In the Cold Mountain Pavilion, aside from those guests who are familiar with each other’s identities and backgrounds, the pavilion itself will never leak any information about its guests to outsiders.
At this moment, some cultivators gathered in clusters, chatting and laughing, discussing the ongoing Trade Conference, clearly longtime friends who haven’t seen each other for years.
Others sat in silence, exuding an aura of inapproachability towards strangers.
Some exchanged hostile glances, evidently harboring grudges.
When Lu Yuanshan and his two companions had just entered and were greeted by Xuu Shangyang, many cultivators around shifted their gaze to scrutinize the three.
Those gazes were sharp and curious, making Lu Yuanshan and his companions the center of attention for a while.
This situation wasn’t unique to them; later arrivals would also be scrutinized, as people wondered if they recognized them, their background, and cultivation level. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI[F]ire.net
"Lu Daoist, over here!"
A voice filled with surprise suddenly called out from the side.
Upon hearing it, Lu Yuanshan and his companions weren’t sure who was being addressed; all three shared the surname Lu.
They turned towards the voice, seeing Yuan Lang waving enthusiastically beside an elderly man, his eyes fixed on Zhiwei.
It was obvious that the call of "Lu Daoist" was for Lu Zhiwei.
Among Lu Changfeng and Lu Yuanshan, it was Lu Zhiwei who had more interactions with Yuan Lang.
One time, they joined forces to slay Liang Zhennan.
Another, they resisted the locust plague in Pingyuan County.
Seeing Yuan Lang here extending a greeting, Lu Zhiwei’s calm expression shifted slightly, and she walked over immediately.
After all, they had met several times and worked together; ignoring him would be impolite.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yuan."
"Hmm, it’s been a long time!"
"Your two brothers are here as well."
Yuan Lang, in a good mood, glanced at Lu Zhiwei and then turned his gaze to Lu Changfeng and Lu Yuanshan, recognizing them at a glance.
Cultivators’ memories far surpass those of ordinary people; even after a single meeting, they can recognize someone a second time by their aura, actions, or the magical artifacts and divine techniques they use.
Only strangers they’ve never met would appear unfamiliar to them.
Among those present, more than half seemed unfamiliar to Yuan Lang, as it was their first meeting.
Lu Yuanshan stepped forward with Lu Changfeng, paused before Yuan Lang, and nodded in greeting.
The elder beside Yuan Lang raised his gaze to Lu Zhiwei with some surprise, "Young friend, you’ve reached Foundation Establishment?"
This person was none other than Yuan Lang’s master, Xuu Qingshan, a Crystallization Cultivator from Shenxiao Palace.
He brought Yuan Lang here to broaden his horizons and exchange for some treasures.
Lu Zhiwei nodded, scrutinizing Xuu Qingshan for a moment.
Yuan Lang was truly surprised to hear that Lu Zhiwei had reached Foundation Establishment.
Seeing Lu Zhiwei here earlier, he greeted her enthusiastically without noticing her cultivation level.
Now that he looked again, she indeed surpassed the Qi Cultivation Stage.
How long had it been since they last met?
Yuan Lang also glanced at Lu Changfeng and Lu Yuanshan, noting that Lu Yuanshan’s cultivation had become unfathomable.
Obviously, that’s a sign of having reached Foundation Establishment.
The fact that both siblings from the Cyan Mountain Sect had achieved Foundation Establishment was remarkable!
It was only when Lu Changfeng spoke up that Yuan Lang snapped out of it, introducing Xuu Qingshan beside him: "This is an elder from Shenxiao Palace, who is also my master."
Xuu Qingshan introduced himself, having some impression of Lu Yuanshan and his companions and having heard Yuan Lang mention them before.
"Greetings, Elder Xuu."
Realizing Xuu Qingshan was an elder from Shenxiao Palace, Lu Yuanshan composed himself.
In line with Shenxiao Palace’s rule for elders, an elder must at least possess Early-stage Crystallization cultivation.
Clearly, Xuu Qingshan was a Crystallization Cultivator. Such cultivators were not to be offended lightly.
"Hehe, you two brothers do resemble Elder Lu, perhaps one day you’ll both become heavenly talents like Elder Lu."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanshan and Lu Changfeng both humbly shook their heads.
Beside them, Lu Ping, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but take a closer look at Xuu Qingshan, finding him somewhat familiar.
Back then, Xuu Qingshan was a loose cultivator at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, sincerely seeking to join the Cyan Mountain Sect as a direct disciple.
Unfortunately, due to sect matters and familial responsibilities, he was politely declined on the spot, unable to fulfill Xuu Qingshan’s wish.
Later on, Xuu Qingshan was recruited by Shenxiao Palace, ending his chance with the Cyan Mountain Sect.
Now, seeing that Xuu Qingshan achieved the rank of elder in Shenxiao Palace and reached Late-stage Crystallization, he seemed to fare quite well.
It’s uncertain if he bore any grudges...
While Lu Ping pondered, Xuu Qingshan showed no airs; on the contrary, he took the initiative to introduce other fellow cultivators to Lu Yuanshan and his companions.
There were four in total.
Two were fellow disciples from Shenxiao Palace, both at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, admitting their purpose was to obtain the Five Elements Crystals to impact the Crystallization Stage.
Among them, one was Zhao Liancheng, a Fire Attribute cultivator, whose goal was the Li Fire Crystal.
The other two were Xuu Qingshan’s friends.
One hailed from the Ji Family cultivation clan, named Ji Daolin, the clan leader, with Early-stage Crystallization cultivation, middle-aged, smiling at Lu Yuanshan with a nod and greeting.
The last was a loose cultivator named Chen Yuanming from Qi Kingdom, whose cultivation reached Mid-stage Crystallization, the highest among the loose cultivators present.
Privileged by Xuu Qingshan’s introductions to meet two Late-stage Foundation Establishment and two Crystallization cultivators, Lu Yuanshan felt somewhat overwhelmed by the attention.
Typically, cultivators of the same realm introduce each other without spending time on those from lower realms, as their circles differ.
High-tier cultivators generally ignore interactions initiated by low-tier cultivators.
However, through Xuu Qingshan’s introductions, Zhao Liancheng and the others responded with smiles, exchanging a few words with Lu Yuanshan, thus becoming acquainted.
This improved Lu Ping’s impression of Xuu Qingshan quite a bit.
In the cultivation realm, one’s circle determines the type of resources a cultivator can access.
For instance, Tier Three Magical Treasures, talismans, arrays, elixirs, and the like, are mostly held by Crystallization Cultivators, making them hard to obtain for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
To acquire these resources would generally require paying a high price.
However, having made these connections, even though not deeply familiar, at least they could exchange treasures or make purchases in the future if needed.
This, in itself, was a significant gain on this trip.