Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 285 Arrangements for the Descendants of an Old Friend

Tianquan Peak.

After Lin Chang'an emerged from seclusion, he sat calmly in the pavilion, while the three people brought by the sword attendant were at the bottom of the pavilion steps.

"Owner!"

Lin Chang'an gently waved his hand, and the sword attendant, understanding the meaning, respectfully stepped forward and brewed a pot of fine spiritual tea for her master.

"Shen Zhuang, Li Tianmo, and Zhou Bingxuan pay their respects to their great-uncle/senior Lin."

Shen Zhuang and Li Tianmo were both uneasy, wondering if this form of address would anger their Uncle Lin.

Zhou Bingxuan was also uneasy, because unlike the two of them, he had a closer family relationship and could only address them as seniors.

After hearing the sword attendant's report, Lin Chang'an learned that the three of them had been here for a year.

During that year, while meditating and cultivating on Tianquan Peak, he also learned how to raise spirit fish.

This pleased Lin Chang'an greatly; at least for now, he was considered a teachable talent.

“Grandfather, it’s been so many years since that title was used.”

Looking at the two of them, Lin Chang'an sighed inwardly with a sense of melancholy.

The two are Shen Fan and Li Yifan's grandsons, so it's reasonable to call him "Grand Uncle".

Throughout his life, this monk had witnessed the changing times, and this moment gave him a new experience.

Time truly is merciless.

"Shen Zhuang, Li Tianmo."

Shen Zhuang inherited most of Shen Fan's appearance, looking like a rigid and honest person, but he did not inherit his grandmother Wei Yingying's cleverness.

Li Tianmo, on the other hand, was quite handsome, refined, and exuded an air of scholarly elegance.

Lin Chang'an found it amusing; he never expected that Erniu's descendants, who had the same personality as Li Yifan, would end up looking like scholars.

However, when Lin Chang'an saw Zhou Bingxuan, he noticed a face that vaguely resembled hers by seven points, causing his eyes to glaze over for a moment before he fell silent.

"Your name is Zhou Bingxuan, who is Zhou Bingyun to you?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Bingxuan hurriedly bowed and said, "Zhou Bingyun is my aunt, and my grandmother is Zhou Bingbing."

Upon hearing the familiar name again, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh softly, as memories of the past flooded his mind.

So that's how it is. No wonder this woman looks seven-tenths like Bingyun. It seems the Zhou family noticed this and that's why they arranged for her to come.

He was fully aware of the Zhou family's little schemes.

If, after you become a Core Formation cultivator, no one around you has any ulterior motives, then that's simply not normal.

Having ideas is good, but it's important to know the limits.

"I see."

As Lin Chang'an nodded, Zhou Bingxuan secretly looked up and sized up this legendary cultivator whom her clan and grandmother often talked about.

He was dressed in white, handsome and dashing, but did not have the aloof and imposing aura of a Core Formation cultivator that one might have imagined.

Instead, it exudes an extraordinary and refined aura, like that of a pine or cypress tree.

"Let me tell you about the situation in the Yue Kingdom first."

Facing the three, Lin Chang'an remained calm. If they were trainable, he wouldn't mind giving them a helping hand.

"Grandfather, the situation in Yue is calm now, as are the other neighboring countries..."

Shen Zhuang was honest and simple, and clearly not as articulate as Li Tianmo, but he was sincere.

As the two continued to talk about the situation in Yue, Lin Chang'an listened and nodded secretly.

The core leaders of the seven kingdoms are all outside, and there are currently no powerful cultivators within them, so they can't cause any major trouble.
However, many sects and clans in the seven kingdoms that suffered heavy losses have begun to shift their focus, sending some promising disciples back to preserve their lineage.

After all, the Demon Beast Abyss is not an easy place to stay.

The Xuan Yin Pavilion was able to develop thanks to its connections and the support of the prevailing trends.

Watching the two of them talk, Zhou Bingxuan felt awkward and at a loss, as if her family was too distant and she couldn't even say a word.

However, after listening to their story, Lin Chang'an nodded slightly and then looked at Zhou Bingxuan.

"The Zhou family is doing quite well now, how are they doing?"

When asked, Zhou Bingxuan's expression tightened. She dared not hide anything and kept in mind the clan's instructions that she could answer any question.

Even all the secrets within the Zhou family.

"Senior Lin, since our family cultivated the near-third-tier clan-protecting spirit beast, the Xuan Shui Turtle, our clan's resources have become relatively abundant."

Meanwhile, the clan's accumulated resources over the years have also begun to grow. Thirteen disciples have joined the Xuan Yin Pavilion, five of whom are in the Yue Kingdom, and the rest have come here..."

Goodness, Zhou Bingxuan really says everything, leaving Shen Zhuang and Li Tianmo, who were watching from the side, both astonished.

You can even tell me the secrets of this family?
He even revealed his own spiritual root talent, which made Shen Zhuang and Li Tianmo, who were standing to the side, widen their eyes in disbelief.

When they came, they said it was a mid-grade spiritual root, how come it's now a high-grade spiritual root?!

The two stared at each other, their talents being only slightly above the middle grade of spiritual roots.

Lin Chang'an nodded secretly after hearing this:
"The person who made this decision in the Zhou family was truly farsighted, and of course, they succeeded."

Just like him, before you plan to form your core, many people laugh at you, but after you succeed, they all come to flatter and fawn over you.

The main reason was that although the Zhou family was doing well at the time, there were no geniuses in the clan who could form the Core Formation stage, so resources were allocated to this clan-protecting spirit beast.

Meanwhile, the Zhou family kept a low profile, avoiding trouble and disputes, and focusing on development.

Now that they have this near-third-tier clan-guarding spirit beast, the Zhou family can be worry-free for the next thousand years as long as they don't provoke any major enemies.

Even if their expansion efforts fail, they can still rely on this near-third-tier Xuan Shui Turtle to preserve their Foundation Establishment family in Qingzhu Mountain Market.

Now that the Zhou family has this guarantee, they have begun to plan for external expansion.

Moreover, the greatest advantage of this clan-guarding spirit beast, the Xuan Shui Turtle, is its long lifespan and its lack of trouble.

"good."

Taking a sip of spiritual tea, Lin Chang'an looked at the three of them thoughtfully for a moment, then instructed the sword attendant:
"Arrange for them to continue their cultivation first. As for taking care of the spirit fish and spirit plants, put that aside for now. They can help you with these trivial matters in your daily life. Don't let it interfere with your cultivation."

The sword attendant nodded respectfully and said, "Yes, Master!"

This scene, however, served as a silent reminder to the three of them.

As expected, this aloof and beautiful Foundation Establishment senior is no ordinary maid; they must learn to respect her.

"The three of you are still young. Remember to seize the opportunity to cultivate diligently. In the world of cultivation, strength ultimately determines everything."

Looking at the three of them, Lin Chang'an showed the concern of an elder and gave them some advice.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle and Senior Lin."

Two have above-average mid-grade spiritual roots, and one has just reached the high-grade spiritual root; all three have decent talents.

In the cultivation world, top-grade spiritual roots are already considered to be among the elite, while earth-grade spiritual roots are considered promising talents even in Nascent Soul cultivation forces.

Not to mention the Heavenly Spiritual Root, they simply blocked all information about it.

Lin Chang'an's eyes flickered. The three of them were not old, but they all had the cultivation level of the sixth or seventh level of Qi Refining.

If he can establish a foundation in the future, he can also be responsible for keeping an eye on some of his businesses.

Even if it's the worst, a cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining can still be accommodated.

After all, with each industry growing bigger and bigger over the years, there always needs to be trusted confidants to keep an eye on things.

More importantly, he didn't want to waste time on these trivial matters, and as for sword servants, that was even more unacceptable.

"Has anything happened during the years I've been in seclusion?"

Inside the pavilion, the three stood respectfully to one side, while the sword attendant poured tea and quietly recounted the events that had happened outside over the years.

At the same time, it was also a subtle reminder to the three of them of what their master needed. "Master, a major event occurred three months before you went into seclusion. A secret realm appeared at the junction of the Five Dragons Island sea area and the Tongtian Mist Sea."

The border is now in complete chaos, and with the news spreading, many cultivators have flocked here... and several Pseudo-Core Formation and Core Formation cultivators have already perished..."

Upon hearing that a secret realm had appeared, Lin Chang'an was slightly startled, but then he understood after realizing that this was the Demon Beast Sea Abyss.

In the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, it's perfectly normal for a cave ruin to appear every now and then.

In search of opportunities, powerful cultivators ventured deep into the outer sea, but for various reasons, they eventually passed away in their temporary cave dwelling, which later became known as the cave dwelling ruins and treasure hunting grounds for cultivators.

However, this time the situation seems to be quite serious; several Core Formation cultivators have already died at the very beginning.

The three children were even more shocked after hearing this. In the Yue Kingdom, they thought that the Core Formation cultivators were high and mighty, but they had just heard about them and they were gone.
"A cave dwelling ruin? Was it belonging to an ancient cultivator or something?"

Lin Chang'an frowned, while the sword attendant said in a solemn voice:

"Master, according to the information from Xuan Yin Pavilion, they should not be ancient cultivators. However, after this secret realm appeared, a ghostly mist appeared, obscuring this place."

Even with the array's restrictions, there's only been some leaks to the outside world; only a few Qi Refining cultivators can enter, so the specific situation is still unclear..."

Upon hearing this information, Lin Chang'an shook his head. It really was a time of great turmoil.

Fortunately, it was at the border of the Tongtian Mist Sea, and now he was only thinking about cultivating peacefully, so it didn't affect him much.

Just then, the communication jade talisman began to flash.

It was a message from Fairy Ni Chang of Xuan Yin Pavilion. Due to the events in the secret realm, countless foreign cultivators had come to the waters around Five Dragon Island.

Now the three major forces are preparing to put aside their differences and join forces to stabilize the impact this has had on the market.

"The market town, this is also an opportunity for Five Dragons Island."

Listening to the divine transmission from the Rainbow Fairy within the jade talisman, Lin Chang'an nodded secretly.

The influx of foreign cultivators also represents a huge business opportunity, especially for those who venture into secret realms, or those who commit murder and robbery.

It seems that this third-tier array master is about to have a great opportunity.

As for knowing about it as soon as he left the Xuan Yin Pavilion, Lin Chang'an was well aware of it.

There is a medicinal herb field on Tianquan Peak, which is managed by the disciples of Xuanyin Pavilion, as well as many birds and beasts, which are raised by female disciples arranged by Xuanyin Pavilion.

These were all done with his consent.

Who wouldn't want a free benefit?

"Besides, if a Core Formation cultivator wants to hide, how could a mere low-level cultivator possibly keep an eye on them?"

Lin Chang'an remained calm, explaining that the Xuan Yin Pavilion disciples were on orders at Tianquan Peak, which was also a way to build closer relationships.

Normally, whether a place is closed off or opened to the outside world, it's all for show.

For example, when news of his seclusion spread, the disciples of Xuan Yin Pavilion immediately relayed a message to the sect, informing Elder Lin that he would be in seclusion during this period and would not receive guests or engage in matters related to formations.

……

Shen Zhuang, Li Tianmo, and Zhou Bingxuan settled down peacefully on Tianquan Peak.

"Junior Sister Bingxuan, you've deceived us so badly! You told us that a superior spiritual root was a mid-grade spiritual root."

When they met again, Li Tianmo made some humorous remarks, but Shen Zhuang just smiled and didn't take it to heart.

In his grandmother's words, in the world of cultivation, telling the truth when you're out and about can be fatal.

Therefore, he always kept his grandmother's teachings in mind: when out in public, he should speak less and do more, and he should not hide anything from his great-uncle Lin.

"Senior brothers, I apologize for what happened before."

Despite her reserved demeanor in front of Lin Chang'an, Zhou Bingxuan was extremely intelligent and lively in front of the other two, and her words were full of attempts to get closer to them.

"Alright, let's cultivate in peace now, and hopefully one day we can reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Foundation Building!" Even Shen Zhuang showed a look of longing.

Having been here for a year, they have seen the vast sky outside and realized how insignificant they are.

“Foundation building is not so easy. I heard from Sister Mei that her eldest sister’s foundation building was funded by the clan.”

While it's true that cultivating on Tianquan Peak allows one to enjoy the abundant spiritual energy, Lin Chang'an wouldn't bestow such gifts lightly.

The people here take it for granted, and many even vie to come here.

It's not just the cultivation environment here, but more importantly, Elder Lin Chang'an, who is a Core Formation cultivator, doesn't have the strange temper that some Core Formation cultivators have.

Or they frequently assign tasks to their subordinates.

This gave them more time to cultivate.

"I heard that Grandfather Lin is a famous ascetic. Many of his disciples have been here for over ten years and have never received a single mission."

Even the senior sisters of Xuan Yin Pavilion are able to cultivate peacefully, while those within the sect are practically fighting tooth and nail.

The three of them almost all conveyed the same message in their conversation: it is very difficult to establish a foundation on one's own.

As for asking for help?
None of the three had expected this.

On the other hand, Zhou Bingxuan looked at the two of them slyly, but she was determined to be the first to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

As for foundation-building materials, she had never considered them, or rather, she believed that once she was able to stay here, her family would not abandon her.

All the building materials will be delivered.

Shen Zhuang scratched his head. Foundation Establishment Pill? It seemed that his grandmother had said that as long as he could stay here, his grandfather and grandmother would arrange for someone to deliver the Foundation Establishment materials, so he didn't need to worry about it.

Only Li Tianmo looked at the two of them with an embarrassed expression.

In terms of family background, the Shen family does not establish a clan, so its resources are more concentrated. The Zhou family, needless to say, is an old-established Foundation Establishment clan, far superior to the Li family.

In other words, in terms of background and experience, he is actually the least accomplished of the three.

……

"Moo!"

Outside the pavilion, after watching its master emerge from seclusion, the Green Horned Ox bellowed incessantly, this time showing an unusually anxious expression.

It even stopped eating its favorite spiritual fruits and herbs, and instead kept anxiously calling out to its master in an attempt to please him.

Lin Chang'an, however, leisurely sipped his spiritual tea before slowly saying:

"You silly ox, you actually know how to be anxious? I've been waiting for you for so many years, and you've dragged it out until now. You're already getting impatient after waiting for half a year?"

Previously, he had been waiting for Qingjiao Niu to break through, and had even prepared the necessary materials well in advance.

As a result of the cow's gluttony, its bloodline mutated, and the condition has persisted until now.

As a result, during his seclusion to refine his natal magic weapon, the Green Horned Ox finally reached the edge of a breakthrough.

Now that Green Horned Ox has experienced anxiety, it's a relief for him.

“Master, the Green Horned Ox was on the verge of breaking through half a year ago, but because you went into seclusion, the Green Horned Ox has been suppressing its cultivation.”

The sword attendant beside him hesitated for a moment, which was rare for him, but still spoke up to plead for them.

This made the green-horned ox beside it even more grateful, and it nodded repeatedly.

Since arriving here, the sword servant has only had the Green Horned Ox for company outside the cave, in addition to cultivating. After so many years of feeding it, they have naturally developed feelings for it.

Seeing the ox's anxious expression and the sword attendant's rare moment of speaking, Lin Chang'an slowly put down his teacup.

"I'll go to Xuan Yin Pavilion first, and then I'll prepare for your breakthrough when I get back."

"Moo!"

In his excitement, the green-horned ox swung its tail excitedly.

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(End of this chapter)