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

Chapter 196 Lifespan Compared to a Fake Elixir, Decides to Take Action (5K)

"As expected, the essence blood of a fake core demon beast is more concentrated, and its spirit-stealing effect is better. One drop of concentration is equivalent to one unit, which can accumulate two progress points."

Lin Changheng's earlier guess was confirmed, and he immediately looked down.

……

[With essence and blood fully absorbed, the transformation is complete!]

【Azure Wave Spirit Turtle True Core - Supreme】

[Can be refined into the bloodline of demonic beasts to revert to ancestral demonic attributes: lifespan extension]

"Actively calling it 'Dharma,' passively calling it 'Gift'! Still at the same level! I wonder how much lifespan this [Longevity Demon Gift] can increase for me."

Lin Changheng looked at the blue true core inside the Yuan Cauldron, which stood out prominently against the azure glow, and a sense of curiosity arose in his heart.

He has now lived to be 301 years old, with only half a year left!
"Go straight for it, let me see your limits!"

The true core within the Yuan Ding, imbued with a strong sense of vitality, was plucked by Lin Changheng and gently fell into his soul.

"boom!"

A surge of vitality exploded within my body.

Suddenly, a feeling of comfort, like hugging a heater in the dead of winter, welled up inside him and washed over his entire body.

Lin Changheng consciously controlled this cleansing through the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power], avoiding his appearance.

Then close your eyes and perceive carefully.

"My lifespan..."

Lin Changheng's eyes widened as he realized that his lifespan had increased significantly once again.

It has been 341 years, plus half a year.

It skyrocketed for forty years.

Overall, the lifespan boost from the essence of the Azure Wave Spirit Turtle reached eighty years!
Generally speaking, the theoretical lifespan of a Core Formation cultivator is around five hundred years, though some may live shorter. However, some Core Formation cultivators who cultivate health preservation techniques or have extraordinary opportunities may even live up to six hundred years.

There is no fixed destiny in the world of cultivation.

However, the quality of a False Core cultivator's Core Formation is insufficient; to some extent, it is only a semi-finished product, but it still retains some of the power of a Core Formation cultivator.

Therefore, the theoretical limit of lifespan is 350 years.

He is only a hundred years older than a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but a hundred and fifty years younger than a True Core or Golden Core cultivator!

Therefore, there is a saying in the cultivation world: the gap between a True Core cultivator, a Golden Core cultivator, and a False Core cultivator is greater than the gap between a False Core cultivator and a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lifespan is one aspect, strength is another.

In other words, Lin Changheng's current lifespan is approaching the theoretical lifespan of a pseudo-core cultivator. Some short-lived or injured cultivators may not even outlive him, who is free from fighting and has no hidden injuries.

Lin Changheng couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu, almost like Versailles.

How come lifespan seems to increase as one lives longer?

But the more this was the case, the more Lin Changheng cherished it. He reminded himself to proceed steadily and cautiously, not to take risks rashly, not to be blinded by petty gains, and to make sure he could achieve immortality steadily!

"I just don't know what kind of monster this [Turbid Pill Monster] is, or what kind of talent it has!"

Lin Changheng was somewhat curious, but he had no intention of storming the Qiu family's house to rob them.

The fact that the Xu family told him this might mean they intended to use his strength to destroy the Qiu family in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, they encountered Lin Changheng, whose pet turtles might not be as cautious as he was.

……

The following day, Lin Changheng was released from quarantine on time.

Tantai Feiyue immediately came forward and asked Lin Changheng if his enlightenment had gone smoothly and what he had gained.

Lin Changheng naturally expressed his satisfaction, but did not elaborate.

At the same time, he slapped his forehead and suddenly remembered something.

"Feiyue, look what this is?"

Lin Changheng wiped his storage bag, and a jade slip appeared in his hand, which he handed to Tantai Feiyue.

"Let me see."

Tantai Feiyue immediately drew her divine sense into it, and soon looked at Lin Changheng with delight, "These are the principles and refining methods of the three types of talisman plates?"

"Thank you, Brother Lin!"

"What did you call me?"

"Thank you, my husband..." Her voice unconsciously softened slightly.

It's obvious that in the bedroom, one can shout anything when in a daze, but once calmed down, one is no longer so unrestrained and carefree.

"good."

Lin Changheng and Tantai Feiyue exchanged a few jokes, and then Lin Changheng said with a smile, "This thing was hard to come by. After I received your message, I went to the Immortal City to look for it several times, but I couldn't find it at all. It was given to me by a talisman master who was asking for pills for his juniors."

"Otherwise, I really wouldn't know where to start looking."

"I see." Tantai Feiyue was touched and leaned against Lin Changheng's chest, but her face turned red from his large hands.

Later, when Lin Changheng left, Tantai Feiyue, as usual, took out two stacks of second-tier talismans, one for attack and one for defense, and handed them to Lin Changheng.

It can be said that from the mid-stage of Qi Refining onwards, the talismans used by Lin Changheng were all supplied by Tantai Feiyue.

He still has a bunch of first-tier talismans left in his storage bag, after all, he hasn't used them up many times in the entire process of fighting.

But if he really encounters danger or a powerful enemy, he can trigger the attack in stages, which can actually cause considerable damage.

Of course, this is something to talk about later.

After a brief moment of tenderness, Lin Changheng left the pavilion alone and vanished into thin air, soon arriving at Xu Hanji's courtyard.

Xu Xuheng and Xu Qianyan were already present.

But Lin Changheng still noticed the aloof and stunning woman in the purple dress, who was now sitting to his side.

It was Xu Hanji.

"Master Lin Dan!"

"Master Lin!"

The two men immediately stepped forward to greet them. Xu Xuheng, in particular, looked at them with a clear sense of anticipation in his old eyes.

Lin Changheng nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his eyes already fixed on the female cultivator who had also gotten up and walked over upon hearing the sound.

The two had not seen each other for more than twenty years.

Since our last parting at the Xu family mansion in Qinglingfang, not only have we not seen each other, but we almost became mortal enemies.

"This humble woman greets Alchemist Lin. If it weren't for Alchemist Lin's elixir that saved my life last time, I'm afraid I wouldn't be here today. I might not even have been able to see Alchemist Lin one last time."

Xu Hanji's voice was even colder than before, and it carried a sense of indifference to life and death.

"Miss, you don't need to be so polite."

Lin Changheng raised one hand, and a surge of magical power drifted away, stopping the female cultivator's graceful body from performing the ritual.

"I was not there at the time, and I did not congratulate Master Lin on his double progress in magic power and skills..." Xu Hanji smiled faintly.

"Hey, after all these years, why are you still so distant with me, Miss?"

Lin Changheng smiled deliberately.

After chatting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the group's previously unfamiliar relationship had become much closer. Xu Xuheng, the head of the Xu family, was anxious and cautiously asked Lin Changheng if he could take a look on Xu Hanji's behalf.

"Let's go. Mr. Lin needs to conduct his examination and handle the matter in a secluded place."

As he spoke, Lin Changheng took the lead and headed towards the prepared secret room. At his father's signal, Xu Hanji took small steps and quickly followed.

"boom!"

The door to the seclusion room was closed.

Outside the door, two elderly people remained, their emotions unspoken, patiently waiting.

"Patriarch, rest assured, Ji'er's dantian has recovered to 80 or 90 percent. With Master Lin's skill, he should be able to recover the remaining one or two percent."

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed. When we worked together in the clan, wasn’t Master Lin known for his steadiness?”

Seeing the anxious and heavy atmosphere spreading, Xu Qianyan was afraid that the patriarch's emotions might be agitated and something unexpected might happen, so he broke the silence and smiled.

In fact, Xu Qianyan was much older than Xu Xuheng, but his physical and mental condition was far superior to the latter's.

Firstly, Xu Qianyan was indifferent to worldly affairs, focusing solely on alchemy, free from distractions and worries. Now, having achieved his goal of breaking through to the second level of alchemy, he had no further desires.

Secondly, alchemists tend to pay attention to conditioning and health preservation to some extent.

In Lin Changheng's view, this person is full of vitality and shows no signs of decline, and may be able to break through the theoretical age limit of 130 years for Qi Refining cultivators.

"Right."

Xu Xuheng's anxiety was greatly relieved by this suggestion.

"Once this matter is resolved, we can rest assured about Ji'er's Foundation Establishment. Success would be great, but failure is nothing to worry about."

Xu Qianyan kept talking, constantly guiding and diverting the other party's attention.

……

Meanwhile, inside the secret room...

Lin Changheng and Xu Hanji looked at each other in silence.

"Ahem, I wonder if Miss is ready? My investigation might lead to intimate contact..."

Lin Changheng broke the silence first, his expression slightly solemn.

He needs to explain this in advance and seek the other party's opinion.

Instead, Xu Hanji blushed slightly, and then her softly uttered words startled Lin Changheng:
"Outside Mangdang Mountain, under the old banyan tree, Brother Lin has already saved this young lady. What harm is there in saving her one more time?"

During that chance encounter with the remnants of the Chen family, Lin Changheng arrived in time to save Xu Hanji. Later, he also learned that the mountain was called Mangdang Mountain and the tree was an old banyan tree.

So, this woman... was conscious at the time?

Or was it a fleeting moment of lucidity followed by a realization afterward? After all, her hands hadn't rejected his advances; in fact, she'd touched him quite firmly a few times. Seeing Xu Hanji's slightly dazed gaze only confirmed her suspicion.

"It's just a misunderstanding."

Lin Changheng shook his head.

"Ji'er doesn't blame Brother Lin at all; all she feels is gratitude, and..."

Xu Hanji slowly stepped forward and came to Lin Changheng's side, looking at him with a complicated expression, "a feeling that I myself can't quite explain."

"I often think of Brother Lin in the dead of night, but because of my so-called reserve, I can only pretend not to know and hope that Brother Lin will come closer to me..."

"As a result, Sister Feiyue got there first. Later, I was even more bound by so-called identity, status, and worldly views, and I suppressed my feelings deep in my heart, refusing to reveal even a trace of them. Back then, the time when we worked together at Qinglingfang was the happiest period of my life."

“Now that I’m about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, I have to give it my all, no matter what. But I know the odds aren’t high. Getting injured and unable to cultivate would waste the most precious preparation period for Foundation Establishment. If I fail, I’ll die. Since Brother Lin is willing to come for me, it means he’s not entirely without my support. So, I’ve decided to be bold this time…”

"It's better to live a life that reveals your true feelings and leaves no regrets than to take them to the grave after death."

Xu Hanji said a lot, which surprised Lin Changheng slightly.

This woman appears aloof and unparalleled on the surface, yet her inner emotions are surprisingly intense.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I was at a loss for what to do or say.

"Brother Lin, would you be willing to give me a hug?"

Xu Hanji did not dodge, and once she made her decision, she was extremely resolute, her eyes never leaving Lin Changheng.

With a slight sigh, Lin Changheng stepped forward and pulled the woman's delicate figure into his arms.

At this moment, he had no other thoughts in his mind; he simply let the woman lean on his shoulder.

A moment later, Lin Changheng patted Xu Hanji on the shoulder, indicating that business was more important.

"Thank you, Brother Lin."

Xu Hanji said softly, looking at Lin Changheng with a slight smile, before lying down on the bed, like a snow lotus in bloom, allowing him to examine her.

Lin Changheng's expression was solemn. He couldn't care less about anything else at this moment. He disregarded the traditional separation between men and women and directly reached out to untie Xu Hanji's purple dress.

It revealed a delicate, light purple undergarment underneath.

At this moment, Xu Hanji's delicate body tensed up involuntarily, and even began to tremble slightly, and a blush immediately appeared on her face.

After all, this was the first time a male cultivator of the opposite sex had seen her like this...

Lin Changheng kept his eyes straight ahead, extending his warm palm directly to her lower abdomen, touching her delicate skin.

It is worth mentioning that divine sense usually cannot enter a cultivator's body without contact, because the cultivator's body is filled with magical power and spiritual light that can distort or even block the detection. Physical contact is necessary as a bridge.

Moreover, it requires a stronger spiritual sense to forcefully break through upon contact, or for the other party to voluntarily release their defenses. The [Soul Searching Secret Technique] is a specific application of this.

"Humph……"

Xu Hanji trembled immediately.

Lin Changheng was surprised to see this and looked at Xu Hanji with a puzzled expression.

Upon being looked at, Xu Hanji's pretty face turned even redder, and her body trembled. "Brother Lin, don't worry about it, just investigate directly. This is... a normal physiological reaction."

"Okay, just bear with it for a moment."

"Um……"

Having received a positive response, Lin Changheng gently channeled his magical power and divine sense into it.

Investigate carefully.

In reality, cultivators would never entrust their dantian to outsiders to explore unless the person is trustworthy. Not only is it completely unreserved, but if the other party suddenly releases their magical power, the dantian is likely to be directly damaged or even explode.

Extremely dangerous.

Therefore, in order to avoid any accidents, Lin Changheng probed very gently and slowly, otherwise he might have caused irreversible damage to the dantian that had already recovered most of its strength.

About an incense stick later, Lin Changheng withdrew his magic.

But where the hand left, tiny red spots appeared on Xu Hanji's fair and delicate abdomen, where the lines were clearly defined.

Is it really that sensitive?

Xu Hanji maintained a forced, clenched-teeth expression, her mind seemingly wandering elsewhere.

They clearly had no idea what Lin Changheng was doing or what he had done.

"In that case..."

Lin Changheng had a plan.

The strange sensations in her body ceased, and a cool feeling returned to her abdomen. Only then did Xu Hanji realize that Lin Changheng's burning hand had left. A trace of lingering affection flashed through her mind for no reason. She then got up and quickly put on her clothes.

At this moment, Lin Changheng had already turned his back and stopped looking, to avoid embarrassing the female cultivator.

The two did not leave immediately, because Xu Hanji's current appearance made it hard not to wonder what they had done in the secret room.

Only after she calmed down did the door to the secret room suddenly open.

The two walked out one after the other.

"Master Lin, how is it?"

Xu Xuheng waited outside the door for less than half an hour, but it felt like three autumns had passed. He glanced at his daughter and hurriedly asked Lin Changheng.

At the same time, Xu Qianyan's inquiring gaze also fell upon them.

"The recovery is going well. We can try a couple of things. We're about 80% confident that it will be back to its original state."

Lin Changheng paused for a moment before speaking.

"really?"

"Thank you very much, Master Lin!"

The two elderly people in the Xu family were overjoyed, especially Xu Xuheng, who felt a great sense of relief and tears welled up in his eyes.

At this moment, Xu Hanji's eyes also showed surprise. Clearly, she did not want to die. She had a father, clansmen, family, and the path she had been seeking.

But then she remembered how, in her sorrow, she had boldly revealed her feelings to Brother Lin, and her pretty face blushed slightly.

But the Xu family elders were not surprised, because it was normal to be excited, and they were also moved and lost their composure.

"What preparations are needed? Is there anything we can do?"

Xu Qianyan quickly calmed down and asked the key question.

"No need, I happen to have medicinal herbs in my storage bag, all I need to do is start the furnace to refine them."

"At that time, I will use a secret technique to guide the medicinal power and repair the remaining damage to the young lady's dantian, and then there will be no major problem."

Lin Changheng shook his head and said these words.

"Alright! Then we will await news from Master Lin. We don't know how to express our gratitude."

"That's too formal of you," Lin Changheng smiled. "The blood essence that the nobleman sent last night was very useful."

The second half of the sentence is a subtle hint: if you really want to express your gratitude, please intensify your search for essence and blood.

"Good! The essence blood of demon beasts has always been an important matter for the clan. It's just that it's hard to find [Turbid Fiend] and [Mysterious Spirit] level and above, but it's not a problem if we put our heart into it and spend the time."

Xu Xuheng nodded, indicating his stance.

Not long after, Lin Changheng took his leave.

Tantai Feiyue is not at home; she must have gone to the [Spirit Talisman Hall] to study the art of talismans and create talismans.

Lin Changheng directly opened the furnace, drawing upon the [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] as fire.

Directly refine the elixir.

He was going to refine a kind of pill called the "Azure Spirit Pill".

Aside from a slight effect in repairing injuries, it has no other special effects.

Lin Changheng chose it because this elixir has a unique characteristic: when the elixir is ingested, it emits a soft, green light!
Not only the dantian, but also the meridians will be briefly tinged with this color.

This will effectively conceal the unusual phenomena caused by Lin Changheng's use of the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power]!

At the same time, giving her another pill that clearly provides warmth and replenishes her mana will directly mask the problem.

This pill doesn't need to be refined; Lin Changheng already has it in his storage bag.

Furthermore, the fact that Xu Hanji trembles and seems lost in thought whenever touched confirms that he is even less likely to discover the truth!
This is a foolproof plan prepared by Lin Changheng!
……

Actually, there's an even simpler way: don't try to help! Just ignore it!
However, the Xu family had already become Lin Changheng's channel for collecting essence blood, and they also gifted him the [Netherworld Essence Blood]. In addition, there was the existing affection between them, as well as their relationship with Tantai Feiyue.

Ultimately, the decision was made to take action, but action must be planned, hence the above preparations.

……

Seven days later.

Lin Changheng, who had long since finished refining the pills and had spent several days cultivating diligently, finally emerged from seclusion.

Avoid any possible detection.

Then they contacted the Xu family to offer treatment for Xu Hanji's injuries.

The Xu family made arrangements quickly.

Not long after, in the secret room, the two were still facing each other.

"Don't worry, I'll be very gentle, it won't be a problem."

Seeing that the woman lying down was clearly nervous, Lin Changheng comforted her.

Xu Hanji nodded.

"Take these two kinds of pills first."

Seeing that the other party had swallowed, Lin Changheng skillfully untied the woman's gauze skirt.

Beneath the small, moon-white bodice, came Lin Changheng's large hand.

"call……"

With a slight tremor, the true meaning of the [Glory Life Divine Power], driven by magical power, was infused into it.

(End of this chapter)