He Tou, who had closed its eyes out of boredom, suddenly snapped them open. Its gaze was sharp as it glared sideways at the human head beside it.
"Heh heh, old man, since when did we take on a new disciple? Could it be one of your hidden illegitimate children from the past has come knocking?"
"Don't spout nonsense. When I was in the mortal world, I never married or had children, nor did I ever engage in such debauchery."
Elder Life Crane immediately denied He Tou's wild accusations.
Hearing the exchange between the man and the crane, Mother Divination True Master instantly understood.
"So, that Cultivator named Yang An is not Elder Life Crane's disciple, but is merely impersonating one?"
"That must be it!"
Life Crane nodded.
He had twelve disciples under him, not one of whom was named Yang An, nor did any share the surname Yang.
He had also never sent any of his disciples to attend this Co-Dining Assembly hosted by Mother Divination True Master.
The reason was simple. This was merely a resource exchange among low-level Cultivators. No matter how disappointing his disciples were, they wouldn't stoop so low as to covet the items here.
What Life Crane hadn't expected was that someone would dare impersonate his disciple and brazenly infiltrate the Co-Dining Assembly.
Even if his Life Crane Sect had been dormant for decades, no one should be so audacious.
'Logically, since this person is using my disciple's name, he must know of my existence. Isn't he afraid of offending me?'
"What audacity! To not only sneak onto my Golden Egg Jade Island, but to also dare offend you, Elder. This person is incredibly brazen.
I will personally capture this person and bring him to you, Elder, for you to deal with."
Mother Divination True Master had invited Elder Life Crane this time because she needed his help. She hadn't expected someone to serve themselves up on a platter before she could even get to the main topic.
She had been worried about finding an opportunity to broach the subject, constantly being interrupted by He Tou. This was truly a timely blessing. It was the perfect chance to curry favor before getting down to business, making it easier to ask for his help later.
She didn't send her subordinates, but went personally, which was enough to show her sincerity.
"Good, good, good! Hurry up and drag that person here! Let me kill him! I get to do it this time, old man. Don't you dare fight me for it!"
Hearing Mother Divination True Master's words, He Tou instantly perked up.
It was as if it had taken a stimulant. Its eyes glowed red as it craned its neck and laughed maniacally, making no effort to conceal the savagery in its heart.
But Mother Divination True Master didn't look at it. Instead, her gaze fell upon Elder Life Crane. He Tou's words were just noise; the one who truly made the decisions was Life Crane's human head.
Sure enough, a hint of hesitation appeared on Elder Life Crane's face. This showed he possessed reason, unlike the ferocious He Tou.
In the end, however, Elder Life Crane nodded, agreeing to Mother Divination True Master's proposal.
"Old woman Mother Divination, what are you waiting for? Go! Go now! I can't wait any longer! You wretch!"
He Tou urged her on frantically, its words fierce and utterly without restraint, venting its displeasure.
Mother Divination True Master suppressed the fury in her heart. 'This damned He Tou! Damn it all!'
The next instant, her tall figure vanished from the cave like a wisp of green smoke, gone in the blink of an eye.
「...」
Meanwhile, at the Co-Dining Assembly, Pan Yu had excitedly found something else she liked—a Jade Talisman.
The woman seemed to have a penchant for jade artifacts, unable to put it down once she held it.
"Quick, Fellow Daoist, help me take a look at this item!"
Before the Cultivator who had presented the item could even begin his introduction, Pan Yu eagerly handed the Jade Talisman to Yang An, asking him to appraise it.
Yang An gladly accepted the Jade Talisman. The moment he touched it, a text box appeared before his eyes.
"[Forbidden Child Talisman]: From the Jade Refining Workshop, a Magical Artifact crafted from Stone Pattern Jade. It has a Restriction engraved within it and can withstand a single mana attack from a Middle Stage Fake Food Realm cultivator. Can be bound with a drop of blood.
Usage Cost: Once the talisman shatters, stone patterns will spread across the user's entire body, causing a certain degree of slowed movement for a quarter of an hour.
Status: Can be Purified!"
After seeing the Jade Talisman's information, Yang An, wanting to avoid suspicion, pretended to examine it for a moment before giving his assessment.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a Forbidden Child Talisman. It can block a single attack with the power of a Middle Stage Fake Food Realm Cultivator. Not bad. It is indeed a Magical Artifact."
Upon hearing Yang An's reply, a smile immediately spread across Pan Yu's face.
The Cultivator who had presented the item, however, looked at Yang An with surprise.
"Fellow Daoist has a sharp eye to recognize my Magical Artifact at a single glance!"
"You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. It was just a lucky guess based on some minor knowledge. It's not worth mentioning."
Yang An smiled faintly and replied with great humility. It was best to keep a low profile in such matters.
Having confirmed the item's authenticity, Pan Yu was eager to make a trade with the Cultivator.
Yang An hesitated for a moment before speaking to her.
"This item is made from Stone Pattern Jade and has a Restriction engraved inside. Once the Magical Artifact is destroyed, stone patterns will spread all over your body, affecting your speed to some extent. If you want to trade for it, you should consider it carefully."
Pan Yu was a woman, and women inevitably care about their appearance and figure, so Yang An felt he had to warn her.
'If her whole body were covered in patterns like cracks in a stone, that look... it certainly wouldn't be pretty.'
When Yang An said this, the Cultivator selling the item was even more astonished.
Unfortunately, due to the effect of the Illusion Mimic Insect Corpse, he couldn't see Yang An's face or discern his true appearance.
"Fellow Daoist, you even know the forging process and usage cost of this item so clearly? Could you be a grandmaster skilled in this art?"
Yang An just smiled and shook his head, denying the other's guess, showing no intention of engaging in conversation.
But upon hearing Yang An's warning, Pan Yu only thought for a moment before deciding to acquire the item anyway. She smiled at Yang An again.
"Compared to staying alive, these external things aren't important. If I cared about such matters, I wouldn't have set foot on the path of cultivation. I might as well have remained an ordinary mortal."
"You're too attached to appearances, Fellow Daoist, hehe."
This was Pan Yu's reasoning, and it made Yang An feel a little ashamed.
'It's true,' Yang An thought. 'From what I've learned recently, none of these Cultivators are normal.'
Anyone who stepped onto the path of cultivation and dealt with all the things related to it had to endure various corresponding, cruel costs.
Compared to that, one's physical appearance, flesh, and shell were truly insignificant to them.
He just hadn't expected Pan Yu to see things so clearly. It seemed he had underestimated her.
Soon, at Pan Yu's urging, Pan Shi confirmed the Magical Artifact's grade and completed the trade with the Cultivator.
Yang An saw him take out a total of five Elixirs from his robes and hand them over. Although he didn't know what kind of Elixirs they were, judging by the Cultivator's delighted expression, they were certainly valuable.
Yet, the Pan Shi siblings acted extravagantly wealthy, showing no concern and making the trade decisively.
Their behavior was exactly like a pair of rich second-generation kids... no, Cultivator Scions.
This couldn't help but give Yang An a deeper understanding of the Immortal Mountain Sect behind the two.
It seemed that Sansong Mountain was a power with a very deep foundation, and the pair's status within Sansong Mountain must not be low.
After completing the trade, the three of them left that spot and continued to wander elsewhere.
As more and more Cultivators arrived on the island, the place had become bustling and noisy, just like a marketplace in the mortal world.
But after wandering around for a while, Yang An felt a bit disappointed and anxious.
He had seen many items displayed by the Cultivators here, but he hadn't found the Cultivation Technique he was desperately hoping for.
He couldn't help but look at Pan Shi in confusion and ask:
"Fellow Daoist Pan, why haven't I seen any trades involving Cultivation Techniques?"