mtl008 Chapter 236 Entrusted by the True Man, Following Him Out
Chapter 236 Entrusted by the True Man, Following Him Out
"Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng, there's no need for formalities. Wen Yao's invitation today was sudden, and I hope you won't take offense at any abruptness."
The young woman before me had a gentle smile on her face, exuding nobility and elegance. Her voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate, which brought me joy.
Shen Wenyao, the young master of Linglong Pavilion, a disciple of Hua Feilian, and a female cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core realm.
Lin Changsheng recalled the girl's identity.
When he first arrived in Qingmeng Immortal City, he investigated the general situation of Linglong Pavilion.
It just so happens that this Shen Wenyao is known as the number one beauty in Qingmeng Immortal City after Hua Feilian. She has quite a reputation, and even Lin Changsheng, an outsider, has heard of her many times.
Upon seeing this young woman before him today, with a face so beautiful it could bring ruin to a nation, Lin Changsheng sighed that the rumors were indeed true.
This woman possessed a fairy-like appearance and a classical, graceful temperament. Since he began cultivating, he had never seen a female cultivator who could rival her.
What surprised Lin Changsheng the most was that this Golden Core female cultivator addressed him as an equal and was very polite in her words.
Such a beautiful woman, possessing both cultivation and beauty, treats him differently, most likely because she has something to ask of him.
"You flatter me, Master. I am already extremely fortunate to have been invited by you. How could I possibly blame you?"
Lin Changsheng seemed somewhat mesmerized, and soon he lowered his head respectfully, speaking humbly and behaving with impeccable manners, acting as a junior without overstepping his bounds in the slightest.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng looks unfamiliar; he doesn't seem to be a local?"
Seeing this burly, thuggish man, who was surprisingly polite, Shen Wenyao was somewhat astonished. He only showed a slight surprise when he first saw her, and otherwise maintained his composure. This contrast between his behavior and appearance surprised Shen Wenyao.
From childhood to adulthood, Shen Wenyao has always grown up surrounded by flowers and praise.
She knew that her appearance was so alluring to men that it was almost irresistible.
Most male cultivators who see her for the first time are captivated and have impure thoughts.
She was already used to it and could basically ignore it unless the look was extremely offensive.
"Reporting to the Master, this junior is a wandering cultivator from the Great Wilderness Lake, drifting from place to place without a fixed abode."
Lin Changsheng lowered his head and spoke calmly, as if he dared not raise his head again because of his previous embarrassment.
We should simply treat her as a Golden Core cultivator and maintain the proper respect for her.
"Among the items consigned by Fellow Daoist Zhang at this auction are several Foundation Establishment Pills. Judging from the alchemy techniques, they all came from the same batch recently. I wonder if they were refined by Fellow Daoist Zhang himself?"
"Wen Yao has no intention of prying into your privacy, but only wants to discuss a deal with you. If you are not comfortable revealing it, Wen Yao will not force you and will give you a VIP 'token' of my Linglong Pavilion."
"This VIP token entitles you to a 30% discount on VIP services at any of Linglong Pavilion's properties that offer VIP services."
Shen Wenyao gently tucked her hair back, her every smile and frown exuding a perfect purity, as captivating as a lotus emerging from the water.
Even though it involves personal privacy, it doesn't cause any dissatisfaction.
People always like and yearn for beautiful things.
This is also where Shen Wenyao has a significant advantage over male cultivators.
The burly man in front of her, named Zhang Meng, appeared to be big and strong, but at this moment he dared not look up at her face, as if he was trying his best to restrain himself because of her Golden Core cultivation.
She had seen too many men like this, and none of them could resist her charm.
"Indeed, those Foundation Establishment Pills were refined by this junior. Does the True Immortal perhaps still require Foundation Establishment Pills?"
"In order to raise spirit stones to participate in the auction, I have exhausted all the spiritual herbs I have accumulated over the years, and I will not be able to start refining pills in a short period of time."
Lin Changsheng nodded without hesitation, but then frowned and said with a troubled expression.
His words seemed to express deep regret at not being able to help.
"So it's Master Zhang Dan, a pleasure to meet you."
"Wenyao has a favor to ask. She hopes that Master Zhang can help refine some pills, but the specific materials will need to be prepared in about three to five years. She wonders if Master Zhang would be willing to lend a hand?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, Shen Wenyao smiled and asked softly.
"Since you have spoken, I have no objection. However, if I remember correctly, your esteemed establishment seems to have a dedicated third-tier alchemist. Why is that?"
Lin Changsheng did not refuse, but he looked somewhat puzzled.
Shen Wenyao seemed to have anticipated this performance.
"The matter of alchemy has nothing to do with Linglong Pavilion; it is merely Wenyao's private affair and should not be known to outsiders. I must ask Alchemist Zhang to keep Wenyao's secret."
"Very well, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"
Upon hearing this, the villain in the guise of Lin Changsheng sounded slightly excited and readily agreed.
Shortly after, Lin Changsheng accepted an exquisitely crafted token and left the venue.
In the secret room, only Shen Wenyao and the middle-aged female manager from Linglong Pavilion remained.
“Young Master, this person has an unfriendly appearance and shifty eyes; he is not trustworthy.”
The middle-aged female manager looked in the direction Lin Changsheng had left and whispered a reminder.
"It's alright. There are still a few years of observation period. During this time, we can select more alchemists to prepare for any eventuality."
Shen Wenyao's expression was calm, and her tone was cold, lacking the previous innocence and enthusiasm.
……
On the other side, after leaving the venue, Lin Changsheng did not linger in the city and hurriedly headed towards the outskirts of the city.
Just before leaving the venue, a short-haired female nun brushed past him.
"It's him!"
"Why is he here?"
The woman was Yan Shujun. Today, having nothing to do, she went to the Linglong Pavilion auction venue and spotted a somewhat familiar-looking thug coming down from the pavilion where distinguished guests were entertained.
Only distinguished guests of the False Core Realm or above are qualified to enter.
Even the female cultivators in the Linglong Pavilion are not allowed to come and go as they please.
Yan Shujun instantly recognized the thug's identity; she was the one who had processed his entry into the city that day.
How did he get down from the attic?
Yan Shujun frowned, her curiosity piqued, and quietly followed them.
After leaving Qingmeng Immortal City, Lin Changsheng summoned a flying boat magic artifact and flew across the water.
Behind him, Yan Shujun also summoned a flying artifact, following at a distance based on the vague aura.
That thug was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, far less perceptive than her late-Foundation Establishment stage, so he probably wouldn't have noticed.
Since I had nothing better to do these past few days, I decided to see for myself whether this villain was as I thought.
If this person commits any evil deeds along the way, she will kill him!
……
Two days later.
Lin Changsheng fled at a moderate speed.
As far as the eye can see, there is a vast expanse of endless water.
Half a day ago, Lin Changsheng had casually tossed the token that Shen Wenyao had given him into the water below.
Shen Wenyao appears pure and elegant on the surface, but she is definitely not as simple as she seems.
Such a beautiful and charming woman not only possesses the cultivation of the Golden Core stage, but also serves as the young master of the Linglong Pavilion.
How could it be simple?
Lin Changsheng was merely going to Qingmeng Immortal City to buy and sell supplies; he had no intention of having any dealings with such a famous Golden Core cultivator.
As for the alchemy request he accepted, what business is it of his?
Yan Shujun from Linglong Pavilion followed him for two days and two nights.
They thought their escape techniques were superb, and that no one would know.
Lin Changsheng remained silent.
As it continued to fly, the surrounding waters rippled and became turbulent.
Gradually, Lin Changsheng suddenly sensed something was amiss.
They immediately stopped and remained motionless.
"Fellow Daoist Yan, are you here to return and spend spirit stones?"
Soon after, Lin Changsheng's voice echoed through the surrounding waters.
After more than ten breaths.
A whooshing sound came from behind.
Then a capable woman with a heroic air descended from the sky and hovered quietly several feet above the water.
"When did you discover me?"
She found the thug in front of her utterly repulsive, comparing him to some of the bandits who abducted women. So she coldly questioned him.
As a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Linglong Pavilion, her methods and strength are almost unmatched among cultivators of the same level.
He even managed to escape unscathed from a fake Dan-level water bandit.
Therefore, he was not afraid of this strong man who was at the mid-stage of the cultivation realm.
"Seeing how carefully Fellow Daoist Yan has concealed his presence two days ago, we really couldn't bring ourselves to point it out."
Lin Changsheng's lips curled slightly as he spoke calmly.
"It was discovered two days ago?"
Yan Shujun showed a hint of surprise, then her face turned cold as she said:
"Then you still dared to leave the city and only called me out when you came to such a remote body of water. It seems you have nothing to fear."
"You're definitely not an ordinary rogue cultivator!"
Yan Shujun's expression gradually turned cold, but the interest in her eyes grew stronger.
There's a thrilling feeling of about to uncover the truth.
Seeing Yan Shujun's unusually intense gaze, Lin Changsheng shook his head inwardly.
Immediately, with a serious expression on his face, he took out a magic talisman, held it in his hand, and began to circulate his magic power.
"Tell me, who exactly are you! Are you a river pirate?"
What is the purpose of going to Qingmeng Immortal City?
Yan Shujun, on the contrary, became interested and began to question her strictly.
At that moment, the water below began to churn.
‘Wow! ’
‘Wow! ’
Two enormous tentacles covered with suckers suddenly emerged from underwater!
They were flung into the air, one after the other, to Yan Shujun and the other Lin Changsheng!
"So fast!"
Lin Changsheng looked down and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
He immediately rose rapidly.
At the same time, the spell in his hand was activated, forming a magical shield.
Meanwhile, Yan Shujun was startled by this sudden turn of events. In her haste, she used her magic to activate a protective barrier, barely managing to keep herself safe.
He looked down with a horrified expression.
A huge dark shadow was reflected in the water.
The shadow of a giant octopus can be vaguely seen.
However, apart from having only a very faint aura of demonic power, it also exuded a chilling aura of human magical power.
This is a 'quasi-third-tier' monster-shaped puppet!
The giant octopus reached out and touched the two people's defensive shield, its tentacles sticking tightly to it.
Immediately afterwards, another enormous tentacle emerged from below.
One, two, three, four...
In an instant, it completely enveloped the two of them, dragged them into the water, and brought them to its mouth.
At this moment, Lin Changsheng saw the octopus puppet in its entirety.
The tentacles stretched out to be over ten feet long, and Lin Changsheng sensed a dangerous aura from their mouths, which were filled with intricate components.
Almost the instant he touched the water, he maintained his defensive magic shield while simultaneously taking out a 'quasi-third-tier' azure blue magic talisman.
He was instantly enveloped in a layer of blue aura, merged into the water, and successfully escaped.
At the same time, a golden talisman quietly appeared in his hand!
Meanwhile, Yan Shujun, who had been following closely behind, was now being relentlessly entangled by the 'quasi-third-tier' octopus puppet, which was diving deeper and deeper, making it difficult for her to escape.
"A near-third-tier spell talisman, it seems to have sensed the presence of this true person."
Not far away, a small, oval-shaped spirit boat emerged from the water.
Before long, the top of the spirit boat opened, and a middle-aged man dressed in a brown robe slowly walked out, staring at Lin Changsheng with great interest.
He even felt a pseudo-core-level divine sense descend upon him without any hesitation.
"Oh it's you!"
Upon hearing the deep voice, Lin Changsheng recognized the person's identity.
It turned out to be the fake alchemist surnamed Jiang who was in the middle private room on the second floor at the previous auction.
"What do you mean by this, senior? I don't think I've offended you in any way."
After confirming that the visitor was merely a fake Core Formation cultivator, Lin Changsheng breathed a slight sigh of relief.
His gaze then fell on the strange spirit boat artifact at the other person's feet.
Unlike the flying boat beneath his feet, which felt completely integrated with the magical artifact, the opponent's spirit boat seemed to lack any trace of a magical artifact. Instead, it resembled a finely constructed mechanical puppet, capable of freely entering and exiting the water.
The surface of the spirit boat seemed to be coated with a special material that could blend into the water, isolate the aura of magic, and make it difficult for people to detect.
Even the 'quasi-third-tier' octopus puppet below is coated with this material.
Therefore, its enormous size makes it very difficult to hide in the water.
Lin Changsheng had only been able to detect the slightest movement in the water with his pseudo-core-level divine sense.
Clearly, this fake alchemist was also a highly skilled puppeteer.
The puppets he created were more suited to the characteristics of the marshy region and were more difficult to deal with.
"Don't misunderstand, I'm just curious, what use do you have for that third-tier 'sunken wood'?"
"Of course, I know that this concerns my own secrets, and you most likely won't tell the truth. To avoid wasting time explaining, I'll have no choice but to capture you and search for you myself."
The man surnamed Jiang remained calm and composed, appearing as if he had Lin Changsheng completely under his control.
As they were speaking, a huge commotion suddenly erupted from more than twenty feet below the water.
It seems that Yan Shujun, who was dragged away, used some kind of life-saving measure.
Unfortunately, after the commotion subsided, the woman still did not show herself, and her aura gradually weakened.
"Heh, capture me? With your mere Pseudo-Core Formation cultivation, you're still a bit lacking."
Lin Changsheng stared at him without fear, then smiled calmly.
Immediately, a golden talisman in his hand was activated, emanating a chilling and sharp aura.
"talisman!"
The man surnamed Jiang was slightly taken aback, then revealed a look of great interest.
"No wonder he's so confident; he even has such rare items."
The man surnamed Jiang straightened up slightly and took out a blue umbrella-shaped magic artifact from his storage bag, which also carried a bit of the aura of a magic treasure.
It was clearly a fake magic weapon!
Meanwhile, just as the two were each displaying their skills and preparing to compete,...
A massive divine sense suddenly surged forth!
"not good!"
The man surnamed Jiang, who had been confident of victory, suddenly changed his expression drastically, as if he had realized something extremely terrifying.