Chapter 240 - 186: Four Years Pass in a Flash, Cultivation Advances Again
Chapter 240: Chapter 186: Four Years Pass in a Flash, Cultivation Advances Again
All of Xu Hanji’s other injuries had now completely healed. Aside from being unable to practice Cultivation and needing to take her medicine monthly, she was no different from an ordinary person.
But to Tantai Feiyue’s surprise, Xu Hanji hadn’t sunk into despair despite this blow. She seemed to have come to terms with it, resuming her involvement in the family’s leadership, shouldering her responsibilities, and continuing to contribute to the clan.
At the same time, she was also dabbling in the various Hundred Arts, trying to find a skill that suited her, or rather, one for which she had a talent.
The family was also sparing no effort, searching far and wide for Treasure Medicines or Marvelous Pills that could repair the cracks in her Dantian.
In fact, a while ago, Xu Xujun had quietly left the family, heading to Liuyun Immortal City—a place controlled by the Beast Taming Sun Family—to search for medicine.
Lin Changheng nodded at this news. He approved of Xu Hanji’s Heart Nature. People like her weren’t easily plagued by stray thoughts, which was helpful for achieving Foundation Establishment.
He also recalled that the last time Xu Xujun was in Floating Immortal City, he hadn’t been idle. In addition to seeing him, he had also visited numerous Pill Masters, Physicians, and Pharmacists.
However, his efforts had all been in vain; the solutions they offered were no better than the one Lin Changheng had proposed.
Moreover, their prices were outrageously higher than Lin Changheng’s, which was why Xu Xujun had sighed so emotionally when he finally departed.
...
It was worth mentioning that, according to Tantai Feiyue, the Xu Family had been hit hard and where it hurt by the Qiu Family Ancestor, striking their successor. This caused the Xu Family’s strategy to become more conservative as they began to focus on consolidating the resource points they already occupied.
This also gave the Qiu Family a chance to catch their breath.
Tantai Feiyue was aware of this but offered no opinion.
...
Furthermore, Tantai Feiyue also mentioned that during her Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation, she was already feeling her progress losing steam.
Although she had used her status as a Tier Two Talisman Master to acquire a decent Cultivation Technique in and around the Cyan Spirit District, one that was said to allow for rapid cultivation, her actual progress was unsatisfactory.
Lin Changheng could sense a hint of pessimism between the lines of her letter.
There was nothing he could do about it, and he sighed inwardly.
When she was attempting Foundation Establishment, he happened to have leftover Substandard Foundation Establishment Pills and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects and was able to help her. But after she reached Foundation Establishment, besides refining a few batches of Pills for her, there was truly nothing else he could do to help.
The will was there, but not the power.
Besides, although Tantai Feiyue’s Tier Two Talisman Dao was not as sought-after as the Alchemy Dao, its money-making ability wasn’t much worse, so she shouldn’t be lacking in resources.
Ultimately, it all came down to her Lower Grade Spirit Root.
It was still having an effect—just one that was holding her back.
’If I still had a Mixed Spirit Root, I wonder if I could even touch the bottleneck between the Third Layer and the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment...’
For Tantai Feiyue, objectively speaking, if she could break through to the Second Layer Foundation Establishment within twelve years, her future could be considered promising.
In response, Lin Changheng could only write back with words of encouragement.
...
The third letter was from Xu Fugui.
It was just casual chatter about family matters, and the writing lacked its former sharpness and ambition.
He also mentioned that his grandson with the Upper Grade Spirit Root had finally decided to join the Purple Extreme Sect.
He believed that with an acquaintance, Mo Zhaoli, on the inside, his grandson would surely be looked after.
He then asked Lin Changheng to put in a good word.
Seeing this, Lin Changheng couldn’t help but chuckle. ’It seems Fugui has really gotten "old." Now that he’s past sixty and has lost all chance of reaching Foundation Establishment, he’s started thinking that connections make life easier and that acquaintances will look out for you.’
Lin Changheng naturally wouldn’t refuse, so he mentioned it to Mo Zhaoli.
A little special attention would be no problem. At the very least, if others knew the boy had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator backing him, his life and cultivation would be much more comfortable.
...
Time slipped quietly through his fingers, swift as a white steed glimpsed through a crack.
Four years passed in the blink of an eye, especially for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Lin Changheng, who had an abundant Lifespan.
This year, Lin Changheng was seventy-four years old.
His concubine, Yan Mingyi, thanks to taking a Solid Face Pill every five years, remained youthful and beautiful. Her face was like a young girl’s, and her skin was delicate and silky smooth, with a vibrant, dewy sheen.
She lived a very comfortable and pleasant life. Her cultivation had also successfully broken through to Late Stage Qi Cultivation, reaching the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. Her progress in the Puppet Dao was a bit slower, but she had reached the verge of being able to refine Tier One Middle Grade Masterpiece Puppets.
Her only regret was that her Brother Lin always conserved his vital essence, refusing to scatter his seed within her.
Her inability to bear a child for Brother Lin often made her sigh.
Her beautiful eyes turned towards the tightly sealed Seclusion Room. Brother Lin was inside. The stone door hadn’t opened in seven days.
"CHIRP—"
An affectionate sound came from beside her feet.
Yan Mingyi looked down and saw a Black Armored Earth Turtle, a third larger than it was four years ago, crawling to her feet and calling to her.
"Alright, I know you’re the greediest of them all. Come along."
Squatting down to knock on the hard shell on the turtle’s back, Yan Mingyi smiled indulgently, then stood up and beckoned.
"CHIRP!"
The Black Armored Earth Turtle immediately grew excited, its voice becoming much shriller. It took off in a series of small, quick steps, huffing and puffing as it followed behind her.
"Open your mouth."
Yan Mingyi used her jade-like fingers to take out a Thick Earth Spirit Feeding Pill and tossed it into the Black Armored Earth Turtle’s mouth.
"GURGLE GURGLE..."
As the sound of the turtle slurping the Elixir echoed, it became so pleased that a continuous, happy rumble started deep within its throat.
If a sharp-eyed person were present, they would discover that the crystallization on this turtle’s Armor Shell already covered most of its surface.
Its growth rate was much faster than before.
This was all the effect of consuming Masterpiece Thick Earth Spirit Feeding Pills for many years.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Changheng was still in seclusion.
Inside the Seclusion Room, the Spirit Gathering Array rumbled as it operated. Spiritual Qi gathered like smoke and mist, making one feel as if they had wandered into a celestial paradise.
Sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, which was also the center of the Array, Lin Changheng had a solemn and tranquil expression.
He methodically guided the dense Spiritual Qi into his body. The Jade Void Brilliance Scripture roared without cease as it operated, refining the qi into Magical Power and gathering it within his Dantian.
By now, the Jade Void Brilliance Scripture was drastically different.
Its strength, intensity, and efficiency had all increased. He had actually broken through the realm of Mastery and entered the realm of Minor Achievement.
Moreover, he seemed to have progressed a considerable distance within the Minor Achievement realm.
If the Huang Family Branch Ancestor who had gifted this Cultivation Technique to Lin Changheng were to see this, he would be utterly incredulous.
Perhaps even appalled...
This Cultivation Technique was extremely difficult, profound, and complex, making it very hard to quickly advance through its realms.
Many cultivators in the ancestor’s clan had attempted to switch to this technique or had given up on it for another.
The fact that Lin Changheng had reached the Fourth Realm so quickly would be world-view shattering, if not enough to proclaim him a heaven-sent genius.
"Hoooo..."
There was no day or night in the stone chamber, only the ebb and flow of Spiritual Qi, like the tides.
Suddenly, Lin Changheng took a deep breath. He felt the opportunity for a breakthrough. The Magical Power in his Dantian abruptly condensed into a vortex, every rotation causing his meridians to tremble. He then guided the vortex of Magical Power to make its assault.
"CRACK!"
With a sound, inaudible to the ears yet ringing in his mind, it felt as if something had broken.
Immediately, the Magical Power in Lin Changheng’s body surged like a gushing river overflowing its banks, sweeping and flowing until it had all accumulated in his Dantian.
Third Layer Foundation Establishment!
It had taken eight years of accumulation to reach this point!
Lin Changheng had long expected this; the result was barely satisfactory.
’My Magical Power increased by another small amount this time, roughly thirty percent!’ Lin Changheng noted, carefully sensing the change.
’No wonder there wasn’t a qualitative leap. Compared to the First Layer of Foundation Establishment, it’s only a seventy percent increase in total.’
’But according to Li’Er, a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Magical Power is three times that of an Early Stage one. They can easily defeat two ordinary Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators at once, and even handle three without much difficulty, with power to spare.’
’That means crossing the barrier to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment provides a boost to Magical Power greater than the entire increase from the first to third layers combined. It nearly doubles it!’
’That’s the real leap forward!’
A look of anticipation filled Lin Changheng’s eyes.
Only the transition from Early to Middle Stage Foundation Establishment counted as a true breakthrough. The minor layers within were just incremental steps providing tangible feedback.
He directed his Introspection once again to the center of his Dantian. There, the Tier Two Upper Grade Red Sky Profound Flame flickered, having made some progress.
But there was still a long way to go before it could transform into a Tier Three Flame comparable to a Core Formation Cultivator’s Lifebound Pill Fire.
"Brother Lin..."
No sooner had Lin Changheng emerged from seclusion than a familiar, graceful figure appeared, clad in a tantalizingly sheer, open-work palace dress.