Seeking immortality begins with daily intelligence reports.

"Patriarch, when are we departing? Heng'er has been learning how to manage the family affairs from me for quite some time now. If there is enough time, and I have been preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage for several months, I can go with Brother Ling after I go into seclusion to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Heng'er can temporarily take over the family affairs."

The speaker was Zhao Tieshan, who was in charge of the General Affairs Office.

He is currently at the peak of Qi Refining. He once tried to break through to Foundation Establishment but failed. Now he is fifty-eight years old. This is his last chance to break through to Foundation Establishment. After sixty, his Qi and blood will gradually decline, and it will be difficult to break through again.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuchen glared at him.

Zhao Tieshan immediately shrank back and remained silent.

At this moment, Zhao Ling, who was also a radical, immediately continued:

"Fourth brother, your ambition is excellent! Take this Foundation Establishment Pill; it will give you a helping hand. Once you successfully establish your foundation, the two of us will show the other three families the true strength of the Zhao family!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Ling took out a wooden box and pushed it to Zhao Tieshan.

when!

Zhao Wuchen's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the chair arm.

Zhao Tieshan and Zhao Ling both felt immense pressure at the same time, their hearts tightened, and cold sweat involuntarily beaded on their foreheads.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became heavy and somber.

"alright."

After a long while, Zhao Yuan slowly spoke, flicking his sleeve to disperse the oppressive aura released by Zhao Wuchen.

"I will lead the team to explore the ruins of Master Xuanhuo."

"No!"

Zhao Wuchen suddenly looked up and interrupted sharply.

As soon as he uttered the words, his face flushed crimson, his chest heaved violently like a bellows, and then he burst into a heart-wrenching cough.

Cough cough--

It took about 15 minutes for Zhao Wuchen to recover.

Looking at the pool of black blood in his palm, Zhao Wuchen's gaze sharpened, as if he had made up his mind. He silently wiped it away with a cleansing talisman, swallowed an ice-blue Purifying Fire Pill, and as the medicinal power dissipated, the abnormal redness on his face slowly faded, leaving only a withered gray-white.

"That's enough."

Zhao Wuchen's voice was hoarse:

"Although I am hampered by the fire poison, I am still at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. If anything unexpected happens on this trip, I will risk my old bones to save your lives."

"Father……"

Zhao Yuan looked worried, his previous decision stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was Zhao Wuchen's slightly heavy breathing.

Zhao Ling and Zhao Tieshan held their breath and lowered their heads, their earlier argument suddenly seeming so inappropriate.

Zhao Wuchen closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, and when he opened them again, his expression had returned to seriousness.

He took out a small jade bottle and handed it to Zhao Tieshan.

"Tieshan, here is a Condensation Pill for you. It will increase your chances by 30%. If you fail this time, then you should just focus on managing the family's affairs properly."

Zhao Tieshan's hands trembled slightly as he took the jade bottle, which felt cool to the touch.

He opened his mouth, a mixture of gratitude and shame welling up inside, but in the end, he could only bow deeply, unable to utter a word.

Zhao Wuchen stopped looking at him and at everyone else. He slowly stood up, his back straight and solitary, and walked out of the reception hall step by step, his coughs coming intermittently.

He was once the most promising person in the Zhao family to break through to the Golden Core stage, and his cultivation reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. The Zhao family also rose to prominence in the market and enjoyed great glory for a time.

Just as he was preparing to form his core, he led a team to search for suitable resources in the Laoshan Mountains.

Unfortunately, they were attacked by a mid-stage Tier 3 Crimson-Eyed Fox, and after a fierce battle, most of the accompanying clansmen were killed or wounded.

Although Zhao Wuchen managed to escape by sheer luck, he was severely injured, his dream of achieving the Golden Core was shattered, and his cultivation level regressed as a result. From then on, his temperament became increasingly melancholic.

Zhao Yuan, on the other hand, had already made preparations to personally lead the team.

Therefore, he rewarded the disciples with potential in the clan accordingly, including guest advisors who were not members of the Zhao family, such as Li Shen. He also tried to win over anyone who was suitable.

If he were to perish here, his family would not collapse instantly and be devoured by the three covetous families.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze, swept it over the clansmen below the hall with their various expressions, and spoke in a calm and unwavering voice:

"The matter is settled then."

"Go back and make preparations as soon as possible."

"Let's call it a day."

-

A small courtyard in the outer city area of ​​Fangshi.

Li Shen sat cross-legged and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He decided to accept Zhao Yuan's offer to serve a talisman master.

Although this will lead to deeper conflicts of interest with the Foundation Building families in the market and restrict their freedom, Foundation Building is the most important thing.

After thinking it over, he adjusted his state slightly and prepared to continue studying the art of array formations.

Three days later.

Li Shen arrived at the Zhao residence and proceeded to the gate of the main courtyard where Zhao Yuan resided.

As soon as he raised his hand, the courtyard gate opened from the inside out.

The first thing that catches the eye is Zhao Qian, who is wearing a yellow and white long dress.

"what?"

A flash of blue light crossed Zhao Qian's eyes, and a hint of surprise crossed her face.

It wasn't that I was surprised that Li Shen had come here, but rather that after not seeing him for several months, Li Shen's cultivation had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Although he couldn't match his speed, his opponent's aptitude was far inferior.

Zhao Qian was stunned for a moment before stepping aside to invite Li Shen inside, and then led him to the residence of the family head, Zhao Yuan.

Before long, the two stopped one after the other in front of the half-closed door.

"Father, I've brought the person to you."

Zhao Qian said seriously.

As soon as the words were spoken, the wooden door was slowly pushed open, and a low, brief voice came out:

"Come in."

Zhao Qian nodded slightly, opened the wooden door, and gestured for Li Shen to enter first.

Seeing this, Li Shen didn't say anything and went straight inside.

Zhao Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his back to Li Shen, staring blankly at the painting hanging in the center.

Meanwhile, an elderly man inside the house caught Li Shen's attention.

The other person had kept their eyes closed ever since Li Shen entered, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

It only vaguely reveals the aura of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

This made Li Shen's heart tighten instinctively.

"Greetings, Patriarch Zhao."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said solemnly.

"Have you thought it through?"

Zhao Yuan spoke slowly, without turning around.

Zhao Qian had just closed the door and was sitting behind Li Shen, quietly observing him with a puzzled look.

"I am honored by the high regard of Patriarch Zhao, and I am willing to give it my best."

Li Shen spoke solemnly.

Upon hearing Li Shen's affirmative reply, Zhao Yuan turned around and sat down, smiling kindly as he took out a scroll, suspended it in the air, and slowly unfurled it.

"Now that you've become a retainer of the Zhao family, the spirit contract you previously signed with the guest talisman master is null and void..."

At this point, Zhao Yuan waved his hand lightly, and the writing above disappeared, changing the contents of the scroll.

Zhao Yuan continued:

"This is the spirit contract of the talisman master. If you have no questions, just sign it."

Upon hearing this, Li Shen browsed through the contents of the spirit contract from top to bottom.

The monthly salary increased from 300 low-grade spirit stones to 800 low-grade spirit stones.

Of course, the monthly requirements for talismans have also increased.

The requirement has been increased from 20 basic mid-grade talismans per month to 40 mid-grade talismans per month, with five of them being mid-grade breath-gathering talismans.

For any portion exceeding the target, the Zhao family will purchase it at market price.

This is not difficult for Li Shen now.

Then, the academy instructors added an hour to the duration while keeping the number of days the same.

Li Shen can accept this.

Next, Zhao Yuan mentioned that during this special period, one must obey the family's orders. Then, Zhao Yuan's promises regarding the inheritance of the Dao of Talismans and the provision of Foundation Establishment Pills during Foundation Establishment were all clearly written on the spiritual contract.

The timeframe remains ten years.

After reading it, Li Shen immediately poured his own spiritual power into the spiritual contract, and then dripped in a drop of his essence blood.

The Spirit Contract scroll suddenly lit up, signifying the signing was complete.

After he left, Zhao Wuchen, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

"Is this the talent you mentioned that was almost buried?"

His voice was low and emotionless.

Zhao Yuan looked towards the door and nodded, saying:

"He was from the same hometown as Li Niu, Zhao Qing's son-in-law, and both were disciples rejected by the three sects. Zhao Qing didn't think much of him at first, but later he seemed to have inherited the skills of a rogue talisman master, showed his talent, and was recommended by Han Mo to enter the manor, becoming a guest elder by exception."

He paused briefly, then continued:

"This boy has mediocre talent, but his willpower is far beyond that of ordinary people. The other day, I accompanied Tieshan to inspect the training room and found that he used it more frequently than many of the clan's disciples. Upon closer investigation, I discovered that he also has talent in alchemy."

Zhao Wuchen's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this:

"He is indeed a talented person."

"Unfortunately, my spiritual roots are limited..."

Zhao Yuan sighed softly:

"However, given his age and cultivation level, Foundation Establishment is not necessarily out of the question. If he succeeds, our Zhao family will have made good friends with a Foundation Establishment cultivator who is talented in both talisman and alchemy. If he fails, the younger generation of the Zhao family can still take this opportunity to improve their strength."

By all accounts, this investment is extremely worthwhile.