Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 348 Five Years
The trade fair on Bibo Island ended quickly.

Within the hazy, towering sea of ​​fog, the escape light flashed rapidly.

The cultivator who obtained the fragment of the secret realm map was the first to flee, followed by several others who gave chase.

Seeing this, some people were tempted by greed and wanted to see if they could take advantage of the situation, while others hurriedly fled, not wanting to get involved.

"I'm afraid the outer seas will not be peaceful before the secret realm opens."

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh, hoping it wouldn't affect his peaceful cultivation.

Afterwards, Lin Chang'an, accompanied by his sword attendant, and the three Fairies of Rainbow Garments, headed towards the waters of Five Dragon Island.

On the gloomy Bibo Island, watching the departing crowd, the Meng couple couldn't help but show solemn expressions.

“My husband, this scene is so familiar. It was just as turbulent before the last secret realm opened.”

The middle-aged man nodded after hearing this, and sighed softly, "But it is precisely this turmoil that has given countless people opportunities."

Turbulent times breed heroes; this applies to both the mortal world and the world of cultivation.

Without chaos, how can one have a chance to rise to prominence?

However, this opportunity to rise to prominence is paved with countless corpses.

"We made the right decision this time. Let's throw away this hot potato of a secret realm map as soon as possible and let them fight it out."

"Yes, we don't have much time left to live, so we can't worry about all that now. Let's make the most of this time to accumulate more resources."

The Meng couple sighed softly, then took out a communication jade talisman and transmitted the events to the Bihai Palace.

The fact that the two held this trade fair was also at the behest of the Bihai Palace.

"There are still less than seventy years until the secret realm opens. The real upheaval will come after the struggle within the secret realm ends. Right now, it's just a minor skirmish for these major powers."

When the words "minor squabbles" were mentioned, a hint of resentment appeared in the eyes of the Meng couple.

While Nascent Soul cultivators are not considered important, for those below the Nascent Soul level, the situation is extremely complex and unpredictable.

This time, Lin Chang'an and his two companions returned to Wulong Island Market without encountering any robbers after leaving the black market.

At the same time, news spread that the Sihai Chamber of Commerce had purchased a fragment of a secret realm map at a high price, and the Sihai Chamber of Commerce's business expanded rapidly.

Meanwhile, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce stated that it would hold an auction in five years to sell the fragments of the secret realm map.

Not only the Five Dragons Island sea area, but the entire Demon Beast Abyss was affected by the opening of the secret realm, coupled with the infighting and machinations of various forces in the shadows.

The entire open sea is becoming increasingly chaotic, and no major sea area is calm.

Even Core Formation cultivators who had been in seclusion for years emerged from the outer sea, leading to continuous battles, chaos, and framing.

……

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During these five years, Lin Chang'an continued his arduous cultivation as always, while his three clones constantly refined their various skills.

【Lifespan: 220/787】

[Realm Level: Mid-Golden Core (41/100)]

Inside the cave, Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes, looking at his progress in cultivation over the past five years, and revealed a satisfied smile.

With the aid of spiritual wine that enhances cultivation over the years, his cultivation has steadily improved, and breaking through to the late stage of Core Formation before the opening of the secret realm should not be a problem.

"However, the sooner the breakthrough is achieved, the better."

In terms of spiritual consciousness, thanks to the effects of the Qingling Pill, his progress over the years has been no less than that of his magical power, and in some ways even surpassed it.

[Tier 3 Mid-Grade Array Master (Proficiency 938/1000)]

"In the past few years, the art of formations has progressed by leaps and bounds. In about three more years, it will definitely be able to break through to the third-tier high-grade."

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered; in recent years, he had excelled most in the art of formations.

After all, besides the Sixth Elder, the Yin Soul Sect's heritage also includes many formations.

In particular, the insights on breaking through enemy formations that he obtained back then have benefited him immensely over the years.

"Even if you break through to the third-tier high-grade array master, it's best to delay revealing yourself."

Based on the opening time of the secret realm, it is estimated that he will be around 280 years old. Therefore, it would be best if the news of his breakthrough to the third-tier high-grade formation was released around the age of 250 or 260.

One reason is that he has decent talent in formations, which makes him a genius, but not quite a prodigy.

Another thing is that there's still some time before the secret realm opens, which will give us enough time to get some more treasures from the Sixth Elder.

"However, the treasure I obtained from the deceased cultivator of the Yin Soul Sect has such a remarkable origin."

At this moment, Lin Chang'an looked solemn and took out the four treasures he had obtained from his storage bag.

Fragment of the Secret Realm Map, Entrance Ticket to the Secret Realm.

The jade pendant's nature remains unknown, but based on his speculation, it should be a treasure from the Yin Soul Sect. Unfortunately, this place is now a ghostly realm, and he dares not venture into it lightly.

The remaining two jade slips are a Jade Slip for Breaking the Formation, which is worth around the fourth tier, and a map of the Secret Realm Maze.

At this moment, Lin Chang'an looked at the two jade slips in front of him and couldn't help but ponder.

"This maze map should be a record of the Yin Soul Sect's exploration of the secret realm over the past thousand years, and these red dots mark the locations of these places."

This must be the legendary treasure vault within the labyrinth, each a separate space with different array formations and restrictions. That's why the Sixth Elder has been plotting this for hundreds of years.

Therefore, the two jade slips he possessed were actually a set.

The skeleton of the Yin Soul Sect was probably that of a core member of the sect, or even a master of formations, otherwise he wouldn't have possessed this item.

"Rumor has it that there are many treasures inside this maze. In addition to the protection of this array and restrictions, there are also various traps. We must be careful to deal with them."

When mentioning the word "mechanism," one cannot help but mention the art of puppetry, which can be considered one of the many arts of cultivation.

However, besides setting up hidden traps, simple mechanisms are also a common method used by cultivators to conceal treasures.

"All the treasures in this maze are hidden in the most secret way, and the Yin Soul Sect is one of the few sects in the Demon Beast Sea Abyss that is proficient in mechanical puppets."

Back then, the Yin Soul Sect was able to discover several treasure-laden restricted areas within the maze precisely because its members were proficient in mechanical puppetry.

[Second-Tier Mid-Grade Puppet Master (Proficiency 652/1000)]

Over the years, thanks to a considerable amount of resources and the inheritance he received from the Yin Soul Sect, he has made good progress in the art of mechanical puppetry.

Since he was going to the secret realm, he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to learn this mechanical puppetry technique.

After all, the secret realm is fraught with danger, and having more abilities means having more power to protect oneself.

"If it weren't for this ability to create an external avatar, even with the best talent, I wouldn't dare to study several skills on my own."

This mechanical puppet technique was also developed from scratch, requiring very few spirit stones. More importantly, he was now a Core Formation cultivator.

Whether it's energy, financial resources, or spiritual power, they far surpass those of low-level cultivators, which is why they were able to elevate this skill to the mid-grade of the second rank in less than twenty years.

"Unbeknownst to me, my overall strength is now comparable to that of a medium-sized Golden Core sect."

After carefully examining his current strength and background, he realized that he was absolutely qualified to establish his own sect.

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but recall the three most powerful clans of the Yue Kingdom among the seven kingdoms.

The three major sects of Yue Kingdom, which he once regarded as towering mountains.

He didn't know when it happened, but now his strength has reached the peak, or even surpassed it.

"It turns out that I have become so powerful in just over a hundred years. Unfortunately, when I reached the summit, I realized that this was just the first mountain on the path of cultivation."

Lin Chang'an sighed softly with a touch of melancholy, then a determined smile appeared on his face. His journey had only just begun.

……

Tianquan Peak.

"Moo!"

The Green Horned Ox anxiously channeled its magic power, forming a powerful earth-yellow magic shield in front of it.

However, when faced with the seemingly ordinary sword light carrying traces of lightning, its petrified magical shield, which greatly increased its defense, developed dense cracks under the sword light.

In some places, the sword's edge had even pierced halfway into the magic shield.

"Moo!"

With a flick of its horns, the Green Horned Ox shattered all the sword energy.

At this moment, its opponent was the sword servant.

The sword attendant, dressed in a dark blue outfit, looked solemn as he held a precious sword in his hand, which emitted rays of sword light.

Compared to their previous flamboyant style, the sword servants now display extremely restrained sword light in every strike.

The Green Horned Ox possessed a powerful aura, indicating it already had a superior bloodline. When it broke through to the third rank, its bloodline underwent a mutation, with petrification being considered an excellent mutation among earth-attribute bloodlines.

Not only has their strength increased, but their potential has also greatly increased.

Over the years, he has laid a solid foundation and made steady progress, and his cultivation has reached the peak of the early stage of the third rank. He is only one step away from breaking through to the middle stage.

Although the Sword Servant had only recently formed his Golden Core, his Heavenly Spirit Sword Body was only just beginning to show its power.

Having just emerged from seclusion, Lin Chang'an watched as the sword servant and the green-horned ox sparred within the formation and couldn't help but nod in approval.

“There are countless spiritual bodies in the cultivation world. Putting aside some useless ones, some are powerful in the early stages, while others become powerful later. This Heavenly Spirit Sword Body clearly belongs to the latter.”

The sword servant, who had only formed his core less than ten years ago, was already as strong as the Green Horned Ox, which shows how talented he was in the path of sword cultivation.

A powerful mutated spirit beast, whose strength far surpasses that of others of the same level.

However, overall combat strength depends on too many factors.

For example, the lightning power of the Sword Servant inherently has a counter to the earth attribute, which is why the Green Horned Ox's defensive shield appears somewhat weak.

"Over the years, the sword servants' fighting style has also become apparent, specializing in extreme speed and a barrage of sharp sword strikes."

While the Green Horned Ox is strong, it is lacking in speed.

Watching the two spar, Lin Chang'an assessed the overall strength of the sword servant.

His strength is no less than that of an ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

"This sword shadow skill, which allows one to control the sword at will, has been cultivated for only a few years, yet it has already caught up with my decades of arduous training."

Just as Lin Chang'an appeared in the pavilion without anyone noticing, Yu Guang, the sword attendant who was sparring with the Green Horned Ox, suddenly saw him and immediately revealed a look of joy.

"The master has come out!"

The fierce battle just moments ago stopped instantly. As the sword servant descended in a streak of light, he didn't forget to toss two spirit fruits to the Green Horned Ox.

"Moo!"

The Green Horned Ox, having received the spiritual fruit as compensation, immediately mooed with great joy, showing absolutely no dissatisfaction.

Inside the pavilion.

"Owner."

After bowing respectfully, the sword attendant habitually brewed spiritual tea for his master.

Lin Chang'an looked at the gluttonous Green Horned Ox and shook his head helplessly. This simple-minded ox still couldn't get rid of its gluttonous habit after all these years.

"Not bad, you seem to have become more and more proficient in kendo over the past few years."

The sword servant cultivates both techniques and supernatural abilities that he has practiced before, so he can naturally better understand their depths.

"It's all thanks to the master."

Looking at the obedient sword servant, Lin Chang'an waved his hand and chuckled, "Your talent is beyond doubt. Has anything happened in recent years?"

"Reporting to Master, unrest has broken out in various parts of the outer seas, with numerous robberies, vendettas, and treasure hunts occurring. There was also the recent hijacking of a merchant ship belonging to the Four Seas Merchant Guild..."

Lin Chang'an remained calm as he listened to the sword attendant's report.

It doesn't matter if other places are chaotic or not, as long as it doesn't affect his cultivation.

However, the chaos that began in various places with the opening of the Demon Beast Abyss was not without its benefits.

The benefit is that the Five Dragons Island Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, Xuan Yin Pavilion, and the Long family have once again united due to their shared interests.

With increasing external pressure, none of the three parties wanted to give outsiders an opportunity to take advantage of the situation due to internal strife.

The internal stability allowed Lin Chang'an to focus on his cultivation for a period of time these past few years.

"By the way, Master, the Four Seas Merchants Association came to visit before. It seems that they lost a treasure this time and left behind a sound-recording jade talisman."

Looking at the jade talisman handed over by the sword attendant, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but show a look of curiosity.

The Sihai Chamber of Commerce had tried to win him over before, but since the three forces joined forces again, the Sihai Chamber of Commerce has been very well-behaved in recent years to avoid internal conflicts.

This time, they even personally left him a jade talisman.

With a flick of his magic, the phonograph slowly echoed the message from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce.

After listening, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but show a look of suspicion.

"The Sihai Chamber of Commerce is so generous this time."

The message from the commemorative note was simple: he wanted to invite him to deal with the bandits who were hijacking their merchant ship.

The conditions offered were extremely generous, including a late-stage, third-tier earth-attribute demon core.

"It seems we missed this opportunity three months ago."

Lin Chang'an shook his head, not thinking much about it, but his mind was instead on his Four Symbols Dragon Scale Armor.

Five years ago, he traded for a fire-attribute demon core at the Bibo Island trade fair. In recent years, he has also traded for a water-attribute late-stage third-tier demon core.

Of the four elements, only earth and wind are missing.

He didn't hide his external needs, and the Sihai Chamber of Commerce was naturally aware of them.

"Currently, there is still no news about the late-stage third-tier wind attribute demon core of the Four Symbols, and although there is news about the earth attribute demon core, it is obviously problematic in many cases."

There have been two pieces of news over the years. One is about a place extremely far out at sea, but who knows if it's a scam.

The other piece of news was even more outrageous: there were actually clues inside the Ghost Realm, something he had never even considered.

"We can only slowly search for information. There is always a chance for high-level earth-attribute demon cores, but wind-attribute ones are just too difficult."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an sighed and shook his head.

"And these are letters sent by the master while he was in seclusion."

When the sword attendant took out several letters, Lin Chang'an raised his hand and began to read them.

　Chapter Two will be updated in twenty minutes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)