[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Green Immortal Sovereign",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270030,4432,"Chapter 22: Xiao Yuan Dan","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>“Wu younger brother, I’m already very satisfied.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu thought he was just offering comfort, but he truly was deeply satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No work to do, yet still drawing a salary, with endless time to train in martial arts—where in this world could you find such a perfect job!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’d wake up laughing in your dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others might see the position of Tianyi Hall’s leader as chewing on a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, hard to discard—but for him, it was the absolute best role: not only did it bring a salary, but it carried almost no risk whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had martial bones and secret techniques; as long as he moved steadily forward, he could go far—there was absolutely no need to risk his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu thought for a moment, still feeling guilty toward Li Rui, and patiently explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Older brother, the Heaven-Earth Alliance is still in its infancy; there will be many chances to earn merit in the future, and there’s a major examination every year. As long as you stand out in the exam, your rank will naturally rise. I’m certain that with your martial skill, you’ll secure an excellent position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heaven-Earth Alliance’s rapid growth was also closely tied to its competitive system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the other two gangs and three families, the Heaven-Earth Alliance had only existed for ten years, so there was virtually no seniority-based hierarchy—it emphasized blood and grit, and anyone who could fight could rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, such duels required witnesses from the Enforcement Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Self-destruction within the Alliance was strictly forbidden; anyone who committed such an unjust act would be hunted down by the Heaven-Earth Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The higher the rank on your token, the more resources you received.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference in treatment between Token “1” and Token “28” was more than tenfold, evident in elixirs, martial arts, authority, and every other aspect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more resources you could obtain, the more effort you had to invest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vast amounts of time would be wasted handling Alliance affairs—this was simply the cost of gain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But martial artists could never train day and night anyway; overall, it was still a profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The major examination allowed challengers to target those ranked higher than themselves; if successful, both parties’ tokens would be swapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu spoke at length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told Li Rui everything he knew about the Heaven-Earth Alliance, no matter how small the detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Older brother, I’ve failed you in this matter—I feel deep shame. This Xiao Yuan Dan enhances longevity; please accept it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shoved a small wooden box into Li Rui’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned and walked away without looking back, giving Li Rui no chance to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui stared at the silver note and the elixir in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He truly didn’t want to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Wu Tu took it back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One hundred taels! One hundred taels!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s heart pounded wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never in his life seen a silver note of such a massive amount; even after a lifetime of saving, he’d only managed to accumulate thirty taels—saved over fifty years of frugal living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred taels\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put it this way—it was enough to support a family of three for a lifetime!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, he had received an elixir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even through the wooden box, he could smell its fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of refined elixir was worth far more than raw herbs—didn’t you see how fat and rich all the alchemists in town were?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skilled alchemists could blend multiple herbs to enhance potency and reduce toxicity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far superior to Li Rui’s herbal baths, and priced many times higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yuan Dan”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had heard the name of this elixir before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered, thirty years ago, on a snowy night, he had fetched an elixir for the Zhu family’s patriarch from Danwang Workshop—it was the Xiao Yuan Dan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wu Tu said, this elixir strengthened the body and extended life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he remembered correctly, one such pill was worth fifty taels!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tu was a man worth keeping close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s heart raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than a quarter hour, he had earned one hundred and fifty taels—something he had never dared to dream of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he swallowed the Xiao Yuan Dan. Aside from its bitter, hard-to-swallow taste, there was nothing unusual about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a warm current surged up from his dantian, filling his entire body, especially scorching hot along his spine’s great dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His martial bones were activating again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui knew time was critical—he immediately sat cross-legged on his bed, formed the Tai Shang Lao Jun finger seal, held his breath, and began practicing the White Ape’s Knife-Breathing Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cool energy flowed through his body in one full circuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burning sensation across his body gradually faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the faint light outside the window, as if waking from another lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without realizing it, he had sat in meditation all night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he felt no fatigue—on the contrary, he was refreshed and alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing his eyes, he focused inward, then suddenly opened them, his eyes filled with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had broken through again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just one night, he had advanced from Middle Training to Great Training—half a year faster than he had expected!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the Xiao Yuan Dan really this potent?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui found it hard to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he identified the key reason for such dramatic effects—his martial bones and the breathing method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the Zhu family’s patriarch take this elixir; the results had been nowhere near as striking as his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was well known that elixirs carried resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui had lived seventy years, and in the past few months had only soaked in herbal baths seven or eight times—he had never taken a single elixir. The first time he took one, the effect was naturally strongest, and with the help of his martial bones and breathing method, the results were astonishingly powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t be this good again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already deeply satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He washed his face and found his most presentable clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man is known by his clothes, a horse by his saddle—he couldn’t let them look down on him from the first glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dressed neatly, Li Rui stepped out and headed toward the Heaven-Earth Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Wu Tu, the Heaven-Earth Alliance had spent a fortune to buy a large estate in the western part of the city as the headquarters of the Qinghe Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui arrived at the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s western city headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled that this area had once housed several martial arts academies, which had later fallen into decline, closed, and stood abandoned for years—only recently purchased by the Heaven-Earth Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The towering gate, two zhang high, was grand and imposing, with three bold characters painted across it: “Heaven-Earth Alliance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two disciples stood guard at the entrance, each sturdy and muscular, clad in black robes that gave them a sharp, efficient air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead disciple spotted Li Rui approaching and barked out a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui smiled and pulled from his sleeve the token engraved with the number “28.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the number on the token, the lead disciple’s expression changed instantly—he became far more respectful: “So you’re the Executive Elder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own token bore the number “198”—of course he had to address Li Rui as “Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be appointed gate captain of the Alliance, martial skill was secondary—what mattered most was having sharp eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, you might accidentally offend a senior and be beaten to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s expression grew distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first half of his life, people called him Little Li; for the second half, Old Li. Being called “Elder” felt strange indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’d get used to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he stepped forward into the Heaven-Earth Alliance’s main gate, a line of small characters appeared before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Congratulations, Host! Achievement Completed: “Fame and Fortune—Initial Plot”—Joined a Faction.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1332,"2026-06-19T22:01:09.077Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","63a7ea1ec14ef09e9b941025498deb17cc71acf7d9f419182f9aa13e9292eedb","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-23","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-21",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]