Chapter 262: Taking the Spirit-Mending Pill
Tianquan Peak.
Lin Changan passed through Blazing Fire Peak and arrived at his own cultivation abode on Tianquan Peak.
"Moo!"
Outside the cave abode, after living here for a few months, the Sword Servant had surprisingly gotten along quite well with the Azure-Horned Ox.
Or rather, it was because the Azure-Horned Ox liked basking in the sun, and this Sword Servant also enjoyed sitting cross-legged to meditate under the sunlight every day, appreciating this bright world of blue skies and white clouds.
Perhaps it was due to her human-beast hybrid bloodline that after reaching Foundation Establishment, her cultivation became extremely difficult. She could only exert seventy to eighty percent of her actual Foundation Establishment strength.
As a result, she had gradually given up on the path of cultivation.
However, whenever the weather turned gloomy and rainy, her brows would furrow tightly.
As Lin Changan appeared, the Azure-Horned Ox let out an excited "moo," startling the Sword Servant who was meditating and sunbathing beside the pond.
When she saw Lin Changan again, a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes.
Because the last time Lin Changan faced her, he had disguised himself as a gaunt and stern cultivator, clearly an aged one at that.
But this time, Lin Changan had returned to his original appearance.
Clad in a cloud-patterned white robe embroidered with auspicious clouds, Lin Changan’s figure was elegant and handsome, exuding a refined and scholarly aura.
"Master!"
She quickly reacted and respectfully addressed him as “Master.”
Or rather, under the effect of the restriction, she could clearly perceive who the person before her was.
Lin Changan nodded in satisfaction. As long as there was still a desire to live, there would be motivation to move forward.
Otherwise, even with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, if one had no desire to cultivate, did he really have to pile on resources for her?
He had no intention of raising a burden.
"Not bad. It seems you like it here."
Lin Changan spoke calmly. At his side, the Azure-Horned Ox rubbed against his trouser leg in a fawning manner, letting out soft moos.
He casually took out two Spirit Fruits from his storage pouch and fed them to the Azure-Horned Ox. As he glanced around, a look of satisfaction emerged on his face.
Fatty Lei had indeed made a good point. This Sword Servant had been specially trained.
The cave abode was meticulously maintained, and a small wooden hut had been built beside the pond — a shelter she had prepared for him.
The name “Sword Servant” had been given by the Divine Sword Sect. Her real name was Qiu Ling’er — an ordinary name, yet she possessed a top-tier spiritual body envied by all in the world of cultivation.
Unfortunately, her human-beast hybrid bloodline had ruined everything.
"This cultivation method happens to require the use of baleful energy. Train diligently. I hope that when I return from seclusion, you’ll have successfully switched to this new path."
The cultivation method Lin Changan handed over was the Killing Origin Sword Art, though only the Foundation Establishment version.
It was the highest-grade sword cultivation method he had mastered, and it also suited her current constitution well.
As for helping her cultivate directly — it wasn’t the right time yet.
"To cultivate!"
Upon hearing that she could still cultivate, a rare gleam of light appeared in the Sword Servant’s dim heterochromatic eyes.
To reach Foundation Establishment, one couldn’t have been uninterested in cultivation from the start — it was only her later experiences that had extinguished her hope.
For any cultivator who once aspired to walk the path of immortality, giving up cultivation was akin to a mortal giving up on life.
"Indeed. The greatest problem of a human-beast hybrid is having two types of spiritual power within — one cultivated from the human race...
And the other, the spiritual power of the beast race. The power of the beast race comes at a price — it carries baleful energy. That is the main reason your cultivation is so difficult."
At this moment, Lin Changan was seated calmly in the pavilion, stroking the Azure-Horned Ox while explaining.
"And this Killing Origin Sword Art is a top-tier demonic cultivation method. What might be a side effect for ordinary cultivators is, for you, an advantage.
With the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body’s natural affinity for sword intent, the side effects of cultivating this method can be minimized. Moreover, the baleful energy within your body can be used to fuel the cultivation..."
He wouldn’t say more, but at the very least, Lin Changan was confident that, with this suitable sword art, even without his direct help, she could resume cultivation.
Perhaps not as fast as a pure Heavenly Spirit Sword Body, but her cultivation speed should at least rival that of someone with a Pseudo-Spiritual Root or Low-grade Spiritual Root.
"In the world of cultivation, the only way to change one’s fate is through power."
Lin Changan gave her a deep, meaningful glance, and saw the spark of longing for cultivation reignite in her eyes.
"Th-thank you, Master!"
Upon hearing she could still cultivate, her pupils quivered, but she quickly steadied herself and respectfully nodded.
"Spiritual bodies are rare. Some top-tier spiritual bodies are no less than Heavenly Spiritual Roots. Over the years, you must’ve come to understand your constitution.
In the future, I’ll need something from your body to aid my cultivation. Of course, that’s only if you prove your worth."
With meaningful eyes, Lin Changan’s words made the Sword Servant’s pupils shrink and her heart tremble violently.
Even ants struggle to survive, let alone humans.
What Lin Changan meant was clear — prove your value, and she wouldn’t have to be sacrificed through blood rituals.
"I..."
In that moment, countless images flashed through her mind — the calamity that struck the island’s cultivators, the tragic death of her parents and family, and the hatred she bore toward the Divine Sword Sect and another group of cultivators.
All of it, which she had long given up on and dared not even think about, resurfaced once more.
"The blood sacrifice method may be powerful, but it also blocks the magical artifact’s potential for advancement. My ambitions are far beyond just becoming a mere Core Formation cultivator."
Lin Changan softly revealed a rare truth, gently stroking the Azure-Horned Ox as he spoke.
He had placed restrictions on the Sword Servant inside and out. Her life and death were within his control, so he naturally had no concerns.
"Alright, you."
He turned his gaze to the ox.
"You’ve been cultivating for so long. I’ll give you ten more years. If you haven’t reached the threshold for breakthrough by then, go find yourself a large pot."
As soon as those words landed, the Azure-Horned Ox widened its eyes.
Seeing its master’s calm expression, it let out anxious moos.
Too unfair! How could it compare to the Wind-Chirp Bird?
They weren’t even in the same league!
The Wind-Chirp Bird was akin to the top-tier spiritual bodies of human cultivators, an even rarer Golden Flame Divine Phoenix.
And it? It was just a regular Azure-Horned Ox with an upper-grade bloodline.
To expect it to break through to the third rank and reach the Golden Core Realm?
Too unfair to the ox!
"Alright, cultivate properly."
Lin Changan gave the ox’s head a light pat, then turned around and returned to the cave abode, preparing to go into seclusion.
As Lin Changan's figure disappeared, the Azure-Horned Ox let out aggrieved moos.
Meanwhile, the petite Sword Servant staggered back two steps before sitting on a rock by the pond, staring at the cultivation method jade slip in her palm with disbelief.
"To cultivate! I can cultivate again!"
Only after falling from the mountain peak into the abyss did she realize what she had lost.
This kind of regaining after loss made her treasure it even more — clinging tightly to the only lifeline in the abyss.
Just as a mist rose in her eyes, she hastily wiped it away. On her baby-fat, petite face, a look of stubborn determination appeared.
"Mother, Ling'er can still cultivate — Ling'er still has vengeance to take!"
...
At this moment, Lin Changan had already passed through the Earthfire Cavern and returned to Blazing Fire Peak.
After all, he was about to take the Spirit-Mending Pill, which produced even more profound effects than the Core Reforging Secret Art. He was concerned about any potential phenomenon that might attract attention.
After all, the pill formula didn’t mention this aspect either.
The Core Reforging Secret Art was essentially a reformation of the core and naturally triggered a core formation phenomenon.
But on Blazing Fire Peak, he was outwardly known as a False Core Cultivator, so reforging his core here seemed logical enough.
"This is the Spirit-Mending Pill. According to the formula, after consumption, the cultivator needs to slowly absorb its medicinal power. The higher the quality, the longer it takes to improve one's physique..."
In theory, there shouldn’t be any visible phenomenon, but he decided to be cautious regardless.
Inside the cave abode, Lin Changan sat cross-legged. At this moment, he took out the Spirit-Mending Pill, which radiated multicolored light, and sighed emotionally.
"I nearly emptied out all my resources for this single pill."
Without hesitation, Lin Changan swallowed the priceless pill with a gulp.
He immediately began circulating his mana to absorb its medicinal energy.
A cultivator’s powerful spiritual consciousness allowed for internal vision from the Foundation Establishment stage — let alone Lin Changan, now a Core Formation cultivator.
At this moment, he could clearly see the golden core the size of a longan fruit spinning within his dantian.
This was the foundation of a Core Formation cultivator. As his cultivation grew stronger, the golden core’s size would change as well.
Now, the Spirit-Mending Pill glowed within his body, and pure Five Element energies turned into multicolored rays that were absorbed by his golden core.
Visibly, his golden core began undergoing a qualitative transformation.
Simultaneously, rays of colored light nourished his body, subtly altering the aptitude of his Spiritual Root.
Lin Changan kept his eyes tightly shut, continuously channeling his mana to enjoy the transformation brought by the Spirit-Mending Pill.
...
Time passed. In the blink of an eye, a year and a half had gone by.
【Lifespan: 148//599】
【Realm: Early Core Formation (5/100)】
On this day, as spring winds swept across the land and all things awakened, Lin Changan slowly opened his eyes within his cave abode on Blazing Fire Peak, after more than a year in seclusion.
"So the Spirit-Mending Pill works by slowly nourishing and improving a cultivator’s Spiritual Root and the quality of their golden core — not like the Core Reforging method,
which forcibly melts the current core and reforms a new one."
As Lin Changan opened his eyes, a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
No core formation phenomenon — that was good. At least it spared him some trouble.
Moreover, his Core Formation-level cultivation allowed him to absorb the pill faster. A Foundation Establishment cultivator might need more than ten years.
"I'm no longer a Low-grade Spiritual Root cultivator!"
He raised his hand, and a Spiritual Root Testing Disk appeared from his storage pouch. Injecting his mana into it—
The ancient scale on the disk reacted, emitting a wave of cyan spiritual power that visibly rose.
From Pseudo-Spiritual Root, to Low-grade Spiritual Root, and even after filling the Low-grade bar, it kept rising — straight into the Mid-grade Spiritual Root range.
It finally stopped at the peak of the Mid-grade range — just a sliver short of High-grade.
"I can clearly feel now that the rate at which I absorb spiritual energy during cultivation has significantly increased."
His golden core, the size of a longan fruit, had also become more refined — no longer within the Low-grade category.
"Finally succeeded!"
Inside the cave abode, Lin Changan couldn’t help but burst out laughing. This sensation of altering one’s aptitude was truly addictive.
While the cultivation world had many secret arts to improve aptitude, most had side effects or came with trade-offs.
Only certain heavenly treasures — or pills like the Heaven-Mending Pill — were the safest.
Seeing his cultivation progression increase by two points, Lin Changan felt immensely pleased.
Before, he gained one point every two years. When he first began this retreat, he already noticed his cultivation speed accelerating slightly.
And the bottleneck in realm progression had also noticeably loosened — a clear sign that his golden core had changed in quality, enhancing his potential.
"At this pace, I can probably increase my realm by one point per year. If I ignore the bottleneck from Early to Mid Core Formation, I could break through in about a hundred years."
Lin Changan’s eyes glinted as he calculated his cultivation rate.
Factoring in the difficulty of breakthroughs, he estimated it would take around 120 to 130 years to reach Mid Core Formation — by then, he would be only 270+ years old.
To reach Late Core Formation, however, at a normal pace, he might be close to 500 years old.
"At 500 years old, a cultivator’s potential is nearly exhausted — no wonder they say only those with High-grade Golden Cores are eligible as Nascent Soul candidates."
Records in the cultivation world showed that nearly all who formed Nascent Souls had either Immortal Golden Cores or High-grade Golden Cores.
Only a few chosen by fate, with heaven-defying fortune, could reach the Nascent Soul stage otherwise.
"My lifespan far exceeds ordinary cultivators — surely I won't have to wait like True Lord Lu, forming a Nascent Soul at around six hundred years old..."
Upon calculating further, much of the excitement from the Spirit-Mending Pill’s effects had already faded, leaving Lin Changan sighing in frustration.
Forming a Nascent Soul was extremely difficult. Even a peak Core Formation cultivator might only have one shot in their lifetime — many didn’t even get that.
"A Heaven-Mending Pill refined using a Mid-grade Third-rank Demon Core isn’t something I can currently obtain."
So Lin Changan didn’t even consider it for now. Even if he and the Wind-Chirp Bird teamed up to hunt a Late Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King, the gap in realm was too vast.
Even with elemental advantage, the risk would still be extremely high.
"Late Third-rank demon beasts are far stronger than those at Mid Third-rank."
The higher the realm, the greater the difference between even small sub-stages.
So Lin Changan shook his head — for now, reaching Mid Core Formation was good enough.
If the Azure-Horned Ox also broke through to Third-rank, and he had both a Mid Third-rank Wind-Chirp Bird and a restored Blood Fiend Scarlet Sun Formation at peak Third-rank High-grade...
Then he’d have a shot at hunting a Late Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King.
"In the world of cultivation, falling behind even once can be fatal. Sometimes, staying holed up in a cave to cultivate is safest — a major upheaval in the world, and you could be swept into the chaos with no control over your fate.
And if I wait until six hundred years old to attempt forming a Nascent Soul, I may only get one chance."
Thinking carefully, Lin Changan quietly shook his head.
With his Regenerative Body, even a failed Nascent Soul formation wouldn’t harm him as badly as the Island Lord of the Long Clan.
But how much lifespan did he really have? If he failed at six hundred, it would take time again to gather Nascent Soul-grade items.
Still, for now, all of that was far away.
"Time to exit seclusion. For now, I’ve gained enough. I’ll continue refining pills for the Xuanyin Pavilion from time to time to accumulate some Third-rank pills, and use them during bottlenecks."
Stretching lazily, Lin Changan left a clone on Blazing Fire Peak while he himself smiled and prepared to emerge from seclusion.
However, just as he dispelled the formation and prepared to return to Tianquan Peak through the Earthfire Cavern—
Suddenly, the urgent voice of the Wind-Chirp Bird sounded.
"Master! The dumb ox is in trouble!"
The Wind-Chirp Bird was clearly panicked — its master had finally come out of seclusion, and if it had been delayed just three or five more days, that dumb ox might not have made it.
"Azure-Horned Ox!"
Fresh out of seclusion and already met with this, Lin Changan was immediately alarmed. His powerful perception instantly picked up on something wrong.
The Azure-Horned Ox’s aura was inside the Earthfire Cavern — and something about it was very off.
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