Great Immortal With Boundless Mana

Chapter 188: Secret

On New Year's Eve, Gao Xian, Zhu Qiniang, Wan Yingying, Da Niu, and Xiao Hei Mao all gathered around the table for a reunion dinner.

Xiao Hei Mao seemed to dislike this kind of ceremony and wanted to run away after taking a few bites. Wan Yingying held it in her arms and forced it to eat and drink with them.

Wan Yingying especially liked Xiao Hei Mao. In her heart, Gao Xian held the highest position, followed by Zhou Yuling, then Xiao Hei Mao, and then Da Niu...

As for Zhu Qiniang, well, she didn't rank high in Wan Yingying's heart.

On New Year's Day, Gao Xian gave everyone a big red envelope.

Wan Yingying received a medium-grade spiritual stone and a calming and qi-nourishing Sun Jade Pendant. It was left behind by a Foundation Building cultivator, and although it was a first-grade magical tool, its quality was very high.

The little girl didn't really know how to judge the quality of magical tools, but she thought the jade pendant was pretty and since it was given by Gao Xian, she excitedly jumped around in her room.

Da Niu received six medium-grade spiritual stones, two hundred Dragon Bone Pills, and a set of Iron Dragon Hands.

This set of Iron Dragon Hands was a Body Refining secret technique passed down in Zhu Qiniang's family, which she used to value greatly. But now that she had become a Foundation Building cultivator, this secret technique had become insignificant.

Since Da Niu was loyal and hardworking, Gao Xian and Zhu Qiniang discussed it and decided to pass on the Iron Dragon Hands to him.

The higher Da Niu's cultivation level, the more work he could do... Gao Xian had planned it out well.

Even Xiao Hei Mao received a New Year's gift, a large bottle of White Dew Pill. One pill a day would be enough for it to consume for a year.

Gao Xian's main reason for giving it was that he was too lazy to feed it, and besides, Xiao Hei Mao had some spiritual sense and could detect evil energy, so it made sense to give it some pills.

The key point was that he was now wealthy. If it were a few years ago, he wouldn't have been able to afford White Dew Pills, let alone be so generous.

As a Foundation Building cultivator, his actions naturally became more extravagant.

Gao Xian also prepared a gift for Zhu Qiniang, a Dry Yang Gold Essence worth twenty thousand spiritual stones that he bought at the Yunshui Tower.

These were the spiritual stones he had saved from alchemy. Well, he couldn't bear to use thirty-five high-grade spiritual stones.

This piece of Gold Essence could be fused into a sword, and if lucky, it could enhance the grade of the sword.

Upon receiving this gift, Zhu Qiniang also showed a hint of surprise.

Although Gao Xian didn't receive any gifts, seeing the happy expressions of others when they received his gifts made him satisfied.

On New Year's Eve, the whole family, including the cat, was very happy.

That night, Zhu Qiniang was passionate and almost exhausted Gao Xian.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Gao Xian brought four Fifth-Grade Longevity Pills and went to the Scripture Hall.

Last year, because he killed Xu Lingyun, the atmosphere was too tense, so Gao Xian didn't come to visit Nanping Song.

Zhou Ye returned to Liangyun City and secretly visited Nanping Song. When the master and disciple met, Gao Xian didn't go with them.

Nanping Song was lazily lying at the side hall door. He was covered with a white woolen blanket, leaning against the back of the chair, squinting his old eyes and looking at the sky, not knowing what he was thinking.

On the red clay stove beside him, boiling water was being brewed. A beautiful maid carefully cleaned the tea set and prepared to make tea.

After two years, seeing Nanping Song again, this old man looked rosy, his old eyes were bright, and he seemed to be full of vitality.

Gao Xian sighed in his heart. At the end of his life, an old man should be like a withered tree, hiding the only trace of vitality deep inside his body, so that he could live a little longer.

But now, he was full of vitality, clearly releasing the last trace of life force. This was the old man's last moments, and he couldn't control that last bit of vitality anymore.

To put it in simpler terms, he had entered the state of dying embers.

Nanping Song is ultimately a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator, with a cultivation base that has been extremely refined over the past three hundred years. Therefore, even if he is in his twilight years, he can still live for another ten or eight days.

Gao Xian and Nanping Song actually have a deep friendship, but he still killed Nan Zhengxing. His relationship with Nanping Song can only be considered a cooperative one.

However, seeing a Foundation Building cultivator's life come to an end, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

This is different from physically killing an enemy.

In the midst of intense and brutal battles, there is no time to think about such things. Furthermore, Gao Xian is afraid that the other party won't die fast enough, let alone have any emotions.

Seeing Nanping Song like this inevitably sparks his contemplation of death and strengthens his determination in cultivation.

Although he has a lifespan of nearly five hundred years, how is that enough! If he wants to live longer, he can only continue to cultivate and ascend.

Gao Xian manages to control his emotions well, smiling and presenting a gift.

Nanping Song sees Gao Xian looking very happy and a joyful smile appears on his old face: "You came to visit me at this time, you have a kind heart."

Nanping Song casually opens the gift box and sees four Five-Transformation Longevity Pills inside, causing him to smile widely, revealing his big teeth.

Gao Xian is a bit speechless. This old man is almost dead, yet he still cares so much about material possessions. It's really hard to change one's nature.

Even with the Nine-Transformation Longevity Pill, it's impossible to make the old man live one more day!

"You came just in time, I'm about to leave, and I was thinking about whether to invite you over for a chat..."

Nanping Song casually hands the gift box to a little maid, then waves his hand, gesturing for the maid to leave.

The several maidservants around quickly bow and salute, then enter the room.

In the spacious courtyard, only Nanping Song and Gao Xian are left.

Nanping Song reaches out to make tea for Gao Xian. As the boiling water is poured, a fragrant tea aroma quickly fills the air.

"There are no chairs, so make do for now."

The old man chuckles, seeming to find it amusing to have Gao Xian stand and drink tea.

Gao Xian doesn't mind. Even if the old man is about to die, it's reasonable for him to stand here given his nearly three hundred years of age.

As the hot tea enters his mouth, the fragrant tea aroma spreads from his tongue to his nasal cavity. The long-lasting aroma lingers, and a spiritual energy dissipates within his body.

"Good tea." Gao Xian is not a tea connoisseur, but he can clearly feel that this tea is of high quality, the best tea he has ever tasted in his life.

"Purple Needle Tea, two thousand spirit stones per catty. I only decided to drink it now that I'm about to die!"

Nanping Song also feels emotional, "Now that I think about it, I was too harsh on myself in the past. I thought I had to live carefully for three hundred years, but it turned out to be just a blink of an eye..."

Nanping Song pours another cup of tea for Gao Xian and continues, "Congratulations on becoming a Foundation Building cultivator. With your age and aptitude, you will have the opportunity to achieve the Gold Core stage in the future. I'm truly envious."

The old man looks straight at Gao Xian, his eyes filled with undisguised envy, and even a hint of greed.

Gao Xian can understand the old man very well. How can one not envy and be jealous when they see a young person with boundless prospects on the verge of death?

Even the thought of replacing him arises, which is just human nature.

"It's just luck, just luck."

Gao Xian politely says a few words, then changes the topic, "Nan Lao, there are a few things I would like to ask for your advice."

Nanping Song laughs heartily. He knew that Gao Xian is not someone who respects the elderly and loves the young. He must have come to visit with a gift because he wants something.

This is normal!

Gao Xian knew what the old man was laughing about, and he didn't feel embarrassed either. Who would come to give gifts without asking for help?

Someone may burn a cold stove, but no one would burn a dead stove!

He said, "Nan Lao, I heard that our sect is going to form an alliance with three other sects. I don't know which three sects they are. You have a wealth of experience, so please explain it to me."

"Our sect is forming an alliance?"

Nan Pingsong showed a hint of confusion. Although he was close to death, he was still an elder responsible for transmitting techniques. According to reason, he should have been informed of such a major event.

He didn't ask further questions. Gao Xian didn't need to lie.

Nan Pingsong pondered for a moment and said, "If our sect is forming an alliance, it would be with Qingfeng Sect, Chiyen Sect, and Shaoyang Sect."

"Chiyen Sect and Qisha Sect are neighbors, and the two sects have deep conflicts. Qingfeng Sect, Shaoyang Sect, and our sect have always had a good relationship. This time, the demonic cultivators in the Eastern Wilderness are becoming restless, and all sects are feeling the pressure. It's normal for them to unite in an alliance..."

The old man had been in Lianyun Sect for nearly three hundred years and was particularly knowledgeable about internal and external situations.

Even if he didn't know the specific situation, he could make accurate judgments.

After all, forming an alliance was not a trivial matter, and Lianyun Sect had very limited options for choosing a sect to ally with.

Gao Xian nodded, then asked, "I wonder how strong these sects are?"

Nan Pingsong glanced at Gao Xian, wondering why he was asking so carefully.

But he was almost dead and had no interest in caring about these things.

"Among these three sects, Qingfeng Sect is the strongest. Their sect master, Li Chengfeng, is already in the later stage of Gold Core. It is said that he is only one step away from Nascent Soul. However, he is already seven hundred years old and only has a lower eighth-grade Gold Core, so it is impossible for him to achieve Nascent Soul."

Gao Xian suddenly asked, "Nan Lao, Gold Core is also divided into grades?"

He had read many books but hadn't found any records on this aspect.

Nan Pingsong laughed, "You don't know about this?"

Then he suddenly realized, "Right, you are Xu Mingyuan's disciple. It's normal that you don't know."

Nan Pingsong spoke with an increasingly happy smile. Xu Mingyuan was also a strange person, taking in a bunch of disciples as laborers. No one knew what he was thinking.

"The Gold Core is divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the highest and the ninth grade being the lowest. Generally, it is further divided into the upper three grades, middle three grades, and lower three grades."

Nan Pingsong sighed, "It is almost impossible for a lower three-grade Gold Core to achieve Foundation Establishment. Among the middle three grades, only one in a thousand can achieve Foundation Establishment. It is said that the chances are much higher for the upper three grades. The specific situation is not something we can know..."

When it came to the secrets of the Gold Core, ordinary sects could only talk about it for fun. No one could explain the specific situation.

In any case, the higher the grade of the Gold Core, the stronger its power, that was for sure.

Gao Xian's eyes lit up. He didn't know there were so many different views on the Gold Core. He and Qi Niang didn't have a master to guide them, nor did they have a place to obtain information. They were truly in the dark.

Nan Pingsong suddenly became serious and said to Gao Xian, "You have great talent. If you want to go further, go to Qingyun Sect. Only there can accommodate you and provide a path to the Gold Core."

Gao Xian looked at Nan Pingsong with some confusion. Why did the old man suddenly mention this?

Nan Pingsong explained, "I'm almost dead, that's why I'm telling you this. Lianyun Sect is just a small pond that can only accommodate one Gold Core."

"Yun Taihao is stubborn, self-centered, and ruthless. He will never allow outsiders to achieve the Gold Core, nor will he allow Lianyun Sect to fall into the hands of outsiders."

"But Qingyun Sect is different. They have a true Nascent Soul expert presiding over them and have inherited for thousands of years with exceptionally profound heritage. Even if you achieve an upper three-grade Gold Core, Qingyun Sect can still accommodate you..."

Gao Xian suddenly understood. No wonder Yun Taihao didn't have any goodwill towards him. The key was that the pond was too small and couldn't accommodate a second Gold Core. How could Yun Taihao have a good face for potential competitors?

For now, he could tolerate him because he hadn't posed a substantial threat yet.

He looked at Nanpingsong with some admiration. This old man hasn't lived in vain for three hundred years, he's quite clear-minded!

It's truly an eye-opener!

Gao Xian had made up his mind to go to Qingyun Sect, but he didn't realize the intricacies involved.

He sincerely praised, "Old Nan's insight is like a torch, very perceptive. I admire, I admire."

Nanpingsong smiled proudly, "I've been following the Sect Master for hundreds of years, so I understand him."

Nanpingsong continued, "Your timing is perfect, I have a great benefit to give you."

"Hmm?"

Gao Xian was greatly surprised. Nanpingsong, who was stingy with money, was willing to give him a benefit?! Did he hear it wrong?

"Don't be so surprised. Although I'm greedy, I'm going to die someday, so I have to consider my descendants..."

Nanpingsong's efforts in recent years were not in vain, as he had a son. He cherished this son like a treasure.

As for other descendants, they were a bit distant and he didn't have much affection for them.

He was well aware that once he passed away, his young son would be killed by his unfilial grandsons and great-grandsons.

If Gao Xian didn't come to him, he was also planning to invite Gao Xian over.

Nanpingsong had known many friends in his life, but most of them had died, leaving only a few whom he couldn't trust.

After thinking it over, he realized that Gao Xian and Zhu Qiniang had decent character and were worth taking a gamble on.

The key was that both of them were young, with boundless prospects, and were still in the stage of accumulating good character. They wouldn't look bad together.

Nanpingsong didn't beat around the bush. He took out a golden pearl from his sleeve and handed it to Gao Xian, "Heavenly Magnetic Pearl, a treasure I obtained at the risk of my life in my early years. I've been able to live this long thanks to the power of this pearl."

Gao Xian hesitated. Of course, he wanted the treasure, but he had to think carefully about Nanpingsong's treasure.

"I'm about to die, so how could I deceive you?"

Nanpingsong stuffed the Heavenly Magnetic Pearl into Gao Xian's hand, "The Heavenly Magnetic Pearl contains the inheritance of the Heavenly Magnetic Wheel, which is the fastest escape technique among second-tier spells. Activating the Heavenly Magnetic Wheel also has a protective effect."

"If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, just activate the Heavenly Magnetic Wheel and run. Almost no one can catch up. Haha..."

Nanpingsong spoke proudly. He had been able to live safely for so long not because he was good at fighting, but because he could run fast.

Gao Xian understood. The old man was always one step ahead of danger!

Currently, he relied on the Qingxia Cloak or the Wind Riding Technique for flying, and his speed was not particularly fast. This Heavenly Magnetic Wheel was perfect for him!

The old man was giving him a gift that he couldn't refuse.

Gao Xian was no longer polite and clasped his hands, "Thank you, Old Nan."

Nanpingsong hurriedly waved his hand, "It's not a gift. I have a condition. My son, Nantianshou, is two years old this year. I ask you to take care of him until he's eighteen and find him a sect for cultivation..."

Gao Xian's face showed a difficult expression. He was reluctant to help raise a child.

Killing and setting fires was easy, but raising a child was too troublesome. It would take about twenty years from childhood to adulthood.

The Heavenly Magnetic Pearl in his hand was also becoming a bit troublesome. Gao Xian really wanted to return it.

Nanpingsong sensed that something was wrong and grabbed Gao Xian's hand excitedly, "Gao Xian, just have someone look after the child at your home. You don't have to raise him. With you around, no one will dare to touch Tianshou."

He paused and continued, "As long as you agree, I can also tell you an important secret about the Great Five Elements Technique..."

(End of this chapter)