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"Compared to our journey on the spirit ship three years ago, your cultivation hasn't advanced in the slightest, but your arrogance has certainly grown," Lan Chang'an remarked with a light chuckle.
He and Fang Zhong were both cultivators from the Liang Kingdom. They had once lived next to each other on the Jiuchen Merchant Association's spiritual ship, enjoying drinks together and forming a decent relationship.
After disembarking, the two went their separate ways.
Fang Zhong joined the stronger Xinyue Merchant Association and became one of their enforcers.
In terms of treatment and status, Fang Zhong's situation wasn't actually better than Lan Chang'an's.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, since you're so determined to block my path, don't blame me for showing no mercy," Fang Zhong said coldly.
A surge of violet-red spiritual light erupted around him, releasing the aura of a cultivator at the peak late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Whoosh!
With a snap of his fingers, several dark flame orbs expanded to the size of water jars and hurtled toward Lan Chang'an and Xia Shenglan like flaming meteors.
"Careful, Fellow Daoist Wu! This man's combat abilities are indeed formidable!" Xia Shenglan, pale-faced, warned as she strained her remaining spiritual power to activate her damaged robe.
Boom! Bang, bang...
The supreme-grade spiritual silver shield that Lan Chang'an had summoned dimmed instantly under the barrage, nearly slipping from his control.
Lan Chang'an showed a trace of surprise. Fang Zhong’s combat prowess was far stronger than he'd anticipated—truly worthy of someone who had fought on the battlefield for a cultivation sect.
"Hmph!"
Although it seemed as if Fang Zhong was attacking Lan Chang'an, his figure blurred suddenly, and in the next moment, he appeared several zhang away beside Xia Shenglan.
A black spear, wreathed in eerie blue smoke, thrust fiercely toward Xia Shenglan.
"No..."
Xia Shenglan's face turned ashen. Already severely injured from being hunted by a lean cultivator at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, she had no strength left to dodge.
Clang!
At almost the exact moment, a brown-black ore flew through the air, striking the tail of the black spear.
Crack!
The second-rank top-grade brown-black ore shattered on impact.
The black spear's trajectory was noticeably diverted, shifting by at least forty-five degrees.
Thud!
The mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator trembled violently, frozen in place.
Confused, he looked down at the black spear piercing through his chest, its eerie blue smoke curling around the wound.
"Fang Zhong... you..."
The lean mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator struggled to turn his head, his gaze filled with resentment as he glared at Fang Zhong.
Boom!
His internal organs burst apart, the poison taking effect, and his body fell lifeless to the ground.
"What... How is this possible?"
Fang Zhong's face darkened, his eyes wide with disbelief as if he'd just seen a ghost.
His gaze flickered towards Lan Chang'an, unsettled.
His first thought was that the scene had been a coincidence.
But the fact that Lan Chang'an had managed to throw the ore so precisely, intercepting his black spear, indicated a level of forethought. Otherwise, even a late Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't have been able to accomplish such a feat, given Fang Zhong's advantage.
"Fang Zhong, after cutting down your own teammate, could it be that you're planning to defect to the Wufu Merchant Association?"
Lan Chang'an, after a brief moment of shock, stroked his beard and laughed, clearly pleased.
Fang Zhong noticed the mockery in his tone and became enraged.
"You'll die together!"
With a furious shout, Fang Zhong controlled the black spear, sending it flying towards Lan Chang'an.
Simultaneously, he vanished again, directly targeting the severely weakened Xia Shenglan.
Lan Chang'an understood Fang Zhong's intention. Having lost an ally, he was desperate to complete his mission.
Xia Shenglan was gravely injured, with only enough strength to maintain the power of an early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. A single strike from a peak late Foundation Establishment cultivator would easily kill her.
The battle was taking place near the Xia Family's territory in Qingsha Bay, and time was running short.
Lan Chang'an's throat tightened as he mustered his mana, his cultivation surging once more. He summoned the silver shield once again.
Clang!
This time, the silver shield held firmly, blocking the more powerful strike from the black spear.
"Has he taken some kind of secret medicine to boost his power to near the late stage of Foundation Establishment?" Fang Zhong's heart sank as he noticed the change in Lan Chang'an.
At the same time as blocking the black spear...
Lan Chang'an flicked his fingers, summoning a second-rank superior-grade defensive talisman, which materialized into a wall of water, assisting Xia Shenglan by deflecting Fang Zhong's frontal attack.
At that moment, the faint sound of rushing air came from the direction of Qingsha Bay.
Fang Zhong's expression changed dramatically as he looked at Lan Chang'an, whose spiritual power had surged to nearly match a late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. He realized that the situation was no longer in his favor.
"A mere loose cultivator like Fellow Daoist Wu can actually hold his own in a battle like this? I underestimated you," Fang Zhong remarked with a cold stare that lingered on Lan Chang'an for a moment.
Realizing his chances were slim, Fang Zhong abandoned his pursuit of Xia Shenglan, activating a secret technique. Blood-red light rippled across his body, and he fled with a speed that nearly rivaled a Fake Dan cultivator.
...
"Fang Zhong, for the sake of our acquaintance on the spirit ship, I'll spare your life this time," Lan Chang'an's calm voice carried to Fang Zhong's ears.
The fleeing Fang Zhong shuddered upon hearing this warning.
Little did he know that he had just escaped from the jaws of death.
Lan Chang'an hadn’t killed him for two reasons.
First, they were both cultivators from the Liang Kingdom, and there was no real enmity between them, only a difference in stance.
Second, Lan Chang'an's identity in the Wufu Merchant Association was that of a mid-Foundation Establishment stage alchemist.
Taking a secret medicine to temporarily boost his spiritual power and skirmishing with a late Foundation Establishment cultivator was already impressive. The gap between mid- and late-Foundation Establishment was significant.
To kill someone like Fang Zhong, who was at the peak of late Foundation Establishment, Lan Chang'an would need the strength of a Fake Dan cultivator.
Even the prodigies of this era couldn’t achieve that level of power while still in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
Splash!
Xia Shenglan finally collapsed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her tall figure, clad in a blue dress, wobbled as she plummeted toward the river.
Otherwise, it would likely only form a Fake Dan and have less than a 30% chance of achieving a True Dan.
...
One day, Xia Shenglan, now mostly recovered from her injuries, came to Autumnwind Isle to visit Lan Chang'an.
"Please, come in, Fellow Daoist Xia."
Lan Chang'an stepped out of his residence to greet her.
Today, Xia Shenglan wore light makeup and a flowing Ice Silkworm Immortal Dress. Her already elegant appearance now exuded a stunning aura.
"There's no need to be so formal, Fellow Daoist Wu. I’ve come today for two reasons: first, to deliver a gift as a token of thanks, and second, to visit Aunt Wenyue."
Xia Shenglan smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
It wasn’t that she was shy, but rather that her makeup naturally included a light blush on her cheeks.
"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Xia."
Lan Chang'an politely declined at first, but eventually accepted the gift box.
He didn’t expect to be surprised by any gift from an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. What mattered was the gesture itself.
Dressed in a plain robe, Xia Wenyue, a delicate woman as frail as a willow, entered the main hall to prepare tea for the two guests.
Though Xia Wenyue’s complexion was pale, her beauty still surpassed Xia Shenglan’s by a fair margin.
"Aunt Wenyue, let me take care of it."
Xia Shenglan, her eyes twinkling with amusement, took over the task from Xia Wenyue.
Although Xia Wenyue held a high rank within the Xia Family, Xia Shenglan’s respectful treatment of her surprised Lan Chang'an.
He simply invited Xia Wenyue to sit with them, and the three engaged in light conversation.
With Xia Wenyue helping to bridge the gap, Xia Shenglan and Lan Chang'an quickly grew closer, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Before sunset...
Xia Shenglan bid her farewells, and Xia Wenyue escorted her to the edge of Autumnwind Isle.
"Shenglan, do you... like Alchemist Wu?" Xia Wenyue hesitantly asked.
During this visit, she had noticed that Xia Shenglan seemed intent on growing closer to Lan Chang'an, even subtly displaying her charms.
Xia Wenyue felt that, as a married woman, Xia Shenglan's actions might be considered improper.
"Like? I suppose it's not that serious."
Xia Shenglan tilted her head, pondering for a moment, not entirely sure herself.
In her mind, the image of Alchemist Wu—a middle-aged man with a round face and yellow beard—floated to the surface. She didn’t dislike him, at least.
After being saved by him in a moment of danger, Xia Shenglan naturally felt a sense of gratitude toward him, which had evolved into a slight fondness.
But this fondness wasn’t necessarily the same as romantic attraction.
"Aunt Wenyue, there are some things you wouldn't understand."
Xia Shenglan sighed, her face showing a hint of bitterness.
"My marriage with Xin Zhijing is purely in name only—a political alliance between the families. Over the years, the conflicts between the Xia and Xin families within the Wufu Merchant Association have only grown. My relationship with him has long been dead."
"Hmm, I see. I misunderstood you then."
Xia Wenyue reflected on Xia Shenglan's past. She had carried so much responsibility for her family, it truly hadn’t been easy for her.
"No, you didn’t misunderstand at all."
Xia Shenglan left these parting words before flying away from Autumnwind Isle.
...
A few days later, the Earth Burrowing Rat emerged from seclusion, its essence, energy, and spirit in peak condition.
Lan Chang'an descended into the underground chamber to meet with the Earth Burrowing Rat.
"Have you fully absorbed the core formation method for demonic beasts from the Zhou Family?"
"Alright, here are your core formation items."
Lan Chang'an handed over the Sha Yuan Pill, two bottles of elixirs, and a piece of banana leaf to the Earth Burrowing Rat.
Squeak, squeak!
The Earth Burrowing Rat’s eyes gleamed with excitement as it eagerly swallowed the core formation materials, rubbing against Lan Chang'an in gratitude and joy.
"It’s a shame I couldn’t find you a superior spiritual object for your core formation," Lan Chang'an lamented.
The Earth Burrowing Rat paused, hesitating for a moment before cautiously spitting out a dull yellow crystal.
"A core formation spiritual object—Xuanyuan Crystal!"
Lan Chang'an was taken aback, staring in disbelief at the Earth Burrowing Rat.
The Xuanyuan Crystal was on par with Tianjing Water—a superior spiritual object for core formation.
"Not bad! You actually prepared your own core formation item!"
Lan Chang'an stroked the rat’s head, clearly pleased.
He had a rough idea of how the Earth Burrowing Rat had obtained the Xuanyuan Crystal, but he didn’t press for details.
After all, the Earth Burrowing Rat had been by his side for over a hundred years, frequently collecting loot from battles, including those against Foundation Establishment cultivators, Fake Dan cultivators, and Liang Kingdom's cultivators.
With its keen sense of smell, the Earth Burrowing Rat had trained in the Black Fog Mountain Range and even spent several months in the ancient ruins.
It also often stayed underground, where it might have come across some fortuitous encounter.
Seeing that Lan Chang'an wasn’t angry about its hidden stash, the Earth Burrowing Rat visibly relaxed.
Squeak, squeak!
It excitedly waved its paws, gesturing towards Lan Chang'an’s storage pouch.
"Oh? You think I still have another core formation spiritual object suitable for you? I can’t give you the Tianjing Water."
Lan Chang'an shook his head.
It was already generous of him not to covet the Xuanyuan Crystal for himself. In theory, combining multiple types of core formation spiritual objects could further enhance the effects.
The Earth Burrowing Rat waved its paws again, shaking its head.
"Not the Tianjing Water? Then what else could it be?"
"Wait, could it be—"
A flash of insight struck Lan Chang'an, and he slapped his thigh. How had he overlooked such a natural treasure?