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With ample spiritual stones at hand, Lan Chang'an had the confidence to pursue superior-grade second-rank spirit wood and implement the Treasure Talisman Project.
"If Life Extension Pills are available, I'll buy them, but I'll need to disguise my identity."
First-rank Life Extension Pills occasionally appear in various market auctions, and they are not difficult to find if one puts in the effort. Second-rank Life Extension Pills, however, are much rarer and only appear at large auctions.
"A top superior-grade defensive magical weapon, I can get one." Lan Chang'an pondered.
Using top superior-grade magical weapons at the early stage of Foundation Establishment wouldn't be a problem.
With his strong spiritual sense and the long-lasting vitality of the Evergreen Technique, buying one for self-defense is not an issue.
...
At Feiyue Lake, Lan Chang'an had no significant matters left.
He had helped the Mu Family purchase second-rank spirit beasts, brought them Foundation Establishment Pills, and killed Young Master Huang... He had done a lot for the Mu Family.
As for Mu Xiuyun, they had been lovers for several years at Bamboo Leaf Mountain, though their relationship had been clandestine. They parted amicably, without any expectation of a future together
In this life, Lan Chang'an viewed romantic relationships lightly, if he encountered a situation where he could help with ease, he wouldn't object.
Ordinary Foundation Establishment Pills and inferior ones are not much different from poison for Mu Xiuyun, who is over seventy and has failed at her attempt to reach Foundation Establishment once.
The chances of success at Foundation Establishment at her age were already slim, and failing once more would be like adding frost to snow.
Lan Chang'an's presence has already changed her fate from dying young.
At least she can die naturally, exerting her residual heat as a second-rank talisman master within the family, and cultivate a successor to her mantle, she had already surpassed most cultivators to reach this point.
If she fails Foundation Establishment again at this age, the risk will be enormous, leading to rapid aging and drastically reducing her lifespan.
...
Young Master Huang had died only a short while ago, so Lan Chang'an decided to remain in the Mu Family for another two months to avoid arousing suspicion. While there, he would also offer some guidance to Mu Bingyun and Mu Ershun.
Mu Ershun, who had recently returned to the family, had paid Lan Chang'an a visit to present him with some medicinal supplements as a token of respect.
"Your Uncle Lan is not yet at the stage where he needs supplements." Lan Chang'an criticized the young man with a stern face but still accepted his goodwill.
...
On the seventh day after Huang Yu's death.
Jin Yun Valley's law enforcement cultivators came near the Mu Family to investigate Liang Shaotian's whereabouts.
Three Foundation Establishment cultivators came, including one at the late stage. One of them was Zhang Tieshan.
Knowing that Lan Chang'an was at Feiyue Lake, Zhang Tieshan made a special visit.
In the lakeside courtyard.
Lan Chang'an welcomed the slightly dark-skinned, stern-faced Foundation Establishment youth into his house.
"Brother Lan, hearing about your Foundation Establishment at seventy, Zhang admires you greatly. Unfortunately, I wasn't in Huanglong Immortal City that day and couldn't congratulate you sooner." Zhang Tieshan sighed as he sat down.
He brought a congratulatory gift, a piece of second-rank demonic beast hide.
"Brother Zhang, are you here to capture Liang Shaotian?" Lan Chang'an asked curiously.
"Brother Lan overestimates this Zhang." Zhang Tieshan shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Liang Shaotian has already grown formidable; it would take at least a Fake-Dan Immortal to deal with him. We are just here to gather intelligence."
Hearing this, Lan Chang'an was slightly surprised. Liang Shaotian's meteoric rise had exceeded many people's expectations. However, he had always possessed great fortune, and he was at least ten years older than Lan Chang'an.
When Lan Chang'an was at the fourth layer of Qi-Refining at twenty-seven, Liang Shaotian was already a slightly famous early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Brother Zhang holds an important position in Jin Yun Valley. Are you familiar with the spiritual vein fields leased by your sect?" Lan Chang'an took the opportunity to inquire about the spiritual vein fields.
"Oh, Brother Lan is interested in this?" Zhang Tieshan was a bit surprised.
Renting a spiritual vein field is even more expensive than renting a house in Huanglong Immortal City.
Although the spiritual veins in Huanglong Immortal City are good, they are slightly tainted by mundane influences.
Certain Foundation Establishment cultivators with a name to protect preferred to cultivate in more refined environments, so they chose to rent private spiritual vein fields.
Lan Chang'an, being a talisman master for many years and having killed the Evil-Faced Flying Eagle, had accumulated substantial wealth.
With this in mind, Zhang Tieshan understood.
He took out a jade slip and informed Lan Chang'an of the relevant information.
The spiritual vein information provided by Zhang Tieshan was limited to Jin Yun Valley for access and was more detailed, including some insider information. For example, the advantages and disadvantages of various spiritual vein fields and any hidden secrets behind them.
...
"Brother Lan, there is a mid-grade second-rank spiritual vein that would be perfect for you." Zhang Tieshan thought for a moment and suggested.
"Oh, which one is it?"
"That mid-grade spiritual vein isn't in the information I just gave you because it currently has an owner. Originally rented by three Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of them met with an accident, leaving a vacancy." Zhang Tieshan explained.
"Three Foundation Establishment cultivators sharing a field?" Lan Chang'an hesitated.
A mid-grade second-rank spiritual vein would indeed meet his requirements.
Lan Chang'an intended to rent the field for long-term use, as he planned to stay and cultivate for at least several decades. Sharing a site with others hadn't even crossed his mind.
"The mid-grade spiritual vein is located in Wuqi Mountain. This mountain has three main peaks, each separated by five or six li, with a Foundation Establishment cultivator residing on each peak."
Hearing this, Lan Chang'an's interest was piqued.
Three peaks could accommodate three individuals, cultivating independently without interference. The cost of renting the spiritual vein field would be significantly less. At the same time, security would be more assured.
With three Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed, they could look out for each other, no random group of evil cultivators would dare cause trouble.
The premise was that the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators had no issues with the new entry's background.
"What are the backgrounds of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators in Wuqi Mountain?" Lan Chang'an asked.
"These two Foundation Establishment cultivators have clear backgrounds: one is an alchemist, the other a formation master. Originally, there was also an artifact refiner but he died exploring a cave, leaving a vacancy."
Zhang Tieshan introduced with a smile.
"This vacancy isn't open to just any Foundation Establishment cultivator. One must possess second-rank skills and be approved by the other two peak masters to rent the third peak."
So it was essentially a craftsmen's alliance?
Lan Chang'an understood why Zhang Tieshan said it suited him.
Three craftsmen's Foundation Establishment cultivators on the same spiritual vein field, each with their own needs, could create a certain synergy. For instance, a cultivator seeking pills at Wuqi Mountain might conveniently buy some of Lan Chang'an's talismans.
"Where is Wuqi Mountain located?"
Lan Chang'an took out a map and analyzed the geographical location under Zhang Tieshan's guidance.
Wuqi Mountain, compared to the high-grade spiritual vein "Fox Valley" that Lan Chang'an had considered earlier, was only a few hundred li apart.
Located in the central region of Liang Kingdom, slightly to the northwest, it is neither too close nor too far from Huanglong Immortal City, Jin Yun Valley, the Beast Taming Zhou Family, and Feiyue Lake.
The geographical location naturally satisfied Lan Chang'an. A mid-grade second-rank spiritual vein met his requirements. Lan Chang'an needed to investigate the situation in person.
Before leaving, Zhang Tieshan left Lan Chang'an with a letter of recommendation.
This was the advantage of having connections within the sect.
In the vast cultivation world, ordinary cultivators would struggle to access such resource information in a timely manner.
...
In the blink of an eye, Lan Chang'an had spent another two months at Feiyue Lake.
During this time, besides guiding Mu Bingyun and Mu Ershun, he devoted more of his energy to delving into the puppetry inheritance.
Using the materials he had, Lan Chang'an barely crafted a low-grade first-rank humanoid puppet.
This humanoid puppet was full of patches, ragged and unsightly. Its battle prowess was limited to bullying ordinary humans.
Even so, Lan Chang'an's talent in puppetry was impressive, considering he'd reached this point in less than three months.
Now, he had stepped into the door of a first-rank puppeteer.
Lan Chang'an's alchemy skills, which he had studied for decades, were still stuck at superior-grade first-rank.
...
After becoming a first-rank puppeteer, Lan Chang'an no longer lingered and bid farewell to the Mu Family.
"Take care, big brother!" Li Erqing, with moist eyes, and his son Mu Ershun, saw him off to Feiyue Lake.
"No need to see me off any further. We are both Foundation Establishment cultivators with long lives ahead, and we will meet again." Lan Chang'an waved his hand, stepped onto his flying boat, and rode the wind away.
In the sky, Lan Chang'an glanced at the distant shrubbery.
In the shrubbery.
Within the shrubbery, a young girl in a green dress, with starry eyes and snow-white teeth, silently watched the white-robed young man depart.
"Uncle Lan, take care." Mu Bingyun murmured, her red lips parting slightly. A hint of melancholy and loss crept between her lonely, towering brows.
In just two or three months, that seemingly timeless, serene white-robed man had left a deep impression on her heart.
Mu Bingyun recalled her master's words: He was different from the men of his age at that time.
During their time together, Mu Bingyun had felt no heaviness or stuffiness of an elderly person or a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Lan Chang'an. On the contrary, regardless of whether it was in appearance, body, or temperament, this Uncle Lan seemed more like a peer than an ancestor, amiable and pleasing to the eye.
Even his bearing and poise transcended the level of young people.
"Master, if you hadn't chosen to stay with the family many years ago, would things have turned out differently?"
...
Lan Chang'an headed east. Over the next two months, he inspected potential spiritual vein fields that could be leased or purchased, but most fell short of his expectations.
One small, mid second-rank spiritual vein field was reasonably priced but the location was rather remote, with no nearby cultivator families or marketplaces, and was a bit distant from the Huanglong Immortal City.
On this day, Lan Chang'an approached the heartland of Liang Kingdom, arriving at Wuqi Mountain, which Zhang Tieshan had recommended.
"A mid-sized, mid second-rank spiritual vein field," Lan Chang'an murmured, gazing at the hazy mountains before him and feeling the potent spiritual energy surging beneath the earth.
At the center of the mountain range stood three peaks, their shapes arranged in a triangular pattern.
Lan Chang'an wove through the clouds and mist, entering the picturesque Wuqi Mountain and heading straight for those three peaks at its core.
Swoosh!
From the other side of Wuqi Mountain, a burly man with a full beard stepped out onto an iron leaf flying boat and flew toward him.
An early Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"That's him?" Lan Chang'an took only a glance before recognizing the newcomer.
"I'm Gu Lai, a mid-grade second-rank artifact refiner. What is this Fellow Daoist's name?" the gnarly bearded man said with hands cupped in greeting, narrowing his eyes slightly as he surveyed Lan Chang'an.
...
(End of chapter)