Chapter 350 - 236: Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, Elixir Formation Auxiliary Medicine

Chapter 350: Chapter 236: Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, Elixir Formation Auxiliary Medicine

Inside the first Jade Box was a plucked, brilliantly yellow Spirit Medicine. A rich medicinal fragrance and a profound Earth Spirit Power wafted out. Its age was at least one hundred years!

"A Tier Three Yellow Phoenix Mushroom over a hundred years old?"

A trace of surprise flashed through Lin Changheng’s eyes as he recognized the item.

This Yellow Phoenix Mushroom was a primary ingredient for refining various High Tier Earth Element Elixirs. For Earth Cultivators, it was a great supplement, and its value was considerable.

It was even sufficient for use by Core Formation Cultivators!

For the Qiu Family Ancestor, with his Cultivation at the Peak of Early Stage Foundation Establishment, obtaining this item was a stroke of great luck.

Moreover, judging by the state of its cut end, it had been picked recently. It must have been dug up from a Secret Realm and had been severed by brute force!

"But why weren’t the roots preserved?"

Lin Changheng focused on a key point and felt it was a bit of a shame.

But what was done was done; the process no longer mattered. Investigating would be pointless, and impossible besides.

He carefully sealed the item once more. Although Lin Changheng couldn’t use the Yellow Phoenix Mushroom himself, it would be no trouble to trade it in the future, bartering it for something else.

At the very least, he could trade it for a Masterpiece Foundation Establishment Pill, with plenty to spare.

This had also been the Qiu Family Ancestor’s original plan.

...

His gaze shifted to the second Jade Box.

When the second Jade Box was opened, even with Lin Changheng’s Heart Nature, his gaze suddenly sharpened!

Inside the box, there was no dazzling Spiritual Light, only a section of root with some soil clinging to it, lying there quietly.

’Roots?’

Lin Changheng’s heart leaped.

Nowadays, he no longer held much hope of obtaining fully grown, mature High Tier Spirit Medicines, as they were difficult to come by. Instead, he was actively searching for... roots!

He could then use the True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities to sprout and mature them.

Although it consumed time and Energy, it guaranteed a steady harvest. He wouldn’t have to rely on fate, nor would he need to frequently venture into Secret Realms and other dangerous places.

On this trip to the Secret Realm, Lin Changheng had only managed to obtain the rhizome of the Cyan Flower Moon Lotus, the main ingredient for the Tier Two Youthful Appearance Pill, and the rhizome of the Celestial Crystal Spirit Lotus, one of the three main ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

While others would scorn such things as useless, in Lin Changheng’s hands, they could demonstrate their full Utility.

It was its own kind of "treasure hunting."

And this soil-caked root was the third type he had obtained!

...

Under Lin Changheng’s gaze, this section of root, about a finger’s length, was a withered, grayish-brown color. Its surface was covered in wrinkles, as if it had long since lost all vitality, making it indistinguishable from an ordinary dead tree root.

The soil clinging to it also seemed to be mundane earth, completely devoid of Spiritual Qi.

However, Lin Changheng’s gaze sharpened. Far from being disappointed, he instantly became incredibly focused and sharp!

This root must be special; otherwise, the Qiu Family Ancestor wouldn’t have kept it like this.

Lin Changheng naturally didn’t suspect that the man had mistaken trash for treasure.

’How could he have been that foolish?’

He carefully swept his Divine Sense over it, inch by inch, searching for characteristics. At the same time, Lin Changheng began to recall Spirit Medicines that matched its features.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lin Changheng came to a conclusion.

His heart began to pound.

This was an auxiliary medicine required to refine the Dust-Reduction Pill, an elixir that could improve the quality of one’s Core Formation.

It was called Dragon Sting Grass!

This Treasure Medicine was peculiar. Unlike other Spirit Medicines, its appearance was no different from a mundane medicinal herb, making it extremely difficult to identify.

The place where it grew was also mundane earth.

Only when it matured would the bit of Innate source vitality it contained and accumulated finally bloom, revealing a strange phenomenon.

Furthermore, when refining the Dust-Reduction Pill, this was one of the key auxiliary ingredients with multiple functions: it could balance the main ingredient’s frenzied Medicinal Power, enlighten the Spirit Pill, and stimulate the pill’s Spiritual nature!

"An amazing find! I searched everywhere for this, and it just fell into my lap!"

Lin Changheng’s eyes lit up.

This was the first, and a solid, step in his advance preparations for Core Formation!

Fake Core, True Core, and Golden Core!

Considering the current state of his Spirit Root and the difficulty of Core Formation, Lin Changheng wasn’t aiming too high; he was only seeking a True Core.

Once a Fake Core was formed, although one escaped the cage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, one’s path of cultivation would be almost destroyed, with no hope of further advancement.

The road to Nascent Soul would be completely blocked.

This was because the quality of a Pill formed from a Fake Core was too poor. It couldn’t bear the nurturing and formation of a Nascent Soul; instead, the Pill might crack, leading to the cultivator’s death.

Therefore, their focus would shift to improving their strength through external means, such as enhancing their Body Refining. Alternatively, they might establish and develop a family, or cultivate descendants.

A True Core, however, was between a Fake Core and a Golden Core. It was easier to achieve, the requirements for one’s Spirit Root were not as harsh, and the possibility was even greater with a Dust-Reduction Pill in hand.

Moreover, their future path of cultivation would be unaffected. They would only be slightly inferior to Golden Core Cultivators in terms of Magical Power intensity and the probability of Nascent Soul Formation.

This was a gap that could be bridged by external items and Magic.

When all other conditions were equal, they were still inferior.

For example, of the four Core Formation Cultivators Lin Changheng had just seen, the two Noble Ancestors from the Sun Family and the Song Family were both Fake Core Cultivators.

Ling Feng Master of the Extreme South Palace and Master Xuan Ji of the Purple Extreme Sect were both True Core Cultivators.

In fact, the entire Purple Extreme Sect had no publicly known Golden Core Masters.

The reason was that a Golden Core Master had a relatively high probability of cultivating to the Nascent Soul Cultivator level, which would make even the Extreme South Palace lose sleep.

Whether they had one or not, they had to keep it hidden.

Otherwise, if suspicion arose, the consequences would be... unimaginable.

Lin Changheng quickly and solemnly closed the Jade Box, applying a stronger Sealing Talisman.

He’d really struck treasure this time! This section of root was his greatest fortuitous encounter on this trip!

And he’d gotten it from an enemy, which brought him double the joy!

He suppressed his excitement, carefully put away the Jade Box, and once again quickly swept his gaze over the contents of the Qiu Family Ancestor’s Storage Bag. The items were worth about three thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

Aside from that, the most valuable item was the Tier Two Lower Grade Masterpiece Spiritual Artifact, the copper bowl.

After briefly refining it, he knew it combined both defensive and control functions.

’It’s a pity it has a crack. When I get back, I’ll find Artifact Master Guo to repair it. It’ll still be usable.’

It was a Masterpiece Spiritual Artifact, after all. Lin Changheng was reluctant to sell it secondhand and decided he could keep it for his own use.

As long as he was using it, its value held. The moment it was sold, however, it would depreciate instantly.

After confirming nothing else was missed, Lin Changheng’s figure flashed, and he transformed into a streak of cyan light, rapidly leaving the area.

...

After traveling for over a month, a winding river shimmering with black light appeared before Lin Changheng; it was quite familiar.

The Black Water River!

He had returned to the Black Water River!

Instead of returning directly to the Floating Immortal City, Lin Changheng had taken a detour.

First, to see Tantai Feiyue.

Second, he was there to fulfill a decades-old promise to help Old Bai get revenge, which required bringing the enemy’s ashes here to pay respects.

And third, to inform the upper echelons of the Xu Family that the Qiu Family Ancestor was dead.

This would help the Xu Family swallow up the Qiu Family, further increase their strength, and complete their expansion. Of course, he would definitely receive his share of the gains.

Lin Changheng was realizing more and more that he was short on Spirit Stones. He simply didn’t have enough.

Good Tier Two and Tier Three items started at prices of ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, which converted to a three-digit number of Middle Grade Spirit Stones.

And he had several "big spenders" that consumed resources.

Demon Beast Essence Blood, Body Refining Spiritual Materials, feeding his Spirit Beast...

The first two were tangible expenses, and they were long-term ones that had to be consistently maintained.

As for "feeding his Spirit Beast," he was fortunate enough to be able to perform Alchemy himself, so he could control the costs. It was just a matter of spending on some Medicinal Materials.

And that wasn’t even counting what he needed for his own Magical Power Cultivation.

So, once again, he felt that he was very poor.

Coincidentally, the Qiu Family held a grudge against him, and their ancestor was now dead. It was a risk-free way to obtain a fortune without having to get his own hands dirty, so why not do it?

"Cut the grass and pull out the roots." That saying was timeless, and conveniently, the Xu Family could carry it out for him.

...

Lin Changheng stood high in the air above the Black Water River, in front of the Xu Family’s lands. He no longer concealed his aura. The Spiritual Pressure of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, like a waking beast, erupted outwards, blanketing the Xu Family Manor below.

This aura was tyrannical and stable, carrying an undeniable might that instantly shattered the tranquility around the family’s estate.

HUMMM...

The clan’s Protection Array light curtain sensed the pressure and rippled, as warning bells began to ring urgently within the estate.

A commotion of shocked and uncertain voices immediately came from within. Soon after, three figures shot out from inside, riding on streaks of Escape Light.