I and countless versions of myself simultaneously travel through time.

Chapter 75, Section 73: The Holy Sect's Must-Eat List

Although Ye Yan possesses the memories of a forty-year-old, through the shared space he constantly absorbs the experience and lifespan of "himself" from other worlds, his true soul age has long surpassed that of the veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator before him.

Chen Taihe spoke slowly and deliberately, so Ye Yan kindly poured him tea, listened attentively, and adopted a very humble posture, like a junior seeking guidance.

The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is no more than three hundred years at most.

Three hundred years may sound like a long time, but in the world of cultivation, it's just a blink of an eye.

Each reincarnation consumes merit and fortune. In your first reincarnation, you are a chosen one, blessed with good fortune, making cultivation effortless; in your second, you are an outstanding individual, though not as gifted as before, you are still exceptionally talented.

The third time, you are just an ordinary genius, barely able to struggle to survive in this cruel world.

By the fifth time, you are no different from ordinary people, with mixed spiritual roots and mediocre fortune, and even Foundation Establishment has become a luxury.

Even worse, if their merits and good fortune are exhausted, they will be reborn as pigs or dogs, never to be reincarnated.

This world is so fair it's unreasonable.

At this point, Chen Taihe changed the subject and asked about the Substitute Tribulation Technique.

"Nephew, is it really impossible to pursue a cultivation technique that can protect against the lightning tribulation of the late Foundation Establishment stage?"

Shi Yan shook his head, his tone earnest: "It's very difficult. With this kind of cultivation technique, the effort and time required increase exponentially with each level you advance. This is already the best gift I can offer."

Chen Taihe understood the underlying meaning: it was difficult, but not hopeless.

His eyes lit up, and he leaned forward in a hurry.

Breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment has been his obsession for many years, and it is the ultimate goal that has led him through countless seclusions, countless adventures, and countless near-death experiences on the edge of tribulations.

He couldn't wait any longer; his lifespan was slipping away day by day, and each tribulation of lightning left irreversible damage on him.

He needs this technique, he needs it very much.

Chen Taihe got up, walked to the depths of the secret room, and took out a pill from among the layers of restrictions.

The pill was golden in color, with a spiritual light flowing across its surface, and emitted a faint sandalwood fragrance.

He handed the pill to Ye Yan, his old face flushed, and he showed a rare hint of embarrassment.

Ye Yan took the pill, scanned it with his divine sense, and thought to himself: Old man, finally got some gold coins.

Chen Taihe rubbed his hands together and explained that this was a elixir that could enhance one's talent, making one's mind more intelligent and one's thinking more agile.

Although it cannot directly improve one's cultivation level, it can make practicing techniques and deducing spells much more efficient.

Ye Yan smiled and nodded, saying "definitely, definitely," while in his heart he was already calculating how to maximize the value of this pill.

Seeing that he had agreed, Chen Taihe's smile became even more sincere, and he couldn't help but share a few more words of experience on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He advised Ye Yan to follow the path of perfect foundation building, which means laying a solid foundation to the extreme during a breakthrough, leaving no flaws.

Once successful, one can directly reach the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, and is only one step away from the middle stage.

This requires a lot of resources and meticulous planning, but the rewards are equally substantial.

Chen Taihe clearly intended to place another bet on Ye Yan, treating him as a potential investment.

"That opportunity with Zhao Xuhe," Chen Taihe waved his hand, "I'll give it to you."

He did some calculations with his fingers, and a glint of light flashed at his fingertips, as if he were manipulating some invisible thread.

Ye Yan sensed a faint connection pointing to a hidden island.

That was the cave dwelling left behind by the True Man Panlong, which contained the entire legacy of the Foundation Establishment True Man.

Chen Taihe was using his own methods to transfer that fortune to Ye Yan.

"That Panlong Zhenren is a Buddhist practitioner from the Pure Land of Jiangxi, so there's no need to worry," Chen Taihe added, dispelling Ye Yan's last concerns.

Ye Yan smiled slightly, understanding the unspoken message, and bowed in thanks.

Who would practice this lousy cultivation method?!

That is the position of the earth on the city wall.

It's that old cunning thing of the World-Honored One.

Who would dare take it?!

The two left the secret room, where Chen Taihe hosted a banquet. Lü Yang sat down without any hesitation, as he had been cooped up in the secret room for a long time and was quite hungry.

What are you babbling about?!

The table was laden with spiritual fruits and delicacies, radiating spiritual energy that made one's mouth water.

Ye Yan's gaze swept around the table and landed on a woman.

Chen Shuqian, Chen Taihe's daughter, cultivates the "Six Paths Nirvana Technique," and her aura is as sharp as a knife.

She ranked first on the Holy Sect's "must-eat list" for Qi cultivation.

But what Ye Yan really wanted to eat was Fei Xue, which was another name, the Madwoman's True Lord.

Classic external cooling and internal purchase.

Chen Taihe patiently introduced his daughter's cultivation technique. As he spoke, he suddenly changed the subject and praised Ye Yan's technique, saying that the second-grade technique he practiced seemed to be even more advanced than the "Nine Dragons Transformation Technique".

Chen Shuqian's eyes lit up, her gaze falling on Ye Yan as she looked him up and down, her eyes filled with surprise.

Ye Yan smiled and echoed, saying polite things like "it's reasonable to follow your father-in-law and mother-in-law's lead," neither admitting nor denying it.

Lu Yang sat to the side, sneering inwardly.

He absolutely did not believe that there was any perfectly matched cultivation method in the world. Wasn't it just the talent of the Holy Sect?

What a match made in heaven! It's nothing more than each getting what they need.

He tried to maintain a calm expression, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the Chen family members, secretly trying to figure out what they were thinking.

The peak master of Butian Peak, cultivation resources, and connections—all of these are bargaining chips in Chen Taihe's hands.

Ye Yan, on the other hand, clearly wanted to devour the entire family in one go.

Lu Yang secretly glanced at Ye Yan, only to see him smiling and clinking glasses with Chen Shuqian. His smile was gentle and refined, revealing no flaws whatsoever.

As expected of Senior Brother Ye—

His expression remained unchanged; he truly was a handsome and accomplished man, just as the Holy Emperor had described.

The meal was enjoyed in a harmonious and amicable manner, with both host and guests having a pleasant time.

Lu Yang occasionally received a few pointers from Chen Taihe, but they were nothing more than polite words. The old peak master's attention was mainly on Ye Yan.

After the meal, Ye Yan and Lü Yang returned to their guest room. Ye Yan immediately set up a causal net to isolate the entire room.

He took out a jade slip from his robes and handed it to Lü Yang. "Junior brother, go here."

Lu Yang took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and his face immediately fell. It was the Skull Market of the Mountain and River Society.

That was an underground market controlled by the Holy Sect, a place teeming with all sorts of people, where a single misstep could result in being reduced to ashes.

Ye Yan instructed him to join Yinshan Zhenren's Mountain and River Society, to get as close to the core as possible.

Lu Yang immediately began to play the victim, saying that his cultivation was low, he lacked experience, and going there would be suicide.

Ye Yan remained unmoved, his tone calm yet brooking no refusal: "Junior brother, even if you don't go, you'll still be targeted by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Think about who you've been in contact with all this time? Especially those who win the grand prize of merit."

Lu Yang's expression changed.

His cultivation has been going too smoothly lately, so smoothly it doesn't seem real.

He also met Xiao Shiye, and the two of them hung out together, looking after each other, and lived a fairly comfortable life.

Ye Yan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, chilling him to the bone.

He glanced at the strangulation formation Ye Yan handed him; it was a killing formation capable of killing those in the late Qi Refining stage, and was considered Ye Yan's trump card for survival.

Lu Yang gritted his teeth and took it, cursing inwardly, "What kind of lousy place is this? Even if I'm just cultivating honestly, I'll still be targeted. Is there no justice in this world?!"

He cupped his hands in farewell, turned and left without even bothering to exchange pleasantries.

Ye Yan shook his head, watching Lü Yang's departing figure, silently calculating the time in his mind.

That's all he can do to help.

Lü Yang has another life to start over; he died in this life and that's it, he was just a pawn.

The real target is Master Hongyun.

Ye Yan and Chen Taihe had planned this all along: to let Lü Yang roam around outside and attract Hong Yun's attention, then have Chen Taihe clean up the mess.

Lü Yang is both bait and a talent; whether he survives depends on himself.

Ye Yan turned and walked towards Chen Shuqian's room.

The corridor was deep and dark, and the lamps on both sides emitted a dim yellow light, casting his shadow long on the ground.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door, his tone as gentle as a spring breeze: "Qian'er, I'm coming in."

The door was unlocked.

Ye Yan pushed open the door, and a large hand reached out from behind it, grabbed his collar, and pulled him into a soft embrace.

His face was buried in warmth, and a rich fragrance wafted over him, almost making it hard for him to breathe.

That was Madam Ruoxiang, Chen Taihe's wife, and Chen Shuqian's mother.

She wore a thin shirt, her eyebrows and eyes were delicate, and a meaningful smile played on her lips.

Good guy.

Ye Yan thought to himself, "They're all waiting for me."

This mother and daughter probably planned this all along.

Lady Ruoxiang's embrace was warm and soft, her clothes were so thin they were almost transparent, and they carried a sweet, powdery scent.

Ye Yan's face was buried deep within it, her nose filled with the unique scent of a mature woman.

He took a deep breath, as if it were out of greed, or perhaps just a gesture for others to see.

His lips curled slightly upward, still displaying that gentle and harmless smile, but his eyes remained completely calm, as if he were watching a game of chess that had already been set up.

Lady Ruoxiang looked down at him, her fingers gently pressing against his lips, her fingertips rubbing together in a teasing manner.

Her voice was soft and sweet, like honey that wouldn't melt: "Oh dear, you're really in such a hurry. Just now at the dinner table, your eyes kept glancing at my daughter and me. You probably didn't even taste a bite of the food, did you? Do you think I can't tell what you're plotting?"

She paused, her fingertips sliding from Ye Yan's lips to his chin, gently lifting it to force him to look into her eyes.

"Men, they're all the same. They call their fathers-in-law so affectionately, but behind their backs, they're eyeing other men's wives and daughters. But—you're different, kid. You don't hide it, which is quite open. I don't dislike open men."

Ye Yan did not answer, but simply tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over Madam Ruoxiang's shoulder and landing on the bed deep inside the room.

Chen Shuqian was leaning against the bedpost, her robe half-undone, revealing a large expanse of her snow-white shoulders and collarbone.

What she was wearing could hardly be called clothes; a thin, gauze-like fabric hung loosely on her body, revealing glimpses of her skin and making her even more alluring than if she were naked.

Her hair fell loose, hanging down her chest, making her already exquisite face even more alluring.

She looked at Ye Yan with a dreamy gaze and a faint, ambiguous smile on her lips, as if she were waiting or provoking him.

This family is definitely full of troublemakers.

Ye Yan finally lifted his head from Madam Ruoxiang's embrace, straightened his collar, glanced between the mother and daughter, and suddenly laughed.

"You might as well put it bluntly, there's no one else here." Ye Yan shrugged.

Ye Yan looked up and saw that this Foundation Establishment True Person was Madam Ruoxiang. She was a woman with a beautiful face and wore a fiery red dress that was as gorgeous as a blooming rose. Yet, she was dignified and had a noble air about her who had long held a high position.

Her gaze swept over, carrying both pressure and scrutiny.

Ye Yan lowered his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. This kind of woman was not easy to mess with, but she was also the kind of woman one wanted to mess with.

Must-eat list.

plus one.

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