mtl008 Chapter 241 Gunzhou Desert, Impact 3rd Tier
Chapter 241 Gunzhou Desert, Impact 3rd Tier
"Hehe, Master Lin, please don't misunderstand. Our caravan once received a commission from a powerful organization to refine pills, and the minimum requirement was a second-tier high-grade alchemist."
“I observed that the pills refined by Master Lin were perfectly round and full, with a wonderful aroma, which clearly shows that he had mastered the technique very skillfully, hence this question.”
"If you truly meet the requirements, the compensation is very generous."
Seeing Lin Changsheng's hesitation, Quan Zhaoqing immediately offered some additional explanation.
"Unfortunately, my skills are rudimentary, and I can only barely reach the level of a mid-grade second-tier alchemist."
Lin Changsheng glanced at the middle-aged female cultivator who was listening intently beside him, and declined with a hint of regret.
If he is not mistaken, this commission should have been issued by the Linglong Pavilion in Qingmeng Immortal City.
Shen Wenyao invited him alone back then because she was interested in his identity as an alchemist, and it seems she had ulterior motives.
Unexpectedly, Shen Wenyao actually issued a commission to the traveling merchants.
He had a vague feeling that there was something wrong with this. Before he was strong enough to protect himself, he was unwilling to get involved with Linglong Pavilion or famous female cultivators like Shen Wenyao.
……
Back in the courtyard, Lin Changsheng took out all the items from the transaction and checked them one by one.
All spiritual items related to one's future core formation are categorized and stored in a special storage bag.
Before long, Lin Changsheng turned his gaze to the exquisite jade slip.
It contains a 'precise' topographic map.
Somewhat curiously, he brought the jade slip close to his forehead and pressed it against it.
A full quarter of an hour later, he took the jade slip off again, a look of surprise in his eyes.
"The 'precise' level map already covers the 'nine great marshes' including the 'Great Wild Marsh', and even five or six surrounding cultivation areas. It marks the local customs, traditions, specialties, and the cultivation levels of the mainstream cultivators in each place. I can't even imagine how detailed a map costing 100,000 spirit stones would be."
This map truly surprised Lin Changsheng.
The fact that the map covers such a wide area also suggests that the traveling caravan passed through quite a few places.
Unfortunately, there are other people present today, so it is not convenient to ask about matters concerning the cultivation world of 'Qianzhou'.
However, Lin Changsheng also saw a place called 'Gunzhou', a cultivation world, in the northwest region of this map.
In my memory, after 'True Man of Heavenly Poison' advanced to the Golden Core stage, he seemed to have visited the cultivation world of Gunzhou.
It was a vast desert that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Almost the entire continent of Gunju is buried by desert.
In other words, by finding this cultivation world in Gunzhou, one can find traces of the 'Heavenly Poison True Man's' adventures in the cultivation world back then.
Lin Changsheng couldn't help but feel excited.
Back then, "True Man of Heavenly Poison" roamed the cultivation world in various places and saw many blessed lands and ancient ruins.
Some of them have already been explored, but the vast majority of the ruins have not yet been explored for various reasons, but he has used methods to conceal and hide them.
If Lin Changsheng could successfully find the movements of the "Heavenly Poison True Man" back then through the cultivation world of "Gunzhou" and locate these places one by one, it would be a huge fortune for him!
However, most of those blessed lands and ancient ruins are fraught with danger, and one must at least possess the realm of a Golden Core cultivator to be qualified to conduct even a preliminary exploration.
……
A moment later, Lin Changsheng turned his gaze to the 'breakthrough' spiritual item that had enabled the demon beast to advance to the third rank.
"The Blood Spirit Pool back then was an immense opportunity for demonic beasts. For the Crimson Emperor Centipede, which was at the peak of the second tier, it was no less than a superior breakthrough spirit item. With this breakthrough spirit item added to it, the chances of advancing to the third tier are quite high."
Lin Changsheng murmured to himself, his mind beginning to ponder.
The Crimson Centipede had been by his side for nearly a century.
These insect-like demonic beasts are not long-lived species; their lifespan is at most half that of a human cultivator of the same level.
Now, it is considered an old demon insect.
Fortunately, the demon insect's bodily functions are relatively stable, and only when it reaches the end of its life will its various functions decline rapidly.
Several years ago, the Crimson Centipede had already reached the point of breaking through to the third rank.
It was only because Lin Changsheng was new to Yu Huaihe Marsh and unfamiliar with the place, and there was no suitable place for his practice, that he was delayed.
However, after some investigation, it was discovered that...
No matter where it is, anything involving a third-tier spiritual vein or the eye of a spiritual spring is extremely precious, and it is very difficult to secretly advance a third-tier demonic insect without the notice of other Golden Core cultivators.
A third-tier great demon, a dominant force capable of intimidating a region when placed in the wild.
However, in the early stages of the third-tier growth, they are far from being a match for human Golden Core cultivators who have mastered various magical artifacts and techniques. There is a possibility that they could be forcibly captured and enslaved or controlled using secret techniques.
After all, like Golden Core cultivators, it is almost impossible for third-tier demons to advance to the next level once they reach this stage.
When resorting to forced enslavement, one no longer needs to worry about damaging the potential of monsters.
"Instead of venturing into the territory of an unfamiliar Golden Core cultivator, it would be better to inform the Li family and borrow their third-tier spiritual spring eye. At least after more than ten years of getting along, Li Chongyuan of Dafang Township still cares about his reputation."
Lin Changsheng gradually made up his mind.
……
After completing the transaction with the caravan.
Inside the courtyard, Lin Changsheng continued his seclusion.
For half a year, Lin Changsheng secluded himself and focused on refining pills, producing a large number of pills to replenish the demonic power of the Crimson Centipede.
Monsters and insects have different physical constitutions than humans.
They have a strong ability to accept and decompose some of the violent spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their ability to do so far exceeds that of human cultivators.
Another six months passed, and after being fed a large amount of beast cores, the Crimson Centipede's demonic power reached its peak, completely saturated, and could not advance any further.
During this time, Lin Changsheng continued to create parts for various mechanical puppets, and once again created a 'quasi-third-tier' puppet.
Considering that he would be spending most of his time in the water, Lin Changsheng shaped the newly created puppet into the form of a 'Kun'.
A puppet named 'Kun' whose size is comparable to that of an octopus puppet.
In addition, he once again used high-grade materials to refine parts and reworked the original Qilin from scratch.
The parts that originally reached the 'quasi-third level' category were reinforced again, and some additions were made.
In the end, Lin Changsheng had three 'quasi-third-tier' level puppets.
Even when encountering a cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core realm, they would have more resources to deal with the situation.
……
After resting for a few days, Lin Changsheng activated his flying boat magic artifact and left the small courtyard, heading towards the central region of the Li clan's territory.
"What?! Young friend Lin has a demonic insect that's about to advance to the 'quasi-third tier'?!"
Although Li Chongyuan wasn't exactly surprised, he was still quite taken aback when he suddenly heard the news.
Lin Changsheng had been staying with the Li family in Dafang Township for many years, and his superb alchemy skills had steadily improved. In recent years, the pills he had refined were almost on par with, or even equal to, those of Master Ma.
Furthermore, his advancement to the late Foundation Establishment stage was seen by others as a sign of youthful promise and great potential.
However, they are extremely weak in combat and self-defense.
Therefore, he stayed in the courtyard day after day for ten years and rarely went out.
That's why the Li family felt relatively at ease with Lin Changsheng, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from outside the family.
But who knew that this alchemist Lin was so tight-lipped? Besides the early-stage second-tier flower carp, he had been secretly raising a demonic insect all along!
Now, he is even preparing to help the demonic insect advance to the 'quasi-third rank' realm, and has asked to borrow the Eye of the Third Rank Spiritual Spring.
"I wonder what kind of demonic insect Young Friend Lin used to break through to the 'quasi-third tier'?"
Li Chongyuan snapped out of his daze, gave Lin Changsheng a deep look, and instead of directly agreeing or refusing, asked with some curiosity.
A 'quasi-third-tier' demonic beast is equivalent to a human pseudo-core cultivator. Since the incident was sudden, Li Chongyuan needed to buy some time to consider the pros and cons.
If Lin Changsheng were a member of his own clan, or even if it were Master Ma Dan who said this, he would agree to lend the Eye of the Spirit Spring without hesitation.
Having another 'quasi-third-tier' demon beast is a good thing for the Li family of Dafang Township.
However, this Master Lin was only a guest here and could not be considered a true 'one of us'. In addition, given his past dealings with Master Yu Huai, he still harbored some suspicion deep down.
For a moment, I hesitated and couldn't make up my mind.
"It is an earth-attribute spirit insect that followed its juniors in its early years. It is now over a hundred years old. If it does not hurry up and try to break through to the 'quasi-third rank', it may not have the chance in a few years."
Lin Changsheng said with a somewhat helpless expression.
The seemingly simple explanation caught Li Chongyuan's eye, as he gleaned several key pieces of information.
The spirit insects I raised in my early years are now over a hundred years old!
This means that this Lin Dan master is at least over 100 years old!
He only broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment after being over a hundred years old. In that case, Master Lin's cultivation aptitude was not as high as he had guessed.
Furthermore, if what he said is true, a beast that is still a second-tier demon beast with a lifespan of over a hundred years means that its bloodline is mediocre, and without special opportunities, it would be extremely difficult to advance to the 'quasi-third tier'.
Only long-lived species like the Xuan Turtle, large demonic fish, and clams can slowly accumulate demonic power and increase their strength over a long period of time.
Earth-attribute demonic insects are already somewhat restricted in this vast waterway, making it extremely difficult for them to unleash their full potential.
Even if they were to advance to the 'quasi-third rank', they would still be at the bottom of the pseudo-core level, posing no threat to the Li family.
"Hehe, young friend Lin has made many contributions to the Li family over the years. Although you are a guest, you are no different from any other member of our clan."
"It is a good thing for the monsters below to advance, and our Li family will do our best to facilitate it."
After a short while, Li Chongyuan agreed with a smile.
……
A few days later, at the Li clan's territory.
Li Chongyuan specially set aside a cultivation room for Lin Changsheng near his own cultivation site.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, this is the core Daoist temple of our Li clan. The Spirit Spring Eye is nearly a mid-grade third-order. Even if your beloved pet has only advanced to the ‘quasi-third-order’ level, it is more than enough to help it break through to the true third-order Great Demon realm.”
"Master Lin, my husband and I have suspended our cultivation for the past few days to protect your beloved pet. You can rest assured."
Li Chongyuan and his wife spoke from the side.
Further away were the eldest son, Li Hongtai; the second son, Li Shouye; Ma Danshi and his family; and some high-ranking members of the Li family.
The expressions on everyone's faces varied, but they were all very concerned about the matter.
"Thank you."
Lin Changsheng thanked Li Chongyuan and his wife.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, his figure disappeared into the entrance of the secret room.
A moment later, a dazzling light flashed outside the secret chamber, and the defensive barrier was activated.
Inside the secret room, Lin Changsheng looked around but found nothing amiss.
However, he still took out several different array flags from his storage bag and set up multiple array restrictions.
Preparations are complete.
The next moment, Lin Changsheng took out a spirit beast bag and shook it gently.
A hideous centipede head emerged from it and slowly crawled out.
Inside the sealed room, the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth caused the Crimson Centipede to exude a joyful emotion.
Having been together for many years, the owner and pet are almost completely in sync.
With its master protecting it, the Crimson Centipede felt much more at ease and just lay there motionless, but the demonic energy within its body was steadily increasing.
A few days later, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the secret chamber seemed to be drawn by some kind of force, forming waves of spiritual energy that surged and continued to expand in scale.
This situation continued for more than half a month.
On this day, in the central area of the Li clan's territory, in the secret chamber where Lin Changsheng was in seclusion, a strong and malevolent aura suddenly emanated.
Centered on the secret room, it continuously expands outwards.
Within a hundred feet around, the malevolent aura condensed into a powerful gale, which swept through the area as if it were a tangible force.
Such a powerful aura caused some of the Li clan members watching nearby to change their expressions and even tremble with fear!
Only the Foundation Establishment cultivators ahead of them were able to maintain their composure.
"It is indeed an earth-attribute demon beast, but with such a fierce and malevolent aura, it seems to be a ferocious beast with a violent temperament, which is somewhat inconsistent with Master Lin's usual personality."
Li Chongyuan remained calm, seemingly having discerned some clues, and spoke to his wife beside him.
A few days later, the malevolent aura grew even stronger, surging above the secret chamber and clearly felt within hundreds of feet. Within this malevolent aura, there seemed to be some kind of terrifying threat brewing.
At this moment, the expressions of Ma Danshi, Li Hongtai, Li Shouye and others who were watching around changed slightly.
The difference was that after Ma Danshi and the eldest son Li Hongtai exchanged a glance, their expressions gradually turned ugly.
Li Shouye stared intently at the malevolent aura above the secret chamber, a mixture of curiosity and delight in his eyes.
"The fierce aura lingers, it seems that young friend Lin has laid a good foundation for his demonic insect, and he may very well advance to the 'quasi-third rank' this time."
Looking at the menacing aura not far away, Li Chongyuan's refined face showed a hint of surprise.
"It is indeed a fierce aura. It seems that after Master Lin Dan's demonic insect advances to the 'quasi-third level', its combat power will be ranked in the middle to upper range among those in the pseudo-core realm."
Qu Jiao's gaze was fixed on the direction of the secret chamber, and she couldn't help but be moved.
As a fake Core Formation cultivator, she felt uneasy when she sensed that malevolent aura.
Sure enough, as this malevolent aura intensified further.
Within a radius of a thousand feet, one could feel a bloodthirsty and ferocious aura!
Ma Danshi, Li Hongtai, Li Shouye, and other Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family also felt extremely uncomfortable at this moment. A huge sense of oppression arose spontaneously, making their faces pale.
"Something's not right! This fierce aura is steadily increasing, with tremendous potential, and it even has the momentum to challenge a third-tier great demon!"
At this moment, Li Chongyuan, who was outside the secret room, suddenly seemed to realize something and stared in disbelief at the direction of the secret room.
Quasi-third-tier demonic beast and third-tier great demonic beast may seem to differ by only one word, but they are worlds apart!
Their Li clan territory cannot afford to have even one more uncontrollable, outside third-tier demon!