When the appointed day arrived, the first light of dawn broke, and a gentle breeze swirled a few fallen leaves around the courtyard of the Mo Estate. Wen Buhuo, carrying his travel pack, stood at the end of the corridor to bid farewell to Mo Caihuan.

Though Mo Caihuan had applied some powder today, she could not hide the paleness and weariness of her face. She gripped the corner of her sleeve tightly, her eyes filled with reluctance and a glimmer of hope as she asked softly, "Brother Wen, will we... have a chance to meet again?"

Wen Buhuo looked at the delicate yet stubborn girl and remained silent for a moment. He offered no false promises, merely cupping his hands in a slight bow. His tone was flat but solemn: "Farewell, Miss Mo."

With that, he turned and departed with a resolute stride. Mo Caihuan stared blankly at his receding back, feeling as though a piece of her heart had gone missing, her expression one of utter dejection. By the time she came to her senses, she noticed several exquisite porcelain vials had appeared on the stone table beside her—nurturing elixirs Wen Buhuo had specifically left behind, mindful of her frail constitution.

Outside the gates of Jiayuan City, he saw Xu Ziling from afar, bored and kicking pebbles while he waited. Once the two reunited, they set off together toward the Ascension Assembly.

As they reached the foot of Mount Tainan, the scenery changed abruptly. A vast expanse of white mist appeared before them, so thick that one could barely see their own hand. Wen Buhuo narrowed his eyes, warily scanning the surroundings, and whispered, "This mist is incredibly dense; it's designed to disorient one's vision. This is no ordinary place."

The two carefully navigated through the mist until the view suddenly opened up, revealing a bustling valley bazaar.

Xu Ziling was quite excited; clearly, he had done his homework. He enthusiastically explained to Wen Buhuo, "Brother Wen, this is probably your first time at a cultivator's market, isn't it? As the saying goes, 'the sparrow is small but possesses all five organs'—this place has everything: talismans, dharma tools, magic treasures, and cultivation manuals. For low-level cultivators like us, one can never have too many life-saving trump cards. However..." He sighed, patting his empty pockets. "Spirit stones, the common currency of the cultivation world, are extremely hard to earn. Fortunately, bartering is also popular; rare herbs and materials are considered hard currency."

Hearing this, Wen Buhuo’s heart stirred. He felt the storage bag kept close to his chest, which contained many long-matured herbs. He had plenty of spirit grasses several decades old; they should suffice for this trip.

The two wove through the market. While passing a small stall selling manuals, Wen Buhuo noticed a crowd gathered, seemingly in the middle of a dispute. He drew closer and saw a manual titled Qi-Restraining Art displayed on the stall.

Wen Buhuo thought to himself: Being able to hide one's aura and cultivation level—this is the perfect life-saving move for 'playing the pig to eat the tiger' while traveling the world.

At that moment, the stall owner—a young, timid-looking girl—was surrounded by several burly men with fierce expressions. The lead brute was aggressively lowballing her: "Little girl, don't be ungrateful! This rag is worth one spirit stone at most. Your price of three is highway robbery!"

The girl was so terrified that tears welled in her eyes. She shrunk back, unable to speak, seemingly on the verge of being forced into the sale.

Just as the onlookers watched the drama unfold, a hand reached in, a stalk of spirit grass emitting a faint spiritual aura lying in its palm.

"I’ll take this Qi-Restraining Art," Wen Buhuo’s voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge. "One twenty-year-old spirit grass in exchange. Do we have a deal?"

The young girl looked up in disbelief; a twenty-year-old spirit grass was worth far more than three spirit stones! She nodded frantically, "Yes! I’ll trade!"

Wen Buhuo completed the transaction on the spot. Seeing that someone had intercepted their prize and noting the newcomer's extraordinary bearing, the brutes grumbled a few curses and dispersed.

Having tasted success, Wen Buhuo continued his search. In an obscure corner, he unexpectedly discovered the complete manual for the ninth layer and above of the Eternal Spring Art! This was precisely the latter half of the incomplete technique he was currently practicing—the key to his progress. Without hesitation, he produced more spirit grass and decisively traded for it.

Realizing that while he had the techniques, he lacked combat variety, Wen Buhuo went on a spending spree. He purchased a large number of talismans—"Exploding Fire," "Ice Spear," and "Vajra Shield"—filling his sleeves with both offensive and defensive options.

Just as the two were preparing to find a place to rest, a middle-aged Taoist in a green-patterned robe approached them with a broad, forced smile.

"Ah, fellow Daoists, please wait a moment!" The Taoist greeted them with over-familiarity. "I assume you two are also heading to the upcoming Ascension Assembly? That place is exceptionally dangerous. Why don't we form a team? We can look out for one another. This humble Taoist has already gathered three experts; if you two join us, we will perfectly fulfill the Five Elements. Wouldn't the trials of the Assembly be easily conquered?"

Xu Ziling, being young and eager, was overjoyed to find someone willing to lead. Seeing the man’s seemingly sincere words, he nodded repeatedly, "That would be wonderful! Thank you for the guidance, Taoist!"

Standing to the side, Wen Buhuo did not speak. His eyes were deep as he sized up the Taoist. Relying on his extreme caution and sharp intuition, he sensed a trace of calculation hidden behind the man’s smile.

Though he did not embarrass Xu Ziling by refusing outright, Wen Buhuo shifted his body back half a step, maintaining a safe distance from the Taoist's group so he could withdraw at any moment. In his heart, he had already grown twelve-fold more vigilant.