The Long Journey to Immortality

"Once you know exactly what the test to the second treasure vault is, what resources you need to prepare, or what conditions you need to meet, then go back and prepare."

Han Lu already had a plan: "I am acquainted with the Pavilion Master of the Immortal Pavilion. If we only need some resources or to break the formation, we can make a deal with him."

Mo Zhehan nodded slowly, agreeing with Han Lu's statement, "Han Lu, you're right."

“However, we still need to be careful,” Mo Zhehan reminded him. “From what you’ve said, most of the cultivators in the East Sea are not benevolent.”

"That Slaughter Venerable might have simply exhausted his dragon and phoenix blood, which is why he had to leave the treasure vault temporarily. He's just telling you this to lure us two into helping him open the door and retrieve the treasure."

"Once we arrive at the destination, we must make thorough preparations before we can open the treasure vault."

Han Lu knew what was going on. "I've thought about that too, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to come with me again in five to ten years."

"Tomorrow we'll set off, first to the Immortal Pavilion, to inquire about the whereabouts of Venerable Slaughter and his junior brother, Venerable Lingjiu."

"We'll make a decision after we confirm their locations."

Han Lu concluded, "If they have been patiently guarding us outside the treasure vault for fifteen years."

"Then we can just fight it out."

"If you and I join forces, dealing with two late-stage Golden Core cultivators shouldn't be a problem."

Chapter 1130

Having traveled between the East China Sea and the Central Plains several times and interacted with many cultivators from the East China Sea, Han Lu's understanding of the East China Sea has become much richer than before.

Although the Slaughter Venerable calls himself a Venerable, he is actually just a relatively ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivator. This title was inherited from his master and carries some commemorative significance, which is similar to Nian Haoge calling himself "Haoge".

It doesn't mean that this late-stage Golden Core cultivator truly possessed strength comparable to a Nascent Soul Realm Venerable.

Meanwhile, Venerable Lingjiu, the junior brother of the Slaughter Venerable, had been mentally impaired for many years, and his strength was at most comparable to that of the Slaughter Venerable.

With a simple calculation, Han Lu was confident that if she and Mo Zhehan were to face the two of them, unless the Slaughter Venerable and his junior brother made rapid progress in strength or even advanced to the Nascent Soul stage during this period, the arrival of the Slaughter Venerable would only be another small gift for her and Mo Zhehan in addition to the Dragon and Phoenix Treasure Vault.

Seeing Han Lu's confident demeanor, Mo Zhehan was able to roughly calculate the comparison of their strengths.

However, lacking experience in overseas training and not being very clear about the situation in the East China Sea, he still had some concerns.

"What if Venerable Slaughter went to find some helpers?"

“It’s unlikely,” Han Lu analyzed. “On the one hand, most of the cultivators in the East Sea are independent cultivators, and the only remaining members of the Slaughter Venerable’s lineage are the two of them.”

"Under these circumstances, it won't be easy to find a few capable and trustworthy helpers who can stay with them for a long time to lie in ambush and guard."

"Furthermore," Han Lu thought very carefully, "even if we find help, there really are Golden Core Realm experts willing to lend a hand."

"As long as we are careful, escaping won't be a problem," Han Lu teased. "Mo Zhehan, when you fly in your true form, you can't be slower than an ordinary cultivator, can you?"

“That will naturally be much faster,” Mo Zhehan agreed with Han Lu’s statement. “In this case, although it may not be foolproof, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Even if the crisis scenarios you’ve considered occur, neither of us will be in danger.”

Han Lu nodded slightly and smiled, "Just be careful then, and we'll adapt to the situation as it arises. I don't think there will be any problems."

"As for going to the treasure vault, I have also prepared some pills for you," Han Lu said, taking out a porcelain bottle from her storage bag and placing it on the table. "These are pills for Golden Core cultivators to restore their qi and blood when they are seriously injured."

"According to Venerable Slaughter, the treasure trove contains a large amount of resources and magical artifacts protected by a magic array. Only by using the blood of dragons and phoenixes as a catalyst can the array be broken and the treasures successfully obtained."

"Prepare more blood-replenishing pills; that shouldn't be a bad idea."

Han Lu could imagine that she and Mo Zhehan were destined to suffer heavy losses before and after entering the Dragon and Phoenix Treasure Vault.

These pills are not valuable, but they are rather "niche" and are only carried by some cultivators who use blood and qi to perform spells and secret techniques.

Since Mo Zhehan didn't have any, he gladly accepted it without refusing.

"Shall we set off tomorrow?" Mo Zhehan asked after accepting the pills.

Han Lu retorted, "What, do you want to stay in Zhengyi Sect for a few more days?"

“No, that’s not it,” Mo Zhehan said, stroking the glass made with the latest technology in his hand. “I’m just worried that my arrival is too sudden and might disrupt your usual plans.”

"Besides, won't you spend a few days making some preparations? I remember you still have an apprentice."

Mo Zhehan had considered many things for Han Lu.

When the matter was brought up, Han Lu nodded, "Yes, indeed. Let's set off again in three days."

Han Lu thought the round trip would take at most a month, but she couldn't guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen that would leave her stranded in the East China Sea and unable to return for a while.

It's never wrong to think things through.

"Please stay here for the next couple of days. I hope you won't mind that my home is simply furnished."

“How could that be?” Mo Zhehan was not a monk who cared about comfort. “I am already very satisfied that you let me live here.”

“It’s nothing, we’re friends,” Han Lu stood up. “Come on, let me show you around and let me see which room you’ll be staying in for the next few days.”

Han Lu modestly described her residence as "simple," but in reality, even if it was simple, it was still the home of a Golden Core cultivator, and it was definitely a level above the guest rooms that the sect used to entertain guests.

Especially the courtyard, with its various rare and unusual plants, Mo Zhehan felt it deserved praise.

Not to mention the collection room that Han Lu set up specifically to display her various calligraphy and painting works.

The calligraphy works among them led to many exchanges between Mo Zhehan and Han Lu, who also share a passion for calligraphy, effectively adding another "calligraphy enthusiast" link between them.

After settling Mo Zhehan in, Han Lu quickly dispatched paper swords to arrange various matters during her short absence.

Of course, the most important thing was to inform Xianyu Ji, the sect leader, that he would be leaving the sect temporarily.

Han Lu also explained her purpose of going to the Dragon and Phoenix Treasure Vault in the East Sea to retrieve the treasure in the paper sword.

He almost explicitly discussed business with Xianyu Ji, a high-ranking representative of the Zhengyi Sect.

Xianyu Ji wasn't stupid; he certainly understood Han Lu's explicit message in the paper sword.

In his reply, he stated that after Han Lu successfully returned to the sect, he would attempt to acquire some resources that Han Lu could not use but that the sect needed to reserve, in order to achieve a win-win situation.

In this way, Han Lu and Mo Zhehan can also gain more benefits from this trip, and it will also facilitate their friendly negotiations and sharing of the fruits of victory.

Compared to various resources in different quantities, spirit stones are easier to distribute; they can be divided in half.

In three days, Han Lu easily handled all the trivial matters in the sect.

Besides staying temporarily at Han Lu's house, Mo Zhehan also occasionally moved around the Zhengyi Sect and even went to look for his disciple who had been staying in the Central Plains for six or seven years.

Duan Xiaoxuan's cultivation in the Central Plains went quite smoothly.

Having arrived at the Zhengyi Sect with treatment similar to that given to Yi Qiyan when she sought refuge, she is now just one step away from achieving the False Core Formation.

And her "teacher-student romance" with Qiu Peng has already shown signs of progress.

Han Lu could fully expect that after Duan Xiaoxuan advanced to the Golden Core Realm, the two would begin traveling between the Great Yu Dynasty and the Central Plains to formally discuss their future marriage and begin to look forward to their happy married life.

Once the three-day deadline was up, Han Lu and Mo Zhehan boarded Han Lu's Ark magical artifact and flew towards the East China Sea.

Just as they set off, Han Lu brought up the issue of harvest distribution on the ark.

Mo Zhehan was prepared.

"Let's split it in half."

"If there are any materials that you particularly want or need, then we can discuss it further."

Both of them are intelligent people who know their place, and they have a harmonious relationship, so this way of distributing the spoils is very reasonable.

It is both flexible and has established rules.

Han Lu had no objections, but slightly increased the Ark's flight speed, hoping to reach the destination as soon as possible.

Chapter 1131

As planned, Han Lu and Mo Zhehan went to Longshou Islands to visit Han Lu's old friend, Lü Zhi's father, the Bitter Tea Hermit, and reminisce.

Of course, her main purpose for this trip was to find out the whereabouts of the Slaughtering Venerable and the Coffin Master.

The two were somewhat well-known among the independent cultivators in the East Sea, and were invited to participate in the wedding banquet of Lü Zhi and Yi Qiyan. Han Lu guessed that the information network of the Immortal Pavilion controlled by the Bitter Tea Hermit should have the answer she wanted.

The Dragon Head Islands were not unfamiliar to Mo Zhehan. He had visited twice before when he came to the East China Sea to deliver messages to his clansmen, and had also stayed there for a while.

Following Han Lu to the Immortal Pavilion, Han Lu easily found the Pavilion Master, Bitter Tea Hermit, who was usually busy with the affairs of the Immortal Pavilion.

Getting straight to the point, Han Lu stated her purpose.

"Fellow Daoist Bitter Tea, I wish to inquire about the whereabouts of two cultivators from the East Sea."

"Tell me, as long as it's a person with a name, our Immortal Pavilion can pinpoint the location where the target last appeared in public in the East Sea within two days at most," said Bitter Tea Hermit with full confidence.

"However," the hermit also put it bluntly, "although we have a good relationship, we can't skimp on the consultation fee."

Han Lu never intended to rely on her connections or reputation to get Bitter Tea Hermit and Immortal Pavilion to do her work for free.

"How many spirit stones? I want to inquire about the whereabouts of two late-stage Golden Core cultivators, Venerable Slaughter and Venerable Coffin," Han Lu asked. "These two East Sea cultivators were also present at your son and daughter-in-law's wedding last time, so they should be considered well-known figures."

“Yes, of course,” the Bitter Tea Hermit estimated the price, “Five hundred spirit stones will suffice.”

Han Lu knew immediately that the price was a friend's price, so she paid the spirit stones without hesitation.

No sooner had she taken out the spirit stones than Mo Zhehan placed five hundred spirit stones on the table.

"Thank you for your help, Master Bitter Tea Pavilion. How many days will it take to get accurate information?" Mo Zhehan asked.

After Ku Cha summoned his servants to put the spirit stones into the treasury and record them, he replied, "At least one day, at most three days."

“Okay,” Han Lu didn’t mind waiting a little longer. “As long as the intelligence is accurate, everything is fine.”

Bitter Tea Hermit assured, "The news from the Immortal Pavilion may be delayed, but it is absolutely accurate."

Han Lu had no doubts. "Please ask Fellow Daoist Bitter Tea to help arrange accommodations, so that the three of us can stay in touch and exchange information immediately."

Previously, business was business, so Han Lu had to charge Bitter Tea Hermit for gathering intelligence and consuming Immortal Pavilion resources.

But since we are now treating them as friends and offering them a room to stay, and since the Immortal Pavilion has not incurred any expenses, there is naturally no reason to charge rent.

Bitter Tea Hermit arranged two guest rooms for Han Lu and Mo Zhehan in the upper floors of the Immortal Pavilion, allowing them to enjoy VIP treatment.

Although Han Lu couldn't see any significant difference in the quality of the decorations and furnishings compared to other guesthouses on the Dragon Head Islands.

However, the advanced spirit-gathering arrays set up in the rooms are the reason why these seemingly ordinary guest rooms are favored by the VIPs of the Immortal Pavilion.

Han Lu felt no difference in cultivating her skills in these guest rooms compared to the quiet room on Hanchan Peak.

"The Immortal Pavilion is really going all out."

After silently praising her, Han Lu sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Array, circulated her cultivation technique, and planned to continue the daily cultivation of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator—Spirit Awakening.