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

Chapter 218 The Final Main Ingredient, Ambush of the Target
Mo Zhaoli is extremely experienced and handles situations very quickly, but the problem is that unexpected events are still inevitable.

The final attack of this [Crimson Serpent] was clearly excessive, exceeding the strength and speed that a second-stage early-stage demon could possess; otherwise, Mo Zhaoli could have easily dodged and blocked it.

But still... an accident happened!

Lin Changheng felt a chill run down his spine and became even more vigilant.

You can succeed countless times in magical battles and monster hunting, but if an accident occurs even once or you fall victim to a monster, the consequences will be unimaginable.

The journey may be completely destroyed, or even death may result.

We must be extremely cautious and not be careless!
Once you make a move, you must use swift and decisive methods to kill the enemy, leaving them utterly devastated.

……

Lin Changheng stepped forward, heading towards the massive snake corpse that had crashed to the ground. The [Flowing Light Sword] flew out of his hand and sliced ​​the snake corpse into eight pieces through the gaping wound in the flesh.

Before long, a crimson demon core was selected.

Then the flying sword wandered again, extracting some essence blood, which Lin Changheng directly used his magic power to capture and put into a bottle.

Lin Changheng clapped his hands, intending to end the conversation, when Mo Zhaoli walked up to him and said with a smile, "Brother Lin forgot about the most valuable part of this Crimson Serpent."

"Oh?" Lin Changheng asked in surprise.

Mo Zhaoli quickly composed herself and smiled gently at Lin Changheng. Although she knew that the method Lin had used to save her was extremely miraculous, she did not ask any further questions.

Lin Changheng naturally didn't say anything more.

A magical flying sword flew out of her hand and sliced ​​directly into a piece of tender flesh, separating the flesh and blood to reveal a snake gall the size of a fist.

It was captured on camera.

At the same time, he manipulated the flying sword to cut back and forth, peeling off a scaly snakeskin almost completely.

"This snake gall is effective for cultivators to temper their bodies."

"This scaly snakeskin is extremely tough and can be used to forge armor or magical artifacts, or it can be sold directly."

Mo Zhaoli explained with a smile.

"I see."

Lin Changheng was certainly knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, but he lacked understanding of materials made from demonic beasts. In this respect, he was definitely not as good as Mo Zhaoli, who was often out hunting demons and completing sect missions.

Next came the division of the spoils.

After some discussion, Lin Changheng put away the [Red Serpent Gallbladder] and the [Demon Serpent Essence Blood].

Mo Zhaoli received the [Scaled Snake Skin] and the [Crimson Serpent Demon Core].

The value distribution is roughly the same, but both are useful to Lin Changheng.

……

The two of them continued on their way.

The remaining snake meat was collected, while the snake carcass was discarded at will.

Because soon the stench of blood will fill the air, attracting monsters to clean it up.

For demonic beasts, it is considered a gift from the cultivation world, a highly nourishing substance.

"How much further is it?" Lin Changheng asked.

“Less than fifty li,” Mo Zhaoli estimated.

"it is good."

Fifty miles is not a long distance for two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"There are people ahead, and the fluctuations indicate a battle."

After traveling about twenty miles, Lin Changheng suddenly stopped and sent a telepathic message to Mo Zhaoli.

"Ok?"

Mo Zhaoli was taken aback, clearly unaware of what was happening.

But she didn't believe that Brother Lin would deceive her and keep his word.

A guess arose in his mind: Brother Lin's five senses or divine sense were far superior to his own.

Considering the methods Brother Lin used to save her, she simply couldn't have done it—

Does this mean that Brother Lin's strength has surpassed hers?
These thoughts flashed through Mo Zhaoli's mind quite quickly. Lin Changheng had already stepped forward and patted her shoulder, signaling her to follow him.

Then Lin Changheng turned around and went to the side, seemingly intending to take a detour around him.

Mo Zhaoli didn't say much, silently following behind. She had complete trust in Lin Changheng.

His divine sense spread out, and although it was suppressed fiercely as he ventured deeper into the wilderness, it still extended to about a hundred feet.

That's enough to avoid some risks in advance.

Lin Changheng also noticed that the source of the fluctuation was mixed, and it should be a battle between two cultivators and a demon beast.

Based on his vague judgment, there was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, an early-Foundation Establishment cultivator, and a mid-second-tier demon beast.

Because the other party was fully focused on fighting the demonic beast, they did not excessively release their divine sense, but rather restrained it.

Therefore, they did not notice Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli.

Although Lin Changheng could use the [Concealing Breath Demon Technique] to hide himself, turning into withered wood and stone, so that even if the opponent extended their divine sense, they would not be able to detect him, Mo Zhaoli could not conceal himself.

Therefore, Lin Changheng had no intention of getting close to spy or reaping the benefits, and simply kept his distance and took a detour.

The core task is to achieve the goal of venturing into the wilderness, obtain the demon core of the Green-haired Tiger, and exchange it for the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Lin Changheng was particularly clear on this point.

……

It took three extra hours.

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli finally approached their destination.

This is the location where Mo Zhaoli encountered the blue-haired tiger earlier.

It is a waterfall.

"Rumble..."

Before you can see the waterfall, you can already hear its sound.

It wasn't the usual rushing sound of a stream cascading down, but a deep, thunderous sound that continued incessantly.

The air was so humid it was almost dripping wet; every breath was filled with a crisp, moist scent, carrying a refreshing coolness.

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli passed through the last sparse grove of trees, and the scene before them suddenly opened up. A huge wave of sound and water vapor rushed towards them, causing Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli to involuntarily squint their eyes.

A white ribbon suddenly plunged down from the cliff face, like an inverted Milky Way, dazzling the eye.

Water droplets splashed everywhere, creating a mist that filled the surroundings, and beneath the waterfall lay a deep pool.

The pool was deep and dark, like a giant mouth, frantically swallowing everything falling from above, stirring up more bubbles and roars, its bottom unseen, as if it led straight to the deepest hell.

Along the edge of the pool, there are jagged rocks, polished smooth as a mirror by the flowing water.

"Here we are, right here!"

Mo Zhaoli looked around and compared the scene with the one in his memory, confirming the information.

Lin Changheng nodded slightly, his divine sense spreading out, and after observing from afar, he confirmed that there were traces of demonic beast activity nearby.

Especially the claw marks on the side, which were indeed left by a tiger-shaped monster.

A few tangled strands of green hair fell to the ground and sank into the mud.

"Blue-haired tiger!"

This means we found the right location.

However, Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli had no intention of making a move rashly. After exchanging a glance, they immediately split up and hid in the trees in the forest behind them, either by making hand seals or sticking talismans on their hands.

They began to observe the situation from the shadows.

Because so many years have passed, we don't know how the specific situation has changed. For example, the strength and number of the blue tigers, whether there are male tigers, whether the female tiger who was suspected of being pregnant gave birth to cubs, and what their strength is now.
And other possible changes, the potential impact on monster hunting and core extraction, etc.

These situations need to be thoroughly understood in order to take targeted action and achieve the best results.

……

Half a month passed quickly.

The two, who had been taking turns hiding in the tree canopy to monitor the situation, reunited.

By gathering information, we began to determine our course of action.

On that first day, the two of them kept watch together and waited for a long time, but they did not see Qingmaohu.

They realized that continuing like this was not a viable strategy and might be a protracted war. So they decided to dig a new cave some distance away and take turns going through it.

One person monitors from outside while the other recovers.

Two days later, Lin Changheng was outside monitoring the situation.

Suddenly, an unusual ripple appeared in the center of the huge, cascading water curtain.

"Ok?"

Lin Changheng immediately sensed something and subconsciously activated the [Concealing Breath Demon Technique] to blend his aura with the surrounding trees.

Then, with piercing eyes, he fixed his gaze on the roaring waterfall.

The next moment, a green shadow shot out from it like lightning!

It doesn't leap from the pool below the waterfall, but rather pierces directly through the curtain of water, as if the thick torrent were just a thin veil.

It is not stained with even a trace of water, nor is it wet at all.

That was none other than the Green-haired Tiger they had been waiting for!
Lin Changheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

Its body was more agile and slender than that of an ordinary tiger, reaching a length of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), and its entire body was covered with thick, long, blue fur, the tips of which gleamed with a cold, bronze-like light.

What is most striking is the slightly raised "unicorn" on its forehead, which is dark in color and faintly surrounded by swirling wind.

It landed lightly on a slippery boulder by the pool, as if walking on flat ground.

Then it tilted its head back, its nostrils flaring as if it were cautiously sniffing out the surrounding air, its amber eyes gleaming with a wild and agile light.

It clearly possesses remarkable intelligence.

However, it did not notice the pair of eyes that had been watching for a long time in the distance, nor did it sense any unusual presence.

Unable to find anything, the green-haired tiger twisted its body, its thick, pillar-like limbs exerting force, creating a small whirlwind beneath its feet, and nimbly disappeared into the dense forest, vanishing without a trace. "It's actually mid-stage second tier, and not just a beginner!"

Lin Changheng had a vague feeling, but he still used his perfected [Spirit Observation Technique] to confirm it and got a more definite answer: "Indeed, this growth rate is really not slow."

In other words, this green-haired tiger, in less than thirty years, about twenty years, went from the initial stage of the second rank to the middle stage, and even made a small progress in the middle stage of the second rank.

Lin Changheng was surprised, but not alarmed.

Continue to observe and wait.

About an hour later.

There was movement in the forest again, and the green-haired tiger returned, carrying a huge bull-like monster carcass in its gaping maw.

After a brief inspection and observation, and confirming that there was no spying or danger, they waded through the water and entered the cave again.

……

After witnessing the entire scene, Lin Changheng fell into deep thought.

The blue-haired tiger's behavior was somewhat unusual due to its excessive caution.

Moreover, the fact that he returned with his prey without touching it further strengthens the argument.

"Could it be... that it just gave birth recently?"

An idea quickly popped into Lin Changheng's mind.

Only in this way can everything be reasonable and make sense.

When Mo Zhaoli came to hand over the reins the next day.

Lin Changheng specifically pointed out these observed details via telepathy, warning Mo Zhaoli to be careful.

"clear."

Mo Zhaoli felt a slight chill and became extremely alert.

……

And so another twelve days passed.

Lin and Mo have been here for a full half month.

The situation has been basically understood.

Firstly, this tigress most likely just gave birth, as she would come out of her den to forage every three days.

Each time I go out, it usually takes more than an hour.

It seems to have deliberately gone to a distant place to hunt for food, without clearing out the monsters nearby.

Mo Zhaoli guessed that these monsters were left as a natural barrier outside the cave.

This prevents human cultivators from easily infiltrating or getting close, and allows them to detect and respond to any conflicts between humans and demons.

……

Secondly, there is indeed a male tiger with blue fur, and its strength is above the late stage of the second tier.

It was over three zhang long, even larger, fiercer, and had an astonishing aura.

They are an existence that Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli cannot match.

They only come once every five or six days.

When they arrive, they either bring prey or carry rare herbs.

There must be another important den or "outpost" there; it's unclear why the mother tiger and her cubs were placed here.

During this period, Lin Changheng only saw it twice, and even followed it from a distance for a while to make sure it had indeed gone quite far before turning back.

……

Therefore, Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli devised a plan to hunt demons.

After repeated discussions and deliberations, it was decided that the event would officially begin one day after the departure of the male tiger with green hair.

If the tigress comes out to hunt, she will launch a surprise attack when the prey returns to its den after hunting.

After all, hunting inevitably consumes physical strength and demonic energy, and the approaching return home makes it easier to become complacent and relaxed, which presents an opportunity for them.

If the male tiger brings food, Lin Changheng's spirit beast, the Deep Lake Spirit Clam, will be used to claim territory and provoke the tiger.

Because demonic beasts value their territory, the Green-haired Tiger will often come out to drive them away or even fight them. At that time, Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli will directly take action and kill it.

Next, it was time to wait.

Both of them are very calm and have plenty of patience.

……

time flies.

The second-stage late-stage blue-haired male tiger reappeared, carrying a blue crescent-shaped lotus flower in its mouth.

"Is this the Blue and White Moon Lotus?"

Lin Changheng, who was hiding in the distant forest, suddenly narrowed his eyes, and matched the lotus flower in the tiger's mouth with the details described in the classic text.

Celadon petals, cold and clear; moonlight condenses on the surface; silver veins pierce the leaves; jade flowers float on frost.

This is the only ingredient Lin Changheng is missing when refining the [Youth Preservation Pill]!

I've searched for a long time in the [Floating Life Immortal City] without finding a trace, but I never expected to encounter it here!
Lin Changheng was a little envious, but that was all.

They dared not act rashly because... they couldn't win.

We could only watch as the male tiger waded through the water and rode the wind into the waterfall.

"I hope that this [Blue and White Moon Lotus] will still exist tomorrow..."

Lin Changheng could only hope for this.

……

The next day, the blue-haired tiger finally left, and they waited patiently for another day until the tiger was completely gone.

After exchanging a glance, Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli hid in the treetops of the forest.

"laugh!"

The blue-haired tigress also came out to hunt for food, but she still carefully patrolled the area before disappearing into the forest.

"Li'er, you keep watch while I go and will be right back to make some arrangements."

"it is good."

Seeing Mo Zhaoli nod, Lin Changheng immediately activated the [Concealing Breath Demon Technique] and left.

He quickly flashed to the side of the deep pool under the waterfall, patted his spirit beast pouch, and a dark blue-black [Deep Lake Spirit Clam], as big as a large stone mill, appeared. It opened its shell towards Lin Changheng and gently fell into the pool, sinking to the bottom.

No longer visible.

Meanwhile, Lin Changheng moved around the waterfall, constantly sending array flags and pressing array plates into the ground.

This was obtained by Lin Changheng from a second-tier array master who was seeking pills.

The previous [Flowing Clouds Obscuring the Moon Formation] cannot be moved rashly; it needs to be operated for a long time to cover the spirit herb fields, so we can only seek another one.

It also cost four or five thousand low-grade spirit stones.

The price of second-tier array plates and array flags is similar to that of second-tier spiritual artifacts. Both are items that can be used for a long time, and they cost more than six thousand low-grade spirit stones.

However, it's definitely worth the price; it's called the "Mirage Water Curtain Array"!
Lin Changheng's technique was skillful, and his movements were as fast as lightning. As the last main array flag disappeared into the edge of the deep pool, he formed hand seals and shouted, "Rise!"

In an instant, the space within a radius of several hundred feet around the waterfall and the cold pool distorted slightly, as if a very faint, flowing film of water rippled across it before disappearing completely.

The dense moisture in the air seemed to make it even more hazy, and the light was subtly refracted here, causing the gazes of both humans and demons to involuntarily drift away, making it difficult to focus on the core area covered by this formation.

"Om..."

The faint hum of the array operating on its own was completely drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.

Although this [Mirage Water Curtain Array] is only a second-tier low-grade one, its advantage lies in its perfect fit with the environment. By utilizing the power of water and mist, it can maximize its concealment effect, enough to deceive the perception of most second-tier mid-stage demonic beasts and even mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even if the fighting inside is so fierce that the earth collapses, the noise won't get out.

Lin Changheng looked around, nodded in satisfaction, and then retreated rapidly, simultaneously pressing down the formation with a hand seal to stop its operation.

From the outside, the waterfall and the deep pool still look the same; nothing has changed.

It was as if no one had ever been here.

……

"Brother Lin, what are you preparing for..."

Mo Zhaoli stared at all this with slightly wide eyes, her red lips parted slightly, and she sent a surprised message to Lin Changheng, who had returned to her side.

"It was just a little preparation."

Lin Changheng smiled upon hearing this, completely unconcerned.

Mo Zhaoli nodded obediently, feeling incredibly safe and secure being with Brother Lin.

More than half an hour later.

The Green-haired Tiger finally returned, bringing back a dead wolf demon.

My nose twitched slightly, but I couldn't detect any scent, only the smell of rising moisture.

The fleeting aura of the Deep Lake Spirit Clam had long been washed away by the surging water vapor, leaving no trace.

……

"call out!"

Just as the Green-haired Tiger leaped into the water and was about to enter the cave, a silver light suddenly shot out from the dense forest behind it.

Extremely swift, like a venomous snake that has been lying in wait finally baring its fangs, it struck the relatively soft waist and abdomen of the green-haired tiger with perfect precision!

The silver light was not a simple projection of a magical artifact; during its flight, it spontaneously split into three, forming a triangular shape that blocked all possible evasion routes for the green-haired tiger.

Extremely tricky!

This is Mo Zhaoli making his move.

On the other side, Lin Changheng made a hand seal, and instantly a very faint, flowing film of water ripples rose up, completely enveloping an area of ​​several hundred feet in radius.

At the same time, the opening of the spirit beast pouch at his waist loosened, and a black tortoise cautiously poked its head out, then quietly burrowed into the ground using earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique in Chinese fantasy novels)...

(End of this chapter)