A female cultivator of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage respectfully delivered a letter from the Yue Kingdom.

Since the disturbances in the Five Dragons Island Sea Region, he had lost contact with the Yue Kingdom for over twenty years.

Now, upon seeing these letters, long since turned yellow, Lin Chang’an’s expression changed for a moment before he finally sighed deeply. Waving a hand, the female cultivator respectfully retreated.

Lin Chang’an’s expression was somewhat complex as he returned alone to the pavilion on the mountain peak.

It seemed to be a habit—no matter where his cave dwelling was relocated, he would always arrange for the construction of a pavilion identical to the one he had in Celestial Profound City.

"Over twenty years of change, you all..."

After a long period of silence, Lin Chang’an finally slowly opened these letters that had accumulated for ten to twenty years.

Shen Lie, Erniu, Wei Buyi, Lu Qingqing...

Upon seeing the familiar letters for the first time, Lin Chang’an’s eyes grew moist, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up into a smile.

"Everyone is doing well."

Especially in Erniu’s letter, he talked about his life, rising from a farmer’s boy to become a legendary cultivator.

His descendants even established an immortal cultivation clan; such a dramatic life experience was indeed the destined path of a protagonist for Li Erniu.

The first few letters were personally written by Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi, but the later ones were greetings from Little Junior Sister, Li Yifan, Wei Yingying, and Shen Fan.

Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, he could guess.

"Indeed, I am now 141 years old, and everyone else is around the same age. Only Little Junior Sister is left now..."

As old friends gradually withered away, Lin Chang’an became silent after reading letter after letter.

"So this is the loneliness of the path of cultivation."

It was after a good while that Lin Chang’an finally sighed; the high spirits from when he had achieved Core Formation had long dissipated.

Immortal cultivation! This path in pursuit of longevity is destined for loneliness.

"Moo!"

Just then, the Cyan-Horned Bull seemed to sense its owner’s emotions and, at some point, came forward, making a low mooing sound.

This caused Lin Chang’an to gaze into the empty pavilion with a distant look, recalling the time when the cow’s moo echoed and the smiles of old friends could still be seen here.

Unfortunately, as time changes, those familiar faces aged until they disappeared.

"Leaving my homeland at an elderly age, traveling afar for 140 years to finally achieve Core Formation, my life, too, is full of ups and downs, with everyone writing their own legendary tales."

As he put away each letter, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but reveal a wistful expression.

Although the letters didn’t explicitly state it, these old friends lived all their lives marvelously, each the protagonist of their own legend.

He was no exception.

"It’s also time to go back and take a look; after all, there’s too much regret and reluctance left in the Yue Kingdom."

Sitting upright in the pavilion, stroking the smooth fur of the Cyan-Horned Bull, Lin Chang’an could not help but murmur to himself.

Going back to see old friends is genuine, and returning home gloriously is also true. Likewise, now with his Golden Core cultivation, he wants to explore the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

In the fragmented memories left by the Blood Evil Master, there was a Tier Three Middle Stage poisonous insect in the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, precisely the Tier Three Middle Grade Wood Attribute Demon Pill he needed to refine the Spirit Supplement Pill.

Though his cultivation was far inferior to the Blood Evil Master, his ability to be immune to miasma was not something the Blood Evil Master could rival.

As for going deeper, he hadn’t planned for it, but he still wanted to take a look at some of the places in those fragmented memories.

Moreover!

The Tier Three poisonous insect within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range is the best hunting ground. If he can collect one or two Tier Three Middle Grade Demon Pills, this journey will be worthwhile.

Lin Chang’an pondered silently, knowing that refining the Spirit Supplement Pill required a Tier Three Middle Grade Demon Pill.

Although the Demon Beast Abyss was not short of demon beasts, due to attribute restraint, the poisonous insects in the depths of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range were what he found easiest to hunt successfully.

The Phoenix Cry Bird restrains them, and he is immune to poisons of the same level, making it the perfect counter.

Even more so than places where Yin spirits gather.

Moreover, in the Demon Beast Abyss, you often encounter several demon beasts at once, increasing the risk.

"Moreover, the three main Spirit Veins of Celestial Profound City’s peaks are in no way inferior to my Celestial Spring Peak and are abundant in Spirit Liquid. With my current skills as a Tier Three Array Master,

I have full confidence to enter without damaging the arrays. Although the Spirit Liquid, corrupted by miasma, may be useless to others, it is supreme nourishment for my Lifebound Spirit Plant."

In retrospect, this return trip doesn’t seem to be a loss at all.

Upon thinking this, Lin Chang’an then sent a message to Fairy Ni Chang of the Profound Sound Pavilion.

Since he serves as an Honored Guest Elder of the Profound Sound Pavilion, escorting a merchant ship back occasionally is part of his duty and allows him to earn a sum of spirit stones.

No regrets!

...

"Is Elder Lin going to take on this merchant ship escort mission?"

Fairy Ni Chang, the Sect Leader of the Profound Sound Pavilion, was somewhat surprised. She hadn’t expected Elder Lin Chang’an, who usually stayed away from the public, to unusually propose to take on this escort mission.

Facing Fairy Ni Chang’s surprise, Lin Chang’an maintained a calm expression, sighed melancholically, and said:

"I’ve been away from my homeland for nearly fifty years. Back then, my sole focus was on forming my core. Now it’s time to go back and see it."

A hint of sadness flashed across Lin Chang’an’s brow. Coupled with the earlier arrangement of sending a letter through a subordinate, Fairy Ni Chang suddenly understood.

"I see. It’s just right that the trade route is now open. Next year, a merchant ship will be heading back, so I will trouble Elder Lin with it."

Fairy Ni Chang showed a sliver of an apologetic expression, mixed with a sense of envy in her heart.

At least this Elder Lin still has old friends to care about, but as for her?

It seems she was placed under great expectations from the moment she joined the Sect, resulting in her seldom connecting emotionally with her junior sisters, spending every day in arduous cultivation.

Following that, the turbulent situation in the Yue Kingdom compelled her to focus keenly on her cultivation. Finally, when she barely formed her core, the Profound Sound Pavilion faced an attack from two major sects joining forces.

Her life may have seemed extraordinarily radiant in the eyes of outsiders, but only she knew her internal weariness.

Yet, naturally, Lin Chang’an knew none of this. Seeing Fairy Ni Chang agree, he cupped his hands in gratitude and said:

"Thank you, Sect Leader."

...

Lin Chang’an returned to Celestial Spring Peak once more. As for the flourishing life on Five Dragons Island, while he felt some envy, he also understood that gaining certain things always came with losses.

If he were to establish a force now and expand on Five Dragons Island, the spirit stone revenue would naturally increase greatly.

But building a force is also a kind of burden, and in the initial stages of power development, it can hold him back.

"With my visible Tier Three Array Master skills and my hidden Tier Three Alchemist and Talisman Master abilities, if I were to fully pursue profits, I wouldn’t be any worse off than some of these small forces."

At this time, within the cavern dwelling, Lin Chang’an furrowed his brow slightly as, after using his doppelganger technique, his clone was refining a batch of pills.

"Though getting Tier Three pill formulas is fairly manageable, the difficulty lies in gathering the spirit grass for these recipes, whereas the legacy of Tier Three talismans is relatively rare."

It’s said that Tier Three skills are highly valued, and these major forces wouldn’t easily leak them out.

"However, this Tier Three array legacy is openly displayed, and with the Profound Sound Pavilion’s heritage, there’s no need to worry about arrays for the time being."

At the moment, Lin Chang’an was holding a bundle of array jade scrolls copied from the Profound Sound Pavilion.

"Moo!"

Within the pavilion, the Cyan-Horned Bull mooed pleasingly as it approached him.

"Alright, the Phoenix Cry Bird has a cultivation treasure ground, but this place isn’t bad for you either. You must strive diligently, don’t let cultivation slip."

Patting the Cyan-Horned Bull, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but shake his head in envy.

With its upper-grade bloodline and Tier Two Late Stage cultivation, its path to breaking through to Tier Three is much easier than his own.

"But breaking through to Tier Three still isn’t something that can be done overnight."

The Cyan-Horned Bull’s bloodline is quite decent, but compared to the Phoenix Cry Bird, it’s not in the same league.

However, observing the intelligence in the Cyan-Horned Bull, seeing first its companion Phoenix Cry Bird advance, followed by its master himself, would make it understandable if it felt any urgency.

"Thinking about fate, you could be considered to have won by luck."

Looking at the Cyan-Horned Bull, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but feel a mix of amused exasperation and envy.

When the Phoenix Cry Bird was advancing, he made numerous careful plans, fearing any mistake.

When it came time for his own core formation, he was also exceedingly cautious, nearly getting sold out even while aboard a spirit ship.

But now, as it comes down to the Cyan-Horned Bull, both he and the Phoenix Cry Bird have formed their cores, making the preparation of the Cyan-Horned Bull’s core formation spiritual objects much simpler by comparison.

"Just so happens, I’ve gathered resources these past years for Spirit Supplement Pills; I’ll conveniently collect some core formation spiritual objects for you too."

With a flicker in his eyes, Lin Chang’an noted that while the Phoenix Cry Bird couldn’t be exposed openly for now, the Cyan-Horned Bull could.

Moreover, with its upper-grade bloodline, the Cyan-Horned Bull had a high chance of core formation; otherwise, he wouldn’t expend resources on it.

Furthermore, the Cyan-Horned Bull, by calculation, is just over ninety years old, not even a hundred. Over these years, he felt the increase in its lifespan nurtured by his Celestial Spiritual Qi.

This increase in the Cyan-Horned Bull’s longevity might have it outlast its Demon Beast kin. Thus, to break into Tier Three, it should prepare thoroughly, laying a better foundation for a longer journey, ultimately saving resources for him in the future.

"But first, let me tidy things up and prepare for the journey back to the Yue Kingdom next year."