Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Early the next morning.

As soon as Li Mufeng opened the shop door, he saw a familiar figure slowly walking towards him from the street corner.

It was Huang Xuan.

However, Huang Xuan at this moment was completely different from the spirited and high-spirited man he was yesterday.

His face was pale, his eyes were sunken, his steps were unsteady, and he even had to support his lower back from time to time while walking, looking like he had suffered a great loss of energy.

Judging from the direction they came from, it was none other than Miaoyinfang.

Upon seeing this, Li Mufeng's lips twitched slightly.

"As expected, everything becomes painful when you get old."

Huang Xuan also saw Li Mufeng, his old face flushed red, he coughed twice and forced a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Li...you're up quite early."

"Fellow Daoist Huang is not too late either."

Li Mufeng cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Huang Xuan smiled awkwardly, not daring to say anything more, and then, supporting his waist, he went into Baicaotang.

The market remained calm for the next few days.

Besides drawing talismans, Li Mufeng spent his days cultivating the "Mysterious Water Technique" and the "Mountain and River Suppressing Prison Scripture," leading a very fulfilling life.

This day.

He was concentrating on drawing a spirit-gathering talisman in the backyard when there was a sudden knock on the gate.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Qinghe's clear voice rang out.

"Uncle Li, that alchemist Huang from next door is here again."

Li Mufeng paused slightly in his hand holding the talisman brush.

Again?

Huang Xuan has been contacting me far too frequently lately.

He put down his talisman brush, straightened his robes, and walked out of the backyard.

Huang Xuan was standing in the shop, his face rosy and his spirits high, clearly having recovered from the gentle embrace of Miaoyinfang.

Upon seeing Li Mufeng, he immediately broke into a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Li, great news!"

"Oh?"

Li Mufeng remained calm.

Huang Xuan mysteriously took out a jade bottle from his pocket.

"I recently acquired a medicinal pill by chance, and I have come to invite you, fellow Daoist, to appreciate it together."

"What kind of elixir?"

"The Essence-Gathering Pill!"

Huang Xuan lowered his voice, looking smug.

"This pill is something I recently acquired. It is very beneficial to cultivators in the late stage of Qi Refining. It can condense spiritual power and stabilize the foundation. It is not easy to buy outside."

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky.

"The weather is nice today. How about the two of us go boating on Deer Sleep Lake? Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Li, Deer Sleep Lake is right next to the market town. It's not a dangerous place like the Black Stone Mountains. We can sit around a stove, brew tea, and discuss alchemy. It would be quite an elegant affair."

Upon hearing this, Li Mufeng raised an eyebrow slightly.

Lumian Lake is only a few dozen miles away from Heishifang City.

The lake is vast and the scenery is beautiful.

On ordinary days, many cultivators do enjoy boating on the lake, sipping tea and discussing philosophy. There are even young masters from aristocratic families who hold small gatherings there.

Even Chen Jingyuan had invited him to enjoy the scenery on the lake many times. In terms of safety, it was much safer than the Black Stone Mountains, and the market enforcement team would often patrol there.

At first glance, Huang Xuan's suggestion doesn't seem problematic.

But the more Li Mufeng thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong.

Two grown men, boating on Lumian Lake?

Moreover, including this time, Huang Xuan has invited him out three times in just one month.

The first time was the Black Stone Mountains, a place rarely visited by humans and teeming with monsters; the second time was the Miaoyin Pavilion, a place of dazzling lights and the easiest place to relax one's vigilance; and the third time, they deliberately chose the Deer Sleeping Lake, a place with beautiful scenery and seemingly safe.

It was a coincidence.

Both times it was because we shared similar interests.

Three times would seem a bit deliberate.

Li Mufeng naturally didn't think that Huang Xuan might have taken a liking to him.

In the cultivation world, those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves.

The fact that the other party repeatedly invited him to leave the market was already very unusual.

Thinking of this, a hint of apology appeared on Li Mufeng's face.

I'm so sorry.

"I have recently gained some insights into the Dao of Talismans and am currently in seclusion studying a new type of talisman. I simply cannot spare the time."

"Fellow Daoist Huang, you should keep this Yuan-Gathering Pill for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuan's smile visibly froze for a moment.

"This...are you really not going?"

Li Mufeng smiled and shook his head.

"I'm not going."

Huang Xuan remained silent for a moment, and finally could only let out a long sigh.

"What a pity, what a pity."

"Then we'll wait until Fellow Daoist Li has some free time, and then we can discuss the Dao and the elixir together."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and left dejectedly.

Watching Huang Xuan's departing figure, Li Mufeng narrowed his eyes slightly.

After a moment, he slowly withdrew his gaze.

No matter what the other party is planning, as long as I don't leave the market and don't give them any opportunities, I will be invincible.

......

Six months later, in the Wanfuzhai cultivation room.

Li Mufeng sat cross-legged in the center of the spirit-gathering array, and spiritual energy flowed slowly into his body like water.

In the past six months, he has hardly left the market.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Huang Xuan gradually gave up on inviting him, and the two returned to being ordinary neighbors.

Li Mufeng was happy to see this happen.

In the past six months, his cultivation and talisman skills have been steadily improving.

As for his progress in body tempering, he reached out and touched the Mountain and River Suppressing Prison Ring in his storage bag.

His Iron Bone Realm was already at its peak, but he never stopped cultivating. He was just waiting for the second-tier demon beast inner core from the Liu family so he could cultivate the Mountain and River Body.

As Liu Yan'er had said before, the Liu family's caravan had already returned from Tingyun Immortal City, and judging by the days, they should arrive at Black Stone City in the next few days.

Just then.

boom--!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted outside the market.

The entire cultivation room trembled slightly, and the restrictive spiritual patterns on the walls rippled.

Li Mufeng suddenly opened his eyes, and with a flash, he quickly arrived in the courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard, Liu Yan'er was already standing there, her pretty face slightly pale, staring intently at the distant horizon.

The next moment, a beam of emerald green light shot into the sky, exploded in the high sky, and transformed into a huge willow leaf phantom that hung in the clouds for a long time.

"This is……"

Li Mufeng's expression changed slightly.

That was clearly a distress signal from the Liu family!

Immediately afterwards, a furious voice boomed from afar, like a thunderclap.

"Who dares to attack my Liu family's caravan!"

The sound was powerful and carried the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, instantly spreading throughout the entire Black Stone Market.

In an instant, countless cultivators rushed out of their caves and looked up at the horizon.

Dozens of miles away from the market, several enormous magic ships hovered in mid-air, their spiritual light soaring into the sky and their magical power surging.

One after another, divine powers collided in the sky, bursting out with dazzling light, even shattering the clouds above.

Above the Dharma ship, two figures stood facing each other in mid-air.

One of them was wearing a blue robe from the Liu family, his body shimmering with blue light, and his Foundation Establishment aura swept across the surroundings without reservation.

The other person was dressed in a black robe, his whole body shrouded in a dense aura of malevolence, and he stood on a blood-red flying sword. The aura he exuded was in no way inferior to that of the former.

Foundation Establishment cultivators! Moreover, there are two Foundation Establishment experts!

The entire Black Stone Market instantly erupted in excitement, with many cultivators' eyes gleaming as they stared intently at the battlefield on the horizon.

Over the years, the Liu family has risen rapidly with the help of Jubaoge, and is showing signs of becoming a new elite in the market, but few people have actually seen the Liu family's true strength.

This battle has given everyone a chance to see just how strong this emerging Foundation Establishment family really is.

Just then, the man in black robes suddenly let out a piercing laugh.

"Hehehe—"

"The Liu family? What a prestigious name!"

"I have roamed Huizhou for decades, killing and robbing countless treasures. My actions are always based solely on my likes and dislikes; I need no reason whatsoever!"

The sound rolled in, carrying a strong murderous aura, making countless Qi Refining cultivators shudder.

How arrogant!

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Liu family had a gloomy expression.

He had only recently broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and had always been a hidden trump card of the Liu family, never appearing in front of outsiders.

Unexpectedly, today a Foundation Establishment cultivator who suddenly appeared out of nowhere forced him to reveal his identity.

"You have quite the arrogance!"

The Liu family cultivator spoke in a cold voice, his voice like thunder.

"My Liu family has the backing of the Qingxuan Sect and a long-standing relationship with Lingyun Peak. If you dare to touch my Liu family's caravan, aren't you afraid of being hunted down by the Qingxuan Sect and ending up dead?"