Burial Furnace

"No grudge," the man said coldly, his sword continuing its relentless, frenzied attack. "But I'm too poor right now. I heard your crematorium business is doing well; you must have accumulated quite a few spirit stones. Lend me some."

His swordsmanship was sharp and cunning, with each strike aimed at Zhang Yuan's vital points.

Although Zhang Yuan had practiced martial arts in his youth and was quite skilled in his moves, he still found it extremely difficult to withstand such a frenzied attack.

"Ding ding ding—"

The sound of clashing blades echoed through the night sky, sparks flying everywhere.

Zhang Yuan fought and retreated, forced into a series of defeats.

"I didn't expect you to be at the third level of Qi Refining as well." The man's voice held a hint of surprise, but quickly turned ruthless. "However, I can still take you down!"

Having said that, his offensive intensified.

Zhang Yuan was anxious, knowing that things couldn't continue like this.

With a thought, he summoned the Immortal Transformation Furnace back from the furnace and placed it into his dantian.

Then, he raised his left hand, conjured a fireball, and slammed it down on his opponent.

The man was wearing low-grade magical armor and was not afraid of low-level spells like fireball. He sneered and continued to attack with his sword.

The next second, the fireball landed on his chest.

Then, flames erupted instantly, engulfing his entire body!

"ah--!"

A heart-wrenching scream rang out.

His low-grade magical armor melted away like ice and snow in the flames!

The longsword in his hand also melted and deformed in the flames!

Even he himself was reduced to ashes in the flames!

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible..."

These were his last words.

His voice was filled with disbelief and resentment.

Zhang Yuan stood in front of the firelight, panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

That was really close.

If it weren't for his advancement to the third level of Qi Refining, coupled with the Fireball Technique enhanced by the Immortal Transformation Furnace, he would probably have perished here today.

Because even using talismans wouldn't be enough time.

The flames finally died down, and a surge of primal power flooded into his body like a tidal wave.

Zhang Jun's lifespan has increased by five months!

Moreover, that primordial power also carries a wealth of information!

He saw two scenes: one was an old man who looked like a blacksmith, forging a suit of armor.

From material selection to smelting, forging, quenching, and engraving the formation... every step and every detail was clearly displayed before his eyes.

The other image depicts a cultivator forging a low-grade magical artifact, a longsword...

When the image disappeared, Zhang Yuan had completely mastered the methods of crafting low-grade magic weapon armor and low-grade magic weapon longswords!

"My God... When the Immortal Transformation Furnace is in my dantian, my fireballs can not only kill people, but also obtain the power of origin? The power of origin can also carry information?" Zhang Yuan's eyes widened, and a strong sense of joy welled up in his heart.

After the euphoria came an unprecedented crisis.

Was this person simply plotting to kill for money, or was he acting under someone else's orders?

If it's the former, then it's alright.

Among the rogue cultivators, there are many vicious and wicked individuals. Seeing his business thriving, they become greedy and want to kill him to steal his money. Such things are commonplace in the cultivation world.

But if it's the latter...

That means someone is watching him.

He managed to escape this time, but what about next time? And the time after that?

He was just a minor Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator, insignificant in the cultivation world. Any Foundation Establishment cultivator could crush him like an ant.

"Regardless of whether it's the latter or not, it must be treated as the latter." Zhang Yuan clenched his fist, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

Otherwise, you'll be the one who dies.

So, who would want to kill him?

Wang Hu has already been killed by him, and the bald man, the tall and thin man, and the short and fat man are also dead.

There is only one left—

Mr. Li, the owner of Lingfu Pavilion.

Standing in the night, Zhang Yuan went through the events of the past few days in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Boss Li had disliked him for a long time.

Previously, when his business was not doing well, Boss Li could tolerate it, only requiring him to buy ten intermediate-level talismans each month as "protection fees".

But now his business is getting better and better, with several orders coming in every day, which inevitably affects the sales of cremation talismans for Boss Li.

Given that old fox's personality, how could he possibly sit idly by?

But he didn't want to do it himself, lest he get into trouble.

The best way is to find someone to kill him, without anyone knowing.

Even if Liu Ruxue investigates later, she won't be able to trace it back to him.

So, Boss Li must be waiting for good news right now.

If he knew the assassination attempt had failed, he would likely take matters into his own hands.

He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; there was no way for me to escape, and I was certain to die.

"So, we have to take him down tonight." Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and made his decision.

This idea is absolutely insane.

For a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining to attempt to assassinate a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

But Zhang Yuan had no other choice.

If Boss Li doesn't die, it's him who will.

He pondered for a moment, then summoned the Immortal Transformation Furnace back from the furnace, which transformed into a stream of light and entered his dantian.

Then, he changed into a black night outfit, affixed a concealment talisman and an invisibility talisman, and quietly left the house.

The night was dark.

Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, shrouding the entire town of Qingmu in a thick darkness.

The streets were deserted, with only the occasional bark of a dog in the distance, which sounded particularly clear in the quiet night.

Like a ghost, Zhang Yuan moved through the alleys and shadows, and soon arrived at the most bustling street in Qingmu Town.

Mr. Li's residence is at the end of this street.

It was a sprawling mansion with blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, and two majestic stone lions standing in front of the gate. Copper nails were nailed to the vermilion gate, which gleamed with a dark luster in the night.

The entire mansion was surrounded by a high wall, which was covered with dense runes and emitted faint spiritual energy fluctuations.

That's a formation.

Zhang Yuan hid in the shadows at the street corner, gazing at the mansion from afar, secretly astonished.

He had long heard that Boss Li's residence was protected by array formations, making it heavily fortified and unapproachable for ordinary cultivators.

Seeing it with my own eyes now, I know the rumors are true.

The runes on the wall form a complete defensive array. If anyone attempts to scale the wall and break in, the array will be immediately triggered, sounding an alarm and possibly launching an attack.

Infiltrating silently is virtually impossible.

A direct assault won't work either.

For a mere Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator to attack the mansion of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator who had set up an array was like a moth flying into a flame.

But he must kill Boss Li tonight.

Otherwise, he'll be the one who dies tomorrow.