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

Chapter 182 Profound Flame Metamorphosis! Planning and Scheming

Hearing Mo Zhaoli's instructions, Lin Changheng nodded naturally: "I understand."

In his heart, he thought, "I killed them all. It would be best if Master Qi didn't pursue this matter further, and instead of going mad and causing chaos and killing like in the stories, he would let it cool down and be buried in the dust."

He himself would be even less foolish enough to bring up the past.

After sitting for a short while, Mo Zhaoli took his leave and departed, intending to close the gates for a long time.

According to her, when they met again, she had already broken through to the third level of the Foundation Establishment stage.

In response, Lin Changheng naturally wished for "eternal immortality."

They escorted the person to the door and watched them disappear into the horizon before turning back.

He closed the gate and the barriers, but in his mind he was reviewing the conversation and his behavior to see if there were any loopholes.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Mo Zhaoli, but rather that the deceased's master was a fake Core Formation cultivator with great supernatural powers and extraordinary methods.

If Mo Zhaoli were to discover something, it would not be a good thing for Lin Changheng or for herself.

As the saying goes, things are accomplished in secrecy, and this is exactly the principle.

"It shouldn't be a big problem."

After thinking it over carefully, Lin Changheng breathed a sigh of relief and then put the problem out of his mind, as if nothing had happened.

As for the spoils in those storage bags, Lin Changheng planned to save the pills for the Black-Armored Earth Tortoise to eat later.

Talismans and other disposable items, as well as spiritual materials and wood, have no identification markings and can be used by individuals.

The longsword, a magical weapon, should naturally be used, but not now.

Lin Changheng's plan should be implemented in about ten years. By then, those who know about it will probably have forgotten or no longer care. It will be safer to find a place to sell then.

This year, Lin Changheng is 67 years old.

……

A few days later, Lin Changheng received a message on a jade slip.

It was sent by Guo Qishi.

He said the magical artifact he wanted had been forged and he could come and pick it up at any time.

Lin Changheng was curious about his flying sword artifact and wanted to get his hands on it, so he went directly to its owner's house.

Before long, Lin Changheng was seen off by Guo Qishi with a big smile on his face. The two chatted and laughed at the door for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before leaving.

They still seemed to want more.

At this moment, Lin Changheng's storage bag now contained a lapis lazuli-colored flying sword.

He did not test his sword in front of Guo Qishi, because the latter still thought that Lin Danshi had asked for the flying sword for someone else, after all, how could a Qi Refining cultivator control a spiritual weapon?

Having learned of this, Lin Changheng went along with it and hinted at it to Guo Qishi.

Guo Qishi's face immediately lit up with pride. He stroked his beard, feeling that he was truly wise, having guessed correctly on the first try.

Lin Changheng decided to keep his Foundation Establishment a secret for a while longer...

As for how long it will last, let's keep it a secret for as long as possible...

Back in his cave, he took out the sword and examined it for a long time, even testing it out.

It was three feet and three inches long, a narrow sword. When fully activated, the sword light transformed into a thunderbolt, causing the air to explode with a sharp whistling sound wherever it passed. Its speed was extremely fast, meeting the requirements.

It's just harder to launch a sneak attack now. This is a side effect of going too fast.

Next, Lin Changheng took out a recipe for the Breakthrough Pill and a complete set of medicinal herbs from his storage bag.

This pill is only a first-grade high-quality pill, but it is one of the most difficult to refine.

But for Lin Changheng, not only could he easily refine it, but he could also drastically shorten the refining time. He could use a strong fire to accelerate the process without damaging the medicinal properties, achieving the perfect balance. The time was reduced from seven or eight days to less than two or three days.

This also means that Lin Changheng's alchemy skills have been greatly improved, which is a qualitative change.

However, he did not immediately start refining it.

Instead, he went out and bought a batch of medicinal herbs according to the prescription before returning to start the furnace.

After all, one is forging, and one furnace is forging.

Having this highly functional [Breakthrough Pill] in hand is quite useful; it can be given as a gift or used to win people's hearts.

……

Time passes slowly.

Another two years have passed.

For Yan Mingyi, Lin Changheng's herb garden remained extremely mysterious and inaccessible.

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

In just over a year, this precious plant can be used for medicine again.

The main stem of the [Zhu Yan Guo Cao], which has been planted for five years, has finally grown to a foot long, and many tender leaves have sprouted from the bare stem.

Lin Changheng was extremely interested in this [Youth Preservation Pill] because he had discovered that the [Face-Strengthening Pill] shared the same origin as longevity, but its effect was too weak.

Now that we have the main ingredient for the [Youth Preservation Pill], and its effects are even stronger, we may have the opportunity to refine a batch in the future. At that time, we will be able to understand its secrets.

There are also fifteen other second-tier precious plants.

There are a total of seventeen plants, four more than the thirteen plants three years ago.

The earliest medicinal rhizomes of [Dimai Huangjing] that I obtained back then were already thirty years old!
The second batch of five Tier 2 spiritual plants have gradually entered their fourteen or fifteen years of age.

The six spiritual plants acquired in the third batch are approximately ten years old.

The four plants in the fourth batch are already five years old.

Looking at the spiritual plants growing in the herb field, Lin Changheng felt only satisfaction. "Perhaps in the future, these spiritual plants will all be able to reach a hundred years old..."

"Perhaps I could also search for the seeds or withered roots of third-tier spiritual plants, which would be of great use!"

With less pressure to survive and having already established himself in the Immortal City, Lin Changheng's mind became even more active.

"If I could find the main root or seed of the [Return to Truth Pill] to increase the chances of forming a Golden Core, or the [Dust-Reducing Pill] to improve the quality of forming a Golden Core, could I accelerate its growth all the way up, so that I could directly possess a usable precious herb?"

Although the formation of the core is a long way off, the same applies to the cultivation and growth of third-tier precious plants. Using foundation-building magic to accelerate their growth will definitely be less efficient than that of second-tier precious plants, and will likely be somewhat less efficient.

Both of these require an extremely long time to complete.

If one could obtain one during this long period of cultivation, it would be of great help in forming the core.

"Take your time searching, and keep an eye out for opportunities."

This matter cannot be forced, and Lin Changheng will not be overly ambitious or spend a lot of effort and energy on it. He will just encounter it, know that it is useful to him, and then make further plans.

……

Late at night, when Lin Changheng came out of the herb garden, Yan Mingyi had already prepared a bathtub and hot water for him.

"Brother Lin."

A soft, slightly shy whisper came from inside, and Lin Changheng felt a sense of loss of control.

Is this "maid" meant to serve one's daily needs, or does her role encompass a wider range of tasks?

It is clear that the functions of the department have already begun to shift towards the latter.

Isn't that a bit too much of a sense of responsibility?

But all of this happened naturally, without Lin Changheng's will, progressing and changing.

Lin Changheng nodded slightly and walked over.

The woman began to help him change his clothes. Her slender, fair hands removed his robe and loosened his belt, and one could faintly feel her fingertips brushing against his body.

But when the last bit of cover was left, Yan Mingyi gave a slight bow and left.

Last time, this woman insisted on taking responsibility to the end, but accidentally glanced at him an extra time. That one glance sent her into a frenzy, her face flushed, and she was filled with shyness. She hurriedly excused herself and fled as if she were escaping. As a result, when she rested, the image would automatically replay on its own whenever she closed her eyes, her heart would pound, and she would toss and turn all night, unable to sleep.

I will never dare to do or look at things recklessly again.

Lin Changheng shook his head and chuckled, then directly added a fixed amount of second-tier refining spirit liquid and spirit wood to the mixture.

Then he took off his clothes, sat down, and began continuous physical training, without missing a single day.

"Whoo~"

Before long, Lin Changheng frowned slightly; something was wrong.

After a moment's thought, I realized that the pain was too faint.

For Lin Changheng, it was basically like tickling an itch.

"After using it for so long, the medicine is no longer effective."

The answer is obvious: the absence of pain means the lack of tempering, which in turn means no effect or slow effect.

Fortunately, the accompanying method for the "Evergreen Body" technique also includes a higher-level method for preparing body-refining materials, so you only need to purchase them as needed.

After quickly absorbing the essence, Lin Changheng went to the secluded cultivation room to cultivate in seclusion.

Immediately, the Jade Void Bright Scripture began to operate, absorbing the spiritual energy gathered by the Spirit Gathering Array and refining it into its body.

This state and efficiency represent a significant change compared to before, indicating that they have already made considerable progress at the "Mastery" level and are about to reach the "Minor Success" level.

This technique is a second-tier high-grade technique, which comes with its own threshold. In addition, due to its characteristics, it is more difficult to cultivate and the progress is slower. Lin Changheng had long been prepared for this.

Lin Changheng is quite satisfied with the progress made so far.

Some even suspect that there is a continuation beyond the Foundation Establishment stage, but there is no evidence to support this.

The cultivation continued for two hours.

Suddenly, Lin Changheng's expression shifted slightly. He cultivated another stream of crimson true essence within his body and directly fed it to the crimson flame residing in the center of his dantian.

If one's senses are keen, one can perceive that the state of this [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] is clearly different. Its dark gold color has become much deeper, and at the same time, its hidden power is extremely restrained, and... terrifying!
It has actually reached... a second-tier high-grade flame!
……

About a year ago.

At that moment, Lin Changheng sensed something and gave the [Crimson Sky Profound Flame], which was on the verge of breaking through, a wisp of [Crimson True Essence]. Instantly, the fire seed in his body trembled violently, and the overflowing profound flame suddenly contracted, being completely absorbed into the fire seed.

Like a cocoon-shaped "fire egg" floating in the dantian, its surface covered with dark gold patterns, and a heart-pounding pulsating sound emanating from within, as if it were gestating some kind of ferocious creature.

But outside the "fire egg" it was quiet, and even Lin Changheng involuntarily stopped his cultivation.

My consciousness remains unbroken; I continue to monitor the situation.

Then he became even more worried that something might happen and he might get hurt.

He immediately activated the [Fire-Repelling Demonic Technique], creating a "vacuum zone" around the "fire egg" in his dantian to completely extinguish the fire.

"That's not enough..."

Lin Changheng continued to mobilize the liquid magic power accumulated in his dantian at high speed, like a magic "water curtain" covering the outside.

Another barrier was added.

At the same time, he was fully focused on preparing to activate the true meaning of the [Fire Control Divine Power] at any time to suppress any possible fire mutations and protect himself.

Only after taking these three measures did I feel slightly more at ease.

Another long half hour passed.

Lin Changheng's forehead was covered in sweat before he finally showed some change.

"Crack——!"

The fire egg suddenly cracked open.

Flames rose from within, spreading fiery wings like a phoenix rising from the ashes, but they did not release their power outwards!

Under Lin Changheng's internal vision, he discovered that the dark gold base of the newly formed flame remained unchanged, but the edges of the flame were plated with a dazzling layer of gilding.

"Done?"

His expression shifted slightly, but he still did not rashly remove the three preventative measures.

In an instant, the fire raged, and flames rose and leaped from his dantian like angry dragons, raising the temperature of the entire cave considerably.

Yet it never revealed its power to harm him, remaining as obedient and controllable as ever, just like an extension of his arm.

"This is the transformed [Crimson Sky Profound Flame]! It's also a second-tier high-grade flame!"

Only after realizing this did Lin Changheng remove his preparations and relax, but his expression remained calm.

We'll have to try it to find out the specifics!

"Whoo~"

With a thought, a wisp of flame emerged from his fingertip, coiling and dancing like a serpent. The flame was contained, yet it subtly exuded a chilling pressure.

Lin Changheng's eyes flashed with a sharp light. After imbuing his [Fire Control Divine Power] with its true meaning, he suddenly flicked his finger.

"laugh--"

A dark golden line of fire shot out and instantly struck the second-grade mid-level meteorite iron test stone he had purchased years ago, three zhang away.

It has accumulated a lot of sword marks and fingerprints.

Now, a small hole, about the thickness of a finger, has reappeared, extending at least three inches deep!

Even more astonishingly, the edges of the pierced hole exhibited a vitrified crystalline state—a sign that the flame temperature had reached its extreme.

"What a powerful force!"

Lin Changheng smiled, clearly extremely satisfied.

It should be noted that a second-grade superior strange fire, after another transformation and advancement, becomes a third-grade fire.

The third tier represents the level of a Core Formation cultivator's [natal core fire]!

It possesses immense power and diverse uses, making it an important asset for Core Formation cultivators.

This means that the "Jade Void Bright Scripture" technique has indeed opened up a pathway!

This gives Lin Changheng the opportunity to obtain the third-tier flame ahead of schedule.

It is by no means insignificant, possibly exceeding the second tier!

I just don't know where that Huang family branch ancestor came from, or where he traveled back then.

Perhaps I can find an opportunity to trade this information in the future.

That being said, if the Huang family had known the unique nature of this technique back then, they would have preferred to hand over their clan's secret manual rather than reveal it.

But who can possess a different kind of fire during the Foundation Establishment stage, or even the Qi Refining stage?

The probability exists, but it is extremely low, and it is most likely that it will not appear in a corner of Song territory. It is more likely to appear in a major cultivation sect or immortal dynasty outside the country.

There is absolutely no way the Huang family could have discovered it.

It's a false proposition.

……

Come back to the present moment.

The Crimson Sky Profound Flame excitedly devoured the Crimson True Essence, its aura subtly increasing further.

Lin Changheng knew that advancing to the third rank and undergoing a transformation would likely require a very long and painstaking process.

Oh, long life!
He finished his practice, got up and went out. As he stood at the door, a huge shadow fell over him, which turned out to be a giant puppet!
Completely black, nine feet tall, clad in heavy armor...

It's completely intact!

(End of this chapter)