Chapter 148 - 143: Touching Tier Two, Neighborly Connections
Chapter 148: Chapter 143: Touching Tier Two, Neighborly Connections
Lin Changheng smiled faintly and nodded at the round-faced steward. "My pleasure. If I need anything in the future, your shop will be my first stop."
’But in reality,’ he thought, ’once I collect the last of the Fire-tailed Golden Rat Essence Blood, I’ll have no reason to do business with this shop again. They don’t sell Profound Spirit Essence Blood, and the Fire-tailed Golden Rat is the only Muddy Evil Essence Blood this shop keeps in large quantities. Of course, I’m not about to be blunt and tell them the truth. I’ll just play along and feign sincerity to secure the discount they offered.’
...
「Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.」
Lin Changheng once again altered his appearance and returned to the Jiang Family Material Shop, picking up the three hundred newly restocked portions of Fire-tailed Golden Rat Essence Blood.
Six hundred portions of Fire-tailed Golden Rat Essence Blood were now in his hands.
This meant he could now use Spirit Stealing to raise his current Third Layer Fire-tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed all the way to its peak.
"Alchemist Lin."
Upon returning to Yunjian Que, he ran into a beautiful Female Cultivator. She wore a palace-style gown, her black hair was styled in an elegant high bun, and she possessed a sacred aura. She smiled and greeted Lin Changheng.
"Sound Master Cui."
Lin Changheng nodded in response.
The woman’s name was Cui Jianshui. She was his next-door neighbor to the left, a Female Cultivator who lived alone. Her Cultivation was at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, and she possessed a skill of her own.
She had achieved Mastery in the Music and Rhythm Dao and was known as a Sound Master.
Through various musical instruments and song, she could heal the heart and mend the soul, cleanse the spirit, cultivate one’s temperament, break through mental blocks, and even induce states of enlightenment.
It was a truly Mysterious art.
Its income-generating potential was also impressive, making it a leader among the skills outside the first tier of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.
For Cultivators struggling with mental blocks and spiritual hindrances, it was nothing short of a lifeline that could allow them to continue their path.
There were even some hedonistic Cultivators who specifically sought out these Sound Masters. They hoped for a night of passion, not for any other reason but because the unique aura these women possessed greatly stoked a man’s desire for conquest.
However, this skill was quite rare. There were few inheritances of it in the outside world, making it less popular than the four main arts: Pill, Artifact, Array, and Talisman. It was considered a niche field, and Lin Changheng had only first encountered it after arriving in the Immortal City.
But the skill was useless to him. The Celestial Gift of Enhanced Enlightenment and Celestial Gift of Clear Heart granted by his Origin Treasure Seed had overlapping effects and were clearly superior.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parted ways.
During this period since he’d moved in, Lin Changheng hadn’t gone out of his way to visit his neighbors, but he had run into them and made simple acquaintances.
Thanks to Fang Daming, word of his identity as a Pill Master had indeed spread. At the very least, the neighbors in this area knew that a Tier One Upper Grade alchemist had moved in.
Once he finished his business, he would visit them one by one to build his network.
A person is the sum of all their social relations, and the Cultivation Realm is no different.
...
Returning to Qingyuan Small Building, Lin Changheng opened the Restriction and walked in quickly.
"CHIRP—"
The Black Armored Earth Turtle, feigning sleep in a mud pit in the courtyard, heard him and poked its head out. It chirped at Lin Changheng as a sort of greeting before immediately pulling its head back in.
...
Lin Changheng’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. ’This thing is way too lazy. Other people’s Spirit Beasts are definitely not like this. I’m not asking it to serve me tirelessly, but could it at least provide some emotional support? But this is what I get? Well, I chose the egg, and I hatched the turtle. I guess I just have to live with it.’
With a sigh, Lin Changheng glanced at the two rows of ordinary Spirit Grass and Spirit Medicine planted in the front yard’s Spirit Field. Without paying them much mind, he went directly into the Quiet Chamber on the side.
He took out two Wooden Boxes and opened them, revealing a total of six hundred portions of dazzlingly golden Fire-tailed Golden Rat Essence Blood.
He first took out four hundred portions and poured them into a stone bucket.
His gaze flashed, and he began the Spirit Stealing.
’Let’s see just how far you can take my Limb Hardening!’
He plunged his left hand in, connecting with the Primordial Cauldron. The half bucket of pale gold Essence Blood immediately began to fade.
In the blink of an eye, only a thin layer of watery residue was left.
He immediately focused his attention on the Primordial Cauldron:
[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]
[Fire-tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed·Fourth Layer]
...
[Spirit Stealing: 100/100]
[Fire-tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed·Fifth Layer]
...
The Treasure Seeds were generated one after another, falling into his body.
Without a second thought, Lin Changheng Refined them into his Limb Hardening talent.
...
[limb hardening technique·Ascension]
...
[limb hardening technique·Entering Transformation]
He sucked in a breath. ’This is...’
Lin Changheng immediately activated the abnormal technique. A stream of "Golden Sharp Qi," more than three times thicker and heavier than before, instantly surged through his limbs. It moved like a dragon or a serpent.
This was accompanied by a significant change in his skin, which took on the dark, somber hue of Profound Iron, as if it had been tempered a thousand times.
When he moved his joints, a grating, metallic scraping sound erupted, as if four dull knives were being dragged across the inside of steel sheaths.
’It’s much stronger, but I’m not sure by how much.’
Lin Changheng had a vague idea. He took out his Upper Grade Flying Shuttle to test it directly.
He recalled that with the Fire-tailed Golden Rat Treasure Seed·Third Layer, a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact could no longer harm him. Even a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact, without any Magical Power infused, couldn’t break through his defense.
Now that he’d added two more layers, the improvement was significant. A Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact with Magical Power infused into it should be unable to break his defense.
He would test an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact directly.
"SHINK!"
Without using Magical Power, he held the Flying Shuttle and slashed at his arm with force, leaving only a shallow white mark.
He then infused it with Magical Power. The Upper Grade Shuttle Magical Artifact immediately let out a HUM, its cold light flashing as it flew up and slashed against his arm.
A shower of sparks flew.
At the same time, blood began to well up and trickle from a split in his skin.
A short, clean cut appeared. If he hadn’t deliberately held back, it would have been deep enough to reveal bone.