Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans...

Chapter 102 The Storm Is Brewing [Please Read On]

On the day the third auction began, the formation of Tianxuan City was activated, and the entire city was under heavy guard.

With the third-tier Xuan Shui Turtle personally overseeing the operation, anyone who dares to recklessly try to seize a Core Formation spiritual item will face the wrath of Lu Zhenren, the number one rogue cultivator in Yue Kingdom.

The magical fireworks exploding in the sky caught the attention of countless cultivators, who all turned their gazes toward the Fengle Auction House.

"Is the final auction about to begin?!"

Under the moonlight, Lin Chang'an, sitting upright in the Juxian Tower, looked around with a solemn expression.

There were no cultivators to be seen on the surrounding streets; they had all hidden themselves in their homes.

This scene made Lin Chang'an sigh with emotion, recalling how he could only hide at home when he faced turmoil.

Life is truly unpredictable.

He then shook his head and looked in the direction of the auction, hoping everything would go smoothly.

"Brother Lin, you've worked hard."

Inside the Juxianlou restaurant, which had long been closed and dark, Shen Lie solemnly delivered a sumptuous feast of spiritual dishes and wine.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you should hide in the tunnel first. Even if there is some disturbance, it will not affect ordinary cultivators."

Seeing the nervous Shen Lie, Lin Chang'an gently comforted him, and his words were not without reason.

Throughout Tianxuan City, hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators maintain order, ensuring that even if there is unrest at the top, it will not easily affect those below.

Unless it's the Li Huo Palace and Xuan Yin Pavilion, the two major sects, launching a full-scale attack on Tian Xuan City.

"Alas, in this world, if only our Yue Kingdom could produce a Nascent Soul True Monarch."

Shen Lie, having put down the food and wine, sighed helplessly. His grumbling revealed the inner thoughts of an ordinary cultivator.

"Brother Lin, my strength is too weak to be of any help. If there is anything, you don't need to worry about us."

Finally, Shen Lie shook his head and walked downstairs.

Now, the couple, along with Wei Buyi and their daughter, are hiding in the underground passage of Juxianlou.

On the top floor, leaning against the window, Lin Chang'an glanced calmly at the silent Tianxuan City before looking down at the jade slip containing the talisman heart that Yun Yao had given him.

Although he has become a Foundation Establishment cultivator and is no longer the weak cultivator who could only hide at home, one thing has never changed.

That is, in a turbulent situation, one can only go with the flow and cannot influence the overall situation.

At most, it has simply transformed from a weak ant into a slightly stronger one.

That's why he needs to seize every moment to improve himself and become stronger.

……

This night was a sleepless one for almost all the cultivators in Tianxuan City.

The turmoil that all the cultivators feared did not occur; instead, they waited peacefully until dawn the next day.

"Fellow Daoist Lin."

Lin Chang'an, who had been sitting in the top-floor pavilion of Juxian Tower all night studying talisman techniques, was greeted by Chen Qing, who arrived on his sword with a face full of excitement.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I admire your composure and Dao heart."

At this moment, Chen Qing felt genuine admiration. He had been on tenterhooks all night, but the other man had just sat by the window reading the jade slip all night.

No wonder others can become second-tier rune masters, while he has been unable to break through for so long.

This goes beyond just effort; there's a fundamental difference in mindset between the two.

Lin Chang'an smiled but remained silent; he couldn't very well tell the other party that he was exceptionally talented.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, something terrible has happened!"

Chen Qing was beaming with excitement as he excitedly recounted the information he had gathered.

"Last night's auction featured a rare treasure that was the final item, a Core Formation spiritual artifact. You would never have guessed that it was won by the Han Family Fortress."

"Han Family Fortress?" Upon hearing this name, Lin Chang'an was taken aback, then a look of suspicion appeared on his face:
"Could it be the Han Family Fortress, which was known as the number one Foundation Establishment family in Yue Kingdom more than 30 years ago?"

"That's right. Back then, the Han Family Fortress was too powerful and offended the Li Huo Palace, so they had to leave for another place. This time, they're really going all out."

Brother Lin, you would never guess that the Han Family Fortress actually staked out the entire clan and had a Foundation Establishment cultivator hand over a third of their primordial spirit in exchange for surrendering to True Person Lu, just to obtain this Core Formation spiritual artifact.

Good heavens, Lin Chang'an was secretly shocked after hearing this.

However, it contains a lot of information.

It seems that Master Lu's acceptance of Han Family Fortress's offer of allegiance is a sign that his negotiations with Li Huo Palace have broken down. Otherwise, he wouldn't have so openly accepted Han Family Fortress's defection.

Moreover, the Han family has been away from their hometown for more than 30 years and probably hasn't been doing well, which is why they chose to take a gamble.

Otherwise, why would they work so hard?

Having three parts of one's primordial spirit trapped in the hands of others is no different from being enslaved.

"Not only that, I heard that even the Five Friends of Mengshan came to last night's auction..."

After hearing Chen Qing's account, Lin Chang'an could also imagine the scene of this final auction.

It's more like a showdown.

Based on Yun Yao's farewell and the Han Family Fort incident, Lin Chang'an already had a vague guess. "What about Xuan Yin Pavilion?"

When the two major sects were mentioned, Chen Qing's smile became noticeably stiff. Finally, he let out a helpless sigh, sat down at the table, and poured himself a cup of spiritual wine.

After drinking it down in one gulp, Chen Qing shook his head with a solemn expression and said:
"The attitude of Xuan Yin Pavilion is unclear, but sect cultivators have always looked down on us rogue cultivators. How could they possibly sit and wait for Tianxuan City to produce another Golden Core True Person?"

As the auction ended, countless cultivators who had participated emerged, and Tianxuan City once again became lively.

However, beneath this prosperity lies a deeper crisis.

Upon seeing this scene, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but shake his head and sigh softly.

"We rogue cultivators can only wish for the continued prosperity of Tianxuan City."

Chen Qing, standing to the side, nodded silently.

They are all rogue cultivators; they certainly wouldn't be able to risk their lives for Tianxuan City.

"Alas, I have no other wish in this life but to live a peaceful life in Tianxuan City and hope that the younger generation will make something of themselves."

Chen Qing shook his head, drank a glass of wine, and left.

The Tianxuan City auction has ended, but the crisis is far from over.

Therefore, the task of these Foundation Establishment cultivators remains the same: to guard their respective areas.

Everyone was waiting for Master Lu's disciple to complete his Core Formation.

Many cultivators did not leave; instead, they remained in Tianxuan City.

……

Time passed, and two months later.

"This ice-attribute cinnabar is too expensive."

In the market trading area, Lin Chang'an, disguised, stood in front of a stall, haggling over prices.

The foreign cultivator retorted irritably, "Fellow Daoist, you're already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so why are all the cultivators from Yue Kingdom so stingy?"

Lin Chang'an glared at him, annoyed. Was this what he called being stingy?

You don't know the cost of living until you're in charge of the household. Even if he can earn money, his expenses are also high, so he naturally has to be frugal.

"Alright, this ice-attribute cinnabar is rare, give me three bottles."

Two months have passed since the third auction, and these Foundation Establishment cultivators are still shouldering the responsibility of guarding the area.

Master Lu did not cancel the mission; instead, he increased the reward even further.

For these independent cultivators who just wanted a peaceful life, they were naturally overjoyed.

He usually comes to the market trading area to exchange for some supplies needed for cultivation.

After obtaining the ice-attribute cinnabar, Lin Chang'an wandered around the market trading area, secretly calculating the intelligence he had gathered.

"Most of the rogue cultivators are looking for a stable place to live, so many of them left behind their magical energy when they joined this mission, and even some rogue cultivators from foreign countries joined in."

However, some Foundation Establishment cultivators did not join, but they were also secretly being watched by many other cultivators.

If you don't join, you'll be suspected of trying to cause trouble. Tianxuan City doesn't even need to intervene; there are plenty of independent cultivators who want to take the plunge.

Therefore, these monks usually keep an eye on this group of people.

This period of time has also caused headaches for the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were hoping for a lucky break.

Having clearly become the target, some chose to give up and leave Tianxuan City, while others chose to join.

Lin Chang'an couldn't help but admire what he was seeing.

"This Master Lu's methods are truly brilliant; he actually used a rogue cultivator to deal with a tribulation cultivator, almost leaving the tribulation cultivator with no space left."

Lin Chang'an couldn't help but chuckle to himself, and then put the ice-attribute cinnabar and second-tier talisman paper he had purchased into his storage bag.

[Tier 2 Low-Grade Talisman Master (Proficiency 89/500)]

Looking at his proficiency as a talisman master, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

He hasn't been idle these past two months either. The talisman master's manual that Yun Yao gave him has made his skills improve rapidly. He estimates that in another year or so, he will be able to break through to the second-tier mid-grade talisman master.

"I hope Yun Yao is alright and doesn't get involved in any danger."

Thinking of Yun Yao's figure when she said goodbye, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh inwardly. At this moment, he finally remembered why that outfit was so familiar.

Because that outfit looked exactly like what he wore when he was in the Prince's mansion.

Despite decades of cultivation, Yun Yao is still the same little princess who yearns for freedom.

Then he realized that he was just a rogue cultivator and had no control over these things. He couldn't help but laugh at himself and sighed softly.

I should make a few more Ice Talismans when I get back, just in case.

It will be available for purchase at 12 noon tomorrow. Updates will be changed from after midnight to noon. Almost 25 words have already been given away for free.

Because I deleted quite a few drafts before, I'm currently working hard to write more, aiming for a daily update of 10,000 words before the book goes live.

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(End of this chapter)