Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

Chapter 202: Chapter 169: The Xu Family’s Gift, Two Kinds of Essence Blood

"Mr. Lin, are you satisfied?"

Xu Xuhe stroked his beard and smiled.

"Quite. In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse. I accept."

Lin Changheng agreed immediately. ’Since they put it that way, how could I refuse their gift?’

He looked up and drew the Essence Blood Jade Box toward him. As it wobbled for a moment, he noticed that the Essence Blood on the lower levels seemed different.

With a thought, he immediately placed it into his Storage Bag.

"Excellent."

The two from the Xu Family chuckled.

They sat and chatted for a while longer, and the conversation eventually turned to Xu Qianyan.

Only then did Lin Changheng learn that Xu Qianyan’s Alchemy Dao was still stuck at Tier One Upper Grade.

He had been stuck for who knows how many years.

Hearing this, Xu Qianyan’s face clearly showed disappointment and frustration.

His Cultivation was at the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation, and he had long given up hope of advancing further. But he still had ambitions for his Alchemy Dao. He wanted to reach Tier Two, partly for self-fulfillment and partly in the hope of contributing more to his family.

Once he broke through, the Xu Family, with a Tier Two Alchemist in their ranks, could certainly take another step forward—or even several.

At this point, Lin Changheng had a vague guess as to why the two core members of the Xu Family had specifically arranged for Xu Qianyan to deliver the Essence Blood...

’There’s a deeper meaning to all of this.’

After a moment of silent contemplation, Lin Changheng’s gaze swept across the three of them. He suddenly smiled and said, "If the three of you have any other requests, you may as well state them. As long as it is within my power and does not violate my principles, I am not an unreasonable person unwilling to lend a hand..."

Hearing this, the three Xu Family members all exchanged surprised and delighted glances. They then rose and cupped their hands in salute.

"Thank you, Mr. Lin."

"Mr. Lin, you are a man of great integrity. In the future, the Xu Family will do its utmost to collect Essence Blood and anything else you may need to repay this kindness."

Lin Changheng waved his hand, outwardly gesturing that they were being too formal, but inwardly he felt quite pleased. He then saw Xu Qianyan step forward with a steady gait and perform a deep bow.

"I implore Master Lin to give me guidance on my Alchemy Dao!"

In the man’s cloudy eyes, Lin Changheng could see a glimmer of firm desire.

"Fellow Daoist Qianyan, there is no need for this. We are simply exchanging a few thoughts on the Alchemy Dao."

"The skilled one is the master. To give guidance is to be a master..."

’What a stubborn old man...’

Lin Changheng was quite moved.

This kind of person was worthy of admiration. He was single-mindedly devoted to the Alchemy Dao, spending his years by the fire and furnace, and possessed what could be called an Innocent Heart for his craft. He was even willing to bow a body that had stood tall for decades.

He was unlike certain people who, after a brief period of success, become arrogant, think themselves superior, and look down on everyone, refusing to bow their heads even when they know they are wrong.

"Tomorrow, then. We will meet in the Alchemy Room. I shall observe you lighting the furnace, Fellow Daoist Qianyan, and we can exchange some pointers."

Lin Changheng gave a faint smile and set a definite time.

"Thank you!"

Amidst sincere thanks, Lin Changheng was escorted to the main gate with expressions of respect from the three men, after which he used Void Escape to depart.

Lin Changheng was no longer staying at the Guanxia Daoist School. The Spiritual Qi there was too thin and simply wasn’t enough.

’Even when I’m away from home, I can’t neglect my Cultivation!’

Therefore, he had been specially placed on an Upper Grade Spirit Vein node in the Gui Feng Dojo. Only with the addition of a Tier Two Spirit Gathering Array was it barely sufficient.

One could imagine that Xu Xujun had been cultivating in this environment for the past ten-plus years. To have made any progress at all was quite commendable.

To put it bluntly, this was a drag on his path of Cultivation!

Had it been any other more selfish Foundation Establishment Cultivator, or one with no attachment to their family, they would never have stayed to watch over the clan for so long. They would have long since found a place with a Tier Two Spiritual Vein to cultivate.

This was also a key reason why the Xu Family wanted to completely take over the Qiu Family—they possessed a Tier Two Spiritual Vein.

For a family, besides its people, that was its true foundation of external resources!

After Lin Changheng left, the three most central and powerful members of the Xu Family held a small meeting.

They reached a consensus and clarified a core point.

They would do everything in their power to befriend Lin Changheng, just as they had invested in Mo Zhaoli in the past, and "do their utmost to maintain" their future relationship with him.

Fortunately, they had already laid a good foundation; they only needed to maintain it going forward.

His priority was even higher than that of Mo Zhaoli, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Sect!

The reason for this was a judgment proposed by Xu Qianyan:

Lin Changheng’s progress in the Alchemy Dao was so rapid, and his Talent for it was outstanding among Pill Masters. In the future, it might not be impossible for him to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill!

And this was the key to the Xu Family’s true rise in the future!

As soon as he said this, the other two’s eyes lit up, and they reached a consensus almost instantly.

And yet, they had almost never discussed the question of how Lin Changheng had reached Foundation Establishment with a Mixed Spirit Root.

The reason was simple.

It was already so difficult for a family Cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment. How much harder was it for a Loose Cultivator?

Every single one who succeeded must have had a fateful encounter!

It was just a matter of how significant it was.

And most likely, it had already been used up.

Furthermore, prying into another’s fateful encounters was a sign of a fight to the death, so no one would be foolish enough to do so.

There were a few common understandings in the Cultivation Realm:

Loose Cultivators who reached Foundation Establishment had basically fought their way there on their own. They tended to be ferocious in Magical Combat, possessing an inherent ruthlessness.

Cultivators from Sects were wealthy, possessed powerful Cultivation Techniques, Magic, and Artifacts, and had a vast and endless array of methods at their disposal.

These were the most obvious characteristics of the two.

Family Cultivators, on the other hand, fell somewhere in between, perhaps leaning toward one side or the other, or possessing a mix of both.

Of course, there were exceptions, and Lin Changheng was one. He came from a background as a Loose Cultivator, yet he was relatively steady and amicable.

「 」

He returned to his residence, a small, garden-style courtyard.

This was where Mo Zhaoli stayed when he visited.

If any Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Outer World came to visit, they would also be housed here.

Tantai Feiyue was not here. Both of them were individuals with firm Dao Hearts. While meeting and emotional exchange were important, they would not neglect their Cultivation for it, especially Tantai Feiyue, who, on the verge of Foundation Establishment, naturally had to be even more diligent.

Quickly setting up the Flowing Clouds Covering Moon Formation, Lin Changheng appeared relaxed, composed, and skilled. This was because during his two-month journey, he had to control the Dharma Ship, leaving his hands free. He had used much of that time to study the Array Inheritance.

He had now achieved some success, advancing to the Tier One Middle Grade Array Path. He could now be called a Tier One Middle Grade Array Master.

Compared to his Alchemy Dao, however, it was hardly worth mentioning.

Lin Changheng’s Skills in the Alchemy Dao were being repeatedly polished, and his Refining techniques were constantly improving, but he was still some distance from breaking through to Tier Two Middle Grade Alchemy.

If he could find another one or two Tier Two Lower Grade Alchemy Inheritances to compare and study, gaining inspiration from other perspectives, his progress would be even faster!

Therefore, he had to attend the next major Auction in the Immortal City.

This concerned his core strength!

「 」

Entering the room and closing the door, he immediately began to examine the Demon Beast Essence Blood he had just received.

The way the Xu Family conducted themselves, as reflected in their gift of Demon Beast Essence Blood, had always been much to Lin Changheng’s liking.

They were reasonable, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and acted with integrity!

This was the key reason why he was willing to associate with them and chose to help them when issues arose.

If it had been one of those families from storybooks that demand repayment for favors and play mind games, Lin Changheng would naturally have kept his distance.

’To be sure, there are fools in this world, but most don’t live long. If you truly want to play mind games and think you’re smarter than everyone else, you’ll only end up working against your own goals and even suffering the consequences—unless you can do it flawlessly or have absolutely overwhelming power.’

He hadn’t examined the Jade Box closely on the spot earlier. Looking at it now, he found that its quality was quite good. It was actually a Magical Artifact.

A Magical Artifact capable of Spirit Locking!

It must have been specially commissioned for Refining.

His first thought was that this item was useless to him and he could return it to the Xu Family to be used again, as he was confident they would continue to help him collect Demon Beast Essence Blood.

After he gave Xu Qianyan some guidance tomorrow, his status in the hearts of the Xu Family’s upper echelons would rise again, and significantly so!

In reality, however, the three Xu Family members had already reached a similar consensus tonight. This speed was something Lin Changheng had not anticipated.

In the next moment, he rejected the thought. ’This Essence Blood is useful, but I can’t use it up that quickly, can I?’

For the sake of caution, it was better not to reveal his hand.

"Mountain-moving Ape Essence Blood..."

Lin Changheng had already counted them with his Divine Sense. There were more than four hundred and twenty vials!