Chapter 121: Longevity Origin
Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Longevity Origin
The Black Armored Earth Turtle stuck its head out and gently nuzzled Lin Changheng.
"Haha, good boy!"
Lin Changheng gave it a couple of pets, took out a Tier One Lower Grade Elixir, and popped it into the turtle’s mouth as a reward.
The Black Armored Earth Turtle immediately took on a look of enjoyment and began to chew slowly.
’Looks like he’s a greedy turtle, too.’
"Those Lower Grade Elixirs Brother Lin left behind were all eaten by Xiaohai. Maybe because he ate so many and got used to them, he seems to treat Elixirs like snacks now."
Tantai Feiyue suddenly remembered something and said to Lin Changheng with a smile.
"It’s fine. Its master might not have much else, but he certainly doesn’t lack Elixirs."
Lin Changheng, not minding at all, placed the turtle back into the mud pit and watched it splash around, getting itself dirty all over again.
"Oh, right. Brother Lin, come with me."
Tantai Feiyue patted her fair forehead, pulled Lin Changheng into the house, and pressed on his shoulders to make him sit down. She then turned as if to go fetch something.
’What is it? So mysterious.’
Lin Changheng watched the female cultivator’s lovely back, waiting with a smile.
Before long, Tantai Feiyue returned holding a Jade Box. "Guess what this is?"
Lin Changheng immediately took it. His nose twitched, and he caught an extremely faint scent. He smiled confidently and said, "An Elixir."
Tantai Feiyue’s star-like eyes widened slightly. "Brother Lin is truly an Upper Grade Alchemist. This little lady is thoroughly impressed."
Evidently, Lin Changheng hadn’t hidden this from the Commandery Princess, having told her about it yesterday while they were in bed.
Tantai Feiyue’s expression at that time had been quite a sight, and Lin Changheng couldn’t quite figure out the reason for it.
"How dare you tease me? You deserve a spanking."
SMACK! The sound rang out along with the female cultivator’s soft cry. Even through her palace dress, one could see ripples trembling and undulating.
Ignoring the Commandery Princess’s pretty face, now flushed crimson, Lin Changheng opened the Jade Box with a flick of his wrist. A perfectly round, blue-and-white pill rested in a groove inside.
"Is this... a Solid Face Pill? An Upper Grade Elixir?"
The Alchemy Dao knowledge in his mind, combined with the pill’s characteristics, allowed him to identify it instantly.
The Solid Face Pill could preserve one’s appearance, protecting it from the ravages of time so it would never change. It even had a chance to revert one’s appearance to a younger state before fixing it in place.
"That’s right. I got them from an auction before the new year. There were two in total, and I won them. I took one, and this other one is for Brother Lin."
"Could it be that Brother Lin hasn’t noticed anything different about me?"
As Tantai Feiyue spoke, she moved her face closer to Lin Changheng’s, gesturing for him to take a look.
Her skin was still as white as jade, her beauty like a flower in the moonlight. He saw no change; she was just as she had been before.
Lin Changheng couldn’t help but shake his head and smile. ’She only took it a year ago... how much could her appearance have changed? The reason she looks so good is because this woman’s natural foundation is already excellent.’
"This pill must be more expensive than an ordinary Upper Grade Elixir, I imagine?"
"Two of these pills cost nearly a hundred Spirit Stones," Tantai Feiyue nodded.
This was a reasonable price. For female cultivators who valued their appearance, its special effect naturally commanded a premium.
Without refusing the woman’s gift, Lin Changheng tilted his head back and swallowed the elixir.
Even though he had Longevity and Rongsheng as a foundation and was growing progressively younger, he was still curious to try it.
The Solid Face Pill entered his stomach, and a cool sensation instantly rose from his Dantian, flowing like a spring stream to his four limbs and entire body.
Lin Changheng felt his cheeks grow slightly hot. The few traces of age on his face began to fade at a visible rate. His skin became smooth and firm, and even the fine lines that came from years of working by a furnace quietly disappeared.
But then, a familiar feeling rose up from within Lin Changheng’s body.
The True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities seemed to be triggered. Greatly surprised, Lin Changheng slowly circulated it in coordination.
"This is... the effect of Longevity? No, it’s an extremely weakened version of ’Longevity,’ but from the same origin."
Lin Changheng made an instant judgment.
He was secretly delighted.
This meant the Solid Face Pill contained a refined Qi of Time that could be extracted.
This was also a crucial part of why the pill was able to preserve one’s appearance.
Although this Qi of Time was extremely weak, if one consumed enough of these pills, it might actually be possible to extend one’s life by a few months to half a year.
If he didn’t possess the unique talent of the Lantern Grass Essence, he would have found it truly difficult to notice.
...
After Lin Changheng finished his introspection, Tantai Feiyue took out two stacks of Talismans, more than twenty in total, and handed them over with a beaming smile.
Seeing at a glance that these were all Middle Grade Masterpiece Talismans, Lin Changheng immediately protested that he was a peace-loving man who didn’t often engage in Magical Combat, and that he hadn’t even used up the ones Feiyue had given him last time.
Thus, he politely refused.
In reality, he was considering that these Talismans were also worth over a hundred Spirit Stones, and that it would be better for the female cultivator to exchange them for resources she could use.
"Brother Lin, don’t look down on the production capacity of a Middle Grade Talisman Master. While my speed of earning Spirit Stones can’t compare to an Upper Grade Alchemist, it’s not bad either."
Tantai Feiyue smiled, appealing first to reason, then to emotion. "Besides, if Brother Lin carries these Talismans with him, you’ll have an extra layer of safety in case you run into trouble... It would keep me from worrying."
Gazing deeply at this woman for a few moments, it was impossible for Lin Changheng to say his heart wasn’t stirred. In the end, he nodded and accepted the Talismans.
"Now, that’s more like it."
Tantai Feiyue immediately broke into a smile. Her well-moistened features seemed to glow, and Lin Changheng found himself slightly mesmerized.
"As for your cultivation, Feiyue, do you have any plans?"
Lin Changheng could now see that her cultivation was at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. Her aura was still unstable, indicating she had broken through not long ago.
"I didn’t take a Realm-Breaking Pill. I patiently and carefully ground my way through the Late Stage bottleneck. Although it took a long time, I finally made significant progress and broke through to the Late Stage Qi Cultivation not long ago. I just haven’t had a chance to send you a letter yet."
"From now on, I’ll cultivate step by step and then make a push for Foundation Establishment to see if I have a chance. The Late Stage bottleneck had me in utter despair before, but I never took a Realm-Breaking Pill precisely so I could preserve my potential for later..."
Tantai Feiyue said, recounting her past struggles.
Hearing this, Lin Changheng breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Tantai Feiyue might take a Realm-Breaking Pill like Fugui did. If that happened, her Foundation Establishment Probability would have been cut by ten to twenty percent.
Tantai Feiyue was different from Fugui. Although both had a Lower Grade Spirit Root, Fugui had fathered too many children, draining his foundation, which was why he couldn’t break through the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer no matter what and was forced to use a pill.
In this Cultivation Realm, besides some cultivators who practiced special arts like the Child’s Technique or Charm Technique which required them to remain virgins, most Cultivation Techniques had no such requirement. Whether one was sexually experienced or not had little effect on Foundation Establishment.
Since that was the case, Lin Changheng wouldn’t be stingy. As he was leaving, he left two bottles of Upper Grade Elixirs on the table to aid the female cultivator’s cultivation.
Although Middle Grade Masterpiece Pills could also be used, the medicinal effects of Upper Grade Elixirs were stronger.
It would reduce the time needed for accumulation, and her chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment in the future would be a sliver higher.
But in reality, neither of them was truly certain how things would turn out.
...
As he was about to leave, Tantai Feiyue brought up another matter.
That Jin Liyue—the grandson of the Right Minister who could provide a large amount of Essence Blood, whom she had mentioned to Lin Changheng before—had suddenly sent a letter asking to meet her.
"What for?" Lin Changheng frowned.
"The letter didn’t say. It only mentioned the past and reminiscing," Tantai Feiyue shook her head.
"Unreliable. Don’t go." Lin Changheng said bluntly.
"Okay." Seeing Lin Changheng’s reaction, which seemed like jealousy, Tantai Feiyue immediately chuckled, nodded, and agreed with great obedience.
She trusted Lin Changheng completely, not arguing or asking for details.
...
When Lin Changheng returned to his own small courtyard, he saw a Xu Clan Member waiting at the entrance.
The man was overjoyed to see Lin Changheng. "Chief Lin, you’re finally back! The Patriarch and the Young Miss request your presence!"