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

Chapter 186 The Recipe for Feeding Spirits, Loyalty and Command

Outer Lake, Cave No. 98.

in the hall.

When Lin Changheng's words reached the ears of the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Luofeng Lin Fan family, although they were harsh, the cultivator not only wasn't angry, but instead smiled ingratiatingly without a care:
"Master Lin is joking. How could the clan possibly have such thoughts?"

"Leaving aside the promises and moral obligations involved, just considering Master Lin's alchemy skills in refining the Foundation Establishment Pill, how many alchemists of the same level in the Immortal City can compare? How could he possibly abandon the light for darkness?"

His words not only clarified the matter but also subtly praised Lin Changheng.

Lin Changheng's mind stirred slightly, and he deliberately showed an expression of pleasure, his expression softening considerably.

Upon seeing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family felt a sense of relief and continued to explain:
"As for Master Lin's message, I arrived a few days late. It wasn't that I didn't want to come, but that I wasn't in the Immortal City at the time. I had returned to my clan to handle other matters. However, as soon as I received the message from my clan, I put everything down and flew here overnight without any delay."

"If that's the case, then I, Lin, have misunderstood Fellow Daoist Fan."

Lin Changheng took advantage of the situation and knew when to quit while he was ahead.

Lin Changheng didn't mind that the other party arrived a few days late, given his personality.

However, the statement he just made was to serve the purpose of the upcoming negotiations, to suppress the other party's momentum, to sow the seeds that the other party was at fault, and to gain the upper hand.

"It's good that the misunderstanding has been cleared up. It is indeed us who kept Master Lin waiting for a long time."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family was also a tactful person, and he knew when to back down.

There's no need to argue over who wins or loses; getting things done properly is the key.

Acting impulsively is unacceptable.

The two then discussed the matter of refining the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Lin Changheng directly stated that a friend of his happened to have a 20-year-old Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma, which he planned to use for crowdfunding to refine.

Normally, alchemists would need to avoid suspicion, because it is possible to abandon the third pill in order to focus on the first two, or even create a single high-quality pill.

This has happened before in history, causing the alchemist's reputation to plummet.

However, Lin Changheng was an exception. All three of his Foundation Establishment Pills were successfully refined, naturally avoiding this situation and earning people's trust.

"So good!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Fan family were also delighted, as both the Seven-Star Spirit Moon Grass and the Nine-Leaf Purple Elixir were controlled strategic resources of sects and Daoist schools, making them extremely rare.

Once you've gathered these two rarest main ingredients, the third one, [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root], becomes much easier to obtain.

After finishing their conversation, taking advantage of the man's good mood, Lin Changheng suddenly asked, "I've heard that your noble family is known for its beast-taming skills?"

"good."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family had a sudden thought. Master Lin would not ask questions without a reason; he must have some related needs.

However, he does not reject the fact that "the other party has needs," and even welcomes it, since the combination of interests is the most stable.

"Does Master Lin need any beasts? I saw that Master Lin keeps a tortoise-like spirit beast in his front yard, but it was hidden in the mud and I couldn't see it clearly."

"Indeed, I do have something I need your help with. There are two main matters, and I wonder if you can be of assistance."

Lin Changheng nodded and told the whole story without any pretense.

"Master Lin, please tell me. If it is within my ability and authority, I can promise to help you accomplish it."

“If he is not here, I will inform the clan and do my best to make it happen.”

Regardless, the attitude of the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family was impeccable, leaving Lin Changheng with no room for criticism.

However, this kind of statement actually leaves room for shirking responsibility. If they feel it won't work, they can simply say they don't have the authority or ability, hand it over to the clan, and then express their opinion on how to mediate.

He can be described as meticulous and cunning.

Lin Changheng ignored this and continued, raising two points:
"Firstly, I would like to purchase a batch of [Turbid Fiend Essence Blood] from nobles, or even higher-grade blood, preferably in large quantities."

"Secondly, I wonder if there are any pills or medicinal herbs that are suitable for accelerating the growth of turtle-type spirit beasts? Since your noble family is based on beast taming, could you perhaps enlighten me? I would like to learn from you."

"I wonder if these two matters are within Fellow Daoist Fan's capabilities and authority?"

After saying that, Lin Changheng looked at the Fan family cultivator with hopeful eyes.

Upon hearing this, the Fan family members who had just completed their foundation building fell silent.

Lin Changheng didn't urge him, but just watched him ponder.

Then, he added a sentence to dispel the other party's doubts: "As for this, I, Lin, will not take it for free. I can pay the market price for the spirit stones. As for the methods related to accelerating the growth of spirit beasts, I can also guarantee that I will not disclose them to outsiders and will only use them for my own spirit beasts."

Upon hearing this, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family revealed a relaxed smile, then pondered for a moment before saying:

“The former is easy to handle. My clan keeps a kind of demonic beast of the [Turbid Fiend Level] called the [Fire-Tailed Golden Rat], and there are many of them. If Master Lin needs them, I can help you retrieve them.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Changheng was initially delighted but then became frustrated, because he had already completed the process of obtaining the beast's precious seed and purchased a sufficient amount of its essence blood from a shop called "Jiang Family Materials Shop" in the Immortal City. He hadn't expected that the Fan family also possessed this kind of seed.

They crashed...

"The latter is also found in my clan."

Fan Jia continued, "We are building our foundation."

Lin Changheng immediately frowned slightly, "What do you mean by 'consider it'?"

Fan Jia, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, immediately explained: "This method in my clan is for refining pills that can help a type of earth-type earth dragon beast accelerate its growth. I observed that Master Lin's tortoise beast loves mud and is probably also an earth-type spirit beast, so this pill should also be useful."

"Oh?"

Lin Changheng began to ponder. There weren't many types of pills that spirit beasts could take. Only the Beast Taming Clan would study them. They were generally distinguished by attributes, without any detailed distinctions such as those for assisting cultivation, healing, or recovery.

In addition, spirit beasts have strong physiques and powerful internal organs. As long as they don't take poison, they can basically withstand and digest it, only the effects vary.

Lin Changheng has also been using the [Black Armored Earth Turtle] to consume the low-level pills he has captured or that he can no longer use.

They are still alive and well, and their strength is steadily increasing.

This confirms that the pills fed to the Earth Dragon Beast are ineffective against the Black Armored Earth Turtle at most; it won't kill it.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Changheng asked again:

"Besides the [Fire-tailed Golden Rat], do the nobles have any other [Turbid Fiend Level] demonic beasts kept as pets?"

"No." Fan Jia, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, shook his head.

"I have already purchased the essence blood of the [Fire-Tailed Golden Rat] in the Immortal City. I was thinking that nobles might have different kinds of demonic beasts to raise, which could solve a major problem for me, but I didn't expect..."

"That's all."

Having received confirmation from the Fan family's Foundation Establishment stage, Lin Changheng uttered these words, then immediately changed the subject, saying, "I wonder if you could sell me the formula for the pills consumed by this [Earth-type Earth Dragon Beast]?"

"A pill formula?" The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan family immediately looked troubled. "This is a secret recipe passed down within my clan..."

The smile on Lin Changheng's face slowly faded, revealing an indescribable expression:
"Very well, then we will not make things difficult for the nobles."

Although the Fan family's Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't use their divine sense to observe Lin Changheng, their eyes never left him, and upon seeing this, their thoughts immediately surged.

He had just pounded his chest confidently, but now neither of the other party's two requests had been met... They were probably unhappy. If something went wrong with the Foundation Establishment Pill that was the first priority, and there was no high-quality one... This was a consequence that the clan absolutely did not want to see.

So he gritted his teeth and patted his chest, saying, "Master Lin, please wait! I will leave this matter to myself. I will return to my clan to advance this matter shortly. When the time comes to refine the pills, I will present the formula for the [Thick Earth Nourishing Spirit Pill] with both hands. This is my promise!"

"Oh? Then I'll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Fan. I'll be watching closely."

Lin Changheng's expression brightened, and his attitude clearly improved considerably. With the matter settled and both parties satisfied, they parted on a pleasant conversation.

Later, they felt like they had known each other for a long time and considered each other kindred spirits, showing no sign of the atmosphere having just turned icy cold.

But in the world of cultivation, such pretense and playing along are all too common.

After returning, Lin Changheng thought for a moment, then took out another communication jade talisman and sent it out.

They headed towards Deng Changsheng.

This person had done many errands for him, had a wide network of connections among independent cultivators, and was efficient and effective in his work, making him quite easy to use. In addition, Lin Changheng had made a promise, so he decided to help him out.

The message jade talisman contained only one sentence: if he could obtain a [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root] within two months, he would be granted a chance to acquire a [Foundation Building Pill].

Of course, most cultivators in the inner city of the Immortal City knew that the opportunity to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill mentioned by Alchemist Lin was almost equivalent to already having a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill in hand.

However, Lin Changheng still refrained from making definitive statements, leaving room for maneuver, which was in line with his prudent approach.

Although Lin Changheng knew that his neighbor Lü Tong was also seeking the Foundation Establishment Pill and had a [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root], Lin Changheng still did not give him the opportunity. This person was kind and enthusiastic on the surface, but his true nature was hard to fathom. He decided to wait and see.

However, to be fair, there are already five or six cultivators with the [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root] who have registered with Lin Changheng.

It is not scarce.

Lin Changheng could name anyone he wanted, displaying a commanding and authoritative air.

……

time flies.

The day to start refining the Foundation Building Pill arrived quickly.

Deng Changsheng was indeed on the list, but he had disguised himself.

When he received Lin Changheng's message, he was overjoyed because he happened to have access to a channel related to the [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root].

He immediately went to their door to express his deepest gratitude, feeling greatly grateful that he had not followed the wrong person.

He also pledged his loyalty to Lin Changheng in front of him and made a vow that if he were fortunate enough to successfully establish his foundation in the future, he would obey Lin Changheng's orders and follow his lead.

He even changed his address to Lin Changheng as "Master".

Lin Changheng did not refuse, and expressed his satisfaction with Deng Changsheng's pragmatism and gratitude, but requested that he continue to be referred to as Master Lin Dan in public.

Deng Changsheng readily agreed. His previously bleak path seemed to have been illuminated by light, allowing him to see a more distant hope and future.

Two months later, Deng Changsheng finally made his appearance.

Although he was in extremely poor condition, as if he had been injured, his joy and exhilaration were almost overflowing.

Lin Changheng knew at a glance that he had obtained the item.

But he didn't ask in detail. Deng Changsheng obtained this main material in only two ways: one was to go deep into the wilderness to collect it, and the other was... to kill and plunder.

It's commonplace and nothing out of the ordinary; this is the cruel reality of the cultivation world.

Deng Changsheng immediately presented the carefully sealed [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root], which he cherished as if it were his own life.

"No mistake, it can be used as medicine."

Lin Changheng made his judgment with just one glance after opening the box.

Upon hearing this, Deng Changsheng finally felt relieved.

"Put it away."

With a flick of his sleeve, Lin Changheng sent the [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root] flying away, returning to Deng Changsheng's embrace.

At the same time, he also paid special attention to a detail: this kind of crystal clear, shimmering lotus root had no roots, had been processed, and had been preserved for quite some time.

Therefore, its origin is the second one mentioned above. It's unclear which unlucky fellow was targeted, but during the battle, he fought back fiercely, injuring Deng Changsheng, but Deng still had the last laugh.

Lin Changheng lacked a saintly heart; what he regretted even more was that this plant had no roots.

Otherwise, one could also possess another top-tier, precious Tier 2 plant.

……

"Please keep it for me, Lord."

Deng Changsheng held the [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root] forward with both hands, bending his upper body and earnestly requesting.

"Oh? Such a precious item, Changsheng dares to lend it to someone else?"

Lin Changheng smiled deliberately.

“If it weren’t for the Lord’s kindness in giving me this opportunity, how could I have obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill with just a single [Heavenly Crystal Lotus Root]? I would never be so foolish! I am currently injured and carrying a precious treasure, so I am probably not very safe outside. I would like to ask the Lord to keep it safe for me.”

Deng Changsheng was clear-headed, which earned Lin Changheng's approving nod. "Just leave it here."

"Thank you, Lord!"

……

On the day of the alchemy session, two groups of people arrived earlier than the agreed time.

One group, led by Deng Changsheng, took the main materials and put them into his storage bag first.

The other group consisted of three people from the Fan family: two Foundation Establishment cultivators and one robust male cultivator at the Qi Refining Perfection stage.

Fan Yunqing, who came last time, is also here.

He took out a pale green jade slip and handed it to Lin Changheng.

After Lin Changheng pressed the jade slip to his forehead to check that it was correct, he smiled kindly and said, "It's good. Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoist Fan. Please convey our gratitude to the nobles of our dynasty."

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't even bother to reply.

"There is another fellow Daoist who cannot show himself at the moment, but he has brought the spiritual materials in advance, and I have also verified that they are correct."

"Next, please have both of you take out the main ingredients and auxiliary medicines."

Upon hearing this, apart from the Fan family cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining whose expression changed slightly, everyone else remained normal, clearly indicating that their Qi cultivation skills were somewhat lacking.

He even slightly opened his mouth as if to question, but then quickly closed it again, as if he had been reprimanded by his family elders, and lowered his head, no longer daring to speak.

Lin Changheng inspected the medicinal materials to ensure they were intact before announcing the order of selection.

The Fan family was first, and Deng Daoyou was third. The second time, he made the selection on behalf of those who were not present.

At this point, everyone agreed.

……

Seven days passed under the watchful eyes of the public.

With a "hum", three Foundation Establishment Pills flew out of the alchemy furnace.

One premium product, two genuine products.

As expected, the pill was successfully formed through steady and methodical steps.

After paying the spirit stones for starting the furnace, the pills were divided and everyone left excitedly.

(End of this chapter)