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

Chapter 183 The Xu Family in Trouble, Bringing Two Gifts (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
This second-tier puppet has been cleaned up by Yan Mingyi and is now in its complete form.

Because it was so huge and took up so much space, Lin Changheng didn't carry it with him when he didn't travel far.

However, its strength should not be underestimated. It can hold off an early Foundation Establishment cultivator or withstand two or three attacks from a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator without any problem.

The two first-tier high-quality puppet beasts from before, the tiger-shaped puppet beast had been injured, but after Yan Mingyi's simple repairs, its basic mobility was stabilized and it could not reach the deeper layers.

Although it can still be used, it will be completely destroyed if it encounters another strong impact.

The other eagle-shaped puppet beast remains intact and can be used to briefly harass or hold off enemies of the same level.

……

As soon as I stepped out of the meditation room, I heard a woman's voice:

"Brother Lin, someone just came to visit, claiming to be an old friend of yours..."

"Oh? Can I reveal my name?"

Nowadays, many people claim to be his old friends, but few are genuine. Most are just using this as an excuse to ask for elixirs, hence Lin Changheng's joking question.

He said he came from the Xu family of Heishui River and his name was Xu Xujun.

Yan Mingyi said with a smile.

"It's him? The Blackwater River is so far from the Immortal City, why is he here?"

Lin Changheng was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting this, and nodded, saying, "He is indeed an old friend. Where is he now?"

On second thought, he must have obtained the location of his cave from Feiyue or Fugui.

"It's actually true?"

Yan Mingyi was also slightly surprised, and then said somewhat embarrassedly, "I told him that Brother Lin is in seclusion and asked him to go back and wait for me."

"It's alright, but it's better to be cautious."

Lin Changheng realized this, and indeed, he couldn't just let them into the cave based on their words alone.

He stepped forward and patted the woman on the shoulder, indicating that she didn't need to worry about it.

"Ah."

Yan Mingyi was immediately overjoyed, her bright eyes narrowing slightly, clearly happy to have gained approval.

"However, he left behind a jade slip for communication, saying that Brother Lin can contact him after he comes out of seclusion, and he will come to visit again then."

"Moreover, judging from his expression, although he pretended to be calm, there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes, perhaps he wanted something from me."

Yan Mingyi observed very carefully and also took out a jade slip and handed it over.

"Oh?"

Nodding, Lin Changheng had no doubt about the woman's meticulousness. He immediately activated the communication jade talisman, left a message, and then let her fly away.

He couldn't guess why Xu Xujun had come, so he simply decided not to guess and would find out when he arrived.

Instead of turning on the furnace or doing anything else, he spent the rest of the time playing with the Black-Armored Ground Turtle in the courtyard.

"Tweet-"

The turtle's condition has clearly changed; it's become more active and no longer spends all day lying in the mud pretending to sleep.

"Is it still too boring to be with me?!"

Lin Changheng couldn't help but scratch his head.

He gave a wry smile.

This turtle was like this when it was with Tantai Feiyue, and it's like this now that it's with Yan Mingyi.

He was the only exception.

This doesn't even require comparative experiments to prove; we can conclude that the problem lies with him.

"An ungrateful white-eyed turtle," Lin Changheng muttered under his breath, flicking his finger against the turtle's shell.

With a "thud," the tortoise shell trembled, startling the black-shelled tortoise, which shrank back and ran into the mud, refusing to surface again.

Of course, Lin Changheng was holding back; otherwise, with his physique, he could have killed the turtle with a single flick of his finger.

……

Lin Changheng had just paid special attention to the degree of crystallization of the tortoise's shell.

It occupies about one-sixth of the area.

Once the shell has fully crystallized, it means that this turtle has entered the second stage.

Obviously, progress is still very slow.

Turtle-type monsters have long lifespans and usually develop their strength over time.

Although Lin Changheng did not intend for the tortoise to protect him or fight for him, but mainly to provide companionship so that the immortal path would not be too lonely, he still wanted to hurry up.

He then fell into deep thought, his eyes flashing.

……

Half a year ago, a family called the Luofenglin Fan family, which had three Foundation Establishment cultivators, asked him to help them crowdfund the refinement of Foundation Establishment Pills.

He took out a Seven-Star Spirit Moon Grass, which was about thirty years old.

Through subtle inquiries, Lin Changheng learned that this family primarily focused on beast taming techniques, making them somewhat stronger than the Liu family of Linghu Mountain.

He originally intended to obtain some more [Turbid Fiend] essence blood from this family.

But now he has a new idea: to see if he can get a method to accelerate the training of beast tamers from this family.

Lin Changheng was absolutely certain that the other party would compromise.

After all, he had a precedent of successfully refining high-quality Foundation Building Pills.

If there are other alchemists who can refine Foundation Establishment Pills, it's just a matter of accepting a low probability of success. However, there are very few people who can refine high-quality Foundation Establishment Pills, or they charge exorbitant prices.

Lin Changheng's offer was quite reasonable for them, and since it was just an "exchange," he wasn't worried that the Fan family wouldn't comply.

……

Within an hour, someone came to visit.

"My master is here, please come this way, senior."

Soon, Yan Mingyi led in a cultivator, a middle-aged man with phoenix eyes, who was none other than Xu Xujun.

"Oh, Fellow Daoist Xu, what brings you to the Immortal City?"

Lin Changheng quickly greeted him with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, I have come here specifically to find you."

Xu Xujun shook his head, then looked around and sighed, "The spiritual veins here are truly extraordinary, the spiritual energy is abundant, and the environment is excellent. It is indeed suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators to cultivate and live here."

"Then why doesn't Fellow Daoist Xu choose a place to live and cultivate?"

Lin Changheng asked with a smile, inviting Xu Xujun to take a seat.

“Unlike Fellow Daoist Lin, who relies on his own foundation to achieve enlightenment, he can be carefree and go anywhere in the world. But I, Xu, rely on the full support and planning of my clan to achieve foundation. My elder brother even gave up the opportunity for me to achieve foundation. How can I abandon them and disregard my family?”

"I could never do such a thing as betraying my ancestors and abandoning my lineage."

Xu Xujun smiled bitterly, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.

Lin Changheng sensed regret in his words, but also saw a firm belief.

"It is truly a blessing for the Xu family to have Fellow Daoist Xu."

Lin Changheng's expression was quite moved, and his tone was full of emotion.

"Xu was able to be born into the Xu family... and so it is."

"Haha, I wonder why Fellow Daoist Xu has come to see me? The situation in our clan is very good now. If we handle things properly, we may be able to have two or even three Foundation Establishment cultivators in one family in the future."

Lin Changheng got straight to the point.

Xu Xujun sighed, his face not looking too good: "I came here specifically to ask Fellow Daoist Lin for a pill, a kind of pill to stabilize and repair the injury to my dantian."

"Dantian injury?"

Lin Changheng hadn't expected this answer either.

After all, the dantian and sea of ​​consciousness are the core of a cultivator's being. If the former is injured, at best, one's cultivation will never advance again; at worst, one's cultivation will be completely destroyed. If the latter is injured, being mentally impaired for life is just the beginning. "Who in the clan has suffered such a serious injury?"

"It is... Han Ji."

Xu Xujun's face was filled with sorrow, completely lacking the composure and calmness of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. All he showed was deep concern for the younger generation and worry about the clan's successors and future.

"Who? Xu Hanji?"

Lin Changheng was taken aback, and a beautiful woman appeared before his eyes.

Then it became clear why Xu Xujun had acted this way. After all, this woman had excellent spiritual root talent and had already cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining, with a considerable chance of Foundation Establishment. She was being groomed as the core heir of the Xu family.

In the future, they can carry the family banner and even make the Xu family truly a family with two foundations!

Tantai Feiyue is, after all, an outsider. There is no blood relation between them, and it is impossible for her to stay in the Xu family for the rest of her life. She can only temporarily borrow their influence and be considered half a member.

Therefore, Xu Hanji's foundation building was especially necessary, and she was unwilling to wait idly, so she went out to explore and try her luck earlier.

According to Xu Xujun, this woman really did run into him.

Although I did not obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, I did obtain a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item.

However, during his journey back to his clan, a traitor within the clan leaked the information, which led to him being targeted by the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Qiu family. Although his reinforcements arrived in time, they were still unable to stop the opponent's desperate attack, which risked injury.

This blow landed hard on Xu Hanji's lower abdomen.

Although Xu Xujun had activated the life-saving items she had found earlier, preventing them from being directly pierced or destroyed, he was still injured, and his dantian was shattered.

The Foundation Establishment ancestor of the Qiu family laughed sharply, taking advantage of the opportunity while he was guarding him, he escaped.

Xu Xujun was naturally unable to catch up, and even if he did catch up, he could not kill him. He could only quickly use his magic to protect him and then bring Xu Hanji back to the clan at top speed.

Second-level alchemist Xu Qianyan immediately used a pill to protect it, preventing his dantian from deteriorating and shattering.

It can be said that this move by the Qiu family patriarch caused great losses and severe damage to the Xu family!
Although the senior executives were furious, they also wanted to try to salvage the situation.

Finally, Xu Hanji's father, the head of the Xu family, whose face had become haggard and whose hair had turned white due to his daughter's injury, arranged three measures.

First, seal off the clan, thoroughly investigate the traitor, find him, and execute him.

Secondly, except for necessary matters, all external expansion should cease, a defensive posture should be adopted to avoid conflict, and Elder Tantai should be invited to oversee the clan.

Third, in accordance with Xu Qianyan's suggestion, I would like to trouble Xu Xujun to quietly go to Fusheng Immortal City to ask Fellow Daoist Lin for pills, or to request an introduction to other alchemists and physicians, and do everything possible to protect Xu Hanji's path to immortality.

Xu Xujun thought it was reasonable, so this visit took place.

Lin Changheng, having learned the whole story, frowned slightly and pondered carefully.

His fingertips tapped on the armrest of the seat, the "tap tap tap" sounding as if it were tapping on Xu Xujun's heart.

"There's no way to repair the cracks in my dantian..."

Lin Changheng slowly uttered these words, causing Xu Xujun's heart to sink to the bottom.

"But there are ways to stabilize the situation and prevent it from worsening."

Xu Xujun's emotions were like a rollercoaster ride: "Then is it still possible to cultivate?"

Lin Changheng shook his head. "The limit of this method is to prevent one's cultivation from regressing."

"How long can it last?"

"With long-term use, there will be no problem for ten years."

Lin Changheng gave a timeframe.

"ten years?"

Xu Hanji is currently 54 years old, which means he has six more years to go.

If a method can be found within six years, the possibility of foundation building can still be preserved.

Xu Xujun's mind raced, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief before finally nodding: "Let's stabilize the situation first, and then find another way."

"I'll trouble you then, Fellow Daoist Lin. The family will cover the cost of the spirit stones."

"It doesn't matter."

Lin Changheng nodded, "Fellow Daoist Xu, please stay in the Immortal City for more than ten days. Once I am ready, I will start refining pills."

This was a pill formula he had obtained from other Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he never expected it to come in handy today.

Lin Changheng is only at the second level; what about the foundation of a higher-level alchemist?

This gives us a glimpse into the situation.

"Thank you!"

Xu Xujun's expression softened slightly, and he stood up, clasped his hands in a salute.

"Oh, no need for that. I have a friendship with the young lady, and helping her in this time of crisis is nothing to me."

Lin Changheng waved his hand and said something that touched Xu Xujun's heart.

After finishing their business, Lin Changheng wanted to invite him to have a simple meal in the cave.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xujun changed the subject and started talking about something else:
"Elder Tantai asked Xu to bring something to Master Lin Dan."

As he spoke, he took out a rather large wooden box and used his magic to send it over.

"Oh? Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Xu."

Lin Changheng glanced at the wooden box; the protective seals on it were intact, and he hadn't pried into it. He immediately smiled.

Then he flicked his sleeve and put it away.

I wondered to myself, was the gift Fei Yue gave me demon beast blood or something else? Could it be related to the surprise she mentioned she had for me when we met last time?
Then, Lin Changheng noticed that Xu Xujun was still taking things out of his storage bag.

He immediately looked up.

What was taken out was a square jade box that could lock away spirits. It was exactly the same as the gift the Xu family had given them last time, and it was also a magical artifact.

"This is..." Lin Changheng said in surprise.

“Since the clan promised to collect the essence blood of demonic beasts for Fellow Daoist Lin, they will naturally keep their word. In just over six years, they have collected this much, so I brought it with me.”

Xu Xujun immediately replied.

The jade box was pushed over by magic.

"The clan is kind enough, and I happen to need it, so it would be impolite of me to refuse."

Lin Changheng showed a sentimental expression, flicked his sleeve, and opened the box, revealing the neatly arranged essence blood of the Jade Horned Serpent inside.

There were more than five hundred bottles.

Because the Jade Horned Serpent is a treasure trove and commands a high price, the value of its essence blood would be over 1,500 low-grade spirit stones, approaching 1,800 low-grade spirit stones.

Lin Changheng transferred all the essence and blood inside into his storage bag, and then handed the jade box magic artifact back, saying, "This container magic artifact was not easy to make, so please take it back."

“Okay.” Xu Xujun did not refuse.

Seeing that Lin Changheng was taking out spirit stones, but Xu Xujun refused, after some back and forth, they agreed to settle the accounts after the pill refining was completed.

After finishing their conversation, Xu Xujun stopped bothering him, left another communication jade slip, and took his leave.

Lin Changheng did not stay any longer.

After watching them leave, I couldn't help but sigh softly.

The world is truly ever-changing...

Xu Hanji has good talent and a good character. He has the opportunity and has already established his foundation. It is lamentable that he could still cause trouble and end up in this situation.

This further proves that Lin Changheng's caution was correct.

Only those who survive to the end are qualified to discuss the path of immortality and speak of eternal life...

This must be consistently upheld.

……

It's getting late, so it's not a good time to go out. Lin Changheng plans to go out tomorrow to buy medicinal herbs for alchemy.

He then returned to his secluded chamber, retrieved the essence blood, and his gaze burned with intensity…

(End of this chapter)