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Chapter 411: End of the Song, Upgrade Transaction
After reading the invitation letter, Lan Chang'an made a few calculations, discerning the truth from the falsehood.
For targets with lower cultivation realms, divination and calculations were easier; unless they were people of great destiny.
"Go over there."
Lan Chang'an gave a brief instruction and handed a storage bag to the housekeeper, Old Dong.
"Your humble servant will obey."
The old, hunched housekeeper took the storage bag and stepped into a beam of wooden light, flying out of the Evergreen Peak Dao Ground surrounded by water.
Lan Chang'an sighed softly, "The person who I truly owe a favor to didn't co after all."
...
Jin Yun Valley, Guest Reception Peak.
In a side hall of the Guest Reception Peak, over twenty cultivators ranging from Qi-Refining to Core Formation sat in separate sections. So of the lower-ranked Qi-Refining and Foundation Establishnt cultivators were busy networking.
"What connection do you have with True Monarch Lan?"
"This humble one is surnad Du. My great-grandfather, Alchemist Du Wei, was once close friends with True Monarch Lan during his days as a loose cultivator in Huanglong Immortal City. He even helped refine a Foundation Establishnt Pill for him, forming a bond..."
A short-bearded Foundation Establishnt middle-aged man spoke with dramatic flair.
"I am Lin Feng, young master of the Lin Clan from Hengshui County. My ancestor, Lin Yi, son of the Marquis of Guang'an, was True Monarch Lan’s companion when he first stepped onto the immortal path. Lin Lu, the Jin Yun Valley’s Foundation Establishnt steward, was also my grand-uncle."
A scholarly-looking Qi-Refining youth spoke with a hint of pride.
"Lin Lu?"
A nearby cultivator sneered. "Didn’t that guy defect to the Beast King Valley and die on the battlefield years ago? Rumor has it he even left behind offspring in the demonic faction."
"You-you slanderer!"
The scholarly youth’s face flushed red. As a loose cultivator, his knowledge of sect affairs was limited.
"Silence! The steward of Evergreen Peak has arrived."
A Fake Dan elder from Guest Reception Peak barked.
The hall fell dead silent.
All eyes turned to the hunched, elderly Foundation Establishnt steward.
Even the two Core Formation cultivators present dared not show disrespect, quickly rising to greet him with smiles.
"This concubine is Li Huizhu of the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain. My grandfather was Li Congren, the founding ancestor of our clan. Our lineage’s patriarch, Li Erqing, was also a century-long friend of True Monarch Lan."
A violet-robed True Dan beauty spoke gracefully, offering a asured bow.
The crowd reacted with reverence. The Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain was now one of the Liang Kingdom’s top ten families.
"Zhou Tianchi of the Beast Taming Zhou Family. My family once received True Monarch Lan’s favor. Generations of ancestors such as Old Ancestor Zhou Qingxuan had a deep friendship with True Monarch Lan..."
The other Core Formation cultivator was a white-haired Confucian-robed elder missing an arm, his shoulder disfigured.
Compared to Li Huizhu’s dignified bearing, Zhou Tianchi appeared far more destitute and pitiful.
Nearly a century ago, when the Evergreen Immortal left the Liang Kingdom, he had offered the Zhou Family a choice out of guilt for Zhou Qingxuan’s death:
One, imdiately be rewarded a third-rank puppet and a third-rank superior-grade talisman. The other option was to leave the favor to be used in the future.
Back then, due to the demonic war, Zhou Tianchi had chosen the imdiate reward.
At the ti, it hadn’t been the wrong decision.
However, emboldened by the third-rank puppet and talisman, Zhou Tianchi had recklessly sought battlefield rits. This led to severe injuries, crippling his foundation.
Not being a puppeteer, he couldn’t fully utilize the puppet’s power. Distracted, he was ambushed by a Beast King Valley spirit beast.
Though still technically a Core Formation cultivator, his combat strength had fallen to Fake Dan levels.
The Zhou Family had lost many promising youths in the war. Now, with an aging leadership and no promising successors, they had fallen from the ranks of the top ten families.
Upon hearing the news that Evergreen True Monarch had defeated a Nascent Soul cultivator of the demonic path and returned in triumph, Zhou Tianchi felt as if he had been struck by lightning
Back then, when he hosted Evergreen Immortal and had to choose between the two, he never imagined that the Evergreen Immortal could advance even further.
...
"Fellow Daoists, starting from the highest cultivation, this old servant will verify your identities."
Steward Old Dong’s murky gaze swept across the hall.
"Let be blunt. If anyone here is impersonating or deceiving, angering the True Monarch will result in a blacklisting across the entire Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world!"
The word "blacklist" sent chills down so spines. A few even showed signs of fear, reconsidering their presence.
To displease a Nascent Soul was no joke. Even a re hint of displeasure would make the entire cultivation world shun the offender. So might even take action to curry favor with the True Monarch.
"This one is Zhou Tianchi, elder of the Zhou Family, with business ties to Jin Yun Valley. My identity is beyond doubt. I ca to congratulate True Monarch Lan upon his return."
Zhou Tianchi spoke first, cutting ahead of Li Huizhu.
None of the visitors dared openly admit they were here to "cling to the True Monarch’s coattails." All claid to be paying respects due to past connections.
"Ah, Elder Zhou."
Steward Old Dong smiled amiably, retrieving a mid-grade spirit stone from his storage pouch.
"This old servant thanks Elder Zhou for his congratulations on behalf of the True Monarch. This spirit stone is also a reward from True Monarch Lan to the descendant of an old friend."
"A... reward?"
Zhou Tianchi’s mouth hung open, as if doused in cold water. He numbly accepted the single spirit stone, his expression hollow.
He knew that by cashing in the favor back then, the debt had been settled.
The True Monarch’s token reward acknowledged their past ties but made it clear no further support would co.
Seeing Zhou Tianchi’s outco, Li Huizhu grew uneasy but stepped forward nonetheless.
"True Monarch Lan rembers the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain as well."
Old Dong produced another mid-grade spirit stone.
Li Huizhu’s heart sank, her hopes dashed.
She recalled her grandfather, Li Congren, speaking of the Evergreen Immortal’s deeds, how the Mu and Li families had once been closely tied to him.
At one point, the Evergreen Immortal had been the Li Family’s greatest backer.
Li Huizhu had grown up idolizing him. After her grandfather’s passing, she had continued compiling the Legend of Changqing and Journeys of the Profound Turtle, preserving his legacy.
"This concubine thanks the True Monarch for his generosity. The Li Clan will never forget his past kindness. Please convey our gratitude."
Suppressing her disappointnt, she accepted the spirit stone with a respectful bow.
Nearby, Zhou Tianchi smirked inwardly, feeling sowhat balanced.
Back then, the Li Clan had benefited the most from their ancestor Li Erqing’s ties to the Evergreen Immortal. Though they had also aided him during his exile in Jing Kingdom, Zhou Tianchi couldn’t help but resent their continued prosperity.
The two sides were now rivals, and their relationship had gradually deteriorated. Because of this, Zhou Tianchi had long harbored resentnt toward the Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain, also mixed with a touch of jealousy.
Li Congren, a cultivator at the Fake Dan stage, was highly skilled in managing affairs and had built an extensive network of connections during his lifeti.
Years ago, when Evergreen Immortal returned to Liang Kingdom from Jing Kingdom, he had stayed as a guest at Snow Plum Mountain. Even Tianfeng Immortal had visited at the ti. Later, when Zhang Tianfeng ascended to the Nascent Soul stage, his influence and deterrence remained, even though he never deliberately favored the Li Family.
Squeak!
Just as Li Huizhu was putting away her spirit stones and preparing to leave, a crisp, fearful cry ca from the spirit pet pouch at her waist.
"Treasure-Seeking Rat? What’s wrong?"
Startled, she tried to soothe the creature.
The rat inside was a descendant of the one her grandfather had owned, a carefully bred, pure-blooded lineage with even superior potential than the grandfather's one.
Squeak!
A golden-furred spirit rat burst out in panic, darting from the hall.
Li Huizhu gave chase, only to freeze when she saw where it had run.
On a nearby slope stood a half-human, half-rodent figure clad in violet-red robes, the Lord Earthrock.
The peak second-rank Treasure-Seeking Rat trembled, its gem-like eyes filled with reverence as it nuzzled Lord Earthrock’s hand.
"Greetings, Lord Earthrock!"
Nearby Jin Yun Valley disciples bowed respectfully, backing away a distance.
Lord Earthrock?
Li Huizhu’s mind raced as she hastily bowed as well, not daring to interfere.
The Lord Earthrock stroked the rat’s soft fur, a nostalgic glint in its eyes.
"Good child. Co, I’ll treat you to sothing delicious."
With a smile Lord Earthrock turned around, bringing along the good-looking Treasure-Seeking Rat to the Evergreen Peak Dao Ground.
...
In the side hall, the gathered cultivators watched this scene with astonishnt.
Those who understood the backstory couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
"Damn it! The Snow Plum Mountain Li Family's ancestors must have struck gold in their graves!"
Zhou Tianchi’s heart soured with jealousy.
The Li Family of Snow Plum Mountain had also integrated beast-taming techniques into their lineage. Back when Li Congren was alive, he had consulted the Zhou Family for advice on breeding their Treasure-Seeking Rat and had even purchased high-quality spirit rat to refine its bloodline.
The rat had brought fortune to both Li Congren and his family early on, and he had hoped to pass this blessing down to future generations.
"Next."
Steward Old Dong continued with his amiable smile, verifying the identities of those who ca to pay respects on behalf of their ancestors’ ties to the True Monarch.
"This humble one is Song Xi. My late father, Song Wenshu, and mother, Shen Bixin, were once close friends of True Monarch Lan. I was also fortunate to receive a Crystal Condensation Pill from him in the past. Today, I’ve co to offer my congratulations and gratitude."
A round-faced elder in rich robes smiled obsequiously, his deanor smooth and ingratiating.
Song Xi had managed to form a Fake Dan thanks to that slightly flawed Crystal Condensation Pill and so additional resources he scavenged from Nightless Town.
"Reward: one mid-grade spirit stone."
Old Dong handed over another stone.
"This junior is Qi Chang, current head of the Escort Bureau from Wuqi Mountain. My grandfather, Qi Feng, passed away so years ago after guarding the tomb of Great Grandmother Guan Qiaozhi at Little Turtle Peak for his entire life. On his behalf, I’ve co to pay respects to True Monarch Lan."
A silver-armored Foundation Establishnt mid-stage cultivator spoke respectfully.
"This junior is Du Fu, a second-rank alchemist from Huanglong Immortal City. My great-grandfather, Alchemist Du Wei..."
"This junior is Ye Yun, descendant of Wuqi Mountain’s Little Pill Peak’s Ye Fei..."
"This junior is Zheng Yang of the Apricot Villa’s Zheng Family. My ancestor, Zheng Wu interacted with True Monarch Lan during his ti at Little Turtle Peak..."
"This junior is Lin Feng, young master of the Lin Clan from Hengshui County. My ancestor, Lin Yi, son of the Marquis of Guang’an, and the Jin Yun Valley’s Foundation Establishnt steward Lin Lu was my..."
...
Finally, it was the turn of an elderly man and his granddaughter, both at Qi-Refining stage.
"This humble elder is Mu Congde, current head of the Mu Family, descendants of the Feiyue Lake Mu Family... Today, I’ve brought my granddaughter, Mu Yating, to pay respects to True Monarch Lan."
The old man knelt with his granddaughter, a delicate-looking Qi-Refining girl whose features faintly resembled Mu Xiuyun and Mu Bingyun in their early years. However, her shifting eyes and timid voice lacked their dignified bearing.
"Reward: spirit stones."
Old Dong hesitated briefly before handing them two mid-grade spirit stones, one each. For Qi-Refining cultivators, this was no small boon.
Centuries had passed, and the Mu Family had completely declined.
The last Mu family Foundation Establishnt cultivator, Mu Changxiu, son of Mu Bingyun had been a poor manager of family affairs and died of illness decades ago.
Though the Mu bloodline persisted, the once-prominent Feiyue Lake Mu Family had faded into obscurity.
Without a Foundation Establishnt cultivator, they could no longer hold onto their ancestral lands.
Feiyue Lake was now controlled by the Yu Family, backed by a Core Formation female cultivator nad Yu Yufu, a disciple of the Golden Sun Sect and widow of Mu Jiuan.
Mu Jiuan, a Fake Dan cultivator, had died in the demonic war during his twilight years.
Out of respect for this connection, the Yu Family had taken in the destitute Mu Family as a subordinate family.
When news of the Evergreen True Monarch’s return reached them, the current Mu family head had rushed over in excitent.
With just a word from True Monarch Lan, the rise of the Mu Family was just around the corner!
However, reality was cruel.
Generations had passed, and any debt of gratitude had long been exhausted.
A Nascent Soul True Monarch existed on a plane so high that beings like them were little more than ants beneath his feet, barely worth a glance.
Let alone their Qi-Refining family, even soone as lofty as Core Formation Immortal Zhou Tianchi found it nearly impossible to secure an audience with True Monarch Lan.
...
Lan Chang'an stepped on a light and arrived at Sky Maple Mountain to et Zhang Tieshan.
The Lord Earthrock’s actions had actually been within his divinations.
"Perhaps it’s for the best."
He had no desire to leave the impression of a True Monarch who clung to old ties. Otherwise, it might not bode well for the descendents of those old friends.
After these visitors left, he wouldn’t mind if rumors spread that the Evergreen True Monarch had grown detached after reaching Nascent Soul.
"Junior Huo Zhen pays respects to True Monarch Lan."
A steady-faced young man with a firm deanor greeted him at the abode’s entrance.
Huo Zhen, mid-Core Formation, was the current sect master of Jin Yun Valley.
A disciple of Zhang Tieshan, he had been inconspicuous in the past. Only after Lan Chang'an left Great Qing and Huo Zhen advanced to Core Formation did he rise to prominence.
"Nephew Huo."
Lan Chang'an acknowledged him with a nod. The man was rigid and humorless, much like Zhang Tieshan in his younger days.
Huo Zhen escorted Lan Chang'an to the main hall before excusing himself to attend to sect affairs.
Zhang Tieshan served tea as host and guest took their seats.
"I’ve received Alliance Leader Chu’s invitation. Once I’ve settled at Jin Yun Valley, I’ll visit the Righteous Dao Alliance’s headquarters in Feng Kingdom to pay him a visit and exchange resources."
Lan Chang'an outlined his plans.
He also had personal matters to attend to—naly, checking on Fairy Xia’s situation.
"No rush. Alliance Leader Chu didn’t set a deadline. There’s no need for caution, he’s broad-minded and values talent. eting him will only benefit you."
Zhang Tianfeng knew that Lan Chang’an was naturally cautious, so he sought to dispel his doubts.
He wasn’t sure of the details, but Lan Chang’an was no longer the sa as before and he wasn't afraid of eting Chu Tianfeng at all.
"Alliance Leader Chu’s magnanimity is well-known."
Lan Chang'an was no stranger to the tales of the Righteous Dao Alliance’s leader.
Part of it ca from Master Lihuo’s mories.
Rumor had it that during his early Nascent Soul days, Chu Tianfeng had traveled the central regions of the Great Qing for over a century, obtaining so great opportunity.
Upon his return, he smoothly advanced to mid-Nascent Soul, centing his dominance over neighboring nations.
Chu Tianfeng was known for his tolerance.
When Liang Shaotian founded the Xuan Yin Sect, a faction with ties to the Six Demonic Sects, so within the alliance had urged to eradicate it to prevent any infiltration.
Chu Tianfeng had overruled them, choosing instead to support Liang Shaotian. His foresight proved correct when the Xuan Yin Sect played a pivotal role in stabilizing the early stages of the demonic war.
Later, when Liang Shaotian reached Nascent Soul, he remained a steadfast ally, owing Chu Tianfeng a debt of gratitude.
...
After so casual conversation, Lan Chang'an got down to business and took out the preliminary refined Black Heaven Wings.
"This flying wing magical treasure is a rarity in this world."
Zhang Tieshan examined it for a long ti, reluctant to let go.
A flying magical treasure that could increase speed by an entire minor realm was almost unheard of in the cultivation world. Even with Zhang Tieshan's extensive knowledge, he couldn't help but feel tempted.
The reason Black Feather True Monarch had been able to wield these wings was that their main materials had degraded significantly over ti, losing much of their spiritual essence and quality. It was only after a century of nurturing through his bloodline that he could utilize its considerable power.
"To modify the Black Heaven Wings to unleash their true potential, I'm afraid none of Great Qing's fourth-rank artifact masters could accomplish it."
Zhang Tieshan frowned, seemingly troubled.
"If Fellow Daoist Zhang has any difficulties, please speak frankly."
Lan Chang'an's eyes flashed. His divinations had suggested Zhang Tieshan might hold the key.
With centuries of friendship and mutual understanding, along with ample information as a dium, he had already deduced much about Zhang Tieshan's hidden opportunities.
"I do have a rough modification plan, one suited for wood-attribute cultivators with strong nurturing abilities. However, it requires the ancient treasure-nurturing art, Heaven-nding Spirit Nurturing Technique."
"This technique can enhance the spiritual essence of treasures and even has a slight chance of giving birth to a spirit within the treasure. Its value is imnse. I obtained it from a senior and cannot casually pass it on."
"Naturally, I wouldn't ask Fellow Daoist Zhang to give it out for free."
Lan Chang'an nodded in understanding.
The Heaven-nding Spirit Nurturing Technique stirred his heart.
A technique that could potentially birth a treasure spirit? This touched upon the deepest secrets of forging True Spiritual Treasures.
Not only could it help him perfect his treasure talisman legacy further, but Zhang Tieshan's modification plan also leaned heavily into forging principles, even incorporating aspects of Spiritual Treasure creation.
This was an entirely different approach from Black Feather True Monarch's bloodline activation and beast-taming thods.
If successful, the modified Black Heaven Wings wouldn't just be usable by Lan Chang'an, even the Lord Earthrock or other cultivators could wield them.
They would beco a universal flight magical treasure.
Lan Chang'an suspected Zhang Tieshan already knew about his Evergreen Technique's lifespan sacrificing technique, which could restore the wings' spiritual essence.
Thus, this modification plan was tailor-made for him. For others, the cost would be too high, making it not worth the effort.
After so back-and-forth, Lan Chang'an cut to the chase. He retrieved a large assortnt of fourth-rank and above materials from his spatial artifact.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, see what you can use."
Based on past transactions, he had a rough idea of Zhang Tieshan's needs.
Deep-sea rare ores, high-grade magical treasures, fourth-rank spirit conches, demon king materials, demonic components...
Zhang Tieshan's eyes flickered briefly as he scanned the items, inwardly startled.
While not all of the items were particularly high-level, many were extrely scarce in Great Qing.
For example, certain sea ores and shells had gone extinct in Great Qing, yet contained trace elents crucial for Spiritual Treasure refinent. Even the superior-grade magical treasures Lan Chang'an pulled out were unique to coastal regions.
"Gathering all these materials all on your own would be... difficult, wouldn't it?"
Zhang Tieshan's tone carried a hint of aning.
Having previously helped Lan Chang'an dispose of "sensitive goods," there was no need for pretense.
"I have a friend who own a pseudo-spiritual treasure. We once tead up to kill hostile Nascent Souls. Unfortunately, one of the mid-stage Nascent Soul went out of their body and managed to escape, or there'd be even more materials today."
"Pseudo spiritual treasure? Killing a mid-stage Nascent Soul?"
Zhang Tieshan's eyelids twitched. He felt Lan Chang'an's words carried deeper implications, was this a probe into his own secrets?
He didn't doubt Lan Chang'an's claims. If anything, the man was likely downplaying his achievents.
A complete pseudo-spiritual treasure surpassed his own damaged spiritual treasure in raw power but had the disadvantage of draining terrifying amounts of mana and a great burden on spiritual sense.
Even a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator couldn't wield one as freely as a magical treasure, and could be used to launch just a few strikes at most.
The main reason is that a pseudo-spiritual treasure lacks an artifact spirit and does not possess the miraculous abilities of a true spiritual treasure.
Lan Chang'an revealed this information to warn Zhang Tieshan not to have any ulterior intentions in this artifact crafting transaction and to keep the secret.
At the sa ti, he wanted Zhang Tieshan to firmly choose the right side between True Monarch Cyanwood and Evergreen True Monarch.
"These materials will be useful."
Zhang Tieshan selected a portion, including so seemingly insignificant scraps and damaged parts.
"By the way... does Fellow Daoist Lan have any extra Five Elent Earth?"
Zhang Tieshan shalessly pivoted, his cheeks faintly reddening under Lan Chang'an's prolonged stare.
As a universal earth-source material, Five Elent Earth was the "rare earth" of forging, Zhang Tieshan could never have enough.
Through secret thods, its grade could even be enhanced.
"My reserves are nearly exhausted. Besides, Fellow Daoist Zhang's demands are excessive. While the Heaven-nding Spirit Nurturing Technique is precious, hoarding it yields no value."
Despite their centuries of friendship, neither held back in negotiations.
After lengthy haggling, they finally reached an agreent.
Lan Chang'an would provide an additional portion of Five Elent Earth, but in return, Zhang Tieshan had to help upgrade his Soul-Piercing Barbed Arrow to top-grade magical treasure status.
Zhang Tieshan agreed to go all-out, but Lan Chang'an had to supply the materials himself.
The arrow's shaft was made of Soul-Nurturing Wood, a legendary material with an extrely high growth ceiling.
Having nurtured it as a lifebound treasure with the Evergreen Technique for over 240 years, its quality already rivaled fourth-rank superior-grade materials.
During the forging, Lan Chang'an planned to invest more lifespan to push it to the peak of fourth rank.
Fortunately, the arrow was small, so the cost wouldn't be too great.
Even if Zhang Tieshan's skills were slightly lacking, under the guidance of the artifact spirit, there should be a basic guarantee.
...
After finalizing the deal, Lan Chang'an returned to his abode.
Both sides needed ti to prepare, and so materials were still missing.
As an artifact refining grandmaster and Supre Elder of a Nascent Soul sect, Zhang Tieshan had extensive reserves but wouldn't provide them for free.
Lan Chang'an casually ntioned his puppet refining skills had reached quasi-fourth-rank level.
Zhang Tieshan's interest was visibly piqued. He offered to help gather and even front so rare materials for the forging.
Lan Chang'an attached great importance to this artifact refining deal.
If both the Black Heaven Wings and Barbed Arrows reached their expected grades, his combat power would leap forward.
He had never unleashed all three Barbed Arrows in battle. As a result, one arrow had been nurtured for over 200 years without being "unsheathed".
Though the power increase diminished after decades of nurturing, two centuries of accumulation would definitely exceed expectations.
It was estimated that after being upgraded, the soul-piercing damage contained within it when used with the fourth life descent would pose a significant threat to mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, and could instantly shatter early-stage Nascent Souls.
This strongest barbed arrow, which Lan Chang'an had never used, was naturally reserved as a eting gift for True Monarch Cyanwood.
New novel that's equally as fun^^ Five Immortal Sects
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