Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans...

Chapter 428 Return to the Cloud Mist Mountains [Updated tonight]

Three years later.

"Master, where is this place? Ugh, this is all disgusting sand."

On the road covered in yellow sand, the dull sound of bells echoed as a line of docile camels, laden with heavy goods, stretched out towards the edge of the desert.

Following local customs, Lin Chang'an also wrapped his head in a headscarf, covering himself completely in the wind and sand.

At this moment, a sleepy phoenix perched on the shoulder opened its tired eyes and looked at this wretched place with a look of disgust.

"If you don't like it, you can go back into the spirit beast pouch."

Lin Chang'an, with a calm expression, leisurely rode forward on the camel.

However, upon hearing that it was to return to the spirit beast pouch, the Phoenix Bird hurriedly shook its head at both options.

“Master, you know me. I’m always obedient, much better than that stupid ox.”

The cunning phoenix shook its head repeatedly, even taking the opportunity to burrow into his headscarf, leaving only its small head peeking out as it listlessly gazed at the endless yellow sand.

Lin Chang'an shook his head with a smile upon seeing this.

It has been three years since he left the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. During these three years, he did not use the escape light of a Nascent Soul cultivator to travel quickly. Instead, he disguised himself as various identities and traveled to different countries.

Lin Chang'an, a wandering cultivator and merchant, traveled around in various guises, during which he disguised himself as a Qi Refining cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a Core Formation cultivator, and even a mortal.

They experienced the differences in local customs and traditions, and witnessed how human cultivators found their own suitable ways of cultivation and survival in different harsh environments.

During this period, he also encountered some ignorant and wicked cultivators, as well as those who were fine at first but later lost their lives due to greed and delusion.

"No wonder there are always legendary stories circulating in the cultivation world about Nascent Soul cultivators who like to pretend to be Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators."

At this moment, Lin Chang'an, sitting on the back of the camel, couldn't help but smile faintly as he thought of this.

Now he has become the old monster in these legendary stories. Thinking back to when he first entered the world of cultivation, he also longed to read these strange tales in Qingzhushan Market.

He had many fantasies, but gradually accepted reality and realized that these were just stories imagined by low-level cultivators.

In retrospect, these stories weren't entirely unfounded; at the very least, his version was true.

Looking back, from longing to shaking my head, and now to becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator wandering the world, I've become a character in a strange tale. It's truly ironic how fate works.

"This carefree attitude towards life does indeed have the effect of tempering one's mind."

This is a case of a Nascent Soul cultivator disguising himself as a low-level cultivator, watching all sorts of low-level cultivators running around, and seemingly seeing his own past self in the same way.

Especially considering that he had indeed become somewhat arrogant after his initial formation of the Nascent Soul stage, and had even been affected by some inner demon tribulations.

Looking back now, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but chuckle. However, this was also a rare experience on his cultivation path.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, Jinsha City is just over there."

After traveling for an unknown amount of time in the vast Gobi Desert, when they finally saw an oasis in the distance, everyone smiled. Even the camels beneath them snorted, clearly showing their joy.

The leader, a middle-aged and capable Foundation Establishment cultivator with a bronze face and a small mustache, rode a camel to Lin Chang'an and greeted him with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

"Is this the Sands City? It seems our deal is done."

Lin Chang'an nodded with a smile, and although the other party was somewhat reluctant, he still took out the agreed reward from the storage bag.

"Many thanks to you, fellow Daoist, for escorting me along the way."

Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded, without saying much, and directly accepted the agreed-upon gift.

Lin Chang'an then rode his camel slowly toward the oasis, and the others along the way breathed a sigh of relief.

However, one of them secretly approached their mustachioed leader and transmitted his voice:

"There was only one person here. It's already lucky that this kid didn't have any bad intentions among so many of us. Boss, why did you actually give him this reward?"

"Shut up!"

At this moment, the man with the mustache gave a cold shout with a solemn expression, glanced at his companion, and simultaneously transmitted his voice to this person and another Foundation Establishment cultivator:

"This person is clearly not a cultivator from our area. How could an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator dare to venture into the vast desert alone?"
"I don't want your greed to get you killed, so you'd better watch out."

The other two nodded silently, while the other, though somewhat unwilling, had no power to resist.

All of this was heard by Lin Chang'an, who was walking at the front. He smiled calmly, actually looking forward to seeing how a Foundation Establishment cultivator would bully a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Unfortunately, it seems there won't be a chance this time.

"Master, these insects are too low-level. I wouldn't even bother with them to fill my stomach."

At this moment, a phoenix peeked out from under the scarf, looked at the reward in its master's hand, and shook its head in disgust.

The reward this time was a jar of spirit insects, especially since there were quite a few eggs inside.

Lin Chang'an, however, just smiled irritably after hearing this.

"When you become like the Green Horned Ox, all you'll know is how to eat."

This spirit insect isn't of a high level, but it is quite rare.

Over the years, he has learned a lot about the insect control techniques of the Spirit Control lineage, but of course he has no intention of raising any powerful spirit insects.

After all, he currently has three spirit pets and enough resources for his cultivation.

The reason I was interested in this insect control technique was naturally because of Huang Tianxiao, the successor of the Insect Demon.

He may not study it, but he cannot be ignorant of the art of insect control.

"After all, I am a Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. If I encounter a rare spirit insect, collecting it and having the sect cultivate it after returning home can be considered as contributing my efforts."

Lin Chang'an chuckled as he transmitted his voice, revealing that what he actually valued about the spirit insect was its ability to detect metallic spirit ores.

Increasing the sect's strength would undoubtedly increase his annual cultivation resources.

However, just as Lin Chang'an and his group were about to reach the oasis, they saw the magnificent golden building in the distance.

Suddenly, a voice from heaven and earth echoed in my ears.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin, on achieving the Nascent Soul stage."

As the familiar voice echoed, Lin Chang'an narrowed his eyes and saw a figure appear in the sky.

This person was none other than the Golden Sand Saintess, with an exotic appearance and the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The other party reached the Nascent Soul stage earlier than him.

"So it was the Fairy of Golden Sands."

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang'an chuckled and nodded, without exposing his pretense.

However, now that the two have met, and the other party is acting cautiously, it is clear that Lin Chang'an has also sensed something is amiss.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I am truly sorry, but our department is currently holding an internal ceremony."

Sure enough, when he sensed something was wrong, the Golden Sand Saintess showed an apologetic expression.

Ultimately, they are allies, yet they have been directly refused entry into the city, which is somewhat unfair.

However, this clan ritual is a closely guarded secret and cannot be easily revealed.

Although Lin Chang'an was unaware of the details, he was aware of many of the strange methods employed by the Huangsha tribe.

Moreover, the other party had ambushed and stopped a Nascent Soul cultivator after leaving the White Wall City auction, which could be considered as helping him once.

Therefore, Lin Chang'an was not dissatisfied at all. On the contrary, he nodded slightly, which was quite understandable. It was just a pity that he could not personally experience the customs of the Huangsha tribe this time.

However, he also relayed Elder Cheng's message, and the two sides completed a transaction outside the oasis through telepathy.

It was obvious that the other party didn't want to cause trouble and was in a hurry to get rid of him.

Although Lin Chang'an was curious, every Nascent Soul cultivator has their own secrets, let alone the Yellow Sand Tribe, which has a history of tens of thousands of years. It would be unwise to invite a powerful enemy because of his curiosity.

Therefore, Lin Chang'an did not want to cause any misunderstanding. It seemed that the other party had given him an extra bottle of high-grade spiritual liquid as an apology, so he naturally had no intention of lingering here any longer.

To avoid any misunderstanding, he even transformed into a streak of light and left.

Watching the departing figure disappear into the distance, the Golden Sand Saintess secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hope Fellow Daoist Lin won't take offense. I'll visit him again to apologize when I have the chance in the future."

After saying this, the Golden Sand Saintess transformed into a beam of light and flew back to the oasis.

"Ouch!"

When the group of low-level cultivators arrived at the oasis, the Foundation Establishment cultivator with malicious intentions suddenly changed his expression, causing the other two to also show signs of tension.

"what happened?"

"Are you OK?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator was pale, cold sweat pouring out, and he gave a bitter smile as he looked at the two of them.

"It's nothing, just a flare-up of an old injury. It seems to have been caused by the scorpion we encountered on the road earlier."

The other two breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, at least now that they were at the oasis, they could slowly heal their wounds.

However, this pale-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator also thought so, unaware that his foundation had been destroyed and his cultivation would never increase in this lifetime.

……

"Master really holds grudges, even sneaking around against a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator."

As the light pierced through the air, the phoenix, looking at its master, couldn't help but shiver inwardly.

This owner of mine really holds grudges.

"Alright, offending a Nascent Soul cultivator is nothing more than a minor punishment."

Lin Chang'an remained calm, showing no remorse for bullying the weak.

That's just how the cultivation world is; otherwise, what's the point of cultivation?

He has already shown extraordinary mercy.

"However, this time the timing is really bad. Judging from how nervous this Golden Sand Saintess is, she must be performing the legendary secret ritual of the Yellow Sand Tribe."

Although the oasis looked loose, the palace inside had a faint array activated.

According to what he learned from Elder Cheng, Huangsha Tribe was clearly short of resources, but the lineage of Nascent Soul cultivators had never been broken for ten thousand years.

Legend has it that the Yellow Sand Tribe possesses a secret technique that allows cultivators to fuse with the tribe's raised spirit beasts, creating a unique type of Nascent Soul cultivator.

"It is said that this secret technique is similar to the Demonic Core, which has no potential, and the lifespan is still that of a Core Formation cultivator. It may even affect one's mind, leaving one with only the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator."

It seems that even in this resource-scarce land of endless yellow sand, there is still conflict; otherwise, the Yellow Sand Tribe would not have resorted to such extreme measures.

However, these things had little to do with him, and he didn't want to get involved.

"Let's go. We'll cross the Black Sand Storm and then head towards Yue Kingdom from the direction of the Cloud Mist Mountains."

Nascent Soul cultivators have transcended the mortal realm. Even Core Formation cultivators would have to be extremely careful to cross natural barriers like the Black Sand Storm, but Nascent Soul cultivators can cross them without any hindrance.

Under the howling black sandstorm, nearly all living things within a vast area were wiped out. Lin Chang'an also witnessed the power of this world and was filled with awe.

The black sand is like a steel blade; even a Core Formation cultivator's defensive shield will be continuously weakened, leading to a significant consumption of mana.

Moreover, the spiritual energy in this area is scarce, making it difficult for cultivators to recover their magical power.

Originally a place where all life was extinct, yet beneath the black sands of this place, some small sandworms can still live, which is truly a wonder of nature.

……

Several days later, Lin Chang'an crossed the black sandstorm and arrived at the familiar Cloud Mist Mountains.

First came the black sandstorm, followed by the ubiquitous miasma.
This is why, despite the close proximity of the Seven Kingdoms to the Huangsha Tribe, there has been little communication between them; it is truly due to these two formidable barriers.

Even if you take a detour through the Shayun Kingdom and bypass the Cloud Mist Mountains, you can't escape this black sand storm.

Only large spirit ships of Nascent Soul forces, or Nascent Soul cultivators, can traverse these two perilous lands.

However, even large spirit ships have their own routes, and they travel through relatively safe areas.

While it's not impossible for a Golden Core cultivator to traverse this area on their own, it's extremely dangerous, and no one would do it unless absolutely necessary.

"It really feels familiar."

With a flash of light, Lin Chang'an appeared in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. The miasma that shrouded the mountain range year-round was highly poisonous to other cultivators.

But for him, it was the familiar feeling of returning home.

"Master, we're finally back! There are lots of delicious insects here."

The phoenix, which had been drowsy the whole way, seemed to sense something after arriving at the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. It immediately popped out of its clothes with its eyes shining.

Lin Chang'an had his own purpose in coming to the Cloud Mist Mountains. At this moment, he squinted and stared at the distant mountains shrouded in miasma.

"There are too many secrets here: ancient cultivators, the Fusang Divine Tree, and even the poisonous miasma that even Nascent Soul cultivators fear."

After becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator, he naturally had access to more information and learned about information that he couldn't access before.

As a sect that specializes in poisons, how could the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect possibly let go of the opportunity to explore the Cloud Mist Mountains?

"According to Elder Cheng, whether it was his personal investigation or the investigations conducted by successive Nascent Soul Grand Elders, the result was the same: there was a suspected ferocious wood spirit in the Cloud Mist Mountains."

Even Elder Cheng, who cultivated a wood-attribute technique, felt the effects of the poisonous miasma after immersing himself in it for a period of time.

In other words, even Nascent Soul cultivators would be affected by the miasma here.

But Lin Chang'an was able to ignore this most troublesome point.

"Elder Cheng said that after he broke through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he came here several times to collect various poisonous insects."

At this moment, Lin Chang'an's expression was solemn. Humans can cultivate, demon beasts can cultivate, and spiritual plants can too, but the conditions for them to develop sentience are quite demanding.

The so-called "wood spirit monster" is the suspicion that there is a wood spirit that has come to take human form inside the Cloud Mist Mountains.

Of course, he didn't come looking for the evil creature, but rather wanted to use his immunity to poisonous miasma to collect some spiritual insects, herbs, and medicines.

If he sensed danger, he naturally wouldn't force his way in.

"By the way, how were you born here?"

Lin Chang'an suddenly looked at the Phoenix with some curiosity. Logically speaking, the essence of fire should be the bloodline of the legendary Golden Flame Divine Phoenix.

His birthplace must be a place where fire spirits gather, but he had no idea that such a place existed in the Cloud Mist Mountains.

Faced with the question, the phoenix looked completely bewildered, blinking its innocent eyes before replying:

"Master, I don't know either. It seems that when I was born, there was a burst of fire, and then I somehow squeezed through a crack and ended up here."

Then they discovered there were lots of delicious insects here, and then you human cultivators found them..."

When the mention of human cultivators was mentioned, the Phoenix Bird revealed a hint of anger, even though it had only eaten some insects.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an shook his head. In his experience, the appearance of the Phoenix Bird was indeed quite mysterious.

Well, this Phoenix Bird was obviously only recently born, but as its strength grows, it will eventually uncover the secret of the Cloud Mist Mountains.

　I have some errands to run today, so I'll only post 4,000 words now and another chapter tonight.

　　Updates are absolutely guaranteed, and I will never take leave unless absolutely necessary.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)