Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 287 Feng Ping Regrets

Less than half an hour later.

Under the combined attack of the Tier 3 puppets and the Xunfeng Crow, the Tier 3 Catfish Demon finally met its end.

The sharp beak of the Wind Crow kept pecking at the catfish demon.

But when its master beckoned, it obediently handed over the demon core from the catfish demon's corpse.

"Not bad, your demonic power has increased compared to previous years. It seems that you did not neglect your duties during the period of free-range training."

Lin Changsheng put away the catfish demon core, praised it, and then took out a third-tier beast core and threw it into the sky.

The Wind Crow let out a cheerful chirp, swallowed the beast core in one gulp, and circled above Lin Changsheng's head.

In order to keep a low profile for years, the two third-tier demons, the Crimson Centipede and the Wind Crow, have been kept in a state of free-range breeding.

Aside from occasionally venturing into the Gunzhou Desert to feed them some Tier 3 beast cores, they mostly let the two demonic beasts hunt for themselves.

After all, Lin Changsheng is now a Golden Core cultivator. If he were to take on two more third-tier demons, even with his many skills, it would be a huge challenge for his finances.

Moreover, free-range raising can preserve the wildness of monsters to some extent and slightly increase their combat power.

At the same time, Lin Changsheng, the owner, has basically no need to worry about safety.

Whether it's the Crimson Centipede or the Wind Crow, one is proficient in earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic that allows one to escape), and the other has an astonishing speed. Even ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, while able to defeat the two demons, might not be able to catch up with them.

Before long, Xunfeng Crow separated from its master with the dead catfish demon and flew towards Gunzhou.

Having fought side by side for years, Xunfeng Crow and Chihuang Centipede have developed a deep bond, and they usually share their spoils of war.

As for the demon core of the third-tier great demon, it should naturally be kept as an opportunity for the Snow Demon Wolf to break through to the third-tier great demon in the future.

However, just half a day after Lin Changsheng left.

Suddenly, a streak of emerald green light flew in from afar.

As the light faded, a bewitching woman dressed in a colorful scale-like leather coat lightly touched the water's surface with her fair, bare feet, surveying her surroundings with a cool gaze.

"This must be the place. After searching for years, we have finally found traces of Lin Changsheng again!"

"But judging from the remaining aura, this person has most likely advanced to the Golden Core Realm and also has two Tier 3 Great Demons under his care."

Around the alluring and sexy neck of the Green Serpent Immortal hung a Sunflower Water Serpent as thick as a wrist, constantly flicking its tongue, seemingly reacting strongly to the atmosphere of this place.

"This is already the edge of the Yunmeng Marsh, near the cultivation world of Gunzhou. According to the Li family members of Dafang Township, this boy has an earth-attribute centipede demon insect, which is more effective in desert areas. It seems that Lin Changsheng probably fled to the territory of Gunzhou back then. However, this person has endless tricks and treasures, and is not an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. To be on the safe side, it would be more prudent to call Fellow Daoist Yu Huai along."

Green Snake Master's eyes flashed, and he immediately made up his mind.

He transformed into a streak of light and flew away once more.

……

This day.

Outside Mingling Peak.

A bright-looking young man stopped two young men entering and exiting Mingling Peak and said politely:

"Greetings, fellow disciples. I am acquainted with Hao Chi of your Netherworld Peak. Could you please convey my message?"

Looking at the towering main peak of Mingling Peak, which seemed to reach almost into the clouds, Feng Ping felt a pang of unease.

"Looking for our senior brother?"

One of the younger disciples hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat tentatively:

"Then you'll have to wait, senior brother. It's said that the elders bestowed some third-tier demon beast meat today. Although only registered disciples are entitled to enjoy it, our senior brother used the demon beast meat to make soup for us other disciples. If you go and deliver the message for me, I'm afraid I won't even get to drink the soup."

"Third-tier demon beast meat?"

"Junior brother, could you be mistaken? That was a demonic beast equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator. Elder Zhang Meng has only been a Golden Core cultivator for a few years. How could he possibly kill a third-tier demonic beast?"

Feng Ping was no newcomer back then either. Upon hearing this, he first found it hard to believe, but then he couldn't help but feel extremely envious.

Disciples who are registered are entitled to enjoy the meat of third-tier demon beasts.

Ordinary disciples within the peak can also drink soup made from the meat of third-tier beasts.

For an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator, this is quite an opportunity!

He could have enjoyed all of these benefits!

Originally, he was the senior disciple of Mingling Peak!

Hao Chi's silly personality was entirely due to his own connections that he was able to become the senior disciple.

How can he be worthy of being the senior disciple?

A pang of sadness welled up in Feng Ping's heart.

"I remember now, you're Senior Brother Feng Ping?"

Another young disciple from the Netherworld Peak, after sizing up Feng Ping, suddenly said:

“Senior Brother Feng Ping, you were the one who led us new disciples back then, but later Senior Brother Hao took over.”

"I heard that Senior Brother Feng Ping has a close relationship with the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Wan Ku Peak. I imagine he must be having a very successful time there."

These young disciples were unaware of the reasons behind it, but their attitude towards Feng Ping was fairly good.

As an elder of the Netherworld Spirit Peak, Lin Changsheng naturally wouldn't care about the fate of a Qi Condensation disciple back then.

However, the senior disciple Hao Chi was kind-hearted and did not speak ill of Feng Ping in front of these newly entered junior brothers and sisters.

"Cough...hehe, that's for sure. I'm doing quite well over there."

Feng Ping looked somewhat embarrassed and mumbled something indistinctly.

The two newly recruited disciples of Mingling Peak in front of him were a few years younger than him, and their cultivation levels were both at the third level of Qi Condensation.

He had just borrowed a lot of money a few days ago to buy a Breakthrough Pill, which allowed him to barely break through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

However, the interest rate for borrowing spirit stones was too high, and the lender had some connection with a Qi Condensation Great Perfection expert from Ten Thousand Skull Peak.

Pressed hard and with no other options, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and come to Mingling Peak, intending to borrow some money from Junior Brother Hao.

He never imagined that, despite having few disciples, the disciples of Mingling Peak lived such a wealthy life.

"Junior brother, may I ask what cultivation level your Senior Brother Hao Chi has reached?"

Feng Ping felt a bitter taste in his mouth and asked in a trembling voice.

"Senior Brother Hao Chi, I heard that he has already advanced to the fifth level of Qi Condensation after eating the monster meat bestowed by the elder a few days ago. I'm so envious."

The young disciple of Mingling Peak said with an envious look.

"We just received news this morning that our second senior sister, Han Jiuying, and fourth senior brother, He Dawei, have gone into seclusion after eating the flesh of a demon beast, preparing to break through to the sixth level of Qi Condensation."

"The four disciples will receive a very generous reward whenever one of them breaks through to a new realm first."

Another disciple added.

"I really envy them. Everyone has the same aptitude, so why were they able to be accepted as disciples by the elders?"

"I don't know, I guess he was just lucky. It's said that our elder from Mingling Peak just randomly picked a few people to take as his disciples."

"I also heard that the elder has been slow to accept a true disciple to inherit his mantle because he is not satisfied with the performance of these four nominal disciples."

"Sigh, if the elder had accepted me as a disciple, I would definitely be stronger than the other four of them and break through to the sixth level of Qi Condensation much sooner. Maybe I could even be accepted as a personal disciple."

The two young disciples were chatting away, unaware that Feng Ping had already walked far away. By the time they realized it, he had vanished without a trace.

In the Ten Thousand Skulls Peak.

"I'll give you three more days. If you still can't gather enough spirit stones after three days, don't blame your senior brothers for being ruthless."

Five or six fat, burly, and fierce young men swaggered out of the simple house.

The room was in complete disarray, with tables, chairs, and benches smashed, leaving only a badly injured Feng Ping lying on the ground.

Feng Ping was filled with remorse, and a hint of resentment appeared in his eyes.

"Why!"

"When I was the senior disciple of Mingling Peak, I wasn't like this at all!"

"Back then, Elder Zhang Meng was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. He would often go into seclusion to cultivate, and apart from basic resources, he almost completely ignored us!"

"Why is everything so wonderful after I left? This is not fair!"

"If you had broken through to the Golden Core stage earlier and provided resources to nurture us sooner, I wouldn't have ended up in this state!"

"It's all your fault!"

……

Mingling Peak, side hall.

Lin Changsheng personally poured spiritual tea for Shen Wenyao.

"We originally thought that it would take Fairy Shen a few more years to gather all these materials, but it has been much faster than we expected."

Lin Changsheng said with a slight surprise.

Shen Wenyao smiled lightly, but there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

As a third-tier elixir, the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' only has a temporary suppressive effect on the fourth-tier spiritual item 'Six Yang True Water'.

Since escaping the clutches of True Lord Ziyang, she has had to rely on the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' every day to avoid the burning pain of the flames.

Therefore, even though she still had some 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pills' stored in her possession, she was already in a state of anxiety.

The reason is also very simple.

Firstly, after her escape was exposed, the disgraced True Lord Ziyang ruthlessly exterminated all the alchemists she had recruited. Now, she has no trustworthy third-tier alchemists.

Secondly, the ingredients for the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' are precious, and long-term use is extremely costly. Some of the main ingredients are very difficult to obtain, which means that it becomes increasingly difficult to gather the necessary materials for alchemy as time goes on.

Thirdly, the pressure of searching for alchemists and collecting medicinal materials for a long time, coupled with the side effects of regularly taking pills, greatly affected Shen Wenyao's state of mind and magical power, resulting in her cultivation progress being very slow in recent years.

Anxiety and internal conflict sometimes shake Shen Wenyao's beliefs.

He even occasionally thought about simply returning to Ziyang Zhenjun's side.

However, having betrayed her once, if she were to return, True Lord Ziyang might not be as tolerant as before, and might even directly break her virginity and yin constitution to drain her essence.

Now that the body of True Lord Ziyang is damaged, Shen Wenyao feels a sense of desperation and desperation.

"Actually, Wenyao has been paying attention to these materials in recent years, but she just made a trip to buy them herself."

"However, the rest of the alchemy process will depend entirely on Elder Zhang Meng."

Shen Wenyao smiled gently and said casually.

Although she revealed her situation to Lin Changsheng and their relationship improved considerably, she still didn't want him to know the difficult process of raising the main medicine.

"Don't worry, Fairy Shen. We are both elders of the Ghost Valley Sect. We will do our best in alchemy."

"But let me make it clear from the start that this is, after all, a third-tier pill. The refining process is complex and tedious, and there is a considerable probability of failure. Once it fails, all our efforts will be in vain."

"If Fairy Shen cannot accept this, it is not too late to terminate the cooperation now."

Lin Changsheng solemnly reminded him.

Lin Changsheng wasn't entirely lying; the difficulty of refining the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' was almost at the level of a mid-grade third-tier pill, and the success rate was not high.

Even with the help of ley line fire, there is still a considerable possibility of failure.

After learning about Shen Wenyao's current situation, he understood the importance of the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' to this woman.

They even suggested that the other party find a more experienced third-tier alchemist.

“Since Wenyao has found Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng, she naturally trusts him unconditionally. Fellow Daoist, please feel free to refine it without any worries.”

Shen Wenyao smiled gently and comforted her.

She had her own concerns.

The efficacy and effects of 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill' are almost impossible to hide from experienced alchemists.

If too many people become aware of her dependence on the 'Snow Ginseng Cold Jade Pill,' some alchemists of questionable character might take the opportunity to blackmail her.

They even specifically control the main ingredients for refining this pill on the market, making it more difficult for her to collect the medicinal herbs, and ultimately she may very well be controlled by others.

After all, she possessed the 'Mysterious Yin Physique' and had a stunningly beautiful face that even Nascent Soul cultivators like True Lord Ziyang were captivated by.

It's really hard for ordinary people to resist this kind of temptation.

In contrast, Zhang Meng, who was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator back then, ignored her attempts to contact him and stood her up.

Regardless of the other person's character, at least they won't be too interested in her looks.

Therefore, it is unlikely that they would resort to coercion.

In fact, she had previously used the opportunity of giving away spirit tea to cast a simple illusion spell on He Dawei, Zhang Meng's fourth disciple, and inquire about some of the deeds of Mingling Peak.

It was determined that although Zhang Meng looked like a burly and fierce man, he was actually rarely angry and was not harsh on the disciples of the peak. He seemed to be a person who practiced asceticism.

This put her at ease.

"It's good that Fairy Shen knows what's going on; we will do our best."

Lin Changsheng's expression softened slightly.

As for the payment for selling the alchemy, the two had already negotiated it, and the other party had already prepaid a portion.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng, may Wen Yao observe the alchemy process from the sidelines?"

After some hesitation, Shen Wenyao asked the question with some trepidation.

"If Fairy Shen does this, it will be breaking the rules."

Lin Changsheng gave Shen Wenyao a meaningful look, as if he could read her mind:

"Refining pills requires the help of the earth's vein fire. Fairy Shen can come with me for peace of mind, but it is really inappropriate to observe up close."

"Moreover, even if we sincerely teach this kind of third-order alchemy technique, ordinary people would need to study diligently for decades or even hundreds of years before they could achieve even a little success."

Upon hearing Lin Changsheng's words, Shen Wenyao's beautiful eyes dimmed slightly.

……

Three days later.

The third-tier Water Cloud Boat, rebuilt by Lin Changsheng, transformed into a streak of dark blue light and soared into the sky, flying away from the Ghost Valley Sect's territory.

Lin Changsheng, in his guise as Zhang Meng, stood on the Water Cloud Boat, his burly figure propelling him through the clouds using his magical artifact.

Shen Wenyao, standing to the side, appeared rather petite in comparison. Her hair was styled in a high bun, and she wore a light pink dress that resembled peach blossoms, which accentuated her slender and graceful figure. She was as beautiful and charming as a lotus emerging from the water, yet she also possessed the unapproachable aura of a Golden Core cultivator.

A few days later.

A pair of unfamiliar Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived in Green Fairy City.

The woman was sexy and alluring, wearing a colorful scale leather outfit.

The man was burly and rugged, with a full beard.

"Is this young man a disciple of the Ghost Valley Sect?"

"My brother and I are new to this place and don't know what procedures we need to enter the Immortal City."

The sexy woman waved to a dazed young man at the city gate and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the young man quickly limped forward and respectfully bowed.

"Junior Feng Ping greets the two seniors!"