Chapter 246: Old Friends Passing One After Another
The seas changed into mulberry fields; time flowed and the world shifted.
Back then, the Long Clan still reigned as overlord over the Five Dragon Island Sea Region, but within just a few decades, due to the clan's ancestor failing in his attempt to form a Nascent Soul—
The Long Clan could now only huddle in a single region.
Though their power was no longer what it once was, having contracted their influence in time, the Long Clan remained a force that could not be ignored in the Five Dragon Island Sea Region.
Of the five major spiritual veins on Five Dragon Island, the Long Clan still held the main peaks of two.
The other three had fallen under the control of Xuanyin Pavilion and other forces, vaguely forming a three-way balance of power.
Tianquan Peak.
【Lifespan: 141//586】
【Realm: Early Golden Core (1/100)】
Within the subterranean world of magma, Lin Changan slowly opened his eyes as he sat cross-legged upon the Fusang Divine Tree, letting out a long sigh.
“As expected, the difference in spiritual root aptitude and Golden Core quality becomes especially evident after core formation.”
Two years of cultivation, and only a slight gain in his realm. Wouldn't that mean it’d take two hundred years just to break through to mid-stage Golden Core—even without factoring in any bottlenecks?
“I’ll only reach mid-stage Core Formation at the age of 350. There's still late-stage after that. My lifespan isn’t enough to support cultivation to Nascent Soul at this pace.”
Lin Changan shook his head repeatedly—fortunately, he had the pill formula for the Heaven-Mending Pill.
“Seems it's time to start gathering ingredients for the Heaven-Mending Pill—no, rather, the Spirit-Mending Pill. Once I elevate my spiritual roots and Golden Core quality to mid-grade, my cultivation speed will surely increase significantly.”
Spiritual roots determined cultivation speed; Golden Core quality governed potential. The two complemented each other.
“Xuanyin Pavilion had once hinted at a secret art for enhancing spiritual roots, but the conditions for cultivating it were extremely demanding. More importantly, the improvement in potential was meager.”
Xuanyin Pavilion had indeed spared no effort to rope him in.
Unfortunately, upon gaining a rough understanding of their secret method, Lin Changan could only shake his head.
Setting aside the cultivation requirements, the results were simply underwhelming.
Far inferior to the Heaven-Mending Pill formula he had obtained from True Lord Lu.
“With five mid-grade third-rank demon cores and some other materials, a Spirit-Mending Pill can be refined—enough to push both my spiritual roots and Golden Core quality to the peak of mid-grade.”
Lin Changan contemplated silently. As for the Heaven-Mending Pill, he didn't dare to covet it—at least not for now.
After all, legend had it that it could directly purify a cultivator’s spiritual roots to the level of Heaven-grade roots—and even elevate a Golden Core to an Immortal Golden Core.
The ingredients required for a Heaven-Mending Pill included the demon core of a shape-shifting great beast.
“One step at a time—no rush. Life-bound magic treasure, spiritual root enhancement… all of it takes time.”
Given his current rate of bitter cultivation, it would take two hundred years just to reach mid-stage Golden Core. Instead, upgrading his roots and core now would reduce that time significantly.
This was, without doubt, the most efficient way to cultivate.
“No wonder that Master Tan once said—after forming the Golden Core, the resources needed are nothing like before.”
Indeed, continuing cultivation after forming a core required an immense amount of resources.
This was why many Golden Core cultivators spent their entire lives stuck at early-stage Golden Core.
“To acquire more cultivation resources now, I must still rely, on the surface, on the merchant fleet backed by the Sixth Elder.”
At that thought, Lin Changan couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction with his earlier foresight.
Merchant vessels brought immense profits. Though not his own enterprise, even if he was only sipping soup from the feast, it was still worthwhile.
“It’s not that I wish to rely on external support, but once a craft reaches third-rank, materials become exceedingly rare, making it impossible to profit by volume as I did before the Foundation Establishment Realm.”
His gaze flickered. Though he was now proficient in third-rank talismans, formations, and alchemy—
Talisman and pill materials were too limited and rare. He could refine just enough for personal use and occasionally sell a few.
But trying to gain massive profits through volume like before? Just gathering the materials was already a monumental task.
“Formations are different. Their required materials are broader in scope and more plentiful—and more importantly, the market demand is huge.”
He nodded to himself. This was why he had deliberately revealed his identity as a formation master upon forming his Golden Core.
With such demand, cultivators seeking formations would naturally bring their own materials, or he could openly collect formation materials without arousing suspicion.
“Artifact crafting is also viable. Openly, I’ll earn spirit stones with formations. Secretly, talismans and pills are still feasible.”
Lin Changan had long begun planning for the future.
He used to worry such endeavors would slow down his cultivation, but ever since acquiring his external incarnation, he no longer had such concerns.
“If I could just gain two more incarnations, the rate at which my crafts would improve would be even faster—and it wouldn't delay my own cultivation at all.”
Just thinking about the power of the external incarnation made his heart race. He couldn't help but covet the Withered Leaf still in the Long Clan’s possession.
Unfortunately, no matter how weak the Long Clan had become, they weren’t something he could manipulate at will.
While cultivating cross-legged atop the Fusang Divine Tree in the magma world, a message suddenly arrived, interrupting his usual cultivation routine.
…
Tianquan Peak.
Beneath the Silver River Waterfall, an Azure-Horned Bull at late-stage second-rank lazily soaked in the pond below. This was no longer the tiny pool from before.
From within the loft, Lin Changan emerged, casting a Clear Wind Technique to dispel the lingering heat from his body due to cultivation, before transforming into a streak of light and flying outside his cave abode.
“Elder Lin, the trade route to Yue Kingdom has recently reopened. Here are letters that had been backlogged for several decades. Among them, several are addressed to you.”
A female cultivator at mid-stage Foundation Establishment respectfully handed him the letters from Yue Kingdom.
Ever since the upheaval in the Five Dragon Island Sea Region, he had lost contact with Yue Kingdom for over twenty years.
Now, seeing these long-yellowed letters again, Lin Changan’s expression flickered. In the end, he let out a long sigh and waved the female cultivator away.
Returning alone to the pavilion atop the peak, his expression turned complicated.
It had become a habit—wherever his cave abode was relocated, he always had someone build a pavilion identical to the one he had in Tianxuan City.
“More than twenty years have passed… You all…”
After a long silence, Lin Changan finally began to open the letters that had been sealed for over a decade.
Shen Lie, Erniu, Wei Buyi, Lu Qingqing…
At first glance of these familiar names, Lin Changan couldn’t help the moisture at the corners of his eyes. Yet, his lips slowly curved into a smile.
“Everyone is doing very well.”
Especially in Li Erniu’s letter, he recounted his life—starting as a farmer’s son, eventually becoming a legendary cultivator.
His descendants had even established a cultivation family. This dramatic life—wasn’t it a protagonist’s fate for Li Erniu?
The first few letters were penned by Erniu, Shen Lie, and Wei Buyi, but those that followed were greetings from Junior Sister, Li Yifan, Wei Yingying, and Shen Fan.
Though not explicitly stated, he could guess what had happened.
“Yes… I am now one hundred and forty-one years old. Everyone was around the same age. Now, only Junior Sister remains…”
As old friends passed one after another, Lin Changan silently stared at the letters.
“So this is the loneliness of the cultivation path.”
Only after a long time did Lin Changan let out a deep sigh. The pride he once felt during his Golden Core breakthrough had long since faded.
Cultivation—this path in pursuit of immortality—was destined to be lonely.
“Moo!”
Just then, the Azure-Horned Bull seemed to sense its master’s emotions. At some point, it had come to stand before him, lowering its head and letting out a deep moo.
Lin Changan’s gaze turned distant as he looked out at the empty pavilion. Amidst the lingering echoes of the bull’s cry, he could almost see his old friends’ smiles once more.
Alas, the sea had turned to fields; familiar faces had aged and vanished.
“Leaving my homeland in old age, traveling far to reach Core Formation at 140… My life has had its ups and downs. Everyone is writing their own legend.”
As he packed away the letters one by one, Lin Changan’s expression grew pensive.
Though the letters didn’t explicitly say so, he knew—each of these old friends had lived brilliantly, each was the protagonist of their own tale.
And so was he.
“It’s time to go back. After all, there are too many regrets and things left unsaid in Yue Kingdom.”
Sitting upright in the pavilion, stroking the smooth fur of the Azure-Horned Bull, Lin Changan murmured softly.
To return and visit old friends—yes. To return in glory—also true. Now that he had formed his Golden Core, he also wished to explore the deeper regions of the Cloudmist Mountain Range.
In the fragmented memories left behind by the Blood Fiend True Lord, a mid–third-rank venomous insect lay hidden deep within the Cloudmist Mountains—its demon core was exactly what he needed to refine the Spirit-Mending Pill.
Though his cultivation was far inferior to the Blood Fiend True Lord, his immunity to poisonous miasma was something the latter couldn’t compare to.
As for venturing any deeper—he had no such plans yet. Still, the locations mentioned in those fragmented memories were worth investigating.
Moreover—
“A third-rank venomous insect in the Cloudmist Mountains—that’s the ideal hunting ground. If I can gather even one or two mid-grade third-rank demon cores, this trip will be worth it.”
Lin Changan pondered silently. Refining the Spirit-Mending Pill required mid-grade third-rank demon cores.
Though the Sea Abyss of Beasts had no shortage of demon beasts, due to elemental restraints, the venomous insects deep in the Cloudmist Mountains were much easier for him to hunt.
With the Wind-Chirp Bird suppressing them and himself immune to poisons of the same rank—this was practically a natural counter.
More effective even than fighting in places swarming with sinister spirits.
Besides, in the Sea Abyss of Beasts, he’d often encounter several beasts at once—the risks were high.
“And the three main spiritual vein peaks in Tianxuan City—those spiritual veins are in no way inferior to Tianquan Peak. They even produce abundant spiritual liquid. With my current third-rank formation master skills…”
He could infiltrate without damaging the formations. Even if those spiritual liquids were tainted by poison miasma and useless to others, they were supreme nourishment for his life-bound spirit plant.
Calculating it all—it seemed this return trip wouldn’t be a loss at all.
Having decided, Lin Changan sent a voice-transmission to Fairy of Rainbow Skirt of Xuanyin Pavilion.
After all, as a guest elder of Xuanyin Pavilion, occasionally escorting a merchant ship back was part of his duties—and he could earn some spirit stones while at it.
Not a loss!
…
“Elder Lin wishes to take on the escort task for this merchant vessel?”
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, the master of Xuanyin Pavilion, was surprised. She hadn’t expected Lin Changan, who usually kept a low profile, to suddenly volunteer for the next escort task.
Faced with her surprise, Lin Changan remained composed and sighed wistfully:
“I’ve been away from home for nearly fifty years. Back then, I focused solely on forming my core—now it’s time to go back and take a look.”
A trace of sorrow flickered between his brows. Combined with her having arranged the delivery of those letters earlier, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt understood.
“I see. As it happens, the trade route has reopened. Next year, a merchant vessel will be heading back. Then I’ll trouble Elder Lin with this task.”
She offered a faintly apologetic smile, though there was also a hint of envy in her heart.
At least Elder Lin still had old friends he missed. As for herself—
Ever since she entered the sect, great expectations had been placed on her. She rarely bonded with her fellow sisters, burying herself in cultivation day after day.
Later, the turmoil in Yue Kingdom had pushed her to cultivate even more desperately. Just as she achieved Core Formation, Xuanyin Pavilion was besieged by two great sects.
To outsiders, her life seemed radiant—but only she knew the fatigue behind it all.
Of course, Lin Changan knew nothing of this. Seeing that she agreed, he cupped his fists in gratitude:
“Thank you, Pavilion Master.”
…
Lin Changan returned once more to Tianquan Peak. As for the prosperity on Five Dragon Island—though he envied it, he understood that gaining some things often meant losing others.
If he built a force and expanded on the island, his spirit stone income would indeed rise.
But creating a faction also meant shackles—and in the early stages, it would slow his cultivation.
“As a third-rank formation master on the surface, and secretly a third-rank alchemist and talisman master—if I went all out for profit, I’d be no worse off than many minor forces.”
Inside the cave abode, Lin Changan frowned slightly. With his external incarnation now at work, one of his avatars was refining a furnace of pills.
“Third-rank pill formulas aren’t too hard. The difficulty lies in gathering the spirit herbs. Third-rank talisman inheritance, however, is far rarer.”
Indeed, third-rank skills were valuable—major powers rarely released them.
“Still, with the third-rank formation inheritance openly backed by Xuanyin Pavilion, I don’t need to worry about formations for now.”
At that moment, Lin Changan held a bundle of formation jade slips, copied from Xuanyin Pavilion.
“Moo!”
In the pavilion, the Azure-Horned Bull mooed again, flatteringly approaching his side.
“Alright, the Wind-Chirp Bird has a good place to train, but this place isn’t bad for you either. You’d best work hard—don’t slack off in your cultivation.”
As he stroked the bull’s fur, Lin Changan couldn’t help but shake his head with envy.
High-grade bloodline, late-stage second-rank cultivation—its odds of breaking through to third rank were far better than his own.
“Still, achieving third-rank isn’t something that happens overnight.”
Though the bull’s bloodline was decent, it still couldn’t compare to the Wind-Chirp Bird.
Even so, the bull, seeing first its companion breakthrough and now its master too, was certainly feeling anxious.
“Talk about fate—you really landed in a win-win.”
Looking at the Azure-Horned Bull, Lin Changan was silently envious.
When the Wind-Chirp Bird was preparing for breakthrough, he had to plan in every direction, fearful of mistakes.
When it was his turn to form his core, he was cautious to the extreme—even nearly sold off during a spirit vessel journey.
Now that it was the Azure-Horned Bull’s turn, both he and the bird had already formed their cores. Preparing spirit items for the bull’s breakthrough was relatively easy.
“Just in time—while I’m gathering materials for the Spirit-Mending Pill over the next few years, I’ll also collect some core formation items for you.”
His eyes glinted. The Wind-Chirp Bird couldn’t be shown openly right now, but the bull could.
And with its high-grade bloodline, it had a great chance of forming a core—otherwise, he wouldn’t waste the resources.
Plus, the bull was only just over ninety years old—not even a hundred yet. Over the years, he’d felt its lifespan increasing significantly, nourished by his Xuantian Spirit Energy.
Its longevity likely far exceeded other demon beasts of its kind. So if it broke through to third rank, with a solid foundation, it would go farther and save him resources in the future.
“But first, I need to tidy up and prepare to set off next year for a return trip to Yue Kingdom.”
New Names and Elements Introduced (Not in GPT Instructions):