Chapter 151 - 144: Three Years in a Flash, All-Round Progress
Chapter 151: Chapter 144: Three Years in a Flash, All-Round Progress
Yan Mingyi also had a good impression of Lin Changheng and left with a smile.
...
「An hour later.」
Lin Changheng departed from Qingxi Villa, the residence of the Yan grandfather and granddaughter. The visit had been a resounding success.
However, since it was his first time visiting, Lin Changheng kept it purely as a courtesy call.
He didn’t bring up any other matters.
He was extremely interested in the Puppets crafted by Puppet Master Yan and wanted to purchase two Tier One Upper Grade Puppets for his own protection—or even obtain the Puppetry Skill inheritance—but he ultimately held his tongue.
According to Cui Jianshui, the extent of Puppet Master Yan’s Puppetry Skill was unknown, but it was speculated to be at the Tier One Upper Grade, or perhaps even higher.
’Still, there will be other opportunities. No need to rush things.’
...
Lin Changheng resumed his errands, turning to head for Quenching Fire Residence, where the Middle Grade Artifact Refiner lived.
On his way, he ran into a young-looking Cultivator in his thirties who carried the faint smell of a forge.
"Alchemist Lin?"
The young Cultivator was about to walk past him but seemed to have a sudden thought and called out.
"That’s right." Lin Changheng paused, his nose twitching slightly. He replied, "Artifact Master Zhao?"
The two men exchanged a smile.
After a brief conversation, Lin Changheng learned that Artifact Master Zhao had been on his way to visit him at Qingyuan Small Building.
Their intentions had been mutual.
Artifact Master Zhao had long intended to pay a visit, planning to call on Lin Changheng after he had finished settling in, but they ended up meeting by chance.
They found a nearby pavilion, talked for a long time, and even exchanged the gifts they had prepared for their respective visits.
After agreeing to visit each other properly for tea next time, they parted ways.
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
Late at night, within Lin Changheng’s Qingyuan Small Building.
’It wasn’t easy... I’ve finally refined sixty percent of the Magical Power in my Dantian...’
Inside the Quiet Chamber, Lin Changheng exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes. A flicker of flame seemed to dance within his pupils.
At that moment, the Dark Gold Flame in his Dantian leaped erratically. The gaseous Magical Power accumulated beside it had undergone a dramatic transformation.
It was exceptionally pure and dense.
It seemed that with a simple compression, it would coalesce, strand by strand, and condense into liquid drops.
’This must be the ideal state of Magical Power for Foundation Establishment that Zhao Li mentioned repeatedly in her *Foundation Establishment Insights*.’
Back then, after receiving the Foundation Establishment Pill, Mo Zhaoli had spent two years in seclusion polishing her Magical Power, trying to achieve this very state.
But without external aid or a fortuitous encounter, she had ultimately fallen short.
As a result, her breakthrough of the Mountain of Qi was not smooth. Fortunately, with the help of the Foundation Establishment Pill and her own substantial reserves, she managed to push through after a drawn-out struggle.
’By the time I attempt Foundation Establishment, I will have essentially refined all of my Magical Power. Breaking through this mountain will surely be much easier for me than it was for Zhao Li.’
Lin Changheng knew this was a critical task that he had to complete.
’I don’t have far to go to get from the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation to the Peak of the Ninth Layer. I need to settle my mind, be patient, and proceed steadily.’
This was the advantage of a Middle Grade Spirit Root. For someone with a Lower Grade Spirit Root or a Mixed Spirit Root, this process would be greatly prolonged.
However, he had squandered his early years and wasted time. He was now fifty-six years old, with the sixty-year threshold fast approaching. Fortunately, he had ample Lifespan to draw upon, which slowed his aging, so it wasn’t a major issue.
...
Having completed his two core tasks of Cultivation and refinement,
Lin Changheng promptly prepared a medicinal bath, undressed, and stepped inside.
They say Immortal Cities are wonderful, and their greatest virtue is their abundance of resources.
The Spirit Wood, Spirit Liquid, and other Materials he had obtained from Xu Hanji for cultivating the *Evergreen Body of the Ancient Wood* had long been depleted. However, he had managed to gather a new supply from several Spiritual Materials Shops without much trouble.
This allowed him to maintain his unique training frequency.
Six months ago, backed by his substantial wealth, his Body Refining progress had finally reached the peak of the Third Layer.
Following the *Supporting Body Refining Method*, which had been confirmed by the Xu Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivator Xu Xujun, he had switched to using a Tier Two Spirit Wood called Ta Long Wood.
The Spirit Liquid, however, remained unchanged; he still used the Tier One Lusong Spirit Liquid.
Using the two in tandem for Body Refining was said to be even more effective, allowing one to polish a Tier One physique to its absolute limit and slowly transition it toward Tier Two.
Lin Changheng had indeed experienced considerable pain during the process and had even begun to have his doubts. But by constantly examining his body with Introspection, he confirmed that it was changing for the better.
A kind of metamorphosis was taking place.
Only then did he set his mind at ease.
Now, when he activated the limb hardening technique and the Giant Power Technique, his body had already broken through the barrier that separated him from Tier Two.
In fact, his explosive power and physical defense had individually surpassed those of a Tier Two Early Stage Body Refiner by a significant margin.
Based on his physical constitution alone, he could already rival a Tier Two Demon Beast!
’With this guidance, if I continue to patiently grind away, all I’ll need is the right opportunity to break through to the Fourth Layer of the *Evergreen Body of the Ancient Wood*.’
Lin Changheng felt it intuitively.
...
Beyond these three major priorities, Lin Changheng also had a daily task to complete.
It was a routine he had maintained for three years.
He used the True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities to ripen his two Tier Two Treasure Plants: the Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng and the Earth Vein Yellow Ginseng.
He walked out to the Spirit Field in his backyard. Looking at the two Treasure Plants, deeply rooted in the Spirit Soil and shimmering under the moonlight, he felt a surge of accomplishment.
The Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng, which had only two and a half leaves three and a half years ago, had now sprouted its sixth new leaf!
This was much faster than his previous estimates. Lin Changheng suspected it was a positive side effect of the refinement and transformation of his Magical Power.
As for the Earth Vein Yellow Ginseng, it was no longer a mere sprout with tiny roots. Its branches and leaves had unfurled beautifully, and beneath the soil, a usable medicinal rhizome had grown.
Based on his pharmacological knowledge, Lin Changheng estimated it had at least five or six years of maturity.
This meant the ripening rate for this Treasure Plant was nearly twice that of natural growth!
It was a delightful result.
The only drawback was that the process was extremely time-consuming, drained a great deal of Magical Power, and required immense patience.
...
「Early the next morning.」
"SQUEAK!—"
The moment Lin Changheng stepped out of his room, the Black Armored Earth Turtle crawled out of its mud pit and began calling out to him softly.
It seemed to be saying: ’Time to eat.’
Lin Changheng took out an Elixir, walked over, and flicked it toward the turtle. "Come on, Xiaohai. Time to take your medicine."
The Elixir flew precisely into the turtle’s mouth. A satisfied GURGLE echoed out, and the Black Armored Earth Turtle, now a third larger than a millstone and covered in mud, moved to rub against Lin Changheng’s leg.
"Hey!"
Lin Changheng hastily cast a Cleaning Skill, washing the muddy water from the turtle’s body and sparing himself the grimy ordeal.
At the same time, the patterns on its Turtle Shell were revealed.
The fine Spirit Patterns on the surface had grown much thicker and had all linked together, forming a single, whole pattern.
This was a sign of the Tier One Middle Stage.
Once these whitish, interconnected patterns slowly turned a dark yellow and its Armor Shell began to partially crystallize, it would mean the turtle had entered the Tier One Late Stage.
As for its abilities,
The hardness of its Turtle Shell was second to none! It was already quite formidable; without a Middle Grade Masterpiece magic tool, one couldn’t even leave a scratch.
Furthermore, the turtle had also mastered three basic Earth Magic spells: the Turtle Breath Skill, the Earth Drilling Skill, and the Earth Spike Skill.
It could help Lin Changheng till his Spirit Field, so it served some purpose.
It wasn’t a complete freeloader.
...
After finishing his chores, Lin Changheng went to his room to reply to his mail.
The letters he had sent three years ago had only started to receive replies in dribs and drabs after eight or nine months.
Lin Changheng was left speechless by the speed. If there were a real emergency, by the time the news got through via the Immortal Post, it would be far too late.
He even began to suspect that the Extreme South Palace focused its Immortal Post services exclusively on major powers like the Inspection Sect and other Daoist Sects!
The first letter he received was from Princess Tantai.
Aside from greetings, the letter mainly described her recent circumstances and the situation with the Xu Family. The writing was purely factual, with no emotional language.
But Lin Changheng read between the lines and saw something more, letting out a soft sigh.
Fortunately, Feiyue’s recent news was good.
Two months before she received Lin Changheng’s letter, she had successfully crafted a masterpiece Upper Grade Talisman, taking a huge, solid step forward in the Tier One Upper Grade Talisman Dao.
The Xu Family was overjoyed, their ambition laid bare. They were now pouring all their resources into finding a Tier Two Talisman Dao Inheritance for her, hoping a Tier Two Talisman Master would emerge from their family.