Burial Furnace

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can leave." Zhang Yuan waved his hand, dismissing them.

"Yes, yes, yes, this junior will leave now and will not disturb your cultivation any longer." Duan Tian nodded repeatedly, backed out of the cremation hall, and only after he had left the main gate did he straighten up and let out a long breath.

Zhang Yuan emptied the low-grade spirit stones from the two storage bags and counted them; there were forty-three in total.

He put the spirit stones into his Shadowless Ring and then casually threw the two empty bags into the furnace to burn.

Then he sat behind the counter and fell into deep thought.

Although he won the battle easily, it served as a wake-up call for him.

With the opening of the secret realm, so many cultivators died, and their corpses were all sent to him. Everyone thought he had made a fortune.

Those desperate, impoverished rogue cultivators are bound to have wicked thoughts.

Today, only two people in the early stages of Foundation Establishment have come; he can handle them.

What if a Golden Core cultivator comes?

Even Nascent Soul cultivators?

Although his Fire Serpent Technique is powerful, he may not be able to withstand the opponent's dying counterattack.

"But surely those at the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages wouldn't have the nerve to rob a crematorium, would they?" Zhang Yuan muttered to himself.

……

The largest teahouse in Qingmu Town, Qianli Tea Fragrance, is still open at this moment.

This teahouse is located at the busiest crossroads in the town center. It is a three-story wooden pavilion with upturned eaves, carved windows, and two strings of red lanterns hanging at the entrance, swaying gently in the night breeze.

The teahouse was brightly lit and packed with people, filled with the rich aroma of tea and the sounds of lively conversation.

Since the opening of the Xuanhuang Ruins, this place has become a gathering place for cultivators from all walks of life to exchange information.

It's bustling with people every day, a lively and vibrant place.

Duan Tian invited two familiar fellow cultivators to sit by the window on the second floor. They ordered a pot of fine spiritual tea and two plates of snacks.

He picked up his teacup and took a big gulp, but still couldn't contain his excitement. He excitedly recounted his experience to his two companions.

"You didn't see it!" he lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming. "That old man only used a Fire Serpent Technique! A Fire Serpent Technique! The lowest-level spell! It was cleaved into three pieces by those two Foundation Establishment cultivators, and guess what? The fire serpent not only didn't go out, but it coiled around them, burning them, armor, and swords to ashes in an instant! It even melted their high-grade magic weapons!"

He became increasingly excited as he spoke, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels: "My goodness, a single Fire Serpent Technique possesses such power! Just think, what realm must that old man be at? I bet he's at least at the Nascent Soul stage! Maybe even the Mahayana stage! He's just playing around in the mortal world, preparing to undergo tribulation!"

Although the teahouse was noisy, Duan Tian's voice still attracted the attention of many people.

The nearby tables fell silent, and several cultivators listened intently, their faces showing surprise and uncertainty.

"Really?" a burly man with a thick beard couldn't help but ask.

"Absolutely true!" Duan Tian slammed his hand on the table. "I saw it with my own eyes! Those two piles of ashes are still on the ground!"

The crowd looked at each other, discussing amongst themselves.

At a table in the corner, a woman in white wearing a veil paused slightly in the hand holding a teacup.

It was Lu Muyao.

She did not return to the secret realm with the main force of the Dengtian Sect.

After Ma Yutang handed the body over to her, she stayed in Qingmu Town, planning to go to the crematorium again that night.

Having nothing to do, I came to this teahouse to sit and listen to various news, but I didn't expect to hear such words.

A master of the Mahayana stage?

A powerful figure preparing to undergo tribulation?

Lu Muyao held the teacup, her fingertips slightly cold, and a strange, indescribable emotion welled up inside her.

No wonder the old man remained calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, when facing her last night.

He was clearly just an old man at the third level of Qi Refining, yet he dared to bargain with her and even made such demands... It turned out that he wasn't at the third level of Qi Refining at all; he was just pretending to be weak to take advantage of her.

And she actually spent the night in the bed of a Mahayana stage master.

Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed slightly, but a secret joy welled up inside her.

To be favored by a master of the Mahayana stage is a blessing that many people would rather die for.

If she could take this opportunity to befriend him, even just asking him a few questions about cultivation would be enough to benefit her for life.

She couldn't sit still any longer.

She put down her teacup, got up, hurried down the stairs, and headed towards the crematorium.

The night was as still as water, and the moonlight as smooth as silk.

Lu Muyao stood in front of the crematorium, took a deep breath, and then pushed open the wooden door.

The door hinges creaked softly, a sound that was particularly clear in the quiet night.

She stepped across the threshold, her gaze sweeping across the hall before finally settling on the elderly man behind the counter, who was leisurely sipping tea from a teacup.

Zhang Yuan had already cleaned the cremation hall thoroughly.

The ashes on the ground and the scorching smell in the air had completely dissipated.

He sat behind the counter, sipping tea and flipping through the book "Guangyuan Local Customs and Products," looking relaxed and composed, as if nothing had happened that night.

But in Lu Muyao's eyes, this composure had a completely different meaning.

That is the composure that comes after experiencing vicissitudes, the peace that comes after looking down on all living beings, and the demeanor that only a true master of Mahayana Buddhism possesses.

She composed herself and walked over gracefully.

She wore a plain white dress with a silver sash tied around her waist. As she walked, the hem of her dress swayed gently, like a white cloud drifting by.

A delicate fragrance wafted out as she moved, mixed with a hint of medicinal herbs, refreshing and delightful.

"Senior." She stopped in front of the counter, her voice much more respectful than the night before, even tinged with a hint of caution, "Just now, two early Foundation Establishment cultivators tried to rob you, but you burned them to ashes along with their armor and swords using a Fire Serpent Technique?"

Zhang Yuan put down his teacup, looked up, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Miss Lu, how did you know?"

"I was drinking tea at Thousand Miles Tea Fragrance just now, and I heard it from someone," Lu Muyao said, her gaze fixed on Zhang Yuan's eyes, trying to glean something from them. "They said you are... a Mahayana cultivator. Is that true?"

Her voice carried a hint of anticipation, a hint of nervousness, and a hint of awe that she herself was unaware of.

Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Of course not." He shook his head, his tone frank. "I'm just a Qi Refining stage cultivator, where would I get any Mahayana stage cultivation from?"

Lu Muyao pouted.

I knew he would deny it!

Why would a true master go around proclaiming that they have reached the Mahayana stage? The higher one's cultivation, the more low-key and reserved they are, unwilling to attract attention.

This old man disguised himself as a Qi Refining stage cultivator and opened a crematorium in this small town. Naturally, he was just playing around in the world, so why would he easily expose his true identity?

Moreover, she had also met the Mahayana stage elders of the sect.

Although she couldn't fully understand the aura surrounding the elders' attacks, she did have some idea—the ability to melt high-grade magic artifacts and incinerate Foundation Establishment cultivators with the lowest-level Fire Serpent Technique was inexplicable except for those at the Mahayana stage or above.