The power of that Mechanical City was incredibly formidable; even a Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarch would have to face it with extreme caution.

’This Mechanical Technique isn’t bad. I’ll learn it if I ever have the spare energy.’

Li Chang’an put it away and continued to search.

「A moment later.」

He finally found what he had come for.

’An Earth Grade Divine Sense Technique, the Golden Soul Sword Transformation Technique!’

Li Chang’an’s eyes lit up as he examined it carefully.

If one successfully cultivated this Golden Soul Sword Transformation Technique, they could transform their Power of Divine Sense into countless small swords of astonishing might and directly attack an opponent’s Sea of Consciousness!

If used in battle, this move could produce astonishing results.

It would catch an opponent completely off guard.

Of course, if one’s own Divine Sense was weaker than their opponent’s, it could have the opposite effect and cause severe backlash to the user.

’My Divine Sense is currently comparable to the Foundation Establishment Peak. Dealing with enemies at the Foundation Establishment Stage shouldn’t be a problem.’

A smile touched Li Chang’an’s lips. He carefully put this Magic away, planning to cultivate it diligently upon his return.

In the current Cultivation Immortality Realm, Divine Sense Techniques had all but vanished.

If word of this Golden Soul Sword Transformation Technique were to get out, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar, and might even draw Golden Core Masters into the fray.

He continued to inspect the remaining Treasures in the Storage Pouch.

「Before long.」

Another Treasure caught his attention.

’This is...’

With a thought, a small, semi-translucent Jade Bottle appeared in Li Chang’an’s hand.

Inside the bottle was a single, grayish-brown Elixir Pill.

’A Tier Three Low Grade Elixir Pill—a Rebirth Pill!’

Li Chang’an’s Alchemy Skill had already surpassed the Tier Three threshold, so he quickly recognized this Elixir Pill.

The effects of this type of Elixir Pill were quite peculiar.

After a person died, if this Elixir Pill’s medicinal power was infused into their body, it could cause their Soul to return, granting them one more day of life.

It was as if they were resurrected from the dead.

But it wasn’t a true resurrection.

They could only live for one more day, and the price was immense.

After that one day, their soul would shatter and scatter. They would be unable to even walk the Reincarnation Path, completely dissipating between heaven and earth.

’For those who don’t believe in an afterlife, this Elixir Pill should fetch a good price.’

Li Chang’an mused.

For a person on the verge of death, living consciously for one more day was an extravagance.

He carefully stored the Elixir Pill away and continued to rummage through his Storage Pouch.

The remaining Treasures were all unremarkable.

「Before long.」

He finished taking inventory.

In the last Jade Scroll, he found a message left by the master of this Mechanical City.

This person had reached Tier Three in both the arts of Puppetry and mechanical devices. He had created this Mechanical City for the sole purpose of selecting a successor.

Large quantities of materials for the Puppetry Technique and Mechanical Technique had been placed in various areas of the Mechanical City.

A challenger could use these materials to design suitable Puppets or mechanical contraptions to deal with the traps that lay ahead.

Through this process, the challenger’s Skills would be greatly honed.

However, Li Chang’an was an anomaly.

His Puppetry Skill already met the requirements, and he had more than enough Puppets in reserve.

To avoid wasting time, he had simply brute-forced his way through with a massive number of Puppets!

"Thank you for your legacy, Senior. I will be sure to carry it forward and bring it to new heights."

Li Chang’an bowed once to the skeleton.

Then, his figure flickered. He became a series of afterimages, appearing in every section of the Mechanical City to collect all the materials.

「Before long.」

The entire Mechanical City looked as if a swarm of locusts had passed through, leaving it utterly empty.

...

「About ten minutes later.」

Li Chang’an, laden with his many spoils, left the Mechanical City and arrived outside the Giant Gate.

Numerous Mo Family Cultivators were waiting for him there.

Seeing him emerge alive, every one of them had mixed feelings.

They had assumed they would die because of Li Chang’an’s recklessness, but they never imagined he could actually make it to the centermost area.

Mo Hong couldn’t help but ask, "Daoist Li, could it be that you’re also a Puppet Master? Why do you have so many High Tier Puppets?"

Li Chang’an smiled. "Daoist Mo, you misunderstand. I bought all of these Puppets."

"You bought them?"

Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but gasp.

’So many Puppets... how many Spirit Stones must that have cost?’

Li Chang’an added, "You may not be aware, but I’ve always been afraid of dying, so I bought extra Puppets for protection. My income from Alchemy and Talisman Painting over the years has been almost entirely invested in them."

At his words, the crowd was stunned once again.

Rumor had it that Li Chang’an was extremely cautious about his own life, like a Turtle hiding in its shell, and that he spent all his time on Changqing Mountain researching various methods of survival.

They had only ever heard about it before; today, they had witnessed it for themselves.

The rumors were true after all!

Just then, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator suddenly appeared within their perception.

The aura was ice-cold, as if it hailed from a distant Snowfield.

The newcomer was none other than Mo Qingxue!

Her expression was cold, her hair as white as snow. In an instant, she arrived before the Giant Gate.

"Is this matter concluded?"

"Qingxue, it’s all thanks to Daoist Li! If it weren’t for him, most of us would still be trapped inside the Mechanical City!"

Mo Hong immediately began to recount what had happened.

After hearing the whole story, a flicker of imperceptible surprise flashed through Mo Qingxue’s cool eyes.

She looked at Li Chang’an and sent him a private Sound Transmission.

"Daoist Li, your Puppetry Skill actually reached Tier Two Top Grade so quickly."

"Why do you say that? Is it not possible that I bought these Puppets?"

"You’re far too miserly. How could you ever bear to spend money on so many High Tier Puppets?"

"..."

Li Chang’an was speechless.

It seemed their last round of haggling had left Mo Qingxue with the impression that he was a cheapskate.

Mo Qingxue added, "Daoist Li, I underestimated you. I didn’t think you would make much progress in the art of Puppetry."

To have achieved so much in the art of Puppetry in such a short time.

Even Mo Qingxue had to admit it.

Li Chang’an was indeed very talented.

Back then, the Soul in that cave abode had made the right choice.

Li Chang’an sent a transmission back, "Daoist Mo, since I saved so many of the Mo Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators, can we count this as another favor you owe me?"

"Daoist Li, you really are something else..."

This time, it was Mo Qingxue’s turn to be speechless.

She had been about to say a few words of thanks, but Li Chang’an’s question choked them back.

"Fine! We’ll count it as a favor!"

Mo Qingxue turned her head away, her lovely face as frosty as ever, as if she couldn’t bear to look at Li Chang’an a moment longer.

「Before long.」

The group left the area and returned to the Mo Family.

Li Chang’an accepted an invitation into the Mo Clan Territory, where he received an extremely warm welcome.

...

「The next day.」

The siblings Mo Feng and Mo Wanwan were officially reinstated into the Mo Family’s clan register.

The Cultivators from the lineages of both the old Patriarch and the current Patriarch also made peace, vowing to strengthen the Mo Family together and weather the crisis of this chaotic era.

The entire Mo Family was a picture of harmony, filled with the long-absent sounds of joy and laughter.

Amidst this atmosphere, Mo Qingxue suddenly looked up at the sky, a deep feeling stirring within her.

The next moment, she drifted toward the depths of the clan territory like a snowflake, slowly vanishing from sight.

"Fellow clan members, act as my Protectors! The time for my Core Formation has arrived!"

As her voice fell, the entire Mo Family instantly fell silent.

No one had expected Mo Qingxue to attempt her Core Formation ahead of schedule.

The numerous Mo Clan Members immediately sprang into action.

Some went to patrol the clan territory’s perimeter, others went to operate the Tier Three Array, and still others went to notify the rest of the clan members...

They all understood that Mo Qingxue’s success or failure would determine the future of the Mo Family.

If she succeeded, the Mo Family could enjoy several hundred more years of glory. But if she failed, then everything would be uncertain.

For the next several days, the numerous Mo Clan Members waited anxiously, every moment an agony.

Li Chang’an had a calmer state of mind, but his expression was also extremely grave.

’Will she succeed?’

「Three days later.」

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power suddenly surged madly toward the depths of the Mo Clan Territory, forming a giant, funnel-shaped vortex visible to the naked eye.

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in a ten-li radius was almost completely drained in an instant, causing Li Chang’an and the many Mo Clan Members to feel extremely uncomfortable.

’What an enormous Spiritual Power vortex.’

Li Chang’an stood outside the Mo Family’s main hall, gazing at the Spiritual Power vortex.

That was precisely the celestial phenomenon that Core Formation would inevitably trigger.

A ten-li Celestial Phenomenon!

’Going from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation requires the transformation of Magical Power from a liquid to a solid state. It seems Mo Qingxue is handling it with relative ease so far.’

Over the next few days, the Spiritual Power vortex remained stable, showing no signs of any abnormality.

Countless Mo Family disciples stared anxiously at the sky, silently praying that nothing would go wrong.

Before they knew it, another two days had passed.

That evening, the Spiritual Power vortex in the sky suddenly halted. It didn’t collapse, but instead dispersed smoothly.

At the same time, gusts of cold wind howled past, bringing with them an endless chill.

Snow drifted down from the heavens, blanketing the entire Mo Family estate in white.

「Before long.」

An aura far surpassing the Foundation Establishment Stage emerged from the depths of the clan territory, causing everyone within to feel an indescribable pressure.

Li Chang’an’s gaze was profound as he looked toward the depths of the clan territory.

’She should have succeeded!’

’The only question is, did she form a Fake Pill or a True Pill?’