Immortality and cultivation begin with drawing talismans.

Chapter 375 Third-Tier High-Grade Array Master [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A lot has happened in the past five years. The most famous of these is the appearance of a transformation lightning tribulation in a certain sea area in the outer ocean, which resulted in the addition of a new transformation demon.

This attracted many Nascent Soul cultivators who wanted to hunt down this great demon that dared to venture deep into the sea of ​​human cultivators.

As a result, several Nascent Soul cultivators searched for half a year, but the transformed demon seemed to have evaporated without a trace.

The waters around Wulong Island have also been turbulent in recent years.

The Crimson Fire Sect was pursuing a thief, and this cultivator appeared several times, causing quite a stir.

The fact that even the Crimson Fire Sect cultivators were so persistent in their pursuit of this cultivator also led many cultivators, who knew there was something wrong with him, to succumb to their greed and fall into the trap.

Bibo Island.

"So, many independent cultivators knowingly participated despite the problems?"

Under the gray sky, Lin Chang'an listened calmly to the intelligence reports from Shen Zhuang, Li Tianmo, and Zhou Bingxuan in the pavilion.

"Yes, there have been several disturbances recently, but the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is helping us suppress them on Five Dragons Island, so there hasn't been any major unrest."

Shen Zhuang respectfully cupped his hands as he spoke. The five years of turmoil had matured them considerably, as they had witnessed the reality that those below the Core Formation stage were mere ants.

We also saw that even Core Formation cultivators are still just pieces on a chessboard.

Over the course of five years, Li Tianmo and Zhou Bingxuan made significant progress in their cultivation, almost reaching the bottleneck.

Shen Zhuang's breakthrough came relatively late, and it will take him at least another one or two decades to reach perfection.

"What are your three opinions on the turmoil on Five Dragons Island?"

Over the years, he has been cultivating on Bibo Island, and the intelligence and dividends from the island are brought over by the Xuan Yin Pavilion's merchant ships.

The three men were among those in charge, and they came specifically to report intelligence and bring Lin Chang'an's materials.

Lin Chang'an glanced at the three of them and asked the question thoughtfully.

The three looked at each other, and finally Shen Zhuang hesitated for a moment before speaking first:

“Grandfather, I felt that Core Formation cultivators were like gods in the Yue Kingdom, but here it seems that these seemingly unapproachable Core Formation cultivators are now fighting desperately for resources.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chang'an nodded calmly, noting that even Core Formation cultivators are divided into different ranks.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Tianmo spoke up, "Grand Uncle, I believe that many of the Core Formation cultivators here have their minds clouded by greed. Clearly, this is a murky mess."

Finally, Zhou Bingxuan frowned slightly and cupped her hands in greeting, saying:

"Elder Lin, I think they may also know there is a problem, but many of the Core Formation cultivators involved this time are nearing the end of their lifespan and want to fight for a future for their descendants."

Because of their different backgrounds and cultural backgrounds, the three people saw things differently.

Shen Zhuang's statement was very vague, and it seemed that because his cultivation level was lagging behind, he was not as eager to form his core as the other two.

Due to family reasons, especially given Li Yifan's poor health in recent years, once Li Tianmo passes away, the resources provided by the clan will inevitably become unstable.

Therefore, the pressure is relatively high.

Although Zhou Bingxuan's family is not powerful, the Zhou family has accumulated a wealth of experience over hundreds of years, and its vision and other aspects are quite good.

Looking at the three of them, Lin Chang'an finally sighed inwardly. In the end, none of them were truly independent cultivators; they all had their fathers and clansmen providing them with resources.

They also didn't experience the sense of responsibility that the rise and fall of the family rested entirely on their shoulders.

"Among these people, the vast majority are not stupid, nor are they blinded by greed, but rather they have firm beliefs and know what they need!"

Having embarked on his journey from nothing to immortality, he could better understand the mindset of these people.

Seeing the puzzled looks on the three men's faces, Lin Chang'an said earnestly:
"They never get a chance when there is hope; they only have a chance when there is no hope. So even though they know it is very likely a trap, they will still jump in one after another."

Because what they need is an opportunity, and they're willing to risk everything.

How rare is an opportunity?
Back then, he was at the third level of Qi Refining. His demon-hunting team was hunting a late-stage first-tier demon beast. There were quite a few other cultivators at the third level of Qi Refining with him.

Even though they knew that the late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the demon-hunting team were only using them as cannon fodder and bait, they still had to fight desperately for this one opportunity.

If a rogue cultivator doesn't even dare to fight, he will have nothing.

After Lin Chang'an slowly uttered these words, the three people had different expressions and their eyes flickered, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

Lin Chang'an then smiled calmly, as if what he had just said was just a simple evaluation.

He has said what he needed to say; forming the Golden Core is not so easy.

The choice is ultimately up to you.

"Your Zhou family sent a lot of resources before, and I promised to give you a chance to form your core, but when exactly is up to you."

Then Lin Chang'an's gaze fell on Li Tianmo and Shen Zhuang, and he spoke softly:

“If you have the opportunity to speak, I will give you a chance.”

Unlike the Zhou family, the Zhou family's opportunity to form their core was practically a free gift.

As for Li Tianmo and Shen Zhuang, it can be considered that he and Yun Yao took care of Shen Lie, Wei Buyi, Lu Qingqing and the descendants of Erniu.

However, upon hearing about the opportunity to form the Golden Core, all three showed signs of excitement.

"Thank you, Grandfather/Elder Lin."

The three bowed excitedly, and Lin Chang'an casually waved his hand, bestowing upon them a set of insights on Core Formation.

After he leaves the secret realm, he will naturally not mistreat the descendants of his old friends, or those who have been there to help him.

……

Under the perpetually gloomy weather of Tongtianwuhai, the three descended from the mountain peak.

Shen Zhuang and Li Tianmo looked at Zhou Bingxuan with some curiosity, as if they wanted to ask, "With your current cultivation level, you should be able to break through to the Core Formation stage, right?"

"Junior Sister Zhou, with your current cultivation level, you should be close enough, right?"

Finally, Li Tianmo asked the question that had been on his mind, and Zhou Bingxuan didn't hide anything from the two of them, saying directly in a deep voice:

"Although I have reached the bottleneck, I am not very confident about forming the core. After I return, I will consult with the sect leader and then begin my seclusion."

These words left Li Tianmo and Shen Zhuang speechless, while also revealing expressions of envy.

Zhou Bingxuan's confidence stems from the fact that her family, the Zhou family, is doing well and can provide a lot of assistance.

The resources that their parents and families can provide now are far less than those of the Zhou family.

At the same time, Li Tianmo secretly glanced at Shen Zhuang.

Although the Li family is doing well, it is precisely because of its large population and the increasingly poor health of the current head of the family that the help they can provide is becoming less and less.

He can only rely on himself for the rest.

The Shen family is different. Shen Fan and Wei Yingying are both highly skilled in cultivation, and they don't have many clansmen under them, making it easier to concentrate resources.

"The choice is up to you; now I understand."

The three of them suddenly realized what Lin Chang'an had said earlier.

The path wasn't wrong; it was all a choice I made.

For example, if Zhou Bingxuan went into seclusion for a period of time in order to consolidate her cultivation, she would be targeted and killed afterward.

Would you regret not having broken through back then? Regardless of success or failure, at least you wouldn't have regretted it.

But if I choose to go into seclusion now to break through, and fail because I lack the necessary foundation, will I regret it?
Taking risks and being too aggressive is too risky, while playing it safe and defending the city can also lead to many unknown changes.

Therefore, being steady is also a form of hard work, which is why Lin Chang'an said that earlier.

You have to make your own choices about the path you take.

……

【Lifespan: 248/797】

[Realm Level: Mid-Golden Core (96/100)]

After the three left, Lin Chang'an looked at his cultivation level over the past five years and nodded to himself.

After five years of cultivation, he had gained four experience points, and he clearly felt this bottleneck. It would probably become increasingly difficult to improve further.

But his current rate of improvement is already quite fast.

"With potential, qualifications, and sufficient resources, it's only now that we're feeling the bottleneck, which is so much better than before."

Lin Chang'an was already quite content. Back when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, his cultivation level began to hit a bottleneck after he reached the ninety-point mark because he was limited by his low-grade spiritual root aptitude.

Each step of advancement requires him to put in several times the effort of other cultivators of the same level.

Now, with his superior-grade Golden Core and the aptitude of having been cleansed to the level of an Earth-grade spiritual root, he finally enjoys the treatment of a genius.

"Now that we've hit a bottleneck, it's time to spread the news of our breakthrough to a third-tier high-grade array master, especially by getting on the Sixth Elder's good side."

At 248 years old, a third-tier high-grade array master is considered a genius, but not enough to inspire fear.

[Tier 3 High-Grade Array Master (Grandmaster 1109/5000)]

Looking at his understanding of formations over the years, Lin Chang'an nodded secretly.

"Now it's only been about thirty years since the secret realm opened, so there's no chance to make another breakthrough in the art of formations in the short term."

However, if one continues to study, even among top-tier third-order array masters, there are differences in strength.

Depending on experience and expertise, even formation masters of the same rank can have varying degrees of skill and ability.

For example, he inherited the array-breaking technique from the Yin Soul Sect, so it can be said that his greatest skill now is finding the array core and breaking the array.

"We still cannot neglect the study of formations; we must continue to delve into it."

Looking at the 'maze map' of the Yin Soul Sect's secret realm in his hand, Lin Chang'an pondered silently, hoping that everything would go smoothly on this trip, and that he could find an opportunity related to Nascent Soul formation.

[Tier 3 High-Grade Talisman Master (Grandmaster 802/5000)]

[Tier 3 High-Grade Alchemist (Grandmaster 53/5000)]

[Tier 3 Mid-Grade Refiner (Proficiency 678/1000)]

[Tier 2 High-Grade Puppet Master (Grandmaster 3965/5000)]

Looking at his achievements in other fields, Lin Chang'an nodded in satisfaction.

"In formations, talismans, and alchemy, I have reached the third-tier superior level in all three areas. My weapon crafting is not far behind. As for mechanical puppets, I will strive to break through to the third tier as soon as possible before the secret realm opens."

In terms of puppetry, he mainly focuses on mechanisms, since they are particularly useful within the secret realm.

"With my current foundation and personal wealth, there are probably few people in the Core Formation Realm who can compare to me."

Thinking of this, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile, but he wasn't really arrogant.

At the very least, he knew of someone whose strength could overcome any skill, and he himself might not be able to match him.

That must be Su Miaoyin, the personal disciple of Lu Zhenjun. She probably hasn't reached the fourth-level array master, but she's at least close to the fourth level.

This one near-fourth-tier skill alone is enough to overwhelm all his numbers.

Moreover, with a Nascent Soul Master/Father, how could one lack magical treasures and supernatural powers for survival?

At this moment, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but feel envious. He had worked so hard for so many years, but in the end, he was not as good as having a Nascent Soul father.

"Don't be arrogant. Some top Nascent Soul sects also have many geniuses among their disciples. All things considered, they may not be worse than me."

Lin Chang'an was self-aware, but he also had his own advantages.

He rose from a rogue cultivator to a position where he has now caught up with these prodigies and will surely surpass them in the future.

"The Core Formation Realm is just the beginning; the Nascent Soul Realm is the key."

...Just then, a flash of light appeared outside the cave, and the moo of the Green Horned Ox rang out.

The Green Horned Ox carried the Sword Servant back to the cave with great joy.

"Master, the merchant ship has successfully completed its mission. Although we encountered several groups of treacherous cultivators along the way, they were able to see our third-tier spirit ship and three Core Formation cultivators in the distance."

These bandits then abandoned their plan to hijack the ship.

Upon landing, the sword attendant, dressed in a dark blue outfit and with a cool expression, cupped his hands and efficiently recounted the events of his journey.

Two years ago, the sword attendant broke through to the mid-stage of Core Formation. In just over a hundred years, the Foundation Establishment cultivators he brought back have now grown to the same level as him, becoming Core Formation cultivators.

Seeing the sword servant grow, Lin Chang'an felt a great sense of accomplishment in nurturing him.

"Hehe, these cultivators aren't stupid either. With your mid-stage Core Formation cultivation and a mid-stage third-tier Azure Horned Ox, who would want to mess with you?"

At this moment, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but laugh. Now that the information about the Green Horned Ox had been leaked, its strength was comparable to that of a cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation.

With the Sword Servant and the Azure Horned Ox, plus the other two Core Formation cultivators from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, even a Tribulation Cultivator would have to think twice about their strength.

The purpose of plundering is to plunder, not to fight to the death.

"Moo!"

When Qingjiao Niu returned, he had a fawning expression on his face, clearly wanting to curry favor.

After Lin Chang'an saw the sword attendant hand over his share of the spirit mine's profits, he couldn't help but smile and casually took out two spirit fruits from his storage bag and tossed them to the Green Horned Ox.

"You greedy, stupid ox, remember not to neglect your cultivation, or you'll be slaughtered in the secret realm thirty years from now if you're not strong enough."

"Out of consideration for our years of friendship, I will turn you into a corpse puppet, or a puppet; the choice is yours."

The Green Horned Ox stared wide-eyed. Having cultivated to its level, it possessed extremely high intelligence, except for some special species.

How could it not understand these words? The Green Horned Ox mooed and shook its head repeatedly; it didn't want to be a dead ox.

It had seen both corpse puppets and golems before, and knew that once you become such a creature, you can no longer enjoy the fresh and delicious spiritual herbs and fruits.

"okay."

Looking at the Green Horned Ox, Lin Chang'an smiled and waved his hand. However, over the years, the Green Horned Ox had mutated due to demonic energy, or perhaps for some other reason.

Over the years, through cultivating by absorbing demonic energy, strange black demonic patterns have slowly emerged beneath the cowhide and hair.

According to the ancient records he consulted, there were indeed records of such demonized monsters in the cultivation world.

Many descendants of demonized monsters suffer from low intelligence.

Another advantage is that most of these monsters are quite powerful among those of the same level, and they have a strengthening effect.

"Mutated and demonized monsters are extremely rare even in ancient records."

Seeing the Green Horned Ox enjoying the spiritual fruit, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but smile; the demonized beast showed no signs of its usual irritability.

In any case, the increasingly powerful spirit pets are actually a good thing for him.

……

Over the past five years, all major powers have been frantically increasing their strength.

The Seven Kingdoms Alliance has also produced several Pseudo-Core cultivators and Core Formation cultivators, and everyone is sparing no effort to improve their strength.

The cost of doing this is that the foundation will be completely depleted, and even after the turmoil ends, it will still take hundreds of years.

However, there are always exceptions. Some rise up amidst turmoil, just like the Long family in the Five Dragons Island waters, who were a prime example of those who rose to prominence during the last upheaval.

But behind the rise of the Long family, how many cultivators' corpses were lost, and how many families and sects perished and weakened?

Just as the Demon Beast Sea Abyss was in turmoil and various forces were secretly probing each other, an inconspicuous message came from the waters around Five Dragon Island.

For the Demon Beast Sea Abyss, it's not a big deal, but for Five Dragons Island and Azure Wave Island, it's a significant matter.

Lin Chang'an has gained some understanding of formations and now undertakes the repair and refining of third-tier high-grade formations.

Bibo Island.

The usually quiet cave dwelling became bustling with visitors after the news spread.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin."

"Master Lin is truly gifted; he will likely become a fourth-tier array master in the future."

"Indeed, indeed, Fellow Daoist Lin's actions are truly cause for celebration."

First came the Core Formation cultivators from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, who arrived with generous gifts and beaming smiles.

One reason is the scarcity of third-tier high-grade array masters, which is enough for them to treat them with great care.

Another, and most important, reason is that this Lin array master is probably really going to latch onto the big ship that is Bihai Palace.

Despite the turbulent state of the Demon Beast Sea, which may well erupt into chaos decades from now, the Demon Beast Sea may still be turbulent.

But everyone knows one thing: the Azure Sea Palace, known as the number one human force in the Demon Beast Abyss, cannot be easily defeated no matter how turbulent things get.

At most, we'll just lose some profits.

"It was also luck, and the array formation inheritance given to me by the Sixth Elder contained many of the array formation insights of my predecessors. Otherwise, how could I have made such a smooth journey?"

Faced with everyone's praise, Lin Chang'an responded with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

That's the benefit of aligning yourself with a powerful force.

Even the Sihai Chamber of Commerce and Meng Xinghai came in person.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin."

Meng Xinghai arrived with two fake alchemy partners, their eyes filled with undisguised envy as they looked at Lin Chang'an.

Both have Nascent Soul cultivators as their backers, but they are completely different from each other.

Lin Chang'an secured his position through his own abilities, and as a third-tier high-grade array master, he was always a guest of honor wherever he went.

And he, relying on his own interests, made no attempt to hide his true intentions as a cheap master.

Although both sides got what they wanted, Meng Xinghai truly envied Lin Chang'an, who relied on his own abilities.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, you're too kind."

He didn't care about others, but when facing the Meng family and the Sihai Chamber of Commerce, Lin Chang'an kept glancing at the gifts out of the corner of his eye.

After all, it's only natural to reciprocate. Over the years, various forces have gained quite a few Core Formation and Pseudo-Core Formation cultivators. Since they had exchanged gifts before, he naturally couldn't be impolite.

He was fine with others, but he would absolutely not let the Sihai Chamber of Commerce, which he was at odds with, and the Meng family, get the better of him.

Regardless of the size of the eyes, it's purely about not being able to aid the enemy.

……

After everyone dispersed, the once bustling cave finally quieted down.

The weather was misty and foggy, with a light drizzle falling silently like smoke and fog, wetting the bluestone slabs outside the pavilion and brightening the upturned eaves of the octagonal pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, a stone table holds a set of elegant white jade teaware, steaming gently. Upon contact with the cool, damp air outside, the steam transforms into wisps of white mist that entwine around the pavilion pillars and spread a delicate, refreshing tea aroma.

"The tea ceremony of the Fairy of Rainbow Skirts is truly a feast for the eyes and the palate."

After watching the fairy in her flowing robes gracefully brew tea, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but sigh that sometimes appreciating beautiful things can indeed cultivate one's character.

But Fairy Ni Chang chuckled softly.

"I do not deserve Fellow Daoist Lin's praise."

With a delicate wrist, she held the wine pot, the silver cord and golden bells making a clear, crisp sound.

A cup of amber-colored spiritual tea was poured down, the pattering rain and the gurgling sound of the tea being poured together in a wonderfully intertwined way, one cool and refreshing, the other warm and soothing.

Even the sword attendant noticed the different expression on Fairy Rainbow's face.

It evokes an indescribable feeling, as if a fairy in flowing robes blends seamlessly with the landscape, and the viewers are like those admiring a painting.

"please."

Lingcha was pushed in front of the two of them. The sword servant suddenly woke up and a solemn look appeared in his eyes.

When Fairy Ni Chang saw that the sword servant had regained consciousness so quickly, she was also surprised. Then, she looked at Lin Chang'an, who was calmly sipping tea, and thought to herself.

It seems this fellow Daoist Qiu is no ordinary person.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. If it were just an ordinary female cultivator, how could she be willing to go to such lengths to take care of her, even personally nurturing her from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation?

However, Fairy Ni Chang didn't dare to think about the three top-tier sword cultivator spirit bodies. After all, such top-tier spirit bodies are extremely rare and hard to come by in the cultivation world.

"I also want to congratulate Fellow Daoist Ni Chang on her further progress in cultivation. It is not impossible for her to pursue the Nascent Soul path in the future."

After taking a sip of the spiritual tea, Lin Chang'an couldn't help but praise it, while also being secretly amazed.

Over the years, he has indeed neglected this fairy in colorful robes.

His divine sense had actually grown to such a level, far surpassing the divine sense of the late stage of Core Formation.

However, Fairy Ni Chang simply chuckled and shook her head.

"It's not that easy. My main cultivation method is based on divine sense. I was fortunate to be saved by you, fellow Daoist, which allowed me to encounter that transformed Yin spirit's divine sense and turn misfortune into blessing..."

Everyone cultivates different techniques and has different opportunities.

As Fairy Ni Chang said, the clash of consciousness with a transformed Yin spirit, even a clone, is an extremely dangerous contest of consciousness.

High risk, high reward. Instead of suffering a backlash from the demonic arts she cultivated, Ni Chang used this opportunity to break free and rebuild herself, which surprised Lin Chang'an.

But I can understand it. It's okay to admire such things, but if you really have to try it yourself, forget it.

It's too dangerous; who knows what might happen?

"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to head to Haiyuan City?"

Inside the pavilion, Fairy Ni Chang asked a question, and Lin Chang'an didn't hide anything, nodding directly:

"That's right. I made an agreement with the Sixth Elder back then, and now that I have broken through, I should naturally keep that agreement."

Moreover, his cultivation has now reached a bottleneck, and his ancient treasure, the Four Symbols Dragon Scale Armor, is still missing a late-stage third-tier wind-attribute demon core.

We definitely have to go to Haiyuan City.

He's not stupid; he'd rather not take advantage of a good opportunity.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, if you have gained a lot this time, could you give me another chance to have that mid-grade third-tier wind-attribute demon core that I obtained earlier?"

With a light laugh, Fairy Ni Chang revealed her purpose, which made Lin Chang'an smile involuntarily.

This person seems to know that the wind-attribute demon core he once traded was useless, but thinking about it, it makes sense, as the secret realm is still a long way from opening.

Moreover, he has other options, so he will naturally keep it for now.

"As long as the price is right, I am naturally willing to trade with you."

Lin Chang'an nodded with a smile, and Fairy Ni Chang also smiled.

It's better to trade with someone you know than to let an outsider benefit.

Moreover, this fairy in colorful robes was very sensible and never intended to take advantage of him.

"Then I wish Fellow Daoist Lin a meteoric rise to immortality and a long and prosperous life."

To outsiders, Lin Chang'an's alliance with Bihai Palace seems like a meteoric rise to power.

The Fairy of Rainbow Robes was also envious and offered her blessings.

　I'm begging for double monthly votes.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)