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Chapter 367: The Fairy’s Reward
Two days later, at Fujiling Mine.
While "recuperating" in Hidden Bamboo Pavilion, Lan Chang'an received a piece of shocking news from the outside world.
Hu Ang and Immortal Jade Plum, who had yet to leave, quickly gathered in the pavilion.
"The Ye Clan’s spirit ship was annihilated… Elder Ye Xiang is dead?! What exactly happened? Are the reports confird?"
Lan Chang'an's expression flickered as he fixed his gaze on Immortal Xiuyu, who had just finished delivering the report.
“I’ve verified the information multiple tis—the intelligence is reliable.”
Immortal Xiuyu, who had just composed herself, appeared slightly flushed, her tone carrying a hint of excitent.
She then went on to relay the specific details of the intelligence.
“A five-colored peacock with a Heaven-grade bloodline, suspected to have reached fourth rank? Was it an accidental encounter, or did the Ye Clan provoke soone they shouldn’t have?”
Lan Chang'an muttered to himself, montarily lost in thought.
Observing Lan Chang'an’s reaction, Hu Ang secretly shook his head, dismissing any wild speculations.
"If Xiang Dalong truly had a Heaven-grade five-colored peacock under his control, it would have been impossible for him to hide it after cultivating in Yunxia Sect for decades."
When he first heard the news, Hu Ang had suspected several potential culprits—mainly beast-taming factions in the surrounding regions of the Great Yu Kingdom.
Could it be Great Snake Mountain? That faction specialized in training spirit beasts, but mostly dealt with snakes and land-dwelling creatures—avian-type beasts were rare, unless this was so kind of secret weapon.
However, it was unlikely that Great Snake Mountain would aid the Yunxia Sect against the Ye Clan.
Similarly, Yaqi Mountain and Great Luo Kingdom, both adjacent to the Great Yu Kingdom, housed formidable beast-taming sects, but none had ever been known to possess a fourth-rank five-colored peacock.
“Regardless, this is good news for us.”
“A creature as terrifying as a fourth-rank five-colored peacock must be handled with extre caution. Digging too deeply into the matter could invite disaster.”
Lan Chang'an’s tone grew solemn, finalizing his stance on the issue. His words earned nods of agreent from the three Core Formation cultivators present.
“Elder Xiang, that mysterious five-colored peacock's intentions remain unknown, and it may not have left the surrounding region. Should we strengthen our defenses at Fujiling Mine?”
Immortal Xiuyu was aware of the deadly nature of that Peacock Calamity and couldn’t shake an underlying sense of dread.
“There’s no real point in doing so.”
Lan Chang'an shook his head. “That five-colored peacock has likely alerted the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Great Yu Kingdom. It wouldn’t dare act recklessly again.”
“Elder Xiang speaks wisely.”
Hu Ang and Immortal Jade Plum both agreed with Lan Chang'an’s reasoning.
Having said that—
Later that sa day, Hu Ang and Immortal Jade Plum, the two Core Formation cultivators who had co as reinforcents, swiftly returned to the sect.
Yunxia Sect’s mountain stronghold was protected by a fourth-rank grand formation and a fourth-rank Sacred Beast. They had no reason to fear an attack from the five-colored peacock.
...
"As expected, none of the surviving cultivators at the scene could discern the truth about the Exotic Spirit Peacock Puppet."
After seeing off the Core Formation cultivators, a faint smile crept onto Lan Chang'an’s lips.
The frawork of the Exotic Spirit Peacock Puppet had originally been constructed using materials from Peacock Saintess’s own Five-Colored Peacock. Later, additional fourth-rank treasures had been incorporated into it.
The survivors from the Ye Clan neither dared to look directly at the entity nor possessed spiritual senses strong enough to see through its illusion.
Moreover, the Peacock Calamity had taken place at the very edge of the Ye Clan’s domain, while the territory under the Ye Clan's rule encompassed more than half of the Liang Kingdom.
With one of the Ye Clan’s Nascent Soul True Monarchs currently away negotiating with the imperial court, only a single Nascent Soul cultivator remained stationed at their headquarters.
Even if they had the ability to investigate, it was unlikely they had the courage to act recklessly.
If the five-colored peacock had truly reached the fourth rank, an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would not be able to defeat it.
Lan Chang'an had dared to strike only because he had assessed the situation thoroughly.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Lan Chang'an closed his eyes and reached out with his consciousness, establishing a link with the Spirit Peacock Puppet, which lay hidden thousands of li away.
Before launching this operation, he had fused the second life soul shadow into the Exotic Spirit Peacock Puppet, allowing it to function as a puppet clone.
This puppet clone was a unique technique exclusive to Lan Chang'an, sothing the outside world would find difficult to imagine.
Currently concealed in a remote valley, the Spirit Peacock Puppet had already finished organizing the spoils of war, destroying anything that could raise suspicion.
Among the loot, one particular storage pouch stood out—it had belonged to the masked third-rank puppet master.
Inside the storage pouch were the three wolf puppets the masked man had used earlier, all of which remained mostly intact. Additionally, there were two other third-rank puppets.
The fact that the masked man had carried five third-rank puppets indicated that he either had significant backing or possessed extraordinary luck.
Lan Chang'an was particularly intrigued by the puppet formation battle technique the masked man had demonstrated.
“Found it.”
Through the Spirit Peacock Puppet, Lan Chang'an examined a jade slip within the storage pouch, which contained the inheritance of a secret technique titled Joint Assault Puppet Manual.
Even if the storage pouch hadn’t contained a jade slip, Lan Chang'an had a contingency plan—his Spirit Peacock Puppet had extracted a fragnt of the masked man’s remnant soul at the mont of his death.
“Interesting… This formation-based puppet combat technique borrows principles from human cultivators’ synchronized combat arts.”
As Lan Chang'an skimd through the contents, his interest grew.
However, he quickly identified the technique’s limitations:
First, the materials were extrely demanding—it required an entire set of puppets made from identical or related materials.
This was similar to mother-child paired magical treasures, which were exceedingly rare.
Second, it placed a heavy burden on one’s spiritual sense, requiring intricate puppet control techniques.
In crude terms, it required an extraordinary level of micromanagent.
Given the masked man’s level of expertise, he had barely managed to control one mid-grade third-rank puppet and two low-grade third-rank puppets in a synchronized formation—this had likely been his absolute limit.
“Hmm? This puppet formation battle technique seems to have originated from Great Kun.”
While reading through the jade slip, Lan Chang'an noticed subtle details that led him to this conclusion.
Although the slip did not explicitly state its origins, there were indirect clues.
Additionally, the wording and phrasing used in the inheritance contained regional dialectal influences from the Great Kun.
While the cultivation world shared a common language, regional dialects inevitably integrated local characteristics.
Since Lan Chang'an’s second life had originated from a cultivation family in Great Kun, he was able to recognize the linguistic nuances imdiately.
“I see. Great Kun is adjacent to the Great Yuan, and their cultivation inheritances have been exchanged for tens of thousands of years—this isn’t surprising.”
Recalling the geographical details stored in the mories of True Monarch Shazhai, Lan Chang'an quickly ca to terms with the discovery.
For Nascent Soul cultivators and above, crossing different regions was not particularly difficult.
If the regions weren’t too far apart and the dangers were manageable, even an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could traverse them freely.
His past life’s holand, Kun Province, held two lingering ties for Lan Chang'an.
One was his forr Xu Clan, whose existence remained uncertain.
The other was the "Ancient Trees Evergreen Technique", which in the past life, he obtained from a mysterious cave in the Great Kun. However, Lan Chang'an only managed to get half of the volu.
Once he reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, Lan Chang'an will no longer have any follow-up cultivation technique.
…
Lan Chang'an opened Elder Ye’s storage pouch and was pleasantly surprised.
"Tsk tsk, so the most precious portion of the rare ores the Ye Clan looted from Fujiling Mine ended up in his hands."
He had just acquired another batch of precious third-rank ores.
Aside from the minerals, the magical treasures belonging to the two Core Formation cultivators could be salvaged for materials—sothing Lan Chang'an, as a superior third-rank artifact refiner, could put to good use.
With this "dirty money" in hand, his puppet army project could be significantly expedited.
"Sure enough, it's still comfortable to abuse vegetables, and it's faster to kill people and seize treasures than to accumulate them."
The Spirit Peacock Puppet’s performance in this operation left Lan Chang'an quite satisfied.
Of course, this kind of action could only be taken occasionally—seizing opportunities as they arose.
And since the target was an enemy faction, there was no psychological burden.
...
Great Yu Imperial City, Yunxia Sect’s Residence.
Amidst the picturesque landscape of a lakeside pavilion, two elegant figures in purple and red robes stood side by side. Their long skirts trailed along the ground, exuding grace and otherworldly charm.
“Ziyan, you and Yuanjin are a match in both talent and looks, and you admire each other. If your union cos to fruition, it will be a great benefit not only to Yunxia Sect but also to your personal cultivation.”
The red-robed female cultivator standing beside True Monarch Purple Mist was True Monarch Red Sleeve—a woman around twenty-four or twenty-five, with a face like jade, dignified and strikingly beautiful. Her words and deanor radiated the authority of a high-ranking noble.
“Senior Brother Yunlan has only been gone for a few years, and his murderer has yet to be found. How could I possibly…”
True Monarch Purple Mist sighed softly, tactfully rejecting the suggestion.
“Don’t use Yunlan as an excuse. You and he had already severed ties—there was never a true Dao Companion bond between you. Do you think I don’t know that?”
“Listen to , younger sister. Yuanjin is one of the most outstanding Nascent Soul cultivators of the imperial family’s current generation. In a few hundred years, when the older generation retires, he will likely beco a leading figure of the Great Yu imperial family.”
“If the two of you were to beco Dao Companions, the imperial family would naturally provide greater support for Yunxia Sect. As for the upcoming negotiations with the Ye Clan, I am acting as the diator—you won’t be at a disadvantage.”
True Monarch Red Sleeve’s words carried many implicit ssages.
Facing this seemingly amiable yet deeply scheming imperial Nascent Soul cultivator, True Monarch Purple Mist grew more cautious.
By bloodline, True Monarch Red Sleeve was the cousin of the current Yu Emperor, a trusted confidante, and the steward of the imperial household.
If Purple Mist were thinking only of her own interests, Yuanjin would indeed be an excellent Dao Companion choice.
With his outstanding talent, their union could one day place them at the helm of the Great Yu Kingdom.
With access to the imperial family’s rarest cultivation resources, her chances of advancing to mid-stage Nascent Soul would be far greater than in any ordinary sect.
However, the "dowry" in this marriage arrangent would be Yunxia Sect itself.
Having grown up cultivating in Yunxia Sect, Jiang Ziyan refused to see her sect’s Dao lineage fall into the hands of the imperial family.
Protecting and revitalizing Yunxia Sect was a goal she had shared with her late senior brother.
They had sworn this oath before their master and in front of the ancestral morial tablets of past sect leaders.
“The Yu Emperor has already promised that the imperial family will not interfere with Yunxia Sect’s affairs and will respect its independence.”
True Monarch Red Sleeve smiled gently, evidently aware of Purple Mist’s concerns.
As they spoke, True Monarch Purple Mist’s gaze flickered. She raised her hand, catching a ssage talisman that had just flown in from the distance.
For two Nascent Soul cultivators engaged in a conversation, any disturbance had to be urgent and significant—otherwise, no one in the sect would dare interrupt.
“Hmm?”
Scanning the contents with her spiritual sense, True Monarch Purple Mist’s eyes briefly widened in surprise.
Monts later, her starry eyes glead with intrigue, and the corners of her lips curled ever so slightly.
The exhilarating news from Fujiling Mine had erased the passive disadvantage she had been in for the upcoming negotiations—giving her an unexpected trump card.
Otherwise, having rejected the imperial family's matchmaking, she would undoubtedly receive no favors in the subsequent negotiations.
Moreover, among the Four Great Families, the Ye Clan had long-standing marital ties with the Great Yu imperial family.
Within the bounds of protocol, the imperial court’s preferences could significantly influence the allocation of resources and benefits.
“You’re lucky to have a cultivator like Xiang Dalong under your command, Ziyan. I must admit, I’m envious.”
True Monarch Red Sleeve sighed softly. She lightly touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, which trembled faintly as it relayed the imperial family’s intelligence report.
The Tie Patriarch Tie Danxin supported by the Ye Clan had been slain by Elder Xiang, leading to the Ye Clan’s complete defeat and forced retreat.
Then, the mysterious ‘Peacock Calamity’ had struck, dealing an even greater blow—practically eliminating the Ye Clan’s chances of turning the tide.
“Elder Xiang is indeed our sect’s lucky star.”
True Monarch Purple Mist smiled with genuine satisfaction.
Ever since Xiang Dalong joined the Yunxia Sect, the sect had been blessed with great fortune.
Aside from the untily death of her Dao Companion, the sect had seen the rise of a Core Formation Great Cultivator, the ergence of an Immortal Golden Dan, and also a Half-Step Golden Dan.
Additionally, the sect had also acquired a fourth-rank Sacred Beast, which also barely made up for the loss of the top-tier battle asset that her Dao Companion was.
This ti, the victory laid down by Elder Xiang allowed her to take the absolute initiative in the upcoming negotiations.
…
The news from Fujiling Mine left True Monarch Red Sleeve with no interest in playing matchmaker any longer. She soon excused herself and departed.
As she watched Red Sleeve’s figure disappear into the distance, True Monarch Purple Mist stood in place, lost in deep thought.
Her initial joy at securing a strategic advantage gradually faded, replaced by a lingering unease.
"Yunxia Sect has only one female Nascent Soul cultivator left—. As long as I remain single, and no other Nascent Soul cultivator erges within the sect, the Great Yu imperial family will never give up on their matchmaking sches."
A trace of worry flickered in Jiang Ziyan’s eyes. Ever since assuming leadership of the sect, she had never truly felt at ease.
While the sect possessed a fourth-rank Sacred Beast, which served as a Nascent Soul-tier combat force, it was ultimately an outsider. Its loyalty to the Yunxia Sect was nothing compared to that of herself and her late senior brother, Yunlan.
After Elder Xiang was assigned to Fujiling Mine, True Monarch Purple Mist had spent so ti interacting with Lord Earthrock. However, she quickly realized that it neither relied on her nor held any sense of reverence or obedience toward her.
It was loyal only to Elder Xiang, treating him like a father figure—making it nearly impossible for her to establish any aningful connection with it.
This instability, combined with the imperial family’s growing interference, left her increasingly on edge.
She even suspected that the Ye Clan’s attempt to seize Fujiling Mine had been subtly orchestrated by the imperial family—an indirect way to pressure her into submission.
The imperial court had also been trying to matchmake Xiang Dalong with Princess Zhiwei, sothing she had seen with her own eyes.
After Fujiling Mine’s battle, Elder Xiang’s triumph over Ye Fanchen, the Heavenly Sword Pavilion’s prodigy, had made him shine even brighter.
On top of that, he possessed a fourth-rank spirit pet—a massive draw for major factions across the Central Region. If things continued, it was inevitable that powerful sects would try to poach him.
At the end of the day, Elder Xiang was an outsider, a guest elder who had joined Yunxia Sect midway through his cultivation path, so there were still "cracks" that could be exploited.
Amidst all these uncertainties, True Monarch Purple Mist was aware of a near-perfect solution.
If she were to beco Dao Companions with Xiang Dalong, all these problems would disappear instantly.
Elder Xiang and Lord Earthrock would beco her people, forever binding them to Yunxia Sect.
The imperial family would abandon their matchmaking sches with Yuanjin, as she would no longer be available. Yunxia Sect would remove one of its biggest vulnerabilities.
She had always admired Elder Xiang’s personality, talent, and abilities—but she had never harbored romantic feelings for him.
Still, nothing in life was perfect. This small missing piece was not a dealbreaker.
However, as a Nascent Soul True Monarch, one of the most famous cultivators in the Central Region, she found it impossible to lower her pride and confess her feelings to a lower-realm cultivator.
And if Elder Xiang were to reject her, how would they interact in the future? The awkwardness would be unbearable.
Thus, unless Elder Xiang took the initiative to pursue her or confessed his feelings, this possibility would never beco reality.
...
Half a month later.
Lan Chang'an remained at Fujiling Mine, still "recuperating" inside Hidden Bamboo Pavilion, without taking a single step outside.
Over the past few days, he had been on high alert, wary that the Ye Clan’s Nascent Soul True Monarch, who guarded their ancestral lands, might investigate the whereabouts of the ‘Five-Colored Peacock’.
As a precaution, he had not recalled the Spirit Peacock Puppet.
Fortunately, the Ye Clan’s Nascent Soul patriarch only conducted a few symbolic searches within their territory before giving up.
This outco was entirely within Lan Chang'an’s expectations.
The destruction of the third-rank spirit ship had cost the Ye Clan two Core Formation cultivators, of which the masked man was rely a guest elder, several low-level disciples from their ranks.
While this level of loss would be crippling for a smaller faction like Jin Yun Valley, for a behemoth like the Ye Clan, it was not an irrecoverable disaster.
It was not worth waging war against an unknown fourth-rank Heaven-grade Peacock.
Even if the Ye Clan’s two Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces, they would struggle to deal with a real fourth-rank Heaven-grade peacock. The sheer speed of such a creature would make it impossible to catch.
Regarding the mysterious peacock attack, all forces had a general speculation.
Either it was Yunxia Sect’s hidden trump card, or that it was a wandering fourth-rank spirit bird that happened to pass by and prey on the Ye Clan’s cultivators.
The second theory was more widely accepted.
After all, the Great Yuan bordered the ocean, and it was not uncommon for powerful demons to occasionally raid the mainland, abducting cultivators as prey.
This phenonon was especially frequent in coastal areas and islands.
...
Two months later.
The negotiation between the Yunxia Sect and the Ye Clan, diated by the imperial court, finally reached a conclusion.
Fujiling Mine was officially awarded to Yunxia Sect.
The Ye Clan suffered significant losses and failed to secure any of the anticipated territorial or resource benefits.
On this particular day, Lan Chang'an, who had been focused on comprehending the Joint Assault Puppet Manual, suddenly sensed a vast Nascent Soul aura approaching Fujiling Mine.
Monts later—
A radiant cloud of multicolored mist descended from the sky, enveloping the mine in its divine glow.
“Greetings, Supre Elder!”
Amid the swirling immortal mist, the ethereal and dreamlike figure of True Monarch Purple Mist gracefully landed in the central bamboo forest of the mine.
Both Lan Chang'an and Immortal Xiuyu stepped forward to greet her.
“The performance at Fujiling Mine was comndable. Since I have just returned from the imperial court negotiations, I decided to visit and see for myself.”
True Monarch Purple Mist offered a brief word of praise before dismissing the surrounding cultivators, leaving only Lan Chang'an for a private conversation.
Inside Hidden Bamboo Pavilion—
“Senior Sister Jiang’s victory over the Ye Clan in the imperial court negotiations is truly worthy of celebration.”
Lan Chang'an gestured for True Monarch Purple Mist to take the seat of honor, preparing to serve her tea.
“Junior Brother Xiang is the true hero of this battle.”
Purple Mist smiled radiantly and gracefully stopped his actions.
She then produced a fourth-rank spiritual tea and, in a manner reminiscent of a noble lady from an ancient aristocratic family, personally prepared the tea for Lan Chang'an.
Washing her hands, boiling the water, sealing the teapot, inhaling the fragrance—the entire process was natural, fluid, and srizing.
Every movent was elegant and refined, evoking a sense of tranquility and beauty.
“Junior Brother, please taste the tea.”
Monts later, Jiang Ziyan gently placed a cup of clear tea before him.
Her delicate lips parted slightly as she softly blew away the rising steam, a fleeting motion that caused her radiant smile to take on a delicate, rosy glow—like the hues of a dawn sky.
This sight montarily stunned Lan Chang'an.
Today, True Monarch Purple Mist was bewitchingly beautiful, different from her usual cold and dignified deanor.
She was like a fairy stepping out from an ethereal painting—
Her dark hair coiled into an intricate updo, framing her slender and graceful neck.
Her star-like eyes shimred with an inexplicable glow.
Her long, flowing violet gown trailed behind her, embroidered with delicate golden threads.
As she moved, her silken sashes fluttered, carrying a faint yet captivating fragrance.
A peerless female Nascent Soul cultivator, seemingly unattainable, was now offering him tea—yet the action carried an unmistakable intimacy, a sense of closeness and warmth.
There was a subtle yet undeniable expectation in the way she carried herself.
“Good tea!”
Lan Chang'an accepted the cup. The fragrant aroma that greeted him was not only the tea’s delicate scent but also True Monarch Purple Mist’s own lingering fragrance.
Taking a small sip, he felt a dreamlike sensation, as if drifting through immortal clouds.
“If Junior Brother enjoys it, you are welco to visit my cave abode anyti to drink tea with .”
True Monarch Purple Mist smiled, her sleeves flowing elegantly as she poured him another cup.
Lan Chang'an was flattered and secretly wondered, what kind of ecstasy is this female True Monarch selling today?
This uncharacteristic warmth, coming from an esteed Nascent Soul cultivator, was sothing even Lan Chang'an, with all his experience and self-control, barely managed to handle.
Fortunately, after serving tea, True Monarch Purple Mist returned to her seat of honor, regaining her usual dignified composure.
The conversation then shifted to a review of the battle at Fujiling Mine, during which she listened attentively to the details.
Notably, she did not express any suspicion regarding the Five-Colored Peacock.
After another round of praise and discussion, True Monarch Purple Mist, now in a clearly pleased and relaxed mood, made an unexpected offer—
“Junior Brother Xiang, you have rendered great service in the battle of Fujiling Mine.”
“Junior Brother Xiang has made great contributions at the Fujiling Mine. If you wish for any rewards, feel free to speak up. As long as it is within my power, I will grant it to you!”
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