"Not bad, your perception is incredibly strong. I had only just caught up to you, and you already discovered my tracks. Truly a genius of this world." A stranger's voice echoed from the woods. Ye Bufan turned to see an old man with white hair.
Ye Bufan eyed the man warily. The aura radiating from him was that of the late Nascent Soul stage, and the pressure it exerted made Ye Bufan deeply uncomfortable.
"Who are you?" Ye Bufan asked.
"Someone looking for you," the other replied. "I know your name is Ye Bufan, and that you're already at the late Nascent Soul stage at nineteen years old. In a place as spiritually barren as this, you must have relied on a spatial artifact or even inherited power."
Hearing this, Ye Bufan was almost certain that this person was not a cultivator from Blue Star, but from another cultivation world, making him even more vigilant.
"You're not a cultivator from Blue Star," Ye Bufan stated.
"Indeed," the old man smiled. "I hail from the Xuanwu Star Domain. There, my true cultivation is at the peak of the Soul Transformation stage. However, due to the Heavenly Seal's influence..." The old man trailed off, as if he couldn't or wouldn't reveal the rest.
"So what? Here, you're also only in the late Nascent Soul stage," Ye Bufan retorted.
The old man chuckled softly. "There's no need to be so wary. I'm not here to do anything detrimental to you, nor am I interested in your secrets."
"Then what exactly do you want?" Ye Bufan pressed.
"I am Elder Li Zheng from the Xuan Tian Sect of the Xuanwu Star Domain. Seeing your talent, I wish for you to join me in cultivating at the Xuan Tian Sect in the Xuanwu Star Domain once the celestial restrictions disappear." Li Zheng explained.
"I'm sorry, I'm not interested," Ye Bufan replied immediately.
Li Zheng blinked in surprise, then let out a laugh. "No rush. You don't yet grasp the might of the Xuanwu Star Domain. Allow me to explain it to you slowly."
"I don't have time," Ye Bufan said, turning to leave.
"Hey! Ye Bufan, listen to me about the Xuanwu Star Domain and our Xuan Tian Sect before making such a hasty decision," Li Zheng called out, chasing after him.
But within moments, Ye Bufan vanished from Li Zheng's sight.
"Such footwork, incredibly potent!" Li Zheng marveled at the movement technique Ye Bufan employed, thinking, "If I could recruit him into my Xuan Tian Sect, perhaps I could even learn this footwork from him."
"No! Now is not the time to be thinking about that," Li Zheng muttered to himself. "I must first persuade Ye Bufan to join my Xuan Tian Sect."
With that, Li Zheng turned and pursued the direction of the capital city.
Li Zheng flew towards the capital, but Ye Bufan had no intention of returning. Instead, he headed for the Green Bamboo Tavern, run by Ye Qingyi.
"Little Brother Ye, what brings you to Sister's Green Bamboo Tavern? Shouldn't you be having dinner with that girl Qingcheng and the others at this hour?" Ye Qingyi, who had already arrived at the tavern, spotted Ye Bufan seated in a corner on the upper floor.
Ye Bufan smiled faintly. "I just met a strange old man who insisted on taking me as his disciple and kept boasting about his sect's power. I found him too annoying, so I left and came here to hide."
Ye Qingyi walked over and sat down beside Ye Bufan. "Little Brother Ye, you're becoming more charming by the day. Even an old man is fawning over you now. Your social media is practically exploding because of you."
"Are you praising me, or am I misunderstanding this?" Ye Bufan furrowed his brow.
"How could that be? Sister's compliments for her little brother come from the heart," Ye Qingyi said. "Since you're here, why not try some of the rice wine I've just brewed?"
Ye Qingyi extended her hand, and a porcelain bottle appeared in her palm. She removed the stopper, releasing a rich aroma of rice wine.
"It smells wonderful," Ye Bufan inhaled, feeling a sense of refreshing lightness.
"What's that smell? It's so fragrant!" The patrons downstairs also caught the scent of the rice wine and looked up towards Ye Qingyi.
"Hey, boss, why aren't you letting us try this good wine? Hiding it away isn't right," a patron called out with a smile.
Ye Qingyi looked down at him. "Not just anyone can drink this wine."
"What? Are we not good enough?" The man's tone shifted, showing displeasure. His companions chimed in their agreement.
Ye Qingyi and Ye Bufan exchanged a glance. "What are your cultivation levels?"
The man proudly stated he was at the late Qi Refining stage. Among the others, one was at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the rest were at the mid or early Qi Refining stage.
Ye Qingyi shook her head. "This little brother of mine is a powerful cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. Do you think you're as qualified as he is?"
"This..." The men exchanged glances. Then, one with sharper eyes glanced towards Ye Bufan.
"Big brother, that person looks so familiar," the man whispered to the one who had spoken first.
At that moment, Ye Bufan, using his formidable spiritual power, overheard their words. He quickly employed a disguise technique to alter his appearance.
"Now that you mention it, he does look a bit familiar," the man replied.
"What? You heard about a Nascent Soul stage cultivator and lost your voice?" Ye Qingyi chuckled.
"We are unworthy." The man's face flushed red. "Boss, please bring out any other good wine you have. I'll treat this brother."
Seeing this, Ye Bufan stood up and cupped his fists in a gesture of respect to the people downstairs. "Thank you, brother. However, I have matters to attend to shortly and shouldn't drink too much."
The man nodded in understanding.
"My name is Meng Jiang, also known as 'Mountain Tiger.' These are my brothers, Zheng Yong and Wu Zhao. If you ever need our help, please don't hesitate to ask." Meng Jiang stated.
After speaking, Meng Jiang exchanged a look with his companions, who quickly bowed to Ye Bufan.
"Hmm?" Just then, Ye Bufan sensed an approaching aura. It was none other than Li Zheng, whom he had just managed to shake off.
Seeing this, Ye Bufan turned to Ye Qingyi and asked if she had anything that could mask his presence.
To his surprise, Ye Qingyi extended her hand and offered another bottle of wine. "Drink this. It will temporarily alter your aura. Combined with your current disguise, he definitely won't be able to find you."