Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

He had the foresight of decades, at least!

If not for that person pushing it through against all opposition... the situation today would be ten times worse.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

...

Back in the present.

Lin Changheng had once again collected all the Essence Blood he needed from the Deep Lake Spirit Clam and the Black Armored Earth Turtle.

Several years prior, he had performed another round of Spirit Stealing for each of them.

At that time, his Deep Lake Spirit Clam Treasure Seed had reached the Third Layer of Spirit Stealing, allowing him to master the Nourishing Spirit Technique: Tongming.

He could now simultaneously nourish three wondrous items, which were three Treasure Talismans.

This was in addition to the two Treasure Talismans that were already being nourished.

The only one currently left untended was the Half-finished Treasure Talisman he had obtained at the very beginning.

...

Meanwhile, the Black Armored Earth Turtle Treasure Seed had also advanced by another layer of Spirit Stealing.

His Earth Control Technique had been elevated to the Spiritual stage.

The "earth wall" that had blocked the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and saved Chef Zeng was an application of this Earth Control Technique.

It provided a bonus to his Earth Magic.

After all, when it came to defense, the Earth Element was the most effective and prominent.

Lin Changheng was also waiting for the opportunity to control all Five Elements!

At that point, if he were to practice a Cultivation Technique that cultivated all Five Elements simultaneously, he would surely become even more powerful!

This was because his Five Elements Spirit Root would also gradually improve.

It was just that his current level was too low to encounter a Cultivation Technique for all Five Elements. He would have to build up his resources and plan for the long term.

...

He entered his Secluded Meditation Chamber.

He took out the Essence Blood he had collected from the two Spirit Beasts.

Without a second thought, Lin Changheng immediately began the Spirit Stealing, his movements incredibly practiced.

The Primordial Cauldron in his sea of consciousness trembled repeatedly.

One after another, the two Treasure Seeds took shape.

Spirit Stealing: 100/100

Deep Lake Spirit Clam Treasure Seed: Fourth Layer

Mastered: Nourishing Spirit Technique: Ascension

...

Spirit Stealing: 100/100

Black Armored Earth Turtle Treasure Seed: Third Layer

Mastered: Earth Control Technique: Tongming

...

With a brief scan of his senses, Lin Changheng found that the sphere of azure brilliance within his body had become more profound, dense, and dazzling.

Its volume had expanded once again, meaning this Abnormal Technique could now nourish more treasures.

Moreover, its efficiency and power had also increased.

He immediately took out the last available Half-finished Treasure Talisman, drawing it into his body with the brilliant light.

He began to complete its previously unfinished nourishment.

It was worth noting that the first three Treasure Talismans he had started nourishing were now at least twenty years old.

Lin Changheng estimated that once they reached fifty years of age, their power would be no less than a single strike from an ordinary Talisman Treasure.

And to achieve the remaining thirty years of nourishment would, in fact, only take ten to fifteen years, thanks to the efficiency bonus from his Abnormal Technique.

'It was something to look forward to.'

...

As for the Earth Control Technique: Tongming.

It offered an extremely high enhancement value for the Earth Element's defense, control, attack, and even its ability to alter terrain.

It had the effect of "moderately enhancing Earth Magic."

Furthermore, when cast while standing on the earth, the consumption of power was even lower.

And through his own testing, Lin Changheng confirmed that its enhancement to the Earth Escape Demon Technique had also increased once again.

'I can burrow one hundred fifty feet deep and lie hidden in silence for eighty breaths!'

'When I move, I can escape over three miles in a single burst!'

And that distance of over three miles was the range of an Early Stage Core Formation Cultivator's Divine Sense.

The improvement was anything but small.

...

At this point, Lin Changheng checked his own Spirit Root again.

Fire Spirit Root: forty-nine strands of Spiritual Charm!

Wood Spirit Root: twenty-eight strands of Spiritual Charm.

Earth Spirit Root: twenty strands of Spiritual Charm.

Metal Spirit Root: twelve strands of Spiritual Charm.

Water Spirit Root: fourteen strands.

His Fire and Wood Spirit Roots were still far ahead; one was about to break into the Upper Grade realm, while the other was on the verge of becoming a Middle Grade Spirit Root.

But looking at the whole picture, all five of his Spirit Roots had left the Mixed Grade behind; the weakest among them was now at the Lower Grade.

...

Two more years slipped by like sand through his fingers.

One day, a heavy snow began to fall, the flakes as large as goose feathers.

It blanketed the mountains and islands around Jade Belt Lake in a sheet of pure white. The lake's surface had yet to freeze over completely; fragments of ice drifted with the gentle waves, their crisp collisions echoing clearly in the stillness.

By the lakeside, inside a viewing pavilion, a pot of Spirit Wine warmed on a stone table above a fire of crackling charcoal.

Lin Changheng was sipping wine and watching the snow with his concubine. The air was warm and fragrant with the aroma of wine, and being in the company of a beautiful woman lent the scene a unique and leisurely charm.

"Husband, I wonder how long this snow will last?" Yan Mingyi asked softly, her voice gentle as she gazed at the vast expanse of white outside the pavilion.

Once the Spirit Wine was warm, Lin Changheng stood and rolled up the sleeves of his fleece-lined robe to pour for them both.

The man and woman were both dressed in fleece-lined white robes, looking like a perfect couple against the snowy landscape. To Lin Changheng, with his powerful physique, the wind and snow were nothing, but he couldn't deny Yan Mingyi's wish to experience the feeling of being an ordinary married couple.

So, he obliged.

Lin Changheng took a sip of the warm Spirit Wine, feeling the heat spread through his body, and smiled calmly. "The world turns at its own pace. A timely snow promises a bountiful year, which is also good for the Spirit Plants."

His gaze swept over the lake's surface, watching the glowing halo of the Array that continued to circulate steadily in the blizzard, and a sense of tranquility filled his heart.

For the past two years, he had lived a secluded life, practicing Alchemy, learning Arrays, focusing on his Cultivation, and studying the Shadow Escape Technique he had obtained from Chef Zeng. No troubles from the Outer World had come to find him, and his days passed in fulfilling peace.

It was also worth mentioning that Lin Changheng had found a type of Magic he had never been able to acquire in the Storage Bags of those two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The Earth Escape Technique!

With his aptitude, Lin Changheng quickly grasped the basics and became skilled in its use.

He then compared it to the Earth Escape Demon Technique he already knew.

Through his careful perception, he realized the Human Race's Earth Escape Technique was more of an imitation based on observation, a method of "brute-force" traversal.

It required using one's own Magical Power as a "drill," forming a hand Technique and chanting a Spell to forcibly project a shuttle-shaped Magical Power Energy Field around the body. This field would violently push aside the dirt and sand ahead, much like a ship parting waves.

During movement, the fluctuations of Spiritual Power were intense. Although the commotion was intentionally suppressed, under the Divine Sense of an expert, it was still as conspicuous as a torch in the dark. Moreover, the consumption of Magical Power was immense, making it impossible to sustain for long. It was more of a practical "traveling technique" or an "emergency escape method."

The Earth Escape Demon Technique, on the other hand, was a form of natural "integration."

This technique required no Spell; with a single thought, the Abnormal Technique would naturally course through his body. In an instant, his body seemed to lose its substance, no longer flesh and blood, but transformed into an existence of the same nature and origin as the surrounding soil and rock.

It wasn't a matter of pushing aside the earth, but of letting the earth accept him, becoming a part of it. Wherever his thoughts willed, his body would silently "flow" through the soil like water. The speed was incredible, yet it produced almost no ripples of Magical Power, as if he were a shadow of the earth itself—the absolute pinnacle of Concealment.

Lin Changheng slowly opened his eyes, a flash of understanding in their depths.

'So that's how it is...'

He murmured to himself.

But the control over Magical Power in the Earth Escape Technique was still something he could learn from. It could provide a certain boost to the Earth Escape Demon Technique, making it a beneficial supplement. At a critical moment, he could erupt with even more astonishing speed!

He could make use of it all!

...

In her spare time from Cultivation, Yan Mingyi kept their cave dwelling and Spirit Field in perfect order, saving him a great deal of worry.

Just as the two were enjoying this rare, quiet moment, Yan Mingyi suddenly spoke. "Husband, while you were in Cultivation the other day, I saw our two neighboring Isle Masters return. They looked rather down and defeated. I wonder if they suffered a major loss on their trip?"

After so many years as his concubine, Yan Mingyi had finally started calling Lin Changheng "Husband" in public just before the new year. Previously, she had only done so during their intimate moments in the bedroom.

"Is that so?"

Lin Changheng raised an eyebrow.

'They were gone for over two years. It obviously hadn't been a smooth trip.'

'They'd made it sound so simple in the beginning, but reality had proven otherwise.'

'Good thing I didn't go, or else...'

However, they had both returned, and Yan Mingyi had seen no signs of missing limbs, which kept Lin Changheng's imagination from running wild.

Still, Lin Changheng wondered what kind of harvest they had reaped.

From his perspective, he hoped they had made significant gains; otherwise, his prospects of obtaining the Cold Jade Crystal Scorpion's Essence Blood would be mostly gone.