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

Chapter 158 Lifespan Greatly Increased, Supernatural Powers Undergo Transformation

In the secret room.

Lin Changheng originally wanted to continue to consolidate his cultivation, but then he remembered that Mo Zhaoli was still protecting him outside.

Although the woman had concealed her worry well, he had noticed it.

Therefore, he decided to leave the pass immediately, "since there's no rush."

Although he had broken through to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had no intention of going out and wandering around. He still prioritized stability and would only go out when necessary.

During the Qi Refining stage, one is merely cannon fodder in the cultivation world; it's best to stay indoors and not venture out.

Now that I've reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I have some basic self-protection abilities, and I shouldn't have much trouble navigating the cultivation world.

"Rumble--"

The dragon-slaying stone in the secret chamber slowly rose.

Having already learned of Lin Changheng's successful Foundation Establishment from the dissipation of the spiritual energy clouds in the high sky, Mo Zhaoli breathed a sigh of relief. She was sitting in the courtyard, her brows furrowed, rubbing the cinnabar mark between her eyebrows with some weariness.

While releasing one's spiritual sense for a short period of time is not a problem, maintaining a high-intensity release for several days is something even Mo Zhaoli finds difficult to handle.

But they persevered until the very last moment.

Fortunately, the final result was good. Brother Lin successfully established his foundation and became a second-level alchemist, which means he has a bright future.

The sacrifices we've made are now worthwhile.

Presumably, Brother Lin will be going into seclusion for at least a year, or at least half a year, to consolidate his cultivation. In any case, the spiritual energy in the cave is no worse than that in the sect's training grounds, so it's not bad to cultivate here while waiting.

For Mo Zhaoli, doing things should be done thoroughly, and he would not play the trick of leaving without saying goodbye.

"Ok?"

Suddenly hearing the sound of the stone gate opening, Mo Zhaoli's heart clenched. Why was he leaving seclusion so early? Could something have happened?
He immediately drifted in like a cloud, disappeared from the courtyard, and instantly arrived in front of the Dragon-Slaying Stone.

"Li'er."

Lin Changheng saw a flash of white light before his eyes, and Mo Zhaoli, who looked slightly anxious, appeared. He immediately called out to him in a gentle and warm voice.

"Brother Lin, you..."

Mo Zhaoli glanced at the imposing, smiling man in green robes before him. On the surface, nothing seemed amiss, but the Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure emanating from him was clearly perceptible.

"What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Lin Changheng was taken aback, then spread his arms slightly and looked down at himself.

"No..." Seeing Lin Changheng's expression, Mo Zhaoli couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth and shaking her head. "It's just that I misunderstood because Brother Lin came out of seclusion so early..."

It turned out to be the case.

Lin Changheng's mind raced, and he immediately made a guess. He explained without hiding his intentions: "I was afraid that Li'er would wait outside for too long and even worry about it, so I came out of seclusion directly so that Li'er would know that Brother Lin has successfully established his foundation."

Hearing these frank words and seeing Lin Changheng's gentle gaze, Mo Zhaoli bit her red lips, a strange emotion rising in her heart.

This left her somewhat unsure how to express herself.

A quiet silence fell over the room.

Just then, Lin Changheng felt he should do something to break the unwelcome atmosphere.

But then he saw a flash before his eyes, and a beautiful figure appeared before him like a white lightning bolt.

To Lin Changheng's somewhat astonishment, he was gently hugged.

"Brother Lin, congratulations."

A gentle voice, tinged with shyness, rang in Lin Changheng's ear. Lin Changheng instinctively reached out to hug her back, but his grasp missed, and only a piece of her skirt slipped through his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, Mo Zhaoli had already arrived in the courtyard. Suddenly, he turned around, made a funny face at Lin Changheng, and then rode the escape light into the sky, disappearing from sight.

In Lin Changheng's eyes, it seemed as if he saw the girl who hid behind Master Mo and caused trouble more than forty years ago when they first met.

At the same time, a gentle breeze brushed past her ear, carrying Mo Zhaoli's voice transmission: "Brother Lin, I have urgent business to attend to and must return to the sect immediately. I cannot stay any longer. I hope that when we meet again..." Her voice paused, as if there was something left unsaid, "that our cultivation can both advance further..."

……

Mo Zhao left.

It was sudden, but also decisive.

Lin Changheng savored the sudden and brief embrace for a moment, and he also remembered how Li'er had specially interrupted her seclusion to protect him and resolve the issues of distributing Foundation Establishment Pills because of his letter.

They also decided that they would repay such kindness with boundless gratitude in the future.

He immediately stopped thinking about it, turned around and checked that the cave's restrictions were intact, then went into seclusion again.

This time, I must solidify my cultivation and realm before I can leave seclusion.

After setting down the Dragon-Slaying Stone, Lin Changheng first checked his own lifespan.

With the true meaning of "Rong Sheng's Divine Power" within him, he can clearly perceive it.

"A full two hundred and seventy years of lifespan!"

"Compared to before, it's improved by ninety years in one go!"

Lin Changheng understood immediately; this meant that his lifespan had increased significantly after breaking through to a higher realm and reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lin Changheng was immediately taken aback; he had discovered a blind spot:
"But excluding the 62 years of lifespan I gained through multiple life extensions, my original lifespan is only 208 years?"

"Even among Foundation Establishment cultivators, this is considered short-lived, isn't it?"

In theory, the maximum lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is 250 years.

However, not all Foundation Establishment cultivators can reach this maximum lifespan. It usually decreases due to various reasons. If they are not seriously injured or die halfway through their cultivation, it is normal for them to reach 220 or 230 years.

However, his lifespan during his Qi Refining stage was only 118 years.

It is also 12 years short of the theoretical peak lifespan of 130 years in the Qi Refining stage.

"Is this an inheritance?"

Lin Changheng looked helpless. Could it be that he had his life essence extracted by Yuan Ding since he was a child?
Fortunately, the [Longevity] spell helped him regain his lifespan, which is now 270 years, more than 20 years longer than his peak!
Furthermore, there are even more [Life Extension] talents from monsters that can be acquired and accumulated, continuously increasing lifespan!
In this situation, even if it's due to Yuan Ding, it's not a loss.

"In that case, there's still a chance to get rid of the tortoise, breaking the old saying that 'a tortoise can live for three generations, and even if the person leaves, the tortoise will still be there'..."

……

Next, Lin Changheng began to study his own divine sense.

The biggest change after Foundation Establishment lies in the divine sense!

Qi cultivation involves the mind and cannot be separated from the body; even viewing the jade slip requires holding it to the forehead.

Foundation Establishment is the stage of divine consciousness, which can be projected outwards to perceive and explore the outside world; it can also precisely control magical artifacts and spiritual weapons; and it can also control puppets and make various wonderful uses.

"It can be used for both combat and support!"

Lin Changheng immediately extended his divine sense slowly, as if a special energy was slowly dissipating from his sea of ​​consciousness and radiating to the surroundings.

One zhang, two zhang, three zhang...

"Truly amazing..."

Wherever his divine sense reached, everything within it clearly fell into Lin Changheng's perception.

The wind rustles the grass, birds chirp, and insects hum.

But it hasn't stopped yet.

Ten zhang, twenty zhang, thirty zhang...

Lin Changheng gradually got used to this feeling, and his control became more effortless. With a whoosh, his divine sense spread out.

Seventy zhang, eighty zhang, ninety zhang...

It hasn't reached its limit yet.

Lin Changheng initially thought that the divine sense of a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator could only cover a hundred meters or thirty feet.

The result was not like that; it was more than two hundred meters or three hundred meters.

It's still extending!

They deliberately avoided other people's caves along the way, without intentionally intruding. It wasn't until they reached 150 zhang (approximately 650 meters) that they could no longer proceed and had to stop; they had reached their limit!

"That's a mile! A full mile! Is the divine sense of someone in the early Foundation Establishment stage really that terrifying?"

Lin Changheng was both surprised and delighted.

In other words, he can detect any movement within a radius of one mile, if he so chooses.

The powerful techniques of a Foundation Establishment cultivator are only just beginning to be revealed!

In reality, the divine sense of an ordinary person in the early stages of Foundation Establishment is only about a hundred feet long.

His 150-zhang detection range actually far exceeds that of an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator!
It is thanks to the accumulation of divine souls from two lifetimes.

……

half year later.

Lin Changheng emerged from seclusion once more, his cultivation level now consolidated.

The gaseous magical power within his body was completely transformed into liquid, gathering in a small pool within his dantian.

"The Qi Refining power that was once abundant in my dantian has been reduced to just this much for Foundation Establishment..."

But its strength is far beyond what it could have been before, at least several times stronger!

Lin Changheng was clearly aware of this.

Back in the hall, a look of surprise appeared on his face. His divine sense had already discovered the five jade slips of invitations trapped in the cave's formation.

He immediately reached out and made a gesture, the formation split open, and he obtained the visiting card.

They came from nearby neighbors. After carefully examining them, I found that they came from three Foundation Establishment cultivators, one second-tier talisman master, and one second-tier alchemist.

Because the various cave dwellings are not placed side by side as before, but are at least a hundred feet apart, excessive density is avoided, and the environment and the privacy of the cultivators are protected.

Therefore, there are not many real neighbors. Even if there is a cave dwelling next to mine, it is several miles away. We basically never see each other. You could say that my neighbor's neighbor is not my neighbor.

The meaning of their visiting cards was quite simple: firstly, to congratulate him on his advancement to the Foundation Establishment stage, and secondly, to express their intention to establish a friendly neighborhood.

Because Lin Changheng rented a high-class cave dwelling directly from a special office set up in the Immortal City, the information was kept secret and not known to others.

Unlike the rentals in the outer and inner cities, which are complex, troublesome, numerous, and of limited value, the rentals in the Immortal City are handled under the guise of brokerage firms, making it impossible to safeguard information, which leaks out like a sieve.

Therefore, they were unaware of Lin Changheng's identity.

Lin Changheng pondered for a moment, but did not show himself. Instead, he replied using a jade slip.

He first expressed his gratitude, then said that he was still in seclusion and would hold another banquet to meet with his fellow Daoists when he emerged.

The reason was that he also wanted to see who had used the previous "beauty bait."

According to the rules of the Immortal City's advanced cave dwellings, if one is not a resident of this area, one may visit relatives and friends, but one may not linger in areas outside the cave dwellings within this region, as the law enforcement team patrols very closely.

Therefore, there is a high probability that his foundation-building skills are not yet known to outsiders.

……

After dealing with the trivial matters, Lin Changheng immediately got busy in his cave.

The first thing to do is to plant the two precious plants.

【Earth Vein Polygonatum】is sold as a whole plant, intact with soil, and should not be kept in a storage bag for too long.

Just transplant it directly.

The other plant, the Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma, is now mainly used in medicine, but the roots are still there. Lin Changheng doesn't know if it can be replanted.

So he went directly to the herb garden.

After digging and loosening the soil, they were planted one by one.

Suddenly, Lin Changheng had a thought: "Now that I have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, my magical power has undergone a transformation. I wonder what the effect would be if I were to use the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power] to accelerate its growth and maturation?"

Once the thought arises, it becomes impossible to control.

He immediately mobilized his internal magical power and used his supernatural abilities to infuse the [Earth Vein Solomon's Seal] that could be used as a reference.

Suddenly, a verdant halo enveloped the plant.

At the same time, one's divine sense permeates the area, paying attention to the changes.

"This is?"

Lin Changheng continued to channel his magical power, but his complexion showed an unusual tinge.

At this moment, the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power] seemed to have changed. Due to his breakthrough in his major realm, it was developing in a positive direction. Lin Changheng discovered that he could perceive the growth of this medicinal plant, and even... its age!
It was also detected that the medicinal rhizomes underneath were about nine years old.

Previously, he could only sense his own lifespan.

He even had this speculation in his mind: "The true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power]... could it be that its power is gradually revealed as one's cultivation level increases?"

It's like unlocking it?!

From this, we can infer: "Could it be that the true meaning of all supernatural powers is like this? Then what about the true meaning of my [Fire Control Supernatural Power]...?"

Lin Changheng let his mind wander and make assumptions, and a sense of joy welled up in his heart.

We'll be able to verify it when the time comes!

……

Not long after, Lin Changheng chose to stop.

With a quick assessment, his pupils narrowed slightly, and he concluded: "Three times!"

"This change is three times that of Baozhi's natural growth!"

Lin Changheng's face beamed with even more joy.

A higher rate of induced growth and ripening means that the precious plants mature faster, allowing Lin Changheng to accelerate the harvest of these medicinal herbs.

This is not over yet.

Lin Changheng looked again at the withering roots that had been planted to the side.

After the Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma was harvested, despite Lin Changheng's efforts to lock its spirit, the remaining vitality of the Ganoderma still dissipated at a visible rate.

Before long, it will return to the withered state it was in when it first came into contact with it.

The true meaning of [Rongsheng Divine Power] was activated once again, enveloping everything.

"Huh? It worked?"

Lin Changheng quickly sensed it.

He infused his magic into the withered root and found that it reacted, and the reaction did not subside; it became solidified.

If it can solidify, then it is effective.

Lin Changheng had experience: initially, he also used his magic to infuse the withered roots, which had a reaction but quickly subsided. Later, he switched to using a year's worth of lifespan to solidify it.

The fact that it can be solidified without a lifespan is a huge advancement.

Enveloped in a verdant halo, Lin Changheng received positive feedback and continued to intensify his efforts in imparting knowledge.

"Om..."

After an unknown period of time, the root, which had turned a dull purplish-brown, regained its brightness, and the cracks that had appeared on its withered surface were gradually filled in.

It has recovered its vitality.

Then, tender buds sprouted!
"call!"

Lin Changheng severed his magical power, his face slightly pale, but the excitement in his eyes could no longer be contained.

The conclusions drawn from the previous experiments have now been confirmed!
"Now that the second-tier precious plant has been revived, I don't need to use my lifespan to restore its vitality! Ordinary magic power combined with the true meaning of the [Glorious Life Divine Power] is enough!"

"At the same time, the efficiency of stimulating the growth and ripening of second-tier precious plants has doubled again, reaching three times!"

"Furthermore, based on this reasoning, if I use my lifespan to cast [Glorious Life] again, I can not only restore the vitality of the third-tier precious plant, but also save a considerable amount of lifespan compared to before..."

(End of this chapter)