Tie Jun laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist, you are too modest! Trading always follows the principle of first come, first served. How could I possibly take it back? At the moment, I'm quite strapped for spiritual stones, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't buy it. Let me introduce myself."

With a grin, he continued, "I am Tie Jun, proficient in alchemy, with some knowledge in body refinement as well. I reside at No. 26 in the southern district of Moon Island. My greatest aspiration is to reach the Nascent Soul mid-stage and join the esteemed Moon True Master's sect."

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, "I am He Liang, with some understanding of talismans and a little knowledge of formations."

Tie Jun's eyes widened in surprise. "Fellow Daoist has knowledge in both talismans and formations? Truly impressive!"

With a sincere smile, he added, "Since you purchased the Black Magic Whale's flesh, you must also be cultivating body refinement, correct? Would you consider joining me on a treasure hunt at Desolate Island?"

Chu Xuan furrowed his brow, "Desolate Island? I'm new here and know little of it."

Tie Jun chuckled, "Ah, it's an excellent place! Let me tell you all about it. Jin Yan, please bring some tea and snacks."

Jin Yan quickly nodded in agreement.

Moments later, Chu Xuan and Tie Jun were seated in a private room, facing each other as they conversed.

"Desolate Island is a large island in the South Third Ring, twice the size of Moon Island," Tie Jun began. "However, it has a volcanic range that erupts frequently, making it unsuitable for permanent habitation. But every time the volcano erupts, it brings treasures up from the depths.

"Among them are Deity Transformation spiritual items like the Spirit Cultivating Branch and Longevity Vine, as well as heavenly treasures like Jade Essence and Light Spirit Crystal. One hundred years ago, after a volcanic eruption, a broken spiritual treasure even surfaced!"

Chu Xuan's eyebrows raised in surprise. He was already familiar with the Spirit Cultivating Branch and Longevity Vine, which were Deity Transformation-level treasures often used for enhancing Nascent Soul energy.

Jade Essence and Light Spirit Crystal were also renowned in cultivation circles. These treasures, once refined, could directly help cultivate a Nascent Soul. The former boosted the essence of Nascent Soul, while the latter sped up their flight abilities.

These "Nascent Soul Cultivating Treasures," known as Primordial Cultivating Materials, were highly prized by Deity Transformation cultivators as well. However, Chu Xuan hadn't expected that Desolate Island's volcanoes could even spew out spiritual treasures.

Deity Transformation and Astral Projection cultivators primarily used spiritual artifacts, while higher-level cultivators—those at the Void Refining stage—used spiritual treasures. If he could obtain even a broken spiritual treasure, his strength would increase dramatically, even if he couldn't fully unleash its power due to his realm. At the very least, he would be able to easily overpower cultivators of the same level!

Tie Jun laughed heartily. "Don't say you don't believe me, fellow daoist. When I first heard of it, I didn't believe it either. Fellow Daoist must have come from outside the Starshatter Sea, right? I did too."

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He sighed a little, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Two hundred years ago, I came to the Starshatter Sea from the sixth-tier sect, Mountain Sword Sect. May I ask, where is fellow daoist from? Which sect do you belong to?"

Chu Xuan let out a long sigh. "I am but a Nascent Soul cultivator from a fifth-tier sect. The Majestic Sword Sect, under the Reincarnation Sect. I'm sure fellow daoist hasn't heard of it."

Tie Jun nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, I haven't heard of it... But I know of the Reincarnation Sect. It is said that it was demoted by the seventh-tier sect, the Creation Cave Heaven, and now its power has completely scattered. When I returned from Desolate Island, I overheard a lot of talk about the Reincarnation Sect. Apparently, many of its disciples, taking advantage of the chaos, have come to the Starshatter Sea."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that true? I may just run into a few familiar faces."

After some thought, it seemed plausible. The Reincarnation Sect had been demoted to a fifth-tier sect, so its resources for cultivation were surely lacking. It was unlikely that many Nascent Soul cultivators would stay. They would either defect to other sects or leave the sect entirely.

The Starshatter Sea, a chaotic land filled with scattered cultivators, often witnessed the emergence of treasures. It was the perfect place for Nascent Soul cultivators to make a name for themselves.

With a little luck, they might even find a Deity Transformation spiritual item and break through to the Deity Transformation realm.

Tie Jun grinned, his voice full of enthusiasm. "So, what do you think, fellow daoist? Will you join me at Desolate Island? I have two other daoist friends, so we can form a small team of four. I know of a secret place on Desolate Island, and only body refinement cultivators can open it. If fellow daoist is willing to join us, treasures will be in abundance."

Chu Xuan pretended to contemplate for a moment, then shook his head.

"I am not strong enough, just at the first layer of Nascent Soul, and my body refinement is only at the thirty-third layer. How could I not be a burden to the fellow daoists? When my body refinement improves in the future, I hope fellow daoist will not forget me."

His words were carefully measured, with no gaps for rebuttal.

Tie Jun couldn't find a reason to argue and simply sighed, "What a pity, what a pity. That's a huge opportunity."

Chu Xuan feigned regret. "Although I may look tough on the outside, I am not good at fighting. I came to the Starshatter Sea purely by chance. If I had a second chance, I would never come."

Tie Jun nodded sympathetically. "Some cultivators practice methods that don't suit fighting. They are more suited to closed-door cultivation, breaking through to higher realms. Fellow daoist, you seem to be one of those cultivators."

Chu Xuan suddenly asked, "Iron fellow daoist, do you know of any major events happening in the Starshatter Sea recently? I am new here and not very familiar with this place."

Tie Jun, appearing to be a straightforward and hearty person, was easy to converse with.

Chu Xuan didn't mind what kind of person he was inside. After all, he was simply looking to gather some current information about the Starshatter Sea.

Tie Jun laughed heartily. "Well, you've come to the right person! I've been trapped on Desolate Island for over fifty years. Now that I'm finally out, I've been looking for old friends, asking about the changes in the Starshatter Sea. Let me think… the biggest event in the South Third Ring is the loss of Nine Yin Island. As far as I know, Nine Yin Island is no more. It's now under the control of Yellow Spring Island. I heard that the True Master Yin was severely injured and probably took all of Nine Yin Island's treasures with him while fleeing."

Tie Jun lowered his voice. "Yellow Spring True Master even issued a bounty—anyone who can find True Master Yin's whereabouts will receive a reward of one hundred great spirit stones, whether or not they actually find him."

Chu Xuan nodded immediately. "True Master Yin, I've heard of him. He's said to be a vicious Deity Transformation cultivator."

He then chuckled lightly. "If True Master Yin is truly injured, a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator might just be able to kill him if they cross paths."

Tie Jun immediately shook his head. "Actually, encountering him might not be a good thing. He's a Deity Transformation cultivator, who knows what hidden trump cards he might have? Fellow Daoist, if you run into him, you'd best avoid him. If you're tempted by greed, we might end up becoming his nourishment to recover his strength!"

Chu Xuan nodded thoughtfully. "Fellow Daoist Tie speaks wisely. Deity Transformation cultivators are far too powerful for us."

The two continued their conversation, talking amiably. As the day drew to a close, they exchanged sound transmission jade slips and parted ways.