Baili Changfeng (Please Don't Shelf the Book! Read-Throughs During the New Book Period Are Really Important!)

The quiet room fell back into silence.

In the spacious stone chamber, measuring thirty zhang in length and width, luminous pearls were embedded in the ceiling. Under the soft glow of the pearls, Lei Zhan, who had been sitting cross-legged on a white jade bed, slowly opened his eyes.

"My Qi Refining Path has broken through to the Purple Mansion perfection. Now that it is fully consolidated, it is time to head out."

Lei Zhan stood up from the white jade bed and whispered softly, "Tianbao Mountain is backed by the Great Xia imperial family; magic treasures, rare items, and even intelligence can be traded here. Since I just made a breakthrough these past few days and still have over a hundred jin of Essence Liquid left, it should be enough to buy some intelligence on nearby Wanxiang Great Demons."

When Lei Zhan thought about buying intelligence on Wanxiang Great Demons, he was naturally looking to bring trouble to those demons.

Although the demon race was not as wealthy as human cultivators, they occasionally killed cultivators and seized their treasures, always leaving something behind. Of course, the Great Demons themselves were also worth a fair amount of Essence Liquid.

Most importantly, besides cultivation base, a cultivator must also cultivate their Dao heart. Slaying cultivators who had committed great sins was one thing, but if Lei Zhan were to go around plundering ordinary human cultivators without cause, it would go against the original intent of his cultivation.

Most of these Great Demons were steeped in sin and were fond of capturing humans to keep in captivity, so Lei Zhan felt no burden in killing them.

Moreover, earning Essence Liquid was only one aspect; what Lei Zhan cared about was the process of tempering himself.

There is great terror between life and death, and it is precisely this that allows a cultivator to grow.

Otherwise, if one only increased their realm while neglecting to polish themselves, it would be like building a high tower on an unstable foundation—how could it stand for billions of years without collapsing?

Whether it was comprehending the Dao or honing spear techniques, life-and-death struggles with other cultivators were the fastest ways to grow!

Rumble...

The immensely heavy stone door was slowly pushed open, and Lei Zhan stepped out from behind it.

Outside the quiet room, the bright moon hung high, clear as a silver plate.

The night sky was dotted with thousands of stars, and the light of the stars, accompanied by the moonlight, draped over Lei Zhan's shoulders, adding even more charm to his already handsome face.

Below Tianbao Mountain, one could overlook most of the West City at a glance, where lanterns were woven like fabric in a scene of great prosperity.

"I only cultivated for a short while, yet the world outside has already changed from day to night." Lei Zhan shook his head lightly, then found a clean stone stool in the courtyard and sat down.

The place Lei Zhan rented on North Sea Tianbao Mountain was essentially a small courtyard. The courtyard naturally contained stone tables and stools, and the relatively safe and quiet room was merely a part of this small compound.

Lei Zhan's heart stirred, and a wine flagon appeared in his hand.

"Tsk." Lei Zhan grabbed the flagon and, without bothering with a cup, poured a large gulp directly into his mouth.

"This fine wine, which cost so much Essence Liquid, is truly like nectar; it is far beyond the common, murky wines of my past life!"

Lei Zhan sighed with emotion, took another drink, and then set it down.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just as Lei Zhan was slowly sipping his fine wine, a series of knocks suddenly came from outside the small courtyard.

"What is it?" Lei Zhan asked in a deep voice. He had rented this courtyard on Tianbao Mountain specifically for peace and quiet, free from disturbance.

Lei Zhan had no friends, relatives, or former sect members in this North Sea Commandery City, so having someone visit in the middle of the night was quite unusual.

"Senior, I am a maidservant of Tianbao Mountain," a woman's voice came from outside the door.

With a wave of his hand, the door opened.

"A maidservant of Tianbao Mountain? Coming to see me?" Lei Zhan's voice was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Senior, I hope you can forgive me." Outside the door, a young girl dressed in the signature blue robes of Tianbao Mountain bowed and said, "Tonight, Young Master Baili Changfeng, the direct descendant of the Marquis of the North Sea, is hosting a banquet for friends here at our Tianbao Mountain. Having heard that you, Senior, used your Purple Mansion cultivation to slay the mid-stage Wanxiang True Person Ying, he has come to personally invite you to the banquet!"

"True Person Ying?" Lei Zhan looked at the girl in blue, puzzled. He had only killed one mid-stage Wanxiang cultivator: the hook-nosed old man above the North Dark Sea.

Could it be... that hook-nosed old man in the gold robe was this so-called True Person Ying?

"Replying to Senior, True Person Ying was a mid-stage Wanxiang Qi Refining cultivator. This Wanxiang True Person had long been active in the sea area between Andan Commandery and our North Sea Commandery, leading two Purple Mansion cultivators to plunder passing cultivators in these waters."

The girl in blue added respectfully, "And some of the treasures you, Senior, came to sell at our Tianbao Mountain were the magic treasures habitually used by this True Person Ying."

"Hmm." Lei Zhan nodded faintly. "Is the True Person Ying you speak of him?"

Whoosh...

Lei Zhan waved his hand, and an image suddenly appeared in the air. It showed a massive Dragon-Head Warship, and standing at the very front of the ship was a hook-nosed old man in a gold robe.

"This is True Person Ying!" The girl in blue nodded repeatedly.

Suddenly.

"Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, I, Baili Changfeng, have heard of your name and have come specifically to invite you for a chat!" A clear, gentle voice traveled from afar, approaching until it came from outside the small courtyard.

"The Baili Clan of the Marquis of the North Sea? Baili Changfeng?" Lei Zhan wondered to himself, "Coming to invite me personally?"

Lei Zhan could sense that the aura fluctuations emitted by this direct descendant of the Marquis of the North Sea were only at the Purple Mansion level.

But why would the dignified direct descendant of the Marquis of the North Sea need to get acquainted with a rogue cultivator like him?

It would have been enough to send a maidservant to invite him, but to follow along and arrive in person?

As the voice faded, a handsome young man dressed in beautiful green robes walked over slowly. He glanced at the girl in blue standing respectfully outside the door and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, I am Baili Changfeng."

"It is rare for the direct descendant of the Marquis of the North Sea to personally visit a Purple Mansion cultivator as obscure as myself," Lei Zhan said, looking at the handsome young man.

"Although it may be a bit abrupt, Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan can hardly be called obscure anymore," Baili Changfeng said nonchalantly. "I enjoy making friends, and today, upon hearing that you, Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, had slain the mid-stage Wanxiang True Person Ying, I had long wanted to meet you. It's just that I arrived at an inconvenient time this evening."

As the legitimate son of the Marquis of the North Sea, Baili Changfeng naturally had to make many friends, and most cultivators with some ability possessed eccentric temperaments. Someone as indifferent as Lei Zhan was, in fact, quite ordinary.

"This evening..." Lei Zhan smiled slightly. "Many thanks for your interest, Young Master Changfeng, but I am preparing to head out on my travels, so I will have to decline your invitation to the banquet."

"Heading out on your travels?" Baili Changfeng laughed. "Since Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan intends to travel, it is a pity that my few close friends will not have the chance to meet you."

"You may withdraw." Baili Changfeng glanced at the maid in the blue dress behind him. Once she had slowly retreated, he flipped his hand and produced a booklet.

"Hm?" Lei Zhan's gaze sharpened.

"This contains intelligence regarding Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, as well as several factions that have long been purchasing information related to the million-year Loose Immortal, Immortal Juhua..." Baili Changfeng said as he handed over the intelligence.

"My intelligence? The million-year Loose Immortal, Immortal Juhua?" Lei Zhan's expression remained unchanged, his gaze as calm as a lake.

"Half a year ago, my Baili Clan detected a trace of spatial fluctuation within a ten-thousand-mile radius of Qianqiu Island. Since Qianqiu Island is linked to Immortal Juhua, this intelligence was naturally noted. Because Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan also participated in Immortal Juhua's apprenticeship trial, our Baili Clan's intelligence department, along with Tianbao Mountain, concluded that there is a high probability that you are that disciple of Immortal Juhua..." Baili Changfeng watched Lei Zhan closely.

"Although Immortal Juhua has lived for millions of years and is even rumored to have slain a Celestial Immortal... he has inevitably accumulated some grudges over these millions of years. You should be careful of these few factions that keep tabs on him, Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan."

"Does Fellow Daoist Changfeng also believe I am this disciple of Immortal Juhua?" Lei Zhan smiled slightly, then took the thick booklet containing the intelligence.

He had been prepared for this when he left the Water Mansion. He simply hadn't expected these large clans and factions to move so quickly.

However, with the life experience of both his past and present lives combined, he was not so easily intimidated. Although he lacked the backing of a major clan or faction, he had a master comparable to a Celestial Immortal ancestor, so he feared few threats.

"Hahaha!" Baili Changfeng wore a smile. "Whether I believe it or not is unimportant. The person I wish to befriend is simply Fellow Daoist Lei Zhan, who slew a Wanxiang True Person while at the Purple Mansion stage."

"Many thanks for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Changfeng. What I said earlier about continuing my travels was no lie. If I return to North Sea Commandery City in the future, I shall host a banquet to treat you." Lei Zhan flipped his hand, and the booklet vanished.

"As for this intelligence, I will accept it."

Failed Author's Diary

A young master from a major faction approaches you—no matter how you look at it, something feels off. Of course, this young master might be looking to build a favorable connection, or perhaps he is trying to probe and confirm whether Lei Zhan is indeed the disciple of Immortal Juhua. Cultivators have powerful souls and quick minds, so who can say for sure?

No nonsense today... I'll just thank the brothers for their support!

Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading!

I beg you brothers not to let this book sit in your libraries; it's easy for it to go cold if you do. Updates are indeed fewer during the new book period, but it will get better once it hits the shelves!

Thanks to Sunshine Like Me for the 500 Qidian coin tip.