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One year later – Wuyou City, third-rank cave abode.
Lan Chang'an had now spent one full year in the Great Yuan, marking his 320th year of age.
On this particular day, under Puppet Master Wei’s guidance, he completed the final step of his puppet refinement—embedding the meticulously polished black-scaled armor plate onto the chest cavity of the Green-armored puppet, serving as a protective heart mirror for its puppet core crystal.
"A fourth-rank puppet! Though not fully crafted by my own hands, this marks my second great masterpiece."
The ghostly flames in the Green-armored puppet’s eye sockets flickered, its once-resentful tone softening slightly.
Puppet Master Wei had been a prodigy of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, a puppet master who, despite his Core Formation cultivation, managed to create a fourth-rank puppet.
Yet his life’s greatest achievement was stolen, his wife and daughter slaughtered, all for the benefit of his treacherous sect brothers.
Now, through Lan Chang'an’s hands, he had regained a part of his former glory.
Lan Chang'an, too, could barely contain his joy.
With a fourth-rank puppet at his disposal, his combat strength had significantly surpassed what it was in the Great Qing.
However, this was only a preliminary fourth-rank puppet, not a fully sentient Nascent Soul-tier construct capable of fighting a Nascent Soul True Monarch alone.
The puppet spirit had yet to reach the Nascent Soul level, so it lacked true battle intelligence, adaptability, and combat versatility.
Even within the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, such incomplete fourth-rank puppets were considered standard—comparable to fully matured fourth-rank Demon Kings, but more flexible in battle.
Nevertheless, under Puppet Master Wei’s guidance, Lan Chang'an’s puppetry skills had advanced drastically, reaching the quasi-fourth-rank level.
This advancement was far more valuable than just obtaining a powerful puppet—it was an inheritance that could carry over into his next life.
Since Puppet Master Wei had wholeheartedly helped him, Lan Chang'an would honor his past agreement.
Once his puppet reached its full fourth-rank potential, he would also be nearing his Nascent Soul breakthrough.
And even without this agreement, he would eventually return to the Great Qing.
The threat of True Monarch Cyanwood was also a potential opportunity.
There was still unfinished business with Ten Thousand Crane True Monarch from Beast King Valley.
He had his deal with the Heavenly Master and the transaction with Flame Departing Palace.
And, of course, there was his karmic tie with Xia Wenyue…
Too many loose ends remained in the Great Qing—all of which he would have to eventually resolve.
…
With his fourth-rank puppet completed, Lan Chang'an no longer confined himself to his cave abode.
He began to actively move around Wuyou City and within Wanfeng Sect’s territory.
In addition to inquiring for information, he was also selling some loot and procuring the needed supplies.
To his pleasant surprise, materials that were rare and expensive in the Great Qing—such as high-grade talisman materials—were far easier to obtain in the Great Yuan.
This was not just because the Great Yuan was larger, richer, and more developed than the Great Qing.
The real reason was the presence of maritime trade. The Great Yuan was coastal, making it easier to trade with overseas cultivation islands. Materials from sea beasts and aquatic monsters—such as their scales and blood essence—were commonly used for talisman crafting.
Through True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, Lan Chang'an had already gained an understanding of the oceanic cultivation factions.
The sea-based powers were divided into three regions, Coastal Region, Outer Sea, and the Deep Sea.
Coastal Region included nearby islands under the control of the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects.
Outer Sea, dominated by human cultivation sects and some aquatic demon factions.
The supreme power in this region was Starmoon Palace. Every generation, Starmoon Palace’s Star King and Moon Empress started at Nascent Soul-level, and when their cultivation arts merged, they could rival a Deity Transformation Heavenly Lord.
Deep Sea, this was an entirely different world, completely ruled by sea beast clans.
The Deep Sea was larger than the Coastal and Outer Sea regions combined—by more than tenfold!
The supreme power here was Nine Dragons Hall.
However, the Deep Sea was too far from the Heaven Honoured Continent. Even the cultivators of Great Yuan’s coastal regions have limited knowledge about it.
It was rumored that the Dragon Clan head of Nine Dragons Hall possessed True Spirit bloodline, surpassing even Heaven-grade—making this leader the strongest being in the entire sea region!
…
Three years later.
Over time, many local cultivators in Wuyou City became familiar with the new Core Formation cultivator known as “Immortal Xiang.”
In three years' time, Lan Chang'an not only obtained enough information, but also bid for a bottle of fourth-rank sea beast's essence blood at a large-scale auction in Wanfeng Sect's sphere of influence.
This was a material he had never obtained in his past life.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
For the first time, Lan Chang'an saw a glimmer of hope for reaching the realm of a fourth-rank talisman grandmaster.
However, this was only the first step—
A single bottle of fourth-rank blood essence was far from enough.
To truly achieve mastery, he would need a vast supply of fourth-rank talisman materials.
This was the exact reason why the Righteous Dao Alliance in the Great Qing had not produced a fourth-rank talisman master in centuries.
After three years of research and investigation, Lan Chang'an had narrowed down a few Nascent Soul factions that he could potentially join.
He had two simple requirements:
One, the faction must be stable—preferably not an evil sect.
Two, the faction must recruit guest elders, offering some level of freedom and the ability to use a fourth-rank spiritual vein for Nascent Soul breakthrough.
However, even in the Great Yuan, meeting both criteria was surprisingly difficult.
More than half of the Nascent Soul factions were too unstable. The Great Yuan had no true orthodox sects, and most factions were brutally competitive.
The reason for requiring "peacefulness" is that Lan Chang'an did not want to join a chaotic Nascent Soul faction that constantly stirs up trouble, as it would be unfavorable for him to steadily cultivate to the peak of the Core Formation stage.
Even among the “stable” factions, many required extremely strict background checks before allowing guest elders to access their fourth-rank spiritual veins.
Some required lifetime servitude contracts, others demanded a century of service before granting access.
"There isn’t a single suitable faction within Wanfeng Sect’s territory."
With this realization, Lan Chang'an let out a quiet sigh, canceling his cave abode lease in Wuyou City.
It was time to move on.
His plan was to prioritize joining a Nascent Soul faction near the central forbidden zone.
This would allow him to monitor and maintain the spatial formation while also ensuring a quick escape route should he ever cause too much trouble.
Within the sphere of influence of Wanfeng Sect, there were mainly three Nascent Soul factions.
Aside from Wanfeng Sect, the other two were subordinate forces.
In truth, Wanfeng Sect was a relatively stable sect with no major threats nearby.
However, the sect had a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing it, making Lan Chang’an somewhat wary. Moreover, Wanfeng Sect had strict identity checks for new members and upheld a policy of preferring quality over quantity.
...
After a month of travel, Lan Chang'an finally reached the southeastern region of Wanfeng Sect’s territory, arriving at the Great Yu Kingdom.
This massive cultivation nation covered an area equivalent to two-thirds of the Righteous Dao Alliance, but its exploitable spiritual veins exceeded those of Wanfeng Sect by 40-50%.
Wanfeng Sect was closer to the Central Forbidden Zone, its land was spiritually barren, with a lower proportion of high-grade spiritual veins.
In contrast, the Great Yu Kingdom was rich in spiritual lands, making it one of the most resourceful regions in the Great Yuan.
However, unlike other regions dominated by sect-based cultivator alliances, the Great Yu Kingdom’s most powerful forces were four ancient cultivation families, led by the Yu Imperial Clan.
The Yu Imperial Clan had a mid-Nascent Soul ancestor, supported by multiple early Nascent Soul cultivators.
Legend had it that ten thousand years ago, the Yu Clan had migrated from the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty in Fenghua Province, bringing with them a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator who founded the Great Yu Kingdom.
The other three cultivation families, each ruled by an early Nascent Soul ancestor, were all intermarried with the Yu Clan.
Aside from these four imperial families, the Great Yu Kingdom also hosted two Nascent Soul-level sects, a powerful foreign merchant association, and numerous Core Formation-level sects that adhered to the kingdom’s laws.
Lan Chang'an ruled out the imperial families as potential choices. They valued bloodline purity and family alliances, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to integrate.
If he wanted to access their fourth-rank spiritual veins and secure Nascent Soul resources, he might have to marry into the family—a price he had no interest in paying.
“Red Moon Merchant Association, Yunxia Sect, and Great Snake Mountain. These three forces are all targets to consider.”
Lan Chang'an slowly descended from the Nine Fiery Heavens, entering the vast and picturesque land of Great Yu Kingdom.
Among them, Red Moon Merchant Association was an external force with considerable backing.
Through this association, Great Yu’s native specialty resources could be smoothly traded with the Eastern Region and even coastal areas, generating vast profits.
Red Moon Merchant Association was highly inclusive, welcoming local guest cultivators and offering decent benefits.
The association’s main base in Great Yu was situated on a mid-sized, fourth-rank low-grade spiritual vein.
As for Yunxia Sect and Great Snake Mountain, they were originally neutral cultivation forces outside of Great Yu, maintaining a delicate balance between the two major factions—Great Yu and Wanfeng Sect.
Later, the Yu Imperial Clan enticed them with significant benefits, successfully incorporating them into the kingdom’s territory.
At its peak, Great Yu Kingdom's landmass was more than double its current size. This maneuver by the imperial family was effectively a way of reclaiming part of its former territory.
Within Great Yu, Yunxia Sect and Great Snake Mountain maintained relatively autonomous domains, with the royal family refraining from interfering in their sect affairs.
Lan Chang'an’s first destination was Great Snake Mountain.
It was a beast-taming sect, and the resources and environment it possessed would aid the Earth Burrowing Rat in advancing to the fourth rank in the future.
…
As Lan Chang'an ventured deeper into the Great Yu Kingdom, something unusual occurred.
From within his consciousness, the Nine Seal Stele emitted a faint, subtle resonance.
"The reincarnation imprint from back then…"
Lan Chang'an paused mid-flight, closing his eyes to focus on the sensation.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and glanced toward a specific direction within the Great Yu Kingdom.
In this lifetime, he had only left reincarnation imprints on two individuals—Li Erqing and Zhao Siyao.
And this time, the resonance was linked to Li Erqing.
Being able to encounter the afterlife of his late friend in this strange realm, Lan Chang'an was naturally surprised and comforted.
However, he also found it odd.
The world was enormous, and Heaven Honoured Continent was unimaginably vast.
Yet in the span of just a hundred years, he had already reunited with two reincarnated past-life connections.
Was this merely coincidence?
After a moment of contemplation, he understood the truth.
The Nine Seal Stele was a supreme treasure of the rules of reincarnation.
From ancient times, it was said that karma and fate governed reincarnation cycles.
Since he had personally marked certain individuals, the Nine Seal Stele’s unseen influence naturally linked their fates, dramatically increasing the probability of reunion in their future lives.
Lan Chang'an quickly recovered his composure.
No matter how deep their relationship was in the past life, this life took precedence.
Even if he encountered Li Erqing in person, their bond would be vague and unfamiliar—perhaps a mere feeling of inexplicable familiarity.
However, starting from the illumination of the fourth life, the Nine Seal Stele began to contain a faint power of reincarnation.
That reincarnation mark was a rudimentary application of reincarnation power.
By the fifth life, this power had been further refined.
Now that Lan Chang'an possessed a fourth-rank puppet, he no longer needed to be overly cautious with the fourth life's reincarnation energy in the Nine Seal Stele.
"If I do meet Li Erqing again, with my surplus of reincarnation energy, perhaps I can experiment with something bold…"
Still, this discovery didn’t alter his immediate plans.
Great Snake Mountain remained his next destination, and Li Erqing’s resonance happened to be along the way—a fortunate coincidence.
With that thought, Lan Chang'an resumed his journey, steadily approaching Great Snake Mountain.
…
After several days of travel, Lan Chang'an finally arrived at Great Snake Mountain, one of the two Nascent Soul-level sects in the Great Yu Kingdom.
The sect’s territory was a massive ring-shaped mountain spanning over a thousand li, with high outer peaks and a deep valley at its center.
A perpetual gray mist shrouded the sect, concealing the fourth-rank spiritual vein nestled within.
However, Great Snake Mountain was not a purely righteous sect.
It leaned toward the evil path, though in recent centuries, it had adopted a low-profile approach, focusing on rebuilding its strength.
Centuries ago, when it joined the Great Yu Kingdom, it had betrayed Wanfeng Sect, attacking it from behind.
In retaliation, Wanfeng Sect relentlessly pursued vengeance, causing Great Snake Mountain to suffer devastating losses.
Even now, it had yet to fully recover, which was why its requirements for recruiting Core Formation guest elders were far lower than most Nascent Soul factions.
Its beast-taming expertise and rare resources were particularly valuable for nurturing Earth Burrowing Rat’s evolution—one of the key reasons Lan Chang'an had considered joining.
Standing at the gates of Great Snake Mountain, Lan Chang'an revealed his late-stage Core Formation cultivation and formally stated his intent.
The gatekeeping disciples were quick to report his arrival, treating him with utmost respect.
Even in the Great Yuan, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator was a highly valued figure, often capable of leading sect operations or battlefronts.
He was soon invited into the reception hall, where he was personally greeted by Heartless Immortal, the sect master of Great Snake Mountain.
Heartless Immortal appeared elderly and emaciated, his skin drawn tight over his bones.
His large sclera and tiny brown pupils gave him an unsettling gaze, making him appear eerily sinister.
Yet, despite his unsettling aura, Heartless Immortal was warm and enthusiastic, especially when he learned that Lan Chang'an was a third-rank puppet master.
"Fellow Daoist Xiang’s request is quite reasonable."
"You only need to serve Great Snake Mountain for thirty years, and in return, you will be granted access to our fourth-rank spiritual vein for your Nascent Soul formation."
"Should you make significant contributions, we can even provide rare Nascent Soul spirit items and breakthrough insights."
"We at Great Snake Mountain are focused on rebuilding, so we have no need for reckless combat."
On the surface, the offer was generous—perhaps even too generous.
Lan Chang'an did not immediately agree.
He had been prepared for a more rigorous background check, yet Great Snake Mountain had barely investigated his origins at all.
This lack of scrutiny was suspicious.
Moreover, the moment he stepped into Great Snake Mountain’s territory, his Earth Burrowing Rat began trembling inside his spirit pet pouch.
The reaction was pure instinctive fear, as though it had sensed a natural predator.
Without revealing his concerns, Lan Chang'an politely declined, saying he needed time to consider.
Heartless Immortal smiled knowingly, still confident.
"Other sects and families in the Great Yu Kingdom will not offer such lenient conditions, Fellow Daoist Xiang."
His tone was kind, but the look in his eyes was unreadable.
Lan Chang'an remained calm, bid farewell, and swiftly departed the sect.
Moments later, as he vanished into the horizon, Heartless Immortal frowned and retrieved a serpent-patterned token from his storage bracelet.
"The Scarlet Abyss Serpent King… is restless?"
His expression darkened, and he immediately descended into the forbidden depths of Great Snake Mountain’s inner valley.
The Scarlet Abyss Serpent King was the sect’s guardian beast, stronger than even their early Nascent Soul ancestor, so it had to be served well.
…
After traveling thousands of li away, Lan Chang'an finally relaxed slightly, shaking his head.
"Great Snake Mountain is too risky. Even if nothing is wrong, its environment alone is unnerving."
He had initially been open to joining.
After all, the Great Yuan had very few orthodox factions.
Great Snake Mountain’s reputation was mixed, but it had never been labeled a truly evil sect.
If anything, it was best described as "chaotic neutral."
Regardless, he now had no intention of joining.
Instead, he set his sights on the Red Moon Merchant Association—a more neutral and structured faction.
Seven days later.
Red Moon Immortal City was built upon a fourth-rank spiritual vein and was entirely controlled by the merchant association—something extremely rare in the Great Qing’s Eastern Region.
The Red Moon Merchant Association dispatched a vice president to negotiate with Lan Chang'an.
This meeting was far more formal than the one at Great Snake Mountain.
The Red Moon Merchant Association was willing to recruit a skilled guest elder like Lan Chang'an, but it required signing a strict fourth-rank spirit contract.
If he wanted to use the fourth-rank spiritual vein to advance to Nascent Soul, he would have to pay a significant price or serve the guild for a full hundred years.
Furthermore, as a Core Formation Great Cultivator, Lan Chang’an was no ordinary candidate—he had to pass a final review by Red Moon Merchant Association’s Nascent Soul True Monarch.
"There’s room for negotiation."
Lan Chang'an mentally noted the terms and left, placing the merchant association on his backup list.
However, there was one major concern—
Through True Monarch Shazhai’s memories, Lan Chang'an suspected that the Red Moon Merchant Association had ties to the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects.
Since he had inherited many of Shazhai’s belongings and knowledge, joining this faction would require extreme caution.
After all, the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects were notorious for hunting down descendants of the Tinghai Pavilion.
If anyone connected him to Shazhai’s legacy, his situation would become extremely dangerous.
In truth, with the Xuanmu Gourd Vine in his possession, Lan Chang’an subtly enhanced the collective fortune of any faction he joined.
He could be considered a lucky star for any sect.
As the vine grew, this effect would gradually strengthen.
However, this secret was not something to be shared with outsiders.
…
Half a month later.
Lan Chang'an arrived at the southeastern region of Great Yu Kingdom.
By now, Lan Chang'an’s reincarnation imprint resonance had intensified significantly.
"Could it be that Erqing’s current life is within Yunxia Sect?"
As he approached Yunxia Sect, this theory became more certain.
The sect’s headquarters was located among mountain ranges covered in vibrant mist, shrouded by a fourth-rank grand formation of multicolored clouds.
Lan Chang'an recalled the sect’s history:
Yunxia Sect had two Nascent Soul True Monarchs.They were a perfectly matched Daoist couple:
Yunlan True Monarch – An earth spiritual root cultivator, and the sect’s eldest Nascent Soul ancestor.
Purple Mist True Monarch – A heavenly spiritual root beauty, also known as the Purple Mist Fairy, a new Nascent Soul cultivator famous for her breathtaking beauty.
In the past one to two hundred years, Yunxia Sect had actively recruited fresh blood and Core Formation guest elders.
This was because, two hundred years ago, the sect had discovered an ancient ruin in the Central Region Forbidden Zone. During the exploration, many of their Core Formation cultivators, who formed the backbone of the sect, suffered heavy losses.
Lan Chang'an showed up as a Core Formation Great Cultivator and just as he approached, the sect’s fourth-rank grand formation suddenly reacted to his presence.
"Strange… Yunxia Sect must have suffered intrusions before."
He formally announced his identity and was soon greeted by the sect master, Hu Zongzhu.
The aged sect master’s sharp gaze immediately noticed that Lan Chang'an was not a local cultivator.
"Fellow Daoist Xiang must be from outside the Central Region."
The Core Formation Great Cultivators of the Great Yu Kingdom were all influential figures in their own right, and Sect Master Hu could be said to be well-acquainted with each of them.
"Sect Master Hu is perceptive. I am not from the Great Yu Kingdom, nor even from the Central Region." Lan Chang'an smiled openly.
His gaze was even more discerning—he could tell that this Sect Master Hu had only a few decades of lifespan left and was still suffering from unhealed internal injuries.
Their spiritual senses momentarily clashed.
Hu Zongzhu immediately recognized Lan Chang'an’s deep, well-tempered mana, realizing he was at his prime.
"Immortal Xiang possesses profound magical power, and his origins do not lie in the Central Region. Our sect has always required a clear background check before accepting guest elders. Even if this old man were to agree, I fear I wouldn’t have the final say."
Sect Master Hu welcomed Lan Chang'an into the grand hall of the sect. After a brief conversation, he spoke frankly.
Lan Chang'an understood. At the level of a Core Formation Great Cultivator, joining any sect would naturally attract the attention of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Just then—
Lan Chang’an sensed a Nascent Soul-level spiritual sense sweeping over the side hall where the two of them were.
Sect Master Hu’s expression grew solemn. After pausing to listen for a moment, he smiled at Lan Chang’an.
"Immortal Xiang, your luck is quite good. A Supreme Elder of our sect has just emerged from seclusion and wishes to speak with you in person."
"May I ask which True Monarch it is?"
Lan Chang'an asked respectfully.
Joining a major faction with a fourth-rank spirit vein inevitably required passing the scrutiny of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
If he could meet one directly, it would actually save trouble.
"True Monarch Purple Mist. She will arrive shortly."
Sect Master Hu clasped his hands together in a smile and gestured toward the main peak, shrouded in clouds above the sect’s gates.