Chapter 383: Teaching Each Other How to Be Human

Ding Huan silently thought: this old bastard really has no shame at all.

But he liked people with no shame—he'd never gotten far precisely because he had too much.

"You said you'd give me more immortal crystals?" Ding Huan's voice trembled with excitement.

Still half-disbelieving, he added: "If you can just give me the thirty thousand immortal crystals you owe me, plus another hundred thirty thousand—"

No, just one hundred twenty thousand immortal crystals will do—I'll spare no effort to find more immortal spirit springs for the Yan clan.

"Hahaha…"

Yan Yan Yongju burst into laughter: "Rest assured, Yan Yan Yongju keeps his word—once spoken, it's done. Focus on finding immortal spirit springs for the Yan clan; don't worry about the immortal crystals."

Ding Huan bowed repeatedly in thanks: "Good. I'll set out immediately to search for immortal spirit springs—wait for my good news."

With that, Ding Huan took the storage bag containing seventy thousand lower-grade immortal crystals, his entire being brimming with energy as he headed to a new location to continue searching for immortal spirit springs.

"Excellent, Huanqi. This time you've found us a genius—the Yan clan's prosperity rests on this boy." Yan Yan Yongju watched Ding Huan's retreating back, his whole face beaming.

You think you can leave? Don't dream it.

How could the Yan clan ever let a talent like this go?

Yan Yan Huanqi hadn't thought much at all—he still hadn't cooled down from the excitement of discovering this new immortal spirit spring.

After leaving Yan Yan Yongju and Yan Yan Huanqi, Ding Huan sighed: How could there still be people this shameless?

He was still too kind—if he'd met someone ruthless, they wouldn't have settled for just three crystallization arrays.

Yan Yan Yongju had taught him how to behave and act.

Since Yan Yan Yongju had taught him how to behave and act, he naturally owed him a return favor—he'd teach Yan Yan Yongju how to behave and act.

This time, Ding Huan found a brand-new immortal spirit spring in just one day.

Same old method: construct the Zhou Tian with the Great Cosmos Art, strip away the mottled Dao rhythms, strip away the spiritual source Dao rhythms…

After Ding Huan meticulously peeled away the chaotic, dense Dao rhythms, an overwhelming surge of immortal spirit energy burst forth again.

He set up the Invisible Spirit Array—not just one layer. To prevent even a trace of immortal spirit energy from leaking, he layered on several more Invisible Spirit Arrays.

Behind the Invisible Spirit Arrays came the Concealment Array.

He would never let the Yan family know what he was doing.

Inside the massive Concealment Array, Ding Huan installed twenty crystallization arrays, arranged in a straight line like a factory.

Twenty crystallization arrays—this immortal spirit spring was too small; the spirit energy wasn't enough.

No problem. Install more arrays to extract immortal spirit energy—one isn't enough, add another.

At the Yan clan's first immortal spirit spring, Ding Huan had held back—he feared extracting too much spirit energy would drain the spring dry.

Leave a little room, and you'll meet again someday—that was Ding Huan's philosophy.

Now, for Ding Huan, that was simply because he'd been too kind.

Because he'd been too kind, Yan Yan Yongju had lied right to his face.

This time, Ding Huan wanted to drain every last bit of immortal spirit energy from the entire Yan clan—why would he care about extracting too much?

If time weren't limited, Ding Huan would've searched for a third immortal spirit spring and kept crystallizing more crystals.

Since he hadn't searched for a third immortal spirit spring, and wasn't cultivating, he had far more time than before.

Ding Huan wandered among the twenty crystallization arrays like a factory supervisor checking for flaws.

Whenever he spotted even a minor oversight or unconsidered detail, he immediately repaired and improved the crystallization arrays.

The immortal spirit energy from the spring gushed out like a dam breaking, rushing into the twenty crystallization arrays and instantly solidifying into countless immortal crystals.

In just five months, Ding Huan gained another one million high-grade immortal crystals.

Ding Huan didn't think it was too much—he went even further.

When he sensed the immortal spirit energy in the spring dwindling, he added two more extraction arrays.

Seven months later, after acquiring another thirty thousand crystals, he clearly felt the immortal spirit energy in the spring thinning.

Keep extracting, and this immortal spirit spring would surely dry up.

Ding Huan wasn't worried about the spring drying up—he just had no interest in wasting more time here.

He sealed the nearly drained immortal spirit spring with layers of Dao prohibitions, then headed to the Yan clan's ancestral hall to find the clan head.

Compared to when Ding Huan first arrived, the Yan clan was now far livelier.

More Yan clan members had returned, and the clan's territory was visibly saturated with immortal spirit energy.

Ding Huan sent a message to Yan Yan Huanqi.

"Ding Daoist, what's the news?" Yan Yan Huanqi rushed over, eager to know if Ding Huan had found a new immortal spirit spring.

Ding Huan sighed: "Finding immortal spirit springs requires immortal crystals as a catalyst—I've nearly used up mine. I've come to collect my share."

Yan Yan Huanqi knew Ding Huan was lying, but Ding Huan was merely asking for his own crystals.

"Hahaha…"

Yan Yan Yongju's booming laugh rang out: "Ding young friend, you deserve the crystals. You've spent over half a year searching for immortal spirit springs—even if you haven't found a new one, you've worked hard.

Come, today the Yan clan throws you a gratitude banquet."

Ding Huan looked uneasy: "I have no right to attend a gratitude banquet. Please just give me my crystals first—I'll keep working for the Yan clan."

"Of course." Yan Yan Yongju pulled out a storage bag and handed it to Ding Huan: "Here are thirty thousand crystals—repaying what you're owed."

Ding Huan frowned slightly: "Clan Head, weren't you supposed to give me another one hundred twenty thousand? Where are they?"

Yan Yan Yongju froze—those one hundred twenty thousand were promised only if he found a second spring, not given now.

Ding Huan tucked the bag away, sounding bored: "I'm going back to Yao Yue Xiancheng. Searching for immortal spirit springs has worn me out."

Hearing Ding Huan wanted to leave, Yan Yan Yongju hurriedly said: "Young friend, you can't leave—rest here in the Yan clan!"

"Your Yan clan is fine, but handing out crystals feels like pulling out your own flesh—hesitant, reluctant, half-hearted." Ding Huan's tone grew increasingly disinterested.

Yan Yan Yongju immediately grabbed another storage bag and thrust it at Ding Huan: "Ding young friend, here are one hundred thousand lower-grade crystals—take them. Rest here for a while, then resume searching for immortal spirit springs."

Don't worry, in my Yan family it's like your own home—anything you need, just tell Huanqi.

Ding Huan put away the storage bag from Yan Yan Yongju and said coolly to Yan Huanqi: "The two ten thousand lower-grade immortal crystals you owe me must be paid back double within a month; if overdue, tenfold. Don't pay, and the consequences are on you."

After saying this, Ding Huan turned and left.

Yan Yan Yongju hadn't expected Ding Huan to ignore him entirely, let alone help Yan family find the Immortal Spirit Spring source.

"Huanqi…"

Yan Yan Yongju's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he turned to Yan Huanqi. He'd just swindled another hundred thousand lower-grade immortal crystals from Yan family—and now he wanted to walk away?

Yan Huanqi sighed but didn't move.

Seeing Ding Huan had vanished, Yan Yan Yongju fixed his gaze on Yan Huanqi: "Huanqi, this man possesses such talent—he actually found the Immortal Spirit Spring. Why didn't you act just now?"

Besides, I just gave him another hundred thousand immortal crystals.

Yan Huanqi said: "Clan Chief, I think this is unwise. His attitude is completely different from months ago—I think I've guessed who he is."

"Who?" Yan Yan Yongju asked.

"A few years ago, in Baihe Immortal Dao, there was a fengshui master named Ding Huan. He helped Baihe Immortal Dao locate the Immortal Spirit Spring, then was expelled from the sect. It must be him," Yan Huanqi said.

Hearing Yan Huanqi's words, Yan Yan Yongju fell silent.

After a long while, he sighed: "I thought he wasn't even a True Immortal, so I wanted to keep him to serve Yan family."

I didn't expect it was him—I heard he schemed against several Baihe Immortal Dao executives and elders…

If that's true, I was indeed wrong. Huanqi, take another hundred thousand immortal crystals to Yao Yue Xiancheng and see if you can mend relations."

As he spoke, Yan Yan Yongju felt something was off.

Ding Huan isn't the type to suffer losses easily—why, after he paid seven ten thousand lower-grade immortal crystals, did he become so submissive and agree to search for the Immortal Spirit Spring for seven more months?

Why, after seven months without finding the spring, did his attitude suddenly turn arrogant?

"Clan Chief, just pay him double—that's four ten thousand immortal crystals," Yan Huanqi hurriedly said.

Yan Yan Yongju still couldn't understand how Ding Huan's attitude had changed so drastically in just seven months; he sighed:

"This man is on many immortal sects' lists of prodigies—if he wished, he could have any one of them wipe out our Yan family."

What I don't understand is, seven months ago, when I owed him three ten thousand immortal crystals and gave him a hollow promise, he was genuinely delighted. Now, why has he changed so much?"

Yan Yan Yongju asked Yan Huanqi, but Yan Huanqi didn't understand either.

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't imagine that in seven months, Ding Huan had secretly stolen another one million three hundred thousand upper-grade immortal crystals from Yan territory, nearly draining an Immortal Spirit Spring dry.

Yan Yan Yongju still feared Ding Huan's revenge. In the Fourth Immortal Realm, immortal sects were strictly forbidden from fighting each other, let alone annihilating entire clans.

Yet secretly, such things were all too common—after Yan family was wiped out, the Realm might issue a self-investigation order, but otherwise, everything would fade with time.

…

Ding Huan, carrying over a million upper-grade immortal crystals and tens of thousands of lower-grade ones, had no intention of returning to Yao Yue Xiancheng.

He wouldn't go back to take another job until he'd spent every last crystal—he wasn't a miser.

So Ding Huan steered his iron pot far away from Yao Yue Xiancheng, determined to find a secluded place to cultivate and strive for Jin Xian.

The Fourth Immortal Realm appeared utterly peaceful, its laws seemingly strict.

But Ding Huan didn't believe it.

From Yan Yan Yongju daring to withhold his immortal crystals—and even hinting he wanted to keep him—it was clear this place was full of backstabbing.

Yan Yan Yongju ultimately didn't act, likely because Yan family's protective array hadn't been fully repaired—he couldn't have held onto Ding Huan in a fight.

In truth, this was only Ding Huan's own thought.

With Ding Huan's current strength, Yan Yan Yongju truly couldn't hold him.

But Yan Yan Yongju didn't think so—he believed Ding Huan was a Xian Fanqiao, and was certain he could trap him.

He didn't act because Ding Huan was on wanted lists—many immortal sects were searching for him.

Ding Huan's invitation to Yan Clan to seek the Immortal Spirit Spring was known to many in Yao Yue Xiancheng.

Now that Yan family suddenly had a new Immortal Spirit Spring, many likely already knew how it happened.

If Yan family now detained Ding Huan and word got out, it wouldn't be a small matter.

(Friend, good night!)