Chapter 218 : Three Years

Chapter 218: Three Years

Time passed like a fleeting horse’s shadow—three years had gone by in the blink of an eye.

Within the Fog Sea of Tongtian, on an island shrouded in gray mist and sinister aura.

From the outside, it looked unusually calm. Sinister Spirits floated above the island and the sea, but within the island, an invisible barrier had already enveloped the area for several months.

This formation barrier possessed the ability to conceal itself, and with low-ranked Sinister Spirits acting only on instinct, they aimlessly wandered about, unaware of anything amiss.

Inside the formation barrier—

A world of molten lava. Fire-devouring Demon Spirits roared wildly, the Wind-Chirp Bird cried out, and within the valley, a terrifying third-rank Sinister Spirit.

Or rather, the Sinister Spirit Beast King of this place, which had already evolved into a third-rank Sinister Spirit Yaksha.

Yet at this moment, the third-rank Sinister Spirit Yaksha was in utter disarray, letting out frenzied screams, but to no avail.

"After spending over a month, I’ve finally ground down this freshly-advanced third-rank Sinister Spirit Yaksha to death."

Hiding within the formation, Lin Chang’an watched the Yaksha’s unwilling howls, and his solemn expression finally revealed a faint smile.

The difference of just one rank was vast. Though he had not used his Talisman Treasure, against both attribute restraint and his formation, this Sinister Spirit Beast King had still managed to endure for over a month.

"Roar!"

At last, with one final unwilling scream, the Yaksha’s body collapsed, dissolving into a dense mass of sinister energy.

The Wind-Chirp Bird cried out in excitement, opened its beak, and swallowed the sinister energy in one breath.

Even a third-rank Sinister Spirit Demon Core remained.

This time, however, the Wind-Chirp Bird resisted its greed. Instead, it carefully clamped the core between its beak and carried it back.

"Wasteful."

Seeing that the Beast King was finally slain, Lin Chang’an hurried forward, raising his hand as a jade box of cold jade appeared.

The ashes left behind from the Beast King’s fall were a rare spiritual material.

They could assist in tempering the soul and strengthening divine sense.

After sealing the ashes into the jade box, Lin Chang’an finally revealed a satisfied smile.

The Wind-Chirp Bird landed upon his shoulder, as if offering treasure, and gently presented the third-rank Sinister Spirit Demon Core it carried in its beak.

"A third-rank Sinister Spirit Core—this is an exceptionally rare pure yin demon core."

Holding it in his hand, Lin Chang’an felt the extraordinarily pure yin aura within and could not help but smile.

Although it was merely a low-grade third-rank demon core, yin and yang attributes varied greatly in value depending on region.

Among demon cores of the same rank, aside from the common Five Elements cores, rare variants such as cold, lightning, and yin-yang were all highly sought after.

Their value was one to two times higher than normal, sometimes even several times more.

"Just this one yin-attribute demon core could easily be traded for a superior-grade Core Formation spirit item, or one or two wood-attribute third-rank demon cores."

At his side, the Wind-Chirp Bird, with its high intelligence, grew anxious at hearing talk of trading it away. It immediately began flattering its master—thumping his shoulder, fanning him with its wings, rubbing against him in lively fashion.

This sight made Lin Chang’an chuckle in exasperation.

"Enough. This yin-attribute demon core will be kept for you, to help in your breakthrough."

Smiling, Lin Chang’an waved his hand and at the same time began to operate the formation, retracting the searing fire-attribute spiritual energy. He also hurried to restore himself.

Normally, killing a third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King or demon beast with a formation required dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators working together, slowly grinding it to death.

The reason Lin Chang’an alone could manage it, aside from the attribute-restraining formation, was something more crucial—his recovery.

His Regenerative Body was terrifying, giving him monstrous recovery in terms of spiritual power.

Furthermore, with his own spiritual power infused into the Wind-Chirp Bird, his spirit pet’s recovery was also magnified.

This was the true foundation behind Lin Chang’an being able to exhaust and kill a third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King alone.

…

"Not bad. As expected, within the Yin Vein Spiritual Spring where the Beast King resided, there’s Blackwater Liquid."

Having collected nearly half a bottle of Blackwater Liquid in one go, Lin Chang’an was overjoyed.

The past three years had been extremely arduous for him.

Though he had always been hunting Sinister Spirits, these creatures had almost no value. If not for his considerable skills, relying on talismans and pills to make several trades outside—

He would never have been able to prepare such resources while hunting Sinister Spirits for three years, all without hindering his cultivation.

【Lifespan: 110/285】

【Realm: Late-stage Foundation Establishment (23/100)】

Looking at his cultivation progress, Lin Chang’an nodded to himself in satisfaction. His realm was steadily rising.

"More importantly, this Core Formation spirit item, the Blackwater Liquid, has been collected to over half a bottle—barely enough for one use."

Gazing at the half-filled vial of Blackwater Liquid in his palm, Lin Chang’an’s eyes glimmered.

This was the fruit of three years of hardship. In the end, it was not a loss.

"But my own path to perfected Foundation Establishment will take at least twenty to thirty more years, while the Wind-Chirp Bird has already reached a critical moment of evolution."

If he could help the Wind-Chirp Bird smoothly evolve into the third rank, he would gain not only a Core Formation realm spirit pet, but also a safeguard.

From then on, whether searching for Core Formation spirit items or hunting third-rank demon beasts for their cores, things would be far easier.

"It’s time to head back and prepare for this bird’s breakthrough."

Turning his head, Lin Chang’an looked at the Wind-Chirp Bird perched on his shoulder. The little creature was weary and dozing more often of late.

This was the prelude to its evolution. It could not be delayed.

But Core Formation was never a simple matter—he still had to plan two things.

The first was the breakthrough location.

If it were attempted in the outer seas, the aura could not be concealed, and would surely draw third-rank demon beasts or even Sinister Spirits.

For demon beasts, the breakthrough stage of either beast or cultivator was a moment of utmost weakness—a great tonic.

Even for Sinister Spirits, the attraction was the same. Though attribute restraint was real, the law of mutual generation and counteraction was also true. Just as the Wind-Chirp Bird could devour Sinister Spirits, Sinister Spirits could in turn consume this utmost yang creature.

"In that case, I can only seek out a suitable spiritual land on Five Dragon Island."

Lin Chang’an pondered silently. In truth, over the years, he already had a plan.

That was the Xuanyin Pavilion on Five Dragon Island—the weakest of all the powers there.

It was guarded by formations, and precisely because it was the weakest, it absolutely could not afford any mishaps with its clients. If its reputation was ruined, the sect would be finished.

After all, Xuanyin Pavilion’s main source of income relied entirely on its trade guild.

The second matter was concealing his identity. He absolutely could not expose himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Otherwise, even if he was at perfected Foundation Establishment, with a spirit pet on the verge of breaking through to the third rank, it would only invite disaster.

Even Xuanyin Pavilion might not resist feeling greedy.

Unless one had a powerful backing, it was impossible to remain unruffled.

“If I were to go to Xuanyin Pavilion, I must disguise myself as a False Core Cultivator.”

On this point, Lin Chang’an was quite confident. Over the past few years, with his cultivation in the Art of Spirit Refinement, his divine sense had already stabilized at the False Core Realm.

He could even forcefully activate the “Sword Shadow at Will” technique, which could give off the aura of a False Core Cultivator.

“A sword cultivator at the False Core Realm, possessing a third-rank spirit pet that is on the verge of breaking through—such a situation is still acceptable.”

At this thought, Lin Chang’an turned his head toward the Wind-chirp Bird, only to shake it helplessly.

Though demon beasts were different from human cultivators, some Core Formation Spirit Items could still be used on them—though the effect would be greatly reduced.

“As of now, the only Core Formation Spirit Item I can provide is this half bottle of Blackwater Liquid. As for this third-rank yin-attribute demon core, it counts as a great tonic for the Wind-chirp Bird as well.”

The Wind-chirp Bird was not only breaking through, but also evolving.

“If it were merely a breakthrough to the third rank, that would not be a major problem. But according to the records in the Beast-Taming Compendium, this type of exotic beast undergoes rebirth through fire each time it evolves, experiencing nine deaths before surviving one life.”

On this point, Lin Chang’an had also heard something similar before at the Zhou Family.

Ancient exotic beasts each possessed extremely unique divine abilities. The stronger and rarer they were, the harder their evolution became.

Heaven was fair. A powerful bloodline granted the ability to look down on others of the same rank.

Correspondingly, the difficulty of evolution was heaven-defyingly great, with extremely harsh conditions.

“Such is fate. I have prepared everything I could. As for higher-grade yang or fire-attribute spirit items, I am limited in my abilities.”

Lin Chang’an let out a long sigh. The only small comfort was that if the evolution failed, this bird would at least leave behind a third-rank demon core.

Recalling this record, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but show a strange look.

“If the evolution succeeds, I earn big. If it fails, I still have a fallback. At that time, it won’t be difficult to trade this demon core for a Core Formation Spirit Item.”

Though the Wind-chirp Bird on his shoulder was half-asleep, it still understood his words. Its eyes instantly widened as it stared at its master.

Could he not hope for something better for it?

Did he think it was easy, following such a penniless master? The spirit items for its Core Formation breakthrough had all been gathered by its own efforts over the years.

Such bullying of a bird!

“Enough, it’s time to go back and prepare for your breakthrough.”

Lin Chang’an shook his head. Once his spiritual power had mostly recovered, he put away the formation and left the place.

As for the spoils of war, only the third-rank sinister spirit items had some value; everything else was worthless.

When he removed the formation and his figure vanished from the island, the surrounding sinister spirits were still wandering aimlessly, unaware of what had happened.

They only instinctively sensed that the powerful sinister spirit at the yin-vein spiritual spring in the island’s center had disappeared. Instinctively, they began gathering there.

Perhaps this would draw stronger sinister spirits. Or perhaps a new Sinister Spirit Beast King would slowly be born.

But all of this no longer had anything to do with Lin Chang’an.

…

Yuling Island.

“At last, I’ve returned.”

As soon as he came back, he ran into Lu Yujian, the sword fanatic of the Lu Clan.

“Daoist Lin, did you just come out of seclusion?”

Lu Yujian’s expression was hurried. Seeing Lin Chang’an pretending to have just left his cave abode, he couldn’t help but ask.

Lin Chang’an nodded and said, “This seclusion lasted quite some time. May I ask why fellow Daoist looks so anxious?”

He was indeed curious. Although he had used “seclusion” as an excuse while secretly hunting in the Fog Sea of Tongtian, he had never stopped inquiring about outside news.

Seeing Lu Yujian’s expression, something serious had clearly happened. Otherwise, this sword fanatic would not look so shaken.

“Daoist Lin, something has happened recently. Spirit Serpent Island was plundered by robber cultivators. The ancestral grounds of the four clans on the island were breached, and all resources and treasure troves were looted clean.

Many cultivators were even captured. The four clans have been completely wiped out.”

Hearing Lu Yujian’s words, Lin Chang’an’s expression turned solemn.

Spirit Serpent Island was not far from them. To think that such a calamity occurred during his absence was shocking.

“These robber cultivators are too rampant. Don’t they fear the patrol squads of Five Dragon Island?”

Lu Yujian spoke angrily, but Lin Chang’an sighed inwardly.

The reason these robber cultivators acted so brazenly was likely because Five Dragon Island turned a blind eye—or perhaps even fanned the flames in secret.

After all, from the robber cultivators slain at the trade fair three years ago, to the Wang Clan’s destruction, he had experienced the domineering conduct of Five Dragon Island firsthand.

“With things so dangerous, it seems in the future we must be all the more cautious when leaving home.”

Lin Chang’an feigned shock, then nodded gravely.

Lu Yujian also nodded. “Indeed. Daoist Lin, do be careful in the coming days.”

At this point, Lu Yujian hesitated, then lowered his voice to transmit sound:

“Daoist Lin, my mother recently received word that among these rampant robber cultivators are remnants of the Ping, Feng, and Li clans.

Though Daoist Lin was not involved in those matters back then, it’s best to stay cautious. My Lu Clan has already heightened its defenses.”

Faced with Lu Yujian’s kind reminder, Lin Chang’an secretly nodded. This person was straightforward.

“Many thanks, Daoist Lu, for the reminder. I only wish to devote myself to cultivation. As for these so-called struggles for power, I have no interest at all.”

Lin Chang’an also replied via voice transmission, expressing gratitude and making clear he had no intention of getting involved.

The two then conversed for a while, during which Lin Chang’an inquired about recent events.

Sure enough, robber cultivators had been running rampant across the seas lately. Although Five Dragon Island dispatched patrol squads, their numbers were too few to hold firm.

This left many cultivator clans living in fear, secretly strengthening their defenses.

…

After Lu Yujian departed, Lin Chang’an returned to his cave abode.

This time, he had been away for more than half a year, mainly because he had chanced upon a newly advanced third-rank Sinister Spirit Yaksha.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he used a formation to grind it down for over a month before finally killing it.

The harvest had been considerable, a rare gain from slaying sinister spirits.

“But this Old Hu…”

Looking at the Voice-recording Talisman left inside the cave abode’s formation, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement.

“[Old Lin, I tell you, this time I discovered the traces of a third-rank demon beast. From my observation, this beast is already injured. Just wait for my good news!]”

The talisman echoed with Old Hu’s excited voice, making Lin Chang’an nod silently.

The greatest challenge in dealing with third-rank demon beasts was that most of those in the Sea Abyss of Beasts lived in groups.

But precisely because of this, territorial disputes often occurred.

“If it really is a heavily injured third-rank demon beast, that’s indeed an opportunity. But unfortunately, right now the Wind-chirp Bird’s breakthrough is what matters most.”

Lin Chang’an sighed softly. As long as the Wind-chirp Bird advanced smoothly, hunting third-rank demon beasts would become much easier in the future.

On one side was the chance to hunt a heavily injured third-rank demon beast. On the other, the opportunity for his spirit pet to break through.

Anyone could see which was the wiser choice.

“If I truly have a third-rank spirit pet to guard my path, my chances of Core Formation will increase greatly.”

He could even fully cultivate the Three-turn Core Condensation Art.

Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an’s gaze flickered. Previously, he had worried that since third-rank demon cores were expensive and dangerous to obtain, he could only manage one or two turns of the technique.

But with the Wind-chirp Bird’s breakthrough, hope was restored.

“If I can cultivate the full Three-turn Core Condensation Art and obtain an upper-grade Core Formation Spirit Item, forming a True Core may not be impossible.”

If it had been before, Lin Chang’an would have settled for forming a False Core first and only planned to pursue true Core Formation later.

“Best to make a trip to Xuanyin Pavilion first.”

With this thought, Lin Chang’an tidied his cave abode and stepped out.

But first, he stopped by Old Hu’s cave abode and left behind a Voice-recording Talisman.

He explained that he had recently gained insights in cultivation, and if he missed the opportunity, it would simply be a pity.