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

Chapter 208 Vitality of Plants and Trees, Semi-finished Talisman

This is also why Lü Tong was able to establish a relationship with this beautiful woman in purple.

He learned from one of his connections that this second-tier high-grade talisman master was extensively searching for the art of preserving youth, and immediately made inferences and judgments.

He then went to great lengths and risked his life to find a second-tier exotic fruit that could nourish yin and improve complexion. He took the opportunity to visit her and give it to her without asking for anything in return. He also used his silver tongue to convince the woman.

Because he was the only one who gave it to her willingly, and because the effect of the gift was indeed outstanding, he got in touch with the beautiful woman in purple.

In their subsequent interactions, Lü Tong's performance earned the woman's approval, and she began to treat him as a junior.

This is also the only window of opportunity.

At the same time, this woman quickly obtained a large number of beauty techniques and medicinal herbs through a transaction of benefits. Her needs were basically met, and the window was closed.

Only Lü Tong was allowed in.

He gained a lot of resources and opportunities to make connections from this woman.

Therefore, when Lü Tong introduced Lin Changheng, he also kept a little ulterior motive.

The reason for not telling Lin Changheng the other party's true needs was that she was worried that Lin Changheng would use his alchemy skills to usurp her position in the heart of the beautiful woman in purple.

That would be extremely bad, something Lü Tong absolutely could not allow to happen.

To put it bluntly, it will obstruct their path!

However, in order to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill from Lin Changheng, an introduction was necessary, which led to the scene described above.

……

Want to see the [Beauty Enhancement Pill]?
Looking at the beautiful woman in purple before him, Lin Changheng couldn't help but sigh at how meticulous she was; no wonder he could reach this level through cultivation on his own.

Unable to refuse at the moment, he could only reach into his storage bag and take out a newly refined [Youth Enhancement Pill], which he then handed over using his magic power.

Lin Changheng was unsure, because he didn't think his [Youth Enhancement Pill] was any different from others; it was just a normally refined high-quality pill. However, when he returned from the Xu family to pick up Yan Mingyi last time, he stayed at the Huang family for two days.

I also met Chef Zeng and Huang Linglin, a couple who practice Taoism.

During their casual conversation, Huang Lingling mentioned some feedback: several female members of the immortal race who had purchased the [Youth Enhancement Pill] from Lin Changheng last time said that the pill was indeed very effective, worthy of being produced by the renowned alchemist Lin in the immortal city.

Lin Changheng was immediately puzzled. Was it that the pill he had refined was truly special, or were these female cultivators inexplicably competing with each other and unwilling to fall behind?

Lin Changheng didn't take this issue too seriously.

After all, it's just a special case, but how special can it be? It's just a first-tier pill made using normal methods.

……

Inside the main hall of the cave dwelling.

Looking at the pill Lin Changheng handed her, the beautiful woman in purple reached out and pinched it, then examined it carefully, while her divine sense wrapped around it, trying to discern its contents.

Lin Changheng pretended to be calm as he watched, but he was unsure of what was going on.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Five breaths passed before the woman in purple made a move, and her gaze toward Lin Changheng was noticeably different.

"Ok?"

Lin Changheng noticed something and was surprised. Could it be that there really was something special about it?
As expected, the beautiful woman in purple spoke thoughtfully, "The Youth-Preserving Pill refined by Alchemist Lin is indeed different from the pills I've encountered refined by other alchemists..."

Lin Changheng's heart stirred, but he smiled and said, "Senior He's insight is indeed keen, I admire him. I wonder if Senior can see where the difference lies?"

After offering a compliment, I asked a short question, seemingly giving the other person room to share their insights.

The beautiful woman in purple also had some knowledge of health preservation and beauty, and was quite willing to exchange ideas. After a moment's thought, she said, "It seems to have one more thing than other [Beauty-Preserving Pills]... How should I describe it? Hmm, vitality."

"That's right, it's the vitality of plants."

The woman in purple confirmed again, then looked at Lin Changheng and waited for the conclusion.

Upon hearing this, Lin Changheng's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface he smiled and said, "Senior He... is truly amazing. I admire you."

The beautiful woman in purple smiled smugly, clearly pleased with the gesture, and then asked curiously, "I wonder how Master Lin managed to preserve a trace of life in the dead medicinal herbs?"

"Hehe..." Lin Changheng smiled mysteriously, "This is a unique secret that cannot be passed on to outsiders, please forgive me. However, if Senior He is interested, this pill can be given to you to play with."

"Is that so?"

The woman in purple didn't care when she heard this. She had no intention of prying into Lin Changheng's privacy, nor did she pretend to be polite. She simply put the pill away.

"Then senior..."

Lin Changheng asked tentatively.

The beautiful woman in purple raised an eyebrow, glanced at Lin Changheng, and suddenly laughed, "Don't worry, I don't have the habit of taking advantage of others, especially a cultivator who calls me senior."

"When will Master Lin send over the Youth-Preserving Pill? When will I present the Precious Talisman? What does Master Lin think?"

Lin Changheng did not express his opinion on this, but hesitated and said, "Even if the [Treasure Talisman] is precious, it is still slightly inferior to the [Youth Preservation Pill], isn't it?"

The beautiful woman in purple smiled and said, "Master Lin, please don't misunderstand. I never said anything about exchanging one for one."

"Then what is Senior He's opinion?" Lin Changheng asked again.

"One for five, what do you think?"

The beautiful woman in purple quoted a fairly fair price, and then, fearing that Lin Changheng might not understand, added, "The crafting of the [Treasure Talisman] is not something that can be done overnight. Unlike ordinary talisman making, it requires constructing a talisman embryo, refining it multiple times, and finally shaping it into a spiritual entity that can be nurtured and receive the enhanced power brought about by the nurturing, which is then integrated into the [Treasure Talisman]."

"That's one of them."

"The second is drawing talismans, which requires precise outlining of the runes and techniques to make them fit with the talisman embryo, so that they become one with the embryo. Under nurturing, they become more and more natural."

"Thirdly, it is naturally nurturing. The longer the time, the better, and nurturing requires careful attention and cannot be done carelessly. The greater the power, the more powerful it will be. If it can be nurtured for decades or hundreds of years, it will be enough to pose a threat to high-level cultivators."

"Of course, nurturing is not within my refining scope, but the first two points still require high-quality third-tier materials to make the talisman embryo, as well as a lot of mental and physical effort."

The woman in purple explained in great detail, hoping that Lin Changheng would understand the value of the [Treasure Talisman] and thus finalize the deal.

After all, having seen the Youth-Preserving Pill refined by Lin Changheng, she became even more interested in the so-called Youth-Retaining Pill.

At the same time, this interest is exclusive.

After all, the [Youth Preservation Pill] is rare and valuable, and the first pill is the most effective; taking more does not increase its effectiveness by much, so there is no need for it.

Therefore, Lin Changheng's appearance made her give up her plan to go to the number one immortal city in Song, [Jishan Immortal City], to participate in the auction.

Not only would you have to bear the premium at the auction, but the long journey would also waste time and potentially pose safety risks. It's not worth it.

It's better to wait for Master Lin's pill.

Having made up her mind, the purple-clad beauty's smile deepened, and her gaze towards Lin Changheng changed.

“This junior is willing to make such a deal with senior, but the problem is that the main ingredient of the [Youth Preservation Pill] is hard to find. I have been collecting for more than ten years, but I am still missing a main ingredient called [Azure Moon Lotus]. I may have to go to the wilderness to try my luck in order to find this medicine, but I lack the method of protection, so I cannot go.”

"That's why I've come to ask you for help in refining the [Treasure Talisman], so that I can enhance my abilities."

Lin Changheng looked troubled and sighed, as if he were pouring out all his troubles.

"Alright, alright, Master Lin, there's no need to play the victim."

How could the shrewd woman in purple not understand the unspoken meaning behind Lin Changheng's words?

He secretly thought that if this person really did refine the [Youth Preservation Pill], some Core Formation cultivators might be interested in it. If they casually revealed some of their collection, the appeal of the [Treasure Talisman] he offered would probably be greatly reduced.

Although precious, the [treasure talisman] takes a lot of time to cultivate. If it is not properly nurtured, its power is probably no more than that of an ordinary talisman.

Compared to normal treasures, its limitations are quite significant.

With this in mind, the woman in purple considered whether to give a deposit and sign a contract to ensure that nothing unexpected would happen in the future, and also to provide a constraint on the child.

After all, so-called character and promises are nothing but a thin piece of paper in the face of interests, which can be easily torn apart. But a legal contract is different; it is the embodiment of a vow, with strong binding force, and cannot be resold to others.

……

Lin Changheng smiled wryly upon hearing this and immediately said, "Senior, you are wise. I am truly not trying to gain sympathy."

Then Lin Changheng heard the beautiful woman in purple actually soften her stance:

"However, I am not an unreasonable person. Since Master Lin has spoken so kindly and even generously gifted me a [Youth Enhancement Pill], it would seem too heartless of me to remain unmoved. Therefore, I intend to pay a deposit first to finalize this transaction. What does Master Lin think?"

"That's good, then I can focus on finding medicine and refining elixirs."

"Then I thank you very much for bestowing the [Precious Talisman] upon me, senior."

Lin Changheng nodded in agreement, then immediately pointed out the purpose of the deposit and bowed joyfully, not giving the beautiful woman any chance to improvise.

If the other party asks for spirit stones or ordinary talismans as a deposit, Lin Changheng would not be able to accept even a little bit, and he would not be able to refuse. In that case, he would be the one in trouble and in a difficult position.

The right thing to do is to leave the problem to the other party.

"When did I say I was going to give you the magic talisman?"

The woman in purple was taken aback, and a thought popped into her mind.

But seeing Lin Changheng's expectant look, he couldn't bring himself to bring up the "item as a deposit" that he had previously thought of.

It felt like I was being held up.

This woman clearly cares about her reputation, constantly haggling with a junior. How is she any different from a street vendor in a market?
Moreover, I really need the other party to refine the [Youth Preservation Pill], so I don't want things to get too awkward.

After thinking it over, he said, "I don't have the [treasure talisman] on me right now..."

"...But I do have a half-finished [Treasure Talisman] that I made for practice. I wonder if Master Lin would find it acceptable?"

As she spoke, she pinched her delicate hand, and a palm-sized, gleaming blue talisman appeared between her fingers.

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Lin Changheng felt a flicker of displeasure, though he didn't show it. However, the second half of the sentence gave Lin Changheng a sense of hope, but he still cautiously asked, "May I ask, senior, what is the meaning of this [half-finished treasure talisman]?"

What are its shortcomings or defects?

Lin Changheng must understand this point, otherwise what use is it if the nurturing is ineffective or the power is leaked?
"It is said to be a semi-finished product, but in terms of its materials, its completion level is still very high. It has some flaws, but no defects."

The beautiful woman in purple, her red lips slightly parted, gave a brief introduction.
"As I mentioned before, the embryo of a treasure talisman is usually made of third-grade spiritual materials, which is too expensive for practice. Therefore, I used second-grade high-quality spiritual wood bark as a base for a large number of experiments, and finally succeeded."

"Its drawback is that it is limited by the material it is made of. It cannot be nurtured indefinitely, and its potential is limited. In other words, if you nurture it for a hundred or a thousand years, it may only have the same power as if you nurtured it for thirty years. Otherwise, it is no different from a normal [treasure talisman]."

Oh?
Lin Changheng was immediately relieved after hearing this. Even if the potential was a little lacking, it was still better than nothing. They could just use it up when they encountered danger or problems.

"Thank you for your explanation, senior. This [treasure talisman] is sufficient for my use."

He immediately agreed.

"That's good."

With a flick of her fan, the beautiful woman in purple sent the [Treasure Talisman] flying precisely towards her in a gentle breeze. "When Master Lin arrives with the [Youth Preservation Pill], he will not receive this [Treasure Talisman Semi-finished Product], but a genuine [Treasure Talisman] crafted from third-tier materials!"

After finishing speaking, the other party didn't forget to offer Lin Changheng empty promises.

"I understand."

Lin Changheng held the gleaming blue talisman in his hand. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, unlike ordinary talismans which had the texture of paper or silk. Instead, it felt more like holding a piece of wood or a leaf carved from warm jade, with a slow, flowing spiritual energy inside.

The surface of the talisman paper is not drawn with cinnabar talisman seals, but is carved and engraved using the wood grain, forming a mysterious circuit. When the divine sense lightly touches it, one can feel tiny holes, as if they are one-way channels, which should be used for nurturing.

Lin Changheng probed his divine sense a little further and immediately felt a resilient yet inclusive meaning.

【Treasure Talisman】!
I finally got it!

Lin Changheng was secretly pleased and immediately put it into his storage bag.

"Then please have Master Lin sign this contract." Seeing that he accepted it, the beautiful woman in purple covered her lips with her fan, and with a flicker of her eyes, she took out the contract, making two copies.

"Naturally."

Lin Changheng nodded; this was also beneficial to him. After briefly checking the terms and conditions and finding them correct, he directly affixed his magical imprint.

The core idea is that Lin Changheng should give the first pill of the first batch of "Youth Preservation Pills" he refines to this beautiful woman in purple.

At that time, the beautiful woman in purple will also present five [treasure talismans], not half-finished products.

With the agreement made, Lin Changheng did not linger any longer and took his leave.

"By the way, next time you succeed in your mission, you can ask Lü Tong for the location of my cave."

As the maid escorted him to the gate, a faint female voice quietly reached his ears.

"Please inform Senior He that I am aware of this."

After saying something to the maid who was guiding him, Lin Changheng immediately broke through the air and departed.

……

(End of this chapter)