The Long Journey to Immortality

Han Lu's behavior undoubtedly indicates that she accepted Yi Qiyan's proposal.

Yi Qiyan turned around, took a few steps, took down the wind chime, and handed it to Han Lu. "It's just an ordinary wind chime. I made it myself when I was little. If you like it, I'll give it to you."

In Yi Qiyan's mind, making friends and giving gifts is a matter of course.

Han Lu was momentarily confused as to why Yi Qiyan would give her a gift, but she could understand the meaning behind Yi Qiyan's actions.

In the spirit of reciprocity, since the decision has been made to put aside past grievances, Han Lu naturally needs to reciprocate in some way.

After a moment's thought, considering that Yi Qiyan had given her a wind chime that she had made herself, Han Lu also chose an item that she had made herself as a gift.

A calligraphy piece appeared in Han Lu's hands.

"This is also a gift for you."

Han Lu didn't give much of an introduction before presenting her most prized calligraphy piece, created when she was studying under her stepmother Feng Rubing, as a gift.

Yi Qiyan didn't understand calligraphy, but looking at the few characters written in Han Lu's hand, she could still appreciate some of their beauty.

After exchanging gifts, the two became casual acquaintances.

However, these casual acquaintances knew some of each other's little secrets, which laid the foundation for their friendship to develop further.

"Han Lu, what brings you all the way from Zhengyi Gate to Southern Xinjiang to find me?"

Yi Qiyan did not press Han Lu about the matter of the True Spirit, but simply asked Han Lu about the purpose of her visit.

"I'd like to ask you for two small favors," Han Lu said directly, without beating around the bush. "I heard there's going to be a grand auction in Southern Xinjiang, is that true?"

Yi Qiyan nodded. "Yes, in five days. Why, do you want to participate?"

Han Lu naturally wouldn't say that she entered the auction venue specifically to find someone; she simply said, "I just happened to be looking for some rare materials and spiritual plants."

"Since I couldn't find it in the Central Plains, I thought I'd try my luck in your southern border region."

Do you have any extra invitations here?

"There should be some," Yi Qiyan said. As a saintess, she wouldn't lack resources for cultivation even in the resource-scarce Southern Frontier, so she wasn't particularly concerned about such matters. "I'll ask around for you later. If there are any extras, I can give you one."

In Yi Qiyan's view, this matter was a trivial one and not difficult to handle.

The invitation hadn't arrived yet, but Han Lu still habitually thanked them before continuing with the second matter.

"The second thing is that I want to ask you, a cultivator who has lived in the Southern Frontier for twenty years, about a place."

"Where?" Yi Qiyan made no guarantee either. "Although I have lived in the Southern Frontier for twenty years, I have never left the Five Poisons Sect more than a few times."

"Tell me first. If I don't know, I'll introduce you to some of your fellow students who love to travel, and they can help you answer the question."

Yi Qiyan naturally still wanted to take care of Han Lu's two small favors.

Based on the fragmented memories within Xiaoyaozi's remnant soul, Han Lu described in as much detail as possible the places where Xiaoyaozi hid the Golden Core cultivation method and Foundation Establishment cultivation resources.

My memory is a bit hazy, but Han Lu's description is quite vivid.

In just a few words, the image of a mysterious cave hidden behind a huge waterfall appeared in Yi Qiyan's mind.

"A mysterious cultivator's cave behind a giant waterfall? I don't know of such a place, but it's described so clearly that it shouldn't be difficult to find."

With its distinctive features, it shouldn't be too difficult to find in such a small area as southern Xinjiang.

“How about this,” Yi Qiyan, as a saintess, arranged such a small matter in an orderly manner, “After you return from the auction house, I will have a senior brother who is familiar with the Southern Frontier take you to visit one of the few waterfalls in the Southern Frontier.”

"Presumably, a discovery will be made within ten days."

Yi Qiyan did not inquire in detail about Han Lu's purpose in seeking this cave; she simply helped Han Lu solve her problem.

Han Lu was overjoyed upon hearing this and was about to thank him again when Yi Qiyan gestured for silence and said, "Fellow Daoist Han, I have agreed to the two things you asked me to do. Could you also do me a couple of small favors?"

Yi Qiyan seems to be a smart person, so I don't think she would make any outrageous requests.

Since the other party agreed so readily, Han Lu naturally felt embarrassed to be perfunctory.

"Okay," Han Lu replied first, then said, "Tell me what you think."

Chapter 430 Two Conditions

Just as Han Lu thought, Yi Qiyan was indeed a smart person.

When smart people interact with each other, they know to offer suggestions and make requests based on their current relationship.

This relationship includes both stakeholder and emotional connections.

Considering these two relationships, Yi Qiyan only made two not-too-big requests, so as not to make Han Lu feel indebted to her because of the two not-too-difficult things she had done before.

Yi Qiyan opened her mouth, but instead of making a direct request, she asked Han Lu a small question.

"Han Lu, what kind of phoenix are you?"

This question was a bit complicated to answer, so Han Lu had to tell Yi Qiyan the story of the Nine Phoenixes and the matter of Harmony before she could answer, "I originally only had the bloodline of the Illusion Phoenix, but now I have also merged with the bloodlines of the Ice Phoenix and the Fire Phoenix."

Perhaps it's because this remarkable achievement is too secretive to share with others.

Therefore, in front of Yi Qiyan, one of the few people who knew the truth, Han Lu was willing to say a few more words to satisfy her vanity.

Sure enough, when Yi Qiyan realized that the achievement of the Three-Winged True Phoenix was as difficult as a cultivator advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, she looked surprised and exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Han, I originally thought you had the bloodline of a True Spirit and had accidentally learned the Transformation Technique. I never expected you to be such a powerful being in the Phoenix Clan."

"That……"

When Yi Qiyan raised this question, her request was naturally related to Han Lu's true spiritual bloodline.

Now, having been intimidated by Han Lu's few words, he was momentarily unsure whether it would be inappropriate to bring up the request again and put Han Lu in a difficult position.

Han Lu noticed that Yi Qiyan was hesitating, so she said, "You go first. I can't explain the matter of Zhenling to you in a short time. Maybe, like the two things I asked you to help me with just now, they seem very difficult to me, but easy to you."

With Han Lu's encouragement, Yi Qiyan continued, "I originally wanted to ask you for a few drops of blood to nurture Xiao Jin and try to help it overcome its innate fear of true spirits. However, your bloodline is so rare that every drop must be precious. If there is any hardship involved, then forget it."

Upon hearing Yi Qiyan's request, Han Lu chuckled and said, "Using my blood to cultivate spirit insects, that's quite an idea."

"I thought it was something serious, but it's just a few drops of blood, no problem," Han Lu said with a smile. "But you have to handle this properly, don't use my blood to experiment with any strange spells."

Han Lu's second half of her sentence was one of the stereotypes that cultivators from the Central Plains had about cultivators from the Southern Frontier. Upon hearing this, Yi Qiyan could only smile wryly and explain, "Our witchcraft in the Southern Frontier is not that magical. If it were really just a few drops of blood, it would be impossible to curse or directly control a powerful true spirit or high-level cultivator."

"Then wouldn't the Central Plains have been incorporated into the territory of the Southern Frontier long ago?"

This statement is reasonable and well-founded. Han Lu was just trying it out casually and didn't think Yi Qiyan would act that way.

After all, Yi Qiyan only wanted ordinary blood, not her essence blood.

"How much do you want?" Han Lu asked, raising her left hand.

Looking at Han Lu's fair and slender arm, Yi Qiyan swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Would five drops be alright?"

"Okay." Han Lu casually conjured an ice blade and gently sliced ​​it across her wrist.

Unable to activate her supernatural powers or use her Feather Robe for protection, the ice blade easily sliced ​​through Han Lu's wrist.

A few drops of blood flowed from the shallow wound and, under Han Lu's control, fell into the porcelain bottle she had just taken out of her storage bag.

Behind his ear, the wound healed completely in the blink of an eye, as if nothing had happened.

After practicing the "True Phoenix Manual" for another three months, and after experiencing the "True Phoenix Guidance" in the Holy Land, Han Lu gradually got on the right track in this path.

Her blood vessels were activated more and more fully, and she even gradually developed the ability to recover quickly that she had once envied.

Although Yi Qiyan only asked for five drops, Han Lu didn't haggle and casually handed over the small bottle containing at least ten drops of blood.

Seeing Han Lu's casual attitude, Yi Qiyan realized that Han Lu hadn't been being polite before, but rather that her ordinary blood was indeed not that precious.

So Yi Qiyan generously accepted the small bottle used to "exchange" the invitation.

Han Lu smiled and gently stroked the spot where her wound had healed with her right hand, secretly pleased with her progress.

"And the second thing?"

Compared to the first thing, Yi Qiyan felt that Han Lu was more likely to accept the second thing.

“The auction isn’t starting for another five days,” Yi Qiyan said. “So I was thinking of having Fellow Daoist Han act as a teacher in my Five Poisons Sect before the auction starts, to help guide the disciples who are practicing the orthodox Daoist methods of the Central Plains within the Five Poisons Sect.”

"Fellow Daoist Han, how is it?"

Within the Five Poisons Sect, many disciples also follow the path of cultivators from the Central Plains.

However, precisely because of this, they are unable to receive better guidance and instruction.

Yi Qiyan pinned her hopes on Han Lu, a top disciple of the Zhengyi Sect, who could generously help the Five Poisons Sect and lead these disciples who were going astray in the Southern Frontier back to the right path.

"This..." Han Lu hesitated, "I'm not good at teaching, and being a mentor is also..."

"Moreover, according to the sect's rules, many things cannot be passed on to outsiders."

“Even if it were possible,” Han Lu added, “it wouldn’t be something that could be taught and mastered in just three or four days.”

Han Lu had a valid reason, but Yi Qiyan wasn't particularly concerned about the teaching results.

“Fellow Daoist Han, there’s no need to worry. As long as you’re willing, you can teach whatever you want,” Yi Qiyan advised Han Lu. “After all, not all of my fellow disciples are friends with you like I am. If you contribute to the Five Poisons Sect, I’ll naturally have more confidence when I ask them for help again. Don’t you think so?”

Even as a saintess, Yi Qiyan still needs to be mindful of her relationships with her fellow disciples.

Upon hearing this, Han Lu finally understood what Yi Qiyan meant.

So she didn't refuse any longer and accepted the job, which wasn't too difficult.

After finishing their transaction, the two new friends, cultivators from different regions, naturally began to tell stories from their respective places.

The conversation went fairly well, and it was already evening when Han Lu left Yi Qiyan's room.

As a saintess, Yi Qiyan easily arranged a nice place for Han Lu to stay, treating her as a distinguished guest of the Five Poisons Sect.

The next day, Han Lu began to tutor several young disciples who were still in the Dao Child Realm, as agreed with Yi Qiyan. The auction invitation she had requested was delivered to her before the first tutoring session.

It has to be said that Han Lu made the right choice in coming to southern Xinjiang to find Yi Qiyan.

Yi Qiyan's transcendent position in the Five Poisons Sect of Southern Xinjiang indeed saved her a lot of trouble.

Chapter 431 Teaching Children

Upon seeing the beautifully printed invitation with gold trim, Han Lu naturally wouldn't slack off in the slightest on what she had promised Yi Qiyan.

Han Lu was mentally prepared for the upcoming "teaching session".

However, when she arrived at the classroom that Yi Qiyan had specially arranged for her and met the disciples who were not yet at the Daoist Child realm, Han Lu was still slightly surprised.

"Come," Yi Qiyan, as the Holy Maiden, personally led her junior brothers to bow to Han Lu, "Greetings, and say, 'Greetings, Sister Han.'"