing Zhai Xiaotian, the expressions of the four men suddenly tensed.

They couldn’t gauge Zhai Xiaotian’s depth.

Either his Level was higher than theirs, or he possessed a Magic Treasure that concealed his aura.

Either way, it meant the Zhai Xiaotian before them was no ordinary Cultivator.

And the four of them were not only Late-stage Golden Core experts, but also an extremely rare group of brothers.

They were capable of protecting their Young Master as they traveled through most sects without fear.

They had visited several other small sects before and hadn’t met any noteworthy figures, yet now, arriving in this place, they found a hidden master.

The group’s imposing aura was suddenly not as arrogant as before.

They were escorting their Young Master; it seemed it was best to keep a low profile.

The man sensed his four guards sizing up the person nearby. Although he couldn’t feel Spiritual Energy himself, he could tell they had detected something.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly.

He looked out the window and said, "The architectural style here is quite unheard of."

Especially the high walls all around.

Walls weren’t strange, but the drab, gray expanse wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing.

It was a world apart from the architectural style within the town.

If the players knew what he was thinking, they would definitely cry foul.

’We’re still trying to combine better materials for the high walls to block demon beast attacks! They might be torn down at any moment, so we just haven’t painted them yet!’

The man then asked, "What sect is this?"

"The Feique Sect," one of the Cultivators replied. "When we entered earlier, there was a stone stele outside with that name written on it."

The man nodded thoughtfully.

Before long, their food arrived.

The Cultivators exchanged a glance, activated a sound insulation array, and began to chat amongst themselves.