Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 171 The Long Road to Immortality

Two months later.

Shen Lie, Lu Qingqing, and Wei Buyi, along with their juniors Shen Fan and Wei Yingying, came to express their gratitude.

Shen Fan has successfully established his foundation!
But everyone's expressions were clearly a bit off. Shen Fan was silent, with a hint of guilt and self-reproach in his eyes, realizing that he hadn't noticed the problem.

Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing were somewhat happy, but also somewhat unable to feel truly joyful.

Wei Buyi, needless to say, had a very unpleasant expression on his face the whole time. Facing his daughter, whom he had doted on all his life, he was still holding back his anger.

If we're talking about who's the happiest, then it's Wei Yingying alone.

"Alright, Shen Fan, you don't need to blame yourself. You two have been cultivating secret techniques, and Wei Yingying has also made great progress in her magic power this time. She may be able to establish her foundation in the future."

Lin Chang'an was also moved by the feelings between the two.

“Yes, Brother Wei, don’t worry. Yingying is only forty. Let’s work together and make some more efforts. Plus, Fan’er has also reached the Foundation Establishment stage. We’ll definitely be able to try again for Yingying within ten years.”

Shen Lie awkwardly stepped forward, feeling that he really owed Wei Buyi a huge debt this time.

Wei Buyi was the one who lost out the most. Not only was his daughter, whom he had raised his whole life, taken away by someone else, but the family fortune he had painstakingly accumulated was also squandered by this girl.

This scene made Lin Chang'an both amused and moved.

The path of cultivation is long and arduous; this kind of affection is rare and precious.

……

Only after everyone had left did Yun Yao, who had been hiding in the cave, slowly emerge.

"That girl Yingying actually tricked this kid with the Bigu Pill. No wonder Wei Buyi has such a dark face."

As Yun Yao walked into the pavilion, she looked at the two wine cups on the stone table and, being intelligent, she already understood.

The reason Shen Lie, Lu Qingqing, and the others left so quickly is probably because they saw the wine glasses on the table and knew that Lin Chang'an had guests.

"This Qingqing is still so clever."

Thinking back to when she secretly saw everyone earlier, Yun Yao couldn't help but smile, and even recalled the scene when she first met her junior sister and helped her choose a husband.

He couldn't help but glance at Lin Chang'an, who was sitting upright to the side.

Lu Qingqing was clever enough to see through something back then.

As if recalling the scene from back then, Yun Yao couldn't help but smile.

Lin Chang'an, standing to the side, was unaware of Yun Yao's thoughts.

“Yes, we just finished our cultivation. I was afraid that Shen Lie and the others would notice something, so I revealed the wine cup on the stone table.”

The two had just begun practicing their combined attack technique when Shen Lie, Wei Buyi, and others suddenly arrived to visit, forcing Yun Yao to hide in her cave.

"It's funny to think about it. Back then, Wei Buyi was so focused on finding a female cultivator with a good family background to inherit his family business, but in the end, he lost all his life savings."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile.

The cycle of cause and effect makes life truly unpredictable.

"Yes, Wei Buyi must regret his thoughts when he was young."

Yun Yao nodded with a smile, but she genuinely liked Wei Yingying.

"However, it's a bit of a pity that Yingying is such a young lady."

Lin Chang'an naturally saw through Yun Yao's thoughts, but before he could say anything, Yun Yao took out a spirit stone bag with a wave of her hand.

"If it weren't for Qingqing and the others' financial support, and if it weren't for Elder Lu, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang'an shook his head and said:
"Fellow Daoist Yun, although I am not a good person, I have always kept in mind the kindness of Master Lu and everyone else. However, I think this time with Yingying might not be a bad thing."

Adversity reveals true character, and it also tempered this girl's will.

As elders, Lu Qingqing and Wei Buyi felt grateful to Wei Yingying, but also somewhat sorry for her.

But for Wei Yingying personally, this may well be an opportunity to temper her will.

Just as Lin Chang'an was about to refuse the spirit stone bag, Yun Yao shook her head and solemnly said:

"Brother Lin, what's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine!"

Taken aback, Lin Chang'an then realized what was happening and couldn't help but nod with a smile.

Indeed, just as Yun Yao said, in terms of affection, he is him, and Yun Yao is Yun Yao.

This also demonstrates Yun Yao's unwavering determination to pursue her goals, fulfilling the friendship of the past, and allowing her to focus on moving forward.

"Alright, let's work on this girl first."

Lin Chang'an smiled and put away the spirit stone bag, planning to give Wei Yingying another Foundation Establishment opportunity in a year or two.

Foundation Establishment Pills are rare for Qi Refining cultivators, but for Foundation Establishment cultivators like him and Yun Yao, who have a strong foundation, they can only be considered as a resource for trading.

Moreover, their friendship extended as they embarked on their journey into the world of cultivation together. During their Foundation Establishment stages, both Lin Chang'an and Yun Yao received assistance from others.

Moreover, there is also the kindness of Master Lu in guiding me on the path to immortality.

If Shen Lie and Wei Buyi had come to ask for it, it might have been possible, but they didn't; instead, they gave the corresponding amount of spirit stones.

Ultimately, these Foundation Building Pills were all bought.

Lin Chang'an simply raised his hand and upgraded the ordinary Foundation Establishment Pill to the premium level.

If there's anything to ask for, it's that they've come to trouble him to escort the Foundation Establishment Pill, to prevent any accidents.

The two then discussed in detail the preparations for exploring the cave ruins, and agreed to secretly investigate three months later.

Even Yun Yao didn't intend to risk venturing deep into the ruins this time. Instead, she first checked for any changes and threats.

……

[Tier 2 Low-Grade Array Master (Proficiency 6/500)]

Inside the cave, Lin Chang'an looked at his understanding of formations and nodded to himself.

"It might not be enough to deal with a third-order formation set up by a Golden Core cultivator, but a formation that has been unattended for a hundred years has lost much of its power."

With my understanding of second-tier formations, adding an extra layer of protection shouldn't be a problem. In fact, if I had the chance to obtain a third-tier formation set up by a Golden Core cultivator, that would be a huge profit.

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered as he considered the preparations for this trip.

"Water-attribute spiritual artifacts, thunder talismans to suppress bloodthirsty energy, and the Phoenix Cry Bird—the preparations this time are quite thorough, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Moreover, he also possesses the Azure Scale Sword and the Yellow Dragon Bell, two top-grade spiritual artifacts for offense and defense respectively. Furthermore, with his self-healing body, the power of the Fiend Yuan Sword Technique is even more extraordinary.

"Unbeknownst to me, I have already acquired such strength. This path of cultivation is truly irresistible."

Lin Chang'an felt melancholy as his strength continued to increase, and his sense of security grew stronger, creating a kind of captivating feeling.

"However, it's still better to prepare more. Although the self-healing body is strong, we still need pills for healing injuries and restoring mana, as well as second-tier high-grade talismans, and even quasi-third-tier talismans..."

Over the years, he and Yun Yao had been preparing for the cave ruins. Although this trip was just to explore, Lin Chang'an still cautiously brought all his belongings with him.

He carried several hundred second-tier high-grade talismans and a full thirty-two near-third-tier talismans, not to mention various kinds of pills.

After reviewing his notes to make sure nothing was overlooked, he began preparing for his exploration of the cave ruins.

During that time, Lao Hu also came by and said that he had discovered one of the ten Foundation Establishment cultivators from the West District Market three years ago who had made harsh remarks and was full of resentment.

It is said that this person joined the Shayun Kingdom Chamber of Commerce three years ago, which is how he escaped this calamity. Unexpectedly, he secretly returned, and he even returned from the Cloud Mist Mountains in a furtive manner.

"Old Hu, I've had some insights lately and need to go into seclusion for a while to cultivate them."

However, Lin Chang'an was currently focused on preparing for the secret realm and had no time to worry about such things, so he made up an excuse.

Old Hu didn't suspect much. Instead, he laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying that a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't cause much trouble.

However, Lao Hu was not at ease and kept a close eye on this person in secret.

He even suspected that this person had sneaked into the Cloud Mist Mountains multiple times, perhaps having discovered something.
"The Chamber of Commerce of the Shayun Kingdom has come from afar, yet they are not in a hurry to trade materials. This Foundation Establishment cultivator is actually keeping an eye on the Cloud Mist Mountains. Could it be that he has discovered something?"

After leaving the cave, Old Hu's eyes flickered as he pondered deeply.

The fact that the Chayun Kingdom Chamber of Commerce sent six or seven Foundation Establishment cultivators as escorts this time seems a bit overly cautious.

"There might be something fishy going on. Let's keep an eye on things secretly first, and if we find anything, we'll let Lao Lin and the others know."

Old Hu nodded secretly, confident in his ability to track him. His family's heirloom treasure had the ability to conceal and alter one's aura, unless they encountered a Core Formation cultivator.

……

Three months later. Deep in the Cloud and Mist Mountains.

Even Lin Chang'an couldn't help but frown at the pervasive poisonous miasma.

"The miasma here is incredibly dense."

Although he hasn't ventured deep into the Cloud Mist Mountains to hunt monsters in recent years due to the black market, he used to be a frequent visitor there.

They are also very familiar with the density of miasma in this area.

Meanwhile, Yun Yao, who was dressed in black and had her face covered, also had a somewhat solemn expression. As she circulated her cultivation technique, a faint chill emanated from her mouth and nose with each breath.

"Therefore, there must be secrets deep within the Cloud Mist Mountains, but these have nothing to do with us lowly Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Such secrets are far beyond the reach of Foundation Establishment cultivators like them.

On the contrary, the discovery of the ruins of a Golden Core cultivator's cave is the most tangible benefit at hand.

"Brother Lin, we're almost there."

The closer they got to their destination, the more serious their expressions became.

Because along the way, they discovered many traces of cultivators who went deep into the field.

After all, there were strange disturbances from the monsters deep within the Cloud Mist Mountains, and too many cultivators wanted to explore its secrets.

Lin Chang'an rode the Green Horned Ox, which saved him a lot of trouble along the way.

Yun Yao also took out two magical artifacts and one spiritual artifact from her storage bag.

"Brother Lin, these are the magical artifacts I painstakingly found to detect the array, one of which is a spiritual artifact."

Looking at Yun Yao, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "No wonder she has the backing of such a powerful force as the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect."

The things he could access were far beyond what an ordinary rogue cultivator like him could compare to.

Such a magical artifact could not possibly be found silently by him.

After all, the art of formations has always been closely watched by various major forces.

You might be targeted the moment you visit Duobaolou or even Wanbaolou.

"Brother Lin, this is the valley in front of us."

After traveling for half a day, a mountain valley filled with miasma came into view.

Yun Yao pointed to this place with a solemn expression.

Lin Chang'an was also here for the first time, and his expression was extremely solemn. He even activated his spiritual eyes as he cautiously observed his surroundings.

"Is this the ruins and cave dwelling of a Golden Core cultivator? It is quite secluded, but the miasma is rather dense."

Meanwhile, Yun Yao nodded solemnly and reminded him:

"Brother Lin, although there is a third-order formation to conceal us, this place is a scorpion's nest, so we must be careful."

The two secretly and cautiously approached the edge of a distant mountain valley.

As far as the eye can see, there is a rotten swamp covering hundreds of acres.

Even from a great distance, Lin Chang'an could smell a foul stench.

This is a mixture of poisonous gas emanating from the rotting swamp and miasma.

"The miasma here is so strong that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would feel dizzy if he just smelled it."

Lin Chang'an was secretly alarmed, but fortunately, the cultivation technique he practiced could make him immune to toxins of the same level.

Meanwhile, Yun Yao, standing to the side, had faint frost visible on her snow-white neck, and her breath was filled with cold air.

This Gui Water Demon Art also has a unique feature: after being transferred to a distant location, it can even become immune to such a potent poison.

No wonder Yun Yao was able to find her way here.

In the Cloud and Mist Mountains, swamps represent danger.

It is generally inhabited by venomous creatures such as snakes, insects, and scorpions.

Especially poisonous insects and other demonic beasts, most of them live in groups, and not to mention cultivators, even other demonic beasts keep their distance.

“Brother Lin, my Gui Water Demon Art is a top-level technique of the demonic path. It is not afraid of this poisonous miasma for a short time, but the miasma isolates the divine sense, which is the most dangerous thing.”

Even without Yun Yao saying anything, Lin Chang'an also discovered that it was more difficult to detect with divine sense in this place, but all of this was still clearly visible under his spiritual eyes.

"It seems that the Green Horned Ox will have to go back for the time being."

After carefully observing and confirming that it was safe, Lin Chang'an put the Green Horned Ox into his spirit beast bag, and in its place, a golden bird landed on his shoulder.

As soon as the phoenix appeared, it began to fawn over Lin Chang'an, rubbing its cheek against him in a cheeky manner.

When Yun Yao saw the little golden bird, a strange light flashed in her beautiful eyes.

"So it turns out that Huang Shaohai has run into Brother Lin."

Yun Yao smiled gently, as if she had thought of something.

Lin Chang'an had nothing to hide, and nodded slightly, saying:

"A few years ago, while hunting in the Cloud Mist Mountains, I was ambushed by a thief. Who would have thought that the Poison Demon from back then would be this person?"

Lin Chang'an naturally didn't want to reveal this to others.

But Yun Yao is different. She herself was a traitor to the Li Huo Palace, and now she has joined the Xuan Yin Demonic Sect.

It can be said that the two share the same stance.

Moreover, when facing this kind of poisonous insect, nothing is more suitable than the phoenix.

"The third-order formation is indeed powerful. So many years have passed, yet there is still no trace of its aura leaking out. With my current level of expertise in second-order formations, I am still somewhat lacking."

After observing carefully, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh.

In the world of cultivation, even a single rank difference can make all the difference.

"Brother Lin, do we need to go deeper into this?"

Seeing Lin Chang'an's solemn expression, Yun Yao raised her hand and a transparent veil appeared in her palm.

"Brother Lin, my Spirit Concealing Veil can not only hide your figure, but also completely remove your aura, unless you are a third-tier demon beast."

Ordinary second-tier demonic beasts, or even near-third-tier demonic beasts, cannot detect us as long as we do not reveal our presence.

As the Hidden Spirit Veil was draped over their shoulders, Lin Chang'an and Yun Yao vanished without a trace.

This made Lin Chang'an envious; Yun Yao had so many good things.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, is your Xuan Yin Divine Sect really that generous?"

At this moment, Lin Chang'an did not realize that the "demonic sect" he usually referred to had now been replaced by the "divine sect".

The Hidden Spirit Veil was of limited size, and the two were almost touching. Faced with such a close question, Lin Chang'an's envy was crystal clear.

This left Yun Yao stunned; he had almost forgotten that his Brother Lin was a rogue cultivator.

However, over the years, Lin Chang'an has become a second-tier talisman master, and with the profits from the black market, his status has far surpassed that of ordinary rogue cultivators.

"This was obtained from the Zhenbao Tower."

Upon hearing Yun Yao's words, Lin Chang'an nodded solemnly.

"I see."

He wasn't envious of Yun Yao's courage at all.

After all, robbing the True Treasure Pavilion is too dangerous. Yun Yao was forced to take a desperate gamble back then.

“Fellow Daoist Yun, you and the Phoenix Bird will be in charge of guarding the area. We will first get a closer look at this great formation.”

Lin Chang'an took out the magical artifacts and spiritual tools that Yun Yao had given him to explore the attributes of the formation.

The two moved forward slowly, and within the veil of invisibility, he could clearly feel the chill emanating from behind him.

He knew that this was the effect of Yun Yao using her cultivation technique to resist the miasma.

When the phoenix perched on Lin Chang'an's shoulder saw Yun Yao's figure behind him, its eyes, radiating a pale golden light, darted around and immediately landed affectionately on Yun Yao's shoulder.

Although the chill was something it wasn't used to, the phoenix still cunningly made a fawning gesture.

　Thank you all for your support.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)