Because it was a long-distance flight, Jiang Heng didn't travel at a fast pace to keep his mana and spiritual awareness at their peak.
If he flew at the speed he would in a battle, he wouldn't be able to sustain it for long before his mana was completely depleted.
If he encountered any danger along the way, without sufficient mana and spiritual awareness, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
After entering the desolate mountains ahead, he flew another six hundred miles.
Now, he could vaguely see a majestic immortal city nestled among the mountains, like an ancient beast crouching on the earth.
Hmm?
Jiang Heng's expression shifted; he sensed the sounds of battle ahead.
"No wonder it's a big city; I've already encountered quite a few battles in these few hundred miles."
He habitually changed direction, preparing to bypass the area where the battle was taking place.
But just then, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure among the three people fighting in the distance…
Ever
since the last auction, Murong Xu knew that Qiao Ze had begun to suspect him, and had even sent people to monitor him.
This situation had continued for six years.
Until Qiao Ze suddenly disappeared at Moon Lake, the Yunxi Qiao family's plans in Xiaoyuan Mountain were affected.
Although the Qiao family promptly sent a new leader, it would certainly take some time to stabilize the situation.
During this period, chaos and negligence were inevitable.
Murong Xu seized this opportunity and fled the Xiaoyuan Mountain market.
Then, after more than half a year, he finally arrived at the territory of Taiyan Immortal City.
Looking at the majestic immortal city that was faintly visible in the distance, Murong Xu couldn't help but feel excited.
"Taiyan Immortal City has a third-tier spiritual vein, with many cave dwellings comparable to second-tier spiritual veins. As long as you have money, you can rent
one!" "I'm not even sixty years old this year, and I'm already at the ninth level of Qi Chain. Now that I've come to this place, I'm sure I can break through to the Foundation Establishment realm in one fell swoop!"
Last time, when the Yunxi Qiao family held an auction in Xiaoyuan Mountain, their Cuifeng Murong family used their last savings to bid for that inferior Foundation Establishment Pill.
This was their family's hope for resurgence.
To smuggle hope out, the then-patriarch, Murong Fu, devised a clever scheme, deceiving everyone.
He sacrificed himself to make everyone believe that another member of the Murong family had taken the Foundation Establishment Pill.
However, later, rumors circulated that Murong Fu hadn't carried the pill with him, but had left it with other members of the clan.
"So Qiao Ze always suspected it was on me, and indeed, it is." Murong Xu clenched his fist.
Six years of enduring humiliation and hardship.
As long as he could successfully establish his foundation, it would all be worth it.
But before establishing his foundation, he couldn't let the Yunxi Qiao family know he was here.
After all, the Yunxi Qiao family had considerable influence in Taiyan Immortal City.
Murong Xu then continued flying over the desolate mountains on his flying artifact.
Not long after, he noticed the surrounding fog suddenly thickening.
"Not good!" Murong Xu's expression changed slightly; he knew he had been ambushed.
Sure enough, two figures blocked his path, one in front and one behind.
The two men, one tall and one short, both wearing masks, were clearly cultivators at the Tribulation Realm.
Murong Xu said in a deep voice
, "This place isn't far from the Immortal City, yet you dare to rob us here?" The taller cultivator laughed loudly, "If we brothers didn't even have this much courage, what kind of cultivators would we be?"
The shorter cultivator also laughed, extremely arrogant.
But just then, a sword light suddenly attacked.
Murong Xu immediately made his move, his magical aura erupting.
"Ninth level of Qi Chain!" The two masked cultivators were shocked and quickly reacted.
They manipulated their respective magical weapons, transforming them into two arcs of cold light.
One went to block Murong Xu's flying sword.
The other directly attacked Murong Xu, attempting to interrupt his spellcasting.
Both were at the eighth level of Qi Chain, and their coordination was very skillful, so they were actually not afraid of ordinary ninth-level Qi Chain cultivators.
However, robbing a ninth-level Qi Chain cultivator was obviously very risky, with a high failure rate.
So, after blocking Murong Xu's attack, the taller Tribulation Cultivator shouted, "Fellow Daoist, we brothers were blind. Continuing this fight won't benefit anyone. How about we stop here?"
Murong Xu remained silent, his face grim.
Ever since the murder of their Murong family's Foundation Establishment ancestor ten years ago, he had been enduring.
Not only did Qiao Ze of the Yunxi Qiao family and Zhao Yang of the Qingzhu Zhao family dare to bully him,
but even Jiang Heng, the pretty boy from the Qingyun Pill Workshop, dared to humiliate him to his face.
He had endured for so many years, and now he finally didn't have to endure anymore, only to encounter two ignorant Tribulation Cultivators. How could he possibly let them leave!
Thinking of this, Murong Xu attacked even more fiercely, using every means at his disposal.
The two Tribulation Cultivators were driven to desperation and could only fight desperately.
When the Cuifeng Murong family was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, Murong Xu was the head of the family in Xiaoyuan Mountain, so he still had some trump cards up his sleeve.
In comparison, the two Tribulation Cultivators were clearly more experienced in combat.
Therefore, Murong Xu found it difficult to defeat them both in a short time.
However, his magical power was far greater, and he possessed more methods, ultimately forcing the two cultivators to reveal a weakness.
Murong Xu, controlling his flying sword, decisively killed both of them.
He gasped for breath, feeling utterly exhausted.
This was due to excessive consumption of magical power and the tension caused by not having fought for many years.
However, he felt extremely refreshed, finally releasing the gloom and anger that had been suppressed for ten years.
"Haha, from now on, the trapped dragon is released into the sea, and no one can stop my rise to power, Murong Xu!" Murong Xu let out a long breath, his gaze becoming even more determined.
Then he went down to pick up the storage bags of the two Tribulation Cultivators.
Since the two Tribulation Cultivators at the late stage of Qi Chain dared to kill and rob near Taiyan Immortal City, they must have some wealth, which might bring him more surprises.
But just as he bent down to pick them up, suddenly, a gust of cold wind howled.
"Not good!" Murong Xu felt a chill in his heart and subconsciously reached for the storage bag at his waist.
But he had just relaxed, and his reaction was not that fast.
Whoosh!
A huge, bone-chilling wind swept through the area with thick clouds and mist, engulfing Murong Xu as well.
The clouds and mist instantly froze into ice crystals.
"This is a first-tier high-grade spell, the Frost Wind Technique? How could it be so powerful?!" Murong Xu was horrified, his entire body frozen, covered in a thick layer of frost.
Panic ensued.
He shivered uncontrollably, struggling to speak, begging for mercy: "Fellow Daoist, spare my life! I'm willing to surrender all my possessions!"
But the response was a talisman with a surface shimmering with golden light.
The talisman exploded in the icy mist, transforming into a golden sword light.
"The Golden Sword Talisman?" Murong Xu was filled with despair and resentment.
He had only just been trapped in the sea, how could he suddenly be dying?
The Golden Sword Talisman was a first-tier high-grade gold-element talisman, extremely powerful.
Even at his peak, he wouldn't dare to directly confront it, how could he possibly withstand it now?
The person who attacked from the shadows was too cautious, too ruthless, truly intent on killing him!
Whoosh!
The golden sword light pierced through Murong Xu's forehead.
It was at this moment that Murong Xu saw a figure through the gap created by the golden sword talisman breaking through the misty ice crystals.
"Jiang Heng?!"
"I hate him..."
Murong Xu lost consciousness in disbelief and rage.
He never imagined that the person who would kill him in the end would be Jiang Heng, the pretty boy he had regarded as an insignificant cultivator more than ten years ago.
Jiang Heng remained cautious throughout.
Even though Murong Xu had expended a great deal of energy fighting the two Tribulation cultivators, he didn't underestimate them.
After all, his opponent was a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining; who knew what powerful trump cards he might still have?
Therefore, he chose the safest method: a sneak attack.
Using two extremely powerful first-tier high-quality talismans, combined with his powerful spiritual sense approaching the early Foundation Establishment stage, he easily defeated his opponent.
Previously, after fulfilling the dying wish of his deceased master, Li Tong, to be buried in peace, Jiang Heng inherited Li Tong's late Foundation Establishment stage cultivation experience and second-tier low-grade talisman-making experience.
In the time before leaving Xiaoyuan Mountain Market, he hadn't been idle either; he bought some talisman-making materials and then drew several powerful first-tier high-grade talismans.
These two, the Cold Wind Talisman and the Golden Sword Talisman, were drawn at that time.
Afterward, Jiang Heng picked up Murong Xu and the two Tribulation cultivators' storage bags and magical artifacts and quickly left the area.
A moment later, several figures arrived.
Looking at the three corpses on the ground and the lingering aura, the group was shocked and filled with apprehension.
It was a battle between late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and one of them was even at the ninth level!
...
Before coming, Jiang Heng had learned about the general situation of Taiyan Immortal City.
The last wishes of the deceased, Li Tong, also contained much information about Taiyan Immortal City.
Therefore, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with this place.
Taiyan Immortal City had several Core Formation cultivators stationed there, with the leading Taiyan Immortal being hailed as the number one rogue cultivator in the Yu Kingdom's cultivation world.
Furthermore, its proximity to the middle section of the Wangyue Mountains attracted many powerful rogue cultivators who came to settle down and seek opportunities.
Such situations of ambushing and fighting for one's life near the immortal city were actually quite common.
Knowing this, Jiang Heng dared not linger for a moment. After killing the people, he quickly fled.
He even used his full power to pilot the flying boat, making his speed several times faster than before!
Only after confirming that no one was chasing him did Jiang Heng check the three storage bags he had just obtained.
First came the two cultivators who had undergone tribulation, along with four mid-to-low-grade magic artifacts and nearly a thousand spirit stones.
Then came Murong Xu's storage bag.
As soon as Jiang Heng probed into the storage bag, he was stunned.
"A Foundation Establishment Pill?!"
He clearly discovered that in the small space of the storage bag, there was a Foundation Establishment Pill with three and a half Dao patterns on its surface!
Four Dao patterns correspond to a second-tier low-grade pill, so this Foundation Establishment Pill was a substandard one.
Recalling what happened after the auction six years ago, Jiang Heng immediately understood the Murong family's scheme back then.
"I never thought that Murong of Cuifeng's desperate gamble would ultimately benefit me."
Speaking of which, Murong Xu was his first opponent when he entered the world of cultivation, and after many years of twists and turns, he was killed by him.
This made Jiang Heng sigh at the wonder of fate.
Looking at the other items in the storage bag, apart from three mid-grade magic artifacts and several low-grade magic artifacts, there were more than a thousand spirit stones in total.
Adding the substandard Foundation Establishment Pill worth six thousand spirit stones, his gains this time were considerable.
Half an hour later.
Jiang Heng successfully arrived near Taiyan Immortal City.
Looking up, one sees this majestic city, spanning hundreds of miles, stretching across the edge of the land, surrounded by mountains.
A massive third-tier array radiates a visible halo and mist, enveloping the entire immortal city.
From all directions, the sounds of air being torn apart echo from the sky.
These are cultivators piloting magical artifacts, flying boats, spirit birds, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators flying in their escape lights.
Such a prosperous scene gives one the feeling of entering a celestial paradise.
"This city possesses a third-tier high-grade spiritual vein; the richness of its spiritual energy is truly worthy of being called a fairyland for mortals," Jiang Heng thought to himself.
Taiyan Immortal City is centered around Taiyan Mountain, dividing the entire city into three areas.
The first is the outer city, with sixty-four wards, its spiritual environment comparable to a first-tier low-grade spiritual vein.
The second is the inner city, with twelve wards, its spiritual environment comparable to a first-tier mid-grade and high-grade spiritual vein, and a few areas comparable to a second-tier low-grade spiritual vein.
Thirdly, there's Mount Taiyan, also home to a third-tier spiritual vein. The cave dwellings here have the best environment, some of which are rented out to Qi Refining cultivators attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Having already gained a basic understanding of this immortal city, Jiang Heng had a plan in mind.
Three miles from the Immortal City, Jiang Heng, like the other cultivators, landed on the ground in his flying boat and proceeded on foot.
He then followed the flow of people to the towering city gate, registered his information, paid spirit stones, and received his identity token.
Once inside the city, Jiang Heng spent three spirit stones to hire a clever errand boy to take him to Nanhua Ward in the inner city.
"Senior, is this your first time in Taiyan Immortal City?"
"Senior intends to stay here permanently?"
"Senior has excellent taste. Among the twelve wards of the inner city, only a few places possess cave dwellings with second-tier low-grade spiritual vein environments, and Nanhua Ward has several." "Senior
really wants to rent a cave dwelling? I...I...I have a distant cousin who works as a cave dwelling rental broker in Nanhua Ward!"
"Uncle, this senior wants to rent a cave dwelling!"
"What? Senior, are you sure you don't want to look again and want this one? Eight hundred spirit stones a year! The rent is almost as high as some cave dwellings at the foot of Taiyan Mountain!"
"Alright, alright! After we sign the contract, Senior can move in today!"
Afterwards, the three went to the outer city's city affairs hall to sign the rental contract, with a ten-year term.
The price was, of course, not eight hundred spirit stones a year.
Although Jiang Heng had some capital, he knew he couldn't spend money recklessly, so he had already bargained a few times on the way.
The final price was four hundred and eighty spirit stones a year, payable annually.
Compared to the Qingyun Pill Workshop's annual rent of 300 spirit stones, this price was very reasonable.
The Qingyun Pill Workshop only had a spiritual energy environment close to the upper-grade first rank, while the cave dwelling he had just rented, named "Wangchenju," possessed a lower-grade second-rank spiritual energy environment.
Of course, the Qingyun Pill Workshop was expensive due to its scarcity; Xiaoyuan Mountain was a small area, and being a prime location, coupled with the brokers' malicious price gouging, the price was naturally high.
In contrast, although Wangchenju was located in Taiyan Immortal City and possessed a lower-grade second-rank spiritual vein environment, its location was actually rather awkward.
For Qi Refining stage cultivators, a first-rank spiritual vein was sufficient for their daily cultivation.
Those who needed to cultivate in a second-rank spiritual vein were mainly Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.
Moreover, the rent for Wangchenju was very high, and no Qi Refining stage cultivator was willing to rent it.
Furthermore, Nanhua Fang was in the inner city, and its facilities were far inferior to those in the core area of Taiyan Mountain.
For the same price, Foundation Establishment cultivators would definitely prefer to rent a place in Taiyan Mountain.
Therefore, Wangchenju remained vacant for many years.
This was also the main reason Jiang Heng was able to negotiate such a large price reduction.
"Four hundred and eighty a year is still expensive," Jiang Heng shook his head slightly.
Qingyun Danfang's three hundred a year was indeed expensive. They were willing to renew the lease back then because the pill shop and hot pot restaurant in this residence could help them earn more money.
Wangchenju, however, was just a residence, not a shop, and couldn't openly do business.
"But to fulfill Li Tong's last wish, and for the sake of Foundation Establishment, spending this money is worth it!" Jiang Heng thought to himself.
He wasn't a sucker, nor was he seeking luxury.
For him, renting a cave dwelling with a first-grade high-level spiritual vein environment was the most suitable.
The main reason he was willing to pay this price was to fulfill Li Tong's last wish—that his granddaughter could enjoy her later years in peace.
Wangchen Residence wasn't a large, three-courtyard mansion like Qingyun Pill Workshop; it was a detached house with a separate courtyard, occupying only a little over half an acre.
However, within the inner city of Taiyan Immortal City, this was already an extremely luxurious mansion.
"A second-grade low-level spiritual vein environment is sufficient for early Foundation Establishment cultivation," Jiang Heng thought, sensing the spiritual energy within the cave dwelling. He felt that being rich was indeed advantageous.
Years ago, when he attended Zhao Yang's Foundation Establishment ceremony at Qingzhu Mountain, he had envied his elder brother's cave dwelling for possessing a second-grade low-level spiritual vein environment.
Now he enjoyed it too, although the place was a bit small.
Afterward, Jiang Heng used magic to clean the cave dwelling inside and out.
Diagonally opposite him was a two-courtyard house, with green tiles and white walls, even more imposing than his detached courtyard.
While he was cleaning the courtyard, a figure appeared on the opposite courtyard wall, clearly observing the new neighbor.
Jiang Heng looked up and saw a girl in a green dress wearing a silk flower headdress, appearing to be about twelve or thirteen years old.
As their eyes met, a mischievous smile appeared on the pretty face of the young girl. She called out across the wide street, "Little brother, is this cave your master recently rented?"
Jiang Heng nodded with a kind smile.
The girl was surprised, then exclaimed without hesitation, "Your master is such a sucker… no, he's really rich!"
Jiang Heng wasn't annoyed and laughed heartily.
At this moment, a clear, melodious voice came from the courtyard behind the girl: "Yu Hu, who are you talking to? What kind of behavior is this, leaning against the wall? Come down!"
The girl pouted, waved to Jiang Heng again, and then disappeared from the wall.
Immediately afterward, a beautiful woman with a classical and elegant demeanor emerged from the back door of the house diagonally opposite.
The woman glanced at them from afar but didn't speak.
Jiang Heng merely bowed slightly in acknowledgment.
This was his first meeting with Li Tong's granddaughter, Li Bingyan, and he wasn't in a hurry to establish a relationship.
After all, the current situation was different from when he first met Aunt Lan.
At that time, he needed to quickly settle down in Xiaoyuanshan Market, and Murong Lan was in dire need of spirit stones.
Furthermore, with the help of the intangible legacy of "The Wife's Secret," he was able to quickly establish trust with Murong Lan and give her Ye Qingyun's storage bag.
Li Bingyan, on the other hand, appeared to be an elegant and dignified woman, but was actually quite old and had been single for many years.
If he were to rashly befriend her, it would definitely arouse her suspicion.
"There's still plenty of time. I'll take it slow. Now that I'm her neighbor, we can become friends sooner or later, and I can help her enjoy her later years," Jiang Heng thought to himself.
This was the main reason he was willing to spend a large sum to rent this cave dwelling.
Based on the information contained in Li Tong's last wishes, he already knew that Li Bingyan lived on this street in Nanhua Market.
In addition, there was another crucial point:
Li Bingyan knew a second-tier mid-grade alchemist!
Even in a large place like Taiyan Immortal City, a second-tier alchemist was a very prestigious figure.
He was new to the place, without any backing, just a rogue cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining, and had no chance to come into contact with a second-tier alchemist.
If he could establish a relationship with Li Bingyan, then he would have that opportunity in the future.
Of course, this was just a thought.
If that didn't work, he had other plans.
For example, he could ask Zhao Yang for help. The Qingzhu Zhao family definitely knew some second-tier alchemists, and might even have such a retainer.
Moreover, he didn't have any debts to repay; he could just pay them back later.
Next, Jiang Heng took out array plates and array flags from his storage bag and set up small first-tier defensive arrays and spirit-gathering arrays in the core areas of the courtyard and cave.
Before long, the training room in the cave was shrouded in mist, and the spiritual energy was even more concentrated, making it an enviable cultivation paradise.
But Jiang Heng still shook his head.
"These are only mid-grade first-tier arrays. I need to do some serious shopping next."
These two sets of arrays were not bought by him; they were obtained from Qiao Ze, Murong Xu, and the others.
They were enough for an average late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, but he felt they were still far from sufficient.
Fortunately, Taiyan Immortal City was large and rich in resources, so he was sure he could buy better things there.
Not only the array, but he also needed to collect the Foundation Establishment main ingredient, the Cold Marrow Ganoderma, which had to be at least three hundred years old.
...
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
After some purchasing, Jiang Heng finally bought the high-grade first-tier array he desired.
Inside the Forgotten Dust Residence.
Jiang Heng continuously performed hand seals, precisely channeling his magical power onto the array plates and flags he had set up.
Whoosh!
The array activated, emitting a faint glow that flowed like ripples throughout the cave.
Ultimately, all the spiritual energy within the cave was mobilized, transforming into a thin mist that then formed a spirit-gathering vortex, concentrating the spiritual energy into the training room.
Moreover, this mist actually concealed a deadly intent.
This was a high-grade first-tier array that combined defense, offense, trapping enemies, and spirit gathering.
"The money wasn't wasted," Jiang Heng smiled lightly.
In his heart, safety was always the top priority, no matter where he was.
Even in a place as strictly regulated as Taiyan Immortal City, absolute safety cannot be guaranteed.
So, over the past two weeks, he visited many shops and finally used a trade-in program, trading in his two previous sets of formations plus 1,800 spirit stones to buy this first-grade high-quality composite formation.
"This is enough for now, before Foundation Establishment."
...
Three days later, in the reception room of Wangchen Residence, first-grade high-quality spiritual tea, spiritual fruits, pastries, and other delicacies were prepared.
Jiang Heng sent out invitations, inviting several neighbors to a small gathering.
He also invited Li Bingyan, but she did not come.
In the end, only the neighbors on the left and right sides came.
After some introductions, Jiang Heng learned about their situations.
The neighbor on the left was Song Yue, a rogue cultivator, at the ninth level of Qi Chain, a first-grade high-quality puppeteer.
The neighbor on the right was Yan Yuchen, a rogue cultivator, at the eighth level of Qi Chain, a first-grade high-quality array master.
Jiang Heng also introduced his own situation, but withheld some details.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang, at such a young age, you have already mastered both alchemy and talisman drawing to the first-grade high-quality level. You truly have a bright future!"
The three were noticeably more enthusiastic.
They finally understood why Jiang Heng dared to rent this luxurious cave dwelling, which was clearly not cost-effective.
Yan Yuchen smiled charmingly, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, the array formation in your cave is clearly not simple. If you ever need anything related to array formations in the future, please feel free to tell me."
Jiang Heng nodded, indicating that everything was easy to arrange.
Clearly, she wanted to do business with him.
However, he didn't underestimate this seemingly charming and alluring female cultivator.
This woman dared to live alone in a high-class place like Nanhua Ward in the inner city; she was definitely not as simple as she appeared.
Song Yue, a rugged man, wasn't good with words, but he still offered a suggestion: "Across the street is Tingzhu Garden. The front courtyard has a spirit talisman shop facing the street. They not only sell talismans but also various materials needed for drawing talismans.
Since Fellow Daoist Jiang is a talisman master, if you need to purchase talisman paper or similar items, you can buy them from Fellow Daoist Li at Tingzhu Garden."
"Oh?" Jiang Heng was somewhat surprised.
It seemed that Song Yue had a crush on Li Bingyan, actively soliciting business for her.
The key point is that Li Bingyan looks like a charming and beautiful woman, but she is actually over eighty years old.
Otherwise, why would Li Tong have left the wish that his granddaughter would live out her old age in peace?
"The views on love held by cultivators are truly hard to understand," Jiang Heng thought to himself.
But recalling that fleeting glimpse last time, age aside, Li Bingyan was indeed a captivating classical beauty.
Speaking of which, a cultivator's appearance can't really be judged by age, after all, there are elixirs for maintaining youth and beauty.
Like Aunt Lan, who was twenty years older than him, but still looked like a young woman.
At this moment, seeing Jiang Heng's meaningful gaze, Song Yue's rugged face flushed red, and he quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, you misunderstand. I just think that Fellow Daoist Li of Tingzhu Garden is indeed skilled, and the talismans she makes are mostly of excellent quality.
However , Fellow
Daoist Li doesn't advertise, so her business has always been slow.
If others don't know her skills, it's difficult for them to buy things from her shop."
Jiang Heng laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist Song, no need to explain. Explaining is just covering up."
Yan Yuchen, standing beside him, also laughed heartily, exuding charm.
Song Yue's face turned even redder, and he stammered, unable to speak.
After the joke, Yan Yuchen earnestly reminded him, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, since you're new here, there's something I need to remind you. The
person you absolutely cannot offend on this street is actually Fellow Daoist Li from Tingzhu Garden.
There's been a rumor circulating that she's a Foundation Establishment cultivator cultivating here."
Upon hearing this, Song Yue immediately became anxious and retorted, "Fellow Daoist Yan, don't slander Fellow Daoist Li's reputation! I think you're just jealous!"
Yan Yuchen scoffed, "Then how do you explain that Fellow Daoist Li has been living in Tingzhu Garden since the early stages of Qi Refining?
How come a leatherworker like her runs a spirit talisman shop?
Not to mention, she's even sold second-tier talismans in her shop."
Song Yue was speechless for a moment.
Jiang Heng watched the commotion from the sidelines, not joining the argument.
Actually, it's not surprising that Yan Yuchen had these doubts; it's mainly because Li Tong had kept his granddaughter hidden too well.
Li Bingyan's parents died early, and her talent was average, but she was very much loved by Li Tong.
To prevent his granddaughter from getting involved in the power struggles because of him, Li Tong arranged for Li Bingyan to live in Nanhua Ward of Taiyan Immortal City.
Few people knew about this.
Li Tong happened to be a second-tier low-grade talisman master, so he opened a talisman shop for Li Bingyan, supplying her with talismans for sale.
"Senior Li Tong has been missing for almost a year. I wonder if it has affected Li Bingyan's shop in any way?" Jiang Heng wondered to himself.
He understood that even if it hadn't affected her now, it certainly would in a few years.
Therefore, fulfilling Li Tong's last wish of "a peaceful old age for his granddaughter" was still uncertain.
...
In Tingzhu Garden, diagonally opposite Wangchen Residence.
The young girl Li Yuhu wore a silk flower headdress, her delicate chin resting on the table. Her upper body was also leaning there, her waist and hips outlining a captivating curve that was already beginning to take shape.
She pouted and muttered, "Grandma, they've already sent invitations. We're all neighbors, we see each other all the time, why can't we go and take a look? I haven't even experienced a second-tier low-grade spiritual energy environment yet!" An
elegant and dignified woman, wearing an apron, sat quietly at the table, carefully processing the animal hide in front of her.
Hearing Li Yuhu's words, she scoffed without looking up, "I think you're just infatuated, you're not going to see someone else's cave."
Li Yuhu snorted, "Fine, I won't go then, why are you slandering me, Grandma?"
Li Bingyan put down her short knife and said earnestly, "Yuhu, you're good in every way, except you're a little naive. You see a young man with a clean appearance, a kind smile, and seem like a good person, and you develop a liking for him.
But you must know, you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't judge a book by its cover, otherwise you'll suffer sooner or later."
Li Yuhu, her thoughts exposed, stammered.
The usually straightforward and carefree girl was unusually silent for a long time, unaware that her mother-in-law hadn't explained why she hadn't attended the banquet.
Li Bingyan found her expression amusing but ignored her, picking up her short knife and continuing to make talismans.
She truly had no intention of explaining anything more complicated to this simple-minded girl.
Half a day later, before one demon beast pelt was even finished, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
"I'll go open the door!" Li Yuhu, slender and agile, darted into the courtyard. Opening the door, she exclaimed in surprise, "Young man?"
Hearing this from inside the house, Li Bingyan frowned slightly, still wearing her apron, and went to see what was happening.
She then saw her new neighbor across the hall carrying a food box, walking into the courtyard.
What puzzled her was that this clean-looking young man in white seemed to have been to her courtyard before, showing no signs of unfamiliarity.
Jiang Heng did indeed feel a sense of familiarity, as many of the messages in Li Tong's last wishes concerned Tingzhu Garden.
Upon entering, he saw a bamboo grove, a rockery, and a stream in the courtyard, a very elegant scene.
All of this had been personally arranged by Li Tong, and many of the items were spiritual objects.
When Li Bingyan emerged, Jiang Heng's eyes lit up.
This classical beauty wore a dark red apron, which, while lacking some of her usual elegance and poise, gave her a more homely feel, making her seem more approachable.
The cultivation world wasn't lacking in elegant and poised female cultivators, but those with such a homely air were rare.
Jiang Heng glanced at her briefly, not being impolite, and cupped his hands in a smile, saying, "Fellow Daoist Li, I held a housewarming banquet at my new residence today, inviting a few neighbors to join in the fun.
I was initially puzzled that you couldn't attend, but seeing this bamboo grove and stream, I realized you prefer tranquility.
It was my oversight.
Fortunately, I prepared an extra portion of my homemade pastries at the banquet today; please try them as an apology."
With that, Jiang Heng handed over the food box.
Li Bingyan didn't immediately reach out to take it, but was somewhat surprised by Jiang Heng's youth and talent.
"Pastries?" Li Yuhu excitedly went up to take them, and was about to open them when she glared and asked, "Young man, you just said this is your new residence? You rented that cave dwelling?"
She had always thought that the Forgotten Dust Residence across the street was rented by some Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"I'm not very talented, but I have two skills, and the income is not bad," Jiang Heng said with a smile. "And when we were negotiating the rent, we got a much better deal."
Then, he briefly mentioned that he could refine pills and draw talismans.
"Impressive!" Li Yuhu praised, then suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "Young man, since you can draw talismans, can you sell the ones you draw at Tingzhu Garden?" "
Of course, no problem if the price is right," Jiang Heng thought to himself, giving this helpful girl a thumbs up.
But he didn't delve deeper into the topic,
as Li Bingyan was clearly still wary.
However, there would be plenty of time to build a better relationship in the future.
After closing the courtyard gate, Li Yuhu saw that Li Bingyan was expressionless, so she stuck out her tongue and lowered her head, saying, "Grandma, I was wrong. I shouldn't have made the decision on my own."
Li Bingyan, of course, wouldn't blame her, but sighed inwardly.
She hadn't expected that the usually simple-minded Li Yuhu could actually sense that there was a problem with their talisman shop.
Thinking of this, a wave of worry washed over her.
Actually, half a year ago, her grandfather should have sent a batch of talismans to replenish the shop's stock.
But until now, she hadn't heard from him.
Some time ago, she had even gone to inquire near his cave in Taiyan Mountain, only to find out that he had gone out and hadn't returned.
This made her somewhat worried.
So when she saw the invitation Jiang Heng sent, she had no desire to attend the banquet.
"A year? At Grandpa's speed, even if he went back to the family, it would be enough for several trips," Li Bingyan thought to herself. "Perhaps he was delayed by something."
After all, her grandfather had the cultivation of the late Foundation Establishment stage and hadn't offended anyone, so he was unlikely to encounter any major dangers in the Wangyue Mountain Range.
Meanwhile, Li Yuhu, carefree and oblivious, quickly forgot about what had just happened.
She carried the food box Jiang Heng had given her, eating as she walked, constantly praising, "Mmm, delicious! Delicious!"
Li Bingyan shook her head helplessly.
After returning to the house, she saw that there were still a few pieces left in the food box, knowing that Li Yuhu had specially saved them for her.
The beautiful woman, with her slender fingers, put a piece of osmanthus cake into her mouth.
"Hmm?"
Her eyes lit up slightly as she slowly savored it.
Li Yuhu, meanwhile, hid in the next room, secretly watching, then covered her mouth, suppressing the urge to laugh.
...
Three years later.
In the secret cultivation room of Wangchen Residence, Nanhua Ward, Taiyan Immortal City.
Jiang Heng sat cross-legged, his aura surging, and his Changchun magical power advanced another level.
"Thirty-four years old, Qi Chain Eighth Level!"
"It seems there's hope of reaching Qi Chain Ninth Level before forty!"
"Then, at the latest, before I turn fifty, I can break through to the Foundation Establishment realm!"
Jiang Heng was calm, unlike other late-stage Qi Chain cultivators who were in a hurry to break through, fearing the decline of their Qi and blood by the age of sixty.
Because of Li Tong's experience in late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he had a better understanding of the process of
breaking through to Foundation Establishment. In fact, when he inherited this intangible legacy, he was like Li Tong, personally experiencing the process of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
Therefore, he was very confident.
But the premise was that he had to solidify his foundation before Foundation Establishment.
In addition, with the assistance of the Moon Gathering Heart Method and the continuous medicinal baths, his Starlight Body Refining Technique was improving quite quickly, and he was almost at the perfection of the third level.
Possessing a physique comparable to a late-stage first-tier demon beast, he didn't really need to worry too much about the decline of his Qi and blood.
Even at sixty, he would still have vigorous Qi and blood.
Not long after, Jiang Heng stabilized his increased Everlasting Spring Mana and ended this cultivation session.
The improvement of the seventh, eighth, and ninth levels of Qi Chain was not a breakthrough in realm, so stabilizing the mana was still easy.
Because these three levels are all late-stage Qi Chain realms, advancing one level only increases mana by 20-30%, not a qualitative change.
However, the breakthroughs between the early, middle, and late stages of Qi Chain realm are much more significant, with mana doubling each time and power greatly increased.
The same applies to reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
After leaving the cultivation chamber, Bai Yue barked and wagged its tail, circling around him, trying to devour the residual moonlight power from his body tempering.
Unfortunately, he had cultivated to break through the Qi Chain realm, not to temper his body.
So Bai Yue circled around without getting what it wanted and could only whimper softly.
Jiang Heng smiled and picked it up.
After six or seven years of nurturing, Bai Yue, who was initially a weak puppy, is now a mid-stage first-tier spirit beast.
This growth rate is definitely not slow. It
's even faster than those normal demon beasts with earth-grade bloodlines.
The main reason is that every time Jiang Heng used moonlight power to temper his body, Bai Yue would absorb the residual moonlight power.
In addition, he would use the Moon-Gathering Technique to draw upon the power of the moon's essence to nourish Bai Yue.
"At this rate of growth, Bai Yue will reach the late stage of the first rank within ten years, and might even break through to the Foundation Establishment stage faster than me," Jiang Heng thought to himself.
The second rank of a demon beast or spirit beast is equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage of a human cultivator.
In addition, demon beasts can awaken some spells and talents after reaching a certain level of cultivation based on their own bloodline.
This is something that human cultivators cannot compare to.
As a canine spirit beast with an Earth-grade bloodline, Bai Yue has already comprehended some talent abilities after reaching the mid-stage of Qi Chain.
In addition to devouring moonlight, it also has some water and ice spells.
Its strength is not weak.
But for now, it can only be kept as a pet.
Of course, Bai Yue is still somewhat useful.
As soon as Jiang Heng put it down, it brought three letters from the yard.
Three years ago, after he settled in Wangchen, he wrote letters through the Immortal City Post Station in Nanhua Fang to Murong Lan of Xiaoyuan Mountain, Zhao Yang of Qingzhu Mountain, and Ye Muwan of Wangyue Valley, informing them of his settlement.
However, due to the long distances, sending letters to these three places and back would take at least a year.
The three jade slip letters before him were from Murong Su, Zhao Yang, and Ye Muwan, respectively.
Murong Lan had not replied.
First was Murong Su's letter.
In it, he first mentioned his aunt Murong Lan's situation.
Murong Lan now lived a secluded life, cultivating in seclusion in the training room in the backyard of Qingyun Pill Workshop, rarely venturing out.
The business of Qingyun Pill Workshop was now handled by Murong Su and his wife.
Although the business was not as prosperous as before, the stable income from the hot pot restaurant was enough to sustain them.
After reading this, Jiang Heng could only sigh.
He knew, of course, what Aunt Lan was thinking.
She wanted to cultivate to the ninth level of Qi Chain before attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.
But the path to immortality was ruthless; miracles rarely occurred.
If Murong Lan hadn't neglected her cultivation during the six or seven years Ye Qingyun was away, she might have broken through to the late stage of Qi Chain ten years earlier.
That would have increased her chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment .
Now, the hope was too small.
Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Pill was also a major problem.
"Foundation Establishment Pill..." Jiang Heng thought of the substandard Foundation Establishment Pill lying in his storage bag, which was his backup plan.
"If you can break through to the ninth level of Qi Chain in two years, then I'll give you that hope."
Jiang Heng temporarily put this thought aside and continued reading the rest of the letter.
Murong Su then introduced the current situation of Xiaoyuan Mountain.
The Yunshan Qiao family had stabilized the situation a year after Qiao Ze's death.
In addition, the Moon Lake area, which had originally attracted cultivators from all sides, had been enclosed by Wangyue Valley. The area
around Xiaoyuan Mountain was no longer chaotic, so the Yunxi Qiao family officially revealed their intention to invade.
Based on Cuifeng, they began to expand their sphere of influence in all directions, competing with other cultivation families, especially the Yunshan Xiang family, for resources such as mines and spirit lakes.
The Qingzhu Zhao family also retaliated, supporting the Yunshan Xiang family and engaging in open and covert struggles with the Yunxi Qiao family.
Although both sides still exercised restraint, bloodshed had already occurred, with casualties among their clansmen.
The situation was clearly starting to become chaotic.