Burial Furnace

Zhang Yuan strolled leisurely towards his shop.

At this moment, all the cultivators in Qingmu Town were using their divine senses to watch his every move.

He suppressed the numbness in his back and tried to make his steps appear calm and unhurried, as if his previous act of defying the heavens was insignificant to him.

He pushed open the shop door, went inside, and then closed it behind him.

The moment the door closed, it cut off all outside sight and consciousness.

He sat down behind the counter, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't care and drank it all in one gulp.

The cool tea slid down his throat and into his stomach, calming his wildly beating heart a little.

He put down his teacup and let out a long breath.

Tonight was really close.

If he hadn't learned the Heaven-Deceiving Sword Technique and hadn't used the Heaven and Earth to shorten his lifespan, he would never have been able to kill five Foundation Establishment cultivators with just five sword strikes.

He might even be killed by them – five late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators working together, he, an old man at the fifth level of Qi Refining, even with the Xuanlin Armor protecting him, wouldn't last more than a few rounds.

I wonder if that old fox Zhou Lie has been scared off by me? Will he continue to fight me in the future?

Although he hadn't had much contact with Zhou Lie, judging from their recent encounters, he was treacherous and cunning, and would not give up until he achieved his goal.

This move tonight probably won't scare him; he'll likely come up with even more insidious tricks to deal with him.

Well, let's just deal with whatever comes our way.

He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

That night, three more Foundation Establishment stage corpses were burned.

The arriving cultivators were all extremely respectful and polite, bowing upon entering, speaking softly, and offering spirit stones with both hands, as if afraid of being inconsiderate in any way.

One even gave a few more low-grade spirit stones as a reward, saying it was "to show respect to the senior."

Clearly, demonstrating strength has had an effect.

The sky finally brightened.

The morning light streamed in through the window, casting soft shadows on the floor.

The streets began to fill with the calls of early risers and vendors.

Zhang Yuan stretched and stood up.

I closed the shop door and went to the bathroom.

The hot water washing over his face washed away the fatigue of the night and invigorated him.

He changed his clothes and was preparing to go to the secret room to cultivate when the doorbell suddenly rang.

Ding-dong-

Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment.

This was the first time anyone had ever visited his mansion.

In the past, the monks who came to cremate corpses would go to the shops downstairs, and no one had ever rang this doorbell.

He went downstairs and opened the door.

A female cultivator was standing outside the door.

Her facial features are exquisite.

Her phoenix eyes were slightly upturned, and her gaze was both charming and noble.

She had a fantastic figure, with a curvaceous bust, shapely hips, and long legs. Her curves were perfectly accentuated by the light purple dress, making her look incredibly alluring.

Her skin was snow-white, glowing like white jade in the morning light, so delicate that not a single flaw could be seen.

She was carrying a bulging cloth bag, the contents of which were unknown.

That's not important. What's important is that, although she restrained her aura, the pressure of a high-level cultivator still emanated faintly, like an undercurrent.

He's most likely a Golden Core cultivator!

Zhang Yuan remained secretly on guard.

In fact, being on guard is useless. With his current strength, even if he uses the Deceiving Heaven and Life-Reducing moves, he cannot harm a Golden Core cultivator in the slightest.

Even when using Fire Serpent Technique or Fireball Technique, it is too slow to get close to a Golden Core cultivator.

"Senior Zhang Yuan, hello. I am Daiya, the new manager of Lingfu Pavilion. I have come to pay you a special visit." The female cultivator bowed slightly, her tone respectful and her posture humble.

"The new manager? Where's Zhou Lie?"

Zhang Yuan blurted out the question, his mind filled with doubt.

"He wasn't suited to be the manager in Aoki Town, so he was transferred to another place." Daiya raised her head, a faint smile on her face, her voice charming and pleasant. "From now on, I'll be in charge, and I'll have to ask for your guidance, senior."

A storm raged in Zhang Yuan's heart.

Was Zhou Lie so frightened by my performance last night that he ran away and avoided me?

He almost couldn't hold back his laughter, so he quickly coughed lightly to cover it up.

"Senior, the cremation talismans at our Spirit Talisman Pavilion have returned to their original price since last night," Daiya said softly, her tone cautious. "You can also return to your original price now."

"Oh." Zhang Yuan appeared completely calm and indifferent.

Secretly, she was very happy.

Did Dia come here today to sue for peace?

No need to worry about Lingfu Pavilion using dirty tricks against me anymore?

"Senior, I brought some gifts. May I come in and have a seat?" Dia asked with a smile, holding up the cloth bag in her hand.

"Please come in." Zhang Yuan invited Daiya into the living room on the first floor of the mansion.

This is the first time he has received guests here.

Zhang Yuan invited Daiya to sit down in a chair, and then began to make tea.

His movements were unhurried and deliberate; he washed the tea, brewed it, and filtered it all in one smooth motion, with a touch of effortless grace.

The aroma of tea filled the living room; it was a light, refreshing green tea scent, which complemented the morning sunlight perfectly.

Daiya wasn't in a hurry. She sat quietly to the side, watching Zhang Yuan make tea, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes.

After the tea was brewed, Zhang Yuan poured her a cup, then picked up a cup for himself and slowly sipped it.

Only then did Dia open the cloth bag she had brought and take out a gift—two kinds of spiritual fruits.

One type is an oval-shaped fruit that is entirely green, about the size of a baby's fist, with a smooth skin and a glossy sheen.

Another type is a round, deep purple fruit, slightly smaller in size, but emanating a more intense spiritual energy.

"Senior, these two kinds of spiritual fruits are quite precious varieties, containing rich spiritual energy. Eating one is no less than absorbing the spiritual energy of a high-grade spirit stone."

Daiya smiled.

Zhang Yuan tried one.

It tasted sweet and refreshing, with a burst of juice. A pure spiritual energy slid down his throat and into his stomach, quickly permeating his limbs and bones, making him feel refreshed and invigorated. Even the true energy in his dantian stirred slightly.

He finally understood that cultivation didn't necessarily require spirit stones; spirit fruits could also be used.

Moreover, the spiritual energy in the spiritual fruit is gentler and easier to absorb, offering more benefits to the body.

Of course, it's also more luxurious.

This gift is indeed very nice.

"Senior, I recently obtained an ancient talisman and have been studying it for a long time, but I'm still clueless. I would like to ask for your guidance." As she spoke, Daiya took out an ancient talisman from her spatial ring and gently placed it on the coffee table.

It looks very complicated, with densely packed runes layered upon each other, forming an intricate pattern.

The talisman paper was yellowed and the edges were somewhat torn, indicating that it was quite old.

Even so, the talisman still emitted a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy, indicating that it was still usable.