Burial Furnace

Zhang Yuan became more and more satisfied with the look, and added a few more dimensions and details.

As evening approached, he finally put down his charcoal pencil, rubbed his aching wrists, and examined his work with satisfaction.

"Good, we'll go buy the land from Old Man Xia tomorrow."

He put away the blueprints, stretched, and was about to go to the kitchen to get something to eat when two independent cultivators, a man and a woman, arrived.

Zhang Yuan led them to the backyard and cremated the two Foundation Establishment stage corpses.

He earned four mid-grade spirit stones and a year of lifespan, and his talent also improved slightly.

Night was falling.

Aoki Town was fast asleep, and most of the shops on both sides of the street had turned off their lights. Only a few taverns in the distance were still lit with a dim yellow light, and occasionally a few drunkards' shouts could be heard.

Zhang Yuan was immersed in cultivation, his true essence flowing slowly through his meridians, growing stronger little by little.

Suddenly, there were light footsteps outside the door, and then the door was pushed open.

A rich aroma wafted in on the night breeze.

Unlike the floral scent on Qi Jiaojiao's body, it is a more mature and mellow fragrance, like a fine vintage wine, or like the sweet osmanthus in late autumn, rich but not strong, long-lasting but not ostentatious.

A female nun walked in.

She was wearing a purple tulle dress with a long, trailing hem.

Her figure was voluptuous yet slender, with exquisite curves, as if it were God's most prized masterpiece.

She wore a white veil, revealing only her eyes and forehead. Her eyes, like pools of autumn water, shimmered and sparkled.

Her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, with a few strands fluttering gently in the night breeze.

The aura emanating from her is as vast as the sea and as majestic as a mountain.

She was definitely a Golden Core cultivator, but not the female Golden Core cultivator who had come twice before.

Zhang Yuan quickly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Junior Zhang Yuan greets Senior. Are you here to dispose of the body?"

The female cultivator did not answer, but walked up to Zhang Yuan and looked him up and down.

His gaze was focused and meticulous, as if he were admiring a precious work of art.

Zhang Yuan felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, but dared not make any sudden movements.

"No," the female cultivator finally spoke, her voice deep and magnetic, with a hint of languid charm, "I came for you."

Zhang Yuan's heart sank.

Coming straight for him?

Could it be that this Golden Core female cultivator came to kill him?

His face turned deathly pale, beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and his voice trembled slightly: "Senior... I am a complete stranger to you. May I ask what brings you here?"

"I am Hua Nongying, the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect," she said calmly. "Qi Jiaojiao, Hua Jinhuan, Jiang Yao, and Liu Mei are all my disciples."

Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment.

The leader of the Hehuan Sect?

Qi Jiaojiao's master?

Before he could react, Hua Nong raised her delicate hand, pinched his arm, and then pressed his shoulder.

Her fingers were long and slender, white, with a slight warmth at the fingertips, soft yet strong to the touch.

"Excellent, strong bones and muscles, abundant blood and qi, and vigorous vitality."

Hua Nongying nodded in satisfaction.

"Senior, what exactly do you want to see me about?"

Zhang Yuan was completely bewildered.

"I invited you over as a guest. I also wanted to discuss some matters with you. Rest assured, I have never harmed an innocent person, and I would never harm you. I will send you back tonight."

Zhang Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Hua Nongying didn't give him a chance to refuse.

She grabbed his arm and lifted him up, then walked out of the shop. With a flick of her wrist, the door closed automatically, the latch snapped shut, and it was locked tight.

Zhang Yuan secretly groaned.

Fortunately, he had already stored the Immortal Transformation Furnace in his dantian that evening; otherwise, if the furnace had been left in the shop unattended, something might have happened.

Hua Nongying lightly touched the ground with her toes, lifting him into the air.

Zhang Yuan felt the wind whistling past his ears and the scenery rushing past him.

The town of Aoki beneath our feet is rapidly shrinking; houses are turning into matchboxes, streets into thin lines, and the entire outline of the town is now visible.

Just then, a clear cry of a crane pierced the sky.

A huge white crane flew in from afar, its wingspan reaching three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Its feathers are as white as snow, without a single blemish, and gleam softly in the moonlight.

It has a tuft of bright red flesh on its head, which looks like a burning flame and is particularly eye-catching.

It exudes a powerful aura.

Hua Nongying lifted Zhang Yuan and lightly leaped, landing steadily on the back of the white crane.

The crane's back is very broad, more than enough for two people to stand on.

Its feathers are soft and warm; stepping on them feels like walking on clouds.

"Xiaobai, let's go home," Hua Nongying said softly.

The white crane nodded and then flapped its wings rapidly.

They flew rapidly towards the Hehuan Sect, with almost no turbulence. The night wind whistled past his ears, making Zhang Yuan's clothes flutter loudly.

This was Zhang Yuan's first time riding a celestial bird, and he felt both nervous and excited.

He stood on the crane's back, his legs trembling slightly, afraid that he might fall off if he wasn't careful.

Just then, the white crane turned, and Zhang Yuan lost his balance, stumbled, and fell to the side.

"Ah—!" he cried out in alarm, his soul nearly leaving his body.

He didn't care about manners anymore; he reached out and hugged Hua Nongying tightly around the waist.

Hua Nongying's waist was very slender, so thin that it could be grasped in one hand.

Even through the thin fabric, the texture was exquisite, like the finest mutton-fat jade, warm and delicate, making it irresistible to touch.

Hua Nongying stiffened slightly, but did not push him away.

She stood even more steadily, then reached out a hand, put her arm around Zhang Yuan's shoulder, and gently pulled him into her arms.

"Stand firm." Her voice rang in my ears, deep and gentle.

The rich aroma instantly enveloped Zhang Yuan.

It was a unique scent of a mature woman, mixed with a faint floral fragrance, refreshing and invigorating.

Zhang Yuan's heart was pounding like a drum, and his breathing became rapid.

He instinctively hugged her tighter.

Hua Nongying glanced at him, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

This old man is quite bold.

I'm not afraid of her at all.

White cranes fly through the night sky, passing through the clouds and skimming over the mountains.

The moonlight shone on the two people and the white crane, casting intertwined shadows on the ground.

After flying for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a continuous mountain range appeared ahead. It meandered and undulated, its outline appearing soft in the moonlight.

From a distance, the mountain range has a rather peculiar shape, resembling a man and a woman lying side by side on the earth.

"That's the Hehuan Mountain Range," Hua Nongying's voice rang in my ears. "The Hehuan Sect is located in that mountain range."

Zhang Yuan nodded and looked around. He saw that the mountains were shrouded in mist, and the outlines of some buildings could be vaguely seen.

It has pavilions and towers, small bridges and flowing water, waterfalls and springs, just like a fairyland.