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This was no ordinary trouble; it was a calamity.

"Jiang Yechen cut ties with the Jiang Family years ago, yet they’re calling on him now for help in such a crucial time?" Lan Chang\'an asked in surprise.

"His relationship with the upper echelons of the Jiang Family hasn’t truly improved, but he has a younger brother in the family with whom he’s very close."

"It’s said that, years ago, Jiang Yechen killed his foster mother and crippled his birth father’s cultivation due to his younger brother being humiliated." Fairy Shi spoke with some uncertainty, as these were only rumors.

Back when the Tengxing Merchant Association opposed Jiang Yechen’s relationship with Shen Bixin, one of the reasons given was his extreme temperament.

Lan Chang\'an thought to himself, "Jiang Yechen really has had some bad luck—losing the woman he loved and now his family is facing disaster."

However, Jiang Yechen and the Jiang Family’s misfortune was good news for Lan Chang\'an and Fairy Shi.

Jiang Yechen’s poor situation meant he was on weaker footing, making him more likely to agree to their terms.

...

Half a month later.

"Big Brother Lan."

Accompanied by the sound of wind chimes, a delicate voice called out as a young girl in a yellow dress descended onto Little Turtle Peak, riding a large bird.

Qi Feng, who was on guard duty, sensed the faint spiritual pressure emanating from the girl. It seemed even stronger than Grandfather Lan’s, which left him stunned.

"Ah Feng! That’s Miss Zhou. Quickly, open the formation," Lan Rou reminded him from beside the pool.

Qi Feng hurriedly complied, retrieving the formation command token and allowing Zhou Qingxuan to enter.

Squeak, squeak!

A small, orange-purple rat demon scurried out of Zhou Qingxuan’s spirit pouch.

Squeak, squeak!

The rat demon was about the size of a small dog, its eyes gleaming coldly as it glared at the unfamiliar, burly man in front of it.

Hiss!

Qi Feng felt a sudden jolt to his mind, his face turning pale.

The aura of murderous intent from the rat demon was overwhelming—it had clearly reached the peak of the second rank!

Qi Feng had never encountered such a powerful demonic beast in his life.

"Not bad. In just a few months, its cultivation has improved significantly, and it’s even learned the ‘Shrinking Technique,’" Lan Chang\'an said as he appeared not far away, smiling as he observed the now more "petite" Earth Burrowing Rat.

Previously, as the Earth Burrowing Rat’s cultivation had increased, its size had grown larger than that of a mortal tiger or leopard.

But after returning from the Zhou Family’s beast-taming grounds, it had learned a demonic technique.

The Shrinking Technique was a common technique among demonic beasts, but it wasn’t easy for a low-intelligence second-rank demonic beast to master.

Whoosh!

The Earth Burrowing Rat left a blurry afterimage as it darted toward Lan Chang\'an, affectionately rubbing against his pant leg, as if expressing how much it had missed him during the past few months of separation.

"I heard you were living the good life at the Zhou Family’s place, and got yourself a few girlfriends? You still know how to come home, huh?"

Lan Chang\'an chuckled as he patted its head, secretly inspecting it for any hidden tampering left by the Zhou Family.

Fortunately, the Earth Burrowing Rat showed no signs of any subtle tricks or traps planted by the Zhou Family.

After undergoing the "Blood Spirit Pool" baptism, its bloodline had been slightly improved, though the enhancement wasn’t too obvious.

Its bloodline was now considered quite good, roughly at the upper-middle level of the superior grade.

"Big Brother Lan, the Earth Burrowing Rat ultimately chose to come back on its own. For a demonic beast, showing this level of self-control is already quite remarkable," Zhou Qingxuan said with a soft laugh as she covered her mouth.

She then recounted some of the details about the Earth Burrowing Rat’s time at the Zhou Family.

Even among the other beasts in the Zhou Family’s menagerie, the Earth Burrowing Rat was among the strongest, and it had ruled over the other rat demons like a king.

Originally born in the Zhou Family’s beast-taming grounds, the Earth Burrowing Rat had reconnected with some of its former kin, which made it feel right at home.

Those other rat demons eagerly catered to the Earth Burrowing Rat, making sure it was well taken care of.

"By the way, did the Earth Burrowing Rat leave behind any offspring while it was at the Zhou Family?" Lan Chang\'an suddenly asked, realizing that he had forgotten to mention this earlier or hadn’t paid much attention to it.

"Ugh, our Zhou Family certainly tried to breed it. But despite all our efforts, it didn’t manage to sire even one offspring," Zhou Qingxuan said bitterly.

Given the Earth Burrowing Rat’s mutated bloodline and formidable combat abilities, the Zhou Family had naturally wanted to breed it to pass down its lineage. Unfortunately, their attempts were in vain.

"In that respect, it’s a bit like..." Zhou Qingxuan’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she trailed off, catching herself mid-sentence.

"Like what?" Lan Chang\'an stared at her blankly.

"Ah! I meant that the Earth Burrowing Rat is self-taught, highly intelligent, and bears a striking resemblance to Big Brother Lan in that regard," Zhou Qingxuan said with a mischievous smile as she coyly wrapped her arm around his.

...

Five days later.

Inside the cave mansion on Little Turtle Peak.

Zhou Qingxuan, dressed in light white silk, adjusted her disheveled hair.

With a teasing glance at the white-robed man before her, she sighed softly, "Big Brother Lan, Liang Kingdom has already sunk into the quagmire of this war. In the coming years, the flames of conflict will likely spread throughout the land."

"Our Zhou Family, with the Black Fog Mountain Range at our back and the Jing Kingdom not far away, can retreat or advance with ease. Won’t you reconsider...?"

"No need to say more. I have my own plans."

Lan Chang\'an’s tone was firm.

Rationally, joining the Zhou Family was a viable option.

The Zhou Family had long been interested in his secrets concerning the cultivation of spirit beasts.

Zhou Qingxuan, constrained by her heart demon oath, wanted to draw closer to him, ideally by bearing his child, which would make her feel more secure.

However, both Lan Chang\'an and the Earth Burrowing Rat had refused to leave any offspring with the Zhou Family.

"In the next few years, the family will need to prepare for war and help me plan for Core Formation. During that time, I likely won’t have many opportunities to meet with Big Brother Lan..."

Zhou Qingxuan’s delicate lips quivered as she spoke cautiously.

"Go ahead and take care of your business. As long as you uphold your heart demon oath, I won’t go back on my word."

Lan Chang\'an understood her concerns.

Zhou Qingxuan was worried that Lan Chang\'an might try to control her and prevent her from forming a core.

Once she successfully formed a core, especially if she reached the True Dan stage, she would have a chance to reverse her situation.

Hearing his reassurance, Zhou Qingxuan let out a long breath.

Lan Chang\'an’s decision not to hinder her Core Formation showed that he truly didn’t harbor malicious intentions.

"Big Brother Lan, you saved my life. If I’m fortunate enough to succeed in Core Formation, I will repay you."

"Please, take care of yourself, Big Brother Lan."

Before leaving, Zhou Qingxuan’s eyes misted with tears as she gave Lan Chang\'an a heartfelt embrace.

"Don’t worry, I’m not going to die."

Lan Chang\'an couldn’t be sure how much genuine affection Zhou Qingxuan had for him, but he knew one thing for certain—she didn’t want him dead.

If Lan Chang\'an were to die, the Gu insect restriction planted in Zhou Qingxuan’s sea of consciousness would activate without his magic to stabilize it, causing it to explode.

The restriction, left by the Hundred Abodes Soul Gu, was a high-level restriction that even a late-stage Core Formation Immortal would struggle to remove.

Even if Zhou Qingxuan managed to reach Core Formation, she wouldn’t be able to deal with it.

Only if Lan Chang\'an himself formed a core and obtained the corresponding techniques would it be possible to lift the curse.

The Black Fog Mountain Range wasn’t far from Wuqi Mountain.

In the future, Lan Chang\'an would extend the interval between the curse’s activation. Zhou Qingxuan would only need to visit once a year, or Lan Chang\'an could approach the Zhou Family and cast his spell from afar to maintain the restriction.

...

"This woman’s chances of forming a True Dan are slim."

After Zhou Qingxuan left, Lan Chang\'an’s eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought.

After the removal of the Hundred Abodes Soul Gu, Zhou Qingxuan’s sea of consciousness had been damaged. On top of that, she had suffered injuries to her foundation from Immortal Huanglong, which would hinder her Core Formation.

The presence of the Gu insect restriction was also a constant psychological burden.

It was like an invisible sword hanging over her head, always threatening to fall.

"I wonder how far along the Zhou Family’s plans for Core Formation are," Lan Chang\'an mused with some curiosity.

Out of a sense of propriety, he hadn’t been greedy enough to force Zhou Qingxuan to hand over her Core Formation materials.

Besides, most of those resources had come from the Zhou Family’s efforts, not Zhou Qingxuan’s personal stash.

The Zhou Family’s influence wasn’t weak. They had a third-rank spirit beast at the True Dan level, even if it was nearing the end of its life. They probably had more than one quasi-third-rank spirit beast as well.

Lan Chang\'an wasn’t short on Crystal Condensation Pills.

Unless it was a superior Crystal Condensation Pill that could improve the quality of the core formed, there wasn’t much that would tempt him.

He already had one genuine Crystal Condensation Pill, as well as more than 80% of the materials needed to refine another.

These materials had originally come from Senior Brother Zhuo, the Night Fisherman.

Initially, it had been about 70% of the required materials, but over the years, Lan Chang\'an had gathered one or two more rare ingredients, bringing the total to over 80%.

The most critical ingredient, the "Seven-Heart Mystic Moonflower," had been spotted in the hands of Immortal Huanglong during a transaction, but there had been no further news since then.

Lan Chang\'an wasn’t overly fixated on obtaining the Seven-Heart Mystic Moonflower.

He had enough rare auxiliary ingredients in his collection to potentially collaborate with others in refining the pill, or he could directly trade for a Crystal Condensation Pill.

For a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, trading Crystal Condensation Pills with others involves considerable risk. However, if it\'s with a Fake Dan cultivator, it would be somewhat safer.

...

Six months later.

At the summit of Little Turtle Peak, a surge of Qi-Refining ninth-layer magical power erupted.

"A breakthrough!"

In a small wooden cabin on the mountain, Qi Feng sat cross-legged, channeling his energy with a joyful expression on his face.

Before coming to Wuqi Mountain, he had spent years stabilizing himself at the eighth layer of Qi-Refining.

Over the past year, his life had been a rollercoaster—from being hunted and wanted by the sect, to narrowly escaping death, and then becoming a caretaker on Little Turtle Peak.

With access to the superior environment of a second-rank spiritual vein cultivation site and the guidance and rewards of a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert, Qi Feng, who had a solid foundation, had made rapid progress, breaking through to the ninth layer of Qi-Refining sooner than he had expected.

"This boy’s aptitude is average, just near mid-grade spiritual roots, but his determination and mental fortitude aren’t bad. He still has some potential left in him."

In the talisman-making room, Lan Chang\'an had taken note of Qi Feng’s breakthrough.

He felt a slight sense of gratification that one of his adoptive father’s descendants was turning out to be a decent immortal seedling.

In the talisman room.

Lan Chang\'an withdrew his attention and focused on the ancient, greenish-gray talisman brush in his hand, dipping it into the crimson spiritual ink. With swift, fluid strokes, he began inscribing a talisman on the quasi-third-rank talisman paper.

After a long while, intricate runes and patterns formed on the talisman paper, a brilliant light connecting the entire design.

A powerful spiritual pressure flashed across the room, enough to make any Foundation Establishment cultivator’s heart tremble with fear.

A quasi-third-rank talisman had been successfully crafted.

With Lan Chang\'an’s current cultivation and spiritual sense, his success rate for crafting quasi-third-rank talismans was quite high. The only limitation was the scarcity of materials.

As for true third-rank talismans, both his spiritual sense and magical power were still lacking—especially his magical power.

Two years ago, he had purchased a piece of middle-grade third-rank spiritual wood at an auction, but he had yet to use it. Occasionally, he would nurture it with his magical power.

Lan Chang\'an had already deduced that, given his current condition, he could at best craft a low third-rank treasure talisman or talisman, though the result would be unstable and somewhat wasteful.

The treasure talismans he had been nurturing over the years had already reached the power of low third-rank talismans, and he had more than ten of them. They weren’t particularly scarce.

Thus, Lan Chang\'an planned to wait a few more years until he was in better condition and the circumstances were more favorable before attempting it.

For example, replacing his current quasi-third-rank talisman brush with a true third-rank talisman pen would increase his chances of success.

...

"Grandfather Lan, the ancestor of the Zheng Family is here to visit."

Three days later, Qi Feng, having stabilized his new cultivation level, came into the cave mansion to report.

"Let them in," Lan Chang\'an said calmly, sweeping his spiritual sense over the outer gate.

For years, the Zheng Family had acted as his eyes and ears, running errands, gathering materials, and occasionally handling tasks that required discretion.

"Zheng Sheng greets Talisman Master Lan."

Zheng Centipede looked old and haggard, his skin dark and weathered, his once-burly frame now hunched over.

Standing behind him was a middle-aged scholar, handsome and refined. He was the newly risen Foundation Establishment ancestor of the Apricot Villa’s Zheng Family—Zheng Sheng, now serving as the family’s Grand Elder.

Zheng Sheng was in the early stage of Foundation Establishment and a second-rank talisman master, having crossed paths with Lan Chang\'an once or twice.

He was the successor Zheng Centipede had painstakingly cultivated for years.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, you’ve made your decision?" Lan Chang\'an asked.

"When I was young, I fought and dueled with others frequently, leaving behind many hidden injuries. I have only twenty or thirty years left to live. If I can reduce the burden on my family by taking this old life to the battlefield, then it will be worth it." Zheng Centipede grinned, though his smile, once fierce and frightening, now looked weary on his aged face.

"Then I wish you success on the frontlines, for the defense of Liang Kingdom’s cultivation world, and for the benefit of your descendants."

Lan Chang\'an didn’t try to dissuade him.

He could feel Zheng Centipede’s resolve to die.

For both the Zheng Family and Zheng Centipede, this was likely the best option.

Three months ago...

The Liang Kingdom’s army had suffered a devastating defeat at the frontlines, and the southern border had been breached by Feng Kingdom’s cultivator forces.

The Feng Kingdom army, led by the Golden Sun Sect, had officially invaded the Liang Kingdom’s territory.

One of the seven great families, the Jiang Family, had its ancestral lands conquered, suffering heavy losses. Had they not evacuated in time, they would have been wiped out.

The Jiang Family’s ancestral lands had since become a key base for Feng Kingdom’s forces.

With the flames of war spreading deep into the Liang Kingdom, the fate of every cultivation force was now intertwined with the outcome of the conflict.

The Liang Kingdom sects had ramped up their recruitment efforts.

Foundation Establishment families like the Zheng Family were required to either send one Foundation Establishment cultivator or several late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators, including talisman masters, alchemists, and other skilled individuals, to support the frontlines.

Zheng Centipede, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would allow his family to send fewer people if he personally went to the frontlines.

Otherwise, the loss of many young cultivators would shake the foundation of the family.

"Talisman Master Lan, here is the latest war intelligence we’ve gathered."

Zheng Sheng respectfully handed a jade slip to Lan Chang\'an.

In the past, Zheng Centipede had always handled these tasks personally.

Lan Chang\'an accepted the jade slip and examined the information within.

The Zheng Family was only one of many sources from which he gathered intelligence.

For more critical updates, Lan Chang\'an would occasionally visit the Tian Zhi Pavilion himself.

"Up until now, there’s been no direct confrontation between Liang Kingdom and Feng Kingdom\'s Nascent Soul True Monarchs?"

"That’s right. We’ve only heard that the ‘Master Lihuo’ had a brief standoff with Golden Sun Sect’s Nascent Soul True Monarch, but both sides were cautious," Zheng Sheng replied.

Lan Chang\'an nodded slightly. If Nascent Soul True Monarchs were to fight, the sheer power and devastation would be impossible to conceal.

Years ago, through top-tier intelligence from the Tian Zhi Pavilion, Lan Chang\'an had learned that the Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Fire Departure Palace had been gravely injured, barely escaping death. It would take at least twenty years for him to fully recover.

Based on the current timeline, Master Lihuo’s injuries were likely still not fully healed, leaving him far from peak condition.

The Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Golden Sun Sect, on the other hand, had no known injuries and was in a much better state, yet he hadn’t taken advantage of the situation.

Lan Chang\'an sensed that Golden Sun Sect was aiming to achieve its strategic goals while conserving its strength, likely in anticipation of future developments.

...

Half an hour later, Lan Chang\'an concluded a trade with the two Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zheng Family.

He sold them some second-rank talismans, along with a second-rank low-grade puppet.

Before leaving, Zheng Centipede made a request, asking Lan Chang\'an to continue looking after the Zheng Family in the future.

Now that Lan Chang\'an had reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he was considered a great cultivator within his rank and had strong connections within Jin Yun Valley.

The Zheng Family saw Lan Chang\'an as their pillar of support, treating him with utmost respect and following his lead.

However, Lan Chang\'an could only silently apologize. His assistance to the Zheng Family would likely end here.

Zheng Centipede’s fate reminded Lan Chang\'an of the Mu Family from Feiyue Lake.

The Mu Family had many young cultivators and had sent several of them to the frontlines.

Li Erqing had also been conscripted. Fortunately, he hadn’t been sent to the most dangerous parts of the battlefield. Instead, he had been assigned to maintain order and security at the rear, clearing out enemy scouts from Feng Kingdom’s cultivation forces.

This was thanks to his connections within the sect, which had helped him secure a safer role.

...

A few days later.

A transmission talisman flew over from Xiao Pan Peak.

Lan Chang\'an caught it and listened to the voice contained within, a smile spreading across his face.

"Jiang Yechen was severely injured on the frontlines and narrowly escaped with his life?"

The Jiang Family had lost their ancestral lands, with some clan members fleeing and others dead.

This time, Jiang Yechen had softened his tone considerably, sending word through his relatives that he was willing to come to Wuqi Mountain to sincerely discuss matters.

Recalling how audacious Jiang Yechen had been in his demands before, Lan Chang\'an seemed to see a youth thoroughly beaten down by the harsh realities of life.