Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 9 Reunion of Classmates
Clearwater Bay.

It is also the closest gathering place for cultivators to Qingzhushan Market, and it is under the jurisdiction of Lihuo Palace.

And Lu Shi lived in this place.

Upon learning that Lu Shi was seriously ill, Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu immediately set off for Qingshui Bay.

"Brother Lin, we'll be at Clearwater Bay soon."

The two rode their spirited steeds day and night, covering a distance of three thousand li in just three days.

These spirit steeds were tamed from demonic beasts. As the son-in-law of the Zhou family, who controlled beasts, it was not difficult for Erniu to borrow two spirit steeds from the clan.

However, because of his status as a son-in-law, Li Erniu still needed to report to his family before leaving the market.

……

Early in the morning, when the sky was still gray, the crisp sound of horses' hooves could be heard on the street.

"Brother Lin, we've arrived."

The two dismounted and saw the Clearwater Bay Market, built along the river bend.

The difference is that Clearwater Bay is much quieter.

Before entering the market, the two first took out their identity jade tokens, which were also known as travel permits, and then entered through the array.

Looking at the familiar scene, the two felt a little nostalgic. Twenty years ago, they failed the selection and were brought here by Master Lu. After being taught for two months, he recommended them to Qingzhushan Market.

The two, weary from their journey, arrived at Master Lu's former residence.

"Old Lu!"

The small, quiet courtyard, adorned with white banners, was nearly deserted.

Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu walked into the courtyard and looked at the memorial tablets in the mourning hall. They couldn't help but shed tears.

They were still a step too late.

"Mr. Lu, we are late."

Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu, with solemn expressions, respectfully offered incense and performed the ritual of kneeling and kowtowing.

Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Elder Lu cultivated the Everlasting Spring Technique and lived to the age of 138, which can be considered a peaceful death, a rare occurrence in the world of cultivation.

"Brother Lin, Brother Li."

"Brother Shen."

Upon seeing the newcomers, Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu's eyes lit up, and they immediately stepped forward and bowed.

After the three met, Shen Lie, the former young marquis, showed no airs at all. Instead, he stepped forward with a melancholy air and pulled the two of them aside for a while.

"Old Master Lu left with a smile, and Princess Yun also came and is currently comforting Junior Sister Lu inside the house."

Upon hearing Shen Lie's words, Lin Chang'an was also taken aback, while Erniu exclaimed in surprise:

"I heard that the young princess is already an inner disciple of the Li Huo Palace. I didn't expect her to come as well."

The four people at the time were Princess Yunyao, Young Marquis Shen Lie, swordsmanship expert Lin Chang'an from the Prince's Mansion, and farmer Li Erniu.

The junior sister Lu mentioned is actually the granddaughter of Elder Lu.

"Unexpectedly, both Brother Lin and Brother Li have broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining."

Young Marquis Shen Lie's face was full of emotion, without the slightest hint of disdain, while Lin Chang'an shook his head and cupped his hands, saying:
"I cannot compare to Brother Shen."

Shen Lie's cultivation level has reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.

In terms of age, Lin Chang'an is the oldest, Erniu is the second oldest, and Shen Lie is the youngest, but in the cultivation world, strength is paramount.

Therefore, they addressed each other as Brother Shen to show respect.

"Over the years, I only heard that you and Erniu went to Qingzhushan Market. I never expected that we would meet again after twenty years."

Back then, all three of them had low-grade spiritual roots and were all rejected. The difference was that Shen Lie relied on his connections, so his cultivation resources were naturally far superior to theirs.

After all, behind every dynasty in the mortal realm are major sects.

As the three whispered about their stories over the years, the once quiet courtyard became visibly bustling with activity.

Upon seeing this, the young Marquis Shen Lie couldn't help but lower his head and smile disdainfully, then explained to the two of them telepathically.

"This group of people, who are using the pretense of being classmates or having received kindness from Elder Lu, are just here because they heard that Princess Yun Yao has arrived."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an suddenly realized that the image of the delicate and beautiful little princess who pretended to be an adult was now in his mind.

Yun Yao is an inner disciple of the Li Huo Palace. She possesses a superior spiritual root with a high affinity for the water element, and it is rumored that she is only one step away from reaching the level of an earth spiritual root.

In a major sect like Li Huo Palace, he might not be considered a peerless genius, but in the eyes of these lower-level cultivators, he is definitely unattainable.

"Condolences."

"Senior Brother Shen, Elder Lu, he..."

As the cultivators entered, some approached with a sense of melancholy, saying that they had once received kindness from Master Lu, while others shamelessly claimed that they too had been guided onto the path of immortality by Master Lu.

They were classmates.

The contemptuous look that Young Marquis Shen Lie had just shown had vanished, replaced by a face full of sorrow, and he was now conversing with everyone with ease.

“Princess Yun is already a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator and has begun preparing for the sect’s internal competition. She has a high chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future.”

After hearing the explanation from Young Master Shen Lie, Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu showed envy.

Their classmates, who embarked on the path to immortality together, have already begun planning for their future Foundation Establishment, while they have only just broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

This is the difference in spiritual roots.

"The princess and Junior Sister Lu have come out."

As the back room opened, the crowd gathered outside immediately stopped their whispered attempts to curry favor.

Lu Qingqing had the appearance of a girl from a modest family, but today she walked out slowly dressed in white mourning clothes, with a sad expression on her face, while the figure beside her attracted everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for coming to see Elder Lu off."

Her voice was cool and aloof, yet it carried an air of nobility.

Princess Yunyao, dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit, had eyebrows like green peaks and a beautiful face. Her heroic and aloof demeanor seemed to convey the sadness in her heart.

The once delicate and beautiful girl has changed drastically.

Lin Chang'an was deeply moved upon seeing this scene.

"You're welcome, fairy."

"Fellow Daoist Yun, you're too kind."

People had all sorts of different ways of addressing this young princess.

Many cultivators who had received guidance from Elder Lu shamelessly addressed him as Junior Sister Yun.

Those cultivators who had shown favor to Elder Lu referred to Yun Yao as a fairy, while others called her a fellow Daoist.

After all, Yun Yao's cultivation was profound, and because she cultivated water-attribute techniques, she still looked like a young girl. No one called her "senior sister," but instead addressed her as "fellow Daoist" or "fairy."

After all, everyone here is quite old, and the title of "princess" was just what the four of them used to call each other.

Everyone wore expressions of sadness and sorrow, but how much of it was genuine and how much was feigned was anyone's guess.

Under the supervision of Yun Yao, an inner disciple of the Li Huo Palace in the late stage of Qi Refining, what was supposed to be a quiet funeral turned into a bustling affair.

This also allowed Lin Chang'an to once again experience the realities of the cultivation world.

Only after the burial was completed did the place return to its former desolation.

Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu, knowing their place, stayed in the crowd until Lu Shi's burial was completed, and were about to leave when they were stopped by the young Marquis Shen Lie.

"Brother Lin, Brother Erniu, the princess has invited us to Juxianlou."

"reunion?"

Lin Chang'an looked astonished, while Er Niu was also at a loss. He was the one with the lowest status back then, and now he was facing a princess who was already planning to establish her foundation.

This disparity in status has not only failed to narrow, but has instead widened.

"It's just a reunion of our classmates."

Seemingly noticing Erniu's unease and Lin Chang'an's astonishment, Young Marquis Shen Lie explained with a smile.

“The princess may seem a bit cold, but she is actually a very kind person. We agreed to meet once every five years, but you two are far away in Qingzhushan Market.”

I also followed the cultivators of the royal lineage, and Princess Yun was even more busy within her sect, so we hadn't had a chance to meet. This was a rare opportunity for us to reunite.

As Young Marquis Shen Lie explained, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but recall the scene after failing the assessment.

Upon entering the world of cultivation, four young men and women of different social classes seemed to have shed their mortal identities. Reluctant to part, they made a pact to reunite every five years.

But later, the four of them struggled on their paths of cultivation, exchanging only letters at most. Their promise to meet again was nothing more than a memory from their youthful ignorance.

In the world of cultivation, one is often not in control of one's own destiny, especially when people are scattered across vast distances.

The contract has been signed. I'm asking for your monthly votes and recommendation votes, fellow cultivators.

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(End of this chapter)