Cultivating Immortality: I Have a High-Martial World

Chapter 139 Destroying the False Core in a Snap of the Finger, Returning to Yanlai Realm

After the drums sounded, the common people in the city quickly closed their doors and windows, and everyone felt insecure.

They all knew that this demonic sect did not only spare mortals, but also slaughtered and sacrificed them!

Meanwhile, the cultivators in the city also gathered and took action.

Soon, a force of about three hundred cultivators was assembled.

The leader was naturally Shao Wenmin, and there were about ten other Foundation Establishment cultivators besides him.

The rest are all Qi Refining cultivators...

At this moment, the cultivators' expressions were not very good.

Some of the more timid ones even had their legs trembling...

Lin Chen stood not far away, watching all of this unfold, and silently thought to himself:

"They have a lot of manpower, but unfortunately they're just a rabble..."

Three hundred cultivators—that sounds like a lot.

However, when Lin Chen scanned the crowd with his divine sense, he found that less than a hundred of the three hundred cultivators were actually capable of fighting.

The remaining two hundred Qi Refining cultivators were all at the early stage of Qi Refining, and most of them were only at the first or second level of Qi Refining, making them no different from ordinary people.

Moreover, most of these cultivators were independent cultivators, and their skills and cultivation were far inferior to those of disciples from sects and families.

"I wonder how strong those demonic cultivators are?"

Lin Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he transformed into a beam of light and ascended to the city wall.

Several miles away, a large group of cultivators gathered, numbering no less than three hundred.

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow as he scanned the area with his divine sense.

"Compared to the righteous cultivators, these demonic cultivators are rather interesting..."

Of the same three hundred cultivators, the demonic cultivators were of far superior quality.

There were no fewer than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, many of whom were in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

The other cultivators were all at least at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and their bodies radiated a fierce aura, clearly indicating that they had been through many battles.

The leading cultivator was actually a fake Core Formation cultivator.

"Tsk tsk, if I hadn't come... those three hundred cultivators outside the city could have truly slaughtered the entire city of Xinliang..."

Lin Chen thought to himself.

Although not as terrifying as the Ghost Eye Old Monster's team in Jade Belt City back then, these cultivators were still passable.

Shao Wenmin led three hundred cultivators to the city wall, looking down at the demonic cultivators in the distance.

"You all, retreat at once! I have already notified reinforcements, and the Righteous Alliance army will be here soon!" Shao Wenmin shouted from the city wall.

The demonic cultivators below, however, paid no attention and, without saying a word, directly took their magical weapons and blasted towards the city gate.

In a single encounter, the city gate, several meters high, was blasted down.

A large opening was made in the city wall, and three hundred demonic cultivators filed in and rushed into the city.

Upon seeing this, Shao Wenmin's face turned ashen, and he immediately ordered his cultivators to counterattack.

Fireballs, water dragons, vines, swords, spears, and halberds...

In an instant, a dazzling array of colors appeared, and all sorts of magical treasures and spells were smashed to pieces.

However, after several rounds of fighting, the demonic cultivator clearly gained the upper hand.

Whether it's the magical artifacts or the cultivators' cultivation levels, the two sides are not on the same level.

Lin Chen stood at a corner of the city wall, raising his protective true energy.

He didn't rush to make a move, but continued to observe the demonic cultivators below.

"Among this group of demonic cultivators, there shouldn't be any hidden Core Formation level experts, right?"

Lin Chen muttered to himself.

Although with his strength, ordinary Core Formation cultivators could no longer pose a threat.

But caution is always the best policy, and Lin Chen had no connection with Xinliang City or the Righteous Alliance.

Earning a reward for taking on certain tasks is acceptable, but expecting him to risk his life is clearly out of the question...

Moments later, nearly half of the three hundred Righteous Alliance cultivators were killed or wounded.

The corpses of about a hundred cultivators lay scattered haphazardly on the city wall.

The remaining cultivators continued to fight back, but many of them were trembling, clearly having lost their will to fight.

On the other hand, the demonic side also suffered fifty or sixty casualties.

But the rest were all very brave, and more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators even rushed up the city wall and were about to capture Xinliang City.

"senior!"

From a distance, Shao Wenmin called out, his eyes filled with anxiety.

He knew that defeat was inevitable, and his only hope lay with Lin Chen.

"Hmm, there shouldn't be any Golden Core cultivators lurking in the shadows anymore..."

Lin Chen thought to himself.

Then, his figure flashed and instantly covered a distance of a hundred feet, arriving behind the demonic cultivator who had only recently reached the core.

The fake Core cultivator sensed the aura behind him, his expression changed drastically, and he was about to retaliate.

However, Lin Chen only threw a punch.

The protective true essence shattered instantly...

The remaining force struck the fake Core cultivator in the chest, shattering his internal organs.

"Pfft~"

"you……"

The fake cultivator coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes widened, and he gradually fell silent.

After finishing off the demonic cultivator, Lin Chen looked around a few times and muttered to himself:

"It seems there really aren't any other Golden Core cultivators lurking in the shadows..."

With a slight thought, he took the storage bag of the fake Core Formation Demon Cultivator.

Then he looked back at the other demonic cultivators.

More than two hundred people all turned to look at where Lin Chen was.

They all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Elder..."

They never imagined that such a terrifying entity was hidden in Xinliang City.

They killed their fake Core Formation Elder in a single encounter...

Even Shao Wenmin, standing on the distant city wall, was stunned.

"This...that person, is he really a fake Core Formation cultivator?"

Shao Wenmin swallowed hard.

He knew that there was indeed a difference between a fake elixir and a true elixir.

But surely it shouldn't be that bad, that they can't even withstand one move?

Lin Chen looked at the stunned Shao Wenmin and the scattered demonic cultivators, and transmitted his voice:

"What are you still standing there for?"

Shao Wenmin reacted instantly and shouted:

"All members of the Righteous Alliance, heed my command! Intercept and slaughter the demonic cultivators within the city..."

Upon hearing this, the more than one hundred cultivators of the Righteous Path Alliance instantly became incredibly excited and frantically unleashed spells at the demonic cultivators below the city wall.

Some of the cultivators were emotional and kept shouting:

"Fellow Daoists, the day to vanquish demons and defend the righteous path begins today!"

"Our Xinliang City also has a Golden Core cultivator! Let's press our advantage and earn more contribution points!"

On the other hand, the demonic cultivators, seeing their elders at the Pseudo-Core Realm die in battle, lost all will to fight and wanted to flee out of the city.

In fact, even if that pseudo-core realm elder died in battle.

The cultivators of the Righteous Alliance would be no match for these demonic cultivators.

But Lin Chen's attack was so terrifying that these two hundred-plus demonic cultivators were terrified.

They were all afraid of dying at Lin Chen's hands, so they had no choice but to flee frantically.

"We really misjudged them; this group of demonic cultivators is no better than a rabble..."

Lin Chen shook his head and summoned eighteen flying swords with a wave of his hand.

His divine senses swept across a radius of thousands of miles like a tidal wave.

With a mere thought, the eighteen flying swords easily pierced through the protective true essence, taking the lives of eighteen Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators.

In the world of cultivation, realm is everything.

For Golden Core cultivators, even if there are many Qi Refining cultivators or ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, the threat they pose is very limited as long as they do not form a battle formation.

It is no exaggeration to say that before Lin Chen's true essence was exhausted, these demonic cultivators would not be able to cause him even the slightest harm.

In an instant, eighteen Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators died, which further fueled the fear of the remaining demonic cultivators.

At that moment, they all scattered and fled.

But no matter how fast they fled, they couldn't kill as quickly as Lin Chen.

Moments later, more than three hundred demonic cultivators lay dead inside and outside the gates of Xinliang City.

None of the demonic cultivators who came to invade survived...

More than half of the three hundred demonic cultivators were killed by Lin Chen alone...

After killing the demonic cultivator, Lin Chen lightly leaped back onto the city wall.

Beside him, Shao Wenmin was visibly agitated, "Senior..."

Lin Chen waved his hand and said:

"No need for formalities. Just take stock of the battlefield and give me the reward you promised in advance... I will leave Xinliang City in an hour."

After hearing this, Shao Wenmin quickly calmed down, though he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

After witnessing Lin Chen's strength, he had only one thought in his mind.

With Lin Chen guarding this city, what is there to fear from the demonic cultivators attacking it?

But knowing that Lin Chen had no intention of staying, he could only helplessly say:

"Don't worry, senior, I will not shortchange you on the promised reward, not a single spirit stone..."

"I hope that after you've finished dealing with these trivial matters, you can come and visit Xinliang City again..."

……

An hour later, Shao Wenmin promptly presented the reward he had promised Lin Chen.

A bag of spirit stones, and storage bags belonging to more than a hundred demonic cultivators.

Lin Chen was slightly surprised after scanning the spirit stone bag with his divine sense.

The initial promise was for 50,000 spirit stones, but there are at least 80,000 spirit stones in this bag.

Shao Wenmin then said:

"Your intervention this time has minimized the losses to Xinliang City..."

"Without you, senior, the mortal cultivators in the city would likely have been slaughtered long ago. Fifty thousand spirit stones are insufficient to express our gratitude..."

Lin Chen nodded after hearing this, thinking to himself, "This kid is pretty savvy."

Even for Lin Chen, 50,000 spirit stones is not a small amount.

Enough for him to cultivate for several months...

After giving a few more instructions, Lin Chen summoned the Blue Jade Gourd and rode it away from Xinliang City.

Shao Wenmin watched Lin Chen's departing figure in silence.

……

After leaving Xinliang City, Lin Chen headed south.

The Kingdom of Purple Smoke is located ten thousand miles north of Changchun Gate.

Although the journey is long, Lin Chen's speed will allow him to arrive in a day at most.

Lin Chen traversed mountains and valleys without resting, relying on his abundant true essence and magical power.

Along the way, we saw many ordinary cities that had experienced war.

Clearly, the wars instigated by the Demonic Sect in recent years should not be underestimated.

After a day and a night, Lin Chen saw the familiar city of Jade Belt City.

After circling once above Jade Belt City, Lin Chen sighed.

"This once bustling city of millions of people has been reduced to this state after that calamity, with only tens of thousands of elderly and children remaining..."

After that battle, there were still about 100,000 mortals who survived.

But after the massacre of the city, most of these ordinary people, even if they survived, would move away.

It seems unlikely that Jade Belt City will regain its former prosperity for decades to come.

"With a single thought, a Golden Core cultivator can turn millions of mortals into ghosts and leave hundreds of thousands homeless..."

Lin Chen was deeply moved.

Strength is valuable, but its use in moderation is even more precious...

Lin Chen did not stay in Jade Belt City for long, only taking a quick look at Tianmu Workshop.

Fortunately, Tianmufang's location was not affected by that battle.

Most of the girls in the brothel survived, but Jade Belt City is no longer as prosperous as it used to be, and business in this brothel is not as good as before.

"Where is Miss Nan Lingling?"

Lin Chen, standing tens of feet in the air, scanned the Tianmu Pavilion below with his divine sense and felt a little puzzled.

However, Lin Chen didn't have time to ask, as his purpose this time was still to return to Changchun Sect.

Riding on the blue jade gourd, I headed south.

After flying for another two thousand miles, Lin Chen returned to his original appearance.

After circulating the Wood Concealment Technique and adjusting his cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment, Lin Chen set off to continue towards Changchun Mountain.

……

Changchun Mountain Market.

Lin Chen walked through this familiar market town, watching the occasional cultivators pass by on the street, and felt quite emotional.

In just two years, Changchun Shanfang Market has undergone significant changes.

The layout of the shops in the market has not changed much, only the number of cultivators has decreased significantly.

In the past, the market town gathered nearly 10,000 cultivators, but now the number is probably less than 5,000.

Lin Chen pushed open the door and entered the Lin Family Pavilion.

The shop hasn't changed much compared to two years ago, and there's not even much dust.

It's clear that someone frequently came to clean during the time Lin Chen was away.

"Is it... that kid Huang Xin?"

Lin Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he headed towards the herb garden.

Upon entering the herb garden, Lin Chen could see dozens of figures busily working in the distance.

Lin Chen made no attempt to conceal his presence. As he drew closer, Huang Xin suddenly turned around and stared at him blankly.

"Lin... Senior Brother Lin?"

Huang Xin's eyes widened. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and then his eyes suddenly reddened.

He put down what he was doing and rushed toward Lin Chen.

"Lin, Senior Brother Lin! You're finally back..."

Huang Xin's voice sounded choked up, as if he was about to cry.

Lin Chen glanced at Huang Xin and nodded slightly.

"Not bad, it's only been a little over two years... and you've already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining?"

After confirming that it really was Lin Chen, Huang Xin could no longer hold back and cried as he said:

"Senior Brother Lin, I'm so sorry... Huang Xin didn't do a good job on the task you entrusted to him..."

"Then, all of those hundred-plus disciples have left... leaving only these few dozen brothers."

"They...they all thought Senior Brother was dead! Only Huang Xin didn't believe it...How could someone like Senior Brother Lin possibly die?"

At this moment, Huang Xin seemed to have a lot to say, but he was crying and anxious, like a child...

Lin Chen said calmly:

"Don't rush, tell me slowly."

Huang Xin nodded and told him everything about the situation at Lin's Xiaoxuan over the past two and a half years.

Two and a half years is neither a long nor a short time.

But that's enough to change many things...

In the great battle between the righteous and demonic paths, quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators perished.

The more than one hundred people under Lin Chen's command were paid with spirit stones, and they worked in the herb garden because of Lin Chen's reputation as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The first year after Lin Chen left was alright; the spirit stones he left behind were barely enough to pay the cultivators' salaries.

But Lin Chen has not returned, so how could Huang Xin, a mere mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, possibly keep the situation in check?

Left with no other choice, he began to pay his salary with the wages Lin Chen had previously bestowed upon him, and occasionally sold a few spiritual herbs.

They barely managed to keep the herb garden running.

Even so, the cultivators working in the herb garden gradually left, leaving only a handful of thirty or forty people.

These people were only allowed to stay after Huang Xin pleaded with them.

During this time, many people advised Huang Xin to sell his herb garden and shop and run away, so that he could make a lot of spirit stones.

But Huang Xin wouldn't listen; he always believed Lin Chen would come back.

"However, as long as Senior Brother Lin comes back, everything will be alright!"

Huang Xin wiped away his tears and said with great certainty.

He handed over a storage bag containing the elixir they had been using to accelerate growth over the past two years.

Approximately ten thousand medicinal herbs, worth several thousand spirit stones...

Huang Xin did not keep such a large fortune for himself.

Looking at the storage bag in his hand, Lin Chen remained silent for a moment before saying, "You've worked hard!"

Looking up at the dozens of people in the herb garden, they were either surprised or delighted to see Lin Chen.

Perhaps none of them expected Lin Chen to return.

Lin Chen flicked his finger, and thousands of spirit stones fell into the hands of each of the medicine boys.

"You will work for me, Lin Chen, and I will not treat you unfairly."

"One hundred spirit stones each, consider it a reward for you."

Lin Chen's tone remained calm.

But the dozens of people behind him were overjoyed, almost thinking they were dreaming when they saw the handful of spirit stones in their hands.

One hundred spirit stones is more than their wages over the past two years!

"Thank you for your generous gift, Boss Lin!" the hundred or so apprentice doctors said in unison.

Lin Chen nodded and then called Huang Xin to the outside of the herb garden.

"You've done very well these past two years," Lin Chen affirmed.

Huang Xin shook his head, "Most of the people my senior brother left behind have left. I, Huang Xin, am the one who has let my senior brother down..."

Lin Chen took out a storage bag from his pocket and said:

"Everything here is a gift to you. Focus on your cultivation and strive to reach the Foundation Establishment stage within a few years."

"As for this herb garden, it should be closed down. You should focus more on your cultivation..."

For Lin Chen...

The initial purpose of opening the Lin Family Pavilion and the herb garden was to conceal their activities and bring resources from the cultivation world back to Earth.

At the same time, it continuously provides more resources and medicinal herbs to Blue Star...

Indeed, at the beginning, the herb garden and Lin's Xiaoxuan brought many resources to Blue Star.

It promoted the development of cultivation on Earth.

But things are different now.

It is no exaggeration to say that the harvest of Lin's Xiaoxuan over several years is not even as much as the daily output of medicinal herbs on Blue Star.

On tens of thousands of acres of mountains, several departments, including alchemy, weapon crafting, and array formation, operate simultaneously.

The entire planet Earth has already acquired a preliminary ability to supply itself.

Apart from some minerals and spirit stone veins, some places on Blue Star are not much different from the cultivation world.

To put it bluntly, it's still a lack of foundation; it needs time to accumulate.

However, in this accumulation process, the role that Lin's Xiaoxuan could play was negligible.

Huang Xin was taken aback after hearing Lin Chen's words.

After a long silence, he said cautiously:

"Senior brother, could you please not close this herb garden? I'd like to be your apprentice... Don't worry, senior brother, Huang Xin will handle these matters!"

For Huang Xin, this herb garden and Lin's Xiaoxuan were a ray of light given to him by Lin Chen when he was at the lowest point in his life.

It was of great significance; he poured so much emotion into it.

After listening, Lin Chen thought for a moment and nodded:

"Very well, then I'll leave it to you to manage. But you should still prioritize your own cultivation..."

"Don't let anyone know what's in that storage bag."

Lin Chen gave an instruction and then left the herb garden.

After Lin Chen left, Huang Xin probed his storage bag with his divine sense and then froze.

The storage bag contained a large pile of spirit stones, more than three thousand in total, enough for him to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage.

There were even dozens of bottles of various pills, some magical artifacts... and a very crucial Perfect Foundation Establishment Pill!

With this Foundation Establishment Pill, even someone with mixed spiritual roots like Huang Xin can achieve perfect Foundation Establishment!

Lin Chen left the market and flew towards Changchun Mountain.

Before long, they saw Danfeng Peak.

But at this moment, there was no one on Danfeng Peak.

Lin Chen looked around and was stunned when he saw the high mound of grave next to the herb garden.

(End of this chapter)