Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 180 Master Lu, Six Hundred Years of Ascetic Cultivation
Cave.

Shen Fan and Wei Yingying arrived at the door in a disheveled state to pay their respects.

"Uncle Lin, this time Fan and I went into the Cloud Mist Mountains to hunt monsters, and we were lucky enough to kill one and obtain its core..."

Wei Yingying recounted the events in detail, including how she fought with the other party, how the other party's so-called elder suddenly appeared, and how she chased after him.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an nodded slightly.

"Hunting demonic beasts has always been done this way. Since the other party wants to take it, they must be prepared to pay the corresponding price. As for the so-called severely injured demonic beast before!"

Lin Chang'an scoffed at this statement. If that were the case, then wouldn't any monster with a scar on it belong to him?

It's just a flimsy excuse.

"But Yingying, you're really bold!"

Lin Chang'an shook his head. He had originally collected Yun Yao's spirit stones, intending to use them to refine Wei Yingying, but he never expected that the other party had already obtained the main material.

That's not bad, at least over the years, Wei Yingying has become much more composed than before.

"Alright, I'll leave this crystal core here. I'll find a skilled alchemist another day to refine a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Wei Yingying nodded excitedly, while Shen Fan beside her also showed a relieved smile. Yingying could finally accompany him to the end.

"Uncle Lin, rest assured, we will definitely repay the cost of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill later."

Shen Fan was indeed honest, which made Lin Chang'an smile and shake his head.

At least he finds this group of younger people agreeable.

"Alright, here are some healing pills. You can go ahead..."

However, just as Lin Chang'an took out healing pills for the two, his expression suddenly changed. He scanned the area with his divine sense and indeed discovered something was wrong with Shen Fan.

"Uncle Lin?"

The intelligent Wei Yingying immediately noticed something was amiss and couldn't help but ask.

"It seems we're being watched."

With a wave of his hand, Lin Chang'an unleashed a cyan magical hand that grabbed Shen Fan, instantly extracting a wisp of magical imprint.

"This is a tracking technique, extremely secretive and difficult to detect. Once a cultivator is marked, there is nowhere for them to hide within a hundred miles."

When Shen Fan saw Lin Chang'an remove the tracking mark from his body, he said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle Lin."

"You should not leave the city recently. Go back and recuperate to heal your wounds."

"Yes, Uncle Lin."

Shen Fan wanted to say something more, but Wei Yingying secretly tugged at her husband's sleeve before slowly taking her leave.

However, after the two left, Lin Chang'an opened his hand and revealed the mark from earlier.

Hidden within this mark is a unique, thread-like magical imprint.

"This is a tracking technique unique to the Huang family of the Li Huo Palace!"

If it weren't for Huang Shaohai's generous gift of the profound memories of disciples from a powerful clan back then...

Even his late-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual sense almost failed to detect it.

"According to Huang Shaohai's memory, even within the Huang clan, only a few people know this tracking technique. Shen Fan and Wei Yingying are hardly of any value!"

According to Shen Fan and Wei Yingying, the other party was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage and had no ability to place this tracking mark.

At the very least, the cultivator who left this tracking mark was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This is clearly a setup.

"It seems they have ill intentions, or perhaps Shen Fan and Wei Yingying are just pawns, and they're targeting me?"

Lin Chang'an frowned, but when he realized that the Li Huo Palace had its eye on him, he could only think of two possibilities.

The first possibility is that the investigation into Huang Shaohai's death led to him, but this is highly unlikely, given that he has kept a clean record and has not been exposed in recent years.

The second reason is that he is a second-tier high-grade talisman master, and one of the most influential figures in the black market in the Immortal City. In recent years, he has been highly sought after by the Li Huo Palace.

Just then, an angry shout came from outside the cave.

……

A middle-aged cultivator in white robes, carrying a long sword, arrived in front of Lin Chang'an's cave, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Come out, cultivators inside!"

"Fellow Daoist, what is the matter with this commotion outside my cave?!"

As the cave formation slowly activated, the first to appear was the Green Horned Ox, exuding a terrifying aura. It roared and its aura as a mid-stage second-tier demon beast directly overwhelmed the area.

Next came Lin Chang'an, who calmly arrived at the edge of the cave.

However, faced with the beast's imposing aura, the middle-aged cultivator in white robes carrying a sword simply snorted coldly, showing no fear whatsoever, and said in a cold voice:
"I am Gu Congfeng. You should quickly hand over the two petty thieves who injured my son and stole the demon beast's crystal core."

Gu Congfeng's cold voice was filled with the aura of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, clearly indicating that he was just one step away from breaking through to the late-Foundation Establishment stage.

"Fellow Daoist, are you joking?"

Lin Chang'an chuckled after hearing this. Regardless of whether it was a scheme by the person behind the other party, this whole thing was simply a joke.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, is this your first time hunting demonic beasts?"

This statement is tantamount to mockery, implying that in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, when cultivators from both sides clash over hunting monsters, whoever has the superior skills will win.

Moreover, this son was incapable of killing demonic beasts and was killed by them, yet he jumps out and claims that the beasts belong to him. Isn't that a joke?

"presumptuous!"

Just as Gu Congfeng was about to take action, his face full of anger, a disheveled figure suddenly rushed over from behind.

"Brother, don't be impulsive!"

The person who arrived was his second younger brother, Gu Congjian. At this moment, he hurriedly grabbed his elder brother and transmitted his voice:

"Brother, don't be impulsive. This is Fellow Daoist Lin, a second-tier high-grade talisman master, one of the six Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Eastern District Black Market, and he also has many connections in Tianxuan City..."

Upon hearing Lin Chang'an's identity and connections, Gu Congfeng's face turned pale and then red, looking extremely unpleasant.

"Shut up, how could my Gu family have someone like you who's so afraid of death?"

Gu Congfeng's angry shout caused Gu Congjian's face to turn from red to green. Ever since that incident, he had been unable to hold his head high in the clan.

Therefore, after being reprimanded, Gu Congjian's aggrieved expression was masked by a murderous intent within him!
Alright! I'll let you go with me then!
Having broken free from his brothers, Gu Congfeng instantly drew the giant sword from his back, unleashing a sharp and piercing sword intent.

This sensation was so intense that even Gu Congjian, who was standing nearby, could feel a stinging pain on his skin.

Lin Chang'an was also slightly surprised. A sword cultivator!

But he wasn't made of clay either.

Before getting involved in the black market, he knew he would become famous, but it was still better than risking his life by constantly hunting monsters. After all, if you stand by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.

Staying in Tianxuan City is definitely safer than going to the Cloud Mist Mountains.

"Lin Chang'an, others may fear you, but I don't!"

As Lin Chang'an unleashed the aura of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, Gu Congfeng pointed at Lin Chang'an, but his tone was noticeably less aggressive than before.

Seeing that a major battle was about to break out, Gu Congjian gritted his teeth and stepped in again to stop his elder brother. This plan absolutely could not fail.

He made a promise to Huang Yuntian of Li Huo Palace.

"Brother, you may be strong, but our Gu family only has the two of us Foundation Establishment cultivators! Are you going to put the Gu family in crisis for your own selfish reasons?"

Brother! Think about it, we've offended this person today. Even with the combined might of the six Foundation Establishment cultivators from the black market, our Gu family…”

After Gu Congjian brought up his family, the tough swordsman Gu Congfeng's face turned extremely ugly, and his aura weakened considerably.

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an remained calm and gradually reduced his aura by three points.

Whether this person is acting or genuinely looking for a way to save face, it's unclear.

"I!"

Frustrated, Gu Congfeng, with his brother Gu Congjian pulling him along, left after uttering a harsh statement that this matter wouldn't end so easily.

And naturally, many people around also witnessed this scene.

But most people still responded with smiles when asked about Lin Chang'an's current status and identity.

Lin Chang'an snorted coldly and returned to his cave, but he knew that this matter had only just begun.

Since the other party's target is him, they won't let it go easily.

……

really!

That afternoon, an invitation was delivered. "Master Lin, this matter is our fault. We were unaware that those two juniors were Master Lin's juniors. My elder brother had a bad temper before, please forgive us."

On behalf of the Gu family, I apologize to Master Lin and all the fellow Daoists right here at the restaurant. From this day forward, let bygones be bygones, and I hope that Master Lin and the other fellow Daoists will not pursue the matter further…”

The person who came to deliver the invitation was Gu Congjian, who had a big smile on his face and whose words implied that it was all a misunderstanding.

After hearing this, Lin Chang'an's expression turned strange. Invitation, banquet?
Could this person be targeting not only him, but also Yun Yao? Or perhaps their entire market town?

Although their words were full of confidence in the strength of the six Foundation Establishment cultivators in the black market, the Gu family was willing to befriend them.

But if it weren't for the tracking marks from the Li Huo Palace, he would still believe it.

But now!

Finally, Lin Chang'an's expression softened, and he nodded slightly to accept the invitation.

"Alright, we certainly don't want to make enemies."

Gu Congjian was secretly delighted, but he still pretended to be relieved, not wanting to offend them.

"Please tell Fellow Daoist Lin that after this matter is over, my Gu family will give each of you a gift of thanks."

……

"An invitation! To a restaurant in Tianxuan City?"

After the other party left, Lin Chang'an held the invitation and fell into deep thought.

It really was a series of interconnected schemes. If he hadn't learned a lot about the Huang family's methods from Huang Shaohai's memories, he might have really fallen into their trap.

First, they created a conflict, and then, after discovering his identity, they went to apologize.

No one could see anything wrong with it.

"Moreover, this restaurant is located within Tianxuan City. How many people would be on guard? Yet the other party dared to do this. It seems that their target is not me."

In fact, we were just incidental.

"If I'm not mistaken..."

Lin Chang'an pondered for a moment, then realized that Tianxuan City hadn't been so peaceful in the last two years, and with the tense situation at the front lines, Master Lu hadn't shown up for quite some time.

"Could it be that they're trying to test Master Lu!"

It wasn't that Lin Chang'an was arrogant, but rather that their black market had grown so large over the years that if a riot were to break out in their market, coupled with the other arrangements made by the Li Huo Palace...

Currently, all of Master Lu's three disciples and spirit pets are at the front lines in Tianxuan City, unless Master Lu himself comes forward.

Aside from that, he couldn't think of any other value in the six of them that would warrant the Li Huo Palace's blatant scheming within Tianxuan City.

Even revealing that he killed Huang Shaohai wouldn't be enough.

"In that case, this is no longer just a matter for me. As a rogue cultivator who diligently cultivates in Tianxuan City, am I not allowed to contribute anything if Tianxuan City is targeted?"

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but look in the direction of Tianxuan Peak.

He'd be a fool not to take this free credit.

Lin Chang'an then secretly left the dojo and headed straight for Tianxuan Peak.

……

Tianxuan Peak.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, are you saying that this person is not just a simple Tribulation Cultivator, and that his target is Tianxuan City?"

Master Lu's three disciples are all on the front lines, while he himself has been in seclusion. In recent years, it has been this Elder Feng who has been in charge.

After Lin Chang'an reported this, a hint of anger appeared between the old man's brows.

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Feng, I am but a rogue cultivator. Even if I set up such a lowly market, how could it be worth the scheming of the person behind it?”

I think the other side probably wants to create unrest, such as taking this opportunity to ambush us, and at the same time creating chaos in the markets of Tianxuan City..."

Lin Chang'an's expression turned solemn; in fact, this possibility was quite high.

If only one or two people remain in the black market while the rest are lured out, it would be too easy for the other side to create chaos there.

The East District Black Market is also the largest in Tianxuan City, and any unrest there could be a trigger for conflict.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, you should know that there are many outside rogue cultivators in Tianxuan City now. If there is any turmoil, Master Lu will not show up for a long time."

"There are no Core Formation cultivators suppressing this in the Immortal City right now, and once the cultivators' greed erupts..."

Lin Chang'an's veiled mention of the matter made it sound even more serious.

Only in this way can his merits be demonstrated.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I understand."

With a solemn expression, Old Feng, having lived to such an old age, could naturally analyze the danger of this matter.

The hardest part of creating chaos is getting started. Once someone starts it, the greed in the hearts of countless rogue cultivators will be unleashed.

This kind of situation is common in the cultivation world.

This is also a common tactic used by many to create chaos in markets and neighborhoods.

In particular, he was also a rogue cultivator, so he naturally knew the dangers of rogue cultivators, which is why many sects and clans look down on them.

As long as someone keeps them in check, these rogue cultivators will obediently follow the rules. But once unrest occurs, these rogue cultivators will turn into greedy calamity cultivators.

"Elder Feng, I've set my sights on Immortal City this time. My cultivation has progressed slowly over the years. If I could get some third-tier pills to boost my progress..."

Lin Chang'an acted as if he was being targeted because of the Immortal City, a sight that left Elder Feng feeling helpless.

Why don't you mention that the black market is making you guys a fortune?

However, it is precisely because of this that Lin Chang'an and others are even less likely to betray Tianxuan City.

The profits from the black market alone are enough to bind them together.

Lin Chang'an wasn't stupid; this was a rare opportunity.

This Master Lu is a third-tier high-grade alchemist. Tianxuan City's foundation may not be as strong as the three major sects in other aspects.

But when it comes to elixirs, they are absolutely top-notch.

At least none of the three major sects have a single high-grade third-tier alchemist.

"A third-tier pill?"

Elder Feng pondered for a moment, and considering that this person had a good relationship with both of the True Person's disciples, he nodded and said:
"I still need to consult with the Master about this matter. If the other party is indeed making a big move in secret, then Fellow Daoist Lin, rest assured, the Master will not be stingy with third-grade pills."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Feng."

Lin Chang'an was overjoyed. He had been thinking of ways to improve his cultivation, but if that didn't work, he would try to buy a few third-tier pills from Yun Yao's channels.

Unexpectedly, someone delivered themselves to my door.

……

Inside the Daoist temple at Tianxuan Peak.

"Master, the rogue cultivator guest master Lin Chang'an has come to report..."

Feng Lao respectfully reported the news outside the cave, and after a while, an old voice came from inside.

The aged voice filled Elder Feng with sorrow; even Golden Core cultivators couldn't escape this day.

"It seems some little mice are getting restless. It's time to bring this girl back. It's just a third-tier pill, what's wrong with giving her a few?"

"Yes!"

Elder Feng respectfully turned and left, then began preparations to deal with the turmoil in Tianxuan City.

However, inside the cave, Master Lu's eyes were bright and piercing, and he seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation, with the aura of twilight dissipating from his body.

"It's been over a hundred years, and this poison is even more troublesome than the venom of that transformed great demon, the Poisonous Flood Dragon."

At this moment, Master Lu slowly exhaled, and instantly the restriction in front of him was corroded and pierced through, which shows how strong the poison was.

Even Master Lu, who was at the peak of the late Golden Core stage, took a hundred years to expel it.

"However, it was all worth it. If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Blood Fiend's attraction, I wouldn't have been able to obtain the spiritual liquid from these three divine trees and springs so easily."

The sap from the Spirit Spring Tree is the supreme spiritual substance for those who form their Nascent Soul.

As the aura of twilight faded from his body, Master Lu, though still sporting gray hair, looked much better.

"After six hundred years of arduous cultivation, if we wait any longer, we'll probably really get old."

With a calm smile, Master Lu realized that his plan, which had been in the works for over a century, was finally coming to an end.

　Thank you all for your support, and I'd also like to ask for your votes next month.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)