Chapter 245 : Life-bound Talisman Treasure

Chapter 245: Life-bound Talisman Treasure

“This is the Fusang Divine Tree!”

After the Core Formation celebration concluded and Tianquan Peak settled down, Lin Chang’an finally found time to return to his cave abode and inspect the Fusang Divine Tree sent by Xuanyin Pavilion.

The sight, however, was thoroughly disappointing.

The tree, which should have been a vibrant crimson, was now dim and dark, completely barren, devoid of the slightest vitality, even exuding a hint of decay.

“The legendary Fusang Divine Tree, one of the Three Great Divine Trees, is said to be formed by the mutual support of Yin and Yang trees. But now, only one tree remains, and its spiritual nature has all but vanished.”

At this moment, Lin Chang’an frowned deeply. No wonder Xuanyin Pavilion had been willing to part with it.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed several severed sections on the branches of the Fusang Divine Tree.

It was clear that Xuanyin Pavilion had already investigated and deemed the tree’s value greatly diminished—only then did they gift it away.

Otherwise, there’s no way they’d let it go.

“If this Fusang Divine Tree still had its spiritual essence, how could it have ended up in my hands?”

Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an chuckled at himself. But just as he reached out to touch it and probed the tree with his spiritual sense to see if there were any usable materials left inside—

Suddenly, his life-bound spirit plant within his dantian stirred.

“This is!”

Lin Chang’an jolted in surprise. That feeling—his Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine was reacting. Under that sense, when the Xuantian spiritual energy in his palm flowed into the Fusang Divine Tree—

He received a faint response from the void.

“There’s still a sliver of life force inside this Fusang Divine Tree. Without the Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine, I would’ve never sensed it.”

Just then, He Yan’s figure appeared outside the cave abode, forcing Lin Chang’an to suppress the wild joy in his heart.

If the Fusang Divine Tree still had life, its value would be as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

If it had been before, at most it would have been a decent piece of fire-attribute wooden talisman treasure material—a rare resource for someone like him.

But if it was alive, then it truly was the legendary Fusang Divine Tree—especially effective against demonic and ghost cultivators, its value immeasurable.

……

“Uncle Lin.”

When he stepped outside the cave, He Yan’s eyes lit up at the sight of Lin Chang’an.

“Congratulations, Uncle Lin, on achieving Core Formation. May your path in the immortal way be long and prosperous.”

He Yan hadn’t expected it either. The last time they met was on a spirit vessel, and now this Uncle Lin of his had formed a core.

And not a false one.

Let alone rogue cultivators—even in sects and major clans, cultivators with top-grade spiritual roots had a high chance of forming false cores.

If Core Formation were that easy, there wouldn’t be so few cultivators at that stage in the world.

In fact, in many Foundation Establishment clans, even producing one false core cultivator could ensure the clan’s prosperity for centuries.

“He Yan!”

Upon seeing He Yan, Lin Chang’an frowned slightly. This wasn’t He Yan’s true body but a rather rare humanoid puppet.

“Don’t be offended, Uncle Lin. The current reputation of the Divine Sect being what it is, the Saintess was worried about bringing you trouble. She asked me to deliver this to you.”

With an awkward look, He Yan pulled out a voice-recording jade talisman from his storage pouch, after which his eyes lost their light.

“A second-rank Foundation Establishment-level puppet!”

Looking at the rigid figure before him, Lin Chang’an nodded secretly. As expected of Yun Yao—still so cautious in everything.

This way, no one would see anyone from the demonic sect leave his abode.

At least, it could spare him some trouble.

He looked at the jade talisman. The initial message was a simple congratulatory note for forming a core—nothing unusual. But with their years of silent understanding—

Lin Chang’an quietly activated the secret technique they once used during their dual cultivation. On the reverse of the talisman, Yun Yao’s voice rang again.

“Brother Lin, Lihuo Palace has discovered that the Wind-Chirp Bird has advanced to third rank. For some reason, even the higher-ups of the Divine Sect were alarmed...”

Back in his cave abode, the jade talisman self-destructed after the message. Such recordings were single-use and equipped with security measures.

Lin Chang’an, however, was deep in thought.

“So Yun Yao also suspects the Wind-Chirp Bird has advanced to third rank. She’s clearly warning me.”

Yun Yao knew about his Wind-Chirp Bird, and after it advanced, he had deliberately released its aura—so her deduction was reasonable.

“But why is Lihuo Palace so focused on the Wind-Chirp Bird, even the Xuanyin Divine Sect seems to care?”

Lin Chang’an frowned. He had seized the Wind-Chirp Bird from Huang Shaohai, so Lihuo Palace possessing a soul lantern for it made sense.

“However, ever since the Wind-Chirp Bird advanced to third rank, all previous tracking methods have become ineffective.”

Once a spirit beast broke through to the third rank, its former spiritual imprints, soul lanterns, and similar items would be rendered useless—typically destroyed in the backlash.

Especially tracking artifacts—if the spirit beast died, they would generally turn to ash.

Precisely because of this, Lihuo Palace was certain the Wind-Chirp Bird had advanced, not perished.

“In other words, the bad news is Lihuo Palace knows it’s reached third rank—and for some unknown reason, so does Xuanyin Divine Sect.

The good news is, the Wind-Chirp Bird is in my hands. Right now, only Yun Yao knows. No one else knows who has it.”

At this thought, Lin Chang’an sank into contemplation.

It seemed the exotic beast, the Wind-Chirp Bird, would still be a source of trouble. But who would suspect a rogue cultivator of owning a third-rank beast?

Luckily, he hadn’t flaunted it after forming a core. Otherwise, if everyone knew, he wouldn’t be able to hide it.

“When the time comes, I just need to use the Wind-Chirp Bird to divert Lihuo Palace and Xuanyin Divine Sect’s attention.”

Thinking this, Lin Chang’an retrieved the talisman treasure he had once taken from the Young Master of the Long Clan.

Isn’t this the perfect opportunity? That talisman treasure couldn’t be shown in public anyway.

Back when he traveled aboard the spirit vessel, he still remembered how domineering the Long Clan had been.

“Don’t think that one grand gift at the Core Formation celebration wipes your slate clean.”

A cold smile crossed Lin Chang’an’s face. Conveniently, the Long Clan’s former arrogance could make it believable they had stolen an exotic beast from a Yue Kingdom cultivator.

With the Long Clan’s resources, it wasn’t unbelievable that they had raised a third-rank spirit beast.

“But no rush—there’s time. Opportunities will come.”

Just then, inside the cave abode, the Wind-Chirp Bird excitedly perched upon the Fusang Divine Tree and unexpectedly began to exhale golden flames.

Under Lin Chang’an’s astonished gaze—

A faint strand of life force re-emerged in the Fusang Divine Tree.

……

Tianquan Peak returned to tranquility after the Core Formation celebration.

Yet the nearby spiritual vein families remained uneasy. After all, with a new ruler came new officials. This was no longer the Long Clan’s domain.

Especially with the Lu Clan’s aggressive arrival—it signified a shift in power.

Other cultivator families had all presented lavish gifts, hoping to preserve their access to spiritual veins under Lin Chang’an’s rule.

But the Lu Clan hadn’t come to stir up trouble. With only one False Core cultivator, they simply occupied one spiritual vein and refrained from making enemies.

In fact, under the guidance of Madam Lu, they even sought friendly relations with other families.

Xuanyin Pavilion’s expansion, however, did face several obstacles. Still, Lin Chang’an remained secluded in cultivation.

During this period, he sorted through the gifts from the celebration—indeed, he had made quite a haul.

But he also knew: these gifts were not just for the sake of Xuanyin Pavilion or his status as a third-rank formation master.

The real reason was the Nascent Soul Sixth Elder behind him.

“Indeed, standing under a great tree brings cool shade.”

He had nearly emptied his resources to prepare for Core Formation, but a single celebration had replenished him.

Now, with new powers rising on Five Dragon Island, the once-dominant Long Clan had uncharacteristically begun to develop quietly.

However, their past arrogance had earned them many enemies—and with other forces fanning the flames, the seas around Five Dragon Island remained turbulent.

But none of that mattered to Lin Chang’an anymore. He was now a Core Formation cultivator—and a formation master.

His priority was steady cultivation.

……

Inside the cave abode on Tianquan Peak.

Over the past six months, Lin Chang’an had used spells to dig a tunnel deep underground, reaching the earthfire veins.

“Master!”

Within the magma-seared cave, the charred Fusang Divine Tree was now rooted in the lava, while the Wind-Chirp Bird had revealed its true form, resting its massive body on the withered branches—

“Wind-Chirp Bird is a spirit born of fire, and this Fusang Divine Tree is, according to legend, the tree that nurtures the Heavenly Fire Golden Crow.”

The moment he descended underground, the scorching aura became apparent. Even Lin Chang’an, as a Core Formation cultivator, couldn’t help but break into a light sweat in this magma world.

Yet the Wind-Chirp Bird behaved as if it had returned home, excitedly circling above the Fusang Divine Tree.

Lin Chang’an took a deep breath. As long as nothing happened, he would come here to cultivate.

Although the intense fire-attribute spiritual energy made him uncomfortable, sitting upon the Fusang Divine Tree and purifying it with the Xuantian spiritual energy from his life-bound spirit plant while cultivating simultaneously—

—could achieve a complementary effect.

After forming his core, this was the first time he discovered that the Xuantian spiritual energy refined through the Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine actually possessed such an ability.

“Fusang Divine Tree... I didn’t expect to get entangled with this spirit plant too.”

Lin Chang’an shook his head helplessly. First the life-bound spirit plant, and now the Fusang Divine Tree—he truly was fated to toil.

This Fusang Divine Tree needed purification and the absorption of endless fire-attribute spiritual energy to awaken.

“But to fully revive the Fusang Divine Tree—now that’s no simple task.”

Taking a deep breath, Lin Chang’an circulated his cultivation method and summoned his life-bound spirit plant.

In the next moment, this magma-filled realm emitted a powerful life force of Xuantian origin, and the Fusang Divine Tree greedily absorbed it, gradually repairing itself.

One of the Three Great Divine Trees, the Fusang Divine Tree, could actually be revived through Xuantian spiritual energy—this alone revealed the tremendous vitality contained within it.

Amidst this life force, Lin Chang’an could clearly sense faint wisps of black aura emerging from the tree.

“What is this black aura that can defile even the Fusang Divine Tree?”

Even Lin Chang’an couldn’t help frowning. After all, the Fusang Divine Tree was a tree of utmost yang, renowned alongside the Golden Thunder Bamboo for countering evil and demonic forces.

“But those are ancient legacies. What I need to face now is refining my own life-bound talisman treasure from the Fusang Divine Tree.”

At that thought, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath and circulated his mana. The Mysterious Sky Immortal Vine before him projected an illusory image of the Art of Spell Refinement, one of the three chapters.

Within the phantom image—apart from the cultivation method—was the talisman treasure chapter, which recorded attributes of over a hundred types of spiritual wood in the cultivation world and directions for refining talisman treasures.

“Fusang Divine Wood—found it!”

Lin Chang’an carefully studied the refining details related to the Fusang Divine Wood.

“Fire-controlled through wood, impervious to all evils—the Fusang Divine Wood can be refined into a powerful Sun-Piercing Divine Sword. If materials are sufficient, a full sword formation set can be forged…”

But that was all!

Seeing this, Lin Chang’an frowned.

“The refining method for the Sun-Piercing Sword Formation must be on the other two missing leaves.”

If it had been before, Lin Chang’an naturally wouldn’t have dared to think of such a legendary divine wood—but the problem was, he hadn’t had it then.

Now he possessed an entire tree—his thoughts naturally changed.

He didn’t just want to refine a life-bound talisman treasure from the Fusang Divine Wood—he wanted to forge a complete set.

“With the Fusang Divine Tree’s current state, it must be purified first before being refined into a talisman treasure. There’s no rush.”

Lin Chang’an’s eyes flickered. The greater the potential of a life-bound talisman treasure, the better it would be for him.

If one could get something good, who’d want something inferior?

Besides, it was just a matter of waiting—he already had alternatives.

“With my current cultivation, the mid-grade third-rank talisman treasure Blood Fiend Sword is sufficient. Life-bound talisman treasures concern the future—it’s not something to be rushed.”

……

In the underground lava cave, the Fusang Divine Tree was rooted in magma. Under Lin Chang’an’s Xuantian spiritual energy, it continued to purify itself of the black aura.

With a solemn expression, Lin Chang’an activated his life-bound spirit plant, and a single green leaf transformed into an avatar.

【Incarnation Outside the Body (Beginner 3/100)】

This divine ability was different from a second nascent soul. Though it couldn’t remain separated from the body for long, it also didn’t carry the risks of backlash.

Because this was not an independent consciousness avatar—but one that shared intent with the main body.

【Sword Shadows Follow the Heart Technique (Proficient 103/1000)】

As the avatar activated the divine ability, two sword lights appeared, each equivalent to a lower-grade third-rank talisman treasure.

Lin Chang’an’s main body couldn’t help but smile.

“As expected, the divine abilities of this ancient cultivation method are far beyond modern ones.”

In other words, this avatar—aside from being unable to cultivate—could use 30% of the main body’s mana to unleash its divine abilities and spells.

Even talisman crafting and pill refining were possible.

This was equivalent to having an extra body to draw talismans and refine pills.

And that was just the support function. In battle, he could unleash an additional avatar.

If he refined a full set of talisman treasures, then with both his main body and avatar—wouldn’t his combat power be even stronger?

This divine ability of Incarnation Outside the Body was practically tailored for full-set talisman treasures.

Had it been a different kind of talisman treasure, his combat power would be inferior to this set-based one.

“It’ll probably take decades to fully purify the Fusang Divine Tree enough to forge a complete set of talisman treasures.”

Watching the fading wisps of black aura on the tree, Lin Chang’an sank into thought.

Roughly calculating, it actually worked out perfectly.

If it were an ordinary talisman treasure, he could’ve asked someone else to refine it. But for a full set made from purified Fusang Divine Wood—he couldn’t afford to reveal that.

“Decades should be enough for me to raise my artifact refinement skills to third-rank.”

【Mid-grade First-rank Artifact Refiner (Proficient 121/1000)】

The four major arts of cultivation: talismans, formations, pills, and artifacts—it seemed he was on his way to mastering them all.

“Coincidentally, these next few decades might be the most turbulent time in the Five Dragon Island seas. I should stabilize my cultivation and observe the shifting tides.”

Lin Chang’an’s expression was calm—completely unhurried.

After all, he had just entered the Core Formation stage. And life-bound talisman treasures for Core Formation cultivators—each one required centuries of material collection and meticulous refinement.

If hastily refined, the life-bound treasure might become a burden in the future.

After all, talisman treasures required nurturing by the cultivator.

And since he had just reached Core Formation, far from being carefree, it was best to continue cultivating in low profile.