I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou! What a coincidence!"

"We were just about to come and pay our respects, but we didn't expect you to have just emerged from seclusion."

Upon seeing Zhou Yuan, Lu Weiying immediately greeted him with a warm smile and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

He had noticed that the protective barrier on Zhou Yuan's pavilion was still lit up, and he had assumed that Zhou Yuan was still in seclusion. He never expected to run into Zhou Yuan.

Marquis Nanlong also nodded to Zhou Yuan in greeting.

"Fellow Daoists, how have you been? Please come in." Zhou Yuan was slightly surprised, but still smiled and invited the two back into the guest room in the pavilion.

The three of them took their seats.

Lu Weiying didn't beat around the bush; after a few pleasantries, she directly stated her purpose.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, to be honest, Brother Nanlong and I have come here today to discuss something, and also to extend a sincere invitation to you on behalf of the Tianji Sect."

Lu Weiying said with a serious expression.

"Oh? An invitation?"

Zhou Yuan remained unmoved.

"Exactly."

Lu Weiying nodded, "Fellow Daoist Zhou has profound cultivation and great supernatural powers. Moreover, he is a rogue cultivator, living a carefree life."

"But our Heavenly Extreme Sect is one of the pillars of the Righteous Path Alliance. The sect has abundant spiritual resources, a well-ordered lineage, and several Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Moreover, the sect has many disciples and its eyes and ears are all over the south. No matter what materials you want to collect or what information you want to find out, it will be much more convenient and faster than if you were alone."

He paused, then continued to persuade, "If you join my Heavenly Extreme Sect, you will become a Supreme Elder, a position of great prestige, and will receive priority access to resources."

More importantly, they now had a sect to rely on. The cultivation world is treacherous and unpredictable, and grudges and entanglements are inevitable. With a sect behind them, they felt more confident in their actions, and if they encountered trouble, fellow disciples could offer assistance. This was far more secure than wandering alone.

He pointed to Marquis Nanlong beside him: "To be honest, fellow Daoist, Brother Nanlong also intends to join my Tianji Sect and serve as a Supreme Elder."

"If Fellow Daoist Zhou could also join us, the three of us could be in the same sect, supporting each other, discussing and exchanging ideas. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"With two new mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators joining the Heavenly Pole Sect, its strength will undoubtedly rise to a new level, greatly benefiting your future cultivation path!"

Marquis Nanlong also spoke up at the opportune moment: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, what Brother Lu said is true. The Heavenly Pole Sect is indeed a leader of the righteous path, with a pure and upright tradition and abundant resources. Brother Lu is a sincere person and has a very high reputation in the sect. Joining it would be more beneficial than harmful for cultivation and safety. Fellow Daoist, you might as well consider it."

The two spoke in unison, their words earnest, and the conditions they offered were quite... .

Having a powerful sect as a backer can indeed save a lot of trouble, especially in terms of gathering resources and dealing with potential risks.

After listening, Zhou Yuan's face showed a thoughtful expression. He did not immediately refuse, but simply said:

"I appreciate your kindness, fellow Daoists. This matter is of great importance; please allow me to consider it carefully."

He is indeed considering it.

Building one's own power is certainly a good thing, but it takes a lot of time and effort, and in the early stages it is difficult to compare with these long-established sects.

If there is an existing, powerful sect that you can rely on, that would be a viable option.

But the Heavenly Gate... is not a good choice!

Zhou Yuan quickly weighed the options in his mind.

Although Tianji Sect is a major righteous sect, it is bound to have many factions and numerous rules within it.

As an outsider parachuted into the position of Supreme Elder, even with the support of Lu Weiying and the Marquis of Nanlong, it was inevitable that he would be drawn into some disputes.

His current idea is simply to make friends with some fellow Nascent Soul cultivators.

This way, you can leverage the other party's resources and connections without being restricted.

"This... allow me to consider it. If needed in the future, we can discuss it in detail with you two."

Zhou Yuan gave a vague response, neither agreeing nor completely rejecting the offer.

It left room for maneuver.

Lu Weiying and the Marquis of Nanlong exchanged a glance. Seeing Zhou Yuan's cautious attitude, they knew they couldn't rush things, so they stopped insisting and chatted for a few more minutes.

"By the way, we're still missing a few auxiliary materials for crafting the 'Wind and Thunder Wings.' Perhaps we can try to find out through their connections..."

"However, more importantly, crafting this treasure requires pure wind and lightning magic to assist in tempering the materials and inscribing the runes. It's difficult for me to handle both alone..."

Zhou Yuan's thoughts were racing.

Back then, he obtained the complete winged skeleton left by the level 10 Thunder Roc in the ancient ruins of the outer sea, as well as the top-grade feathers of the Crimson Feather Beast and the Gale Beast.

With the addition of other rare materials, I am confident that I can forge a pair of "Wind and Thunder Wings"!

Once this treasure is refined, combined with the power of wind and thunder, his escape speed will undergo a qualitative leap, comparable to the full-force escape of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Whether chasing the enemy or fleeing for one's life.

These will all be a huge help.

"Right now, there is something I would like to ask Brother Lu, and perhaps I will need your help with a small matter."

Zhou Yuan suddenly spoke.

"Fellow Daoist, please speak freely. As long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Lu Weiying patted her chest and assured him.

"That's right."

Zhou Yuan carefully chose his words, "In my early years, I obtained an ancient method of weapon crafting. I wish to craft a special magic weapon, which requires pure magic power of the wind and thunder attributes to assist in tempering the materials."

"Brother Lu, do you know of any fellow cultivators in your sect or the righteous alliance who are at the Nascent Soul stage and possess wind or lightning attribute spiritual roots? I am willing to invite them with generous gifts or to make a deal with them to ask for their assistance."

"Wind and lightning attribute spirit roots..."

Lu Weiying stroked his long beard, his brows furrowed slightly, and he fell into deep thought.

Extraterrestrial spirits are extremely rare, one in ten thousand.

As for those who successfully break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they are extremely rare.

Even in Tiannan, a place where cultivation is flourishing, there are only a handful.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Zhou, there are no Nascent Soul cultivators with wind or thunder attributes in my Heavenly Extreme Sect."

Lu Weiying shook his head, his tone tinged with regret, "However, the Tai Zhen Sect has one person who meets the criteria. This person is named Qi Shu, and he possesses a wind-attribute unique spiritual root. His cultivation has reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage. He is quite accomplished in wind-based escape techniques and supernatural abilities, and is an elder that the Tai Zhen Sect has highly valued in recent years."

"Oh? Qi Shu of the Tai Zhen Sect... I might as well pay him a visit."

Zhou Yuan memorized the name.

As the leader of the righteous path, it would be best if we could persuade the elders of the Tai Zhen Sect to join us.

"As for Nascent Soul cultivators with lightning attributes..."

As Lu Weiying spoke, his brows furrowed even more, and a troubled look appeared on his face. "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I do know a Nascent Soul cultivator with a Thunder Spirit Root, but..."

"But how?" Zhou Yuan pressed.

"This person, known as 'Old Monster Lei,' is indeed a Nascent Soul cultivator with a lightning spiritual root, and in the art of lightning magic, few in Tiannan can match him. However..."

Lu Weiying paused, then lowered his voice, "This person is an elder of the 'Heavenly Fiend Sect,' one of the six major sects of the demonic path! He is capricious and unpredictable, and is diametrically opposed to the righteous path. To get him to take action, I'm afraid..."

"The Heavenly Fiend Sect... Old Monster Lei..." Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan couldn't help but frown.

He himself has no particular views on righteousness or evil sects.

In his eyes, the righteous path and the demonic path were merely differences in cultivation philosophy and style of conduct.

There is no absolute distinction between good and evil.

The problem is, he may not care, but others cannot.

To have Qi Shu, a Nascent Soul cultivator with the wind attribute from the Tai Zhen Sect, and Lei Laoguai, a Nascent Soul cultivator with the lightning attribute from the Tian Sha Sect, join forces to forge a magic weapon for Zhou Yuan, a mere "rogue cultivator"? That's simply a fantasy!

I'm afraid that the moment he extends the invitation, the two of them will start fighting.

It might even attract the attention and suspicion of high-ranking figures from both the righteous and demonic paths, causing endless trouble.

"Thank you for informing me, Brother Lu."

Zhou Yuan shook his head, temporarily abandoning the idea of ​​inviting Old Monster Lei.

This path is clearly not feasible; the risks are too high.

However, he did not give up. Crafting the Wind and Thunder Wings did not necessarily require finding a ready-made cultivator with wind or thunder spiritual roots.

He remembered that in the original story, when Feng hope was refining the Wind and Thunder Wings, he invited a turtle demon and another transformed demon beast to cultivate earth and water attribute techniques respectively, and then used a special magic array to temporarily fuse together thunder attribute spiritual power.

Feng hope herself used wind-attribute spiritual power to guide and neutralize it, and finally succeeded in refining it.

He can also learn from this method!

He doesn't need real Nascent Soul cultivators with lightning attributes. He only needs to find two Nascent Soul cultivators who cultivate pure earth and water attributes respectively, and then, with the help of a specific fusion array, he can simulate the lightning attribute spiritual power required for refining.

As for the wind attribute, Qi Shu from the Tai Zhen Sect alone is enough.

He himself cultivates the Azure Origin Sword Technique, and his wood-attribute magic power is balanced, peaceful, and full of vitality. It is used to coordinate and neutralize the subtle conflicts and instabilities that may occur when wind and lightning are combined.

"Fellow Daoist Qi possesses a wind spirit root, but a lightning spirit root is hard to find. However, there might be other alternative methods for refining this treasure."

Zhou Yuan said to Lu Weiying, "I once obtained a record of an ancient method. If a Nascent Soul cultivator who has mastered pure earth or water attribute techniques assists, and with the aid of a specific formation, it may be possible to temporarily fuse and simulate lightning attribute spiritual power, thus meeting the refining requirements. I wonder if Brother Lu knows of any Nascent Soul cultivators within the Righteous Path Alliance who meet these requirements?"

"Earth and Water attributes?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Weiying's eyes lit up. This was much easier than finding the Wind and Thunder Spiritual Root!

"These are easy to find! In my Heavenly Pole Sect, there is a Junior Brother Fang who specializes in earth-attribute techniques. He is currently at the early Nascent Soul stage and possesses pure and profound magical power. As for water-attribute techniques... the 'Water Cloud Fairy' of the Vastness Pavilion cultivates her sect's signature technique, the 'Vastness Water Element Scripture,' and her water-based supernatural abilities are quite remarkable. She is also at the early Nascent Soul stage. I have some connections with both of them, so perhaps I can extend an invitation."

"That's wonderful! With Brother Lao Lu's help in making introductions and mediating, we can truly appreciate your assistance."

Zhou Yuan was delighted upon hearing this and cupped his hands in greeting.

"I, Zhou, will certainly not let you fellow Daoists work in vain; I will surely reward you handsomely."