Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Harvesting the Talents of Demonic Beasts

Chapter 146 Rising Fame, Mysterious Spirit Blood
Meanwhile, under Tantai Feiyue's leadership, the Xu family finally completed the initial construction of a talent pool for talismanic arts, and two years ago, four low-grade talisman masters appeared at once.

The Xu family affirmed this and immediately decided to list both alchemy and talisman-making as core skills within the clan, to be developed together.

At this time, the Xu family provided Tantai Feiyue with extremely generous resources, including a continuous supply of top-grade pills, all in order to bind Tantai Feiyue to the Xu family's warship indefinitely.

The Xu family's higher-ups had a simple idea: they could only let the eldest brother, Qian Yan, suffer.

This behavior clearly shows that he was scared by Lin Changheng's previous actions.

I haven't recovered yet.

With such substantial resource support, it's only a matter of time before Tantai Feiyue advances to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

However, whether or not one can establish a foundation is not determined by these resources.

Because strategic resources like Foundation Establishment Pills and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects still couldn't possibly slip through her fingers.

Simply because her surname isn't Xu.

It's a very simple principle: no matter how capable a minister is, he is still a minister. Just because you are exceptionally intelligent and capable doesn't mean you will be treated as royalty or have the power to seize the throne.

In fact, Tantai Feiyue also wanted to tell Lin Changheng that she had truly established herself in the Xu family and held a superior position, so he didn't need to worry about her.

For the next two years, the two continued to correspond with one letter a year.

It's not that they're too busy to send just one letter, but rather that the celestial post station is simply too slow, and the time is wasted on the road.

……

The second letter came from the Purple Extreme Sect and the Azure Peak.

This peak is Mo Zhaoli's sacred site.

It is also much closer to the Floating Immortal City than to the Xu family of the Blackwater River.

In the letter, besides the usual pleasantries and a brief update on his recent situation, Mo Zhaoli also mentioned one point.

The sect elder who provided her with the essence blood of the Mysterious Spirit Bloodline [Crimson-Eyed Fire Demon] last time is planning to sell another batch of essence blood.

Thirty portions.

She won them all over.

If she happens to be passing through during her next sect mission, she will make a trip to Floating Life Immortal City to bring back this essence blood.

This is excellent news.

Lin Changheng has only just made progress in obtaining the [Mysterious Spirit Essence Blood] through the Immortal City, and he still mainly needs to rely on Mo Zhaoli's connections.

Lin Changheng naturally sent a letter of thanks and asked Mo Zhaoli to advance the spirit stones, and to collect the Xuanling essence blood and Zhuosha essence blood if he came across them.

It is also explained that he has now established himself in the Immortal City, and people often ask him to refine pills, so he still has a surplus of spirit stones.

Furthermore, through Mo Zhaoli's letter, Master Mo informed Lin Changheng of something: his old friend had also reconnected with him.
This friend is a top-grade alchemist, who has made further progress in alchemy than Master Mo, and his surname is Cheng.

Having lived in the Immortal City for over twenty years, he is quite famous and has a wide circle of friends. He also knows several second-tier alchemists. If anyone needs help, they can seek him out as his disciple.

Lin Changheng's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not refuse the offer.

I visited them with gifts before the New Year.

They were warmly received.

After that, I would go there every two or three months to strengthen communication.

……

Now his alchemy has reached the limit of a first-level alchemist. He can refine three high-quality pills in one batch with ease. The simplification, improvement and adjustment of some steps have also greatly shortened the time.

In particular, the process of refining the fire, which originally took two days and required careful control of the fire, was performed by Lin Changheng with unparalleled skill, like a master butcher dissecting an ox. He expedited the fire with great force, yet remained meticulous, thus shortening the process by more than half.

The process of refining high-grade pills, which previously took five days, can now be completed in just two days. The initial process for the second batch can also be interspersed during this time, greatly improving efficiency.

The quiet room has now been converted into a pill-making room. A second-hand pill furnace has been purchased, and instead of using earth fire and internal flames, it uses first-grade high-quality spiritual firewood.

It's basically enough.

However, to produce more than three high-quality pills in a single batch, one must possess a more advanced understanding of alchemy, more refined control over the flames, more perfect utilization of medicinal materials, and a deeper comprehension of alchemy.

The levels are different; at least level two or above is required.

Therefore, he urgently needs the continuation of the second-order alchemy lineage.

If he fails to obtain the materials and cannot advance to the second-tier alchemist level, even if he has the materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill, he will have to ask other second-tier alchemists to help him refine it.

Not only will it cost favors and money, but the outcome of the pill-making process will also be in the hands of others.

It just so happens that the annual auction in Xiancheng, which takes place every five years, is about to be held next month.

Lin Changheng decided to try his luck.

The scale is quite large, with a small auction every five years and a large auction every ten years.

Small auctions have a chance to yield Foundation Establishment items and other treasures; large auctions guarantee Foundation Establishment items and have a chance to yield Foundation Establishment Pills.

It has become a major event in the Immortal City area and neighboring areas such as the Purple Extreme Sect in the north, the Green Cloud Temple in the south, and the Azure Cloud Gate in the east.

Now, the small shoot is about to begin.

Therefore, Lin Changheng needs to clean up all the filth and debris in his hands and transform them into spirit stones to enhance his own power.

……

Fu Gui's letter arrived a little late because he was at the front lines and communication was difficult. He shared two pieces of good news.

Firstly, he had gained considerable merit by fighting alongside his father-in-law against the Qiu family over the years, and the Qiu family, as predicted, was showing signs of decline.

As his status rose again, he also gained a lot of resources, and now he has stumbled and fallen to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Although his words were enthusiastic, Lin Changheng sensed a faint sense of disappointment, probably because he felt that his hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was slim.

It also revealed that the Xu family's strength and foundation have steadily increased thanks to Qinglingfang and other resources, and the number of Qi Refining late-stage cultivators has more than doubled.

Three more people have been added to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

This is also thanks to the presence of Foundation Establishment cultivators; otherwise, with wolves eyeing the area from the outside, it would be impossible to defend it.

My neighbor hoards grain, so I hoard guns; my neighbor is my granary—that's the principle.

Secondly, Xu Fugui's five sons, who possess mid-grade spiritual roots, have already passed the age of thirty and have entered the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The chances of breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining before the age of forty are very high, which means that there is considerable potential for Foundation Establishment in the future.

According to the letter, Xu Wufang has entered the assessment of the clan's core sequence, which is the pace of succession.

Lin Changheng looked puzzled. It seemed that Fugui's earlier joke about "replacing one bird with another" might actually come true...

His seventh son, Xu Qi'an, who had been learning alchemy from him for a long time, also officially entered the ranks and became an alchemist.

……

The fourth letter was from Xu Hanji.

It was an extra letter that Lin Changheng added after thinking about it last time.

Just seeing Xu Hanji's delicate handwriting gave Lin Changheng a feeling of aloofness.

The word is like its person.

Xu Hanji expressed his blessings and expectations for Lin Changheng's path to enlightenment, and also mentioned that he himself might go out to seek opportunities for Foundation Establishment.

Although this woman concealed her cultivation level during their last meeting, Lin Changheng was still able to sense that she had already entered the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Now, the necessary resources have been largely accumulated.

According to Lin Changheng, Xu Hanji is the first choice for Foundation Establishment candidate, whether in terms of talent, lineage, or status within the clan.

The problem is that none of the Xu family members possess Foundation Establishment Pills.

And is it possible to obtain another Foundation Establishment Pill?

After all, you can only give if you have it.

She also emphasized that the auctions at Qinglingfang are now very successful, and the corresponding infrastructure has brought in a huge influx of people.

Lin Changheng contributed significantly to the construction of this auction.

His words clearly revealed his longing for the past.

...Lin Changheng had just replied to Feiyue's letter.

I had just put down my pen when there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.

Opening the barrier and portal, a golden-robed cultivator grinned at Lin Changheng, saying, "Alchemist Lin, I've come to retrieve the pill."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Deng, please come in quickly."

Lin Changheng smiled and led the person in.

This person was one of his long-time clients, a practitioner of earth-based martial arts, and had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining.

I was initially introduced to this place by Cui Yinshi, who lives next door.

Lin Changheng offered a friendly price, lower than other alchemists' furnace-opening fees, and set the profit-sharing ratio at 30%, which finally made the hesitant person grit his teeth and agree.

Subsequently, the alchemy process proceeded smoothly, producing three high-quality pills. Since these were within the allotted amount, Lin Changheng could have taken them directly and delivered seven genuine pills.

This is also a common unspoken rule.

But after thinking it over, Lin Changheng still handed over six genuine pills and one premium pill.

This was something he did intentionally, to build his reputation.

There are many alchemists in the Immortal City, and the competition is fierce. There are not many top-grade alchemists, and even fewer who can refine high-quality pills. Those who are willing to give up one or two are even fewer.

It should be noted that a high-grade pill costs around twenty spirit stones, while a superior one costs as much as thirty.

If you keep doing this for a long time, no one's storage bag will be able to hold it all; it will be emptied out.

Therefore, these late-stage Qi Refining cultivators would prepare a batch of medicinal herbs and pill formulas on their own before inviting an alchemist to start the furnace.

With fewer shops involved, the spirit stones saved are a win-win situation for both alchemists and cultivators.

Early and mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators have lower abilities and find it difficult to collect materials. Since the prices of pills at pill shops aren't exorbitant, most cultivators purchase their pills from these shops. However, the situation is different for late-stage cultivators, leading to this more common practice.

Currently, there is a large group of late-stage cultivators in the Immortal City who have this need.

If Lin Changheng can attract them, he can easily earn several times more than he did in Qinglingfang.

When Deng Changsheng saw the pills that Lin Changheng handed over, each one was perfectly round and full, with their medicinal power contained within. He was immediately dumbfounded, and then overjoyed.

These pills were of much higher quality and potency than the genuine pills he had obtained from other alchemists.

And there's also a premium pill!

"Master Lin's skills are amazing. I was wrong before, and I apologize to you."

Deng Changsheng promptly apologized, fearing that the proud alchemist would hold a grudge.

He also knew that Lin Danshi was new to the area and lacked fame, which was why he was willing to offer a discount and not hold his previous disrespect against him.

However, with such exquisite skills, there are probably not many first-level alchemists in the Immortal City who can surpass him. It's only a matter of time before he becomes famous. When that time comes, there will be many people seeking his alchemy, and he will definitely not be able to get the chance to open his furnace.

So, he simply "slid down" on his knees.

For the sake of the elixir, I'm not ashamed!

"No need to take it to heart, neither of us is petty."

Lin Changheng smiled faintly, and Deng Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. Then he continued with a smile, "However, I would appreciate it if Fellow Daoist Deng could help me spread my fame. At that time, it is not impossible for this price to continue."

"Is Master Lin's statement true? I, Deng, will certainly do my utmost."

Deng Changsheng patted his chest and replied in a deep voice.

In the following days, Deng Changsheng indeed brought many people seeking elixirs, and Lin Changheng kept his promise.

Soon, word spread like wildfire, and within half a year, Master Lin's name was quite well-known in the inner city of the Immortal City.

His shrunken storage bag began to expand rapidly once again.

……

Back to the present, at Qingyuan Xiaozhu, there's a stone table in the courtyard.

The two sat opposite each other.

"Fellow Daoist Deng, the pills are all inside. Please examine them."

Lin Changheng took out a short wooden box, flicked his sleeve, and pushed it over.

"With products made by Master Lin Dan, what else could I not believe?"

Deng Changsheng chuckled, accepted the wooden box without even glancing at it.

"You..."

Lin Changheng smiled and shook his head, clearly indicating that the two had a good relationship.

"If it weren't for Master Lin remembering our past relationship, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to get a chance to ask for the elixir."

Deng Changsheng remarked with emotion, "And they even gave me the old price."

His words were full of gratitude.

Nowadays, many people come to Lin Changheng's door seeking pills, and the quality of the pills is ridiculously high, so the price he charges for refining pills has naturally risen accordingly.

The maximum amount is split 50%, while the furnace opening fee is equivalent to that of a master alchemist of the same rank.

Offering too low a price not only results in less profit and incurs resentment from competitors, but also lowers one's standing.

After Lin Changheng discovered that his price was too high, the quality of those seeking pills also improved.

Previously, cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining were rarely seen; most were at the eighth or ninth level.

They earn more.

"Just a little thing."

Lin Changheng smiled nonchalantly. Seeing that the water in his cup was empty, he reached out to add more tea, but Deng Changsheng grabbed the teapot first and said solicitously, "I'll do it."

Seeing Deng Changsheng at the ninth level of Qi Refining, Lin Changheng quickly got up and filled his teacup, gaining a deeper understanding of the wonders of alchemy.

Then, Deng Changsheng brought up another matter.

"Master Lin, I actually managed to get some of the [Mysterious Spirit Essence Blood] you wanted."

"Oh?"

Lin Changheng, who had been calm and collected all along, suddenly became interested. "Take it out and let me see it."

"it is good."

Deng Changsheng grinned and took out eight bottles, their dark gold glittering and dazzling in the sunlight.

Lin Changheng took a sniff and nodded, saying, "Not bad, it's just right for use."

"That's good."

Although Deng Changsheng didn't know what Lin Changheng used it for, it was either for alchemy or body refinement, so there wasn't much to speculate about.

"I wonder if there are any left?"

"Have."

Deng Changsheng thought for a moment and nodded.

"Oh?" Lin Changheng looked at Deng Changsheng, waiting for him to continue.

Deng Changsheng revealed a strange look, and said carefully, "Ahem, a good friend of mine was a little short of money, so he extracted a little bit from the spirit beasts he raised, and that's how he got these..."

"As for the specifics, it's difficult to go into details."

"This works too?" Lin Changheng was taken aback.

He had never even considered this method.

His gaze also unconsciously swept over the black-shelled tortoise lying in the mud pit.

"Chirp—"

The black-armored tortoise, still asleep, suddenly felt a chill all over its body. Its head and limbs immediately retracted, and it felt extremely cold.

"That's right, he's an expert in this field. Taking only a small amount won't cause any major problems. As long as he keeps his finances tight, there should be more to come."

(End of this chapter)