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

Chapter 174: Living to be Three Hundred Years Old, Comprehensive Progress

Outside the lake, inside the main hall of Cave No. 98.

"That greedy turtle!"

As soon as Lin Changheng emerged from seclusion, he saw this scene and immediately shook his head and chuckled.

The Black-Armored Tortoise at this time was clearly quite different from what it looked like three years ago.

First, there's its size. It used to be only the size of a millstone, but now it's the size of a small stone roller.

The white markings on the turtle's shell are now completely covered with a dark yellow color, and the crystallization of the shell has spread to some areas.

Furthermore, its aura was even more profound, clearly indicating that it was already a turtle at the late stage of the first tier!

Unexpectedly, even though its strength has improved, two core characteristics remain unchanged:

Timid and greedy!

The silver puppet, about half a person's height, that was standing in front of it had been unmoved, but suddenly it moved. It nimbly went to the side, took out a pill from the medicine box, and fed it into the turtle's mouth.

"Tweet-"

A satisfied, low growl escaped from the black-shelled tortoise's mouth, as if it were expressing gratitude, as it licked itself and slowly crawled outwards.

"Not bad, this new puppet is really useful."

Lin Changheng, who was watching quietly from the side, couldn't help but secretly praise him, as if nothing was happening to him, and the tortoise didn't even notice.

Just now, Lin Changheng was actually just watching; he didn't actually control the puppet's actions.

This is a mid-grade first-order puppet that Yan Mingyi brought when she visited Lin Changheng earlier.

It's an upgraded version of the dark, murky puppet she created earlier.

As a token of gratitude.

After his grandfather, Yan Kuishi, took the second-tier pill refined by Lin Changheng, his spirits improved significantly and his condition changed dramatically.

Yan Mingyi kept this kindness in her heart.

So after she advanced to the first-tier mid-grade puppeteer, she decided to dedicate the first mid-grade puppet she crafted to her brother Lin, and she did just that.

The biggest change in this puppet is that it has a basic action pattern, which can be fixed by the action pattern guided by divine sense, and then executed "autonomously" in the future.

For Lin Changheng, this saves him a lot of time on chores, such as feeding the turtles and cleaning.

From Lin Changheng's perspective—

He was surprised when he saw the woman again.

It wasn't because Yan Mingyi had become increasingly beautiful, but because she was only twenty-eight years old at the time!

That's a mid-level first-tier puppeteer.

Lin Changheng, at his age, hasn't even reached the next level!

It took him a year to barely reach the level of a low-grade alchemist.

It's incredibly slow.

……

However, Lin Changheng dared not entrust the management of the Spirit Herb Garden to this puppet.

The treasures inside are all his precious items. If he were to carelessly damage them, he would have no recourse.

Stepping into the herb garden, a strong, mixed aroma of herbs immediately fills the air.

The number of unique and precious plants inside has increased to thirteen.

Two of them are the most precious.

One is the main ingredient of the Foundation Building Pill, [Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma], and the other is one of the main ingredients of the second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill], called [Crimson Beauty Herb].

The Foundation Building Pill goes without saying, but the biggest difference between the first-tier [Youth Enhancement Pill] and the second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill] lies in two points:

The effects of the first-tier [Face-Stabilizing Pill] can only temporarily solidify one's appearance, with the effects lasting from five to ten years, depending on the individual.

It only affects the surface appearance and cannot penetrate deeper.

However, the second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill] is different. It can not only completely lock in one's appearance, but its effect can last for more than a hundred years. For low-level cultivators, the effect can even last a lifetime.

Furthermore, the [Youth Preservation Pill] contains a small amount of vital energy nourishment, which can delay the decline of the physical body to a certain extent.

Therefore, the second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill] is a precious pill that can truly attract cultivators of both genders.

It can even impress Core Formation cultivators; it's an irresistible form of hard currency and an excellent gift for building relationships.

So when a Foundation Establishment cultivator takes out this medicinal herb with roots and asks him to refine another kind of pill to increase cultivation, he would probably laugh out loud if he hadn't received professional training.

He really hadn't expected to acquire the main ingredient of the [Youth Preservation Pill] so easily.

This is precisely one of the advantages of alchemists!
Lin Changheng carefully removed the dried roots, planted them meticulously, and then revived them.

Together with the Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma, it became his prized medicinal herb.

……

Now, the fifth leaf of the Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma has just taken shape, and the sixth leaf has sprouted a new bud.

The main stem of the [Red Beauty Grass], which has been planted for two years, has grown to four inches long.

According to Lin Changheng, this herb sprouts leaves when the main stem is one foot long, flowers when it is two feet long, and bears fruit when it is three feet long.

In other words, even with the blessing and stimulation of the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power], it would still take fifteen years to conceive.

It has a longer processing time than the medicinal cycle of [Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma]!

Fortunately, Lin Changheng has a long lifespan and can wait!
Especially with the continuous supply of essence blood from the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle at the [Huangliang Residence], lifespan has increased even further.

……

Over three years, the amount of essence blood obtained each month fluctuated around six portions, totaling two hundred and twenty portions.

Of course, directly stealing the spirit—

【Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed - Fourth Layer】

[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]

……

【Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed - Fifth Level】

Lin Changheng directly refined it.

[Already refined: Longevity Divine Gift - Transformation]

[Effect: Deeply internalizes the effects of hibernation, extending lifespan by another eight years]

Originally, he was supposed to live for 293 and a half years!

It has reached 301 years, and there is still a little over half a year left!
It has directly broken through three hundred years!

In addition, the remaining essence and blood are enough to make the original blood for rebirth!
【Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed - Fifth Level】

[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]

[Biochemical Life: 0/10]

[Effect: The bloodline of a Xuanling demon beast, naturally endowed with water-like properties, possesses perfect spiritual absorption and transformation, and can be refined into the ancestral demonic talent of "life extension"]

……

Lin Changheng was initially more interested in the transformation of the [Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed], since it was of the same type of talent. The [Lantern Grass Spirit Treasure Seed] gave birth to the Rong Sheng Divine Power True Meaning, so what would the [Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed] give birth to?

If it is also the true meaning of [Rongsheng Divine Power], can the effects be stacked? Or can they be directly repeated? Obviously, neither of these guesses is correct.

The [Azure Wave Spirit Turtle Treasure Seed] gives birth to a true core, not a Dao fruit.

A possibility immediately popped into Lin Changheng's mind:

Is it because the bloodlines of this mountain spirit and this water monster do not originate from the same ancestor that this is the case?
If he were to encounter a powerful demon of the same kind, or even a bloodline descended from the same true spirit, could they overlap, merge, or trigger some unexpected and astonishing changes? Lin Changheng was somewhat looking forward to it.

But they are also curious about the origin of this precious seed.

It should be noted that the last time the [Lantern Grass Essence Seed] was created, it directly resulted in an additional thirty years of lifespan.

Based on this ratio, there may be even more Xuanling-level bloodlines being created!

Lifespan increased by thirty-five years? Forty years?

However, the difficulty has also increased, because the next level of essence blood after [Mysterious Spirit Essence Blood] is called [Nether Void Essence Blood]!
Lin Changheng had encountered this level of essence blood before, from the [Rending Wind Demon Falcon], a demon beast of the Turbid Core level!
This is equivalent to the pseudo-core cultivation level of a human cultivator, which is extremely terrifying!
However powerful they are, not all [Netherworld Beasts] are Tier 3. There must be some Tier 2 groups that exist, and there are opportunities to obtain them!
……

Fortunately, Lin Changheng's liquid mana foundation after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage was thick enough that he could simultaneously envelop seven or eight plants with the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power] to accelerate their growth and ripening.

The time required to ripen each plant individually is shorter, but the energy consumption is substantial, and the amount consumed per plant is not reduced in the slightest.

This greatly disappointed Lin Changheng, who was trying to get some "discounts," but he had no choice but to accept it.

Therefore, apart from the two precious plants, 【Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma】 and 【Crimson Beauty Herb】, which are ripened daily, the rest are ripened in two batches, every other day.

But progress is still not slow.

The medicinal rhizomes of the first plant I acquired were already 25 years old!

The second batch of five Tier 2 spiritual plants acquired have gradually reached their eighth or ninth year.

The third batch of six spiritual plants were about four or five years old.

"Is this also part of the tiered development of spiritual plants?"

Lin Changheng grinned, in a good mood.

This is a joy for the approaching harvest that is innate and ingrained in our genes, something we were born with in our past lives.

……

late at night.

Lin Changheng sat cross-legged in the stone bathtub embedded in the cave floor, as usual.

His entire body was submerged in the dark blue medicinal liquid, with only his head showing.

As the "Evergreen Body" technique was activated, water vapor rose and surged, and the medicinal liquid containing rich energy slowly seeped into the body.

Extremely gentle.

Even with Lin Changheng's powerful physique, he dared not devour these second-tier body-refining materials as he had done before.

Because it really hurts, it's unbearable pain!
It is necessary to use techniques to slowly guide and penetrate the body for it to be much better.

That makes sense. If body training only provides comfort, how can it effectively refine the physical body?
As you may have heard in ancient stories, martial arts masters who practiced Iron Sand Palm had to use their palms to stir-fry iron sand in a hot pan, which was extremely painful and took many years to achieve results.

The physical training intensity in this cultivation world far exceeds that of martial arts masters, so the hardships one has to endure are naturally much greater.

But inside Lin Changheng's body, unseen by outsiders, a dark red stain was slowly being released as the external medicinal liquid rubbed against him.

Like bloodstains.

It blends into the bloodstream, circulating throughout the body as the blood and qi surge.

This is the second-tier [Dragon Blood Fruit] that Lin Changheng obtained from the auction two years ago, and the medicinal power that has been accumulated since he took it.

It lurks within flesh and blood, slowly transforming the body.

Rather than a drastic, one-step solution.

Lin Changheng felt as if he had entered a world of ice and fire, with ice inside and fire outside, comfort inside and pain outside, and slowness inside and urgency outside. How could he describe the intense and unpleasant experience?
"In less than a year, I will be able to fully absorb the medicinal power of the [Dragon Blood Fruit]. At that time, with the addition of external medicinal baths to refine it, I should be able to break through to the fifth level of the [Evergreen Body] and advance to the mid-stage of the second tier of body refinement!"

Fortunately, these second-tier body-refining spiritual materials are quite common and not too expensive; otherwise, even a second-tier low-grade alchemist like him would not be able to afford to use them year after year.

In fact, this is a combination of spiritual materials with extremely high cost performance that was specially adapted for cultivators who wanted to complete the auxiliary cultivation method of "Evergreen Body of Azure Wood". This is also due to this consideration.

"Wow!"

Half an hour later, the medicinal effects were completely absorbed. Lin Changheng suddenly stood up, restraining his physical power so that it did not leak out, thus preventing the bath from collapsing.

Lin Changheng's body is now flawless, with perfect muscle definition and skin tone, like a piece of art that has been forged through countless trials.

He looked down at his palms and saw that his skin was as smooth as jade, with a faint bluish-green luster. There seemed to be a spiritual light flowing in the flesh beneath his skin, and every inch of his muscles contained an amazing explosive power.

But as the technique gradually subsided, the azure color faded, revealing a normal, healthy skin color again.

Once dressed in his robes, if someone were standing next to him, they would only perceive his upright and sturdy figure, with a reserved demeanor, but they would not be able to sense the terrifying power hidden beneath his body, which was even more frightening than a second-stage early-stage demonic beast!
……

Not a few days.

When Chef Zeng came to visit, Lin Changheng naturally gave him a warm welcome.

The Huang family of Lingqiong Mountain truly kept their promise. Apart from coming to his door a year to request the refining of two or three batches of pills, they never bothered him at all.

If one or two years is not enough to be taken seriously, now that five or six years have passed, the Huang family has really not shown any signs of violating the rules.

This greatly increased Lin Changheng's positive feelings towards this family and this branch of the family.

Moreover, after several years of preparation, the Huang family finally ignited public opinion.

The news has spread throughout the vast immortal city that Master Lin has joined the Huang family and become a retainer.

Lin Chang-heng did not appear to refute the rumors or publicly demand that people not believe or spread them.

This caused quite a stir at the time.

Many forces invited Master Lin Dan, including those controlled by the Immortal City, but all of them refused.

This has led to various speculations from the outside world.

Some say that the Huang family offered some kind of longevity-enhancing treasure, which moved Master Lin, who was over sixty years old.

Some people say that they once passed by Master Lin's door and saw a beautiful female cultivator from the Huang family come out with a seemingly calm demeanor. It is suspected that Master Lin was moved by the beauty offered by the Huang family and fell into a gentle embrace, remaining a young man until his death.

All sorts of strange and bizarre speculations have emerged, creating quite a stir.

However, neither the Huang family nor Lin Changheng came forward to refute the rumors. Even when neighbors and those seeking elixirs asked curiously, Lin Changheng would only give a mysterious smile and remain silent.

This makes the true situation and the inside story even more confusing.

However, as time passed and many strange things happened in the immortal city, the focus of attention from the cultivators gradually faded, and basically no one discussed it anymore.

……

"Brother Zeng, you never visit unless there's a reason. Is there something important you need this time?"

Lin Changheng and Chef Zeng took their seats as host and guest, and the silver puppet served two cups of tea.

Chef Zeng nodded and said, "Brother Lin understands me best."

"Haha, then tell me about it."

Lin Changheng and Chef Zeng exchanged a smile.

Chef Zeng hesitated for a moment before speaking: "It's like this, the clan needs Foundation Establishment Pills, and we hope Alchemist Lin can help us start the furnace to refine them..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Changheng's eyes, but he did not hesitate: "As long as the clan brings medicinal herbs, I can start the furnace first."

This is what he promised, without any compromise.

In fact, more than six years have passed since the last time the Foundation Establishment Pill was refined, and no one has come to ask for the pill with the necessary ingredients.

Given his success rate, there's no reason why no one would want to buy his Foundation Establishment Pills. There's only one explanation... the ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills are indeed hard to find!
(End of this chapter)