“So it’s Fellow Daoist Guo—please, come in!”
Li An greeted her warmly and invited Guo Xiaoxiao inside.
“I heard that Fellow Daoist Wei is a Formation Master?”
Guo Xiaoxiao went straight to the point. “To be honest, I came to ask a favor. I’d like to purchase a high-grade formation.”
“Of course,” Li An replied. “May I ask what kind you’re looking for?”
Guo Xiaoxiao described her needs in detail. Li An gave it some thought—it was a bit complicated, but still within his capabilities.
“Very well. However, I’m not yet very proficient in crafting high-grade formations, so I’ll need some time. How about in a month?”
“Agreed. Here’s a deposit.”
She handed him one hundred spirit stones.
After they finalized the deal and exchanged a few more casual words, Guo Xiaoxiao took her leave.
Once she left—
“A Demon Sect member?”
Li An’s eyes turned cold.
Ever since the Clear Sun Sect had been destroyed, the Yin-Yang Demon Sect had vanished without a trace. No one knew where they’d gone.
And now, he had run into one of them in White Tiger City?
A wave of unease surged in his chest.
According to what he had learned from others, Guo Xiaoxiao apparently had powerful backing in White Tiger City.
Her patron might very well be someone from White Tiger Mountain.
Could her backer also be a Demon Sect member?
The Clear Sun Sect had fallen precisely because of traitors from within.
Was White Tiger City their next target?
It was just speculation for now. Li An kept alert but didn’t panic.
The Yin-Yang Demon Sect had once run rampant. For a time, their Yin-Yang Demonic Furnace Art was even widely spread. Just the appearance of one demonic cultivator didn’t mean much.
If he had to flee every time he sensed a Demon Cultivator, he might as well give up cultivating altogether—there were Demon Cultivators in nearly every corner of the Great Dawn Dynasty.
Still, he needed to keep a close watch on Guo Xiaoxiao. Perhaps he could learn something useful from her.
After she left, Li An took out a First-Rank alchemy furnace and some spiritual herbs.
The furnace had come from the storage pouch of the very first Demon Cultivator he’d killed.
Since he had already sought instruction from Luo Yong, he needed to maintain the appearance of effort.
As for truly diving into alchemy? Li An had no such intention.
His talent and energy were already stretched thin between formations and talismans.
Taking on alchemy or artifact refining as well would only hinder his growth.
A month and a half later, Li An delivered the high-grade formation to Guo Xiaoxiao.
“My capabilities are limited, so the formation took longer than expected, and there are quite a few flaws. Please inspect it, and if you’re dissatisfied, I’ll refund your deposit in full.”
He had deliberately extended the crafting time and ensured the quality appeared just passable—making it seem like he had strained his abilities.
When dealing with Demon Cultivators, one had to stay cautious. It was imperative not to reveal one’s true strength.
Guo Xiaoxiao merely smiled. “You’re too modest, Fellow Daoist Wei. The formation is fine—I’ll pay the full price.”
She took out eight hundred spirit stones.
“Thank you, Fellow Daoist! If you need anything in the future, just say the word.”
Li An took his leave.
After he was gone—
“His level is mediocre—not usable at all...”
Guo Xiaoxiao toyed with the formation in her hand, then casually set it aside.
It was indeed very rough. Though it functioned, the details revealed how forced its refinement had been.
“Forget it. I’ll look for someone more suitable.”
…
In a flash, four years passed.
After four years, Li An finally reached the peak of Qi Refining!
That year, he turned eighty-one.
It had taken him only five years to progress from the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining to its peak—thanks in large part to the breakthrough in his spiritual root and the enhancement in the surrounding spiritual energy.
Three years ago, when Xu Qiuhui officially became Master White Tiger’s seventeenth disciple, the spiritual energy in Li An’s area had indeed surged dramatically, saving him considerable effort.
Over the past four years, Li An had grown much closer to Luo Yong.
One day, under Luo Yong’s guidance, Li An successfully refined a batch of First-Rank Spirit Qi Pills.
“Congratulations, Brother Wei…”
“Thank you for your guidance, Brother Luo.”
Li An was truly excited.
“Brother Wei, you’ve already made solid progress in alchemy.”
“Do you have any more of that legacy? If so, let’s study it together. It might help you improve faster.”
Luo Yong asked with a smile.
“To be honest, I do have some more…”
Li An pulled out another portion.
Luo Yong’s eyes lit up as he eagerly took the pages.
But after reading, he sighed inwardly. This rascal had only brought a portion again!
“Brother Luo, I actually need a favor…”
“Speak freely!” Luo Yong replied immediately.
“I want to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.”
Li An finally voiced his true intent.
After years of subtle probing, he now had confidence in Luo Yong and dared to reveal his aim.
So that was it…
Luo Yong instantly understood.
“But Brother Wei, your cultivation is only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining…” he said, frowning slightly.
“To tell the truth,” Li An replied, “I have a friend who needs the pills. If I can find a suitable alchemist for him, I might receive one pill in return.”
Luo Yong studied him for a moment.
Whether or not Li An was telling the truth didn’t matter.
What mattered was this was a trade.
If he helped persuade his master Zhang Deyi to take the commission, he could get more of that alchemy legacy.
“I’ll ask on your behalf. But my master is very busy… There’s no guarantee.”
In truth, Luo Yong was quite confident he could convince his master.
After all, a Second-Rank alchemy legacy was tempting even for Zhang Deyi. And Foundation Establishment Pills were always expensive—there was no reason to refuse.
“Thank you, Brother Luo!”
Over the following days, Li An continued to send Luo Yong portions of parchment and periodically checked on the status. Luo Yong told him that Zhang Deyi would likely have time in about three months.
Li An wasn’t in a hurry. He waited patiently.
…
One day, while out buying medicinal herbs, he also picked up some light spiritual food and went to visit Manman.
He had been maintaining this relationship carefully, helping her out with small favors here and there. As a result, they had grown much closer, and Manman had come to trust him deeply.
“Brother, I’ve got the information you wanted. There’s an auction in half a month—there might be something you need.”
Manman leaned in and whispered.
Li An’s eyes lit up.
He had once casually mentioned wanting to buy some Foundation Establishment-grade herbs while he still had the funds.
That was normal—every late-stage Qi Refining cultivator prepared for Foundation Establishment.
“Oh, and…”
Manman added, “I overheard the shopkeeper saying that materials and pills that nourish the soul have been selling really well lately. Someone’s buying them in bulk… This auction will probably have Purple Soul Grass, but I wouldn’t recommend bidding.”
She gave a soft warning.
Li An’s mind immediately sharpened.
If a powerful figure was gathering soul-nourishing items, then if he bought the Purple Soul Grass, he might not be able to hold onto it.
That was the benefit of being on good terms with Manman!
Sometimes, a single sentence could save a world of trouble.
By now, Li An had figured out the source of her intel—the manager of Safe Haven, Yang Wei.
Yang Wei had ties to White Tiger Mountain and was well-connected. Manman, it seemed, was his bedmate.
She never mentioned this, and Li An didn’t ask.
After all, for a young girl with no special skills and low cultivation, surviving in White Tiger City wasn’t easy.
If not for Yang Wei, she would’ve likely ended up in a First-Rank district’s slums, scraping by.
“Thanks, Little Sister Man.”
Li An took out a pill. “This is the first one I ever made—a First-Rank Spirit Qi Pill. The quality’s not great, and it was a tough process… But I want you to have it.”
“When I truly become an alchemist, I’ll make you a Beauty-Nourishing Pill.”
This pill was his only successful batch in the last two weeks.
Not worth much.
But Manman was still deeply touched. “Brother, you’re so good to me.”
“All right, I’ll get going—don’t let me hold you up.”
As he turned to leave, Li An caught sight of a middle-aged man stepping out of the back room and walked away immediately.
“Manman, that’s the Wei Ming you mentioned?”
The middle-aged man walked over. “What did he give you?”
Manman opened her hand. “Just a single Spirit Qi Pill. He seems to be learning alchemy.”
Yang Wei examined the pill and chuckled. With skills like that, the guy probably wouldn’t become an alchemist in this lifetime.
But he didn’t say much. When Manman had first mentioned her “brother,” Yang Wei had paid attention, worried she might be having an affair.
But after observing them, he realized they kept a respectable distance, and Li An was sensible—so he let it go.
…
Back in his residence—
Li An checked his resources again. He still had over twelve thousand spirit stones—enough for the auction.
However, Manman’s warning had made him slightly uneasy.
If a powerful figure was truly hunting down soul-nourishing treasures, and since Purple Soul Grass was a key herb for Foundation Establishment Pills, then having Zhang Deyi refine pills for him might stir up trouble.
Just as he was thinking about it—
A loud knock sounded on the door.
“Fellow Daoist Wei, open up! It’s done!”
Li An opened the door. Luo Yong stepped in, beaming with joy. “My master has agreed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pills for you!”
…
(End of Chapter)