With one sentence from Xu Yuanzhen, Lei Jun saw the Shadow Rabbit Vine suddenly come to life.

The entire long vine stretched out of thin air, standing erect on Xu Yuanzhen's fingertip.

On the nearly transparent, shadow-like vine, a few leaves and branches gently swayed.

An invisible force seemed to radiate outwards from it.

Without any earth-shattering moves, the invisible force spread out and enveloped the entirety of Qiluo Valley.

Then, it continued to extend in all directions, with no known limit to how far it could ultimately reach.

Before this, not understanding that the Shadow Rabbit Vine would appear in pairs with the Heartburn Chi was one thing.

But now that she knew, Xu Yuanzhen naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip away.

Using the Shadow Rabbit Vine as a guide, the invisible force continued to spread without stopping.

Soon, nearly the entirety of Youpeng Mountain was covered.

Just then, within the mountains, something seemed to twitch amidst the rocks.

"There it is," Xu Yuanzhen nodded slightly, her gaze moving in that direction.

She didn't take a step forward, but simply beckoned towards that direction with her hand.

A dark red glow then flew out from within the rocks and, as if willingly, plunged into Xu Yuanzhen's palm.

Lei Jun focused closely and saw that what fell into Xu Yuanzhen's hands was a creature that was dark red all over, resembling both a dragon and a snake.

Within its dark red body, it seemed to contain a brimming, vigorous heat.

The Spiritual Nature it radiated was indeed mutually enhancing with the Shadow Rabbit Vine, perfectly complementing each other while being intimately connected.

Xu Yuanzhen held the Shadow Rabbit Vine in one hand and the Heartburn Chi in the other, presenting both to Lei Jun simultaneously.

Although the Shadow Rabbit Vine was strange, it was indeed a tangible Spirit Grass.

The Heartburn Chi, although it seemed to be a living creature, was not an actual Chi Dragon.

Lei Jun roughly compared the two and determined that they were similar to Spiritual Objects like the Huo Sui Yang Yu and the Water Marrow Yin Fish.

The Heartburn Chi itself also possessed the Spiritual Nature to transform, its form constantly shifting between a tangible form and a Spiritual Body.

It was as if, should Lei Jun mishandle it, it would dissipate into Spiritual Energy and vanish.

Lei Jun waved his hand, and a vast amount of soil-like Spirit Soil appeared.

It did not come from the Breathing Soil Banner, but from Lei Jun's own upgraded Five Thunder Talisman.

The earth-sealing thunder split into two parts, wrapping around both the Shadow Rabbit Vine and the Heartburn Chi.

The seemingly loose and scattered Spirit Soil instantly changed shape, solidified, and hardened into two square, upright hollow blocks of earth.

The Shadow Rabbit Vine and the Heartburn Chi, both of which normally burrowed into the earth upon contact, now retreated to the center space as if struck by thunder when they approached the inner wall of soil.

"Thank you, Elder Sister," Lei Jun said, feeling somewhat moved.

Before coming here, he couldn't help but let his thoughts run wild, imagining various possibilities: What if, after arriving in Qiluo Valley within Youpeng Mountain, he still couldn't find the Heartburn Chi he was looking for? What if, after locating the Heartburn Chi, enemies suddenly appeared, intent on killing and robbing him? What if, while busy searching for the Heartburn Chi, something occurred in Youpeng Mountain, attracting hordes of people, leading to chaos and confusion? Lei Jun had conjured quite a few dramatic scenarios in his mind, but in the end, none of them materialized.

Perhaps it was because Elder Sister Xu Yuanzhen's deterrence and presence were too formidable. Could it be that in places where she was present, people, even if they had business there, didn't want her involved? And with her looking for the Heartburn Chi, obviously, it was much easier and quicker than Lei Jun searching by himself. Twists and turns? Nonexistent!

"Now that we've got our hands on the items, we should theoretically go our separate ways. You can head to the Red Abyss Cave Heaven on your own," Xu Yuanzhen said. "However, refining the Heartburn Chi can be a bit tricky, so don't end up burning yourself. I'll watch over you while you refine the Heartburn Chi and the Shadow Rabbit Vine, then I'll leave."

With a wave of her hand, the part of Youpeng Mountain that had seemed to be swept by invisible waves immediately returned to normal.

Then, Lei Jun and his Elder Sister performed a ritual bow towards Youpeng Mountain to express their gratitude to the spirits of heaven and earth for nurturing such treasures.

After the ritual, Xu Yuanzhen simply settled down in Qiluo Valley.

She went into the forest at the center of the valley and casually sat down under a tree. "Start."

Following her guidance, Lei Jun first unraveled one of the hollow cubes of earth, taking out the Shadow Rabbit Vine.

Choosing to refine the Shadow Rabbit Vine first was precisely because the Heartburn Chi was more dangerous and required laying a foundation with the Shadow Rabbit Vine.

As the name implies, although the Heartburn Chi appeared calm, it was inherently volatile inside.

If a cultivator were to rashly refine its Spiritual Power directly, it could possibly cause True Fire to rise from within the body, leading to a calamity of the burning heart.

Lei Jun now began to extract the Spiritual Power of the Shadow Rabbit Vine by exerting his mana on it.

The vine itself gradually withered.

As it withered, its true form emerged, looking faded and gray.

But the invisible Spiritual Power, akin to a shadow, was absorbed into Lei Jun's body.

Under Lei Jun's conscious control, the Spiritual Power of the Shadow Rabbit Vine entered his body but did not dissipate, maintaining its cohesion.

It was like an invisible strand of vine.

From it, Lei Jun felt a chill.

This cold penetrated inside and out, not only originating from the physical body but also from the soul.

True Yin Force could nourish the body but could also cause harm.

However, with a full cycle of Lei Jun's mana, the chill immediately dissipated.

At this point, he then took the Heartburn Chi.

The Spiritual Object, already shifting between a tangible form and a Spiritual Body, glowed as its dark red surface brightened, its color changing from dark red to fiery red. Then, this stream of light was drawn into Lei Jun's body.

A searing sensation spread swiftly through the blood and meridians of his flesh.

This intense heat came and went quickly. It did not linger in other parts of Lei Jun's body but instead gathered directly between his heart and lungs.

Fortunately, the Shadow Rabbit Vine's Spiritual Power that Lei Jun had prepared in advance, stably protected his internal organs.

True Yin Force and True Yang Force intertwined within Lei Jun's body just like that.

Both forces connected and coiled around each other like ropes until they finally merged indistinguishably into one harmonious power.

Only then did Lei Jun begin to channel this Spiritual Power, carving it onto his Original Talisman.

A brilliance shone over his head, revealing the enormous Original Talisman nine feet tall and four feet wide.

At that moment, a black and a white line suddenly appeared on the Original Talisman. The lines intertwined, combining Yin and Yang, appearing perfectly harmonious.

However, the black and white lines were still somewhat erratic and had yet to be permanently imprinted onto the Original Talisman.

"It will take some time and patient effort," Xu Yuanzhen commented. "Since I've already gotten involved, I might as well wait a bit longer for you; hurry it up."

Lei Jun was also looking forward to integrating the Spiritual Power of these two Spiritual Objects as soon as possible.

Over the next several days, he devoted himself to meditation, constantly adapting to the transformation and influence on his mana veins by the Spiritual Power of the Shadow Rabbit Vine and the Heartburn Chi.

Xu Yuanzhen kept herself busy.

She seemed restless and began to tour Youpeng Mountain again, looking around here and there as if she were on vacation, leisurely exploring the mountains and waters.

Despite being in a remote and secluded valley, Xu Yuanzhen was not out of touch with news.

Every so often, Lei Jun would see paper cranes made of Talisman Paper, flying in from outside the mountains and landing precisely in Xu Yuanzhen's palm.

After a glance at the unfolded Talisman Paper, Xu Yuanzhen would refold it into a paper crane, toss it into the air, and the paper crane seemed to come alive again, flapping its wings and flying off.

Once, after looking at the Talisman Paper, Xu Yuanzhen spoke, "Xiaotang is still on the East Sea Ocean."

Hearing Xu Yuanzhen's rough description, Lei Jun was at a loss whether to laugh or cry:

Ye Cheng's observation of that battle was just one of the many brilliant records in Tang Xiaotang's litany of accomplishments.

Moreover, shortly after witnessing that battle by chance, Ye Cheng quickly left the ocean and came back ashore, and has not gone out to sea again ever since.

Tang Xiaotang, however, has been at sea until now.

During this time, she has been in at least seven major battles, along with countless smaller skirmishes.

The good news was that Tang Xiaotang had emerged victorious in all seven major battles, achieving a remarkable winning streak. This greatly boosted her reputation; even people inland were talking about her, her fame momentarily unparalleled. Xu Yuanzhen's whereabouts were erratic. Li Zhengxuan was in seclusion for introspection at the Rear Mountain Ancestral Tomb. During this period, Tang Xiaotang became the prominent figure of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, her fame growing ever more widespread. From Great Demons of the sea, to Elders of the Pure Yang Palace, and then to the young prodigies of Prestigious Families, Tang Xiaotang had faced a rich and formidable array of opponents in this round. At the same time, her luck was also good. She had emerged from various secret realms with rich harvests.

The bad news, however, was... Many of the battles were completely unnecessary. And while Tang Xiaotang appeared to be enjoying herself immensely, she still had no lead on the Celestial Master's Sword that she coveted the most.

"Little Senior Sister sure is blazing a trail, sparks flying all the way..." Lei Jun silently thought, a little guiltily. "Is it her own prowess, or did I inadvertently lead her style astray?"

Xu Yuanzhen gave him an interested look. "What exactly did you tell Xiaotang before?"

Lei Jun spread his hands innocently. "Just some stories I heard from a storyteller when I was a child."

He briefly retold some of the stories he had shared with Tang Xiaotang.

Xu Yuanzhen listened quietly for a while.

When Lei Jun finished his part, she didn't immediately speak but instead looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a moment.

After a while, Xu Yuanzhen looked away from the sky, returning to the moment, and without delving into specific plot details, she asked:

"Regardless of whether the story was good or bad, that storyteller's ability to leave cliffhangers and draw in the audience does seem quite impressive. His business must have been good. Your hometown, I remember you said it was a small village. For it to hide such talented individuals, it must be quite the place of hidden masters, no?"

Lei Jun kept a straight face. "He was an outsider who drifted to our area and made a living by storytelling. His business was indeed good; many villagers went to listen to his tales."

He sighed. "A pity, none of them are around anymore."

Xu Yuanzhen spoke her mind spontaneously, without the intention to probe further, her train of thought equally erratic as she asked in turn, "And your painting, who did you learn that from?"

She was referring to the expression sketches Lei Jun had drawn for her.

The "Shocked" and "Wronged" expressions belonging to Li Xuan and Qu Yong.

Previously, Lei Jun gave them to her, which led her to develop a new sense of fun, and had her bursting with laughter.

"Also from that out-of-towner," Lei Jun replied, as he took out some paper and a brush.

For the cultivators of the Talisman Sect, these were essentially standard carry-on items—unnecessary at times, but never left behind.

Lei Jun was quick; after a few strokes, he handed his drawing to Xu Yuanzhen across from him.

Xu Yuanzhen took one look.

The drawing, although simple, captured the essence and features of a woman that closely resembled herself.

The expression matched Xu Yuanzhen's occasional smirk, but no matter how one looked at it, it seemed similar to the "Sly" facial expression Lei Jun was fond of using before crossing over...

Xu Yuanzhen examined it from different angles, looking it over twice, then nodded slightly.

Then she took the paper and brush and sketched rapidly as well.

Soon, she handed her own sketch back to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun looked at the person in the drawing; it seemed to be his face. The expression just wasn't quite right.

He looked serious, yet his eyes darted about as if he had countless ulterior motives...

Perhaps it could be named "Scheming"?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.