books44 Chapter 345 The Invitation from the Clouds
Chapter 345 The Invitation from the Clouds
In the blink of an eye, Lin Changsheng had been in seclusion at the Qingxia Peak Dojo for five years.
Since Xunfengya advanced to the mid-stage of the third tier, its true strength is no weaker than that of the mid-stage third tier Blood-Patterned Python back then.
They are more than capable of serving as guardian beasts of the mountains.
Lin Changsheng himself successfully refined the 'Five Thunder Fan' as his natal magic weapon, nurturing it within his body daily with the power of the Everlasting Spring Technique.
In the remaining time, apart from refining the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron every now and then, Lin Changsheng devoted most of his energy to honing his puppetry skills.
The art of mechanical puppets was something that 'True Poison Master' had never explored in his memories. Like elixirs, it was something that Lin Changsheng had to learn from scratch in his life.
However, thanks to the talent of "Heaven rewards diligence", his skills have been steadily improving.
Now that he has enough materials, Lin Changsheng is confident that he can successfully create a third-tier high-grade puppet. However, the success rate is not high, and with the consumption of various materials, he is in a loss overall.
Therefore, he did not deliberately force the creation of high-level puppets in pursuit of them.
As for the contract he signed with Liu Yanzong, there are still more than 20 years left, which is enough time for him to further hone his skills.
However, during this period, although no new puppets were created, Lin Changsheng upgraded the existing puppet spirit child materials, consuming a lot of high-grade minerals, and successfully reached the category of third-grade superior quality.
With the experience gained from upgrading the Puppet Spirit Child, the other three Corpse Refining Puppets also advanced to the late-stage third-tier puppets.
Furthermore, due to the unique nature of the corpse-refining puppets, the combat power of a single one is almost equivalent to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Lin Changsheng even suspected that if he summoned all three corpse puppets at the same time, they might be comparable to 'quasi-fourth rank'.
Of course, there is no such thing as "quasi-fourth level" in the cultivation realm.
This is just to describe some techniques that surpass ordinary late-stage third-tier abilities, but are still unable to compete with true fourth-tier abilities.
However, Lin Changsheng was confident that with his current abundant resources, if he used all his methods, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch would likely pose a certain threat to him if caught off guard.
Even if they couldn't harm a Nascent Soul True Monarch, they still had a good chance of escaping from him.
"Having cultivated to this level in this lifetime, with many trump cards at my disposal, my true combat strength may have already surpassed that of the 'Heavenly Poison True Man' at his peak."
Based on their abilities, Lin Changsheng made an objective assessment.
Perhaps it was because in his memory, 'Heavenly Poison True Man' was ultimately killed by Nascent Soul True Monarch that Lin Changsheng harbored a persistent obsession.
That is to accumulate trump cards that can truly deal with a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
When you actually get to this point, it's hard not to feel a mix of emotions.
……
On this day, Lin Changsheng was at the temple instructing Han Xinlan in her cultivation.
A message talisman suddenly appeared from within the Liuyan Sect.
Seeing this, Lin Changsheng was somewhat puzzled and immediately used his divine sense to read the contents.
"Sect Leader Huang sent a message saying... True Lord Yunmiao summons me?"
After a while, Lin Changsheng removed the communication talisman from his forehead, a look of surprise on his face.
He had been a guest elder of the Willow Smoke Sect for several years, but had never seen the appearance of True Monarch Yunmiao.
It is said that True Monarch Yunmiao usually cultivates in the temple and rarely goes out, and never communicates with anyone in the sect.
Even if there are any instructions, they are relayed through the temple's attendants.
Why are you looking for him today?
Three days later, Lin Changsheng entered the Liuyan Sect and visited the main temple of Huangjia Sect.
After the meeting, Lin Changsheng learned that the person who received him today was not 'True Lord Yunmiao' himself, but one of his trusted disciples, who came on behalf of the True Lord.
Upon learning this, the last trace of pressure in Lin Changsheng's heart vanished.
A Nascent Soul True Monarch possesses keen senses and powerful divine awareness; in front of such a powerful figure, it is easy for him to see through some of his hidden methods.
For other people, this concern is naturally not an issue.
Not long after, a middle-aged male cultivator in the Golden Core stage named Lu Zhong arrived.
Through Huang Jiazong's introduction, Lin Changsheng learned the identity of the visitor.
Lu Zhong was not a cultivator from the Willow Smoke Sect, but rather came from the family behind True Monarch Yunmiao. He had followed True Monarch Yunmiao for hundreds of years and was deeply trusted by him.
Lin Changsheng was very polite to this person who was close to the True Lord.
After introducing the two to each other, Sect Leader Huang Jia voluntarily left the secret room, leaving the two of them to talk.
"Master Lin is truly a puppet master. Although he is only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, his divine sense is so strong that it probably surpasses that of ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivators. In addition, there is a powerful aura of vitality within him. I have never felt such an aura from a Golden Core cultivator before. No wonder Master Lin was able to overpower that Alchemist Chen with his own methods."
After exchanging glances, Lu Zhong looked them over and showed surprise on his face, praising them.
Clearly, Lu Zhong noticed Lin Changsheng's unusual nature at their first meeting.
"Master Lu, you flatter me. I was merely taking advantage of external resources and engaging in opportunistic behavior."
Upon hearing this, Lin Changsheng's expression shifted slightly, but he calmly explained:
"Moreover, the previous conflict with Elder Chen was entirely due to a misunderstanding. Under the mediation of Sect Master Huang, the misunderstanding was resolved, and they have reconciled."
At the same time, Lin Changsheng was amazed. This Master Lu was indeed extraordinary, having followed the True Lord for many years. He could see through part of his true nature in just one glance.
However, since the other party brought up Chen Xingzhou's matter on their own initiative, and without knowing their intentions, Lin Changsheng still carefully explained.
After all, although Master Lu is only a Golden Core cultivator, he represents True Lord Yunmiao behind him.
"Master Lin, there's no need to explain. I am not a member of the Willow Smoke Sect. Although my master, True Monarch Yunmiao, is from a sect, he has stopped interfering in sect affairs since advancing to the Nascent Soul stage due to some past matters. He generally does not get involved unless it involves life or death."
Judging from his expression, it seemed as if he was comforting Lin Changsheng, as if to say that True Lord Yunmiao would not interfere in this matter.
But then, Master Lu revealed another piece of news that surprised Lin Changsheng.
"Perhaps in the next few years, Master Lin will not have to worry about Master Chen Dan. He has reached the stage of preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, so he naturally has no time to think about other trivial matters."
Master Lu looked calmly at Lin Changsheng and slowly spoke, as if giving a hint.
"Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm..."
Hearing this, Lin Changsheng was slightly surprised, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind Master Lu's implication.
He killed a powerful demon under Master Chen's command, and the two harbored deep resentment that was almost irreconcilable.
But upon closer reflection, the other party has been quite well-behaved over the past few years, as if the misunderstanding has truly been cleared up.
However, Lin Changsheng never let his guard down around this person.
The fact that Master Lu, as the 'representative' of True Monarch Yunmiao, revealed such information without reason suggests a deeper meaning and is by no means accidental.
“If that’s the case, then I, Lin, hope that Master Chen will successfully advance. In that case, the Willow Smoke Sect will have two Nascent Soul cultivators, further enhancing its strength. As a guest elder of the sect, I, Lin, will be honored.”
Lin Changsheng smiled and spoke in a seemingly sincere tone.