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

Chapter 211 Immortality Returns, Opportunity Has Arrived

at this time,

Lin Changheng's magical power, blood and qi, and even his divine soul power were all contained to an extreme degree. Even if his divine sense repeatedly swept over it, he would only think that it was a lifeless object.

This is operating at its limit.

"That powerful?"

Lin Changheng was pleasantly surprised. This was not a simple concealment technique, but a temporary "disguise" of an inanimate object from the level of the origin of life!
Even ordinary cultivators who have achieved the false core cannot detect it.

"call!"

Lin Changheng breathed a sigh of relief.

With this method in hand, the pressure and gloom previously caused by the mutual attraction and devouring of the Jade Void Bright Scripture have almost dissipated.

During this period, apart from necessary outings, Lin Changheng basically did not go out for walks, just in case.

Now we have finally overcome this problem, and once we find a more suitable method in the future, we will be able to completely escape this predicament.

……

Time keeps moving forward.

Several more months have passed.

News has once again arrived from the desolate front lines of the Qingxia Temple area.

The disadvantage of the human cultivators has finally come to an end.

The current situation presents a tense stalemate.

At the same time, a considerable amount of monster materials have entered the market, and some caravans have even brought monster materials to Floating Life Immortal City to sell.

This once drove down the price of ordinary monster materials.

However, the prices of materials of tier two and above remained stable and were not affected by much fluctuation.

Lin Changheng keenly sensed that this was the time to reap the rewards.

Compared to demonic beasts of the same level, cultivators have the advantage in that they have more methods, are more flexible, and possess wisdom.

But the situation is different in the beast tide. First, the beasts are numerous; second, they have thick skin and flesh; and third, they are fearless and can be swept forward. A single cultivator simply cannot resist them and can only be torn to pieces.

As the cultivators gathered their protective power and coordinated with various formations to build a defensive line, the situation gradually began to turn from disadvantage to advantage.

This is the perfect opportunity to hunt demonic beasts. Their carcasses will be continuously brought in and broken down into materials: demon hides for talismans, demon blood for elixirs, demon meat for spiritual food, and demon scales, armor, and claws for crafting weapons...

Fight to feed war!

However, many of them will be brought into the market by cultivators for sale, and this is the batch that Lin Changheng needs.

He also looked for quite a few cultivators who could go south to purchase materials for him, but he couldn't find anyone he was completely satisfied with.

"It's a pity that we don't know if Lao Deng is still alive. After not seeing him for so long, I'm afraid he's really in grave danger."

Lin Changheng sighed.

This is the life of a cultivator; one day an accident might happen, and they might die somewhere, their remains never found.

Even whether they are alive or dead is unclear.

……

Who would have thought that three days later...

As soon as Lin Changheng stepped out of the secluded cultivation chamber, he saw a golden-robed cultivator sitting in the hall, chatting casually with Yan Mingyi.

"Ok?"

Lin Changheng raised his eyebrows slightly.

As a result, the golden-robed cultivator also keenly sensed something and immediately turned to look at Lin Changheng, revealing a face that the latter was quite familiar with, only his skin had darkened considerably.

Who else could it be but Deng Changsheng?
Moreover, the aura emanating from him was indeed that of someone in the Foundation Establishment stage.

"I have met the Lord!"

Upon seeing Lin Changheng, Deng Changsheng's expression changed, his eyes reddened, and he immediately stood up and rushed to Lin Changheng's side, bowing respectfully with a slightly choked voice.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Lin Changheng reached out and helped Deng Changsheng up, saying "Good" three times and patting the other's shoulder heavily. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see him again. "It's been so long, I thought... Haha, it's good that you're back!"

"I also miss you dearly, my lord. Last time I received the Foundation Establishment Pill from you, and it's been almost ten years since we last met..."

Deng Changsheng was deeply moved.

Lin Changheng nodded, without asking him why or what had happened.

But the other person took the initiative to talk about the past.

It turned out that after he left Cave 98 last time, he went directly to purchase medicine to heal his injuries, intending to heal at home first, and then find a spiritual place to cultivate in seclusion and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Because Deng Changsheng is not a Foundation Establishment cultivator and does not possess any second-tier skills, his Outer Lake Cave Abode cannot enjoy normal rental prices and requires a large premium. How can a rogue cultivator afford that?
But he didn't want to ask Lin Changheng for a loan.

So he decided to save up some more spirit stones for a more secure future.

Two years later, having recovered from his injuries, he was eager to hunt some demonic beasts and accumulate spirit stones. However, misfortune can strike at any time, and on the way, his friend of decades turned against him and betrayed him, attacking him ruthlessly and directly targeting his vital points.

Although he was very careful and never revealed that he possessed the Foundation Establishment Pill, somehow the other party still noticed or guessed it based on subtle clues.

Looking incredulously at his former friend, who was now turning against him with a knife and a murderous aura, he felt a mixture of bitterness, resentment, and anger.

Fortunately, their methods were superior, and they managed to kill their opponent.

But he was injured again, and almost destroyed his foundation.

"After that... it was just a matter of barely surviving."

Deng Changsheng's voice was hoarse, revealing deep exhaustion and lingering fear. "If I hadn't been influenced by the Lord and become more steady and careful in everything I did, otherwise... the Lord probably wouldn't be able to see me today."

It took him three whole years to barely stabilize his injuries. He then moved to a large market town, living in seclusion under an assumed name, and gradually rebuilding his resources. Finally, he successfully established his foundation and stabilized his cultivation before emerging from seclusion.

After that, he immediately returned to the Immortal City to find Lin Changheng.

"Ten years wasted, like being stuck in a quagmire... Fortunately, I finally climbed out." He gave a bitter laugh, his tone full of vicissitudes and helplessness.

"Blinding one's eyes with greed..." Lin Changheng sighed after hearing this.

For Lin Changheng, it was absolutely impossible to entrust his back to anyone.

Even with the person you trust most, you should always keep some things to yourself.

This is taking responsibility for yourself!

Just as Deng Changsheng said, his friend of decades noticed that he was valued by Master Lin and taken under his wing. Combined with the fact that Master Lin could refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, it was hard not to have some thoughts.

Even without conclusive evidence, they decided to give it a try.

After all... never underestimate a cultivator's desire to reach the Foundation Establishment stage!
"You're back just in time, because I need you to do something for me."

Lin Changheng exchanged pleasantries with him for a while before getting down to important matters.

Deng Changsheng's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands in response: "Please give your orders, Your Majesty. You can rest assured that I will handle things properly!"

"it is good!"

Lin Changheng greatly appreciated Deng Changsheng's responsiveness and reiterated his need for the essence blood of demonic beasts, asking Deng Changsheng to go to the border of the beast tide at Qingxia Temple on his behalf.

"I wonder if Changsheng would be willing to make the trip?"

Lin Changheng looked at him with a smile.

"Blood essence from demonic beasts of the turbid and higher bloodlines, primarily those of large quantities... Your subordinate is willing!"

Deng Changsheng repeated the order, nodded vigorously, and accepted it.

"good."

Lin Changheng wouldn't treat those who worked for him unfairly. He raised his hand and flicked a bottle of pills that could help early Foundation Establishment cultivators improve their cultivation as a reward.

At the same time, he threw over a thousand spirit stones as an advance payment.

After all, Deng Changsheng had only recently advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, so he certainly didn't have any spare money. His storage bag might be emptier than his face. How could we possibly purchase essence blood for him?

"Thank you, Lord!"

Gripping the elixir bottle and spirit stone tightly in his hand, Deng Changsheng looked at Lin Changheng with unwavering determination, revealing a vow of loyalty to the death.

When do we depart?

Lin Changheng asked again. "Tomorrow!" Deng Changsheng replied immediately.

"Good! I like your work ethic; most independent cultivators can't even compare."

Lin Changheng smiled and didn't hold back his praise.

After letting Deng Changsheng stay at his home for dinner, Lin Changheng finally let him leave.

Watching the latter's figure disappear into the night, Lin Changheng's gaze held an indescribable meaning.

Although Deng Changsheng's behavior was normal in all aspects and his account of the past was logical and coherent, Lin Changheng still had a strange feeling.

It comes from the unseen realm, yet cannot be manifested or located.

"That's really strange..."

Lin Changheng was somewhat puzzled, but he kept it in mind.

Deng Changsheng likely had other experiences, which were not explicitly stated. Lin Changheng didn't expect him to reveal them either, since Deng was merely a subordinate, not his puppet.

He had no intention of spying.

Moreover, this feeling was merely unusual, not a sign of malice or murderous intent; otherwise, no matter how much this person talked, he would never have been able to leave this place.

Most importantly, Lin Changheng still needs someone to run errands for him; he'll use them for now if he can.

This is called maximizing resource utilization.

……

Two months later, the small auction was held in the Immortal City as scheduled.

It also attracted many cultivators from outside the region, but compared to the grand auction held every ten years, it paled in comparison.

The auction items must be of high quality, rare, and valuable.

Lin Changheng naturally participated.

His main objective was the [Dragon Blood Fruit].

Lin Changheng discovered that this item frequently appeared at auctions in the Immortal City, and he had won the bid twice.

He speculated that this item might not be so rare, but rather that there were fixed channels for its cultivation or acquisition, which were simply kept secret as a deliberate strategy to create artificial scarcity.

But none of this affected Lin Changheng's needs or his willingness to act. He was certain that this item would be useful to him, and that was enough.

Sure enough, Lin Changheng saw the item again at the auction!

On the white, fist-sized fruit, red spots dotted the surface like splattered blood.

Make a strong bid and win it!
It cost 3,500 low-grade spirit stones.

The others were quite ordinary, and Lin Changheng had no intention of making a move.

However, he did not leave early. It was a rare occasion for him to accompany Yan Mingyi out, and seeing that she was in good spirits, he did not want to spoil the mood.

The auction items flowed by like water, one by one.

Suddenly, a rather exquisite-looking emerald green hairpin caught Lin Changheng's attention at the auction.

This hairpin may look like an ordinary hairpin, but it is actually a life-saving item!
When encountering danger, it will automatically activate a defensive shield that can withstand three full-force attacks from a Foundation Establishment stage user!
Lin Changheng had a sudden thought and took a picture of it.

After auction staff brought up the items for handover, Lin Changheng personally put the hairpin on Yan Mingyi.

"Thank you, Brother Lin."

Yan Mingyi's face was as delicate as a young girl's, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Changheng with joy and love.

"Silly girl."

Lin Changheng pulled Yan Mingyi into his arms, inhaling her delicate fragrance, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

Lin Changheng watched the entire match without making a third move.

However, he discovered that the quantity and frequency of second-tier monster materials appearing at the auction had increased.

Most of them originated from the front lines of the beast tide.

This also means that quite a few second-tier monsters have died.

Then there must be a lot of essence and blood...

A demon beast that can break through to the second tier must have a bloodline talent that is not too bad, at least at the level of Turbidity or above.

Therefore, Lin Changheng had high expectations for Deng Changsheng's trip.

This can be considered his stroke of luck!

……

After that, Lin Changheng continued his cultivation while waiting for news from the inner lake.

During this time, another cultivator next to Lin Changheng moved out, and came to say goodbye before leaving.

Lin Changheng naturally wouldn't turn him away, and they had a brief chat and asked him some questions. It turned out that this neighbor felt he didn't have enough resources to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and if he continued to waste time, his path would end.

So I decided to give it a shot—

Responding to the "Demon Slaying Order" issued by Qingxia Temple, killing demonic beasts not only yields demonic beast materials, but also grants the rewards specified in the "Demon Slaying Order" upon slaying second-tier demonic beasts.

It can be described as eating the fish two ways.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Immortal City who were struggling to advance their cultivation, lacked talent, and were short of resources couldn't sit still any longer and flocked to answer the call.

To cultivate immortality, one must contend with the heavens and with oneself!

Lin Changheng could only wish him good luck, and at the same time sold him a batch of healing, hemostatic, and recovery pills, making a small profit.

Less than a month after this person moved out, another cultivator moved in.

Lin Changheng realized this and guessed that after the other party settled down, he would visit within a month, just like he and Master Yue had done before.

As a result, three months passed without the other party showing any intention of visiting. Not only that, but they didn't even plan to leave the house.

Even more so than Lin Changheng, he stays at home even more.

If it weren't for the fact that Foundation Establishment cultivators don't usually die suddenly for no reason, Lin Changheng would really think that this person had encountered some kind of accident.

Therefore, Lin Changheng gave up his plan to befriend him.

……

It is worth mentioning that the Huang family remained extremely calm about the beast tide.

Without taking any action, he asked Lin Changheng to refine another batch of pills.

Their behavior and reaction were completely different from those of the Immortal City and the surrounding forces.

It was strangely calm.

Could it be... that something has happened to the Huang family?

That was Lin Changheng's first reaction.

After all, he had clearly sensed that Huang Jiuyuan, the patriarch of the Huang family branch, was nearing his end...

Is it possible that he's no longer capable?
Lin Changheng had some guesses, but did not draw any conclusions.

……

This day.

Lin Changheng is helping the Deep Lake Clam voluntarily donate blood in the courtyard.

Just as they were about to insert the needle, a communication jade talisman suddenly flew in from outside and crashed into the formation, buzzing incessantly, as if trapped in quagmire, unable to leave.

"Come."

With a hand seal, the formation immediately split open, revealing a sliver of space that allowed the jade talisman to loosen and move. It was then immediately beckoned to Lin Changheng.

He held the jade talisman in his hand, and his divine sense instantly entered to examine it.

The next moment, a smile appeared in Lin Changheng's eyes as he looked at the [Black Armored Earth Turtle].

"Chirp..."

The black-armored tortoise seemed to sense something, but tilted its head in confusion, wondering why its master was laughing.

Lin Changheng didn't respond immediately. Instead, he began to draw Xiaobai's essence blood with his needles, flicked it into a blood-replenishing pill, and then smiled at Xiaohei, saying, "The blood donation you've been waiting for is finally here..."

(End of this chapter)