Cultivation begins with alchemy and collecting runes.

A broken spike and a golden disc with several cracks flew into his hand.

Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but smile wryly, "Hopefully we can find some good stuff in their storage bags, otherwise we really won't make any money this time."

He turned to look at Yu Liuli, who was not far away and had fallen into a coma due to exhaustion caused by the depletion of her magical power.

Looking at the 'newbie' junior sister at the eighth level of Qi Refining, dressed in a peony-red wide-sleeved dress, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"How did you fall asleep? What a nuisance. Oh well, I'll just consider this a good deed."

According to the message from the Migu Rat, the Foundation Establishment cultivator would arrive here in less than a quarter of an hour.

He needs to come up with a solution as soon as possible to avoid being unjustly suspected by others, which would leave him with no way to express his suffering.

Li Xiuyuan was resolute; once he made up his mind, he no longer hesitated.

He carefully preserved the bodies of the two cultivators, then erased the obvious signs of a fight, making a mess of the place with the low-grade Green Bamboo Sword from his storage bag.

The purpose of leaving no clues about the location is to avoid attracting the attention of robbery gangs.

Then he draped a robe over Yu Liuli's body and flew away from the place on his sword.

They quickly found another cave, tidied up a bit, carved out a temporary dwelling, lit a fire, and called the Lost Valley Rat back.

Wait quietly for the Foundation Establishment cultivator to arrive.

Half an hour later, Yu Liuli slowly woke up.

She first looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and exclaimed, "Ah!"

Then he turned to look at Li Xiuyuan, who was sitting cross-legged against the stone wall with his eyes closed.

Yu Liuli seemed to remember something, feeling both happy and annoyed. Her face flushed red with shyness as she looked at the exceptionally handsome Li Xiuyuan. She couldn't help but lower her head, her breasts heaving slightly. She mustered her courage and said, "Thank you for saving my life, Senior Brother."

"Otherwise, I fear I would not escape death today!"

Yu Liuli suppressed her shame and mustered her courage to thank Li Xiuyuan.

"You are too kind to thank me. We are from the same school. My junior sister is blessed with good fortune and will naturally be safe and sound."

Li Xiuyuan remained calm and undisturbed, offering the girl a few words of comfort.

What he cared about most was the mysterious Foundation Establishment cultivator's attitude towards this matter.

"My name is Li Xiuyuan, an inner disciple of the Fighting Peak. May I ask your name, fellow disciple?"

"My name is Yu Liuli, you can just call me Liuli, senior brother. I am cultivating with my master on Su Nu Peak."

Yu Liuli was surprised to hear this, not expecting that this senior brother was actually a disciple of Douzhan Peak.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with starlight, and her heart surged with emotion.

The message of Su Nu Peak flashed through Li Xiuyuan's mind.

Su Nu Peak is one of the five sacred mountains within the Blazing Fire Sect.

There is a third-order spiritual vein in the mountain, and the peak master must be a Core Formation cultivator. It seems that this woman's background is indeed extraordinary.

"How did you encounter the thugs, junior sister?"

Although the two were strangers, Li Xiuyuan was still curious about her going out alone as a direct descendant of the Golden Core cultivator. He had some guesses in his mind, but couldn't help asking.

"I'm buying the Youth-Preserving Pill from the market as a congratulatory gift."

Yu Liuli was pure of heart and had little suspicion of Li Xiuyuan, who was helping her openly and honestly.

He then explained the reason for his trip in detail, saying that he had sneaked out.

A blush crept onto her round little face, as if she were feeling embarrassed.

"Master, I've already sent a message to our eldest sister. She should be arriving soon. Let's wait here."

Li Xiuyuan naturally had no objections. If he hadn't wanted to explain, he would have left on his own long ago.

This place is more than a hundred miles away from the market town, except for the Dragon and Tiger Brothers who were killed by him.

Normally, no cultivators would cause trouble within the territory of the Blazing Fire Sect. Even if two or three cultivators occasionally passed by, Li Xiuyuan didn't care.

Yu Liuli was chased all the way from outside the market to this place, and after another fierce battle, her magical power was completely exhausted.

She greeted Xiu Yuan, then obediently sat cross-legged and took out pills from her storage bag to refine and restore her magical power.

Seeing that this woman trusted her senior brother whom she had only met once so much, and even entrusted her back to him, Li Xiuyuan was touched. He then shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

He sat cross-legged against the stone wall, closed his eyes to rest, but his mind was constantly alert to the surroundings outside the cave.

"Clatter."

Half an hour later.

Yu Liuli regained her magical power, got up and squatted by the fire, crossed her legs, gently opened her small mouth, and stared blankly at the constantly leaping flames with her bright and beautiful eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

Li Xiuyuan's eyes remained calm. Seeing that Yu Liuli had recovered her magical power, he took out three spirit stones, placed them in front of him, and began to refine the spiritual energy to replenish the energy consumed in the previous battle.

At this moment, the man and woman by the fire fell silent, and an inexplicable pink atmosphere gradually rose.

Yu Liuli casually stole a glance at her senior brother, who was dressed in black.

His gaze was deep, his appearance strangely handsome, and the ease and composure he exuded from his very bones stirred her heart unconsciously; he was unlike any of her fellow disciples she had ever met before.

Lost in thought, Yu Liuli's ears turned red. She subtly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and muttered to herself, "I'm being a lovesick fool."

The brief moment of ambiguity was shattered by the rapid streak of light flashing across the horizon.

It was a green flower basket, four or five zhang long and wide, that cut through the silence of the night, like a green ribbon.

The flower basket moved incredibly fast, landing on the ground in the blink of an eye with tremendous force, blowing down the leaves around it with a rustling sound.

Standing on the flower basket was a plump, charming female Taoist priest who looked to be in her thirties or forties.

Her face was delicate yet alluring, exuding a mature charm that was irresistible.

The woman looked anxious, glancing around. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Yu Liuli was unharmed, and her expression calmed down.

Upon seeing the middle-aged beauty, Yu Liuli's face lit up with joy, and she ran all the way to the beauty's broad embrace.

He held the plump and beautiful woman in his arms and wept softly, looking pitiful to behold.

"Senior sister, you're finally here! Liuli almost didn't get to see you again, waaaaah!"

A hint of tenderness flashed in the corners of the beautiful woman's red eyes. She placed her jade hand on the jade head and gently stroked and rubbed it, whispering words of comfort.

"Little sister, don't cry. Aren't you alright? Don't run away alone again next time, okay?"

"Tell me quickly, where did those thugs go, and how did you escape danger?"

This junior sister is the pride of Su Nu Peak, with extremely high talent.

She was closest to her and loved her the most. She knew how to please her. She had watched and cared for her since she was a child, just like her own daughter.

Even before her master went into seclusion, he specifically instructed her to take good care of her junior sister.

She was terrified when she found out that her junior sister had secretly run down the mountain.

He couldn't even spare time for his own cultivation, and rushed over at full speed, activating his magic weapon with all his might.

If something were to happen to her junior sister, she wouldn't be able to explain it to her master, and she wouldn't be able to get over the hurdle in her own heart.

With tears in her eyes, Yu Liuli, feeling extremely wronged, clung to the middle-aged woman's arm and whispered the story of what had happened.

When she recounted how she was chased by five people in the market, her face filled with fear and timidity, and how Li Xiuyuan bravely stepped forward without fear of threats, she secretly glanced at Li Xiuyuan with her rosy cheeks.

As the middle-aged beauty landed, Li Xiuyuan had already gotten up and walked to the side.

He already knew the identity of the newcomer: a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Su Nu Peak.

Facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in person, Li Xiuyuan naturally wouldn't be impolite.

However, he did not rashly step forward to disturb the two sisters' reunion and greetings.

He simply stood quietly to the side and waited.

The middle-aged beauty was very pleased to learn that Yu Liuli had bought her the Youth-Preserving Pill as a birthday gift. She was overjoyed and thought to herself that all these years of pampering this silly girl had not been in vain.

Upon hearing that she had been chased by five cultivators after leaving the market, a cold glint flashed in her beautiful eyes, and her charming face revealed an undisguised killing intent.

Upon hearing that Li Xiuyuan had swiftly killed the two men, Yu Liuli's expression softened slightly.

He turned to look at Li Xiuyuan and nodded approvingly.

"It's good that you're alright, little sister. I will thank this fellow disciple on your behalf. As for the group of cultivators who chased you, they definitely won't escape. For hundreds of years, no one has been able to ambush an inner disciple of the Blazing Fire Sect and escape unscathed. When I return to the sect, I will report to my senior brother, the sect leader, and I will definitely avenge you."

The middle-aged woman first offered gentle comfort, then her tone shifted abruptly, becoming icy and cold, her eyes revealing a fierce and murderous glint as she openly stated her plan to wipe out the Jiexiu.

He then turned to look at Li Xiuyuan, his tone slightly admiring, and asked, "I heard you're a disciple of Douzhan Peak? Who is your master?"

Li Xiuyuan dared not be negligent in the face of this Foundation Establishment senior uncle who was in a fit of anger, and respectfully walked up to her and bowed.

"Inner disciple Li Xiuyuan greets Martial Uncle. I am fortunate to have gained the favor of Senior Brother Du and to handle some miscellaneous tasks for him."

Li Xiuyuan spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, directly stating that he was Du Wuxin's man, so as not to make her think that he was just an ordinary inner disciple with no connections who could be bullied at will.

"Oh, one of Du Wuxin's men? Li Xiuyuan... you're the Li Xiuyuan who escaped Zhong Shenxiu's clutches? No wonder you could take on two at once, not bad, not bad!"

The middle-aged woman seemed to remember something, and her gaze towards Li Xiuyuan held a newfound appreciation and admiration.

"No need for formalities, Junior Nephew Li, you did a great job. You bravely rescued your fellow disciple at a critical moment, showing no fear of death. Since you saved my little sister, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Aunt Shui Lian."

Shui Lian nodded, her tone full of appreciation.

"When traveling, fellow disciples should help each other. Seeing my junior sister in danger, it was only natural for me to step forward and help her. How could I stand by and watch her die? Aunt Shui Lian is too kind."

Li Xiuyuan's words were excellent, subtly drawing closer to his martial uncle.

Su Nu Peak holds a position in the Blazing Fire Sect second only to Dou Zhan Peak and the Sect Master's lineage. Since he has so generously acknowledged the reputation of rescuing Yu Liuli.

He didn't want to offend her, and even more so, he didn't want to be suspected by her.

The best way to dispel other people's doubts is, of course, to ask for an exorbitant amount.

Whether they are cultivators or mortals, wherever there are people, there is a world of its own.

Sometimes relationships can be a convenience or a hindrance, a principle that Li Xiuyuan naturally understood.

Shui Lian found this "well-behaved" and sensible disciple increasingly pleasing to the eye, and she smiled charmingly:

"You're quite the charming person, aren't you? But since you saved my little sister, as her senior sister, I naturally have to offer something in return. So, tell me, what reward do you want?"

"Whether it's magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, spiritual objects, talismans, or spirit stones and pills, as long as it's not excessive, I can satisfy you."

He glanced at Li Xiuyuan up and down with a meaningful look, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

She wanted to see what decision the 'bold Li Xiuyuan' would make.

"Senior Sister!"

Yu Liuli was annoyed by her senior sister's blunt and explicit words. She rushed into the snow mountain and shook Shui Lian's arm vigorously, acting coquettishly and spoiled.

Li Xiuyuan was overjoyed upon hearing this; the sweet talk had finally arrived.

But he only wants the "sugar coating" and won't take the "bullets"!

"Please rescind your order, Uncle Master. Helping each other among fellow disciples is a righteous act, and I dare not ask for anything in return."

Li Xiuyuan spoke with great sincerity, and his face showed just the right amount of embarrassment.

He had already made his plans; he knew that the 'aloof' and upright fairies of Su Nu Peak disliked asking for favors.

To maximize profits, you have to put on a respectable act.

The more righteous and awe-inspiring he appears, the more genuinely he seems to be acting out of loyalty to his fellow disciples, and the less likely she is to suspect him of having ulterior motives.

Only then can I "open my mouth wide" and eat my fill in one go.

Besides, what he has in abundance right now is elixirs.

The top-grade magic weapons alone include the Golden Light Sword, the Golden Armor Spirit Shield, the Dark Flame Flying Wheel, the Defensive Jade Pendant, and even the supreme-grade magic weapon, the Azure Feather Robe.

Even if one advances to the point of perfect Qi cultivation, these magical artifacts will still be useful.

He naturally had no shortage of talismans; he had enough Heavenly Thunder Talisman, top-grade Escape Talisman Flying Spirit Talisman, and Hundred-Mile Thunder Escape Talisman to deal with Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unless it is a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, the three main medicinal ingredients for refining the Ancient Foundation Establishment Pill are extremely rare.

Even those remnants on Su Nu Peak within the ancient forbidden land were long ago refined into Foundation Establishment Pills.

Moreover, how precious are Foundation Establishment Pills?

Even if there were no leftovers from Su Nu Peak, why would they offer them as a token of gratitude?

Li Xiuyuan knew perfectly well that at most he would only need to ask her for some spiritual herbs related to the three stages of Foundation Establishment or an equivalent amount of spirit stones.

Shui Lian was a perceptive person, so she knew perfectly well the true purpose of her seemingly honest junior apprentice.

He didn't care much about Li Xiuyuan's words, but he felt that this karmic connection might not be so easy to sever.

Having cultivated immortality for a hundred years, she had naturally encountered countless cultivators skilled in scheming and self-interest. She understood Li Xiuyuan's choice, but that did not mean she accepted it.

Shui Lian nodded slightly, her tone leaving no room for doubt as she pondered, "Junior nephew, wait a moment. Since you saved my little sister, you should accept the karmic debt. A token of gratitude is still necessary. How about this, I'll give you information on a Crimson Sun Grass and two Foundation Establishment spiritual items?"

"You absolutely need these two spiritual items!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she gently stroked her storage bag, took out a glowing jade slip and a brocade box, and handed them to Li Xiuyuan.

"This substance is called Red Sun Grass. You should already know its effects, so I won't go into details."

"As for the information on the other two spiritual items, it's all in this jade slip. Take a look for yourself."

Li Xiuyuan accepted the Crimson Sun Grass and the jade slip, though he still wore an embarrassed expression.

But he was secretly overjoyed. He knew that the people of Su Nu Peak disliked forming karmic connections, supposedly because of the cultivation methods they practiced.

Unexpectedly, this Martial Uncle Shui Lian was so generous, directly offering a Foundation Establishment spiritual object and two other Foundation Establishment spiritual objects.

This shows how much he values ​​Yu Liuli. Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, "I'll have to avoid Yu Liuli from now on. What if I offend her? Her senior sisters and masters are very protective of their own. I don't have any backing, so I can't afford to offend them."

Li Xiuyuan bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Martial Uncle. I thank you again!"

He then solemnly put the two items into his storage bag, stood still, and waited for what was to come.