174: Make a friend

Elder Fu stood rooted to the spot, his Divine Sense locked onto the black-robed figure ahead, his internal magical power already quietly circulating.

"Fellow Daoist, why have you called me here? What guidance do you have?"

The black figure slowly turned around.

On the giant rock, the black-robed person faced him, their features obscured by the shadow beneath their hood.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, you've misunderstood."

A clear voice rang out, completely different from the hoarse, low voice heard at the auction.

"I am not a member of the Yin Luo Sect."

As his voice fell, the person raised a hand and casually pushed back their hood.

The wide black robe, like a curtain losing its support, slipped down their shoulders, revealing a clean azure robe underneath and an exceptionally handsome, youthful face.

Elder Fu's pupils suddenly constricted.

He hadn't expected Lin Feng, who stood before him, to not be the Elder of the Yin Luo Sect he had assumed.

He was clearly a young Cultivator with a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament.

This... how could this be?

A thought flashed through his mind instantly: the dark green jade token at the auction was a token of the Yin Luo Sect; it couldn't be fake.

Unless...

Elder Fu gasped, a bold conjecture surfacing in his mind.

He looked at Lin Feng's calm face, and a turbulent storm raged in his heart.

This person dared to intercept and kill a Nascent Soul Elder of the Yin Luo Sect in the Great Jin Imperial Capital, and then brazenly use their token to participate in an auction!

What unparalleled audacity!

But then, Elder Fu's vigilance and hostility receded like a tide.

In their place was an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

The Nine Underworlds Sect and the Yin Luo Sect had been openly and secretly battling for hundreds of years, long since becoming irreconcilable.

The Yin Luo Sect suffering a setback made him happy beyond words.

Since this mysterious young Cultivator had already made a move against the Yin Luo Sect, he was not an enemy.

The enemy of an enemy is a friend!

In an instant, the solemn expression on Elder Fu's face completely vanished, replaced by a warm, smiling face.

"Hahahahaha!"

He let out a hearty laugh, his previous guard completely gone.

"So that's how it is! It was my poor eyesight, Fu Cheng's fault!"

He clasped his hands towards Lin Feng from a distance, adopting a very friendly posture.

"I am Fu Cheng, the Law Enforcement Elder of the Nine Underworlds Sect! It's a pleasure to meet you, Fellow Daoist!"

Lin Feng merely smiled at his quick change of expression, not pointing it out.

He also clasped his hands in return, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, I am Lin Feng, from the Falling Cloud Sect in Tiannan.

This is my first time in Great Jin, and I am quite unfamiliar with this place."

His words were humble, yet at the same time, he subtly released an aura.

Late Stage Nascent Soul!

Fu Cheng's smile instantly froze.

Feeling that terrifying aura, which made his heart pound just from a hint of it, he was completely stunned.

A Great Cultivator!

This seemingly young man before him was actually a Great Cultivator of the Late Stage Nascent Soul Realm!

Tiannan?

Fu Cheng's mind raced.

He, of course, knew Tiannan, a region recognized as barren in the Human Realm, with thin Spiritual Qi and scarce resources.

He had heard that the entire Tiannan Cultivation World had only three Great Cultivators at the Late Stage Nascent Soul Realm, at most, and they were all in secluded cultivation year-round, rarely showing themselves.

When did such an unfathomable existence appear?

After the shock, the enthusiasm in Fu Cheng's heart became even more sincere.

A Great Cultivator who had made an enemy of the Yin Luo Sect!

This was a strong ally!

If he could build a good relationship with this person, the future benefits would be immeasurable!

"So it's Fellow Daoist Lin! My apologies! My apologies!"

Fu Cheng's smile grew even brighter, even carrying a hint of flattery.

"Since Fellow Daoist Lin is new to Great Jin, you probably haven't found a place to settle down yet."

He said eagerly, "Why not come to my Immortal Cave for a chat? It would also allow me, Fu Cheng, to fulfill my duties as a host and explain the situation within Great Jin in detail to Fellow Daoist."

Lin Feng heard this and a strange smile appeared on his face.

"There's no need to go to your Immortal Cave, Fellow Daoist."

He waved his hand, his tone calm.

"I don't have a habit of visiting male Cultivators' Immortal Caves."

"..."

Fu Cheng's expression froze again, then he coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.

He was also a shrewd person and immediately understood the other party's meaning.

"It was my presumption, Fu Cheng's fault."

He didn't get angry; instead, he waved his large sleeve.

A set of exquisite stone tables and chairs appeared out of thin air, landing steadily on the ground.

He then took out a set of tea ware and a pot of Spiritual Tea, his movements fluid.

Soon, the mist from the Spiritual Tea rose, carrying a clear fragrance on the night wind.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please."

He made a gesturing motion for him to sit, then sat down first himself.

Seeing this, Lin Feng no longer stood on ceremony and took a seat on the other side of the stone table.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, please begin."

Fu Cheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and began to introduce the cultivation world's structure in Great Jin to Lin Feng.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, you may not know, but our Great Jin Cultivation World is dominated by the Ten Great Sects..."

His voice was steady, as he recounted the distribution of various forces in Great Jin and the relationships between the Sects.

Lin Feng listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

What Fu Cheng said was largely similar to what he had learned from the original novel.

"...And among the Ten Great Sects, the strongest is undoubtedly the Demon Sect."

When Fu Cheng said this, his expression also became a bit more solemn.

"The Demon Sect acts domineeringly, has numerous disciples, and the number of Nascent Soul Cultivators within the Sect far exceeds that of other Sects."

He lowered his voice, his expression showing a hint of apprehension.

"Furthermore, there are rumors that the Demon Sect's Old Ancestor, who has lived for nearly two thousand years, has already broken through to that legendary Realm..."

Soul Transformation!

Lin Feng's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly.

It seemed that the news of Old Devil Hu having taken that step was not a secret among the high-level Cultivators of Great Jin.

After introducing the Ten Great Sects, Fu Cheng also spoke about some unwritten rules and forbidden places in the Great Jin Cultivation World.

Lin Feng finally had a clear overview of the general situation in Great Jin.

He put down his teacup, his eyes flickering, and asked casually.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, I have been in Tiannan for a long time and have heard some rumors about the Xiao Ji Palace in the Northern Lands."

"I wonder what kind of power this Xiao Ji Palace possesses?"

Fu Cheng heard this, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He looked at Lin Feng somewhat unexpectedly, not thinking that this Great Cultivator from Tiannan would even know about the Xiao Ji Palace.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, you even know about the Xiao Ji Palace?"

He pondered for a moment, organizing his words.

"The Xiao Ji Palace is located in the extremely cold northern lands, too far from our Great Jin territory, so it has not been included among the Ten Great Sects."

"But its strength should absolutely not be underestimated!"

Fu Cheng's expression became serious.

"As far as I know, the Xiao Ji Palace has at least two Great Cultivators openly presiding over it."

"Moreover, it is rumored that the founding Ancestral Master of the Xiao Ji Palace was an ancient powerful being who Ascended to the Spirit Realm tens of thousands of years ago. Its Sect's foundation is probably no weaker than any top Sect in our Great Jin."

Lin Feng nodded, indicating his understanding.

Fu Cheng looked at Lin Feng's calm face, but a ripple suddenly stirred in his heart.

Lin Feng mentioning the Xiao Ji Palace made him involuntarily think of another matter.

He recalled an agreement he had made years ago with Fairy Bai, Bai Yaoyi, from the Xiao Ji Palace.

They had agreed to go together to the Southern Border to explore a secret Realm left behind by an ancient Cultivator.

However, that secret Realm was extremely dangerous, and they were not fully confident with just the two of them.

They still needed to find two more Fellow Daoists of comparable strength whom they could trust to accompany them.

For years, he had been looking for suitable candidates but had never found one.

And now...

Fu Cheng's gaze fell upon the young yet unfathomable face opposite him.

A powerful Late Stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

Without a Sect or faction, at least alone in Great Jin.

And he had just offended the Yin Luo Sect, a time when he needed allies.

This... wasn't this the best candidate delivered right to his doorstep?