Playing with fantasy beasts in the martial arts world

Chapter 203 The Lost Secret of Immortality
Shangguan Xiaoxian gazed at Cha Nan with a melancholy look, then sighed heavily.

She has a perfectly youthful face, so when a sorrowful expression appears on her face, the feeling of resentment is not profound. Instead, it gives people a comical feeling of an innocent young girl pretending to be sad.

"Young Master Cha! Island Lord Cha! Dragon Lord Cha! What can I possibly do to make you stop resisting me? Stop being wary of me? Or even...discriminating against me?"

Crystalline tears welled up in Shangguan Xiaoxian's eyes; a single glance from Cha Nan would cause them to spill over.

However, Cha Nan was completely oblivious to this.

Xiaoyuer and Tie Xinlan have already taught him what a true corner of the martial arts world is like, so how could Cha Nan possibly make the same mistake again?
"Stop talking nonsense! What can you offer me?"

"If you still have value, then we can continue our conversation, but if you don't, then please leave!" Cha Nan had no interest in continuing to discuss with Shangguan Xiaoxian about being stood up.

Moreover, putting aside the facts, Shangguan Xiaoxian knew that he had already moved to another place and that Xiangyang City was temporarily vacant, yet she still chose to wait here, just to make him feel guilty... Isn't this a painstakingly calculated scheme?
"What a cold and heartless man!" Shangguan Xiaoxian wiped away the tears in her eyes and returned to her previous innocent and lively appearance, which was extremely deceptive.

In fact, if this woman hadn't been burdened with the surname Shangguan Jin Hong and the given name Lin Xian'er, she would have achieved even greater things.

The past allowed her to grow rapidly and gain a higher foundation, but it also limited her. Anyone who knew her background, regardless of gender, was wary of her. Cha Nan was not the only one who discriminated against her.

"Looks like you have nothing to say!" Cha Nan's face remained cold and hard.

Cha Nan still had no desire to subdue Shangguan Xiaoxian.

In his view, this woman's usefulness was always external, not internal.

Although Yaoyue and Lianxing are highly skilled in martial arts, they are homebodies who are too proud and aloof. Even if they were placed in the desolate Crystal Palace in the world of fantasy beasts, it would not make much difference to them as they would to continue staying in the Yihua Palace.

But Shangguan Xiaoxian is a different kind of woman. She was born to belong to the martial world, to the deceit and treachery. The place where she is best suited to perform is the turbulent and unpredictable world of martial arts. Locking her up, whether in the world of fantasy beasts or on fantasy beast island, would be a huge waste.

"Alright alright!"

"What a boring man!"

She then labeled Cha Nan again before saying, "I've got some news, news that you'll definitely be interested in."

"Oh?" Cha Nan didn't play along with Shangguan Xiaoxian's feigned mystery.

If Shangguan Xiaoxian were referring to the whereabouts of some kind of divine skill, he would indeed be somewhat interested... but not much!
He won't go out of his way to find someone unless they offer themselves to him.

After all, he already possesses enough divine skills and unique techniques, far more than he could possibly learn them all.

"I wonder if you've ever heard of the Four Great Classical Novels?" Shangguan Xiaoxian asked mysteriously.

Cha Nan was taken aback, her mind suddenly racing.

He suddenly became interested again, and there was nothing wrong with making a special trip for it.

After all, people get bored staying in one place for too long and need to go out and see more of the world.

"Are you talking about the War God's Manual, the Longevity Manual, the Heavenly Demon Strategy, and the Compassionate Sword Manual?" Cha Nan asked.

This doesn't really expose him. After all, given his current status and the business he's in, it's normal for him to have some understanding of the top-tier divine techniques in the myriad realms.

"It seems you know!"

"That's great! It saves me the trouble of explaining it again." Shangguan Xiaoxian looked at Cha Nan with admiration, as if she knew what the Four Great Classical Novels were.

"Is what you're about to say related to the Four Great Classical Novels?"

"Let's get this straight... If it's the Cihang Sword Manual, then there's no need to mention it, I'm not interested!" Cha Nan said.

Of the four great books, the Sword Manual is the worst; that's a consensus.

After all, this extraordinary book, which was passed down from Cihang Ji... Jianzhai, not only failed to cultivate a Broken (Fate-Breaking) level expert independently, but also tricked many masters. Those who read this book either vomited blood or went crazy.

In fact, it feels more like a demonic art than the Heavenly Demon Strategy.

"It seems you know a lot of secrets!" Shangguan Xiaoxian was very perceptive.

Cha Nan did not deny it, but nodded and said, "I always have some connections and friends in this business, and I know a lot of inside information."

Shangguan Xiaoxian asked, "Then do you know that the Longevity Formula has appeared in the world?"

Cha Nan was slightly taken aback when she heard this. Was Shangguan Xiaoxian going to talk about the Longevity Formula?

Then he won't be sleepy anymore.

Of the four great books, the "War God's Record" is undoubtedly the most profound and mysterious. However, the War God's Record is carved in the War God Hall of Jingyan Palace. Jingyan Palace is a world of its own, and its whereabouts are unpredictable and extremely difficult to find. It only appears once every seventy years. There are demonic dragons guarding the palace, making it not only mysterious but also extremely dangerous.

Most importantly, no one knows how it is activated, where it is activated, or what time period it is based on for its seventy-year cycle of activation.

Therefore, it is too ethereal and elusive; you can only wait for it to come to you. If you go to find it, it's harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Besides the War God's Manual, the "Longevity Manual," which Guang Chengzi gleaned from the War God's Manual, ranks second among the Four Great Books. It can be seen as a simplified version of the War God's Manual, incorporating some of Guang Chengzi's own insights and reflections.

Cha Nan definitely wants the Longevity Formula!
After all, while practicing the Longevity Mantra doesn't guarantee immortality, it certainly carries a chance of breaking one's fate.

As is well known, neither Grandmasters nor those below them possess the ability to live long or achieve immortality.

Even if one cannot achieve immortality after breaking the cycle of life, it should be possible to extend one's lifespan and break the limits of human lifespan.

As for whether Cha Nan, with his aptitude, could learn the Longevity Technique, he was not considering it for the time being.

Whether you can learn it or not is something that happens after you get started.

The priority now is to get started.

"What do you want in exchange for information?" Cha Nan got straight to the point.

Shangguan Xiaoxian pondered for a moment, then said, "I want a dragon!"

"what?"

"I said... I want a dragon!"

Upon hearing this, Cha Nan sneered.

There's no "one-stop service" option, but we can offer a comprehensive one-stop service.

"Farewell! Now that the Longevity Formula has appeared in the world, you're definitely not the only one who knows about it. Even without you, Butcher Zhang, I might not eat a pig with hair on!" After saying that, Cha Nan really turned around and was about to leave.

"Wait! I can raise the price! Dragon and Phoenix Double Rings, Left-Handed Sword Technique... even Little Li's Flying Dagger, I can get them for you, I just want your dragon! A dragon that can summon wind and rain, a dragon that can summon thunder!" Shangguan Xiaoxian's face was filled with undisguised fanaticism.

This fervor was somewhat incomprehensible to Cha Nan.

"It's not as powerful as you think!" Cha Nan said frankly.

Ao Bing is strong not only because he personally nurtured it with his internal energy, but also because he has leveled up. When he showed his power before, he was already over level 30, and now that he has defeated the level 40-something Forest Mammoth, he has reached level 40.

The base stats are already high, which is like someone who is born with superhuman strength. So whatever martial arts they learn, as long as the fit is good, the power will be strong. It doesn't really depend on the martial arts itself.

However, if it is a level one Overturning Sea Dragon, then even if it is carefully nurtured and even learns certain specific martial arts, its final growth will not achieve a complete transformation.

It's really just a pretty face.

"You don't understand its power... You're using it too wastefully!"

“It’s a dragon! A real dragon that can summon wind and rain, control rivers and seas, and ride thunder!” Shangguan Xiaoxian said to Cha Nan with a gleam of ambition in her eyes.

"You actually used it to guard a tiny island!" Her tone was filled with resentment and sarcasm. Perhaps in her eyes, Cha Nan was simply foolish, begging while holding a mountain of gold.

Upon hearing this, Cha Nan remained silent.

Doesn't he know the special meaning of 'dragon' in the ancient world?

No! He knows it all too well!
But does he need to use the symbolism of the dragon to deceive and fool the people in order to gain power for himself?

No need!
Once his advantages snowballed, he could easily obtain almost 90% of the things in the world.

The few things he desires most are not things that can be obtained through so-called power, wealth, or status.

So what does he need to do with the symbolism of the dragon?
"You're a bit crazy!" Cha Nan coldly commented to Shangguan Xiaoxian.

"Also, apart from the Longevity Mantra, I'm not that interested in the other martial arts you mentioned!" Cha Nan said.

There are many martial arts techniques that, although they have great reputations and are indeed very powerful, are actually not worth collecting.

For example, Little Li Flying Dagger.

In Li Xunhuan's hands, the Little Flying Dagger was like a weapon of causality. In Ye Kai's hands, it did not lose its reputation. But when it came into the hands of Li Manqing and Li Huai, it was mostly just a name.

Therefore, Cha Nan has reason to suspect that the key to this throwing knife is not how to use internal energy, how to conceal the knife, or how to throw it, but rather the state of mind when using it.

Unless Shangguan Xiaoxian can get her hands on Little Li's Flying Dagger from "Inch of Light," he'll be extremely interested!
"You agreed?" Shangguan Xiaoxian's eyes lit up.

"no!"

“Change your request. Cloud Sea Deer, Iron Fist Ape, Blazing Bull, Scorching Deer, Pot Elephant, Shark Boy... you have many other mythical beasts to choose from,” Cha Nan said.

"Furthermore, I allow you to choose any five from among them, as long as you can provide sufficiently valuable information."

Shangguan Xiaoxian shook her head: "What you said is indeed not bad, but... for me, unless the quantity is extremely large, it is meaningless."

"If you open your door to do business now, what I can get, others can get, everyone can get... just like no one can get it!"

Cha Nan shook her head: "No! If others have it and you don't, then you'll fall behind, and falling behind means you'll get beaten up!"

What is involution?

This is called involution!
In the past, people in the martial arts world competed on martial arts skills, divine weapons, backgrounds, and powerful backers. Now, there's one more thing to compare: who has a powerful magical beast to assist them and who doesn't!

Although Cha Nan's Phantom Beast Island hasn't been around for long, this trend will inevitably spread sooner or later. It's similar to the topic that some people have discussed about publishing the 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual'.

Suppose that the published 'Evil-Repelling Sword Manual' is not deciphered by anyone and its techniques and methods of cultivation are not studied in a targeted manner, then everyone who aspires to make a name for themselves in the martial arts world will be forced into the difficult choice of whether to cut it or not.

"You...you really did have bad intentions!"

Shangguan Xiaoxian smiled brightly: "I can help you, help you make all the martial arts world fall into your trap even faster, and all I want is your dragon!"

"As long as you're willing to give me a dragon, I'll do anything you ask."

After saying that, she squatted down, then innocently raised her eyes and looked at Cha Nan pitifully.

Such actions and expressions, combined with her delicate and seemingly innocent baby face, are truly captivating.

Even Cha Nan, a veteran of many battles, almost wavered.

Thanks again to Xiaoyuer and Tie Xinlan; they made Cha Nan more wary of the men and women in the martial arts world.

After withstanding the succubus's attack, Cha Nan suddenly realized that his current reputation in the martial arts world was that of the 'Dragon Raiser'. If his dragon ended up in a woman's hands, could that woman then use his name to act in the martial arts world?
Shangguan Xiaoxian seemed to have anticipated that Cha Nan would not allow a mythical beast like the Fuhailong to be lost, which is why she insisted on obtaining one.

This woman is indeed treacherous.

She wants to eat as many things as one dragon!
I almost fell for her trick!
Thinking of this, Cha Nan turned and left, no longer wanting to waste any more words with her.

As for the secret to immortality, perhaps asking Lu Xiaofeng, who likes to wander around, might yield some clues.

Lu Xiaofeng would return to the Phantom Beast Island every now and then, since he nominally still had a share in the Phantom Beast Island!

"alright, alright!"

"We'll talk about the dragon later. Let me tell you about the Longevity Formula!" Shangguan Xiaoxian immediately tried to stop Cha Nan when she saw that he was really about to leave.

She didn't even mention payment, clearly intending to play the long game.

Once Cha Nan owes her a lot of favors, she can then ask for help. At that point, if Cha Nan still has any sense of shame, she won't be able to refuse.

She was certain that she hadn't misjudged him.

The young master Cha before me, though not exactly chivalrous, is certainly not a complete scoundrel.

Shangguan Xiaoxian is very smart. The only thing she miscalculated was that before she and Cha Nan reunited, Cha Nan had met two other very smart people!

Thanks again to Xiaoyuer and Tiexinlan!
Seeing Cha Nan stop and wait for her to continue, Shangguan Xiaoxian said, "The Longevity Manual comes from a martial arts world similar to the late Sui and early Tang dynasties. Its holder is called 'Shi Long.' Several years ago, he fled that martial arts world with the treasure and remained hidden until about half a year ago, when someone from the same world as him accidentally saw him in another world and sent the news back. This caused a large number of martial arts practitioners from that early Tang dynasty to leave, attracting attention from all sides. That's how the news of the Longevity Manual was leaked."

"So, in which world is that stone dragon now?"

"If he hears the news, won't he run away?" Cha Nan asked.

The gate opens once every three months, which is not very frequent, but the interval is not too long either.

As long as Shi Long isn't too unlucky and never encounters a boundary gate or obtains a movable boundary gate, he can't possibly stay in one world and be blocked by others.

"You don't know this!"

"In the Void Realm, as long as you rank in the top 100 in a certain aspect, you can open the Void Realm Trading Center and use Yuan Qi Stones to purchase some special treasures from it."

"One of these treasures is called the World Sealing Bead, which can temporarily seal off a world and prevent it from opening the gate. The World Sealing Bead can seal a world for as short as three months, which is one time the gate opens, and the longest can be ten years."

"The price varies depending on the duration, but I don't know the exact cost," Shangguan Xiaoxian said with longing.

She knew that above the martial arts world she knew, there was an even more advanced and glorious martial arts world.

But she couldn't squeeze in at all.

Although her martial arts skills were not bad, she was not particularly outstanding in any aspect.

When the Realm Gate selects people to enter the Void Realm for combat, it's not simply based on their martial arts skills, but also on their talents and abilities. It's about whether a person has unique and outstanding talents in certain aspects or areas.

Generally speaking, those who can become grandmasters all have their own special skills and are almost guaranteed to enter the Void Realm.

However, for those below the Grandmaster level, there is no guarantee.

"Since the gate to that realm is sealed, how do we get in to find the Stone Dragon?" Cha Nan already had the answer.

Sure enough, Shangguan Xiaoxian said, "In the Void Realm, the top twenty in each competition can obtain a 'Cloud Pattern Token'. With the Cloud Pattern Token, one can directly enter a certain world without going through the boundary gate."

"I can try to get you a spot!"

"You... are so generous?" Cha Nan looked at Shangguan Xiaoxian, wondering who she could get the cloud pattern token from.

Since acquiring this item, Cha Nan has spent some time learning about it.

Some information is not difficult to find if you look carefully.

The cloud pattern plaque is certainly very valuable, but it's not that rare...

Because of this thing, it can theoretically be brushed.

For example, Zhang Sanfeng got a seventh place plaque, but that doesn't mean he can't challenge for sixth place and get the sixth place plaque. He can even continue to advance and get more.

Or, if he's knocked out of the top twenty, he can still get cards when he comes back.

However, the virtual world wouldn't allow people to recklessly use tokens and create a bad atmosphere.

Generally, those ranked within the top 20 have a chance to challenge for advancement only once every three months. If the challenge fails, there is a six-month ban period. During the ban period, they can only passively accept challenges and cannot actively challenge others. For each rank they drop, the ban period is extended by six months. If they are knocked off the list while on the leaderboard, they will be unable to rejoin the leaderboard for five years.

In this way, ranking and obtaining cards is the privilege of only the strongest. If others do not operate properly, they may end up losing more than they gain.

Of course, this rule also led to redundancy at the top of the list.

For example, the top twenty should theoretically accommodate twenty people.

However, if both those who made the list and those who didn't are included, the number of people would be greatly expanded. In reality, there might be more than 30 people standing in those 20 positions; there could even be 50.

With various competitions, redundant participants on the leaderboards, and a small amount of ranking manipulation, the number of cloud-patterned tokens scattered throughout the myriad worlds must be at least eight hundred, if not a thousand.

Of course, even though it seems like a lot, because the martial world is so vast, these cloud-patterned tokens are still extremely rare.

"I'd do anything for you!" Shangguan Xiaoxian said, gazing intently at Cha Nan.

Even if what she said was definitely a lie, her eyes and her expression still made one feel momentarily disoriented.

"Alright! Tell me the specific world and the time, and I'll remember your kindness!" Cha Nan recalled Xiao Yu'er's face in his mind, immediately calmed down, and then said coldly.

"You don't want the cloud pattern plaque?" Shangguan Xiaoxian asked in surprise.

This was originally the second card she had prepared.

The information may not be valuable, after all, Cha Nan is not exactly out of touch with the world.

But a genuine cloud pattern plaque is definitely extremely valuable. Even if she's being polite, how could Cha Nan possibly have the nerve to ask his girlfriend for money?

“That’s none of your concern!” Cha Nan said.

"you also have?"

"As expected... the dragon farmers of the deep sea are not to be underestimated!" Shangguan Xiaoxian was extremely disappointed.

He was secretly annoyed. Who on earth had given Cha Nan the Cloud Pattern Token, allowing him to ignore restrictions and obstacles and perform world jumps?

Cha Nan wasn't surprised by Shangguan Xiaoxian's keen insight; after all, he hadn't tried to hide it, he just hadn't said it outright.

“Using the cloud pattern token, you don’t need to know which specific world it is; you only need to know the keywords to narrow down the scope.”

"As for the timing... that's something you'll have to choose and consider yourself; I can't offer any advice," Shangguan Xiaoxian said helplessly.

She felt that Cha Nan had a dog-like face, and could turn on her in an instant.

"So what are the keywords?"

"A thousand-year-old crane!"

Seeing that she couldn't catch Cha Nan, Shangguan Xiaoxian had no choice but to confess in hopes of gaining some more points.

She had plenty of patience and wasn't afraid that Cha Nan wouldn't fall into her hands one day.

However, she may not know that there is another term called 'sunk cost'.

"A thousand-year-old crane?"

"The Crane's Cry in the Nine Heavens or the Divine Crane Needle?" These two related worlds popped into Cha Nan's mind first.

Then he immediately confirmed, "It should be the Crane Needle!"

"I just don't know if it's a movie version or a TV series version!"

"I hope it's the movie version! I haven't watched many episodes of the TV series, and I've forgotten them all! It's impossible for me to take advantage of the prophecy."

As for the movie version, well... the scene of the Emperor holding A'Zhu while battling the heroes and fighting A'Zhu at the same time is quite visually appealing.

Lan Xiaodie's line, "I've already forced out what you left inside me last night using my internal energy," is also a classic meme.

I don't remember much of the other plot details, but I do recognize the main characters.

If we could get help from some local forces, we might be able to avoid a lot of detours.

(End of this chapter)