Chapter 517 - 294: Another Demon Technique and Mass Conscription
Chapter 517: Chapter 294: Another Demon Technique and Mass Conscription
’When my Cultivation is higher and I’m exposed to a wider world, perhaps I’ll naturally find the Five Elements Daoist Technique that’s meant for me.’
With his thoughts clarified, a weight lifted from Lin Changheng’s mind.
He knew, however, that if he wanted to replace the Jade Void Brilliance Scripture with a technique of an equal or better grade, his only options—besides exploring Secret Realms and excavating ancient ruins—were to obtain one from the great powers of the Song Territory or from a Core Formation Cultivator. And even that would require some luck.
...
It is worth mentioning that during this period, Lin Changheng also received letters from the Xu Family.
The first letter was from Princess Tantai.
At first glance, her words were filled with both joy and deep emotion, so much so that her handwriting was a little distorted.
The letter mainly mentioned one point: she had spent sixteen long years and seventy percent of the resources she had accumulated to finally break through to the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment! The Middle Stage!
Lin Changheng did a quick mental calculation and realized Tantai Feiyue was already one hundred and five years old.
It had taken her forty-five years just to cross the first major hurdle of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The hurdles of the Late Stage and the threshold to Core Formation would only become more difficult, requiring far more time—it was not something that could be accomplished in ninety years.
Generally speaking, the theoretical maximum Lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was two hundred fifty years, but it was usually lower; two hundred twenty to two hundred thirty years was more common.
In other words, if Tantai Feiyue continued to cultivate at her current pace, with a Lower Grade Spirit Root, the best she could hope for was to form a Fake Core.
The path for those with a Fake Core essentially plateaued at the Early Stage Core Formation. It was nearly impossible to break through that bottleneck. Their path to the Great Dao was cut short, all hope lost. When their time was up, they would simply turn to dust.
Lin Changheng’s heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could do for now. His own path was about to face a major hurdle: the threshold of the Late Stage.
He didn’t know how he would cross it.
At the same time, though his preparations for Core Formation had begun, achieving it was still a distant prospect.
Once he successfully achieved Core Formation and had strength to spare, he would naturally consider helping her. But that time was not now.
One could call Lin Changheng’s heart hard, or one could call it soft. The truth was that his own path to the Dao was his absolute priority; everything else had to come later.
His reply to Tantai Feiyue consisted mainly of congratulations and encouragement. He also mentioned that the Song Territory was unstable at the moment, advising her to stay close to her family and remain safe.
...
The second letter was from Xu Hanji. She was writing to Lin Changheng mostly in her capacity as the Xu Family’s Leader, exchanging information.
Only a very small portion of it touched upon her own feelings.
Their current relationship was incredibly delicate, as thin as window paper that could be pierced with a single touch. But if neither of them spoke up, it became a barrier as thick as cowhide, stubbornly keeping them apart.
Moreover, her Cultivation had long since reached the Third Layer Foundation Establishment. She was now striving to break through to the Middle Stage, and the light of success was just on the horizon.
Then again, given the same resources, breaking through with a Middle Grade Spirit Root was far less difficult than with a Lower Grade Spirit Root.
Soon, Xu Hanji’s Cultivation would likely surpass Tantai Feiyue’s.
Once the family had two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Xu Family’s underlying strength would take another step up.
After all, the strength of a Foundation Establishment Clan was measured not just by the number of its Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but also by the strength of their Cultivation!
A clan with a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator presiding over it would crush the Xu Family in a head-on confrontation, but having a greater number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators meant more potential for growth and the possibility of a brighter future.
Xu Hanji’s letter also mentioned something that made Lin Changheng’s brows furrow.
The Xu Family had been conscripted by the Purple Extreme Sect. They were required to dispatch one Foundation Establishment Cultivator to lead ten Middle to Late Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators to the Song-Jin Battlefield.
Even a behemoth of a clan like the Huang Family could not resist the summons, so the Xu Family naturally had to obey.
"I’ll go!"
Just as the Xu Family’s upper echelons were agonizing over the difficult decision, Xu Xujun stepped forward and volunteered, accepting the mission.
He knew that he had sacrificed too much of his cultivation time by staying behind to guard the clan’s lands—which had an insufficient Spirit Vein—while the Xu Family was solidifying its status as a Foundation Establishment Clan. He had now missed the optimal window to break through to the Middle Stage. Rather than let his remaining years wither away, he felt it was better to contribute to the family on the battlefield.
This would also spare several of the more promising juniors of the Foundation Establishment Stage from perishing on the battlefield.
He would not be able to live with himself otherwise.
When he made his announcement, looks of pained reluctance filled the eyes of Xu Hanji and the other leaders, but ultimately, none of them spoke out against it.
Instead, they all grew solemn and, as one, bowed respectfully to Xu Xujun.
For everyone present knew that the Purple Extreme Sect’s conscription was a death warrant in disguise, a reaper’s summons. The probability of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator dying there was high.
At this moment, Xu Xuhe, ancient and frail, was nearing the end of his Lifespan. He sat off to the side, his eyes closed, but a single tear silently traced a path down his cheek.
He... had not chosen wrong!
In the past, for the sake of the clan, he had given up his own chance at Foundation Establishment, passing it to his kinsman, Xu Xujun.
Now, Xu Xujun, also for the sake of the clan, was giving up... his chance at life!
How was this not a form of inheritance in itself?!
...
Reading this, Lin Changheng felt a flicker of admiration for Xu Xujun, the middle-aged Cultivator with phoenix eyes.
Although Xu Xujun’s strength had long been insignificant in his eyes, his spirit and conviction—this willingness to sacrifice himself for his clan—still moved him.
Even if their philosophies did not align, it didn’t prevent him from feeling this way.
Moreover, the Purple Extreme Sect’s widespread conscription of Cultivators could not help but make Lin Changheng worry about two things.
First, would the conscription order reach Jade Belt Lake?