When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

As if responding to his gaze, the little snake slowly wriggled, timidly retreating to the corner of the cage, and sluggishly flicking its tongue.

Retracting the tip of the tongue is even slower, taking half a beat longer.

He looks somewhat foolish.

"Has this little thing not yet developed intelligence?" Qionglan asked bluntly.

The pet merchant had a good attitude, and said with a smile, "Demon beasts aren't that clever. They're already quite powerful just because they can breathe."

The demon race and the demon beasts are fundamentally different, and are essentially two different branches.

Cultivating and transforming into human form is an innate instinct of the demon race. However, demon beasts have chaotic intelligence, and even if they improve their cultivation, they cannot condense into human form.

Chu Xianlan poked the little spirit snake's head with her finger.

Come to think of it, Master probably doesn't like snakes either.

After all, there are vast undeveloped wilderness areas behind the Jade Capital Pavilion, where all kinds of monsters can be found, but not a single snake has ever been seen.

"Let's go." He immediately dismissed the idea.

The two walked side by side in the market. The handsome young man was tall and elegant, while the foreign woman was bright and dashing. Chu Xianlan very gentlemanly gave Qionglan the inner path, and they occasionally whispered to each other. Qionglan was occasionally amused and chuckled. The scene was truly pleasing to the eye, making it hard to look away, and it attracted a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, what the crowd didn't know was that while they seemed to be chatting and laughing, it was actually just Chu Xianlan being teased unilaterally.

"Little Lan." Qionglan turned her head, her tone deep.

Suddenly, Chu Xianlan had a bad feeling.

"Haven't seen you in years, have you found a partner yet?"

...My bad premonition came true.

Chu Xianlan looked cautious. "...Not yet."

"So what kind do you like? Do you need your older sister to help you choose? The beauties of our demon race are all different. Fox demons are charming, cat demons are cute, wolf demons are wild... If you like handsome ones, there are also many heroic young men. Hehe, let me introduce you to a few charming little demons."

Chu Xianlan was quite shocked, and said with a face full of black lines, "Humans and demons are different, that's common sense. Sister Qionglan, please don't make fun of me."

In the world of cultivation, the union of humans and demons is not permitted, because of the birth of half-demons.

Half-demons are children born from humans and demons. They possess innate magical power and cultivate at an extremely fast pace. They are born with talents that are the envy of all living beings and should be favored by heaven and earth, but they are despised by the entire cultivation world.

The bloodline conflict of the half-demon resulted in an extremely unstable temperament and spiritual power, making it impossible to suppress the killing and madness in his bones, and causing him to linger on the edge of losing control for the rest of his life.

The chaos caused by half-demons in the past resulted in countless humans and demons losing their loved ones, and countless villages and towns were reduced to ashes overnight. The entire cultivation world paid a heavy price.

Since then, half-demons have become a taboo in the entire cultivation world, an ominous and malevolent force that is most unacceptable to exist in the world.

If it appears in the world, it must be killed.

"You have to learn to be flexible," Qionglan stretched. "I have quite a few connections among the human race, including celestial beings and muscular men."

"Open your mind! Look to the future! There's no need to worry about not finding a good match!"

It actually rhymes quite well.

Chu Xianlan gasped in shock at her wildness; this was a situation that absolutely could not be broken.

"That's not the issue. I really haven't considered finding a Daoist partner at the moment."

He was busy enough just protecting his master's innocence; he had no time to think about these things.

"Oh?" Qionglan asked in confusion, "Could it be that you intend to emulate your master and follow a path of detachment from worldly desires?"

The demon race has always been impulsive and pleasure-loving, so it is really hard for them to understand the behavior of some people who cultivate a life of purity and abstinence.

In her opinion, a young man like Chu Xianlan should be just beginning to experience romantic feelings, so how could he be completely uninterested in this? Could this be considered premature aging?

Chu Xianlan had unspeakable suffering in her heart, and unable to explain, she could only vaguely change the subject. "Speaking of which... what good thing did you say you were going to take me to see?"

Seeing that he was unwilling to talk about it, Qionglan didn't bother to keep him in suspense any longer and said directly, "It is a complete piece of Heaven-grade Thousand-Condensed Cold Iron."

Chu Xianlan's eyes widened. "...What did you say?"

Qionglan curled her lips into a smug smile.

"The Thousand-Glazed Cold Iron is as big as a tree stump. Sister, you're beautiful and kind-hearted. Knowing that you're only obsessed with refining materials, I specially brought you to experience it~"

Passing through layers of arrays, Chu Xianlan followed Qionglan into the wanderer's main tent. Inside, it was a completely different world, much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The surrounding light was dim, and in the corner, an incense burner quietly emitted green smoke. In the center of the tent, an exquisite storage bag was placed on the table.

Even though they were separated by a curtain, they could still feel the extraordinary aura emanating from the heavenly-grade material.

Qionglan lifted the gauze curtain and said with a smile, "Be careful, step back first. The magic array here is no joke."

Then, she dripped a drop of blood onto the storage pouch, and with a flash of inspiration, Chu Xianlan's eyes slowly widened.

Thousand-condensed cold iron is a rare material in the world. Although it cannot be directly used to forge weapons and magical artifacts, its preciousness lies in its ability to perfectly blend with weapons of any attribute. After tempering and inlaying, it can directly elevate the quality of the weapon itself to a higher level, providing a powerful amplification effect.

Because of this extraordinary ability, Thousand-Condensed Cold Iron is extremely rare in the market.

Even a tiny fragment of cold iron the size of a fingernail would be fiercely fought over, let alone this one in front of us...

Chu Xianlan's breathing quickened involuntarily as she craved food.

...You're going to use this testing device to repair it?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist the temptation.

Looking at the exaggerated expression on the face of the person next to her, who was practically drooling, Qionglan was speechless. "I let you feel it, not enjoy it."

She thought this kid was hopeless; how could he only be interested in such cold, hard materials!

Chu Xianlan swallowed hard.

To be honest, ever since he saw Yi Chen still wearing that crudely made jade pendant, he had been thinking about doing something new for his master.

Ordinary items are not worthy of Yi Chen; only items of this caliber are worthy of him.

Considering her own wallet, Chu Xianlan very restrainedly and carefully drew a size with her hand, "Could it be...?"

"No way," Qionglan interrupted with a mischievous smile, putting the Thousand-Glazed Cold Iron back into her specially made storage pouch. "It's a pity, this piece of Thousand-Glazed Cold Iron has already been completely locked up, and not even a tiny bit can be cut."

In an instant, Chu Xianlan's expression changed from sunny to cloudy.

Can you imagine having a rare and precious object in front of you, but only being able to look at it and not touch it?

Besides, the owner of the jewel has already changed hands; you're just a passerby.

"Who bought the entire piece of Thousand-Frozen Cold Iron?"

He wanted to see who was so capable.

Qionglan said, "This piece of cold iron was acquired in the name of the Eastern Palace. The buyer is your human race's current Crown Prince, Ji Ran."

Chu Xianlan was slightly taken aback. He didn't know much about the Crown Prince in the palace, only that he was frail and sickly and spent most of his time recuperating in seclusion, rarely stepping out of the palace.

I never expected such a grand gesture.

He then asked, "Since you're transporting such valuable materials, why not go directly to the capital? Wouldn't setting up a market at the Taiyi Sect delay your journey?"

Qionglan touched her hair. "We can't rush it. The lunar eclipse will be in a few days."

A lunar eclipse is a special natural phenomenon in the cultivation world. During this period, the power of Yin is at its peak, and the alternation of Yin and Yang is disordered. Demons are easily affected by it, and unexpected situations may occur, making long-distance travel difficult.

Chu Xianlan had heard of the effects of the lunar eclipse on the demon race, such as unstable spiritual power, being forced to reveal their true form, and being easily agitated and unable to control themselves.

Therefore, the demon race often chooses to spend the lunar eclipse period in a safe place.

The Taiyi Sect's territory is blessed with peaceful spiritual energy and is equipped with a spirit-gathering array to stabilize spiritual power, making it the most stable place for the wandering tribes to spend the lunar eclipse period.

After that, the two left the main tent.

Not far away, several disciples of the Taiyi Sect were busy in an open space, while a few demons assisted them. The circular arena was beginning to take shape.

The arena competition was a traditional event during this period, serving as a warm-up for the upcoming inner sect competition.

The rules are simple and straightforward: regardless of race or background, and regardless of cultivation level, anyone can step onto the stage to challenge. The challenge ends when the opponent is defeated, and the one who falls off the stage loses.

Chu Xianlan noticed several demons carrying things out and couldn't help but ask, "What are they doing over there?"

"Demolish the gambling den," Qionglan sighed. "Your disciplinary elder just came to inspect the place and said that gambling is not allowed this year because it has a bad influence, so we have no choice but to demolish it all."

Chu Xianlan was heartbroken. "What's the point if we can't place bets! Doesn't that mean we don't even have a chance to win anything!"

"Yeah, nobody's really motivated. They don't want to sign up for the tournament either. Sigh, if it were any other year, we'd be having a lively discussion by now."

The two chatted casually, and when they passed a herbal medicine shop, Chu Xianlan suddenly stopped.

[...Ji Cheng'an was restless all night, and finally made up his mind at dawn. He chose to make his move at the Wanderer's Market, buying the Bone-Corroding Soul-Eliminating Powder from a demon merchant. He gripped the bottle, a burning sense of guilt and an even more intense desire engulfing him. It was said that this demon elixir was incredibly miraculous, capable of melting even the snow that had never melted on high mountains for millennia...]

Damn it! I almost forgot about that!!

He had been living too comfortably for the past few days, and Ji Cheng'an hadn't appeared in front of him to make his presence known for a long time, so he was almost about to let his guard down.

Speaking of which...

Ji Cheng'an has been behaving himself lately.

Could it be that because of my repeated obstruction, the proud and arrogant fourth prince has really given up his inappropriate thoughts?

But this guy is stubborn; would he really give up so easily? Perhaps it's just a temporary measure, waiting for a better opportunity, or maybe he wants to subtly cultivate feelings over time!

...After all, that's how it's written in all of Zhu Ling's lousy books.

I heard that after Ji Cheng'an recovered from his injuries, he became a disciple of Tianxia Pavilion, which is also the sect of his senior master Pei Fang'an. This also matches the precognitive dream.

anyway.

Why didn't the Fourth Prince harm his martial uncle?

To be fair, although his senior uncle was not as handsome as his master, he could still be described as ethereal and otherworldly. Thinking of this, Chu Xianlan automatically recalled Pei Fang'an's endless nagging and seemed to understand why her senior uncle could not become her target.

I ask you, which audacious and rebellious disciple would dare to confess to Pei Fang'an: "Master, I am in love with you..."

Pei Fang'an would earnestly advise: "Foolish child! You are still young, it's normal that you don't understand what liking is. You can only achieve something if you put these thoughts into cultivation. If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old. Sigh, go to the forbidden area for three years of seclusion, and while you're at it, read this 'Qingjing Jing' I have in my hand..."

Just imagining that scene makes me feel like all romantic feelings have been completely purified.

Forget it, no matter what the other party does, I can only feel at ease after I get my hands on that damn bone-corroding and soul-consuming powder!

Seeing his strange expression, Qionglan asked curiously, "Why aren't you leaving?"

"I suddenly remembered there's something I forgot to buy." Chu Xianlan chuckled. "Sister Qionglan, which direction is the largest herb shop for wandering travelers in your area?"

"A medicine shop? Look, there are them all over there."

Qionglan pointed casually.

Chu Xianlan looked in the direction Qionglan was pointing.

A group of cultivators had gathered at three or four shops not far ahead, and two figures stood in front of one of the pharmacies.

The person dressed in brocade robes... who else could it be but Ji Cheng'an?!