Daily Divination From Market Rogue Cultivator To Immortal Venerable - Chapter 178

Chapter 178 Great Opportunity, Ancient Trees Evergreen (Please Subscribe)

Li Changan raised his hand and placed the entire corpse of the Blood Roaring Beast into his storage bag.

After all, it was a second-tier demon beast, and its essence and blood were perfect for the second-tier body refinement.

Furthermore,

its flesh and blood could be used to make spiritual food, its bones to craft puppets, and its skin to create materials for the Skin Painting technique.

It was truly a treasure trove!

Afterward,

Li Changan began dismantling the formation within the valley.

His figure flashed, transforming into a series of afterimages. He snatched away the formation flags and artifacts from the void, quickly gathering the entire formation in his hands.

After refining it,

Li Changan understood its purpose.

“A second-tier, low-grade formation, the Dark Blood Beast Trapping Formation!”

This formation’s primary function was to trap enemies, with a secondary function of killing them.

It was similar to the Thunder Cloud Illusion Formation, but lacked the ability to create illusions.

Its quality was average.

It could only be considered an ordinary, low-grade second-tier formation, not a top-tier one.

But Li Changan was satisfied; after all, he had found it for free, without spending any money.

“When we get back, we’ll set it up in the house!”

A house-protecting formation is no place to be too large.

Afterward,

Li Changan cleaned up all traces of the fighting inside and outside the valley.

In a matter of moments, the valley had returned to its previous state, as if nothing had happened.

…

In the evening,

Li Changan returned to Yellow Crane Immortal City.

He set up a Dark Blood Beast Trapping Formation in the house, then returned to his home to begin taking inventory of his haul.

“Yan Yuan, as the Lord of the Blood Beast Valley, has been renowned for many years, so he should have quite a few treasures.”

With some anticipation, he erased the restrictions on the storage bag and opened it.

A moment later,

he discovered the purpose of his trip.

“Withered Wood!”

Li Changan thought, and he pulled out a piece of gray-brown wood.

The wood looked ordinary, devoid of any treasure, and would easily be overlooked if casually discarded on the side of the road. Yet, it was one of the essential treasures needed to craft a second-level puppet core!

“This piece of Withered Wood is quite substantial, enough for me to experiment with many times!”

Li Changan weighed it with great satisfaction.

Creating a puppet is difficult to do right the first time, so the materials must be fully prepared.

He put away the dead wood and continued to count the other treasures.

Soon,

a jade slip caught Li Changan’s attention.

“This is…”

He took it out, probed with his spiritual sense, and took a quick look.

This jade slip

was surprisingly a second-level, low-grade beast taming inheritance!

“As expected, there’s a beast taming inheritance!”

This item didn’t surprise Li Changan. After all, even someone like Mo Feng, who was forced to defect from the clan, took away a puppetry inheritance.

And Yan Yuan, who defected voluntarily, likely had planned it all along.

Taking away an inheritance wasn’t surprising.

Li Changan searched through it and quickly found information on the cultivation of the Black Water Turtle and the Yellow Sand Dog.

“Unfortunately, they’re only second-level, low-grade. They’re not very useful to me,”

he sighed after carefully examining them.

Xiao Hei and Da Huang were already early-stage second-level demon beasts.

This inheritance wouldn’t be of much help in their growth.

Li Changan put the jade slip away and counted the remaining treasures.

A moment later.

His eyes lit up, and he pulled an indigo-colored, bell-shaped spiritual artifact from his storage bag.

“A second-tier, mid-grade spiritual artifact, the Qingyuan Bell!”

After refining it, Li Changan gained detailed information.

This Qingyuan Bell, a wood-type spiritual artifact, could change size at will, serving both offensive and defensive purposes, making it perfect for his use.

Normally, it was less than half the size of a fist.

“Big! Big! Big!”

Li Changan thought, and the Qingyuan Bell in his hand spun, instantly expanding countless times, completely enveloping him.

After its enlargement,

the Qingyuan Bell’s walls became transparent, allowing Li Changan to observe the outside world more easily.

“Da Huang, Xiao Hei, you two try!”

Li Changan called over two spiritual beasts.

Even with their full strength and every effort, they couldn’t break the Qingyuan Bell.

However,

Li Changan’s mana was rapidly depleting.

After all, it was a second-tier spiritual artifact, intended for Foundation Establishment cultivators, and it was quite difficult for a Qi Refining cultivator to use.

“With this mid-grade, second-tier Qingyuan Bell and the superior-grade, second-tier Netherworld Tribulation Armor, my ability to survive should be pretty good.”

Li Changan was very satisfied. He shrank the Qingyuan Bell and tossed it into his sleeve.

He continued to count the remaining treasures.

Most of the remaining treasures were related to cultivating spirit beasts. After all, Yan Yuan’s reputation was entirely due to that second-tier blood beast.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Li Changan found a thick stack of spiritual contracts in the corner of his storage bag.

“This is…”

He pulled it out and carefully examined it.

These contracts were life-saving contracts signed between Blood Beast Valley cultivators and Yan Yuan!

Some pledged their lives for ten years, others for twenty.

Some for life!

According to the agreement, Yan Yuan would grant them superior skills and spells, and allow them to use the Blood Beast Valley’s reputation to bully other cultivators.

Li Changan searched

through them and soon found Mu Qiuyan’s spiritual contract.

According to the contract, Mu Qiuyan must serve the Blood Beast Valley for twenty years, refraining from betrayal. Thirteen years had already passed.

Furthermore, she could leverage the power of the Blood Beast Valley and the Three Tribulations Alliance to obtain information about the Qingyun Sect.

“It seems Qiuyan and the Qingyun Sect truly have a deep grudge,”

Li Changan mused.

He put the contract away and continued examining the other treasures.

About half an hour later,

the inventory was complete.

…

The next day.

Li Chang’an left with the demon core and hurried to Zheng Qingqing’s residence, intending to inquire about refining the Foundation Establishment Pill.

However, Zheng Qingqing wasn’t home.

He had no choice but to use the communication jade pendant.

“Miss, where are you? I have something important to discuss with you.”

A moment later,

a reply came from the jade pendant.

“Fellow Daoist Li, I have already entered the Black Dragon Mountains and will not be returning to the Immortal City anytime soon.”

Zheng Qingqing’s response surprised Li Chang’an.

He calculated the time and quickly understood.

Sixteen years had passed since Zheng Qingqing established her foundation.

Although Patriarch Zheng Yuandao’s life span had been extended by twenty years, his days were numbered, with only a few years remaining.

If Zheng Qingqing couldn’t cultivate a new foundation,

she would be forced to return to Qinghe Market to oversee the market for the family.

“Time flies,”

Li Chang’an sighed.

The day Zheng Qingqing established her foundation seemed like yesterday.

But in cultivation, time passes by in the blink of an eye.

Zheng Qingqing’s voice rang out again from the jade pendant.

“I’m sure Fellow Daoist Li has guessed this. I plan to hunt a second-tier demon beast in the Black Dragon Mountains and obtain its demon core.”

“Miss, I have a second-tier demon core,”

Li Chang’an announced, clutching the jade pendant.

Soon, Zheng Qingqing’s surprised voice echoed.

“Fellow Daoist Li, where did you get that second-tier demon core?”

“I found it on the roadside.”

“…”

Zheng Qingqing was silent for a moment.

The answer was so perfunctory that she didn’t know how to respond.

“Fellow Daoist Li, as long as the demon core’s provenance is correct, it’s fine. What demon beast’s demon core is it from?”

“It’s from the Blood Roaring Beast. Its demon core has a strong blood and hostility. Can it be used to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill?”

“Let me think…”

Zheng Qingqing fell into deep thought.

Li Chang’an didn’t rush her, patiently waiting.

After more than ten breaths, Zheng Qingqing’s pleasant voice rang out again.

“It can be refined, but it’s difficult to produce a high-quality one, and even ordinary quality isn’t guaranteed. The resulting pill will likely be inferior.”

“Inferior?”

was the answer.

That was pretty much what Li Changan had judged.

But he already had a low-grade pill and just wanted a better one.

Zheng Qingqing added, “Fellow Daoist Li, if you trust me, keep the demon core. I’ll do my best to refine it for you when I return.”

“Very well, thank you, Miss!”

Li Changan thanked her earnestly. He

then

inquired about Zheng Qingqing’s situation.

Zheng Qingqing explained that while the Black Dragon Mountains were teeming with demonic beasts, finding a suitable second-tier beast was difficult.

She had recently discovered a non-attributed demonic beast, but it had reached the mid-second stage, formidable in strength.

With her own strength, she couldn’t slay it, so she had to seek out other demonic beasts for negotiation.

She gave Li Changan the demonic beast’s exact location.

“Fellow Daoist Li, if you could ask Pei Yingyao for help, perhaps we could slay it.”

“I see. Thank you, Miss!”

Li Changan secretly noted the location.

He naturally couldn’t ask Pei Yingyao, but he could try on his own.

“Second Stage Mid-Stage…”

Li Chang’an pondered.

This monster was equivalent to a human cultivator in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

The evil spirit within his Soul Banner could handle it.

Furthermore,

the sword formation he formed with nine jade sword talismans also reached the strength of the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Whether or not he could kill it, it wouldn’t hurt to try.

“With my current strength, and the divination’s guidance, I’ll be careful in the Black Dragon Mountains. As long as I don’t go too deep, nothing should happen.”

Over the years, Li Changan had made numerous forays into the Black Dragon Mountains.   He was no longer as intimidated

by this demonic mountain range as he had been initially.   About a quarter of an hour later, the conversation ended.   …   Time flew by, and half a month passed.   One day,   the house was filled with broken puppet materials and parts.   Before Li Changan stood a brand new puppet.   ”A second-level puppet, finally!”   He smiled, looking at his masterpiece with immense satisfaction.   With that,   he had another second-level trump card!   ”My mana has accumulated deep enough. As long as I obtain a high-quality Foundation Establishment Pill, I can immediately retreat and reach my Foundation Establishment!”   Li Changan silently assessed his own condition.   He had made up his mind. He   would enter the mountains to hunt monsters.   He would obtain a sufficiently good second-level demon core.   This was the final battle before the Foundation Establishment, and the more trump cards he had, the better!

…

A few days later,

Li Changan went to the black market again.

He sold all his unused treasures and bought a large number of healing elixirs.

He also bought a number of treasures suitable for Xiao Hei and Da Huang.

In his plan,

Xiao Hei and Da Huang would be the absolute main force in this mountain expedition.

After completing his purchases,

Li Changan left the black market, intending to return to Huanghe Immortal City to make final preparations.

However,

halfway through his journey,

he suddenly spotted someone he knew.

“Mu Qiuyan.”

Li Changan’s gaze fixed on a distant mountain.

It looked as if a great battle had just broken out there, the mountain had collapsed, its peak flattened.

Mu Qiuyan, covered in blood, stood quietly at the summit.

At her feet

was a broken corpse.

The head was gone, but the robes on its body indicated that it had been a disciple of the Qingyun Sect.

Li Changan’s figure flashed, and in an instant, he reached the summit.

“Qiuyan.”

“Brother Li.”

Mu Qiuyan was stunned.

A flash of panic flashed in her eyes, and she quickly wiped the blood from her face, as if trying to look less intimidating.

Li Changan didn’t care.

With a thought, he pulled a spiritual contract from his storage bag.

“This is your spiritual contract. You won’t have to work for the Blood Beast Valley anymore.”

“This…”

Mu Qiuyan was stunned for a moment, staring at the spiritual contract in disbelief.

This item was clearly in the hands of the Blood Beast Valley’s master.

How did Li Changan get hold of it?

“Brother Li, did you make a deal with the Valley Master?”

“Don’t overthink it. Take it.”

Li Changan casually tossed it to Mu Qiuyan,

who caught it immediately.

She put the spiritual contract away and looked at Li Changan with a complicated expression.

Gratitude mixed with some inexplicable emotion.

“Brother Li, thank you for giving me this spiritual contract. I also have something I want to give you, but I buried it in the mortal world. Can you accompany me back?”

“What is it?”

Li Changan asked casually.

With his current strength, ordinary treasures would be of little use to him.

He didn’t want to return to the mortal world specifically for this.

Mu Qiuyan replied, “It’s an ancient map, with the words ‘Ancient Tree Evergreen’ written on it.”

“Ancient Tree Evergreen?”

Li Chang’an perked up.

When he asked Shahun about the method to improve his spiritual roots, Shahun occasionally mentioned the words “Ancient Tree Evergreen

.” It seemed as if these four words were closely related to improving spiritual roots.

“Qiuyan, where did you get that map?” “

The Ancient Tree Secret Realm,”

Mu Qiuyan answered truthfully, without concealing a single detail.

Years ago,

to escape pursuit by Qingyun Sect disciples, she fled to a dangerous area within the secret realm and discovered a jade slip containing the ancient map.

At the time, she felt it was a golden opportunity.

Unfortunately,

the map led to the depths of the Ancient Tree Secret Realm. At the time

, she lacked strength, fearing unpredictable dangers in the depths, so she didn’t explore, and it has been put aside until now.

“Brother Li, are you willing to return to the mortal world with me?”

Mu Qiuyan looked at Li Chang’an, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Li Chang’an nodded slightly.

“Let’s go!”

“Okay.”

Mu Qiuyan’s face lit up with joy.

The two immediately set off for the mortal world.

Meanwhile,

Li Changan remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Mu Qiuyan.

…

The next day,

the two returned to the mortal world.

Li Changan hadn’t been back in many years.

Gazing at the somewhat desolate county town before him, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

“No wonder most cultivators are reluctant to return to the mortal world. The mortal world is truly too barren.”

After arriving in the mortal world, Li Changan could barely sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Cultivation was impossible!

He had to lock away his own mana to prevent it from escaping.

To the mortal world, he was now a walking treasure, a single drop of his blood a panacea.

Clearly, Mu Qiuyan had frequently returned to the mortal world and had quickly adapted to the situation.

“Brother Li, follow me.”

“Okay.”

The two, one in front and one behind, swiftly flew over the towering mountains of the mortal world.

A moment later,

they arrived at a more secluded area.

“Brother Li, my home is just ahead.”

Mu Qiuyan slowed down, a hint of sadness on her face.

Hearing this,

Li Changan looked ahead.

There should have been a village there, but now only ruins remained.

Overgrown weeds, the wind howled, and no sign of life was visible.

Mu Qiuyan fell into it, entering a dilapidated house.

A moment later,

she emerged from the house, holding a jade slip.

“Brother Li, this is the ancient map.”

The jade slip slowly flew over, hovering quietly in front of Li Changan.

At that moment,

a strange fluctuation appeared in Li Changan’s mana, forming a subtle connection with the jade slip.

He was secretly surprised.

“Could it be that the ancient wood health-preserving technique I practice is related to the evergreen ancient wood?”

Thinking of this, he immediately grabbed the jade slip and refined it.

Soon, a huge ancient map appeared in Li Changan’s consciousness.

On one side of the map, the map appeared.

The words “Ancient Trees, Evergreen” appeared.

The moment he saw them, Li Changan’s mana flowed even faster.

“It seems there’s a connection!”

He concentrated intently, carefully examining the entire ancient map.

Just as Mu Qiuyan had said,

this map led deep into the Ancient Tree Secret Realm.

Reaching that area required passing through at least a hundred dangerous areas!

If Li Changan were just an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, he wouldn’t have gone there.

But his current strength was comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With caution, there was little danger.

“Qiuyan, you’re right. This map is truly a great opportunity and will be of great help to me. Thank you very much,”

Li Changan said solemnly, putting away the jade slip.

Mu Qiuyan replied, “I’m glad it’s useful, but the secret realm is full of dangers. Brother Li, you must be careful.”

“I know.”

Li Changan then looked around.

The devastation around him made him understand what Mu Qiuyan had meant by “no home to return to.”

This village…

seemed to have been destroyed by an accident.

“Qiuyan, why are you so determined to oppose the Qingyun Sect? Could it be that the Qingyun Sect destroyed this place?”

Hearing this, Mu Qiuyan’s expression deepened with sorrow.

She sighed softly.

“Brother Li, this matter is a bit complicated. Can I go pay my respects to my mother first?”

“Okay.”

Li Changan was in no hurry.

Before long,

the two of them reached a low hill.

Dejected, Mu Qiuyan walked to a small grave, took out some paper money, and lit it.

In the flickering flames, she began to explain.

This region was extremely barren, and every household was plagued by poverty.

Her father had been a hunter, but he later died in the mountains, leaving her and her mother to depend on each other.

Growing up,

she had rarely known the feeling of having a full meal.

One year during a famine, she nearly starved to death.

Later,

kind-hearted people from the county came to donate food.

Her mother finally managed to secure a few steamed buns, but they were targeted by the village bully. Fighting to keep the buns, she was beaten until she was covered in blood.

Relying on those few blood-stained steamed buns, the mother and daughter survived the most difficult period.

“Brother Li, the reason I followed you to seek immortality wasn’t because I truly yearned for it, but simply because I could have enough to eat with you.”

“So that’s how it is,”

Li Changan recalled, some of his doubts resolved.

Later,

Mu Qiuyan was also rejected by the immortal sect.

But she chose not to become a free cultivator, returning to the mortal world to care for her mother.

“My mother has lived in poverty her entire life, never knowing the rich life. She always told me to marry a good family when I grew up so I could eat steamed buns every day,”

Mu Qiuyan whispered.

By then, after Li Changan’s guidance, she was already considered a second-rate master in the mortal world.

Her martial arts skills were enough to provide her and her mother with a comfortable life.

However,

upon her return to this area, she

encountered a devastating battle.

Two disciples of the Qingyun Sect clashed over a treasure.

The village was instantly destroyed, reduced to rubble.

Including her mother, everyone in the village was instantly reduced to dry bones, no one was spared!

At that time,

although Mu Qiuyan was far away, she was still stunned by the aftermath of the battle.

When she awoke, she saw only deathly silence.

Nothing was left.

Pain and hatred drove her back to the world of immortal cultivation, embarking on the path of cultivation.

The years that followed were filled with scars. She had narrowly escaped death.

A mere casual cultivator, dealing with a formidable sect like the Qingyun Sect.

Eventually, she confirmed the identities of the two Qingyun Sect disciples.

Having said this,

Mu Qiuyan took out two blood-stained heads from her storage bag and slowly placed them in front of the tombstone.

Having avenged her great hatred, she had become a lofty immortal, capable of changing the fate of countless mortals with a single thought.

Unfortunately, time had passed, and things and people had changed.

Her eyes flushed as she softly spoke to the grave.

“Mom, I can now afford to eat steamed bread every day.”

(End of this chapter)