Five Years

Two weeks passed quickly.

In Green Lotus Garden, Shen Long, Qian Dafu, and a Purple-Skirted Woman with a graceful figure sat in a Cyan Stone Pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

"Junior Brother Shen, I only have one set of materials. Are you confident you can successfully refine it?"

The Purple-Skirted Woman looked at Shen Long with anticipation.

Shen Long nodded and said, "No problem, one set of materials is enough."

"Senior Brother Shen's alchemy skills are very high; one set of materials is enough. Senior Sister Li has found the right person."

Qian Dafu said with a smile.

The Purple-Skirted Woman nodded and said with a smile, "That's why I sought out Junior Brother Shen Junior Brother Shen. Thank you for your help."

"Senior Sister Li, you're too kind. I wasn't helping for free."

Shen Long smiled slightly.

He helped the other party refine pills, and the other party paid him a full fee.

Qian Dafu took out a Dharma Disk that shimmered with purple light, cast a spell on it, frowned, hesitated for a moment, looked at Shen Long, and said politely, "Senior Brother Shen, Senior Brother Bai wants to spar with you."

"Senior Brother Bai? Which Senior Brother Bai?"

Shen Long was slightly taken aback; he didn't recognize any fellow disciples with the surname Bai!

"Senior Brother Bai Yunlong, a descendant of Master Bai, is one of the 72 Talents. He's a well-known martial arts fanatic. He was away on business, and after returning to the General Headquarters, he kept asking me about you, wanting to challenge you to a match. I don't know how he knew you were back."

Qian Dafu said.

The "Master Bai" he mentioned is the Snow Spider Fairy. Bai Yunlong is quite powerful and often spars with his fellow disciples, making him well-known.

"I heard that Senior Brother Bai is stuck at a bottleneck and is sparring with people everywhere."

"That's what the Purple-Skirted Woman said."

"Junior Brother Qian, where is Senior Brother Bai now?"

Shen Long asked.

"It's right outside Green Lotus Garden."

Qian Dafu said.

"Please let him in! He's a guest, after all."

Shen Long said.

Bai Yunlong was, after all, a descendant of the Snow Spider Fairy, so Shen Long couldn't treat him poorly. However, if it was just a friendly spar, Shen Long wouldn't mind.

Qian Dafu responded and got up to leave.

"Junior Brother Shen, you and Senior Brother Bai can continue your conversation. I'll take my leave now."

The Purple-Skirted Woman rose to take her leave.

Not long after, Qian Dafu led in a burly man in a white shirt. The man had large hands and feet, sharp eyes, and a faint Sha Qi of menace about him.

"Junior Brother Shen, I've heard about you from other disciples before. It's great to finally meet you today. To be Junior Brother Shen, I'm stuck at a bottleneck and would like to spar with you to see if I can break through it. What do Junior Brother Shen think?"

Bai Yunlong got straight to the point.

Shen Long was taken aback at first, then nodded and said, "No problem, this isn't the place for a duel. Let's spar at the Martial Arts Peak!"

"Okay, it's a deal. Let's get going right away."

Bai Yunlong readily agreed, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.

The three of them arrived at Martial Arts Peak and asked for a Blue Stone Arena.

Shen Long and Bai Yunlong jumped onto the same Blue Stone Arena. Qian Dafu activated the Formation, and a Cyan Light Screen appeared, covering the entire arena.

As soon as the competition began, Bai Yunlong flicked his sleeve, and a two-zhang-long White Ice Spear shot out, heading straight for Shen Long.

With a flick of his wrist, Shen Long unleashed a blinding burst of spiritual light from the Five Spirit Beads, and a thick, Five-Colored Light Screen appeared, protecting Shen Long's entire body.

The White Ice Spear struck the five-colored Five-Colored Light Screen Five-Colored Light Screen with a muffled thud, but the barrier remained completely still.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and a large number of white snowflakes fell from the sky, flying towards Shen Long.

The white snowflakes turned into white icicles halfway through their flight, heading straight for Shen Long.

"Flying Snow Technique at its Great Perfection!"

Shen Long's expression hardened.

He made a hand seal, and a large amount of crimson flames surged in the void. After blurring for a moment, they transformed into Giant Fireball that rushed forward.

Numerous Giant Fireball collided with dense white ice spikes, unleashing a deafening roar and filling the air with white mist.

Bai Yunlong snorted coldly, patted the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist with his right hand, and more than 30,000 white ants flew out from it— the Cold Crystal Ant.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned over 30,000 Cold Crystal Ant, which coalesced into a White Ice Spear several meters long, hurtling straight toward the opposite side.

A Cyan Tornado swept in, colliding with the White Ice Spear Cyan Tornado. The Cyan Tornado exploded, unleashing hundreds of Giant Wind Blade that struck the White Ice Spear one after another. The White Ice Spear disintegrated, transforming into more than 30,000 Cold Crystal Ant.

These Cold Crystal Ant suddenly solidified, transforming into White Arrow that shot straight towards the opposite side, defeating Shen Long.

Shen Long made a hand seal, and Giant Fireball appeared in the void behind him, meeting the incoming White Arrow.

A deafening explosion rang out, and Giant Fireball burst open, engulfing the White Arrow in billowing flames. Before the flames had even dissipated, a Cyan Tornado swept in, its powerful airflow causing the flames to flicker and die. Countless Cold Crystal Ant were sucked into the Cyan Tornado and shredded into a cloud of blood mist.

Bai Yunlong's body emitted a bright white light, and his body transformed into a blur as he rushed straight towards Shen Long.

Shen Long raised both hands simultaneously, and two Giant Wind Blade shot out, slashing towards Bai Yunlong.

A blinding white light flashed from Bai Yunlong's boots. He swayed, dodging two Giant Wind Blade, and suddenly appeared in front of Shen Long.

He opened his mouth and let out a loud roar, spitting out a sonic wave that went straight for Shen Long.

The sound waves struck the Five-Colored Light Screen, Five-Colored Light Screen remained completely still.

Bai Yunlong flipped his right hand, and a flash of white light appeared in his hand, along with a long staff that shimmered with white light. He swung the white staff and smashed it towards the Five-Colored Light Screen.

The white staff struck the Five-Colored Light Screen with a muffled thud, causing Five-Colored Light Screen screen to dent.

Giant Fireball surged forth from the void behind Shen Long, hurtling towards Bai Yunlong.

Just as Bai Yunlong was about to dodge, a sharp insect chirp rang out, like a giant hammer hitting his head, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

When he came to his senses, one Giant Fireball after another slammed into him, flames engulfing Bai Yunlong's body, and most of the arena turned into a Crimson Sea of Fire.

Seeing this, Qian Dafu and the other spectators were shocked.

Shen Long flicked his right hand, and a Blue Small Seal size of a palm flew out, instantly growing larger and crashing into the sea of fire.

A giant white staff flew out from the flames and collided with the Blue Giant Seal, producing a dull thud as metal struck metal.

Shen Long made a hand seal, and a large number of Giant Fireball surged into the void behind him again, while the Iron Tail Scorpion launched Divine Sense Attack.

"Junior Brother Shen, stop! I admit defeat."

Bai Yunlong's urgent voice rang out.

Upon hearing this, Shen Long changed his magic incantation, and the Giant Fireball dissipated completely.

A blinding white light shone from the Crimson Sea of Fire, and the flames quickly dissipated, revealing the figure of Bai Yunlong.

He was enveloped in a faint White Light Screen, and his brow was covered in sweat.

He had mastered the Flying Snow Technique to Great Perfection and gained a significant advantage in sparring with his fellow disciples. He never expected that Shen Long would also master several Second-Rank Spell to Great Perfection.

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Bai!"

Shen Long clasped his hands in a fist salute and said.

"Senior Sister Xu and the others mentioned Junior Brother Shen to me, saying you were very strong. I didn't believe it, but after today's battle, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved."

Bai Yunlong praised, his face full of admiration.

"Senior Brother Bai, you flatter me. If it weren't for the Spirit Insect, I wouldn't have been able to defeat you so easily. You've lost quite a few Spirit Insect, I'm really sorry."

Shen Long said.

In this battle, the Cold Crystal Ant suffered a loss of over ten thousand men, and that was only because Shen Long held back.

"It's nothing. I just released a portion of the Cold Crystal Ant. I thought Junior Brother Shen would release the Gold-Eating Ant to deal with the Cold Crystal Ant."

Bai Yunlong said.

"The Cold Crystal Ant Divine Ability more powerful than the Gold-Eating Ant; even if we release them, they won't be a match for the Cold Crystal Ant."

Shen Long explained.

If he were to release all the Gold-Eating Ant, they might not be a match for the Cold Crystal Ant. In that case, Shen Long would reveal his true strength. However, Bai Yunlong did not release all the Cold Crystal Ant. Ant Queen had not shown up, Shen Long had no need to release all the Gold-Eating Ant.

"Hehe, that's true. I still have tens of thousands of Cold Crystal Ant that I haven't released yet. I've had a good experience with Junior Brother Shen's Divine Ability this time. I'll spar with you again another day. Farewell."

Bai Yunlong chuckled, put away the Cold Crystal Ant, and jumped off the arena.

He summoned a White Flying Boat and left the place.

"Senior Brother Shen! You're amazing!"

Qian Dafu walked over and offered his congratulations.

"It's nothing! Let's go back!"

Shen Long released the Snow Wind Sparrow, which carried him and Qian Dafu away from Martial Arts Peak.

Back at Green Lotus Garden, Shen Long said, "Junior Brother Qian, I plan to go into seclusion to refine pills and produce a batch of Second-tier Medicinal Pill. During this time, please decline any requests from other fellow disciples and remember what they want to ask me."

He had been gone for too long, and there were no Second-tier Medicinal Pill for sale in the shop. Qian Dafu had collected a lot of alchemy materials, enough for Shen Long to refine a batch of Second-tier Medicinal Pill and put them in the shop for sale.

"No problem, Senior Brother Shen, you go ahead with your work! Leave this to me."

Qian Dafu patted his chest in agreement and left Green Lotus Garden.

Shen Long entered the Green Lotus Pavilion and came to a secret room.

He summoned the Crimson Crow Cauldron, took out the alchemy materials, and began refining the elixir.

······

The Zhao Kingdom, the Xu Family.

In a secluded manor, Xu Yunfeng, a beautiful young woman in a purple dress, and a tall young man in a black shirt sat in a Cyan Stone Pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

"Yu Yan, Chen Chi, why are you back?"

Xu Yunfeng asked in a friendly tone.

"We're stuck at a bottleneck, so we're planning to travel. We don't know when we'll be back, so we'll come back to see Ancestor Yunfeng first."

Xu Yuyan said.

She is a disciple of the Hundred Ghosts Sect and is currently in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

"I heard they've found the murderer of Ancestor Yunfeng, and it's been confirmed that he's a disciple of the Spirit Control Sect?"

Chen Chi asked.

He was a descendant of Core Formation Cultivator, and Xu Yuyan was his dao companion.

"It's Shen Long from the Spirit Control Sect. The Golden Condensation Mirror is in his hands, but he has already become a disciple of the Master Ice Silkworm and lives a secluded life, making it too difficult for him to take revenge."

Xu Yunfeng sighed.

"If I can resolve the issue and advance to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, with my great-grandfather's help, my chances of advancing to the Golden Core Realm are quite high. I'll then help you deal with this person. After all, he's just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

Chen Chi promised.

Once he advances to the Golden Core Realm, killing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Qin Kingdom will not be a problem.

"A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. There's no rush. It's enough that you have the will. Be careful when you travel."

Xu Yunfeng said with a smile.

Chen Chi and Xu Yuyan nodded in agreement.

After chatting for about fifteen minutes, they said goodbye and left.

······

Time flies, and five years have passed.

Qin Kingdom, Spirit Control Sect.

In the Green Lotus Garden, the door to a secret room opened, and Shen Long walked out with a smile on his face.

He is currently in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but his Law Power has improved considerably, and he feels that he is not far from the Great Perfection.

Shen Long has been back at the Spirit Control Sect for over five years, living a secluded life. Aside from alchemy, he focuses on cultivating Spirit Insect, Spirit Beast, Spirit Bird, occasionally attending gatherings of Foundation Establishment Cultivator to exchange alchemy insights with other second-tier Alchemist.

The Golden-Winged Wind Peng, Iron Tail Scorpion, Fire Rock Beast, Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada, Gold-Eating Ant Queen, and Green-Eyed Spirit Fox are all currently in the late stage of the second tier, Spirit-Tracking Beast and Snow Wind Sparrow are in the mid stage of the second tier.

When the Golden-Winged Wind Peng advances to a higher realm, Shen Long also benefits. When Shen Long advances to a higher realm, the Golden-Winged Wind Peng's flight speed and attack power increase accordingly, resulting in mutual benefits.

Shen Long has already cultivated the <Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique> to the Sixth Floor, which allows him to withstand High-grade Magical Tool. He is also collecting elixirs and medicinal herbs to strengthen his body.

When he fought against Body Cultivator of the same level, his opponent was inferior to Shen Long in terms of sheer strength, which shows that the <Nine Transformations Dragon Transformation Technique> is indeed very powerful.

He now wants to cultivate to the Great Perfection stage so that he can break through to the Golden Core Realm.

The single Golden Core Spirit Item provided by the sect wasn't enough, so Shen Long planned to purchase another Golden Core Spirit Item.

He had already inquired and found out that a Golden Core Spirit Item costs at least 300,000 Spirit Stone, and the price would be even higher if it were Auction.

Shen Long has been traveling for over ten years, selling many spirit medicine herbs and pills, and hunting Demon Beast, accumulating a considerable amount of wealth. However, he still doesn't have 300,000 spirit Spirit Stone. He plans to sell some of the spirit medicine herbs and fruits he grows on the second floor of the Spirit Control Tower, which should be enough to raise 300,000 Spirit Stone.

Shen Long naturally couldn't sell fire-attribute spirit medicine herbs and fruits in bulk within the sect, so he planned to go to Mystic Yang Marketplace to sell spirit medicine.

He took out Communication Disk that was flashing with blue light, cast a spell, and said, "Junior Brother Qian, Auction recently?"

"Recently? No, is there anything you want to buy?"

Qian Dafu asked.

"No, just asking. If you hear anything about a major Auction, let me know immediately."

Shen Long said.

"Okay, definitely."

Qian Dafu agreed.

After exchanging a few words, Shen Long ended the call and put away the Communication Disk.

After leaving the Green Lotus Garden, Shen Long released the Snow Wind Sparrow Snow Wind Sparrow Snow Wind Sparrow, jumped onto its back, and gently patted its back.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the Snow Wind Sparrow created a gust of cold wind and flew high into the sky.

Upon arriving at Ice Silkworm Valley, Shen Long sent a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Not long after, Chen Bing came out and led Shen Long inside.

They arrived at the Ice Silkworm Pavilion and met the Master Ice Silkworm.

"Disciple greets Master."

Shen Long bowed.

"You've emerged from seclusion. I thought you had reached the Great Perfection stage."

Master Ice Silkworm said with a gentle expression.

"I feel I'm not far from the Great Perfection. Thank you for your concern, Master. Has Senior Brother not returned yet?"

Shen Long asked curiously.

"He hasn't come back yet, you..."

Before Master Ice Silkworm could finish speaking, a loud bell rang out, followed by a dragon's roar that resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

"Startling Dragon Bell! Something terrible has happened! You all stay here, I need to go to a meeting."

Master Ice Silkworm's expression changed, he gave a word of advice, and hurriedly left.

"The Startling Dragon Bell must have happened."

Chen Bing frowned and said.