Cultivating immortality begins with discerning the secrets of heaven.

"Three Fire Rain Talismans, two Golden Light Talismans, and one Thunderstorm Talisman!"

"Although they are all first-tier talismans, their power is quite remarkable, especially this Thunderstorm Talisman, which is of excellent quality."

Lin Yun was very satisfied. If he were to buy these six talismans with spirit stones, they would probably cost him a lot of spirit stones, far exceeding the fifty spirit stones on the bounty notice.

Next, he went to Dan Ding Peak and bought some pills to heal injuries and restore his mana from a senior alchemist.

These pills weren't very valuable; they only cost him fifty spirit stones, which was more than enough for him to travel the entire way to Feiliujian using his flying magic artifact.

"I only have a little over six hundred spirit stones left, which is a bit of a stretch to buy a high-grade magic weapon."

"Buy a mid-grade defensive magic weapon; there's not enough time to craft one yourself."

"The remaining time is enough for me to forge one more Fire Raven Arrow at most. As for forging a mid-grade magic weapon, the success rate is still too low, and I'm not very confident."

After considering it over in his mind, Lin Yun returned to Hundred Refinement Peak and sought out a senior fellow disciple who was quite old.

This man is named Song Cheng. He has been in the sect for thirty years and is nearly sixty years old, but his cultivation level is still stuck at the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage.

He had already taken a Foundation Establishment Pill, but unfortunately he failed to establish his foundation.

Approaching sixty years of age, if he still cannot obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, he might very well decide to take a risk and forcefully attempt to break through the barrier.

This person has a fairly good reputation on Hundred Refinement Peak. He is gentle, honest, and a well-liked person within the sect.

"Junior brother, you want to buy a mid-grade defensive magic weapon? With your weapon-refining skills, you should be able to refine it yourself after a while, right?" Song Cheng asked, somewhat puzzled.

Lin Yun said sincerely, "Senior Brother Song, I plan to go down the mountain to return to my family. However, the journey is quite long. Having a magic artifact to protect me will make me feel more at ease."

Song Cheng didn't press for details about what important matter it was, but secretly guessed that this Junior Brother Lin was probably burdened by family affairs, which was why he was in a hurry to go down the mountain.

"I understand, it's only human nature to do that."

"However, I don't have any mid-grade defensive magic weapons on hand. I only have a high-grade Earth Element Bell. This bell has considerable defensive power and can withstand the full-force attack of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. It also has the ability to suppress and kill enemies."

As he spoke, Song Cheng took out a large, earthen-yellow bell, about half a person's height.

Lin Yun swallowed hard, his eyes filled with longing, and said, "This... Junior Brother, I can't afford it."

A high-grade magic weapon should normally cost around seven or eight hundred spirit stones. The high-grade earth element bell that Song Cheng took out can be used for both defense and suppressing enemies. It is very likely that it will sell for thousands of spirit stones at some auctions.

Song Cheng smiled gently and said, "Junior Brother Lin, how about I rent this bell to you? I'll give you fifty spirit stones for a month. If it's more than a month, I'll charge you one spirit stone per day."

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"Afterwards, I'll charge you some depreciation fee based on the wear and tear on the Earth Elemental Bell. What do you think?"

"After all, this bell has been with me for many years, and I'm still a little reluctant to sell it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yun's eyes lit up; these words truly met his needs.

After all, he was only borrowing it to explore the cave in Feiliujian, and renting a high-grade magic artifact was obviously much more cost-effective than buying a mid-grade magic artifact.

"Isn't Senior Brother worried that I'll take the Earth Element Bell and not return it?"

Song Cheng shook his head and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, we have to sign a spirit contract."

"Of course, if you're willing to give up your status as a sect disciple just for this one bell of mine, then I have nothing to say."

That's true...

Lin Yun smiled awkwardly. His status as a sect disciple was enough to earn him a Foundation Establishment Pill.

If he were to trade away the right to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills, Song Cheng would absolutely be willing to offer up this top-grade Earth Element Bell with both hands.

"Alright, Senior Brother Song, let's sign the spirit contract."

He quickly signed the spiritual contract for renting the high-grade magic artifact, two copies, one for each person.

All terms and conditions are clearly listed, with no word games or hidden clauses.

And so, Lin Yun gave Song Cheng fifty spirit stones and then took the magic weapon down the mountain.

"This Junior Brother Lin is quite steady in his actions. He's only going down the mountain to return to his family, yet he's willing to rent a high-grade magic artifact."

"Lin Hongye of Lingxu Peak is about to establish his foundation. It's always a good idea to befriend this Junior Brother Lin. Even if we can't exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills in the future, we can still ask for an opportunity to exchange for Foundation Establishment spiritual items."

Song Cheng murmured something, then let out a long sigh.

In the Taiyuan Sect, there are definitely many elderly disciples like him who are frustrated and unfulfilled.

Having missed the chance to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills, and not daring to force a breakthrough, he has been enduring hardship until now, and is almost sixty years old...

True geniuses are ultimately only a minority.

...

After renting the Earth Element Bell, Lin Yun examined and studied the magical artifact repeatedly, and he truly couldn't put it down.

"It's truly a wonderful treasure, a top-grade magic weapon that combines both offensive and defensive capabilities."

"When my weapon-forging skills become more advanced, I'll definitely have to forge one myself."

Next, he forged another Fire Crow Arrow in his own courtyard and made some simple repairs to the one he had used at the Ascension Conference.

Two full days passed, and after confirming that all preparations were complete, he asked Elder Feng of Hundred Refinements Peak for leave and left the mountain gate.

Traveling south, Lin Yun stepped on a green leaf, urging it to fly quickly through the air.

This flying artifact is extremely rudimentary; its only function is to accelerate flight, and it consumes less spiritual energy than ordinary artifacts when activated.

Soaring through the vast primeval forests, with occasional birds accompanying you on your flight, it was truly exhilarating.

During his journey, whenever his magical power was depleted by more than half, he would take a Qi-restoring pill to quickly replenish the magical power in his dantian, keeping his magical power in a state of abundance.

The journey was much more peaceful and tranquil than he had imagined.

Occasionally, they would encounter some rogue cultivators, but upon seeing the Taoist robe of a Taiyuan Sect disciple worn by Lin Yun and the flying magic weapon beneath his feet, they all revealed expressions of awe.

Let alone provoking them, everyone keeps their distance, fearing they might get burned.

"The identity of a disciple of the Taiyuan Sect is quite useful; no wonder so many people are vying to join the sect."

Looking at the way those rogue cultivators were looking at him, Lin Yun couldn't help but recall the mindset of the law enforcement disciples who posted bounty notices when he first saw them in Taiyuan Immortal City.

...

Twelve days passed in the blink of an eye. Looking at the mountain ridge that soared straight into the sky ahead, Lin Yun immediately slowed down his escape speed.

Ahead lies the Iron Ridge Mountains, and Flying Stream is nearby.

Upon arriving in this area, even the sky appeared dark and gloomy, as if covered with a layer of gray film.

With a thought, Lin Yun used the Book of Insight to pinpoint the location of the cave.

...