Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 252 Old Hu's Letter [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Clearwater Bay Market.

At Old Master Lu's residence, Li Yifan, along with his entire family, Shen Fan and Wei Yingying, and their children, formed a large group.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, Lu Qingqing's weak laughter could be heard from inside the wooden house built of green bamboo.

"Little junior sister."

Looking at Lu Qingqing, whose hair was now white and whose face was marked by the passage of time, Lin Chang'an's eyes revealed a complex expression.

Some are happy that their deceased friends had no regrets in their lives, while others are saddened by the ruthlessness of time.

“Brother Lin, I know my physical condition. If it weren’t for your return this time, I would probably have passed away first.”

Beneath Lu Qingqing's hoarse laughter, there was not a trace of regret on her face.

Lin Chang'an also sighed deeply. His junior sister's blood and qi were depleted, and her essence was almost completely lost. Her time was almost up.

"Brother Lin, you have a long road ahead of you, and you'll have to walk it alone."

Looking at Lin Chang'an, who was still as handsome as ever, Lu Qingqing's eyes held both envy and pity.

Watching one's old friends grow old, get sick, and die one by one, this path of cultivation is destined to be lonely.

Influenced by her grandfather, she chose Shen Lie.

"If I have the chance, I'll tell Sister Yun that I have no regrets. At least in my life, I have a husband, Fan'er and Yingying, and a house full of children and grandchildren..."

With hoarse, weak voices, Shen Fan and Wei Yingying, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, revealed tears of reluctance in their eyes.

"Mother!"

"Aunt Lu!" Li Yifan was also deeply saddened.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, sorrowful cries could be heard from inside the house, from men, women, and children.

As if sensing something in the darkness, Lin Chang'an seemed to have a feeling, and couldn't help but raise his head and then sigh softly.

"They're all gone. Of the companions who once walked the path of cultivation together, only Yun Yao remains."

The passing of Li Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi filled Lin Chang'an with a sense of sorrow.

"Perhaps you made the right choice. May you be a perfect couple, walking hand in hand for a hundred years, surrounded by children and grandchildren."

Looking at Shen Fan and Wei Yingying's children in the house, and even their grandchildren, Lin Chang'an felt a pang of melancholy.

His choice was also correct.

All I can say is that everyone has their own path to walk.

"You've already come to the end of your journey, I really envy you, but unfortunately I still have a long way to go."

Lin Chang'an stood alone under a withered tree in the courtyard, his belief growing stronger.

Human life is but a hundred years, like a mayfly's day!
Even though the life of a mayfly is short, it is still wonderful and dazzling.

He simply chose the much longer and more solitary path of cultivation.

……

There were many guests during the funeral.

Originally, Shen Fan and Wei Yingying were both at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but their combined attack would further enhance their strength.

His reputation was already quite high in the surrounding area, and now, with the influence of Lin Chang'an, a Core Formation cultivator elder, even the Xuan Yin Pavilion sent someone to come in person.

However, the funeral delayed his return trip by half a month.

However, given Lin Chang'an's current status and position, Xuan Yin Pavilion not only showed no dissatisfaction, but also considered it to be a matter of course.

A loyal and righteous elder is far more reliable than a cold-blooded and heartless one.

……

"Uncle Lin."

Inside the house, Shen Fan and Wei Yingying, along with their children and even grandchildren, paid their respects.

The couple had good cultivation levels and had a son and a daughter. The man married and had children, while the woman married into the Li family.

The two families have been quite close since the time of Erniu and Shen Lie.

There were also Li Yifan's descendants present, and the small room suddenly felt a bit crowded.

Looking at the descendants of these old friends, Lin Chang'an pondered for a moment and then said softly:

“I know what some of you have been thinking these days, but the situation in the Demon Beast Sea Abyss is constantly changing. Not to mention me, a newly formed Core Formation cultivator, even the once powerful Long family…”

Rise and fall are but a matter of a hundred years. If you are willing to follow me to the Abyss of Monsters…

Lin Chang'an also solemnly told the younger generation about the risks of the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, but he would not mind giving a helping hand to any of them who had good talent or high cultivation.

Unfortunately, those with extraordinary talent in the cultivation world are always a minority.

However, staying in Yue Kingdom does not mean he is without protection, after all, he is now a guest elder of Xuan Yin Pavilion.

Now, the entire Yue Kingdom is under the rule of the Xuan Yin Pavilion.

Therefore, even if he remained in Yue, he could still take care of him.

"Uncle Lin, Fan and I have decided to stay."

Wei Yingying has matured a lot now, and she couldn't help but show a carefree smile when she looked at Lin Chang'an.

Upon hearing the true situation of the demonic beast abyss, everyone hesitated for a moment.

The risks are too great. Foundation Establishment cultivators are experiencing such turmoil in the Demon Beast Sea Abyss. On the other hand, here, Foundation Establishment cultivators are already considered patriarchs.

There's simply no comparison.

Li Yifan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't speak. After all, he was used to being the head of the family in this small place called Qingshui Bay, and if he went outside, his life would be uncertain.

The risk is too great, and he still has many clansmen and descendants who need his protection.

I have too many worries.

“Mother is right. Compared to the turbulent and dangerous Monster Abyss, the situation in Yue Kingdom is now stable, and we don’t have much ambition.”

Seeing the intelligent Wei Yingying make her choice, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but nod in approval.

If they didn't have any descendants to hold them back, Shen Fan and Wei Yingying might have gone out and tried their luck.

However, the two were burdened with the responsibility of protecting future generations.

As for Li Yifan, he has been dragged down by his family in recent years, and his cultivation level has been surpassed by Shen Fan and Wei Yingying.

"There is no war in Yue Kingdom now. You can cultivate in peace and nurture your descendants. If you have any outstanding disciples, you can send them to the Xuan Yin Pavilion."

Before leaving, Lin Chang'an still took care of these younger generation members.

He improved upon the existing formations of the two families, upgrading them to the late stage of the second tier. Anything higher would be beyond their capabilities.

Before leaving, he bestowed some pills and protective talismans upon his three juniors, Shen Fan, Wei Yingying, and Li Yifan.

Before leaving, Lin Chang'an also visited the Zhou family.

The Zhou family had previously provided a considerable amount of materials and paid the corresponding spirit stones in exchange for his assistance in upgrading the clan's protective formation.

In terms of family development, the Zhou family of Beast Taming clearly takes a steady approach, maintaining a low profile even with a near-third-tier Xuan Shui Turtle in charge.

However, Lin Chang'an knew perfectly well that with a near-third-tier Xuan Shui Turtle guarding the Zhou family, the next step would probably be to accumulate resources and wait for a cultivator with extraordinary talent to emerge from within the clan.

Through steady and solid progress, the Golden Core family has achieved its current status.

The Zhou family's choice regarding beast taming cannot be judged as right or wrong. After all, it was a momentary impulse, and the consequences of failure would be enormous. The Zhou family is not just one person, but the entire clan.

……

"Elder Lin's descendants will also receive care within the sect, and even outstanding disciples will be accepted into the sect."

On the return journey aboard the spirit ship, a Foundation Establishment deacon from the Xuan Yin Pavilion addressed Elder Lin earnestly, saying that the Xuan Yin Pavilion would take care of Elder Lin's descendants.

Lin Chang'an nodded slightly after hearing this.

This is the benefit of strength, not to mention he's a guest elder of the Xuan Yin Pavilion. Even if he weren't, the Xuan Yin Pavilion would still look after him just for being on good terms with Core Formation cultivators.

In the world of cultivation, strength has always been paramount.

"It's time to go back."

Looking out of the corner of his eye at the gradually disappearing mainland silhouette behind him, Lin Chang'an's eyes were filled with determination this time.

Upon returning this time, with the passing of his old friends, his resolve to pursue the path of cultivation only grew stronger.

Everyone has their own life and regrets. For example, Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi's regret might be that they didn't continue their cultivation journey.

But they also have their own happiness, surrounded by children and grandchildren.

Over the years he has persisted on his spiritual path, he has had many regrets along the way, but this is the path he has chosen.

"Regrets on the journey of life are also unique."

His journey has only just begun; it's far from over.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Lin Chang'an suddenly realized something and couldn't help but reveal a determined smile.

"Upon returning this time, I will begin preparing to refine the Spirit-Replenishing Pill. The path of cultivation is slow and arduous, and now is far from the time for me to rest."

If he were to lose his way and stop, perhaps he would choose to return to the Yue Kingdom as a Core Formation cultivator and become a powerful patriarch.

But given the opportunities he had and the clear path ahead, he naturally wouldn't give up.

……

The journey back was uneventful, except that we were delayed by more than a month.

Lin Chang'an returned to Xuan Yin Pavilion to complete the mission and also received the reward for it.

"A mid-grade third-tier demon core, and these precious spiritual herbs?"

When Lin Chang'an, the guest elder, returned and actually asked for these precious materials, Fairy Ni Chang was taken aback.

These resources are extremely valuable and cannot be easily collected by ordinary Core Formation cultivators.

"Sect Master, I once met a good friend in the Tongtian Mist Sea. Although he was only at the Pseudo-Core stage, his alchemy skills were superb."

This fellow Daoist also asked me to collect these materials.

Upon returning, Lin Chang'an showed no embarrassment or shame, instead smiling and mentioning that he had a good friend who was a third-level alchemist.

After all, when you're out in the world, you give yourself your own identity.

Having a third-tier alchemist friend will greatly increase one's own value, and one can also benefit from the Xuan Yin Pavilion.

"A third-tier alchemist!"

Upon hearing that Lin Chang'an actually knew a rogue cultivator who was a third-level alchemist, the fairy in the rainbow dress, who was determined to strengthen her sect, immediately lit up.

As for the concern about usurping someone else's place?

A third-tier alchemist at the pseudo-Dan realm is practically a chosen worker.

As for the third-tier alchemist that Lin Chang'an mentioned, he was naturally his clone.

Since the entire green leaf of the Xuan Tian Immortal Vine revived, his ability to create avatars outside his body has become even more proficient.

"This old friend of mine..."

Lin Chang'an hesitated for a moment before revealing the identity of his old friend, a third-level alchemist. What he said was true, except that this Fellow Daoist Wen was no longer with them.

"It's actually Fellow Daoist Wen from the Kingdom of Shayun."

The Fairy of Rainbow Robes' eyes flickered. He didn't know much about the Wen couple, but as long as they were from the Seven Kingdoms, it was easy to get information.

"These three villains of the Zhong family plotted to kill two fellow Daoists, but in the end, only Fellow Daoist Wen escaped with serious injuries..."

Lin Chang'an spoke with melancholy, seemingly lamenting the experiences of his fellow Daoist.

What he said was true, except that the Wen couple had long since died at the hands of the three Zhong villains.

These three villains of the Zhong family, having been able to impersonate the Wen couple for so many years, must naturally know a great deal about them.

Since the three villains of the Zhong family died at his hands, he naturally knew about the Wen couple through his memories, so he was not afraid of being exposed.

After all, after much thought, it seemed that only this Fellow Daoist Wen could reasonably impersonate a third-tier alchemist while maintaining a clean identity.

Moreover, this allows him to conceal his collection of materials for Spirit Replenishing Pills, while also providing him with the false identity of an alchemist, thus giving him another opportunity to earn spirit stones.

You can also receive an extra guest elder's salary from Xuan Yin Pavilion, so no matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation.

After all, he was avenging the Wen couple, and now he's using his identity as payment. I'm sure they'd be grateful if they knew in the afterlife.

"Elder Lin, I wonder if this Fellow Daoist Wen has been invited over?"

It was obvious that Fairy Ni Chang was tempted by a third-tier alchemist.

Moreover, this person is only at the Pseudo-Core Formation level. Under normal circumstances, once a cultivator at this level joins a faction, they will not easily change their allegiance.

Faced with this fairy's idea, Lin Chang'an hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice:
"Since that incident, this Fellow Daoist Wen's personality has changed drastically..."

"As long as this Fellow Daoist Wen has a clean background, my Xuan Yin Pavilion is willing to offer a mid-grade third-tier demon core as a gift."

Even with gritted teeth, Fairy Ni Chang was also bleeding heavily; a mid-grade third-tier demon core was no small amount of money.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an hesitated for a moment. Finally, after hearing that Fairy Ni Chang had other promises and rewards for him, he reluctantly nodded and agreed to try to persuade her.

"Sect Master, there happens to be a Crimson Fire Peak nearby on Tianquan Peak. This way, we can win over this fellow Daoist."

Tianquan Peak is the main peak that Bihai Palace sent him to guard; the others are not included, so he naturally needs to plan for them himself.

Crimson Fire Peak is one of the three spiritual peaks second only to Heavenly Spring Peak, with abundant spiritual energy, enough to support a Core Formation cultivator to cultivate here.

It just so happens that it is now under the jurisdiction of Xuan Yin Pavilion.

"it is good."

Fairy Ni Chang had no doubt about this, after all, to win over any cultivator, a cultivation cave was the minimum requirement.

Lin Chang'an also benefited from the arrangement and readily agreed.

However, just as Lin Chang'an was preparing to return to his cave, Xuan Yin Pavilion unexpectedly sent a communication jade talisman from Haiyuan City.

"Old Hu!"

When Lin Chang'an saw the communication jade talisman, he was also stunned. He did not expect that he had not received any information when he contacted Hu Jin before he formed his core in Haiyuan City, but that he had received a reply after so long.

……

Tianquan Peak.

After returning to his cave, Lin Chang'an stretched and yawned. The escort of the merchant ship seemed easy.

But in reality, being out and about, constantly on guard, is never as comfortable as being in your own little cave.

Release the Phoenix Bird and the Green Horned Ox. In its excitement, the Phoenix Bird flew straight through the cave and headed directly for the underground Fire Cave.

Meanwhile, the Green Horned Ox leisurely arrived at the bottom of the waterfall lake at Tianquan Peak.

Lin Chang'an was alone in the pavilion, where he activated Hu Jin's communication jade talisman.

"Old Lin, congratulations on reaching the Core Formation stage. I, Old Hu, was in seclusion at the time and never received your message. It was several years ago by then."

Later, after making many inquiries, I, Old Hu, learned that you had actually reached the Core Formation stage and had even become a guest elder of the Xuan Yin Pavilion. This Fairy Ni Chang is the number one fairy in the Seven Kingdoms…”

The familiar, carefree laughter echoed from the communication jade talisman, and Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile.

It's common for Core Formation cultivators to go into seclusion for several years at a time.

But this old Hu really hasn't changed at all over the years.

He first congratulated him and made some jokes, and then Lao Hu talked about his experience of forming a core in Haiyuan City over the years.

Old Hu had wanted to contact him before, but the waters around Wulong Island were turbulent at the time, and Lin Chang'an had gone into hiding in Tongtian Wuhai. For more than 20 years, the two lost contact.

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(End of this chapter)