Burial Furnace

"Three." The masked monk's tone was brief and cold, leaving no room for negotiation.

Zhang Yuan's lips twitched.

Three?

Isn't that just a corpse and a spirit stone?

These cultivators are all so stingy!

"Fellow Daoist, I'll be losing money with just three," Zhang Yuan said with a bitter face. "Four, four is the limit. Any lower and I really can't do it anymore."

The masked monk remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his options.

"Okay, four it is."

After he finished speaking, he took out three bulging body bags and put them into the furnace one by one.

"boom--"

Dark golden flames instantly ignited, turning the corpses into ashes one by one.

Three strands of primordial power surged into Zhang Yuan's body one after another.

They gained an extra month, an extra month, and an extra six months of life, respectively.

Zhang Yuan understood instantly.

The first two were indeed Qi Refining stage corpses, but the third one—was a Foundation Establishment stage corpse!

The corpse that Liu Mei brought that day was also at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He was deceived.

It turns out that he could accurately determine the cultivation level of a corpse before its death by the amount of its primordial power.

I no longer have to worry about being scammed.

"Your furnace is quite good, it's very fast." The masked cultivator was very satisfied and took out four low-grade spirit stones, handing them over.

Zhang Yuan did not accept the offer. "Fellow Daoist, this fee is incorrect."

The masked monk paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Zhang Yuan: "What do you mean?"

"The third corpse is from the Foundation Establishment stage." Zhang Yuan looked directly into his eyes, his tone calm yet firm. "The fee for a Foundation Establishment corpse is two mid-grade spirit stones."

The masked cultivator's eyes suddenly turned cold, and a faint pressure emanated from him: "Nonsense. They're all clearly at the Qi Refining stage."

Zhang Yuan didn't back down at all, pointing to the furnace: "Fellow Daoist, my formation adjusts the firepower according to cultivation level. The spirit stones consumed when burning a Foundation Establishment stage corpse are completely different from those consumed when burning a Qi Refining stage corpse. The spirit stones consumed when burning the third corpse are five times more than the first two."

He paused, then sighed, "Fellow Daoist, this is a small business. If I charged the price for Qi Refining stage cultivators, I would lose money on this transaction. A losing business can't last long, and if my shop goes out of business, you won't be able to find such a cheap place to dispose of corpses next time."

The masked monk stared at Zhang Yuan for a long while before slowly speaking, "What you said is also true."

He took out another 198 low-grade spirit stones from his storage bag, and together with the previous four low-grade spirit stones, slapped them on the table to the side.

"I only have this many spirit stones left, but I can introduce you to clients. I have some connections among independent cultivators, and I'll have them come to you if they need anything in the future."

Zhang Yuan looked helpless and troubled: "Well... alright then. Fellow Daoist, you must keep your word and introduce me to clients. I really didn't make any money on this deal today; in fact, I lost money."

"must."

The masked monk cupped his hands in greeting, then took a step, mounted his sword, and vanished into the vast night in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Yuan watched him leave, then couldn't help but grin and laugh silently.

Seven months.

Including the previous six months, he now has more than a year to live!

Moreover, there are 202 low-grade spirit stones!

They made a killing!

He closed the shop door, bolted it, returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and eagerly began his cultivation.

Sure enough, his talent improved again.

The speed of spiritual energy conversion is now a little over one percent faster than before.

Zhang Yuan took out a low-grade spirit stone and held it in his palm.

He closed his eyes and began to circulate his internal energy.

The next moment, a surge of spiritual energy, ten times more concentrated than usual, burst forth from the spirit stone like a flood breaking through a dam, flowing along the meridians in his arm and into his body!

"hiss--"

Zhang Yuan gasped, quickly calmed himself, and guided the surging spiritual energy along the path of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique.

One night passed.

When he opened his eyes again, it was already broad daylight outside the window.

Overnight, the amount of true energy in his dantian increased several times over!

The price was that 10 low-grade spirit stones were reduced to dust.

"If I use mid-grade or high-grade spirit stones or pills for cultivation, the speed will definitely be faster," Zhang Yuan muttered to himself, his eyes filled with anticipation and longing. "I hope business will improve."

Zhang Yuan got out of bed, walked to the washstand, poured some water, and washed up.

Then he stood in front of the palm-sized bronze mirror and carefully examined his face.

It was still covered in wrinkles, but those wrinkles seemed to be shallower and lighter.

Especially the deep lines at the corners of the eyes and on the forehead, which originally looked like they were carved with a knife, have now become much softer.

His complexion was also rosier than before, no longer that sallow, near-death color.

"Such a change in just over a year of lifespan?" Zhang Yuan was overjoyed. "If I could gain a hundred years of lifespan, would my white hair turn black and I be able to reverse aging?"

He opened the shop door and went outside.

The sun shone brightly, shining on the streets of Aoki Town.

The streets were bustling with people and vehicles, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling over prices, and children's laughter mingled together, creating a vibrant symphony of everyday life.

Zhang Yuan's mood was as bright as the sunshine.

He walked slowly toward a small shop on the street corner, his hands behind his back.

That's the breakfast stall run by Old Man Xia.

A large pot was set up at the entrance, steaming hot, cooking snow-white rice porridge and fragrant meat broth.

On the counter next to it were all kinds of breakfast items—soft steamed buns, golden fried dough sticks, bright green vegetable dumplings, sweet and sticky red bean cakes, and bowls of noodles neatly arranged.

Old Man Xia sat behind the counter, legs crossed, holding a pot of hot tea in his hand, squinting his one eye, leisurely watching the street scene.

The ones who were really busy were his grandson and granddaughter-in-law.

The grandson's name was Er Lengzi. He was in his early twenties, honest and sturdy, with dark skin and a big white smile.

His main responsibilities included kneading dough, tending the fire, and carrying plates—all physically demanding tasks.

The granddaughter-in-law's name was Cuihua. She was eighteen or nineteen years old, with two braids, a pretty face, and quick hands and feet.

She was in charge of making steamed buns, cooking porridge, and greeting guests.

Zhang Yuan found a seat by the window and waved to Cuihua: "Cuihua, bring me a bowl of fish noodles and two bird eggs."

"Okay, Grandpa Zhang, please wait a moment!" Cuihua replied crisply, turned around and went into the kitchen. A moment later, she came out carrying a steaming bowl of noodles.

The noodles are as white as jade, the soup is milky white, and a few pieces of tender fish are placed on top, garnished with bright green scallions and cilantro. There are also two peeled bird eggs on the side, the egg whites are crystal clear, and you can vaguely see the golden yolks inside.

Zhang Yuan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. The fish was tender and melted in his mouth, and the deliciousness of the soup burst on his tongue.

He took another bite of the bird egg; the yolk was creamy, sweet, and had an excellent texture.

"Old Zhang, you're eating so well today. Looks like you had some business last night?" Old Xia, carrying a teapot, swayed over and plopped down opposite Zhang Yuan, asking curiously.