Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 257 Old Hu Arrives [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

As the grand gathering on Five Dragon Island approached, merchant ships from all directions gathered, including those from the Azure Sea Palace, as well as the Golden Core cultivators from the Enforcement Hall who were escorting the merchant ships.

"Old Lin, I was thinking of having you call me senior, but it seems I won't have the chance."

On this day, a familiar laugh echoed across Tianquan Peak, and Lin Chang'an had made preparations, having prepared spirit wine and spirit meat in the pavilion.

"Old Hu, I haven't heard from you for over twenty years. I thought something had happened to you."

When the two met, their eyes betrayed the complex emotions they felt.

More than 20 years ago, before they parted ways, they were both in the late stage of Foundation Establishment. They hoped that when they met again, they could still call each other "fellow Daoist," which was also a kind of blessing.

Unexpectedly, when they met again, they had truly fulfilled their original wish.

"Fellow Daoist Lin!"

"Fellow Daoist Hu!"

After the laughter subsided, the two suppressed their complex emotions and solemnly bowed.

The word "fellow Daoist" witnessed the arduous journey of the two from the late Foundation Establishment stage to Core Formation.

"Come, come, I've brought some top-quality spirit wine to prepare for when I reach the Core Formation stage."

With a hearty laugh, Lao Hu took out a jar of his own sealed fine wine from his storage bag.

The blue ox mooed outside the pavilion, seemingly sensing the familiar presence and showing some joy.

When Hu Jin saw this familiar scene, he couldn't help but smile and nod. In the past, when they occasionally met, this green-horned ox was always by their side.

While Lin Chang'an and his old friend Hu Jin were reuniting, things were far from peaceful on Five Dragons Island.

……

Xuan Yin Pavilion.

"Sect Master, the Core Formation cultivator from the Law Enforcement Hall of Bihai Palace is actually an old friend of Elder Lin. This person went straight to Elder Lin's cave as soon as he arrived at Five Dragon Island."

After all, the arrival of a merchant ship from Bihai Palace would naturally attract attention, but the fact that the monk escorting the ship was from the Enforcement Hall made it even more noteworthy.

But no one expected that the first thing this Core Formation cultivator from the Enforcement Hall did upon arrival was to head straight for the cave of Lin Chang'an, a guest elder of the Xuan Yin Pavilion and a third-tier array master.

Meanwhile, intelligence from various forces also revealed information about this Core Formation cultivator from the Law Enforcement Hall of the Azure Sea Palace.

Inside the Xuan Yin Pavilion, Liu Ruyu respectfully reported the latest intelligence she had received.

Upon hearing this, the Xuan Yin Pavilion Master, Fairy Ni Chang, rarely showed a hint of surprise.

"This person is also from the Yue Kingdom, no wonder."

Looking at the intelligence report from Hu Jin of the Law Enforcement Hall of Bihai Palace, the Fairy of Rainbow Garments suddenly realized what was going on. This made sense.

"It seems that we really made the right choice in inviting this guest elder."

Hu Jin was only at the early stage of Core Formation; the various forces were only interested in his identity.

"Sect Leader, should we pay him a visit?"

Liu Ruyu tentatively asked, and the fairy in the rainbow robes nodded with a light laugh.

"You should go there yourself this time, but don't disturb their time together."

"Yes."

……

The Long family.

"I never imagined that so many Core Formation cultivators would be born in this remote and impoverished place."

The Long family also received this intelligence, and several of the Long family's Core Formation cultivator elders were secretly alarmed.

“Since the cultivators from the Law Enforcement Hall of the Azure Sea Palace have come in person, my Long family should arrange for someone to pay them a visit. In any case, we absolutely cannot afford to offend them.”

"Yes!"

At the same time, other Core Formation families and forces also received this message.

Many people remarked that this Master Lin Zhen really had a wide circle of friends, but they all arranged for people to visit the cultivators from Bihai Palace and this Core Formation cultivator from the Enforcement Hall.

……

Tianquan Peak.

The two drank and discussed the Dao in the pavilion. Both were in the early stage of Core Formation and were verifying each other's Dao, as well as some strange and unusual events that had happened over the years.

"Old Hu, you've really made a big impression this time. Quite a few people have come from down the mountain."

Lin Chang'an joked that outside his cave, he could naturally sense that many people had come, and their purpose was obvious—they were clearly coming for Hu Jin.

Upon hearing this, Hu Jin raised his head proudly.

"That's right, now our old Hu has the backing of the Bihai Palace."

Seeing Lao Hu's funny expression, Lin Chang'an shook his head with a smile, but still reminded him:

"Old Hu, the Enforcement Hall is different from others. You still need to be careful in the future."

As the name suggests, the Enforcement Hall, though a direct subordinate department of the Azure Sea Palace, is also a place where one can easily offend people and faces considerable risks.

"Don't worry, Lao Lin, Lao Hu isn't stupid."

The two exchanged a glance and smiled. Lin Chang'an also learned that Old Hu's ancestors had almost produced a Nascent Soul cultivator.

This left Lin Chang'an speechless. He had always thought that Lao Hu was just bragging, but he never expected that Lao Hu hadn't been bragging at all.

"By the way, Old Lin, this is information about Blood Fiend Master. In the future, you and I can use some of Blood Fiend Master's treasures with peace of mind."

As if he had thought of something, Hu Jin, with a smile on his face, took out an intelligence jade slip with a wave of his hand.

Lin Chang'an had also inquired about this Blood Fiend Master, but his investigation was certainly not as detailed as that of the Azure Sea Palace.

As he probed with his divine sense, he gained a deeper understanding of this Blood Fiend True Man, since he had only obtained some fragmented memories back then.

There's still a lot missing in terms of experience.

"The Blood Fiend True Man roams the Demon Beast Sea Abyss. He belongs to the ranks of rogue cultivators. Due to his reckless fighting style and powerful swordsmanship, few dare to provoke him..."

Anyone who dares to provoke him will be completely eliminated...

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Despite his seemingly ruthless and decisive nature, this Blood Fiend True Man was also very cautious and never offended powerful cultivators.

It seemed that most of his enemies were dead, and Lin Chang'an secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this.

He had kept the Blood Fiend Sword magic weapon hidden away before, probably because he was afraid of being implicated.

"More than a hundred years ago, the Blood Fiend True Man ventured into the Demon Beast Sea Abyss Secret Realm. After emerging, he disappeared without a trace. It is said that he was searching for the opportunity to cultivate a Nascent Soul and then vanished without a trace."

However, after seeing the news of Blood Fiend Master's final disappearance, he seemed to understand something.

"Even so, it's still best if we're cautious."

After all, they had obtained the treasure of this Blood Fiend Master, and it wouldn't be good if they were implicated.

However, they are now at the Golden Core stage, not the lowly Foundation Establishment cultivators they once were. The legacy of a Golden Core cultivator would only bring misfortune.

"I knew you were cautious, Lao Lin."

Looking at Lin Chang'an, Hu Jin laughed loudly, patted his storage bag, and immediately two gleaming throwing knives floated in the air.

"This is!"

Lin Chang'an naturally recognized this as the magic weapon he had obtained from the Blood Fiend True Man's ruins, but the appearance of this magic weapon seemed to be different.

"I made some minor repairs."

Just now I said Lin Chang'an was cautious, but it turns out that Lao Hu is more cautious than anyone else.

Lin Chang'an was speechless upon seeing this.

However, his eyes flickered, as if this were also an opportunity.

【Slaying Yuan Sword Technique (Supreme)】 He has cultivated this sword technique to the Supreme Realm over the years thanks to his powerful self-healing body. Its power has increased, but the side effects are also significant.

After all, the self-harming techniques of demonic cultivation are known for their rapid progress and powerful effects.

As long as one is not afraid of death, the cultivation of demonic techniques has always progressed by leaps and bounds.

"Perhaps I can reveal that I have received the Blood Fiend True Man's inheritance. On the surface, I am a sword cultivator in the eyes of outsiders, and I am known for my powerful attack power among those of the same level."

This way, his own superior combat strength could be explained, he could deter some petty villains, and more importantly, he could conceal his main cultivation technique.

Sometimes, revealing one's strength is not necessarily a bad thing.

Only strength can earn respect.

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered. According to ordinary martial arts, this Fiend Yuan Sword Technique was a sword move, while his main skill, Evergreen Skill, was an internal energy cultivation technique.

However, the backlash effect of this Fiendish Sword Technique is extremely strong; without proper cultivation methods, one will suffer from qi deviation and demonic possession.

Unfortunately, the cultivation method he mainly practiced could perfectly solve the drawbacks, and was even stronger than the original cultivation method.

In other words, as long as he reveals that he practices the Fiend Yuan Sword Technique, outsiders will not suspect that he has other main cultivation methods.

After all, the Evergreen Technique he cultivates not only excels at concealment, but more importantly, the more he cultivates it, the more he discovers that there are probably significant karmic connections involved.

Moreover, given his poor aptitude, it's reasonable that he might progress a little faster in the future when practicing such a flawed demonic cultivation method.

"Cultivate in a low-key manner, and once you become a Nascent Soul cultivator, you will naturally have no fear of anyone."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but raise his head, which made Lao Hu look suspicious.

"Old Lin, what's with that look?"

Lin Chang'an, however, revealed a meaningful smile.

"Old Hu, your status is no simple matter now. With the powerful backing of the Azure Sea Palace, you can naturally protect a mere Core Formation inheritance..."

Seeing Lin Chang'an's look, Hu Jin waved his hand repeatedly and said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I knew you were cautious, Lao Lin."

"Alright, alright, anyway, after I revealed this flying knife magic weapon, it was already known in the Bihai Palace, and it was only a matter of time before you, Old Lin, did the same."

Hu Jin brought the information about Blood Fiend Master today, one of which was that the Azure Sea Palace knew about the opportunity the two had obtained.

Even in the eyes of the Azure Sea Palace, the two probably obtained their Core Formation opportunity from here.

"Thank you very much, Lao Hu."

Beneath Lin Chang'an's smiling face, the inheritance of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, now obtained by one person, might attract covetousness.

But if it's two people, and both have connections, then naturally someone will consider the gains and losses.

Moreover, now that both of them have successfully formed their cores, some people might think that the opportunities they received back then have probably been almost exhausted.

After all, it created two Core Formation cultivators.

"Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate becoming Core Formation cultivators."

The smiles on their faces were tinged with endless melancholy; only they knew the hardships they had endured along the way.

In particular, the two talked about their old friends.

“I went back to the Yue Kingdom before, and visited the Zhou family of Beast Tamers and a few old friends. They all… and Old Jia too…”

When they mentioned their old friend, the joy of their Core Formation had long since faded, and the wine in their cups tasted bitter.

"This path of cultivation is truly a fucking mess. I've watched helplessly as my old friends fall behind one by one, grow old, and even learned from letters that after we formed our cores, Old Jia..."

The later letters clearly showed more respect, the same feeling as before…

With a bitter smile, Hu Jin raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

This is the loneliness of the path to immortality.

Lin Chang'an had sensed this earlier, and perhaps because Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi were getting older, they became more open about it.

"Alright, Lao Lin, I have to go outside. Otherwise, our early-stage Core Formation cultivation level will be a bit too pretentious."

Putting down his wine glass, Hu Jin stood up with a dashing smile.

Lin Chang'an smiled and watched his old friend go off to take care of his business.

After leaving Tianquan Peak, Hu Jin immediately encountered the various forces that had been waiting for him.

Even Hu Jin, who was in the early stage of Core Formation, did not dare to be arrogant and chatted with everyone with a hearty smile.

The various powers respect him so much only because of the Bihai Palace behind him; Hu Jin is no fool.

……

"The Blood Fiend Sword, a magical artifact."

Meanwhile, inside Tianquan Peak, Lin Chang'an slowly took out this magical treasure. He usually kept it hidden, but now he was going to officially bring it out.

"With Lao Hu covering for me, and besides, it's only natural that I, a rogue cultivator, would have the opportunity to form my core. That's just how it is."

With a calm smile, Lin Chang'an slowly drew the ancient sword, and in an instant, a dense aura of bloodlust filled the air.

The blade was a deep, blood-red color.

"A third-tier array master, combined with the strength of a sword cultivator, is enough to intimidate some people."

A smile appeared on Lin Chang'an's face as he gently stroked the sword blade, while his body also revealed a hidden sword intent.

Ultimately, for cultivators, strength is everything.

"The Killing Yuan Sword Technique is a demonic cultivation method with significant side effects and extremely high power. In fact, among all sword cultivation techniques, its power ranks among the top."

As Lin Chang'an raised his hand, several sword beams appeared. These sword beams were obviously not as solid as the sword beams produced by the "Sword Shadow Follows the Heart" divine ability.

"Moreover, its power is also inferior. The sword light phantom can only exert one or two tenths of its attack power at most. However, this technique is both offensive and defensive. The sword light can be used for defense or attack."

As Lin Chang'an shook his head, he raised his hand and dispelled the sword light.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages when compared.

One is a sword technique, and the other is a pure sword-based divine power.

The Killing Yuan Sword Technique obviously consumes less mana, as long as one's body can withstand the side effects.

The sword shadow can be cast at will, but it is difficult to cultivate and its attack power is comparable to that of a magic weapon. The downside is that it also consumes a lot of mana.

"However, all of this seems to work just right for my self-healing body."

Lin Chang'an looked puzzled; this was tailor-made for him.

Or perhaps it's because the ancient cultivation technique he practiced used the Mysterious Heavenly Vine as his natal spiritual plant, which nourished his self-healing body. Not practicing this self-destructive, fast-progressing, and powerful divine ability would be a huge loss.

"I have a feeling that my cultivation path is heading towards demonic techniques in the future."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an shook his head.

"However, with Lao Hu's arrival, we can also reveal to the outside world that we are practicing this technique, which will help us cover up our true intentions."

Lin Chang'an nodded secretly. At the same time, the only material missing from the Spirit Replenishing Pill was a mid-grade, third-tier metal-attribute demon core.

There were quite a few spirit stones in the storage bag, but it was clearly not enough to buy a mid-grade third-tier demon core.

"It seems we'll have to prepare to go out and hunt monsters as soon as possible."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an sighed helplessly.

He was short of spirit stones when he was in the Qi Refining stage, and he was short of them again after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage. How come he found that he was even more short of spirit stones when he reached the Core Formation stage?

He lacks the third-tier inheritance of the four major skills of immortal cultivation!
We're also short of materials to refine the Spirit-Replenishing Pill!
The magic weapon we still use is the Blood Fiend Sword obtained from the ruins.

Upon closer examination, even with three third-tier skills, it's still not enough, given his significant needs and the fact that he only recently formed his core.

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(End of this chapter)