Chapter 318 - 220: Dividing the Harvest, 2 Important Matters
Chapter 318: Chapter 220: Dividing the Harvest, 2 Important Matters
The restriction was sealed shut, and a layer of dust had even accumulated on the steps, a clear sign that it hadn’t seen visitors for a long time.
Satisfied with this, Lin Changheng directly manipulated the array, causing it to part as he stepped inside.
"Brother Lin!"
The moment someone entered the cave mansion, Yan Mingyi sensed it. She immediately summoned three fully armed, Upper Grade Puppets and went to investigate, on high alert.
But what she saw was a familiar figure.
"Mingyi, I’m back."
Lin Changheng stood in the courtyard, a faint smile on his face as he watched her. In the next moment, a graceful figure lunged toward him.
Bringing with her a faint, sweet fragrance, she crashed soundly into his arms.
Yan Mingyi threw her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest. She didn’t say a word, simply nuzzling against him.
Lin Changheng was taken aback for a moment before raising a hand to pat her gently on the back. "The trip went smoothly," he said softly. "Sorry to make you worry."
"As long as it was smooth..."
...came the muffled reply from his embrace.
After a tender moment, Lin Changheng reached down and opened the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist.
A turtle and a clam appeared instantly.
The Black Armored Earth Turtle settled calmly on the ground. It gave Yan Mingyi two light chirps by way of greeting, its eyes gentle.
The Deep Lake Spirit Clam, on the other hand, was far more lively. Its two shells clacked open and shut, producing a crisp sound.
"They were a huge help this time!" Lin Changheng said with a laugh.
He briefly described how the two beasts had performed in battle, making sure to emphasize their contributions.
As Yan Mingyi listened, her eyes sparkled with wonder. She couldn’t help but crouch down to gently stroke the Black Armored Earth Turtle’s cool, hard armor shell. Then, she smiled at the Spirit Clam. "You both worked so hard. I’ll give you extra food later as a reward!"
The Spirit Clam’s shell clacked open and shut even faster, clearly overjoyed. The Black Armored Earth Turtle also squinted its eyes in comfort, letting out a louder chirp from its throat.
But he wasn’t finished. Lin Changheng held out a fluffy, jade-white ball for Yan Mingyi.
"Is this a Cyan-striped Tiger Cub?"
Yan Mingyi took it carefully. It only took a moment for her to guess what it was.
"That’s right. I’ll need you to put in a little effort to raise it, Mingyi. But Demon Beast cubs are easy to care for. They’re not overly delicate."
Lin Changheng smiled.
"It’s nothing," Yan Mingyi accepted gladly. Her other two Tier Two Spirit Beasts didn’t require much attention anymore, so she had plenty of time. Besides, the little cub was adorable.
Next, with a wave of his hand, Lin Changheng produced a pile of Tier Two Demon Beast Meat and handed it to Yan Mingyi.
Yan Mingyi’s eyes lit up as if she’d found a treasure. She quickly stored the fresh ingredients away.
After taking care of these miscellaneous matters, Lin Changheng went straight to his Seclusion Room to begin a long period of seclusion.
This time, he had two important things to do.
First, to refine a Tier Two [Youthful Appearance Pill]. The majority of the [Cyan Flower Moon Lotus] he had should be enough.
He should be able to refine at least two Genuine Youthful Appearance Pills. With some luck, he might even get an extra Substandard one as a bonus.
It would all depend on the age and Medicinal Power of the main ingredient.
Second, he needed to cultivate diligently and raise his cultivation to the Peak of Third Level Foundation Establishment.
Once Mo Zhaoli completed her task and delivered the [Ice Pool Jade Spring], he could begin his breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.
After the breakthrough, his confidence to face any challenge would be greatly bolstered.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
Inside the Secluded Meditation Chamber of Cave Mansion No. 98.
Lin Changheng sat cross-legged on a cushion in the center of the Quiet Chamber. A dense Spiritual Qi, like a tangible veil of white mist, swirled slowly around him, obscuring his figure.
With his eyes closed in deep concentration, he had a solemn and dignified air. The Cultivation Technique within him was completing its circulations at an unprecedented speed.
He had clearly reached the [Great Success] realm in his [Jade Void Brilliance Scripture]. His refining efficiency, the smoothness of its operation, and his comprehension of the technique all far surpassed their previous levels, giving him a sense of effortless mastery.
At this moment, the lake of liquid Magical Power in his Dantian was incredibly condensed, with no hint of instability.
It had expanded to its absolute limit. The surface of the lake was placid, yet it felt as deep as an abyss, radiating immense and pure fluctuations of Magical Power.
He was constantly absorbing the rich Spiritual Qi that had gathered in the Quiet Chamber. Each breath he took drew the surrounding Spiritual Qi into a tiny vortex that flowed into his mouth and nose.
He was trying to add even just a little more "water" to the lake.
Only when he could make no further progress did he stop.
Lin Changheng slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed within them and vanished, leaving him with a sense of fullness and control that came from pushing his cultivation to its absolute limit.
’Eighty-five years old, Peak of Third Level Foundation Establishment... I’m just one step away from the Middle Stage.’
He muttered to himself, feeling the surging power within him. Slowly, he withdrew his technique. The [Spirit Gathering Array] ceased to operate, and the dense Spiritual Qi in the air gradually settled.
In truth, Lin Changheng had finished accumulating Magical Power a year ago. However, he had remained, patiently refining and condensing it one more time until he could absolutely no longer add to it.
He did this to build up his foundation and increase his chances of successfully breaking through to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.
Now, the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] and the [Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object] were in his hands.
Two and a half years ago, Mo Zhaoli had personally made the trip to deliver the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] to Lin Changheng.
Mo Zhaoli hadn’t dared to entrust such a critical and precious object to anyone else; she could only rest easy after delivering it herself.
Of course, Lin Changheng didn’t let her make the trip for nothing, gifting her several Elixirs in return.
...
’I’ll relax for a few days first to get my Essence, Qi, and Spirit into peak condition. Then I can begin the breakthrough.’
Lin Changheng opened the door and stepped out. He’d waited for more than a decade for this moment; there was no need to rush.
He walked out into the courtyard and was struck by how crowded it had become.
The three Spirit Beasts each had their own "lair."
On the left was a mud pit several yards across, on the right a deep pool of similar size, and closer to the cave mansion entrance was a small den padded with a Dry Spirit Grass Scroll.
With all three Spirit Beasts also out sunbathing in the courtyard, it felt like there was barely room to take a step.
Lin Changheng took a longer look at the [Cyan-striped Tiger Cub]. Its growth had been slow initially due to its limited appetite; it had even needed to consume the [Cyan Flower Moon Lotus] in several sittings, which resulted in the last portion falling into Lin Changheng’s hands.
Now that its appetite had increased and it had enough resources, its growth had entered a rapid phase.
It was already thigh-high and more than two feet long.
Its paws were the size of saucers, and its face already held the faint, majestic air of a ’Mountain Monarch’.
Despite this, it still had a dopey, cute look, and was currently tearing around the courtyard with boundless Energy, just like a puppy.
When Lin Changheng first returned, he had refined a [Forget Dust Pill]. He’d given one to the tiger and another to Mo Zhaoli when she came to deliver the Spiritual Object.
The three Spirit Beasts got along quite well, living in harmony.
The [Black Armored Earth Turtle] would occasionally make the ground ripple, and when the [Deep Lake Spirit Clam] felt playful, it would shoot out jets of water. The [Cyan-striped Tiger Cub] nimbly dodged all these "obstacles."
"Brother Lin is out of seclusion!"
Yan Mingyi, who had been watching the three Spirit Beasts, hurried over. Her youthful face was the same, but it now carried the charm of a mature woman, making her all the more captivating.
"Thank you for all your hard work."
Lin Changheng patted her shoulder.
"Brother Lin, would you like to take a bath and relax a bit?"
Yan Mingyi asked with a smile, her voice tinged with anticipation.
"Of course."
Lin Changheng, knowing full well what she was implying, readily agreed with a nod.
As he watched Yan Mingyi skip away joyfully, Lin Changheng began to ponder something:
’Is it time to move to a more spacious cave mansion?’
...
「Two hours later.」
After his bath, Lin Changheng went straight to his secret medicinal garden.
There, the Spirit Medicines were flourishing.
The [Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng] had grown two more leaves, and a third was on the verge of forming.
The main stem of the [Vermilion Fruit Grass], a primary ingredient for the [Youthful Appearance Pill], had grown to eight inches long and was about to sprout branches and leaves. Another main ingredient, the [Purple Jujube Grass], had been force-ripened and was now about sixteen years old.
’By the time you all mature again, I wonder if I’ll be able to gather a second set of Medicinal Materials for the [Youthful Appearance Pill] and refine a second batch...’
Lin Changheng’s eyes filled with wistful emotion.
Why a second batch? Because he had already found the time to refine the first batch of [Youthful Appearance Pills] during his seclusion.
Just as he had anticipated, he had obtained three Elixirs.
Two Genuine [Youthful Appearance Pills] and one Substandard one.
This Substandard Pill resulted from insufficient Medicinal Power and had nearly disintegrated. However, thanks to Lin Changheng’s exquisite skill in the Alchemy Dao, it had barely managed to form into a pill.