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In midair, Lan Chang\'an bowed deeply, exuding humility and sincerity.

Hearing this, Xie Wuji\'s chest heaved with frustration, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lan Chang\'an had formed a True Dan, and it turned out to be thanks to him?

Xie Wuji\'s face darkened slightly, and in the blink of an eye, he pieced together the sequence of events.

"Lan Chang\'an must have had the opportunity to form a Core—perhaps something like a Crystal Condensation Pill. Though he’s older, his cultivation is steady, and his life-nurturing technique has kept his body in excellent condition. With his solid foundation, he already had a fair chance of forming a Fake Dan, but lacked the final push..."

"And the Core Formation item I provided was precisely the boost he needed to go from a Fake Dan to a True Dan!"

"I’ve helped this ingrate ascend to glory! Infuriating!"

As this realization struck him, Xie Wuji’s anger surged, nearly causing internal injuries.

Yet under the watchful eyes of the crowd, with Lan Chang\'an being so courteous and humble, he could not lose his temper.

Even more crucially, Lan Chang\'an was now a True Dan cultivator, meaning they stood on equal footing in terms of cultivation realm.

Suppressing his resentment, Xie Wuji slowed his flight and approached Lan Chang\'an, feigning a composed and indifferent demeanor.

"Not bad, Lan Chang\'an!"

"You’ve truly lived up to the Xie Family\'s investment in you."

At this point, Xie Wuji could only go along with it, reluctant as he was to admit it.

Indeed, he had given Lan Chang\'an the Core Formation item.

Per the spiritual contract they had signed: the Xie Family would provide Lan Chang\'an with Core Formation resources, and in return, he would persuade Xia Wenyue within seven years.

Hearing Xie Wuji’s words, Patriarch Xia’s expression subtly changed.

No matter how strong Lan Chang\'an’s foundation or talent was, without external aid or a fortuitous opportunity, forming a True Dan would have been nearly impossible.

Lan Chang\'an inwardly noted how quickly Xie Wuji had adapted, clearly intending to sow discord between him and the Xia Family.

"Xie Immortal, what brings you here in such haste?" Lan Chang\'an asked with a faint smile.

What brings me here? Do you really not know?!

Xie Wuji maintained a neutral expression and said coldly, "Upon hearing that you were forming your core, I grew concerned and came to offer my protection. After all, forming a Core at your advanced age is quite risky."

"Xie Immortal, your concern is truly appreciated."

Lan Chang\'an replied seriously, "Though, in truth, such an item was all that was needed..."

Xie Wuji’s face froze, falling into a moment of silence.

"Lan Chang\'an! Do not mention that item again!"

Xie Wuji transmitted his voice privately to Lan Chang\'an, his dissatisfaction evident.

"Later, meet me outside Cloudsmoke Immortal City. You must give me an explanation regarding the terms of our third-rank spiritual contract!"

After delivering his message via voice transmission, Xie Wuji exchanged a few polite words before parting ways with Lan Chang\'an.

...

Lan Chang\'an and his companions left the Fenglin Mountain cave residences.

After bidding farewell to Hanyu Immortal, Lan Chang\'an and Patriarch Xia flew toward the outer city.

"Immortal Lan, about your dealings with the Xie Family..." Patriarch Xia hesitated for a long moment before finally broaching the subject.

"Patriarch Xia, the spiritual contract I signed with the Xie Family was merely a temporary measure. Now that I’ve formed a True Dan, there’s no need to be overly concerned," Lan Chang\'an replied calmly. Ɽ

Xia Hongyu nodded. Lan Chang\'an had mentioned the contract to him before when he was still at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment stage, this seemed to be the reason why he was so eager to break through to the Core Formation Realm.

"But you accepted the Core Formation item. If you don’t fulfill the Xie Family’s demands, wouldn’t that be considered deceit..." Patriarch Xia trailed off, a cold sweat forming as he considered the potential consequences.

The Xie Family of Chen Kingdom was a powerful clan with a Nascent Soul ancestor. They had turned the Heavenly Net Sect into a family sect and dominated the Chen Kingdom’s cultivation world.

Lan Chang\'an seemed unfazed. "It was Xie Immortal who voluntarily gifted me the spiritual item. How could that be considered deceit?"

Patriarch Xia opened his mouth, now viewing Lan Chang\'an in a completely new light.

"Besides, back then, if I hadn’t agreed, Xie Immortal might have threatened my life," Lan Chang\'an added matter-of-factly.

"That’s true." Patriarch Xia nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Immortal Lan, your upright character is truly admirable. I was overthinking it..."

...

Outside Cloudsmoke Immortal City, dozens of li away on a hilltop.

The figures of Xie Wuji and Lan Chang\'an appeared one after another.

"Lan Chang\'an, you must explain yourself today! According to our agreement, you were to persuade Xia Wenyue within seven years. Have you even visited the Proud Moon Palace?" Xie Wuji demanded, his expression dark and grim.

"There’s still time left in the seven years, isn’t there?"

The spiritual contract between Lan Chang\'an and Xie Wuji stipulated that Lan Chang\'an must complete his task within seven years. Failing to do so would violate the spirit contract, and suffer a backlash.

Even if there was only one day left, it wouldn’t count as a breach.

At the time, Xie Wuji had wanted to set harsher terms for the contract, but Lan Chang\'an had firmly resisted, even willing to risk death rather than agree to a shorter timeframe.

After all, Lan Chang\'an was someone Xia Wenyue greatly respected as a teacher; pushing him too hard would have backfired.

"For the past six years, you’ve been slacking off. Do you really think you can convince Wenyue in the final year?" Xie Wuji sneered coldly.

"No, I don’t think I can," Lan Chang\'an replied honestly.

"You... are deliberately playing games with me?!"

Xie Wuji’s fury surged, and the oppressive aura of a True Dan cultivator faintly emerged.

But he quickly realized that Lan Chang\'an, now also a True Dan cultivator, couldn’t be easily pressured. Even if Xie Wuji was a few points stronger, it would be difficult to coerce Lan Chang\'an.

"It’s not that I’m unwilling to try," Lan Chang\'an explained with a smile. "But for the past few years, I’ve been under external threats and had to focus all my efforts on forming my Core to ensure my safety."

"Now that you’ve formed a True Dan, do you still intend to abide by the spiritual contract?" Xie Wuji asked coldly.

"With only a year left, I’m afraid I don’t have the capacity to fulfill the task. I ask that Xie Immortal extend the timeframe."

"And how much longer do you need?"

"At least ten years," Lan Chang\'an said lightly.

"Lan Chang\'an! Are you mocking me?!"

Xie Wuji’s face turned icy, and his voice carried a murderous edge.

He genuinely wanted to kill Lan Chang\'an.

But reality wouldn’t allow it.

Killing a True Dan cultivator was no trivial matter, and Lan Chang\'an’s death would provoke Xia Wenyue into severing all ties with the Xie Family.

Xia Wenyue, with her innate Dao physique, was bound to attract the attention of a Nascent Soul-level sect, and her potential was too valuable to lose.

"...I Forgot to mention, Fellow Daoist Xie," Lan Chang\'an said with a faint smile. "I’ve made arrangements. If I die unexpectedly or go missing, a ‘final message’ will reach Proud Moon Palace, informing Wenyue that it was the Xie Family’s doing."

Xie Wuji’s face turned ashen. Against Lan Chang\'an, now a True Dan cultivator and a shrewd schemer, he truly had no recourse.

"Fine. I’ll grant you five more years—no more!"

After some haggling, the two came to an agreement.

The original spiritual contract was nullified, and Xie Wuji brought out a new third-rank spiritual contract, granting Lan Chang\'an a five-year extension.

"Immortal Lan, as long as you complete the task, my Xie Family will reward you with cultivation resources for after Core Formation, such as the mid-stage breakthrough pill."

Xie Wuji’s tone softened, offering enticing benefits.

He understood that mere threats wouldn’t suffice; lucrative promises were necessary to secure Lan Chang\'an’s cooperation.

It was obvious that Lan Chang\'an was stalling and being perfunctory.

A third-rank spiritual contract didn’t bind Lan Chang\'an as much as imagined. Generally, even a True Dan cultivator couldn’t break such a contract. However, if Lan Chang\'an were willing to "sell himself," there were Nascent Soul-level powers nearby that would undoubtedly step in to help him break the contract, unafraid of offending the Xie Family of Chen Kingdom.

A True Dan cultivator who was also a third-rank talisman master would be appealing to any major sect.

What Xie Wuji didn’t know, however, was that Lan Chang\'an carried many secrets and didn’t dare easily "sell himself" by joining a Nascent Soul-level faction. As for ordinary sects, whether they had the ability to break the contract was secondary; most wouldn’t dare risk offending the Xie Family.

"A mid-stage Core Formation breakthrough pill? Immortal Xie, you’d better keep your word!"

Lan Chang\'an\'s eyes lit up.

Xie Wuji inwardly smirked. Given Lan Chang\'an\'s talent and age, it was already a stroke of luck for him to have formed his True Dan at all. But when it came to advancing within the Core Formation stage, each small breakthrough was extremely difficult.

The quality of one’s Core affected breakthroughs to higher stages. If it was an upper-tier True Dan or an Immortal Golden Dan, breaking through the minor realms would be relatively easier. However, for a low-tier True Dan—especially one like Lan Chang\'an’s, which had barely been formed—the difficulty of advancing to mid-Core Formation was immense.

Without a great opportunity, it was possible for him to be trapped at early Core Formation for life.

Thus, Xie Wuji was confident that Lan Chang\'an would find it hard to resist resources critical to progressing within the Core Formation Realm. Even if Lan Chang\'an didn’t care now, after being stuck at early Core Formation for a hundred years, he would regret it immensely.

"Immortal Lan, take care of yourself!" Xie Wuji advised before leaving.

"Actually, my clan doesn’t necessarily need to reclaim Wenyue to personally cultivate her. As long as she’s willing to return to the clan and recognize her family, that would suffice."

Upon hearing this, Lan Chang\'an immediately understood.

The Proud Moon Palace was aggressive, but the Xie Family of Chen Kingdom knew it was unrealistic to fully take Xia Wenyue back under their control. Instead, they were willing to compromise and settle for partial ownership—securing half of Wenyue’s ‘ownership’ instead.

...

Moments later, Lan Chang\'an returned and met with Xia Hongyu outside the immortal city.

"Immortal Lan, did Xie Wuji trouble you?"

Seeing Lan Chang\'an return unharmed, Patriarch Xia breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that I’ve achieved a True Dan, Xie Wuji was forced to make concessions," Lan Chang\'an replied calmly.

Although Lan Chang\'an held a certain level of caution toward the Xie Family of Chen Kingdom, he was far from fearful.

The only one he truly feared was the Xie Family’s Nascent Soul ancestor, which was why he refrained from burning bridges entirely.

Normally, a Nascent Soul elder wouldn’t casually break the rules of the cultivation world by targeting someone like him.

After all, there was only one Nascent Soul cultivator in all of Chen Kingdom. Unless it was a matter of great importance, such figures wouldn’t bother with minor affairs.

If such trivial matters required the ancestor’s personal intervention, they might as well eliminate all their underling Immortals for incompetence.

Thus, as long as Lan Chang\'an maintained appearances and honored the third-rank spiritual contract in name, he could avoid even the slim chance of trouble.

As for what would happen five years later...

By then, Lan Chang\'an would have already finished dissolving his core.

Moreover, the demonic forces from the Six Great Demonic Sects were expected to launch invasions on neighboring nations, making it even less likely for the Xie Family’s Nascent Soul elder to "leave their post."

As for the other Xie Family cultivators?

Lan Chang\'an wasn’t confident he could defeat them in combat, but he still has experience in self-preservation and running away. Furthermore, the Xie Family’s influence was largely confined to Chen Kingdom, where they ruled unchallenged.

If Lan Chang\'an retreated to Liang Kingdom or Feng Kingdom, the Xie Family would have to restrain themselves and could no longer act so brazenly.

Once Lan Chang\'an completed his Core Formation, he had no intention of staying in Jing Kingdom for long.

Returning to the Liang Kingdom or moving to Feng Kingdom would significantly reduce the Xie Family’s threat against him.

"Immortal Lan, now that you’ve achieved Core Formation, when do you plan to host your Core Formation celebration? Our Wufu Merchant Association would be honored to assist with the arrangements," Patriarch Xia proposed as they made their way back.

"Core Formation celebration?"

Lan Chang\'an’s first thought was to decline the idea outright, but after a moment’s consideration, he changed his mind.

Achieving a True Dan was an event of tremendous significance! If he didn’t celebrate even a little, it would be too low-key and come across as over the top. Things that happened out of the ordinary would instead make people suspicious.

"Let’s set it for two months from now. A small-scale celebration—no need to make it too ostentatious," Lan Chang\'an said after some thought.

"Rest assured, Immortal Lan. Leave the arrangements to me," Patriarch Xia replied with a pleased expression.

Lan Chang\'an’s willingness to hold the celebration in Qingsha Bay was a sign of trust in the Xia Family.

This event would elevate not only the Xia Family’s status but also the reputation of the Wufu Merchant Association would rise by a level.

...

Lan Chang\'an had spent seven days consolidating his cultivation in the immortal city before returning to Qingsha Bay. The Xia Family, who had received the news in advance, could hardly believe the news.

"Greetings, Immortal Lan!"

When the Xia Family members saw Lan Chang\'an radiating the unmistakable spiritual pressure of a True Dan cultivator, they finally believed it.

Xia Mingqu, Xia Shenglan, and other Foundation Establishment cultivators personally came to greet him outside the family grounds.

"Congratulations, Immortal Lan, on stepping onto the path of Core Formation," the Xia Family’s young master said, taking a deep breath and bowing respectfully.

His emotions were a mix of joy, admiration, and disbelief.

Back then, who could have predicted that Lan Chang\'an, a refugee hiding his identity aboard a cross-border spirit ship, would one day reach such heights?

"Lan Chang\'an... a True Dan cultivator..."

Xia Shenglan stared in a daze at the imposing figure of the man in white before her.

Earlier, when she had greeted him and exchanged pleasantries, her mind had gone completely blank.

She couldn’t help but recall how Lan Chang\'an had once saved her in a moment of danger, how the family had even suggested they become a couple.

She had once tried to approach him proactively. He had been gentle, refined, and easy to get along with.

But all of that felt like a distant dream now.

Today, Lan Chang\'an had become a True Dan cultivator, a figure of immense significance even within the vast Jing Kingdom.

After making a brief public appearance, Lan Chang\'an returned to seclude on Autumnwind Isle and declined further visitors.

This wasn’t due to a lack of courtesy, but rather because too many people now sought to associate with him.

Regardless of their prior relationship—or lack thereof—even outsiders wished to build connections with him.

As a high-level True Dan cultivator, Lan Chang\'an had effectively entered an entirely different realm compared to most ordinary cultivators.

The disparity between their statuses was akin to that between a local clerk and a provincial governor.

...

Inside the secret chamber on Autumnwind Isle, Lan Chang\'an refrained from further cultivation. Instead, he used his Evergreen True Dan mana to nurture the treasure talismans in his possession.

"True Dan-level mana really is different," Lan Chang\'an noted as he observed subtle improvements in the treasure talismans after his efforts.

This suggested that the third-rank treasure talismans in his hand still had room for enhancement.

Of particular note were a few talismans crafted from superior-grade third-rank spiritual bamboo, which were already third-rank mid grade treasure talismans, with two of them even being at the third-rank superior grade.

"If I were to form an upper-grade True Dan, or even a Golden Dan, the nurturing effects would be even more pronounced. With a hundred years of nurturing, fourth-rank treasure talismans wouldn’t be out of reach..."

Lan Chang\'an silently looked forward to the possibilities.

In this life, building on the knowledge of his past, he had delved deeply into the inheritance of treasure talisman crafting.

Compared to his past life, his mastery of talisman-crafting—especially treasure talismans—had significantly improved.

...

With two months remaining until the Core Formation celebration, Lan Chang\'an divided his time between nurturing treasure talismans and feeding his Profound Water Turtlee with Evergreen True Dan mana.

As a result, the Profound Water Turtlee grew increasingly close to him again, and its cultivation speed surged dramatically.

Lan Chang\'an understood that this reflected the immense disparity between an early-stage True Dan cultivator and a second-rank early-stage demonic beast.

The Profound Water Turtlee’s base cultivation speed was notoriously slow, requiring over 500 years to reach the third rank.

Without the help of Lan Chang\'an’s Evergreen technique, it would never have even broken through to the second rank so soon.

With the infusion of True Dan-level Evergreen mana, the turtle was now nearing the mid-second rank and progressing far more rapidly toward the late second rank than ever before.

While in seclusion, Lan Chang\'an didn’t completely isolate himself.

He still met privately with Patriarch Xia and the young master, who occasionally visited to seek advice.

In addition, he received Xing Peng, an Incense Master of the Unseen Gate.

"Congratulations, Immortal Lan, on achieving True Dan!"

By now, Xing Peng had developed a deep sense of awe toward Lan Chang\'an, discarding any lingering thoughts of underestimating him.

Lan Chang\'an had not only surpassed him in cultivation but also possessed a powerful third-rank demonic pet and the backing of a mysterious peak Core Formation expert.

Xing Peng also brought news: Lan Chang\'an’s recent advancement had caught the attention of his cousin, the "Shadow Hall Chief."

The Shadow Hall Chief was at the mid-Core Formation stage, but Lan Chang\'an had no reason to fear him.

Instead, he asked Xing Peng to keep an eye on the movements of the Xie Family in Chen Kingdom.

...

As the celebration approached, news of Lan Chang\'an’s achievement spread among the surrounding cultivation factions.

Meanwhile, his inspiring story of achieving Core Formation at an advanced age began circulating in Liang Kingdom’s cultivation community.

However, the tale wasn’t without its skeptics.

Some rumors suggested that Lan Chang\'an’s late success in forming a Core wasn’t solely due to his personal life nurturing technique but also thanks to the backing of the powerful Xie Family.

Lan Chang\'an found this narrative quite satisfactory.

The rumors struck a balance between admiration for his perseverance and downplaying the extraordinariness of his accomplishment.

At 170 years old, forming a Core was indeed rare, but not unheard of.

The cultivation world was vast, and Lan Chang\'an wasn’t the only practitioner of life-nurturing techniques.

Such methods represented a niche but established school of thought.

Ancient longevity techniques could extend lifespans during the Foundation Establishment stage by up to 10%, a common phenomenon.

With the addition of first- and second-rank Life Extension Pills, a cultivator’s total lifespan could approach 300 years.

If one consumed third-rank Life Extension Pills, even greater extensions were possible.

As such, within the past thousand years of Jing Kingdom’s cultivation history, there had been others who achieved Core Formation at a similar age.

And in neighboring nations, one could find even more examples.

Such cases were rare, but not implausible.

...

As the days passed, the date of Lan Chang\'an’s Core Formation celebration drew closer.

Some representatives from various factions even arrived early in Qingsha Bay to pay their respects.

For example, the other four families of the Wufu Merchant Association sent their emissaries.

The patriarch of the Xin family, a Fake Dan ancestor, personally came to Qingsha Bay hoping to meet Lan Chang\'an but was politely turned away.

Lan Chang\'an’s decision to host the celebration in Qingsha Bay had clearly left the Xin family shaken.

In addition to the Wufu families, Hanyu Immortal from the Snow Fox Merchant Association also came early to pay her respects.

Lan Chang\'an didn’t neglect her and received her promptly.

In a side hall, Hanyu Immortal was dressed in a snow-white palace gown, her appearance as ethereal as an ice fairy.

She smiled faintly and said, "Our guild’s Grand Elder, Guangjun Immortal, is unwell and couldn’t come in person. I hope Immortal Lan can forgive us."

Lan Chang\'an infused his mana into a teapot, causing it to boil midair before pouring tea for the two of them.

He smiled and asked, "Did you come alone? Has Xiang Jinglong stopped bothering you?"

"No," Hanyu Immortal replied with a puzzled expression.

"Strangely enough, Xiang Jinglong lingered in Cloudsmoke Immortal City for over ten days but suddenly left one day and hasn’t troubled me since."

"Oh? That’s good news," Lan Chang\'an said with a faint smile.

Half an hour later, Lan Chang\'an politely escorted Hanyu Immortal out of his residence.

...

Finally, the day of the Core Formation celebration arrived.

Representatives from various factions and individual cultivators arrived in Qingsha Bay to offer their congratulations.

The celebration was limited to the Jing Kingdom region.

Most of the guests were connected to the Wufu Merchant Association, as Lan Chang\'an had few ties outside the guild or the area surrounding Cloudsmoke Immortal City.

He had thought the celebration would be a relatively uneventful affair, something he could get through without much effort.

But to his surprise, the event welcomed some unexpected guests.