"True Men, please stay. This sect’s trial cannot be done by proxy. Being able to track them down is already greatly appreciated by Ping’an, thank you!" Outside the Qin Family’s gate, Li Ji’an declined Qin Henian and Qin Chuan’s offer to accompany him in capturing the thieves.

"Hahaha, Ping’an, no need for modesty. I have a close relationship with your master; by seniority, you should call me uncle. This is but a trivial matter, and it also avenges those junior cultivators." Qin Henian, whose lifespan is less than a hundred years and has suffered several injuries before, showed some signs of old age, but his personality remained hearty and unrestrained.

"Our Qin Family doors are always open to you." Qin Chuan was noticeably more reserved.

Li Ji’an thanked them one by one, and finally looked at Qin Chuan again subconsciously. With his deep study in the Medical Dao, he noticed the stagnation of Qin Chuan’s heart energy, which, if not resolved soon, would significantly impact his lifespan.

Twenty years ago, he was well-prepared, with Qin Henian mobilizing the entire clan’s strength to provide a five-hundred-year-old Celestial Heart Grass, a thread of Innate Mother Qi, and a piece of Soul Condensing Jade, along with the Body Protection Pill and Nourishing God Pill obtained from Li Ji’an.

The Innate Mother Qi is a true Core Formation Spirit Treasure, and the Celestial Heart Grass greatly assists in core formation.

This whole set of core formation resources is akin to the configuration of a True Disciple within the sect, with a chance of forming a True Pill.

Coupled with Qin Henian’s nurturing and training of Qin Chuan since childhood, his foundations in various aspects were not lacking.

In the end, it only resulted in a Fake Pill.

A few days ago, Li Ji’an, under the guise of concern for Qin Chuan’s core formation progress as a disciple of his master, learned that he had rented a Tier Three Middle Grade Cave Mansion at the Profound Light Immortal City of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace that year.

To rent this cave mansion, he gave quite a few Spirit Stones to a steward of the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

But Qin Chuan remarked that everything was normal at first, but at the crucial moment of solidifying the pill, he seemed to detect a change in the Spiritual Qi within the cave mansion, resulting in ultimate failure.

However, Qin Henian sternly rebuked him, claiming it was nonsense and blaming the interference of heart demons, stating that the failure was due to insufficient heart nature.

He warned Li Ji’an never to spread these ramblings.

As they parted, Li Ji’an sighed inwardly and advised, "Master Qin, this junior has researched the Medical Dao within the sect and has gained some insights. You should pay attention to your mood in the future; prolonged mental turmoil could affect lifespan."

In the end, he still said it.

After all, the subject of the Medical Dao is not something that must be kept secret from people.

Qin Chuan was slightly stunned.

Given his current status as a Fake Pill True Man, Li Ping’an, this junior at the Qi Cultivation Stage, saying this was somewhat overstepping.

However, he could hear the concern for himself in this junior’s words.

"Hmm, thank you, Little Friend Ping’an. I will remember it." Qin Chuan gratefully thanked him.

Watching Li Ping’an and the Upper Sect’s true inheritors depart, Qin Chuan sighed softly in his heart.

If only I were a sect disciple and had access to the Tier Three Spirit Vein Dao Field within the sect, I might have formed a True Pill.

"This lad... seems quite friendly, like Alchemist Li!" Qin Henian patted Qin Chuan’s shoulder and stroked his beard with a smile.

However, his gaze towards Li Ji’an’s departing figure was slightly dazed. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"If it’s not Alchemist Li, then who could it be?" Ever since Qin Chuan’s core formation failed, Qin Henian had been recalling the benefactors he encountered over the past few decades.

The first was the mysterious Talisman Master he met by chance in the Celestial River Immortal City.

The second was True Man Huang in the Black Water Swamp.

One contributed to the prosperity of the Qin family’s trade, the other gave him life-saving assistance, even gifting him Innate Mother Qi.

Yet both seemed to appear from nowhere and then vanish without a trace.

However, during the Black Water Swamp expedition, True Man Huang used three Tier Three Spirit Talismans, causing him to connect both individuals.

He was led to connect the mysterious Talisman Master with Li Ji’an because, years ago, he accidentally sensed the Essence of the Earth in the Odd Stone Forest.

And recalling True Man Huang’s encounter with Xiaoqiao outside the Black Water Swamp, he belatedly inquired Xiaoqiao to find her consciously hiding something.

Ten years ago, when he learned of Alchemist Li’s soul lamp in the sect extinguishing, signaling his demise, it shattered such speculations.

"Forget it, since the benefactor doesn’t wish for me to know, let it be." Shaking his head, Qin Henian’s obsession from these years gradually faded.

------------

Southwest, tens of thousands of miles from the Qin Family at Purple Bamboo Mountain, there exists a barren land bordering the desolate Storm Desert.

Yet, a Tier One branch vein extends from the Qin Family’s Tier Three Spirit Vein to this land.

This Tier One branch vein nurtured dozens of Qi Cultivation Clans.

"Senior Brother Li, it was entirely due to your connections that we could track down the thief cultivators so smoothly. If they had gotten ahead..." Along the way, Hu Zaiyi was somewhat anxious.

Previously, when the Qin Family discovered the thief cultivators’ whereabouts, Yao Rui and the others continuously followed Li Ji’an and naturally learned the clues.

Afterwards, Yao Rui and the others claimed they wouldn’t erase Li Ji’an’s credit but insisted that since this was a trial, capturing them should rely on individual capabilities.

Li Ji’an agreed to this.

Hu Zaiyi originally thought Yao Rui and the others didn’t have Earth Rock Bull mounts this time, which would allow them to be easily overtaken like before.

Yet now, nearly at their destination, they hadn’t seen Yao Rui and the others.

Clearly, the three of them had made some preparations and actually arrived ahead of them.

Closing his eyes for rest, Li Ji’an shook his head slightly.

"It doesn’t matter; even if they know it’s in the Zhao Family, they may not be able to find them."

Whether it’s the information from the Law Enforcement Hall or traces from the Xue Family, it all points to one thing: these six thief cultivators are very cautious and have some means to blend into families and avoid detection.

This time, the Foundation Establishment Stewards of the Qin Family are conducting a search in this area. Without Qin Henian’s strict order, they might have been overlooked.