234: Chapter 234 The Power of Money and the Pact with the Candle Dragon

North Cold Immortal Domain, Candle Dragon Path, Baizao Mountain.

The air was thick with the smell of burning and the lingering pressure of a Golden Immortal. The main hall, which once symbolized the highest level of Artifact Refining in the Sect, was now nothing but a pile of smoking ruins.

In the center of the ruins, the massive Artifact Refining furnace was still "humming."

"Ah... I was wrong... let me out..."

Inside the furnace, Reverend Jingyang, who was usually insufferably arrogant, now had a voice as weak as a mosquito's.

Beside the furnace, Zhou Wannian (Han Li) held the newly awakened Purple Spirit in one arm, while the other held a Spiritual Plant fruit he had scavenged from Reverend Jingyang's Storage Pouch, feeding it to her.

"Be good, take a bite to replenish your blood."

A faint blush appeared on Purple Spirit's pale face as she obediently opened her mouth.

This heartwarming scene made the surrounding Disciples, who were already scared out of their wits, tremble even more.

What a ruthless man!

Burning a Golden Immortal Elder as firewood while showing off his affection here?!

Just then.

"Boom—!!!"

The originally clear sky suddenly turned dark red. A massive phantom of a Candle Dragon, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, coiled above the heavens. Its Dragon pupils, like the sun and moon, looked down coldly at the ruins below.

A terrifying Aura, ten times stronger than Reverend Jingyang's, crashed down.

Golden Immortal Peak · Half-step Taiyi.

The number one person of the Candle Dragon Path—[Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao].

"Han Li!"

The Path Master's voice was like rolling thunder, causing the rocks of Baizao Mountain to crack and shatter.

"You have been in my Sect for only a few months, yet you first injured Vice Path Master Bear Mountain, and now you publicly refine a Golden Immortal Elder!"

"Do you truly think my Candle Dragon Path has no one who can deal with a madman like you?!"

"Punish him! He must be punished!"

Behind the Path Master, over a dozen streaks of light descended. These were the other Golden Immortal Elders of the Sect (some responsible for Law enforcement, others for internal affairs). Looking at the screaming Artifact Refining furnace, they were all filled with righteous indignation (actually, they felt a sense of shared peril).

"Path Master! This boy is deeply demonic! He must be suppressed immediately!"

"Invoke the 'Candle Dragon Divine Fire Array'! Refine him!"

Facing this situation where everyone was pointing fingers at him.

Purple Spirit, in Zhou Wannian's arms, trembled and instinctively gripped Zhou Wannian's collar tighter.

"Husband..."

"Don't be afraid."

Zhou Wannian patted the back of her hand, not even bothering to look up.

"Just a bunch of paupers."

He handed Purple Spirit to Xiao Hei (Black Wind Old Ancestor) behind him.

"Watch over the mistress."

Then, he brushed his sleeves and turned to face the enraged Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao.

"Path Master, no need for such a temper."

Zhou Wannian smiled.

"I may have a bad temper, but I am reasonable."

"Elder Jingyang's skills were inferior, and he accidentally refined himself. That's a workplace injury."

"As for me..."

Zhou Wannian flipped his hand.

A jade box emitting a rich medicinal fragrance appeared in his palm.

"I am actually a businessman."

"I heard the Path Master has been stuck at the Golden Immortal Peak for three million years?"

"You should be interested in this, right?"

Zhou Wannian didn't open the box fully, only lifting the lid a tiny crack.

"Buzz—"

A five-colored light instantly shot into the sky.

In the light, a Medicinal Pill the size of a Dragon's eye was faintly visible, with Law Dao patterns flowing on it that only a Taiyi Jade Immortal could condense.

[taiyi pill] (Semi-finished).

Although it was only semi-finished, it was already a treasure that countless Golden Immortals in the North Cold Immortal Domain dreamed of! With it, the chance of advancing to Taiyi would increase by at least thirty percent!

"This... this is..."

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao's Dragon pupils, originally full of killing intent, suddenly shrank to the size of pinpricks the moment he saw the Medicinal Pill.

The aggressive Aura from just now instantly deflated like a punctured ball.

"taiyi pill?!"

"And... top-tier pill patterns?!"

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao swallowed hard, staring fixedly at the box.

"You... you can refine taiyi pills?!"

Zhou Wannian closed the lid with a "snap."

"I know a little."

"As long as there are enough Materials, I can have as many of these Medicinal Pills as I want."

"(After all, with the heaven seizing bottle in hand, maturing primary herbs that are hundreds of thousands of years old is like child's play.)"

The entire field fell into a deathly silence.

The Elders who were just clamoring to suppress Zhou Wannian now had their eyes bulging out.

Alchemy Grandmaster!

And a Grandmaster capable of refining Taiyi-level Medicinal Pills!

Such talent would be treated as an ancestor in any Immortal Realm! Kill him? That would be cutting off the hope of the entire Sect advancing to Taiyi!

"Ahem."

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao's face changed instantly.

On that originally majestic face, a smile that looked more like crying... a kind smile was squeezed out.

"Um... Elder Han."

"Misunderstanding."

"It's all a misunderstanding."

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao descended from the sky and even helped Zhou Wannian straighten his collar.

"This seat was only... testing Elder Han's cultivation just now."

"As for Jingyang..."

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao glanced at the still-smoking Artifact Refining furnace, a flash of decisiveness in his eyes.

"Elder Jingyang suffered a Qi Deviation while refining artifacts and unfortunately perished. It is truly a tragedy for our Sect."

"Men!"

"Take this furnace down and bury it! Remember to set up a monument and write 'Died in the Line of Duty'!"

The Elders: "..."

This speed of changing faces is truly worthy of a Path Master!

"Elder Han."

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao rubbed his hands, his eyes burning as he looked at the box in Zhou Wannian's hand.

"Since the misunderstanding is cleared..."

"This Medicinal Pill..."

"This Medicinal Pill is a sample."

Zhou Wannian put away the box, his expression indifferent.

"Want it?"

"Sure."

"I have two conditions."

"Speak! Not just two, two hundred is fine!" The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao now wished he could worship Zhou Wannian.

"First, Baizao Mountain belongs to me. The people here, the fire here, the Materials here—I want it all."

"Granted!"

"Second."

A glint flashed in Zhou Wannian's eyes.

"I want to enter the highest level of the 'Scripture Hall'."

"I want to read your Sect's ultimate technique—the 'Great Five Elements Illusory World Art'."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding atmosphere instantly froze.

The 'Great Five Elements Illusory World Art' was the foundation of the Candle Dragon Path, only to be learned by the Path Master's direct Disciples.

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao hesitated.

"This... this is the secret of our Sect..."

"Not for sharing?"

Zhou Wannian toyed with the jade box in his hand.

"Then I won't refine this Medicinal Pill either."

"Farewell."

Zhou Wannian made a move to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait! Elder Han, please stay!"

The Sect Master of Zhu Long Dao grew anxious. Cultivation Techniques are dead, but people are alive. He had been stuck for three million years, and his Lifespan was nearly exhausted. Why care about anything else?

"Share! We must share!"

"Rules are dead, people are alive!"

"From today on, Elder Han is the first Guest Grand Elder of my Candle Dragon Path! His status is equal to mine!"

"The 'Great Five Elements Illusory World Art', read it as you wish!"

"Even if you want to carve it on your forehead, it's no problem!"

...After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

A crisis that could have triggered a Sect civil war was dissolved into nothingness under the power of money (Medicinal Pills).

Zhou Wannian took Purple Spirit and Xiao Hei back to Crimson Sunset Peak in a grand manner.

And Bear Mountain (the First Vice Path Master) was now following behind obsequiously.

"Elder Han! Great Master Han!"

"That 'Pill Fire Sword' move you did just now was so cool! Can you teach me?"

"And that taiyi pill..."

"Scram."

Zhou Wannian kicked Bear Mountain away.

"Don't bother me, I'm going into secluded Cultivation."

...Crimson Sunset Peak, Secret Room.

Zhou Wannian settled Purple Spirit and placed Silver Moon in the Spiritual Eye Spring to recover.

"Finally, some peace."

He sat cross-legged and took out the Cultivation Technique Jade Slip he had just "borrowed" from the Path Master.

The "Great Five Elements Illusory World Art."

This was a Heaven-Defying Cultivation Technique that could simultaneously Cultivate the Five Elements Laws and ultimately fuse them into the Time Law.

It was also the key to advancing to Golden Immortal and even Taiyi.

"True Immortals Cultivate immortal spiritual power, while Golden Immortals Cultivate Laws."

Zhou Wannian took a deep breath.

"With the heaven seizing bottle in hand, I have already mastered a bit of the Time Law."

"With this Cultivation Technique on top of that..."

"As long as there are enough resources, I will be the fastest cultivator in this Immortal Realm."

"Tiezhu."

"Present."

"Establish task: 'Five Elements Unification'."

"First step: Use the heaven seizing bottle to mature Five Elements Immortal Spiritual Plants and refine auxiliary Medicinal Pills."

"Second step: Activate the 'Time Acceleration' boundary (a new function of the heaven seizing bottle)."

"One year outside, a hundred years inside."

"In one go, I will..."

"Reach True Immortal Perfection!"

Zhou Wannian closed his eyes and formed a hand seal.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, a golden wheel slowly emerged behind him.

That was the true word treasure wheel.

The manifestation of the Time Law.

His journey in the Immortal Realm truly begins now.