Master Travels the Immortal Realm (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Jiang Xueqi's eyes shone brightly. "Talisman Master Shen, no wonder my husband is willing to work for you. You're truly generous!"

Having married Zhao Chunsheng and with two children, she had always been frugal.

She had never encountered a Fellow Daoist who would gift over a dozen high-quality talismans in one go.

Shen Xuan quickly waved his hands. "Fellow Daoist Jiang, you jest. My wife's and my lives depend on this, and we'll need your help in the future."

"Don't worry! I won't take these talismans for free."

Jiang Xueqi had lived in this area for over a decade and knew Shen Xuan.

He was a cautious and diligent cultivator who, after turning sixty, had accidentally broken through to Qi Refining Level 4.

Although he was a Mid-grade Talisman Master, no one had ever heard of him fighting anyone.

Jiang Xueqi tidied up her home and then moved into Shen Xuan's residence, sharing a room with Ding Yuyao.

Shen Xuan, meanwhile, rested in the training room or talisman-making room.

To be safe, Shen Xuan didn't leave the market town. He stopped cultivating at the bottom of the Longze River and focused on making Spring Return Talismans to earn Spirit Stones.

Subsequently, cultivator corpses began appearing in the shantytown area of Qinglong Bay Market.

The Ding Family's enforcement team investigated the scene and confirmed that the deceased were rogue cultivators from the shantytown.

Suddenly, the rogue cultivators in the shantytown were in a panic.

Some gathered enough Spirit Stones to hide within the market town.

Others moved out of the shantytown's shanties to find new places to develop.

Most rogue cultivators remained indifferent.

They were the lowest rung of the Cultivation World; if they had Spirit Stones, they wouldn't be living in the shantytown.

In response, the Ding Family increased patrols and enforcement in the shantytown.

More than ten days later, news arrived.

A high-level cultivator from the Ding Family had captured a group of robber cultivators who killed for wealth.

After a public trial, they were all hanged at the entrance of the market town.

"That's great, robber cultivators deserve to die!"

"As expected of the Ding Family of Qinglong Bay!"

"Justice has been served!"

Those living in the shantytown and benefiting from Qinglong Bay Market's spiritual energy also had to pay rent to the Ding Family.

However, it was much cheaper than in the market town, costing only two Spirit Stones per year.

The Ding Family's high-level cultivators taking action was also to stabilize the morale of the rogue cultivators in the market town.

After all, these rogue cultivators worked tirelessly like oxen and horses year-round, earning Spirit Stones for the Ding Family.

Shen Xuan did not leave the market town again.

He cultivated and made talismans.

His life was fulfilling yet monotonous.

Seeing the ever-increasing number of Spirit Stones, Shen Xuan felt motivated.

Ever since the Ding Family announced the capture and hanging of the robber cultivators, the security in Qinglong Bay Market had returned to its previous state of tranquility. No more cultivators were robbed and killed in the shantytown.

As for outside the market town, the Ding Family's influence didn't reach, and they neither could nor would manage it.

One day, Shen Xuan received a letter.

The letter was from Dragon Gate Market Town on Qingyun Mountain.

That was where Master Yan had settled later.

It was directly under the Qingyun Sect, with good security.

"Has the Master ascended?"

After reading the letter, Shen Xuan felt a pang of sorrow.

Master Yan was his teaching master, who had discovered him in the mortal world.

He taught him Daoist methods, guided him through Qi Induction, and took him to participate in the Qingyun Sect's entrance test.

Even after being tested with an Inferior Spirit Root, Master Yan did not give up. He gifted him the Divine Treasure Canghai Technique, wrote to an old acquaintance, and introduced him to seek refuge.

Master Yan's acquaintance was a veteran spiritual plant farmer. Out of respect for Master Yan, he taught Shen Xuan the Cloud Rain Technique for free.

Shen Xuan found the spiritual plant farmer's life too arduous. After farming for a year and saving some money, he decisively switched to making talismans.

Now, upon learning of Master Yan's ascension, he suddenly realized that forty-nine years had passed since they last parted.

He wondered how his former classmates were doing now.

The Qingyun Sect was the top sect in the State of Song, with several Golden Core True Persons residing within it.

From Qinglong Bay to Qingyun Mountain, a journey of three thousand li.

Old Liu's carriage was pulled by Blood-sweating Horses, which were very fast.

Hearing that Shen Xuan was in a hurry, he traveled day and night without rest.

In just three days, Shen Xuan arrived at Dragon Gate Market Town.

This was already very close to Qingyun Mountain, serving as Qingyun Sect's outpost.

When traveling to Qingyun Sect from the west, Dragon Gate Market Town was a necessary stop.

At the market town's entrance, Shen Xuan took out his Identity Jade Token from Qinglong Bay and entered after registering.

Old Liu, meanwhile, drove the carriage to the secular world to rest.

Shen Xuan left behind a Messaging Talisman.

He would send a message to Old Liu to return to Qinglong Bay together when he left the market town.

Following the address indicated in the letter, Shen Xuan quickly found Master Yan's Former Residence.

At the entrance, a plump man in mourning clothes waved at him.

"Shen Xuan, come here quickly, over here!"

Shen Xuan's eyes lit up.

This person was Wang Fugui, his former classmate.

Walking over, Wang Fugui skillfully changed Shen Xuan into Sackcloth Clothes and put a white cloth on him.

"You've come at the right time. We'll keep vigil tonight, and the funeral will be tomorrow."

Shen Xuan followed Wang Fugui inside and looked at the portrait of Master Yan in the Mourning Hall, tears welling up in his eyes.

He looked solemn and bowed respectfully.

Then, he picked up three Incense Sticks, lit them with the Candlelight, extinguished the incense, and knelt and kowtowed to Master Yan's Spirit Tablet again.

After standing up, Shen Xuan, holding the incense sticks, steadily placed them into the Incense Burner, his eyes already glistening with tears.

Fifty years, a mere flash in the pan.

The youthful ambition of his student days, Master Yan's voice and smile, seemed like it was just yesterday.

Master Yan had no children. Kneeling beside them as family were the two Immortal Seedlings he had last taught.

That night, Shen Xuan and Wang Fugui personally kept wake for Master Yan.

"What about the other classmates?"

"I've sent letters to everyone."

Wang Fugui had an Inferior Spirit Root. After failing the sect's test, he immediately chose to marry into a Liu family Foundation Establishment Cultivation Family.

He was also the most lively among the seven classmates back then.

"Twenty-seven years ago, Ling Zhenfeng died. I heard he died in a war between cultivation families."

In Shen Xuan's mind, a sixteen-year-old black-clothed youth with determined eyes appeared.

Ling Zhenfeng was from a Jianghu Aristocratic Family and was skilled in martial arts.

He never expected that he, with the same Inferior Spirit Root, would die so early.

"Li Changan is doing well. Like me, he married into a Yu Family Cultivation Family and has many descendants."

Wang Fugui mentioned the son-in-law aspect without any unusual reaction.

It wasn't easy to become a son-in-law in a cultivation family.

Spirit Root, background, temperament, character, and so on, all played a part.

Although Li Changan also had an Inferior Spirit Root, his Earth Spirit Root was as high as 9 points, making him very suitable for farming.

"As for Zhao Sujin, she married well. Her two sons both have Spirit Roots."

Zhao Sujin had a Low-grade Spiritual Root and was a female cultivator.

After the sect test, Master Yan personally vetted her and chose a good marriage for her.

"You know that the Young Marquis and Princess Xinyue joined Qingyun Sect."

Wang Fugui suddenly hesitated.

"I heard, just heard. Princess Xinyue has already established her Dao Foundation, and its quality is extraordinary!"

"Really?"

Hearing this, Shen Xuan was somewhat surprised.

In his memory, Princess Xinyue was still that cold and aloof girl, like a Tianshan Snow Lotus.

"What about the Young Marquis?"

Wang Fugui shot Shen Xuan a look.

"Big brother, establishing a Foundation! It's not that easy!"

"When the Young Marquis arrives later, absolutely do not mention Foundation Establishment."

"Okay."

Midnight. It was already the early hours of the morning.

A carriage sped over and stopped at the entrance of the mourning hall.

Soon, a female cultivator dressed as a woman walked in. It was Zhao Sujin, whom he hadn't seen in many years.

She bowed, lit incense, and performed the kowtow ritual.

After placing the incense stick, Zhao Sujin similarly changed into sackcloth clothes and put on the white cloth.

"You're here!"

Zhao Sujin didn't speak. She nodded, silently knelt to the side, sobbing softly, tears streaming down her face.

After a while, a burly, strong man rushed over, clumsily lighting incense and kneeling.

It was Li Changan, who had married into a cultivation family, reeking of dirt.

"Shen Xuan, Wang Fugui, Zhao Sujin, I'm late!"

Li Changan mumbled, as if he had done something wrong.

"You're not late. Hurry and change, then keep the wake with us!"

Wang Fugui said comfortingly.

"Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, outside the mourning hall, a sword cry suddenly rang out. The zheng zheng sound was like thunder, sharp and urgent.

Someone actually dared to fly on their sword within Dragon Gate Market Town!