Chapter 17

"Sect Master, this esteemed guest is someone I personally brought to the mountain!"

Elder Huang immediately stepped forward, his face brimming with a sycophantic smile. Clearly, he didn't want to miss out on claiming credit for the introduction.

However...

Smack!

The Diming Sect Sect Master mercilessly slapped the back of Elder Huang's head.

"Esteemed guest? Do you even have the right to address him like that? Know your place! Call him Master!" he bellowed.

"Er... yes, Master!" Elder Huang clutched his head in pain and hastily bowed to Luo Tian.

Seeing this, Luo Tian couldn't help but pinch his brow in exasperation. "There's no need to be so formal. Elder Huang, does our previous agreement still stand?"

"It does! Of course, it does!" Elder Huang nodded fervently, as if afraid Luo Tian might change his mind.

"Agreement? What agreement?" The Sect Master looked puzzled.

Elder Huang quickly recapped Luo Tian's request in brief detail.

"Sect Master, about that millennial stalactite—can I have it now?" Luo Tian asked with a smile.

The Sect Master trembled all over and hurriedly bowed. "I wouldn't dare let you call me Sect Master! My humble name is Wei Xu, leader of the Diming Sect. The millennial stalactite is yours immediately! May I know your honorable name, sir?"

Thud!

Before Luo Tian could respond, Elder Su suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Master! This humble one is Su Ping, an elder of the Soulmaster Guild of Nightwind Nation! May I ask, are you a soulmaster from the Tianyang Empire, or perhaps... a senior from the guild's headquarters?" Su Ping's tone was extremely respectful, his lips even stained with blood, yet he dared not show any discourtesy.

Hearing this, the others were all shocked.

"The Tianyang Empire? One of the three great empires of Fenglin Continent?"

"Of course. Only someone from such a place could possess such incredible soul techniques!"

The crowd silently nodded in awe.

However, Luo Tian wore a look of pure confusion.

"What nonsense are you talking about? My name is Luo Tian, and I'm from Border North City," he said casually, without hiding his origins.

"Border North City?"

The crowd exchanged confused looks, unsure what to make of it.

"Could it be… the Border North City up in the northern part of Nightwind Nation?" an elderly man cautiously inquired.

"That's right," Luo Tian nodded.

"This..."

The crowd was stunned, exchanging incredulous glances.

Border North City was merely an unremarkable town in Nightwind Nation, one that had never produced a single notable figure in its history. Yet here was Luo Tian, hailing from that very city and wielding such terrifying soul techniques!

Elder Su's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. He tentatively asked, "Master Luo Tian, might I ask... have you ever joined the Soulmaster Guild?"

"No, never. What's the Soulmaster Guild?" Luo Tian replied, sounding genuinely clueless.

Elder Su's entire body shook. He quickly explained, "Master, the Soulmaster Guild was founded 8,000 years ago by Lord Li Tianxiao, a Ninth-Level Heavenly Soulmaster, to unite soulmasters across the land! By joining, you can undergo rank certification and receive stipends. The higher your rank, the greater the stipend!"

"Of course, guild members are required to complete at least one mission per year, but these missions come with extra rewards!"

At this point, Elder Su looked up cautiously and asked, "Master, would you be interested in joining?"

Luo Tian thought for a moment and casually asked, "What's included in the stipend? It's not just spirit stones, is it?"

Elder Su froze for a second before hastily replying, "Far more than spirit stones! Cultivation techniques, martial arts, spiritual herbs, pills, training materials—whatever you need, the guild can provide! To be frank, there's little in this world that the Soulmaster Guild cannot procure!"

"Oh? That sounds good. Sure, I'll join," Luo Tian said, nodding without hesitation.

Elder Su was so overjoyed he nearly jumped up. "Really?"

"Huh? Is there a problem?" Luo Tian raised an eyebrow.

"No! None at all!" Elder Su quickly produced a token, infused it with his soul imprint, and handed it over with both hands. "Master, please leave your soul imprint here as well!"

Luo Tian did as instructed, marking the token with his soul power. Elder Su let out a long sigh of relief, his face radiant with joy.

"Master, my authority is limited, so I can only issue you a Level 1 Soulmaster token," Su Ping said, looking somewhat apologetic. However, his tone carried a trace of eager anticipation as he added, "If you have time, I suggest visiting the Soulmaster Guild's branch in the Nightwind Nation capital for a reassessment. With your strength, you'd undoubtedly qualify as a Level 4… no, a Level 5 Soulmaster!"

The thought of being credited as the one who introduced a Level 5 Soulmaster made Su Ping's hands tremble with excitement.

"Alright, I'll go if I get the chance," Luo Tian replied nonchalantly, tucking the token away.

"Sect Master, the millennial stalactite has been retrieved!"

At that moment, a Diming Sect disciple hurried over, presenting a piece of crystal-clear stalactite that radiated faint spiritual energy.

Wei Xu immediately took it, beaming as he handed it to Luo Tian. "Haha, Master Luo Tian, this is the millennial stalactite you requested! Additionally, to express our gratitude for ridding us of the evil spirit, the Diming Sect offers you fifty million low-grade spirit stones as a token of appreciation. Please accept them!"

"Oh? Then I won't stand on ceremony," Luo Tian said as he casually stored the stalactite and spirit stones without a trace of modesty.

Seeing this, Wei Xu cautiously asked, "Master, would you honor us by staying at the Diming Sect for a few more days? That way, if anything arises, we can seek your guidance immediately."

In truth, he was worried that another anomaly might occur in the mine, and Luo Tian's presence was the best guarantee of their safety.

However, Luo Tian simply shook his head. "Forget it, I have other matters to attend to. Maybe next time. Farewell."

With that, he turned toward Elder Wu, who had been standing stiffly at the side the whole time.

"Hey, brother! You brought me up the mountain, so how about escorting me back down?" Luo Tian said with a grin.

"Ah… yes!" Elder Wu stammered, nodding mechanically.

If, on their way up the mountain, he had merely been wary of Luo Tian, now he was utterly terrified of the man's strength.

As Luo Tian and Elder Wu's figures faded into the distance, the Diming Sect members collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Just then, one of the elite disciples sidled up to Wei Xu, a puzzled expression on his face. In a hushed voice, he asked, "Sect Master, the millennial stalactite is already incredibly valuable. Why did you give him fifty million low-grade spirit stones on top of that? He's just a soulmaster—isn't that excessive?"

Smack!

Wei Xu delivered a solid slap to the back of the disciple's head, nearly knocking him over.

"Idiot!" Wei Xu said coldly. "Can't you see how strong he is?"

"H-how strong?" The disciple clutched his head, asking timidly.

Wei Xu took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "Those Soul-Sealing Nails he used just now—if his target had been us, the entire Diming Sect would've been annihilated, body and soul, without a shred of doubt!"

The disciple's face turned ashen. "That's… that's too much, isn't it?"

Wei Xu sneered and added, "And he could've done it... a hundred times."