Chapter 177 - 157: Great Increase in Lifespan, Transformation of Divine Abilities

Chapter 177: Chapter 157: Great Increase in Lifespan, Transformation of Divine Abilities

Inside the secret chamber.

Lin Changheng had intended to continue stabilizing his Cultivation, but then he remembered that Mo Zhaoli was still standing guard as his Dharma Protector outside.

He had noticed the worry in her eyes earlier, though she had hidden it well.

Thus, he decided to exit seclusion immediately. ’Besides, there’s no rush to do it right this second.’

Even though he had broken through to become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he had no intention of running wild. He would stick to his steady approach and only go out when appropriate.

During the Qi Cultivation Stage, one was nothing but cannon fodder in the Cultivation Realm; it was best to be a complete shut-in.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, he had some basic ability to protect himself. It wouldn’t be a major problem for him to travel through the Cultivation Realm in moderation.

RUMBLE...

The Dragon-Breaking Stone of the secret chamber slowly rose.

Mo Zhaoli, who already knew Lin Changheng had successfully reached Foundation Establishment when the Spiritual Qi clouds high in the sky had dispersed, let out a sigh of relief. She was sitting in the courtyard, her brow furrowed as she massaged the Cinnabar Seal between her eyebrows in exhaustion.

Extending her Divine Sense for a short period was no problem, but maintaining a high-intensity extension for several days was taxing even for someone like Mo Zhaoli.

But she had persisted until the very last moment.

Fortunately, the outcome was good. Brother Lin had reached Foundation Establishment, and he was also a Tier Two Alchemist. One could say his future was boundless.

Now, her small contribution felt completely worth it.

’Brother Lin will probably enter seclusion for half a year to a year to stabilize his Cultivation. In any case, the Spiritual Qi in this cave residence is no worse than in the sect’s Dao Field. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to cultivate here while I wait.’

For Mo Zhaoli, it was important to see things through to the end; she wasn’t one to play tricks like leaving without a word.

"Hm?"

Suddenly hearing the sound of the stone door opening, Mo Zhaoli’s heart clenched. ’He’s coming out this early? Could something have gone wrong?’

Instantly, she rippled like a wisp of cloud, disappearing from the courtyard and reappearing before the Dragon-Breaking Stone in a flash.

"Li’Er."

A white light flashed before Lin Changheng’s eyes, revealing the slightly panicked figure of Mo Zhaoli. He immediately called out to her in a warm, gentle voice.

"Brother Lin, you..."

Mo Zhaoli’s gaze swept over the green-robed Male Cultivator before her. He stood tall with a calm smile, and while nothing seemed amiss on the surface, the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Pressure emanating from him was clear as day.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

Lin Changheng froze for a moment, spreading his arms slightly and looking down at himself.

"No..." Seeing Lin Changheng’s reaction, Mo Zhaoli couldn’t help but chuckle. She covered her mouth and giggled, shaking her head. "It’s just that Li’Er saw you emerge from seclusion so early and misunderstood..."

’So that’s what it was.’

Lin Changheng’s thoughts spun, and he quickly guessed the reason. He didn’t hide it and explained, "I was worried that Li’Er would be waiting outside for too long, and might even start to worry. So, I came out directly to let you know that Brother Lin has successfully reached Foundation Establishment."

Hearing him speak his mind so freely and meeting his gentle gaze, Mo Zhaoli couldn’t help but bite her red lip as a strange emotion welled up inside her.

It left her at a loss for how to express herself.

Instantly, a quiet silence fell between them.

Just then, Lin Changheng felt he should do something to break the not-so-celebratory atmosphere.

But his vision blurred again as a graceful figure, like a bolt of white lightning, appeared before him in an instant.

To Lin Changheng’s stunned gaze, he was gently embraced.

"Brother Lin, congratulations."

Her gentle voice, tinged with shyness, sounded beside his ear. Lin Changheng instinctively reached out to hug her back but caught only empty air as a piece of her skirt slipped through his fingertips.

In the blink of an eye, Mo Zhaoli was already in the courtyard. She suddenly turned back, made a funny face at Lin Changheng with a smile, then summoned her Escape Light and soared into the sky, disappearing from sight.

In Lin Changheng’s eyes, it was as if he saw the girl from over forty years ago, the one who had playfully hidden behind Ink Master when they first met.

At the same time, a wisp of clear wind brushed past his ear, carrying Mo Zhaoli’s voice transmission: "Brother Lin, Li’Er has urgent matters and must return to the sect immediately, so I cannot stay long. I hope that when we meet again..." Her voice paused, as if leaving something unsaid. "...both our Cultivations will have advanced further..."

...

Mo Zhaoli was gone.

It was very sudden, and very decisive.

Lin Changheng savored the memory of that sudden, brief embrace. He firmly committed to memory how Li’Er had specially interrupted her own seclusion, come to act as his Guardian Dao, and even stepped in to resolve the matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill Separation, all because of a single letter from him.

He also decided: ’Such genuine kindness must be repaid a hundredfold in the future.’

Without another thought, he turned, checked that the cave residence’s Restrictions were intact, and went back into seclusion.

This time, he would not emerge until his Cultivation and Realm were thoroughly consolidated.

As the Dragon-Breaking Stone lowered, Lin Changheng first checked his own Lifespan situation.

With the True Intent of the Rongsheng Divine Abilities within him, he could perceive it clearly.

"A full 270 years of Lifespan!"

"Compared to before, that’s an increase of 90 years in one go!"

Lin Changheng understood. This was the substantial increase in Lifespan that came with breaking through a major Realm to Foundation Establishment.

Then, Lin Changheng froze. He had discovered a blind spot:

"But, if you subtract the 62 years of Lifespan from my multiple uses of Longevit, does that mean my base Lifespan is only 208 years?"

"Wouldn’t that be considered short-lived even among Foundation Establishment Cultivators?"

Theoretically, the maximum Lifespan for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is 250 years.

But not all Foundation Establishment Cultivators could reach this maximum. It would usually decrease for various reasons. Barring serious injury or a premature death, reaching 220 or 230 years was considered relatively normal.

However, his Lifespan during the Qi Cultivation Stage had only been 118 years.

That was a full 12 years short of the theoretical maximum of 130 years for the Qi Cultivation Stage.

"Did it carry over?"

A look of resignation appeared in Lin Changheng’s eyes. ’Could it be from having my Essence Blood drained by the Primordial Cauldron since I was young?’

’Fortunately, I’ve reclaimed it with Longevit. A Lifespan of 270 years is now 20 years more than even the maximum!’