Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 212 Madam Wen Invites You [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"I never imagined that the bird I got back then had such a great background."

Inside the private room of the restaurant, Lin Chang'an didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

The good news is that I have a spirit pet with unlimited potential, which should be a happy thing.

However, according to records, each evolution was a near-death experience, and he was unable to procure any of the spiritual items required for the evolution.

"These spiritual items that helped the Phoenix Bird evolve are equivalent to the Core Formation spiritual items of demonic beasts."

Lin Chang'an frowned; this thing was not something an ordinary cultivator could raise.

"This kind of evolution is different from the transformation of a demon core into a pill by ordinary demon beasts."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but show a strange expression.

It seems that even if the Phoenix Bird fails, there is a very high chance that it will leave behind an extremely rare Yang-attribute demon core.

Generally, monsters only need a monster core to evolve, and only a very few monsters need to undergo a metamorphosis.

However, demon cores with Yang attributes are rare, and it is not difficult to exchange them for a high-quality Core Formation spiritual item.

"Squeak!"

Then, the phoenix curiously poked its head out of the private room, looking at its owner who had actually let it out in this place.

He even saw his master smile, and the master even pushed a cup of spiritual wine towards him.

"Drink it, you might not have another chance to drink it later."

Under Lin Chang'an's strange tone, the Phoenix Bird's intelligence was still somewhat different from that of humans. Staring straight at the spirit wine, it immediately revealed a greedy look.

He then excitedly jumped to the corner of the table and peeked out to drink the spirit wine in his cup in big gulps.

Lin Chang'an sighed inwardly upon seeing this scene.

All I can do is try my best and leave the rest to fate.

Once the evolution is successful, it won't be long before he has a third-tier spirit beast.

When he plans to form a core and acquire a spiritual artifact, the difficulty will be reduced by a significant amount.

Therefore, the breakthrough of the Phoenix Bird was of great help to him.

"According to records, the Phoenix Bird needs a lot of nourishment during its evolution, and it must first find a place with a strong fire element to evolve."

He couldn't obtain the spiritual objects that aided evolution, but he could obtain the spiritual grounds for evolution.

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an narrowed his eyes and looked towards the cave rental office in the center of Five Dragons Island.

"Five Dragons Island happens to have a cave with a 'core fire' and special caves for rent for cultivation and alchemy. We can rent one of these caves for the Phoenix Bird's evolution."

Just as Lin Chang'an's eyes were darting around, considering the evolution of the Phoenix Bird...

Judging from the Phoenix Bird's condition, it will take several more years to evolve, so there's no rush.

While he was deep in thought, the bird had already finished the entire pot of spirit wine.

Then she excitedly jumped onto his shoulder and started a new round of patting his shoulder and fanning him to please him.

Seeing this, Lin Chang'an smiled and gently stroked the smooth feathers.

"After decades of cultivating immortality, you and this ox have been a rare companion. But don't worry, even if you die, your Yang-attribute demon core will still be of great value."

Upon hearing Lin Chang'an's words, the phoenix's eyes widened in shock. A demon core?!

Lin Chang'an then chuckled and shook his head. However, at that moment, two auras suddenly came from outside the door.

"Foundation-building monk!"

Lin Chang'an's expression hardened. His powerful senses allowed him to immediately detect it, while the Phoenix Bird immediately burrowed into the spirit beast pouch.

……

The door to the private room was pushed open, and two Foundation Establishment cultivators, exuding a murderous aura, immediately smiled upon seeing him.

"Lin Chang'an, a rogue cultivator from Yue Kingdom, is that you, Fellow Daoist Lin?"

Upon seeing that the two had come to find him, Lin Chang'an felt a chill run down his spine, and his mind instantly flashed back to what he had been doing recently.

I summarized all the things I had done, big and small, that had offended people.

"Fellow Daoists, is there something you need?"

Seeing that the two had clearly come to see him, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but feel guilty.

After all, he has a lot of secrets from the past.

Whether it's the matter of the Eagle-Kite Beast or the matter of destroying the elders of the Wang family and seizing the Xuan Tian Spiritual Root, there are Core Formation cultivators behind it all.

He even made preparations to escape to other seas and change his appearance if things got too difficult.

"It's good that it's Fellow Daoist Lin."

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators who entered were taken aback by Lin Chang'an's cautious demeanor.

But then they realized that this person, despite his seemingly cowardly appearance, had actually run a black market according to their previous intelligence.

Is this person really as cowardly as they seem?

Upon realizing this, the two men immediately curbed their arrogance, then smiled and cupped their hands in greeting:
"My brother and I just saw Fellow Daoist Lin at the market and came to say hello. We also wanted to ask Fellow Daoist Lin about some things."

"Yes, yes, back when Fellow Daoist Lin opened a market with his fellow Daoists in Tianxuan City, we were all very impressed by his extensive network of connections."

After the two entered, they asked the shopkeeper to bring another pot of spirit wine, and even paid for the food and wine on the table, which seemed to be very sincere.

I'm not here to cause trouble.

"Fellow Daoists, please speak freely."

"Actually, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask Fellow Daoist Lin about some things."

"Yes, yes, I wonder if any of you fellow Daoists who came from Yue Kingdom back then had a spirit pet with a fire-attribute bird?"

Hearing what the two said, Lin Chang'an was slightly startled, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It turns out it wasn't me who got into trouble. Damn, that was a real scare.

"A fire-attribute, bird-type spirit pet?"

"That's right. I heard that when Li Huo Palace was in Yue Kingdom, a direct descendant of the Huang family was killed, and their spirit beasts were stolen."

It wouldn't have been a big deal, but recently the Li Huo Palace discovered that this cultivator had actually escaped to our sea area, and now the Li Huo Palace has even put up a bounty..."

Although the Li Huo Palace is a Tribulation Cultivator, it is perfectly normal for them to secretly offer bounties.

"Li Huo Palace?"

After hearing this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but curse inwardly. Why would they come to him about the Li Huo Palace's affairs? And they even gave him a fright.

"Fellow Daoists, I have never heard of this matter before."

Lin Chang'an recalled the previous intelligence in his mind, then shook his head and said, but just as the two were looking disappointed, something suddenly came to his mind.

Killed a direct descendant of the Huang family of Li Huo Palace and stole a spirit pet?
It seems he pulled off a heist, but when did Huang Shaohai become so valuable? How many years has it been?

Back in the Yue Kingdom, the Li Huo Palace didn't even call for revenge, so why did they suddenly decide to do so here?

"wrong!"

A spirit pet! And that's combined with the fact that the Li Huo Palace is currently hiding in the Tongtian Mist Sea.

He had just learned about the Phoenix Bird.

All of this connected in an instant, which startled Lin Chang'an.

"Even the common mythical beast, the Phoenix Crying Bird, is a rare and precious creature. Moreover, this bird is particularly effective against evil spirits and malevolent beings. Such evil spirits and ghosts are the most abundant creatures in this Tongtian Mist Sea."

Legend has it that these places where ghostly spirits and mist gather are also places rich in spiritual energy and treasures…

For an ordinary rogue cultivator, or even for someone like him, raising a third-tier spirit pet would be very difficult.

However, for a business like the Li Huo Palace, raising a third-tier exotic beast would simply come at a higher price.

Moreover, it is rumored that there are many ancient cultivators' cave dwellings and ruins within the Tongtian Mist Sea.

"We've been targeted!"

Lin Chang'an felt a chill. He was indeed very cautious in other matters, but after arriving at the Monster Beast Sea Abyss, he was not as meticulous as before in hiding the Phoenix Cry Bird.

It was obvious that he had inadvertently revealed some clues.

"Fellow Daoists, is there any secret behind this matter?" After instantly understanding everything, Lin Chang'an looked at the two of them with curiosity without showing any emotion, raised his wine cup and began to talk.

The two clearly didn't want to provoke a second-tier high-grade talisman master, so they started talking.

"Actually, it's nothing. I just happened to see Fellow Daoist Lin and wanted to ask him about it, since the bounty offered by Li Huo Palace this time is quite substantial."

“I see. However, as you two fellow cultivators also know, very few rogue cultivators keep spirit pets, and even those who do have flying spirit pets are already rare…”

Lin Chang'an shook his head, ultimately unable to say anything.

It is true that the two were gathering information, and it is also true that they befriended him and came to buy talismans.

After the banquet, Lin Chang'an traded several talismans and also befriended two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

……

After the two left, Lin Chang'an walked out of the restaurant and cursed inwardly. He thought to himself that this restaurant dared to let people into its private rooms so casually, and he would never come here again.

Then, Lin Chang'an arrived at the Duobaolou, which was opened by Xuanyin Pavilion, under his true identity.

"Hey, isn't this Master Lin?"

"Shopkeeper."

Lin Chang'an smiled and cupped his hands in greeting as he spoke with the other party. He then took out the normal number of talismans for the transaction, while also trying to extract information from them.

"Master Lin, please don't try to trick me. This involves classified information, and I can't say anything more."

Seeing the other person's apologetic smile, Lin Chang'an sighed helplessly and then spoke directly:

"Alright, everyone knows that you merchants sell all sorts of information. Give me some information about the Li Huo Palace, and about why bounties have suddenly appeared in the market recently."

"Okay."

Sure enough, with spirit stones paving the way, everything becomes possible.

The portly shopkeeper, seeing Lin Chang'an readily hand over the spirit stones, couldn't help but chuckle and tease:
"Actually, it's not hard to guess. The Fire Palace is just trying to scare this person away, since there are only so many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yue Kingdom."

It's obvious who ran away.

When the manager of Xuan Yin Pavilion spoke of what had happened to Li Huo Palace, he was clearly gloating.

After all, back in the Yue Kingdom, the Li Huo Palace and the Xuan Yin Pavilion had fought for decades, and the hatred between them was considerable.

After Lin Chang'an obtained this intelligence, the jade slip clearly recorded the general information about the Li Huo Palace, especially some of its high-level cultivators.

"Huang Tianxiao formed his Golden Core within his sect in the Yue Kingdom. He is suspected to be a high-grade Golden Core cultivator. He is extremely powerful and is the youngest and most promising genius in the Li Huo Palace."

"Huang Yuntian used a secret method to form a fake elixir..."

Looking at these intelligence reports, especially the last one.

"The deceased was his son, Huang Shaohai, who disappeared in the territory of Tianxuan City in Yue Kingdom. It is suspected that Huang Yuntian did so to avenge a personal grudge..."

There are even speculations that the Fire Palace might have alerted the enemy.

"For exotic beasts like the Phoenix Crying Bird, and other spirit pets with high potential, sects and large clans will all have soul lamps or magic disks similar to those used by Foundation Establishment cultivators..."

Lin Chang'an's heart skipped a beat when he saw this.

Could this phoenix bird have left behind some kind of spiritual lamp or other sensory object?

These soul lamps and magic discs, which are imprinted with the magical power of cultivators and spirit pets, can be detected within a certain range.

The other party discovered the phoenix bird and the murderer who killed Huang Shaohai.

Without making a sound, Lin Chang'an put away the information and said irritably:
"So that's how it is. It's caused widespread panic."

"is not that right."

Beneath the shopkeeper's beaming smile, Lin Chang'an casually shook his head, seemingly feeling cheated to spend spirit stones to gather this information.

"If I had known, I would have bought some information about Core Formation spiritual items."

"Master Lin, you really dare to say that. How could this little bit of spirit stones be enough? If it's really worth this little bit of spirit stones, then it's extremely dangerous."

Lin Chang'an then bowed and took his leave.

However, in the streets of the market, Lin Chang'an secretly purchased these magic discs that leave magical imprints for tracking.

"However, my Evergreen Magic Power inherently possesses the effect of concealing one's presence."

In particular, his natal spiritual plant, the reason why his magic power has such a strong life force and the ability to conceal his aura, all originate from the Xuan Tian Immortal Vine.

"Let's see how close we can get to evade tracking."

Not only the Phoenix Bird, but also Huang Yuntian, a fake Core cultivator, who killed his son, if he were exposed.

After leaving Five Dragons Island, while on the vast sea, Lin Chang'an summoned the Phoenix Bird and used the same magic array to sense it.

This attempt allowed Lin Chang'an to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

After injecting his Evergreen Magic Power into the Phoenix Bird, the indicator on the sensing and tracking array dimmed.

"In this way, we can evade detection."

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile.

After the crisis was temporarily averted, Lin Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that it had been discovered in advance.

Otherwise, if someone were to use a tracking compass to find his cave entrance, he would be finished.

After all, he wouldn't be injecting his magic power into the phoenix every day to mask his aura.

……

Having narrowly escaped a crisis, Lin Chang'an returned to Jade Spirit Island with ease.

They happened to run into the Lu family's younger brothers, Lu Yushu and Lu Yujian.

Upon seeing Lin Chang'an, the sword fanatic Lu Yujian's eyes immediately lit up.

"Lin Qian... Fellow Daoist Lin."

I almost blurted out the word "senior" again.

When Lin Chang'an saw the two of them, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

However, Lu Yushu looked at him with a defiant and eager expression.

Or rather, Lu Yushu was greatly angered by the many rumors he had overheard upon his return.

The Lu family was able to return entirely thanks to Madam Lu's various methods.

Naturally, they wanted to warn the male monks on the island.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I have long heard that you are extraordinary in the path of sword cultivation. May I offer you some guidance?"

Looking at this proud Golden Core cultivator disciple, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile. He could tell that Lu Yushu still retained the pride of the Lu family from back then.

Or rather, they never really got out of it.

"Fellow Daoist Lu is joking. What insights could we rogue cultivators possibly have? We're just relying on sheer courage and fighting to the death..."

Lin Chang'an chuckled, his expression somewhat indifferent, showing no intention of competing for the momentary advantage.

Lu Yujian, standing to the side, looked apologetic.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I apologize."

He then secretly communicated with his elder brother, even though his brother was not good at interpersonal relationships, he had experienced the ups and downs of the Lu family and knew one thing: never offend people easily.

Lu Yushu didn't have any bad intentions, but his pride was getting the better of him. He was a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, a true prodigy.

This was just a passing episode.

However, upon returning to the cave, an unexpected communication jade talisman appeared.

Lin Chang'an was stunned after hearing this.

It turned out to be Madam Wen.

Invite him to my humble abode for a chat, and subtly mention clues about a spiritual object that has reached the Core Formation stage.

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered, and he was somewhat tempted.

After all, at their level of cultivation, the most tempting thing for them is naturally a Core Formation spiritual object.

　I've recently started planning for the protagonist to reach the Golden Core stage. It won't take too long; I'll be writing for a month or two, and if there are no problems next month, the protagonist will reach the Golden Core stage.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)