Chapter Nineteen: Hidden Agendas

As Mu Ran’s words fell, a sharp gleam flashed across Chu Tianchen’s eyes.

He truly hadn’t expected that Mu Ran had even heard of the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang.

The Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang is a technique that, at the cost of one’s life, can fully awaken a person’s potential within a short period and extend their life.

Yun Yanran was right; it has a time limit. Once that time passes, death is inevitable.

Even a sixth-rank alchemist would be powerless to save the person.

Moreover, the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang isn’t merely for saving lives; it can also push a person’s strength to the extreme, causing a tremendous surge in power.

But this too consumes one’s own life force.

In Tang Shisan’s case, if a sixth-rank alchemist were here, they could indeed save his life, but from then on, he would be forever cut off from martial arts.

His entire meridians, especially the dantian, were shattered far too severely.

However, none of these were the fatal reason. When Chu Tianchen applied the needles to Tang Shisan, he discovered a mysterious force within his body.

That force seemed to be devouring his qi and blood; it was urgent to find a place to investigate thoroughly.

He also found that Tang Shisan, like the girl who pushed him down in the Four Directions Forest that day, had a symbiotic primordial spirit.

This revealed that this person’s identity was anything but simple.

To nurture a symbiotic primordial spirit, his ancestors must have included at least one Saint Realm powerhouse.

It seemed he could make good use of this… no, he meant to charge a proper diagnosis fee.

“Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang? What is that?” Yun Yanran whispered.

“Young master, may I ask who your teacher is?” Mu Ran asked, his voice softening somewhat.

Chu Tianchen smiled faintly. “Master Mu Ran, I don’t understand what you just said. The Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang? That’s just a detoxification needle technique my grandfather taught me.”

“Ling Ying, we should go,” he said, then turned and walked toward the outside of the alchemy hall.

With Ling Ying and Tang Shisan, he no longer needed to gamble in the alchemy hall.

Watching Chu Tianchen’s retreating figure, Yun Yanran clenched her teeth.

“He’s only at the first level of the Meridian Opening Realm, yet standing before me, he sends a chill down my spine.”

“Chu Tianchen, oh Chu Tianchen, I’m not the only one who broke off the engagement. Why do you keep chasing me? Do you really think I, Yun Yanran, am someone easy to bully?” she thought bitterly.

Beside her, Mu Ran stood stunned for a long moment.

Then, he turned and climbed toward the alchemy tower.

---

“Master Mu Ran, let’s continue our discussion...” Yun Yanran said.

“Miss Yun, I have other matters today. You can return to Yunhai Academy, or if you wish, you may stay in the alchemy hall; I will have A Feng accompany you,” Mu Ran said, then hurriedly left.

Returning to the library, he began frantically flipping through books.

After two or three hours, holding an ancient tome, he looked at the record and exclaimed in surprise, “The young man indeed used the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang!”

“But this book records that the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang were lost over three thousand years ago.”

“Moreover, with the rise of alchemy, such ancient techniques have long disappeared. Where on earth did that boy learn it?”

“It seems there are still hidden experts in the Great Qian Dynasty.”

“If I can find the master behind him, perhaps I too can advance to the rank of sixth-rank alchemy grandmaster.”

What shocked Mu Ran was not how terrifying the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang was.

Such methods were developed by rare doctors before the rise of alchemy, offering many ways to save lives.

According to the book, the Thirteen Needles of Reviving Yang requires strong soul power and mental strength to perform, at least the spiritual power of a fourth-rank alchemist.

But Chu Tianchen looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. How could he possibly be a fourth-rank alchemist?

This made Mu Ran even more curious about him.

If there was no master guiding him from behind, it was truly incredible.

“Luckily, I haven’t offended this person. There’s still room to maneuver.”

“Over the years, the Yunmeng Marsh Valley has become increasingly outrageous, and now they want seventy percent of our alchemy hall’s profits. They seem to have no regard for Yunhai Academy anymore.”

“I hope this young man really has a master behind him as I suspect, and that might give me a chance to advance to a fifth-rank alchemist,” Mu Ran thought.

Then, after briefly disguising himself, he quietly left the alchemy hall.

At this moment, Yun Yanran was inexplicably restless in the seventh-floor alchemy room.

“What does Master Mu Ran mean? Could he be asking my father to come here and negotiate with him?” Yun Yanran said impatiently.

“Miss Yanran, my master must truly be busy. I’ll stay here with you. If you need anything, just say the word.”

“By the way, did you have some grudge with that beggar just now? Should I find someone to teach him a lesson?” Li Zifeng said.

“Out,” Yun Yanran said coldly.

---

“Huh? Miss Yanran, there’s no one else here,” Li Zifeng said in surprise.

“I said get out.”

“Go tell Mu Ran that I will wait here all day. Otherwise, let him negotiate with my father.”

“He’s just a lowly fourth-rank alchemist, yet he really thinks he’s something!”

“In five years at most, I will surely enter the fourth-rank!” Yun Yanran said coldly.

Hearing this, Li Zifeng didn’t get angry; instead, he smiled.

“Miss Yanran is truly a genius in alchemy. I heard you were quite spectacular when you broke off the engagement in Zhentian City.”

“That idiot from the Chu family could never match you.”

“The General’s Mansion is a thing of the past. My father will soon replace Chu Qingcang, that old man, and become the new National General. Then we’ll be a perfect match...” Li Zifeng said with a smile.

“Huh? You? Dare to set your sights on me?”

“Get out!” Yun Yanran shouted furiously.

Li Zifeng immediately shut up, slowly turned around, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

“You think I don’t deserve you? Little woman, do you really think I, Li Zifeng, am a sycophant?”

“When my father takes office and our Li family takes over this alchemy hall, I’ll take my time playing with you.”

“First, I’ll get my hands on that fifth-rank Fudan Cauldron. That cauldron is perfect for my third uncle.”

“When my third uncle reaches the sixth rank, who in the Great Qian Dynasty would dare provoke the Li family?” Li Zifeng thought to himself.

At the same time, Chu Tianchen and Ling Ying, with Tang Shisan, had found an inn in Yunhai City and settled in.

Before treating Tang Shisan, he had one more thing to do.

After absorbing the petals of the Celestial Phenomenon Snow Lotus, he had found the opportunity to open a second chakra. He did not want to miss it!

After asking Ling Ying for some primordial stones, Chu Tianchen locked himself in the room, sat cross-legged, and began to practice the "Nine Dragons Swallowing Heaven Technique" frantically, aiming to open his second chakra!