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

Chapter 144 Touching the Second Tier, Neighborly Connections (Two chapters combined)

Lin Changheng smiled slightly and nodded to the round-faced manager: "No problem, no problem. In the future, we will definitely prioritize your shop if we have any needs."

But in reality, once the essence blood of the [Fire-tailed Golden Rat] is completely extracted, there will basically be no more opportunities to deal with this shop.

Because they do not sell [Mystic Spirit Essence Blood].

The [Fire-tailed Golden Rat] is also the only [Turbid Evil Essence Blood] that this shop has in large quantities.

But Lin Changheng would not tell the truth frankly. Instead, he would play along and pretend to be polite, and then get the discount they had promised.

……

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Changheng adjusted his appearance once again and came to the "Jiang Family Materials Shop" to pick up three hundred portions of the essence blood of the [Fire-tailed Golden Rat] that had been replenished.

Six hundred portions of [Fire-tailed Golden Rat] essence blood obtained.

This also means that the current triple-layered [Fire-Tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed] can directly seize spirits all the way to the highest point.

"Master Lin Dan."

Upon returning to Yun Jian Que, he encountered a beautiful female cultivator dressed in palace attire, with her hair styled in a high bun and exuding a pure and holy aura. She greeted Lin Changheng with a smile.

"Master Cui Yin".

Lin Chang-heng nodded in response.

This woman's name is Cui Jianshui. She is his neighbor on the left. She is a female cultivator who lives alone. She has a cultivation level of seven Qi Refining and also possesses other skills.

Those who are proficient in music are called "Music Masters".

Through playing musical instruments such as the zither, flute, and pipe, one can heal the heart and soul, cleanse the mind, cultivate character, break through mental barriers, and even bring about a state of enlightenment.

It's truly mysterious.

Their revenue-generating ability is also remarkable, making them stand out among the top-tier skills outside of the first tier of cultivation arts.

For cultivators burdened with mental obstacles and spiritual hindrances, it is nothing less than a lifeline to continue their spiritual journey.

There are even some mortal cultivators who specifically target these [Sound Lawyers], hoping to have a one-night stand with them, not for any other reason than the special aura they exude, which greatly arouses their desire to conquer.

However, this skill is relatively rare, and there is not much of it passed down outside the region. It is not as popular as the four arts of alchemy, artifact crafting, array formation, and talisman making, and it belongs to the category of niche arts. Lin Changheng only came into contact with it for the first time after arriving in the Immortal City.

This skill is useless to him, as the effects of [Enlightenment and Heavenly Inspiration] and [Purification and Heavenly Inspiration] brought by the [Original Treasure Seed] overlap with this effect and are significantly stronger.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parted ways.

During this period, Lin Changheng moved into his new house. Although he did not make a special trip to visit his neighbors, he did exchange brief greetings.

Through Fang Daming's words, his identity as a pill refiner did indeed spread. At least the neighbors in this area knew that a first-grade high-level pill refiner had moved in.

Once he's done with his work, he'll visit them one by one to build connections.

Humans are the sum total of all social relations, and the same is true for the cultivation world.

……

Returning to "Qingyuan Xiaozhu," Lin Changheng quickly stepped through the door after breaking the restriction.

"Chirp—"

The black-shelled tortoise, which had been dozing in a mud pit in the yard, poked its head out when it heard the sound, called out to Lin Changheng as a greeting, and then quickly shrunk back inside.

"..."

Lin Changheng's lips twitched involuntarily. This was far too lazy; other people's spirit beasts certainly wouldn't be like this.

Even if you don't do all the hard work, at least provide enough emotional value, right?

So this is what happens to my own house?

But since I chose the eggs myself and hatched the turtle myself, I can only bear the consequences.

With a sigh, Lin Changheng glanced at the two rows of ordinary spiritual herbs and medicines planted in the spiritual field in the courtyard, but paid them no further attention, and went directly into the quiet room on the side.

They took out two wooden boxes, opened them, and revealed a total of six hundred portions of the golden essence blood of the Fire-Tailed Golden Rat.

First, take out four hundred portions and put them into a stone bucket.

His eyes flashed, and he began to seize the spirit.

"Let me see just how far you can go with this [limb hardening] you've given me!"

Reaching in with his left hand, he connected it to the Yuan Cauldron, where half a bucket of pale golden essence blood immediately began to fade.

In the blink of an eye, only a thin layer of water stains remained.

Immediately pay attention to Yuanding:

[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]

【Firetail Golden Rat Treasure Seed - Quadruple】

……

[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]

【Firetail Golden Rat Treasure Seed - Fifth Level】

……

The precious seeds were generated one after another and fell into the body.

Lin Changheng, without hesitation, began to cultivate the [Limb Hardening] talent.

……

[Limb Hardening Alien Method - Ascension]

……

[Limb Hardening Heteropathic Technique - Transformation]

"Hiss, this is..."

Lin Changheng immediately activated this strange technique, and instantly a "golden and sharp energy" that was more than three times thicker and heavier than before surged through his body and limbs.

Like a dragon and a snake.

Along with this came a significant change in the skin, which turned completely into a dark, iron-like color, as if it had been forged through countless trials.

As the limbs and joints moved, a sickening metallic scraping sound was produced, as if four blunt knives were scraping against each other in a steel sheath.

"Very strong, but to what extent is unclear."

Lin Changheng sensed something and immediately took out a high-grade flying shuttle to test it.

Remember when he was at the [Fire-Tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed - Triple Level] stage? Even low-grade magic weapons couldn't harm him! And even mid-grade magic weapons, without being infused with magic power, couldn't break through his defenses!

Now, with the addition of two more layers, the enhancement is significant. A mid-grade magic weapon infused with magic power should be unable to break through its defenses.

Directly test superior-grade magical artifacts.

"Break!"

Without using magic, he forcefully cut with the flying shuttle in his hand, leaving only a shallow white mark.

Immediately, magic power was poured in, and the superior-grade flying shuttle magic weapon hummed, flashed with cold light, and flew straight up, cutting into the arm.

A series of sparks flew up.

At the same time, fresh blood was also seeping out from the cracks in the skin.

A rather smooth, short, thin wound appeared; if not intentionally controlled, it would be deep enough to expose the bone.

"In other words, without the infusion of magic power, a high-grade flying shuttle magic weapon cannot break through my [Limb Hardening] defense and will be blocked; if it is used in normal combat and magic power is infused, it can break through the defense, but will cause injury."

Lin Changheng's eyes flashed, his surprise replaced by delight and satisfaction; this was a significant improvement.

But then he seemed to remember something, and with a change in his expression, a sense of evergreen vitality quietly emerged, and Lin Changheng's body changed once again.

Beneath his skin, which was originally as dark as black iron, blue-green wheel patterns spread out from his vertebrae, and the tendons and bones beneath his skin resembled intertwined old vines.

【Limb Hardening Different Method - Transformation】and the third layer "Evergreen Body of Azure Wood" are directly superimposed.

They're actually merging!
A fierce and savage aura emanated from it!

Looking at him now, Lin Changheng's skin was a mixture of bluish and black, with the patterns of black iron forging and the rings of ancient wood intertwined. His muscle fibers were gnarled and bulging like the roots of an ancient tree, yet they gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster.

Its body was cold and terrifying, like a humanoid monster, each breath carrying a dull echo, as if a furnace was hidden in its chest.

"Second level?"

Lin Changheng had some guesses.

"No, it's still not quite there!"

After carefully comparing the description and performance of the fourth level of the "Evergreen Body" technique, it was found that the various physical qualities were similar, but the final qualitative change was still lacking!

but……

The superior flying shuttle magic weapon suddenly flew up, channeling its magic power to slash down. With a clang, it was completely unharmed, blocked by the outside of the body.

"Just as I expected!" Lin Changheng exclaimed in delight.

With this physique, he might not be invincible among his peers, but he could certainly dominate the Qi Refining stage without any problem.

Even when facing opponents in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, they now possess the ability to withstand several blows head-on and then use various spells to escape.

"The Evergreen Body of the Azure Tree still needs to be cultivated. The [Fire-Tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed] will continue to transform into the [True Core] demonic technique. With the support of the [Mountain-Moving Ape]'s [Great Strength Strange Technique], it is not impossible to fight against an early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator with physical strength at that time."

A blueprint slowly unfolded before his eyes, and Lin Changheng saw a powerful way to protect himself!

With a greatly increased sense of security, I felt more confident facing the dangerous world of cultivation.

……

"Continue to seize the spirit."

Lin Changheng poured the remaining two hundred portions of essence blood into the container all at once.

【Firetail Golden Rat Treasure Seed - Fifth Level】

[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]

[Biochemical Life: 0/10]

[Effect: Bloodline of a turbid demon beast, possessing both metal and fire attributes, with perfected spirit-stealing and transformation into the Dao, can be refined into the ancestral demonic technique "Limb Hardening"]

"Everything is ready, except for the [Mysterious Spirit Essence Blood]."

Lin Changheng also used the [Spirit Observation Technique] to check his own spiritual root:

Fire Spirit Root, with thirty-four strands of spiritual energy!

Wood spirit root, nineteen strands of spiritual charm.

Earth Spirit Root, Thirteen Strands of Spiritual Charm.

Golden spiritual root, ten strands of spiritual essence.

The water spirit root still retains five strands of spiritual charm.

He took a second look at the golden spiritual root; it was just one strand away from transforming into a low-grade spiritual root.

At that time, there will be one type of mid-grade spiritual root and three types of low-grade spiritual roots.

……

Over the next few days, Lin Changheng carried a gift basket and planned to visit his neighbors.

The items in the gift basket were quite valuable, showing sufficient sincerity.

Two high-quality, mid-grade pills for improving cultivation.

Its value is around twenty low-grade spirit stones.

The first one is naturally the neighbor on the left, whom I've met many times and am fairly familiar with, [sound lawyer] Cui Jianshui.

Upon hearing that Lin Changheng had come to visit, Cui Jianshui opened the barrier from the inside, pushed open the door, and revealed her beautiful face.

"Master Lin, please come in quickly."

"Won't this disturb the fairy?"

Lin Changheng handed over the gift basket and smiled.

"What are you saying?" Cui Jianshui asked warmly, leading Lin Changheng into the room.

The two arrived at the main house and sat down, where they were served fragrant tea.

We briefly learned about each other's situations.

Upon learning that Lin Changheng was fifty-three years old and had previously worked as a guest at an alchemy shop in the market, only recently abandoning his comfortable life to venture into the Immortal City, Cui Jianshui couldn't help but show surprise.

Clearly, there are many opportunities in the Immortal City, but the pressure is also immense.

The exorbitant rents are a testament to this, making it prohibitive for many.

She had only ever heard of people retiring to their hometowns, never of people coming to Xiancheng to retire.

Lin Changheng also learned that this woman grew up in the Immortal City and now works as the chief music master in a shop called "Immortal Music Pavilion" in the inner city.

His musical skills have also reached the highest level.

Lin Changheng expressed curiosity about music and asked him a few questions.

Cui Jianshui smiled slightly and gave a brief introduction.

It turns out that being a "sound lawyer" is also a physically demanding job.

This power refers to magical power. Only through the continuous surge of magical power and the interweaving of dense and subtle divine thoughts can a melody that touches the soul be composed.

After a performance where she gave it her all, Cui Jianshui was not only half-powered and mentally exhausted, but also needed at least a day to rest.

Lin Changheng later learned that the fees at "Xianyin Pavilion" varied depending on the level of the "Sound Lawyer," with the chief attendee paying at least eighty spirit stones per session.

That's really high.

……

The two chatted quite amiably and pleasantly, when Lin Changheng suddenly changed the subject and asked Cui Jianshui about information about several of their neighbors.

These are hardly secrets; they'll be known sooner or later.

Cui Jianshui therefore did not hide it.

From the woman, Lin Changheng learned that his neighbor on the right was a second-tier spirit chef.

He is warm-hearted and quite open-minded. He works at a high-end spirit restaurant in the Immortal City, but he is too busy to come back to stay every day.

Diagonally opposite to the left of his house was a young weapon refiner, a mid-grade first-tier weapon refiner.

Diagonally opposite to the right was an old puppeteer with his granddaughter, who was about sixteen years old.

"A second-tier spirit chef?"

Lin Changheng was somewhat surprised. Shouldn't a second-tier skill allow one to rent a cave dwelling in the outer lake at a normal price?

“I also asked Fellow Daoist Zeng, and the reply was simple: this place is closer to Deling Restaurant and more convenient. He also doesn’t have high requirements for his residence; he just needs a place to stay, so he rented this place.”

Cui Jianshui speaks softly and gently, giving people a feeling of tenderness.

"I see."

Lin Changheng smiled, but it was unclear whether he believed it or not.

After sitting for a while, Lin Changheng took his leave.

……

After leaving Cui Jianshui's courtyard, Lin Changheng first knocked on Chef Zeng's door, but no one was home.

He knocked on the old puppeteer's door again, and a pretty young girl opened it. Looking at the unfamiliar person in front of her, she couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"I recently moved to 'Yun Jian Que' and I am an alchemist living in 'Qing Yuan Xiao Zhu' across the street. I have come to pay my respects to my neighbor."

Lin Changheng revealed his purpose and then handed over a gift basket.

“I know you, Master Lin Dan.”

Who knew that the pretty young girl would immediately laugh.

"What's wrong, young lady..." Lin Changheng asked with a smile.

“A couple of days ago, my grandfather and I went to renew the lease on the courtyard house, and Lao Fang told us about it.”

The pretty young woman smiled. "Please come in, Master Lin. My grandfather is busy inside, but he should be done by now."

"Alright, then I'll take my leave."

Lin Changheng followed her inside and heard a pretty young girl call out sweetly into the house, "Grandpa, the new alchemist Lin from across the street has arrived."

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please wait a moment and have a cup of tea. I will come as soon as I finish polishing this puppet."

A deep voice soon came from inside the room, and Lin Changheng felt that the owner of the voice seemed to be in a bad state.

He detected a hint of superficiality in the low voice, which was likely an attempt to deliberately conceal it.

Lin Changheng sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and then saw a strange, dark creature, about half a person's height, emerge from the shadows inside the house, carrying a steaming cup of tea on a tray.

"This is... a puppet?"

Lin Changheng's pupils contracted.

Then, with a quick change of mind, the correct answer was found.

As the half-person-tall puppet slowly approached, each step it took appeared both strange and inexplicably coordinated.

Lin Changheng also saw the puppet's true form clearly—

It is carved entirely from some kind of unknown black ironwood, with fine runes covering its surface. Its head is oval-shaped and has facial features. Its eyes glow yellow, but its face is expressionless, giving people a lifeless feeling.

(End of this chapter)