Chapter 306 - 214: Zhao Li’s Invitation, a Breakthrough Opportunity
Chapter 306: Chapter 214: Zhao Li’s Invitation, a Breakthrough Opportunity
This caused a flicker of emotion in Lin Changheng’s gaze as he looked at her.
According to Mo Zhaoli, she and two of her Foundation Establishment friends had accepted a mission from a Quasi-Tier Three Artifact Refiner within their Sect.
The mission was to obtain five types of rare, special Spiritual Materials. He required a maximum of two portions of each, and for every portion they turned in, they would receive a dose of a Spirit Liquid called [Ice Pool Jade Spring]. Consuming it was effective for loosening the bottleneck to the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.
He also made it clear that they could enlist the help of friends, both inside and outside the Sect, to search for the materials. He didn’t care about anyone’s identity or Sect affiliation; he would reward them purely based on what they delivered.
This was a very lucrative mission. They only managed to secure it because the father of one of Mo Zhaoli’s Foundation Establishment friends had an exceptionally close relationship with the Artifact Refiner, and there was a favor involved.
Others would have been fighting tooth and nail for it.
As it happened, the Artifact Refiner needed a few years to make preparations, so he set a two-year time limit. If they failed, he would announce the mission to the entire Sect, and it would be a free-for-all.
When the list of materials was in their hands, the trio decided that each would pick one Spiritual Material to focus on. They would leave finding the remaining two to luck.
The other two made their choices.
Mo Zhaoli, however, chose the material requiring a dual-attribute water-and-wind Demon Core.
The other two were rather surprised by this.
Dual-attribute Demon Beasts were uncommon, and one with an Anomalous Spirit Root was even rarer.
Mo Zhaoli’s explanation was that she had a lead and might be able to find such information.
Hearing this, the other two said no more, and the three of them went their separate ways.
In truth, Mo Zhaoli’s heart had skipped a beat when she saw the mention of that particular Demon Beast material.
Back when she’d taken a Sect mission to hunt a Mountain-moving Ape and retrieve its long tail, she had encountered a dual-attribute water-and-wind Demon Beast.
It was at the base of a waterfall, manipulating the wind and water.
It was a Cyan-striped Tiger that had just broken through to Tier Two.
At the time, she had been weak and had fled for her life.
Fortunately, it had a large belly and seemed to have either just eaten or was preoccupied for some other reason, so it hadn’t bothered with her.
Thinking back on it now, she realized she had been too young and hadn’t thought it through. The Cyan-striped Tiger probably hadn’t been full from a meal; it had been pregnant.
If that was the case...
...then there might be multiple water-and-wind Demon Cores.
So she planned to invite someone to hunt it with her, claim the Demon Cores, and exchange them for the [Ice Pool Jade Spring].
Her first thought was Brother Lin, but after knowing him for seventy years, she understood him all too well. She knew he was extremely cautious.
So she had initially dismissed the idea.
But then she arrived at Cave Mansion No. 98 and saw two Tier Two Spirit Beasts standing guard in the courtyard.
Her opinion instantly changed.
She decided to ask him about it.
After all, it was best to keep such a good opportunity among friends. If Brother Lin was willing to go, that would be ideal. If not, she would figure something else out.
...
After Lin Changheng heard Mo Zhaoli’s idea, he fell into deep thought.
’Having the [Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object] on hand provides some help in loosening the bottleneck, but it’s definitely not enough.’
’Otherwise, so many Cultivators wouldn’t be stuck in the Early Stage Foundation Establishment.’
’But supplementing it with the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] would clearly increase his chances by several degrees.’
’And according to Mo Zhaoli’s description, the Cyan-striped Female Tiger’s strength back then was just at the start of Tier Two. Less than thirty years have passed, so at most it would be at Tier Two Middle Stage. More likely, it’s at the Peak of Tier Two Early Stage.’
’As for my own strength, add in two Tier Two Spirit Beasts and a Tier Two Puppet...’
’My side alone has four Tier Two-level combatants, and that’s not even counting my other methods—especially the Tier Two Upper Grade [Red Sky Profound Flame], the three types of [Divine Power True Intent] I possess, and various Demon and Abnormal Techniques. My combat power is definitely above the norm.’
’And Mo Zhaoli will be there too.’
’Even a Tier Two Middle Stage Cyan-striped Tiger should be an easy catch.’
After a brief mental inventory, Lin Changheng’s confidence soared. He felt completely assured.
He decided to act.
He would not shrink from a situation where he had an overwhelming advantage and could obtain a crucial Spiritual Object.
After all, ever since the great cataclysm in ancient times, resources had become increasingly scarce. The further one progressed, the more limited they were, and the more one had to fight for them.
Lin Changheng’s cautious and low-key approach wasn’t about avoiding every conflict and being a coward who hid in his shell.
It was about not needlessly stirring up trouble or looking for it when there was no reason to.
But when it came to advancing his cultivation path, he would absolutely take action. When faced with enemies or crises that could block his way, he would kill without hesitation!
His caution was more of a peaceful method for accumulating strength, with the ultimate goal of increasing his success rate when he did have to face a problem.
This time, victory was all but guaranteed! This was the fruit of his years of prudent cultivation.
Although he had already made up his mind, Lin Changheng didn’t agree immediately.
Instead, he asked for more details, making sure he understood everything clearly and that nothing was overlooked. Only then did Lin Changheng turn to Mo Zhaoli and say, "I’ll go with you."
Mo Zhaoli displayed immense patience throughout the entire exchange.
After all, in this world, besides Xu Fugui who was far away with the Black Water River Xu Family, she was the one who understood Lin Changheng best.
Of all the people he had traveled with on his journey, those two had been with him the longest and held an extremely high place in his heart.
In the beginning, he’d had a whole group of friends from his early days as a cultivator, but they had all withered away, buried and forgotten beneath the green hills.
In the future, Xu Fugui, who had not achieved Foundation Establishment, would also slowly be left behind.
Only she could continue to walk alongside him for another leg of the long journey of cultivation.
Later, though other people would appear and he would meet new companions, that first group of friends could never be replaced...
...
"That’s wonderful!"
A gentle smile graced Mo Zhaoli’s face.
This decision was a good thing for both Brother Lin and herself.
He would gain the Spirit Liquid, of course, but for her, she had not only gained a companion she could trust with her back, but also a powerful ally. The safety and success rate of their trip would naturally be much higher!
In her mind, Brother Lin’s magical combat abilities were probably not that strong, but she wouldn’t expect a kind-hearted Pill Master who spent all his time on alchemy to be charging into the front lines.
That was her job!
She just needed Brother Lin to control his two Spirit Beasts and provide support from the sidelines; she was confident she could handle the rest.
This was her confidence.
The fact that she, with her Middle Grade Spirit Root, could stand out among the many disciples with Upper Grade Spirit Roots in the Sect was a testament to her struggle. She had risked life and limb to fight for the core resources needed for Foundation Establishment and cultivation.
A plan formed in Mo Zhaoli’s mind almost instantly, and she quickly confirmed their respective roles with Lin Changheng.
She even reassured him, "Brother Lin, you don’t need to worry. Li’Er is here!"
"Mm..."
Hearing this, Lin Changheng was taken aback for a moment. He looked at the gentle smile and powerful confidence of the female cultivator opposite him, and his heart stirred. He didn’t refute her, however, simply nodding obediently as if to say he was at her command.
Mo Zhaoli was satisfied to see this.
Clearly, her Brother Lin didn’t have a macho streak and wasn’t stubborn; he didn’t insist on charging to the front. If he had, she wouldn’t have known how to talk him out of it...
’I can’t just tell him he’s not up to the task, can I?’
Mo Zhaoli couldn’t bring herself to say such a thing.
But she had no way of knowing that what she saw was merely the tip of her Brother Lin’s iceberg. He could never reveal the vast power hidden beneath the surface, all because of the existence of the Primordial Cauldron.
...
"Brother Lin, when do you think we should set out?"
Mo Zhaoli asked for Lin Changheng’s opinion. After all, her Brother Lin was swamped with alchemy requests, with a line of Middle and Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators waiting to visit him.
"How about in half a month? I’ll have just finished refining this batch of elixirs for a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This elixir might be useful for you in the future," Lin Changheng said with a smile after a moment’s thought.
"Of course. The Artifact Refiner from the Sect gave us a two-year deadline, so we have plenty of time."
As long as it didn’t affect the mission, Mo Zhaoli wasn’t in a rush and was happy to go with Lin Changheng’s schedule. Then she asked curiously, "Is that Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator asking for a Gold Element Elixir?"
"That’s right. It’s called the [Three-Turned Golden Firm Pill], and it can advance the cultivation of Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators who practice Gold Techniques. This cultivator searched for a long time to find the Pill Formula, and now he’s offered it to me..."