The middle-aged man swirled the tea in his wooden cup for a few moments before dumping its contents into his mouth. Ye Fan's mouth gaped in astonishment at the man's actions. The Immortal cultivator furrowed his brows in mild disgust and remarked with two words.

"How crass."

Ye Fan started to rock excitedly in his chair and interrogated the middle-aged man.

"Uncle! Uncle! How did you drink that without getting burnt? Are you a cultivator too? Which faction are you a part of? Did you know my master before today?"

The shack owner was at a loss for words and his wooden expression broke down for the first time as he was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. Ye Fan's master responded for him instead.

"He is an Immortal cultivator. But, he's not human."

Hearing those words, the shack owner's head snapped toward Ye Fan's master. Those searing eyes wanted to delve into the depths of the Immortal's soul. The middle-aged man questioned Ye Fan's master.

"When did you figure it out."

"I've known from the very beginning."

Retaining the dignity of an Immortal, Ye Fan's master said succinctly. Taking another sip from the cup, the Immortal explained his deduction.

"Nine nodes represent the peak of mortals. Five nodes represent the five elements. This is a rather basic, but powerful formation. You are obviously the spirit guarding the wood node of the five elements."

Ye Fan's master grabbed the tea cup and sipped. The Immortal savored it for several moments before adding to his explanation.

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"The Heaven and Earth fluctuations from it aren't ordinary… It is at a level that shouldn't be present in this realm. Who is the creator of this formation?"

The wood spirit glared at the Immortal but didn't respond.

"Answer my question before I'm forced to take action. You may be a sentient wood spirit, but all beings are equal in my eyes. Do not take advantage of my lenience to stall for time. If I am angry, not to mention this formation, the whole of the Heavens and Earth will weep tears of blood. It would be wise to answer in haste."

Having said these menacing words, the Immortal finished the cup of tea before dispersing the teapot and four cups with a flourish of his hand. A wind current started to blow throughout the small wooden shack as if reflecting the rapid change in atmosphere.

The wood spirit watched the Immortal warily and tested him with some words.

"Surely a righteous Immortal such as you wouldn't kill his host in his dwelling."

Ye Fan's master turned his gaze toward the wood spirit and countered.

"I wouldn't do such a heinous action to a charitable host. But, you are full of malicious intent…”

Pausing for dramatic effect, the Immortal proceeded to speak.

“Besides an illusory spell, there is a trap formation with the foundation of the five elements. The configuration of the runes directing the earth spirit vein is to use the spirit vein to trap those inside. Don’t be so naïve to think I wouldn’t notice such a small, but critical difference.”

The wood spirit denied these accusations immediately, firmly shaking his head once.

"The illusory spell is to obscure the trap formation. This trap formation isn't even activated. We have caused you and your companions no harm nor have we caused anyone else harm in the past. You have no cause for excessive action."

The Immortal raised his eyebrows and responded leisurely.

"Isn't activated, you say?"

Hearing these words, the wood spirit paled as the shack started to rumble. He began to exclaim in panic.

"Impossible! Master said there were only two ways to trigger it: one is for Master to manually trigger it or the other is-!"

The wood spirit's face turned even paler as he realized what was happening. He turned to see that Ye Fan's master was already on his feet and staring at him with a deadpan expression. The Immortal made a grasping gesture with his right hand before flipping and opening it, palm face down. Ye Fan and the boatman were enveloped in golden motes of light and brought away to a safe place. When the two disappeared, Ye Fan's master returned his hand to his side.

Strangely, the wood spirit had stopped his panicked actions. His face was still deathly pale amidst the commotion of the trap formation activating, but his eyes seemed to hold curiosity as he stared at the dignified Immortal.

“State your intentions, fiend. Righteous cultivators do not condone actions against mortals so don’t continue to put up a façade.”

Ye Fan’s master leisurely stepped toward the wood spirit. Astonishingly, the wood spirit could still speak despite the domineering atmosphere pressing down on him.

“Shi Qiongtian, my master has been waiting for a long time.”

When he heard the wood spirit's words, Shi Qiongtian's demeanor immediately changed. The lofty demeanor of an Immortal, uncaring of the mortal world, had changed to one of a vengeful demon. His face held a solemn expression as he interrogated the wood spirit and took rapid steps.

“Who is your master? How did they find me? Answer me, now!”

At this point, Shi Qiongtian had completely lost his cool and roared at the wood spirit. He stopped in front of the wood spirit with a gap spanning two steps.