The Guilty Grand Steward!

[Death Log]--

[Name: Meng Nan]

[Age: 40]

[Cause of Death: Three Cavities without a gate, Qi Deviation]

[Cultivation Before Death: True Essence Stage, Sense Imprint Realm]

[Retrocognition: Two Months]

Seeing Qian Yu again in this fourth life, Meng Nan was filled with emotion.

Compared to the previous three lives, the situation in this one could be considered excellent.

In the 22nd year of the Immortal Calendar, Meng Nan advanced to the True Qi Stage and was able to enter Tianlin Cave for cultivation.

At that time, future Immortal Master Zheng Shanpeng still had ten years before he could advance to Immortal Master.

Upon entering, Meng Nan immediately latched onto Zheng Shanpeng, becoming his disciple. He also utilized the intelligence gathered by his three disciples in the third life, who had spent twenty years in Tianlin Cave gathering information. In his third life, Meng Nan had even compiled biographical sketches for every cultivator in the True Essence Stage there.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

With such foresight and intelligence in hand, Meng Nan thrived in Tianlin Cave.

He fawned over Zheng Shanpeng.

He privately befriended fellow disciples from all walks of life.

Later, he mentored many of the newcomers.

In addition, he had taken many disciples in Yinlian Village and the three hundred villages, including Chen De, Wang An, and Chu Zhongliang, a total of thirty-four people who entered Tianlin Cave.

Each of them had the potential to advance to the True Essence Stage.

In fact, two of them had already advanced to True Essence.

The remaining thirty-two were also outstanding cultivators in the True Qi Stage.

He had backing.

He had connections.

He understood alchemy.

He had also mastered the 'Giant Spirit God' secret technique, making his combat power unparalleled among those at the same level.

Meng Nan truly felt like a fish in water after entering Tianlin Cave.

Qi Accumulation.

Qi Cleansing.

True Essence Sense Imprint.

Leveraging his precognitive advantage, the guidance of Immortal Masters, and his own hard work.

In the 22nd year of the Immortal Calendar, Meng Nan advanced to True Qi.

In the 29th year of the Immortal Calendar, he advanced to True Essence.

In the 32nd year of the Immortal Calendar, Zheng Shanpeng advanced to Qi Refining, and Meng Nan became the Deputy Manager of the Four Arts Hall, overseeing alchemy and medicine.

In the 35th year of the Immortal Calendar, Meng Nan completed five stages of Sense Imprint, reaching the peak of True Essence. He was then officially appointed as the Manager of the Four Arts Hall, in charge of alchemy, artifacts, talismans, and formations in Tianlin Cave, wielding immense power and known as the Grand Manager.

In the 40th year of the Immortal Calendar, the city construction plans were finalized. Meng Nan secured a position among the veteran True Essence cultivators of Tianlin Cave, tasked with overseeing the construction of 'Angming City', one of the eight cities.

Two months later, due to a mistake in circulating his Qi through the Three Cavities, he suffered Qi Deviation, ruining his promising situation.

"This Qi Deviation caused me to lose memories and my cultivation regressed."

"Coincidentally, I am now tasked with overseeing the construction of 'Angming City'. This is a lucrative position that I cannot refuse."

Meng Nan looked at Qian Yu. "For the next while, I will have to trouble Senior Sister to stay at Angming Mountain and assist me along with Xiaoshuang. Currently, there are two True Essence disciples under me here, and four True Essence friends from Tianlin Cave will also arrive soon. This situation should be manageable."

This was a happy problem.

The situation Meng Nan took on in this life was even better than in his third life.

Grand Manager of the Four Arts Hall!

In charge of Tianlin Cave's finances!

Meng Nan could be considered one of the most powerful figures under the two Immortal Masters.

His only rivals were Han Kun of the Transmission Hall and Yang Wenchong of the Enforcement Hall.

With such a status, and now being responsible for overseeing the construction of a city, the benefits were immense, enough to satisfy Meng Nan.

Even with his cultivation regressed and memories lost, Meng Nan wanted to push through this time and seize the opportunity for advancement.

Fortunately, he had many allies.

Internally, Zhao Xiaoshuang, already in the True Essence Stage. She cultivated the 'Giant Spirit God' and possessed the 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique', her combat power was no less than Meng Nan's at that time.

Qian Yu was also at the fifth level of Sense Imprint.

Two more True Essence disciples were reliable confidants.

Finally, there were four close friends from Tianlin Cave, all True Essence masters of noble character who prioritized righteousness.

This brought Meng Nan's fully trustworthy True Essence subordinates to eight.

Through these eight, he could command even more True Essence cultivators who attached themselves to him due to his position as Grand Steward, with over forty available from this group.

The three hundred village chieftains also had hundreds of True Essence cultivators.

Whether directly or indirectly, Meng Nan could now control them all.

With such strength, overseeing the construction of a city to guard against petty criminals was not an issue. Coupled with his experience from his third life, Meng Nan was well aware of the potential dangers and unforeseen events during the construction of Angming City.

His primary concern, however, was internal.

For example, a summons from an Immortal Master.

Or provocation from fellow disciples.

Provocation from fellow disciples was actually manageable. Meng Nan had once gained considerable renown in Tianlin Cave, being unrivaled there thanks to the 'Giant Spirit God'.

His greatest fear now was being summoned by an Immortal Master.

"I've already declared that I will not return to the mountain until the city is built!"

This city was meant to take ten years to complete, but Meng Nan aimed to finish it in eight. He hoped he could hold out.

If the Immortal Master were to forcefully summon him—

"Then it's a matter of luck."

Meng Nan clutched a jade pendant artifact in his hand that concealed his cultivation, placing all his hope in it.

Meanwhile.

After hearing Meng Nan's explanation, Qian Yu's expression immediately turned grim. "How could it come to this?"

Qi Deviation!

Regression in cultivation!

Memory loss!

The blow to Meng Nan was too great.

He was once a high-ranking Grand Steward, reaching the fifth level of Sense Imprint, and one of the few True Essence cultivators most likely to ascend to Qi Refining under Master Zheng.

But now, he had suffered Qi Deviation and fallen to such a state?

Qian Yu found it difficult to accept.

"It's alright."

"If my cultivation is gone, I'll just cultivate it back."

Meng Nan was more composed.

He was already accustomed to it.

After comforting Qian Yu for a moment, Meng Nan glanced at his younger brother, Meng Jian. The latter understood and went into the room, retrieving two magical artifacts and presenting them before Qian Yu.

"These are—"

Qian Yu looked at Meng Nan.

Meng Nan smiled. "These two magical artifacts were personally crafted for you by Senior Brother Zhu from the Hall of Four Arts over the past two years. This saber is made primarily from a piece of high-grade Blood Flame Stone, not far from being a true magical artifact, capable of slaying demons and evils. This tortoise shell was left by a ten-thousand-year-old turtle from Black Water Marsh, mixed with Essence of Five Metals, and refined. They are for self-defense; True Essence cannot easily break them."

Senior Brother Zhu.

Zhu Keda.

He was one of the three deputy stewards in the Hall of Four Arts, the foremost artifact refiner in Tianlin Cave below the Immortal Masters.

With the intelligence from his third life, Meng Nan remembered the origins of various treasures and rare materials. He had acquired them one by one in this life, possessing no shortage of extraordinary treasures. His relationship with Zhu Keda was also excellent.

Meng Jian's 'Evil Slaying Sword', Meng Santan's 'Fire Tipped Spear' and 'Qiankun Ring' were also crafted in a similar manner.

He himself, and Zhao Xiaoshuang, also had their own rare magical artifacts.

These two artifacts were specifically made for Qian Yu.

Qian Yu, along with the couple, hailed from Yinlian Village. They had been collaborating and progressing together since Immortal Calendar year 19, and were trustworthy.

Meng Nan, possessing treasures, naturally wouldn't forget her.

"What fine magical artifacts!"

Qian Yu could roughly discern their quality with a glance.

These saber and tortoise shell were likely no inferior to Meng Santan's two artifacts. With these two in hand, her combat power would be further enhanced.

Aware of the heavy responsibility on her shoulders, Qian Yu did not refuse and accepted them directly.

But it wasn't over yet.

Meng Nan then took out a ball of black silk from his sleeve and handed it to Qian Yu, saying, "This item is called the 'Asura Net.' It was left behind by a senior, and I stumbled upon it a few years ago."

This Asura Net was foul, vicious, and unparalleled. When cast into the air, it immediately summoned gloomy clouds and oppressive mist. Within the ten-thousand-foot black smoke, countless imps, yakshas, and the like swarmed.

Though phantoms, they possessed power.

Meng Nan had obtained this in his early years. Relying on his foresight, he had acquired it before others could, always keeping it as a hidden trump card, never revealing it.

After obtaining it, he had continuously fed the imps and yakshas within with 'Iron Token Essence Blood' in secret, further enhancing its power.

Once unleashed, it was all phantoms. If an enemy so much as divided their focus, they would lose their life.

Meng Nan's cultivation was gone now, and this magical artifact was of little use to him. It was better to hand it over to Qian Yu for now, borrowing her strength to protect himself.

Sense Imprint fifth level.

Bloodflame Blade and Tortoise Shell Shield.

Coupled with this 'Asura Net.'

Qian Yu would then be invincible among True Essence cultivators.

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