[Spirit Seizure: 54/100]
"This treasure seed really does take slow, patient grinding. I only gained eighteen points of Spirit Seizure in a year. Now that I've broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining, I wonder if the pace will pick up again?"
In less than a month, he would be able to test his earlier conjecture.
His gaze pierced the illusory veil and settled on the [Origin Cauldron] once more.
The cauldron remained unchanged, but at the touch of Lin Changheng's consciousness, its azure clouds parted, revealing the other three treasure seeds within.
For the preceding year and a half, Lin Changheng had been unable to get his hands on failed or inferior pills, cutting off his source of essence blood.
The old low-grade Pill Master had kept a tight grip on them.
But the six-month mobilization for the "Great Reclamation" had ended a year and a half ago, and some Rogue Cultivators and a small number of Lineage cultivators had begun exploring the Savage Wastes, prospecting for spiritual ore, seeking spiritual lands, discovering spirit herbs, and locating Demon Beast lairs.
Roughly six months later, large numbers of Rogue Cultivators and some Lineage cultivators advanced into the Savage Wastes to seize resources and clear out Demon Beasts.
All of this earned merit. Not only did their gains belong to the individuals or Lineages that acquired them, but accumulated merit could also be exchanged for opportunities to enter a sect, Realm-Breaking Pills, and other rewards. Even Foundation Establishment Pills were prominently listed!
The Xu Family also harbored lofty ambitions, hoping to climb another rung through this opportunity. In the second year, they sent numerous Lineage cultivators into the region and occupied two small, low-grade spiritual mines.
These were tangible gains.
And they had suffered almost no losses.
The entire Xu Family was immediately exhilarated and sent a second group of cultivators into the Savage Wastes.
The old Pill Master's grandson burned with envy. Believing the danger to be slight, he ignored his grandfather's earnest pleas and resolutely signed up.
The Xu Family's advance continued smoothly afterward, with good news arriving one after another. But six months ago, while exploring a swamp, a group was ambushed by azure-miasma crocodile dragons lurking beneath it, leaving two mid-Qi Refining cultivators and three at the third level of Qi Refining dead or wounded.
The wounded also had terrifying azure-miasma poison invade their bodies. Even if they were saved, it would be difficult to eradicate, leaving them crippled.
The Pill Master's grandson had been among them. Cunning as he was, he had kept everyone else in front of him as a shield and positioned himself toward the rear.
The attack came suddenly, and he reacted quickly, turning and bolting in an instant. He fled at the head of the pack, only to draw the attention of an azure-miasma crocodile dragon closing off their escape from behind. A water arrow struck him squarely in the back of the head, snuffing out his life.
When the terrible news arrived, the old Pill Master was overcome with grief. Dazed and despondent, he could no longer process the Defective Pills.
The task of processing low-grade Defective Pills finally became available.
Lin Changheng and another low-grade Pill Master of the Xu Family who sought the assignment divided it between them.
Seeing Lin Changheng voluntarily choose the [Crimson Flame Pill] and [Wood Origin Pill], the other Pill Master said little and took the remaining two types.
That did not mean Lin Changheng had no desire for the essence blood in the other two pills. Advancing the Fire Crow Treasure Seed simply offered greater returns.
The results of six months of Spirit Seizure had been quite gratifying.
His gaze settled on the crimson, illusory treasure seed at the cauldron's mouth. With a slight touch of his will, the seed swayed gently.
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed · Third Tier] [Spirit Seizure: 55/100]
Not only had Spirit Seizure filled the third tier of the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed], but progress toward the fourth tier was also nearly halfway complete.
This pace was fast, yet not fast enough.
It was fast because accumulation was nearly twice as quick as it had been in Zichuan Market.
But it was slow because it was only nearly twice as quick!
Lin Changheng carefully ran the numbers. There were currently just over a dozen Pill Masters in the Lineage, six of whom were low-grade Pill Masters.
Of those, two, including Lin Changheng, had chosen a "share of pill production" arrangement. They handled their own Defective Pills rather than depositing them in the Lineage storehouse.
The remaining four all refined pills on a fixed quota: fifteen batches per month, ten pills per batch, not one batch more or less.
With a Defective Pills rate of thirty to forty percent, divided among four kinds of low-grade pills, the figures really did work out about right.
Fortunately, the two major treasure seeds were progressing more or less neck and neck, so it was still acceptable.
[Refined: Fire-Control Art · Clarity] [Effect: finely control ordinary flames; greatly enhance fire-type techniques]
The Fire Crow Treasure Seed's fire-control effect was immediate. Lin Changheng could clearly feel that controlling the furnace flames during pill refinement had become easier and more effortless, responding precisely to his will.
He could now refine seven portions of medicinal ingredients at once. Previously, that number had been five!
Moreover, the second pill in each batch was gradually approaching premium quality.
With a little more polishing of his skills, or once the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] reached its fourth tier and raised his fire control another step, he would be able to produce two premium pills per batch!
Under this enhancement, his control of the Fireball Technique also became more unpredictable. A fireball could suddenly swell in midflight or alter its trajectory considerably, making it impossible to guard against.
Next, Lin Changheng looked at the emerald treasure seed bobbing up and down.
[Greenwood Snake Treasure Seed · Second Tier] [Spirit Seizure: 45/100]
It, too, had completed a round of Spirit Seizure and reached the second tier!
The [Poison Transformation Art] had also risen to the [Spirit Motion] realm.
Its effects had strengthened once more.
[Enhanced bodily resistance to poison; rapidly refine low-grade toxins]
Lin Changheng could not help imagining whether, with continued enhancement, he might acquire a body impervious to a hundred poisons.
After all, many Demon Beasts naturally possessed powerful toxins that cultivators extracted. If he could keep all poison outside his body, it would undoubtedly be a delightful boon.
His fire spiritual root's Spirit Resonance had reached twelve wisps, while his wood spiritual root's had risen to eight!
As for the earthen-yellow [Rockmountain Tortoise Treasure Seed], it had not budged at all. Even the Xu Family had no access to this beast's essence blood.
"Perhaps I could take a look at that little internal trading gathering Fugui mentioned."
A thought stirred, and Lin Changheng suddenly recalled a possible avenue.
According to Xu Fugui, this trading gathering had originally been for the immortal seedlings to exchange what they had for what they needed. Later, someone had spread word of it, and members of the Xu Family had joined.
Its reputation spread, and then there was no stopping it. More and more Lineage members had things they needed and joined in to exchange goods.
Thus, it had grown into the large-scale trading gathering it was today.
It was held only four times a year.
The next one would be at the end of the month.
Lin Changheng now possessed quite a few Spirit Stones. He felt they ought to be turned into essence blood, strength, new methods, and other means of bolstering himself.
They won't breed little ones sitting in storage. Spend them!
Yet before the end of the month arrived,
Xu Fugui's invitation arrived first.
At first, he thought Fugui had had another child. Again. And again. And again.
Only a year ago, Lin Changheng had attended Fugui's banquet celebrating the birth of a son.
His seventh son!
But because the child had no spiritual root, there had been no grand celebration. He had merely invited a few immortal seedlings he was close to for a gathering.
When Lin Changheng saw that no Xu Family members were at the banquet, he knew Xu Fugui still harbored resentment and instead regarded his immortal-seedling friends as his own family.
Stopping his practice of the Aura Concealment Technique, Lin Changheng opened the invitation and discovered that was not the case.
It was a wedding invitation!
He was getting married again, taking another wife.
The bride was still a woman of the Xu Family, but this time she was not a mortal. She was a woman with a spiritual root.
Although it was only a mixed spiritual root, immortals and mortals were still worlds apart.
This woman would be his wife.
The others would take subordinate positions.
Lin Changheng surmised that, first, Fugui had now reached the Qi Refining fifth layer. By any measure, he counted as a mid-ranking force and held a certain standing within the Xu Family.
Second, the Xu Family had seen that Fugui truly loved having children, toiling day and night without pause. He had even fathered a child with a middle-grade spiritual root, giving him a proven record.
But the most crucial reason was that the reclamation front had suffered losses, and the rear had to replenish their ranks with fresh blood.
Thus, they raised the stakes again, marrying another woman with a spiritual root to him.
They hoped he would spread more branches and leaves, producing more descendants with spiritual roots.