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

Chapter 140 Mighty Power and Extraordinary Techniques, Floating Life Immortal City (Two chapters combined)

Having made the decision, the other two treasure seeds withered instantly, and the misty energy and Daoist rhyme were channeled into the treasure seed representing [Great Power].

The earthen-yellow treasure seed instantly gained complete spiritual power, and under Lin Changheng's gaze, it descended into his body with a hazy yellow halo.

[Already mastered: Extraordinary Strength Technique - Insight]

He suddenly felt his bones sink.
"Om-"

Then a muffled thud exploded within his body, and his limbs and bones were instantly filled with immense power, as if a mountain was awakening in his blood.

He instinctively clenched his fist, and a sonic boom erupted in the air, causing his sleeves to flutter loudly. At the same time, he realized that everything in his field of vision had become fragile, and the bluestone ground beneath his feet felt as fragile as thin ice to him...

When Yi Lin Changheng tried it, he activated the [Great Strength Technique] and felt a surge of immense power within his body, along with the trembling, tension, and bursting of his muscles and bones.

He looked around, took a few steps forward, and thoughtfully bent down, placing his hands on the cold stone bed in front of him and gently lifting it.

Surprisingly, his body only paused slightly, and he slowly lifted the incredibly heavy, specially made cold stone bed, as steady as a rock.

Previously, this would not have been so easy to do.

Amidst his surprise, Lin Changheng realized something: "If it weren't for my powerful physique at the late stage of the first tier, even with the bonus, the [Great Strength Technique] wouldn't be able to unleash its full potential."

[Effect: Slightly enhances power by 30%, providing initial mastery of the methods of power manipulation]

Noticing this, Lin Changheng's expression turned strange. "'Slight enhancement' and he already has 30% more power? No wonder he's called 'Great Strength'! And this seems to be related to my physique. Based on this, the stronger I become, the more powerful the power I unleash! And the power manipulation technique..."

Lin Changheng closed his eyes, clenched his fist slightly, and began to comprehend and perceive.

"No wonder the Mountain-Moving Ape is named after it. It does have a special method of transporting energy, which makes it more efficient and... consumes less energy."

If the Mountain-Moving Ape can quickly throw twenty giant rocks to attack when it uses its full strength, then under this power-generating technique, throwing thirty rocks is no problem.

This means less "consumption" leads to greater "endurance," resulting in more ferocious and denser attacks.

"good."

Lin Changheng was satisfied. Looking at the table full of empty bottles of [Mountain Moving Ape] essence blood, he muttered to himself, "Your talent is very good, but now it belongs to me."

……

The next day, the sun rose.

Lin Changheng then bid farewell to Master Mo, stepped onto Mo Zhaoli's escape light, and headed towards the outside of the Ziji Sect.

Wherever he went, the disciples of the sects who were wielding magical artifacts would stop bowing.

"As expected of a superior sect, they are so courteous."

Lin Changheng clicked his tongue in amazement and praised it.

Mo Zhaoli shook his head and smiled, saying, "Being polite is one thing, but it's also an ironclad rule of the sect."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lin Changheng was surprised. A mandatory regulation?

“Brother Lin is not in the sect, so he naturally doesn’t understand. I was the same way before. When I encountered a Foundation Establishment Master or a Core Formation Master, I had to immediately stop bowing no matter what I was doing, or I would be punished by the sect.”

As Mo Zhaoli flew away, he explained, "Overly rigid rules can easily make disciples unhappy, but they can't speak out. Over time, this will create a kind of mentality—the mentality of wanting to climb higher, turn the tables and establish a foundation, and change the attitude of being bowed to by others! I have also been influenced by this and wanted to prove myself, which has a certain motivating effect."

Lin Changheng looked enlightened. The sect already had many talented individuals with decent spiritual roots. This ironclad rule served two purposes: on the one hand, it suppressed the disciples' arrogance, and on the other hand, it clearly indicated that if you had the ability, you could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and naturally receive respect from others.

This is a direct manifestation of the elevated status brought about by a breakthrough in cultivation.

"How does it feel?"

Lin Changheng asked with a smile.

"It was indeed refreshing at first."

Mo Zhaoli pursed her red lips and smiled, "But after three days, I no longer felt anything. I also understood the indifference of the Foundation Establishment cultivator in the escape light when I stopped to pay my respects."

"There's a reason why the Upper Sect became the Upper Sect. Compared to the cruelty of the cultivation world, this approach is even considered mild."

Lin Changheng praised it, recognizing the advantages of this approach.

Not long after, Mo Zhaoli escorted Lin Changheng to an inn at the foot of the mountain, and the two parted ways.

Watching the graceful figure vanish in a flash, her flowing dress billowing in the distance, disappearing from sight and among the mountains, Lin Changheng turned back with a sigh, exchanged his jade token for a horse, and leisurely rode away.

"No wonder some people say that Foundation Establishment is the beginning of the Immortal Path, and that only by being able to walk on the light of escape can one have the charm of the Immortal Path. Now that I think about it, there is indeed some truth to it."

Lin Changheng looked at the Azure Dragon Horse beneath him, which was snorting and searching for grass with its head down. He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. What kind of "immortal" rides a horse all day long?
"drive!"

With a gentle nudge to its belly, the Azure Dragon Horse exhaled a white breath and strode forward.

The Azure Dragon Horse suddenly raised its head and neighed, startling several mountain sparrows in the forest. Lin Changheng watched the birds flutter away and suddenly recalled the line from the *Zhuangzi*: "Wild horses, dust."
The vast, wild clouds and the insignificant dust are essentially the gathering and dispersing of qi. At this point, a new interpretation may emerge: without reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, what difference is there between us and wild horses and dust? We are all mayflies in the eyes of "immortals".

"Bear with me a little longer, and I'll set you free."

He patted the horse's neck, but his gaze was already fixed on the horizon. The azure dragon horse beneath him seemed to sense something, and suddenly accelerated, its mane fluttering in the wind, giving it a somewhat cloud-riding appearance.

……

half year later.

Lin Changheng, alone on horseback, traversed nearly half of the Song territory.

Starting from the Ziji Sect, we continued south until we reached the edge of the Ziji Sect's sphere of influence, which was also the border with another Taoist sect called Qingxia Temple.

The Floating Immortal City was built here.

It was established by a rogue cultivator who had reached the Core Formation stage.

His name is "Qinglan Sanren". He is a late-stage Core Formation cultivator with supernatural powers and is extremely powerful. He also possesses a fourth-tier skill. Even the Ziji Sect and Qingxia Temple dare not underestimate him.

This is also the fundamental reason why this immortal city was able to take root and survive between the two forces and remain standing.

Because the Xu, Qiu, and Liu families of the Blackwater River are all located in the northern part of the Purple Extreme Sect's territory, one in the south and one in the north, Lin Changheng couldn't even go back to check on them halfway.

If you're going to the [Flowing Cloud Immortal City] controlled by the Sun family, then it's on the way.

However, [Floating Immortal City] is a better choice.

……

Lin Changheng was in good spirits, walking slowly and leisurely.

The Azure Dragon Horse also had a shiny coat and showed no signs of fatigue, clearly not being mistreated as a companion on the long journey.

During these six months, Lin Changheng traveled extensively, but he did not neglect other things.

I did three main things.

Firstly, there was cultivation. However, the spiritual energy along the way was scarce, and the absorption efficiency was extremely low, resulting in very slow cultivation progress. Lin Changheng spent most of his time sleeping in the mountains and could only hold spirit stones in his hands to absorb and refine spiritual energy.

This ensured that the cultivation speed was not greatly affected.

Although it cost a lot of spirit stones, it was a last resort, a way to exchange spirit stones for time.

Secondly, one can use the [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] within the body to continuously temper and refine one's magical power.

Every inch is heated, every strand is refined, impurities are burned away, and superficiality is eliminated.

It has been quite effective so far, and one-tenth of the mana in the dantian has been refined.

At this rate, it would take about five years to complete all the training.

At that time, the mana within the body will be pure, abundant, and solid, which will facilitate the liquefaction of mana.

Thirdly, it is to study and absorb the [Foundation Building Insights] given by Mo Zhaoli.

I was thinking even while riding a horse.

With the blessing of the innate treasure seed's comprehension, I have mastered it all in the past six months and understand it thoroughly. All that remains is to put it into practice.

The only two things that stalled were the progress of body refinement and the acceleration of the two spiritual plants' growth using the true meaning of the [Glory Life Divine Power].

The former lacks the necessary conditions in reality.

The latter consumes a lot of mana, which can easily lead to mana depletion, leaving one without the ability to protect oneself in the outside world.

Given Lin Changheng's steady personality, he would not allow this situation to occur.

……

Before long, a barren and ugly mountain range stretched out in front of Lin Changheng, like a sleeping ancient beast, exuding a wild and fierce aura.

The mountain range is entirely grayish-red, with its surface covered in crisscrossing cracks, like dried-up blood vessels, yet devoid of any greenery. Instead, there are only dark, withered branches that dance wildly like demons, ready to devour anyone who dares to approach.

It is worlds apart from the spiritual mountains and veins where the Ziji Sect is located.

"About to arrive."

Seeing this scene, Lin Changheng was not surprised but delighted.

This mountain range is called the "Bianhuang Mountain Range" because its interior was Song territory and its exterior was a wild and undeveloped area.

Lin Changheng then turned east, and after traveling about three hundred li, he arrived at the [Floating Life Immortal City], which covered an area of ​​several hundred li.

Moreover, due to the continuous reclamation and in-depth development by the Ziji Sect in the north and the Qingxia Temple in the south, the wilderness corresponding to [Floating Life Immortal City] has not organized large-scale reclamation, leaving a protruding corner compared to the two sides.

This corner is known as the Wild East Corner.

It is a good place for cultivators to hunt demons.

"Even though it is only one corner, its width is as wide as five hundred li."

Lin Changheng glanced into the distance, his view blocked by the barren mountains. According to the intelligence he had gathered, the mountain range was not originally like this. Instead, it was deliberately destroyed by cultivators to prevent demonic beasts from lurking within and using it as a springboard to invade the Song Dynasty.

Now that the vegetation is gone, any monsters that emerge will be immediately visible, serving as a warning.

"drive!"

With these thoughts in mind, he spurred his horse toward the immortal city.

Along the way, Lin Changheng noticed a significant increase in the number of cultivators on the road. Those who encountered him avoided him from a distance, their eyes wary, keeping their distance.

It was obvious that the cultivators here carried a certain wariness and ferocity characteristic of those who frequently ventured into the wilderness.

There was even a burly man with a purple face and a hideous scar running across his left eye, scrutinizing him as he rode by. His gaze seemed to be assessing the value of his prey, or weighing the risks of making a move.

Lin Changheng immediately became alert, recognizing at a glance that the other man was at the eighth level of Qi Refining. He realized that the other man had his eye on him, a prey at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

With his right hand on the reins and his left hand hanging naturally, concealed in his sleeve, he held the exquisite mid-grade magic artifact, the Sandbag, ready to be activated at any moment.

At the same time, he was also cautiously scanning his surroundings, trying to find any potential accomplices. If there were none, and the person still intended to make a move, he wouldn't mind accepting the person's blood donation.

When it's time to be cowardly, be cowardly; when it's time to kill, kill!

Killing is for the sake of surviving better!

But for some reason, the burly man with the purple face gave up, stopped looking at Lin Changheng, and ran a long way to the side, heading straight away.

"Ok?"

Lin Changheng was stunned when he saw this.

Watching the burly man's figure decisively disappear into the distance, I felt a mix of emotions.

I was happy to be back in safety, but also felt a sense of emptiness, as if I had missed something.

……

Half a day has passed.

When they were only a hundred miles away from the Immortal City of Floating Life.

Lin Changheng suddenly reined in his horse, a strange light flashing in his eyes, and stopped moving.

During his journey of two hundred miles, Lin Changheng encountered numerous battles, each one fierce and deadly.

There were fights fought out of revenge, and also ambushes and killings on the way.

Lin Changheng shook his head upon seeing this; it was too dangerous and too chaotic!
Back in the Xu family and within the Ziji Sect's territory, although things were chaotic, they weren't this chaotic, and the frequency of fighting wasn't this high.

Lin Changheng simply rode his horse around it, refusing to get involved in anything.

Among them was a beautiful female cultivator who was robbed and killed; she was overwhelmed and unable to withstand the attack.

Just then, Lin Changheng happened to pass by and was seen by her. As if grasping at the last straw, she shouted for help.

As a result, the Azure Dragon Horse ran even faster in response.

They disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Lin Changheng, on horseback, had no idea what was happening behind him or what expressions those people had. He only heard a sinister laugh and a cry of pain from afar.

Then no more sound reached my ears.

Everything seemed to have quieted down.

But trouble was ultimately unavoidable.

Upon arriving at this valley, Lin Changheng's [Spirit Observation Technique] had already revealed that he seemed to have stumbled into a concealing formation.

Someone must have set up a trap here, waiting for their prey to fall into their trap.

Lin Changheng's gaze sharpened, his mind racing, and almost simultaneously, he reached out and patted himself.

Two mid-grade [Golden Light Talismans] were instantly activated on his body.

One after the other, they instantly unleashed a golden light, enveloping Lin Changheng from all sides and providing tight protection.

"Tsk! Tsk!"

Two barely audible collision sounds rang in Lin Changheng's ears in an instant.

The outer layer of golden light rippled and trembled twice before shattering.

It turned out to be two extremely thin silver needles, which had silently sneaked into my body without me even noticing. They only made a sound and movement when they touched the golden talisman.

Lin Changheng's expression changed slightly. This needle was strange. Even with his hearing enhanced by his late-stage first-order body refinement cultivation, he only reacted when the needle came close.

But it was too late to react!

Fortunately, he had a habit of putting on a shield before encountering problems, which allowed him to avoid them.

"what?"

A surprised and doubtful voice suddenly came from behind the rocks on the left.

Clearly, they were surprised that this strike, which had previously proven so effective, missed.

Hidden behind the rocks was a male cultivator with rat-like whiskers and a sinister gaze. He was at the eighth level of Qi Refining. He did not remain in a state of surprise and quickly took action, pulling out a mid-grade bow and arrow magic weapon, drawing the bow and nocking an arrow, ready to poke out and attack.

As a result, as soon as it appeared,

A huge yellow cloth bag, bulging in the wind, its opening expanding into a dark hole with a radius of seven or eight feet, flew up to his head and landed on his face.

"what?"

The rat-whiskered male cultivator was completely taken aback and was startled. However, with a "whoosh," the bag spewed out, and yellow dust filled the sky, with sand and dust swirling around, already rushing towards him.

(End of this chapter)