Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 206 Heavenly Pure Spiritual Essence, Birthday

"The tables and chairs in the reception hall have all been replaced with new ones, still made of second-tier spirit wood, just like before."

Before returning to the cave, Lin Changsheng instructed Tian Fu to rearrange the reception hall.

After he left, Tian Fu went inside with some curiosity.

Then, looking at the mess in the hall, with broken tables and chairs everywhere, he froze on the spot, his expression incredibly interesting.

Back in his cave, Lin Changsheng took out a secret letter left by Zhao Wanning, which contained information about several Foundation Establishment deacons in the Fengling Chamber of Commerce.

The descriptions are extremely detailed, including each person's name, cultivation level, main cultivation method, and preferred techniques, as well as their personality and daily interests and habits.

For example, one of the deacons on the list, Qiu, has a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation level and enjoys women, especially unmarried young girls.

More than 300 miles east of Thousand Crane Immortal City, there is a cave dwelling opened by Deacon Qiu. It is used to imprison women he usually kidnaps, seals their magical powers, and locks them inside for his pleasure.

Deacon Qiu would go there almost every three to five days.

For example, there was a steward named Feng who was in the early stages of Foundation Establishment. He liked fishing, but his fishing skills were extremely poor, yet he was still obsessed with it.

In the southeast of Thousand Crane Immortal City, a manor was built, where many low-level cultivators and mortals without physical abilities were kept. A large artificial lake was specially created for him for fishing.

Most of the time, this Deacon Feng would be fishing by that lake.

……

Looking at such detailed information...

Clearly, Zhao Wanning had long planned to take action against these deacons on the list and eliminate dissidents.

However, Lin Changsheng did not rush to set off. Instead, he secluded himself in his cave to rest and recover his depleted magical power.

For this reason, he also took some precious pills to enhance his magical power.

More than twenty days later, Lin Changsheng's magical power had recovered considerably, and his complexion was rosy and normal.

Hundreds of miles east of Qianhe Immortal City.

Amidst a mountain peak shrouded in dense miasma, a faint spiritual light emanates.

Before long, a dark cloud drifted in and hovered around the perimeter of the poisonous miasma.

The next moment, a 'barrier-breaking talisman' flashed out silently. After touching the poisonous miasma, it emitted a dazzling light, and then a cut suddenly opened up in the miasma.

"Who dares to force their way through my restrictions!"

Soon a panicked voice came from inside, and a middle-aged man with disheveled clothes flew out, looking around with surprise and uncertainty before fixing his attention on the dark cloud in front of him.

"Who are you, sir? Why are you hiding your face like this and even breaking through my protective mountain barrier? Could you be an enemy of mine?"

The middle-aged man had triangular eyes and, having just had his mood ruined, was staring at the newcomer with a sinister gaze.

"Doing justice for the heavens!"

A slightly arrogant voice came from the dark clouds, and a short, stocky man in black flew out from them, his eyes full of arrogance.

After a short while, the middle-aged man with triangular eyes was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the mountain behind him.

Under the immense impact, it became embedded in the mountain, its magical power dissipated, and its aura weakened.

As time went by, the array outside the mountain disappeared, and the persistent poisonous miasma could no longer be maintained and slowly dissipated.

Several frightened women cautiously peeked out of the cave and soon spotted a middle-aged man in a disheveled state.

"Thank God, this wicked man is about to die!"

These young girls and children slowly emerged from the cave, and upon seeing the dying middle-aged man, they couldn't help but burst into tears.

……

A few more days passed.

Deacon Feng of the Fengling Chamber of Commerce was fishing in his own manor.

A huge creature had somehow wandered into the lake, and he happened to catch it.

Just as Steward Feng was overjoyed, he didn't expect that the fish he caught in the water would be targeted by a ferocious second-tier demon bird.

Deacon Feng was so focused on the water that he was caught off guard and attacked by the demonic bird, suffering serious injuries.

Fortunately, the demonic bird only targeted the monsters in the water and did not target Steward Feng too much. After grabbing something from the water, it left.

Throughout the entire process, Deacon Feng only caught a glimpse of a faint blue glow.

……

A month later.

Zhao Wanning paid another visit.

This time, Zhao Wanning wore a light blue silk dress, and her cultivation had improved considerably. She looked radiant, elegant, and graceful.

"Master Lin, I've come to visit again."

Zhao Wanning's bright eyes were like water, as if drawn with silk.

"It is an honor for me, Fairy Zhao, to have you grace my humble abode with your presence. Please come to my cave dwelling for a chat."

Lin Changsheng said calmly.

As they spoke, the two entered the Changchun Peak cave one after the other, and the mountain-protecting formation was activated immediately afterward.

"Lin Lang, do you miss me?"

Zhao Wanning lightly leaped and hung on Lin Changsheng, a faint blush appearing on her pretty face as she took a deep, infatuated breath.

Lin Changsheng didn't say much, and roughly pulled Zhao Wanning's slender waist into his arms...

Three days later.

"Lin Lang, I can't absorb any more."

Zhao Wanning's pretty face was as radiant as the morning sun. She gently leaned close to Lin Changsheng's ear, her voice soft and gentle.

Lin Changsheng briefly assessed the state of his internal magical power and found that he had only lost less than half a year's worth of cultivation.

He immediately grabbed Zhao Wanning and said several things without any politeness:

"Please have some more, don't be shy..."

The protective array of Changchun Peak Dojo was activated for a full seven days.

This time, perhaps it was because the two were much more familiar with each other.

Without the awkwardness of last time, I was able to relax more.

In just three days, Zhao Wanning reached the limit of her cultivation through the practice of replenishing her energy.

However, they were forced to stay in the cave for seven days.

The early stage of the second-order body refinement realm was ultimately defeated by the late stage of the second-order body refinement realm.

……

"Master Lin, these are the high-grade materials and the 'Core Formation Spiritual Object' that I promised you. I have kept my word."

Zhao Wanning calmly arranged her hair, her eyebrows delicate, and smiled gently as she spoke.

Perhaps it was because she had absorbed enough of the energy of Changchun Gong that she appeared radiant and full of youthful charm.

"Okay, there's still one person missing from the list you gave me. This person seems to have noticed something and has been hiding in the Chamber of Commerce lately, refusing to go out."

From the change in how Zhao Wanning addressed him, Lin Changsheng knew that this woman intended to talk to him about serious matters, so he took the item from her hand and began to speak.

“It’s alright. This man is quite clever and knows how to assess the situation. He has already taken the initiative to confront me. Master Lin, you can let him off the hook for now.”

Zhao Wanning said with a smile, as if she had everything under control.

"Alright, after this, it should be enough for Fairy Zhao to cultivate her magic to perfection. It seems that it won't be long before I, Lin, will be able to call Fairy Zhao True Man."

Lin Changsheng sensed the near-saturation of magical power within Zhao Wanning's body and said with a faint smile.

"In order to successfully break through, Lin Lang's pure magical power is always better the more you have. I will come one last time in a month."

Having absorbed enough magical power from Lin Changsheng once again, Zhao Wanning hurriedly took her leave to return and refine it.

Before leaving, she said with a hint of provocation, "The following days are not included in the transaction, Lin Lang. To satisfy your desires, shouldn't you consider giving me some compensation?"

……

Watching Zhao Wanning leave.

Lin Changsheng quickly opened his storage bag to check the Core Formation spiritual item that Zhao Wanning had sent.

As for the compensation the woman mentioned, he naturally didn't take it to heart.

If we're talking about taking advantage, the unique power of his Everlasting Spring Technique is a rare and highly nourishing substance for cultivators, with effects no less than those of ordinary second-tier spiritual items.

As he was thinking, Lin Changsheng produced an exquisite porcelain bottle with a sealing talisman in his hand.

Looking at the elaborate packaging, Lin Changsheng's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Carefully opening the bottle opening slightly, a strange, refreshing fragrance immediately wafted out, filling the entire cave.

"This is... Heavenly Pure Spiritual Essence?!"

Upon recognizing the item, Lin Changsheng was slightly surprised, but a look of delight appeared on his face.

'Tianqing Lingsui' is a spiritual object that helps solidify magical power.

At the crucial moment of transforming one's own magical power from liquid to solid, one can use 'Heavenly Purification Essence' to provide assistance.

This item would probably rank in the middle among 'Core Formation Spiritual Items'.

Although its effects are not as good as those of a 'Golden Core', which directly increases the probability of forming a Golden Core.

However, it is slightly better than the 'Heavenly Sand Fruit' that I obtained before.

Lin Changsheng originally thought that Zhao Wanning could only offer the 'Core Formation Spiritual Item' that she already possessed, and he didn't expect it to be particularly effective.

However, this 'Heavenly Pure Essence' was truly beyond his expectations.

"It seems that while leading a chamber of commerce inevitably brings trouble, it does offer a natural advantage in acquiring resources."

After resealing the jade bottle containing the 'Heavenly Purity Essence', Lin Changsheng solemnly put it away with the Heavenly Sand Fruit.

He then turned his attention to another storage bag, which contained a considerable amount of materials related to the third tier.

This is the limit of what I can raise right now.

Even Zhao Wanning's side is unlikely to get more in the short term.

Lin Changsheng probed into it with his divine sense to examine it.

“That’s right. In addition to a large amount of top-tier second-order materials, there are also a small amount of third-order materials. Zhao Wanning did not tamper with this part.”

"However, the amount of materials that truly reach the third-order level is less than expected."

Lin Changsheng's eyes flickered, and he felt a little regretful.

Based on these materials, the probability of creating a Tier 3 puppet is not high.

Under the premise of ensuring a certain success rate, at most only a 'near-third-tier' puppet can be created.

Moreover, if a 'quasi-Tier 3' puppet is damaged, there may not be enough materials to repair it.

However, having suitable materials means that it is possible to create puppets with stronger combat capabilities.

Lin Changsheng was itching to get his hands on it.

He immediately began to study in seclusion.

Creating a 'near-Tier 3' puppet requires limited materials, so I can't be as carefree as I was when I created the Qilin.

Every resource must be used wisely.

For the first half of the month, Lin Changsheng spent his time mentally rehearsing and contemplating, refining the method of crafting the inheritance.

During this period of seclusion, I became quite engrossed.

Half a year had passed by the time Lin Changsheng deduced and perfected the method for creating the 'quasi-third-order' mechanical puppet.

Recalling his promise to Zhao Wanning, he immediately summoned Tian Fu and inquired about the visitors during his seclusion.

"Uncle Lin, this is a letter sent by Zhao Wanning and Aunt Zhao from the Fengling Chamber of Commerce a few months ago. The messenger said it wasn't urgent, so I didn't disturb your seclusion."

Tian Fu respectfully took out a sealed letter.

After receiving the letter, Lin Changsheng dismissed Tian Fu and began to examine its contents.

A moment later, a strange and helpless look appeared on his face.

In her letter, Zhao Wanning said that after absorbing the magical power, her cultivation had reached perfection and she no longer needed to engage in the practice of replenishing her energy.

The transaction between the two ended there.

Even so, Lin Changsheng always felt that this woman was deliberately playing hard to get.

Knowing that Zhao Wanning had already begun her seclusion, Lin Changsheng still wrote back, wishing her a successful promotion.

As for whether this woman can successfully advance to the False Core stage, he couldn't say.

Under normal circumstances, Zhao Wanning is not considered an elderly cultivator among Foundation Establishment cultivators, and she still has plenty of time to prepare.

At least in terms of preparation in all aspects, we will be more fully prepared.

Now, because of the fall of Master Feng, he hastily attempted to break through to the Core Formation stage, and his mindset has already fallen behind.

However, Zhao Wanning is a woman who always acts prudently, and she may have her own plans.

……

This year marks Lin Changsheng's 100th birthday.

May Uncle Lin enjoy eternal happiness and everlasting magical powers!

Tian Fu, who was already showing some signs of aging, chuckled and offered his sincere blessings.

This scene looked very awkward.

He looked more like an elder, cheerfully referring to a young man in white as an elder.

"One hundred years old..."

Hearing Tian Fu's blessing, Lin Changsheng felt a surge of emotion.

Looking at Tian Fu, who already looked old, he resembled the mischievous child in my memory.

……

Lin Changsheng did not want to disturb anyone else's thoughts on his 100th birthday.

With the outside world in turmoil, he only wants to quietly guard his small plot of land and cultivate himself in peace.

However, there were still some thoughtful people who took the initiative to offer their congratulations.

Lin Changsheng's niece, Li Suxin, visited Changchun Peak with her husband and children to celebrate his birthday.

"Nephew Huang Tian kowtows to his uncle, wishing him progress in cultivation and a swift advancement to the Golden Core stage!"

At Li Suxin's prompting, a fair-skinned child knelt down in front of Lin Changsheng and respectfully kowtowed several times.

Besides Li Suxin, He Jincheng from Xi Danhe's family also sent a congratulatory message.

The letter not only included blessings from He Jincheng and his wife, but also from Xu Qinghuan's other children.

However, the others were already quite unfamiliar with Lin Changsheng.

Their cultivation level was not high, and they usually did not dare to take the initiative to contact this Uncle Lin.

……

In addition, to Lin Changsheng's surprise, Lin Xiurong and Zhang Xiucai also sent letters and congratulatory gifts.

In the letter, the two explained why they could not visit in person.

The Great Zhou Kingdom suddenly dispatched a large number of cultivators, led by Golden Core cultivators, to begin the second wave of the war.

Upon learning the news, Master Nangong immediately contacted the major powers of Yue Kingdom and then led his family's pseudo-core cultivators to fight the enemy.

At the critical moment, Tie Antong, a fake cultivator from the clan, betrayed them and launched a sneak attack, severely injuring Nangong Zhenren.

As a result of the defeat on the main battlefield, the cultivators of the Great Zhou Kingdom were in high spirits and had already occupied several main spiritual veins of the fourth-order spiritual veins, and were mining spirit stones and spirit mines on a large scale.

It seems they have no intention of long-term development, but rather are exploiting resources in a short-sighted way.

With the Qinglan Sect and Qingyun Zhenren at the forefront, the major sects of Yue Kingdom are gathering strength, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.

"It seems that Tie Antong is the mole!"

"This is a devastating loss for the Nangong family."

Lin Changsheng frowned, somewhat worried.

Tie Antong has been hiding in the Nangong family for many years, and probably knows a lot of important information.

If we cannot reclaim the fourth-tier spiritual vein as soon as possible, it will soon be ruined by the Great Zhou cultivation world.

In order to understand the situation on the battlefield, Lin Changsheng sent Xunfeng Ya with a communication jade slip to contact Liu Qing and inquire about the current situation on the battlefield in the Great Zhou cultivation world.

They also brought an antidote to relieve the toxins in their bodies.

With its current flying speed, Xunfengya is almost comparable to a pseudo-core cultivator, and its movements are agile and free. As long as it is careful, crossing the battlefield is not difficult.

Several days later, Xunfeng Crow returned safely, carrying a new communication jade slip in its beak.

"A sealed ruin has been discovered beneath a fourth-tier spiritual vein?"

As the jade slip in his hand self-destructed, Lin Changsheng showed a look of surprise.

Suddenly, he heard Aoki Ocho's panicked voice.

"What! They've discovered ruins?!"