Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 183 Reunion at Juxianlou

"Senior, here is the Jade Ice Spirit Wine you requested."

With a fawning smile, the servant entered and respectfully placed the spirit wine down.

However, just as he was about to leave, Lin Chang'an smiled and called him back.

"You little rascal, we've just emerged from seclusion today. Has anything interesting happened in the Immortal City lately?"

Foundation Establishment cultivators often go into seclusion for months, or even years.

Therefore, it's perfectly normal for them to immediately seek information from the outside world after they come out.

Qin Feng, disguised as a waiter in a restaurant, secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"Senior, the biggest news in Tianxuan City recently is that I heard the Han Family Fortress has spent a lot of money to buy another Core Formation Spiritual Object, and they're still not giving up..."

And now, in the Kingdom of Yue, the war has ceased, and everyone is at peace. Finally, we lesser cultivators can catch our breath…”

Qin Feng, disguised as a servant, delivered a performance with a fawning smile that was incredibly lifelike and vivid.

Especially as Lin Chang'an and the others listened, the aroma of the Jade Ice Spirit Wine, overflowing with spiritual energy, immediately made the servant show a look of longing.

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an was filled with admiration; Qin Feng had truly brought the ordinary character to life.

Unfortunately, the advanced tracking mark of the Li Huo Palace probably means that this Qin fellow did not encounter any advanced cultivators from the Li Huo Palace.

Based on the tracking mark left by his late Foundation Establishment stage divine sense, it could only be detected by someone at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment or above.

Another point is that, at this distance, he is all too familiar with Qin Feng's magical aura.

"Excellent, deserves a reward."

Lin Chang'an nodded in satisfaction, displaying the demeanor of a high-level cultivator. With a wave of his hand, a cup of Jade Ice Spirit Wine floated to the table.

"S-senpai!"

Looking at the fine wine in front of him, Qin Feng's disguised servant blushed, his excitement mixed with disbelief, as if he were wondering if he was dreaming.

For a Qi Refining servant like him, the Jade Ice Spirit Wine was extremely beneficial for advancing his cultivation.

Lin Chang'an, however, displayed the demeanor of a high-level cultivator, chuckling and waving his hand, saying:

"You're lucky this time. Our cultivation has greatly improved since we were in seclusion. This is a reward for you."

"Thank you, three seniors!"

The servant, played by Qin Feng, was so excited that he wiped his hands on both sides of his clothes several times before picking up the cup of wine with trembling hands.

At the same time, he bowed his head and bent his waist very low, unable to hide his excitement as he drank it down in one gulp.

Old Hu, watching this scene, was secretly suspicious. Why did Old Lin go to so much trouble just to hire a waiter in a restaurant?
Something is wrong!
He still couldn't see anything wrong with this person.

Yun Yao remained calm. Although she didn't know the details, she was certain that Brother Lin had a deeper meaning.

"Thank you for the reward, senior."

After downing a cup of wine, Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded in satisfaction at the servant's grateful and fawning expression.

"No need to thank me. This cup of wine is also to bid farewell to you, Fellow Daoist Qin, after all, the bounty on your head is quite substantial."

Upon hearing this, the servant trembled inwardly, yet his face remained filled with confusion.

Just as he was about to say something, his magical power suddenly vanished as if it had sunk into the sea. This time, he was truly panicked.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, how is this Jade Ice Spirit Wine?"

Beneath Lin Chang'an's smiling face, he could already sense that the other party's magical power was unusable.

Qin Feng's disguised servant suddenly felt numb, stumbled, and fell to the ground with a thud, exclaiming in terror:
"Lin Chang'an! You three actually poisoned me!?"

Qin Feng was completely stunned, his eyes wide with resentment.

He had never seen such a shameless person.

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom is in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

To deal with a cultivator at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage like him, they actually resorted to such despicable methods as poisoning.

Qin Feng had doubted everything, but he never doubted that the other party, with such an advantage, would still resort to poisoning.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, don't waste your time. You were poisoned the moment you entered the room. This cup of wine only hastened the poisoning. It doesn't matter whether you drink it or not."

Beneath Lin Chang'an's calm smile, he looked at Qin Feng's incredulous gaze with disdain.

So what if he poisoned me? He's lived for over a hundred years in vain.

Meanwhile, Old Hu, already filled with curiosity, stepped forward and snatched off the servant's disguise, revealing his true face beneath the mask.

"Haha, so he really is surnamed Qin."

Old Hu burst into excited laughter, never expecting to actually capture this person today.

No wonder Old Lin usually goes to Juxianlou, why did he suddenly change locations today?

Qin Feng was originally the main murderer in the West District Black Market. He later secretly joined the Li Huo Palace. A year ago, he colluded with Gu Congjian and luckily escaped.

However, their identities were also exposed. Nevertheless, the main elites of the Qin family escaped, unlike the Gu family, who were unfortunately implicated and suffered heavy losses.

"Old Hu, how was the drinking session?"

"That was great, Lao Lin, you're really something."

Old Hu laughed excitedly, but his hands were not slow; he ruthlessly injected his magic power directly into the opponent's dantian.

Qin Feng's face turned pale instantly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he glared at the three men with bloodshot eyes.

"That Lin fellow! Utterly shameless! Three Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivators actually resorted to such despicable methods against me... Waaah..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Old Hu attacked him from both sides, demonstrating the techniques of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

At the same time, he also took the contents of Qin Feng's storage bag and threw them directly in front of Lin Chang'an.

"Wow, you've got quite a few spirit stones and magical artifacts. Looks like you've gone back to your old ways, keeping an eye on people in the restaurant and secretly sending out intelligence, haven't you?"

Beneath Lin Chang'an's mocking smile, he thought, "This mask is quite good. Although it can't compare to Yun Yao's, it's still a top-grade item."

"I must thank Fellow Daoist Qin for traveling so far to deliver this material to us."

In response to Lin Chang'an's mocking words, Old Hu, standing to the side, laughed loudly and added insult to injury:
"That's right, Lao Qin, you're a true friend. You even sent yourself here. This is too much of a gift! Let Lao Lin enjoy it all by himself."

I, Old Hu, will just watch and see how annoyed you are.

Lin Chang'an shook his head with a smile, then made no attempt to hide it, directly instructing the restaurant staff to summon the patrol team and take away Qin Feng, who had already been on the Tianxuan City bounty list.

He didn't need to worry about anything else; the bounty from Tianxuan City would arrive naturally when the time came.

Although it's impossible for him to obtain a third-tier pill, he is still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so his value is definitely not low.

……

The next day, Tianxuan City sent a generous reward.

Lin Chang'an looked at the spirit stone and nodded in satisfaction.

"In this way, we'll have the travel expenses to the Demon Beast Sea Abyss."

The journey to the Demon Beast Sea Abyss is not only long but also extremely dangerous, with sea monsters roaming the vast and boundless ocean.

If it's a Core Formation cultivator, it's a bit better; they can fly away in a flash and no one will intercept them.

Even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him, traveling in groups still carries risks.

"According to the intelligence we have gathered, there are regular airships traveling between the seven kingdoms. These are merchant ships that travel between the Demon Beast Sea Abyss and other places, so they are very safe."

If you want to travel by merchant ship, you will naturally have to pay the corresponding amount of spirit stones.

"There are too many unwilling cultivators in the cultivation world who spend a lot of money to travel to the Demon Beast Sea Abyss on merchant ships. These merchant ships won't ruin their future for a little profit. However, it would be best to find out about the Xuan Yin Pavilion that Yun Yao mentioned earlier."

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered as he pondered, after all, he was heading to a place where he was unfamiliar with the people and where danger lurked everywhere.

If Xuan Yin Pavilion had stayed there in the past, they would at least have become acquainted with the people there.

Moreover, the connections and perspectives that such powerful figures have are far beyond what he can compare to.

Such a large sect would surely choose a relatively stable location.

"Relying solely on our own analysis is too one-sided and not profound enough, but Xuan Yin Pavilion cannot risk the entire sect."

Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile. Not only him, but even Lao Hu was willing to wait a little longer after hearing the news.

At least wait until Xuan Yin Pavilion has some news.

……

Six months later, news finally spread that Xuan Yin Pavilion was preparing to withdraw from the Yue Kingdom.

Although there were some unfounded rumors before, most cultivators still did not believe them.

But this time it was Xuan Yin Pavilion that confirmed it themselves.

In a short time, some powerful Core Formation families or medium-sized forces in the seven countries saw an opportunity.

The seven kingdoms had so few resources, and they were all firmly occupied.

Now that Xuan Yin Pavilion has withdrawn, a large amount of resources will be freed up, which has given many Core Formation families and mid-level forces an opportunity.

The opportunity to establish a foothold and develop in the Yue Kingdom in partnership with Tianxuan City.

They may not have the same resources as the Xuan Yin Pavilion, but they could easily join forces with three to five other forces to seize the spiritual veins of the Yue Kingdom.

In a short time, envoys from many medium-sized clans of the seven kingdoms flocked to the Xuan Yin Pavilion.

However, these power struggles among the upper echelons had no impact on Lin Chang'an.

At this moment, however, he was gathering with a group of old friends at Juxianlou.

Inside a private room at Juxianlou Restaurant.

"Congratulations, Brother Lin, on your advancement in magical power."

"Brother Lin, we wish you a long and healthy life on your path to immortality."

The group gathered once again, with Lin Chang'an sitting in the main seat. Li Erniu, Shen Lie, Wei Buyi, and Lu Qingqing were also present.

"Dry!"

As everyone raised their glasses in toast, Lin Chang'an looked at the aged faces and felt as if he had returned to the past, seeing their youthful faces once again.

"Come, come, Brother Lin, this is a spirit wine that I specially brought from the Qingzhu Mountain market. We drank it once when Elder Lu led us to join the sect."

The Green Bamboo Spirit Wine, once swallowed, might not be comparable to the spirit wine they were drinking now, but everyone's expressions revealed complex emotions.

However, it was Shen Lie who immediately burst into laughter with a broad smile:
"Come on, we should be happy for Brother Lin. Of all of us from back then, Brother Lin has gone the furthest."

Faced with toasts from everyone, Lin Chang'an suppressed his complicated feelings and raised his glass in return with a smile.

"Come on, everyone, let's do it!"

As everyone toasted and drank, under the influence of the spiritual wine, their eyes became hazy, as if they were reminiscing about the past.

In their youth, they all had high hopes for the future, and none of their young faces were willing to admit defeat.

Before they knew it, they were all nearly ninety years old.

This time, they didn't talk about their cultivation experiences or their individual lives; instead, they reminisced and talked about their past.

It seems like those scenes from yesterday are still fresh in our minds, but today they are gone forever.

They've all gotten old!

Because of the lifespan of cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining, and the various hidden injuries from their youth, living to 120 or 130 is considered a long life.

How many more years can they wait now?

This departure may be a final farewell.

In the end, everyone got completely drunk.

Lin Chang'an sighed softly and sent a telepathic message to Li Yifan and Shen Fan, instructing them to help their parents back home.

Finally, on the top floor of Juxianlou, only Lin Chang'an remained, sitting alone by the window with a somewhat lonely figure.

"Yun Yao, since you're here, have a drink. This is a spirit wine from Green Bamboo Mountain, which is very rare."

A gentle breeze swept by, and Yun Yao appeared beside the table.

At this moment, she was dressed in a simple, fitted outfit, and she had removed her mask, revealing her cool and heroic appearance.

"I don't like drinking."

The cold voice echoed, and although she said she didn't like it, Yun Yao still picked up her cup and took a small sip. She immediately frowned, then shook her head and said:
"This wine tastes a bit bitter today."

Lin Chang'an sighed softly. It wasn't the wine that was bitter, but rather the feeling of watching his former companions grow old that filled his heart with an indescribable emotion.

This has ruined the taste of the wine today.

“When we embark on this path, we are destined to be alone. The higher our cultivation level, the longer this lonely path becomes.”

"We are also lucky."

The two raised their glasses and smiled as they toasted each other.

After putting down her wine glass, Yun Yao immediately put her thoughts aside.

Those who have reached this point are all extremely determined. Although they are filled with sorrow, they will never let it affect their thinking.

"Brother Lin, the Xuan Yin Pavilion is preparing to negotiate with many forces, but it's clear that the Li Huo Palace and the Divine Sword Sect have offered the highest prices. These mid-level forces are probably..."

Listening to the latest information brought by Yun Yao, Lin Chang'an pondered silently.

Actually, this situation is not bad. If the four major forces continued to fight each other and the war continued, it would be the greatest hardship for these low-level cultivators.

"However, Xuan Yin Pavilion has been rooted for hundreds of years and cannot be left so easily. It will probably take a year and a half for the negotiations to be completed."

"We've come this far over the years, can't we wait a year or two?"

Lin Chang'an nodded with a light laugh, and Yun Yao nodded with a smile in return.

"The Xuan Yin Pavilion suffered heavy losses before, and this time, after retreating from the Demon Beast Abyss, it has also issued a recruitment notice to recruit cultivators with various skills..."

Xuan Yin Pavilion said that retreating with dignity was actually a defeat.

Lin Chang'an could understand this practice of recruiting cultivators with various skills as guest advisors.

After all, starting over overseas requires a lot of things.

Similarly, not only in Yue Kingdom, but also in the other seven kingdoms, there were many cultivators who wanted to escape the war or were determined to follow the path of immortality, all of whom wanted to hitch a ride on the Xuan Yin Pavilion.

"Yun Yao, what about you?"

“Brother Lin, I can’t go yet, but I’ll have to go sooner or later if I want to form my core.”

The Xuan Yin Divine Sect's roots are ultimately in the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, and Yun Yao will have to go there sooner or later.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Perhaps this perilous, monster-infested abyss is not as lonely as one might imagine.

Yun Yao, Lao Hu, and two close friends.

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