Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 440 Old Li! Long time no see!

"They won't make any moves for now." Chen Fan took a sip of tea. "They will remember Zhao Wuji's death, but breaking the formation is more important. In the next six months, they will mostly be preparing with all their might, and there won't be any unexpected complications."

"And what about you?" Gu Daozi asked. "Will you return to Dayuan after Tianxiangzi's injuries have healed?"

Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I won't go back for now. We still need to investigate Old Dragon City."

"Go again?" Old Man Long frowned. "It's too dangerous. The eight major families are definitely watching you now. Going again would be like walking into a trap."

"We know what we're doing," Chen Fan said calmly. "There are some things that need to be investigated thoroughly."

Gu Daozi and Old Man Long exchanged a glance, knowing they couldn't persuade him, so they said no more.

The three chatted for a while longer before Chen Fan got up to say goodbye.

"I'll head back to Dayuan first to arrange some things. I'll leave Tianxiangzi in your care."

Gu Daozi nodded: "Don't worry."

Old Man Long also said, "With us here, Tianxiang will be fine."

Chen Fan cupped his hands in greeting and vanished, turning into a streak of bluish-gray light.

Gu Daozi and Old Man Long stood at the entrance of the valley, watching the streak of light disappear into the horizon, remaining motionless for a long time.

"Old Long, what do you think..." Gu Daozi suddenly spoke up, "Is there any possibility between Chen Fan and Tianxiang?"

Old Man Long sighed, "It's difficult. You know Chen Fan's personality. If he really wanted this, things wouldn't be like this now."

Gu Daozi shook his head: "I don't think so. If he had no interest, why would he care so much about Tianxiang? He took the Soul-Returning Pill like that without hesitation, and killed a Nascent Soul cultivator without a second thought... This is not something that can be done with an ordinary relationship."

Old Man Long was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Perhaps he himself hasn't figured it out."

Gu Daozi smiled bitterly: "I hope he can figure it out soon. Tianxiang has waited for him for so many years, and if she continues to wait..."

He didn't finish speaking.

The two turned and went back into the valley.

Inside the alchemy room, Tianxiangzi opened her eyes, staring blankly at the bamboo roof.

After a long while, she murmured to herself, "So what if he's a eunuch...? What I've been waiting for has never been that."

……

After leaving the Grass Valley, Chen Fan did not stop along the way.

A streak of bluish-gray light streaked across the sky, heading eastward, and arrived at the Great Abyss Imperial City in less than half a day.

It was noon, and Chang'an Street was teeming with people. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, chatting, and riding in the streets mingled together, exuding the unique prosperity and bustle of the imperial city. Chen Fan concealed his aura, disguised himself as an ordinary old man, and strolled slowly among the crowd.

At the east entrance of the street, the signboard of Baicaotang gleamed warmly in the sunlight.

The shop was still bustling with activity, with officials and cultivators coming and going from time to time. Old Li sat behind the counter, head down, fiddling with the abacus and muttering to himself about the accounts. Cuihua was tidying up the medicinal herbs beside him, her movements swift and efficient, though her eyes occasionally flashed with the faint light unique to talismans.

Chen Fan stepped into the store.

"What would you like to order, sir? We've just received a few new dishes..." Old Li looked up to greet him, but stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

He stared wide-eyed at the figure wearing a straw hat and a mask before him, stunned for a long while, before suddenly leaping out from behind the counter, his voice trembling with excitement: "Brother Wei... Brother Wei? Is that you, Brother Wei?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, a rare smile appearing on his face: "It's our home."

"Oh my! It really is you!" Old Li grabbed Chen Fan's arm, looking him up and down. "You've finally arrived! I've been looking forward to it every day, thinking you'd forgotten your old friend!"

As he spoke, he turned and called into the inner room, "Cuihua! Quick! Make tea! The best Yunwu Ling tea!"

Hearing the voice, Cuihua looked up and saw Chen Fan. A glint of light flashed in her eyes, and she quickly replied, "Yes! Coming right away!"

Chen Fan was pulled into the inner hall by Old Li.

The inner room was small and simply furnished, with a square table, a few chairs, and several landscape paintings hanging on the wall. Tea sets were placed on the table, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.

Old Li personally poured tea for Chen Fan, his hands trembling slightly: "Brother Wei, you have no idea how worried I've been these past few days. You haven't shown up at all, and I thought..."

"Did you think something happened to our family?" Chen Fan took the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Don't worry, our family is tough."

"That's right, that's right!" Old Li rubbed his hands together as he sat down, his face beaming. "With you here, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief! By the way, what brings you here this time..."

Chen Fan put down his teacup and got straight to the point: "Our family needs two things."

"Go ahead!" Old Li patted his chest confidently, "If my Baicaotang has it, I'll never keep it to myself!"

"Soul-Nourishing Wood, Vitality Elixir," Chen Fan said slowly.

The smile on Old Li's face froze.

He opened his mouth, but remained silent for a long while. The inner room fell silent, with only the soft bubbling of the teapot on the stove.

Cuihua brought in tea and snacks, but noticing the awkward atmosphere, she put down the tray and quietly left, closing the door behind her.

After a long silence, Old Li sighed and said with a wry smile, "Brother Wei, it's not that I don't want to help you... but the Hundred Herbs Hall in the Sealed Land really doesn't have these two items."

Chen Fan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Not even a single clue?"

"No." Old Li shook his head, his expression becoming serious. "Soul-Nourishing Wood is a sacred object for nurturing the soul, and it's extremely rare, appearing only once every thousand years. Vitality Elixir is even more legendary; it's said that a single drop can heal flesh and bone and revive the dead. These two... let alone the sealed land, they are treasures that are hard to come by even in the entire Tiannan Region."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Brother Wei, do you need these two items to save someone?"

Chen Fan did not deny it: "Tian Xiangzi's soul was injured. The Soul-Returning Pill can only stabilize the injury. To completely heal him, these two items are indispensable."

"Fairy Tianxiang..." Old Li suddenly realized, then frowned, "But... there's really nothing we can do. Although Baicaotang is spread all over the world, this branch in the Sealed Land is, in the end, just the lowest of the low. The real good stuff is all in the hands of the main branch outside the domain."

Chen Fan remained silent.

Old Li looked at him and suddenly said, "Brother Wei, if you really need it urgently, I have a way."

"explain."

"Bai Cao Tang... comes from the Great Yu Cultivation Kingdom." Old Li said slowly, "The Great Yu Cultivation Kingdom is a force to be reckoned with in the Southern Region. Although it can't compare to those top sects, it's not weak either. Families like the Wang family and the Zhao family are nothing more than second-rate compared to the Great Yu Cultivation Kingdom."

Chen Fan looked up: "You mean...?"

"Cooperation," Old Li said solemnly. "Bai Cao Tang can protect Da Yuan and even help you find Soul-Nourishing Wood and Vitality Elixir. But the condition is that all the spirit rice, radishes, and sweet potatoes produced in Da Yuan must be supplied to Bai Cao Tang."

Chen Fan tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them." Old Li nodded. "Brother Wei, you may not know, but these spiritual plants in Dayuan... are extraordinary. After I reported to the main hall, the eighteenth elder personally sent a message saying that the purity of the spiritual energy contained in these plants far exceeds that of those produced in ordinary spiritual fields. If supplied in large quantities, they will greatly benefit the pill refining of Baicaotang."