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

Chapter 239 Entrusting the Sacrifice, Preserving Youth and Prolonging Life (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Lin Changheng nodded slightly, "I am aware of your talent in talismanic arts, but cultivation is fundamental and should not be neglected."

"I understand."

The two sat by the window, drinking tea and talking softly.

They mostly talked about everyday trivia and insights from their spiritual practice. Occasionally, they would mention the matter of the Qiu family patriarch, but only briefly and without going into detail.

As night deepened, Lin Changheng stood up and gently pulled that soft, fragrant body into his arms with a slight effort.

Tantai Feiyue obediently leaned against his firm chest, listening to his strong and slightly rapid heartbeat, feeling the reassuring warmth and breath, and then feeling the mischievous large hand begin to wander.

Before long, soft murmurs and the sound of footsteps trudging through the mud could be heard.

The saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" has been repeated once again.

With his late-stage second-tier physique, Lin Changheng ran rampant, charging straight in with his sword, slaughtering the enemy and leaving them in disarray. In the end, he even fainted on the battlefield.

……

The next few days.

Lin Changheng first went to visit Master Mo.

Master Mo lay on the couch, no longer possessing the spirit of a former alchemist or the bearing of a cultivator, looking no different from a withered old man on his deathbed in the mortal world.

"Master Mo".

Lin Changheng stepped forward and called out softly. His voice sounded particularly clear and heavy in the quiet room.

The master Mo on the couch twitched his eyelids a few times with difficulty before slowly opening them.

Those eyes, which once shone with wisdom and insight, and could precisely control the changes within the furnace, are now murky and dull, devoid of any brilliance, leaving only a gray and lifeless void.

"Has Li'er arrived?"

He strained to focus and looked for a while before he could vaguely make out Lin Changheng's outline.

“...It’s...Changheng…” He opened his mouth, his voice dry and hoarse like a broken bellows, barely a whisper, each word he uttered seemed incredibly difficult.

Lin Changheng slightly activated the true meaning of the [Rongsheng Divine Power] and gave feedback. The other party was filled with a desolate aura, a sense of decay that came with the end of life. "Master Mo, it's me. I've come to see you."

Mo Shi tried to move, but found it incredibly difficult to even lift a finger. In the end, he could only blink weakly, his cloudy eyes revealing a complex emotion: a faint sense of relief, a deep weariness, and perhaps a trace of unspeakable regret.

"You...you're back...good...good..." he said haltingly, his breath growing weaker and weaker.

Lin Changheng squatted down beside the couch, trying to keep his line of sight level with Mo Shi.

Looking at the elder who had once guided him into the path of alchemy and taken good care of him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, even with his resolute character.

Without reaching a higher level, one cannot even retain the last vestige of dignity of a cultivator; one can only wait to die on one's sickbed, just like an ordinary person.

He softened his voice, took out a jade bottle from his storage bag, and gently placed it beside the other person's head. "I have refined a pill that may allow you to hold on for a few more days... so that you can see Li'er arrive."

Lin Changheng was worried that Master Mo was over 130 years old and was likely to pass away at any time. If they could not see Mo Zhaoli one last time, it would be a great regret for both of them.

The pill I just gave to Master Mo was a [Life-Preserving Pill]. It cannot prolong life, but it can minimize the consumption of the body's vitality, almost putting one into a semi-dead state.

In order to "extend" the length of life.

Master Mo's gaze slowly shifted to the jade bottle, a slight ripple appearing in his eyes, before he nodded very slowly.

"Changheng is very kind..." He took a few breaths before gathering his strength to continue, "I know my own body... I know my time is up... Nothing can reverse it, only prolong it..."

"To see my most prized disciple again is already a blessing from heaven..." He focused his gaze intently on Lin Changheng's face, as if trying to memorize his features. "The path of alchemy... is rugged and long. You must... keep going..."

"Let me see... a higher and farther view of the Dao of Alchemy..."

Before he could finish speaking, he had exhausted most of his strength. He coughed violently, his body curled up like the last withered leaf in the autumn wind, ready to fall at any moment.

Lin Changheng sighed deeply.

"Master Mo, I will." He promised in a low voice, his voice firm, and reached out to grasp the other's withered old hand.

Feeling the warm current carrying life within him and the warmth of his palm, Master Mo's rapid breathing calmed slightly. With the last of his strength, he gently squeezed Lin Changheng's hand back, saying, "From now on... please take good care of Li'er for me..."

Suddenly, the image of that gentle figure flashed through his mind, and Lin Changheng nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, Master Mo."

Mo Shi then revealed a relieved smile. How could he not know Lin Changheng's character? With these words, he could leave in peace.

After that, Lin Changheng did not speak with Master Mo again. Only after Master Mo nodded in agreement did he watch as the maid arranged by the Xu family crushed the [Life-Preserving Pill] that had just been given to Master Mo and made him take it.

Lin Changheng stayed with him for a while longer, and seeing that Master Mo's life force was beginning to fade and his consciousness was almost gone, he quietly left.

……

After leaving the Mo Shi Academy, Lin Changheng went to see Xu Fugui again.

"Brother Lin!"

Xu Fugui's once strong and capable appearance, which he had cultivated while working hard outside, has disappeared once again.

Like an inflated balloon, he regained his belly, and his face became even rounder. If you didn't know better, you would think he was a worldly rich man, with obvious signs of wealth.

"Tsk tsk, Fugui, your life is much more comfortable than mine."

Lin Changheng watched the slender figure of the concubine being waved away by Xu Fugui and couldn't help but sigh.

After sixty years of friendship, Lin Changheng had no reason to put on airs when the two met.

"Hahaha, I previously overexploited my vital energy and consumed a large number of pills, accumulating a considerable amount of pill toxins, which prevented me from breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Since then, I have gradually changed my mind..."

"First, enjoy life to the fullest; second, benefit your descendants. There is nothing else!"

Xu Fugui chuckled, displaying a kind of enlightened magnanimity.

"That's true. Don't be fooled by the vastness of this cultivation world. How many people can reach the fourth or fifth level? How many can ascend to the upper realm? Unless one has a firm Dao heart and a promising path, retiring while one is ahead might be a good choice."

Lin Changheng's resolve in the Dao was firm, but that didn't stop him from offering some words of comfort to his friend.

"Brother Lin is right."

The two left their home and began to stroll.

Just like thirty or forty years ago, we walked and chatted along the banks of the Blackwater River, enjoying the river breeze.

Apart from the occasional Xu family member seeing Lin Changheng and respectfully making way for him with bows and humility, there was no difference from before.

Especially when talking about the past, both of them showed a nostalgic look, reminiscing about the time when they were drinking and chatting with their friends from the Immortal Clan.

On those green hills where they were buried, the young pines must have grown tall and graceful.

Lin Changheng stated directly that the Qiu family patriarch had died and his ashes had been brought back. He planned to bring a few jugs of the wine he used to drink to Bai Fengxian's grave in a few days, on the anniversary of Bai Fengxian's death, and scatter the ashes of this enemy in front of his grave to comfort his spirit in heaven.

At the same time, it also allows Xu Fugui to prepare. With the Qiu family about to be wiped out, he can both satisfy his grudges and make preparations in advance if his children still need resources.

Lin Changheng's tone was calm, yet it carried a deep sense of loyalty.

Although Xu Fugui is a high-ranking member of the Xu family, this matter is still under discussion among the four core members and has not yet been made public.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fugui abruptly stopped and turned to look at Lin Changheng, his eyes instantly surging with intense emotions!
Shock, surprise, and then a complex emotion that was hard to describe: the joy of revenge, the deep longing for the deceased friend, and the shock of Lin Changheng's progress in strength!
"Good, good, Brother Lin, well done! Old Bai's spirit in heaven can rest in peace."

Xu Fugui laughed loudly, his strength at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining causing the trees beside him to tremble. Then, Xu Fugui mentioned Bai Fengxian's widow and orphans.

Lin Changheng's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Xu Fugui. He had been away for a long time and was powerless to take care of the widow and her orphan. Giving her spirit stones or other valuables would be a crime, so he had to rely on Xu Fugui to do it.

It turned out that Xu Fugui, within the scope of his due rights, received maximum care in the name of being a martyr's widow and orphan.

They are all doing well now. Bai Fengxian even has a grandson who was recommended by Xu Fugui to become an apprentice in the family's Lingfu Hall.

This is a highly sought-after skill position within the clan, and with a second-tier rune master like Tantai Feiyue in charge, it's practically at its zenith.

The competition was extremely fierce.

When a family is weak, everything is easy to discuss, and everyone works together towards a common goal. But as a family grows larger, issues of profit distribution arise, and people's selfishness swells, making everything impure.

In the struggle for interests, everyone uses their own unique methods!
But according to Fu Gui, that kid is quite promising, and based on his current performance, he has the potential to become an advanced talisman master.

Lin Changheng didn't say anything, but patted Xu Fugui's shoulder hard.

They then looked at each other and smiled.

Neither of them sought anything in return; they each did what they could, simply because of a promise and friendship from the past.

……

As they walked, the two soon arrived at Cuishan Mountain outside Guifeng Dojo. There was a pavilion halfway up the mountain where they could rest and enjoy the view.

The distant river and nearby mountains, the river scenery and the mountain views, all are pleasing to the eye and have a unique charm.

Upon seeing this pavilion, Lin Changheng's eyelids twitched slightly, and memories surfaced in his mind.

In the past, Xu Xuzhong acted as his matchmaker here.

The text introduces the granddaughter of a former high-ranking member of the clan. She is eighteen years old, with a delicate nose, cherry lips, and a slender waist.

What's your name... Han Yi!
It is also a mixed spiritual root.

He refused at the time, showing no interest, which even led to others speculating that he disliked women.

Lin Changheng was not yet forty years old at that time. Now, almost forty years have passed, and that woman should be almost sixty years old by now.
Thinking about it, Xu Fugui took the initiative to bring up the matter.

"Brother Lin, do you know what happened to that woman afterward?"

"How is it?"

Seeing Xu Fugui's sighing expression, Lin Changheng felt a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

"One day, on my way to the market, I was ambushed and killed by a group of wandering cultivators from the Qiu family. It's a pity..."

Xu Fugui sighed.

At that time, the two clans were already in constant conflict, and the Qiu family was causing trouble everywhere. Bai Feng died as a result, and this woman also died as a result.

But Xu Fugui left out half a sentence: which market town she went to.

Some reservations were made.

"The Qiu family has committed too many evil deeds, and now they will reap what they sow."

Lin Changheng’s tone was calm, but the coldness in it was not hard to detect.

That evening, the two had dinner and drinks together before parting ways.

Before leaving, Lin Changheng took out his share again, to make up for the share that the other party had missed when taking a concubine and having a child.

Inside was the very elixir that the other party had been longing for, the one that nourished their very essence.

It wouldn't be a problem for him to take a few more concubines and have a few more children.

It is worth mentioning that some of the Xu family women who initially followed Xu Fugui, being ordinary people, have aged and lost their beauty, and some have even passed away.

Lin Changheng also caught a glimpse of pain in Xu Fugui's eyes and couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?
Gaining inevitably means losing; Fugui, being a sentimental person, may not be able to let go of this easily.

……

A few more days passed.

It happened to be the anniversary of Bai Fengxian's death, and Lin Changheng and Xu Fugui went together to pay their respects.

They stayed until sunset before turning back.

Two days later, the Xu family held a high-level meeting to announce the death of the Qiu family patriarch and to plan the extermination of the clan.

The crowd was in high spirits, pooling their wisdom and efforts, and offering their opinions to supplement the discussion.

At this time, the Xu family's top leaders were filled with a warlike and eager-to-fight mentality.

Xu Fugui had also made preparations ahead of time, seizing a key leadership position in the attack and preparing to make meritorious contributions.

This will give his eighth daughter another chance to break through.

Get a "Heart-Protecting and Vein-Strengthening Pill" for backup protection.

Lin Changheng made no comment on this. His deep friendship with Xu Fugui ended with their generation. He could take care of the next generation, but he could not harm his own fundamental interests.

Therefore, the genuine Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand remained perfectly still, firmly nestled in his storage bag.

The news of the attack on the Qiu family was not communicated to outsiders or subordinates; the true purpose was kept tightly under wraps for fear of being revealed to the outside world.

After all, the foundation of a long-established Foundation Building family is very attractive.

Although the long-term war preparedness has taken its toll, even a weakened camel is still bigger than a horse.

It's easy for outsiders to get involved and try to take a share.

This is unacceptable.

Soon, the Xu family began to prepare for war with all their might, setting up a false target as their objective.

Lin Changheng observed the changes in the Xu family but didn't pay much attention or ask any questions, since they were certainly more professional than him in doing these things.

Why bother saying anything?

He had already gone into seclusion in a secret room in Tantai Feiyue's residence.

He first regulated his energy and spirit to a perfect state before taking out a perfectly round and fragrant pill and resolutely swallowing it.

It was none other than the genuine second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill].

He has now obtained the rootlets, one of the main ingredients of the second-tier [Youth Preservation Pill], which can accelerate growth and maturation, so there is no need to save them.

And it's also a good opportunity to explore the concept of "longevity sharing the same origin"!
"boom!"

The pill entered the stomach, but instead of immediately turning into a torrent, it was like a bright pearl thrown into a still lake, instantly rippling out gentle yet incredibly pure medicinal power.

(End of this chapter)