Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Chapter 72 Treasure Found

The courtyard gate opened.

The person in charge of opening the door was an elderly cultivator with gray hair and beard, whose cultivation level was only at the fourth level of Qi Refining. The old man glanced at the gift box in Li Mufeng's hand, and his originally somewhat indifferent expression immediately warmed up.

"Is this the new owner of Fu Yuan Ju? I will go and inform my master immediately."

Not long after, the old doorman quickly returned and bowed to welcome Li Mufeng inside.

"Senior Li, please."

As soon as you step into the courtyard, a rich aroma of herbs wafts over you.

The courtyard was vast, filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and herbs, many of which were even first-tier spiritual medicines, clearly of considerable value. Artificial hills and flowing water were further adorned with numerous rare and precious flowers, creating an extremely elegant setting.

Li Mufeng's eyes flickered slightly.

Although these medicinal herbs are quite valuable, most of them are only for ornamental purposes, and very few are actually used for alchemy.

It seems that this Manager Xu is not as obsessed with alchemy as the rumors suggest.

Passing through the flowerbed, you can see a waterside pavilion built in the middle of the pond.

A middle-aged cultivator with a plump figure and luxurious clothes was reclining on a soft couch, with two beautiful female cultivators serving him on either side. One was peeling spiritual fruit, the other was pouring spiritual wine, and two others were gently waving feather fans. He was extremely comfortable.

Until the gatekeeper coughed lightly.

Xu Zhiyuan reluctantly withdrew his hand from the waist of one of the concubines, waved his sleeve, and the concubines smiled knowingly and gracefully stepped aside.

He straightened his robes, and the casual look on his face instantly transformed into a gentle and refined smile, as if the absurd scene from just moments ago had never happened.

"I'd heard that a talisman master had moved in next door, and today I finally get to meet him."

Xu Zhiyuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"My name is Xu Zhiyuan. May I ask how you should address me, my friend?"

"Li Mufeng".

"Oh? May I ask where Fellow Daoist Li comes from, and what business do you run?"

"I come from a humble background and was fortunate enough to study the art of talismans for a few years under a Foundation Establishment talisman master at Lingyun Peak of the Qingxuan Sect. Now I am a first-tier high-grade talisman master."

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Xu Zhiyuan's eyes.

A first-tier high-grade talisman master may not be considered a big shot in Tianque Immortal City, but he is still worth befriending.

The key point is that the other party has a connection with the Foundation Establishment Talisman Master of the Qingxuan Sect, but it's unclear whether this is true or just empty boasting.

Thinking of this, the smile on his face suddenly became more sincere.

"Disrespect, disrespect."

As he spoke, he took the brocade box handed to him by the gatekeeper, opened it, and took a look.

Several exquisite talismans were neatly arranged among them, their spiritual light flowing, and the brushstrokes perfectly natural.

Although Xu Zhiyuan was not a talisman master, he had dealt with pills and merchants for many years, so his eyesight was naturally quite good.

His skill in drawing talismans alone is beyond the reach of ordinary first-tier high-grade talisman masters.

He immediately made a judgment in his mind: this person probably really has some ability. If that's the case, then the relationship with the Qingxuan Sect behind him is probably not fake.

Xu Zhiyuan closed the brocade box and laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist Li, this gift is far too generous. As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Fellow Daoist, such a lavish gift makes me feel somewhat unworthy of it."

Li Mufeng's smile remained unchanged.

"A few talismans are nothing compared to getting to know Manager Xu."

'

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiyuan's smile deepened.

He certainly understood what that meant. This Master Li clearly valued his connection to the second-tier alchemist behind him, and his words demonstrated both his worth and his purpose.

Xu Zhiyuan then picked up the spirit tea and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Li speaks frankly, and I also like straightforward people. If there is anything I can help with in the future, as long as it is within my power, please feel free to ask."

Li Mufeng raised his glass and gently clinked it against his.

"With Manager Xu's words, my trip has not been in vain."

The two exchanged a smile, neither of them continuing the conversation, and instead changed the subject.

But they both knew in their hearts that once those words were spoken, the relationship would be preserved.

As for how far things will go in the future, it depends on how much value each party can contribute.

After chatting for a while longer, Li Mufeng, seeing that the time was right, took the initiative to get up and say goodbye.

On this first visit, the necessary strengths have been demonstrated, and the necessary impressions have been left.

There's no need to rush the rest.

After all, goodwill is never something that can be earned with a single gift; it is something that is gradually built up through repeated exchanges of benefits.

After leaving Xu Zhiyuan's cave, Li Mufeng went to another courtyard.

This neighbor was completely different from Xu Zhiyuan.

There were no singing and dancing concubines in the courtyard, nor any exotic flowers or rare herbs, only a few blue stones covered with array patterns and a small array plate that was not yet fully set up.

The person who opened the door was a young cultivator in his thirties, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 7.

When he saw someone coming to visit, he was clearly taken aback, his expression became somewhat reserved, and he even stumbled over his greeting.

"I am Gu Xuanling, fellow Daoist, please come in."

2

Once inside the courtyard, Gu Xuanling was in a flurry of activity, rummaging through drawers and cabinets for a long time before finally managing to brew a pot of spiritual tea.

After talking with him, Li Mufeng learned that this person was a first-tier high-grade array master who usually lived a secluded life and spent most of his time studying array techniques. He did not seem to be good at interacting with people.

Li Mufeng nodded secretly, as array masters were already rarer than talisman masters.

Although I don't need to set up formations for the time being, the fact that this person can live in the inner city and has such mastery of formations shows that he is obviously very talented.

Having more friends is never a bad thing.

In this way, if there are any matters related to setting up formations in caves or searching for treasures in the future, it can be considered as establishing a good connection in advance.

After leaving behind a few exquisite talismans as a gift, Li Mufeng got up to take his leave.

Upon returning to Fu Yuan Residence, Li Mufeng intended to immediately equip the newly purchased beast-patterned alchemy furnace into his equipment inventory, but as soon as he entered the backyard, he noticed something unusual.

Sniff has disappeared.

With a quick sense, I soon discovered that the little guy was sticking his butt out, diligently digging in the dirt in the corner of the yard.

The soil was turned up everywhere, and the big, furry tail swung back and forth with the movement, working hard as if it were a hot machine.

Li Mufeng's lips twitched slightly. Ever since this little guy awakened his talent, he would occasionally use earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of escape technique) to burrow and crawl around under the yard, but he would never make the ground look like this. Today was a bit unusual.

"Other people's treasure-hunting rats are searching for rare and precious treasures, but you, on the other hand, seem to want to tear down my cave."

Li Mufeng smiled and shook his head.

As if it understood what was said, the sniffler immediately squeaked twice in protest, lowered its head, and pawed at the ground even faster with its two front paws.

Not long after, there was a muffled "thump" sound, and something was dug out.

Li Mufeng's gaze sharpened slightly, and he stepped forward.

The next moment, Sniffy pulled an old-fashioned brocade box bigger than itself out of the soil, biting the corner, and stumbled toward him.

The little guy was panting heavily, but he still held his head high, looking like he was about to praise me.

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Mufeng's eyes. He squatted down and took the brocade box.

The brocade box was covered in mud, and the edges even showed signs of corrosion, indicating that it had been buried underground for many years.

What surprised him even more was that there was still a faint trace of a restrictive aura on the brocade box, which could block divine sense from probing it.

No wonder I hadn't found this thing even after scanning the entire cave with my divine sense several times.

Li Mufeng couldn't help but take another look at the proud and upright Sniff, his eyes filled with admiration.

It seems this treasure-hunting rat is quite something.

"Well done."

He smiled, took out a spirit stone, and flicked it gently.

Sniff's eyes lit up instantly. It hugged the spirit stone tightly, spun around happily several times, and then skillfully parted its fluffy belly fur to hide the spirit stone inside, looking just like a miser.

Li Mufeng was already used to this, and his gaze returned to the brocade box.

Although the brocade box has been around for a long time, it has not been damaged, which means it is clearly engraved with anti-corrosion measures.

Inside, three things lay quietly: a jade slip for inheritance, an ancient scroll painting, and a yellowed letter.

The moment the brocade box was opened, Li Mufeng's pupils suddenly contracted.

The long-awaited system notification reappeared before my eyes.

[A jade slip containing a water dragon talisman has been detected. Equip it?]

[A visualization image—"Yinglong Bringing Rain"—has been detected. Equip it?]