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"Dragon Blood Essence?" Yin Zixuan was taken aback, then nodded dumbly, "I remember we have a drop of that in the treasury of North Cold Country. But over the years, no one has used it because without a Divine Body, a mere human flesh cannot withstand it."

 

"That's why it's been in the treasury for so many years. My father had thought that if someone in North Cold Country were born with a Divine Body, it could be used."

 

"But so many years have passed, and not a hint of a Divine Body has emerged," Yin Zixuan said with regret.

 

After all, a Divine Body is an extremely rare existence in the entire Cangyuan Realm, not something ordinary people can possess.

 

Even the powerful Su Family of the Southern Wilderness is now seeking marriage alliances everywhere, hoping to have a child born with a Divine Body.

 

"Then, how about I trade three Longevity Fruits for that drop of Dragon Blood Essence from your North Cold Country?" Li Changqing's eyes sparkled.

 

Although Lu Shiran has left Guanglan Palace, and Li Hengsheng no longer has to worry about the debt, Li Changqing knew his son also had a Divine Body and would certainly need the Dragon Blood Essence when his body evolved to a higher level.

 

So getting a drop now was a win!

 

North Cold Country had it, and they didn't need it, so Li Changqing took this opportunity to acquire it, and later refine a Seven Treasures Crystal Pill.

 

Give it to his son, and his Divine Body would advance further, wouldn't that make him stronger?

 

Li Changqing's mind was buzzing with calculations.

 

"This…" Yin Zixuan was startled, then couldn't help but ask Li Changqing, "Mr. Changqing, where did you get the Longevity Fruits?"

 

Even Long Haocheng looked at the menu on the wall with surprise, wondering if there was some hidden menu in the restaurant.

 

Something like a cold dish of Longevity Fruits?

 

"I don't have any, but I can go find some for you in the Black Ancient Forest," Li Changqing said indifferently. "That forest is fraught with danger, even Grandmaster-level Spirit Beasts lurk within. If you few venture in, you might not find the Tree of Longevity and could even lose your lives. Wouldn't that be a loss?"

 

"Just trade the Dragon Blood Essence with me, and I'll find it for you. It's better for everyone, isn't it?"

 

Hearing Li Changqing say this, Yin Zixuan still couldn't believe it and looked at him in amazement, "Mr. Changqing, you have cultivation too?"

 

He hadn't sensed any cultivation on Li Changqing. He was only extremely polite to Li Changqing because he admired his knowledge and brains, and because Li Changqing was the big boss behind Changqing Trading Company.

 

And now he was being told that he was actually a formidable person?

 

"Of course, I have cultivation."

 

Li Changqing smiled slightly, then with a flick of his finger, all the chopsticks on the table flew up, circling around him.

 

Seeing Li Changqing's ability to control objects, both Long Haocheng and Yin Zixuan were stunned.

 

"Are you a Painter?"

 

Yin Zixuan never expected the man before him to be a Painter!

 

"Not a Painter…" Long Haocheng stared blankly at Li Changqing, then said, "If he were an ordinary Painter, I would be able to sense his Divine Soul power, but I don't feel any Divine Soul pressure from Mr. Changqing… Oh no, I mean, Mr. Changqing must be a Painting Sage!"

 

Long Haocheng was already at the Great Perfection realm, but he couldn't sense Li Changqing's Divine Soul at all. What else could Li Changqing be if not a Painting Sage?

 

"Painting Sage!"

 

Fortunately, there were no other customers in the tavern at the time, otherwise Yin Zixuan's shocked voice would have surely turned Li Changqing into an animal on display.

 

"Keep it down," Li Changqing quickly reminded him.

 

"Oh, sorry," Yin Zixuan had stood up in his surprise. Just how rare a Painting Sage was, there was no need to say. Their entire North Cold Country dynasty didn't have such an impressive existence.

 

A Painting Sage was a true powerhouse on par with a Grandmaster!

 

Such a rare and powerful being was right before him, how could he not be excited?

 

Now Yin Zixuan also believed that Li Changqing truly had the strength to enter the Black Ancient Forest and find the Longevity Fruits for them.

 

Otherwise, with just him, an ordinary Great Perfection, and three Grandmaster-level experts, rashly entering the Black Ancient Forest, they were likely to have no chance of success and might even die inside.

 

Originally, Yin Fengqi didn't agree to his coming, and it was Yin Zixuan who had sneaked out.

 

But now, there seemed to be a reliable method.

 

Long Haocheng also didn't expect that in his small Ziwu City, a tavern owner would turn out to be a high-level expert like a Painting Sage. It sounded truly absurd.

 

Li Changqing didn't care about their shocked expressions, just quietly poured himself a glass of wine, then asked, "So, do we have a deal? I'll find three Longevity Fruits for you, and you trade the Dragon Blood Essence from North Cold Country, how about it?"

 

"Agreed!"

 

Yin Zixuan said decisively, "Even if my father were here, he would definitely agree to this condition. Please, Mr. Changqing."

 

"Alright."

 

"When will Mr. Changqing set off? This is the map we found, with the approximate location. Since there are no exact coordinates in the Black Ancient Forest, we can only roughly find this range." Saying this, Yin Zixuan took out a map and handed it to Li Changqing.

 

Li Changqing took it and saw that the map looked very ancient.

 

He didn't know when it was drawn.

 

But he could vaguely make out the terrain of the Black Ancient Forest.

 

"I'll go after finishing this drink. Wait for my news," Li Changqing glanced at the map, then put it away.

 

He was also eager to get things done, and more importantly, he wanted to see what kind of treasure the Tree of Longevity was.

 

If he could bring the Tree of Longevity back and use it as wood, he would definitely be able to craft even better treasures.

 

Li Changqing's usually calm heart was getting a little excited.

 

With the current turbulent times, who knows what would happen next? Li Changqing had to find more advantageous things to help himself and his son.

 

He must race against time to secure a stable future for himself and his son.

 

After finishing his drink, Li Changqing said a word to Zhang Fuguang.

 

Zhang Fuguang hurriedly said he wanted to go with Li Changqing into the Black Ancient Forest.

 

But Li Changqing told him to stay and watch the store, assuring him that he would be fine.

 

Zhang Fuguang didn't insist, because he also knew of Li Changqing's strength. Unless he encountered some special danger, Li Changqing would be fine.

 

After the meal, Li Changqing followed Long Haocheng and Yin Zixuan to the General's Mansion.

 

This was Li Changqing's first visit to the General's Mansion.

 

Inside the General's Mansion, the two strong men who had come with Yin Zixuan had been waiting for a long time.

 

Both were old men, one dressed in black and the other in yellow. Seeing Yin Zixuan return, they quickly came forward to ask, "Your Highness, when do we set off?"

 

"We're not going anymore. Senior Changqing will go for us," Yin Zixuan introduced them.

 

The two were stunned, not going anymore?

 

They looked at Li Changqing.

 

Before the two could speak, Li Changqing's aura burst forth, instantly overwhelming them. They felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on them.

 

Li Changqing didn't bother to waste words with them, because if he didn't show his strength, he would surely be looked down upon, and then he would have to prove himself again.

 

In his previous life, he found it quite satisfying, but after experiencing it personally, Li Changqing found it very troublesome.

 

"Painting Sage!"

 

The two quickly stepped back and bowed respectfully.

 

The status of a Painting Sage was higher than that of a Grandmaster. If a Painting Sage appeared in North Cold Country, that would definitely be a higher status than Zhao Beiming and Zhang Yuanzhi.

 

Li Changqing was now resigned to his fate, let them know if they know.

 

After all, they didn't know his son.

 

And Li Changqing would also make them keep a low profile.

 

Besides, when Li Changqing and Li Hengsheng parted ways in Changting Town, Li Changqing had already seen that his son knew that he was not the original Li Changqing.

 

It was just not confirmed yet.

 

Li Changqing also knew that it was unrealistic to keep hiding it. What's fake is fake, and it will always show flaws eventually. It's better to let Li Hengsheng gradually accept it.

 

At least let his son know that he has no ill intentions towards him.

 

The rest can be figured out later.

 

The two were relieved to hear that Li Changqing would help them pick Longevity Fruits.

 

They were also old ministers of North Cold Country. This time, for the princess of North Cold Country, they came to find the Tree of Longevity without hesitation, but they also knew how terrifying the Black Ancient Forest was. Once inside, they might not be able to come out alive.

 

But they still came without hesitation, and now that Li Changqing was willing to go in for them, they were naturally happy.

 

Moreover, Li Changqing was a Painting Sage, so the success rate was definitely higher than theirs.

 

The two also summarized the information they knew for Li Changqing, describing what the Longevity Fruits looked like.

 

After Li Changqing had a clear target, he set off.

 

Since the General's Mansion was the closest place to the Black Ancient Forest, Long Haocheng took Li Changqing to the city wall.

 

This was Li Changqing's first time looking at the Black Ancient Forest so seriously.

 

This endless forest, at first glance, the trees were lush and green, but the further you looked, the darker and denser the trees became.

 

At the same time, the sounds of Spirit Beasts occasionally came from within the Black Ancient Forest.

 

"The Tree of Longevity is about six hundred miles from Ziwu City, on a small hillside. I hope Senior Changqing can bring back the Longevity Fruits," Yin Zixuan said solemnly, looking at Li Changqing, "Please! My sister's life is in Senior Changqing's hands."

 

"Let's go."

 

Li Changqing spoke to Fei on his shoulder.

 

Fei nodded, then leaped into the air, growing larger in mid-air and spreading his huge wings, completely changing his appearance.

 

"Golden Silk Linlang Beast!"

 

Seeing Fei's true form, everyone present was shocked.

 

Such a rare Spirit Beast!

 

Li Changqing actually had one?

 

But why did this Spirit Beast feel more like a Painted Soul?

 

Everyone was a bit confused.

 

Li Changqing didn't care about their shocked expressions, just mounted Fei, and Fei flew straight into the Black Ancient Forest!

 

Whoosh!

 

The wind from the wings swept through, making a howling sound.

 

Li Changqing looked back and saw that the air seemed to be torn apart.

 

"Recent meat and bones haven't been eaten in vain; your strength has actually improved!" Li Changqing was surprised. Although Fei was a Painted Soul and had been given a Divine Body by the Longevity Wood, Li Changqing didn't expect Fei to actually make progress.

 

"Aowu."

 

Fei howled, indicating that he was indeed stronger than before.

 

The body constructed from Longevity Wood was actually getting stronger over time, which even Fei himself didn't expect.

 

He didn't know how strong he could become in the future.

 

Anyway, even the speed of flight was faster now. With a flap of his wings, a few miles of light and shadow flashed by below in the blink of an eye.

 

There were indeed many Spirit Beasts in the Black Ancient Forest. After Li Changqing and Fei entered, no Spirit Beast dared to come looking for trouble.

 

They were actually scared off by Fei's aura.

 

So the six hundred miles didn't take long to fly, and Li Changqing arrived at the area smoothly.

 

But just six hundred miles away, finding the Tree of Longevity here was the most troublesome thing.

 

Landing on the ground, Li Changqing felt as if his body was sinking. Looking down, he saw that the fallen leaves that had accumulated over the years in the depths of the Black Ancient Forest were very thick.

 

Like a sea of leaves.

 

But before Li Changqing could take two steps, he felt a breath rushing towards him. He dodged to the side, and the next moment, a red snake sprang out from the fallen leaves below.

 

Its fangs aimed at Li Changqing's neck.

 

Hiss!

 

Li Changqing raised his hand and a sword qi slashed out, cutting the little snake in half.

 

With a palm down, the little snake turned into dust.

 

"You really can't be careless here." Li Changqing could feel that the little snake was venomous. If bitten, even a martial artist wouldn't last long.

 

But after dealing with the little snake, Li Changqing found that the feeling of being watched hadn't disappeared at all.

 

Not it?

 

Li Changqing turned around and was somewhat surprised to see a much larger snake on an ancient tree behind him.

 

The big snake was several tens of meters long at a glance, with black scales and red flowers, very beautiful.

 

But Li Changqing knew that the more beautiful a big snake was, the more it indicated that it contained deadly poison!

 

At the same time, Li Changqing could feel that the big snake's aura was not weak at all.

 

Was that little snake its child?

 

Li Changqing's eyes suddenly brightened. He was worried about not finding the Tree of Longevity, but it seemed better to ask the locals, right?

 

They were familiar with the environment here and would definitely be able to find the Tree of Longevity.

 

"Hiss!"

 

The big snake flicked its tongue, which was over three meters long, and then pounced directly at Li Changqing, opening its huge mouth, wanting to swallow Li Changqing whole.

 

However, Li Changqing didn't move, and Fei, who was following behind him, made the first move!

 

His figure turned into a golden light, faster than the big snake. When the big snake pounced on Li Changqing, Fei had already reached the top of the big snake's head, then slapped down with a paw, and the big snake felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on it.

 

There was a loud bang.

 

The big snake was smashed to the ground, creating a deep pit. The fallen leaves flew, and the big snake hissed in pain.

 

Then it saw the Golden Silk Linlang Beast above its head, and the aura Fei emitted made the big snake somewhat afraid to move.

 

Fei's aura seemed to crush it on a life level, and for a moment, the big snake was so frightened that it trembled.

 

Fei looked up proudly at Li Changqing, as if to take credit.

 

Li Changqing walked up to the big snake and asked, "I'm asking you, there's a Tree of Longevity in this Black Ancient Forest, do you know where it is? I want to find Longevity Fruits!"

 

Since the big snake was a Spirit Beast, its intelligence was higher than that of ordinary animals, so even if Li Changqing didn't speak the beast language, they could understand.

 

The big snake opened its mouth and kept flicking its tongue, as if saying something.

 

Li Changqing was baffled.

 

But Fei showed a surprised expression and then communicated with the big snake.

 

"Fei, what is it saying?" Li Changqing curiously looked at Fei.

 

He regretted that he could only learn half of the beast language. He could only speak but not listen, otherwise, it wouldn't be so troublesome.

 

He should have brought Zhen Wanshou with him.

 

Fei listened to Li Changqing's question and then howled and explained to Li Changqing.

 

As he spoke, he even started to dance with excitement.

 

"I see," Li Changqing nodded.

 

But when he turned around, Li Changqing sighed, he didn't understand a word.

 

Wasn't communicating with these two idiots a waste of time?

 

Li Changqing looked at the black snake and said, "You lead me to the Tree of Longevity."

 

Since they couldn't communicate, let it lead the way.

 

Who knew the black snake started babbling again, and Fei nodded seriously, then turned to translate for Li Changqing.

 

Then a snake and a dog looked at Li Changqing with expectant faces, as if asking if he understood.

 

Li Changqing: "……"

 

Ignoring the pair of clowns, Li Changqing directly told the black snake to roll.

 

"Fei, it should have said where the Tree of Longevity is, right? Lead me there," Li Changqing said to Fei.

 

"Aowu aowu." Fei waved his little paws and continued to speak to Li Changqing.

 

"Shut up, or I'll eat you," Li Changqing said irritably.

 

"Aowu." Fei closed his mouth with a wronged face.

 

Li Changqing mounted Fei, and Fei soared into the air, flying southwest.

 

After flying about twenty miles, they saw a small valley ahead. Li Changqing knew that the Tree of Longevity should be there.

 

Fei also landed.

 

The surroundings were particularly desolate, with cracks all over the ground stretching for thousands of miles, and even the mountain walls were shattered.

 

Li Changqing was surprised to see this. It seemed that a very fierce battle had taken place here before!

 

It looked like at least two Grandmaster-level Spirit Beasts had fought.

 

But at this time, Li Changqing saw a very thick tree that had been broken in half from afar.

 

Lying there crookedly.

 

Li Changqing hurried over.

 

When he approached the ancient tree, Li Changqing could sense its uniqueness, with a strong vitality.

 

Even though it was broken there, it was not dead.

 

But this vitality was far less than that of the Longevity Wood.

 

"Longevity Fruits…"

 

Li Changqing quickly searched the tree for Longevity Fruits, but after a long time, he couldn't find a single fruit.

 

Li Changqing thought it was possible that the fruits had fallen to the side when the tree fell, so he continued to search around, and eventually, Li Changqing found a few.

 

But without exception, they had been gnawed by some small animal.

 

Two others had been trampled flat.

 

This made Li Changqing speechless.

 

It seemed that the big snake was trying to tell him that the Tree of Longevity had fallen, and there were no Longevity Fruits left, right?

 

"Is the Dragon Blood Essence gone just like that?" Li Changqing frowned in thought. If he couldn't bring back the Longevity Fruits, he definitely wouldn't be able to get the Dragon Blood Essence.

 

"Hmm?"

 

At this time, Li Changqing saw the fallen Tree of Longevity and thought for a while, then lifted the fallen tree.

 

He used his sword to trim off the excess parts, then took the usable trunk and sat down on the ground , taking out his carving tools and began to carve seriously. Without the Longevity Fruits, Li Changqing still had a way.

 

It was just about curing an illness, and with the Tree of Longevity, there should be no problem.

 

After all, Li Changqing was determined to get his hands on the Dragon Blood Essence.

 

However, after pondering in his mind for a long time, Li Changqing finally started working.

 

Carving something that involved life force was always slower, as if the rules of heaven were preventing it.

 

But Li Changqing was used to it, his hands moving from slow to smooth, and he could feel his Divine Soul gradually strengthening.

 

Only Li Changqing didn't know when his Divine Soul would reach the legendary realm of Great Freedom.

 

He continued to carve until dusk.

 

As night fell, the Black Ancient Forest became even more terrifying, with many fierce creatures seeming to have set their sights on Li Changqing.

 

But with Fei by his side, they dared not make a move.

 

And as Li Changqing's carving became more and more perfect, a strong life force began to emanate.

 

Although it was just a wisp, it attracted the attention of many Spirit Beasts!

 

Roars echoed through the Black Ancient Forest.

 

The sweeping might even made Fei grow solemn.

 

"It's done."

 

Li Changqing looked at the object in his hands.

 

Thud, thud, thud!

 

Countless heavy footsteps were rushing towards them.

 

"Fei, let's go."

 

Li Changqing rode Fei, and Fei quickly left, heading towards Ziwu City.

 

In Li Changqing's hands was a wooden carving of a fountain!

 

The water flowing from the fountain spread out, as if imbued with a powerful life force that kept circulating endlessly.