Longevity: Starting from Refining Gu

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A year later.

Deep night.

Prince Wen Palace.

Yan Lie went to the post house to collect his mail and returned to the palace once more.

Nowadays, the palace was mostly deserted, as Xuanping had long entered the Death Realm for cultivation, with only Wushang and Yan Sisi occasionally appearing.

Then there were Su Yi and two state officials who frequently appeared to manage state affairs.

Generally speaking, Yan Lie would not usually see Xuan Mang, who often carried out Chen Qing's secret missions.

Returning to his courtyard, Yan Lie opened a letter sent by his mother.

Besides some everyday concerns, she inquired about what he had learned there, what arrangements Prince Wen had for him, and what he planned to teach him.

Yan Lie opened his palm, and a fiery Vermilion Bird flew up to rest on his shoulder.

Though currently, this Light Gu was merely a spirit Gu, it was much stronger than other spiritual items like Fire Gu.

Furthermore, by practicing step by step, he encountered no problems, steadily advancing according to the blueprint given by Chen Qing.

This reinforced his belief that the inheritance he received was indeed the King's Path Inheritance, and by following the route set by Chen Qing, he could ascend all the way to King Gu.

The other three senior brothers were the same; judging by their usual encounters, he was actually the weakest.

His Light Gu could ascend to King Grade, so there was no need to mention the other three senior brothers.

The recent major event was that the King of Qi had entered the Death Realm for cultivation, and Qi Country's state affairs were handed over to Chen Dan to manage.

In this respect, there was surprisingly no opposition in the court of Qi Country.

Theoretically, having the ruler of a nation entrust state affairs to the prince of another nation was nearly impossible.

It was akin to a whimsical fantasy.

But one thing known to all Qi Country people was that the King of Qi was already exhibiting an undefeated demeanor!

Among all the kings of Qi through the ages, this current King of Qi had the strongest base foundation, practically able to sweep across the Foundation Establishment Realm, peerless.

Since the King of Qi had the assistance of the Black Sun, it appeared from the outside that the King of Qi's Sky Splitting Skills had already been cultivated to the level of a Half-step Master!

He was just half a step away from the Grandmaster Realm, possessing such terrifying talent, and Chen Qing's teaching was extremely dedicated!

To be so formidable at the Foundation Establishment Realm was like a young Chen Qing.

These factors made Qi Country understand that Chen Qing genuinely had no interest in Qi Country's royal power.

In fact, he was exerting his utmost effort to teach the King of Qi, going so far as to entrust the King of Qi with the heirloom skill Sky Splitting Skills.

Even Chen Dan had not practiced Sky Splitting Skills!

From the outside, it seemed that Prince Wen genuinely favored the King of Qi, entrusting him with his legacy.

Therefore, under such circumstances, the court of Qi Country did not strongly resist the temporary management of state affairs by Chen Dan.

Moreover, after interacting with Chen Dan, they were even more delighted, as Chen Dan, by managing the Elixir Institute, brought more convenience to Qi Country, securing more benefits.

Outsiders didn't know, only those within the lineage knew that, in fact, it wasn't like that—Chen Qing's greatest expectation was for Chen Dan.

When it came to Chen Dan's cultivation, Chen Qing almost never offered guidance unless Chen Dan asked questions, at which point he might give a hint.

As for others, Chen Qing mapped out their cultivation paths.

It was about Chen Dan paving his own road!

This was where they paled in comparison to Chen Dan.

Yan Lie recalled the terrifying magic within his lineage and considered the massive impact his inheritance would have on all of Nanli, then began to write:

"Everything is fine, mother, don't worry."

That was all, and no more.

These matters were beyond what his mother could know.

More words were useless.

After putting down the pen, he picked it up again to inquire about his mother's recent well-being.

When he received the letter again, his mother said her daily life had greatly improved; his father had begun to favor her again, which relieved him completely.

His origin was probably the worst among the royal lineage because his mother was a demon.

And he was a half-demon.

After replying to his mother, he stepped outside, ventured deep into the palace, and brought the most succulent fresh grass to Chen Qing's residence. "Elder Qing Shan, I've come to see you!"

"There are still some things I don't understand about this Cutting the Path to See Me. Please give me some guidance, elder."

Qing Shan raised his eyes. "Ah, it's Yan Lie. Come over here, let me take a look."

After practicing under Qing Shan's guidance for a while, Yan Lie asked, "Elder Qing Shan, can I start preparing for Foundation Establishment?"

Qing Shan shook his head. "Your inheritance makes your Foundation Establishment as challenging as any Great Sect successor."

"Yet, your current skills are not enough."

"It's time for you to journey a thousand miles."

"Yan Lie."

"Your Dao heart is not determined enough, and your comprehension of the path of fire is lacking."

"Once you can transform into the Vermilion Bird, you can establish your Foundation."

Yan Lie nodded, "Thank you, elder, for your guidance. I shall prepare and, after bidding farewell to Master and the other seniors, depart."

After Yan Lie left, Qing Shan found Xuan Mang and said, "Yan Lie has embarked on his thousand-mile journey. You can start arranging."

Xuan Mang asked, "Isn't your arrangement almost akin to sending him to his death?"

Qing Shan replied, "This is all Prince Wen's arrangement; his Gu embodies the indomitable will, and for ascension to Harmonization, he needs to be engulfed in flames and rise again from the ashes."

"Prince Wen had long used the blood of Feng Qiwu to draw the Nirvana Pattern on him, so no need to worry too much."

Just as Xuan Mang was about to speak, someone arrived to report, "My Lord, Ao Huanxiu's daughter, Ao Yu, encountered Li Shang, and neither knew the other's origin."

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