Wang Lin pushed open the chamber door to find Daoist Yichenzi standing just outside, a gentle smile upon his face and hands clasped in greeting. “You are too kind, Daoist friend. Please, enter,” Wang Lin replied, returning the smile.

In the northern part of the courtyard stood a gazebo, modest in size yet exquisitely crafted. Dragons and phoenixes were carved with painstaking detail, and the entire structure was fashioned from luminous celestial jade. A spirit-gathering array hummed beneath, ensuring a perpetual circulation of enchanted air around the gazebo.

A small, babbling brook flowed by the gazebo, its gentle murmur a balm for the worldly soul. Several turquoise fish darted through the water, occasionally leaping to the surface with a soft ‘plop,’ creating ripples that spread across the surface.

Within the gazebo, a middle-aged man in purple robes sat facing an elderly man in simple green. Between them stood a table of pure white jade, its surface gleaming softly.

Beside them stood a lovely young maiden, her bright eyes flickering with curiosity as she watched Yichenzi and Wang Lin approach from afar.

As the two newcomers drew near, the men in purple and green rose to their feet, beaming, and greeted Wang Lin with clasped hands. “Brother Wang, please,” the middle-aged man gestured towards an empty seat.

Wang Lin glanced about the gazebo, his gaze lingering on the lovely maiden who watched him. She, too, was a cultivator, though her cultivation was only at the nascent soul stage. Her beauty was matched by an uncommon innocence, a rarity within the cultivation world. Such purity could only be preserved by someone raised in the loving care of a powerful figure, sheltered from the harsh realities of cultivation and kept close from birth. Indeed, the maiden bore a striking resemblance to Yichenzi.

Noticing Wang Lin’s scrutiny, a blush rose on her cheeks, and she quickly lowered her gaze, though her eyes occasionally darted back to him, filled with curiosity.

Wang Lin smiled faintly. He understood what the Three Dust Daoists intended. Their recent friction, though minor, could still breed suspicion in the unpredictable world of cultivation. By including the maiden, clearly a member of their kin, they indirectly demonstrated their lack of malice. They would hardly bring a mere nascent soul cultivator if they harbored ill intentions.

Once seated, Yichenzi beckoned the maiden and, turning to Wang Lin, introduced her with a smile: “Brother Wang, this is a junior member of my clan. A child, yet eager. I ask that you show her some consideration.

He then looked towards the maiden, his expression stern. “Ling’er, this is Senior Wang, a figure of great power, whom even I respect. To meet him is a stroke of fortune for you.”

The maiden blinked her eyes and bowed lightly towards Wang Lin, whispering, “Ling’er greets Senior.” Her voice was like the song of a lark, a sweet melody that resonated within one’s very bones. Wang Lin studied her closely, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“As I suspect Brother Wang has already discerned, my granddaughter possesses the rare water spirit physique. I have attempted to conceal it in every way, save for her voice, which my abilities cannot fully mask. I must keep her close, lest her innate talent attract those with malicious intent, who would seek to use her as a vessel,” Yichenzi explained with a wry smile.

Wang Lin nodded. Water spirit physiques were indeed highly sought after as vessels. However, with her under the protection of Yichenzi, few would dare to seize her, lest they invite the wrath of the Three Dust Daoists, a risk hardly worth taking.

Moreover, the Three Dust Daoists, though seemingly a trio, commanded a network of allies and supporters. In times of dire need, they could summon formidable reinforcements, making them a force to be reckoned with.

The maiden’s voice had stirred a moment of reverie in Wang Lin, quickly dispelled, yet it left behind a lingering sense of bitterness. “She, too, was a water spirit…” he thought, a melancholic ache stirring in his heart. Some wounds, it seemed, would never fully heal.

What he thought buried, was now stirring to the surface once again, stirring up a painful wound.

With a sigh, Wang Lin’s gaze returned to the lovely maiden, who shifted uncomfortably, her head bowed.

With a soft rustle, Wang Lin produced a straw hat from his storage bag. Looking at the hat, he paused, remembering Yun Quezi, he gently placed the hat on the table, and spoke calmly, “This was gifted to me by a deceased friend. It conceals all traces of spiritual essence. After Daoist Yichenzi refines it, it will only become more potent. I offer it to the child.” The girl wrinkled her nose, as if not appreciating the humble hat.

Yichenzi’s eyes widened with surprise as he picked up the hat and examined it closely. “Brother Wang, this is no celestial treasure, yet its craftsmanship is extraordinary! The multitude of layered restrictions woven within are far too many to count, combined they could conceal a thousand mysteries. Should it fall into the hands of a skilled master of restrictions, he could unravel and enhance them, even cultivate his own prowess! Brother Wang, this is indeed a gift of great weight…” The girl’s expression changed, an interested glint filling her eyes. Wang Lin simply shook his head. “It is of no use to me. Please, accept it for the child.” Yichenzi hesitated for a moment, then nodded his thanks.

Looking at the girl, Wang Lin’s gaze softened as he produced a small bell from his storage bag. “This, too, is for you,” he said with a smile.

The maiden’s eyes lit up with delight as she accepted the bell. With a gentle shake, a sweet chime resonated in the air, and she smiled, her eyes shining. “Ling’er thanks Senior!” she chirped, her voice as cheerful as the sound of the bell.

Her voice was even sweeter than before, though its seductive nature meant nothing to Wang Lin.

Yichenzi eyed the bell, and instantly recognized its remarkable properties, thanking Wang Lin with a bow, “Daoist Wang, I am most grateful.”

He felt ashamed, originally he was the cause of their disagreement and now his kin was recieving a gift. With a pause, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a black stone. “Daoist Wang, please accept this Celestial Netherstone. As cultivators of our level, we require it to anchor our souls in the creation of clones, or to store powerful spells for later use. If you refuse, I would be ashamed.”

Wang Lin smiled and took the stone, his mind studying it briefly. Though his expression remained unchanged, his heart was stirred. This black stone was peculiar, filled with numerous tiny pores and emanating a strange aura. Not only could it store spiritual energy, but also pre-programmed spells, similar to the talismans used by the Immortal-Abandoned Clan.

Moreover, with a thought, it could create a phantom clone of oneself. It was a most useful artifact.

Though not an exceedingly precious treasure, it was quite rare. Wang Lin nodded slightly and stored it in his bag.

“My apologies. I have yet to introduce my two junior brothers. This is my second brother, Liu Yuelong, with the title of Yilongzi,” Yichenzi gestured to the robed elder.

The robed elder stood, and bowed. ” Titles are external things. The title Yilongzi is inflated in the presence of Brother Wang. Just call me by my name,”

“This is my third brother, Zhen Xinghan, title Yixingzi.”

The middle-aged man in purple robes, whose cultivation was the lowest, respectfully bowed, “Brother Wang, please call me by my name as well.” “I don’t suppose you have a Daoist title, Brother?” Yichenzi asked Wang Lin.

In the realm of cultivation, though low-ranking cultivators may call eachother by their titles, it is on a vastly different scale compared to the powerful figures.

Entering the second step, Daoist titles are mutual recognitions, as well as a reflection of one’s own specializations.

Wang Lin did not have a daoist title. If anything, it was the one given to him by the Luo Tian Starfield, the demonic slaughter, Modaozi. After a pause, he spoke calmly, “I am known by Modaozi.”

Upon hearing these words, The Three Dust Daoists felt a sense of sanguinary bloodshed, as if Wang Lin had transformed from the figure sitting before them, into an ancient beast, with a desire to slaughter everything. “I have only recently returned from my travels, and I have not spent much time on Tianyun Star, I doubt you have heard of me,” Wang Lin said as he raised his cup and took a sip.

With his ancient god flesh, he knew that there was no poison potent enough to harm him, outside of a few ancient substances.

As Wang Lin placed his cup, Ling’er went forward and filled his cup.

Yichenzi and company returned to normal, conversing easily with Wang Lin as the topic of conversation shifted to cultivation.

Time passed, and as the moon rose in the sky, a comfortable familiarity had settled between them. Yichenzi sighed after draining his cup of wine, “When pursuing the dao, one must remove themselves from worldly affairs. As long as one only focuses on themselves, only then can one ascend into the heavens. Alas, I can cut all these worldly affairs, I cannot remove myself from family.”

“Why should you remove yourself? A cultivator fears not the heavens, why fear the familial ties of the heart? In some regions, the family cultivates together, and that familial bond can lead to breakthroughs. All things are based on one’s state of mind.”