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

Chapter 257 The Power of Divine Ability: Slaying a Late-Stage Demon
The rat-faced cultivator didn't even have time to react, and his magical shield failed to activate in time due to his loss of focus.

The crimson light grazed his neck with perfect precision!
A head wearing a rat-face mask shot into the sky, its face still bearing a fascinated smile! Blood gushed out of the headless neck cavity like a fountain!

"Second brother!!!"

The tiger-faced cultivator's eyes widened in fury, and he let out a voice filled with shock and anger. He never expected that in a single exchange, without even a real fight, his brother, with whom he had worked for many years, would be so strangely and instantly killed!

Lin Changheng's figure slowly emerged from behind another boulder, his face calm as still water, as if he had only done a trivial matter. Only his eyes were coldly fixed on the furious tiger-faced cultivator.

Once you cut off one arm, things will be much easier.

This place is sparsely populated, so he can try to find a way to get ahead, but if any idea proves difficult, he will simply disappear without a word.

With the enhancement of the Earth Control Technique - Clarity, which amplifies the Earth Escape Technique, he has the ability to move freely when facing late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Come die!"

The immense spiritual pressure emanating from the tiger-faced cultivator, a power reminiscent of the late Foundation Establishment stage, erupted suddenly, and a yellowish-brown light shone through his body, forming a thick protective aura.

He was a Taoist practitioner.

A giant, door-sized demon-headed sword instantly appeared in his hand, its blade wreathed in chilling black energy, exuding a murderous aura!

Judging from its imposing presence, it is clearly a high-grade spiritual artifact!
Without wasting words, the tiger-faced cultivator immediately made his move. He swung his giant ghost-headed blade diagonally, and a flash of pitch-black light appeared as it slashed through the air towards Lin Changheng.

A powerful gust of wind and blade energy swept in, chilling and menacing, causing trees and rocks along the way to shatter and crumble, unable to withstand even the slightest force.

"Well done!"

A strange light flashed in Lin Changheng's eyes. Without flinching or dodging, he suddenly pressed his hands down.

【Controlling the Earth with Extraordinary Techniques - Enlightenment】!
The ground in the path of the sword energy instantly became muddy like quicksand, and then solidified into rocks that suddenly bulged out, closing like giant pincers in an attempt to block the sword energy!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

The giant rock pincers that closed in gradually wore down the sword energy. Although the sword energy shattered, it became almost ineffective.

When he arrived in front of Lin Changheng, he simply flicked his sleeve and dispersed the blade's light.

With a gentle breeze and light clouds, one can reach it with a flick of the sleeve.

"Hmph! A mere trick!" The tiger-faced cultivator chuckled sinisterly, his voice forced from the depths of his throat. The earthen-yellow spiritual light around his body intensified, and he slashed three times with his ghost-headed giant blade.

Three more, even stronger, blade energies arrived once more!
Lin Changheng used the same trick again, casually conjuring up a giant rock pincer to block the way.

But the tiger-faced cultivator narrowed his eyes, and his left hand, hidden behind his back, suddenly formed a hand seal, directly unleashing the mid-level [Earthshaking Technique].

The ground trembled violently, forcefully shattering the closed giant rock pincers. Nine-tenths of them were destroyed, and the three blade energies easily destroyed the remaining ones, instantly slashing to within ten feet of Lin Changheng.

Faced with the astonishing sword energy, Lin Changheng remained expressionless and spat it out!
【Crimson Sky Mystic Flame】!
[Fire Control Magical Power] True meaning!
A pure and violent dark golden flame transformed into an angry dragon, roaring and sweeping out. It did not burn directly at the sword energy, but instead slammed into the ground in front of the sword energy!
boom!
The flames surged skyward, instantly forming a blazing wall of fire. The terrifying heat distorted the air, directly engulfing the three blade energies and blocking them from entering.

With a slight collision, the hissing sounds continued, and the astonishing blade energy that had just struck the fire wall turned into blue smoke and vanished.

"You're finished, now it's my turn, right?"

The tiger-faced cultivator was taken aback by the astonishing wall of fire. Just then, Lin Changheng sneered inwardly and made his move.

"town!"

With his palm outstretched, a miniature black inkstone floated and spun around in his hand. Lin Changheng flicked his finger, and it shot out like a black pebble. Then it grew to the size of a millstone and crashed down on him!
"Go!" At the same time, a cyan-gold flying sword shot out from the storage bag like lightning, aiming straight for his lower body!
The offensive surged from both vertical and horizontal directions!
The tiger-faced cultivator wielded his sword like a wheel, his sword energy crisscrossing as he countered the attack from the black seal platform. At the same time, a burst of spiritual light emanated from his body, and a thick, earth-yellow armor covered his entire body, clearly a mid-level defensive spell that had been cultivated to a high degree.

That wasn't all. A miniature shield appeared, swirling around his body. "Clang clang clang clang!" A shower of sparks flew as it blocked all the attacks from the cyan-gold flying sword.

It is capable of automatic defense and is completely leak-proof; it is clearly a high-quality, mid-grade second-tier spiritual artifact.

"call!"

Lin Changheng remained calm and composed, taking out another stack of first-tier talismans from his inventory and unleashing them with his magic power.

"Boom boom boom..."

The two men's methods clashed repeatedly, resulting in a stalemate.

The tiger-faced cultivator, as expected of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, possessed profound cultivation. Faced with Lin Changheng's endless tricks, he not only showed no signs of defeat but also demonstrated the fighting prowess expected of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He made a hand seal with his left hand and suddenly pressed it down on the ground!
"Giant Spike Technique!"

The ground beneath Lin Changheng's feet trembled violently, and more than a dozen sharp, thick rock spikes suddenly protruded, stabbing fiercely towards his vital points!

Lin Changheng reacted extremely quickly. Almost at the same time as the opponent cast the spell, the ground beneath his feet became as soft as cotton. He lightly used the force to leap backward. At the same time, with a thought, half of the ground spikes cast by the opponent went out of control and changed direction, shooting towards the tiger-faced cultivator himself!

It's still the [Earth Control Technique]!
"what?!"

The tiger-faced cultivator was startled. He swung his giant sword to deflect the incoming earth spikes, his heart filled with horror: "Besides fire magic, this person is also proficient in earth magic, and his control over it is so strange that he can actually reverse my spells!"

He immediately changed his strategy, using the giant ghost-headed blade to continue cleaving through the black seal platform that was wrapping around him again, and unleashing more than a dozen sharp black blade energies at Lin Changheng, slashing towards him like a storm, as the first strike.

At the same time, he opened his mouth and spat out a skull-shaped magical artifact that emitted a foul, black aura. It expanded as it was carried by the wind, spewing out billowing poisonous smoke, and attacked Lin Changheng from the flank, arriving first despite being the one that attacked later.

Another high-grade spiritual artifact!
Moreover, it looks like an evil magical artifact!

At this moment, the tiger-faced cultivator was simultaneously controlling two high-grade spiritual artifacts and one mid-grade spiritual artifact!
This is completely different from when one is a Qi Refining cultivator.

Each stage of cultivation in the Qi Refining period allows one to control only one magic weapon of the same rank, or several times that of lower-rank magic weapons.

At each stage of the Foundation Establishment period, a cultivator can control two to three spiritual artifacts of the same rank; lower-ranking artifacts can control even more, the exact number depending on the cultivator's mana and spiritual power. ...

Faced with a fierce attack.

Lin Changheng remained calm, extending his hand and releasing flames. The pure Yang Xuan Flame transformed into a roaring fire dragon. Instead of directly attacking, it circled around, instantly burning and purifying the poisonous smoke that surrounded it, making a sizzling sound!

The intense heat distorted the air, and then flames shot like arrows towards the skull-shaped artifact.

"boom!"

The second-tier superior-grade [Crimson Sky Profound Flame] is of the same tier as this skull-shaped spiritual weapon, but it is majestic and upright, and there is a restraining relationship between them. Immediately, the skull-shaped spiritual weapon let out a mournful cry, and its spiritual light dimmed as it flew back.

"Suppress!" Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Changheng retrieved the black seal platform that had been knocked away and summoned it again, smashing it down with immense force towards the dozen or so sword energies!
Rumble!
The blade energy collided with the giant seal, producing a deafening roar. The energy shockwave spread in all directions, crushing the surrounding vegetation and rocks into dust!
"Right now!"

The azure flying sword moved like a ghost, seizing the gap when the sword energy was blocked, and once again turned into a bolt of lightning to pierce the tiger-faced cultivator's throat!
At this moment, Lin Changheng's bronze bowl had already distracted the opponent's small shield spirit weapon, creating an opportunity for the Azure Gold Flying Sword.

The tiger-faced cultivator's pupils contracted repeatedly as he narrowly avoided the flying sword, but a deep, bone-revealing wound was still left on his face!

At the same time, the tiger-face mask exploded, revealing its true face.

My head almost got stabbed and blown off!
But at this moment, the tiger-faced cultivator was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was unusually calm, and his gaze toward Lin Changheng was filled with a deep longing!

This person has many tricks up his sleeve and a lot of treasures; he's a super fat sheep!
If you kill...

Hiss! The tiger-faced cultivator felt an unprecedented surge of excitement!
Moreover, this person has seen his true face; he must die! For a cultivator undergoing tribulation, the revelation of their true face is a matter of life and death!

"Boom boom boom!"

The two exchanged blows, their spells and magical artifacts clashing repeatedly, exploding into dazzling yet deadly bursts of light, leaving the mountain forest in ruins.

But the tiger-faced cultivator became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

Although the opponent was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, his divine sense was extraordinary and his control was exquisite. His flames were extremely yang and strong, which perfectly countered his sinister methods. His three spiritual artifacts were also quite powerful!

There were also some strange techniques that he couldn't understand!

He couldn't gain the upper hand at all; instead, he was beaten into a state of utter frustration by various bizarre methods!
He found himself completely led by the nose, possessing immense magical power yet unable to even touch the other's clothes or gain any advantage!
"This can't go on!" A fierce glint flashed in the tiger-faced cultivator's eyes. "Close combat! I must get close! I have cultivated the Black Fiend Body for decades, and my physical body is far stronger than others of the same level. As long as I can get close, I will tear him apart alive!"

Thinking of this, he bit his tongue hard and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. The earthy yellow spiritual light on his body instantly turned into a dark red color, his muscles swelled up again, and his bluish-black blood vessels bulged out like writhing dragons. His aura became extremely violent!
"Get out of my way!" he roared, and the black light on the Ghost Head Blade surged, temporarily forcing back the entanglement between the flying sword and the magic seal.

Then he completely abandoned his defense, relying on his protective qi and strong body to withstand several incoming talismans and bronze bowls. He didn't care about the several bloody cuts on his body. Like a mad bull, he charged fiercely to within five zhang of Lin Changheng at the fastest speed!
"Die to me!"

Seeing Lin Changheng standing there dumbfounded and motionless, a ferocious and cruel smile appeared on his face, as if he could already see the scene of the other person being torn apart by him!
He had absolute confidence in his body-refining technique, which he had cultivated diligently for many years. If a cultivator of the same level were to get close to him, there would be no chance of survival!

Besides, the opponent is only in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage!
A fist the size of a clay pot, crackling with violent earth-elemental spiritual power, accompanied by a sonic boom that tore through the air, slammed straight into Lin Changheng's face!
However, faced with this terrifying blow that could split mountains and shatter rocks, Lin Changheng's eyes showed no fear, but instead flashed a hint of sneer.

Indeed, it contains a hint of mockery, with a cold, sarcastic tone, as if looking at a dead person.

He even retrieved his flying sword and seal, and with his five fingers clenched into a fist, a faint blue-green hue flowed across his arm. He delivered a seemingly ordinary punch to meet the attack!
"You're courting death!" The tiger-faced cultivator was overjoyed and poured all his strength into this punch.

Two fists collide!

The expected scene of broken bones and torn tendons did not occur!

Instead, a deafening roar, as if two iron mountains had collided, suddenly erupted!

At the same time, a strange giant ape voice seemed to appear out of nowhere, as if it was roaring to the sky!
Click!

A crystal-clear, teeth-grinding sound of bone cracking rang out!
"Ugh—!" The tiger-faced cultivator's ferocious grin froze instantly, transforming into extreme pain and disbelief!

He felt his fist and even the bones of his entire arm shatter inch by inch the moment they made contact! A fist force far more terrifying, more condensed, and containing thunderous explosive power than his own strength slammed into his body like a devastating force!
His body-refining techniques, which he was so proud of, were as fragile as paper in the face of this absolute power!
"You...you..." He stared in utter horror at Lin Changheng's still calm face, as if he were looking at a monster!

Lin Changheng's expression was cold, and his fist continued its momentum, shattering Lin Changheng's arm and landing squarely on his chest!

Bang!
Like a heavy hammer striking down leather!

The tiger-faced cultivator's chest visibly caved in, and a fist-shaped bulge suddenly appeared on his back!

His internal organs were instantly pulverized!
The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, and his massive body flew backward like a broken sack, traveling dozens of feet before crashing heavily against a mountain wall. He slid softly to the ground, already dead!
Even in death, he did not understand why a seemingly ordinary mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed such terrifying physical strength.

Even someone at the late stage of the second-tier body refinement... would die instantly upon contact!
Lin Changheng slowly withdrew his fist, his blood and qi returning to normal.

With his physique at the late stage of the second level of the "Evergreen Body" technique, coupled with the massive boost from the true meaning of the "Mountain-Carrying Divine Power," even body cultivators of the same level are no match for him in close combat!
He just didn't expect that this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with such profound foundations would only be defeated after a long and fierce battle, relying on spiritual artifacts and magical power.

But who knew he would come knocking on his door, wanting to win with his physique, which still makes Lin Changheng laugh when he thinks about it to this day.

However, this was also the first time he used the true meaning of the [Mountain-Carrying Divine Power] in actual combat.

It was incredibly fierce!

Moreover, this person was almost the strongest opponent he had ever encountered, and he had not held back the true meaning of his two great supernatural powers.

All sorts of magical artifacts, demonic spells, and strange magic were unleashed.

But this wasn't his trump card; he still had the [Talisman Plate], six [Treasure Talismans], and the [Azure Cleansing Sword Talisman Treasure] that could still be used once!
But using these tools was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut; Lin Changheng was used to a life of poverty and couldn't bear to waste a single thing.

After quickly cleaning up the battlefield and destroying the evidence, Lin Changheng made sure to collect all the storage bags and magical artifacts that had lost their owners and magical support. With a flash, he disappeared without a trace.

(End of this chapter)