Burial Furnace

"Old man, you are a miracle." On the evening of the tenth day, Senior Butterfly stood at the entrance of the crematorium, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on her, gilding her silhouette with a layer of gold.

She looked at Zhang Yuan, her beautiful eyes filled with a sincere admiration, "I have cultivated for hundreds of years and have never seen an old man like you."

Zhang Yuan felt a little embarrassed by her praise, scratched his head, and didn't know what to say.

"I have to go." Senior Butterfly withdrew her gaze and looked towards the distant Sunset Mountain Range. "I'm going to take a trip into the secret realm. There are still many opportunities waiting for me there."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but tease, "Old man, you have to work hard at cultivation. If you can catch up with my level, then we'll be true cultivation partners."

Then he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light that soared into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.

Only a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Zhang Yuan stood at the entrance of the crematorium, looking in the direction where the jade butterfly had left. The streak of light had long since disappeared at the edge of the sky, leaving only a vast expanse of evening glow, like a piece of silk painted with a brush, layer upon layer spread across the western horizon.

He fell into deep thought.

Yu Hudie is a strange person in every way.

She knew all along that if she stayed overnight at his place, her body would be cremated for free.

Only a few women knew about it at the time.

Liu Mei, Hua Jinhuan, Qi Jiaojiao, Jiang Yao. Mu Qingqing.

At that time, Yu Hudie must have heard about it from a disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect.

Now she also knows that he has comprehended the "Yin Yang Rejuvenation Technique".

This was obviously learned from the disciples of the Jade Maiden Sect.

She seemed to be extremely familiar with the Jade Maiden Sect, and even had some of the characteristics of the Jade Maiden Sect disciples—she liked to seduce and tease him, and even play tricks on him.

Just like Liu Mei and the others.

But she is not a member of the Jade Maiden Sect.

Because the Jade Maiden Sect only has thirteen members in total, and the strongest one is the sect leader, Hua Nongying, who is only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

Jade Butterfly is a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. If he were a member of the Jade Maiden Sect, how could Hua Nongying not tell him?

So, who exactly is she?

Zhang Yuan really wanted to take off her mask and see what kind of stunningly beautiful face lay beneath.

Those eyes were already breathtakingly beautiful; if they were paired with complete facial features, how stunning would they be?

Oops, I misspoke.

Should we find out who she really is?

"Hehe, once I catch up with your level, we'll be true cultivation partners—you said that, so don't come back to it later."

Zhang Yuan laughed smugly again.

Jade Butterfly must have thought he was terrible at talent and that he would never catch up with her, which is why she teased him like that.

But what she didn't know was that cremating corpses could enhance his talents and increase his lifespan.

It's not impossible to catch up with her level.

When the time comes, she will definitely pay the price for what she said today.

Let her know what it means to "never underestimate the poor and elderly."

He turned around and went back into the shop, sat down behind the counter, and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't care. He picked it up and drank it slowly, while checking his lifespan.

Ever since he refined the Immortal Transformation Furnace, his lifespan has been a vague concept; he can only roughly sense how many days he has left.

But this time, perhaps because of the burning of those two Nascent Soul corpses, his lifespan materialized—clearly appearing in his consciousness, like a line of numbers written in his mind.

Remaining lifespan: 512 years and 3 months.

"Holy crap, there are so many?"

Zhang Yuan almost spat out his tea, quickly put down the teacup, and wiped the water from the corner of his mouth.

Five hundred and twelve years.

He lived his whole life, but he didn't even live to be a hundred years old. Now he has more than five hundred years of life left.

This is an incredible fortune!

It was also a huge surprise.

He will have ample time to cultivate, break through, and pursue higher realms in the future.

Even if he is dull-witted, he can slowly grind his way up to the Foundation Establishment stage, right?

He immediately used his divine sense to carefully observe himself.

The wrinkles on my face have mostly disappeared, and my skin has become smooth. It is no longer that dry, sallow color, but has a healthy, rosy glow.

Even his hair has turned black—most of his once snow-white silver hair has now returned to its original jet-black color.

Only a single strand of hair at the center of his forehead remained snow-white, like an untimely cluster of winter snow, stubbornly lingering there, as if reminding him of his past old age and vicissitudes.

"It seems these ten days of dual cultivation have made me a lot younger." Zhang Yuan couldn't help but grin, revealing a set of fairly even teeth. "Now I can't be considered an old man anymore. Now I can go on a three-thousand-round battle in bed."

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Duan Tian walked in.

His face was full of excitement. He was carrying a bag of something in his hand. As soon as he entered the door, he walked quickly to the counter and put the bag on it.

"Senior, these are spiritual fruits I brought out from the Xuanhuang Ruins. They contain rich spiritual energy and taste very good." He said excitedly, untying the bag to reveal the bright green fruits inside. Each one was about the size of a thumb, round and plump, like a top-quality jade bead, emitting a refreshing fruity fragrance.

It looks a bit like a grape on Earth, but it's more translucent and has a faint sheen on its skin, as if it's been bathed in moonlight.

Zhang Yuan picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and took a gentle bite.

The pulp bursts open between your teeth, and a burst of sweet juice instantly fills your mouth.

It has the sweetness of grapes, and an indescribable refreshing taste, as if a clear spring flows over the tip of the tongue, slides down the throat and into the stomach, making the whole person feel extremely comfortable.

What's even more amazing is that the pulp contains a faint trace of spiritual energy, which, though small, is enough to invigorate one's spirit.

"Thanks." Zhang Yuan nodded, then gestured for Duan Tian to sit on the stool next to him and asked casually, "You went to the Xuanhuang Ruins? Did you encounter any danger?"

"I was there for ten days, and I almost died several times." As soon as Duan Tian sat down, he began to talk non-stop, his face full of lingering fear. "There were so many monsters in there, and they were all very powerful and terrifying."

Once I encountered a red-scaled python. That thing was as thick as a bucket and could swallow a living person whole in one gulp.

I escaped with my life on the line; I almost became its dinner.

In addition, there are many cultivators who specialize in hiding in the shadows to ambush, kill, and plunder treasures.

I personally witnessed a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator being besieged by three early-Foundation Establishment cultivators. He was eventually hacked to pieces and all his belongings were stolen.

He spoke while gesturing wildly, spitting as he spoke, clearly having a lot to say.

Zhang Yuan listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

Finally, Duan Tian lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Senior, the Xuanhuang Ruins are now basically controlled by the Jade Maiden Sect and the Ascending Heaven Sect. One is a top sect from the Central Continent, and the other is the number one sect from the Western Continent. They are going to have a duel to decide the ownership of the Xuanhuang Ruins."