Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 297 Refining the Spirit Cauldron

half year later.

Guigu Sect, Mingling Peak.

"Hahahahaha..."

"I have finally regained my physical body!"

A weak yet excited voice echoed through the cave.

A black 'Nightmare Moth' lay wounded and crawling in the cave.

“Senior Aoki, this ‘Nightmare Moth’ has suffered severe physical damage and will need several years to recover. In addition, the new body and the demon infant need to work together, so it is not advisable to overuse magic power for at least ten years.”

After checking the Nightmare Moth's condition one last time, Lin Changsheng withdrew his magic power and solemnly reminded it.

After returning to Mingling Peak, Lin Changsheng specifically searched for information about the 'Nightmare Moth' and discovered that this moth was indeed a rare species with a unique bloodline. There were even records of fourth-tier 'Nightmare Moths' in some records of demons and strange insects.

In addition to its compatibility with the Aoki King Butterfly's spiritual attributes, it is a rare 'target' for possession.

However, the Nightmare Moth, which originally had a mid-stage third-tier cultivation level, was forcibly possessed by a fourth-tier demon infant. It was like a small horse pulling a heavy cart, and its physical body was in an overloaded state.

Although he has successfully possessed the body, he is in poor condition.

"Hmph, it's not your place, human brat, to teach me how to do things."

Aoki Ocho's haughty voice rang out.

Lin Changsheng, who was already used to this, simply smiled indifferently and didn't take it to heart.

Whether it was the demonic infant of the Aoki King Butterfly or the physical body of the 'Nightmare Moth,' he left behind restrictive measures before possessing it.

Therefore, even if the possession is successful, as long as the demon has not fully recovered to the fourth-order demon king realm, Lin Changsheng will still have the power of life and death over this demon.

Having gained a great advantage, Lin Changsheng naturally wouldn't care about gaining verbal advantage; he would simply let Qingmu Wangdie vent her anger.

"As long as Senior Aoki doesn't forget what he promised me, that's fine."

Lin Changsheng gently reminded him.

"Hmph, it's incredibly unlucky for me to fall into the hands of a human brat like you."

"If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to let those two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountains capture and refine them."

Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, Qingmu Wangdie sounded somewhat depressed.

However, he still transmitted a mantra to Lin Changsheng.

"Thank you, Senior Aoki!"

Lin Changsheng's face lit up with joy, and he spoke with a hint of excitement.

Before agreeing to help Aoki Ohcho possess a body, he took the opportunity to propose two conditions.

First, the Seven-Colored King Butterfly Wings belong to him, and he is allowed to refine them at his own discretion.

Secondly, they informed him of the method to open the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron.

Upon hearing this, Aoki Ohcho naturally let out another round of "waaaaaa".

These two conditions are actually not unreasonable.

After all, although the Seven-Colored King Butterfly Wings were the original wings of the Green Wood King Butterfly, they were basically useless to her after she possessed the Nightmare Moth.

In fact, both of them knew perfectly well that the Seven-Colored King Butterfly Wing had followed Lin Changsheng for many years and was extremely effective at saving his life and escaping. Although it was under the guise of a loan, it was impossible for him to return it easily.

Unless Lin Changsheng's cultivation improves to the point where he no longer needs the Seven-Colored King Butterfly Wings, or he finds a better alternative.

As for the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron, it was only out of necessity that Lin Changsheng temporarily took it. The Azure Wood King Butterfly often talked about the ownership of the two items, but in reality, she had already tacitly agreed that they belonged to Lin Changsheng.

This time, it was merely an opportunity to seize control of the body and definitively establish ownership of the two treasures.

Before this, after years of exploration, Lin Changsheng gradually discovered that even if he refined the cauldron, he still found it difficult to activate, as if there was always a lack of a medium between the two.

After carefully reviewing 'Tian Du Zhenren's' memories, Lin Changsheng finally found some fragmented recollections.

Legend has it that those who cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage can gain initial control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, thereby enabling them to unleash some powerful supernatural abilities and secret techniques.

Even ordinary, low-level spells become much more powerful in the hands of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Therefore, once one reaches the Nascent Soul realm, the number of supernatural abilities one can use increases. Apart from the natal magic treasure nurtured for many years, only a few top-grade magic treasures can catch the eye of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Even above magical artifacts, there are even higher-level treasures that require special incantations to activate.

If the method is not right, even if one possesses a treasure, one cannot exert its full effect.

Lin Changsheng suspected that the Green Wood Spirit Cauldron might be a treasure of an even higher level.

However, because the 'Heavenly Poison True Man' was not at a high enough level, he had never come into contact with a treasure of this level, so Lin Changsheng naturally had no way of knowing about it.

"The Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron is no ordinary magic weapon, but a higher-level 'spiritual treasure' that the old master obtained from an ancient ruin after going through great lengths and risking his life."

"Looking at the cultivation world today, even among ten Nascent Soul cultivators, it's not possible to produce a single 'spiritual treasure'."

"If it weren't for those two human cultivators' sneak attack back then, and if I had been given another thirty years... no... fifteen years to refine this cauldron, hmph... even if the two of them were tied together, they wouldn't be a match for me."

The thought of Lin Changsheng taking away such a spiritual cauldron made Qingmu Wangdie's tone sour, and she looked listless.

The Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron is her greatest trump card and reliance.

Without this cauldron, even if he were to return to the fourth-tier demon king realm in this lifetime, he would have no extraordinary abilities.

Aoki Ocho was extremely frustrated.

"Senior Aoki, why bother? We've known each other for many years, sharing benefits and risks. It doesn't really matter who gets to use this cauldron."

"Moreover, the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron is extremely precious. Senior has not yet returned to his pre-transformation form and is temporarily in demon form. It would be too ostentatious for him to use this cauldron openly. My actions are also out of good intentions."

Lin Changsheng smiled slightly and offered heartfelt reassurance.

……

In the following period, Lin Changsheng used several precious materials to refine third-order healing pills to assist the Green Wood King Butterfly in healing its injuries and accelerate the recovery of the hidden injuries left during the possession.

This caused a delay of more than a month.

Subsequently, Lin Changsheng couldn't wait to seal off his cave and enter a state of seclusion.

Lin Changsheng summoned the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron and immediately tried to run the incantation.

Before long, he found that the barrier between him and the cauldron had indeed vanished.

A joyful feeling seemed to emanate from within the enormous, verdant ancient cauldron, resonating with its new owner.

Lin Changsheng had a thought, silently recited the incantation, and then raised his hand and waved it.

The heavy solid wood lid of the Green Wood Spirit Cauldron opened, releasing an extremely pure and refreshing aroma of herbs and trees.

He immediately probed into it with his divine sense, and when he saw the items displayed inside, his heart couldn't help but pound wildly!

The first thing that catches the eye is a large mass of crystal-clear, viscous, emerald-green liquid, exuding a rich and pure aroma.

"This is... such a large quantity of Wanmu Ling glue!"

Lin Changsheng could not hide his surprise.

'Wanmu Lingjiao' is a fourth-tier wood-attribute spiritual item, a coveted treasure for cultivators practicing wood-attribute techniques, with a wide range of uses.

Previously, in the Li clan's territory in Dafang Township, Lu Xun had given Lin Changsheng a small batch of Wanmu Lingjiao, which made Qingmu Wangdie very envious.

Not to mention, the amount of the myriad wood spirit glue in the Green Wood Spirit Cauldron is dozens of times greater than what Lu Xun originally gave it.

"Such a large quantity of Wanmu Spirit Glue is more than enough to meet the needs of daily cultivation."

Lin Changsheng took a deep breath to calm his slightly agitated emotions and looked at the scene again.

Besides the Wanmu Spirit Glue, there were several magical artifacts, various jade slips of inheritance, and many bottles and jars.

There were even two yellowed books of moderate thickness, and a half-finished treasure that looked like a nine-toothed rake.

The treasures that can be seen directly are almost all of the fourth rank or higher.

The next moment, Lin Changsheng's gaze fell on the two seemingly old and yellowed books, and he couldn't help but become interested.

Generally speaking, whether it is a martial arts technique or a rare skill, it is common to store and preserve it in jade slips, which is accurate and convenient.

However, some ancient techniques and secret arts that are too precious to be passed down still retain the habit of being recorded in books.

the reason is simple.

Firstly, in ancient times, the method of recording text on jade slips was not yet popular.

In order to preserve the integrity of their heritage as much as possible, ancient monks would use precious paper scrolls or special leather to record their teachings.

Being chosen as a vessel is itself a treasure that can be stored for a long time.

Therefore, if you see physical books or scrolls in some ruins, they are almost always from ancient times and have certain value as a legacy.

Secondly, later, some cultivators devised a treasure called the Memory Jade Slip, which replaced books and paper scrolls by recording memories.

Not only is it more convenient and faster, but it also greatly improves the accuracy of the inherited content.

However, as time went by, the drawbacks of jade slips gradually became apparent. Many jade slips that recorded inheritances gradually lost their internal spiritual energy over the long years, resulting in the disappearance of the recorded content and even the severing of many precious inheritances from ancient times.

Therefore, some content that has significance for inheritance is still recorded using ancient methods to ensure absolute accuracy.

Lin Changsheng speculated that the value of these two yellowed books was even greater than that of these jade slips.

……

'Ancient Ape Glazed Glass Skill'

'Green Wood Creation Technique'

A few days later, Lin Changsheng browsed through two books, feeling both surprised and delighted.

The font used in these two books is slightly different from the mainstream font used in the cultivation world today.

Lin Changsheng spent a considerable amount of effort, combining the experiences of 'Heavenly Poison Master' who had traveled to various places, before he was able to barely read through the contents.

These two ancient martial arts techniques, one body and one method, are extremely extraordinary.

In terms of quality, it has completely surpassed the "Netherworld Poison Scripture," the main cultivation technique of "Heavenly Poison Master" back then.

“This ‘Ancient Ape Glazed Technique’ is a body-refining technique from ancient times. The fact that it was specially collected and passed down by ancient cultivators shows that even in ancient times, this technique was quite outstanding and could replace the ‘Purple Jade Body Refining Technique’ that we are currently practicing.”

"As for the 'Azure Wood Creation Technique,' it is also an excellent wood-attribute cultivation method. Although it is not enough to replace the 'Withered Wood Everlasting Technique,' some of its secret techniques and supernatural abilities can be learned from to make up for the lack of offensive means in the Everlasting Technique."

Thinking of this, Lin Changsheng couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Although he had always practiced body-refining techniques, the 'Purple Jade Body Refining Technique' was originally developed by the 'Heavenly Poison Master' to enhance his blood and qi, suppress toxins, and delay the drawbacks of poisonous techniques. He had no intention of developing it further in this area.

Aside from having abundant qi and blood, they don't have much of an advantage in terms of attack and combat.

Especially after advancing to the third level of body refinement, one is only theoretically equivalent to a cultivator of the same level, but in reality, the combat power one can exert is probably slightly weaker than that of a cultivator of the same level.

With the 'Ancient Ape Glazed Skill' and Lin Changsheng's own foundation in physical cultivation, given time, he will be able to truly stand on his own, relying solely on his physical strength.

In addition, the supernatural powers and secret techniques contained in the 'Azure Wood Creation Technique' directly increased Lin Changsheng's ability to fight against others and protect his path.

He immediately waved his hand and put the two books away.

My gaze fell on the most eye-catching unfinished nine-toothed rake.

This rake is entirely black with a rough surface, and even the engraved inscription is incomplete, clearly indicating that it is a semi-finished product.

Furthermore, Lin Changsheng did not sense any magical artifacts or treasures inside the rake; it was as if it were a lifeless piece of raw iron that could not be refined.

Reaching out and grasping the nine-toothed rake, I felt its rough, slightly cool texture and incredible hardness.

When he exerted a little force, the heavy feeling in his hand surprised Lin Changsheng. The end of the rake was lifted up, but the other end remained stuck in the cauldron.

Even someone at the early stage of the third-order body refinement realm couldn't fully lift this rake!

"rise!"

Lin Changsheng's expression was solemn. He gripped the end of the rake firmly with both hands, and his blood and qi erupted, enveloping him in a surge of green magical energy. By using the power of both physical and magical cultivation, he was finally able to barely lift the nine-toothed rake.

"Dangdang!"

A few breaths later, Lin Changsheng withdrew his strength, and the Nine-Toothed Rake fell to the ground, directly smashing a dent into the cave floor.

"With this nine-toothed rake and body-refining techniques, wouldn't it be enough to easily sweep away Golden Core cultivators!"

Lin Changsheng's chest heaved, his eyes burning with passion.

……

A few months later.

On this day, Lin Changsheng was in seclusion in his cave when his disciple He Dawei came to report.

“Master, Elder Shen from Qingluan Peak has visited us many times. She said that if you don’t leave soon, she will come to us in person.”

He Dawei, with a bitter face, nervously activated the restriction.

The reason is simple: before his seclusion, Master specifically instructed that we should not disturb him unnecessarily.

As time went on, he, as the fourth senior brother of Mingling Peak, felt increasingly anxious and under immense pressure.

Senior Brother Hao Chi cultivates the 'Blood Burning Secret Technique,' and his cultivation is outstanding. He also possesses a mastery of spiritual cuisine, making him highly respected among the disciples of Mingling Peak.

Second Senior Sister Han Jiuying, under the guidance of her master, has become increasingly proficient in poison skills.

Third Senior Brother Lu Ming is naturally suited to cultivating puppet ghosts, which aligns with the mainstream techniques of the Ghost Valley Sect.

Fifth Junior Sister Yun Miaomiao and Sixth Junior Brother Wu Gang both possess top-grade spiritual roots, and it will probably take them a few years to surpass them.

His fourth disciple, however, was mediocre and lacked any special skills.

He was dreaming again, and in the dream he was being challenged by a new disciple with a mid-grade spiritual root, who then took away his status as a disciple.

After much deliberation, He Dawei decided to cling tightly to his master's leg.

Under normal circumstances, even if an outsider is a Golden Core cultivator, he would not want to disturb his master's seclusion.

However, the visitor turned out to be Elder Shen from Qingluan Peak, which made He Dawei feel very troubled.

He always felt that a celestial woman like Shen Xianzi, who frequently visited Mingling Peak, might very well become his master's cultivation partner in the future.

"If it's Elder Shen, Master shouldn't blame him, right?"

He Dawei muttered to himself.