Chapter 375: Chapter 375: The Prosthetic Eye (Part 8)_1
The address on the invitation was a courtyard built against a mountain, appearing quite luxurious.
By the time Fu Qian arrived here, it wasn’t long before the appointed time on the invitation.
Facing the watchful guards, Fu Qian took out the invitation and handed it over.
And almost instantaneously, the guards’ demeanor underwent a complete 180-degree transformation, respectfully inviting Fu Qian inside.
This gesture was excessively exaggerated; by all accounts, it shouldn’t have been necessary.
It seemed that although the guards were ordinary people, they appeared to understand the nature of the gathering, and faced with a Transcendent, they naturally displayed an inherent respect.
Fu Qian judged silently in his heart.
It was indeed quite interesting that a gathering of Transcendents was being guarded by a group of ordinary people.
Following the path indicated by the guards, Fu Qian quickly arrived at a room.
It was clear that he had arrived quite early; there weren’t many people in the room, most were chatting in groups of twos and threes.
And, sure enough, although the people inside were all dressed to the nines, indistinguishable from a normal social gathering, at a glance, it was confirmed that everyone in the room was a Transcendent.
The room was filled with an aura of strength, truly powerful and formidable!
“I’m delighted that you made the right choice.”
At this moment, Roland appeared silently nearby.
Compared to their previous meeting, he had changed into another outfit, dressed to the nines.
“Many haven’t arrived yet, but I believe you can feel what’s different about this place,” Roland said, seemingly pleased that Fu Qian had arrived so early.
“Later, I will introduce you to everyone, to let them know that we have a new member who is very fortunate.”
“Before you make such an introduction, may I understand exactly what kind of gathering this is?” Fu Qian asked cautiously.
“Don’t worry needlessly,” Roland seemed to see through Fu Qian’s concerns.
“This is not some evil underground meeting; if you must categorize it, think of it as an academic exchange,” he explained.
“An exchange?”
“Of course, working in isolation is not advisable, especially on the treacherous path of Transcendence,” Roland stated affirmatively.
“So we regularly organize these meetings to exchange some items, materials, and experiences from the path of cultivation.”
“We may not have many people, but all are members willing to share; you will surely gain something.”
“That does sound rather appealing,” Fu Qian said without much comment.
An academic exchange sounded quite interesting indeed.
If someone could directly introduce him to what the Inner Eye is later on, that would be perfect.
He was inclined to believe Roland’s words, but as a newcomer completely at a loss, he still had to show an attitude of questioning everything.
As the two conversed, other guests gradually entered the door, and soon the room swelled to dozens of people.
It was clear that Roland was very familiar with them, greeting each new arrival.
After exchanging pleasantries, they would also take a moment to look over Fu Qian, the new face, then contemplate thoughtfully.
The only exception was a familiar face.
Lady Li Min, dressed in an evening gown, and Rachel arrived arm in arm, surveying everything around them with an evaluative gaze, much like Fu Qian had done earlier.
Just arrived and already joining the party with her close girlfriend?
It seemed this exchange event had a widespread reputation.
Fu Qian nodded silently to himself.
Additionally, what surprised people was that Rachel, who normally looked like a rebellious girl, was dressed even more modestly than Li Min.
Not only was she wearing a plain-colored long dress, but she had even put on a hat to tuck away her multicolored hair as much as possible.
Indeed, women’s fashion is unpredictably mysterious.
“I must excuse myself for a moment,”
Roland’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw the two women and he immediately went up to greet them.
Fu Qian silently stood in place, not hiding his scrutiny of Li Min and her companion.
Now, wearing the face of a greasy middle-aged man, he thought it would be unnatural to look at two well-dressed beauties with too much propriety.
For someone as cautious and seasoned as Li Min, it would inevitably arouse her suspicion.
Keep in mind that he hadn’t even changed his clothes since yesterday.
As expected, Li Min glanced over with a bit of confusion, then quickly shifted her gaze away.
Clearly, she didn’t recognize him, which spared him the trouble of having to silence her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it seems everyone has nearly arrived,”
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Rachel, Roland suddenly called out loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Before we officially start, allow me to introduce two newcomers.”
“First is Rachel’s friend, Lady Li Min, who has just traveled here!”
Upon hearing this, Li Min by his side politely greeted everyone.
“The other is Mr. Che,”
Roland continued, gesturing towards Fu Qian.
“A lucky individual who has just received a Supernatural Gift.”
To everyone’s surprise, from the looks in the others’ eyes, Fu Qian could feel that the attention he received seemed even greater.
This was certainly out of the ordinary.
As a newcomer, Fu Qian didn’t believe his current face could attract more interest than Li Min’s.
The issue probably lay with the term “lucky individual.” It appeared that situations like that of Che Shunyong’s were not very common.
Fu Qian greeted everyone just like Li Min did, and took the opportunity to assess the strength of this group of Transcendents—nothing but cannon fodder.
What a pity, looking around, there probably wasn’t a single person who could recognize his true strength.
Li Min’s level would be considered above average among these people, at the very least.
There’s no helping it; the lower ranks of Transcendents do make up the vast majority.
Fu Qian sighed to himself.
Unknowingly, I’ve become a heavy hitter!
But this was a good thing, as a newcomer at the Demigod level was still too shocking.
If this bunch really became suspicious and decided to attack together, he’d have to clear the field.
After a brief introduction of the newcomers, Roland gestured for everyone to freely exchange items.
There was no expected auction-like drama with complex and treacherous plots of murder and treasure-snatching.
The group pulled out their collections to introduce and bargain directly, their demeanor not much different from that of bargaining at a farmers’ market, creating a sharp contrast with their prior image.
As a newcomer, Fu Qian, of course, had nothing to trade, so he looked around quite naturally.
It was basically a bunch of Transcendent materials and some trinkets with certain special effects.
The most treasured of all was no better than the ring in Roland’s possession, which could impose a Gravity Curse, hardly piquing any interest.
After nearly half an hour, this hawking session was almost at its end.
“Alright, I hope everyone has gained something. Now, let’s change the subject,”
At this point, Roland looked around once more, his face smiling amiably.
“Recently, I have discovered a possibly effective ritual.”