Chapter 182 - 159: Metamorphosis Again, Bathed Fire Talent
Chapter 182: Chapter 159: Metamorphosis Again, Bathed Fire Talent
"These three Lifebound Talents..."
Lin Changheng sucked in a sharp breath.
Swallowing Light!
Bathing Fire!
Crying Soul!
Just from their names, he could tell these three Lifebound Talents were anything but ordinary.
Because he couldn’t understand them...
He could roughly guess the function of other Talents from their names alone.
But for these, he could only make vague, inaccurate guesses.
’Does [Swallowing Light] mean devouring light? Or is it some kind of variant of a Gold Element Talent?’
’Is [Bathing Fire] extreme Flame resistance, or is it related to being reborn from fire?’
’And [Crying Soul]... could it be a Divine Soul Attack?’
Lin Changheng wasn’t sure.
He took out the *Study of the Wild Demonic Spirit Beasts* from the Liu Family again, but after flipping through it for a long time, he found nothing.
The limitations of this book were all too apparent. It was clearly focused on a single region, so he would have to acquire a more comprehensive one.
"It seems the bloodline origin of this [Eclipse Crow]—or rather, its ancestors—might be incredibly powerful!"
After all, it came from the Cyan Mist Temple, a Daoist Sect as famous as the Purple Extreme Sect. With such a long Inheritance, the possibility existed.
After some deliberation, Lin Changheng chose [Bathing Fire].
It was related to fire, so at the very least, it could enhance his Fire Spiritual Root and improve his Spiritual Charm.
Once he made his choice, the other two Treasure Seeds instantly withered. A hazy aura and Dao charm flowed into the Treasure Seed representing [Bathing Fire].
[Acquired: Bathing Fire Technique: Peeping Path]
With a thought, Lin Changheng plucked the Treasure Seed, and it vanished into his mind.
He felt a slight warmth in his Divine Soul, as if his entire body was soaking in a hot spring.
It was a bone-deep comfort that left him somewhat intoxicated.
BUZZ—
He instinctively felt that the Fire Spiritual Power drifting through the world seemed to have become more "intimate" with him, more "willing" to approach him.
"This has increased my affinity for Fire Spiritual Power!"
A glint flashed in Lin Changheng’s eyes as he came to a realization.
This was a kind of Passive affinity.
Generally speaking, this type of Spiritual Power affinity was closely related to the quality of one’s Fire Spiritual Root.
A Fire Celestial Spirit Root, for example, had the ultimate affinity for the free-floating Fire Spiritual Power in the world, with an Earth Spirit Root being slightly inferior.
At the same time, it also allowed for greater efficiency and more power when practicing Cultivation Techniques and Magic.
But for him, who had grasped the True Intent of the [Fire Manipulation Divine Abilities], it was useless. For one, the True Intent of his [Fire Manipulation Divine Abilities] already granted him a certain degree of fire affinity as an added bonus. For another, he could just directly and forcibly control the element, which was a much more immediate and effective method.
"I can only say it’s better than nothing. It provides a boost, but it’s not strong enough, nor is it direct enough."
"If this is all there is to it, then this [Bathing Fire Technique] is rather useless."
Such was Lin Changheng’s assessment.
But as he deepened his Introspection, he noticed a strange, hidden change within his body.
He then closed his eyes to perceive it in detail.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly opened his eyes, an incredible light flashing within them.
"So that’s how it is! It really is a ’rebirth by fire’!"
[Utility: Initial boost to Fire Element affinity. Uses fire embers to mend minor injuries.]
"This is a Fire Element type of [Self-Healing]."
Lin Changheng muttered to himself.
The [Self-healing Technique] he had previously obtained through Spirit Stealing from the [Wood Puppet Fox] was a Wood Element Repair ability. Now, [Bathing Fire] had a similar effect.
The paths were different, but they led to the same destination!
"In that case, it’s not bad at all."
Lin Changheng had long been bothered by the fact that his [Self-healing Technique] stopped abruptly at the Third Layer.
The technique was just too useful!
Especially for someone as cautious and life-cherishing as he was!
But now that he had encountered this variant of the technique, a long-held wish had been fulfilled.
"I hope it doesn’t just stop at the Third Layer and can go much further."
Lin Changheng murmured.
Then, his eyes flashed. ’In that case, let’s give it a try!’
He extended his left arm, focused his gaze, and with a SHLICK, the flesh on his arm split open on its own, revealing a wound from which blood began to well.
This was a unique "ability" that came from the powerful control over his flesh and muscles after reaching Tier Two Body Refining.
With a thought, Lin Changheng activated the [Bathing Fire Technique: Peeping Path]. In an instant, a mysterious power spread through him. It drew upon the Magical Power inside his body while pulling in the free-floating Fire Spiritual Power from the outside.
Then, the Magical Power from within and the Fire Spiritual Power from without collided like two furious dragons!
BOOM—!
A terrifying ball of Fire Spiritual Power landed precisely on the wound. It felt as if his very flesh and bone were about to disintegrate in the fierce flames.
The SIZZLING sound of burning was incessant, yet in the next moment, the flesh began to visibly reconstruct itself, as if a sliver of life had been born from the destruction and was now taking effect.
The entire process took less than half a breath. When the Flame dissipated, a perfectly healed arm had reappeared.
But Lin Changheng was wincing and grimacing, his brow deeply furrowed.
The single word "pain" was practically written on his face.
It was utterly agonizing, a stark contrast to the comfortable gentleness of the [Self-healing Technique].
Lin Changheng’s sprawling Divine Sense also told him that it wasn’t the collision of Fire Spiritual Power alone that caused this change. Rather, his own constitution had been altered to be compatible with the [Eclipse Crow]’s Talent, allowing this effect to occur.
For anyone else, it would have just been a novel way to court death.
...
「The next day.」
Lin Changheng took two letters and headed straight for the Immortal Post.
He was sending them to Tantai Feiyue and Xu Fugui, respectively.
He only mentioned his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment to Tantai Feiyue. After all, she was his partner, and he should share his joy with her.
But he didn’t directly mention it to Xu Fugui, who had struggled just to enter the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation. He was afraid of affecting his state of mind; if it stimulated him into rashly attempting Foundation Establishment, it would do more harm than good.
Foundation Establishment was something one should only attempt with proper preparation. Rushing into it unprepared on a whim had an extremely high chance of failure.
At the same time, Lin Changheng included a simplified list of Foundation Establishment Points in his letter to Tantai Feiyue.
It wasn’t that he was holding back. The complete version ran the risk of being lost in transit. A simplified, incomplete version, conversely, had a higher chance of arriving safely.
Moreover, this was a version Lin Changheng had compiled based on his own Foundation Establishment experience.
This was so Feiyue could prepare in advance.
It was worth mentioning that in her last letter, Tantai Feiyue had stated that she had already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation.
The process had been much easier for her than for Fugui.
Although she had lost her Primordial Yin, she had never been pregnant, so her essence remained full and hadn’t been too badly damaged.
Her potential had not been overly depleted as a result.
She still had a chance at Foundation Establishment, it was just that the probability was low for someone with a Lower Grade Spirit Root.
Furthermore, she lacked the most critical item, the Foundation Establishment Pill. Although her talent in the Talisman Dao was astonishing, nearly touching the level of Tier Two Talisman Dao, she wasn’t quite there yet.
This meant her speed of resource accumulation was still insufficient to afford the auction prices.
Lin Changheng wanted to help, but with no spare Foundation Establishment Pills on hand, he was powerless to do so.
...
As for why there was no letter for Xu Hanji, it was because she had mentioned in her last letter that the Qiu Family was now being thoroughly suppressed by the Xu Family. With the overall situation more or less decided, she felt she couldn’t waste any more time in the family or the Cyan Spirit District and had set out to find her own opportunity for Foundation Establishment.
She might be gone for three years at the least, or ten at the most, and wouldn’t be in the family, so there was no need to send her a letter.
Lin Changheng made a quick calculation. When he first met her at the Xu Family estate, he had just returned from Purple River District and was exactly thirty years old. At the time, she still looked like a young girl, about fifteen or sixteen.
She was about fifteen years younger than him.
Ten years from now, if Xu Hanji still hadn’t reached Foundation Establishment, she would be approaching the sixty-year lifespan limit, and would likely give up on returning.
But if she managed to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, her chances of success were not low, given her Spirit Root and aptitude.
The final outcome still boiled down to two words: opportunity.
Of course, barring any accidents, the Xu Family would also do everything in its power to procure a Foundation Establishment Pill or a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object for her, pursuing both avenues simultaneously.
...
Afterward, Lin Changheng, with his appearance and build altered, exuded his Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure and walked into the largest bookstore in the Inner City.
He immediately asked, "Do you have any Tier Two Techniques or Magic for sale?"
A clerk was busy off to the side. Hearing this, he was initially stunned and inwardly thought, ’Who has such a big mouth?’ feeling a bit of disdain.
But the moment he saw Lin Changheng, he immediately became meek and respectful.
"Senior, our shop does indeed have Tier Two Techniques and Magic, but the selection is not very large."
His attitude was reverent, his face plastered with a smile as he spoke.