I am evergreen in the world of cultivating immortals

Chapter 493 Blood Prison Dragon Fiend, Noble Character and Integrity
half a month later.

Lu Chang'an appeared at the cross-sea teleportation array in the Luoxia Islands.

The elder guarding the formation was none other than the portly Chen family elder from the Giant Shark Chen clan.

The two exchanged brief greetings.

Elder Chen was secretly surprised and glanced at Lu Chang'an, who looked unwell.

Compared to when he first emerged from the deep water, Lu Chang'an's condition had improved significantly.

On the Xuan Shui Giant Turtle, Lu Chang'an sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing and headed straight for the main island where the Chamber of Commerce headquarters was located.

The General Affairs Hall of the Merchant Alliance Headquarters.

"Elder Lu only took on the mission a few months ago, and he's already back?"

The elder in charge of general affairs noticed his complexion and said with a smile:

"Could it be that Elder Lu has already severely injured that black dragon and driven it out of the Heavenly Star Sea?"

This statement was merely a polite probe.

In the Tianxing Sea, there have been instances of mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators attacking the Ink Dragon in the past.

That black dragon is cunning and resourceful, adept at fighting and attrition in the deep sea. When encountering a powerful opponent it cannot defeat, it possesses considerable survival skills in the deep sea.

The best result was that cultivators from other forces severely injured and drove away the dragon.

"As you have entrusted, I, Lu, have resolved the threat of the evil dragon."

Lu Chang'an remained calm and composed, with a smile on his face.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Lu has indeed completed the mission? Congratulations!"

The elder in charge of general affairs' eyes lit up, and he was filled with respect, without expressing any doubt.

"However, the mission confirmation still requires information from the intelligence department..."

"There's no need to go to such lengths."

Lu Chang'an waved his sleeve and took out a dark dragon head that was almost the size of a woodshed.

The moment the dragon's head appeared, it emitted an invisible malevolent aura and the lingering pressure of the dragon's offspring.

"This is……"

The Elder of General Affairs' pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively became alert, activating his magical power.

Meeting the black dragon's wide eyes, the elder of general affairs felt a chill run down his spine.

"Lu Zhenjun is truly a man of great hidden talent."

The elder of general affairs took a deep breath, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Elder, you flatter me."

Lu Chang'an said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I was a minor realm higher than the dragon and had the help of a fourth-tier spirit pet, which was why I was only able to barely kill this evil dragon..."

The elder in charge of general affairs remained noncommittal and quickly sent a message to the bigwigs within the alliance.

This is no small matter; it involves a huge contribution and a reward.

……

Not long after.

Alliance Leader Zuo Tianxiong and Deputy Alliance Leader Qiu Luoyan arrived at the General Affairs Hall.

Upon seeing the head of the Ink Dragon, the two business tycoons exchanged glances, unable to conceal the astonishment in their eyes.

The two alliance leaders had considered that Lu Chang'an was quite powerful and might be able to seriously injure or drive away the evil dragon.

Unexpectedly, the black dragon that had plagued the seas for many years was beheaded by this person.

Within the alliance, aside from the Azure-Eyed Sacred Beast, perhaps only the Grand Elder at his peak and the alliance leader Zuo Tianxiong had the opportunity to achieve this.

After verifying the remains.

The Autumn Alliance Leader's long eyelashes fluttered, and a rare hint of appreciation appeared in her clear, calm eyes.

Curious, he inquired about Lu Chang'an's process of slaying the dragon.

Lu Chang'an repeated what he had said to his Star Palace Daoist partner.

The two alliance leaders nodded, seemingly deep in thought.

They had already noticed that Lu Chang'an's aura was unstable and his magical energy was depleted.

Despite being two against one, being a minor realm higher, the feat of slaying the Ink Dragon wasn't particularly impressive when it got out.

Only cultivators who have fought against the Ink Dragon and understand its true nature know the significance of its kill.

High rewards for killing enemies.

However, it won't greatly increase its fame or expose too much of its strength.

This is one of the reasons why Lu Chang'an chose this mission.

After verification by the two alliance leaders, Lu Chang'an handed over the mission.

Exchange for hundreds of thousands of Merchant Alliance contribution points, as well as bounties for fourth-tier spirit pills, rare magic treasures, and a large amount of spirit stones.

They only severely injured and drove away the Ink Dragon; they didn't contribute that much to the Merchant Alliance.

The two alliance leaders decided to double the contribution.

However, there is one additional condition.

The materials from Lu Chang'an's slaying of the Ink Dragon should be traded and processed within the Merchant Alliance first.

The two alliance leaders took the corpse of the fourth-tier dragon descendant very seriously.

It contains many rare materials, which can enhance the strategic reserves of the Blue Ocean Business Alliance and its influence in the sea area.

Lu Chang'an agreed to this priority.

The merchant alliance has a large quantity of the fourth-tier high-grade materials he needs, as well as body-refining elixirs.

Lu Chang'an first processed a batch of non-core materials from the Mo Jiao's corpse, exchanging them for Merchant Alliance contributions.

For example, large quantities of dragon blood, dragon meat, and partially damaged dragon scales.

Lu Chang'an intends to use the dragon's essence and blood for body refinement and will not part with it.

As for ordinary fourth-order dragon flesh and blood, it had little effect on Lu Chang'an, who had cultivated to the fourth order of body refinement.

The flesh and blood of a dragon are not easy to preserve for a long time.

Even with magic to preserve it, its spiritual effects will gradually diminish over time.

Of course, for cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm, especially those in the Core Formation stage, the flesh and blood of a fourth-order dragon are highly nourishing.

It can even improve physical health, but such opportunities are rare and hard to come by.

Lu Chang'an also left Zhao Shiyao some dragon flesh and blood, which could be used to enhance her physique through dietary therapy and medicinal baths.

……

In addition, on the way back.

Lu Chang'an bestowed some of the dragon's blood and the internal organs of the dragon upon Di Yanjun.

Earth Rock Lord likes to eat the internal organs of the Demon King.

The Flying Rat King looks even weaker; it's a good time to give it a boost.

Upon confirming that Lu Chang'an had killed the Ink Dragon, Fei Tianjun appeared even more reserved, keeping a smiling face.

……

"My two alliance leaders! We will trade the remaining core materials within the alliance once I have recovered from my injuries and regained my strength."

Lu Chang'an cupped his hands in farewell and rose to take his leave.

He planned to wait for the right price, and slowly sell the core dragon materials within the alliance.

Besides its headquarters, the Azure Sea Business Alliance also includes several medium-to-large-sized maritime merchants.

For example, the Left Alliance Leader, the Ten Thousand Alliance Leader, and Elder Wei all have the interests of the merchant family behind them.

The Autumn Alliance Leader is an exception.

She was a Nascent Soul cultivator trained by the Merchant Alliance's headquarters, and received guidance from the Grand Elder when she was young.

Qiu Luoyan lived alone and had no offspring, so there was no merchant family behind her.

Having cultivated to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, she held high power and position, and even ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs could hardly catch her eye.

"It's alright! We can discuss this further after Elder Lu recovers. The alliance's offer will certainly not leave Elder Lu at a disadvantage."

The leader of the Left Alliance laughed heartily.

The two alliance leaders rose to see him off, their attitudes toward Lu Chang'an having undergone a complete change.

……

Lu Chang'an returned to the Hidden Mist Island Dojo.

"Brother Lu."

A graceful figure in sky-blue robes came out to greet them.

Seeing Lu Chang'an return safely, Zhao Shiyao breathed a sigh of relief, and a look of joy appeared on her face.

"I will be in seclusion for a month and will not receive any guests during this period."

Lu Chang'an gave Zhao Xianzi a few instructions.

He also gave her some dragon meat and blood, and taught her the methods of dietary therapy and medicinal baths.

And so, Hidden Mist Island erected a sign declaring it closed to visitors.

Representatives of the maritime merchant families who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, including Wei Dongjun who arrived shortly after, all found nothing.

……

Inside the secret chamber of the Cloud Sea Cave.

Lu Chang'an took out the Sky-Splitting Axe and observed and sensed it for a moment.

A faint fluctuation of consciousness emanated from within the axe.

"According to the records in the 'Heaven-Mending and Spirit-Nourishing Technique', this axe will give birth to a spirit within a few decades to a hundred years, thus attracting a calamity to the spiritual treasure."

Lu Chang'an pondered.

This is just a normal speed estimate.

[Nine Seal Stele] The fourth incarnation descended time and again, offering sacrifices as nourishment.

The actual speed at which the spirit of the vessel is nurtured far exceeds that of ordinary beings.

Therefore, the time for the [Sky-Splitting Axe] to undergo the tribulation of the Spirit Treasure was much earlier than expected.

"Fortunately, as long as the quality of the magic weapon meets the standard and the spirit born is not too weak, the difficulty of the first tribulation of the magic weapon is not too great."

Since obtaining the Sky-Splitting Axe, Lu Chang'an has searched for related ancient books.

Regarding Lingbao's tribulation, there is relevant inheritance information among the Nascent Soul stage monsters he slew.

Lingbao possesses almost limitless growth potential, and the difficulty increases exponentially with each subsequent tribulation.

As the most basic first tribulation, it's not very difficult, and can be considered a small perk.

Lu Chang'an gripped the Sky-Splitting Axe and began to calculate again.

As the owner of the spiritual treasure, he was not affected by the effect of "divine objects concealing themselves".

He wanted to determine the approximate time of the Lingbao Calamity.

A spiritual treasure corresponds to at least the fifth rank.

Without sufficient information mediums, even if Yan Donglai possessed fifth-level divination skills, it would be difficult for him to divine the secrets related to the spiritual treasure out of thin air.

The Sky-Splitting Axe was a gift from the current Heavenly One God, adding another layer of mystery to the celestial realm.

"Twenty-two years later, no more than twenty-seven years later."

Lu Chang'an consulted the oracle for a long time and obtained the result.

The Lingbao Tribulation is full of variables, and it is already difficult to pinpoint a general time point.

At that time, he can go out in advance to a remote place to undergo the Spirit Treasure Tribulation.

……

Put away the quasi-spiritual treasure.

Lu Chang'an then took out a black jar.

It is filled with intense dragon blood and malevolent energy, and faint, malevolent dragon shadows roam within it.

This is the finished product obtained by Lu Chang'an when he was disposing of the corpse after slaying the dragon, using the "Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique".

The Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique is a blood-based body-refining technique that uses the essence and fiendish energy of dragon descendants to slaughter and devour them. It can be used to improve physical strength and promote body-refining cultivation.

This was compensation obtained from the Emperor of Yu during the Great Yu's conquests.

Originally, Lu Chang'an only asked for the "Blood Refining Demon Transformation Manual".

This secret method is relatively gentle, strengthening one's physical body and vital energy by refining the blood of powerful demons.

The Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique is an unorthodox technique that takes shortcuts and has side effects.

This was Emperor Yu's initiative to compensate and give gifts; clearly, he had ulterior motives.

Now, Lu Chang'an understands his intentions.

Firstly, he was already tainted with the murderous aura of the dragon-slaying.

If the slaughter consumes too much essence and blood, it will distort the cultivator's mind and affect future advancement.

The royal family would love for him to devote more energy to body training.

Fortunately, Lu Chang'an's soul was comparable to that of a great cultivator, allowing him to easily suppress it. With the aid of the Evergreen Technique, he could slowly eliminate this malevolent energy.

Secondly, this Blood Path Body Refining Technique is most effective for Dragon Descendants; otherwise, its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

To achieve rapid body refinement, one must slaughter a large number of dragon descendants.

Such actions will inevitably provoke the demon races overseas, and may even alarm the Nine Dragons Palace.

Lu Chang'an knew perfectly well that this was just an experiment.

Even if he were on par with a great cultivator, he wouldn't dare to be so arrogant as to slaughter a large number of dragons overseas.

His conservative plan was to occasionally hunt down a fourth-tier dragonborn, and then consider the next move once the malevolent energy had dissipated.

The target must have a clear background and identity; they cannot be descendants of the Nine Dragons Palace.

In the world of monsters, Earth Rock Lord and Flying Sky Lord provide support. They search for those fourth-tier dragon descendants who are withdrawn and unpopular.

Feitianjun also ate the dragon's flesh and organs, which can be considered as a pledge of loyalty, and he can be trusted.

Furthermore, as a Heavenly-grade bloodline, the Flying Rat requires a greater amount of resources and spiritual materials to advance to the mid-stage of the fourth tier.

……

Several days later, in a secret room.

Lu Chang'an activated the "Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique" and absorbed the dragon blood fiend energy from the black jar.

uh~
Blood-red dragon shadows hovered around Lu Chang'an, emanating terrifying roars of malevolence.

A foul-smelling, black, bloody haze floated overhead.

A faint bluish-black tinge appeared on the forehead.

"In such a short time, his physique has improved, and his qi and blood have been significantly enhanced..."

Lu Chang'an was pleasantly surprised, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

Combined with the special effects of underworld techniques, his face subtly exudes a sinister and ferocious aura.

The Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique had astonishing effects, exceeding Lu Chang'an's expectations.

In just a few days, his physical cultivation level was equivalent to that of many years in the past.

In the past, I endured a lot of hardship by taking medicinal baths and training my body.

The exhilarating feeling of physical enhancement captivated Lu Chang'an.

If I slaughter a few more dragon descendants, wouldn't I be on the verge of reaching the mid-stage of the fourth rank in body refinement?

"Don't get addicted! Don't get addicted..."

Lu Chang'an's divine soul power, comparable to that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, suppressed the strange blood-path evil energy that had invaded his physical Nascent Soul.

His mind cleared, and he used the power of Evergreen to slowly dissipate the influence of the evil energy.

If an ordinary cultivator were to try this method, how could they resist the temptation and not have their mind and heart distorted?

"I've heard that there's a Buddhist lineage in Xiangzhou on the Tianheng Continent."

"If we could get our hands on a Buddhist relic, we could eliminate that eerie blood dragon aura much faster."

Thinking of this, Lu Chang'an couldn't help but shake his head.

Xiangzhou is located in the inland hinterland, too far from overseas, making it simply unrealistic.

……

half a month later.

The dragon blood aura could no longer be felt on Lu Chang'an's body.

The internal energy has seeped in and will take a long time to eradicate.

Afterwards, he used conventional methods, refining and absorbing the essence blood of the black dragon through the "Blood Refining Demon Codex".

This method is gentler, as it involves repeated purification of the dragon's essence and blood, resulting in minimal side effects.

Of course, it also wastes a lot of medicinal effects, as it is not as simple and brutal as the "Blood Prison Dragon Demon Technique" and does not allow for rapid body refinement and advancement.

"The effect of refining the body with the essence blood of the black dragon is similar to that of Xuan Shuijun."

Lu Chang'an pondered for a long time and nodded in agreement.

The essence and blood of the Demon King are rare.

Very few can achieve the same level of harmony as Xuan Shui Jun.

Even if you exploit every last drop of blood from the Xuan Shui Turtle, it's still a drop in the ocean.

Tianxinghai was right to come; now he has a new source of blood.

From now on, his body-refining essence will primarily consist of Dragon Descendants and Xuan Shui Jun.

If this continues, Lu Chang'an's physique may possess the characteristics of both a dragon and a tortoise.

However, the dragon-type demon kings are extremely powerful and rarely seen in ordinary overseas areas; they are more numerous in the deep sea.

Moreover, the dragon's supernatural powers are greatly enhanced in the sea, making it quite difficult to kill.

Even if other Nascent Soul cultivators had this idea, it would be difficult for them to implement it.

Lu Chang'an believed that if he hunted dragon descendants in a restrained and selective manner in the future, the risks should not be too great.

To be on the safe side, he did some divination, only predicting the general direction of fortune. The result was a very ominous sign!
"It seems I was just making assumptions..."

Lu Chang'an frowned and began to carefully consider the matter.

Which step was overlooked?
With his extensive experience in memorizing, Lu Chang'an quickly found the reason:
The source of malevolent energy!

For every dragonborn he kills, Lu Chang'an will be tainted by the karma of the deceased, adding another source of malevolent energy.

This is not just a superficial malevolent aura, but involves the realm of cause and effect.

If it proceeds as originally planned.

Every few decades, he would hunt down fourth-tier dragonborn in a controlled manner, choosing those with poor backgrounds as his targets.

Once the source of malevolent energy accumulates to a certain level, those with high-level True Dragon bloodlines will be able to sense it.

Once those true dragon bloodlines get close, they will smell the death aura of their kind on Lu Chang'an, and they will feel a chill and become wary.

Let alone higher species like dragon descendants.

Even a stray dog ​​can keenly smell the scent of a butcher or dog thief.

Killing one or two third or fourth-tier dragon descendants wouldn't have much impact on Lu Chang'an.

If you kill too many dragons, the dragon slayer profession will take shape, and the danger will increase.

……

"The source of malevolent energy...involves the soul...involves cause and effect."

Lu Chang'an pondered for a long time, then a flash of inspiration struck him.

"Cause and effect? ​​The cycle of cause and effect!"

In the legends of the cultivation world, cause and effect are closely related to reincarnation.

The Nine Seal Stele is a treasure of reincarnation.

Can this stele resolve the karmic consequences brought about by the source of evil energy?

It is theoretically feasible.

However, the various abilities of the [Nine Seals Stele] will be gradually unlocked as the levels are illuminated.

Some abilities still require Lu Chang'an to explore on his own.

This is the downside of not having a spirit.

As his understanding of the realm deepened, Lu Chang'an confirmed that the [Nine Seal Stele] was incomplete.

The stele shows signs of damage, especially on the back.

This treasure of reincarnation may have suffered some kind of severe damage, losing most of its spirituality.

The Nine Seals Stele was the name he gave to the mysterious ancient stele.

Lu Chang'an calmed his mind and merged his consciousness into the [Nine Seal Stele] deep in his mind.

Upon touching the mysterious ancient stele, Lu Chang'an transmitted his thoughts to it.

Regarding the cause and effect of resolving the source of evil energy.

When the concept of cause and effect appeared, the Nine Seal Stele immediately reacted, conveying a vague and abstract information concept.

"Consuming high-level reincarnation power can resolve the karmic causes of the source of evil energy."

Lu Chang'an extracted useful information from the feedback on the abstract concepts.

No special method is needed.

He understood immediately and invoked the power of reincarnation within the sixth frame of the Nine Seals Stele.

The sixth incarnation corresponds to the Refinement of Emptiness level.

Some of the Nascent Souls that were once devoured only illuminated a very small area.

hum!
As soon as Lu Chang'an had a thought, a bright, crystalline white light flashed in the sixth generation's frame imprint area.

This wisp of reincarnation power swept across Lu Chang'an's nascent soul sea of ​​consciousness, aiming at the clearest and most intense blood-ink dragon shadow.

hold head high!
A faint dragon's roar and scream echoed in his mind, sounding very similar to the voice of that black dragon.

"Done?"

Lu Chang'an felt a sense of relief, as if he had somehow ended and nipped a causal conflict in the bud.

Even the negative effects of the Blood Prison Dragon Fiend Technique have largely dissipated.

Within the sixth generation's frame, the missing reincarnation power is equivalent to devouring the illuminated area of ​​a nascent soul.

Lu Chang'an's soul was, of course, also tainted by other chaotic sources of malevolent energy, numerous in number, which was why it was only faintly visible under the stimulation of the power of reincarnation.

However, the source of the malevolent energy of the target devoured by the Nine Seal Stele was extremely faint, negligible.

As time goes by, the source of the malevolent energy will gradually wear down and fade.

Lu Chang'an didn't bother with the other sources of malevolent energy; he couldn't afford to waste the power of reincarnation.

We should spend our money wisely.

"The Nine Seals can resolve and eliminate karmic negative energy, so when hunting high-ranking dragon descendants in the future, one will not be afraid of being tainted by the source of negative energy. One can even be unafraid of divination regarding the karma of the deceased..."

The successful verification of the power of reincarnation made Lu Chang'an overjoyed.

in this way.

With his profession as the Evergreen Dragon Slayer, he doesn't need to worry about karmic retribution from the Nine Dragon Palace.

With the biggest problem in improving his body cultivation solved, Lu Chang'an was in high spirits.

He couldn't help but chuckle, looking back towards the direction of the Central Region of the Great Abyss:
"A mere royal family, with its paltry tricks, dares not presume to show off its meager skills before me?"

Lu Chang'an looks forward to the day when he will master the Blood Prison Dragon Demon Technique and visit the Great Yu Imperial City.

……

During Lu Chang'an's "seclusion to heal his wounds" period.

The news of Mo Jiao's slaying gradually spread throughout the Merchant Alliance headquarters and the Luoxia Islands, causing a sensation.

The main headquarters is a forbidden area.

In the misty, fragrant therapeutic pool.

A gaunt old man with white hair and wrinkled skin lay in the sedative pool with his eyes half-closed, trying to slow down the aging of his life force.

This elder of the merchant alliance had sparse white hair tied in a topknot, prominent cheekbones, and a face like withered skin, dotted with dark brown age spots.

It's hard to imagine that this frail old cultivator is the supreme ruler of the Azure Sea Merchant Alliance, one of the top overseas powers.

"Grandpa, according to the intelligence reports from the alliance's intelligence divisions, no one knows the details of how Elder Lu killed the Ink Dragon."

"The closest bystanders were a pair of Nascent Soul stage Daoist couples from the Star Moon Palace."

Wei Dongjun reported in a gentle, calm voice and with a respectful tone.

"This person claims to be an inland refugee, and his strength is considered formidable among those in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He is truly extraordinary."

The elder's voice sounded like the hoarse echo of a drumhead:
"In the current alliance, apart from the Azure-Eyed Beast, I'm afraid no one can control him. Such a person of unknown origin cannot be trusted and should not be given important responsibilities."

Wei Dongjun found it difficult to refute and remained silent for a moment.

From the very beginning, Grandpa didn't really trust Elder Lu, who joined the group midway.

The Grand Elder then asked, "Have you been able to find out any information about Guest Elder Lu in the coastal mainland?"

"No."

Wei Dongjun shook his head, his voice low.

Tianxinghai is too far from the mainland. Even though the Bihai Business Alliance has special communication methods, it is difficult to find out Lu Chang'an's identity and background in just a few years.

Mid-stage Nascent Soul, fourth-order water-type sacred beast—there are some near-shore continents that meet these criteria, but none of them fit the bill.

"If you, Grandfather, were in your prime, you could have gone toe-to-toe with a great cultivator. You would not have to be afraid of this person and could have trusted and relied on Lu Keqing."

Wei Dongjun changed the subject, subtly offering a compliment.

Elderly people, entering their twilight years, like to reminisce about their past glories.

The Grand Elder was no exception; whenever he recalled the past, a smile would unconsciously appear on his lips.

This time was no different; the grandfather and grandson reminisced about past glories, and the elder was in a much better mood.

Before leaving.

The elder's smile faded, and he looked solemnly at his most promising grandson:
"Ah Dong, tell me your true opinion of Lu Keqing?"

The old fox could tell that Wei Dongjun disagreed with Lu Chang'an's views, but he didn't want to refute him.

The Grand Elder did not meet with Lu Chang'an, wanting to hear his grandson's opinion.

Wei Dongjun carefully considered his words and said, "I have had more contact with Elder Lu and have a certain understanding of his temperament."

"This person's wood-based cultivation technique is pure and gentle, like the wind, unlike a heretical cultivator."

"Elder Lu treats his concubines well, keeps his promises, and helps Zhao Shiyao transform into a second elixir. This is truly commendable."

"Lu Keqing has taken a liking to the intelligent and virtuous Zhao Shiyao, but he does not take the jealous Zhao family's younger sister into his fold as well. This shows that he is a man of noble character and integrity, and is worth befriending."

Wei Dongjun shared his feelings.

He was the first Nascent Soul cultivator overseas to interact with Lu Chang'an.

Recalling all the details.

Wei Dongjun had a gut feeling that this person probably didn't have any bad intentions towards the Bihai Business Alliance.

The elder nodded and said, "Since you trust him, you can befriend him appropriately. But appearances can be deceiving, and you should always be wary."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Wei Dongjun felt relieved and immediately agreed.

With Grandpa's lifespan limited, the Bihai Business Alliance is entering a critical period of power transition.

At this time, Lu Chang'an, whose origins were unknown and whose strength was immense, appeared, and the Grand Elder remained wary of him.

……

"In recent years, I have visited Uncle Bijing's water residence more often."

Finally, the Grand Elder gave further instructions.

"My grandson understands."

Wei Dongjun took a deep breath and inexplicably felt that the burden on his shoulders was too heavy.

The transfer of power at the Merchant Alliance headquarters and the ownership of the Great Demon King, the Azure-Eyed Beast, are of paramount importance.

After the Grand Elder's death, who will take care of the Azure-Eyed Beast's spirit contract jade tablet?

This is a very sensitive issue.

Wei Dongjun is relatively young and has not yet reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. His experience and strength are inferior to those of the three alliance leaders.

Unfortunately, he was the grandson of the Grand Elder, and both of them shared the surname Wei, with the Wei family behind them.

The Grand Elder wanted to entrust the Spirit Contract Jade Token to Wei Dongjun for safekeeping.

Only in this way can the Wei family's power and status within the alliance be continued and preserved after his death.

The Grand Elder had privately tested the waters, but was met with strong opposition from the Left Alliance Leader and the Vice Alliance Leader Wan.

The reason is simple.

The Azure-Eyed Beast is the Grand Elder's spirit pet, but it is by no means his private property!
The Azure-Eyed Beast was hatched in the Merchant Alliance very early on, and a bond was formed between them from a young age, making it willing to protect this force.

He received dedicated support from the Merchant Alliance and eventually advanced to the late stage of the fourth tier.
Being supported and respected by a top-tier power is far more comfortable than being a demon king who rules over a mountain.

To take over the Spirit Contract Jade Token, the approval of the Azure-Eyed Beast is crucial.

This beast is equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator; it's not something you can control or command at will simply by grasping its spiritual contract and knowing its life or death.

If you hold this kind of mindset, then you should be prepared to be backfired at any time.

Therefore, if anyone wants to take over the Spirit Contract Jade Token, whether it's Wei Dongjun, the Left Alliance Leader, or the Vice Alliance Leader Wan, they must respect the Azure-Eyed Beast and cultivate a good relationship with it.

Wei Dongjun's biggest advantage is that, thanks to his grandfather's connections, he has more contact with the Azure-Eyed Beast and a closer relationship with it compared to the three alliance leaders.

According to Grandpa, as long as one gains the approval of the Azure-Eyed Beast and obtains the Spirit Contract Jade Token, even the Left Alliance Leader and the Ten Thousandth Deputy Alliance Leader combined would be no match for it.

The remaining leader, Qiu, is a trusted confidant whom Grandpa personally promoted, so he won't object to this matter.

However, Wei Dongjun couldn't help feeling uneasy:
Firstly, he lacked sufficient cultivation and experience, and worried that he wouldn't be able to control the situation after his grandfather's death.

Secondly, although the Azure-Eyed Beast was close to him, it never explicitly expressed its support for anyone.

If the Azure-Eyed Beast remains neutral, Wei Dongjun will appear to be outnumbered and outmatched.

Qiu Mengzhu has no family backing.

The families behind the Left Alliance Leader and the Wan Deputy Alliance Leader are powerful, and they have established intricate relationships within the alliance through marriage.

Both parties control a significant portion of the business alliance's interests and influence.

Wei Dongjun is eager to gain more allies' support.

Therefore, he tried to befriend Elder Lu, a newly joined mid-stage Nascent Soul guest elder, by offering him precious resources such as Stardust Crystal Sand.

……

Since Lu Chang'an returned after slaying the Ink Dragon, Hidden Mist Island has received much attention in the archipelago waters.

This day.

Lu Chang'an, who had been in seclusion for a month, finally emerged from seclusion.

The sign on the island indicating it was closed to visitors has been taken down.

Next, Lu Chang'an will process the valuable materials from the Mo Jiao's corpse.

Such as the claws, bones, scales, pills, and venom sacs of a dragon.

Lu Chang'an and Wei Kuishi discussed that these materials were not suitable for integration into the fourth-order puppet array system.

After all, the puppets in a fourth-order puppet array are all humanoid.

Over the years, Lu Chang'an has focused on the quality of the puppets rather than their quantity.

The first step is to upgrade all the fourth-tier humanoid puppets in the puppet array to fourth-tier low-grade high-quality ones.

The second step is to strive to become a mid-grade fourth-tier puppeteer. First, upgrade the core commander, the Azure Armor Puppet, to a mid-grade fourth-tier puppeteer.

The first step is not difficult.

For this dragon-slaying and processing of the dragon's flesh and blood, Lu Chang'an received a huge contribution from the Merchant Alliance.

This contribution was enough for him to exchange for materials, and upgrade all the puppets in the General's Formation to the highest quality.

The second step is to prepare more high-grade fourth-tier treasure materials.

A fourth-tier mid-grade puppeteer may not be able to achieve mastery overnight; more spare materials will definitely be needed.

Therefore, Lu Chang'an went with the flow and was willing to sell important parts of the Ink Dragon in exchange for the precious materials he needed.

……

It only took half a day.

Several Nascent Soul representatives from major chambers of commerce have arrived in Yunhai Prefecture.

For example, the Zuo family, the Wan family, the Lin family, the Chen family...

Each family wields considerable influence within the Blue Ocean Business Alliance.

Because there were many representatives and the matter involved trade secrets, Lu Chang'an received each of them individually for a period of time.

"The Zuo family and the Wan family have the highest bids and the strongest capabilities."

Lu Chang'an's initial negotiations only resulted in the exchange of a portion of the dragon scales and dragon bones.

Barter as much as possible.

The materials he needs are at least mid-grade fourth rank, which won't be easy to obtain.

Most maritime families need to leave some profit margin.

Lu Chang'an, however, adopted a wait-and-see attitude, resulting in a low initial transaction rate.

The Dragon Essence Elixir, the sinews of the dragon, and the dragon claws have not yet been traded.

The value of the Dragon Essence Elixir goes without saying.

The sinews of a dragon can be used to forge magical bows.

Dragon claws can be used to craft claw-type magical artifacts.

Until sunset.

Wei Dongjun arrived late.

After watching the group of representatives leave with a smile, he spoke with Lu Chang'an alone.

After taking his seat, Wei Dongjun smiled calmly:
"After seeing Mr. Wei's offer, Elder Lu will no longer trade with a third party."

"Oh? Brother Wei is so confident?"

Lu Chang'an looked surprised as he sized up the confident Wei Dongjun.

He accepted the jade slip handed to him by the other party.

Lu Chang'an scanned the area with his divine sense and his expression changed.

He was surprised and looked at Wei Dongjun, who had a smile on his face.

Lu Chang'an couldn't help but be moved.

The tradable pills, spiritual items, and materials for refining artifacts and puppets listed in the jade slip are of a much higher grade than those of others.

A few of these rare items can only be brought out by Nascent Soul cultivators.

Moreover, Wei Dongjun's valuation of the core material of the Ink Dragon was very high, exceeding that of others by at least 30%.

Some of the prices are even higher than the normal market price.

It was only slightly lower than the auction price.

Auction prices should not be used as a standard for market prices.

After all, holding an auction requires a lot of human and financial resources.

In other words.

Wei Dongjun's valuation quote leaves absolutely no profit margin.

We may even incur losses on our reserves of rare and valuable items.

The items and resources listed on the jade slip are far more valuable than the core components of the dragon.

Lu Chang'an sighed softly, and said meaningfully:

"Elder Wei, as a cultivator of the Merchant Alliance, does not pursue profit. He is truly a man of noble character."

(End of this chapter)