Treasure Gathering Immortal Furnace

Upon returning to the thatched hut, Li Niu, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed forward when he saw Lu Fan return.

"Senior brother! Have you accepted the mission?" Li Niu asked.

"Yes, it's a simple task: kill a Tier 1 demonic beast, the Snow Fox. Whether you do it or not is up to you, but you must return within seven days."

"Because it was registered under my identity for you, if you can't come back, it's my identity that will be erased."

Lu Fan handed the exit token to Li Niu and said.

"Don't worry, senior brother. I'll be back in five days at most after I've buried my father and settled my mother and younger sister. I won't cause you any trouble," Li Niu nodded.

"Okay, go back now," Lu Fan nodded.

Li Niu took the token and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lu Fan called out to Li Niu, then took out the low-grade magic weapon that Wang Qingzhu had given him from his storage bag and said, "Take this low-grade magic weapon for self-defense."

"Senior brother, this..." Li Niu seemed hesitant to accept.

"Take it," Lu Fan said, handing it to Li Niu.

Li Niu was also quite moved. After kowtowing to Lu Fan, he took the magic weapon sword and turned to leave.

Watching Li Niu leave, Lu Fan sighed, unsure if he had done the right thing.

But after all, he had known Li Niu for many years and they were like brothers, so it wouldn't be right not to help.

Lu Fan then left the thatched hut and wandered around.

It was only then that he realized that, seemingly, he was utterly useless in the Dao Sect, except for his seclusion.

This is the norm for disciples with mixed spiritual roots: they have no connections, are not valued by elders, and have no one to talk to or confide in on a daily basis; they are completely alone.

After all, other people see Lu Fan as nothing but humiliation, so he naturally wouldn't bother to befriend anyone.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, Lu Fan felt bored and simply returned to the thatched hut to wait for Li Niu to come back.

This meditation lasted for five days.

Lu Fan woke up at the appointed time, but by the evening of the fifth day, he still hadn't seen Li Niu.

"Junior Brother Li wouldn't be late without a reason. Could something have happened?" Lu Fan felt a sense of unease.

After all, Li Niu had promised that he would get things done within five days at the latest.

If Li Niu had accepted the mission and gone down the mountain in his own name, Lu Fan could have waited a couple more days.

But since he went there in his own capacity, he would be in trouble if he didn't return by the seventh day.

Since the mission token is in Li Niu's hands, Lu Fan is unable to complete the task. Given the inner sect elder's attitude, he will most likely be kicked out of the sect.

In the past, Lu Fan wouldn't have cared; he could simply leave. But now, the Demon Extermination Conference is just ten years away.

He still needs to rely on the Dao Sect to earn Foundation Establishment Pills.

After thinking it over, Lu Fan decided to ask Steward Ma for help and let him go down the mountain to see what was going on.

With that thought in mind, Lu Fan headed straight for the Hall of Affairs.

...

Inside the Hall of Affairs, Steward Ma was handling outer sect matters as usual when Lu Fan hurried over.

"Disciple greets Steward Ma," Lu Fan stepped forward and quickly bowed.

"Master Lu, is there something you need?" Steward Ma asked, putting down his brush as Lu Fan approached.

Lu Fan was also a little unsure of what to say, but he still forced himself to tell the story of how he had let Li Niu go down the mountain five days ago.

Upon hearing this, Deacon Ma was also shocked and immediately launched into a tirade: "You're simply being ridiculous! Helping other disciples take on sect missions is already a violation of sect rules. Li Niu hasn't returned yet. If he stays in the mortal realm and does something heinous, wouldn't that tarnish the reputation of our Dao Sect?"

"And if he's captured by evil cultivators, skinned alive, having his bones refined, and his soul captured, then it will all be your fault!"

Hearing Steward Ma's words, Lu Fan also felt guilty, after all, he was in the wrong.

"Steward Ma is right. I want to go down the mountain to see what's going on and bring Li Niu back. Please help me, Steward Ma," Lu Fan said, bowing and pleading.

Although Lu Fan is tactful in his dealings with others, he lacks experience in handling cause and effect. He must never do anything like this again, where he unwittingly gets involved in cause and effect.

"Sigh, you're really getting me into trouble. Fine, I'll give you two days. Whether Li Niu is dead or alive, bring him and the mission token back."

"Also, don't be too flashy when you go down the mountain; change into ordinary mortal clothing."

Although Deacon Ma was displeased, he still took out his token and a set of ordinary clothes and tossed them to Lu Fan.

Upon receiving the token and a brand-new blue robe, Lu Fan quickly bowed and thanked them, saying, "Yes!"

After leaving the deacon's hall, Lu Fan headed straight for the grove.

After all, this was the first time he had descended the mountain in his more than thirty years at the Dao Sect.

He had only heard that the cultivation world was extremely dangerous and terrifying, so he was actually a little scared to suddenly go down the mountain.

Just to be on the safe side, Lu Fan not only brought Zi Yuan, the Golden Core stage puppet, but also took everything hidden in the tree hole.

After changing into the blue robe given to him by Steward Ma, Lu Fan took out Mo Li's low-grade magic weapon flying sword, leaped onto it, and dashed down the mountain in a flash.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, a pale blue barrier appeared before us.

This is the sect's protective formation; without a token, it is absolutely impossible to leave.

As Lu Fan raised the token given to him by Steward Ma high, an opening immediately appeared in the sect's protective formation, and Lu Fan flew out directly.

As Lu Fan stepped into the mortal realm for the first time, he was still a little excited, and without realizing it, his speed increased slightly.

Moreover, during his years of seclusion, Lu Fan studied the maps of Canglan and various countries, so he was also very familiar with Qingniu Town under the rule of Da Yan.

Having determined his direction, Lu Fan immediately increased his speed, transforming into a long rainbow and disappearing into the horizon.

After reaching the 30th level of Qi Refining, Lu Fan's low-altitude escape speed became extremely fast, easily covering a thousand miles a day.

Therefore, Qingniu Town, which is 200 miles away, can be easily reached in just a few incense sticks' time.

Upon arriving above Qingniu Town, Lu Fan immediately looked down.

Although Qingniu Town is nestled among mountains, it boasts convenient transportation and a population of several thousand, making it one of the larger towns in the Great Yan Dynasty.

However, there are not many cultivators here. After all, cultivators rarely set foot in the mortal world except when they become mortals. Some mortals may never even see a cultivator in their entire lives.

Now that Lu Fan was out, he no longer needed to pretend to be lame. He found a secluded spot and settled down, then blended into the crowd.

Although it is night, the bustling city is still lively and vibrant.

The restaurant waiter was calling out to serve dishes in the inner room.

The courtesans of Chunfeng Tower, dressed in flamboyant attire, stood on the upper floor, casting alluring glances at passersby below to attract customers.

"Hey buddy, come in and have some fun. Low prices, great service, I guarantee you'll be satisfied," a woman with a full face of rouge said, waving her handkerchief and smiling as she looked down at Lu Fan.

Looking at the scantily clad woman, Lu Fan couldn't help but blush. He could only lower his head and quickly leave, showing no trace of the demeanor of a celestial master.

The woman in the attic chuckled when she saw Lu Fan's handsome face flushed.