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

Chapter 162 Second-Order Formation, Repentance Before Death (Two chapters combined, please vote)

these days.

Visitors came in a constant stream, and Lin Changheng mostly entertained them at home, but by evening, no one would come to disturb him anymore.

The cultivators naturally understood this basic etiquette.

Lin Changheng was still very curious about Cui Jianshui's identity and purpose next door, so his divine sense often wandered outwards.

And indeed, some discoveries were made.

Occasionally, a masked male cultivator in black would slip into Cui Jianshui's Qingyin Cloud Residence silently late at night, like a blurry shadow, seemingly using some kind of [concealment technique].

Instead, they opened the restrictions themselves and entered the gate on their own.

This suggests that the relationship between the two is not ordinary.

Such a trustworthy relationship suggests a strong possibility of being a Daoist couple.

Lin Changheng had previously inquired through Deng Changsheng, but had not obtained any information about "Gu Chang'an," as if this person did not exist.

He suspected at the time that this identity was most likely fake and a disguise.

But why do he do this? Even someone as unscrupulous as Lin Changheng could easily figure it out:

They either have secrets to hide, or they have enemies by their side and fear being killed in a revenge killing; or they have done too many bad things and their identities are hard to come by.

There are only a few types.

But as an alchemist, what others do, what they have done, and what their identities are are all irrelevant to him; he only needs to collect spirit stones and refine pills.

The mistake was that these people shouldn't have tried to take advantage of him.

Furthermore, the lawyer Cui Jianshui used her beauty to seduce him and secretly cast a spell on him.

Although Lin Changheng was sixty years old, he was not old and weak, and naturally he would not allow himself to be bullied. Even if someone wanted to use Gu to control him and turn him into a money-making machine for alchemy, Lin Changheng would absolutely not allow it.

Indeed, most of the above are Lin Changheng's speculations, and there is no concrete evidence.

But since the woman was caught using witchcraft, the evidence has become irrelevant.

This malice alone is enough to nip it in the bud.

Despite Lin Changheng's usual principles of building good relationships and avoiding conflict, when it comes to taking action, he is ruthless and decisive in killing!
Although the array added by Qingyin Yunju had the side effect of concealing divine sense, it was only a side effect, and Lin Changheng still overheard some secrets.

For example, Cui Jianshui was indeed the Daoist partner of this male cultivator with the bronze mask.

Upon learning this, Lin Changheng couldn't help but gasp, "There really are people who use Daoist partners to fish... That's ruthless."

Their plan was overheard by Lin Changheng, who intended to use a strange Gu to initially control the old man, preventing him from unleashing even 30% of his full strength. Then, the bronze-masked male cultivator would use his peak Qi Refining Ninth Level strength to silently and quickly capture Lin Changheng.

After that, he was chained up, fed secret medicine, and locked in the basement every day to refine elixirs.

This strange Gu is non-toxic; the male cultivator specifically sought it out.

The fear was that Lin Changheng might possess a miraculous antidote or be sensitive to poisons due to his long-term contact with medicinal herbs, thus exposing his true nature.

It can be said that they were extremely cunning and their plans were incredibly profound!

Meanwhile, the male cultivator in the bronze mask also advised his partner to be patient a little longer.

To feign compliance for a moment.

After completing this task, he could retire from his life of crime, clean up his act, and with the resources provided by Lin Changheng's alchemy day and night, the two of them could both establish their foundations and live happily ever after as a divine couple.

……

Lin Changheng was moved by their affection and decided to see them off.

Because of their cooperation, tonight's events took place.

The meticulously planned scheme, which even involved the wife, was now almost a certainty of success, right before their eyes.

"Om~"

The room was incredibly hot, but a soft sound rang out from outside, and a thin layer of pale cloud rose up, like a semi-circular light shield, enveloping the entire [Qingyin Cloud Residence].

This formation is called the "Flowing Clouds Obscuring the Moon Formation".

A second-tier formation; it's unknown where that male cultivator obtained it.

Enveloped in clouds, sight and movement were completely blocked, making it difficult for outsiders to detect any activity inside the courtyard and houses.

Once the setup was complete, a figure wearing a bronze mask appeared outside like a ghost. Through the pink gauze curtain, the figure saw the scene inside and felt a chill run down his spine, yet a hint of excitement was also gathering within him.

Cui Jianshui, who seemed to be sinking into despair, actually remained clear-headed amidst the waves. Finally, she received the signal and met a pair of cold eyes.

It's time to get started!
Even though she had rehearsed and planned ahead, seeing her like this in front of her Daoist partner still caused a hint of paleness to appear on her flushed and alluring face. Then, a surge of Qi Refining Level 9 power suddenly gathered and struck the person on her body.

Pushing him away was just a secondary objective; the real goal was to injure him with a single blow!
"Ok?"

The next moment, Cui Jianshui's face froze, and then she suddenly turned pale.

The person on her body didn't move at all. Her powerful and violent magic was like hitting a wall of metal, flowing away without achieving anything.

Moreover, it was a sudden and unexpected sneak attack.

How could he not have injured Lin Changheng, who was also at the ninth level of Qi Refining? And he was sixty years old, old and frail, on the decline.
Then, her incredulous and shocked gaze met Lin Changheng's dark and mocking eyes.

"Do not……"

She was filled with shame and anger, her eyes blazing with unprecedented resentment. Just as her cherry lips parted to cry out, she suddenly felt a violent, immense force crash down upon her.

The force was like a mountain collapsing, instantly slamming her to the ground. Her back hit the hard ground with a dull thud.

"Well!"

The excruciating pain made her vision go black, and a metallic taste rose in her throat. She lost consciousness immediately, her fate unknown.

"That's all?"

Lin Changheng's deep voice suddenly rang out in the quiet room, carrying a hint of mocking coldness.

Then he clapped his hands, slowly turned around, and fixed his gaze on the bronze-masked figure hidden outside the house.

The moonlight slanted in through the window, illuminating half of his smiling profile and his unfathomable black eyes.

The male cultivator in the bronze mask outside the house clearly froze.

The eerie patterns carved on the mask gleamed under the moonlight, but could not conceal the pupils that suddenly contracted behind them.

"What?" Lin Changheng strode forward, his boots making a soft rustling sound as they scraped the ground. He said leisurely, "I heard you were going to attack me. Is this all you've got, hiding your true intentions?"

The bronze-masked male cultivator's cold and fierce eyes flashed, and he suddenly raised his hand, a crimson light shooting out from his sleeve.

"laugh!"

This was a crimson cone-shaped magic weapon, a mid-grade high-quality one. It shot out unexpectedly at an extremely fast speed, making it impossible for ordinary people to react. It drew a red line and had already reached Lin Changheng's front.

Lin Changheng remained completely unmoved, as if he saw nothing.

"clang!"

He was struck directly in the chest by the crimson cone-shaped technique.

"bingo?"

The bronze-masked male cultivator was delighted. His slow reaction was indeed due to his old age and frailty, a mere facade of strength masking a hollow one.

But what followed was not a scene of magic weapon entering the body or blood and flesh splattering, but only a crisp sound. The red cone-shaped magic weapon was as if it had struck a wall of steel, unable to go any further, and was directly bounced away.

"A body-refining cultivator? You were a hidden body-refining cultivator all along!"

The male cultivator in the bronze mask was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"No wonder Shui'er's sneak attack failed and she was knocked down. It turns out she was in close combat with a body-refining cultivator. No wonder!"

Immediately, he felt reassured. Although this alchemist Lin could withstand a mid-grade magic weapon with his body, he was most likely a late-stage first-order body cultivator. It was difficult to deal with, but it was better than not knowing at all!
And by this time, the poison should have taken effect, right?

Don't be fooled by his smiling face; he's clearly putting on a brave face and unable to use his magic! "Just then!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The bronze-masked cultivator made another decisive move. Five finger-length slender purple flying blades flew out from behind him at the same time, carrying an astonishing cold light, like five streaks of purple lightning that swept across the sky, instantly covering a distance of five zhang and striking down.

Five superior-grade magic implements!

A weapon aimed straight at his chest.

A blade slashed towards his neck.

One of them had already reached the lower body.

The other two were shot at the eyes respectively.

Extremely ruthless and decisive!

"what?"

Lin Changheng couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm".

The five purple flying blades fell under his divine sense the moment they were unleashed. Although they flew quickly, they were extremely slow and clear in Lin Changheng's perception. He knew their shapes, flight trajectories, and targets perfectly.

More importantly, this person was able to control five high-grade magic weapons at the same time.

"interesting."

The feedback from his divine sense indicated that this person was very strong, a top expert at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, but definitely not strong enough to control five high-grade magic weapons at the same time. Even he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was not strong enough!

Therefore, the problem lies with the ritual implements, not with the person!
"The item is excellent; it's mine now."

The thought flashed through Lin Changheng's mind in a flash, and after making his judgment, he was somewhat tempted.

Because he often played the role of "villains dying from talking too much" in his past life, he didn't intend to drag it out any longer. Just as the five flying blades were about to hit him, a flash of yellow light appeared beneath his feet, and he disappeared completely.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The five slender purple flying blades that were about to hit the wall all missed, tracing arcs as they struck the wall, leaving five holes.

"What about people?"

The sure-kill attack missed again, missing silently and without warning, leaving the bronze-masked cultivator not angry but shocked, even filled with inexplicable fear.

Humans are always afraid of the unknown, and monks are no exception.

"not good."

Suddenly, the pupils beneath the bronze mask contracted sharply, and an unprecedented sense of crisis surged up his spine like a venomous snake.

His magical power surged, and his figure instantly transformed into a blurry black shadow as he used magic to escape.

however--

"Shh!"

With a soft sound, it was as if space itself had frozen. He was horrified to find himself stuck in a quagmire, unable to move an inch.

At that moment, a large, bony hand gripped his neck like an iron clamp, choking his fear in his throat. The hand, seemingly casually clenched, contained a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains.

"Uh...no...I was wrong, please..."

A broken groan emanated from beneath the bronze mask, his eyes bulging and bloodshot, struggling to breathe. He struggled desperately, gathering all his magical power in his hands to strike the other's chest, only to see Lin Changheng's lips curl into a cold smile.

"Crack!"

With a muffled thud, all the struggles came to an abrupt halt. The bronze-masked male cultivator's hands fell limply to his sides, his neck twisted at an eerie angle.

Lin Changheng released his grip, and the corpse slumped to the ground like a rag doll. The bronze mask clattered off, revealing a pale face contorted with fear beneath.

He was somewhat handsome, but he was already a corpse.

Under the moonlight, Lin Changheng slowly wiped his hands, withdrew his soul-searching divine sense, glanced at the corpse on the ground, and said softly, "Why is it that people always realize they're wrong when they're about to die?"

To cut weeds, we must remove the roots.

Before long, two dark golden sparks shot out, and two bonfires roared up in the courtyard.

There was no black smoke, no sound, and no ashes.

They just vanished without a trace, disappeared without a trace.

Lin Changheng cleaned up the signs of battle.

There were actually no signs of battle. Apart from the small holes pierced by five slender purple flying blades, there were some wine, water, and spiritual food, all of which were also burned to ashes.

Then he put away the [Flowing Clouds Obscuring the Moon Formation]. Lin Changheng could indeed use this second-tier formation.

The reason he acted at this time was to use the trap they had set for themselves to destroy them, thus saving himself the trouble of setting it up.

Before long, a figure appeared and silently entered the neighboring courtyard.

No one noticed anything that happened tonight.

……

Qingyuan Xiaozhu, inside the house.

The lights were dim, and two storage bags, the spoils of the battle, were placed on the table.

After a brief recollection, he easily crushed the two scheming, malicious insects, a scene of utter domination.

From the perspective of an adventurer, it might seem utterly uninteresting.

But for Lin Changheng, absolute control of the situation brought him great peace of mind.

This is also an affirmation of his steady achievements!
Otherwise, what's the point of his strenuous efforts to maintain stability and survive?

Lin Changheng would not get involved in anything that involved even the slightest bit of risk.

……

Lin Changheng also learned some interesting information through soul searching.

This person was originally a cultivator who had undergone a tribulation, named "Gu Qiusheng". He had many identities and had quite a connection with Lin Changheng, having crossed paths with him many times by chance.

Upon learning this, Lin Changheng couldn't help but marvel:

The first time was outside the [Floating Life Immortal City], when Lin Changheng accidentally stumbled into an ambush formation on his first visit.

Those three cultivators were Gu Qiusheng's group.

He had accepted a mission from a certain family to ambush and kill a junior member of an opposing force, a potential Foundation Establishment cultivator.

After gathering information from multiple sources and conducting reconnaissance, the route was finally determined, and a formation was set up along the way. As a result, Lin Changheng mistakenly entered the formation and killed three people in the process.

However, he happened to be in the Immortal City searching for information about the whereabouts of a Foundation Establishment main medicine, the Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root, which was half a day late, and as a result, something bad happened.

Knowing there was no chance of completing the mission, Gu Qiusheng decisively gave up and had no intention of seeking revenge. He simply went into the wilderness to search for medicine.

……

The second time was at the Immortal City Auction.

The masked cultivator from the Earth Pavilion who competed with him for the [Second-Order Alchemy Inheritance] was also this person.

Gu Qiusheng originally planned to bid on this second-tier alchemy and present it to a second-tier alchemist he had met before, so that the other party could refine a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Having multiple [Second-Order Alchemy Inheritances] at hand allows for mutual reflection and comparison, leading to insights.

Ultimately, he lost the competition and had no choice but to give up, instead focusing all his efforts on bidding for a Foundation Establishment spiritual item.

……

(End of this chapter)