Chapter 138: Foundation Establishment Insights, New Treasure Seed
Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Foundation Establishment Insights, New Treasure Seed
CREAK.
He pulled the door open to find a beautiful Female Cultivator standing before him, her smile radiant and her bearing as graceful as an orchid.
She had changed into a set of green robes, which lessened the ethereal aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and added a touch of gentle, girl-next-door charm.
Who could it be but Mo Zhaoli?
"Li’Er? Please, come in."
Lin Changheng smiled and stepped aside, inviting the Female Cultivator inside.
The Cultivation Realm was not bound by the worldly shackles of excessive ceremony or the strict separation of men and women, so there was nothing improper about them meeting at night.
"Are you settling in alright, Brother Lin?"
Mo Zhaoli moved with graceful steps and sat down at the table with a smile.
"Of course," Lin Changheng replied, nodding with a smile. He then brought up the matter of the Essence Blood, saying he had just examined it and it was far too valuable. Besides, since Li’Er had just reached Foundation Establishment, she also had need of resources.
Hearing this, Mo Zhaoli gently shook her head. She looked at Lin Changheng and explained that she hadn’t thought too much about it; she had simply acquired it because she thought Brother Lin might need it.
With a friendship like theirs, how could they be so calculative?
Even so, Lin Changheng mulled it over for a moment before declaring that the Spirit Stones he had previously "borrowed" were, in fact, a gift from him—an additional congratulatory present for her reaching Foundation Establishment.
Mo Zhaoli tried to speak again, but Lin Changheng immediately interrupted, blocking her words with the same line of reasoning: "With a friendship like ours, how can we be so calculative?"
Thus, she had no choice but to accept.
Only then did Lin Changheng smile in satisfaction. He changed the subject, asking Zhao Li the reason for her visit.
"I just heard from my grandfather that Brother Lin has left the Xu Family and is looking for an opportunity to reach Foundation Establishment."
Mo Zhaoli finally remembered her reason for coming and asked, her eyes glinting slightly.
"That’s right. Life with the Xu Family was comfortable, but there was no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. My Dao Heart isn’t dead yet, so I decided to head out and try my luck."
Lin Changheng said honestly.
"Unfortunately, resources within the Sect are scarce and strictly controlled. They aren’t allowed to flow to outsiders. Otherwise..."
Mo Zhaoli shook her head. That was just how things were. It had been incredibly difficult even for her to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, so it would be even harder for Brother Lin, who was now truly a Loose Cultivator. "For now, Brother Lin, your only option is to go to an Immortal City where Loose Cultivators gather and try your luck with their channels."
"That’s my plan."
Lin Changheng nodded. He had never intended to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill from the Purple Extreme Sect. ’If they favored outsiders over their own members, what would happen to the Sect’s unity?’
But the Celestial Dao always leaves a sliver of hope.
Sects controlled the established channels for the Medicinal Materials used to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, enabling a steady production of the Elixirs. However, scattered wild herbs could sometimes be found in the vast Endless Wilderness, a place beyond the reach of even the most powerful Sects.
This gave Loose Cultivators a chance at Foundation Establishment, and it was known as the "loose cultivator channel."
Furthermore, the Cultivation Realm was not static; it was constantly progressing. The current Pill Formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill had been adjusted from the versions used ten thousand, or even one thousand, years ago.
The reason for this was that the primary Medicinal Materials had gone extinct.
But were they to simply give up? Of course not. Sects organized Pill Masters to research substitute Medicinal Materials.
Over time, a new Pill Formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill was slowly developed.
At the same time, new alternative Medicinal Materials were also discovered.
If they couldn’t gather all the primary Materials, they would turn to these alternatives. The resulting Pill was still effective for Foundation Establishment, but the boost it provided to the success rate was diminished.
But it was better than nothing, wasn’t it?
Soon, a new problem arose. The Sects and other major powers naturally classified all these Medicinal Materials as strategic resources, seizing control of their core harvesting grounds.
With a scarcity of available resources, life for Loose Cultivators remained difficult.
As the saying goes: when the powerful prosper, the Loose Cultivators suffer; when the powerful decline, the Loose Cultivators also suffer.
...
Mo Zhaoli chatted with Lin Changheng for a little longer. When the topic turned to his Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer cultivation, she advised him earnestly, "Brother Lin, you should focus on cultivating steadily and polishing your foundation. Don’t resort to potent elixirs just for a quick breakthrough."
She could see at a glance that Lin Changheng’s cultivation was at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, and she felt it was too early for him to attempt Foundation Establishment. She was also worried that, since he was getting older, he might be desperate to break through before the sixty-year-old deadline and resort to potent elixirs that would harm his body and ruin his future potential.
After all, as an Upper Grade Alchemist, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to obtain such Elixirs.
Even if he managed to raise his cultivation to the Ninth Layer Qi Cultivation and forced an attempt at Foundation Establishment, he would have no chance of success. Worse, he could end up severely injured or even die.
It was this thought that had prompted her to visit him tonight, to give him a special warning before her departure.
Lin Changheng looked thoughtful. He instantly understood the reason for her visit and, feeling a sense of gratitude, smiled warmly. "Don’t worry, Li’Er. I know what I’m doing."
"Hm?"
Something in Lin Changheng’s expression made Mo Zhaoli pause. Considering what she knew of his character, she couldn’t help but ask, "Could it be that you’re concealing your true Cultivation, Brother Lin?"
Lin Changheng didn’t try to hide it. "Just a little," he admitted.
The Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator immediately bit her lip, her gaze fixed on Lin Changheng. After a moment, she shook her head. "How strange. Without using my Divine Sense, I truly can’t see through it."
"I just happen to have some talent for the Qi Concealing Skill and have cultivated it to the Realm of Perfection. I suppose that’s how I can block your gaze, Li’Er."
Lin Changheng said, mixing truth with lies.
In reality, he was also employing the illusion techniques from his [Illusionary Transformation Technique - Assimilation], adapting them for use with his Qi Concealing Skill to achieve such an effect.
After all, the facial transformation aspect of the [Illusionary Face Shifting Technique] was powerful enough to fool the Divine Sense of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if adapting the technique for another purpose diminished its power, it was still far beyond what Mo Zhaoli could penetrate with her gaze alone.
"I wonder if Brother Lin would be willing to tell me your true cultivation level?"
Mo Zhaoli asked suddenly, but she refrained from probing him with her Divine Sense, as that would have been extremely rude.
Lin Changheng was taken aback, a little surprised.
’From what I know of Mo Zhaoli, both from the past and our recent correspondence, she has a strong sense of boundaries and isn’t one to pry into personal matters. This is so out of character for her. Could she have some other motive?’