Alien Science Cultivation

The woman's light blue hair fell to her waist, while the man's was a shade of bluer. His muscular build was exposed, with only a rippled animal hide covering his waist to hide his vitals. The woman was dressed similarly, a tight snakeskin top that accentuated her figure with a savage sensuality. Two pairs of pointed ears were the most distinctive feature of the elves. However, the three men couldn't tell the true ages of the seemingly young man and woman before them. Both had reached the late stage of cultivation, comparable in strength to Wang Yan. The main reason they hadn't encountered any direct elves intercepting them along the way was Wang Yan's powerful aura. This intimidated the lower-level elves, who hesitated to intervene until they were stopped by an elf of a comparable level of cultivation. "My two fellow Daoists... To be honest, we're here for business... These are our Qingshan trading cards. We're eager to establish a trading relationship with the nobles..." Wang Yan said, throwing out two trading cards handcrafted by Chen Ying. The elven couple wasn't suspicious. After all, Wang Yan's aura held no malice, and the elves seemed to have a natural love and talent for trade. Although, after a moment's observation with their spiritual sense, they were shocked. After all, this oasis was so far from the Eastern Qingshan Sect that even with the speed of a Heavenly Spirit Supreme Flying Boat, it would take over a hundred years to reach them smoothly. The fact that they could receive the transaction information from such a distance, without even a single delay, was truly astonishing.

Furthermore, the items for sale on these trading boards numbered in the tens of thousands, a number so numerous that it was almost impossible to calculate. With such a vast distance, even if Wang Yan and the other two had reached the desert via a long-distance teleportation array, or even if they had leaped from the nearest teleportation array, it would have been nothing short of a miracle. Unless one of the few powerful elders who could safely reach the sandbar brought the three of them along.

With this in mind, the elven man and woman politely invited Wang Yan and the others into the palace for a chat. Wang Yan and the others naturally didn't hesitate, and leisurely walked through the broad, though not bustling, avenue until they reached the entrance of the tallest, slate-gray palace. A small elven squad stood guard at the entrance. Two slightly weathered, semicircular wooden doors were adorned with the two murals we had just seen. "Wuming Academy" (Nameless Academy) was written in bold, vibrant red characters above the wooden doors. The elven man and woman ignored the squad and led Wang Yan and the others directly into the academy. Passing through a luxurious corridor, they entered the central room on the first floor of the palace. Though small, the room was furnished entirely with pure gold or jade. The round table was made of pure gold, the floor and chairs were slate-colored jade, and the coffee table itself shone with a dazzling golden hue. After everyone took their seats, an elderly man, holding a slate-colored jade pipe, appeared at the entrance and slowly walked in. "You young friends have come from afar, and are truly rare guests. I don't have much to offer you, except a few cups of water dripping from the starry sky. Please enjoy. Hehe..." The old man entered the room, looked at the three of them, and then said with a polite smile. Sensing the old man's cultivation level, the three of them stood up and bowed respectfully. "You are too polite, senior... I am truly sorry to bother you so much..." Wang Yan responded.

Zhang Qiang, curious about what the old man was referring to as "Weak Water," couldn't help but scan the interior of the golden kettle on the table with his spiritual sense. "Weak Water..." As Zhang Qiang's spiritual sense touched the "Weak Water" within the kettle, he felt a wave of fear and confusion. Then, he recalled the records of Weak Water on Earth. "Weak Water, one of the Four Great Divine Waters... It's mentioned in China's Classic of Mountains and Seas. Why did it appear in this desert? Did it truly drip from the starry sky? It carries with it all sorts of rich energy auras, even the scent of Ruomu..." Zhang Qiang pondered calmly. "Thank you for your hospitality, senior... Legend has it that this Weak Water can improve a cultivator's understanding and physique... I wonder if that's true..." Wang Yan asked, thanking the old man. "Haha... It certainly can... But everyone only experiences this effect the first time. Drinking more afterwards will be useless..." The old man replied loudly. "Three thousand weak waters, only one sip..." Zhang Qiang couldn't help but recite the classic line from "Dream of the Red Chamber." As Zhang Qiang finished speaking, the room fell silent. The old man gave Zhang Qiang a deep look. "Young man, your words are truly remarkable. It seems you also understand Weak Water..." the old man couldn't help but ask. Wang Yan and Chen Ying also looked at Zhang Qiang. "It is rumored that Weak Water is innate divine water, a supreme treasure that transcends the innate. It exists above the thirty-three heavens, floating in the celestial sea of stars, untouched by the mundane world for generations. It is the purest water in the world. But like yin and yang, reaching its purest extreme becomes the ultimate poison. Any contact with it will lead to no possibility of reincarnation... I guess you, senior, don't want to hear this, but rather to express the essence of the elves' business. And at the same time, you are testing our business skills, right?"

"My friend... If I were a few thousand years younger, I would have gone with you today. Your finding this Saigon Forest and your safe passage must be a providence. To be honest, our elves have been merchants for generations. It's not our will, but we come from another time and space, a cursed race. We must return to our former starry skies and fulfill the promise our ancestors made. Only by fulfilling that promise can we enter reincarnation, or else we will be condemned to eternal damnation after death... But we can't return yet, for we've lost some vital items. Over the years, we've recovered most of the items we seek through various exchanges, but one most important item remains elusive. Therefore, our elves, rooted in this southern Xinjiang desert, have dispatched our people far and wide, entering the commercial world, all in pursuit of that most important item..." The old man spoke eloquently, his eyes revealing endless sadness and desolation. "I wonder what item you're seeking, senior...? Any assistance I can offer is welcome." Zhang Qiang, looking at the old man, responded generously.

"A star map... without it, we'd never find our way back. Our ancestor, the one pictured in the mural, broke his promise. When the allied tribe was attacked, he didn't send troops to aid as promised. Initially, the ancestors thought it was just a simple promise and ignored it. Later, as their members died, they discovered their souls were unable to enter reincarnation, drifting eternally between heaven and earth, tormented by a curse, unable to live or die. Our ancestor led them away from the starry sky, hoping to escape the curse, but it proved otherwise. After countless years, the aircraft malfunctioned, forcing them to remain in the desert. They thought they would all perish, but an elk saved them, carrying them to the Saigon Forest. They survived, but the scattered parts were never recovered. The other parts were easy enough, but the key was the star map..." The old man casually handed Zhang Qiang an image. After seeing the picture, Zhang Qiangqiang suppressed his inner excitement and whispered softly, "This thing doesn't look very impressive, so it's understandable that it's hard to find... I'll list it on our Qingshan Trading Network and ask for a high price... Contact the nobles immediately if I have any information..."