Chapter 47: Supreme Realm Evergreen Art
Outside the marketplace, in a shadowy forest.
“Hoohoo, how does it feel to have reached Foundation Establishment?”
As a dark figure appeared, Ghost Three Blades showed a look of gratitude:
“Many thanks to you, My Lord, for helping me establish my Foundation, but I have already lost everything. Now, I only wish for Huang Yuntian to live a life worse than death!”
The shadowy figure shook his head and chuckled, clicking his tongue. It was precisely people burdened with deep hatred who were most satisfying to use, for such people truly fought with their lives on the line.
“My Lord, this humble subordinate is of no worth, and in this lifetime, I seek only to avenge my wife and children, and watch the Palace of Blazing Fire crumble apart!”
Ghost Three Blades had once been a famed late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. After more than ten years of planning and numerous brushes with death, he finally obtained that core material—only to be targeted by Huang Yuntian of the Palace of Blazing Fire.
Threatened and coerced under overwhelming pressure, he gritted his teeth and ultimately bowed his head before the towering force of the Palace of Blazing Fire, harboring resentment deep in his heart and praying for Huang Yuntian’s Foundation Establishment to fail.
Who would have thought that Heaven would not heed human will? That scoundrel Huang Yuntian not only succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment but also didn’t let him go, leading to the destruction of his family.
Thinking of the happy family he once had, now with only himself barely surviving, Ghost Three Blades couldn’t help but gnash his teeth.
“Good, very good.”
Looking at Ghost Three Blades, a cultivator completely consumed by revenge, the black-robed demonic cultivator revealed a bloodthirsty smile.
“Swallow this pill, and I will teach you a secret art—one that allows you to devour a cultivator’s essence blood to restore your mana and injuries. Whether or not you get your revenge from here on will depend on your own capabilities.”
Ghost Three Blades knew full well that this man was using him. He even understood that this pill could allow the other party to control his life at any time, but so what?
“Thank you, My Lord.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Ghost Three Blades swallowed the pill.
Only after he disappeared did the black-robed demonic cultivator reveal his pale face and utter a hoarse laugh:
“Hoohoo, if only he weren’t so old, he’d make a fine dog. What a pity.”
...
Inside the marketplace.
“This Huang Yuntian is really something—not only is he a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Palace of Blazing Fire, but he’s also a descendant of that Elder Huang.”
“Elder Huang! He’s one of the three great Golden Core elders of the Palace of Blazing Fire. Why would someone like that covet a rogue cultivator’s Foundation Establishment resources?”
“What do you know? Who would ever think they had too many Foundation Establishment Pills? Besides, the Huang family has so many people, and Huang Yuntian is a lecherous man. Just think about how many Foundation Establishment Pills he must have wasted.”
“It’s truly infuriating. Compared to the disciples of major sects, we rogue cultivators are just dying of thirst while they drown in abundance.”
“Hmph, if it weren’t for his connections, how would Huang Yuntian have gotten the news? Isn’t the alchemist also from the Palace of Blazing Fire? They’re all in collusion at the top.”
Countless cultivators whispered among themselves within the marketplace, digging up all the past stories of Ghost Three Blades.
Especially after learning that Huang Yuntian had still persecuted the man’s wife and children even after reaching Foundation Establishment—the public sentiment was easy to imagine.
As the marketplace buzzed with noise, within the True Treasure Pavilion—the stronghold of the Palace of Blazing Fire in this area—
“Father, that wretch is utterly despicable! He dares to threaten our Huang family, he must truly be tired of living!”
Huang Shaohai, the son of Huang Yuntian, spoke angrily at this moment.
However, sitting above at the head was the Foundation Establishment cultivator Huang Yuntian, who snorted coldly with a sinister gleam in his eyes.
“Shut up. Things are chaotic outside. What you should be doing now is cultivating diligently and striving to reach Foundation Establishment within ten years—not running that merchant guild.”
Huang Shaohai appeared somewhat displeased. “Father, isn’t the guild just a way to prepare for Foundation Establishment?”
“Foundation Establishment!? Don’t think I don’t know—you’re using it as a cover to secretly pursue those practices of harvesting yin to supplement yang. Be careful not to cause trouble.”
To this son of his, Huang Yuntian felt a deep disappointment. Truly a source of suffering.
Yet in the face of his father, Huang Shaohai showed no fear. Instead, a hint of greed flashed in his eyes as he probed:
“Honored Father, I believe that if I harvest the essence of a Foundation Establishment female cultivator, my cultivation will surely reach completion, and I’ll successfully reach Foundation Establishment.”
As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. The moment he saw the licentious glint in his son's eyes, Huang Yuntian immediately realized how bold his son had become. Enraged, he shouted:
“Silence! That Yun Yao is a personal disciple taken in by the Ancestor himself. You dare have such thoughts?!”
Just thinking of Yun Yao’s breathtaking beauty sent a chill down Huang Yuntian’s spine. She was a cauldron secretly raised by the Ancestor himself. Even he didn’t dare entertain such thoughts, yet his son truly dared to imagine it.
However, only a few in the Huang family knew of this matter.
“Father!”
Huang Shaohai was still unwilling. His father was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—couldn’t he just help him capture an early-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator?
“Shut up. I don’t care what chaos you’re stirring in that merchant guild of yours. I’m only telling you—if you dare lay a finger on Yun Yao, be careful. The Ancestor will never forgive you!”
After his harsh scolding, Huang Yuntian also felt somewhat helpless. It wasn’t necessarily a good thing that his son resembled him too much.
To think he actually wanted to harvest a Foundation Establishment female cultivator—he really dared to dream. Even back then, Huang Yuntian had never been so bold.
Huang Shaohai felt somewhat stifled, but when he recalled the cold gaze of the Ancestor, he couldn’t help but shiver.
The Huang family was vast; they weren’t lacking a descendant like him.
“Fine, fine. I’ll just target rogue cultivators in the Qi Refinement stage.”
Hearing this, although Huang Yuntian’s expression remained grim, he didn’t rebuke him. After all, stirring up a few rogue cultivators in the marketplace didn’t really matter.
...
The outside world was growing increasingly turbulent. Either another Foundation Establishment cultivator had emerged, or some looter cultivator had killed a sect disciple and fled in a hurry to seize an opportunity for Foundation Establishment. In a word—chaos!
Yet, because of the war at the frontlines, the Bamboo Mountain Marketplace had instead become more and more prosperous.
Not only was it located deep in the rear lines, it also bordered the Cloudmist Mountain Range—a boundless treasure trove.
Countless cultivators hunted demon beasts to exchange for resources.
However turbulent the outside world became, it had no effect on Lin Chang’an’s daily routine.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
【Cultivation Method: Evergreen Art +1 (Supreme)】
At that moment, Lin Chang’an had entered a state of enlightenment. Only after the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn did he slowly open his eyes, revealing a look of sudden understanding.
“So there’s a realm beyond the Perfect Realm.”
If the Perfect Realm represented the creator’s level of insight, then the Supreme Realm was akin to what Daoism called the unity of all—being one with Heaven and Earth.
“To put it plainly, the Supreme Realm means that my comprehension of the Evergreen Art has already surpassed that of its creator.”
As Lin Chang’an murmured to himself, he could clearly feel the Evergreen Art’s energy within him had become more harmonious, and his control over it even stronger.
Even while circulating the technique, he could clearly sense that his speed was three-tenths faster than before. The casting speed of his spells would also be significantly quicker.
More importantly, after subtle adjustments, it felt as if his body fit the technique perfectly, attuned to the environment and the natural world.
“So this is the Supreme Realm!” Even his senses had grown noticeably sharper.
He hadn’t expected that the first technique to reach the supreme realm wouldn’t be the Phosphorescent Green Needle, but rather his comprehension of the Evergreen Art.
“The Evergreen Art may only be a foundational Qi Refinement technique, but it is still profoundly deep.”
In realization, Lin Chang’an slowly set down the jade slip in his hand. At that moment, the bookshelf in his secret chamber was filled with over a hundred jade slips.
This was also the reason why his comprehension of the Evergreen Art had progressed so rapidly.
Among them, twenty-seven were commentaries on the Evergreen Art, while the rest were interpretations and insights into various techniques.
This was all thanks to the war, which prompted the three major sects to open up their foundational technique resources to the public. One could purchase them with a modest amount of spirit stones.
“These basic techniques might not match the power of those from great clans or sects in the early stages, but with deep enough insight later on, they’re no less powerful. More importantly, they build a solid foundation.”
With years of continuous study into the nature of different techniques and the cross-verification of insights, Lin Chang’an had finally reached this point.
“A firm foundation leads to great growth. This Evergreen Art is truly wondrous.”
At that moment, Lin Chang’an felt as if he had discovered a mountain of treasure, and a smile appeared on his face.
Perhaps this was another of his talents. In this life, compared to the cultivators of this world, he possessed a certain freshness in attitude toward cultivation.
This was also the main reason he could persevere—constantly reviewing so many dull commentaries and cultivation experiences without growing tired.
Most cultivators considered a technique sufficient once they had learned it. Their main focus was always on cultivation itself, not on comprehending the techniques.