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Two days later.
Inside the alchemy chamber of the Mountain-Water Manor, waves of heat and resplendent light swirled around the pill furnace, which had just been opened.
Three pills of varying quality landed in Lan Chang'an’s palm.
Among them, one was pitch black, like a piece of charcoal, emanating a peculiar odor that could make anyone lightheaded.
“Two pills succeeded, with one of superior quality.”
A look of delight crossed Lan Chang'an’s face as he observed the superior quality Life Extension Pill. It glistened like a translucent green grape, radiating vibrant spiritual energy and an intoxicating life essence.
It turned out that the pill Lan Chang'an had been refining during his recent seclusion was none other than a second-rank Life Extension Pill.
The majority of the ingredients for this pill, including the key dicinal herb, had been contributed by Huang Lang Immortal.
Huang Lang Immortal's loot could be described as a huge treasure trove, even including the main ingredient for Crystal Condensation Pills.
After arriving in the Fengyuan Kingdom, Lan Chang'an paid attention to collecting auxiliary materials. A few months ago, he managed to gather all the ingredients needed for the second-rank Life Extension Pill.
For most ordinary alchemists of the sa rank, crafting a superior-quality second-rank Life Extension Pill was an unattainable feat.
But with Lan Chang'an’s current skills as a third-rank Alchemist, he did not need to rely on others. Using secret alchemical techniques, he sacrificed one of the pills during the refinent process to create a single superior-quality second-rank Life Extension Pill.
After confirming the pill's authenticity, Lan Chang'an imdiately consud it, closed his eyes, and ditated for a few breaths to let it take effect.
Because he had already consud too many superior second-rank Life Extension Pills previously, this one only extended his lifespan by another six and a half years.
With this addition, Lan Chang'an’s total lifespan has now reached 1,126 years.
As an Immortal Golden Dan cultivator, Lan Chang'an technically did not require such an abundance of lifespan during the Core Formation stage.
However, cultivating the Xuanmu Vine Gourd, performing divination, and using the secret art Crimson Sun Blood-Escape Technique all consud lifespan.
Particularly the Xuanmu Vine Gourd—it required lifespan asured in centuries to nurture.
Lan Chang'an had calculated that leaving himself a thousand years of lifespan during the Core Formation stage would be more than sufficient, even considering ergencies and unexpected losses.
The surplus lifespan could be used to cultivate the Xuanmu Vine Gourd or to experint with other ventures.
“There are also so ingredients for the third rank Life Extension Pill, but unfortunately there is no main ingredient.”
This refinent of a superior second-rank Life Extension Pill was ant to pave the way for future attempts at crafting a third-rank Life Extension Pill, serving as a warm-up and practice.
Although Lan Chang'an didn’t currently have the main ingredient for a third-rank Life Extension Pill, the Wan Hua rchant Association in the River Source Oasis did.
Even if he joined the Wan Hua rchant Association, strategic resources of that level would never be made available to him.
Since he had declined their invitation to join, the Wan Hua rchant Association had even suppressed him to so extent, refusing to sell him rare dicinal herbs.
There was no way to buy the main ingredient for the third-rank Life Extension Pill through normal ans!
Coincidentally, however, the Wan Hua rchant Association was currently attempting to annex the Star Moon rchant Association, which was fiercely resisting. The two principal leaders of Star Moon had mastered a combined attack technique, giving them the strength to rival a True Dan cultivator.
Lan Chang'an couldn’t help but feel that the Wan Hua rchant Association’s third-rank Life Extension Pill main ingredient had destiny with him.
...
Exiting seclusion, Lan Chang'an stepped out of the alchemy chamber.
He was greeted by the sight of the Yun siblings.
Yun Ling was sitting atop the back of the Profound Water Turtle, her long dress soaked by the splashing waves. Her wet hair clung to her delicate and fair face, which was flushed with a rosy sheen.
Splash! Splash!
The girl’s tender feet, as pale and smooth as lotus roots, playfully splashed in the water, sending out peals of silvery laughter that were pure and lively.
“Immortal Xu!”
Seeing Lan Chang'an erge, Yun Hao cupped his hands in greeting and imdiately signaled his sister with his eyes.
“Greetings, Immortal Xu.”
Yun Ling hurriedly stood up on the turtle’s back and bowed respectfully, her posture graceful and composed.
However, as her gaze lowered, a blush spread across her charming face. Her soaked dress clung to her body, outlining her graceful curves with startling clarity.
Lowering her head in embarrassnt, she quietly cast a spell to dry her clothes.
Lan Chang'an smiled faintly. In his previous life, Guan Qiaozhi, who had co from a humble background as a wandering cultivator, had inevitably harbored so selfish motives while following him.
In this life, Yun Ling’s background and talents were far superior. Her purity and liveliness, both inside and out, were bright and captivating, stirring the heart.
“No need to be so formal,” Lan Chang'an said with a wave, seating himself in the pavilion by the waterside and gesturing for the Yun siblings to join him.
Having resided in the River Source Oasis for three to four years, Lan Chang'an had maintained a good relationship with the Treasure Pavilion.
A year ago, Yun Hao successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishnt stage and had co to thank Lan Chang'an in person.
Yun Hao possessed high-grade spiritual roots, making his breakthrough smooth and natural.
Lan Chang'an speculated that Yun Hao might be the most talented descendant of Master Lihuo within the Fengyuan Kingdom.
Yun Ling, on the other hand, had mid-grade spiritual roots, but she was highly skilled and possessed exceptional talent for drawing talismans. Her beauty also resembled the young Yun Yan.
For this reason, Granny Yun brought the siblings around to personally discipline them.
“Immortal Xu, the incomplete second-rank talisman inheritance you bestowed upon Ling’er last ti has been of great help. Recently, Ling’er managed to craft her first second-rank talisman, though just barely.”
Yun Ling's face bead with joy, her delicate eyebrows raised in excitent as she eagerly reported her achievent to Lan Chang'an.
Perhaps because of her gratitude and admiration, the first person she thought of after successfully crafting the talisman was none other than Lan Chang'an.
“To achieve this at such a young age is truly remarkable,” Lan Chang'an said approvingly.
He recalled that during his second life, he had beco a third-rank talisman master and had crafted his first second-rank talisman at around the sa age.
The incomplete second-rank talisman inheritance he had gifted Yun Ling was one he had previously shared with Guan Qiaozhi. The latter had ordinary talent in talisman crafting and had spent decades of effort to master it.
In this life, Yun Ling’s innate talent allowed her to make rapid progress after receiving this inheritance, advancing at an impressive pace.
Even though the talisman inheritance was incomplete, for Yun Ling, its value far surpassed what it would offer to most other cultivators.
Through this seemingly insignificant gesture, Lan Chang'an gave Yun Ling a helping hand, so that she could go further in the talisman path.
“Immortal Xu, here are the materials you asked to gather.”
Yun Ling took out a brocade pouch and handed it to Lan Chang'an.
She had taken it upon herself to run errands and collect common materials for him, often using it as an excuse to play with the Water Jet Turtle.
At the sa ti, she had beco an important bridge of communication between Lan Chang'an and the Treasure Pavilion.
Lan Chang'an’s kind and caring attitude toward the Yun siblings as a Core Formation Immortal had sparked rumors among the cultivators in the oasis market.
The stories circulating were nothing more than gossip—that Lan Chang'an, a “senior,” was harboring impure intentions toward a pretty young girl, an old cow trying to eat young grass.
However, Granny Yun didn’t listen to the rumors. She also didn’t stop Yun Ling from occasionally visiting Mountain-Water Manor.
According to the Yun siblings, the refined and amiable Immortal Xu, after years of living in the River Source Oasis, had never shown any improper behavior or made suggestive comnts toward Yun Ling.
Even the incomplete second-rank talisman inheritance he had given her was rely a token of appreciation for her running errands—a trivial gesture to soone at his level.
...
After a brief conversation, Lan Chang'an sent the Yun siblings away.
Yun Hao had co this ti to request Lan Chang'an’s assistance in refining several rare and difficult pills to expand the inventory of Treasure Pavilion.
As long as the remuneration was reasonable, Lan Chang'an saw no reason to refuse.
After all, when he first arrived at the River Source Oasis, he had been destitute, playing the role of an alchemist held hostage by his circumstances. To make ends et, he had accepted commissions for alchemy work from others.
“Among the descendants of Master Lihuo, so exceptional figures may erge in the future,” Lan Chang'an thought as he watched the Yun siblings leave.
The Master Lihuo had left behind so treasured resources for his descendants.
With Granny Yun’s careful guidance, the Yun siblings were destined for significant achievents in the years to co.
In addition, one of Lan Chang'an’s three alchemy apprentices, the plain-looking Niu Jie, had shown promising talent in alchemy.
Over the years of studying under Lan Chang'an, Niu Jie had made substantial progress in his alchemical techniques.
The young man was humble, diligent, and eager to learn, making steady and solid advancents.
“Immortal Xu, there were two issues I couldn’t figure out while refining pills a few days ago…”
The dark-skinned Niu Jie approached cautiously, taking the opportunity to consult Lan Chang'an while he was free.
After listening to Niu Jie’s questions, Lan Chang'an realized the young man had a creative and open mind. He patiently explained the solutions and clarified Niu Jie’s doubts.
“If his cultivation level keeps up, Niu Jie’s future accomplishnts in alchemy may even surpass mine,” Lan Chang'an mused.
...
Over the next one or two years, peace in the River Source Oasis was disrupted.
The friction between the Wan Hua rchant Association and the Star Moon rchant Association intensified, escalating to outright conflicts.
The Wan Hua rchant Association, being a dominant powerhouse in the oasis, would have easily swallowed the Star Moon rchant Association without causing much of a stir under normal circumstances.
But things did not go as planned.
It was said that the weaker Star Moon rchant Association had hired a mysterious True Dan assassin from the black market of the nearby immortal city, creating significant trouble for the Wan Hua rchant Association.
This mysterious assassin, in collaboration with the Star Moon rchant Association’s Fake Dan couple leaders, had killed two of Wan Hua’s Fake Dan cultivators and severely injured a True Dan cultivator with poison.
Despite its imnse strength, the Wan Hua rchant Association found itself temporarily constrained. Not only was it unable to eliminate the Star Moon rchant Association in a short period, but it also had to worry about the potential assassination of its key figures.
Adding to its woes, Wan Hua’s competitors in Gutian Immortal City were eagerly watching for any signs of weakness.
As a result, instability spread across the River Source Oasis, even affecting the nearby Gutian Immortal City.
Many factions began to pay attention to the mysterious assassin who had stirred up the situation in the oasis. The only thing known was that they had co from the black market; their exact identity remained a mystery.
One day late at night.
Deep in the northern part of the River Source Oasis, within the fortress of the Star Moon rchant Association, a pair of extraordinary individuals—a man and a woman in their thirties—sat cross-legged in the rear garden, ditating with focused concentration.
These two, Tang Mian and Tang Yue, were the fad Star Moon Dao Companions whose nas had risen to prominence in the oasis over the past few years.
The couple had a record of repelling and injuring True Dan cultivators during battle.
Swish!
From the shadows of the flower bushes, a figure in a gray-white robe and a dark cloak erged, their features hidden beneath a broad-brimd hat.
“Fellow Daoist Black Lord.”
Tang Mian and Tang Yue instantly tensed. Rising to their feet, they greeted the figure with respect, their voices carrying a trace of fear.
This mysterious assassin they had hired was incredibly skilled at concealnt. Every ti they appeared, it was only when they were already nearby that the couple sensed their presence.
“Your skills are impressive, Fellow Daoist. Even the formidable Chishe Immortal of the Wan Hua rchant Association, with their unparalleled combat prowess, was severely injured by your attack and nearly died of poisoning,” Tang Mian said with a hearty laugh, his sharp features exuding a sense of admiration.
Tang Yue, her hair styled elegantly with a phoenix hairpin and her mature, graceful figure radiating charm, added in a soft yet seductive voice:
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish off Chishe Immortal. If they had been killed, much of the crisis facing our Star Moon rchant Association would have been resolved.”
In the shadows, the assassin’s facial features remained indistinct. His voice was cold and indifferent as he replied:
“I always deliver what I promise. At the very least, I could cripple the True Dan cultivator of the Wan Hua rchant Association, weakening them for years to co. Were it not for their abundant supply of rare dicinal herbs and tily detoxification, the last assassination would have finished him off.”
Unbeknownst to Tang Mian and Tang Yue, the assassin standing before them was actually the third-rank mid-grade assassin puppet remotely controlled by Lan Chang'an.
Thanks to the disparity in their cultivation levels and the deliberate concealnt under the cover of night, the Star Moon Dao Companions failed to notice anything unusual.
“Fellow Daoist Black Lord, here is your reward.”
Tang Mian took out a jade box and tossed it toward the cloaked assassin.
Tang Yue apologized, “Our rchant guild has been running at a loss for years, and we’re short on spirit stones. As per our agreent, the shortfall will be compensated with the first six layers of the cultivation technique ‘Star Moon Jue’ that my husband and I have cultivated.”
The cloaked assassin opened the jade box. Inside were a few second-rank and third-rank materials along with a scroll of cultivation techniques.
The scroll was adorned with diagrams of stars and constellations to aid in ditation and cultivation.
“The organization backing , the Azure Dragon Society, is an ancient and mysterious force from the Great Qing Central Region. If you dare to provide a fraudulent cultivation technique, don’t bla for being ruthless…”
The assassin’s dark cloak rippled briefly before his figure vanished from the couple’s sight.
Tang Mian and Tang Yue exchanged solemn glances.
Only after confirming that the assassin had truly left did they set up a restriction barrier and begin communicating through voice transmission.
“‘Star Moon Jue’ has extrely harsh cultivation requirents. We were only able to gain so insight into it due to our deep connection and the ancestral notes we inherited. Even giving him the Foundation Establishnt portion of the technique doesn’t matter,” Tang Yue said, her tone icy, entirely different from her earlier seductive deanor.
“Ah, though that’s true, this act still goes against the Tang family’s ancestral teachings,” Tang Mian sighed.
Although the two shared the sa surna, Tang Mian and Tang Yue were not blood-related. Tang Yue had been adopted as a spiritual root immortal seedling by Tang Mian’s parents. Due to her excellent aptitude and beauty, she eventually beca his betrothed.
The ancestral history of the Star Moon rchant Association claid that their forebears had co from overseas. Pursued by powerful enemies, they had fled into a forbidden area, only to awaken later in the legendary Heaven Honoured Continent.
The ‘Star Moon Jue’ was a lost cultivation technique that was unheard of in the Fengyuan Kingdom or even in the whole Great Qing, but it was renowned overseas for its imnse power.
This cultivation thod originated from the Starmoon Palace, a sacred land overseas.
According to the ancestral jade slip, their family’s ancestors were disciples of the Starmoon Palace, and ‘Star Moon Jue’ was its core scripture.
The supre rulers of the Starmoon Palace, the Star Sovereign and Moon Empress, were both Nascent Soul Great Cultivators. It was said that by cultivating the ninth layer of ‘Star Moon Jue’, they could perform a peerless combined divine ability capable of rivaling a Deity Transformation Realm Heavenly Lord.
Tang Mian and Tang Yue were skeptical of these claims, after all, they had never set foot overseas.
Moreover, the ‘Star Moon Jue’ they had inherited was rely a fragnted version, allowing cultivation only up to the Core Formation stage.
While the Foundation Establishnt portion of the technique could be copied, starting from the Core Formation stage, one must observe the stone carvings of the Starmoon Palace to advance.
...
Half an hour later.
In the secret chamber of Mountain-Water Manor, Lan Chang'an unrolled the cultivation scroll of ‘Star Moon Jue’, his eyes gradually reflecting a hint of astonishnt.
Previously, when he heard about the Star Moon Dao Companions—a pair of Fake Dan cultivators who had joined forces to severely injure a True Dan cultivator—he had speculated with his Nascent Soul-level insight that their combined cultivation technique must have an extraordinary origin.
Now, with the Tang couple unable to afford the full remuneration in spirit stones, Lan Chang'an had suggested they offset the debt by offering their cultivation technique instead, partly to satisfy his curiosity.
After reading through the Foundation Establishnt stage portion of ‘Star Moon Jue’, Lan Chang'an ca to realize its profundity. It might even rival the ‘Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique’, this Star Moon Jue technique truly contained unparalleled power.
“How strange... the style and characteristics of this technique are unlike anything I’ve ever encountered, whether in my past life’s Great Kun or this life’s Great Qing,” Lan Chang'an mused as he set the scroll aside.
After a long mont of contemplation, he still could not deduce the origins or background of ‘Star Moon Jue’.
This cultivation technique imposed stringent requirents on both aptitude and comprehension.
For a solitary cultivator, progressing in this technique would be arduous, though its power would still rival that of a superior technique.
However, if practiced by a pair of Dao Companions with deep mutual understanding and special constitutions, the technique would produce twice the results with half the effort, achieving extraordinary might and even enabling battle power that surpassed their cultivation realm.
Yet, its requirents were so demanding that Lan Chang'an could only shake his head.
For soone like him, who led a solitary life, focused on health and restraint, ‘Star Moon Jue’ was practically out of reach.
By contrast, Lan Chang'an’s attention was more focused on leveraging the Star Moon rchant Association to counterbalance the Wan Hua rchant Association, ultimately aiming to acquire the main ingredient for a third-rank Life Extension Pill.
Previously, he had covertly supported the Star Moon rchant Association to keep the Wan Hua rchant Association in check, causing them considerable annoyance.
By remotely controlling the puppet assassin, he not only secured the assassin’s reward but also earned an extra side profit.
To avoid suspicion, when the mysterious assassin severely injured the True Dan cultivator from Wan Hua, Lan Chang'an had deliberately stayed in the River Source Oasis market, purchasing supplies. This eliminated any potential connection to him.
None of the major factions in the oasis suspected that the so-called “assassin” was nothing more than a puppet.
Ordinary puppets could not be controlled from such a distance, nor could they conceal their flaws during combat.
In truth, with Lan Chang'an’s strength, combined with his Earth Burrowing Rat and multiple high-grade puppets, he could have easily crushed the Wan Hua rchant Association in a frontal assault to seize the third-rank Life Extension Pill’s main ingredient.
However, his purpose in fleeing to the Fengyuan Kingdom was to lie low and cultivate in seclusion, ideally advancing to the late Core Formation stage.
Cultivation was the foundation of everything. He could not afford to risk exposure or draw undue attention, as that would jeopardize his hard-won opportunity to cultivate in peace.
Thus, he had positioned the Star Moon rchant Association as the vanguard in the open, bearing the brunt of scrutiny and pressure from various factions.
He himself remained in the shadows, interacting with the Star Moon Dao Companions only through his puppet clone.
...
A month later.
Lan Chang'an turned 220 years old. Unknowingly, he had already spent seven or eight years in Fengyuan Kingdom.
“I wonder how the war against the demonic path invasion is progressing…”
On this day, Lan Chang'an soaked in a third-rank dicinal bath, practicing the ‘Golden Luo Overlord Body’ technique, his thoughts drifting afar.
His deep gaze seed to pierce through the endless sandy desert, looking southward to the distant Liang Kingdom cultivation world.
Due to the barrier of the Flying Sand Desert, information about the war from the Righteous Dao Alliance was difficult to obtain.
Even the occasional news that trickled in was often accompanied by rumors and unreliable details.
In the central desert of the Fengyuan Kingdom, most cultivators cared little for the wars raging beyond their borders.
For tens of thousands of years, no matter how chaotic the outside world beca, it rarely affected the Fengyuan Kingdom.
Of course, the Fengyuan Kingdom was no paradise—it had plenty of internal conflicts and strife of its own.
Splash!
Lan Chang'an’s body, now magnified and hardened through the ‘Golden Luo Overlord Body’, erged from the dicinal pool, resembling a golden bronze statue. The vitality radiating from his physique faintly touched the mid-third-rank level.
Lan Chang'an estimated that his body refinent breakthrough would occur within the next year or so.
Not only was his body refinent nearing a breakthrough, but it had also been 43 years since he had achieved Immortal Golden Dan.
His cultivation progress in the early Core Formation stage was over 70% complete.
Reaching the mid-Core Formation stage was no longer far off.
“If I can bring both my body refinent and mana cultivation to the mid-Core Formation stage… by then, even without relying on the Nine Seal Stele, my combat strength may not be inferior to my peak in my past life…”
Looking ahead to this near future, when he could surpass his past self, Lan Chang'an’s heart surged with excitent.
At that level, few cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage would pose any threat to him, including the Peacock Saintess who had once hunted him in the past.
In high spirits, Lan Chang'an donned a fresh set of white robes and opened a bottle of premium third-rank spiritual wine he had been saving.
Unfortunately, there was no close friend in Fengyuan Kingdom he could talk freely with.
Not even a temporary companion for a fleeting love.
Feeling a slight tinge of regret—
Suddenly, Lan Chang'an’s heart trembled!
His mid-third-rank divination technique stirred, giving him an ominous premonition.
“Sothing must have happened…”
Every two months, Lan Chang'an perford a divination to predict good or bad fortune. This ti, the foreboding sense was unrelated to himself.
Instead, it involved an old acquaintance he had known for two centuries.
“A Great Calamity divination!”
Lan Chang'an calculated further, and his expression imdiately darkened.
A great calamity ant at least a 90% chance of a life-threatening disaster.
To obtain a more precise divination, Lan Chang'an pushed his divination technique to its limit, even expending a small portion of his lifespan in the process.
However, the more he calculated, the grimr his expression beca.
He divined that Zhao Siyao’s fate had nearly co to an end, her connection to this world on the verge of severing completely.
“Who made the move? A demonic battlefield… a True Dan cultivator from the Beast King Valley…”
A cold glint of killing intent flashed in Lan Chang'an’s eyes.
“I gave her a mid-third-rank escape talisman, and she had a puppet to protect her. A typical True Dan cultivator shouldn’t be enough to put her in a life-or-death situation.”
Lan Chang'an knew that in war, late Core Formation experts held a status second only to Nascent Soul cultivators. They typically wouldn’t target a Fake Dan cultivator like Zhao Siyao.
Pfft!
Lan Chang'an spat out a mouthful of vital blood and retrieved several rare divination artifacts.
As he pushed his divination further, delving into the karmic threads of cause and effect, the truth behind the calamity gradually surfaced.
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