Having picked up all the remaining bargains in the entire town, Xu Zifan got up and headed out of town. He planned to go to another city, far away from the Xuantian Sect, to avoid running into any acquaintances. Although he had changed his appearance and body, strangers would definitely not recognize him, but his junior brothers and sisters, with whom he spent every day, might still recognize him.
He left just like that, embarrassing Xiang Yushuang and Huo Chongjun, and giving Xiang Wentian a cold shoulder. On the surface, Xiang Wentian didn't say anything because of his reputation, and even acted very kind and amiable, but who knows if he would send someone to find him and take him back? After all, Xiang Wentian was the only one who knew about his pure yang body, so it was normal for him to have any thoughts.
Better safe than sorry. Before he became strong enough, Xu Zifan felt he had to be extremely cautious. This feeling was exhilarating, like being back in the slums. He hadn't experienced such excitement in centuries. Others might find it unpleasant, but he found it exhilarating!
The more exciting things he encountered, the more he felt truly alive and living well. This lifestyle was meaningful; if it were always the same monotonous routine, he probably wouldn't be able to keep it up for long—everyone gets tired eventually. He suddenly felt grateful for this time travel; this world ignited his passion. Although he was still a bit weak, he was in an excellent mood.
Flying on a sword is forbidden within the city, except in emergencies or fights. Even then, an explanation to the city lord or a fine is required afterward. Xu Zifan only summoned his flying sword after leaving the city gates and soared into the mountains. Having frequently led missions and gained experience in the past five years, Xu Zifan had fully integrated the original owner's memories and was quite familiar with the outside world. He went to a large city five cities away from the Xuan Tian Sect. Large cities have inns that protect their guests' privacy. For a sufficient amount of spirit stones, one can have a quiet room to rest. The inns will protect guests to the greatest extent possible from disturbance, unless they encounter an unbeatable expert.
Xu Zifan paid a high-grade spirit stone to rent a superior room suitable for both secluded cultivation and alchemy for three days. When he moved in, it was already dark. He closed the doors and windows tightly, sat on the futon in the center of the room, and took out the three newly purchased items, placing them one by one in front of him. The black folding fan was impossible to open; it took Xu Zifan two hours to refine it before he could finally open it and see its true form.
The folding fan was made of a rare type of black iron found in the Northern Nether Sea—light yet incredibly sturdy. When opened, the edges of the fan surface were exceptionally sharp, capable of slicing through iron like mud. There was a mechanism on the handle; activating it caused each fan rib to fire a tiny, hair-like golden needle. Xu Zifan flicked the fan, and a row of needles neatly embedded themselves in the wall. Upon closer inspection, he noticed they even gleamed with a ghostly blue light—they were coated with a potent poison!
Xu Zifan re-inserted the golden needles into the fan ribs, grabbed the fan, and unleashed a bolt of lightning at the wall. He discovered that the fan could double the power of his attacks! He experimented for a while longer, then looked at the black folding fan in his hand and laughed, "[Shaohua, this is truly a treasure! Luckily you helped me find it; I got a lucky break. Thanks.]"
[Shaohua: You're welcome. You already had your eye on this fan before I even spoke.]
Xu Zifan examined the precious fan repeatedly, chuckling, "No wonder the characters in those cultivation novels always have some inexplicable senses. My ability to instantly recognize this fan is probably a kind of intuition, a cultivator's sixth sense. Perhaps finding a suitable magical treasure still depends on fate. This fan is amazing!"
Most importantly, this fan is a top-grade magic weapon! This is like a pie falling from the sky. He can refine it into his natal magic weapon. After they become connected, the magic weapon will be more powerful and its power will increase as his cultivation level improves. This is the weapon he needs most right now.
Shao Hua reminded Xu Zifan, "[The alchemy furnace and the umbrella haven't been dealt with yet.]"
Xu Zifan put away the fan and picked up the umbrella to examine it. It looked like an ordinary oiled paper umbrella, but if you infused it with enough spiritual power, you could open it and use it as a shield. It could block attacks from Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, but probably only about five times. It wasn't very useful. He had a shield in his space that could block attacks from late-stage Golden Core cultivators ten times, which was much higher level than this defensive magic weapon.
However, Xu Zifan still carefully put it away. Even if this world doesn't use it, he can take it to other worlds. What if he transmigrates to the cultivation world again and becomes a weak handyman disciple? These things will then be valuable.
[Shaohua: You're like a hamster, constantly hoarding things.]
Xu Zifan shrugged. "[The more the better. Although we didn't use what we prepared in the last world, maybe we'll need it in the next? Opportunity favors the prepared.]"
After acquiring his spatial dimension, Xu Zifan inexplicably developed a hamster-like nature, becoming extremely fond of hoarding things. Seeing the increasing amount of items in his space gave him a sense of accomplishment, security, and even warmth, as if the space had truly become his home—a home that would never disappear no matter where he went, as meaningful as his youth.
After putting away the oil-paper umbrella, Xu Zifan used a cleaning spell to clean the alchemy furnace, which was what interested him the most! No doctor would not be curious about miraculous pills. How were so many amazing medicinal effects achieved? It was truly profound and mysterious. Alchemy was the skill he most wanted to learn.
Shao Hua had already memorized the basic alchemy books he had scanned. He opened the alchemy furnace, looked at it, went out and bought ten portions of herbs for Qi Condensation Pills from the shopkeeper, and returned to his room to refine the pills. The most basic Qi Condensation Pill is for helping novice disciples sense spiritual energy. The formula and herbs are very common. Xu Zifan had Shao Hua pull up the description of the steps for refining Qi Condensation Pills and read it again before starting to practice.
In alchemy, it is essential to control the heat carefully; when to use the highest heat and when to use the lowest heat are crucial.
The process is fraught with difficulty; even the slightest mistake can lead to failure. Furthermore, the order and proportion of the herbs added must be precise. Xu Zifan had failed several times before; either the fire was too high, burning the herbs to ashes, or the furnace was filled with liquid instead of forming a pill. He simply couldn't master the control of the fire and the spiritual energy required to shape the pill.
He refined the pills all night. When the sun was high in the sky, wisps of smoke rose from the furnace, emitting a fragrant aroma of medicinal pills. Xu Zifan carefully extinguished the fire, opened the lid, and immediately saw five round pills inside. He happily sucked the pills into his palm, smelled them, ate one, and confirmed that they were low-grade Qi Condensation Pills, the lowest grade of pills.
But it doesn't matter. If he succeeds, it means he did the right thing, and things will be much easier from now on. Xu Zifan put everything away and meditated cross-legged for half an hour, completely washing away the fatigue of the busy night. He estimated that most people would leave the Xuantian Sect to return to their own sects the day after the Dao Couple Ceremony, but some would go directly to various places to handle affairs and gain experience. Perhaps some news would spread, so he planned to go to a crowded and lively place to listen for information.
Xu Zifan first went to a pill shop and bought a bottle of Disguise Pills. It cost ten mid-grade spirit stones, containing only ten pills of superior quality. One pill would maintain his disguise for three days. With this disguise, only a Nascent Soul cultivator could detect the change in his appearance, and it wouldn't fade or smudge when wet. His current simple, topical disguise would be ruined by rain; the Disguise Pills were much better. The only downside was that one pill lasted three days, and the exchange rate between high, mid, and low-grade spirit stones was 1:100. One mid-grade spirit stone per pill was very expensive, and with his spirit stones only going out and not coming in, they would soon be depleted. It would be best to learn how to refine them himself.
Next, he went to the treasure pavilion, picked out a medium-grade sword, and spent five high-grade spirit stones. The original sword belonged to the chief disciple of the Xuan Tian Sect, and many people had seen it. He threw it into his spatial storage as soon as he entered the city, and didn't plan to use it again. Finally, he bought a bunch of herbs for Qi Condensation Pills and Spirit Replenishing Pills before going to a restaurant. He sat in a corner of the first-floor lobby with his back to the people and ordered his food.
He had been fasting for over three months, and while he was usually busy, he didn't feel it much. But now, seeing the food, he suddenly felt hungry—it was a psychological hunger. Xu Zifan also ordered a pot of wine, and while drinking, he listened to the lively chatter of the people in the hall.
"Have you heard? At yesterday's Daoist marriage ceremony for the beloved daughter of the Xuantian Sect's leader, the sect leader's chief disciple left the Xuantian Sect!"
"Really? Where did you hear that? Isn't that Master Zhengyang highly regarded and the next leader of the Xuantian Sect?"
"Of course it's true! My cousin is from the Thousand Swords Sect. He had the good fortune to visit the Xuantian Sect yesterday, and he told me this when he came home to visit his elders today. I heard it very clearly. Wasn't Jade Twin Fairy originally a couple with True Person Zhengyang? But while True Person Zhengyang was out there facing near-death experiences, she became a couple with the new junior brother of the Xuantian Sect's leader. My cousin said that from what they heard yesterday, True Person Zhengyang seemed to have been seriously injured and was overshadowed by that junior brother, his position was in jeopardy, and they even made him attend the Daoist Couple Ceremony to bless the newlyweds. True Person Zhengyang couldn't stand it anymore and publicly requested to leave the Xuantian Sect. Everyone heard it!"
"This...this is truly unbelievable. How could that newly accepted junior brother compare to the renowned Master Zhengyang? Isn't this like picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon?"
"That's right, I just can't figure it out. Perhaps Master Zhengyang is really too badly injured and no longer worth keeping."
Xu Zifan listened to their conversation, swirled the wine in his glass, and downed the wine in one gulp. It wasn't that he wasn't worth keeping, but Xiang Wentian feared that Huo Chongjun would risk everything and reveal that Xiang Yushuang possessed a pure Yin constitution. Xiang Wentian had used a secret technique to place a restriction on him and Xiang Yushuang, preventing anyone from detecting their special physiques, thus preserving this secret for so many years. And only Xiang Wentian and the two of them knew about it.
He just hoped Xiang Yushuang would be kind and tell Huo Chongjun the secret later. However, he didn't dare hold out too much hope, since Xiang Yushuang was love-struck and he had just embarrassed her; she might have already told him everything. If she knew formations… Qimen Dunjia, illusions, shrinking the distance, etc., his safety would be much greater. There was still so much he needed to learn.
Two more people walked in through the door and sat down near Xu Zifan. He heard one of them say, "Senior brother, do you think Zheng Yang will join another sect?"
"Heh, leaving the Xuantian Sect has already attracted a lot of attention. If he joins another sect, it would be a slap in the face to the Xuantian Sect. Who knows?"