Immortality begins with equipping a worn-out talisman pen.

Hu Wan's face was full of surprise, and his tone was unusually warm.

"I figured with the market so bustling, you'd probably come and try your luck. I've practically turned the whole market upside down these past few days."

As he said this, he deliberately put on a wronged look.

"Why didn't you say goodbye when you left the Wang family's cave?"

"Did I neglect my duties in some way and upset you?"

"If I have truly offended you in any way, please punish me as you see fit, I will have no objection."

His obsequious manner made him look exactly like a loyal servant.

If someone unaware of the situation saw this, they might actually think the two had a very close relationship.

Li Mufeng looked at the smiling face in front of him, but a cold smile crept into his heart.

Others don't know.

He knew it very well.

Back when he hadn't yet become a talisman master, Hu Wan had often tripped him up behind his back.

Those spirit-gathering arrays were probably his doing.

Now that he has been promoted to a talisman master and has become valuable, he immediately changed his tune.

He is truly the worst of the worst.

If it weren't for the Qingxuan Sect's law enforcement team patrolling the market, private fights would be strictly prohibited.

With his current cultivation level and mastery of water arrow techniques, he really had the urge to send this guy on his way with a single talisman.

However, the murderous intent in his heart only flashed by.

However, there was no sign of anything unusual on his face.

Li Mufeng simply shook his head.

"The Yi-character cave dwelling is ultimately not a place where a minor cultivator like me can stay for long."

His tone was extremely calm, and with one sentence, he shut down all other topics.

After saying that, he prepared to leave.

To everyone's surprise, Hu Wan seemed oblivious to the other party's coldness and approached with a beaming smile.

"Master Li, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

"I was young and ignorant before, and I didn't recognize someone's greatness."

"Looking back now, I'm so regretful."

As he spoke, he secretly observed Li Mufeng's expression.

Seeing that the other party remained calm, his heart sank slightly.

These days he has been ordered to search for Li Mufeng, and he has almost worn his legs out from running around.

But the other party seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Now that we've finally found each other, we can't let them go easily.

Thinking about this...

Hu Wan deliberately lowered his voice, appearing mysterious.

"Master Li, I'm not here to upset you this time."

"I came specifically to bring you good news."

Li Mufeng paused slightly, but did not speak.

Upon seeing this, Hu Wan was immediately overjoyed.

He thought his words had finally worked.

He quickly continued:

"Lord Wang has spoken personally."

"As long as you are willing to return to the Wang family and sign a spirit worship contract, your treatment will definitely be much better than before."

"Spirit stones, cave dwellings, cultivation resources, and even the inheritance of talismanic arts are all negotiable."

"Lord Wang said he would definitely give you a fair price."

As he spoke, Hu Wan's face was full of flattery.

But in her heart, she was secretly plotting to bring Li Mufeng back to the Wang family.

Whatever happens next is none of my business.

Perhaps this will earn me some credit.

However, to his disappointment...

Throughout the entire process, Li Mufeng did not show the slightest sign of being moved.

Instead, my vigilance only intensified.

Wang Jiayue was in a hurry to find him.

He became increasingly convinced that something was wrong.

He had only shown a little talent in the art of talismans back then.

For a talisman master who has cultivated diligently for many years and accumulated a wealth of knowledge, this is not particularly outrageous.

Moreover, the quality of the talismans I drew back then was far inferior to what it is now.

That's a true beginner level.

Logically speaking, it shouldn't be worth the Wang family going to such lengths to find it.

Hu Wan's sudden appearance only made him more certain.

The death of his master and the change in the Wang family's attitude suggest that there may be something else behind it that he doesn't know.

Thinking of this.

Li Mufeng remained outwardly calm and composed.

He simply shook his head slightly.

"Excuse me."

"I have already signed a contract with the Qingxuan Sect."

talking.

He directly took out the jade talisman certified by the Qingxuan Sect from his waist.

The jade talisman shimmered with spiritual light, displaying the authentic design of the Qingxuan Sect.

Hu Wan's smile froze instantly.

Before he could react...

Li Mufeng had already put away the jade talisman and turned to merge into the crowd.

The whole process was clean and efficient.

No additional information was disclosed.

They didn't give the other party a chance to continue testing them.

Hu Wan stood there, watching Li Mufeng's departing figure.

The fawning smile on his face slowly disappeared.

Instead, a cold, gloomy color appeared.

He stared intently at the figure.

After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"A talisman master from the Qingxuan Sect?"

"I'll see how long you can be so smug."

......

After returning to his cave, Li Mufeng did not immediately begin cultivating. Instead, he sat at the wooden table, his brows furrowed, pondering everything that had happened in the market that day.

Hu Wan was clearly not as he appeared to be, having simply bumped into him by chance at the market.

More than a month has passed since he left the spiritual vein cave dwelling controlled by the Wang family. During this time, he has kept to himself and rarely goes out. Apart from occasionally selling talismans and purchasing materials, he has had almost no contact with the outside world, and no one from the Wang family has taken the initiative to come to his door.

But just as the market fair opened today, and he had only gone out for a stroll, Hu Wan appeared before him with perfect precision.

What a coincidence!

The only explanation is that the other party has been secretly monitoring my movements.

Thinking of this, Li Mufeng's eyes darkened slightly.

He was only at the early stage of Qi Refining and a low-grade first-level talisman master who had just gained a foothold. In terms of both cultivation and status, he was far from worthy of such attention from a Foundation Establishment family.

So the question arises: what exactly is Hu Wan, or rather the Wang family, watching?

After much thought, it seems there's only one answer left.

Master.

Thinking of this, Li Mufeng's expression hardened slightly. He got up again and walked to the bedside, taking out the bundle that had already collected some dust.

These are the relics that Niu Shouzhuo risked his life to bring back.

When the bundle was opened, there wasn't much inside.

Aside from the broken bamboo talisman pen that accompanied him throughout his growth and helped him earn his first pot of gold, all that remained were a few yellowed and old ancient books in front of him.

He had already read these books countless times.

From the day Niu Shouzhuo sent it back, he carefully examined almost every page.

He tried every possible method he could think of, such as hidden compartments in the book, heating it by candlelight, or other encryption methods from his past life.

But in the end, nothing was gained.

The book mainly records local customs, geography, and some observations from the cultivation world. There are no words left by the master, nor any secret codes or markings.

Over time, Li Mufeng could only treat it as an ordinary relic left by his master and carefully store it away.

Even after he awakened the equipment slot system, he tried putting these travelogues into his equipment slot.

But there was still no response.

These books have no grade display or any entries appearing, as if they were just a few ordinary old books.

"Could it be that my cultivation level was too low back then, and I overlooked some details? Now that I have divine sense, perhaps things will be different."

Li Mufeng muttered to himself.

After the thought arose, he simply calmed his mind and slowly extended his divine sense.

The yellowed paper, the worn edges, the old ink stains—all the details are clearly reflected in the senses.

However, as time went by, the expectation in Li Mufeng's eyes gradually faded.

These books, just like the results of his previous investigation, were utterly ordinary.

After a moment, he slowly withdrew his consciousness and gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.

It seems that, at least with my current abilities, I cannot detect anything unusual.

However, Li Mufeng was not disappointed.

He carefully put the travelogues back into his bundle and kept them safe.

Master would never leave these things behind for no reason.

Some secrets are simply ones that we are not yet qualified to touch.

Just because you don't understand it today doesn't mean you won't understand it in the future.

If the mid-stage of Qi Refining isn't enough, then go for the late-stage.

I am still too weak now.

To investigate what happened back then, one would need at least the strength of the late-stage Qi Refining realm to barely protect oneself.

Before that, improving one's cultivation level is the most important thing.

Having figured this out, Li Mufeng stopped worrying about it.

Then, he slowly took out the pair of heavy iron wrist guards that he had obtained at the market fair that day from his bosom.

Li Mufeng's gaze heated slightly.

Compared to those scheming and infighting schemes that are still unclear, this is the opportunity that I can truly grasp right now.

He took a deep breath and gripped the wristband in his palm.

With a thought.

The next moment, the equipment slot vibrated slightly.

The familiar light screen slowly appeared before my eyes.

A stream of deep blue light flowed out.

[A Tier 1 Mid-Grade Ancient Magic Artifact Detected: Mountain and River Prison Ring (Blue)]

[Equipped?]