Li An finished speaking.

Jiang Ruoxu and Tan Qingxue exchanged a glance, his eyes seemed to carry a hint of amusement.

"It's just a Second Grade Primordial Spirit Pill. Since Mr. Wu needs it, I'll speak to the family and give it to you directly."

He was very easygoing, yet quite generous!

Li An's face showed surprise and delight, and he said, "Thank you, Young Master, for your generosity!"

"However,"

Jiang Ruoxu smiled immediately and said softly, "I can't give it to you yet."

Li An was taken aback.

Jiang Ruoxu continued, "How about this, your current cultivation level has not yet reached Great Perfection, even after several years of Core Formation. During these years, you should work hard, cooperate with Honored Guest Elder Tan, and help the divine egg hatch successfully first."

"On the day of hatching, I will report to the family and send you a Primordial Spirit Pill, and additionally offer you a Rank Three Spirit Vein to help you break through."

Obviously, Jiang Ruoxu was no fool and knew how to handle matters.

Li An furrowed his brows slightly, but could accept it.

"Alright, thank you, Young Master! I, Wu, will definitely do my utmost!"

Jiang Ruoxu left.

"Last time, the Snake Moss plant that Honored Guest Elder Wu brought was very useful, but too little. To ensure the divine egg hatches successfully, we need at least ten more plants!"

Tan Qingxue smiled, "Now, Honored Guest Elder Wu's current residence is inconvenient, why not stay at my mansion? It's also convenient for cultivating Spirit Medicine in the courtyard, what do you think?"

She was quite interested in Li An's cultivation techniques...

But Li An was wary, "How could I impose? Although my current residence is small, it is barely adequate. No need for your concern—"

After speaking, he bid farewell and left.

...

Returning to his new residence.

Compared to when he was an Honored Guest Elder, his residence was now much smaller, even somewhat cramped.

But Li An didn't mind.

In the courtyard, he dug a small herb field, loosened the soil, weeded, leveled it, and then scattered some Spirit Medicine seeds.

Li An was not in a hurry.

As Jiang Ruoxu said, his current cultivation level, on the surface, had not yet reached Great Perfection!

In reality, he had been biding his time in the Jiang family to some extent.

He had long reached Great Perfection, but when he arrived, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, with his apparent cultivation level needing to progress and time to resolve.

He lived in seclusion, rarely going out.

And after Chen Lin took control of Black Tortoise Hall, he directly used the tactics Li An had employed against Feng Yuancheng to deal with Li An.

No tasks were assigned to Li An!

As such, after half a year, he could report to the Jiang Clan and expel Li An.

In Black Tortoise Hall, Li An faced cold stares.

"Honored Guest Elder Wu, I'm here to retrieve something, the Second Grade Spirit Awakening Pill I loaned you earlier, it should be returned, right?"

Under Chen Lin's instruction, Zhang Meng directly came to demand the "bribe" she previously gave to Li An.

Li An silently returned Zhang Meng's belongings to her.

"Wu, you are malicious and killed Yuancheng... all of this, I will repay you a hundredfold!"

Zhang Meng snatched her belongings, eyes full of unmasked murderous intent, "Just you wait!"

Even Sun Jinxue came, but when she saw Li An dressed like a farmer, tending to a few Spirit Medicine plants in the field, she was inexplicably dazed.

Her beautiful eyes showed a bit of complexity. Although she approached Li An with a purpose at the beginning, she felt very comfortable with him, Li An being gentle as jade, not humble nor overbearing.

If not for encountering great changes, she even contemplated, in the middle, proposing to formally become Dao companions with Li An...

It's a pity now.

She turned to Chen Lin, and Li An was no longer what he used to be.

"Let me see, what of the things you once gave me remains..."

Li An proactively spoke, quite calmly.

"I didn't come to ask for anything."

Sun Jinxue's beautiful eyes showed a bit of complexity, "I came to tell you, Jiang Ruoli has been found, but her Dantian has been destroyed, and she cannot cultivate for the rest of her life."

"Now the clan has taken her back, and her life is not in danger."

Li An sighed softly in his heart.

He thought Jiang Ruoli might escape, but unexpectedly, she was still caught by the Jiang family.

It was just a piece of news, yet Li An had glimpsed the tragic fate of this young girl:

With her Dantian destroyed, she had no future prospects, but her talent was considered the best in the Jiang family for hundreds of years, and the Jiang family would not waste her.

They would have her bear children, continue the Jiang family bloodline, and extract value from her!

Li An remembered what Lihua said before she left...

She said she wanted to return to Great Li and never come back to the Jiang family.

She said there was no good person in the Jiang family.

She said she would always regard Li An as a master, and he was the only good person she met in the Cultivation Realm...

...

"I understand."

Li An said calmly.

"Actually, leaving the Jiang family earlier might be the best... anyway, you are a Talisman Master and a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you can live well outside the Jiang family, staying here really isn't necessary."

Perhaps she still held a trace of affection for Li An, and she couldn't help but advise.

"Thank you."

Li An only replied with a smile.

Sun Jinxue sighed and turned to leave.

Li An picked up the hoe, rolled up his pants, and started tilling the soil.

Four months had passed.

In another year and a half, these dozen herbs would be ready for harvest.

By then, the divine egg would be full of life, successfully hatched, and he would also form his Core.

Golden Core!!

Li An had waited for countless ages, striving for the Golden Core Dao, enduring untold hardships. The closer he got to the end, the more he experienced low points, but in his heart, a strong resilience emerged all the more!

Resolute to the extreme, fearless to the extreme!

Head lowered, tilling the soil like an tireless farmer, each strike accurate and forceful.

"Still, be on guard against Jiang Ruoxu going back on his word..."

Li An directed the Life Seed's aura, secretly making some manipulations while cultivating the Spirit Medicine.

The Spirit Medicine appeared rich in Life Essence Qi, but actually contained less of the Life Seed's aura. This way, although the Divine Egg could hatch, it would still have 'hidden maladies,' allowing Li An to continue using the Divine Egg to influence the Jiang Clan...

...

In a blink, two years passed.

During these two years, Chen Lin repeatedly proposed to the family to expel Li An.

Yet, mysteriously, those proposals vanished without a trace.

Chen Lin believed it was Tan Qingxue who was shielding Li An, growing even more infuriated, only able to instruct the clan people to treat him coldly, but Li An remained indifferent.

Solely focused on cultivation.

On this day.

Li An finally harvested twelve Spirit Medicines and took them to the Tan Mansion.

"I have waited so long, finally you are here, Fellow Daoist Wu, you made me wait!"

Tan Qingxue smiled, checked the twelve Spirit Medicines, "Come, let's go to the Spiritual Essence Peak together!"

Li An, being most familiar with the Spirit Medicine, naturally had to participate in the most crucial stage, prepared for unexpected needs.

The Spiritual Essence Peak was a vital place for the Jiang Clan, where various important Spirit Beasts were bred and hatched.

The graceful mountain body of the Spiritual Essence Peak had been sliced in half, a clear Spiritual Spring cascading down from the peak, referred to as the "Spiritual Essence Waterfall." Around the waterfall, Spiritual Birds soared, Spirit Beasts galloped, howls and cries incessantly filled the air.

Receiving the news, many high-ranking members of the Jiang family arrived, the Patriarch Jiang Rilan personally, along with True Core Elders Jiang Ridong, Jiang Rihua, and Jiang Richu.

The crowd stood before the Spiritual Essence Waterfall as Jiang Ruoxu stepped forward and plunged into the waterfall.

For years, the Divine Egg had been nurtured within the waterfall!

Soon after, the Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow's egg was retrieved, appearing under the sun as a fist-sized bird egg, resembling a blue gemstone, with a subdued hue.

This was the very egg Li An had retrieved from the Ten Thousand Miles Abyss years ago!

"I will extract the Life Essence Qi from all the Spirit Medicines and infuse it into the Divine Egg."

"Simultaneously, bathing the bird egg with the blood essence of a Core Formation Level Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow, to directly hatch it—"

Tan Qingxue spoke solemnly.

Jiang Rilan nodded, waving a hand, signaling her to proceed.

Only then did Tan Qingxue step forward, quickly arranging multiple arrays around the bird egg, placing different medicinal liquids within each array, allowing the bird egg to slowly absorb them before finally taking over Li An's twelve Spirit Medicines!

Two Fake Pill elders silently stood by Li An's side.

Li An's heart suddenly fluttered; he realized why Tan Qingxue had brought him here!

If there were any issues with the Spirit Medicine, Li An would be killed on the spot.

Tan Qingxue swiftly executed her technique, instantly causing the twelve Spirit Medicines that Li An cultivated over two years to wither as if dehydrated, as waves of Life Essence Qi surged through the array, pouring into the Divine Egg.

The egg's shell underwent a transformation, its originally subdued appearance now shone brilliantly, dazzling!

The Divine Egg had received a massive supplement of Life Essence Qi—

"Draw the adult bird's blood essence!"

Tan Qingxue spoke.

From Jiang Rilan's shoulder, a cyan bird suddenly flew out.

The bird was covered in cyan feathers, with a flame-red beak and claws as hot as molten iron. Initially the size of an eagle, it expanded rapidly upon flight, reaching a height of three or four meters, its wings spanning more than twenty meters!

A Rank Three Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow!

Currently, one of only two in the Jiang family.

The other, at Nascent Soul Level, always remained in seclusion with a certain Nascent Soul Stage ancestor, unseen directly.

The flame-red beak of the Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow spurted a touch of golden flame-like blood, caught by a jade jug that Tan Qingxue held. Covered in runes, the jug flared brightly, with some refining done before pouring it directly over the cyan Divine Egg!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The sensation of scorching flames seemed to radiate, as the fiery adult bird's blood made the cyan Divine Egg shake violently, as if something inside was trying to break the shell.

Boom—

At last, a cracking sound echoed.

A crack appeared on the Divine Egg, extending and broadening until... a fledgling bird emerged.

The fledgling bird wasn't large, appearing about the size of a newborn gosling or duckling, covered in red fluff. Though still exceedingly fragile, it exuded an extraordinary aura.

A Rank Four Spirit Beast fledgling!

"Success!"

"Wonderful! Our Jiang family has gained another Core Formation Spirit Beast… no, a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Beast!"

The gathered crowd was wildly excited.

The Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow's bloodline was immensely powerful, with a future that almost guaranteed entrance into the Rank Four echelon with normal growth.

Extremely rare!

The adult Rank Three Cyan Flame Divine Sparrow reduced its size, reverting to eagle proportions, flying over to rest beside the fledgling, carefully examining it before suddenly releasing several calls towards the Patriarch.

The Patriarch Jiang Rilan's expression changed, quickly gathering over...

"Miss Tan, take a look..."

Tan Qingxue, noticeably fatigued, was nonetheless summoned for a hushed discussion.

"Though hatched, it bears... severe hidden maladies!"

Finally, Jiang Rilan spoke with regret!

"Affected by Evil Qi for too long, the bloodline is already compromised. Unless Spiritual Blood is provided for the Divine Bird's growth, perhaps only then it may recover..."

Tan Qingxue sighed deeply.

Li An remained calmly composed, this outcome well within his expectation.

"This bird is no ordinary... mutated, possessing some value. Try to acquire it if possible."

Suddenly, Shangguan Xiaoxiao's voice resonated in his mind.

Li An was slightly startled, mutated??

"What kind of mutation?" he asked within his Spirit Platform.

Shangguan Xiaoxiao replied, "Previously, this bird's upper limit was a Rank Four Spirit Beast; now... its lower limit is Rank Four, understand?"

Li An's heartbeat quickened instantly!

...

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