Burial Furnace

"Give me a bottle of fasting pills," Zhang Yuan said casually.

"Okay, okay." The shopkeeper quickly turned around, took a celadon bottle from the shelf, and handed it over with both hands. "This is a pack of one hundred fasting pills, for ten low-grade spirit stones."

Zhang Yuan took the porcelain bottle, put ten low-grade spirit stones on the counter, and turned to leave.

One pill of the Bigu Pill can keep you from being hungry for three days.

One hundred grains are enough for him to not have to go out for meals for three months.

In this way, he can reduce the number of times he goes out and have more time to cultivate.

Back at the crematorium, he closed the main gate, put on a mask, and slipped out through the back door, heading straight for the Spirit Artifact Pavilion.

The business at the Spirit Artifact Pavilion is as good as ever.

In the lobby on the first floor, there were many monks selecting items. Some wore masks, and some wore veils, so no one could see anyone's face clearly.

Zhang Yuan went up to the second floor.

He paused in the area where the swords were displayed.

He didn't like magic swords, and spirit swords were too expensive.

He circled around and finally stopped in front of a long sword that was entirely black.

The sword was about three feet and three inches long, with a narrow and straight blade. It was entirely black, without any patterns or decorations, except for two simple characters engraved on the hilt: "Ink Scales".

The blade gleamed with a faint, cold light, clearly indicating its exceptional sharpness.

The label reads: Ink Scale Sword, a low-grade spiritual weapon, forged primarily from deep-sea black iron and supplemented with fragments of the scales of a fourth-order demon beast, the Ink Dragon. It is incomparably sharp and can penetrate high-grade magic weapon-level armor.

Price: Two hundred high-grade spirit stones.

"I'll take this sword." Zhang Yuan took out two top-grade spirit stones and placed them on the counter.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and his attitude immediately became more respectful as he presented the sword with both hands.

Zhang Yuan immediately forced out a drop of his essence blood, which dripped onto the sword.

The essence and blood instantly merged into the sword, and the sword body shone with a faint dark light before disappearing again.

He established a mysterious connection with the sword.

With a thought, the Ink Scale Sword transformed into a stream of light, entered his dantian, and floated quietly.

From then on, he too was a man with a sword.

Moreover, it was a low-grade spirit sword, incomparably sharp.

If used to unleash the Heaven-Deceiving Sword Technique, it could definitely kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Back at the crematorium, Zhang Yuan entered the cultivation chamber, sat cross-legged on the futon, took out the half of the top-grade spirit stone, and held it in his hand.

He closed his eyes, circulated the Evergreen Technique, and began his cultivation.

A stream of extremely pure spiritual energy flowed out of the spirit stone, surged into the palm, and slowly ascended along the meridians.

Because many more corpses were cremated last night, his talent was further enhanced.

Cultivating with top-grade spirit stones at this moment, although far slower than dual cultivation, is not slow either.

The true essence in the dantian is slowly increasing, like a trickle of water, gathering little by little and growing stronger.

He was so immersed in that profound state of cultivation that he forgot the passage of time.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun was high in the sky.

Half of the top-grade spirit stone had already turned into dust.

He took out the communication jade pendant and input a wisp of true essence.

The jade pendant warmed slightly, and a charming, melodious voice came from within, but it wasn't Qi Jiaojiao; it was Jiang Yao: "Old man, it's me, Jiang Yao. Jiaojiao has gone to the secret realm to seek opportunities. Do you want me to go and cultivate with you?"

Her voice carried a hint of languor, a hint of coquettishness, and a faint trace of expectation.

Zhang Yuan's heart fluttered, and her image involuntarily surfaced in his mind—that pure yet alluring face, those two shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth when she smiled, and that delicate and pleasant fragrance.

"Yes, come here," he said.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Jiang Yao replied.

Zhang Yuan put away the communication jade pendant, feeling somewhat curious.

Jiang Yao is different from Liu Mei, Qi Jiaojiao, and Hua Jinhuan.

Although she had spent the night in the same bed with him, she always kept her distance and dared not get close to him.

He would reach out his hand, but she would quickly block it.

She looks like a complete novice with no experience.

I wonder how she will react this time?

Not long after, a whooshing sound came from the sky.

Jiang Yao arrived on her sword, circled once above the crematorium, and slowly landed on the open ground in front of the gate.

A light pink dress perfectly accentuated her figure. A thin layer of powder covered her face, her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, and a faint smile played at the corners of her mouth, her dimples appearing and disappearing, adding a touch of playfulness and cuteness.

She looks very innocent, but as a disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect, she also possesses a natural allure.

These two qualities intertwine to create a unique charm that makes it hard to look away once you've seen it.

"Uncle-Master, you're getting more and more handsome." She pushed open the door, saw Zhang Yuan at a glance, smiled sweetly, and said in a charming voice.

Zhang Yuan was slightly dazzled by her smile, but he was very happy and led her upstairs to the second floor.

Jiang Yao pointed to room number six, a hint of anticipation in her eyes: "Is room number six mine?"

"Yes, it's yours. You can come and stay anytime," Zhang Yuan said with a smile.

Jiang Yao pushed open the door and went inside.

The room wasn't large, but it was very clean, with bright windows, spotless furniture, a neatly made bed, and a faint scent of sandalwood in the air.

She walked around the room, looking all around.

Then she noticed that Zhang Yuan had also come in, and was looking at her with an amazed expression.

Her face flushed instantly, and she lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "Master Uncle, I've only just advanced to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, and I've never had a man help me cultivate before. Last time, Senior Sister Liu Mei brought me to meet you, and we spent the night together. It was to train me, but I'm still very uncomfortable..."

Zhang Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then touched his forehead: "What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Yao looked up and gave him a coquettish glare: "Were you just having wild thoughts? That's why I reminded you, I'm not a casual woman. I'll only cultivate with you, I won't spend the night with you."

Zhang Yuan looked at him strangely: "You used to be able to spend the night with them, but now you can't? What kind of logic is that?"

"Things are different now than before," Jiang Yao explained earnestly. "Before, we were just teasing you and then reneging on our promises. Now, if it's an overnight stay, it's a real overnight stay. I have to wait until I've completely fallen in love with you."

Is this a rejection? Or a flirtation?

Zhang Yuan was both amused and exasperated, and not wanting to tease her any further, he took her to the cultivation chamber.

The two sat cross-legged facing each other in the secret room.

Zhang Yuan took out the half of the top-grade spirit stone and placed it between the soles of his feet. Jiang Yao also stretched out her hands and gently pressed them together with his palms.

The moment their palms touched, two faint blushes rose on Jiang Yao's face, and a misty light appeared in her beautiful eyes, making her look exceptionally charming.

Zhang Yuan activated the Yin-Yang Rejuvenation Technique, and his true essence surged from his dantian, flowing along the meridians to his arm, breaking through the boundary of his palm, and entering Jiang Yao's body.

Jiang Yao also actively guided her true essence, following Zhang Yuan's true essence, and began to circulate it within her body.

The two streams of true energy, one yin and one yang, were like two swimming fish, chasing and intertwining with each other, forming a large cycle within their bodies.

At the same time, the pure spiritual energy from the top-grade spirit stone surged into Zhang Yuan's body like a flood bursting its banks, flowing down the soles of his feet and joining the great cycle, transforming into new true essence.