Immortal Cultivation Begins with Drawing Talismans
Chapter 383 ·Bihai Palace’s Schemes, Over Twenty Years of Seclusion
“Ancestor!”
Inside the treasure cave chamber, the descendant of the Crimson Fire Old Monster cried out in grief and unwillingness.
Yet upon thinking about his current injuries, along with the two ungrateful senior brothers still outside—
And the fact that matters had already reached this point, with even his ancestor’s Nascent Soul gone, what chance did he still have to turn things around?
“I should have realized it long ago. Ancestor disappeared for so long, so he definitely already came here.”
At this moment, tears streamed down his face. Yet his ancestor had been far too ruthless, leaving him with only two bottles of medicinal pills. One was for risking his life in battle, while the other was for healing injuries.
It seemed as though his ancestor had already calculated that descendants arriving here would encounter trouble.
But thinking about it carefully, it made sense. If his ancestor’s Nascent Soul had not perished, how could the bloodline restriction left within his divine sense possibly dissipate?
Combined with the huge gap in time between the disappearance and the present—
“Right now, I should hurry and leave this land of trouble.”
Immediately afterward, he hurriedly consumed the healing medicinal pills. After Lin Chang’an secretly infused a strand of Profound Heaven magical power into them, the effectiveness of the medicinal pills multiplied dramatically.
Sure enough, as the injuries within his body recovered at astonishing speed, he revealed a shocked expression.
“I need to leave this place quickly.”
Observing secretly, Lin Chang’an secretly nodded. This person was fairly decisive.
Over the years, the Crimson Fire Old Monster had expanded his influence and offended quite a few people. Now that something had happened to him, there would definitely be no shortage of people kicking him while he was down.
“Master, aren’t we making a move?”
The Fengming Bird was filled with confusion. Since when had its master become so kindhearted?
Not only did he let the other party leave, he even gave him two bottles of medicinal pills.
Lin Chang’an calmly glanced at the Fengming Bird and said indifferently:
“There are still tails behind him. Letting him escape will attract those people.”
Only then could he take advantage of the situation to completely remove this entire quasi-Fourth-rank formation without exposing himself.
As for the treasure of the Nascent Soul cultivator Crimson Fire Old Monster, outsiders would naturally believe it had been taken by that person.
Even if that person later fell into someone else’s hands and underwent a soul search, it would still be the doing of the Profound Yin Old Monster.
What did any of this have to do with him?
Seeing how sinister his master was, the Fengming Bird could not help but shiver inwardly. Looking once more toward the human cultivator in the neighboring cave abode recovering from injuries and restoring magical power, its eyes filled with pity.
Its master was far too cunning.
Two hours later, under the effects of the powerful healing medicinal pills, the injuries of the person inside the cave abode had nearly fully recovered, and his magical power had completely returned.
Without the slightest hesitation, he concealed his aura and stealthily escaped from the secret realm while his two senior brothers remained trapped within the formation.
Yet after seeing this scene secretly, Lin Chang’an shook his head.
He did not even realize there were tails following behind him. That would make it far too easy for him to get caught.
It seemed he would have to help this little friend a bit.
Boom!
Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the seabed. The two Core Formation cultivators trapped within the illusion formation abruptly awoke, finally realizing they had escaped from the illusion formation.
In the next moment, they saw their junior brother fleeing.
“Junior Brother!”
Meanwhile, the junior brother’s face instantly filled with shock upon seeing the two senior brothers. Then, without even turning back, he rushed out of the sea surface and fled at top speed.
The two, seeing this, became furious and believed their cheap junior brother had already obtained the treasures.
“Damn it, leave behind Master’s treasure!”
“Junior Brother, let the three of us split Master’s treasure equally. Otherwise, don’t blame the two of us for disregarding our relationship.”
One fled while two pursued, rapidly breaking through the sea surface. However, the hidden tails behind them could no longer continue concealing themselves properly.
After all, the three people ahead were already fleeing at full speed. If the hidden followers continued suppressing their aura, they would not be able to keep up at all.
“Not good, Junior Brother. There are tails behind us too.”
“Leave behind the Crimson Fire Old Monster’s treasure!”
Five Core Formation cultivators suddenly appeared upon the sea surface. Under greedy roars, the curtain of battle for the treasures was formally raised.
Yet as the fleeing streaks of light vanished into the distance, only the surging waves remained in their original location.
Half an hour later, the formation upon the seabed island was put away, and two streaks of light concealed their aura before disappearing from the sea region.
No one knew what had happened there.
Only several days later did news spread regarding the conflict caused by the Nascent Soul treasure of the Crimson Fire Old Monster.
……
Meanwhile, Lin Chang’an deliberately took a detour back through the Fog Sea of Tongtian, and along the way did not forget to hunt two Sinister Spirit Beast Kings.
After all, if one was going to put on a performance, it had to be complete. It was best not to leave behind any flaws.
By the time Lin Chang’an returned, more than half a year had already passed.
【Lifespan: 255/869】
【Realm: Late Golden Core (2/100)】
On Bibo Island.
“So many things have actually happened recently!”
After returning, Lin Chang’an used his sinister spirit demon cores in the marketplace to prepare for transactions while also gathering intelligence.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, you have no idea just how much chaos the treasure of the Nascent Soul cultivator Crimson Fire Old Monster caused around the Outer Sea half a year ago.
“Countless cultivators swarmed over there, and there were even rumors of Nascent Soul spiritual objects…”
Good heavens. Listening to such absurd rumors caused even Lin Chang’an’s eyelids to twitch.
Nascent Soul spiritual objects? Why didn’t he know about that?
If there really had been Nascent Soul spiritual objects, that would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, there were none.
“The sole remaining descendant of the Crimson Fire Old Monster also perished within that chaos. Countless cultivators participated in the struggle, and in the end, no one knows who obtained the benefits. However, someone revealed shocking information—
“The Crimson Fire Old Monster was killed by the Profound Yin Old Monster. But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. Although both are Nascent Soul cultivators, it’s said that the Profound Yin Old Monster entered the Nascent Soul realm several hundred years earlier.
“He’s already at the peak of Early Nascent Soul and only one step away from Mid Nascent Soul…”
Inside the marketplace, listening to the Seven Kingdoms Alliance Core Formation cultivator enthusiastically discussing the legends of Nascent Soul cultivators, Lin Chang’an also provided emotional feedback.
From time to time, he revealed expressions of admiration and envy. Yet inwardly, he sighed. Sure enough, who knew how many forces were secretly muddying the waters.
However, the more chaotic things became, the more beneficial it was for him.
“Ah, this was the legacy treasure of a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
Within the cultivation world, it was not unheard of for someone to obtain the inheritance of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Thus, no one was suspicious.
Especially since this time, it was not some low-level cultivator who obtained the advantage.
Combined with the reputation and style of the Profound Yin Old Monster, nearly all cultivators within the Demon Beast Sea Abyss deeply believed it.
Thus, Lin Chang’an listened together with everyone else to the gossip regarding Nascent Soul cultivators before turning toward serious matters.
“Fellow Daoist, I have two sinister spirit demon cores here. Exchange all of them for cultivation resources.”
“All of them!?”
Upon seeing Lin Chang’an produce two Mid Third-rank sinister spirit demon cores and request all of them be exchanged into cultivation resources, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance Core Formation cultivator revealed shock.
At the same time, his heart gained a much more direct understanding of Lin Chang’an’s strength.
“Ah, there’s not much time left before the secret realm opens. I’m also preparing for a long seclusion in hopes of increasing my chances of survival.”
Lin Chang’an’s transaction with the Sixth Elder of Bihai Palace as a Third-rank High-grade Formation Master had long ceased being a secret. Thus, the Core Formation cultivators of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance all understood this clearly.
After seeing Lin Chang’an’s plans, not only did they not doubt him, they instead nodded in agreement.
“Very well. If there’s any shortage in the exchange, we’ll compensate Fellow Daoist Lin later. We absolutely won’t let Fellow Daoist suffer losses.”
As a Late Core Formation cultivator and also a Third-rank High-grade Formation Master, no one within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance dared offend Lin Chang’an. Thus, everyone smiled and nodded politely.
……
Outer Sea, upon a gigantic spiritual island overflowing with sinister qi.
Inside a gloomy and terrifying hall, the infamous Profound Yin Old Monster of the Demon Beast Sea Abyss had only just emerged from seclusion when he heard the rumors spreading outside regarding himself. His brows immediately lifted.
“Crimson Fire fell? And I’ve somehow been dragged into this?”
Having a black pot suddenly thrown onto his back for no reason, even the Nascent Soul cultivator Profound Yin Old Monster revealed a trace of savagery. He had cultivated for nearly a thousand years, yet he never imagined someone would still dare scheme against him.
“Heh heh, there’s no need to say more. Aside from those few old fellows, no one else possesses such ability and schemes!”
This also caused the Profound Yin Old Monster to become enraged. He had not gained any benefits whatsoever, yet still ended up covered in filth.
Even if Crimson Fire had been weaker, he was still a Nascent Soul cultivator. Yet even his Nascent Soul had been extinguished.
“Good! I’ll remember this debt for now. Once I obtain the treasure from the secret realm this time, I’ll definitely break through to Mid Nascent Soul. Then we’ll settle this debt properly!”
Thinking of his plans, the Profound Yin Old Monster revealed a sinister sneer.
Soon!
He had planned this for nearly three hundred years.
“Once I obtain the Cold Flame within the secret realm and use that sinister cold power to break through to Mid Nascent Soul, then combine it with the Profound Yin Divine Flame and this Cold Flame divine ability, who beneath Late Nascent Soul will be able to do anything to me!”
Soon after, cold laughter echoed from within the hall.
……
Sea Abyss City, Bihai Palace.
“Since Crimson Fire’s descendants knew the location of the treasure vault, then his Nascent Soul must have already perished.”
Inside the hall, the Sixth Elder who had orchestrated this entire affair furrowed his brows and revealed displeasure.
“Who would have thought we calculated everything, only for that old ghost Profound Yin to take advantage in the end.”
In his view, only a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed such capability. Moreover, according to the available intelligence, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance it involved Crimson Fire’s Nascent Soul.
Or perhaps Crimson Fire had only just possessed a body and had yet to recover his cultivation before encountering the sinister Profound Yin Old Monster.
“That old ghost hiding in the shadows and afraid to show himself only knows how to play these Ghost Domain tricks. Once we enter the secret realm, this old man will definitely trip that old ghost up.”
Having his carefully laid plans become wedding clothes for another naturally made the Sixth Elder extremely displeased.
At this moment, a phantom suddenly appeared above the hall. The Sixth Elder sighed inwardly with an ugly expression. It seemed he would once again be reprimanded today.
“Reporting to Second Palace Master, the Crimson Fire Old Monster has already perished, and his treasure was most likely obtained by the old ghost Profound Yin. Currently, within the Outer Sea…”
Below, the Sixth Elder respectfully cupped his fists while reporting. Above, the phantom of the Second Palace Master Xingyue merely nodded calmly.
“That’s enough. At the very least, this counts as good news. Even if that old ghost Profound Yin publicly claims Bihai Palace was responsible, who would believe him?
“All the benefits were taken by the old ghost Profound Yin. Regardless of whether he truly did it or not, as long as Bihai Palace decides it was him, then it was him.”
Within the calm and decisive tone was contained a domineering aura overlooking all beneath heaven, causing the Sixth Elder a headache.
Hopefully this oversight in the plan would not draw the attention of the Second Palace Master.
He truly did not wish to provoke her.
“However, Little Six, you really are useless. Three Nascent Soul cultivators, one of whom was even a Fourth-rank Mid-stage Shape-shifted Ghost King, yet you still let an Early Nascent Soul cultivator who only entered the realm two hundred years ago escape?”
Yet what one feared always came to pass. The Second Palace Master abruptly changed topics. Though her tone sounded teasing, it caused the Sixth Elder to tense immediately.
“Reporting to Second Palace Master, that shape-shifted old ghost was never truly of one mind with us. As for that poisonous flood dragon, it was also useless and refused to exert any effort…”
The Sixth Elder’s face turned pale as he bitterly explained. If those two teammates had put forth even a little effort, how could Crimson Fire’s Nascent Soul possibly have escaped?
“This Palace Master only cares about results.”
With one sentence, the Sixth Elder became speechless. Fortunately, his luck was fairly good this time. The Second Palace Master merely smiled calmly afterward, seemingly letting the matter pass.
“That place is also about to open. Unfortunately, both Sister and I already broke through to Late Nascent Soul long ago. Carry out the plan as arranged this time.”
Although Bihai Palace had planned this matter for a very long time, with the secret realm about to open, after once again confirming the plan, the Sixth Elder could not help but feel pained.
“Second Palace Master, are we truly going to let others obtain that treasure? With you and the Grand Palace Master present, even if the Sixteen Sects of Zhenhai joined forces, they would not dare act recklessly.
“So why must we hand over this treasure? What if… what if those old fellows obtain it? It could potentially affect our Bihai Palace!”
In the end, the Sixth Elder hesitated before still voicing his thoughts.
The treasure was simply too tempting. Wouldn’t it be better to keep it for themselves?
However, the Second Palace Master merely laughed mockingly.
“Back when Sister and I were still mortals, we once saw something very interesting. Throw out a bone, and a pack of dogs will immediately begin tearing each other apart fighting over it.”
“Don’t look at how lively these people are acting recently. Once this bone is tossed into the dog pack, there will naturally be countless people scrambling for it. Alliances and agreements alike—ultimately, none can overcome the two words ‘profit’ and ‘interest.’
“Furthermore, once this treasure appears, the Demonic Altar suppressing that place should also loosen somewhat. At that time, chaos will naturally arise. We only need to handle our own responsibilities properly.”
The elegant and graceful Second Palace Master spoke as though discussing something utterly ordinary. Yet the Sixth Elder below felt his scalp go numb.
When it came to schemes and planning, this Second Palace Master truly stood unmatched. She had directly calculated every faction into her plans.
Of course, this was all built upon the terrifying strength of the two Palace Masters, which allowed them to decisively abandon the treasure originally discovered by Bihai Palace.
“It seems we’ll still need that old ghost Profound Yin to attract attention.”
Thinking of something, the Sixth Elder glanced at the elegant and gentle Second Palace Master from the corner of his eye and could not help but feel a chill deep within his heart.
Who would have imagined that before the previous opening of the secret realm, this Second Palace Master had already begun laying out her plans?
The secret treasure discovered by the old ghost Profound Yin deep within the secret realm had merely been something the Second Palace Master intentionally allowed him to discover.
“You really think you discovered some Cold Flame. Once you old ghost obtain the Cold Flame and trigger the disturbance behind it, attracting everyone’s attention, let’s see what you do then.”
Thinking about how he had previously made wedding clothes for the old ghost Profound Yin, the Sixth Elder now could not help but reveal a schadenfreude-filled smile.
……
On Bibo Island.
Deep within the underground cavern, terrifying scorching heat spread through the air. At this moment, the Fengming Bird cried out as its body expanded to a full thirty zhang in size.
Its entire body burned with raging flames, yet the enormous Fusang Divine Tree beneath it seemed to bask in spring winds amid the overwhelming sea of fire.
Greedily absorbing the monstrous flames, while the Fengming Bird spread its wings, its body became even more massive.
After successfully breaking through to Late Third-rank, the Fengming Bird’s demon body became much more slender than before. Its pale golden eyes flickered with strands of golden flames.
“I’ve finally broken through.”
Outside the cave abode restrictions, Lin Chang’an watched the commotion from the Fengming Bird’s breakthrough, as well as the consumption of high-grade spirit stones by the surrounding Spirit Gathering Formation. He no longer even cared about feeling distressed.
After all, he had only recently obtained an enormous treasure. Compared to that, this loss amounted to nothing.
“Master.”
After stretching its wings, the Fengming Bird rapidly shrank its body once more before excitedly looking toward the master protecting it during the breakthrough.
“I’ve broken through to Late Third-rank now. Those remaining fire-attribute spiritual fruits…”
Clearly, the Fengming Bird had once again set its sights upon the treasures previously obtained by Lin Chang’an.
The Crimson Fire Old Monster cultivated fire-attribute techniques and divine abilities, so naturally most of the treasures he stored were fire-attribute as well.
It was normal for the Fengming Bird to covet them.
“That’s enough. Stabilize your realm first. External objects are merely assistance. You absolutely must not neglect your cultivation.”
Lin Chang’an spoke earnestly in admonishment. He himself also walked the path of controlling fire through wood. Moreover, with his physique, he was not afraid of conflicting attributes.
He himself also needed these spiritual objects, so how could he possibly hand them all over to the Fengming Bird? Even if he intended to give some away, he certainly would not do so so easily.
“It’s not only the Fengming Bird. My body cultivation has also finally broken through.”
At this moment, Lin Chang’an revealed a calm smile. Raising his hand, he restored the operations within the cave abode while picking up a high-grade spirit stone that had already dimmed considerably.
As strength surged through his palm, the powerful force of his flesh instantly crushed the spirit stone into pieces.
From the initial stage of Third-rank body cultivation to now breaking through into Mid Third-rank, he had only spent forty years.
This cultivation speed was already not considered slow for Third-rank body cultivation.
After all, most of his resources in the early stages had been focused on other forms of cultivation.
Although he possessed refined demonic energy to assist in body cultivation, after the demonic energy was corroded and clashed against the attribute suppression of the Fusang Divine Tree, its quality had already declined significantly.
Otherwise, his body cultivation would not have progressed this slowly.
Now, he possessed Late Core Formation cultivation, divine sense surpassing the peak of Late Core Formation, and Mid Third-rank body cultivation. If this level of strength were exposed, it would definitely trigger enormous shockwaves.
Even Nascent Soul cultivators would become curious about what opportunity he possessed to achieve such a degree.
Just like the Crimson Fire Old Monster previously. Upon discovering that he also possessed Third-rank body cultivation, greed instantly overcame reason, causing the old monster to directly invade his Sea of Consciousness to seize possession.
If the Crimson Fire Old Monster had abandoned the thought of possession and simply refined the Nascent Soul magical artifact instead, Lin Chang’an would either have died or been crippled.
As for counter-killing him? There would not have been the slightest hope.
……
Two months later, while the Fengming Bird stabilized its realm within the cavern—
“Master, Zhou Bingxuan and Shen Zhuang of the Profound Sound Pavilion have arrived under orders.”
Outside the cave abode, Zhou Bingxuan and Shen Zhuang respectfully bowed after seeing Lin Chang’an emerge.
“Greetings, Senior Lin / Elder Granduncle.”
“That’s enough. I summoned you here this time because I’m preparing to enter a life-and-death seclusion. I likely won’t emerge for over twenty years.”
“Especially after accepting so many benefits from your Zhou Clan back then, I naturally still have to deliver what I promised.”
Previously, when Lin Chang’an entered seclusion, it had not been life-and-death seclusion. External matters could still contact him.
But this time, after obtaining so many cultivation resources from the treasure vault of the Crimson Fire Old Monster, he naturally needed to seize the time to ruthlessly convert these resources into strength.
Thus, before entering life-and-death seclusion, there were still certain matters that had to be handled.
However, the meaningful implication within Lin Chang’an’s words caused Zhou Bingxuan to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Although the Zhou Clan had purchased the Core Formation spiritual object using cultivation resources, strategic resources like this were priceless and impossible to obtain for low-level cultivators like them.
“Elder Granduncle, this junior’s aptitude is naturally dull. After breaking through to Late Foundation Establishment, I already felt my cultivation stagnating…”
Meanwhile, Shen Zhuang helplessly sighed before respectfully speaking of something he had hesitated over for a long time.
Sometimes, even if one possessed a Core Formation opportunity, insufficient foundations meant one might not necessarily have the fortune to enjoy it.
And stagnation like Shen Zhuang’s was extremely common within the cultivation world and nothing unusual.
After seeing Shen Zhuang’s understanding of advancement and retreat, Lin Chang’an could not help but nod lightly.
By this generation, he no longer owed these descendants of old acquaintances anything. At most, he merely offered occasional care, and part of it was also due to Yun Yao’s wishes.
At the same time, after this secret realm expedition, he too would depart far away to another land.
Fortune and disaster would depend entirely upon their own destinies.
“Knowing when to advance and retreat is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Seeing Shen Zhuang’s understanding demeanor, Lin Chang’an could not help but think of Junior Sister Lu Qingqing.
Afterward, Lin Chang’an handed a Core Formation spiritual object to Zhou Bingxuan, while for Shen Zhuang, he bestowed a talisman treasure and three quasi-Third-rank talismans.
However, after accepting this bestowed favor, although Shen Zhuang possessed an honest nature, he was not foolish. He seemed to sense something.
When he raised his head and saw Lin Chang’an’s calm expression, he inwardly sighed.
He understood that the karmic bond left behind by their ancestors was likely approaching its end.
After all, the gap between them was simply too enormous. Their two clans could no longer provide much assistance.
Unlike the Zhou Clan, which over the years had continuously offered various resources. Relying upon the clan’s powerful foundation, they could still conduct exchanges.
“Many thanks, Elder Granduncle.”
Shen Zhuang respectfully bowed without the slightest dissatisfaction. When he departed from Yue Kingdom, his grandmother had already mentioned this matter.
What was being consumed this time was entirely the ancestral goodwill. Once exhausted, it would simply be gone.
Afterward, Shen Zhuang respectfully took his leave, somewhat enviously glancing at Zhou Bingxuan.
Although his clan and the Li Tianmo Clan were not weak within Clear Water Bay, compared to the Zhou Clan with nearly a thousand years of inheritance, the gap in foundations remained far too great.
Meanwhile, watching Shen Zhuang depart, Zhou Bingxuan felt no joy whatsoever, only melancholy.
Back then, the three of them had all walked out from the small place known as Yue Kingdom with high spirits and lofty ambitions.
Yet cruel reality had first taken Li Tianmo, followed now by Shen Zhuang.
These were all people who had gradually fallen behind and stopped along this path.
She clearly understood that the reason she could persist longer than the other two was because of the clan behind her, constantly providing cultivation resources the others needed to struggle to obtain.
At the same time, she also possessed top-grade spiritual root talent.
Both innate and acquired advantages were on her side, allowing her to persist longer than the two.
But whether she could walk even farther—
Zhou Bingxuan fell silent. Even she herself did not know what lay ahead.
Inside the cave abode, Lin Chang’an secretly nodded while looking at Zhou Bingxuan. Whether due to talent or clan resources, her cultivation was already nearing perfection.
Even her temperament was not bad.
“Before this seclusion, I shall guide you regarding the experience of Core Formation. I hope you will not disappoint the Zhou Clan.”
“Many thanks, Senior Lin.”
Afterward, inside the cave abode, Lin Chang’an carefully instructed her regarding the Core Formation process, while Zhou Bingxuan listened attentively.
Only the Sword Attendant beside them appeared somewhat bewildered, secretly furrowing her brows in contemplation.
Was Core Formation truly this difficult?
Why was it that many of the problems her master described had never appeared during her own Core Formation process?
For her, as long as no one disturbed her from the outside world—
The greatest difficulty in Core Formation had instead been forming a high-grade Golden Core, or striving to break through into an Immortal Golden Core. Those were the experiences she possessed.
When Lin Chang’an formed his Golden Core back then, he had done so with low-grade spiritual roots, naturally encountering far more comprehensive problems.
Thus, his guidance was naturally far more effective for Zhou Bingxuan.
As for the Sword Attendant’s spiritual physique, within the cultivation world it belonged among the ranks of heaven’s favored geniuses. The two simply could not be compared.
This was also the reason why the successful experiences of many cultivation geniuses could not be replicated, especially cultivators possessing rare spiritual physiques. Their experiences were suitable only for themselves.
……
After resolving various trivial matters, Lin Chang’an and the Sword Attendant sealed off the cave abode from the outside world and began seclusion.
Inside the quiet cave abode, occasionally only the three external avatars could be seen researching various arts.
The Green-Horned Ox and Fengming Bird also seized every moment to cultivate.
Meanwhile, Lin Chang’an’s true body remained within the cave abode together with the Sword Attendant, carrying out the monotonous routine of cultivation, cultivation, and more cultivation.
Three years passed, and moss covered the cave abode without the slightest movement.
Sun and moon revolved. In the blink of an eye, ten years passed, yet the cave abode gates still remained unmoved. Under the dense moss and creeping vines, the traces of the cave abode entrance had already become completely invisible.
Even the roof eaves of the octagonal pavilion outside displayed traces of erosion left by time.
Meanwhile, at Celestial Spring Peak upon Five Dragon Island, before entering seclusion, Lin Chang’an had discussed matters with Fairy of Rainbow Skirt.
He arranged for the Zhao Sisters, these two Core Formation cultivators from the sect, to cultivate within the mountainside cave abode while also managing the affairs of Celestial Spring Peak.
Even the Sinister Spirit Beast King Twin-headed Tiger deep within the Fog Sea of Tongtian no longer explored new territory, instead finding an island rich in spiritual qi to conceal itself and cultivate quietly.
Time flowed like water, with seas turning into mulberry fields.
As the opening of the secret realm drew near, slaughter within the Outer Sea grew increasingly brutal. Countless cultivators who had remained hidden for years all emerged one after another.
There were even many cultivators who had disappeared for years and were believed to have already died within the Outer Sea, yet they too began reappearing.
The curtain of a chaotic era already seemed to be slowly unfolding.
Twenty years passed. The new generation of cultivators had nearly forgotten this great Late Core Formation cultivator of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.
As time flowed onward, on this particular day, a powerful aura suddenly emerged from the sealed cave abode.
“Moo!”
Yet the first to react was the Green-Horned Ox soaking within the pool. Its skin had long since petrified and become covered in green algae and moss.
Cracking sounds rang out from the petrified skin as the Green-Horned Ox opened its copper-bell-sized eyes, turning its stone-like head toward the cave abode gates.
Inside the cave abode.
【Lifespan: 278/872】
【Realm: Late Golden Core (41/100)】
“Twenty-three years of seclusion, and my cultivation increased at nearly three experience points every two years.”
Lin Chang’an slowly opened his eyes. Looking at his cultivation realm, he could not help but reveal a satisfied smile.
The reason his cultivation speed had been so fast naturally stemmed from the many cultivation resources gifted by Senior Crimson Fire earlier.
Unfortunately, many of those supreme spiritual objects were purely fire-attribute spiritual objects. If he consumed them himself, their effects would be greatly reduced, forcing him to painfully hand them over to the Fengming Bird.
The Fengming Bird achieved twice the results with half the effort by cultivating with those treasures.
Still, Lin Chang’an’s cultivation speed was not slow either, especially since his progress had been built step by step.
Perhaps if the Crimson Fire Old Monster had succeeded in possession and recultivation instead, then within these twenty-plus years, he might already have restored himself all the way back to the Nascent Soul realm.
The essence between the two was entirely different. One was possession and recultivation to restore cultivation, while the other slowly improved cultivation one step at a time. They were fundamentally incomparable.
Whether through Nascent Soul methods of absorbing magical power or converting cultivation resources more efficiently, Crimson Fire still operated with the standards of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
One could say that under the same cultivation conditions, the other party cultivated Core Formation magical power using Nascent Soul methods. Naturally, the speed could not be compared.
Moreover, these resources had originally been prepared for himself, making them even more compatible with the techniques cultivated by the Crimson Fire Old Monster.
“There’s still a portion of the cultivation resources left behind by the Crimson Fire Old Monster. But with the secret realm opening soon, I can only continue cultivating with them in the future.”
Lin Chang’an inwardly sighed. Although he also wished to remain in seclusion until all the resources in his hands were fully consumed, the timing simply did not permit it.
“Master!”
Across from him, the Sword Attendant also slowly finished her cultivation and opened her ice-blue and pale-gold eyes, which flashed with spiritual radiance. Clearly, her cultivation had increased greatly.
The aura of Mid Core Formation surged powerfully around her. It was obvious she was not far from Late Core Formation. At most, another ten to twenty years would likely allow her to catch up.
This caused even Lin Chang’an to feel envy. These top-tier spiritual physiques truly defied reason.
At this moment, nine sword gleams slowly flickered behind the Sword Attendant. After consuming the Clear Spirit Pill, her divine sense had already broken through into Late Core Formation.
More importantly, her control over the divine ability Sword Shadows Follow the Heart had nearly reached the same level as Lin Chang’an.
He himself had cultivated for over two hundred years, accumulating progress day by day to reach his current level.
Yet how many years had the Sword Attendant cultivated?
Even counting everything fully, the Sword Attendant was only one hundred sixty-two years old.
And that did not even include the amount of cultivation time delayed due to awakening her bloodline.
Core Formation before one hundred years of age, and now looking at this situation, she would likely break through to Late Core Formation before reaching two hundred years old.
“If cultivation resources are sufficient, with the Sword Attendant’s talent, she could probably attempt Nascent Soul formation before three hundred years old!”
If she succeeded in Nascent Soul formation, what concept was a Nascent Soul cultivator under three hundred years old?
As long as no accidents occurred midway, there was an extremely high probability she would become one of the great Nascent Soul cultivators dominating a region in the future.
As for the difficulty of Nascent Soul formation?
For other spiritual physiques, the difficulty of Nascent Soul formation might still be immense, but the Heavenly Spirit Sword Physique naturally restrained heart demons.
One could say that regarding Nascent Soul formation, the Sword Attendant inherently possessed advantages others simply did not have.
This talent caused Lin Chang’an to inwardly sigh once more. One truly could not underestimate the cultivators beneath heaven. He himself had merely obtained some opportunities and still needed to proceed steadily without becoming reckless.
“Master?”
Seeing the strange expression in her master’s eyes, the Sword Attendant secretly became suspicious. Could it be that her cultivation speed was too slow and she could not keep up, causing disappointment?
“Excellent. Ling’er, your talent truly is extraordinary. If you were within one of the top great powers, the cultivation world would certainly gain yet another heaven’s favored genius.”
Upon hearing her master’s praise, the Sword Attendant could not help but reveal a sincere smile.
She did not feel embarrassed in the slightest.
“We’ve remained in seclusion for twenty-three years. It’s time for us to emerge now. After all, that place is about to open as well.”
As the heavy gates of the cave abode opened with a deep rumbling sound, two streaks of light appeared outside the cave abode.
“Moo!”
Upon seeing the two emerge from seclusion, the Green-Horned Ox immediately excitedly stepped forward and joyfully cried out.
“Ahem, who would have thought the changes over twenty-plus years would be so great in the blink of an eye.”
After emerging from the cave abode, Lin Chang’an looked around at the drastically changed surroundings. The trees had become lush, while vines spread everywhere due to lack of maintenance.
Normally, the Sword Attendant would manage these things during her free time.
Even the appearance of the escape lights from him and the Sword Attendant stirred up dust left behind by the passage of time.
Seeing this scene, Lin Chang’an could not help but mutter inwardly:
“It seems that next time I enter long-term seclusion, I’ll also need to arrange a cleaning formation outside the cave abode.”
There had been little change within the cave abode itself entirely because of the formations maintaining cleanliness.
But outside, everything had transformed drastically, with the decayed aura of time assaulting them directly.
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