Lu An smiled slightly. Residual souls were dangerous to others but were a great supplement for him.
Seeing that Lu An was determined, Li Ziyou pondered for a moment and said:
"This shouldn't be a problem. The clan leader didn't intend to keep it. As the Young Master of the Li family, I should have some say in this matter."
"But I'll need some time and will notify you later."
Lu An was delighted and nodded:
"Alright, then I'll await your good news."
Li Ziyou acted quickly, bringing the jade coffin the next day. He also advised Lu An to be cautious and, if necessary, to find a place to bury it.
Lu An agreed and, after handling it for a while, stored the jade coffin away.
Given his current low cultivation level, it was not suitable for him to enter it just yet. It was better to focus on training and improve his cultivation before attempting to investigate it.
In a shadowy location, two old men stood by a corpse, their faces filled with sorrow.
"Old Third, didn't you trap Fang Ling in that Yin-Yang Phoenix Formation? How did she end up joining the battle?"
The Ding family head frowned and scolded.
The Third Elder looked puzzled and said:
"I don't know what happened. I had confirmed repeatedly that there was a female Foundation Establishment cultivator in the center of the formation, so I activated it."
"I didn't expect that person wasn't Fang Ling, and the information we received didn't mention a second female cultivator around Lu An."
He felt a bit wronged. The unexpected situation wasn't his fault; it was due to inaccurate intelligence.
The clan head, however, was unrelenting, his voice cold:
"If it weren't for your mistake, with my and Second Brother's strength, dealing with three Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't have been a major issue, and Second Brother wouldn't have been severely injured or killed."
"Eldest Brother, discussing this now is pointless. We should focus on what to do next."
The clan head knew that complaining was futile, but the loss of his second brother, with whom he had shared many years, led him to express some grievances.
"The jade coffin has been delivered to the Li family. After so many days, it should have had some effect."
"I wonder if that old man from the Li family has entered the coffin. It seems we need to investigate."
"You go and find out the situation. I will spread rumors; if other families learn that he is injured, they won't sit idly by."
"As for Lu An, with so many experts around him, we'll deal with him later."
The Third Elder nodded and went to handle the tasks.
Mount Mangdang.
After several days of travel, Lu An and Ying Chang finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
In fact, given their speed, it shouldn't have taken this long. However, Ying Chang had been instructing Lu An on the precautions in the mountains and how to handle various demonic beasts, which delayed their journey.
A little delay was no big deal. At least, Lu An's theoretical knowledge had increased significantly, and now he just needed practical experience.
"Brother Lu, the demonic beasts in this mountain are mostly at the Qi Refining stage, which is quite suitable for you. Even if you encounter ones at the ninth level of Qi Refining, I'll ensure your safety."
"So, your task is to find and kill these demonic beasts without worrying about their cultivation level."
"But I suggest you start with the lower-level ones and progress gradually to maximize the effectiveness of your training."
Lu An nodded; Ying Chang's advice was in line with his thoughts.
The two entered Mount Mangdang and began searching for traces of demonic beasts.
Ying Chang acted only as a bodyguard, remaining silent throughout and allowing Lu An to take the lead.
Although Mount Mangdang had many demonic beasts, its vast area and the fact that many beasts had their own territories made them not so easy to find.
After half a day of searching, Lu An finally noticed a clue.
He crouched down, looking at a large pile of beast dung, and murmured:
"Feces from a first-stage Triangle Demon Bull, looks like it was just deposited. The bull shouldn't be far off."
"The blood of this bull can be used to draw Giant Strength Talisman, and its sharp horns are valuable for refining materials. Luck is on my side."
First-stage demonic beasts, known as Qi Refining beasts, vary greatly in strength. Lu An was uncertain about the exact level of this demon bull.
"Let's track it down."
He took a talisman from his storage bag, ignited it with his fingers, and then inserted it into the beast dung.
The talisman flew around the dung and, after a brief pause, shot off in a specific direction.
Without hesitation, Lu An followed.
This talisman, known as the Scent Seeking Talisman, was a common first-stage talisman that could track scents within a certain range.
It could find the general direction of demonic beasts, cultivators, or even certain items.
Of course, this required a medium to trace, such as the dung from the demonic beast.
Lu An followed the Scent Seeking Talisman for several miles before finally spotting the Triangle Demon Bull.
The bull stood about six or seven feet high, its thick fur covering its entire body like armor. Its large head had three sharp, shining horns that were quite intimidating.
"A Triangle Demon Bull at the fifth level of Qi Refining, which matches my cultivation level."
He regularly sparred with Ying Chang and could handle those at the sixth level of Qi Refining with ease. However, real combat was different, and there was still a considerable gap between the two.
Lu An remained cautious and recalled the characteristics of the Triangle Demon Bull.
Once prepared, he took out a Concealment Talisman, applied it to himself, and quietly approached the demon bull.
The Triangle Demon Bull was focused on grazing, creating a clearing on the ground with each bite and completely unaware of Lu An's approach.
Once he was close enough, Lu An suddenly attacked, drawing out his Soul Devouring Sword and striking at the Triangle Demon Bull.
"Clang!"
A loud crash echoed, and Lu An felt a numbness in his wrist, nearly losing grip on the Soul Devouring Sword.
"The defense is astonishing!"
He was startled. Before he could react, the demon bull roared angrily and swung its thick tail at him.
Lu An blocked with his sword, but the scenery in front of him rapidly retreated as his body was thrown backward.
He flipped in mid-air, stabilized himself, and slid a full ten zhang before coming to a stop.
Seeing truly was different from hearing; the Triangle Demon Bull's strength was indeed impressive, even more so than Ying Chang.
However, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything, and Lu An soon discovered its weaknesses.
The bull's strength was great, but its body was extremely cumbersome. As long as he maneuvered well, he should be able to handle it.
The Triangle Demon Bull didn't give him more time to think and charged at him at high speed.
Lu An was not at all flustered. When the bull was close, he suddenly exerted force with his legs and dodged to the side.
He then leaped and landed on the bull's back.
The bull, furious, charged wildly, knocking down large trees in the mountain, but it couldn't shake Lu An off.
Lu An naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He cast Fireball Spells one after another, bombarding the bull's back.
A smell of burning hair filled the air, but its tough hide remained completely undamaged.
At this point, Lu An was also somewhat exhausted and knew he couldn't delay any longer. He took a deep breath, aimed at the bull's eyes, and thrust the Soul Devouring Sword deeply.
"Roar—"
The bull cried out in pain, going into a frenzy. Lu An grabbed one of its horns with one hand and hung onto it.
With his other hand, he withdrew the Soul Devouring Sword, giving it a slight swing, and slid down to the bull's belly.
He gathered all his strength, and the Soul Devouring Sword shone with a brilliant light as he slashed at the bull's weakest spot on its belly.
In an instant, blood gushed out, and the white, internal organs spilled onto the ground.
Lu An, caught in the spray, was drenched but didn't mind at all, instead showing an excited expression.
The bull staggered forward a few steps before finally collapsing with a loud thud.
Then, applause rang out as Ying Chang's figure appeared from nowhere.
"Well done. You managed to take down this Triangle Demon Bull without using talismans, but there's still much to improve."
Lu An nodded slightly. Dealing with a demonic beast of the same level was so perilous that there was little to celebrate.
Even now, he was still reflecting on the moment when the bull charged at him.
It felt as if death was imminent, leaving no time for thought. This was the life-and-death battle, where it was either you die or I die.
The difference from daily sparring was immense.
But the feeling of winning was truly gratifying.
Lu An smiled slightly and reviewed his recent experiences.
Knowing the Triangle Demon Bull had tough hide, he was foolish to attack its back initially. This led him into a passive situation at the start, but fortunately, he found the bull's weakness and turned the situation around.
In the future, when hunting demonic beasts, he must keep this in mind: to leverage his strengths and attack the enemy's weaknesses, which is the key to success.
He approached the bull's corpse, cut off its three large horns, and extracted its blood into small vials, storing them in his storage bag.
Then, he placed the Soul Devouring Sword on the bull's head. The sword suddenly emitted a sucking force, completely consuming the bull's residual soul.
The sword buzzed with what seemed like a hint of excitement.
Having completed these tasks, Lu An set off toward his next target.
As time passed day by day, half a year went by in the blink of an eye.
Due to long-term battles with demonic beasts, Lu An's skin had tanned and his once delicate features now bore a more determined look.
He had grown a few centimeters taller, his long body covered in muscular lines, exuding strength.
Ying Chang had returned to the Spirit Talisman Residence three months ago and no longer accompanied him for protection.
However, he came periodically to collect Lu An's hunting spoils.
This was unavoidable. Given Lu An's speed in hunting demonic beasts, if Ying Chang didn't come to collect, his storage bag would be full within a week.
Any additional loot would be wasted.
During these six months, Lu An had made significant progress, becoming increasingly composed in dealing with demonic beasts.
Repeated life-and-death training had also made Lu An's mind calmer. No matter what danger he encountered, he remained unfazed.
His True Qi had become exceedingly strong, and his foundation had been further solidified.
With the support of the Minor Gathering Qi Talisman and continuous life-and-death battles, Lu An broke through to the sixth level of Qi Refining within half a month after entering Mount Mangdang.
Today, he felt another breakthrough approaching, as if the late Qi Refining stage was opening up to him.
In a cave, Lu An sat cross-legged, practicing the Eternal Spring Technique to its limit.
Since his progress in the Yi Wood Spirit Soul Technique hadn't caught up, he could only use the Eternal Spring Technique for the breakthrough.
However, it's worth mentioning that, as it was being retrained, the Yi Wood Spirit Soul Technique's progress was also rapid, having reached the fourth layer.
It shouldn't be long before it catches up.
As the technique operated, a small vortex formed at Lu An's dantian.
The True Qi in the air surged in crazily, as if it were an insatiable black hole, never pausing for a moment.
A beam of escaping light shot from the horizon, arriving with Ying Chang, who had just reached the area.
"Hmm? This fluctuation in spiritual energy—could Brother Lu be breaking through?"
He was astonished. Wasn't Lu An supposed to have just broken through six months ago? How could he progress so quickly?
Naturally, he didn't know about Lu An's Minor Gathering Qi Talisman, so he found it hard to believe.
But then he furrowed his brow, closely watching Lu An's figure.
"The bottleneck in the late Qi Refining stage is not to be underestimated; this breakthrough might not be so smooth."
In Qi Refining, there are bottlenecks at each level transition, whether from the third to the fourth layer or from the sixth to the seventh. It's not just a matter of accumulation to overcome.
Lu An clearly sensed this. When he reached the mid-level, his innate talent with three spiritual roots didn't make it feel difficult.
However, this breakthrough to the late stage was different. The bottleneck was extremely stubborn, even stronger than any he had encountered before.
Seeing that the absorbed spiritual energy was decreasing and the bottleneck remained unmoved, Lu An hardened his resolve and made a decision.
A talisman flew out from his storage bag, igniting automatically, and attached itself to Lu An's forehead.
In an instant, the situation changed dramatically.
The vortex of spiritual energy in his dantian suddenly expanded, several times larger than before.
The surrounding heavenly and earthly spiritual energy surged into his body as if it were free, flowing in frantically.
Ying Chang's face turned pale with shock, and he exclaimed:
"A Second-Stage Gathering Qi Talisman!"
"Brother Lu actually managed to draw this talisman. How is that possible?"
"This is bad. With such a Foundation Establishment talisman, he might not be able to endure it."
Ying Chang was anxious but couldn't dare to interrupt at such a critical moment of the breakthrough. If Lu An were startled and went into a chaotic state, it could lead to broken meridians and sever any chance of cultivating immortality.
In this situation, he could only wait on the side, hoping Lu An would be alright.
On Lu An's side, spiritual energy continued to pour in wildly, and the bottleneck of the late Qi Refining stage showed cracks, seemingly on the verge of breaking through.
However, blood started to flow from Lu An's seven orifices, indicating severe injuries.
"I can't continue like this; otherwise, my injuries will get worse. I'll risk it!"
He gathered all his True Qi and slammed it against the bottleneck.
"Boom!"
A sound of cracking was heard, followed by an astonishing surge of aura erupting from him.
"Seventh Layer of Qi Refining!"
Before he could rejoice, darkness overwhelmed him, and he lost consciousness.
"Brother Lu!"
Ying Chang quickly flew over to support him.
After checking Lu An's injuries, he sighed in relief.
"Phew—"
"Fortunately, the breakthrough was successful. Although there is some damage to the meridians, it should not be serious."
"Brother Lu, why push yourself so hard? There was no need to rush."
He shook his head, then a sudden realization struck him.
Since the attack by the Ding family, Lu An had become more urgent about advancing his cultivation. It seemed that the pressure he felt was considerable, though he had never shared it with others.
Moreover, there was the weight of the Fang family's mountain pressing down on him, leaving no room for slow, steady cultivation.
Ying Chang felt a pang of sympathy. After his own breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage, he had become somewhat complacent, forgetting the previous sense of crisis.
Seeing Lu An's current state made him realize that as fellow companions, he should not let Lu An bear such pressure alone.
He decided to intensify his own training and, when the time came to face the Fang family, he hoped to have a slim chance of survival.
He resolved to persuade Fang Ling to retreat for closed-door cultivation after returning.
By evening, Lu An gradually awoke.
He examined his body and sighed deeply.
Although he had broken through to the late Qi Refining stage, his meridians had suffered varying degrees of damage, making further cultivation impossible for the time being.
But he did not regret it. Had he not taken the risk, the bottleneck might have trapped him for an indefinite period—perhaps half a year or a year.
Now that he had successfully broken through, the remaining cultivation was a matter of accumulating enough experience to smoothly pass the final hurdle of the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Brother Ying, you're here."
Hearing the voice, Ying Chang quickly approached and asked with concern:
"How are you feeling? Is your body alright?"
"No major issues. With some rest, I should recover."
Ying Chang then remembered the purpose of his visit and said:
"Elder Zhang from the Talisman Hall came to the Spirit Talisman Residence yesterday but did not see you."
"He asked me to inform you that the Talisman Hall's assessment is about to begin."
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