Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 305 The Situation of the Secret Realm [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Tianquan Peak.

As Lin Chang'an emerged from the cave, the Green Horned Ox, which had been soaking in the pool, also poked its head out.

"Moo!"

The bottom of this pool was set up with an array by Lin Chang'an. When the Green Horned Ox soaked in it every day, it could not only absorb spiritual energy to cultivate.

It can also connect to the demonic energy within the Earthfire Cave through the array at the bottom of the pool, thereby tempering the body.

"Owner!"

As Lin Chang'an emerged from seclusion, the sword attendant also respectfully walked out of the cave.

In recent years, the sword attendant has also moved into the cave, enjoying the cave where Lin Chang'an, the Core Formation cultivator, once cultivated.

With abundant spiritual energy and cultivation resources, the sword servant's cultivation level had reached the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage in less than forty years.

He was just one step away from entering the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Not bad, your cultivation level hasn't fallen behind."

Looking at the sword servant's expression, which was both aloof and slightly wild and fierce, Lin Chang'an showed a satisfied look and gently stroked the other's hair.

Faced with that familiar hand, the sword servant lowered his head and squinted his eyes, his earlobes burning as he thoroughly enjoyed his master's caresses.

As long as she makes progress in her cultivation, her master will be happy and praise her.

He was just over thirty when he bought the sword servant, and he has been training with him for thirty-nine years, which means he is only seventy years old now.

He established his foundation at thirty, and now he will break through to the late stage of foundation establishment at seventy years old in no time.

This doesn't even include the advantage of long lifespan for people of mixed human and transgender descent, which made Lin Chang'an sigh.

He will probably be able to train a Core Formation cultivator when the Sword Servant is around a hundred years old.

He had no worries about the fact that the sword servant's cultivation had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage within thirty years.

You have to understand that when he first came here, he hadn't completely freed the sword servant from the shackles of being a half-human, half-demon.

It is through these years of gradual progress that the Sword Servant has come this far, and it is precisely because of this that the Sword Servant lagged slightly behind in the early stages of cultivation.

But when it comes to tempering their will, they are absolutely unwavering.

“Master, I will definitely be able to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in another six months.”

At this moment, in front of Lin Chang'an, the sword servant was not as indifferent as outsiders saw him; instead, he resembled a wild kitten, eager to perform and receive more praise.

Seeing the sword attendant's appearance, Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded slightly.

“One cannot be too hasty in the path of cultivation. Moreover, Foundation Establishment is merely the foundation, while Core Formation is the starting point.”

Core Formation!

Upon hearing her master's expectations, a determined look appeared in the sword attendant's eyes; she would certainly not disappoint her master.

Stroking his smooth black hair, Lin Chang'an pondered for a moment. Over the years, they had developed feelings for each other.

Especially with this unreserved trust, he no longer regarded the sword servant as a slave or simply a subordinate.

Previously, considering the sword servant's cultivation level, it would not be appropriate for him to continue referring to her as a servant, so he told the sword servant not to refer to herself as a servant anymore.

However, the sword attendant firmly shook his head and chose to refuse.

"Let's go, let's go to the market this time."

Lin Chang'an chuckled, while the sword attendant smiled and respectfully nodded, addressing his master.

"Moo!"

The Green Horned Ox excitedly ran out of the pool, its fur glossy and dry, and came to Lin Chang'an.

"Walk."

Lin Chang'an chuckled and mounted the Green Horned Ox, while the sword attendant flew alongside him, appearing utterly loyal.

The Green Horned Ox didn't mind the sword attendant coming up too, after all, he was its playmate.

But the sword attendant firmly rejected the idea, saying that when traveling, the master's dignity must not be compromised.

And so, the Green Horned Ox carried Lin Chang'an on its back, while the Sword Attendant walked alongside it towards the market. The cultivators practicing at the foot of Tianquan Peak, upon seeing this, all showed expressions of envy and respect.

This is the legendary Core Formation cultivator of Tianquan Peak. He is accompanied by a third-tier great demon when he travels, and he also has a sword attendant with Foundation Establishment cultivation as his subordinate.

As Lin Chang'an sat on the ox's back, he chuckled, raised his hand to his eyes, and snapped his fingers crisply with a gentle rubbing of his fingertips.

A wisp of flame appeared at his fingertips, and under his precise control, not a trace of heat escaped.

However, the third-tier Green Horned Ox was terrified, its eyes wide open, and it couldn't help but let out a low moo filled with fear.

Meanwhile, the sword attendant gently patted the Green Horned Ox to soothe it. As a Heavenly Spirit Sword Body, she possessed keen senses and could also perceive the danger emanating from this wisp of spiritual fire.

"Alright, it's not meant to be used against you."

Lin Chang'an could naturally sense the fear of the Green Horned Ox, and couldn't help but make a teasing remark.

The spiritual fire at his fingertip was merely a manifestation of the spiritual fire of his natal magic weapon, achieved through the use of fire escape techniques.

After all, from the moment he refined it into his natal magic weapon, the Fusang Divine Tree was considered a part of his body.

"However, there is still a long way to go before we can achieve the goal of controlling fire with wood."

Watching the flame at his fingertips gradually weaken, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh softly, then blew out the faint flame with a single breath.

Fire Release Technique (Mastery 8/1000)

Although he has not yet reached the level of controlling fire with wood at will, with the help of the Fusang Divine Tree, he has made rapid progress in fire escaping techniques, second only to wood escaping techniques.

However, this wisp of spiritual fire, which is controlled through one's natal magic weapon, cannot yet be called the essence fire of the sun.

"The spiritual fire born from the three-thousand-year-old Fusang Divine Tree should be called the Heavenly Yang Spiritual Fire."

Heavenly Yang Spiritual Fire is extremely strong and yang.

Over the past decade, the spiritual fire nurtured by the three Sun-Piercing Divine Swords has grown stronger and more powerful.

Extremely strong and yang fire or heavenly thunder are the nemesis of demonic and ghostly creatures, and are also things that most monsters naturally fear.

This is why the Green Horned Ox instinctively fears this spiritual fire.

It wasn't just out of power, but more importantly, it stemmed from a fear rooted in their blood.

"With this spiritual fire in hand, plus many trump cards, ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivators may not be my match, even against late-stage Core Formation cultivators."

I'm not afraid; at worst, I'll just run away.

The waters around Wulong Island are currently in turmoil, and things will only get more chaotic in the days to come. Only strength can guarantee a safe passage.

"With the Azure Horned Ox at the early stage of the third rank on the surface, plus my current strength, and the backing of the Xuan Yin Pavilion and the ability of a mid-grade third rank array master, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Lin Chang'an was also pondering this along the way.

When you're out in the world, you get your own identity; he doesn't just want to gain more resources.

More importantly, only by demonstrating sufficient ability can one be qualified to access things he desires.

For example, high-grade third-tier array formation manuals and insights into array formations.

Only major sects and powerful forces can afford to support high-level array masters, which means that these powerful forces are not short of resources.

These resources are used to cultivate their own masters of formations or to attract outside cultivators to join them; they generally do not easily flow out into the outside world.

“In the entire Demon Beast Abyss, there aren’t many families that can produce high-grade third-tier array manuals and insights.” Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered; he also wanted to take advantage of the allure of this secret realm to see if he could lure out one or two big fish.

He believed that someone would covet the Yin Soul Sect's secret realm, and as a mid-grade third-tier array master, he knew the key to breaking the array, as long as someone came to visit him.

The problems encountered in the secret realm will naturally be revealed, and he will be able to learn a little bit about them. Although it will be slow, it is better than nothing.

If they are lucky, some people may be able to obtain a fragment of the array plate in the secret realm, which they can then observe and comprehend on their own.

Within this Yin Soul Sect's secret realm, the array formations are at least fourth-tier, making them extremely valuable to an array master like him.

"No matter how great the temptation, it won't lure me into exploring the Yin Soul Sect's secret realm."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile.

Even if it were the temptation of a Nascent Soul, he wouldn't be tempted. After all, he was only at the early stage of Core Formation, and if he actually obtained it, it would be more of a curse than a blessing.

……

Upon arriving at the market, Lin Chang'an keenly noticed that there were even more cultivators there.

The items sold at the stalls on both sides were almost all items that countered evil spirits, such as fire, yang, and thunder.

There are a great many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Green Horned Ox shook its head as it walked along the cobblestone street, its eyes half-closed in contentment, while the Sword Servant calmly kept watch over their surroundings.

As Lin Chang'an walked through the bustling market streets, he frowned and shook his head repeatedly.

"There are too many cultivators from outside, and even many cultivators from extremely far away have come here."

Judging from their attire, these cultivators were not from the nearby sea area, but considering the Yin Soul Sect's secret realm, Lin Chang'an understood.

Upon hearing of the appearance of the secret realm, Foundation Establishment cultivators seeking a glimmer of opportunity naturally wouldn't miss it.

"Master, recently many treasures obtained from secret realms have appeared in the market, but the vast majority are fake. Also, many forces have formed their own Foundation Establishment cultivator teams..."

Seemingly sensing Lin Chang'an's observation of the surroundings, the sword attendant, while on guard, telepathically informed her master of the recent changes in the market.

Lin Chang'an shook his head as he listened. "People die for wealth, birds die for food," and this saying applies to the cultivation world as well.

No Foundation Establishment cultivator can resist the temptation of a Core Formation opportunity.

There are even quite a few Qi Refining cultivators who are still dreaming of obtaining a fortuitous opportunity and rising to power against all odds.

Although the cultivation world has never lacked such chosen ones, they all emerged from countless corpses.

"Hey, Lao Lin, you've finally arrived."

As they walked through the market and arrived at the foot of the mountain, Hu Jin, dressed in a light gold robe, appeared and greeted them with a hearty smile.

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang'an smiled.

"Old Hu, it seems this robe suits you quite well."

"is not that right!"

Hu Jin grinned broadly, recalling how they couldn't be high-profile when their cultivation levels were low, and even their clothing was kept as understated as possible.

But things changed after he formed his core, a point Lin Chang'an understood.

No matter where a Core Formation cultivator goes, they cannot be ignored.

Today, Lin Chang'an was wearing a robe with flowing cloud patterns. The two smiled at each other and headed towards the mountaintop cave.

The sword attendant behind him followed respectfully with the Green Horned Ox.

"Old Lin, the reason I invited you here is because of the secret realm. Our Foundation Establishment team discovered a place within the secret realm with a protective array..."

After much thought, I realize that on Five Dragons Island, only you, Old Lin, are reliable. The other array masters are unreliable…”

Throughout the journey, Hu Jin wore a broad smile and made no attempt to conceal what had happened.

Lin Chang'an was not surprised by this.

In the cultivation world, there are countless Foundation Establishment cultivators whose lifespans are about to end, or who want to secure a future for their descendants. Of course, there are also some who are simply after a glimmer of opportunity.

Therefore, many powerful forces will make certain promises and recruit a few Foundation Establishment cultivators to investigate.

These powerful forces do not require these cultivators to obtain any treasures after entering; instead, they encourage them to protect themselves and explore the situation within the secret realm to the best of their ability.

So that they can gather more valuable intelligence.

"Fellow Daoist Lin!"

"Master Lin."

Upon entering the cave, Lin Chang'an found the other two Core Formation cultivators there as well, and he naturally greeted them with a smile and a cupped hand.

After a round of polite exchanges, Hu Jin laughed heartily and gestured for the other two to take out the items they needed to study from their storage bags.

"Old Lin, this is the incomplete array plate we obtained within the secret realm, and this recording bead records the situation here within the secret realm at that time..."

As the three people pushed over their dilapidated array plates, along with the image-recording beads, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but show a solemn expression.

"Let me take a look first."

All three were cultivators of the Law Enforcement Hall of the Azure Sea Palace, responsible for the stability of Five Dragons Island.

Lin Chang'an was fully aware that this exploration of the secret realm was a private matter for the three of them.

Otherwise, given the strength of the Azure Sea Palace, it might not be easy for a fourth-tier array master to move, but it could definitely summon one or two third-tier array masters.

Otherwise, how could it be his turn?

The image bead only contains a short video; it doesn't show how to enter the secret realm, from which direction, or where you encountered it.

Lin Chang'an was not surprised by this precaution.

He wouldn't risk venturing into this secret realm easily anyway, and now that there's a ready-made formation for him to study, he's not going to miss it.

"This has triggered the restriction of the illusion array."

After finally examining the image-recording bead, Lin Chang'an looked solemnly at the incomplete array plate in his hand, which had lost its spiritual essence, and frowned.

"Judging from this array, the restrictions here are not strong, or rather, they have weakened over time, and much of it has been damaged..."

Breaking this restriction would be difficult with the methods of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, unless one is prepared with…

After studying it carefully, Lin Chang'an slowly explained to everyone how to pay attention to the restriction, what the weak points were, and what kind of magical artifact would be best to break it.

Upon seeing this, Hu Jin smiled even more.

"Old Lin, if you came from a major sect, with this talent for formations, you would have become a third-tier formation master long ago."

Seeing that Lin Chang'an had figured out the incomplete restriction in just two hours, Hu Jin couldn't help but give him a thumbs up and say admiringly.

Lin Chang'an smiled and shook his head, saying:
"Old Hu, don't flatter me. It's only because the restrictions here are damaged, and you guys were lucky enough to get a fragmented array plate, that I was able to figure it out."

Lin Chang'an's statement was not modesty, but the truth.

He naturally lacked the ability to create the Yin Soul Sect's island-protecting array, but the restrictions on some palaces or important places inside had been damaged and destroyed over the years.

With its power greatly reduced, if he still couldn't figure it out, wouldn't his status as a mid-grade third-tier array master be wasted?

"In that case, I'll trouble Master Lin to craft a few magical artifacts to break this restriction."

The other two also smiled and spoke politely.

Lin Chang'an smiled and nodded in agreement; that's how array masters earn spirit stones.

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(End of this chapter)