Turtle Blood of Craggy Mountain

Following this, Master Mo, in order to fulfill his duties as a host, invited the three cultivators sent by the Xu Family to dine at the shop.

The spirit wine and fine delicacies were specially delivered from the Spirit Wine Tower.

Aside from Xu Fugui, the three cultivators included an elder in the late stage of Qi Refining named Xu Qianhuan, whose spiritual pressure was startling and whose magic power was formidable; the other, in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, was named Xu Xulian, a man in his forties who gave off an impression of composure.

They were the backbone of the Xu Family.

Lin Changheng and Xu Qianyou accompanied them.

The two were quite courteous toward Lin Changheng; after all, every alchemist was precious. Should there be an opportunity for him to become a guest elder in the future, the clan had strictly ordered that he be treated with respect so as not to discourage him, as there were no blood ties or wives and children to bind him.

They also spoke of the chaotic situation outside, mentioning that several rogue cultivators had apparently been acting as bandits, intending to waylay travelers, only to be struck down by them.

They explicitly stated that when the time came for evacuation, the force dispatched by the clan would be further increased to ensure nothing went wrong.

These words were undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the three people at the alchemy shop.

That evening, Lin Changheng invited Xu Fugui to dinner alone.

The two took the opportunity to strengthen their bond.

Amidst the clinking of cups and the exchange of toasts, both became quite tipsy. Xu Fugui handed over an exquisite box, a gift to congratulate Lin Changheng on his promotion.

With hazy eyes, Xu Fugui also revealed a piece of news: the female cultivator from the Xu Family who was also a "Celestial Seed," named Dantai Feiyue, had also made a breakthrough in the Hundred Arts and had become a ranked talisman master.

"Brother Lin and that lady are, as of now, the only two Celestial Seeds to have mastered one of the Hundred Arts."

Lin Changheng was taken aback. He recalled Dantai Feiyue—a cold and noble woman. He hadn't interacted with her much at the time, only vaguely remembering that she was the legitimate daughter of an "Iron-Cap Prince" from a secular dynasty.

She had no intention of inheriting the family business, willing instead to enter the path of immortality.

"She will likely undergo the clan's assessment in two months' time. If successful, she will be promoted to a 'Nominal Guest Elder.' Although she won't hold real power, the treatment she receives will be quite good."

"I see."

Lin Changheng nodded.

The path to promotion was generally the same. After passing the assessment, he too would become a Nominal Guest Elder of the Xu Family. If he could reach the middle grade, he would become a formal guest elder and be tasked with guarding a shop.

Becoming a high-grade alchemist, however, would be a different matter entirely.

At that point, he would no longer be a vassal or subordinate of the Xu Family, but could stand on equal footing with them, engaging in mutually beneficial exchanges.

Because at that level, any Qi Refining family would consider him a pillar of their strength, respectfully requesting his presence as an honored guest!

Even Foundation Establishment families would actively extend an olive branch, offering high prices to invite him.

Even the great clans would hold him in high regard!

The next day.

Lin Changheng did not see Xu Fugui again; the final cup of wine the previous night had served as a farewell.

He did not know when the three cultivators had departed, leaving quietly without a sound.

Lin Changheng also noticed that the time Manager Xu Qianyou spent managing the storeroom had significantly decreased.

He used to be able to busy himself in the storeroom for over half an hour, but now he would emerge after just the time it took for a stick of incense to burn.

From this, he deduced that the space inside had clearly become much emptier.

Of course, this had no impact on him.

He continued to fire up the furnace to refine pills as usual, accumulating high-quality Crimson Flame Pills.

At the same time, Lin Changheng had been pondering the formula for another low-grade Wood Origin Pill he had acquired. He already had a grasp of it in his heart, waiting only to put it into practice.

The most critical factor was the acquisition of alchemy materials, which could not bypass the Xu Family; he had to rely on the shop.

Therefore, he estimated that it would be another month or so before he could truly start refining, once he returned to the Xu Family and obtained the status of "Nominal Guest Elder," which would make it easier to find opportunities to refine them.

The path of immortality is long; there is no need to rush.

Lin Changheng warned himself.

After all, he had not been a ranked alchemist for long—only five months in total.

"Dachang, I'm off."

With a greeting, Lin Changheng walked out of the Li Family Spirit Meat Shop, carrying five catties of Savage Boar meat he had just had sliced.

"Come back again, Brother Lin!"

Putting down his meat cleaver, Li Changchang wiped the grease from his hands onto his apron and hurriedly saw him off.

"You got it, see you later!"

Under Li Changchang's watchful gaze, Lin Changheng waved his hand and left with a smile.

Now that Lin Changheng had a surplus of spirit stones, he could naturally upgrade his quality of life a little without needing to be deliberately frugal.

This Savage Boar was a type of domesticated beast; although only low-grade, its meat was fresh and tender. Whether steamed or cooked in porridge, it was quite delicious, and consuming it could also replenish one's blood and energy.

It balances both deliciousness and functionality, making it a favorite among cultivators!

Moreover, these five pounds of Savage Boar prime meat cost him one spirit stone, and that was even a "friendship price"—the cost was truly not low.

It is worth mentioning that now that Lin Changheng had come to buy meat repeatedly, coupled with his identity as an alchemist, he had developed a good relationship with Li Changchang over time and was regarded as a close friend.

After all, with his status as an alchemist, it was considered condescending to associate with those of lower status, leaving Li Changchang flattered and pleasantly surprised.

For Lin Changheng, Do not be fooled by the fact that Li Changchang was currently just a clerk cutting and selling meat; he had an elder brother in the Li clan with decent aptitude who had already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Having lost their parents at a young age, the two brothers had relied on each other to survive.

Through casual conversation, Lin Changheng had already figured out most of his situation.

Speaking of this, Li Changchang wore a sincere smile, clearly sharing an excellent relationship with his brother!

Once his older brother broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining, combined with his own diligence and decent eloquence, it was not impossible for him to leverage that influence to become a shopkeeper, and by then...

It is merely a seed planted at random; if there is a harvest, that is good, and if there is nothing to gain, that is also fine.

He was extremely composed; by casting a wide net of goodwill, perhaps he could wait for a "what if."

In the Grade D cave dwelling.

Lin Changheng cooked a pound of Savage Boar meat porridge, the aroma compelling; due to his progress in Fire Control, his culinary skills had also become increasingly refined.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just as he intended to start eating, a knocking sound came from outside the door.

"Fairy Su, you have come at just the right time."

Inviting his neighbor inside, Lin Changheng ladled a bowl of the fragrant meat porridge for her.

"I never expected that besides alchemy, Brother Lin's culinary skills would be so profound. It is truly delicious; the boar meat is fragrant without being tough, and smooth without being greasy."

Su Shuangjiang took her first bite, her beautiful eyes lighting up, and then, with her red lips moving incessantly, she finished the entire bowl, praising it endlessly.

The female cultivator's performance was truly gratifying to Lin Changheng, but what mattered most was the trust implied by her behavioral logic, which made him feel very comfortable.

The two of them proceeded to complete their transaction.

Fifteen standard-grade pills, valued at twenty-four spirit stones.

As for the fine-grade pills, Lin Changheng still did not show them.

The female cultivator also took out ten bottles of mature Fire Crow essence blood, and twenty-eight bottles of an unseen essence blood with a faint, earthy-yellow luster.

"This is?"

Lin Changheng asked curiously, his eyes brightening slightly as he stared at the new essence blood in the glass bottles.

"This is from a small group of low-grade monsters, the [Rock Mountain Turtle], that I discovered deep underground in a cave while hunting monsters recently. I wiped them out entirely and obtained this much essence blood. I wonder if it suits Brother Lin's needs?"

"As for the Fire Crows, they remain difficult to catch, so there is only this much."

Speaking of the Fire Crows, a trace of helplessness appeared on Su Shuangjiang's pretty face; they possessed wings and flew quite fast, and as a rogue cultivator, she dared not make too much of a commotion while chasing them, fearing it would attract the attention of powerful monsters.