Immortality begins with inheriting the myriad arts of cultivation.

Chapter 176 A Secret Move

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After much deliberation.

Li Ping put the silver pages containing the method for refining the "Zhou Tian Xing Chen Banner" back into his storage bag.

No matter how powerful this magic weapon is, before he forms his core, all his contemplation will be meaningless; he might as well focus on the present.

With a thought, the flying boat beneath his feet shot out like an arrow, heading towards the direction of Fenglan Immortal City.

Several days later, Li Ping finally returned to the Immortal City, travel-worn and exhausted.

The next morning, the well-informed Yu Menghan arrived at the door with the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly.

The two sat down in the pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Li, it's been almost two years since you left." As she spoke, Yu Menghan's expression was rather resentful.

Seeing her like this, Li Ping chuckled and said, "Fairy Yu, I've returned, haven't I?"

Yu Menghan took out the Heavenly Profound Crystal that sealed the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly, placed it on the table, and blinked, saying, "I've been worried about you all this time, afraid that something might have happened to you."

Li Ping smiled slightly, said nothing more, and immediately began to treat the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly.

Considering the possibility of a major war breaking out in the Western Wilderness, he might have to choose a strategic retreat and wouldn't have time to heal Yu Menghan's spirit beast anymore.

It's best to finish the treatment as soon as possible and get the thousand-year-old ironwood first.

Therefore, this time he directly fed the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly three times the usual amount of the Nourishing Life Technique power in one go.

The more health-preserving techniques one receives, the better the therapeutic effect will naturally be.

When Li Ping withdrew his palm, a faint life force emanated from the Heavenly Profound Crystal.

Sensing the emanating life force, Yu Menghan was overjoyed. She quickly placed her hand on the surface of the Heavenly Profound Crystal and probed it with a wisp of her divine sense.

After a long while, she finally withdrew her hand with satisfaction; the treatment had been more effective than she had expected.

While pleasantly surprised, she also worried that it might be her imagination.

For matters requiring expertise, it is advisable to consult with professionals.

If anyone knows the most about the Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly, it's definitely Li Ping, who treated it.

Therefore, she couldn't wait to ask, "Fellow Daoist Li, I sense that the aura of the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly seems to have strengthened considerably. Why is that?"

Li Ping knew perfectly well why the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly's aura had strengthened considerably. He had channeled three times the amount of his previous healing power into it at once, so how could the effect be anything but good?

However, he couldn't tell Yu Menghan the reason, otherwise his previous slacking off would be exposed.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, pondered for a moment, and then explained, "The effect of this treatment is indeed several times better than before. I don't know the specific reason, but perhaps the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly has a strong will to survive and has been working hard to restore its original essence during this time, so it has created a mutually beneficial effect with my treatment."

"Is that so..." Yu Menghan said thoughtfully.

But the next sentence she heard made her smile broadly.

Li Ping smiled and said, "Don't worry, Fairy, this is good news. I originally estimated that it would take about four years of careful treatment for the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly to fully recover, but now it seems that perhaps only one year will be enough."

He smiled and said, "Congratulations, fairy. By this time next year, the Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly will be back to its full glory."

As a patient, no one doesn't wish to recover sooner, and Yu Menghan was no exception. Hearing that the Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly could be cured three years ahead of schedule, she was overjoyed.

They not only gave Li Ping two precious spiritual fruits to help him replenish his depleted body.

He even promised to bring him the thousand-year-old ironwood during his next treatment.

Li Ping was naturally delighted with this.

……

After leaving Li Ping's cave, Yu Menghan finally suppressed her uncontrollable joy and instead became thoughtful.

"Originally, according to what I discussed with Fellow Daoist Li, the ten-year treatment course should have been completed in two years. However, because Fellow Daoist Li has been away for two years, the treatment course should also be extended by two years."

As she walked, she pondered silently: "But things just happened so coincidentally. The Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly's own will to survive made it desperately try to restore its original essence, which then combined with Fellow Daoist Li's effects, causing the treatment that originally required four years to be completed in just one year."

In this way, even though Fellow Daoist Li was away for two years due to other matters, the actual treatment time was not extended, but rather shortened by one year.

Thinking of this, she smiled slightly and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Li, don't you think this is too much of a coincidence? What do you think, Xiao Die?"

Upon hearing her words, wisps of life energy emanated from the Heavenly Profound Crystal, as if responding to her.

What Li Ping didn't know was that Yu Menghan's anxiety about the Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly wasn't because the insect was particularly precious.

Rather, it was because this was her natal spirit insect, which she had refined with secret methods since childhood, and was connected to her life.

This method of cultivating spirit beasts is different from ordinary spirit beast contracts.

Because it is her natal spirit insect, she can gain immense benefits from each advancement of the Seven-Colored Illusionary Light Butterfly.

However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

She can gain great benefits by advancing her natal spirit insect through secret methods, and it will even make breaking through major realms much easier.

However, if her natal spirit insect dies, she will be bound for life and will never be able to break through her cultivation level again.

For this reason, some people dared not attack her because of her background, so they targeted her natal spirit insect instead.

"Whether this Fellow Daoist Li is used to hiding his abilities and deliberately concealed them before, or whether he gained some benefits and made a breakthrough this time, it has nothing to do with me." Yu Menghan smiled and said, "As long as Xiaodie can be cured, that's all that matters."

……

After seeing Yu Menghan off, Li Ping went to Xiantao Mountain to pay the rent for the past two years.

To his surprise, he actually met the patriarch of the Meng family at the management office.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you're back." The Meng family patriarch stood up to greet him, but his expression was noticeably tired, as if he had been worrying too much.

With many thoughts flashing through his mind, Li Ping smiled and nodded: "I've been behind on rent for two years, and I've come here to pay it. Please don't blame me, Fellow Daoist."

"Fellow Daoist Li is a long-time tenant of Immortal Peach Mountain, so the rent is no problem." The Meng family patriarch waved his hand and instructed the servant to bring tea to Li Ping, while he himself invited Li Ping to sit down.

After Li Ping sat down, he took out two hundred colorful spirit stones from his storage bag and placed them on the table: "Fellow Daoist Meng, please select a few."

The patriarch of the Meng family nodded, forcing a smile: "I trust Fellow Daoist Li's character; there's no need to investigate."

As he spoke, he had already put the spirit stones on the table into his storage bag.

Just then, the waiter brought over the tea.

Li Ping had been away from Immortal City for nearly two years, but he was not in a hurry to leave at the moment. Instead, he chatted with the Meng family patriarch while inquiring about the situation in Immortal City.

When asked about the current situation in the Immortal City, the Meng family patriarch could only manage a bitter smile, glossing over the topic and unwilling to elaborate.

Li Ping guessed that after Dai Sangyu took over the Immortal City, given her petty nature, the Meng family and other Yuanxun families who had clashed with Dai Sangyu in the past might have been targeted.

However, since the Meng family patriarch was unwilling to discuss the matter further, he did not continue to inquire.

As they chatted, the Meng family patriarch suddenly slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot, next month is Qingyi's wedding day. Fellow Daoist Li must come to the wedding banquet."

As he spoke, he took out a gilded invitation from his storage bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Li Ping.

Li Ping observed that when the Meng family patriarch took out the invitation, his hands trembled slightly.

Clearly, Meng Qingyi's marriage was a great blow to him.

"Alright, I will definitely attend the wedding." Li Ping accepted the invitation from the table.

Then, the Meng family patriarch politely inquired about Li Ping's gains from this trip.

Li Ping, of course, would not reveal his true experience, but only said that he had to go to Jixia in order to search for a spiritual material that was urgently needed.

After spending nearly two years in Jixia, he ultimately gained nothing and had to return to Fenglan Immortal City empty-handed.

Upon hearing this, the Meng family patriarch repeatedly comforted Li Ping, telling him not to worry and that his wish would be fulfilled sooner or later.

Looking at the Meng family patriarch, he saw that he had aged considerably due to the ordeal.

Then he thought of how Dai Sangyu had interrogated him with a sword pointed at his head, and how Dai Sangyu had even forcibly prevented him from joining the Immortal City for some inexplicable reason.

Although he himself didn't really want to join the Immortal City, actively refusing was completely different from being driven away.

Dai Sangyu's actions towards him can be described as utter condescending trampling and humiliation.

Seeing the exhausted appearance of the Meng family patriarch, Li Ping suddenly had an idea.

"Fellow Daoist Meng," he said with some concern, "when I was at Jixia Academy, I heard some startling news. Although its veracity is still uncertain, given your large and powerful family, it would be best to make preparations as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, the Meng family patriarch looked up in surprise: "I am quite curious about what Fellow Daoist Li has said that makes you so uneasy."

Li Ping shook his head and immediately recounted in detail the rumors he had spread in the three states of Yan, Liang, and Qi to the Meng family patriarch.

"The Four Demonic Sects have actually allied with the Turks?" The Meng family patriarch seemed somewhat incredulous. "Aren't they worried about betting against a tiger by allying with a foreign race?"

Li Ping sighed: "Those who follow the demonic path, what moral principles do they have in their hearts?" Everything they do is for their own benefit. They see no distinction between humans and other races.

"If this is true, then I really need to make preparations as soon as possible. After all, once faced with such great pressure, Jixia will probably have no choice but to close its doors and defend itself, while the demonic cultivators can easily advance unimpeded..." As he spoke, the Meng family patriarch suddenly stopped.

Li Ping stood up: "Fellow Daoist Meng is right. Once this happens, the cultivation world of the Western Wilderness will probably fall into chaos, and then everyone will have to fight their own battles."

"Fellow Daoist Li is right." The Meng family patriarch frowned.

"Alright, I won't disturb you any longer. It's better to believe it's true than not to believe it. Fellow Daoist Meng, you should make preparations as soon as possible to avoid being caught off guard." With that, Li Ping took his leave.

However, the Meng family patriarch seemed oblivious to his departure, lost in thought.

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