Fire Crow Triple

[Spirit Snatch: 54/100]

"This treasure seed truly requires the effort of grinding an iron pestle into a needle; it only snatched eighteen points of spirit in a year. Now that I've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, I wonder if the speed will increase again?"

Within the next month, he would be able to verify this hypothesis.

His gaze pierced through the illusion and landed once again upon the [Origin Cauldron].

The cauldron remained unchanged, but under the touch of Lin Changheng's consciousness, the cyan clouds parted to reveal the other three treasure seeds within.

For the previous year and a half, Lin Changheng had been unable to access the waste and inferior pills, which naturally cut off his source of vital blood.

It had been entirely controlled by that low-grade old alchemist.

However, following the conclusion of the six-month "Great Reclamation" mobilization—which was a year and a half ago—a portion of rogue cultivators and a small number of family cultivators began preliminary explorations of the Wilderness to survey spirit mines, locate spirit lands, discover spirit herbs, and map out monster lairs.

About half a year later, a large number of rogue cultivators and some family cultivators pushed into the Wilderness to seize resources and clear out monsters.

These were all opportunities for merit; what was gained belonged not only to the individual or the family, but could also be used to exchange for chances to join sects, rewards like breakthrough pills, and even Foundation Establishment Pills were prominently on the list!

The Xu Family also harbored grand ambitions and, wishing to take their status to the next level, dispatched many family cultivators into the region in the second year, occupying two small low-grade spirit mines.

These were very intuitive benefits.

And there were almost no casualties.

The entire Xu Family was instantly invigorated and continued to send a second batch of cultivators into the Wilderness.

The old alchemist's grandson, blinded by greed and feeling that the danger was minimal, ignored his grandfather's earnest dissuasion and resolutely signed up to enter.

The Xu Family's advance had been smooth ever since, with good news arriving frequently, but half a year ago, while exploring a swamp, they were ambushed by a pack of Green Miasma Alligator Dragons lurking beneath the mud. Two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators were killed, and three third-level Qi Refining cultivators were injured.

Those who were wounded had the terrifying Green Miasma toxin enter their bodies; even if they were saved, it was difficult to eradicate, leaving them crippled.

The alchemist's grandson was among the team. Because he was quite cunning, he had kept the others in front of him, positioning himself at the rear of the formation.

When the incident happened suddenly, his reaction was quick; he instantly turned and bolted, escaping at the front. However, he was spotted by a Green Miasma Alligator Dragon guarding the rear, and a water arrow struck him square in the back of the head, killing him instantly.

When the tragic news arrived, the old alchemist was devastated, falling into a daze and becoming unable to process the waste and inferior pills.

The task of processing the low-grade waste and inferior pills finally became available.

Lin Changheng and another Xu Family low-grade alchemist who was seeking the task divided the work between them.

Seeing that Lin Changheng had proactively chosen the [Crimson Flame Pill] and [Wood Origin Pill], the other alchemist said nothing more and took the remaining two types.

But this did not mean Lin Changheng was not covetous of the vital blood within the other two types of pills; it was simply that the gains from further advancing the Fire Crow Treasure Seed were higher.

The results of the Spirit Snatch over the following half-year were quite gratifying.

His gaze rested on the crimson illusory treasure seed at the mouth of the cauldron. With a slight touch of his intent, the treasure seed swayed gently.

[Fire Crow Treasure Seed · Third Layer]

[Spirit Snatch: 55/100]

Not only was the third layer of the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] fully snatched, but the fourth layer was also nearly half complete.

This speed was fast, yet not fast enough.

It was fast because, compared to his time at Zichuan Market, the accumulation speed was nearly double.

But it was slow because it was only nearly double!

Lin Changheng carefully calculated the accounts. At this time, there were only a dozen alchemists in the clan, six of whom were low-grade alchemists.

Including Lin Changheng, two of them chose the "pill profit-sharing" arrangement, where waste and inferior pills were processed independently and did not enter the clan treasury.

The remaining four were "clock-in" alchemists, producing fifteen furnaces a month—ten pills per furnace, not one more, not one less.

A waste and inferior pill rate of thirty to forty percent, when spread across four types of low-grade pills, was actually about right.

Fortunately, the two major treasure seeds were basically advancing in tandem, which was acceptable.

[Acquired: Fire Control Art: Clarity]

[Effect: Precise control of ordinary flames, significant enhancement of fire-type arts]

The fire-control effect of the Fire Crow Treasure Seed was also immediate. Lin Changheng clearly discovered that when refining pills, his control over the furnace fire was more relaxed and effortless, and he was more adept at it.

He could manage to refine seven portions of medicinal materials simultaneously; previously, this number had been five!

Moreover, among the pills refined, the second pill was gradually approaching the quality of a fine pill.

With a bit more skill refinement, or once the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] reached the fourth layer and his fire control rose another level, he would be able to achieve two fine pills per furnace!

Under this enhancement, his control over the Fire Bullet Art also became more unpredictable; he could make it suddenly expand in size mid-flight or significantly alter its flight trajectory, making it impossible to guard against.

Next, Lin Changheng looked at the floating, emerald-green treasure seed.

[Green Wood Snake Treasure Seed · Second Layer]

[Spirit Snatch: 45/100]

He had also completed one Spirit Snatch, reaching the second layer!

The Poison Neutralization Art had also ascended to the Agility realm.

Its efficacy was strengthened once more.

[Body poison resistance enhanced; high-speed refining of low-grade toxins.]

Lin Changheng could not help but imagine whether he might eventually attain a body immune to all poisons if he continued to bolster it.

After all, many demonic beasts carried potent toxins that were extracted by cultivators; if he could repel poison from his body, it would undoubtedly be a true blessing.

The spiritual resonance of his Fire Spirit Root had reached twelve wisps, and his Wood Spirit Root had also increased to eight wisps!

As for the earthy-yellow Rock Mountain Turtle Treasure Seed, it remained completely motionless; the Xu Family had not been able to obtain the essence blood of this beast.

"Perhaps I could go and take a look at the small clan trade fair that Fugui mentioned."

With a flicker of thought, Lin Changheng suddenly hit upon a path.

According to Xu Fugui, this trade fair was originally meant for the exchange of goods between immortal sprouts, but later, it was unknown who leaked the news, and members of the Xu Family began to join in.

As its reputation spread, it became unstoppable; more and more clansmen had needs and flocked to participate, exchanging what they had for what they lacked.

It eventually evolved into the large-scale trade fair it was today.

It was held only four times a year.

The next one was at the end of the month.

Lin Changheng currently possessed quite a few spirit stones and believed that he should convert them into essence blood, strength, and means to bolster himself.

Keeping them stored away wouldn't make them multiply; they were meant to be spent!

Who would have thought that before the end of the month arrived, Xu Fugui's invitation would arrive first.

He had assumed it was Fugui having yet another child.

A year ago, Lin Changheng had just attended the celebratory banquet for the birth of Fugui's child.

It was his seventh!

But because the child only had a low-grade spirit root, it wasn't a grand affair; he had only invited a few close immortal sprout friends to gather.

Seeing that there were no Xu Family members at the banquet, Lin Changheng knew that Xu Fugui's heart remained unreconciled, and he had instead treated his immortal sprout friends as his own kin.

Stopping his practice of the Breath Concealment Art, Lin Changheng opened the invitation and took a look—it was not so.

It was a "wedding invitation"!

He was getting married again, taking another wife.

The object of his affection was still a woman from the Xu Family, only this time, she was not a mortal, but a woman with a spirit root.

Although it was only a miscellaneous spirit root, there was still a distinction between the immortal and the mortal.

This woman would be his wife.

Everything else would be secondary.

Lin Changheng speculated that, firstly, Fugui had reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, which was considered mid-tier strength, giving him a certain status within the Xu Family.

Secondly, the Xu Family saw that Fugui was truly dedicated to procreation, working day and night without pause, and had even produced a child with a mid-grade spirit root—he had a proven track record.

But the most critical reason was that there had been losses on the land reclamation front, and the rear had to replenish fresh blood.

Therefore, they continued to increase their investment, marrying off another woman with a spirit root.

They hoped he would continue to branch out and scatter leaves, producing more offspring with spirit roots.