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

Chapter 291 Old Acquaintances, True Elixir Talismans and Treasures

The border between the territories of Qingxia Temple and Ziji Sect is a mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles, particularly rugged but not very high, called "Zhuilong Ridge".

Legend has it that a real dragon fell here in ancient times, its bones turning into the mountain ridge and its blood staining the earth, making the place rich in spiritual energy, yet carrying a faint trace of fierceness.

It is not suitable for cultivators to live and practice for a long time.

At this moment, Lin Changheng was riding on a blue magic boat, like a streak of light across the sky, about to fly across "Falling Dragon Ridge".

At this moment, he was no longer the "Master Lin Dan" he had been before. Instead, he had quietly adjusted his physique and appearance and was traveling in a different form.

Dressed in black, with a dark complexion and unremarkable appearance, but with a resolute look and determined gaze.

It gives people a feeling of unwavering determination.

It was none other than the appearance of "Li Feiyu," who had last appeared at the Immortal City Auction.

……

Previously, Lin Changheng did not take this route when traveling between the Purple Extreme Sect and the Azure Cloud Temple, but instead passed through the Floating Life Immortal City. However, now he was too lazy to go around, so he flew directly across the Falling Dragon Ridge, which was much faster.

It saves at least 500 miles of travel.

It was dusk, and the setting sun, like blood, dyed the western sky a poignant crimson. The blood-red glow splashed across the jagged mountain peaks below, gilding the dark green primeval forest with an ominous red edge.

The shadows loomed deep in the canyon, like the open jaws of a giant beast.

Lin Changheng remained calm, a faint spiritual light surrounding his magic boat, keeping out the howling mountain winds and the pervasive fierce aura.

His sharp gaze swept across the terrain below, as if he were pondering whether the dragon's words were true. After all, a true dragon is one of the most powerful spirits in the world. If there were any essence blood left behind, perhaps a single drop of essence blood could directly seize the spirit.

Despite thinking this, it didn't stop him from urging the Dharma Boat to speed away without stopping.

Suddenly, he frowned slightly, and the speed of the magic boat quietly decreased a bit.

His entire head had suddenly turned, staring intently in a certain direction.

His extremely keen senses detected a faint, chaotic fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from there, accompanied by several sharp metallic clangs, which simultaneously stirred up a powerful shockwave.

"Is there a fight?"

Lin Changheng's eyes narrowed, and suddenly three lights converged in his eyes. It was as if another illusory eye quietly opened in his pupil, and the "divine light" was projected forward like a torch.

Sure enough, people are fighting!
Moreover, the movements seemed to be getting closer and closer, indicating that they were fighting, moving, and chasing each other!

However, in such places, murder and robbery, as well as feuds and vendettas, are commonplace.

He wasn't one to meddle in other people's business, so he poured his magic power into the magic boat beneath his feet without much hesitation. The bow of the boat sank, and it shot downwards.

Before long, they disappeared into the dense forest below, leaving no trace of them in mid-air.

That wasn't enough. Lin Changheng immediately used the [Concealing Breath Demon Technique], and his aura became ethereal and blended into the surrounding environment. Unless a Core Formation cultivator carefully scanned it with their divine sense, they probably wouldn't be able to detect it at all.

Once the opponent finishes fighting and flees, they will not stay long, and you can continue on your way.

With this thought in mind, the next instant, several rapid whooshing sounds came from afar and grew closer!
Above the dense forest ahead, two staggering streaks of light were fleeing for their lives, one blue and one white. Behind them were three streaks of light of different colors, but all equally murderous, relentlessly pursuing them!
"Boom-boom!"

A crimson fire arrow shot out from behind, accurately striking the edge of the white escape light in front. Fortunately, a magical shield was erected in time to block it, and it exploded into a ball of flames.

But the white light still trembled violently, its speed decreased sharply, and its light dimmed a bit.

It has clearly been significantly affected.

With this pause, the distance between them and the three streaks of light chasing after them closed once again.

"Whoa!"

A "stinking, bloody net" spread out in the air, flying in from behind, accompanied by wailing sounds, and directly enveloped them.

Another enormous hand, formed from magical power, reached out from below, grabbing at the white escape light! Attacking from both above and below, it seemed poised to completely trap and kill the white escape light!
Unable to escape any longer, the white beam of light had no choice but to reveal itself and confront the enemy directly.

It was a figure dressed in white robes, dressed as a male cultivator. He was tall and slender, with his hair tied up in a crown. His face was like jade, with bright eyes and white teeth. He was undoubtedly a handsome man.

But with Lin Changheng's sharp eyes, he could still recognize at a glance that this person was clearly a woman disguised as a man!

And some of them look familiar.

Although he was hiding below, he kept an eye on the situation in the sky so that he could make a quick decision if anything seemed amiss, and if it was time to escape, he would make a hasty retreat.

……

At this critical moment.

"Zheng——!"

A clear and melodious sword cry, like the cry of a crane in the heavens, suddenly rang out!
Another cyan escape light, though it rushed dozens of feet away in one breath, did not take the opportunity to accelerate and escape, leaving its fellow Daoists behind to take the fall for it. Instead, it twisted halfway, forming an arc, and was about to come back to the side of the white escape light.

A rainbow light was unleashed from the man's sleeve, followed by a burst of brilliant azure light, transforming into a resolute azure rainbow. It did not attack the blood net or the giant hand, but instead used offense as defense, directly piercing the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator among the three behind who was controlling the blood net!

This person's cultivation level was now fully revealed; he was also at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

"You're courting death!" The cultivator was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected that the two opponents would dare to fight back against three people. He quickly focused on manipulating the blood net to rotate, trying to block the fierce sword strike, while simultaneously summoning a bone shield to protect himself.

"Pfft!"

The cyan sword light was incredibly sharp, tearing through a corner of the hastily defending blood net. Its momentum slowed slightly, but it still struck the bone shield hard!
"Bang!" The bone shield flashed with spiritual light, and the late Foundation Establishment cultivator was shaken so badly that his body trembled. The blood net also lost control and collapsed in mid-air.

And it was in this brief moment that the cultivator in the white escape light unleashed a chilling attack!
First, he crushed a talisman, and a powerful burst of icy energy erupted, instantly freezing and slowing down the giant hand grabbing from below!
She looked at the relentless enemy, her eyes flashing with resentment. Then, she gritted her teeth, flipped her hand, and took out a long, yellow talisman, which she held in her hand.

In that instant, everyone present, including Lin Changheng, sensed a hidden, heavy aura emanating from it. If their divine senses were to inadvertently touch it, they would immediately feel a faint, pricking sensation.

Talisman!

None of the people present were ignorant or slow-witted; they were either late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators with extensive knowledge or mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators like Lin Changheng who possessed talismanic treasures.

He recognized it instantly: without a doubt, it was a talisman!
She was held in the hands of this female cultivator disguised as a man.

Lin Changheng reacted even faster, his eyes flashing with lightning speed, and he could even see clearly that the central part of the talisman was engraved with a square [gold brick].

It is very likely an offensive talisman.

Although this treasure is dim and lacks spiritual power, clearly it won't be used many times, but once it's taken out, its deterrent power is still at its peak.

The three cultivators who had been pursuing them showed obvious fear in their eyes. They immediately scattered and kept a distance from each other to avoid being caught in the crossfire of the talisman's attack.

But they still showed no intention of turning back. Instead, they lingered in the distance with cold expressions, like mortals encountering wolves on a narrow path, waiting for an opportunity to devour them.

Clearly, they were certain that the woman was nearing the end of her rope and could at most use her talisman to strike. As long as they didn't gather together, they could kill at most one person, and the remaining two would be easy prey for two exhausted cultivators who had lost all their support.

Besides, with two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and one peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, they could easily defeat each other in a three-on-two fight if they clashed head-on!
"Buzz!"

A resolute glint flashed across the white-robed female cultivator's face as she frantically poured her magical power into the talisman in her hand!
Instantly, the talisman shone brightly, and a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble suddenly revived and rose, as if a sleeping ancient dragon was slowly opening its cold eyes!
That oppressive aura had clearly reached the level of a true elixir or magic treasure!

"Not good! It's a True Pill Talisman Treasure! Retreat quickly!" As its power was revealed, the scarred man at the head of the group changed his expression drastically, utterly horrified. He unleashed his peak Foundation Establishment stage magic power and retreated rapidly!

Core Formation cultivators include those with False Core, True Core, and Golden Core.

The magical treasures of a Core Formation cultivator naturally correspond to False Core Magic Treasures, True Core Magic Treasures, and Golden Core Magic Treasures.

Talismans made by extracting one or two tenths of the power of magical treasures are naturally the same, and are given the names of fake pills, real pills, and golden pills.

Generally speaking, it is assumed that magic treasures and talismans with the Golden Core are stronger, followed by True Cores, and then False Cores.

However, there are exceptions. If better materials are obtained and the refining process is more meticulous, time-consuming, and laborious, a pseudo-core cultivator may also obtain a more powerful magic weapon.

Such exceptions are rare, and this simple and accurate understanding is favored by many practitioners, as it is generally not wrong.

……

The other two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were terrified. They no longer cared about attacking and desperately fled backward, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be crushed into dust by the power of the True Core level!
They never expected that the talisman in the hands of this female cultivator who was already at her last gasp would actually be at the True Core level!
However, just as they hastily retreated, straining to maintain their defenses, unsure of which of the three would be hit, they nervously stared at the increasingly bright talisman, preparing to withstand a direct attack from a true core—

A cunning and ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the white-robed female cultivator, and she abruptly stopped pouring her magic power into her body!
The talisman's radiant light, which had been shining brightly as if it were about to explode at any moment, suddenly went out like a rooster being choked! The suffocating pressure of the True Core also receded like the tide, disappearing without a trace in an instant!
fake!

It was just a feint!
"She had neither the ability nor the intention to truly activate this precious True Core Talisman! She merely used a trace of the talisman's natural aura to create the illusion that it was about to be activated!"

"Damn it! How dare you play us like that!"

The scarred man was stunned for a moment, then realized what had happened. His face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and a surge of overwhelming rage at being played for surged to his head! He felt like a clown being manipulated by the other party!
In that split second, as the opponent's mind was caught off guard by the feint, a momentary blankness appeared in their head.

"It's now!"

The white-robed female cultivator disguised as a man and the green-robed female cultivator beside her, whose face had also turned pale after the flying sword strike, moved almost at the same time!

Instead of attacking forward, the two turned around again without hesitation, pouring their remaining magic power into their escape light. Like two startled hawks, they fled for their lives in the opposite direction from their pursuers at a speed three times faster than before!
The change was too sudden. By the time the three scarred men recovered from their fury at being tricked, the two had already fled hundreds of feet away!

It also flew directly above Lin Changheng.

"Chase them! Chase them! I'm going to tear those two bastards apart and refine their souls!" The scarred man was so angry he almost vomited blood. He roared and took the lead in chasing after them, and the other two quickly followed.

However, this brief delay allowed the distance between the two sides to widen once again.

"Where to go!"

The scarred man flew into a rage and held nothing back. With the power of his magic, he rapidly closed the distance, getting closer and faster than the other two! Then, a nine-ringed broadsword appeared in his hand, its blade wreathed in dark, malevolent energy, and he slashed out with a mighty blow!

A ten-zhang-long black blade aura, like a sharp blade wielded by a demon god from hell, tore through space with a mournful howl, and slashed fiercely at the backs of the two figures! Its power far surpassed that of the previous strikes.

This strike was clearly intended to leave both of them permanently!

"This is really dangerous..."

Lin Changheng hid in the forest like a dead tree, watching this scene. He knew that the best outcome was that one of them would be killed, and the worst outcome was that both of them would be cut in half with a single blow, their bodies split into four pieces.

But he remained unmoved.

At this moment, he had already recognized who the white-robed female cultivator disguised as a man was.

It was the same Fellow Daoist Yun who came to him back in Floating Life Immortal City with a fifty-year-old Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma, asking for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Unexpectedly, after decades apart, when they met again, they would be separated by life and death.

But...so what?

Lin Changheng has lived for over a hundred years and has met countless fellow Daoists, and the number of cultivators who have sought his elixirs is even greater. If he were to feel sorrow and lament for the death of each person, or even lend a helping hand, he would be far too busy.

Therefore, he will not take the lead or act rashly, but will deal with it calmly.

But given their past relationship, if they were truly decapitated and left to rot in the wilderness, Lin Changheng would still collect their remains and prepare a proper burial. He wouldn't be so cold-blooded and heartless.

But then, Lin Changheng's eyes flickered, and he sensed something was wrong.

That glimmer of golden light...

A fleeting, suppressed golden light flashed at the core of the talisman...

"Hiss! I see... Things have probably changed."

Lin Changheng suddenly realized that this woman wasn't powerless to activate her power, but rather waiting for the perfect opportunity! Her previous show of weakness and feigned activation were all to lure the other party closer so she could unleash this true killing blow!

The moment this thought was made up, just as Lin Changheng had guessed, a sudden change occurred!

The white-robed female cultivator, who had been "weak" and "fleeing," suddenly stopped her escape and turned around abruptly!

Her face was devoid of any panic or despair, only a chilling killing intent remained. Her hand, which had been tightly gripping the talisman and seemingly suppressing its power, now not only didn't withdraw its magic, but instead poured the last of her pure magic power, along with a mouthful of her life essence, into it without hesitation!

“Buzz—boom!!!”

This time, it's no longer a bluff!

With a clear shout, the golden brick talisman suddenly erupted with a dazzling golden light that seemed to devour the heavens and the earth. Within the golden light, a palm-sized, square golden brick phantom, engraved with profound cauldron patterns, materialized and took shape—though it was only a phantom, it exuded a terrifying pressure that could suppress everything and annihilate all laws!
The golden brick phantom spun around, seemingly slow, but actually faster than lightning, instantly traversing hundreds of feet, lightly shattering the sharp black blade energy, and appearing in front of the scarred man!
"What? How is this possible?" The scarred man's pupils shrank, and his momentum was unstoppable. He only had time to let out a half-grown scream of utter horror before the golden brick phantom, with the force of Mount Tai being thrown, crashed into him!
"Bang!!!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a muffled, thunderous sound like a giant drum!

The scarred man's protective aura, the nine-ringed broadsword in his hand, his defensive inner armor, and the light of defensive talismans all shattered like paper when hit by the gold brick!
Then his entire body was smashed, his bones were broken and his tendons were torn apart. He fell from the sky like a broken sack, smashing into the ground and creating a deep crater. His flesh was mangled and his breath was gone!

Then a gentle breeze blew, and it turned to ashes.

The once fierce and imposing Foundation Establishment peak cultivator was suddenly reversed in an instant, dying like a dead dog.

"what?"

The other two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators who were chasing them were startled. Looking at the golden brick phantom that flew back and hovered above the white-robed female cultivator's head, their throats bobbed and went dry.

The True Elixir Talisman is simply too amazing!
The scarred man was powerful and skilled. He had been attacked by two peak cultivators of the same level, yet he managed to injure one of them and leave unscathed.

As a result, he was killed by a mere late-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator who used a little trick to bombard him with a talisman.

If they hadn't known that the two female cultivators' magical power had reached its limit, they would have definitely turned around and run away. However, the power of the talisman just now made them uneasy and dared not act rashly.

The four people from both sides fell into an eerie silence at that moment, standing facing each other from a distance.

The two female cultivators were forced to do this because they were exhausted and their magical power was depleted.

The two male cultivators who were pursuing them had considerable magical power in their dantian and were in good physical condition, but they wanted to move but dared not...

Different reasons have led to the same result at this moment, which is quite interesting.

The standoff lasted for about half an incense stick's time. Finally, the talisman on the white-robed female cultivator's head could no longer hold on. With a "hum," its radiance subsided, and it transformed back into a talisman, which floated into her palm.

The little bit of magical power that had been painstakingly gathered during this period was immediately reignited. Knowing that there was no escape, they had to fight to the death.

(End of this chapter)