Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Fugui Asks for Pills

It was late at night. Deeply satisfied, Lin Changheng turned and went straight to bed.

Without even looking, he reached out, made a pinching motion in the air, and with a soft *POP*, the flame on the distant table was extinguished.

It wasn’t blown out; its Fire Spiritual Power was directly extinguished.

It vanished without a trace from its very source.

This was the effect of having performed Spirit Stealing with the Earth Fire Lizard Treasure Seed to the Third Layer.

He had accumulated from "nearly half of the First Layer" all the way to just breaking through to the "Third Layer."

He could also now pinpoint and extinguish a flame from a distance in an instant.

As for Fire Magic he cast himself, constructed from Fire Spiritual Power, he could use the [Fire Extinguishing Anomaly Technique: Spiritual] to dispel most of it within two breaths, weakening its power by nearly half out of thin air.

More importantly, Lin Changheng’s Fire Spiritual Root had gone from sixteen strands of Spiritual Charm to twenty!

A total increase of four whole strands!

In addition to the enhancements from the Origin Treasure Seed and the Earth Fire Lizard Treasure Seed, he had finally purchased enough materials in the Ruins Marketplace for the Flame-tailed Spirit Fox Treasure Seed and successfully performed Spirit Stealing.

’If I perform Spirit Stealing for another eleven strands of Spiritual Charm, I’ll break the thirty-one-strand threshold and my Spirit Root will transform into a Middle Grade Spirit Root. When that happens, the bottleneck from Middle Stage to Late Stage Qi Cultivation won’t be so formidable.’

Lin Changheng lay with his hands behind his head, calculating in his mind.

’Hmm, the Earth Fire Lizard Treasure Seed isn’t depleted yet; I can perform Spirit Stealing twice more with it for two strands of Spiritual Charm. The Flame-tailed Spirit Fox Treasure Seed still has plenty of power left and can provide four more strands, but the resources are scarce, so accumulation is slow. I’ll have to find Essence Blood from a new Fire Element Muddy Evil Bloodline.’

’At the very least, I need to find a type that’s available from multiple sources or in large quantities. It’s a shame the task of processing Wasted Pills from Burning Breath Pills is monopolized by someone. The related Fire-tailed Golden Rat Essence Blood never makes it to the market; otherwise, it would be a perfect fit.’

Life was like that; things rarely went exactly as planned. Having lived two lives, he had long come to this realization.

As he mulled over his plans, his eyelids grew heavy, and he fell fast asleep.

...

「Three days later.」

Lin Changheng once again prepared two gift baskets for the full moon celebration of Xu Fugui’s tenth and eleventh children.

They were born to him and Xu Xuying.

Never mind the other immortal seedlings and clan members; even Lin Changheng was getting numb from giving so many gifts.

Fugui was just too prolific. Luckily, his family was wealthy, or he would never be able to handle it.

The ninth son, born last year, didn’t have a Spirit Root, so the celebration was a small affair. However, this pair of boy-girl twins both possessed Lower Grade Spirit Roots, which was quite good. They had intended to keep this celebration small as well, but his father-in-law, Xu Qianzhan, wouldn’t have it. He had only one daughter, and now that he had a pair of grandchildren, he was overjoyed and insisted on throwing a grand celebration.

Xu Fugui could only obey.

But speaking of which, Lin Changheng deserved some of the credit for Xu Fugui’s impressive fertility.

Facing five wives and concubines, Xu Fugui felt he was lacking in vigor. He went to great lengths to acquire a Middle Grade Pill Formula from outside called the [Strengthening Dragon Miracle Pill].

After gathering the Medicinal Materials, he brought everything to Lin Changheng to ask him to refine the Elixir.

Lin Changheng looked at the various beast... "member" materials in the Pill Formula with a strange expression, but he didn’t refuse and agreed to the request.

He refined two batches for him in one go.

They were good brothers, after all. After taking the pills and seeing the initial effects, Xu Fugui quickly grabbed two and stuffed them into Bai Fengxian’s hands.

How could Old Bai possibly doubt Xu Fugui, who was quite an expert in this particular field? Especially after hearing the Pills were from Brother Lin’s hands, he didn’t say another word and tilted his head back to swallow them.

Xu Fugui was startled. He knew how potent the Medicinal Power of the Elixir refined by Brother Lin was. He quickly clasped his hands behind his back, as if hiding something, and made his excuses, slipping away in a flash.

He even thoughtfully closed the main door from the outside.

No one knows what happened after that, but it is a fact that both of Old Bai’s wives were expecting the next month.

...

Since his last marriage, Xu Fugui had moved again, relocating to a residence within the Gui Feng Dojo.

It was a sign of his rising status!

At this moment, Bai Fengxian was bustling about Fugui’s home, helping to greet the guests.

Xu Fugui’s younger children had been sent off to play somewhere and were nowhere to be seen. The third, fourth, and fifth sons were also busy.

The eldest and second sons, having no Spirit Roots and having already come of age, had been assigned duties throughout the clan.

Although the third son, Xu Sanyuan, was an adult, he possessed a Spirit Root, so his clan assignment could be delayed. The fourth son, Xu Sishi, and the children after him were not yet adults, so they remained by their parents’ side.

"Uncle Lin."

Xu Sanyuan had sharp eyes. Seeing Lin Changheng arriving at the entrance side-by-side with a fairy-like female Cultivator, he immediately went forward to greet them.

His attitude must be respectful, as if serving his own father.

This was something Xu Fugui had specifically instructed all his sons.

"Sanyuan, there’s no need for such formalities."

Lin Changheng chuckled. The boy had always been well-behaved; he had watched him grow up and was quite fond of him. He pressed an Elixir into his hand and made the introduction, "This is Fairy Tantai, a Guest Minister Talisman Master. She is an immortal seedling who came to the clan with your father and me."

"Mm, treat her as you would treat me," he then added.

"Sanyuan greets Fairy Tantai."

It was Xu Sanyuan’s first time seeing this Fairy, who exuded an air of nobility and possessed a celestial grace. He didn’t dare to look at her directly. Hearing Uncle Lin’s explanation, he certainly didn’t dare to be neglectful and bowed deeply once more.

"Fugui’s son is quite well-behaved. Since this is my first visit, I should also give the junior a small gift."

With a soft smile, she flicked her slender hand, and two Talismans shimmering with abundant Spiritual Light floated into Xu Sanyuan’s grasp.

"Please, come in, quickly."

Having received gifts from both his seniors, Xu Sanyuan’s face bloomed with joy. He quickly ushered them inside and showed them to their seats.

Before long, the fourth son, Xu Sishi, and the fifth son, Xu Wufang, also came to pay their respects.

Naturally, Lin Changheng and Tantai Feiyue were not stingy and gave them gifts as well.

As she watched the two joyful teenagers depart, thanking them profusely, Tantai Feiyue’s gaze lingered on Xu Wufang for a moment longer.

"This is Fugui’s son with the Middle Grade Spirit Root?"

"Correct. According to his father, Wufang is only fourteen, but he has already completed Spirit Introduction and reached the First Layer of Qi Cultivation."

Tantai Feiyue nodded, then turned her gaze to Xu Sishi, who was beside him without a Spirit Root, and sighed softly.

"When Cultivators have children, Spirit Roots are not guaranteed, talent varies, and the difference between immortal and mortal is clear. For a child without a Spirit Root like him, watching his siblings cultivate in pursuit of immortality... isn’t that a form of cruelty?"

"As parents, seeing this must be heart-wrenching, right? Moreover, Cultivators have long lifespans. In the future, they will most likely have to endure the pain of outliving their children..."

Lin Changheng was also quite moved, but he smiled and said, "What Feiyue says is reasonable, but why not look at it from another perspective? To live a peaceful life as a mortal under the protection of one’s parents, and when their life ends, their parents are still there... to be able to close one’s eyes for the last time in their parents’ embrace, might that not be a form of happiness for the child?"

Hearing this, Tantai Feiyue immediately looked up. Her eyes met Lin Changheng’s, a flicker of surprise in them.

Then, she broke into a radiant smile. "Brother Lin’s words are wise. I was being too narrow in my view."

The heavy atmosphere lifted. As the two spoke in low voices, Bai Fengxian, who was busy rushing about, spotted them and came over to say hello.

But his eyes casually swept over the two of them, and he sensed something was amiss.

Then, from an angle Tantai Feiyue couldn’t see, he secretly started waggling his eyebrows at Lin Changheng.

It was as if to say, ’Something’s up with you two...’