Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

Chapter 200: Chapter 168: Wonderful Use of the Demon Technique, Cruelty Revealed

They weren’t like the descendants of Great Powers, who treated Foundation Establishment Pills and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects like candy and water, using sheer external force to achieve Foundation Establishment.

An ordinary Loose Cultivator would risk their life for a thirty percent chance.

Fifty percent would be considered a luxury!

"The odds are low, but acceptable. The problem is that the protective effects of a Substandard Foundation Establishment Pill are also weakened. If something goes wrong, it’s still risky."

Shaking his head, Lin Changheng had no other solution. In the end, it was all up to Tantai Feiyue herself.

Strength, preparation, conviction, and a little bit of luck.

Ultimately, one had to walk their own path. No one else could do it for them.

...

The next day, the Xu Family held a grand welcoming banquet for Lin Changheng in the evening.

Before the banquet, Lin Changheng met with Xu Fugui, who looked travel-worn after rushing back overnight from his post.

"Brother Lin!"

Xu Fugui was now fifty-eight years old. He didn’t look old, but his body was extremely tanned and muscular, with none of his former portly appearance.

’He must have suffered greatly, fighting out there all these years.’

"Fugui, have you been well?"

Feeling a surge of emotion, Lin Changheng stepped forward and gave Xu Fugui a firm hug.

"Brother Lin, I heard long ago that you’d reached Foundation Establishment. That’s wonderful."

Xu Fugui looked Lin Changheng over several times. Behind his thick brows and large eyes, there was not only emotion but also genuine happiness for him.

Back then, the three of them—Lin Changheng, Xu Fugui, and Bai Fengxian—had made a pact over drinks, hoping that at least one of them could reach Foundation Establishment and see the true splendor of the Cultivation Realm for the others.

At the time, Lin Changheng had been considered the one most likely to achieve Foundation Establishment among the three of them.

Although his Spirit Root was slightly inferior, his Heart Nature and Skills were both excellent.

And now, it had come true.

Lin Changheng smiled faintly. He hadn’t told him at first, but the news had eventually gotten out.

He hadn’t asked Tantai Feiyue to keep it a secret. On the contrary, he’d even suggested that if she ran into trouble, she could use his name to a reasonable extent.

And so, the Xu Family found out.

Naturally, the news couldn’t have bypassed Xu Fugui, who held a respectable position among the upper echelons.

Then, Lin Changheng took out two bottles of Tier Two Elixirs made with the Pill Separation Technique and handed them to Xu Fugui.

These could alleviate the aftereffects of excessive essence loss, reduce its negative impact, and potentially add a few years back to his life, recovering some of the lifespan he had lost.

"What’s this?"

Xu Fugui uncorked a bottle and took a sniff, immediately feeling an indescribable sense of comfort spread through his body.

Then, as if realizing something, his eyes widened in utter shock. "Brother Lin, this... this is... it’s too precious. I can’t..."

"Just take it. Between you and me, is there any need for such formalities?"

Lin Changheng waved his hand, smiling dismissively.

"Alright."

Xu Fugui carefully put the bottles away and grinned broadly at Lin Changheng.

"Brother Lin, are you planning on visiting Old Bai? I go to sweep his grave every year. That little pine tree we planted has grown wonderfully; its branches spread out like a canopy now," he added abruptly.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

Lin Changheng nodded and was about to take out his Dharma Ship to fly there.

"Brother Lin, could you take me with your Escape Light? I want to experience what it feels like for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to soar through the sky."

Xu Fugui didn’t move, causing Lin Changheng to turn back in confusion, only to see him looking up with yearning as he made his soft-spoken request.

Lin Changheng gazed at Fugui’s weathered face and fell silent. An unnameable emotion welled up inside him, a sudden, poignant sorrow.

Forty-four years ago, the two had met at the Spirit Testing Conference. They had both been rejected and had both joined the Xu Family. Back then, watching the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Sects and Immortal Races flying high above, he had said something similar:

"Brother Lin, do you think... someone with an inferior Spirit Root... can really never reach Foundation Establishment?"

"Will we ever get the chance in this lifetime... to fly on an Escape Light like them?"

That voice echoed again across the river of time, and for some reason, Lin Changheng found himself whispering in reply, "Yes, you will."

’He wasn’t sure which question he was answering.’

"WHOOSH~"

A wind abruptly kicked up from the ground.

Xu Fugui felt a mysterious force lift him from the ground. Murmuring a "Thank you," he closed his eyes to savor the sensation.

He felt as light as a feather, drifting upward. When he stabilized and looked again, he was already among the clouds.

’So this is what it feels like to be at Foundation Establishment?’

Below his feet, a cyan rainbow pulsed with shimmering light, and the rushing wind caused their robes to flap and billow.

Before long, the two of them landed atop Cyan Mountain.

Amidst the overlapping peaks, the young pines that he and Fugui had planted by hand, one by one, had all grown tall, standing watch on their respective peaks, companions from afar.

They paid their respects to each grave, pouring out Spirit Wine onto the roots of the trees.

...

The evening banquet was a grand affair.

Lin Changheng, who disliked crowds, did not refuse to attend.

Among the high-ranking members in attendance, some old faces were missing, and many new ones had appeared.

The Stewards of the two halls, Xu Xuzhong and Xu Xuyang, were there, as were Chief Alchemist Xu Qianyan, Alchemist Lü who had once competed with him in the Alchemy Dao, and others.

The Ink Master was also present, smiling at him. This didn’t surprise Lin Changheng, as Mo Zhaoli had told him that the Ink Master would most likely retire with the Xu Family.

However, he didn’t see Xu Qianhuan.

Upon asking, he learned that the powerful old man at the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation, who had escorted them back to the clan from Purple River District all those years ago, had been ambushed and decapitated in a major battle against the Qiu Family.

Fugui’s father-in-law, Xu Qianzhan—the one-eyed old man who was fierce toward others but relatively kind to Lin Changheng—had also died on the battlefield.

Xu Hanji wasn’t there either; he had gone out seeking an opportunity for Foundation Establishment and had not yet returned.

As for the new faces, although they all smiled at Lin Changheng respectfully, and he nodded in return, he had no intention of engaging with them.

’There was no need.’

His connection and sentiment toward the Xu Family only extended to the three generations of "Qian," "Xu," and "Han."

Tantai Feiyue attended in fine attire. Her relationship with Lin Changheng was an open secret in the Xu Family, so there was no need for pretense.

Regardless of Lin Changheng’s status, with Tantai Feiyue’s position as Chief Talisman Master, no one in the Xu Family dared to gossip.

After the banquet ended, Lin Changheng was invited by Xu Xuhe and Xu Xujun to have some tea and sober up.

He glanced at the two of them, knowing they likely had something to discuss, and didn’t refuse.

’What was the harm in hearing them out to give them some face?’

They hadn’t forced his hand ten years ago, and they wouldn’t now. Even if they had changed their minds, they no longer had the power to compel him. Lin Changheng was confident of that.

...

In an antique-style pavilion, the two men invited Lin Changheng to sit and served him Fragrant Tea.

They chatted about the Xu Family’s current situation and also tried to subtly probe into Lin Changheng’s affairs abroad.

The Immortal City was too far from the Black Water River, so Alchemist Lin’s resounding fame had not reached here.

Through their conversation, Lin Changheng also gained a deeper understanding of the Xu Family’s current predicament.

The situation was excellent on the surface, but a crisis was lying dormant.

The root of the Xu Family’s development to its current state stemmed from two main points:

Xu Xujun’s successful Foundation Establishment and the opening of the Cyan Spirit District market.

One provided strength, the other provided resources.

Right now, the Qiu Family was on its last legs, and the Xu Family was in a position to kick them while they were down. However, a Foundation Establishment Clan from two hundred miles away, the Yun Family of Yunmeng Lake, had taken the initiative to interfere, intending to mediate.

They were unwilling to let the Xu Family completely swallow the Qiu Family and grow too powerful.

By then, after the Xu Family had absorbed the Qiu Family’s resources, their power would swell. They would likely adopt the mentality of "not allowing others to snore beside their bed," and the Yun Family would find itself facing a terrifying new rival.

For this reason, the Yun Family would not sit by and watch the Xu Family grow stronger. They were trying to intimidate them and nip this possibility in the bud.

Because of this, the once-monolithic leadership of the Xu Clan had become divided.

They were split into two factions over whether to eradicate the Qiu Family completely, root and stem.

After listening, Lin Changheng couldn’t help but shake his head. A family could be a great asset, but it could also easily become the greatest obstacle.

These conflicts of interest had wide-reaching implications. Old ones ended and new ones began in a never-ending cycle, consuming an unknown amount of Energy and time.

Even a Patriarch as brilliant and ambitious as Xu Xuhe had been worn down into an old man by it all, which spoke volumes.

When they asked for his opinion, Lin Changheng simply smiled without answering.

But Xu Xuhe continued to implore him for guidance. He believed that since Lin Changheng had managed to achieve Foundation Establishment in the Immortal City, he must not only be worldly and knowledgeable but also exceptionally clever and quick-witted. He was willing to swallow his pride to ask for an answer.

Sighing, Lin Changheng knew he couldn’t refuse. He was about to speak when he suddenly recalled the hateful, cold gaze that had been spying on them from the bank of the Black Water River. It was most likely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a grudge against the Xu Family...

His thoughts shifted. He took a sip of tea, then uttered seven words:

"With courage to spare, pursue the cornered foe."