The Oldest Disciple: Farming Intimacy to Become Immortal

Chapter 275: Third-Grade Divine Firmament Heart-Piercing Talisman

Li Meng calmly retracted his finger, his expression unchanged.

“Fellow Daoist Shen, let’s discuss serious matters first.”

There were some women one simply could not touch casually. Li Meng had no desire to bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.

Matters could be discussed, and women could be touched. But if the two were to be combined, business naturally came first. To touch the woman first would be to surrender the initiative, placing oneself in a passive position.

Li Meng wasn’t one to make himself uncomfortable. There was no meaning in touching a woman whose Affection was difficult to raise.

Shen Qingyi smiled seductively, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “As Fellow Daoist says. I wonder, is Fellow Daoist interested in cooperating with the Lü Family?”

*Cooperating?*

Li Meng looked at the woman beside him with a puzzled expression. Wasn’t he already cooperating with the Lü Family?

He lifted the teacup from the table, gazing at the liquid within as he smiled thoughtfully. “Fellow Daoist, please elaborate.”

A faint smile graced the corners of Shen Qingyi’s mouth. With a graceful wave of her jade-like hand, a map flew out from the Storage Bag at her waist, hovering in the air before them.

“This is a distribution map of the Lü Family’s industries on the Tianlan Continent. It may seem substantial, but the profits we must share are too great. The meager remnants make it difficult for the Lü Family to rise. With the slightest misstep, centuries of effort could vanish into thin air. The Lü Family has been seeking partners; those industries on the Tianlan Continent are the result.”

At this point, Shen Qingyi sighed softly, her beautiful face filled with worry. After a brief pause, her gentle voice continued.

“The Lü Family is too weak; we lack even a single Golden Core cultivator. We call it cooperation, but in truth, it is dependency born of a lowered stance. Those industries are said to belong to the Lü Family, but the profits flow to our partners. Instead, the Lü Family invests a large amount of resources every year just to maintain operations. Once you start this kind of loss-making business that earns only reputation, it is hard to stop. If we did, our former partners would become enemies.”

Shen Qingyi’s beautiful eyes turned to the man beside her.

“If the Lü Family could gain the protection of the Joyous Union Sect and obtain its pill resources, we would surely soar. The Joyous Union Sect would also gain great benefits. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement. I wonder if Fellow Daoist could recommend us to the Seniors of your esteemed sect?”

Li Meng’s face showed a dawn of understanding.

So, Fellow Daoist Shen wanted to use him to contact the Joyous Union Sect.

Wasn’t she being a bit too naive?

A merchant family without even a single Golden Core cultivator—what qualifications did they have to discuss cooperation with the Joyous Union Sect? The Sect wouldn’t even spare them a glance.

Sleeping Dragon Island was far too distant from the State of Zhao. The Sect only visited once every two centuries. There was simply no need for cooperation. The Joyous Union Sect wouldn’t even look at the meager profits a partnership with the Lü Family would yield.

Li Meng set down his teacup. He looked at Shen Qingyi’s beautiful face with a half-smile, reaching out to pinch her smooth, jade-white chin once more.

“Why does Fellow Daoist speak of such unrealistic thoughts?”

The woman before him was definitely not a fool. She had to know that cooperation with the Joyous Union Sect was absolutely impossible. She must have her reasons for saying these things.

Shen Qingyi’s face showed a trace of resentment. “Since Fellow Daoist is unwilling to say anything, this humble woman can only speak nonsense.”

Li Meng looked deeply at her, his expression thoughtful.

Although Sleeping Dragon Island was somewhat far from the State of Zhao, having a merchant association in hand could indeed earn him a significant amount of cultivation resources.

He possessed the Five Spirit Roots waste physique; his resource consumption was enormous. Relying on exploring “secret realms” could only provide for his immediate needs. Moreover, the Junior and Senior Sisters around him also required plenty of resources for their cultivation. Although their needs were negligible compared to his, resources were something one could never have too much of.

If he didn’t plan ahead now, he would surely worry about resources in the future. Even if only for his own cultivation, it was necessary to support a merchant association.

Shen Qingyi met the gaze of the unknown Joyous Union Sect disciple. He was thinking. That was good. Thinking meant he cared about the matter. And if he cared, there was room for negotiation.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Meng released Shen Qingyi’s chin and took a sip of his tea. He looked up at the map.

“My surname is Li, given name Meng. I am from the Masked Moon Peak lineage of the Joyous Union Sect. I am an Alchemist, a Talisman Master, an Artifact Refiner, and a Formation Master.”

Shen Qingyi gave a graceful smile, cupping her hands and bowing to Li Meng. “This humble woman pays her respects to Fellow Daoist Li!”

So, his surname was Li, name Meng.

*Wait…*

Shen Qingyi’s expression froze as the realization hit her.

*Alchemist, Talisman Master, Artifact Refiner, Formation Master?*

She stared blankly at Fellow Daoist Li, with his sage-like appearance of white hair and youthful face.

*This… is this possible?*

Alchemy, Talismans, Artifacts, Formations. A cultivator could exhaust their entire life and struggle to become an Expert in just one Dao. Yet, Fellow Daoist Li claimed to cultivate all four simultaneously?

Li Meng glanced at her. “Fellow Daoist doesn’t believe me?”

Shen Qingyi looked troubled. “It is not that this humble woman disbelieves, but what Fellow Daoist says is too astonishing. I cannot make a decision based solely on words.”

Li Meng waved his sleeve. A golden talisman flew out, hovering in the air before Shen Qingyi.

“This is a Heart-Piercing Talisman. It can lock the heart and stabilize the spirit. Once this talisman is applied, your life and death will be under my control. This is a Third-Grade Divine Firmament Talisman. Even a Great Vehicle cultivator cannot dispel it for you. Forcibly removing it will trigger the talisman immediately. At that moment, you will suffer heart-piercing agony, as if your body were being sliced by a thousand knives, until your soul is extinguished and your Dao vanishes!”

“I refined this talisman myself. Apart from me, no one can remove it!”

Li Meng looked expressionlessly at Shen Qingyi, whose face had turned pale.

“If you accept this talisman, I will fully support the Lü Family. But I do not want a partner. I want the entire Lü Family.”

*I have said everything. I have completely laid my cards on the table. How will you choose?*

Facing Li Meng’s icy gaze, Shen Qingyi’s expression shifted rapidly.

The person before her might be the Fated Chance the Lü Family had waited a thousand years for. But if the price was the loss of freedom… was it really worth it?

Yet, if she refused, where would the Lü Family’s future lie? Perhaps in a hundred years, there would be no Lü Family on Sleeping Dragon Island. They would quietly disappear into the long river of history.

Shen Qingyi looked at the golden talisman. It emitted a faint golden spiritual light, containing a trace of profound Dao charm that was mesmerizing.

It was indeed a Divine Firmament-level talisman.

A legendary existence.

If this talisman was truly refined by Fellow Daoist Li… could he really be a genius of four Daos? Was that even possible? To refine a Third-Grade Divine Firmament Talisman with Foundation Establishment cultivation? It was simply too inconceivable.

But between believing and not believing, Shen Qingyi chose to believe.

The expression on her face became resolute. She moved to rise, intending to perform the full ceremony of submission, but Li Meng grabbed her wrist.

He looked at her with a smile. “Since the decision is made, you are one of my own. No need for grand ceremonies.”

The ceremony of acknowledging a master naturally required kneeling.

A trace of gratitude flashed in Shen Qingyi’s eyes. Her inner pride would not have allowed her to kneel to another easily. Even if she had, it wouldn’t have been sincere.