The following is recorded in the “Strange News”:
The mutated offspring of the Xuan Shuang Eagle, upon reaching maturity, can grow up to ten zhang wide, with a flight speed comparable to a gale. Its ice-elemental abilities are extremely potent. Its breath can instantly freeze its target. If it can grow to the peak of its power, it could even influence local weather patterns, causing snow to fall in midsummer.
For any cultivator, possessing such a beast would be akin to holding a life-saving talisman. Whether battling other cultivators or competing for treasures within an immortal realm, it would grant a significant advantage—an irresistible temptation indeed. Therefore, the cost of raising it during its juvenile stage is entirely worthwhile.
Li Tan’s face lit up with joy, his smile replacing his previous gloom. The young eagle tilted its head curiously, seemingly puzzled by Li Tan’s sudden change in demeanor.
Now that he had decided to raise the eagle, Li Tan no longer dwelled on the matter of the purple spirit coins. Instead, he began thinking about how to acquire spirit stones. The most reliable method was to concoct pills and sell them for profit, although that would take a few more days. However, the young eagle wouldn’t survive that long without food. He could also ask Li Zhen for help, but explaining the purpose would be difficult. Borrowing from an auction house would incur a massive debt of gratitude, which Li Tan was reluctant to do. After much deliberation, he settled on a win-win solution: the Lin family was a large clan, so surely they had some spirit stones stored away?
Borrowing a few should be no problem.
Without hesitation, he prepared to act. However, before that, Li Tan had something else to do. He sat down on his cool bed and once again directed his spiritual consciousness into his dantian. The Wasteland Pagoda had returned to its calm state, no longer as unwelcoming as before.
What exactly was this Wasteland Pagoda?
In truth, Li Tan knew very little about it. From ancient legends, he only knew it was an incomparably powerful magical artifact. Now, he had a new theory: perhaps it was a space-type treasure capable of containing objects. If so, could it also hold living beings?
This thought intrigued him greatly. Fixing his gaze on the young eagle on the table, he acted on impulse.
A faint purple light flickered, and the young eagle vanished into thin air.
Li Tan turned his inner vision toward his dantian. The Wasteland Pagoda had indeed changed. Previously, when he had sent his consciousness inside, all he could see was a strange, yellowish space filled with floating books. Now, there was a new space above the first one. It was empty, with a dark red floor, and the young eagle was standing there, bewildered but not frightened.
Recalling that the Wasteland Pagoda had nine levels, Li Tan grasped the situation. The yellowish space was probably the first level, packed with countless books that might contain martial arts techniques and cultivation methods. The second level seemed to be a storage space, capable of holding living creatures, as demonstrated by the young eagle and the Soul Jade now residing there.
Above that, everything was dark, obscured from view. He wondered what conditions were required to unlock the upper levels.
Seeing that the young eagle was unafraid, Li Tan assumed it was the pagoda’s influence and decided to leave it be for now. He withdrew his spiritual consciousness from the pagoda and retrieved the soul jade.
Jiang Xin’s illusory spirit form appeared beside the bed, her expression somewhat dull.
“Do you remember Cui Hao?”
Li Tan, attempting to awaken her senses, chose this blunt approach. The effect was immediate—Jiang Xin’s expression changed instantly.
Li Tan continued speaking, recalling stories about Cui Hao. After a stick of incense had burned, Jiang Xin’s demeanor had changed significantly, showing more emotion rather than the wooden expression she had before.
After returning her to the soul jade, Li Tan pondered thoughtfully: “At this rate, she will eventually recover. If I could find some spirit-enhancing pills or spirit herbs, the process could be accelerated.” He looked down, pausing for a moment before tightening his grip on the soul jade and glancing at the dark red cabinet beside the bed. A fleeting glint of coldness passed through his eyes.
“Tomorrow’s punishment from the household affairs department,” he mused, narrowing his eyes slightly, as if forming a plan.
With that, his immediate tasks were complete. Li Tan left the desolate courtyard, cautiously extending his spiritual awareness, avoiding anyone who might pass by, and headed in one direction. Soon, a two-story, dome-shaped building came into view. Its only entrance was the front gate; there were no windows or other openings.
This was the storage house, where the Lin family kept their mundane wealth and cultivation resources. It was also Li Tan’s current destination—he intended to “borrow” some spirit stones as a reward for his efforts in changing the Lin family’s doomed fate.
Observing from a distance, he saw that the stone entrance was guarded by four sentries, all at the late Foundation Building stage. The level of vigilance here was second only to the library. Sneaking in unnoticed was currently his biggest challenge.
It was clear that unless he made a hole in the wall, the only way in was through the front gate.
After much thought, Li Tan found only one feasible solution.
Once decided, he acted immediately. He left his hiding spot and walked forward boldly. At the entrance, the four guards, who had been standing tall and serious, collapsed to the ground like limp noodles.
A mental storm had struck, instantly knocking them unconscious. However, the cost to Li Tan was nearly half of his spiritual energy, which would take several days to recover.
Li Tan searched one of the guards and retrieved the key before opening the gate and entering.
Inside, nothing was particularly impressive. The ground, shelves, and cabinets were filled with all sorts of treasures, ranging from mundane money to priceless pills and magical artifacts. If the real 17-year-old Li Tan had come here, he would probably have fainted from excitement. However, for the current Li Tan, none of it held any appeal.
Ignoring the treasures scattered around, Li Tan headed toward a relatively secluded corner where a few chests were placed. Upon opening them, he found they were filled with spirit stones.
Some of these were meant for sale to wandering cultivators, while most were allocated for the Lin family’s own cultivation purposes.
Li Tan thought he shouldn’t take too much, to avoid drawing attention. After much deliberation, he decisively placed only one chest of spirit stones into the Wasteland Pagoda. Then, looking at the remaining three chests, he silently added another one. He paused again, thinking, *I’m about to save the entire Lin family—how can I feel guilty about taking just a little? “This should be enough to last for a while.”*
Satisfied, Li Tan chuckled to himself and turned to leave. On a shelf, behind a bottle, a hint of green caught his eye.
“Huh?” Li Tan moved the bottle aside and smiled like a child discovering a new toy.
“Violet Orchid Vine! Haha, I didn’t expect the Lin family to have this!”
The Violet Orchid Vine was entirely purple, covered in tiny thorns. It was an essential ingredient in many pill recipes, including the Nine Revolving Green Spirit Pill.
Li Tan was overjoyed at this unexpected find. Considering it part of his reward, he collected it into the Wasteland Pagoda without a hint of guilt. Then, filled with anticipation, he wandered around the storage house, paying special attention to hidden corners.
Unfortunately, he found nothing else of interest, so he finally left, heading straight back to his residence. Almost as soon as he had gone, the four unconscious guards regained consciousness.
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