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Chapter 198: Scheming for Core Formation

A palm, coursing with crystalline energy, slammed against the wall, causing the restriction—capable of withstanding multiple attacks from a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—to flicker violently before shattering.

On the wall, made of second-rank ore, a deep handprint remained, about an inch deep.

Lan Chang\'an’s eyes blazed like torches, his aura so powerful it could rival that of a Fake Dan cultivator.

Once the glow of the restriction stabilized, he threw a punch into the air, and several zhang away, a cloud-like explosion of energy erupted.

Squeak!

In the corner, the Earth Burrowing Rat trembled, too scared to meet its master’s gaze.

Lan Chang\'an quickly reined in the surging blood and qi of his powerful body, dismissing the idea of testing his strength on the Earth Burrowing Rat.

"The seventh layer of the Cloud Sand Body Refinement Manual...this body refining manual has finally been cultivated to the highest level!"

Lan Chang\'an couldn’t hide the joy in his heart.

Having quasi-third-rank body refinement was exceedingly rare in the entire Liang Kingdom.

Even He Yuanwu in his heyday hadn’t reached this level.

Lan Chang\'an’s combat strength had undergone a qualitative leap!

While he was not a pure ancient body cultivator, his strength wasn’t far behind a fully-formed Fake Dan cultivator.

Especially in terms of self-defense, his capabilities had increased significantly.

Barring the use of talismanic treasures and other hidden trump cards, even a Fake Dan cultivator posed little threat to him now.

"If I advance to the late-stage Foundation Establishment and combine it with my body refinement manual, I could easily dominate within the Liang Kingdom, and have the freedom to venture almost anywhere in the world."

After a brief moment of pride, Lan Chang\'an’s mood became calm and focused once more.

Aware of how vast the heaven and earth were, he understood his own insignificance even more profoundly.

Especially after gaining fragmented memories about the Central State’s cultivation world from the Hundred Abodes Soul Gu.

"In the next few years, I just need to continue cultivating step by step until I reach the late-stage Foundation Establishment."

Lan Chang\'an set his goal.

Additionally, his puppet-crafting skills had reached the peak of the second rank two years ago.

In the years to come, he could start exploring higher levels of the craft.

Becoming a third-rank puppet master was unrealistic anytime soon. However, crafting a quasi-third-rank puppet while at the late-stage Foundation Establishment wasn’t out of reach.

The rewards he had received from Huanglong Immortal, after treating Fu Xuemei, included a third-rank puppet-crafting inheritance.

This would save him a lot of trouble.

...

"Master, Fairy Shi has returned."

A few days later, after leaving seclusion, Lan Chang\'an’s maid Lan Rou promptly came to report.

Shi Manrong had recently gone to the Flame Departing Palace to attend the wedding of Song Wenshu and Shen Bixin.

The Flame Departing Palace boasted a Nascent Soul True Monarch, late-stage Core Formation great cultivators, and even a Golden-Dan Immortal.

Lan Chang\'an didn\'t want to be there in person and found an excuse to excuse himself, instead sending Shi Manrong with a lavish gift in his place.

"Go to Xiao Pan Peak and invite Fairy Shi to come to my residence for a chat."

Lan Chang\'an instructed.

Moments later, Lan Rou returned from Xiao Pan Peak, her expression hesitant.

"Master, Fairy Shi said the journey was long, and she’s feeling tired. She isn’t in the mood to visit these next few days."

"Hmm, we’ll arrange it for another day then."

Lan Chang\'an mused, sensing a growing distance between them.

In the past, when Lan Chang\'an invited her, Shi Manrong rarely refused.

Since Lan Chang\'an had started pretending to be romantically involved with Zhou Qingxuan, their relationship had subtly changed, growing more distant.

Of course, their overall friendship remained intact, but it was no longer as close or candid as before.

This didn’t bother Lan Chang\'an too much.

Relationships born from fleeting passions were never destined to last.

In this world, how many immortal couples could truly stay committed and unchanging throughout their lives?

...

A few days later.

Lan Chang\'an personally visited Xiao Pan Peak.

This time, Shi Manrong did not refuse his visit.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, you\'re usually so busy. What brings you to my humble abode today?"

Shi Manrong, dressed in a simple yet elegant moon-colored gown, had her hair neatly tied in a bun. She greeted him warmly, her voice soft and her smile gentle.

"You flatter me, Fairy Shi."

Lan Chang\'an maintained a composed demeanor and followed her into the cave residence on Xiao Pan Peak.

Shi Manrong maintained her poise and grace, personally brewing a pot of spiritual tea for Lan Chang\'an.

Lan Chang\'an’s visit wasn’t without purpose, and after some small talk, the conversation eventually shifted to the recent wedding of Song Wenshu and Shen Bixin.

"Fellow Daoist Song and Miss Shen’s wedding at the Flame Departing Palace was grand and festive, with many distinguished guests attending. Over ten immortals were present."

"The couple was deeply grateful for the gift Fellow Daoist Lan sent, and asked me to pass along their thanks."

"Oh, and Jiang Yechen also attended the wedding. He got so drunk he was barely standing."

"Jiang Yechen?"

Lan Chang\'an raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

Jiang Yechen dared to come to the wedding, his guts were not small.

But as long as he didn’t cause trouble, the Flame Departing Palace likely wouldn’t take action against him.

After all, Jiang Yechen had once been in love with Shen Bixin, and Song Wenshu was, technically, the third party who came later.

If something happened to Jiang Yechen after the wedding, Song Wenshu would be the prime suspect.

"Hmm, I spoke with Fellow Daoist Jiang. Given his past temperament, it was surprising to see him so restrained at the wedding."

Shi Manrong recalled Jiang Yechen’s pale face, his eyes bloodshot.

"Fairy Shi, during your time at the Flame Departing Palace, did you hear any news about the war in Feng Kingdom?"

Lan Chang\'an shifted the conversation to a topic of concern.

More than a year ago, the Liang Kingdom sects had begun withdrawing their forces from Feng Kingdom.

Those who hadn’t returned by now were most likely never coming back.

"There’s been a temporary ceasefire on the Feng Kingdom battlefield."

Shi Manrong shared the information she had gathered.

"According to some rumors, Feng Kingdom, Yan Kingdom, and Chen Kingdom have sent representatives to begin peace negotiations."

"Peace negotiations?"

Lan Chang\'an was taken aback.

The war in Feng Kingdom had raged for over twenty years without a clear victor.

Feng Kingdom, as the strongest of the neighboring cultivation nations, had a long history and incredible resilience.

It had three Nascent Soul-level sects.

Had it not been for the rise of a peerless genius like Chu Tianfeng in Yan Kingdom, who allied with Chen Kingdom to launch a surprise attack early on, the resistance would have been far greater.

Lan Chang\'an’s surprise was more out of admiration for Tian Zhi Pavilion’s foresight.

Three years ago, Tian Zhi Pavilion had already predicted this potential outcome, mentioning that there might be a turn of events in the future, and that peace talks were not out of the question.

Tian Zhi Pavilion had also speculated that, in the distant future, the Liang Kingdom itself might face war.

This was tied to the eastward expansion of the Six Sect of the Devil\'s Path.

The news brought back by Shi Manrong allowed Lan Chang\'an to have a clearer plan for the future.

...

Confirming the developments on the neighboring battlefield was only one reason for Lan Chang\'an’s visit.

"So, Fairy Shi, have you made a decision regarding that matter?"

Lan Chang\'an suddenly turned to voice transmission.

Shi Manrong understood the hint and immediately set up a soundproof barrier around them.

"I’ve nearly reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. In about two years, I’ll have the chance to break through to the Core Formation Realm. To grasp that opportunity, we’ll need to explore that ancient ruin within the next few years."

Shi Manrong shared her decision.

"However, the key memories about the ancient ruins still haven’t resurfaced. All I’ve managed to do is pinpoint a large area in the Black Fog Mountain Range."

"And has Jiang Yechen agreed to help restore your memories?"

"No, we couldn’t reach an agreement."

Shi Manrong shook her head and sighed softly.

"Restoring my memories would drain the spiritual essence of an important treasure Jiang Yechen possesses."

"Back then, I couldn’t successfully reconcile Fellow Daoist Jiang and Miss Shen. Because of that, he’s unwilling to help for free, and the price he’s asking for is quite steep."

"Oh? What does Jiang Yechen want?"

Lan Chang\'an’s curiosity was piqued.

"He’s asking for one of the main ingredients for Core Formation, or two rare auxiliary herbs. Alternatively, a high-quality Core Formation spiritual item would also suffice."

Shi Manrong’s lips pursed, and a faint frown appeared on her delicate face.

"Core Formation items?"

Lan Chang\'an chuckled, "Perhaps Fellow Daoist Jiang is still upset about the past and feels that you, as the \'matchmaker,\' didn’t do your job well enough."

"Stop making fun of me! Fellow Daoist Lan, give me some advice."

Shi Manrong rolled her eyes at him, her tone half-exasperated.

"It seems to me that Jiang Yechen is only asking for such a high price because he doesn’t want to drain the spiritual essence of his treasure. He has no intention of making a deal."

Lan Chang\'an speculated.

"We have two options."

"First, we can pay the exorbitant price and purchase the materials Fellow Daoist Jiang needs, or find another way to persuade him."

Shi Manrong remained expressionless.

Lan Chang\'an smiled, knowing full well that at this stage, no one would willingly give up materials needed for Core Formation.

"Second, we could take it by force, killing him and seizing the treasure."

Lan Chang\'an spoke in a calm tone.

Shi Manrong’s eyes flashed with surprise as she looked at him, but she remained silent.

Lan Chang\'an suspected that she might have already considered this.

When the opportunity for Core Formation arose, even a righteous cultivator with a century of good deeds might be willing to break their moral boundaries.

Forming a True Dan would grant one the status of a high-level cultivator, with a lifespan of five or six hundred years.

For any Foundation Establishment cultivator, this was an irresistible temptation.

"I have a sense of unease about taking action against Fellow Daoist Jiang."

After a long pause, Shi Manrong sighed deeply.

"In recent years, Fellow Daoist Jiang has gained quite a reputation, even killing a late-stage Foundation Establishment evil cultivator who was wanted by the sects head-on. That evil cultivator wasn’t much weaker than the Night Fisherman."

"Jiang Yechen is growing so quickly?"

Lan Chang\'an pondered this new information.

"Secondly, even if we were to seize the treasure, I’m not sure it would work for me. Restoring my memories might require a special method or a unique bond with the treasure."

Shi Manrong shared her concerns.

"You’re right to be cautious."

Lan Chang\'an acknowledged her reasoning. Certain special treasures could be bound to a specific individual or require unique techniques to use.

There was also the possibility that if Jiang Yechen were cornered, he might destroy the treasure before he died, preventing anyone else from benefiting.

"Let’s do this, you continue trying to persuade Fellow Daoist Jiang. Whether we act or not can wait until after I’ve broken through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment."

Lan Chang\'an suggested.

Shi Manrong nodded in agreement.

She had not yet reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. With more preparation, her chances of success, whether dealing with Jiang Yechen or exploring the ancient ruin, would improve.

After their serious discussion, Lan Chang\'an suddenly chuckled.

"Why are you laughing, Fellow Daoist Lan?"

"Ahem! I just realized that our ‘scheming’ earlier was rather amusing."

Lan Chang\'an realized he had let his guard down.

The scene from earlier had felt like two scheming villains plotting the downfall of the true protagonist.

From his experience before transmigrating, this kind of plot would fail nine out of ten, often resulting in more harm than good.

Shi Manrong thought for a moment, and as a certain phrase came to mind, her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, please behave. Our relationship isn’t what it used to be. Don’t tarnish my reputation."

She huffed in mock anger, lightly scolding him as she escorted him out of her cave.

...

Three months later.

At the lotus-scented pool on Little Turtle Peak.

After finishing his daily cultivation routine, Lan Chang\'an lay on the back of his massive Profound Water Turtle.

Squeak!

The Earth Burrowing Rat scurried across the water, delivering a letter to Lan Chang\'an’s hand.

Thanks to the Zhou Family’s beast pills and resources over the past two years, the Earth Burrowing Rat had been cultivating at a significantly faster pace.

Even the Profound Water Turtle had benefited somewhat.

However, the Profound Water Turtle shared a similar trait with Lan Chang\'an in its cultivation: it progressed slowly.

With a steady supply of resources, the turtle’s cultivation would gradually increase.

But if overloaded with too many resources at once, the effects would diminish, and it would lose efficiency.

In terms of age limits, the Profound Water Turtle only fared slightly better than Lan Chang\'an.

If he were willing to spend ten or even a hundred times more resources, the turtle could accelerate its growth.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao’s efforts to gather Core Formation materials aren’t going well..."

Lan Chang\'an murmured as he read through the letter.

The letter from Zhao Siyao didn’t explicitly ask for help but subtly conveyed her struggles.

Over the years, Zhao Siyao and Zhang Tieshan, having returned from the battlefield, had been preparing for Core Formation.

The two had earned great merits on the battlefield and had even worked together to slay a Fake Dan cultivator.

However, Zhao Siyao’s achievements in the war paled in comparison to Zhang Tieshan’s.

Zhang Tieshan had been part of the first batch sent to the battlefield and had accumulated considerable merit, with rewards far surpassing Zhao Siyao’s.

Even before going to the battlefield, Lan Chang\'an knew that Zhang Tieshan was already well-off.

Coupled with his stellar performance during the war and the favor he had gained from senior elders, Zhang Tieshan had managed to secure a Crystal Condensation Pill from Jin Yun Valley. His Core Formation was almost guaranteed.

Zhao Siyao, on the other hand, fell short in terms of reputation, strength, and merit.

Despite reaching the peak of the late-stage Foundation Establishment, Zhao Siyao was unlikely to receive a Crystal Condensation Pill from her sect within the next ten years, let alone the other spiritual items needed for Core Formation.

At the age of 130, every passing year would slightly lower her chances of success in Core Formation.

After 150, the chances would drop drastically.

...

"A century of cultivation to reach this point—just having the qualifications to attempt Core Formation puts her ahead of 99% of cultivators."

Lan Chang\'an’s gaze deepened as he reflected on the passage of time.

Old acquaintances like Lin Yi, Li Erqing, Mu Xiuyun, and Mu Maode had all fallen behind.

Some had died or passed away. Others had stagnated, losing their potential.

To outsiders, Lan Chang\'an, who had yet to reach the late-stage Foundation Establishment at his age, seemed to have no hope of forming a Core.

Compared to Zhao Siyao or Zhang Tieshan, he was decades behind in cultivation progress.

However, no one knew that Lan Chang\'an had already secured a near-certain path to Core Formation in this life.

His goal now was to ensure the highest possible quality of the Core to maximize his chances of forming a Nascent Soul.

After a while, Lan Chang\'an snapped back to reality.

He gestured for the Earth Burrowing Rat to bring over writing materials, which it did, scampering across the back of the Profound Water Turtle.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, every cultivator who reaches this point has faced countless hardships. None of us have had it easy."

"Three parts depend on the person, seven parts depend on Heaven\'s destiny. When it comes to Core Formation, there’s only so much I can do to help."

With that, Lan Chang\'an finished writing a reply letter.