Why Have I Never Encountered a Bottleneck?

Four days later,

Beside the table in the outer room of the wooden building, Lin Xuankong finished today's first bowl of Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup and let out a satisfied burp. At once, his nose was filled with the scent of medicinal ingredients such as ginseng and lingzhi.

Lin Xuankong sniffed. This medicine scent filling his nose was the scent of extravagance!

Two days ago, he had bought more than a dozen batches of medicinal ingredients in one go.

Now, he drank three bowls of Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup every day, all to accumulate a great amount of vitality so that he could freely activate the Twin Vine Demonic Pearl in the future!

Before dealing with Granny Wang and Xu Zhongxiong, how could he have afforded such extravagance?

Three bowls a day cost more than eight taels of silver. It was far too extravagant—nearly what he earned from selling flatbreads for an entire year!

Having money was just this overbearing!

Feeling the vitality constantly increasing within his destiny, and thinking of how long he would be able to activate the Demonic Pearl growing ever longer, a sense of satisfaction gradually rose in his heart.

Setting down the medicine bowl, he pondered the events of the past few days.

--

The great battle between the Black Tiger Gang and the Yin Talisman Sect had long since ended. That night, both sides had suffered grievous casualties, and only stopped fighting after the officials of Great Marsh Prefecture mediated.

Their territories had been redrawn. The profitable streets such as Waterside Street, Qingshui Street, West Third Street, and Shuinan Street had all gone to the Black Tiger Gang.

The relatively barren places, such as Wutong Alley, Cattle Horse Street, Sheep Gut Street, and Mule Street, had been placed under the Yin Talisman Sect.

Both sides had already completed the handover!

Wutong Alley now belonged to the Yin Talisman Sect, which was good news for Lin Xuankong. At the very least, he would no longer run into those filthy scum from the Black Tiger Gang whenever he stepped outside.

However, according to the news Little Tiger had gathered,

the big shot Zhang Wu had not died in the battle.

Not only had Zhang Wu survived, but the tempering he received in the battle had finally allowed him to break through the bottleneck that had trapped him for two straight years.

Zhang Wu's realm, which had not improved for two years, had finally risen from late first layer to First Layer Perfection. In some time, he would likely break through into Early Second Layer!

Thanks to his battle merits and improved realm, Zhang Wu had leaped from being a headman to becoming Deputy Steward of the Black Tiger Gang Great Marsh Hall!

Thinking of this, Lin Xuankong glanced at his destiny.

[Realm: Mortal Transformation Layer One Perfection]

[Mortal Transformation Vitality: 688/100000]

[Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Initial Glimpse 79/80]

Zhang Wu had been stuck at late first layer for two years before finally breaking through the bottleneck and reaching First Layer Perfection.

He himself had gone from late first layer to Perfection in four days. He would probably enter Early Second Layer this very morning.

It was hard to imagine what kind of bottleneck Zhang Wu had encountered.

Was it being stuck somewhere, unable to improve?

Or being stuck somewhere, unable to break through?

Why had he never encountered one!

Forget it. Bottleneck or no bottleneck, as long as he cultivated diligently for a few more days and his strength far surpassed Zhang Wu's, he would no longer need to worry about this so-called Black Tiger Gang Deputy Steward. By then, Zhang Wu should be worrying about his own safety!

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A knock sounded on the door, followed by Little Tiger's voice. "Uncle Lin, it's me!"

Lin Xuankong opened the door and welcomed Little Tiger inside. "What is it? Any new news today?"

Little Tiger said excitedly, "Of course there's new news! It's already spread all over outside. Everyone says that the Black Tiger Gang and the Yin Talisman Sect fought so fiercely a few days ago that they beat each other's dog brains out, all because an incredibly powerful Hat Guest killed Granny Wang and Xu Zhongxiong!

Now, people are talking all over the streets and alleys about just how formidable that Hat Guest was.

Some say that the wealthy merchants and gentry of Four Streets Thirty Alleys were so frightened that night that every last one of them shit themselves!

Some say that with a single wave of the Hat Guest's hand that night, stones filled the sky and smashed half of Guangju Xuan to pieces!

Others are secretly discussing how the Hat Guest was not even afraid of the Twin Vine Demonic Pearl, and must surely be an extremely terrifying Martial Cultivator at Mortal Transformation Layer Three or Four! Hahaha, the stories are getting more and more outrageous!"

Lin Xuankong could not help falling silent when he heard that.

It was a little embarrassing to hear others brag about him right in front of him!

Little Tiger continued, "There's one more thing. I heard that the Black Tiger Gang and the Spirit Snake Gang have obtained all rights to transport and sell every kind of medicinal ingredient under the administration of Great Marsh Prefecture! They say that from now on, aside from Martial Cultivators from the Black Tiger Gang, Spirit Snake Gang, Guo Family, and Feng Family, it will be very difficult for anyone else to buy medicinal ingredients for cultivation!"

Lin Xuankong frowned. The Black Tiger Gang had taken control of the medicinal ingredients in Great Marsh Prefecture?

"Is this news true?" He looked at Li Xiaohu.

Little Tiger nodded. "On my way here, I ran into several Yin Talisman Sect Daoists and heard them discussing it.

Those Yin Talisman Sect Daoists looked utterly indignant, so it probably isn't false!"

Lin Xuankong's brow furrowed tightly. Fortunately, he had purchased quite a few ingredients for Nine Revolutions Qi Nourishing Soup in advance. If he used them sparingly, they could still last for another ten days or so.

If Little Tiger's news was true, then this move by the Black Tiger Gang was absolutely a blow to the Yin Talisman Sect. But rogue cultivators like himself had been caught in the disaster, like fish in a pond!

With those filthy bastards from the Black Tiger Gang doing this, accumulating vast amounts of vitality and cultivating smoothly would become rather troublesome for him in the future!

Lin Xuankong pondered for a while but could not think of anything for the moment. He frowned and said, "All right, let's not talk about this. I heard the Yin Talisman Sect is recruiting disciples?"

The moment Little Tiger heard him mention the Yin Talisman Sect recruiting disciples, he became interested and said with a smile,

"The Yin Talisman Sect Great Marsh Branch Hall suffered many casualties this time, so they are specially recruiting disciples in large numbers. The requirement is that they must be under sixteen.

They say that any youths with good enough constitutions can enter the sect without paying a single coin. This is the only sect in Great Marsh Prefecture that can be joined without handing over silver, and it's the first time such a thing has happened!

Many of my companions from Wutong Alley and I have signed up. Five days from now, we'll go to the Yin Talisman Sect's hall on Cattle Horse Street to have our constitutions tested!"

Lin Xuankong nodded and took out a silver ingot from his robes. "This is ten taels of silver. Eat and drink well these next few days, so you can get a good result in the test!"

Little Tiger stared at the gleaming ten taels of silver and froze. Then he repeatedly shook his head. "Uncle Lin, th-this is so much silver. How can I take it?"

Little Tiger was the person closest to him besides his wife. Since he wanted to join the Yin Talisman Sect, Lin Xuankong naturally had to give him a hand!

Lin Xuankong frowned. "Take it. When you have money in the future, just pay me back!"

"Uncle Lin!" After staring blankly for a moment, Li Xiaohu silently accepted the silver, his eyes gradually moistening.

He wiped his eyes with his filthy sleeve. "Uncle Lin, if I ever have money in the future, I'll definitely repay you three thousand taels, thirty thousand taels!"

"Really? Then I'll lend you another Ten Taels!"

Little Tiger burst out laughing, though his eyes were full of determination.

After Little Tiger left, Lin Xuankong walked toward the backyard and secretly thought,

The Yin Talisman Sect was recruiting disciples widely, but it had an extremely strict requirement: applicants had to be under sixteen!

Although there was such a restriction, if he revealed his Mortal Transformation Realm strength, he could definitely join the Yin Talisman Sect with ease and gain the opportunity to cultivate Yin Talisman Lightning!

However, there was no need to rush this matter. The Spirit Crane Finger, which prevailed through speed, was no less lethal than the Yin Talisman Sect's Yin Talisman Lightning!

Most importantly, the Pine Crane Longevity Technique's mysterious and miraculous life-extending effect was something martial arts such as Yin Talisman Lightning and the Black Tiger Shattering Gold Claw could never possess!

As for the medicinal ingredients... after finishing today's cultivation, he would go out and take a look. If the news was true, he could only think of some other solution!

With that thought, Lin Xuankong no longer allowed his mind to wander. His body shifted, and he assumed the Green Pine Stance to begin cultivating.

By now, his Green Pine Stance had long become extraordinarily proficient. His movements were exactly the same as the posture the Young Lady had once displayed, without the slightest flaw!

Nearly an hour later,

Lin Xuankong was cultivating with his eyes closed, circulating his vitality, when his mind suddenly stirred.

He clearly sensed that the Pine Crane Vitality within his body was constantly becoming more condensed.

That incomparably condensed vitality flowed ceaselessly through Lin Xuankong's arms and hands, completing his transformation from First Layer Perfection to Early Second Layer.

Nearly two incense sticks later, Lin Xuankong abruptly opened his eyes and looked toward his arms.

He saw that the skin on his arms and hands had actually swelled with a layer of grayish-white old skin and flakes, just like a snake shedding its skin!

He raised a hand and gently brushed it.

A great quantity of old skin flakes fell away in rustling streams, revealing much smoother new skin beneath.

The new skin was rosy and full, carrying the sheen of renewed life. His arms, elbows, palms, and the backs of his hands were all the same!

Once Lin Xuankong had brushed away every bit of old skin and debris,

he was shocked to find that the wrinkled, ravine-like, shriveled, aged skin on his arms and palms had become like that of a man in his thirties.

Though it could not compare to the delicate, tender skin of a woman like Li Xiaolan, it was full and smooth, without the slightest trace of aged decay. It was as though he had shed his mortal shell and exchanged bones, returning to youth!

Overjoyed,

Lin Xuankong sprang into the air and landed beside the large bluestone. Activating his vitality, he thrust out a finger.

With a soft "Pff!", his finger and palm easily sank into the large bluestone. When he withdrew his hand, the newly formed finger hole in the stone was smooth and bright, with not a single crack around it!

This manifestation of incomparably condensed power was now no different from the Young Lady's casual finger strike back then!

Lin Xuankong: Remaining lifespan, twelve years and three days

Destiny: [Old and Vigorous]

First destiny talent: [Old and Cunning] Age 59, cultivation speed increased fiftyfold

Realm: Mortal Transformation Layer Two Initial Stage

Mortal Transformation Vitality: 686/100000

Technique: [Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Mastery 1/7500]

[Flying Stone Technique: 12/12]

The four large words [Old and Vigorous] faintly flickered, while [Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Mastery 1/150] appeared.

Lin Xuankong's eyes were filled with delight.

The Pine Crane Technique reaching the mastery realm had actually increased his lifespan by more than nine years, far beyond the five or eight years he had previously imagined!

As long as he continued cultivating, the next realm might grant him more than ten years, and the realm after that... how far would his lifespan increase?

He lowered his head and looked at the full skin on his palms.

Most miraculous of all,

the Pine Crane Vitality of this Pine Crane Longevity Technique could not only extend his lifespan, but even transform his skin from densely wrinkled to youthful and full.

This was only Mortal Transformation Layer One, which specifically transformed the arms. If he reached Layer Two Perfection or Layer Three Perfection, why would he need to worry about not returning to youth!

This was truly an unexpected delight from cultivating the Pine Crane Longevity Technique.

Compared to the Yin Talisman Sect's Yin Talisman Lightning and the Black Tiger Gang's Black Tiger Shattering Gold Claw, the Pine Crane Longevity Technique the Young Lady had taught him was countless times more wondrous!

Thinking of this, he could not help recalling that Young Lady who liked chive dumplings and liked to circle behind people.

Taking out the folded Peony Handkerchief from his robes, Lin Xuankong stroked the stitches upon it and stood there blankly for a long while.

Ever since the Young Lady had left, he had kept this Peony Handkerchief in his robes and never used it again!

Tomorrow, I hope the Young Lady can return safely!

Lin Xuankong sighed, tucked the Peony Handkerchief back into his robes, turned, and walked into the wooden building!

Behind him, the dozen or so tender buds on the Old Willow Tree had, after more than a month of growth, long since branched and sprouted leaves, becoming lush and green as though they could drip with jade!

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out behind him.