Even back when Li Yuyin was in the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stages, she was already famous. Many cultivators from various sects knew a great deal about her past.
However, Li Yuyin was mostly known for her scandalous reputation, so these people did not dare to discuss such matters here. For a time, most of the talk was about that "Senior Li."
Of course, not everyone in the hall was discussing the two Nascent Soul cultivators. Some people just sat there quietly, waiting for the trade to begin with their eyes closed.
Some were already privately inquiring if anyone had the treasures they needed.
In a gathering of five people, one of them looked at a purple-robed youth opposite him.
"Wuding, what fine medicinal pills have you brought this time? We don't necessarily have to wait for the trade to begin. You can state your conditions now, and perhaps we can trade in advance!"
Huchen Wuding, dressed in a purple robe, smiled. The few people opposite him were all disciples with considerable status in their respective families or sects.
Back then, because they were all protected by their families or sects, none of them had participated in the great war against the demons. Li Yan was not famous at that time, so apart from him, no one else recognized Li Yan.
Therefore, while others were discussing Li Yan, these few gathered together to talk about other things.
Among these few, apart from Huchen Wuding who was already in charge of the Huchen family, the others had all come with their respective family heads. They were here to broaden their horizons.
Those family heads were all veteran Golden Core cultivators and did not want to mix with the likes of Huchen Wuding, so they let these juniors do as they pleased.
These juniors were also pleasantly surprised to see Huchen Wuding in the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Huchen Wuding had quite a few good medicinal pills on him.
They were not very familiar with Li Yan. They also knew that this young man, who had only recently taken over as the head of the Huchen family, had not participated in the great war with the demons back then.
They had heard that his past experiences were rather tragic, having been displaced and wandering for a long time. So they never thought that Huchen Wuding would be familiar with Li Yan, and considered him to be the same as themselves.
Huchen Wuding had also been listening to the discussions around him. Some of the information he was also hearing for the first time.
'I really didn't know that benefactor had so many heroic deeds back then. I just wonder how much of it is true?'
He pondered in his heart while occasionally responding to the people around him.
When he felt someone else's gaze fall on him, he smiled faintly.
"This time, I really do have a few bottles of newly refined medicinal pills..."
And just at this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Huchen to be here as well. Would you be able to come over for a chat? You can come to this place..."
Huchen Wuding's expression froze at the sudden voice. His change in expression was noticed by the others.
"What's wrong, Brother Huchen?"
Huchen Wuding had already regained his composure by now, his face calm again, but his heart was surging like a violent tide.
That somewhat familiar voice, coupled with the place he was currently in, he already knew who the other party was.
'I didn't think he would actually remember me. I had originally thought that just congratulating him from a distance would be enough!'
Huchen Wuding thought to himself, and had already stood up.
"Oh, I suddenly remembered something that needs to be dealt with immediately. I'll be back later to trade with you all!"
After speaking, Huchen Wuding walked straight out without regard for the reactions of the others, leaving them looking at each other in confusion.
...
On a remote mountain peak within the Malevolent Spirit Sect, Li Yan stood at the summit, watching the flowing clouds drift in from the distance, then pass by under his feet and go far away...
This was a midway point between Little Bamboo Peak and Lord Lao Peak.
But because it deviated from the main route, and Little Bamboo Peak originally had few disciples, not many sect disciples usually traveled between the two peaks.
The most frequent visitors were disciples from other peaks who came to Little Bamboo Peak to accept missions. However, in the last two days, the disciples of all peaks were busy with the Nascent Soul ceremony, so the number of disciples taking on missions had also become scarce.
As a result, even fewer disciples passed by the mountain peak where Li Yan was currently located.
The reason he had chosen this place was that he did not want to appear on Lord Lao Peak, which was crowded with cultivators.
But if he were to let outsiders go to Little Bamboo Peak, they would have to be checked by his senior brothers. Li Yan felt it was more convenient for him to come out himself.
This had always been his character. It was best if his actions did not attract the attention of others.
Li Yan, who had been watching the flowing clouds drift by, suddenly showed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. After more than a dozen breaths, a faint purple light flashed from the horizon.
Soon, the purple light circled and landed on the peak, about a hundred feet from Li Yan. The light receded, revealing the figure of Huchen Wuding.
When he saw Li Yan's back, a slight hesitation appeared on his face. Because the back was somewhat familiar, but the person had short, steel-like hair, and the feeling he gave was different.
The person's aura was no different from a mortal's. When Huchen Wuding's Divine Sense swept over, he couldn't be sure if this was the person he was looking for.
Just as he was hesitating, the person standing on the cliff edge slowly turned around. It was a young man with ordinary features, dark, tanned skin, and a pair of clear black and white eyes.
Upon seeing the other's face clearly, a look of joy appeared on Huchen Wuding's face. He quickly took a few steps forward and bowed.
"Greetings, Bene... oh, Wuding greets Senior Li!"
Li Yan also had a smile on his face. Without any visible movement, Huchen Wuding felt a gentle force supporting his bowing body.
"Fellow Daoist Wuding, no need for formalities. It has been over a hundred years since we last met. Fellow Daoist has also entered the mid-stage Golden Core. It seems you are doing well in your clan!"
Li Yan said softly.
After his body was lifted, Huchen Wuding looked at Li Yan again, his eyes full of joy.
This time, the Malevolent Spirit Sect had invited the Four Great Sects and all the major sects under their jurisdiction. His Huchen family was originally under the jurisdiction of the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
Moreover, it was a family that once had a Nascent Soul cultivator presiding over it, and was also a famous alchemy family. Naturally, they had received an invitation from the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
But now, the Nascent Soul ancestor of the Huchen family had long since gone on a long journey. So when Huchen Wuding came here, he was already mentally prepared.
The Li Yan of today was no longer the low-level young cultivator like himself back then. He was a lofty Nascent Soul senior, who might have long since ceased to care about the people he had once met.
Therefore, when he came, he had already thought it through. As a vassal sect, he would deliver the congratulatory gift and just watch this person who had once helped him re-enter the family from a distance.
But he had never expected that the other party would seek him out alone before the Nascent Soul ceremony. This filled his heart with a mix of surprise and joy.
As he had been coming over, he had been thinking about how to act neither servile nor overbearing upon meeting him. But as soon as the Li Yan before him spoke, he immediately overlapped with the person from back then.
"Senior, my current cultivation and everything I have is all due to Senior's help back then. I am here to congratulate Senior on your great achievement in forming your Nascent Soul, and on taking another step forward on the immortal path!"
"Ah... there's no need to say all that. To meet an old acquaintance after a hundred years is also a form of fate for us cultivators."
"By the way, I didn't sense the Huchen Ancestor's aura. Could it be that he is still in seclusion?"
Li Yan waved his hand, but did not correct Huchen Wuding's form of address. Huchen Wuding was not one of his senior or junior brothers. If he really let him call him "Fellow Daoist" or something similar, Huchen Wuding's heart would probably only become more uneasy.
When he had swept his Divine Sense earlier, although he had discovered several new Nascent Soul auras in the sect, they were all unfamiliar to him.
Only one of them displayed a rather special aura, a magnificent power of pure yang and rigidity.
Li Yan did not investigate further, lest the other party discover him and he would have to go over and socialize now.
Li Yan guessed that the Nascent Soul was cultivating a Buddhist divine ability, and was probably a high-ranking monk from the Jingtu Sect who had arrived early.
He also knew that before the final great battle at the Devil's Cliff, in the great battle where the South Sea cultivators had turned traitor, the Huchen Ancestor had been seriously injured.
Later, Great Master Liaoyuan of the Jingtu Sect had cast a huge celestial curtain, and Li Yan and the others had all seen the list of the fallen and seriously injured cultivators.
So the Huchen Ancestor would definitely not participate in the final battle. As long as his Nascent Soul was unharmed, he would naturally have survived.
"It is not that my family's ancestor did not come to attend Senior's Nascent Soul ceremony, but that he had already left the family for many years. His whereabouts are unknown. Now, the family is under my charge!"
Huchen Wuding replied respectfully.
"Hehehe... Oh, in that case, I should also congratulate you, Fellow Daoist!"
Li Yan smiled faintly.
"It is all thanks to Senior's grace..."
"Alright, you don't need to be so formal. Let's just treat this as a reunion of old friends. Speaking of which, I was able to obtain the 'Netherworld Order' back then thanks to your help! Hehehe..."
"Senior is too kind. That was actually a transaction. It is Senior's kindness that was much greater!"
Li Yan did not want to continue with the pleasantries here and immediately changed the subject.
"By the way, do you know about Zhuo Lingfeng's situation now? I haven't seen him since we parted!"
"Oh, Uncle Sang?"
Hearing Li Yan ask about Zhuo Lingfeng, a look of reminiscence appeared on Huchen Wuding's face, but he immediately answered Li Yan.
"After Uncle Sang and Senior left the Huchen family, he never contacted me again. Even though I am now the head of the Huchen family and have sent people to inquire everywhere, there has been no news of him..."
Li Yan nodded. In terms of his trip to the Huchen family, the person who had moved him the most was actually Zhuo Lingfeng.
This person could be called a great man of heaven and earth, valuing relationships and righteousness. For the sake of his guardianship and that promise, he had even given up his own cultivation resources to cultivate Huchen Wuding all the way.
This kind of disposition was extremely rare in the cultivation world.
Unfortunately, after the matter was settled, there was no place for him. It was already a great feat that the Huchen Ancestor, considering Li Yan's status, had not killed him.
'I suppose, in order not to arouse the Huchen Ancestor's suspicion, he had already fled far away back then!'
'Now, more than a hundred years have passed in a flash. If he failed to form his core, he would have already turned into a pile of yellow earth!'
Li Yan sighed in his heart, and Huchen Wuding also fell into a momentary silence. Zhuo Lingfeng's feelings for him were like that of a parent's love, both a father and a teacher.
But even though he had found the secret place where his own mother was buried, he had not found the "Uncle Sang" in his heart, losing the chance to repay his kindness.
Next, Li Yan and Huchen Wuding chatted about poisons, poisonous herbs, and alchemy. When it came to these topics, the two of them were really full of interest.
Not only did Huchen Wuding hear about many poisonous spirit plants he had never heard of before, but he also roughly guessed from this that the rumors outside might be true.
The things Li Yan talked about should be spirit plants that only existed on other foreign continents.
Li Yan also gained a lot of inspiration in alchemy and poison cultivation from Huchen Wuding. After all, the "Ghost Realm Poison Scroll" was also one of the top poison cultivation methods on the Desolate Moon Continent.
It had many unique aspects of its own, and coupled with the fact that Huchen Wuding had already cultivated it to the sixth layer, his every word and sentence was clear and methodical.
The two of them talked on the peak for a full hour.
"Fellow Daoist Huchen, tomorrow will surely be crowded with guests, and I won't be able to chat with you freely. That's why I invited you over alone today for a reunion!"
Huchen Wuding immediately took a few steps back and bowed respectfully again.
"Many thanks for Senior's favor. Then I shall take my leave!"
He naturally heard the intention of seeing him off in Li Yan's words. Moreover, he had also gained a lot today and needed to go back and integrate his thoughts immediately.
Li Yan had not only talked about some strange poisons that had never been heard of on the Desolate Moon Continent, but also seemed to have intentionally or unintentionally mentioned some things about cultivation methods in his words.
Although it was only a few occasional sentences, it also gave Huchen Wuding a feeling of the clouds parting to reveal the sun, and his heart was overjoyed.
He knew that Li Yan must have seen the problems in his cultivation. These few sentences were undoubtedly a pointer for him.
He naturally treated it like a treasure and had to go back and ponder it carefully, so as not to miss the opportunity and lose the chance.
To Huchen Wuding's departure, Li Yan just smiled and said no more. Huchen Wuding turned and flew in the direction he had come from.