After some polite small talk, Yun Yuannan cut to the chase. “So, Nephew Han, what brings you here today?”


    Nothing major—just feeling like my life’s too long and itching to stir things up a bit.


    “Lately, I’ve gotten curious about lifespan stuff, so…” Han laid out his purpose.


    Yun Yuannan blinked, clearly thrown and puzzled. Who just randomly gets hooked on something like that?


    “This isn’t a joking matter…” He paused, then asked, “Does Commander Lu know?”


    “It’s all under Aunt Mo’s watch—I’m only digging into this with her okay. She checks me daily,” Han explained.


    Lu Qingmo’s approval was like a golden ticket, swaying anyone who might raise an eyebrow. Yun Yuannan relaxed, chalking it up to Han having some wild brainstorm. Geniuses were tough to figure out—what went on in their heads was anyone’s guess. Still, he made a mental note to double-check with Lu Qingmo later.


    “Lifespan arts? The Yun family might have some,” Yun Yuannan said. “Yun Duo can take you to the library later—check the oddball skills section. As for lifespan-draining artifacts… we don’t have any. No need to trade for it, though—just a few dusty techniques nobody uses. Not worth much.”


    “No way,” Han said, his tone firm. “I’m already barging in with this request—taking them for free would make me a shameless mooch. Uncle Yun, you’ve been so good to me; I can’t push it further. If Master found out I was that rude, he’d kick me out of Taibai!”


    Then, with a playful grin, he added, “I plan to stick around Black Cloud Town. If I pulled that, Yun Duo might not even call me her friend anymore.”


    Even a fair trade tipped the scales in Han’s favor—Yun Yuannan was cutting him a break because of their ties. Han was the one asking, after all. Trying to walk away empty-handed would be dumber than a bag of hammers. He was genuinely grateful for the even exchange.


    “I’d never ditch you,” Yun Duo piped up. “It’s just a few techniques—Han, you’re too polite.”


    Yun Yuannan chuckled, shaking his head. “Bai Tian’s got some years on him, and landing a disciple like you? That’s his good fortune.”


    “Work out the trade with Yun Yun later,” he said.


    Han nodded.


    Yun Yuannan’s tone shifted. “You’re Black Cloud Town’s top genius now—the symbol of our talent. Don’t slack off in your training. You’ve got to set the bar high, show those outsiders we’ve got real players here.”


    A glint of deeper meaning flickered in his eyes. “Being the brightest star means more eyes on you—more tests. With cultivators flooding into Black Cloud, you can’t fall behind. Down the line, we might need our number one to step up big. Only the top dog gets remembered—everyone roots for the champ. I’m counting on you to shine even brighter.”


    Han caught the undertone—there was more to this. “Another month’s passed—any word from the Mountain God?” he asked straight-up.


    Yun Yuannan gave a slight nod. “Our ancestor should make a move this month. Work hard, Nephew—I’m rooting for you. Black Mountain’s treasures belong to Black Cloud Town. Outsiders want a piece? Over my dead body, right?”


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    “Absolutely,” Han said, nodding hard. “Black Mountain’s been part of Black Cloud since forever! Don’t worry—those out-of-town hotshots won’t know what hit ‘em!”


    Yun Yuannan roared with laughter, waving him off. “Head to the library—I can tell you’re itching to go.”


    The Yun sisters led him out, and Han mulled it over. Yun Yuannan’s words had layers. Being Black Cloud’s top dog didn’t just draw outsider heat—it might catch the Mountain God’s eye too. Made sense—if the God was favoring His hometown, who better than its number one genius? And it sounded like Han might have to square off against those foreigners later. No biggie—less about him wanting to, more about them not letting him off the hook. Crown’s heavy when you wear it.


    He didn’t mind the title—bring on the surprises (or scares). Strengthening himself was a no-brainer either way.


    “Han, you’re young—don’t go down a dark path,” Yun Duo chimed in. “Those techniques? Look, don’t touch.”


    The youngest calling him young was kinda funny, but her concern was real. Too bad Han was set on breaking that promise—he was here to mess around.


    “The library’s where we keep our arts and skills,” Yun Yun said. “Those lifespan ones are niche, so Dad remembered them. Otherwise, we’d be digging through stacks.”


    A centuries-old family like the Yuns having oddball stuff wasn’t weird—big clans collected everything, useful or not. That’s what depth looked like.


    With the sisters leading, no one stopped them. They breezed into the library, heading straight for the quirky skills section.


    “Han, we’ll help!” Yun Duo volunteered.


    Han scanned the shelves—titles right on the covers. Amplification Art—boosts your voice’s range. Classic oddball territory—mostly useless in everyday life.


    Soon, he spotted a lifespan art: Moth’s Flight. “Burn ten years for a temporary power spike?” Disappointing. Only ten years? That’s chump change—next guy’ll think I can’t afford more. Should be a century minimum! It burned ten per use, with a cooldown ‘til the boost wore off.


    “I found a martial skill,” Yun Yun called out. “We’ll hand them over together.”


    “Cool, thanks.”


    After combing the section, four books sat before him—Moth’s Flight included. “Just these four,” Yun Yun said.


    “More than I expected,” Han replied, flipping through the rest: two martial skills, one Taoist art. The martial ones were combat-focused, burning lifespan for strength—one five years, one three. Weaker than Moth’s Flight. More burn, more boom, naturally. The Taoist art was another barrier-breaker, like Lu Qingmo’s, but crappier. Han nixed it fast—big lifespan cost, shaky odds, and it trashed your foundation. The fruit could eat the years, but he wasn’t here to tank his future.


    Pointing at the breakthrough art, he said, “Not into these barrier-busting forbidden ones.” Translation: he’d take the other three.


    You couldn’t stack these lifespan burners—not because the years ran dry, but because the body couldn’t handle it. Each had a unique flow and duration; doubling up risked a meltdown, like qi deviation on steroids. He wanted all three not to combo, but to test their flavors—different burns, different vibes. Three or five years? Peanuts next to the Eternal Life Taoist Fruit. What’s wrong with cashing in a few years for fun?


    Time for the trade. Yun Yun hesitated to take his stuff, but Han insisted—firm and fair. With his stash, swapping for these was a breeze. After some chit-chat with the sisters, he said his goodbyes.


    Back at the hall, he drilled martial skills while tinkering with his new forbidden goodies. When the Mystic Conch buzzed, he lit up—Dragon Maiden was quick. Solo, he took off on his Taoist flying carpet for Yunlong City, studying the arts mid-flight.


    Meanwhile, in Black Cloud Town, Yun Yuannan checked in with Lu Qingmo about Han’s request, getting a “yep, I know” in return. After he left the Ghost God Division, she shook her head. He’s actually chasing this stuff—and acting on it. Wild.


    En route to Yunlong City, Han’s aura flared, surging hard. A Righteous Hand Seal materialized, slamming the ground—dust exploded, leaving a massive crater. Feeling his boosted state and eyeing the damage, he nodded, pleased. He’d just test-fired a basic Moth’s Flight.


    “One slap, ten years of life—damn, that’s something else.” He’d underestimated it—the boost was legit, juicing his whole baseline. Ten years was a hefty price tag; a Manifestation cultivator could only swing it a handful of times before tapping out. Life-or-death stuff—no one sane would waste it otherwise.


    Han? Cool as a cucumber—no flush, no wheeze. Ten years gone, zero vibes. The fruit ate the cost—his own vitality didn’t flinch.


    “Big sects, noble clans, their genius prodigies and immortal seeds?” Han grinned, brimming with swagger. “All bark, no bite!”


    I’m playing with my life here—what’re you lot messing with? How do you match a guy gambling years away?