Burial Furnace

Zhang Yuan opened the wooden box with anticipation.

Inside were three mid-grade spirit stones and a jade slip.

Zhang Yuan picked up the jade slip and placed it between his eyebrows.

A flood of information rushed into his mind.

"Evergreen Technique" - a cultivation method that can be practiced up to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

This technique is far superior to the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique that Zhang Yuan is currently practicing.

While the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique is not bad, it leans more towards body refinement and has only moderate effects on preserving lifespan and appearance.

The most distinctive feature of the "Evergreen Secret" is its ability to preserve youth and delay aging.

When one cultivates to the highest level, even at several hundred years old, one still looks like a young person.

Undoubtedly, this technique is of the wood element.

Zhang Yuan possesses the spiritual roots of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, so he is certainly capable of cultivation.

However, he is much slower than the geniuses with a single wood-attribute spiritual root, because only one-fifth of his spiritual root is converting spiritual energy, while others are converting it 100%.

Previously, he cultivated the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, which was of the metal element, so his body tempering was quite powerful.

The same logic applies; compared to those geniuses who possess a unique metal-attribute spiritual root, they are far inferior, and their speed of converting spiritual energy is only one-fifth of that of others.

Zhang Yuan was overjoyed.

Back at the crematorium, he took the four bodies out of the storage bag and threw them into the furnace one by one.

"boom--"

Dark golden flames ignited.

The body quickly turned to ashes.

The three mortal corpses showed almost no feedback of primordial power.

Only Wang Hu's corpse extended his lifespan by about five days.

"Even a small mosquito is still meat," Zhang Yuan consoled himself.

Then, he picked up Wang Hu's storage bag, hesitated for a moment, and threw it into the stove as well.

"boom--"

The storage bag twisted and deformed in the flames, eventually turning into a pile of ashes.

This time, the feedback of primal power was quite considerable!

His lifespan has increased by three months!

Moreover, the primordial power carried a large amount of information, which flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.

He saw an elderly man with white hair, who was concentrating intently on crafting a storage bag.

From selecting materials to cutting, to carving the array, to infusing spiritual power... every step and every detail was clearly displayed before his eyes.

When the image faded, Zhang Yuan was surprised to find that he had completely mastered the method of refining storage bags!

"My God... If I burn the treasure, I can master the method of refining that treasure?" Zhang Yuan's heart was filled with shock.

The Immortal Transformation Furnace was even more wondrous than he had imagined!

Unfortunately, with his current cultivation level and mental strength, he is far from being able to refine a storage bag.

Because it requires setting up a very complex spatial array, which requires a huge amount of spiritual energy, one can only barely attempt it at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"No rush, take your time." Zhang Yuan suppressed his excitement and turned his attention to the low-grade magic weapon longsword.

He gripped his longsword and channeled a wisp of true energy into it.

The sword trembled slightly, emitting a clear hum, and a sword light about an inch long emerged from the tip, exuding a sharp aura.

"What a fine sword," Zhang Yuan exclaimed.

I had intended to burn this sword as well, to see if I could learn the art of weapon forging.

But since it's such a fine sword, I'm a little reluctant to part with it.

It can be used for self-defense, and as long as he doesn't use it for the time being, no one will suspect him.

He stored the longsword in his Shadowless Ring.

A pleasant mood and a peaceful mind.

The hidden danger of Wang Hu has finally been completely resolved.

He sat cross-legged and began to circulate his true energy according to the methods of the "Evergreen Secret".

He soon sensed the difference.

The true essence of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique is domineering and fierce, like a raging fire, surging and roaring through the meridians.

The true essence of the Evergreen Manual is gentle and resilient, like spring rain nourishing all things, flowing slowly through the meridians.

Zhang Yuan was so immersed in this wonderful state of cultivation that an hour passed without him realizing it.

He discovered that his true essence had changed, containing an inexhaustible life force that could nourish his body, repair hidden injuries, and prolong his lifespan.

Although the Evergreen Technique is inferior to the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique in terms of body refinement, it far surpasses the latter in terms of health preservation and longevity.

He stopped cultivating, walked to the bronze mirror, and looked at himself in the mirror.

My complexion is better, and my skin is more rosy and radiant. The wrinkles on my face have faded, especially the crow's feet at the corners of my eyes, which are almost invisible.

My hair has also turned a little darker. Although it's not very obvious yet, if you look closely, you can see some black stubble sprouting at my temples.

"It works!" Zhang Yuan was overjoyed, and his confidence in the Evergreen Manual grew even stronger.

However, practicing both techniques together, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses, is the right way.

Anyway, he has plenty of time and doesn't need to go out treasure hunting or adventure. He can just stay in the shop and wait for customers to come.

It was another late night.

"Squeak—"

The shop door was pushed open.

A rich, fragrant breeze swept into the store like a tide.

The fragrance was very special; it was a blend of rose and jasmine, rich but not cloying, sweet but not vulgar, and it invigorated the senses.

Then a female nun walked in.

Her hair was pulled up high, revealing her long, fair neck, with a few wisps of hair falling beside her ears, adding a touch of charm.

Her features were exquisite and beautiful, and her peach blossom eyes were shimmering with a captivating charm.

Although it was the first time Zhang Yuan had seen her, he recognized her at a glance—she was definitely a demoness from the Hehuan Sect.

That alluring and seductive air, that captivating charm in every gesture, is exactly the same as that of Hua Jinhuan, Liu Mei, and Jiang Yao.

But she is younger, yet her aura is no less imposing; she is probably also at the late stage of level three.

The female cultivator smiled sweetly, her peach blossom eyes gazing at him with a watery look. "Hello, Old Zhang. I've heard Junior Sister Liu Mei and Senior Sister Hua mention you before. They say you handle corpses quickly and cleanly, and your prices are fair. So I've come here today to patronize your business."

"You flatter me, fairy." Zhang Yuan cupped his hands in greeting, then led her to the backyard and cremated a Foundation Establishment corpse for her, which increased his lifespan by half a year.

Zhang Yuan said softly, "Two mid-grade spirit stones."

The female cultivator blinked her captivating eyes, a shy blush creeping onto her face. "I... I don't have any spirit stones. Could I pay for it overnight?"

Zhang Yuan's lips twitched.

These enchanting women from the Hehuan Sect really intend to keep taking advantage of others for free.

But he couldn't refuse.

He could only nod helplessly, "Okay."

Half an hour later, the two lay side by side on the bed.

She boldly nestled into his arms.

"My name is Qi Jiaojiao, I am twenty years old, and I am in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."

She looked up and breathed softly into his ear.

"You've reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage at twenty years old, your talent is truly remarkable."

Zhang Yuan said with a hint of envy.

"His talent is passable. Although he doesn't have a Heavenly Spiritual Root, he does possess dual Ice and Lightning Spiritual Roots. After all, I am the next sect leader candidate for the Hehuan Sect, shouldering the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the sect."

Qi Jiaojiao said softly.

"My god, dual spiritual roots of ice and lightning? The next sect leader of the Joyful Union Sect?"

Zhang Yuan gasped, then fell silent.

They actually chose to renege on their debt just to save two mid-grade spirit stones?

"Do whatever you want, otherwise you'll lose out big time. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Qi Jiaojiao seemed to understand what Zhang Yuan was thinking and spoke in an encouraging tone.