Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 379 Returning to Familiar Grounds, Shifting Circumstances

"A self-destruction at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm surpasses the combined might of an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Truly extraordinary."

Inside the cave, Lin Changsheng sighed inwardly.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Nightmare Moth activated its innate divine power, using its mental strength to influence the circulation of Chen Xingzhou's nascent soul energy, thus preventing it from unleashing its full destructive power.

Otherwise, even with Lin Changsheng's fourth-order body refinement realm and physical strength comparable to a fourth-order magic weapon, he might not be able to withstand it.

Even so, the battle two years ago was the most serious injury he had ever sustained since he began training.

Before the two could catch their breath after the battle, Lin Changsheng sensed an unfamiliar Nascent Soul aura approaching.

Faced with such an unknown threat, he disregarded the other party's intentions and immediately used a flying technique treasured by the 'Saint King of Reincarnation', sacrificing a large amount of his essence in exchange for increased speed.

Fortunately, the unfamiliar Nascent Soul aura did not follow for long before giving up.

Otherwise, Lin Changsheng and Nightmare Moth would probably have to go through another fierce battle.

In the two years since he settled down, Lin Changsheng has been hiding in a public second-tier spiritual vein, and has barely managed to recover about 70-80% of the hidden dangers and internal injuries in his body.

"Young Lin, although the supernatural abilities you have mastered are quite effective, they all come at the cost of consuming your own life force. After all, you are not a true Nascent Soul cultivator. Forcibly activating them will only cause more severe backlash to yourself."

"The methods you used in your previous battle with that human scum and during your final escape will likely cost you nearly twenty years of your lifespan."

A slightly worried voice came from beside me.

"Senior Qingmu, as you can see, it was not that I provoked them. It was just that True Monarch Qingdan harbored a grudge against me and decided to use him as a whetstone to test his own strength."

"If it weren't for that strange Nascent Soul cultivator who suddenly appeared at the last moment, we wouldn't have had to be in such a sorry state this time."

Lin Changsheng smiled, not taking it to heart.

When dealing with Chen Xingzhou, he had tried to use secret techniques, which put a considerable strain on himself.

If it were an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, each use would probably cost seven or eight years of their lifespan.

But Lin Changsheng seems to be different.

Thanks to the special nature of the "Eternal Spring Technique," he has practiced for over two hundred years without ever feeling the end of his lifespan.

His own boundless life force intrigued him, as if it had no end.

Therefore, performing this secret technique that consumes life force and lifespan is also an experiment for Lin Changsheng.

I want to experience firsthand what it feels like to have my lifespan depleted.

He cultivated to the late Golden Core stage in just over two hundred years. Even according to the normal lifespan of a cultivator, he still had nearly three hundred years to squander.

Moreover, Lin Changsheng mainly cultivates health preservation techniques, his aura is peaceful, and his lifespan far exceeds that of ordinary cultivators.

If Lin Changsheng could truly sense the passage of his lifespan through the consumption of these secret techniques, and thus estimate his approximate lifespan, it wouldn't be bad for him.

Even a vague concept can at least give him a sense of urgency; appropriate pressure is more conducive to progress in cultivation.

After two years of rest and recuperation, Lin Changsheng decided not to stay there any longer.

He estimated that Yunmiao Zhenjun must have already noticed his sudden departure and his collaboration with the fourth-tier demon king to kill Chen Xingzhou.

It may have already been revealed that the 'Saint of Reincarnation' failed to possess another body.

Although this place is far from Yan Country, separated by mountains and rivers, and is bordered by seven or eight countries.

However, it is still not safe enough for a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch to be determined to investigate, as there is a risk of exposure.

……

Lin Changsheng bought a map of the nearby cultivation world in the market and planned his future route according to the memories of 'True Poison Master'.

After founding the Han family, 'Heavenly Poison Master' ventured alone into the cultivation world in search of a breakthrough, traveling to multiple countries.

This includes 'Gunzhou', which is adjacent to the Guigu Sect.

Unbeknownst to me, more than fifty years have passed since I left the Guigu Sect.

At that time, Lin Changsheng's cultivation was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. He was worried that the Ghost Valley True Lord would covet his magical power, so he made an excuse to avoid him.

Now, both his cultivation level and his abilities have improved, so he no longer needs to be as cautious as before when facing ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Moreover, the people of the cultivation world in 'Gunzhou' are known for their fierce and combat-oriented nature, and the region is also rich in mineral resources, making it relatively easy to obtain high-level materials.

The neighboring 'Nine Swamps Continent' is rich in monsters, which is more conducive to the growth of the monsters under your command.

Most importantly, given Lin Changsheng's current cultivation level at the late Golden Core stage, the requirements for spiritual veins for cultivation are quite high.

Only top-tier spiritual veins of the third rank or higher can significantly promote cultivation.

Spiritual veins of this level are not common and are usually occupied by Nascent Soul cultivators.

To use a top-tier third-order training ground for cultivation, one must sign a series of contracts with the forces that own these training grounds and serve their sect.

As for high-level cultivators who join the sect midway through their careers, it is almost impossible for them to integrate into the core; they will only have their value constantly exploited.

This was not what Lin Changsheng wanted.

For him at present, the method of cultivating spiritual veins by the Ghost Valley True Lord is most suitable for Lin Changsheng to join.

Over the past two years, while healing his wounds, Lin Changsheng has been browsing through the memories of the 'Saint of Reincarnation'.

To everyone's surprise, this 'Reincarnation Saint King' who was the second Nascent Soul had existed for over a thousand years, almost equivalent to the limit of an ordinary Nascent Soul True King.

However, his nascent soul showed no signs of aging.

Even the 'Saint Monarch of Reincarnation' himself was unaware of the reason for this. It must be that his former master used some special method during the refining of the second Nascent Soul.

Even a knowledgeable cultivator like the 'Saint of Reincarnation' had never encountered a method of efficiently plundering spiritual veins like that of the 'True Lord of Ghost Valley'.

As his cultivation level improved, Lin Changsheng increasingly felt the terrifying nature of this method of plundering and severing spiritual veins.

If this method has no special restrictions, Guigu Zhenjun only needs to continuously plunder third- and fourth-order spiritual veins, gather them in one place, and continuously accumulate and stack them. One day, he may create a fifth-order spiritual vein that does not exist in this world!

A fifth-order spiritual vein can provide tremendous assistance to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in advancing to the Divine Transformation realm.

Of course, this is just Lin Changsheng's speculation; the reality is probably not that simple.

Even if this method can truly create fifth-order spiritual veins, it would probably require sacrificing a large number of low-order spiritual veins.

Such an approach is akin to killing a chicken for warmth, and it will likely attract the apprehension and rejection of many powerful forces.

Moreover, the lineage of cultivators in this realm is ancient, spanning thousands of years. If there were even a sliver of opportunity, it's no wonder that a fifth-order spiritual vein has never appeared.

However, the Nascent Soul realm is still far from Lin Changsheng's reach and is not within his consideration.

At least with Guigu Zhenjun's methods, cultivating a top-tier third-order spiritual vein suitable for cultivation in the short term is not a difficult task.

In the long run, Lin Changsheng has now reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm.

They may consider attempting to reach the Nascent Soul realm within a century.

During this period, he needs to settle down, plan for opportunities to form his Nascent Soul, and also consider suitable fourth-order spiritual veins in advance to meet his future needs for forming his Nascent Soul.

All things considered, the Guigu Sect, with the Guigu Master in charge, is a good choice.

……

half year later.

Lin Changsheng traveled to many countries and arrived at Beicang, a region near Gunzhou.

According to the early memories of the 'Saint of Reincarnation', the continents where cultivators in this world mainly gather number in the hundreds, large and small, but they are all uniformly divided into five territories according to their location.

Arranged according to the average level of cultivation, they are the Eastern Continent, Southern Continent, Central Continent, Northern Continent, and Western Continent.

These five major territories encompass almost 90% of the spiritual veins, resources, and cultivators.

Apart from these, there are only some scattered areas outside the five major territories, or some polar environments, where the living conditions are harsh and difficult, and only a small number of cultivators have passed down their skills from generation to generation.

Lin Changsheng's birthplace, the cultivation world of 'Qianzhou', including 'Gunzhou' and 'Beicang', all belong to the Northern Continent.

Even a Nascent Soul cultivator like the 'Saint Monarch of Reincarnation' has never fully explored this realm.

After all, once you reach the Nascent Soul realm, the requirements for your cultivation grounds are extremely high. Most of them stick to their own fourth-tier spiritual vein cultivation grounds and rarely go far away to other Nascent Soul realms.

Only the "Heavenly Poison Master" followed a large merchant caravan across the ocean to the most prosperous region of the Eastern Continent, in order to escape the pursuit of his enemies.

Not long after, while vying for treasure in a secret realm, he became too arrogant and was killed by a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Purple Rainbow Palace.

……

We entered the territory of 'Beicang'.

Lin Changsheng did not go directly to the Ghost Valley Sect, but decided to stay in 'Beicang' temporarily to gather information about the Ghost Valley Sect before making further plans.

On the other hand, he hadn't considered how to deal with the fourth-tier demon king, the Nightmare Moth.

Logically speaking, a fourth-tier demon king would be highly regarded in any faction, and would even change the landscape of the cultivation world to some extent.

Take the 'Beicang' region as an example; it has three major Nascent Soul level forces.

Among them, 'Flying Dragon Valley' and 'Wind Chant Pavilion' are both ancient and have been passed down through generations, with each generation having a Nascent Soul level cultivator in the lineage.

The other Nascent Soul level force, 'Cangming Mountain', is a newly emerging Nascent Soul level force several hundred years ago. Compared to the other two forces, its foundation is slightly weaker. However, its Supreme Elder, 'Cangming True Monarch', cultivates a heretical technique and is stronger than an ordinary early Nascent Soul True Monarch.

This is precisely why it was able to stand out amidst the encirclement and suppression by the two major Nascent Soul level forces in the local area.

These three Nascent Soul level forces are now in a tripartite balance, mutually restraining each other and developing steadily.

If a Nascent Soul level warrior were to appear at this moment, it would instantly shatter the current peace of the 'Beicang' cultivation world.

The same principle applies to the Guigu School.

The sudden appearance of a fourth-tier demon king out of nowhere is highly likely to arouse the suspicion of some hostile forces, thus bringing unnecessary trouble.

Three days later.

Lin Changsheng entered the territory of Cangming Mountain and arrived at one of its properties, 'Mingyu Immortal City'.

Mingyu Immortal City is close to the Cangming Mountain sect. Its spiritual veins are of near-fourth-tier quality, and it is strictly managed, with good public security and order.

Lin Changsheng arrived at an inopportune time, right at midnight, which coincided with the curfew, during which entry and exit from Mingyu Immortal City were prohibited.

Moon stars are rare.

There are still many low-level cultivators gathered outside the immortal city.

The market was bustling with stalls, teeming with people, and brightly lit, resembling a night market.

To find peace and quiet, Lin Changsheng chose a slightly flat, low hilltop in a forest a dozen miles away from Mingyu Immortal City to descend.

At this moment, several miles away.

Under the cover of night, a young couple hurried through the mountains and forests, seemingly searching for something.

"Strange, that injured 'quasi-second-tier' demonic bear should have been hiding nearby. Could it be hiding somewhere else?"

Before long, a clear male voice came from behind, with a hint of doubt in his words.

“Brother Xiangyang, this place is often frequented by cultivators and is not safe. The 'quasi-second-order' demonic bear is already quite intelligent, so it may just be passing through and probably won't stay here for long.”

Then, a soft female voice sounded, seemingly comforting the man beside her.

"Perhaps so. It's just that we missed out on the 'near-second tier' Demon Bear Heart. That's a great material for alchemy. The alchemists in the sect have issued a long-term purchase order."

Li Xiangyang's words were filled with regret.

"Brother Xiangyang, there's no need to feel sorry. There's still half a month before our clan's Chamber of Commerce distributes the resources for the next quarter. This is enough time for both of us to cultivate to the peak of Qi Condensation."

"There are still about two hours until dawn. Let's find a place to rest and wait."

The woman, Hu Xiaoli, offered gentle words of comfort.

Soon, the couple chose a nearby hilltop to rest.

Before long, a soft, rustling sound of intimacy could be heard.

In the quiet mountain forest, the two people's soft breathing gradually became heavier.

"Brother Xiangyang, you mustn't!"

"My main cultivation method is special, and the elders in the Chamber of Commerce have repeatedly warned me not to break my virginity before advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage."

Hu Xiaoli's words carried a hint of apology.

"Hmph, the elders of your 'Xuanmiao' Chamber of Commerce have always looked down on me. The fact that they set up these rules is clearly aimed at me."

"If you ask me, you already have the Foundation Establishment Pill, why would you need that little bit of support from the cultivation technique?"

From the darkness came Li Xiangyang's dissatisfied complaints.

However, there was a barely perceptible hint of jealousy in his words.

……

"Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce?"

Not far away, Lin Changsheng had a strange look on his face.

Back when he was cultivating in Jiuzezhou and Guigu Sect, Lin Changsheng had cooperated with the 'Xuanmiao' Chamber of Commerce on several occasions.

For Lin Changsheng, it was a significant help, and the two benefited from it.

Unexpectedly, after returning after many years, I actually encountered people from the Xuanmiao Chamber of Commerce in the Beicang region.

However, both Hu Xiaoli and Li Xiangyang were dressed in the robes of Cangming Mountain disciples.

The dialogue between the two was also quite fascinating, captivating even Lin Changsheng, who had cultivated for over two hundred years.

“Xiaoli, your ‘Xuanmiao’ Chamber of Commerce is very wealthy. If we go together to meet your elders to discuss the marriage arrangement, we might be able to get the Foundation Establishment Pill to support us. Then, my husband and I can establish our foundations together, live happily ever after, and enjoy a carefree life for a hundred years. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Do you think I have such an opportunity?

A smile curved Li Xiangyang's lips, his handsome face filled with a sense of anticipation.

“Brother Xiangyang, although I have received support from the Chamber of Commerce, I am only at the Qi Condensation stage and have no say in the Chamber. If I cannot reach the Foundation Establishment stage this time, I am afraid I will not even be able to make my own choice regarding my future Dao Companion.”

"But don't worry, with the Foundation Establishment Pill from the Chamber of Commerce and other spiritual items to help me, my chances of advancing to Foundation Establishment this time are quite good. After I successfully establish my foundation, I might be able to use the dual cultivation method to assist Brother Xiangyang in his cultivation, which would also be of some help in his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment."

Hu Xiaoli spoke with deep affection, making a promise.

She didn't notice that the face of her lover was gradually contorting, and a hint of gloom was appearing in his eyes.

"Hehe, since we're going to cultivate together sooner or later anyway, I think we should do it now. Let me enjoy myself tonight, shall we?"

Suddenly, Hu Xiaoli felt her body go numb, and the flow of her magical power within her body became sluggish and slowly dissipated.

In addition, a flush appeared on her fair skin, as if a long-suppressed desire had been aroused.

The girl's beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with doubt and fear, but she quickly became confused and infatuated, unconsciously breathing heavily and moaning.

"Since Xiaoli cares about me so much, why don't you offer me the Foundation Establishment Pill and other spiritual items? After I achieve Foundation Establishment, I'll cultivate with you every day and assist you in your cultivation..."

The man's voice, which was originally clear and melodious, had now become frivolous and slick.

His aggressive gaze roamed freely over the delicate body of the girl in front of him.

Then, in the quiet forest, the sound of clothes being torn could be heard.

(1.1 Take a day off to sort out the plot.)