Recaps

Lin Changheng met True Disciple Bai at Watermoon Pavilion on Floating Life Lake and presented his substitutions for the ancient herbs in a pill formula. Elder Kong tested the substitutions and confirmed they were suitable, leaving Lin Changheng’s work validated and earning him the elder’s approval.

• After waiting half a year, Lin Changheng traveled with Bai Wan’s envoy toward the Inner Lake, startling the envoy with his speed before learning they were headed to Watermoon Pavilion, not Feather Immortal Island.
• Lin Changheng entered Watermoon Pavilion, met Bai Wan, and gave her a Jade Slip detailing his proposed substitutes and his reasoning.
• Bai Wan summoned Elder Kong, the Immortal City’s alchemist, to verify Lin Changheng’s work, while Lin Changheng sampled the Inner Lake’s Azure Wave Floating Buds.
• Elder Kong examined the Jade Slip, tested the substitutions in his Pill Furnace, and confirmed the herbs would work in the pill formula with only minor adjustments.
• Lin Changheng confidently claimed his answer had an eight-in-ten chance of success, and Elder Kong praised his confidence as befitting an Alchemist.

Lin Changheng secured a valuable alchemy inheritance, a pill furnace, and ten portions of Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood from Bai Hengwan after revealing that he had reached the threshold of mid-grade second-tier alchemy. A month later, he received letters from Mo Zhaoli and Xu Fugui, leaving his next dealings with them open.

• Elder Kong praised Lin Changheng's alchemy and gave him a crimson token, while hinting that Bai Hengwan had gained an advantage in a larger competition.
• Bai Wan offered Lin Changheng an upper-grade second-tier Dao of Alchemy Inheritance and a mid-grade second-tier pill furnace as payment for completing the assignment, and he accepted.
• Lin Changheng asked Bai Wan for Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood and promised to help her with tasks that did not endanger him.
• Lin Changheng admitted he had reached the threshold of mid-grade second-tier alchemy, and Bai Wan gave him ten portions of the essence blood in return for his help completing the ingredient-replacement assignment.
• During the following month, Lin Changheng cultivated, advanced his alchemy, and tested blood-donation frequency for the Deep Lake Spirit Clam.
• Lin Changheng replied to Mo Zhaoli about the Mountain and Marsh Spirit and sent her cultivation elixirs, then answered Xu Fugui's letter and agreed to share a drink when he visited.

Lin Changheng advanced as an alchemist, refined his cultivation and spirit-beast bloodline, and learned that the Immortal City wanted to meet him. After completing a Deep Lake Spirit Clam spirit seizure, he faced a choice among three innate talents.

• Xu Hanwu told Lin Changheng that she had successfully established her foundation, bringing the Xu Family to two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Over three years, Lin Changheng refined the [Jiao Blood Fruit], advanced his cultivation, and became a mid-grade second-tier alchemist capable of producing five [Blazing Sun Spirit Pills] in one batch.
• Yan Mingyi told Lin Changheng that an envoy from the Immortal City had requested a meeting at the usual place on the lake.
• Lin Changheng watched Xiao Bai and the Black-Armored Earth Turtle play, then drew a portion of Xiao Bai's essence blood and gave it a blood-replenishing pill.
• Lin Changheng used one hundred portions of Xiao Bai's essence blood to complete a [Deep Lake Spirit Clam Treasure Seed] spirit seizure.
• The Origin Cauldron offered Lin Changheng a choice among Water Control, Water Arrow, and Spirit Nurturing.

Lin Changheng chose the Spirit-Nurturing talent, gaining a new method for nurturing special objects and setting his sights on treasure talismans. Bai Wan then asked him to help revise the Spirit-Communing Pill formula, and he agreed after she gave him a weakened Talismanized Treasure and promised Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood.

• Lin Changheng chose Spirit Nurturing over Water Control and Water Arrow, awakening the Spirit-Nurturing Foreign Method and learning that he could nurture one suitable object at a time.
• Lin Changheng tested the new ability on his pill furnace and flying sword, but neither qualified for nurturing.
• Bai Wan summoned Lin Changheng to Watermoon Pavilion and asked him to revise ingredients in the Spirit-Communing Pill formula after several refining attempts had failed.
• Lin Changheng hesitated to accept until Bai Wan offered him Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood and then a weakened, single-use Talismanized Treasure.
• Lin Changheng accepted the Talismanized Treasure and agreed to do his utmost to help Bai Wan with the pill formula.

Lin Changheng gained a Flying Sword Talismanized Treasure and asked Chu Guangsheng to help find Eastwheel Willow Wood and a Talismanized Treasure expert, while promising aid for Chu’s junior’s Foundation Establishment. He sold stolen items from Senior Brother Feng and spent the following month studying the Spirit-Communing Pill formula and using Lü Tong’s connections to seek an upper-grade second-tier Talisman Master.

• Lin Changheng returned to his cave residence with Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood and a Flying Sword Talismanized Treasure, then confirmed the Spirit-Nurturing Foreign Method could not nurture it.
• Lin Changheng visited Chu Guangsheng, who offered to seek Eastwheel Willow Wood through a steward he knew in the Azure Firmament Sect and advised that he knew little about refining Treasure Talismans.
• Lin Changheng promised to help Chu Guangsheng’s junior obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, and Chu Guangsheng inferred that Lin Changheng’s Dao of Alchemy had advanced.
• Lin Changheng disguised himself and sold Senior Brother Feng’s spirit artifact saber and defensive Dharma Artifact at secondhand shops.
• Lin Changheng studied the Spirit-Communing Pill formula and asked Lü Tong to connect him with an upper-grade second-tier Talisman Master, promising to join Lü Tong’s next pooled pill-refining venture if it lacked Celestial Crystal Spirit Lotus Root.

Lin Changheng met Senior He, an upper-grade second-tier talisman master, to request a [Treasure Talisman]. She showed interest in his [Youth-Preserving Pills] but asked to inspect a [Beauty-Preserving Pill] before trusting his claims, leaving the bargain unresolved.

• Lü Tong brought Lin Changheng to Senior He’s cave abode, where she revealed she planned to leave the Immortal City for a spirit land nearby.
• After Lü Tong left, Lin Changheng asked Senior He to craft a [Treasure Talisman], and she warned that the talisman was difficult to make before asking what price he could offer.
• Lin Changheng offered his alchemy services, but Senior He said she had no family or lineage that needed his elixirs.
• Lin Changheng mentioned his research into [Foundation Establishment Pills], [Youth-Preserving Pills], and [Beauty-Preserving Pills], which visibly caught Senior He’s interest.
• Senior He asked Lin Changheng to show her a [Beauty-Preserving Pill] before she would believe his claims about its effects.

Lin Changheng discovered that Senior He could detect the unusual vitality in his [Beauty-Preserving Pill] and negotiated a deal for her to provide [Treasure Talismans] in exchange for his future [Youth-Preserving Pill]. He left with an incomplete [Treasure Talisman] as a deposit and a Magic Contract requiring him to give Senior He the first pill from his first batch.

• Lin Changheng gave Senior He a [Beauty-Preserving Pill], and she identified the extra vitality of plants and trees in it.
• Senior He offered five [Treasure Talismans] for each [Youth-Preserving Pill], while Lin Changheng explained that he still needed to find the [Azure Flower Moon Lotus].
• Senior He offered an incomplete [Treasure Talisman] as a deposit, explaining that its second-tier material limited its potential, and Lin Changheng accepted it.
• Lin Changheng and Senior He signed a Magic Contract requiring him to give her the first pill from his first batch in exchange for five genuine [Treasure Talismans].
• Lin Changheng left Senior He's cave residence after she told him he could find her again by asking Lü Tong for directions.

Lin Changheng discovered that his mana had imbued a few Beauty-Preserving Pills with vitality, then nurtured a semi-finished treasure talisman before two crises shook the Song Region. As beast tides and demonic cultivators threatened the region, he resolved to strengthen himself and began training his body.

• Lin Changheng examined his mana and pills, found traces of vitality only in the Beauty-Preserving Pills, and traced the effect to their shared origin with lifespan extension.
• Lin Changheng used the Deep Lake Spirit Clam’s Path-Peeking method to draw the semi-finished treasure talisman into his dantian, where it began absorbing spiritual energy.
• A sudden beast tide devastated the Azure Rosy Clouds Temple’s frontier holdings, prompting mobilization across the region and driving up demand and prices for supplies.
• Lin Changheng suspected an unseen force had driven the beasts south and considered hiring someone to gather demon beast materials while he stayed in Floating Life Immortal City.
• The Azure Firmament Sect’s raid on a Demonic Cultivator den failed to capture its leader, who was revealed to be a False Core Cultivator, while other Demonic Cultivators escaped.
• Lin Changheng resolved to improve his strength and began cultivating his Evergreen Azurewood Body in a medicinal bath using Eastwheel Willow Wood.

Lin Changheng harvested valuable spirit plants, completed the Spirit-Communing Pill formula, and received jade-horned snake essence blood from Xu Xujun. He transformed the Jade-Horned Snake True Core and gained the Breath-Concealment Demon Method, leaving him able to erase nearly every trace of his aura.

• Lin Changheng harvested the ripe vermilion beauty fruit and fire poria, bringing him close to completing the ingredients for the Youth-Preserving Pill.
• Lin Changheng shared his revised Spirit-Communing Pill formula with Bai Wan, and Elder Kong confirmed and corrected it until the formula was ready for refinement.
• Xu Xujun visited Lin Changheng to ask about the beast tide near Azure Rosy Clouds Temple and report on the Qiu Family's defensive stance.
• Xu Xujun gave Lin Changheng the jade-horned snake essence blood collected by the Xu Family, and Lin Changheng paid for it and requested other high-level essence blood in the future.
• Lin Changheng used the Origin Cauldron to transform the Jade-Horned Snake True Core and refine the Breath-Concealment Demon Method, extending his divine sense to two hundred zhang and nearly erasing his aura.

Lin Changheng overcame the concealment difficulty caused by his cultivation, then reunited with Deng Changsheng and sent him to gather demon beast essence blood at the beast tide frontier. As the beast tide created new opportunities, a message arrived that gave Lin Changheng a reason to tell Xiao Hei its long-awaited blood donation was coming.

• Lin Changheng used a technique that concealed him from divine sense as though he were a lifeless object, easing his worries about the Jade Void Radiant Scripture.
• Deng Changsheng returned as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and told Lin Changheng how a former friend had ambushed him before he eventually established his foundation.
• Lin Changheng gave Deng Changsheng spirit stones and cultivation elixirs, then sent him to the Azure Rosy Clouds Temple's beast tide frontier to buy demon beast essence blood.
• Lin Changheng bid for a Jiao Blood Fruit and a defensive jade hairpin at the Small Auction, then placed the hairpin in Yan Mingyi's hair.
• As the beast tide drew cultivators to the front, Lin Changheng noticed the Huang Household remained unusually inactive and waited for news from Deng Changsheng.
• A Communication Jade Talisman arrived while Lin Changheng was drawing essence blood from Xiao Bai, and he told Xiao Hei that its anticipated blood donation was finally coming.

Lin Changheng received news from Mo Zhaoli about negotiations for a [Red-Eyed Fire] and her cultivation, then met Bai Hengwan and received a [Spirit-Communing Pill]. Two years later, he used the pill to help the [Black-Armored Earth Turtle] break through to the second tier, and the turtle succeeded.

• Lin Changheng read Mo Zhaoli's letter, learned that negotiations for the [Red-Eyed Fire] might succeed and that she had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment third layer, and encouraged her to contact him for pills.
• Bai Hengwan gave Lin Changheng a [Spirit-Communing Pill] as a gift from Elder Kong and hinted that human greed had caused the sudden beast tide near the [Azure Rosy Clouds Temple].
• Two years later, Lin Changheng guarded the [Black-Armored Earth Turtle] as it began its breakthrough in Cave Abode Number Ninety-Eight.
• At Lin Changheng's command, the [Black-Armored Earth Turtle] swallowed the [Spirit-Communing Pill] and underwent a days-long transformation amid gathering spiritual energy.
• The [Black-Armored Earth Turtle] successfully reached the second tier, and Yan Mingyi and Lin Changheng watched as it proudly circled them.

Lin Changheng tested the Black-Armored Earth Turtle’s formidable defenses, learned how its battlefield-control abilities could complement his attacks, and refined the Azure Rain Mist Toad’s Illusion talent. As the Beast Tide and reports of Demonic Cultivators stirred suspicion, Deng Changsheng found a way to pursue Lin Changheng’s mission after meeting an old friend at the temporary market ward.

• Lin Changheng tested the Black-Armored Earth Turtle with a flame sword and a spirit artifact, but its shell endured both attacks and quickly healed.
• Lin Changheng learned that Xiao Hei could use Earth-Escaping Technique and several earth-based demon arts, and planned to pair its battlefield control with his own attacks.
• Lin Changheng collected another batch of Azure Rain Mist Toad essence blood, completed Spirit Seizure, and refined the Illusion talent as the Foreign Method Path-Peeking.
• Cultivators speculated that a powerful demon was directing the Beast Tide, while Lin Changheng doubted Azure Firmament Factory’s claim that it had eradicated the Demonic Cultivators.
• Deng Changsheng found that a temporary market ward’s contribution-point system undercut his offers for demon beast materials, then reunited with a friend who had reached Foundation Establishment after being disciplined and given resources by his False Core elder.

Deng Changsheng obtained Turbid Baleful-grade essence blood through Qian Fusheng, while Lin Changheng secured the last herb needed for Foundation Establishment Pills and refined two Premium pills in one furnace. News of Lin Changheng’s achievement spread through Floating Life Immortal City, drawing more prominent visitors to his cave abode.

• Deng Changsheng persuaded Qian Fusheng to divert a batch of essence blood to him, paying Qian a premium, but Qian refused to help him obtain other varieties.
• Deng Changsheng returned to Floating Life Immortal City with over a hundred portions of essence blood, then departed with more spirit stones after making a Dao Oath to Lin Changheng.
• True Disciple Yang brought seven-star spirit moon grass to Lin Changheng for a Foundation Establishment Pill, and Bai Hengwan told him to fire up his furnace for her senior sister.
• Lin Changheng refined three Foundation Establishment Pills, including two Premium pills with cloud patterns, and distributed them to the cultivators who had supplied ingredients.
• True Disciple Yang asked Lin Changheng about future cooperation, and he gave her an ambiguous but open-ended answer before she departed.
• News of Lin Changheng’s two Premium Foundation Establishment Pills spread through Floating Life Immortal City, bringing a surge of visitors, including Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators.

Mo Zhaoli visited Lin Changheng and invited him to help hunt a second-tier Blue-Furred Tiger for Demon Cores that could earn them Ice Pool Jade Spring and aid a Foundation Establishment breakthrough. Lin agreed to join her, and they planned to leave in half a month after he finished refining a batch of pills.

• Mo Zhaoli visited Lin Changheng's cave abode and discovered that his Black-Armored Earth Turtle had reached the second tier.
• Mo Zhaoli explained that she and two sect friends had accepted a task to collect rare Spirit Materials in exchange for Ice Pool Jade Spring, and she hoped to hunt a pregnant Blue-Furred Tiger for its water-and-wind Demon Cores.
• Lin Changheng assessed his strength and resources, asked Mo Zhaoli for more details, and agreed to join the hunt.
• Mo Zhaoli and Lin Changheng settled their roles and chose to leave in half a month, after Lin finished refining the Three-Turn Gold-Fixing Pill for a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator.

Lin Changheng inventoried his cultivation methods and treasures before setting out with Mo Zhaoli on a journey to hunt beasts in the Savage Wilderness. After entering the wastes, they faced demonic qi that suppressed their divine senses and prepared to continue on foot.

• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli discussed his alchemy reputation, then she visited his cave abode and departed.
• Lin Changheng reviewed his abilities, methods, artifacts, talismans, and puppets, and concluded that he could contend with middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Half a month later, Lin Changheng disguised himself and boarded Mo Zhaoli’s Dharma Boat, leaving Yan Mingyi behind to guard his cave abode.
• Mo Zhaoli and Lin Changheng flew north before turning west toward the Savage Wilderness, passing a defensive wall built by the Purple Pole Sect.
• After entering the Savage Wilderness, Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli felt their divine senses suppressed by demonic qi, and Mo Zhaoli said they would soon need to leave the Dharma Boat.

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli hunted demon beasts together in the Savage Wilderness, sharing spoils and coordinating their attacks. After a Scarlet-Thread Demon Snake ambushed them with a deadly final fire attack, Lin Changheng used his fire-control and fire-repelling abilities to save Mo Zhaoli, then comforted her.

• Mo Zhaoli led Lin Changheng through the forest, killing hidden demon beasts with her silver bracelet spirit artifact.
• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli killed a black deer demon beast, divided its spoils, and shared roasted meat in its cave.
• Lin Changheng struck at a disguised Scarlet-Thread Demon Snake, and Mo Zhaoli hit its exposed seven-inch vital point.
• The snake unleashed a final fire-thread attack at Mo Zhaoli, but Lin Changheng used Fire Control and Fire Repelling to dissipate it.
• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli destroyed the snake, and he reassured her that its ambush was not her fault.

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli tracked a Blue-Furred Tiger family to a waterfall, learned that the tigress had recently given birth and the late-stage male was often away, and prepared to ambush the tigress. Lin also spotted the Azure Flower Moon Lotus he needed, and the chapter ended as Mo launched her attack while Lin activated the formation and sent out his Black Tortoise.

• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli divided the Scarlet-Thread Demon Snake's valuable materials, then detoured around other cultivators fighting a demon beast.
• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli found the waterfall where the Blue-Furred Tigers lived and spent half a month watching the tigress, her cubs, and the powerful male tiger.
• Lin Changheng spotted an Azure Flower Moon Lotus in the male tiger's mouth and recognized it as the final main ingredient he needed for the Youth-Preserving Pill.
• After the male tiger left, Lin Changheng placed his Deep Lake Spirit Clam in the pool and set up a Mirage Water-Curtain Formation around the waterfall.
• When the tigress returned from hunting, Mo Zhaoli attacked her with a three-pronged silver projectile as Lin Changheng activated the formation and sent his Black Tortoise underground.

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli coordinated with their spirit artifacts, puppet, talismans, and allies to trap and kill the Blue-Furred Tiger. After confirming its death, they began harvesting the corpse and checking the cave behind the waterfall, where Lin Changheng headed deeper into the passage.

• The Blue-Furred Tiger damaged Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli's spirit artifacts, but Lin Changheng's Humanoid Puppet shielded him from her wind blades.
• Mo Zhaoli struck the Blue-Furred Tiger with Ice Soul Needles while the Humanoid Puppet knocked her off balance, and Lin Changheng bound her with a vine net.
• The Black-Armored Earth Turtle trapped the Blue-Furred Tiger with earth spikes and pillars as the Deep Lake Spirit Clam pierced her throat with a water arrow.
• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli delivered finishing blows, and Lin Changheng burned the Blue-Furred Tiger's head with Redcloud Profound Flame to confirm she was dead.
• Mo Zhaoli began harvesting the Blue-Furred Tiger's corpse while Lin Changheng entered the cave behind the waterfall and continued down its passage.

Lin Changheng discovered two newborn Demon Tiger Cubs, an Azure Flower Moon Lotus, five ores, and two Blue-Furred Tiger demon cores in the Blue-Furred Tiger’s cave before escaping the Savage Wilderness with Mo Zhaoli. A pair of cultivators later occupied the cave and were killed by the returning Blue-Furred Male Tiger, while Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli rested in the Song Region and examined their spoils.

• Lin Changheng found two Demon Tiger Cubs in the cave and decided to keep them, then collected the uneaten Azure Flower Moon Lotus and five pieces of ore.
• Lin Changheng uncovered two water-and-wind demon cores hidden beneath the nest and left the cave with the cubs before the Blue-Furred Male Tiger returned.
• Lin Changheng met Mo Zhaoli outside, dismantled the formation, and they hurried out of the Savage Wilderness.
• A wounded Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator and his nephew found the empty cave and took shelter there.
• The returning Blue-Furred Male Tiger discovered the two cultivators, killed them, and roared in fury after failing to find his cubs.
• Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli reached the Song Region, rested in an abandoned cave, and shared their spoils, including the two cubs.

Lin Changheng returned to Floating Life Immortal City with Mo Zhaoli after their successful hunt, then spent three years cultivating and preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment middle stage. He emerged at the peak of the Foundation Establishment third layer, with the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] and [Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure] ready for his breakthrough, and had already refined three [Youth-Preserving Pills].

• Mo Zhaoli decided to raise one Blue-Furred Tiger cub each with Lin Changheng, and they divided the ore and other spoils from the hunt.
• Lin Changheng returned to Cave Abode Number Ninety-Eight, reunited with Yan Mingyi, and entrusted her with a Blue-Furred Tiger cub while praising the help of his spirit beasts.
• Lin Changheng entered seclusion to refine [Youth-Preserving Pills] and cultivate, while Mo Zhaoli later delivered the [Ice Pool Jade Spring] and [Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasure].
• After three years, Lin Changheng emerged at age eighty-five with his cultivation at the peak of the Foundation Establishment third layer and planned to prepare before attempting a breakthrough.
• Lin Changheng found his three spirit beasts thriving in the crowded courtyard, then visited his secret herb garden and reflected on the three [Youth-Preserving Pills] he had refined.

Lin Changheng exchanged messages with Talisman Master He about trading a Youth-Preserving Pill for Treasure Talismans and planned his trip to Jade Capital Mountain and the Purple Pole Sect secret realm. He broke through to the Foundation Establishment middle stage, greatly strengthening his mana and divine sense, then learned that Mo Zhaoli had written and Deng Changsheng had returned from the Beast Tide Frontier.

• Lü Tong told Lin Changheng that Talisman Master He had prepared the Treasure Talismans and invited him to Jade Capital Mountain to complete their exchange.
• Lin Changheng planned to visit Jade Capital Mountain before the secret realm opened, but decided to wait until after advancing his cultivation and not enter the secret realm himself.
• Lin Changheng sensed an opportunity to break through, entered seclusion, and used Ice Pool Jade Spring and Azure Spirit Milk to overcome the bottleneck.
• Lin Changheng reached the Foundation Establishment middle stage and found that his divine sense could precisely extend nearly four hundred zhang.
• After a month of seclusion, Lin Changheng emerged with his cultivation largely stabilized, and Yan Mingyi told him that Mo Zhaoli had written and Deng Changsheng had returned from the Beast Tide Frontier.

Lin Changheng received Mo Zhaoli’s news, then used spirit beast essence blood to strengthen his abilities and acquire Earth Control. After testing its powers and improving his Earth Escape, he reflected on his growing spiritual roots and new illusion technique.

• Yan Mingyi told Lin Changheng that Deng Changsheng had settled in the Immortal City, and Lin Changheng summoned him to visit the next day.
• Lin Changheng read Mo Zhaoli’s letter: she had reached the Foundation Establishment middle stage, while a sect senior had sold the Mountain and Marsh Spirit they had discussed to someone else.
• Lin Changheng used essence blood from the Deep Lake Spirit Clam to refine Spirit Motion, increasing his ability to nurture wondrous items and raising his water spiritual root’s spirit resonance to twelve strands.
• Lin Changheng chose Earth Control from the Black-Armored Earth Turtle’s innate talents, then tested his ability to shape and harden soil, trap enemies, and form a stone spear.
• Lin Changheng found that Earth Control had improved his Earth Escape to a hundred-foot descent and a seven-li escape, while his earth spiritual root’s spirit resonance reached eighteen wisps.
• Lin Changheng noted that Bai Hengwan’s continued supply had raised his Azure Rain Mist Toad Treasure Seed to threefold and granted him the Clarity illusion method, which could affect seasoned Foundation Establishment middle-stage cultivators.

Lin Changheng received 1,200 portions of Three-Legged Fire Civet essence blood from Deng Changsheng and rewarded him for completing the task. At a Treasure Exchange Gathering, Lin realized someone had publicized his connection to the Spirit-Communing Pill to put him under scrutiny, and the host began the exchange.

• Deng Changsheng reported that he had safely obtained 1,200 portions of Three-Legged Fire Civet essence blood and gave Lin Changheng a jade slip about the beast.
• Lin Changheng praised Deng Changsheng’s work and rewarded him with three bottles of elixirs.
• Lin Changheng brought the Black-Armored Earth Turtle along and went to a Treasure Exchange Gathering hosted by Luo.
• The gathered Foundation Establishment cultivators warmly welcomed Lin Changheng and discussed his alchemy achievements and the Spirit-Communing Pill.
• Lin Changheng suspected Bai Hengwan’s senior sister had spread news of his role in the Spirit-Communing Pill to make him a target.
• Luo welcomed the guests and explained that they had gathered to exchange treasures rather than sell them for spirit stones.

Lin Changheng attended the Treasure Exchange Gathering in the Immortal City, where cultivators traded rare materials and treasures. He exchanged a Pill Formula for Lightning-Struck Grass suited to his Evergreen Azurewood Body method, giving his Body Tempering a chance to advance.

• Lin Changheng decided the gathering was safe enough to attend after learning it would take place in the Immortal City and after advancing to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.
• Scholar Luo presented three treasures, including Soul-Calming Grass and sharp-metal ore, and traded the Soul-Calming Grass to a hemp-robed cultivator for earthflame marrow crystal and additional payment.
• An old cultivator offered bintie iron for a Premium Foundation Establishment Pill, an aged upper-grade second-tier medicinal herb, or Foundation Establishment Spirit Treasures, but received no offers; Lin Changheng stayed silent as the old man returned to his seat.
• Lin Changheng traded a rare Pill Formula for a dark-faced cultivator's Lightning-Struck Grass after recognizing its use in the Evergreen Azurewood Body's lightning-based Body Tempering technique.
• Lin Changheng sealed the Lightning-Struck Grass in a Jade Box, expecting it to help advance his Body Tempering.

After the Treasure Exchange Gathering, Lin Changheng faced a concealed gaze from a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator and resolved to strengthen himself. He used the Three-Legged Fire Civet treasure seeds to refine fire resistance, leaving its power still deepening within his body.

• The scholarly cultivator surnamed Luo ended the gathering and announced that he would host another Treasure Exchange Gathering in five years.
• Lin Changheng received a visit request from the Ink-Robed cultivator and later sensed a concealed Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator watching him as he left.
• Lin Changheng returned home, concluded that he needed greater strength, and decided to use Lightning-Struck Grass to pursue a Body Tempering breakthrough.
• Lin Changheng began Spirit Seizure on the Three-Legged Fire Civet essence blood and chose its fire resistance talent over spirit scent and berserk.
• Lin Changheng refined successive Three-Legged Fire Civet treasure seeds, strengthening his fire resistance as warm currents spread through his body.