Half a second after his words fell, the space before him rippled.

A curtain of blue water emerged out of thin air. It unfolded like a veil, revealing a figure hidden beneath it.

It was a solemn middle-aged man.

He exuded the aura of a Late Stage Core Formation cultivator and carried an air of authority.

When he realized Chen Xuan had discovered him, surprise flickered across his face.

But very quickly, that emotion vanished.

Cupping his hands, he offered a greeting.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive my earlier offense," he smiled apologetically.

"I heard from the cultivators along the shoreline that a Fellow Daoist had arrived on the island. I was worried I might miss the opportunity to meet you and thus rushed here."

Chen Xuan returned the gesture while quietly examining the man.

His arrival wasn’t unexpected.

Not only had he sensed the other’s presence some time ago, but ever since killing the Abyss Shark, he had anticipated attracting attention.

A Core Formation cultivator appearing out of nowhere was bound to interest the local forces.

Thinking of that, he raised an eyebrow.

"Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps the owner of this island?"

Although he already had a rough guess, there was no harm in confirming it.

His question caught the man off guard. Soon, however, understanding dawned on his face.

"It seems Fellow Daoist isn’t from the Star Archipelago," he chuckled.

"Indeed. I am the lord of Starlink Island."

Taking the opportunity, he introduced himself.

"I’m Daoist Qingyun. Perhaps Fellow Daoist has heard my name before."

A trace of pride could be heard in his voice.

Chen Xuan’s eyes immediately brightened.

"So it’s Fellow Daoist Qingyun."

He cupped his hands once more.

"Forgive my ignorance. You’re right. I’m not from this region."

A hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

"I recently took my disciples out to hunt sea beasts. Unfortunately, we encountered a beast tide and were chased for quite some time. In the end, we lost our way and somehow ended up here."

Daoist Qingyun’s eyes lit up.

"Fellow Daoist is truly courageous."

"Venturing into the sea to temper ourselves—that is how cultivators should live. Competing with heaven and earth in pursuit of the Great Dao," he sighed, the admiration in his tone clear.

Chen Xuan merely smiled.

Judging by the man’s unstable aura and the pill impurities accumulated within his body, he strongly doubted Daoist Qingyun truly lived by those words.

Still, there was no reason to expose him.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Daoist Qingyun finally revealed the true reason for his visit.

He stroked his beard.

"Fellow Daoist, if you intend to return to your homeland, you’ll likely need to go through a large-scale teleportation array."

"Unfortunately, the only such formation in this region belongs to the Seven Stars Temple. And..."

Daoist Qingyun shook his head.

"It’s usually not opened for outsiders. One must either join the Seven Stars Temple or obtain a teleportation token through their recognized auctions."

"Hey, it took me decades to acquire one myself, costing me half of my belongings," he sighed.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan finally understood.

As expected, Daoist Qingyun hadn’t come here to exchange greetings.

Though the arrival of an unknown Core Formation cultivator might warrant some attention, there was no reason to be so polite.

Obviously, this man had another objective.

Though he knew this, Chen Xuan did not point it out. Instead, he smiled faintly.

"Fellow Daoist Qingyun, if you have something to say, please speak freely."

"Then I won’t stand on ceremony."

Daoist Qingyun nodded.

"Recently, I must leave Starlink Island to handle certain matters."

"However, someone at the Core Formation realm is needed to oversee the island and deter nearby sea beasts."

He paused briefly before continuing:

"If Fellow Daoist is willing to assist for a few days, I can transfer my teleportation token to you."

The proposal sounded perfectly reasonable.

Unfortunately for him, Chen Xuan had little interest in the Seven Stars Temple’s teleportation array.

He immediately shook his head and refused.

Daoist Qingyun blinked.

"Fellow Daoist, don’t worry. I’ll only be gone briefly."

"Moreover, with the Starlink Island’s defensive formation, your safety will be guaranteed. There is little danger."

Before he could continue his persuasion, Chen Xuan shook his head again.

"There’s no need to insist. One of my disciples is on the verge of a breakthrough. I intend to remain in seclusion and accompany them for the next few days."

Hearing this, Daoist Qingyun stopped pressing any further.

Whether Chen Xuan’s explanation was true or merely an excuse no longer mattered.

The answer had already been given.

A trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes before vanishing.

Still, he maintained his smile and continued chatting as though nothing had happened.

It was only half an hour later that he excused himself.

"If Fellow Daoist changes his mind, feel free to contact me. This is my communication talisman."

With those words, he transformed into a streak of blue light and disappeared into the horizon.

Chen Xuan watched him leave in silence.

Only after Daoist Qingyun’s aura had completely vanished did his expression turn thoughtful.

A trace of vigilance surfaced in his eyes.

’It seems that the Nine Origins Seas Domain is turbulent too.’

He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The cultivation world was all the same.

No matter the Domain, schemes and conflicts were unavoidable.

He didn’t believe Daoist Qingyun’s intentions were as simple as they appeared.

After all, no sensible cultivator would casually entrust one of their greatest assets to a stranger they had just met.

In the end, he dismissed this matter.

It had nothing to do with him.

He hadn’t come to Starlink Island to seek opportunities or be involved in disputes.

His goal remained the same:

Gather the materials necessary to reactivate the Cross-Domain Teleportation Array and return to Tianxuan Domain.

As long as nobody provoked him, he had no intention of getting involved.

With that thought, the tension in his heart eased.

Raising his head, he glanced at the setting sun. He realized that the time to meet his disciples was approaching.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan stopped pondering about Daoist Qingyun’s possible motives and set aside any further experiments with the Primordial Ocean Water.

His figure blurred. Then, like a ghost, he vanished from the spot.