At the same time, Li Zhi also learned that the original Primordial Longevity Art was in the hands of the master of this grotto-heaven's senior brother.
His senior brother was a genuine powerhouse at the Great Sage Level.
His senior brother's grotto-heaven was not in the Qinling Mountains, but atop Mount Tai—a genuine Great Sage's Grotto-heaven.
The owner of this grotto-heaven had only reached the Saint realm during his lifetime.
Moreover, he had been a relatively poor Saint.
He had spent all his wealth purchasing various kinds of Spiritual Blood.
In the end, he had lived for eight thousand years before undergoing Dao Dissolution.
According to his description, he had lived during the period between Emperor Void and Emperor Heng Yu.
After roughly reading through those things, Li Zhi tossed and turned all night without falling asleep.
The next day, just after dawn, he shouldered his belongings and left the Worship Terrace.
As for the corpses of those people, they would soon be gnawed clean by the beasts in the mountains.
Carrying the Myriad Bath Furnace and Jade Scroll, Li Zhi did not return to the city. Instead, he went back to his hometown.
He immediately began renovating the house.
He also built a brand-new Secret Chamber fifteen meters underground.
Afterward, he copied those scriptures twice and stored the originals and copies inside the underground Secret Chamber.
At the same time, he also returned the copy of Stealing Heavenly Secrets, the Small Flat Shovel, Brush, and Oil Lamp to the Secret Chamber.
Finally, carrying the Luoyang Shovel and Snakeskin Bag, as well as a Compilation Edition of the Primordial Longevity Art, he returned to the city.
Four months had already passed since he had left this time.
The two little ones at home were also about to celebrate their first birthdays.
"Honey, you're back."
When he returned home, Zhou Mei threw herself directly into Li Zhi's arms.
Li Zhi held her and spun around twice before setting her down. He said, "I'm back. The house in my hometown has also been renovated. When the New Year comes, our whole family can go back and live there."
Zhou Mei smiled and nodded, then bragged, "Go take a look at our two little treasures. They can both call for Mommy now."
Li Zhi said, "That's only because I wasn't home. If I had been here, they definitely would have learned to call for Daddy first."
He then went straight to the children's room. At that moment, the two children were taking their afternoon nap.
Li Zhi did not disturb them. He merely glanced at them beside the bed before going downstairs.
When he returned to the living room, Zhou Mei seemed somewhat disgusted. "You're filthy. Hurry up and go wash."
Li Zhi pulled Zhou Mei toward him. "Come with me."
Zhou Mei's cheeks flushed slightly. "There are people at home."
"They won't disturb us."
After that, the two of them took a romantic bath together.
Before long, Li Zhi, feeling completely refreshed, returned to the living room with Zhou Mei, whose face was glowing with happiness.
Li Zhi asked, "Has anything happened at home recently?"
Zhou Mei said, "Nothing much at home, and the company is doing very well too. Brother Dapeng is still very responsible and has helped me shoulder quite a bit of work."
Li Zhi nodded. "From now on, if there's anything you can't handle, let Brother Dapeng do it. He knows what to do."
Li Zhi had arranged for Li Dapeng to work at the company at home not because he truly wanted him to work, but because he wanted him to protect Zhou Mei.
For this reason, Li Zhi had already paid him five million yuan in advance as a settlement allowance. In the future, he would also receive a one-million-yuan bonus for handling each matter.
For Li Dapeng, who had served as a reconnaissance soldier for five years, there was no problem with his abilities.
Afterward, Li Zhi asked again, "Has Ye Fan come to the house looking for me recently?"
Zhou Mei said, "He came twice. After hearing that you were building a house in your hometown, he didn't want to disturb you."
Recently, Li Zhi had been exceptionally busy researching the newly acquired Cultivation Method and cultivation insights, attempting to activate the Myriad Bath Furnace, and dealing with the house construction in his hometown. He had nearly forgotten Ye Fan.
He did not know the exact time when the Nine Dragons Coffin Transport would descend.
He could only deduce the precise time of its arrival through Ye Fan's activities.
If he missed the timing, it would be too late for regrets.
There were so many people on Mount Tai, yet only Ye Fan and his classmates were drawn into the bronze coffin. The only foreigner who had nothing to do with Ye Fan was a friend brought by Li Xiaoman.
That could also be considered an indirect connection to Ye Fan.
As for the other people atop Jade Emperor Peak, none of them had any chance to board the Nine Dragons Coffin Transport.
There were no exceptions whatsoever.
If one claimed this was a coincidence, Li Zhi would never believe it, even if beaten to death.
That was also why Li Zhi had gone to such lengths to build a good relationship with Ye Fan.
Afterward, Zhou Mei said, "Your little brother Ye Fan recently got a very beautiful girlfriend. He even brought her home."
Li Zhi asked curiously, "That kid finally came to his senses? He stopped focusing on his career and started looking for a girlfriend? What's her name?"
Zhou Mei said, "Xu Qiong."
Calculating the time, Ye Fan had already graduated from university two years ago.
There was only about one year left until the Nine Dragons Coffin Transport descended upon Earth.
A sense of urgency immediately rose in Li Zhi's heart.
There was not much time left for him on Earth, yet the Primordial Longevity Art was still missing its most important Celestial Platform Chapter.
Li Zhi felt that, no matter what, he had to obtain the complete scripture before the Nine Dragons Coffin Transport descended upon Earth.
A Cultivation Method that granted one a third more Lifespan than others was practically tailor-made for him.
For an ordinary person like him, who had almost no chance of obtaining a complete Emperor Scripture, the Quasi-Emperor Level scripture Primordial Longevity Art might be the best Cultivation Method he could obtain before he grew up.
Especially a Cultivation Method that continuously strengthened one's Life Force and constantly purified one's Wheel of Life—it was even rarer.
He might really have to take the risk and make a trip to the Great Sage's Grotto-heaven on Mount Tai.
Fortunately, he had obtained an accurate map from the Saint's Cave Mansion at the Worship Terrace, so he did not need to waste his efforts searching blindly for its location.
Moreover, Earth was currently in the Era of Dharma Decline. The Heaven and Earth Essence was practically nonexistent, so the Formation surrounding the Great Sage's Grotto-heaven definitely could not withstand the suppression of the Dharma-Ending Aura.
Perhaps because the essence had dispersed, it had already lost all its power.
Just like the Saint's Cave Mansion at the Qin Mountains Worship Terrace, which had shriveled to the point of imminent collapse. After he took the Myriad Bath Furnace, the grotto-heaven had collapsed directly.
At present, this might be the best time to explore the Great Sage's Grotto-heaven.
Once Earth's spiritual energy recovered in the future, perhaps the Formation outside that grotto-heaven would also recover its power.
By then, trying to enter would not be easy.
Of course, there was no need to rush.
After staying at home with Zhou Mei, Li Jizu, and Little Xian'er for more than a month, he celebrated the two little ones' first birthday.
He also invited Ye Fan and his girlfriend Xu Qiong to attend the birthday banquet for Li Jizu and Li Xian'er.
At the banquet, looking at Li Zhi's healthy complexion, Ye Fan asked curiously, "Brother Li, have you gained anything new these past few months?"
Li Zhi said, "Same as always."
Ye Fan asked curiously, "I heard you spent ten million to buy a Cultivation Method?"
Li Zhi's expression changed slightly. He asked, "Who told you that?"
Ye Fan smiled. "I heard it from a friend. Apparently, an old man surnamed Xu was selling an ancient Cultivation Method for ten million, and a sucker named Li Zhi actually took the bait. I was wondering if the sucker they were talking about might be you, Brother Li."
Li Zhi said, "Five million. I'll sell you a copy of the Cultivation Method. Do you want it?"
Ye Fan shook his head immediately. "I'll pass. It's another Cultivation Method that can't be cultivated. It would be useless to me."
The Breathing Method and the opening chapter of the Longevity Art that Ye Fan cultivated had shown a little effect at first, but by now, they had stopped having even the slightest effect.
This left him deeply skeptical of Cultivation Methods that claimed to have been passed down from ancient times.
Afterward, Li Zhi asked again, "When are you planning to marry your girlfriend?"
Ye Fan said, "In another two years."
Li Zhi patted him on the shoulder. "Don't wait so long that nothing ever comes of it."
Ye Fan smiled. "That won't happen. My parents like Xu Qiong very much. Once we have children in the future, I'll bring my parents over to live with us. By then, I'll have the two little ones in your family play with them."
Li Zhi smiled. "Definitely."
After the birthday banquet ended, Li Zhi and his whole family returned to Da Li Village and stayed there for some time. At the same time, he placed the Myriad Bath Furnace, which he had been unable to activate, inside the Secret Chamber.
Although it was only the size of a fist, weighing more than two hundred kilograms made it far too conspicuous.
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