Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

In the lakeside pavilion.

Although Lin Changheng was filled with anticipation, he didn't rush to their door to make a purchase or ask about the situation. That would be a poor move.

It was better to wait for the other party to rest for a while and take care of their initial affairs before Lin Changheng paid a visit.

The chances of success would be higher then.

This was a plan Lin Changheng had devised by putting himself in their shoes; it was the more prudent approach.

After another two hours of enjoying the scenery with Yan Mingyi and sharing some intimate words when the mood was right, Lin Changheng and Yan Mingyi parted ways to enter secluded Cultivation.

At this moment, Lin Changheng was sitting cross-legged in his secret chamber.

The Spirit Gathering Array rumbled to life, and Spiritual Qi rose like clouds and mist, making the secret chamber resemble a celestial paradise.

Circulation after circulation ran continuously, refining the Spiritual Qi absorbed into his body and transforming it into new liquid Magical Power, which then flowed into the Magical Power Lake in his Dantian.

If someone could use Introspection at this moment, they would discover that Lin Changheng's Magical Power Lake had expanded significantly. The Magical Power Lake Water was deeper and denser, showing immense progress.

He had accumulated more than half of the Magical Power required for the Fifth Layer of Foundation Establishment; a new Realm was already within sight.

WHOOSH!

The Jade Void Brilliance Scripture continued to surge, operating with high efficiency.

Every aspect of it—including its absorption efficiency, refinement speed, and smoothness—had changed dramatically compared to before. There was a sense of perfect control, as if it had entered the Realm of Perfection.

HUMMMMM~

Suddenly, amidst the Cultivation Technique's operation, a wisp of Red True Essence, a good deal stronger than before, silently appeared in his Dantian. Lin Changheng almost subconsciously guided it toward the Red Sky Profound Flame coiled in the center of his Dantian.

A tongue of fire shot out and, like a frog snatching a mosquito, instantly swept it into the Flame.

TZZZZZZ...

After swelling only slightly, the Red True Essence was digested, becoming part of the Red Sky Profound Flame's foundation.

Lin Changheng estimated that the Red Sky Profound Flame's accumulation was now at about eighty-seven percent.

It was increasing steadily.

If he could find a relevant precious material, like the Molten Fire Crystal from last time, he could accelerate its progress even further.

...

「Three months later.」

Lin Changheng had yet to hear from his two new neighbors, but he wasn't in a hurry.

In Cultivation, one's state of mind was cultivated alongside everything else. A bit of time might seem long to a mortal, but to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a few years was nothing.

He hadn't sent a Visit Card either.

He was about to leave for a trip that would take at least a month, and it wouldn't be good if they replied while he was away.

The impetus for this trip was a new Grand Marketplace that had just opened in the territory governed by the Bixiao Sect. It was preparing for a large-scale auction to build its reputation and attract crowds.

They had specially collected some fine items for the auction.

It was said that many of the auctioned items would be of great use even to Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Lin Changheng had heard this news from a Pill Seeking Cultivator and, after confirming it was true, decided to make the trip.

On one hand, the intensity of the clan war involving the Huang Family had drastically decreased.

This was because the opposing Three Races had successively and inexplicably lost three Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators. The losses were too great, enough to shake them to their very core.

To put it in perspective, the Three Races and the Huang Family had been at odds for years, and most of the casualties had been Low Tier Cultivators. The Huang Family had only lost a single Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator named Huang Qingshan.

In comparison, the losses suffered by the Three Races were far too great.

It left them frightened and reeling from the pain of their losses.

Furthermore, there were other families neighboring their clan territories. If they continued to lose Foundation Establishment Cultivators and fell into decline, there was no guarantee their neighbors wouldn't get the same ideas they once had.

At that point, their own foundations would be threatened. If the Huang Family learned of their weakness, they would surely latch on and never let go, perhaps even launching a counterattack. The consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, the true identity of the Cultivator who had killed the three was still unknown. Although it was speculated to be that Alchemist Lin, the truth of the matter was no longer important.

They didn't dare to provoke him.

The terrifying thing about a Loose Cultivator like that was his lack of attachments. He was powerful, and if he became ruthless and decided to camp outside their family's gate every day, it would be a horrifying prospect.

Unless the leading Cultivators of the three families attacked together—but would the Huang Family simply stand by and watch?

Besides, this person's reputation was too great, his connections too extensive. He had many friends and Pill Seekers he had associated with. Attacking him would likely lead to huge trouble.

Especially since this person was rumored to have a close relationship with Immortal City's Elder Kong, they were even more hesitant to make a move.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to be the type to hold a grudge. After killing the Cultivators who came looking for trouble, he hadn't struck again. Otherwise, the consequences would have been too dreadful to contemplate...

Faced with this web of circumstances and factors, the Three Races were all inclined to retreat.

Although there was no immediate ceasefire, there was a clear decline in the frequency of Foundation Establishment Cultivators taking action and in the resources invested in the war.

The Huang Family learned of this and also breathed a sigh of relief.

They tacitly cooperated in reducing the war's intensity, awaiting the arrival of peace talks.

For now, at least, peace talks were beneficial to the family. After the talks, both sides would undoubtedly focus on developing their strength with all their might until the balance of power was broken once more...

Lin Changheng was also moved by this. 'I never thought that killing a few clueless Cultivators who came after me would actually halt a devastating war of mutual destruction.'

'It's a good deed, I suppose.'

...

On the other hand, Lin Changheng needed to go out and win a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object at auction for Yan Mingyi.

There was no rush for her Foundation Establishment within the next year or two. Lin Changheng had her meticulously polish her foundation to strive for the highest success rate and make the most thorough preparations possible.

Besides that, he also needed to collect some resources for himself.

It was said that while this Marketplace was not officially owned by the Bixiao Sect, it had countless ties to them. Lin Changheng guessed it was highly likely that a Spirit Wood like the East Wheel Willow Wood might appear.