Burial Furnace

Zhang Yuan smiled and did not deny it. He took out a low-grade spirit stone from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Old Man Xia.

"I'll return one hundred taels of silver to you first."

Old Man Xia's eyes lit up. He politely said, "No rush, no rush," but his hand had already swiftly reached out, grabbed the spirit stone, and stuffed it into his pocket with a big smile.

After finishing breakfast, Zhang Yuan leisurely walked out of the shop and began to stroll around the town.

The mornings in Aoki Town are the busiest time of day.

Shops along both sides of the street opened one after another.

The monks moved about among them.

Zhang Yuan noticed that most of the well-dressed cultivators were disciples from major sects.

They were composed and generous, never asking the price when buying things, and paying with spirit stones directly if they liked something.

Those dressed in shabby clothes must be rogue cultivators.

They lingered in front of the stall for a long time, comparing prices repeatedly. Sometimes they would argue with the stall owner for half a day over the price difference of a single spirit stone.

As for the female cultivators—those who are pure and dignified mostly come from the Holy Maiden Sect or other righteous sects. They keep their eyes straight ahead and walk lightly, as if they are untouched by the dust of the world.

Those alluring and seductive women, whose eyes exuded a natural charm, were undoubtedly disciples of the Joyful Union Sect.

They were all in a hurry, as if they were racing against something.

Zhang Yuan knew that it was a race against his fleeting lifespan.

Although cultivators live longer than mortals, they will eventually run out of lifespan.

A cultivator in the Qi Refining stage can live up to 150 years old, while a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage lives for no more than 200 years.

If you can't break through to a higher level, you'll eventually turn into a pile of dust.

Therefore, they cultivated diligently and sought opportunities, hoping to break through their cultivation level as soon as possible.

But Zhang Yuan didn't feel that way.

Because his lifespan can increase rapidly.

Immortality was not out of reach for him.

The only thing to worry about is not getting killed before you become strong enough.

He walked slowly past a talisman shop and a magic tool shop, then stopped at a stall selling spiritual fruits. He bought a bunch of glistening purple grapes and ate them as he walked, enjoying their sweet juice.

The warm sunshine shone on my body, and a gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees from the distant mountains and forests.

Zhang Yuan squinted and let out a long sigh of relief.

It's good to be alive.

It's better to live with hope.

Back at the shop, Zhang Yuan closed the door, sat cross-legged on the futon behind the counter, and continued his cultivation using spirit stones.

The true essence in his dantian was even more abundant than yesterday. Although he was still quite far from the first level of Qi Refining, the feeling of making progress every day made him feel extremely fulfilled.

The sun was setting, and twilight was descending.

The hustle and bustle of Aoki Town gradually subsided, fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the streets, and shops closed one after another.

Zhang Yuan lit the oil lamp, its dim yellow light swaying and casting a long shadow over him.

suddenly--

"Thump, thump, thump."

A knock came at the door.

Zhang Yuan put down his book, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

He went over and opened the door.

A female cultivator of about eighteen or nineteen years old stood outside the door.

She was wearing a faded, coarse cloth dress, the rough texture of which couldn't hide her shapely figure.

Her waist was slender as a willow branch, and her chest was slightly raised. Although not very full, it had a youthful charm unique to young girls.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful—curved willow-leaf eyebrows, a pair of clear, watery eyes, a straight nose, and small, rosy lips, like a ripe cherry.

Her long, black hair was simply tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears and swaying gently in the wind.

Her skin was very fair, with a faint glow under the moonlight, like the finest mutton fat jade.

Her aura wasn't strong; she was probably a Qi Refining stage cultivator. She wasn't wearing any magical artifacts, and even her storage bag was the cheapest kind of gray cloth bag.

"It must be a rogue cultivator," Zhang Yuan muttered to himself.

A flicker of nervousness and unease crossed the girl's eyes, but she still mustered her courage and asked softly, "Excuse me... can you dispose of corpses here?"

Her voice was clear and crisp, like the tinkling of a mountain stream, carrying a touch of girlish innocence and shyness.

"Yes, young lady, please come with me." Zhang Yuan smiled gently and invited her inside.

She followed behind Zhang Yuan, curiously looking around the shop.

The walls were snow-white, the counters and chairs were brand new, and a potted plant was placed in the corner. It was clean and tidy, quite different from the crematorium she had imagined.

We arrived at the backyard.

Under the moonlight, the brick stove stood quietly.

The girl took out a bulging body bag from her storage bag.

"This is a Qi Refining stage corpse," the girl said earnestly, looking at Zhang Yuan. "Two low-grade spirit stones, right?"

"Miss, there's no need to specify your cultivation level beforehand. My furnace is equipped with an array, and after cremation, I will naturally know the corpse's cultivation level based on the amount of spirit stones consumed. I will then charge according to that level."

"oh oh."

The girl nodded and immediately threw the corpse into the furnace.

"boom--"

Dark golden flames instantly ignited, engulfing the body bag.

The flickering firelight illuminated the girl's delicate face.

Her eyes were fixed on the furnace.

After a few breaths, the flames went out.

The body bag, along with the corpse inside, was completely reduced to ashes.

A wisp of primordial power surged from the Immortal Transformation Furnace and quietly flowed into Zhang Yuan's body.

Warm and thin, like a cup of lukewarm tea.

Zhang Yuan instantly felt that his lifespan had increased by one month.

"Indeed, a Qi Refining stage corpse, and two low-grade spirit stones," Zhang Yuan said.

"Boss... could we talk in private for a moment?"

She stammered.

Zhang Yuan then led the girl back to the front yard, saying, "Please sit down, young lady."

The girl didn't sit down, but instead looked around, her brow furrowing slightly. "Is there... a better place?"

"If you don't mind, let's talk in my room."

Zhang Yuan had no choice but to lead the girl into his bedroom.

The room wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy.

A wooden bed was placed against the wall, covered with brand-new bedding.

There was a small coffee table and two chairs next to the bed.

A pot of jasmine flowers sat on the windowsill, their white blossoms emitting a faint fragrance in the night.

"Please sit down, young lady."

Zhang Yuan gestured for the girl to sit down at the tea table, and then slowly began to brew tea.

Hot water is poured into the teapot, and the tea leaves unfurl in the water, releasing a refreshing aroma.

The girl held her teacup, head bowed, and remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "Boss... I'm very poor right now, I don't have a single spirit stone. And I don't have any valuable treasures either."

Zhang Yuan paused in his actions and looked up at her.

The girl's face flushed even more, and her voice grew softer and softer: "My talent isn't good; I'm a rogue cultivator, so it's difficult for me to obtain cultivation resources. Last night, I was almost killed... Luckily, I had a life-saving talisman, which allowed me to kill him. Although I got a few spirit stones from him, I used them on the spot to heal my wounds and restore my true energy..."

As she said this, she raised her head and looked at Zhang Yuan with her clear, watery eyes, her eyes full of pleading and embarrassment: "Boss, do you think... can I pay you on credit? I promise, I will definitely find a way to raise the spirit stones to pay you back in a few days."