Immortality begins with inheriting the myriad arts of cultivation.

"This is Gaojishan."

Li Ping hovered in the air, gazing at the majestic mountain in front of him, which resembled a crouching tiger and a coiled dragon.

Gaoji Mountain appears to be taller and more majestic than Qinglong Mountain, but it only has one second-grade low-level spiritual vein, which makes it far inferior to Qinglong Mountain.

Li Ping took out a communication talisman, whispered a few words into it, and then threw it directly towards the direction of Gaojishan Mountain.

After doing all this, he stood with his hands behind his back, suspended in the air, and waited patiently.

Before long, a beam of light flew towards Li Ping from the direction of Gaojishan.

Upon seeing the appearance of the person in the escaping light, Li Ping smiled slightly.

The visitor was none other than the patriarch of the Bai family.

The fact that the patriarch personally welcomed Li Ping shows how much the Bai family valued his arrival.

From afar, the laughter of the Bai family patriarch carried on the wind: "Hahaha... Fellow Daoist Li's esteemed presence greatly honors our humble abode on High Ridge Mountain!"

A moment later, the youthful-looking, white-haired patriarch of the Bai family appeared before Li Ping. He said warmly, "Fellow Daoist Li, you saved my Bai family's life, and our entire clan will never forget it. We originally planned to visit you again at the Immortal City Auction in a couple of days, but we never expected to be honored to have you grace our clan with your presence today. Come, come... Fellow Daoist Li, please!"

Li Ping smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Bai, you are too kind. It was your noble family's hard work that allowed us to survive the beast tide. I only gave you a few spirit talismans and dare not take credit for it."

The Bai family patriarch shook his head: "Without the talisman given to me by you, fellow Daoist, my family would not be alive today."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two flew side by side toward Gaojishan.

……

During his conversation with the Bai family patriarch, Li Ping explained his purpose.

After returning home last year, Bai Lin had not visited Xiancheng, so he made a special trip to see it.

Upon hearing this, the Bai family patriarch simply laughed, a mischievous smile on his face, as if he had seen through his thoughts, but he did not say anything more.

Li Ping really wanted to ask him: Old man, what does that expression mean?

Actually, he had no original plan to visit Gaojishan. The reason he was here was mainly to find a cover for leaving the city.

After all, he was cultivating peacefully in the city, but suddenly and inexplicably went to the outskirts of the city.

At other times it's fine, but during special periods, his unusual behavior can easily attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.

However, if he was visiting friends outside the city, there would be no problem. Anyone investigating his whereabouts could easily find out that he was visiting the Bai family.

Moreover, his reasons for going to the Bai family were quite valid.

In short, Li Ping's trip wasn't specifically to pick up Steward Bai Lin and bring her back to Immortal City. His main purpose was to dispose of the body and hide the storage bag; visiting the Bai family was just a side trip.

……

Although Li Ping was only visiting the Bai family on a side trip, the Bai family attached great importance to his arrival.

Not only did the family patriarch personally welcome him from afar, but when he and the Bai family patriarch arrived at Gaojishan...

All the monks still on High Ridge Mountain were arranged by Bai Mingde to come outside the mountain to welcome his arrival.

Hundreds of cultivators, a dark mass.

Li Ping scanned the area below with his divine sense and spotted several familiar faces, including Bai Mingde and Bai Lin, the housekeeper.

Everyone else looked up at the sky with excited eyes, but Bai Lin kept her head down, only glancing out of the corner of her eye at the direction from which the stray light was coming.

Upon seeing Li Ping and the patriarch arrive, all the Bai family cultivators shouted in unison, "Welcome, Senior Li!"

It has to be said that, to an onlooker, this scene was quite awkward.

But Li Ping, who was in the middle of it, felt very comfortable. He now understood why the head of state of different countries had to put on such an awkward and enthusiastic welcome when they visited each other in his previous life.

National etiquette is one thing, but being a leader... it's really nice not to feel like a senior.

Of course, Li Ping also understood why the Bai family had made such a big fuss.

One reason is gratitude for his help during the beast tide.

More importantly, this was at a time when the Bai family's patriarch was old and frail, and the Bai family was facing a generational gap with no second Foundation Establishment cultivator being born. It was a chance to demonstrate Li Ping's good relationship with the Bai family to the outside world.

By leveraging Li Ping's influence, those who had designs on the Bai family would be deterred.

……

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Two streaks of light landed on the ground, revealing the figures of Li Ping and the Bai family patriarch.

The Bai family patriarch smiled and waved to Bai Mingde and the others, saying, "Alright, alright, you can all disperse now. I will personally receive Fellow Daoist Li!"

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes."

Bai Lin, standing in the crowd, stole a few glances at Li Ping. Seeing that he didn't seem to notice her, a look of sadness appeared in her eyes. Suppressing her grievances, she lowered her head in disappointment and was about to leave.

But just as she turned around, she heard the old ancestor's gentle voice: "Little Bailin, come here. Fellow Daoist Li came especially for you."

The old man's words made Bai Lin unconsciously raise her head to look over, only to see Li Ping looking at her with a smile.

Upon hearing their ancestor's words, the members of the Bai family present all showed expressions of envy.

In their eyes, Senior Li, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was so high and mighty, made a special trip to Gaoji Mountain for Bai Lin after she refused to return to the Immortal City in a fit of pique.

In their eyes, Senior Li, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who was so high and mighty, made a special trip to Gaoji Mountain for Bai Lin after she refused to return to the Immortal City in a fit of pique.

It's obvious that Bai Lin wasn't just an ordinary concubine in Senior Li's eyes; Senior Li cared about Bai Lin a lot.

"So, young master came here specifically for me." Upon hearing the old ancestor's words, Bai Lin felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.

She lowered her head and walked up to the two of them. A large hand touched her head, and a familiar voice rang in her ears: "Hehe... Your cultivation has broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Not bad."

At this moment, seeing the envious expressions on her people's faces and hearing Li Ping's gentle words, Bai Lin felt that the grievances in her heart had lessened.

……

a few days later.

A streak of jet-black light sped past from the direction of Gaojishan to the Immortal City.

A closer look reveals that the escaping light contains a shuttle-shaped flying boat, several feet long and about ten feet wide, which is the second-tier flying boat "Floating Shadow Shuttle"!

Inside the flying boat, Li Ping sat cross-legged.

Besides him, there were several members of the Bai family on the flying boat, including Bai Mingde and Bai Lin.

Li Ping personally visited Gaojishan and successfully appeased her. She happily followed Li Ping back to Xiancheng.

As for the rest of the Bai family, they went to the Immortal City to attend the auction.

Even if Li Ping hadn't come, they were already planning to head to Xiancheng soon. Now that Li Ping is returning to Xiancheng, they can hitch a ride with him.

Li Ping held a storage bag in his hand, pondering for a moment.

This storage bag contains five hundred spirit stones, a token of gratitude from the Bai family. It's to express their thanks to Li Ping for the spirit talisman that helped the Bai family survive the beast tide.

Originally, the storage bag contained 1000 spirit stones.

However, Li Ping had no shortage of spirit stones and naturally did not want to get too involved with the Bai family over some spirit stones. After some refusals, he finally only accepted five hundred spirit stones as the cost of the spirit talisman.

Li Ping shook his head and put away the storage bag: "Never mind, five second-tier mid-grade spirit talismans are more expensive than five hundred spirit stones. I'm actually giving the Bai family a discount."

……

At the towering city gate of the immortal city.

Li Ping waved his hand and put away the flying boat, then looked at Bai Mingde and the others and said calmly, "Let's part ways here."

"Thank you, senior." The group quickly and respectfully expressed their gratitude.

Next, the Bai family members lined up to have their identities checked.

Li Ping, accompanied by Bai Lin, entered the city directly through the fast passage under the respectful gaze of the city guards.

On the way back to Immortal Peach Mountain, Bai Lin kept reminiscing in her mind: "It's been almost a year, the spiritual herbs I planted must have grown a lot. The spiritual fish in the pond must be fattened up, but Young Master is too busy cultivating to feed them. And..."

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but shake Li Ping's arm and ask, "Young Master, have you fed the spirit fish in the pond?"

"Huh? Feed the fish?" Li Ping was bewildered. The spirit fish had all turned to ashes, how could he feed them?

"What about the elixir? Did you cast a rain spell on it?"

The elixir had turned to ashes, and Li Ping remained bewildered.

Seeing Li Ping's expression, Bai Lin gradually sensed that something was wrong.

When Li Ping returned to Immortal Peach Mountain and activated the magic array, she saw only an empty flat area in front of her, and she could still faintly smell the burnt smell of thunder and fire in the air.

Forget about the magical herbs and fish, even the palaces, pavilions, herb gardens, and ponds are gone.

Bai Lin was dumbfounded: "My huge herb garden, my huge pond, so many medicinal herbs, so many fish?"

Seeing her dazed expression, Li Ping smiled slightly: "I've never liked this cave dwelling and have long wanted to rebuild it. Now that you're back, it's up to you to invite people back to rebuild it according to your own ideas!"

"Okay, sure!" Upon hearing that she could rebuild the cave according to her own ideas, Bai Lin beamed with joy, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

Because what Li Ping entrusted to her was clearly something only a mistress of the house could do.

……

At the foot of Qinglong Mountain.

The Wang family members remained kneeling, while passing cultivators occasionally pointed and whispered, seemingly discussing gossip about the Wang family.

The council palace located halfway up the mountain.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators are discussing how to deal with the royal family.

The Lord of the Immortal City, Fenglan Zhenren, did not appear. Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, the strongest were Dai Sangyu and the Meng family patriarch.

Besides them, there were six or seven other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the palace, including Meng Qing and Junior Brother Ye.

They argued fiercely about how to deal with the Wang family.

Junior Brother Ye naturally wanted to completely destroy the Wang family, while Meng Qingyi tried his best to exonerate them.

Let's stop arguing.

Dai Sangyu glanced at the direction down the mountain with disgust, then swept his gaze over the foundation building in the hall.

With Master Fenglan in seclusion, she, as the acting sect leader, has considerable authority over matters concerning the Immortal City.

Others may question it, but they have no right to overturn it.

She said coldly, "The Wang family's affairs have tarnished the image of the Immortal City and affected Master's reputation. Wang Li is dead, so be it; but the rest of the Wang family—"

As they were talking, she suddenly paused, stopped speaking, and listened attentively.

The other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the hall all changed their expressions, realizing that it was True Person Fenglan transmitting her voice.

"The Wang family may remain in the Immortal City, but members of the Wang family are prohibited from holding any positions in the Immortal City and must return the spirit stones they swindled from the rogue cultivators within the year!"

Upon hearing this outcome, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators present showed expressions of satisfaction.

The Meng family patriarch was relieved that he had saved the Wang family.

Junior Brother Ye was satisfied because the departure of the Wang family from the Immortal City system would create a large number of vacant positions, and he had achieved his goal.

……