54-63

Chapter 54. Flaw in Cultivation

From the treetop, Shu Han looked far ahead to see three men in white feathered robes flying above the shrubs. They didn't feel powerful, the strongest of them seemed to be at the peak of the Qi Refining stage. From their actions, they appeared to be searching for something in the shrubs.

Shu Han listened attentively and could hear their quiet conversation.

"Damn, that little thief stole all the pills distributed by our sect in the past few days! We finally got the job of guarding the Heaven-grade spiritual mine, but all the rewards were gone!"

"When I catch that little thief, I will skin her and pull out her bones!"

"Old Fei, have you sensed where that little thief has run to?"

One of them replied, "I can't sense her. She must not have used her magic power, otherwise, my spiritual sense would have detected her."

"It's really strange. That little thief has no magic power but still managed to escape from us. But she must be hiding in these shrubs."

Upon hearing this conversation, Shu Han was quite surprised. It seemed like these cultivators' pills were stolen by a little girl? And these people still haven't caught her! What kind of girl is this, playing around with a group of grown-up cultivators?

Shu Han decided to remain hidden until he could figure out the situation, after all, this was the White Feathers Sect's territory. Even though he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he still needed to be very careful when dealing with it.

At this moment, one of the disciples rose a ball of fire in his hand and shouted angrily, "If we can't find her, burn down this whole forest, let's see where she can hide!"

Upon hearing this, a little girl suddenly jumped out from the shrubs. The girl was filthy, her hair was messy like a bird's nest, and her clothes were tattered, looking like they were patched together from various pieces. She angrily said, "You people are really too ruthless!"

A disciple saw the girl, his teeth itched with anger, he roared, "Thief! Hand over our pills!"

The girl snorted coldly, threw out a bunch of empty bottles, and shouted, "I've eaten all those useless pills."

"Damn you! Those were our three months' worth of pills, and you ate them all at once?"

"Oh, then you guys must be really poor."

The girl said disdainfully. At her words, the three of them were so angry that they almost foamed at the mouth. One of them couldn't stand it any longer and immediately threw a fireball spell at her.

Seeing this from afar, Shu Han's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stretched out a claw and waved a black wind to block the girl, the fireball flew into the black wind and immediately disappeared. The four people at the scene were all startled, and the three White Feathers Sect disciples immediately looked around.

"Which senior is joking with us juniors?"

Shu Han, hidden in the black mist, spoke in a deliberately aged voice, "You three are really shameless, to attack a child so ruthlessly, aren't you?"

Upon hearing his voice, the three of them were so scared by the spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment stage around them that their legs went weak.

The disciple with the highest cultivation level tremblingly replied, "Senior, this girl stole our cultivation pills and injured our fellow disciples first, we are not deliberately bullying her."

Shu Han was puzzled and asked, "Three Qi Refining cultivators were robbed by a little girl?"

One disciple replied indignantly, "Yes! Senior, this girl is not ordinary. I was patrolling the mountain that day when I was suddenly knocked unconscious from behind. When I woke up, the pills on me were all gone. It was only by setting up a trap that we were able to expose this little thief."

Shu Han looked at the little girl again and suddenly found her somewhat familiar.

"Forget it! How many pills did this girl take from you? I will replace them!"

As he spoke, bottles of Qi Gathering Pills flew in front of the three men. Seeing that they were Qi Gathering Pills, they were all overjoyed and thanked him profusely.

"Just leave!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Then, Shu Han enveloped in a black mist, approached the girl. The girl looked at him arrogantly, her dirty little face didn't show a bit of fear.

"Little girl, you are really powerful!"

The girl disdainfully said, "What's the big deal? The pills you just gave to those wastes would have been better given to me as a tribute."

Tribute to her? Why did her tone sound so familiar?

Shu Han dispersed the black mist around him, showed a smile, and squatted down to speak. Just as he was about to speak, the girl's face suddenly turned cold upon seeing Shu Han, showing a coldness that did not match her age. Then she jumped up and punched Shu Han hard in the stomach. It directly flung Shu Han, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, ten meters away.

The girl, hands on hips, yelled, "You little brat! Finally, you showed up! You've made me wait!"

Shu Han climbed up from the ground and looked at the girl in astonishment. This haughty demeanor, this disdain for the world. He murmured, "You... you're Senior Shangguan Ruolin? How did you become like this?"

Shangguan Ruolin crossed her arms unhappily, sighed, and said, "I knew I shouldn't have used the secret technique to save you, kid. Now I'm reduced to this, being chased around the mountains and fields just for taking a few Qi Refining disciples' pills. When have I ever been so wronged? I'd rather have died with you in the mine!"

Shu Han swallowed his saliva and walked over cautiously.

"Senior, what exactly is going on?"

Shangguan Ruolin's dirty little face lifted, glanced at Shu Han, and said, "It's a problem with my cultivation technique. When my cultivation was suppressed, I forcibly used a Golden Core secret technique, causing severe damage to my vitality and suppressing my entire cultivation within the Golden Core."

"Why did you become young again?"

Shangguan Ruolin glared at him, "Are you saying I was old before?"

Shu Han was at a loss for words, "This... You know that's not what I meant..."

Shangguan Ruolin picked leaves from her messy hair and said, "This is caused by the Sky Palace Six Harmony Method of our Sky Palace Sect. When I practiced this technique in my early years, I accidentally went into devilry, which left a hidden danger, causing my cultivation cycle to change. After damaging my origin, my age also decreased along with my cultivation."

Looking at Shangguan Ruolin's annoyed expression, it's no wonder she didn't want to use the Golden Core secret technique even when her life was at stake in the mine.

Considering her previous aloof demeanor, the inability to take care of herself must indeed be more unbearable than death. Shu Han felt guilty in his heart, squatted in front of her, and carefully helped her remove the branches and leaves from her head.

"Senior, I indeed owe you for this. Is there any way to help you return to your original state? I will spare no effort!"

Shangguan Ruolin sat on the ground with a pouting face and snorted, "How did I end up with a kid like you? Forget it, you did save me first, so let's call it even. However, you should have received the final reward from the old ghost in the mine, where are the top-grade spirit stones? Perhaps this treasure could help me recover."

Shu Han laughed awkwardly and told her about the encounter with Master Mystical Dragon in detail. After listening, Shangguan Ruolin's little face turned even redder with anger.

"Three months wasted! Once I restore my cultivation, I'll destroy his damn mine!"

Shu Han persuaded, "Let's talk about destroying the mine later, how are you going to restore your cultivation now, Senior?"

Hearing this, Shangguan Ruolin calmed down and sighed, "You now also have Foundation Establishment cultivation, take me back to Sky Palace Sect. My father's Nascent Soul should be able to help me recover." Suddenly it seemed as if she remembered something, even before Shu Han could reply, she immediately changed her words, "No! I absolutely cannot go back now!"

Shu Han: ???

Shangguan Ruolin: "Don't ask anymore, it's a private matter of our Sky Palace Sect."

Shu Han: I didn't plan to ask anyway...

Shu Han then asked, "But if you don't go back to the Sky Palace Sect, how will you repair your Golden Core?"

Shangguan Ruolin held her chubby little hand to her cheek, her dirty face looked confused, and she said, "If I can maintain a supply of spiritual power for ten years, I can repair the Golden Core on my own."

Ten years!!!

Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "Is that why you steal the pills from Qi Refining cultivators?"

"What do you mean by stealing?"

Shangguan Ruolin said angrily, "I was borrowing, they just didn't agree. When my cultivation recovers in the future, I will return it a hundredfold. But considering they've been chasing me around, I will also take their lives."

Shu Han: ...

However, Shangguan Ruolin sighed, "Staying in this ghastly state for ten years is too tormenting. If I can find a heavenly treasure that can repair the Golden Core, I can recover immediately. Kid, this time you must help me. Once my cultivation is restored, I will reward you with a magic treasure at the Core Formation stage!"

Chapter 55. Heavenly Creation Fluid

A Core Formation magic treasure?

Shu Han squatted in front of Shangguan Ruolin, looking at the little girl in front of him, and couldn't help but smile and say, "Senior is joking. The only reason I was able to keep my life is thanks to Senior. If there's anything Senior needs, as long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Shangguan Ruolin nodded in satisfaction: "You're not a bad kid after all, it wasn't a waste of my time to stay in this shabby mountain for more than three months."

She continued, "During this time, except for the physical strength bolstered by my Golden Core, I am unable to use any other spells. As you've seen, even a Qi Refining cultivator can threaten me. Since you are at the Foundation Establishment stage, you must ensure my safety during this journey."

Shu Han nodded, "Of course."

Shangguan Ruolin continued, "Also, this place is in the north of Great Cloud, where there are fewer major sects with Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and resources are relatively scarce. However, according to my previous investigation, this region once produced the legendary Heavenly Creation Fluid. If I can get this precious fluid, I will surely recover."

"Heavenly Creation Fluid?"

Shangguan Ruolin explained, "When I left the Sky Palace Sect, I was looking for heavenly treasures everywhere to make up for my cultivation deficiencies. The Heavenly Creation Fluid was one of my first choices. This precious fluid contains the chaotic spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and it has the miraculous effects of stabilizing the foundation, supplementing deficiencies, purifying evil spirits, and nourishing a cultivator's Golden Core or even Nascent Soul. I planned to try my luck with the Heavenly Creation Fluid if I couldn't find top-grade spirit stones. It's said there's a chance in half a year, but unfortunately, I ended up like this."

Upon hearing this, Shu Han felt a sense of unease.

"Senior, you're not suggesting that I go for this treasure, are you? When such a treasure appears, it will definitely attract a large group of high-level cultivators to compete, and I'm just at the early stage of Foundation Establishment!"

Seeing Shu Han's uneasy expression, Shangguan Ruolin said, "Look at how scared you are! Don't worry, those at the Core Formation stage and above can't participate, only Foundation Establishment cultivators will go."

Shu Han was puzzled and asked, "Why won't those at the Core Formation stage or above compete for such a treasure?"

"Firstly, it's not certain you can get it. After all, it's been two thousand years since the last time the Heavenly Creation Fluid appeared. Secondly, the Heavenly Creation Fluid only appears in a dimension layer. This dimension is extremely fragile. If a Core Formation cultivator breaks in, it would either be bounced away by the law of space or directly break the fragile space and be killed by the spatial debris flow. Therefore, the sects in the north of Great Cloud only send Foundation Establishment disciples in."

Shu Han was somewhat confused, "But don't you also want to go in and try your luck?"

"That's because I can suppress my cultivation level to Foundation Establishment due to the defects in my cultivation, then sneak in."

Shu Han hesitated, "This sounds pretty dangerous... As a junior at the Foundation Establishment stage, I'm not sure I should get involved in such a major conflict... I haven't even cultivated my life's magic treasure yet... Senior, why don't you just cultivate hard for ten years? I'll stay with you during these ten years!"

"You are such a coward!"

Shu Han sheepishly said, "I don't think that's cowardice, it's just being realistic."

Shangguan Ruolin smacked her forehead in frustration, then suddenly seemed to think of something and slyly said, "Oh, if you don't want to go, that's fine. I forgot to tell you that the Heavenly Creation Fluid can significantly increase the rate of core formation. What was it you said before? If you don't form a Golden Core, your cultivation method will explode. Let me tell you, you're definitely going to explode."

Shu Han's face immediately darkened.

"I can try other methods!"

Shangguan Ruolin said, "Other methods? Ah, you have no idea how difficult Core Formation is! I possess the Wind Spirit Root, which is a rare spirit root that appears only once in a thousand years, and I was fully supported by the Sky Palace Sect, yet it took me more than two hundred years to reach Core Formation! Do you think there's hope for you to reach Core Formation without the Heavenly Creation Fluid?"

Shu Han said solemnly, "Senior, you wouldn't be exaggerating to trick me into going for it, would you?"

Shangguan Ruolin laughed heartily, her childish laughter making Shu Han quite annoyed.

"Kid, when it comes to Core Formation, no matter how difficult I say it is, it's not an exaggeration. You're new to the cultivation world, but you'll understand the truth of my words in the future."

At this point, Shu Han remembered what Master Mystical Dragon had said.

"There are plenty of people with talent and effort, but very few can reach Core Formation. To reach Core Formation, it relies more on fate."

Shu Han thought to himself, these two people's views on Core Formation are remarkably consistent, it seems that Core Formation really is a challenging threshold to cross.

So, Shu Han sighed and said, "Then please allow me some time to consider whether or not to go for the Heavenly Creation Fluid, is that acceptable to Senior?"

"That's fine, you're a crafty one, I wouldn't expect to convince you right away."

Then, Shangguan Ruolin stood up, dusted off her clothes, and said, "But before that, you'll have to find a sect to join in the North of Great Cloud. The authority to enter that dimension is held by these sects. With your cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage, joining a sect shouldn't be a problem."

Shu Han nodded, "Senior, before that, can I go and take care of something first?"

"Whatever, but don't take too long, after all, we only have half a year."

Shu Han summoned a small black sword, enlarged it under his feet, and said, "Just returning an item, I can now fly with my sword, it shouldn't take more than a day."

Shangguan Ruolin didn't care what it was, her dirty little feet stepped on Shu Han's flying sword, her messy hair flew in the wind, and her dirty skirt fluttered as she stood with her hands behind her.

"Let's go! Lead the way!"

Shu Han admired her, indeed she was a senior, even though she had fallen to the point of looking like a small beggar, she still had such a proud demeanor.

Shu Han flew on his sword. But as soon as the sword moved, Shangguan Ruolin's small body wavered, and she fell off the sword headfirst with a thump.

Shu Han was shocked and quickly asked, "Senior, are you alright!"

Shangguan Ruolin was embarrassed and angry, covering her head. Seeing that she had lost even the ability to fly with a sword, she felt a sourness in her heart and her eyes were filled with tears, she looked up and cursed.

"What do you think!? Now I'm just a little girl without any magic power!"

Hold it in! Don't laugh!

Finally, Shu Han flew on his sword, turning into a black light and leaving the mountain area.

Shangguan Ruolin sat on his shoulder, sulking on her own, occasionally kicking Shu Han's chest a couple of times, venting her anger on him.

The flying sword pierced through the clouds, heading towards the distant sky.

This was Shu Han's first time flying on a sword, the thrill of soaring through the sky made him feel exhilarated.

During the Qi Refining stage, although he could also fly with the wind, the speed was nowhere near as fast as flying on a sword, and it consumed a lot of magic power, making it impossible to travel long distances. But once he had his magic treasure, flying became as easy as walking.

A day later, Shu Han arrived at a secluded town in the mountains before dusk. According to the notes in the letter, this was Floating Mountain Town, the hometown of Lin Wenguang.

Shangguan Ruolin looked at the secluded town below and couldn't help but ask, "Kid, what are you doing here?"

Shu Han sighed, "Sending a friend home."

Chapter 56. Floating Mountain Town

Old friend?

Shangguan Ruolin sneered, "Haven't you just come to Great Cloud? Where did you get an old friend?"

Shu Han thought of this and couldn't help but feel down. He then told Shangguan Ruolin the whole story about Lin Wenguang.

After listening, Shangguan Ruolin marveled, "To think of using a corpse to refine a storage bag to smuggle spirit stones, these two are indeed geniuses."

Shu Han was speechless, thinking you heard all that and this is what interested you?

Shangguan Ruolin glanced at Shu Han, sitting on his shoulder and patting his head, saying, "Kid, you've known this guy for less than half a month, there's no need to be sentimental for him. In the world of cultivation, ants like this die in droves every day."

Shu Han gave a bitter smile, "I just feel that his experience was similar to mine back then, we were both naive young men who had just left the mountain, it's just that I was luckier than him."

Cheering up, Shu Han scanned the Floating Mountain Town below with his divine sense, "There are quite a few Qi refining cultivators in this Floating Mountain Town. Great Cloud is indeed different, Qi refining cultivators live just like ordinary people. Senior, let's first find a place for you to freshen up, and then inquire about Lin Wenguang's partner. No offence, but you... are a bit smelly..."

Shangguan Ruolin's face turned pale, she sniffed herself and cursed, "Isn't it all because I was waiting for you in the mountains? When have I ever been so disheveled!"

So, Shu Han took Shangguan Ruolin to an inn in the town.

The innkeeper was a cultivator of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. Seeing Shu Han coming in, he immediately felt a tightness in his chest, immediately pushed the apprentice away, and greeted him with a smile, "Junior greets senior, what can I do for you?"

Shu Han slapped a low-grade spirit stone on the counter and said, "Give me a secluded room, prepare a bucket of bath water..." He turned his head and looked at the dirty Shangguan Ruolin, and immediately corrected himself, "No, three buckets, and a table of food and wine."

Seeing the low-grade spirit stone, the innkeeper's eyes gleamed with greed, and he nervously said, "Okay! Senior, please follow me upstairs, we will prepare for you right away!" Then he glanced at Shangguan Ruolin behind Shu Han, immediately changed his expression, and said, "Go away! Where did this little begg..."

In an instant, Shu Han covered his mouth, giving him a horrified warning with his eyes.

Do you want to die? Hurry up!

The innkeeper was immediately scared breathless by Shu Han, hurriedly lowered his head and led Shu Han upstairs.

Following behind the innkeeper, Shu Han asked, "Innkeeper, your town isn't big, have you heard of a man named Lin Wenguang?"

The innkeeper said, "Oh, Little Wen! I know him, a few months ago he bought a bunch of our local specialty tea here! I heard he went out to explore, he's not in town now."

Shu Han immediately asked, "He has a cultivation partner, have you heard of her?"

"You must be referring to Miss Qin Xueer, she and Little Wen are among the most talented in our town. Although Qin Xueer's cultivation talent is not as good as Little Wen's, her study of array formations is indeed unparalleled."

Upon entering the guest room, Shu Han tossed out a spirit stone and declared, "Find Qin Xue'er and tell her to meet me!"

Seeing another spirit stone, the innkeeper couldn't hide his elation, yet there was a touch of hesitation in his gaze. He asked tentatively, "Please forgive my audacity in asking, but why does the senior want to see Xue'er? She is quite a decent person. If she has offended the senior in any way…"

Shu Han rolled his eyes and interrupted, "Just do as you're told. I'm not here to cause her trouble."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Shangguan Ruolin plonked down onto the rocking chair, chuckling, "This person dares to question you, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Anywhere else, not only would he fetch someone for you without question, but he wouldn't even utter a 'no' if you ordered him to kill."

Shu Han pushed open the window of the inn, watching the hustle and bustle of the crowd, and mused, "Perhaps the more remote the location, the lower the cultivation, the more human touch there is."

Before long, three big buckets of bathing water were delivered.

Shangguan Ruolin hopped down from the chair and, seeing that Shu Han was still in the room, her gaze grew icy.

"Are you not leaving yet, boy? Do you wish to peep on my bathing?"

At her words, Shu Han was taken aback, comparing the height of Shangguan Ruolin with the water level in the bathing bucket, he said, "Senior, aren't you afraid of drowning in your current state…"

Shangguan Ruolin's gaze was filled with murderous intent.

"Get out!"

Shu Han hurriedly ran out of the room, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, mumbling, "Even after shrinking, she became fiercer…"

Next, Shu Han leaned against the railing of a private room on the third floor of the inn, drinking and sampling the local delicacies. At that moment, Shangguan Ruolin, fresh from her bath and wearing a displeased expression, walked in.

Shangguan Ruolin, free from worldly dust, looked like a porcelain doll that had jumped out of a painting. She was extraordinarily charming, only her long hair was a disheveled mess.

She sat across from Shu Han, looking upset, and said, "Without magical power, life is so hard, even my hair is bullying me! Boy, hand over the pills, I am hungry!"

Shu Han took out two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills from his storage bag and said, "After living so long, Senior doesn't know how to tie your own hair?"

"No need!"

Shangguan Ruolin was gulping down pills from the bottle, "Normally at the Sky Palace Sect, countless servants attended to my every need. Outside, a minor use of magic was all it took to manage everything. There was never this much hassle."

Shu Han chuckled, moved behind her, and cautiously began to untangle her messy braids. He asked, "These pills are for Qi Refining stage cultivators and are not of high quality. Doesn't Senior have high-quality pills in your own storage bag?"

Hearing his words, Shangguan Ruolin's tone turned frosty, "Boy, are you hinting at the whereabouts of my storage bag?"

Shu Han quickly clarified, "Certainly not! I had no such intention, I only thought that the senior might not be pleased with these inferior pills."

Shangguan Ruolin responded, "No harm in telling you, my storage bag was sealed inside my Golden Core at the first moment, unreachable by anyone. Moreover, the pills in the bag were already consumed by me, or else I might have degraded into an infant. Rest assured, I will compensate you for the pills you lost."

"You had such an incident, and the first thing the senior thought was how to preserve your storage bag?"

Shangguan Ruolin extended her right hand, upon her wrist was a blue mark. She stated, "This is a Nascent Soul mark planted by my father. In Great Cloud, anyone who sees this mark, except those at the Nascent Soul stage, dares not harm me. Of course, this excludes the Qi Refining stage cultivators as they can't recognize it. This is why I need your protection. Any cultivator in Great Cloud with a bit of cultivation who sees this mark would not dare to harm me. However, they would undoubtedly covet my storage bag if they see it."

A Nascent Soul mark!

Suddenly it made sense. Shu Han noticed a crimson mark on her left wrist.

"Senior, whose mark is this on your left hand?"

At this question, Shangguan Ruolin trembled and quickly covered her left hand with her sleeve, snapping, "Boy, where are all these questions coming from? Mind your own business!"

After a period of silence, Shangguan Ruolin picked up a mirror, and seeing the way Shu Han had expertly braided her hair, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Boy, you're quite adept at this, comparable to my personal maids."

Shu Han smiled and said, "When I was young, my parents were often busy, and I had to look after my younger sister. I would braid her hair in different styles every day, so over time, I became proficient."

Hearing this, Shangguan Ruolin fell silent, and murmured, "You have a sister too…"

"Huh? What did you say, Senior?"

Suddenly, Shangguan Ruolin burst into a rage, "Shut up! Ask one more question and I will cut out your tongue!"

Shu Han thought: ...But you initiated the conversation...

Chapter 57. What is Heartlessness

Shu Han was sitting by the window, drinking wine, while Shangguan Ruolin was crunching on some elixirs.

However, constantly consuming elixirs made her mouth bitter. Shangguan Ruolin snatched Shu Han's wine jug, poured herself a large cup, and said, "I haven't tried mortal wine before. I'll make an exception today."

She held up the large cup and gulped it down.

"Senior, you can't drink so much at once..."

As the strong liquor entered her mouth, Shangguan Ruolin's face turned red. She quickly fanned her mouth and exclaimed, "Why is this stuff so spicy... but there's a hint of sweetness in the spiciness, and the fragrance of bamboo... not bad, it's quite good!"

Shu Han: ...

Having said that, Shangguan Ruolin continued to eat elixirs and drink strong liquor, becoming more and more tipsy.

Shu Han chuckled inwardly, it seemed that not only had the senior's body shrunk, but her mentality had also been somewhat affected. He could hardly believe that the young girl in front of him was the same person as the impressive and icy Shangguan Ruolin of the past.

After a while, the innkeeper led a girl in a green dress to their room.

The girl was beautiful, though not as stunning as Shangguan Ruolin. Qin Xue'er bowed respectfully upon seeing Shu Han, "Junior Qin Xue'er pays her respects to the senior. May I know why the senior summoned me?"

"There's no need for formalities, Ms. Xue'er. Please, sit."

Qin Xue'er sat down, looking at Shu Han with a puzzled face.

Shu Han began, "I have actually come to return something." He placed Lin Guangwen's storage bag on the table.

Upon seeing the storage bag, Qin Xue'er's delicate hand couldn't help but tremble. She asked blankly, "This is Guangwen's storage bag... what happened to him, senior?"

Seeing Qin Xue'er's anxious look, Shu Han didn't know how to break the news, but he told her everything truthfully.

In the end, Shu Han sighed, "Brother Lin Guangwen was a good man who unfortunately met a villain. I believe his last thoughts were of you, otherwise, this storage bag wouldn't be filled with letters written to you. So, I came to find you. It also contains the spirit stones he mined in the mine. I'll give them to you too, hoping his spirit can rest in peace."

Qin Xue'er listened to Shu Han's words in a daze. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and murmured, "I was born with four spiritual roots, making my path to cultivation difficult. The reason I was able to cultivate to the fifth level is all thanks to Guangwen's assistance. I was already willing to devote myself to him, he didn't have to..." She stood up shakily, knelt before Shu Han, and said with a trembling voice, "Senior, I am grateful for you bringing Guangwen's last words from so far away."

Shu Han helped her up and comforted her, "Take care of yourself, Miss."

Qin Xue'er stood up and said, "I want to hold a funeral for Guangwen in a few days, would senior be able to attend?"

"Certainly!"

Qin Xue'er bowed respectfully again and left the inn alone.

Shangguan Ruolin, while crunching on her elixirs, commented, "This girl didn't shed a single tear, it seems she has long forgotten Lin Guangwen. Why are you wasting your time attending a funeral? You should find a sect to join soon."

Shu Han, observing Qin Xue'er's desolate solitude through the window, declared, "Senior, you are mistaken. Tears don't symbolize everything. The deepest sorrow is the death of one's heart. She is now despondent, her heart ashen. Alas, I hope she will persevere and live."

"She is emotionally devastated for a man. I view her as not being very astute."

Shu Han originally planned to lodge at the inn for a day or two, but by the next morning, he and Shangguan Ruolin stood across the street, watching the inn, now a ruin, with bewilderment painted on their faces.

Rubbing her head, Shangguan Ruolin frowned and said, "Boy, why does my head hurt so much? Is there something wrong with your medicine? And I don't recall a thing from last night."

Shu Han rolled his eyes to the point they nearly tumbled out of their sockets. Could she, looking at the innkeeper weeping on his knees in front of the ruins, still dare to claim ignorance of what happened?

Eventually, Shu Han surrendered and said, "Senior, you must refrain from drinking in the future."

As he spoke, Shu Han approached the innkeeper and dropped a small bag of spiritual stones.

The following day, Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin attended Lin Guangwen's funeral as planned.

At the funeral, Lin Guangwen's elderly parents, nearing their seventies, wept almost to the point of fainting. It was said that Lin Guangwen was the only child of the Lin family. The scene prompted Shu Han to think of his own parents, and he couldn't help but sigh. Had he died in the Mystical Dragon Sect years ago, they too, he surmised, would be heartbroken.

Clad in plain white, Qin Xue'er attended the funeral as the Lin family's widow. Her face pale, seeming absent-minded, she approached Shu Han, handing him a piece of paper, saying, "The Lin family is forever indebted to you, Senior, but we have nothing to offer in return. This is a formation diagram that has been passed down through generations in my family. None of us have been able to successfully refine it. I thought it might be useful to you, Senior, so I am giving it to you."

Holding the formation diagram, Shu Han glanced at it and read the three characters, "Silent Heartbreak Formation." Then he turned his worried gaze back to the dazed Qin Xue'er, advising, "Miss Xue'er, one cannot bring back the dead. Please contain your grief, carry on his wishes, and live your life well."

Qin Xue'er managed to squeeze out a faint smile and deeply bowed to Shu Han.

After leaving the Lin residence, Shangguan Ruolin expressed her confusion, "Mortals are emotionally fragile. The death of a child can shatter them."

Shu Han retorted, "Senior, that is a misjudgment. Mortals live a short life, seventy or eighty years at most. Bearing and raising a child takes ten months of pregnancy, over a decade of nurturing, and more than a decade of worry. And when they grow old, they rely on their children for care for another decade or so. They invest nearly a lifetime of time and emotion. When the white-haired bid farewell to the black-haired, how can they not be utterly heartbroken?"

Shangguan Ruolin remained silent for a long time upon hearing this. Finally, she said, "Now that you've explained it that way, I understand why they say the Dao is heartless."

Surprised, Shu Han asked, "What do you mean?"

Shangguan Ruolin countered, "Why do mortals raise offspring?"

After a moment of contemplation, Shu Han answered, "First, for family succession, second, to bestow affection, and third, for care in old age and assistance at life's end."

Shangguan Ruolin explained, "The first, cultivators can extend their lifespan as their cultivation level increases. For instance, a Nascent Soul cultivator can live for ten thousand years. A single individual can represent a hundred generations of legacy. They naturally wouldn't concern themselves with so-called issues of succession. Their focus lies in how to increase their cultivation level and prolong their lives."

"Second, the notion of bestowing affection is laughable. For cultivators, power and status are the only pursuits. Few cultivators would waste their emotions on their offspring."

"Third, cultivators don't worry about care in old age and end-of-life assistance. Most mortals cannot take care of themselves in old age, but it's different for cultivators. The older they get, the more profound their cultivation becomes."

"Therefore, cultivators have neither practical need nor emotional need for children. Moreover, a grand cultivator in the Nascent Soul phase, with a lifespan of ten thousand years, can completely bear thousands upon thousands of children if they wish. The loss of a few brings no heartache! We, the high and mighty cultivators, are heartless even to our families, let alone to others."

Upon hearing this, Shu Han clearly saw Shangguan Ruolin clench her small fists tightly, her face filled with desolation.

"Senior, you..."

Chapter 58. Hunt

The town's night was bustling yet tinged with a long-standing solitude.

Shu Han looked at Shangguan Ruolin, who was sound asleep on the bed and couldn't help thinking about her desolate expression during the day. He thought, "The senior, being a Core Formation cultivator and under the protection of a Nascent Soul cultivator, should be worry-free. However, it seems she has some troubles she doesn't want to mention."

Yet she was now eating and sleeping, not needing to cultivate at all, and really looked like a carefree girl.

Shu Han sat cross-legged, opened the formation diagram that Qin Xue'er had given him during the day, and studied it carefully. He had studied alchemy, talisman creation, and artifact refining under his master's tutelage, but had not yet had the chance to fully grasp formation crafting.

Nevertheless, Shu Han had a deep knowledge of formations. He looked at the diagram and studied the construction carefully. The night passed quickly.

This "Silent Heartbreak Formation" was, in his eyes, indeed one of the top-tier formations, not inferior to the highest-level formation recorded in the Bai Family Artifact Refining Manual — the Stellar Wish Formation.

Both formations, when fully deployed, could trap a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, the "Silent Heartbreak Formation" was more convenient to deploy, not requiring as much effort as the "Stellar Wish Formation".

The "Silent Heartbreak Formation" was suitable for use against enemies, while the "Stellar Wish Formation" was more suitable for defense. However, the "Silent Heartbreak Formation" had higher requirements, just the demand for three Foundation Establishment mid-stage sound-based magic treasures gave Shu Han a headache.

Sound-based magic treasures? Foundation Establishment mid-stage? And three of them?

No wonder Qin Xue'er said that several generations had not been able to successfully refine this formation. It seemed that he would need to keep an eye out for materials for these two formations in the future.

Not just the materials for these two formations, but also for the external incarnation and the lifebound magic treasure he planned, would require large quantities of materials to produce.

It seemed that improving his cultivation and entering the Foundation Establishment stage was not a once-and-for-all solution, instead, he would have to plan for even more things.

After studying the diagram for the entire night, Shu Han rubbed his sore eyes, tiptoed out of the room, and prepared to have the innkeeper prepare a table of food and drink to relax. With his current cultivation, he could naturally achieve abstinence from food. He had simply grown accustomed to the delicacies of the mortal world over the years, and still wanted to enjoy a feast when he had the chance.

The morning rain was falling in a drizzle over the Town. Whether it was the rain or the result of studying formations all night, Shu Han always felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, as if his breath was being suppressed.

The innkeeper had a table full of good dishes prepared on the second floor by the railing and had already poured the wine, waiting for Shu Han to come over and taste it.

Shu Han walked around the corner, and from the second floor, he could see the entire rainy scenery of the Town.

However, at this moment, a graceful woman with a floating white gauze and fluttering black hair was standing by his wine table against the wind.

Looking at her from behind, against the backdrop of the rain curtain, she looked like a celestial being exiled to earth, exhibiting an elegant charm.

Shu Han was taken aback. This woman's back looked very familiar.

"Lady, my name is Shu Han. If you don't mind, could you share a drink with me?"

The woman slowly turned around, her stunning face wearing a mysterious smile as she looked at Shu Han.

Shu Han's scalp prickled and he took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes in disbelief, "Senior! You... You've recovered? Weren't you sleeping in your room just now? How did you get here?"

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "You've mistaken me for someone else, sir. I've never met you before."

Shu Han was surprised, "Aren't you Senior Shangguan Ruolin?"

"The person you're referring to is my twin sister. I'm her younger sister, Shangguan Ruotong."

Shu Han was astounded, "You two sisters really look exactly the same!"

Shangguan Ruotong continued to smile, the rain curtain behind her getting denser, and the sound of the drizzling rain filled the inn.

She said, "My sister and I were born twins, very few people can tell us apart by our appearances. Three months ago, I suddenly had a hunch that my sister might be in trouble, so I came after her. Could you tell me where my sister is?"

Shu Han breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that as they were twins, her cultivation level must not be weaker than Shangguan Ruolin's, so Senior's injuries would be saved. He hurriedly said, "Senior, please wait a moment. Senior Shangguan Ruolin is still resting. I'll go notify her to see you right away!"

"Thank you, sir."

As Shu Han rounded the corner, he couldn't help but marvel at how different the two seniors' temperaments were, even though they were born of the same mother. He rushed into the guest room and gently woke Shangguan Ruolin.

"What are you doing?! I haven't slept enough! Don't bother me!"

Shu Han hurriedly shouted, "Senior, there's someone you know looking for you!"

Shangguan Ruolin, bleary-eyed and groggy, mumbled, "Someone I know is here? Who would know me here?"

With that, Shangguan Ruolin followed Shu Han out to the hall, her face full of suspicion.

Shangguan Ruolin, rubbing her eyes, walked out from behind Shu Han and shouted, "Who is it?"

Immediately, both of them saw each other and their eyes simultaneously widened in shock.

The rain was getting heavier.

Shangguan Ruotong couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, "Sister, it's been so many years, you've become so petite and cute, it reminds me of when we were children."

However, Shangguan Ruolin didn't find it amusing. She abruptly stepped back, grabbed Shu Han's sleeve, and asked coldly, "How did you know I was here? Did you put a tracking magic treasure on me?"

Shu Han felt a chill run down his spine. The situation wasn't as harmonious as he'd anticipated. The two sisters' reunion had instead created an oppressively tense atmosphere.

Shangguan Ruotong laughed, "Sister, I've wanted to do this, but your cultivation was too high and I never had the chance. You ask how I knew your whereabouts. Don't you know that we've always had a mental link?"

Shangguan Ruolin's face changed drastically, her voice trembling, "I severed that connection years ago! Unless... you've cultivated a Golden Core and re-established the connection with my Golden Core!"

A Golden Core flew out from between Shangguan Ruotong's eyebrows in response.

"I trailed you by three hundred years, but I've finally caught up! Now that you've lost your cultivation, it's finally my turn to take the initiative. How do you want to die, sister? I can satisfy you!"

In an instant, all the raindrops outside the building froze in the air. The frozen raindrops were like steel needles, radiating a chilling murderous aura.

Shangguan Ruolin quickly jumped behind Shu Han, yelling at him, "Kid! Go quickly!"

Shu Han had already sensed that something was wrong. Hearing Shangguan Ruolin's urgent call, he didn't have time to ask more. He immediately summoned his Black Claw and Pursuing Sword, cloaked himself in a black fog, turned into a streak of black light, and fled south through the inn!

Suddenly, Shu Han felt severe pain in the back of his hand. When he looked down, he saw a large gash cut into his arm by the rain. The faster he flew through the still rain, the more the black fog protecting him was being stripped away by the rain strands.

Without this protective black fog, he would've been torn to pieces by these rain-strands already.

Shu Han was getting anxious, "What is this thing!"

Shangguan Ruolin shouted from behind him, "This is not rain! It's her lifebound magic treasure, the Phoenix Feather Falling Flower Needle! Keep going, don't stop!"

However, in the rain, Shangguan Ruotong's bell-like laughter could be heard everywhere.

"Haha, sister, you can't really think that you can escape from me with a Foundation Establishment novice cultivator, can you?"

Chapter 59. Two Secret Techniques

Shu Han pushed the Black Claw to its limits again, wrapping them in more black fog.

"Didn't you say that you have a Nascent Soul mark, and no one except a Nascent Soul cultivator would dare to kill you in the Great Cloud?"

"If she kills me, that damn girl can take my place! Of course she dares!"

Shu Han grimaced, "Your family relations are way too dark!"

"Less talk! Run! That damn girl has successfully formed her Golden Core, we're no match for her now!"

Shu Han shouted, "I know that! But can we escape?! That's Core Formation!"

Shangguan Ruolin, panting heavily, climbed from Shu Han's back to his front, her small hands grasping Shu Han's head. Her pupils contracted as she stared at Shu Han, "Kid! Our lives are hanging by a thread! With that girl's personality, if I die, you definitely won't survive! Now, I'm going to break tradition and teach you two secret techniques from the Sky Palace Six Harmony Secrets!!"

"The escape technique is called Sixfold Shadow Escape, which can create six indistinguishable copies of oneself and escape in six different directions at high speed! The forbidden technique is called the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret, it can at least double your strength instantly! Life and death, it all depends on whether you can succeed!"

"Open your mind and let my Golden Core enter your body so that our cultivation techniques can intersect. I can use the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret and the Golden Core to stimulate all your potential, and perform a Sixfold Shadow Escape not inferior to that of a late-stage Foundation Establishment! You have only one chance! Don't resist my Golden Core, understand?"

Shu Han stared into Shangguan Ruolin's eyes and nodded without hesitation.

At this moment, Shangguan Ruotong's laughter grew from far to near, the surrounding stationary rain strands all moved towards one direction, and the rain that once filled the sky suddenly disappeared.

Shangguan Ruotong floated ethereally, looking at Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin, she said, "Sister, stop struggling. You once told me that any struggle is in vain in the face of absolute power. Today, I return these words to you."

Shangguan Ruolin, sitting on Shu Han's shoulder, laughed, "Girl, knowing you had this plan, it's good that your elder sister was one step ahead and prepared, otherwise you really would have succeeded today."

Shangguan Ruotong's left eyelid twitched, and she scoffed, "Sister, stop bluffing. We sisters have a spiritual connection, and when you said that, I could already feel the panic in your heart. Just resign yourself to death, this is our fate."

With that, she scattered the set of Phoenix Feather Falling Flower Needles in her hand, forming a gale that threatened to tear Shangguan Ruolin and Shu Han apart.

Looking at the set of Phoenix Feather Falling Flower Needles, Ruolin laughed, "Your lifebound magic treasure is of high quality, although it can't compare to my Six Harmonies Silk Bracelet. Especially the addition of Snowstorm Secret Silver during the refining process, which enhances the sharpness of the magic treasure."

Upon hearing these words, Shangguan Ruotong's face turned pale.

"How did you know I used Snowstorm Secret Silver?"

Shangguan Ruolin laughed, "Silly girl, did you think the Snowstorm Secret Silver was really given to you by the third brother? It was something your elder sister spent a lot of effort digging up for you from Flowing Frost Highlands, third brother merely passed it on to you."

"You!"

Shangguan Ruotong's face turned red with anger, "You've been scheming against me from the start!"

"I wouldn't say scheming, it's just that your idea of usurpation forced me to be on guard! If you had behaved yourself, there would have been no issue."

Shangguan Ruotong, unable to control her anger, flicked her finger, and a whirlwind composed of silver needles rushed toward them.

Shangguan Ruolin pulled on Shu Han's hand, shouting, "Kid! Lend me your magic power!"

In an instant, one-third of Shu Han's magic power was absorbed by Shangguan Ruolin.

Shu Han quickly crushed two middle-grade spirit stones from his storage bag to rapidly recover his lost magic power.

Having gained some magic power, Shangguan Ruolin's divine sense returned. Her divine sense swept over, and in an instant, the incoming Phoenix Feather Falling Flower Needles formed frost in the air, with cracks freezing onto each silver needle. The lifebound magic treasure and the cultivator are connected in mind and spirit, at the same time, Shangguan Ruotong was also covered in frost. This pain originating from her soul made her scream miserably.

"Now's the time!"

Without saying a word, Shangguan Ruolin slapped Shu Han's cheek, took a deep breath, and her cherry mouth directly sealed Shu Han's mouth.

In an instant, something warm passed over Shangguan Ruolin's mouth. A rounded Golden Core rushed into Shu Han's body.

In an instant, Shu Han's cultivation technique and magic power were indistinguishable from Shangguan Ruolin's. Upon receiving Shu Han's cultivation base, Shangguan Ruolin's body rapidly transformed, from a child she grew into a young girl in a blink of an eye.

This intimate connection stirred Shu Han's soul, and he couldn't help but tightly hold onto Shangguan Ruolin's slender waist. In that instant, two techniques were imprinted in his soul.

Sixfold Shadow Escape! Sky Palace Mysterious Secret!

Now that their minds were connected, without speaking, Shu Han could directly sense Shangguan Ruolin's thoughts and emotions. The feeling of fear and apprehension.

"Kid! Use these two secret techniques immediately and run! That damned girl's lifebound magic treasure is damaged, she herself won't be much better off, but she could still kill us with ease! Get away now! Hurry!"

Without hesitation, Shu Han immediately initiated the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret. In an instant, he felt his aura begin to surge, even rising to double his normal state!

With the essence continually flowing in from Shangguan Ruolin's Golden Core, Shu Han's power surged to an inconceivable level.

However, Shu Han thought, with only six clones from the Sixfold Shadow Escape, it was still not quite safe. So, he used the Triple Rotation Avatar Technique.

With Shangguan Ruolin being inseparable from him now, three pairs of Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin appeared in the sky over Floating Mountain Town.

"Trying to run?"

Shangguan Ruotong coughed up a mouthful of blood, her Core Formation aura began to waver, but she still forcefully suppressed her injuries, took out a banner from her storage bag, swung it up, and a green storm swept over.

"Sixfold Shadow Escape!"

In the nick of time, the three avatars used the Sixfold Shadow Escape Technique simultaneously. In an instant, the three avatars turned eighteen, scattering in eighteen different directions.

This scene left Shangguan Ruotong stunned!

"Eighteen avatars! How is this possible!"

The green storm swept over, six avatars couldn't dodge in time and were obliterated by the storm. However, the remaining twelve avatars were unscathed, disappearing into the horizon with inconceivable speed.

Seeing this scene, Shangguan Ruotong was consumed with rage and spat out another mouthful of blood. She quickly held her breath to channel her qi, absorbing all the damaged Phoenix Feather Falling Flower Needles into her body.

At this point, though Shangguan Ruotong was filled with unwillingness, she knew that trying to find the real body among the twelve avatars was virtually an impossible task.

With the hundred phoenixes singing by her side, her complexion gradually improved.

Shangguan Ruotong looked at the sky, then at the Nascent Soul imprint on her left hand, which was a jet-black mark, different from Shangguan Ruolin's fiery red one, and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Sister, you indeed have good tactics, but I won't admit defeat easily. You won't leave the northern part of the Great Cloud alive."

Chapter 60. Golden Core Fragments

Boom!

A meteor fell on the silent Willow Mountain, waking the villagers sleeping at the foot of the mountain.

Holding Shangguan Ruolin tightly, Shu Han rolled dozens of feet down the hill, broke through three earth mounds, and smashed through dozens of big trees before finally stopping.

At this moment, apart from a small amount of magic power, there was nothing but boundless pain in Shu Han's body. This pain, from his viscera to his skin, from his body to his soul, every part of Shu Han was severely damaged. His only thought now was to lie quietly here, until the end of time.

However, Shangguan Ruolin, lying in his arms, suddenly inhaled at the lips blocking his mouth, and the Golden Core inside Shu Han returned to Shangguan Ruolin's body.

Shangguan Ruolin seemed a bit dazed at this time, but she struggled to sit up, resting on Shu Han's chest, her breasts rising and falling, panting heavily, her eyes coldly watching Shu Han.

Shu Han weakly said, "Senior, I was disrespectful just now, but I had no other choice."

However, Shangguan Ruolin's hand directly gripped his neck.

Shu Han became anxious, "No! No! Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs!"

"Borrowing your magic power again!"

Shu Han suddenly choked, the last trace of magic power and the vital energy that kept him awake was instantly drained by Shangguan Ruolin.

"Senior, don't suck anymore..."

Suddenly, Shu Han passed out.

With a bit of magic power to support her, Shangguan Ruolin forcefully expelled her Golden Core.

At this time, the originally perfect Golden Core had tiny cracks, and even some damage, which caused Shangguan Ruolin to frown deeply.

"The original Golden Core was already deficient, and then forcefully borrowed this boy's cultivation to cast the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret, the backlash of the Golden Core is even more serious! It seems that this time, I must get the Heavenly Creation Fluid, otherwise even if I repair the Golden Core, my cultivation will probably stop here in this life."

She took a deep breath, felt the throbbing from the Golden Core, and couldn't help but glance into the distance.

"You are still tracking me! Sister, you're as clingy as when we were children!"

After speaking, Shangguan Ruolin formed seals with both hands and inscribed mysterious runes on her lifebound Golden Core. Every time she inscribed a rune, her spirit would become a bit dazed. In the end, she used the borrowed weak magic power to complete the sealing of her own Golden Core.

At this point, the Golden Core sensed by Shangguan Ruotong, who was flying from afar, suddenly disappeared. She stomped her foot in anger, "Sister, I didn't expect you still had the energy to cut off the connection between our Golden Cores. But you're so injured, you won't be able to hide for long!"

After sealing the Golden Core, the exhausted Shangguan Ruolin shrank back into a little girl. She panted heavily, her consciousness began to blur.

In her haziness, she looked at Shu Han's face, feeling both annoyed and ashamed. The memory of their recent full-body connection made her feel numb all over. This complex emotion lingered in her for a long time. If it were in the Sky Palace Sect, if a male cultivator dared to touch even a single hair on her head, he would have turned to dust long ago.

"Stinky boy! Wait till I recover my cultivation, then you'll see!"

After speaking, she also exhausted all her energy and collapsed into Shu Han's arms.

...

After an unknown amount of time, Shu Han woke up from his unconscious state. His body was still in severe pain, his meridians were all fractured, his magic power was empty, and it was difficult for his consciousness to leave his body.

However, he felt his physical body was in a warm environment. He opened his eyes and saw a familiar oil lamp. The dim, flickering flame seemed to pull him back to his own Shu Village from over a decade ago. He struggled to sit up and found a little boy's feet resting on him.

The little boy was reading a book next to the oil lamp. Seeing that Shu Han had woken up, he sniffled and called out, "Mom! Big Brother is awake!"

Immediately, a middle-aged woman rushed in from the curtain door.

Shu Han sat up, rubbed his head, and asked, "Where am I?"

The woman replied, "This is Zhang Village in Willow Mountain. Are you okay? A few days ago, I was picking wild vegetables on the slope and saw you lying there. Our village doctor said that you were seriously injured and wouldn't wake up for a month, how come you're awake now? Looking at you, you don't seem to be a farmer. Are you a scholar from the outside? How did you get injured so terribly on there? Did you encounter bandits?"

Shu Han suddenly remembered and immediately asked, "What about the other person? Where is she?"

"Oh, you mean that little girl? She's sleeping in my room."

Shu Han hurriedly got out of bed, limped out of the earthen house, and came to another room.

In this room, Shangguan Ruolin was quietly lying on the bed, dressed in a floral cotton gown.

"Senior!"

Shu Han was concerned, he picked up Shangguan Ruolin and gently shook her small shoulders.

Suddenly, Shangguan Ruolin opened her big eyes, coldly looking at Shu Han, "Stop shaking, I'm fine. As for you, it's about time you woke up, you were out for so long, useless indeed."

"Oh! This girl is awake too!"

The woman who had followed him leaned against the door, joyfully saying.

Shu Han was speechless, and whispered, "Senior, you've been pretending to be unconscious?"

"Yes, I don't know how to deal with these ordinary people. Every day, they're feeding me bitter medicine, if you didn't wake up I would've run away on my own."

Shu Han relaxed and laughed.

However, Shangguan Ruolin still said coldly, "Have you had enough of holding me?"

Shu Han shivered and quickly stood up.

The woman laughed and asked, "You two are alright, that's good. What's your relationship?"

Scratching his head, Shu Han replied, "Thank you, madam, for your help. My name is Shu Han, and she is my sister Shu Lin. We were originally going to Green Mountain Town to visit relatives, but we got lost. Right... Linlin..."

Shu Han turned his head to give Shangguan Ruolin a look but found Shangguan Ruolin's eyes were almost murderous.

In the end, Shangguan Ruolin relented and said indifferently, "Yes, he is my brother, and I am Shu Lin."

Shu Han: ...

The woman was stunned, then laughed, "You really are kids from the town. You speak differently from us village farmers."

"Well, you two siblings woke up with such difficulty, why not sleep in my son's room together? Hey, boy, come sleep with Mom, give your room to Big Brother!"

So, Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin ended up sharing a bed.

Standing on the bed, Shangguan Ruolin, in her small body, looked at her brightly colored gown, her face full of disdain. "What kind of bizarre taste is this? When have I ever worn such tasteless clothing?"

Then, she looked at Shu Han and asked, "Kid, how's your recovery from your injuries? When can we leave?"

Just as Shu Han was about to say something, a small foot kicked at him. Shangguan Ruolin said, "Get off first, who gave you the courage to get on my bed?"

Shu Han really wanted to roll his eyes, but he dared not, so he said, "Senior, my injuries this time are severe, my Dantian is damaged, and my meridians are cracked. I'm afraid it may be hard to restore my normal cultivation for a while."

Shangguan Ruolin said, "This is the side effect of the Sky Palace Mysterious Secret. Although it can boost overall strength in a short time, the lingering side effects also take a long time to dissipate. Others who use this secret technique are either injured or crippled. But this time you got lucky, you could say it was a blessing in disguise."

"What do you mean by that, senior? I'm almost a cripple."

Shangguan Ruolin sighed, "The fragments of my Golden Core should still be in your body. Isn't that a blessing in disguise?"

Golden Core fragments?

Chapter 61. Settling in Zhang Village

Shangguan Ruolin looked at the bewildered Shu Han with annoyance and snorted, "You little guy have picked up a bargain. Those fragments of Golden Core are worth a hundred years of hard cultivation. If you refine these fragments, they should be enough to help you break through the initial peak and reach the middle stage of Foundation Establishment."

Shu Han was stunned. He quickly sat cross-legged, examining his body's meridians and Dantian. Sure enough, near his Dantian, he could indeed see some golden fragments wandering. These small golden fragments made Shu Han feel an overwhelming and pure spiritual power.

Shu Han quickly said, "There are fragments of senior in my body, won't it affect senior's cultivation? Shouldn't I extract them and return them to senior?"

"If it was possible to extract and repair my Golden Core, I would have done it already!" Shangguan Ruolin crossed her arms, not very pleased, and said, "It's not that easy to repair a shattered Golden Core. Kid, you better recover from your injuries quickly. I'll assist you in absorbing these fragments of Golden Core. The emergence of the Heavenly Creation Fluid is not far away. If you can improve your cultivation, it will be beneficial to our mission."

Shu Han nodded, sincerely saying, "I will do my best to obtain the Heavenly Creation Fluid for the senior."

"That's a must! I've imparted you with secret techniques and given you fragments of Golden Core. If you can't get it, I'll eat you alive to compensate for the loss!"

Shu Han chuckled, although Shangguan Ruolin was becoming increasingly fierce towards him, he could vaguely feel the cold distance between them gradually melting. Thus, Shu Han took out the healing spiritual medicine from his storage bag and started to repair his damaged Dantian and meridians. He had not settled into meditation for a while when he was awakened by a slap from Shangguan Ruolin.

Shangguan Ruolin held out her small hand in front of him and angrily said, "You're just going to eat all of it yourself? Where's my share?"

Shu Han scratched his head and said, "You've eaten up all the stock in these past few days, and I haven't had time to make more. How about I give you some spirit stones? I have plenty of those, the old man in the mine gave me a bunch."

"Spirit stones aren't as gentle as elixirs, but they'll do. Give them here."

Shu Han directly tossed a big bag of spirit stones to Shangguan Ruolin. Shangguan Ruolin, with her small body, struggled to carry the large bag of spirit stones. She said, "Kid, from now on, you must follow me everywhere. That damned girl won't give up so easily. If she comes looking and you're not by my side, I won't be able to do anything."

So, he was just a meat shield!

Shu Han: "...As you command."

And so, Shu Han and Shangguan Ruolin settled down in Zhang Village, at Madam Song's house. Currently, only Madam Song and her son were living in the house, and there were no adult men in the entire village. It was said that they had all been taken to nearby snowy mountains by surrounding gangs to dig for snow lotus. So, all the farm work and household chores were left to the village women and children.

The people of Zhang Village were simple and honest, and Madam Song was particularly hospitable. She was especially fond of Shangguan Ruolin, always complimenting her on her beauty and even giving her snacks that she normally wouldn't even give to her own child. Even though Shangguan Ruolin had a temper, she was helpless against this enthusiastic rural woman and was neatly arranged by her.

Seven days later, Shu Han had consumed all the healing elixirs, and his meridians and Dantian began to show some signs of recovery.

Next, Shangguan Ruolin began assisting him in absorbing the Golden Core fragments.

Shu Han originally couldn't refine these Golden Core fragments at all, but he could absorb them with Shangguan Ruolin's help. Every time he absorbed a bit of the massive Golden Core spiritual power, his cultivation visibly increased.

However, Shu Han found it odd because he felt that there were two different breaths of spiritual power in this Golden Core. These two distinctly different spiritual powers fought against each other, often making Shu Han feel uncomfortable all over. But whenever he asked about this, Shangguan Ruolin would avoid the topic and even directly threatened to kick him.

Shu Han thought everyone had their own secrets. Since Shangguan Ruolin didn't want to talk about it, Shu Han was tactful enough not to ask any more questions.

However, during these days, Shangguan Ruolin was always with him, and only then did Shu Han realize that Shangguan Ruolin's real condition wasn't as good as he imagined. She might seem full of energy, but Shu Han knew that the more clingy she was, the worse her current situation was. Being followed by Shangguan Ruolin all day, he didn't get a chance to use the black jar to replicate medicinal materials for pill refining.

The villagers joked that the pretty girl liked to stick to her brother. Shu Han retorted in his heart that she didn't like to stick to her brother; she just couldn't do without a human shield!

Since he couldn't refine pills quietly by himself, Shu Han felt bad about freeloading at Madam Song's house and volunteered to take over all the fieldwork.

Madam Song tried to decline several times, but she couldn't resist Shu Han's enthusiasm and let him take up the hoe and work in the field.

Madam Song originally thought that Shu Han, as a scholar from the city, wouldn't know how to do farm work and was just trying to find something to do. But she didn't know that Shu Han had been delivering food and water to his parents in the fields since he was very young, and he was very familiar with farm work.

Coupled with years of martial arts training and a sturdy physique from the Foundation Establishment stage, Shu Han was even faster than several oxen combined when he worked in the fields.

This stunned the women of Zhang Village, and his impressive performance immediately ignited the women's enthusiasm for finding a son-in-law. Those who came to propose marriage almost broke Madam Song's threshold. There was even a madam who brought her three-year-old daughter to Shu Han, boasting about how beautiful her daughter would be in the future, saying that she wanted to marry her daughter to Shu Han.

Whenever the eligible girls in the village caught sight of Shu Han while working outside, their faces would turn red with shyness.

Shu Han was dumbfounded. He was just farming, how did he become a hot commodity in the surrounding villages?!

The same situation happened with Shangguan Ruolin. This noble and aloof porcelain doll stunned all the boys and girls of Zhang Village as soon as she appeared.

Shangguan Ruolin didn't need to do anything. She just stood at the door and glanced coldly at the children, instantly becoming the de facto leader of the Zhang Village children.

As a result, sniffling children were lining up all day long, offering Shangguan Ruolin their treasured toys and snacks. Wherever Shangguan Ruolin went, a group of children would follow her from a distance. Her mysterious, noble, and cold aura left these children in awe.

Today, while Shu Han was loosening the soil in the field, Shangguan Ruolin was idly watching from the ridges. Madam Song's son was following her from a distance, clutching a bunch of small wild chrysanthemums, his little face full of hesitation.

Among all the children in Zhang Village, Madam Song's son liked Shangguan Ruolin the most.

Madam Song often scolded him, "My boy, Ruolin is a city girl and she's too beautiful. You can't hold onto her."

However, her son wouldn't listen and always watched Shangguan Ruolin from a distance, dreaming of holding her hand and playing with mud together.

Seeing Madam Song's son, Shu Han walked over with an idea in mind. He came to the boy's side. At this time, Shangguan Ruolin was still sitting on the ridge, not caring about what Shu Han was doing as long as he didn't leave her side.

Shu Han said to the boy, "Boy, Ruolin doesn't like picking flowers. If you want to impress her, you have to take her to see a sea of flowers! I think the one ahead is perfect! Then you have to tell her these..."

The boy, with his nose running, listened blankly to Shu Han's instruction.

Shu Han patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him, "Be braver! Invite her to play! Brother supports you!"

The boy nodded heavily.

Chapter 62. Returning to the Green Stone Gathering

Madam Song's son tiptoed over to Shangguan Ruolin, stammering out something, and Shangguan Ruolin got up and followed him away from the field.

Seeing Shangguan Ruolin leave, Shu Han seized the opportunity, leaping into the bushes at the edge of the field.

Immediately, he used all the magic power he had stored in his body and directly burst two medium-grade spirit stones.

Triple Rotation Avatar Technique!

Whoosh!

Shu Han divided his magic power into three, placing the storage bag containing the black jar on one of his avatars, and sending the avatar away from the village at the fastest speed into the dense Willow Mountain. He was short of talismans and medicinal pills and had to use the Avatar Technique to create talismans and medicinal pills.

The Triple Rotation Avatar Technique should not be used this way. The main problem was that this technique consumed too much magic power, even the triple magic power provided by the Mystical Dragon Triple Rotation Divine Art couldn't hold up for too long.

However, Shu Han had almost an unlimited supply of medium-grade spirit stones. His source of magic power was inexhaustible, completely capable of long-term division into three.

The main body practiced with the Golden Core fragments, one avatar alchemized pills, and one avatar made talismans. In addition, the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye potion needed to be prepared.

On the other hand, Shangguan Ruolin followed Madam Song's son. She didn't understand why she, the prestigious Sky Palace Sect's Jade Sky Palace master and a Golden Core mid-stage cultivator, began caring about a mortal boy's feelings and was easily persuaded to leave with him. She must be bored. Just see what this boy wants to show her.

Madam Song's son carefully cleared a path of sorghum for Shangguan Ruolin. A vast field of wild chrysanthemums was presented before Shangguan Ruolin.

Madam Song's son looked expectantly at Shangguan Ruolin's face and stuttered, "Sister Ruolin, this field of flowers... is as... pretty... as you..."

Suddenly, Shangguan Ruolin turned her head to look at him with indifference, scaring him to retreat a few steps. Gathering his courage, he continued to stutter out the words Shu Han had taught him.

However, being observed coldly by Shangguan Ruolin at such a close distance made the boy's voice become softer and softer. Ultimately, he couldn't withstand Shangguan Ruolin's powerful aura and started crying loudly.

Looking at the sobbing boy, Shangguan Ruolin felt both annoyed and amused. Helplessly, she patted the boy's head, said a few comforting words in a cold tone, and then turned and walked away.

On the way back, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Those words just now were definitely not something the boy could come up with. It must be that brat, Shu Han, who taught the boy to embarrass her.

Are you tired of living?

However, when she returned to the field in a huff, Shangguan Ruolin only saw the discarded hoe and no sign of Shu Han. Immediately, she felt a kind of unprecedented insecurity.

Could it be that the damned girl had come and taken the brat away because she didn't see her? Damn it, I told you not to leave my sight!

Before she had time to worry, Shangguan Ruolin saw Shu Han's head popping out from the wild field beside the farm. Seeing his silly smile, she became so angry that she rushed over, jumped up, and kicked him in the chest.

Shu Han: ...

"Where did you go? Didn't you hear me when I told you not to leave my sight?"

Shu Han crawled out from a field of purple wildflowers, holding a delicate flower hat woven from willow branches and wildflowers. He said to Shangguan Ruolin, who was full of anger, "Seeing that senior is so bored, I found something and made a flower hat for senior."

Looking at the delicate hat in Shu Han's hand, Shangguan Ruolin's anger subsided considerably.

"Stop leaving my sight for such trivial matters in the future!"

Shu Han gave a wry smile and walked over, "Understood, understood."

Shangguan Ruolin glanced at Shu Han, "Put the hat on me! If it doesn't look good, don't blame me for being heartless!"

...

Two weeks after Shangguan Ruolin assisted him in absorbing the Golden Core, Shu Han's injuries had mostly healed, and his cultivation had recovered to the early stage of the Foundation Establishment. He felt that he was not too far from his peak.

Thus, one of his avatars gave up making talismans. After bringing enough Clear Bright Spiritual Eye potion to his main body, he carried the Pursuing Sword and a big bag of medium-grade spirit stones, riding his sword to the Green Stone gathering that day.

He was still missing some auxiliary materials for cultivating the External Incarnation Technique and only had two magic treasures. If he could gather one more, the power of the Triple Rotation Avatar Technique would be elevated a level. He also had the "Silent Heartbreak Formation" in mind and hoped to dig up some sound-related magic treasures from the Green Stone gathering.

As for his own life magic treasure, Shu Han had no plans to refine it yet. After all, there was less than a year left before the Heavenly Creation Fluid was due to emerge. There was no way he could refine a life magic treasure within this year.

Moreover, as the life magic treasure was of great importance, and he had seen the huge backlash caused by the damage to a cultivator's life magic treasure, Shu Han didn't want to hastily settle for any simple materials.

Once he had fully recovered and prepared the materials for the external incarnation, Shu Han planned to leave Zhang Village with Shangguan Ruolin and join a major sect locally. He asked for directions along the way, finally pinpointing the location of Green Mountain Town that day. Although it wasn't very close, with his speed, he could make it there in a day. He returned to the Green Stone gathering and entered.

The Green Stone gathering was still as bustling as ever, with Qi Refining cultivators coming and going. Shu Han walked towards the Treasure Light Pavilion, receiving continuous respectful greetings from Qi Refining cultivators along the way. This made him sigh with emotion.

A few months ago, he was a newcomer, a Qi refining cultivator, who had been ambushed and targeted here. He had also found his life-saving magic tool here. A few months later, he had transformed into a Foundation Establishment cultivator, revered by all.

Previously, Shu Han had to be very careful, hiding his talent. Now, he could walk on the street without anyone daring to covet him. This was the status that came with an increase in power.

Shu Han arrived at the Treasure Light Pavilion majestically. The manager of the Treasure Light Pavilion's main hall was an old man who quickly bowed and said, "Senior's presence truly brings glory to our Treasure Light Pavilion. Please feel free to command this junior for any requirements."

"Take me to Cui Xiangming."

Shu Han was straightforward. This man didn't have the qualification to serve him. Thus, the manager led him to the secret room on the second floor, just as he had done that day, and invited Cui Xiangming in.

"I wonder which friend is visiting our Treasure Light Pavilion, I am Cui Xiangming, at your service!"

However, just as Cui Xiangming finished speaking, he froze: "It's you! You've broken through to the Foundation Establishment period!"

Shu Han smiled and bowed his hands, "Long time no see, Senior Cui."

Cui Xiangming's eyes were half filled with surprise, and then he laughed, "Senior? I dare not accept. We are now peers, please do not humble yourself."

Shu Han was also not polite. In the cultivation world, one's strength determines their status. He said, "A few months ago, I asked you to collect some spiritual medicines for me, did you find them?"

"The Blood Sea Ginseng and Evil Light Flower have been collected as per your request and will be handed over to you shortly."

Shu Han waved his hand and said, "There's no hurry. This time, there are a few more things I would like to ask for your help."

Chapter 63. Sudden Change

Hearing Shu Han's words, Cui Xiangming couldn't help but feel excited. He had seen Shu Han's big spending before. A few months ago, when he was still in the Qi refining period, he displayed a wealth no less than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Now, a few months later, he had miraculously advanced to the Foundation Establishment period. Such a fast pace could only mean this person had a powerful backing.

A powerful backing meant a lot of money!

Maybe if he treated this distinguished guest well, his contributions could equal the revenue of the Treasure Light Pavilion over several years.

Cui Xiangming quickly said, "Whatever you need, please feel free to ask! Our Treasure Light Pavilion is a branch of the Golden Silkworm Association, backed by its continuous support. Whatever materials you need, I can find them for you."

The Golden Silkworm Association?

Shu Han wanted to ask about the background of the Golden Silkworm Association, but he thought it was better not to.

Now he was posing as a disciple from a major sect, and from Cui Xiangming's tone, the Golden Silkworm Association should be very famous in the north of Great Cloud. If he didn't know about it, wouldn't it make people doubt his background and identity? So Shu Han said, "That's great. Here is a list, please have a look."

The long list of materials made Cui Xiangming frown.

This list contained the auxiliary materials for the Silent Heartbreak Formation, Stellar Wish Formation, and the External Incarnation Technique. Moreover, Shu Han had scrambled the order, so others absolutely couldn't tell what he wanted to refine.

Cui Xiangming finished reading and his face was a bit awkward. He said, "Many things on this list are very rare. Our Treasure Light Pavilion can probably provide less than one-third of them. For the rest, I can personally make a trip to the Golden Silkworm Association for you, but... it may require a huge amount of spirit stones..."

Shu Han nodded, "Then I will have to trouble you, Cui. Please quote a price for the available materials, and see if the spirit stones I brought today are enough."

Cui Xiangming's fingers moved quickly, rapidly calculating the value of these materials in his mind. Seeing Shu Han's calm demeanor, he sensed that this business was only an appetizer. The real deal was the materials that followed. He definitely couldn't quote a high price and scare this valuable guest away.

So, with a bit of hesitation in his tone, he said, "How about charging you 14,000 low-grade spirit stones?"

"Fourteen thousand, huh..." Cui Xiangming was hesitant, and Shu Han also began to hesitate.

Cui Xiangming gritted his teeth, "Thirteen thousand is also fine, my friend. This is our cost price. Since we are fated to meet, I won't make a profit off your spirit stones."

Fated again! Walking around the Green Stone gathering, it seemed like everyone on the street was fated to meet him!

But looking at Cui Xiangming, Shu Han knew he was waiting for the big business that would follow, so he must not have inflated the price. So he said, "Fine! But this time I don't have that many low-grade spirit stones. How about I give you sixty-five middle-grade spirit stones?"

"Deal!"

Cui Xiangming confirmed immediately. The market price of middle-grade spirit stones was one to two hundred, and their liquidity was higher.

Cui Xiangming hurried to pour tea for Shu Han. At this moment, the hall manager from downstairs rushed up in a panic. Seeing this, Cui Xiangming scolded angrily, "What's the rush? Can't you see that I'm entertaining a guest? Get out!"

However, the manager shakily held out a golden silk scroll. As soon as Cui Xiangming saw it, his angry expression changed instantly. He snatched the scroll, and quickly opened it to look. Shu Han cast a glance and saw four big words written on the back of the scroll: "Golden Silkworm Urgent Order!"

Then he noticed that the more Cui Xiangming read, the deeper his frown became. He even sneaked a glance at Shu Han at an almost imperceptible speed.

Shu Han immediately had a bad feeling.

Next, Cui Xiangming rolled up the scroll and laughed loudly, "My friend, you are truly lucky. The Golden Silkworm Association is holding a grand gathering in Tiana City not far away. Why don't you stay a couple more days and accompany me to Tiana City? I'm sure I can gather all the materials for you in the fastest time, and the prices at the gathering will be the most favorable."

Shu Han smiled and said, "That won't be necessary. I'm not in a hurry, and I'm not convenient to travel far at the moment. Please just hand over the available materials to me, and we'll talk about the rest later. Here are sixty-five spirit stones, please accept them."

A big bag of spirit stones immediately landed on the table.

Cui Xiangming paused for a moment, then walked over with a smile, picking up the spirit stones on the table, but he accidentally knocked over the teacup. Seeing this, Cui Xiangming turned around and scolded the manager, "What are you standing there for? Go and brew another pot of tea!"

The manager jolted and quickly ran downstairs.

Cui Xiangming apologized with a smile, "I'm sorry, my manager has limited experience and has never seen so many spirit stones, so he was startled."

Shu Han looked at the broken teapot on the ground without a change in expression, and said faintly, "You'd better hand over the materials to me quickly."

"Understood!"

Cui Xiangming took out a jade pendant and pressed it against the wall of the secret room. Immediately, the wall reflected a pattern of spiritual light, and then the wall automatically opened to reveal a secret room. The narrow secret room only had one storage bag with golden threads embedded.

Cui Xiangming pointed at the storage bag, then passed over an empty one. Suddenly, various items were transferred from the gold-threaded storage bag. Finally, he closed the secret room, put away the jade pendant, and handed the storage bag to Shu Han.

"All the materials you need are here. Please check."

Shu Han nodded, and his consciousness sank into the storage bag. Everything was exactly right.

Cui Xiangming smiled and said, "You have spent a lot of money at our Treasure Light Pavilion repeatedly. Let our Treasure Light Pavilion host a banquet for you today as a token of our gratitude, how about it?"

Shu Han smiled and shook his head, "I have important matters to attend to, so I won't stay longer. Take care!"

Without waiting for Cui Xiangming to say anything further, he immediately went downstairs and left the Treasure Light Pavilion.

As soon as he left the Pavilion, Shu Han began to check the storage bag given to him by Cui Xiangming and the other items in it. His spiritual consciousness swept over each item, and there was no sign of tampering with any of the materials. However, he couldn't help but look back at the Treasure Light Pavilion, a sense of danger still rising in his heart. He had keenly felt that after Cui Xiangming had read the Golden Silkworm's secret order, his gaze on him had changed.

Although Cui Xiangming tried his best to conceal it, he still let Shu Han catch a glimpse of something. He didn't know what it was exactly, but he was sure it was not beneficial to him! So he hurriedly left the Green Stone gathering, shrouded himself in dark claws and black energy, and flew around like a headless fly.

After a long detour, Shu Han felt that no one was following him, and he felt slightly relieved and headed for Willow Mountain. However, as he flew over a forest, a sudden solemn and killing sound of a zither entered his ears.

The sound of the zither was continuous, starting off as faint filaments, then suddenly fluctuating, and then stirring up a great wave, like a thunderous boom in his ears.

It was an ambush!

Shu Han immediately concentrated his attention on the chords of the zither below. But suddenly, two heavy drums sounded above his head, like two heavy fists smashing onto his back.

Thump!

His internal energy started to go into chaos. Shu Han staggered in the air and looked up.

Under the bright sunshine, he saw a shadow holding a drumstick. Immediately following that, the sound of the zither below sprung up.