readsfreenovel Chapter 232 Young Master Li's Request for Alchemy
Chapter 232 Young Master Li's Request for Alchemy
Not long after, Lin Changsheng sent a reply, which he had delivered to the steward of Li Chongyuan's residence.
The letter was brief, accepting the invitation from Yu Huai Immortal City, a Golden Core True Person.
"What business does Yu Huaixian City have with me?"
Inside the room, Lin Changsheng looked thoughtful.
During his time in the Li family of Dafang Township, Lin Changsheng gained some basic understanding of the surrounding Yu Huai River basin.
This place is rich in resources, but due to the vastness of the waterways, the resources are not concentrated.
Most of the resources benefited the monsters in the waters, leaving human cultivators with very few cultivation resources that they could effectively utilize.
Therefore, although the Li family of Dafang Township and Yu Huaixian City are located in the same river basin, they are in a competitive relationship.
For many years, the two sides have only maintained a superficial peace, while secretly engaging in various struggles.
However, Yu Huai Immortal City covers a larger area and can accommodate a larger population.
In addition, its advantageous location with its extensive waterways facilitated trade with other tributaries of the Onozawa River.
Therefore, Yu Huai Immortal City is stronger than the Li Clan of Dafang Township in terms of both resource accumulation and the number of high-level cultivators.
"However, I am new to this place and have no enemies. I present myself as a harmless alchemist and physician, so the fact that they have come looking for me is probably not a bad thing..."
Lin Changsheng analyzed in his mind.
……
Inside the courtyard, by the lotus pond.
Lin Changsheng held a few pills that exuded a strong aura of bloodlust and threw them into the lotus pond.
The once calm water surface suddenly began to churn.
The carp's large head popped out of the water, its mouth opening and closing repeatedly, begging for food from its owner.
It seemed that the pills in Lin Changsheng's hand were extremely attractive to it.
After feeding the animal a few pills, the owner stopped feeding it.
The koi wriggled its plump body, its tail fins splashing out large amounts of water.
It seemed to be urging, but also expressing dissatisfaction with the small amount of food given by the owner.
“These pills were made by me using the blood essence of second-tier demon beasts. You don’t lack food on a daily basis, so I can’t let you eat them like candy.”
Lin Changsheng smiled helplessly, and his magical power surged forth to block the water droplets splashed up by the flower carp.
The pills he previously fed to the carp were still in the testing phase and had no name.
It was made by purifying and refining the blood essence of second-tier and above demonic beasts that he had collected over the years, adding some blood essence of 'quasi-third-tier' demonic beasts, and refining it with various rare spiritual herbs.
The reason for going to such great lengths was naturally for the sake of the Crimson Centipede, the Wind Crow, and the Snow Demon Wolf.
Although the Li family valued Lin Changsheng highly and even specially set up a spirit-gathering array.
However, the concentration of spiritual energy in the heavens and earth is still not as high as that of the original Changchun Peak, and it cannot simultaneously meet the growth needs of these second-tier demon beasts.
If spiritual energy is insufficient, elixirs can make up for it.
Based on his own knowledge of alchemy, Lin Changsheng devised this elixir containing a strong demonic power.
In the previous trial phase, Lin Changsheng improved the waste pills produced on a daily basis, mixed them into the feed to dilute the erysipelas, and fed them to the carp.
It must be said that this flower carp, which grew up eating waste pills, has an even stronger digestive ability after advancing to the second tier.
The useless pills that neither normal humans nor demon beasts dare to take are no problem for Hua Li.
It can even absorb the residual demonic power in the pills to increase its own demonic power.
In addition, this area is a vast body of water, and the bottom of the lotus pond is connected to the outside water.
In recent years, low-level monsters in the outer waters have suffered greatly.
It got thoroughly wrecked by the carp and became the 'little tyrant' of the nearby waters.
Flower carp have a diverse diet, and even some rare aquatic plants from deep water areas cannot escape their fate.
Of course, the flower carp also provoked some mid-to-late stage second-tier aquatic monsters.
Hua Li was also clever. Knowing that she was no match for the wild monsters in the waters outside, she took the initiative to return and find Xunfeng Crow. At the same time, she also went to great lengths to drag back a second-tier river clam.
After a hearty meal, the fish and the crow left Dafang Township under the cover of night to help the flower carp get revenge.
On one occasion, a near-third-tier demon shrimp invaded the waters occupied by the flower carp and chased it for thousands of miles, even piercing off many of its scales.
On that occasion, Hua Li contributed various aquatic minerals, herbs, and delicious fish that she had treasured for a long time.
Furthermore, he agreed to Lin Changsheng's proposal that half of all future harvests from the marshland be handed over in exchange for his master's personal intervention.
With the help of Xunfeng Crow and Snow Demon Wolf, they pursued and intercepted the beast, expending three 'quasi-third-tier' spell talismans to finally kill the 'quasi-third-tier' demon shrimp...
In short, in this spacious body of water, the free-range carp grew at a much faster rate than before, becoming the fastest-growing of all the demon beasts under Lin Changsheng's command.
……
That day, Lin Changsheng had just finished his training.
A message came from outside the house from Chen An'an.
"Senior Lin, the eldest son has come to pay a visit."
"The eldest young master has arrived? Please invite him in."
Lin Changsheng silently recited it in his mind, and then gave the instructions.
The eldest son Chen An'an mentioned, the heir of the Li family.
He was also the only bloodline offspring of Li Chongyuan and one of his concubines.
Li Hongtai.
"Hehe, I've come uninvited and have disturbed you. Please forgive me, Master Lin."
Inside the reception hall, a young man who bore a striking resemblance to Li Chongyuan was sipping his tea and smiling as he spoke to Lin Changsheng.
"Fellow Daoist Li wouldn't come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason, so you must have something to tell me."
Lin Changsheng spoke expressionlessly, his tone neither too loud nor too soft.
Logically, since Lin Changsheng was a guest in the Li clan's territory and possessed alchemy skills, they should have tried their best to win him over.
But Li Hongtai didn't care at all. In front of Lin Changsheng, the host, he lazily leaned back in the main seat, showing no intention of getting up.
Clearly, they have some significant opinions about him.
"Hehe, Master Lin is straightforward, so I won't beat around the bush either."
"I have a concubine who has just reached the Qi Condensation stage. I heard that when Master Lin opened the furnace to refine Foundation Establishment Pills last time, there were still some leftover materials. Today, I have come here specifically to ask Master Lin to refine another batch of Foundation Establishment Pills. I will certainly not shortchange Master Lin on the cost."
Li Hongtai sipped his spiritual tea, his gaze fixed on Lin Changsheng with a hint of something else in it.
"Hehe, although I don't know who told you this, Fellow Daoist Li, I actually don't have any extra materials on hand, so I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
After a few moments of silence, Lin Changsheng, with a calm expression, refused in a nonchalant tone.
“Master Lin, when our Li family asked you to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, we provided you with two sets of materials. However, you succeeded in refining the pill on your first try. According to the timeline, you should still have one set of materials left over.”
Li Hongtai's tone revealed some displeasure after being rejected by Lin Changsheng on the spot.
"It seems Fellow Daoist Li is not yet aware of the rules for alchemists. Even if I were to become a guest of the Li family, once I had guaranteed a normal success rate, any excess materials would naturally belong to the alchemist."
"If Fellow Daoist Li has any questions about this, please ask Senior Li to personally ask me for it."
Lin Changsheng's voice was slightly cold and unceremonious.
Having lived in the Li clan's territory for many years, I had heard of this eldest son.
Although Li Hongtai is the only bloodline of Li Chongyuan, he is ambitious but lacks talent, full of ideas but unable to take charge of the Li family in the future.
Therefore, Li Chongyuan and his wife recognized Li Shouye as their second son among the collateral relatives.
In the future, he will assist Li Hongtai in taking charge of the Li family in Dafang Township.
However, the eldest son, Li Hongtai, seemed extremely resistant to this and looked down on this 'collateral' cousin.
The two had never gotten along.
Now that the second young master, Li Shouye, is by Lin Changsheng's side, Li Hongtai is unhappy.
……
"Oh!"
Inside a luxurious house.
Li Hongtai smashed the porcelain cup in his hand to pieces.
"This Master Lin has such a high opinion of himself; I couldn't persuade him even when I went to him in person."
Li Hongtai's face flushed red with anger, and he shouted angrily.
Beside him, the stout Ma Danshi listened attentively, but a meaningful look appeared in his eyes.
"Hehe, young master, please don't be angry. I have long said that the outsider alchemist Lin is unreliable. Now, he only has eyes for the Golden Core cultivator of the Li family."
Master Ma chuckled and offered words of comfort from the sidelines.
"What is he anyway? He has the cultivation of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet he dares not resist a pirate of the same level. If it weren't for the Li family's rescue, he would have been placed under a restriction long ago and become a pill-refining slave on the pirate's spirit ship. He wouldn't have had the chance to put on airs as a pill master!"
"Now they don't even think about serving my Li family, but instead use the guise of being guests in the Li family to wait for a better price, and they even dare to refuse to refine pills for me. They are simply ungrateful."
Li Hongtai gave Lin Changsheng a thorough dressing-down in front of Ma Danshi.
Looking at Ma Danshi, who was extremely kind to him and acted like a warm and amiable elder, compared to Lin Changsheng's lukewarm attitude...
His impression of that alchemist Lin was extremely poor at this moment.
"This alchemist Lin is still young. It's one thing if he doesn't know how to assess the situation, but the only problem is that the second young master often follows him around to learn alchemy. Once he becomes a second-tier alchemist and masters the refining of Foundation Establishment Pills, things might get a bit messy..."
Ma Danshi first tried to persuade him with a smile, but as he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly.
Seeing Li Hongtai's brows gradually furrow, Master Ma revealed a smug look, stopping short of saying anything more.
The terrifying ability of a second-tier alchemist capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills to win people's hearts is self-evident.
"No, we absolutely cannot let this person stay in the Li family of Dafang Township."
After a long while, Li Hongtai's expression changed repeatedly, and he suddenly said in a gloomy tone.
……
"Master Lin, this is a map of the Yu Huai River and its surrounding waters, which my father specially hand-drew. There is also this 'Celestial Star Compass' which he asked me to pass on together."
In the courtyard, Li Shouye respectfully presented a detailed blueprint and a delicate, palm-sized, round ritual implement.
Although he also had the cultivation level of Foundation Establishment, he was only one small realm lower than Lin Danshi in front of him, and was currently at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
But they treated him with the respect due to a senior.
Because among all the Li families in Dafang Township, he was the one who had the longest contact with Master Lin and discovered some special aspects of him.
Perhaps because they came from a collateral branch of the family, their family fortune was already meager.
Li Shouye was more mature than others from a young age, and he was also more sensitive.
During the time he followed Master Lin, he discovered that this seemingly young-looking Master Lin possessed an extremely mature aura.
They are always able to face anything with composure.
Within the Li clan's territory, Lin Danshi was known for his cowardice and timidity.
He himself didn't care at all.
They appear calm and detached, never competing or vying for anything.
This seems to confirm the rumors from back then.
However, Li Shouye always felt that Master Lin Dan would inadvertently exude a strong sense of self-confidence.
It gave him a vague sense of unease, as if he were facing a senior figure like his father.
It's a complex feeling that's hard to explain.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Please give my thanks to Senior Li."
A hint of joy appeared in Lin Changsheng's eyes. He immediately took the map and the disc-shaped magical artifact and began to examine them.
Upon arriving at this place, Lin Changsheng realized just how precious a water map was.
Unlike the inland regions of the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world.
Even without a map, you can get around by following the general direction.
In the cultivation world of 'Nine Swamps Continent', more than 90% of the area is covered by water. Without a map to guide you, even a Golden Core cultivator could be trapped in the vast waters.
Here, every map is the result of countless cultivators exploring and accumulating knowledge with their own lives.
As for the 'Celestial Star Compass', it is a special positioning tool used in conjunction with a water map.
Otherwise, without a reference point in the vast expanse of water, it would be difficult to discern the water even with a map in hand.
Only by possessing both of these items can one travel freely and without hindrance in the water.
……
A few days later, Lin Changsheng explained the reason to Li Chongyuan under the pretext of going on a trip.
Although the latter was somewhat worried that Lin Changsheng might not return, he still agreed.
After all, when Lin Changsheng first arrived here, he claimed that he was not a local cultivator, but had entered the territory of Jiuzezhou in a panic to escape the pursuit of his enemies.
I've been here for several years now, but I've never actually gone out to explore and experience the local waterways.
Fortunately, Lin Changsheng promised to return in three to five months, and six months later he would set off with the Li clan to Yu Huai Immortal City.
This put Li Chongyuan at ease.
Furthermore, they generously gifted Lin Changsheng a considerable number of life-saving items that Foundation Establishment cultivators could use.
……
A few days later, Lin Changsheng had a map of the water area laid out in front of him. Holding the celestial compass for positioning, he activated the flying boat magic artifact and arrived at the place where he had first arrived at the watery marsh years ago.
Looking down into the dark, almost black water, one could faintly sense a divine marker.
Having confirmed the location, Lin Changsheng used the celestial compass and map to verify the information and roughly determined the location of the place within the Yu Huai River Marsh.
If I really can't find a way back to the cultivation world of 'Qianzhou' in the future, I'll have no choice but to dive into the water and try to repair the teleportation array that I damaged.
"Senior Aoki, even you haven't heard of the existence of the 'Nine Swamps Continent' cultivation world?"
After a short while, Lin Changsheng put away the map and suddenly murmured softly.
"Since my childhood, I have lived in the Wanfeng Mountains. My understanding of the cultivation world can only come from the inheritance left by my old master."
"But none of that matters. Lin boy, hurry up and deal with those little rats behind you, then find a safe place so I can have a good look at my master's Green Wood Spirit Cauldron!"
In my ears came Aoki Ocho's anxious urging voice.