Registered Guest Elder

At dusk, darkness gathered on all sides.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, wreathed in rosy mist, the Xu Family residence possessed a wondrous sight he had never seen in his previous life.

Lin Changheng had no mind to linger and had already returned to the small courtyard assigned to him earlier within the Tide-Listening Dojo.

It was fairly tidy and free of dust; someone presumably cleaned it regularly.

After that bout of spellcasting, he had expended quite a bit of spiritual power and urgently needed to regulate his breathing and meditate. Keeping his spiritual power full at all times so he could face anything in his best condition was the fundamental rule of caution.

The Xu Family needed to hold a meeting to discuss the attack, analyze the specific circumstances, and formulate guesses and countermeasures. Outsiders were not suited to be present, and Lin Changheng had no desire to meddle, so after excusing himself, he returned on his own.

It was not until late at night that the spiritual power within Lin Changheng's body became full once more. He exhaled a breath of turbid air and began inspecting his spoils.

He had put away that hammer-type artifact at the very first opportunity. That way, even if the Xu Family later took the rogue cultivator's storage pouch, he would not have suffered too much of a loss.

Who would have thought Shopkeeper Xu would lend him a hand, pointing out his contribution and letting him obtain a storage pouch as well.

Lin Changheng could not deny it, and there was no reason to refuse a free gift, so he accepted it outright.

But he figured that he had not killed an enemy across realms. He had some talent for spellcasting battles, but it was not so astonishing as to shake heaven and earth or draw excessive attention.

It could not overshadow his reputation in alchemy, so he was not worried about being transferred into a Land Reclamation team.

He was determined to refine pills!

If the Xu Family truly had other plans, naturally he would not stubbornly obey orders like a fool.

Very quickly, everything in the storage pouch was laid out.

The only valuable items were three low-grade pills, a bottle of unknown poison, two low-grade talismans, and eight low-grade spirit stones.

For a cultivator in the early Qi Refining Realm, that counted as fairly substantial wealth.

There were also two yellowed booklets, named respectively the Earth Source Technique and the Breath Concealment Art.

The rest were personal everyday items, which Lin Changheng burned in a single blaze.

"I naturally won't rashly consume the pills. I'll sell them directly to the clan later and see whether they'll take them."

"The talismans and poison can be kept for now. When I sell the pills, I can also ask someone to appraise them. These things all have clear, legitimate origins and can be shown to others. As for this earth-element cultivation method, I have no use for it. After breaking through, though, the Breath Concealment Art could help conceal my cultivation."

"As for this storage pouch, I should ask about it as well. Though it's secondhand, it should still be worth several dozen spirit stones."

Lin Changheng soon formed a basic plan: convert everything into liquid assets as much as possible.

He then took out that hammer-type artifact.

He had not had time to examine it closely before, but now, with a single look, he immediately shook his head.

The hammerhead was quite old, marked by obvious scars and damage.

"In this condition, it'll probably shatter outright the next time a battle gets a little intense."

That was extremely dangerous.

When artifacts collided, if one shattered midway through, it could easily create an opening. If the enemy's artifact accelerated then, there would be no time to react. One could be struck directly, and if not killed, then seriously wounded.

"It has to be sold."

Lin Changheng made his decision.

"Besides, two offensive artifacts are useless. Later, I'll trade for a defensive artifact and use them in alternation."

He was currently at the third level of the Qi Refining Realm. Only after breaking through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage would he be able to operate two low-grade artifacts at once, or a single mid-grade artifact.

For now, it could only be kept in reserve.

But the next day, before he had even gone out, someone came knocking. "Fellow Daoist Lin, are you in?"

Lin Changheng rose, having already guessed the reason or two. When he opened the door, he found a young clan member at the second level of the Qi Refining Realm.

"The elder requests your presence at the alchemy room."

"Sorry for the trouble. Please lead the way."

Thinking, Just as expected, Lin Changheng remained utterly calm and followed behind him, walking from the shore of Black Water Lake toward the mountain range behind it.

Many great halls had been built there.

Each bore its own duties.

Along the way, many clan members came and went, making the place quite lively.

The two went straight into one great hall. The left side contained only alchemy chambers, while the right side held talisman chambers and artifact chambers.

Five or six people were already waiting there. At the center stood an elder of the Xu Family.

His white hair was sparse, his face withered like pine bark, and his cloudy eyes occasionally flashed with keen light, like furnace fire yet unextinguished within a stove.

Lin Changheng knew this man. His name was Xu Qianyan, one of the Xu Family's high-grade alchemists.

His status was lofty. He did not concern himself with mundane affairs, devoted himself solely to the Dao of alchemy, and led the alchemists.

Master Mo was unexpectedly standing at his side. Seeing Lin Changheng arrive, he smiled and beckoned him over.

"Greetings, Chief. Greetings, Master Mo."

Lin Changheng stepped forward and saluted them, neither servile nor overbearing.

Xu Qianyan glanced at Lin Changheng without any change in expression, merely nodding before saying, "Then let us begin."

"Alright."

Lin Changheng did not drag things out either and nodded directly in agreement.

An alchemist immediately led him into the passageway on the left that led to the alchemy rooms. At that moment, however, a burst of commotion sounded from the other side of the hall.

Vaguely, he could hear a jumble of voices saying things like "She succeeded!" and "Congratulations!"

Lin Changheng turned with the others and saw a woman emerge from the passageway opposite them, immediately surrounded by a crowd of Xu Family disciples.

Cloudlike hair, flowerlike features, a tall figure, and noble elegance.

Those three descriptions were most people's first reaction upon seeing her.

Dantai Feiyue.

Her name immediately surfaced in Lin Changheng's mind: the princess of a mortal dynasty.

Ten years had passed, yet this "pearl" had not gathered a speck of dust. Instead, she had become ever more radiant and dazzling.

So much so that she attracted a swarm of buzzing butterflies and bees.

"She became a ranked talisman master? It seems she passed the assessment and gained the Xu Family's recognition..."

Lin Changheng instantly made his guess.

The next instant, Dantai Feiyue, surrounded by the crowd, seemed to sense something. She raised her eyes, and her bright gaze passed through layer upon layer of obstruction to meet his.

They held each other's gaze for several breaths.

Lin Changheng smiled faintly and clasped his hands in salute.

Dantai Feiyue seemed thoughtful. She lightly nodded, then gave a slight curtsy in return.

At once, quite a few Xu Family disciples beside her followed her gaze over. Their vigilance was extreme; some even looked at him as though he were a mortal enemy.

What kind of brain-dead madness was this? They could get jealous over this too?! A bunch of idiots with lust clouding their heads!

Lin Changheng's cheek twitched slightly. He immediately turned expressionless toward the alchemy rooms, though inwardly he thought that this woman was far too dazzling.

And that also meant trouble!

What he needed was steady cultivation and stable growth.

His foremost priority was to avoid people who might bring him trouble.

Men or women, the farther away they were, the better!

Boom!

The doors of Pillar-5 Alchemy Room rumbled shut, and Lin Changheng vanished inside.

At dusk.

Lin Changheng returned to the great hall once more. The alchemist who had led him there stood beside him, holding a pill box as he stepped forward to report.

"Not bad. Congratulations, Alchemist Lin. You are now a registered guest elder of our clan and shall receive the corresponding treatment. Of course, you will also bear the corresponding responsibilities! Our clan will never mistreat anyone—as long as you have value!"

Xu Qianyan merely glanced at the pills before announcing it.

When Lin Changheng heard the first half, his heart remained as still as an ancient well.

But upon hearing the latter half, his eyes brightened slightly. "This junior is all ears!"

"From this day forward, our clan's mid-grade cultivation methods, mid-grade artifacts, mid-grade pills, the main trunk regions of mid-grade spirit veins, and so on—aside from secret clan transmissions with separate requirements—everything mid-grade shall be open for you to exchange for!"

"At the same time, during the Great Reclamation, you will not need to go to the Wilderness front lines for land reclamation. You need only refine pills peacefully in the rear!"