38: Night Talk

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was evening; the outcome was as expected.

"Combining the results from the three arenas, this old man announces: Fang, Tang, and Zhang are the top three of this Grand Competition! Following them are Han, Wei, Tu... Li, and Kong!"

The booming voice of the Fang Family's Foundation Establishment referee spread throughout the field.

The crowd below the stage immediately erupted into an uproar.

The disciples of the Zhang Family were so excited they almost jumped up, surrounding Zhang Lingyun with an endless stream of congratulations.

This ranking concerned not only the exploration rights of the ruins but also the division of future resource points.

The Kong Family's future days, it seemed, would not be easy.

Lu Xian took in the sight of these direct descendants of the families and then said, "Let's go. Continue to act with caution this month; I don't want any chains dropping at the critical moment!"

"Brother Han, please rest assured when I, Du, handle things!" Du Qinghong promised, patting his chest.

"Right, take care of this Formation Plate while you're at it. Selling it for six hundred Spirit Stones shouldn't be a problem!"

Lu Xian took out a Small Wind-Thunder Killing Formation Plate.

A few days ago, he had successfully crafted four; selling one was just right.

"This... your younger brother doesn't have a Formation legacy, so I'm afraid..."

Before Du Qinghong could finish, he thought of something and changed his tone, "Brother Han, is it alright if I... sell this to my own Family?"

As a small Qi Refining clan, the Du Family would find this item very suitable.

He hadn't returned home for several years; when he first left to make a living, he hadn't planned on going back.

But now... returning home in wealth is like wearing fine silks at night if no one sees it!

He would take the Formation Plate to show off and let his grandfather and elder brother broaden their horizons.

"You may, but do not expose my existence, otherwise I'll have to help you 'destroy your kin for the sake of justice'," Lu Xian said indifferently.

After speaking, he left without looking back.

He still needed to discuss matters with Zhao Shouren tonight; it wasn't suitable to linger.

Du Qinghong scratched his head, his slow reaction finally catching up... Brother Han's formation attainment has reached the First-Grade High Grade?!!

On second thought, it felt absurd.

How could there be such an all-around Cultivator? Besides Qi Refining and raising Spirit Fowl, where did he get the energy to study formations?

"He must have obtained it from somewhere else..."

He comforted himself to keep his Dao Heart from shattering... Lu Xian walked slowly on the way home.

When passing the small courtyard next door, his Divine Sense instinctively swept through.

In the courtyard, Luo Xuanmeng was sitting at a stone table, her chin in her hand, staring blankly at an object similar to a quasi-immortal jade token.

"Should I report this matter... I already lost a fellow Daoist at the Cangye Sect last time..."

Luo Xuanmeng's eyes were vacant, her heart filled with constant conflict.

Recalling the events of the day, she finally put down the jade token.

Forget it, that Lu Xian doesn't look like the type to report to the authorities, she thought.

Feeling a Divine Sense sweep through the courtyard wall, she knit her brows slightly and leapt lightly onto the wall, only to see Lu Xian's receding back in the sunset glow.

"Hmph... you're allowed to spy on other people's courtyards, but others aren't allowed to investigate your formations!"

Luo Xuanmeng felt a slight twinge of annoyance.

Lu Xian stopped paying attention after confirming there was nothing unusual next door.

No matter how sharp he was, he was only at the Qi Refining stage after all; it was normal that he couldn't fathom a young girl's thoughts.

He went straight to the livestock pen and released the two young animals from his Spirit Beast bag.

One was a Gray-Backed Yak he had raised before, and the other was a 'Protective Hair Antelope' he had specifically requested.

This sheep's wool contained Protective Aura and was as sharp as needles; it could be used in medicine and Alchemy, giving it extra value, unlike the Black-Bristled Pig whose meat was tough and tasteless with no additional benefits.

Tossing a handful of hay, Lu Xian returned to the cultivation chamber.

He counted his Spirit Stones; including today's profits, the total was 2,265!

This wealth far exceeded that of an ordinary Loose Cultivator and was comparable to the heads of some small Qi Refining families.

But it still wasn't enough!

If converted into Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, it was only two, which wasn't even enough to upgrade some buildings to Level 3.

He was acting too timidly now, always worried that someone would find his small courtyard.

"It'll be fine once I have a teleportation array. If I can set up a teleportation room and establish several fake hiding spots to travel back and forth at will, my safety will be greatly enhanced without fear of being discovered!"

This was the first step in Lu Xian's planned development.

It was this teleportation array.

His plans were no longer limited to Green Cloud City, but the entire Danyang Prefecture, and even the provincial capital!

According to the building upgrade characteristics, the teleportation room must have an effect that increases teleportation distance.

Thus, even a First-Grade teleportation array, after being upgraded, might reach a range of tens of thousands of miles!

He only needed to set up a few transit nodes, and though the world was vast, Lu Xian could go wherever he pleased!

He planned in detail, and before he knew it, it was midnight.

"Thump... thump... thump..." It was the familiar sound of knocking.

Lu Xian snapped out of it; before even approaching the door, his Divine Sense had already detected the visitors.

"Old Zhao, you're here," he said as he opened the door, then feigned surprise at the other person, "And Shopkeeper Huang, you've come too?"

Huang Moya appearing with Zhao Shouren was indeed beyond his expectations.

"Mm... Little Friend Lu, I hope you have been well. Your cultivation has progressed so much; it's truly enviable."

Huang Moya smiled as he sized up Lu Xian.

The last time they met, he was at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, which was already surprising enough.

In just one year, the aura he displayed was already at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining!

This speed—even taking pills wouldn't be this fast.

Had he known this boy's talent was so high, he should have helped him obtain a quasi-immortal jade token at the Hundred Elixirs Hall back then. Why would he have settled for that lazy bum Jiang Zhu, who is still at the First Layer of Qi Refining and repeatedly neglects customers, causing business to dwindle?

"Heh... could the person this old man set his eyes on be wrong?" Zhao Shouren raised his eyebrows proudly.

"Hmph... you old pauper, you don't even have enough Spirit Stones for yourself, how much resources can you provide to cultivate a junior?"

Huang Moya bickered with Zhao Shouren, then turned to poach Lu Xian, "Little Friend Lu, come back to my Hundred Elixirs Hall. You can pick thirty Spirit Stones' worth of resources every month as you please!"

Lu Xian was speechless.

These two added up to nearly two hundred years old, yet they bickered like children.

"You two, didn't you say there were important matters to discuss?" he reminded them at the right time.

"Right, right, right!"

Zhao Shouren looked left and right; the night was as dark as ink. After confirming no one was spying, he said, "Let's go inside. Let Little Lu show off his skills! This old man wants to eat spicy chicken, the spiciest kind. It's been almost a month, and the aftertaste is endless."

The three entered the house.

Lu Xian had already arranged his home properly.

The Immortal Cave effects were turned off, and he used the Mirror Flower Water Moon Formation to adjust details, concealing everything conspicuous.

An enticing aroma soon wafted from the kitchen.

Before long, Lu Xian brought out three dishes that were perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

"Not bad, this is the taste, absolutely perfect! Old Huang, you try it too!" Zhao Shouren said as he ate, full of praise.

"Little Friend Lu, I heard you once intended to study the Dao of Alchemy? This old man won't eat for free today; I'm willing to be your guarantor. Later, you can go to the Ten Thousand Laws Department yourself to exchange for the 'Basic Explanation of the Dao of Alchemy'!"

This was Huang Moya's first time coming over for a meal; being somewhat thin-skinned, he took the initiative to propose.

Hearing this, Lu Xian was slightly stunned.

He had only mentioned wanting to learn Alchemy during a casual chat with Zhao Shouren; he didn't expect Shopkeeper Huang to know as well.

"Little Lu, just like you said, don't refuse something for free; consider it as settling my previous meal debts!" Zhao Shouren said grandly.

Lu Xian hesitated for a moment and took out his quasi-immortal jade token. Huang Moya operated it for a bit, and he received the guarantor notification.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Huang!"

This was the transformation brought about by strength and potential.

A guarantee qualification worth two or three hundred Spirit Stones was given away just like that.

If he were still that Mortal shop assistant, Huang Moya probably wouldn't have spared him a second glance... Next, the three of them ate and drank their fill.

Zhao Shouren's face suddenly turned solemn, and the relaxed atmosphere in the room froze.

He spoke slowly, his voice low: "Little Lu, you've heard about that Ancient Ruin too, haven't you?"

The serious business had arrived.