Cultivation Starts from Farming

But it means that his Mana accumulation has reached the true limit of the Nascent Soul Stage, with no room for further advancement.

Only that elusive opportunity for Divinity Transformation remains.

His strength is far beyond that of an ordinary Late-Stage Nascent Soul.

He has an astonishing battle record — he personally slew a Late-Stage Nascent Soul in full flourish several hundred years ago.

The value of this, of course, goes without saying.

With such strength, Xu Ping asked himself and knew he could not measure up as of now.

"Senior Yun, you flatter me."

Xu Ping’s tone was modest, "This little bit of cultivation I possess is like a glowworm compared to the bright moon in front of you seniors, hardly worth mentioning."

Yun Weifeng stroked his beard with a smile and made no further comment, motioning with his hand: "Young friend, please sit."

Xu Ping’s eyes swept over the empty chairs, intending to choose a seat at the lower end.

At this moment, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a water-blue robe, with an elegant appearance, seated not far below Yun Weifeng, showed a friendly smile and beckoned to him:

"Young friend Xu, if you don’t mind, sit next to Shan."

Xu Ping looked over and recognized the person as Shan Tianyou, the Supreme Elder of the Mystic Water Sect.

He had a good relationship with Liang Ming and his wife, so his relationship with the Mystic Water Sect was naturally not bad.

This move was obviously a gesture of goodwill.

"Thank you, Senior Shan."

Going along with the flow, Xu Ping walked over and sat on the empty chair beside Shan Tianyou. Then, with eyes observing the nose, and the nose observing the heart, he sat silently and merely used the corner of his eyes to quietly observe everyone present.

There were ten people in the hall, representing the pinnacle of the Outer Sea Human Race’s power:

The three Late-Stage cultivators from the Yunxiao Sect were, of course, present.

From the Hundred Cloud Hall came a dry old man with a slightly malevolent aura, a departure from the ordinarily domineering style of the Hundred Cloud Hall.

Two Demonic Cultivators were present.

One was Xuanmo True Monarch with a deep aura and a barely noticeable smile; the other was a silent elder shrouded in a black robe.

The remaining four came from other top major sects, either as Supreme Elders or sect leaders.

Xu Ping noticed there seemed to be no Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators truly of Loose Cultivator origin present.

This was normal, as those who cultivated to the late stage as Loose Cultivators were all old foxes, leading wandering, carefree lives.

Even though the demon calamity was fierce, they had their own methods for survival or retreating to safety; they might not be willing to come and join the effort against the demon calamity.

When his gaze landed on Xuanmo True Monarch, the other seemed already aware, and their eyes met instantly.

A flicker of keen interest passed through Xuanmo True Monarch’s deep eyes, the corners of his mouth curving into a strange and indescribable smirk.

Xu Ping felt a slight chill in his heart. Due to the matter involving the Harmony Old Demon, he instinctively harbored more vigilance toward Demonic Cultivators, particularly this one, who gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.

He unobtrusively withdrew his gaze, no longer looking further.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Yun Weifeng lightly coughed, his expression turning solemn: "Since we’re all here, let’s begin the discussion on the demon calamity issue."

"Apart from young friend Xu, everyone here is an old acquaintance, so I won’t elaborate further."

The atmosphere within the hall immediately grew heavy.

The subsequent discussion mainly focused on how to deal with the demon calamity.

Those present represented the apex of the Outer Sea’s powers. Although they hadn’t personally experienced the demon calamity, their sects’ core scriptures recorded it.

Soon a broad direction was set:

First, to immediately assemble resources and construct several powerful Defense Arrays in the region facing human power at the entrance of the Ancient Demon Hall.

This would form the first line of defense, striving to keep the main force of the demon calamity contained in the depths of the Outer Sea.

Next, elite squads led by Nascent Soul cultivators would be dispatched to closely monitor the changes at the entrance of the Ancient Demon Hall, precisely judging the level of Demonic Qi erosion and the possible outbreak point of the demon calamity.

The most critical point is that all Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators must take on the responsibility.

To intercept and eliminate any Late-stage Nascent Soul-level ancient demons trying to break through the defense line or infiltrate from other directions.

This is the core for whether the line of defense can be held.

As for demons below the Late-stage Nascent Soul, they would be dealt with by the array and battle formations made up of mid- to low-tier cultivators.

No one expressed any dissent regarding this strategy.

After all, the real overlords of the Outer Sea are the Demon Race, with the human power concentrated in relatively small areas, forming a long-standing tacit understanding with the Demon Race where each manages its defense zone.

This approach mainly serves to protect the homeland.

After setting the general direction, Yun Weifeng turned his gaze to Xu Ping and spoke warmly:

"Young friend Xu, you come from a Loose Cultivator background, with no foundational power in the Outer Sea and few attachments."

"In this demon calamity, the Human Race needs to work together. If you have any needs or thoughts, feel free to propose them."

"As long as it’s within our capabilities, we’ll do our utmost to fulfill it."

"Here it comes."

Xu Ping’s heart stirred; he had been waiting precisely for this moment.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Ping slowly spoke in a clear and calm voice: "Thank you, Senior Yun and all seniors, for your consideration. I do have one request."

He paused, then continued: "I urgently need a high-quality artifact refining material, Moon Shadow Stone. The quantity need not be large, but the higher the quality, the better."

"High-quality Moon Shadow Stone?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Weifeng slightly furrowed his white brows.

Several other great cultivators in the hall also showed thoughtful expressions.

Moon Shadow Stone is rare and is generally used to refine some special Magical Treasures or array cores, with quality requirements that are often elusive.

Silence momentarily filled the hall.

Suddenly, a voice with a touch of sinister laziness echoed:

"Moon Shadow Stone?"

"Hehe, what a coincidence, I happen to have a piece here, and as for its quality... I believe it’s fairly decent."

All eyes turned towards the speaker, Xuanmo True Monarch.

With a strange smile on his lips, his palm flipped.

A strange stone the size of a fist, deep blue in color, with countless star-like light points swirling within, manifested in his palm.

As soon as this stone appeared, the surrounding light seemed to dim slightly, exuding an aura that was cool, serene yet filled with immense spatial energy.

"Oh?"

Xu Ping’s gaze was instantly drawn in.

His Divine Sense scanned it stealthily, and joy filled his heart.