73-79

Chapter 73

Yunzhong City, Cave No. 36 in the north of the city with a yellow sign

In front of Lin Jiang were five jade bottles lined up, each containing a Building Foundation Pill. There were also a row of supporting elixirs that matched the Building Foundation Pill.

The cave's management staff saw that Lin Jiang had reached the perfect stage of Qi Refining and guessed that he was going to make a breakthrough. They kindly reminded him to set up a Spirit Gathering Formation in the cave to increase the concentration of spiritual energy by producing more spirit stones.

This place had experienced incidents where experts at the golden core stage absorbed all the surrounding spiritual energy, causing trouble for other cultivators in the cave. The management wouldn't intervene in such matters, as it was a matter of personal cultivation. If one's cultivation was inferior to others, there was no way to seek justice.

Therefore, as soon as Lin Jiang moved in, he immediately set up a Spirit Gathering Formation. Every two hours, he would put in thirty spirit stones to be refined by the formation until he had refined a total of one thousand five hundred spirit stones. By then, the cave was filled with dense spiritual energy like fog, and he stopped.

"Start building foundation."

After making all the necessary preparations, Lin Jiang began the building foundation process. He swallowed the Building Foundation Pill and a powerful spiritual force surged out from inside it. Without Lin Jiang needing to actively refine it, the spiritual energy flowed along his meridians and gathered in his elixir field.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiang's lower abdomen was already full, and the continuous influx of spiritual energy was being compressed. Lin Jiang used his divine consciousness and actively participated, accelerating this compression process.

Under the immense pressure of spiritual energy, Lin Jiang's lower abdomen began to be damaged. The lower abdomen is the convergence point of the human body's meridians. If the lower abdomen is damaged, it will also affect the meridians, causing problems with the flow of spiritual energy. Most importantly, if the lower abdomen cannot be repaired in time, the spiritual pressure caused by the Building Foundation Pill will leak out, and liquefaction cannot be completed. This is the most critical point of Building Foundation.

With a movement of his divine consciousness, Lin Jiang caught a pill that protected his meridians and swallowed it. He started multitasking, increasing the spiritual pressure while repairing the damage to his lower abdomen.

"Plop"

However, seven days later, Lin Jiang still coughed up a mouthful of blood. His lower abdomen was damaged and couldn't be repaired in time. The spiritual pressure leaked out, impacting the meridians and causing the failure of the Building Foundation.

"I knew it."

Lin Jiang sighed. With his Five Spiritual Roots talent, if he had succeeded in the first attempt at Building Foundation, that would have been truly unbelievable.

Lin Jiang wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, stood up and stretched, then took out a prepared healing pill to treat his injuries. He had rented this cave for three years and had no shortage of Building Foundation Pills. He still had a chance.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😣)

Three months later, Lin Jiang's meridian injuries were healed. After another half a month of preparation, Lin Jiang attempted Building Foundation once again.

"Puff"

Ten days later, Lin Jiang failed his second attempt at building a foundation, and this time he was even more injured.

But Lin Jiang's anger was also ignited, and he couldn't believe it. Even with five Building Foundation Pills, he couldn't build a foundation.

After half a year of recuperation and another month of meditation, Lin Jiang began his third attempt at building a foundation.

"Puff"

"I'm freaking amazed by my own incompetence as the Sixth Brother."

The third failure dealt a heavy blow to Lin Jiang, and he finally admitted defeat.

After a year of recuperation, Lin Jiang tried again. This time, he had a better grasp, and the previous three failures were not in vain.

No matter how much breakthrough experience the outside world provided, it couldn't compare to him gaining practical experience himself. With each failure, Lin Jiang learned from it, and his dantian and meridians were greatly strengthened after multiple attempts.

The common independent cultivators, and even disciples of sects and clans, would never get another chance if they fail. Most of the time, it's because they don't have the opportunity to get a second Building Foundation Pill, or because they're over sixty years old and their vitality declines, affecting their control over their bodies and decreasing their success rate. The families and sects behind them are not willing to invest resources in them anymore.

So, for some people with special status, as long as they are willing to invest a huge amount of resources, they can stack their cultivation to the Building Foundation Period.

······

"Success!"

After two years of seclusion, and consuming four Building Foundation Pills, Lin Jiang looked at the small droplet of liquid spiritual power in his dantian, feeling a sense of contentment and satisfaction spreading throughout his body.

It was not easy at all. Many independent cultivators can't even get one Building Foundation Pill, yet he spent four of them. According to market prices, that's over ten thousand.

In addition to the Spirit Gathering Formation spirit stones, rent, healing pills, and more used in these two years, he has already spent around one hundred and seventy to eighty thousand spirit stones for building the foundation. If you include the loss of wages during these two years, it would be even higher.

Going through such a difficult process naturally made Lin Jiang sigh with emotion. This sense of satisfaction is something that can only be understood by one who has experienced it personally.

"Keep up the good work, aim higher!"

After going out to buy food and drink to celebrate, Lin Jiang returned to his practice. He had just made a breakthrough, but his progress was not stable yet, so he needed time to strengthen his skills.

This strengthening process took a year. After a year, when the rent for his dwelling expired, the caretaker came to ask Lin Jiang if he wanted to continue renting the cave. Lin Jiang refused and packed up his things to leave.

Two days later, Lin Jiang appeared outside the gate of Zhonghang Sect. Before long, Cao Ying came running from the gate.

"Uncle!"

When Cao Ying saw Lin Jiang, she jumped up with joy. In the past two years, she had quietly visited Lin Jiang in Yunzhong City, but each time she didn't see him. She knew he was in seclusion, so she didn't want to disturb him.

"Little Ying, are you building your foundation?"

As Lin Jiang saw Cao Ying, the first thing he noticed was her progress in her training. He was amazed to find out that Cao Ying had also reached the foundation building stage.

"Yes, Uncle. I made the breakthrough two months ago."

"So fast?"

"Master said I am also very fast, why did it take you so long for Building foundation? I completed it in just half a month."

"Half a month..."

Lin Jiang was choked and couldn't speak. The satisfaction of completing Building foundation a year ago had vanished completely. Is it really so frustrating to compare oneself with others? He had spent two years, while others only took half a month.

"Uncle, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, you've been practicing for only five years, right?"

"Five years and seven months."

"Five years and seven months..."

Lin Jiang pondered, trying to recall what state he was in when he had practiced for five years and seven months. Oh, right, the original owner had just gone crazy and died not long ago, and he was still at the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. He didn't want to think about it, didn't dare to reminisce, how embarrassing.

"Uncle, why did you come to find me this time?"

"Goodbye to you, I told you a few years ago that the world is so big, and I wanted to go see it. But because of some unexpected events, I kept delaying. Now, I am in the beginning stages of my journey and it's time for me to go out and explore."

"Uncle, where are you going?"

"I don't know yet, just going to take a look around."

"But it's so dangerous outside."

"It's okay, Uncle is capable of taking care of himself."

Lin Jiang and Cao Ying chatted casually like this. He had long wanted to give up his current identity because being involved with Cao Ying attracted too much attention. Now that Cao Ying is not even eighteen yet and already making progress, it will definitely attract even more attention, making it more inconvenient for Lin Jiang to act in the future.

Lin Jiang didn't join the Zhonghang Sect again. He chatted with Cao Ying outside the mountain gate for a while, and after giving some instructions, Lin Jiang flew away.

But instead of going to another place, he flew into the middle section of the Yunzhong Mountain Range. The area within thousands of miles in the Yunzhong Mountain Range is a paradise for independent cultivators.

It's unclear what the Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect are thinking. They don't claim this territory for themselves, nor do they allow their affiliated followers to occupy it, and they even don't permit the powerful independent cultivators in Yunzhong City to claim it. They simply let many independent cultivators gather there.

The middle part of Yunzhong Mountain Range is very large, with many independent cultivators, and it's extremely chaotic. Even the slightly better mountain peaks have changed ownership multiple times. It's not a matter of buying and selling, but rather direct seizing. If you have the ability, you occupy it; if you don't, someone else takes it.

Lin Jiang wouldn't actively engage in robbery, so he didn't steal from others. He wandered around for a few days and found an abandoned cave. The defensive formation of the cave had already been broken, and the original owner probably died inside. Anyway, Lin Jiang cleaned up several skeletons.

After setting up a new defensive formation, Lin Jiang tidied up the cave and considered it his new home.

"The concentration of spiritual energy is a bit weak, only enough for Qi Refining Period cultivation. It takes three days of gathering with the Spirit Gathering Formation to have enough spiritual energy for one day of practice."

Lin Jiang tried cultivating and found that the concentration of spiritual energy was very weak. However, he could gather spiritual energy with the Spirit Gathering Formation and add some spirit stones, which was enough.

"The gardening instinct has kicked in. These overgrown weeds look uncomfortable."

The next morning, Lin Jiang looked at the grass in front of his house and couldn't help feeling that it was a waste. He needed to plant something.

So, Lin Jiang went to Yunzhong City again and bought another set of formations. He covered half of the mountain peak in front of his house and spent two days opening up over a hundred acres of land. He planted some vegetables, but mainly focused on planting precious medicinal herbs.

The medicinal herbs didn't require much management because Lin Jiang wasn't expecting a high yield. If a few could survive, that would be enough. However, the few acres of vegetables needed to be taken care of so that he could strive for self-sufficiency in the future.

"Big Shadiao, Small Shadiao, you've kept watch until the clouds parted and revealed the moon."

Lin Jiang slapped his head, almost forgetting about Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao. After sleeping for over two years, they finally woke up and successfully advanced to the later stages of the second rank.

"Chirp chirp."

Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao happily chirped a few times, then spread their wings and flew high.

"Bang."

"Bang."

But when they flew to a height of about a hundred meters, they flew straight into the defensive barrier of the formation, almost falling down. Angry, Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao flapped their wings, wanting to attack the barrier, but Lin Jiang quickly stopped them.

"That's enough, don't push your luck. Think about where you used to live. It was so small."

Lin Jiang pressed them down and educated them, about how small the house in Yunzhong City was. It was only a few tens of square meters, and that's not even accounting for the size of the house itself. It had such a tiny courtyard that they could reach the end with only a few steps on the ground.

And now, Lin Jiang's territory is at least around a thousand acres. They can do whatever they want, but they won't let them fly freely. Lin Jiang won't let them out.

"Chirp chirp..."

Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao were so angry that they cursed, as if saying, "We are the kings of the sky, what's the big deal about trapping us on this small hill? Are you kidding me?"

"We don't care about you, go play by yourselves. Just don't attack our formation, or else we'll take care of you."

Lin Jiang rolled its eyes at them. It was already generous enough to do that; they shouldn't push their luck.

"The most important thing now is to increase our income. The expenses during the Building Foundation Period are not small."

Lin Jiang pondered alone. The medicine used during the Building Foundation Period was called the True Spirit Pill. In Anhua City, it is sold for thirty spirit stones, but in Yunzhong City, the price soars to fifty spirit stones. However, the True Spirit Pill in Yunzhong City is better, so it's worth the price increase.

Following Lin Jiang's usual practice of practicing for four hours each day, it would consume one True Spirit Pill every two days. Plus, taking a two-day break to expel toxins, about eight True Spirit Pills are needed each month, which is four hundred spirit stones. Adding other various expenses, thousands of spirit stones are needed each year.

Fortunately, Lin Jiang no longer lives in Yunzhong City. There's still three to four thousand yuan left in rent, and the supporting spirit tools have already been taken care of. Otherwise, it would be even more expensive and could deplete the remaining savings of Lin Jiang.

"Second level spiritual talisman, you must master the techniques of the second level spiritual talisman."

Lin Jiang set a goal for himself, within three years, to master the refining techniques of the second level spiritual talisman. He wanted his income to be greater than his expenses for future plans.

Chapter 74

In the middle part of the Yunzhong Mountain Range, inside a cave belonging to the Lin family at the Building Foundation Period, several Taoist friends were discussing and studying.

Humans are social creatures, and this statement is absolutely true. Despite being introverted, Lin Jiang still needed some social interaction. So when other Building Foundation Period practitioners in the middle part of the Yunzhong Mountain Range actively approached him, he didn't refuse. Slowly, he became familiar with a few cultivators.

These gatherings would be held regularly, once every two months, at a place called Sun Man's house. Sun Man was a second level alchemist and could refine True Yuan Pills. He didn't want to sell his pills to commercial establishments that would exploit him, so he made many friends instead. Basically, his friends would consume his pills.

Lin Jiang bought a few times, but he found that the quality of Sun Man's pills was slightly inferior to those from the commercial establishments in Yunzhong City. So he stopped buying and lied, claiming that he had made an agreement with other alchemists. Every time he came, he primarily discussed matters related to cultivation and also learned about the outside world.

"Today, let's end the discussion here. Let's chat and exchange information."

"Let's discuss what's new this time."

"Let me tell you one. The fishermen near Yuntuo River know about it."

"Oh yeah, what's going on?"

"Several decades ago, I forgot how many years exactly, the Giant Wave Fish Gang took over the territory of the Trident Fish Gang. But starting from last year, a remarkable descendant of the Trident Fish Gang has emerged. Recently, they have been attacking members of the Giant Wave Fish Gang, causing the deaths of dozens of people in the Qi Refining Period and Building Foundation Period."

"After all these years, they can still produce people. The Trident Fish Gang is really something."

"Who knows? The people from the Trident Fish Gang are currently conducting an intense investigation. They say they will reward anyone with fifty thousand spirit stones for providing information."

"Fifty thousand, that's not a small price."

When it comes to prices, some people become interested. The Qi Refining Period is poor, but the Building Foundation Period is also struggling. Generally, the income of the Building Foundation Period far exceeds that of the Qi Refining Period, but the expenses are also high. Various elixirs, various equipment, easily costing several thousand to tens of thousands of spirit stones.

Lin Jiang, on the other hand, thought of Liu Dong, Liu Jie's son. In the past, he had extreme hatred for the Giant Wave Fish Gang. His whole family died at the hands of the Giant Wave Fish Gang. Before Lin Jiang left, he gave him the Overlord Scroll technique.

It's been about thirty years since then. In normal circumstances, Liu Dong would definitely not have accomplished much in thirty years. But considering the effectiveness of the Overlord Scroll, maybe he has already reached the Golden Core Period.

"Dear Taoist friends, it is important to be cautious in our words and actions. The matter with the fishing gang is quite complicated and dangerous, beyond the reach of us independent cultivators. Let's talk about something else instead."

Sun Man quickly said, he actually didn't want these people to take any risks. They were valuable and hard-earned customers. If something happened to them, where would he find new customers?

"I have some fresh news, but it's a bit far from Yunzhong City."

"Oh, please go ahead, Taoist friend. We're just chatting, after all."

"I come from the southwest of Yun State, which borders the Wilderness. Although my cultivation power is weak, in recent years a new force has emerged. I've heard from a friend that this force is about to take control of Anhua City in the southwest."

"Taoist friend, please be more forthcoming with your words. No need to hide anything. If it's a significant force, we should keep our distance in the future too."

"Exactly! We independent cultivators have to be more sensible to live a long life."

This person's way of speaking, leaving things half unsaid, is annoying. Independent cultivators have to be extremely cautious in their lives, just like them. They never offend disciples from the Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect, even if they are in the Qi Refining Period. Who knows if provoking the smaller ones will attract the older ones?

"The force doesn't really qualify as a significant one, it's called the Lin family. The head of the Lin family is Lin Batian, who wields the Overlord Spear with incredible skill. One hundred years ago, he already had golden core cultivation and could defeat two opponents of the same level. Now he has reached Nascent Soul cultivation. Meanwhile, the Nascent Soul cultivators in Anhua City are about to pass away, and many say that the Lin family will take over the city."

"I know Anhua City, although it's not as good as Yunzhong City, but it's not bad in Yun State. However, I've never heard of this Lin family."

"I haven't heard of them either. They must be a small family from the Wilderness."

"If they have someone at the Golden Core Period guarding them, they can't be considered a small family. They would be quite good even in Yunzhong City. Even if they are outside the city, they could still control a village or town."

The crowd was discussing excitedly, and Lin Jiang's mind was completely captivated. He had been away from home for seventy to eighty years, and this was the first time he had heard news about the Lin family. He never expected that his cheap old dad would actually advance to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Dear friend, could you please explain in more detail?"

"Taoist Friend Lin, why? Are you thinking of joining the Lin family?"

"I have the surname Lin too. Maybe five hundred years ago, we were still one family. We're all relatives, so if I really wanted to join, it wouldn't be impossible."

"Haha, Taoist Friend Lin is right. You share the surname Lin, so there might be a good fortune waiting for you."

"Oh, what kind of fortune?"

"This Lin Batian has many wives and many children. He has two daughters, known as the Lin family's twin beauties. Not only are they beautiful, but they also have high cultivation. They are already at the level of golden core. I heard that Lin Batian intends to find a son-in-law. You are also surnamed Lin, so if you become a son-in-law, your children will also have the surname Lin."

"Haha, Taoist Friend Lin, this is an interesting matter. I think you should give it a try."

"Exactly, if you can marry into the Nascent Soul family, you won't have to worry about cultivation resources anymore. Just think about Wen Xing, he used to be nothing, but after marrying Pill King Li Ruoxu, he became a talented young man."

"That's right, Taoist Friend Lin, you are young and have a promising future. We're already old and no one wants us."

A few people in the Building Foundation Period then shifted the topic to Lin Jiang. Among them, Lin Jiang is the youngest. He is currently fifty-three years old and settled in the Yunzhong Mountain Range three years after successfully building his foundation.

"I have a good appetite. I like to eat solid food and can't eat soft food. Such a pity."

Lin Jiang said lightly, he is now very happy. Finding out that Lin Batian has broken through to Nascent Soul, Lin Die and Lin Ying have reached golden core. This is the best news for him this year. It means they can still live for a long time and there may be a chance to meet in the future.

However, Lin Jiang dare not go home now. His secret is too special. Longevity is something all cultivators strive for, but it's easily attainable in his hands. No one can guarantee that Lin Batian won't take action against him. Father and son fighting each other is not a rare thing in the mortal world, and it happens even more in the cultivation world. It's very common for such conflicts to occur over resources.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😣)

After chatting for a while, they entered the trading environment. Sun Man took out pills, and others also took out things they didn't need to exchange for what they needed.

Lin Jiang took out a second-level spiritual talisman. After more than two years of hard work, Lin Jiang successfully drew a second-level low-grade spiritual talisman. However, the success rate is still not high and needs further improvement.

What he needs now are more second-level spiritual talisman runes. Lin Jiang inherited her mother Zhuang Rong's symbol arts, which was inherited from her grandfather. Although her grandfather's symbol arts were good, they were not top-level. Lin Jiang has already learned all the symbols he had, so he needs more symbols to enrich her symbol-drawing skills.

However, Lin Jiang didn't have much gain this time. The symbols on the hands of these people were long traded by him. None of them were specialized Talisman Makers, and they didn't specifically collect symbols.

Lin Jiang didn't mind. He is currently focused on improving his symbol arts and not expanding the variety of symbols. This is preparation for the future, so he will take it slowly.

After the exchange event, Sun Man and the others had many activities. Usually, they would eat and drink together, and occasionally they would go to the Spring Coming Tower in Yunzhong City to exchange martial arts skills. However, Lin Jiang didn't have this hobby, so he went home early.

As the outer array opened, the eyes were greeted by hundreds of acres of spiritual medicine, with strange and beautiful flowers and plants blooming. Further ahead, there were several acres of vegetables and fruits, with over twenty different varieties. The spiritual medicine and vegetables were separated by different arrays.

On the hillside, there were several acres of spiritual peaches, which were currently blossoming and looked very beautiful. Next to the cave, there were some spiritual bamboo, but they were still sparse and weak. They were just planted by Lin Jiang this year.

In the distance, there were more wastelands with overgrown weeds. Lin Jiang bought some spiritual grass seeds, which can be used to make talisman paper. However, Lin Jiang didn't plan to use them for making talisman paper, as he doesn't know how to do it. These are fodder for poultry. Lin Jiang purchased more than ten spiritual deer, as well as some transformed rabbits, chickens, and ducks, all of which were allowed to roam freely.

In the cave, only a dozen large trees were left, and the rest were all cut down. At this moment, Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao were standing on one of the large trees, staring at the leisurely spiritual deer, almost drooling.

"Big Naughty and Small Naughty, if you dare to steal the magical deer again, I will dare to roast you and eat you tonight."

Every time Lin Jiang came back, he would warn them once, because when the magical deer was first bought, they stole half of it. As punishment, Lin Jiang treated them as sheepdogs and let them herd.

"Chirp chirp..."

Big Naughty and Small Naughty retorted one after another, coldly looking at Lin Jiang. They had already been beaten before, so they didn't dare to steal anymore. Of course, it's also possible that they think the current magical deer is too small, so they'll fatten it up before eating it.

Chapter 75

Yuntuo River, Lin Jiang sat by the river fishing.

Most of the people who fish along the Yuntuo River are at the Qi Refining Period. People at the Building Foundation Period don't really do this anymore because the rewards are too low. It's more cost-effective to use a fishing boat to catch fish.

However, fishing with a boat requires the approval of the fishing gang, and offerings need to be given to them. Lin Jiang is not interested in that. He fishes for leisure and to provide food for Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao.

After reaching the late stage of the second rank, the appetite of Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao increased again. These first-rank demon fish need to eat one or two hundred pounds every day. However, this kind of eating hardly helps with their cultivation.

In order to continue their advancement, they must be fed with higher-level spirit meat or Demon Cores. But the expenses for that are even more terrifying. Demon Cores require at least a third-rank demonic beast, and one core costs at least tens of thousands. Lin Jiang can't afford it, so he can only fish to earn food for them.

As for the advancement of Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, Lin Jiang leaves it to time. Take it slowly. After all, the lifespan of demonic beasts is longer than cultivators. There's no rush. Maintaining the current situation is good enough.

"The fish in the Yuntuo River have become clever, even the stupid fish have all been caught by people."

Lin Jiang's harvest today is not good. He hasn't caught any fish for over two hours, making him miss the feeling of catching many fish before. It was truly satisfying.

The demon fish in the Yuntuo River are much smarter than ordinary fish. They have more than a seven-second memory. If they agree with a certain bait, they will remember it after eating it multiple times. That's why fishermen often change their baits, or else they can just wait for an empty fishing line.

"The fisherman never comes back empty-handed. If he can't catch any fish, he will dive in and catch them."

Lin Jiang put away the fishing rod and took out a harpoon from the storage bag. With a smirk, he jumped into the Yuntuo River.

The Yuntuo River is very deep. It is said to be several kilometers deep at its deepest point, like an ocean. However, the average depth of the river is only a few tens of meters. Lin Jiang used his spiritual power to enhance his vision, and he could see everything at the bottom of the river clearly.

"Splash!"

Lin Jiang saw a huge monster fish and immediately stabbed it, blood gushing out from the fish's body. But instead of dying, the fish fiercely charged towards Lin Jiang.

The battle at the bottom of the river began. Lin Jiang held a spear and fought against the monster fish, which mainly used ramming and biting as its tactics. Lin Jiang's movements were also restricted, but they were still more than the fish could handle. He used a flying sword to poke it a few times and the fish started to flee.

Lin Jiang stabbed the fish with the spear, which was tied to a rope. He let the fish drag him along. Today, he was determined to deal with this fish.

The fish continued to flee until it couldn't go any further after an hour. It was severely weakened from losing so much blood and on the brink of death. Lin Jiang, showing mercy, put an end to its suffering by giving it a physical release, then dragged it ashore.

"Uhh..."

Just as Lin Jiang was dragging the monster fish weighing thousands of pounds to the shore, he witnessed a scene that revealed too much. There was a figure in a black robe searching through the corpses. There were over ten bodies lying next to him, dressed as members of the Giant Wave Fish Gang.

The figure in the black robe turned around. He was completely covered in the robe, with only his eyes visible, staring at Lin Jiang.

"I didn't see anything."

Lin Jiang turned around to leave, but as he did, the figure in the black robe appeared in front of him, blocking his way. His powerful consciousness immediately locked onto Lin Jiang.

Lin Jiang exclaimed in frustration. This person turned out to be at the Golden Core Period, and there aren't many people at the Golden Core Period in Yunzhong City, maybe just a few dozen. He rarely encounters them, but today he collided with one head-on.

"Who are you?"

"I am Lin Wu, an independent cultivator from Yunzhong City."

"Still fishing at the Building Foundation Period?"

"Not fishing, it's spearing fish. The fish in Yuntuo River are too clever, can't catch them with a fishing rod."

"Is there any difference?"

"It seems not."

"Why are you fishing?"

"To eat, I like eating fish."

"Does buying fish cost a lot of money?"

"The store-bought fish doesn't smell as good as the ones you catch yourself."

Lin Jiang honestly said that he really liked eating fish, but ever since the Trident Fish Gang and Giant Wave Fish Gang broke into a big war and threw all the bodies into the Yuntuo River, he stopped eating fish from the Yuntuo River. He only started eating a little bit of fish after he moved to the Yunzhong Mountain Range and caught some fish in the mountain stream.

"You can leave now."

"Ah, you're letting me go just like that?"

"Hmm, your words just reminded me of an old friend. I'll let you go this time, but you should know what to do, right?"

"Understood, I've never been here and I haven't seen anything."

Lin Jiang nodded, he knew the rules, he was a rule-abiding person.

The person in the black robe ignored him and continued to search the bodies. Then, they cast a spell and threw all the bodies into the Yuntuo River. The river water surged and within a few seconds, everything disappeared.

"Walking really fast"

Lin Jiang saw the black-robed figure quickly disappear, sighed, chopped the demon fish in his hand into pieces, and then stuffed them into a storage bag.

"I will never eat fish from the Yuntuo River again."

Lin Jiang secretly vowed that the Yuntuo River was too terrifying. He didn't know how many bodies were thrown in there every day. This reminded Lin Jiang of his older brother. He was really powerful, even more so than Lin Jiang the cultivator.

······

"Let's honestly dig a fish pond."

Back at his home in the Yunzhong Mountain Range, Lin Jiang looked at a piece of low-lying land and decided to dig a fish pond.

Every day for four hours, Lin Jiang spent a month digging a fish pond that was over ten acres in size. Then he filled it with stream water and bought fish fry from outside, placing them in the fish pond.

"Big Shadiao, Small Shadiao, these fish in the fish pond are mine. No stealing or snatching!"

Lin Jiang held onto Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, teaching them that the fish in this pond don't grow big, at most three to five catties. The fish in the whole pond are not enough for them to have a meal. Lin Jiang prepared for himself, and they can only eat from the Yuntuo River.

"Chirp chirp..."

Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao saw the big fish that Lin Jiang took out and instantly became excited. They don't care if it's the Ganges River or not, as long as it's fish.

"There are fish, chickens, ducks, and even deer. This life is so enjoyable."

Lin Jiang looked at the home he built with his own hands and was very satisfied. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the big city, he prefers this picturesque countryside.

Previously living in Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang rarely went out for entertainment. There is more to Yunzhong City than just Spring Coming Tower, and only those who love to play know how fun it is. But Lin Jiang never went. Now it's nice to have some flowers and grass.

Lin Jiang has always been cultivating, but he never rushes. Not to mention the whole cultivation world, even in Yunzhong City, he is just an insignificant shrimp. As long as you don't cause trouble, how unlucky would you have to be to go out and be killed, especially when he rarely goes out? He's definitely a homebody.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😜)

After another month, Lin Jiang received Sun Man's Sound Passing Talisman, and the exchange meeting began again. He went to Sun Man's cave, which is about fifty miles away from his place, not far at all. With the flight speed of the Building Foundation Period, he can get there in a moment.

"Taoist Friend Lin, you're the first one to come."

"Isn't it close to where we live, Taoist friend Sun? What kind of activities will there be in this exchange meeting?"

"It's the same as before, but recently I made a batch of elixirs called the Sanhua Pill. Taoist Friend Lin, are you interested in trying it?"

"I'm fine, I still have over a hundred years of life left. No rush, let's leave it for other Taoist friends. I think Taoist Friend Zhang needed it more."

Lin Jiang shook his head. The Sanhua Pill is also a treasure that extends life, but it only adds five years to it. Plus, the Sanhua Pill cannot be used more than once. After taking the second one, it becomes useless. Lin Jiang thought it wasn't worth it.

"Taoist Friend Zhang has left, he doesn't need it anymore."

"He left, um..."

"No, no. He said he wanted to go out and explore something that appeared in the northern part of Yunzhong Mountain Range, like a hidden place or something. I advised against it, but I couldn't persuade him."

Sun Man quickly explained that "he left" means he physically went away, not that he died. Please don't misunderstand.

"Isn't the northern part Wilderness? How is there still a hidden place?"

Lin Jiang asked. The Yunzhong Mountain Range is very large, with its main range spanning thousands of miles from east to west. The Zhonghang Sect and the Cloud Sword Sect mainly operate in the southern part of the Yunzhong Mountain Range, while the northern part is occupied by several powerful monster kings. The strength of the monsters is stronger than that of cultivators, and it is a wilderness environment.

"Some cultivators like the life in the wilderness and settle deep within it. They may also guard certain genius treasures and set up powerful formations. These formations, when left behind, create independent environments. These are called secret realms, which are different from the secret realms of the major sects."

"I see, I've learned something new."

"However, Taoist Friend Lin is very skilled. It would be beneficial for him to go out and explore the wilderness. There are treasures everywhere in the wilderness. If he can find a high-level spirit medicine, he won't have to worry about resources for dozens of years."

"Yes, Sun the Taoist friend spoke wisely."

"If Taoist Friend Lin has this intention, I can introduce some friends to Taoist Friend Lin. They are talented people with a good reputation in Yunzhong City. If Taoist Friend Lin agrees, they will prioritize selling the elixirs to me at the same price as outside. Taoist Friend Lin won't be at a disadvantage."

"Let's talk about it when I become stronger."

Lin Jiang replied. You're right, but I'm sorry, I won't go on the adventure.

The greatest benefit of an adventure is the chance to become rich. It's the fastest way for an ordinary cultivator to move up in society. But he doesn't want that. With infinite lifespan, he can slowly accumulate wealth. If one year doesn't work, there's always ten years, or even a hundred or a thousand years.

He saves a few hundred spirit stones a year, and in a hundred years, it would be tens of thousands of spirit stones, quite a lot.

Soon, the people invited by Sun Man arrived one after another. Some would leave this small group, but Sun Man would always bring in new people, maintaining a group of about ten people.

Lin Jiang didn't have anything to trade with them, but he quite enjoyed the discussions. Lin Jiang practiced alone without any mentor, so discussing cultivation matters was helpful to him. Therefore, in most cases, Lin Jiang wouldn't be absent.

"Oh my gosh, what's going on?"

"Such strong spiritual energy fluctuations, there must be people battling with magic."

"I can't detect it with my divine sense. Is it a golden core cultivator?"

Towards the end of today's exchange meeting, everyone suddenly felt a strong wave of spiritual energy. Their faces changed and their divine senses couldn't detect it. It must be at least several hundred meters away, definitely not something a Building Foundation Period cultivator could create.

Chapter 76

The intense fluctuations of spiritual energy made everyone uneasy. The middle area of Yunzhong Mountain Range is mainly occupied by Qi Refining and Building Foundation independent cultivators. There might be golden core cultivators, but they are not included in everyone's circle, and no one knows about them.

"Should we go out and take a look?"

"Um..."

"I think so too. We should go out and see for ourselves, rather than just waiting here."

"No, no. If there's a fight between golden cores, what will we do if we get caught in the crossfire?"

"I also think it's safer to stay at Sun Taoist Friend's house."

The ten or so people had different thoughts. Some wanted to go and see, maybe it was an opportunity. Even if there was a fight between golden cores, it's possible that both sides would be injured. But more people were thinking of not causing any trouble and just staying quiet.

"Sun Taoist Friend, how is the defense formation at your house?"

"It's okay. The outer layer is a second-grade lower-tier Three Elements Fish Scale Formation. The core is a third-grade Eight Gate Golden Armor Formation, with an additional layer of a third-grade Five Elements Shock Killing Formation. But the spiritual energy here is spread too thin, so I need spirit stones to activate the third-grade formation."

Sun Man said, his formation was very advanced, but the spiritual energy was not enough because he had planted a large number of high-level spiritual herbs around the cave, and more than half of the spiritual energy flowed into the Spiritual Herb Garden.

"Sun's Taoist friend is wealthy, I admire him."

Lin Jiang didn't say these words, but he meant the same thing. He is an alchemist and very rich. He is truly the leader of the Four Arts of Cultivating Immortals.

The Three-tier Formation requires tens of thousands of spirit stones to start. It depends on specific needs. Sun Man's core area is also five or six hundred acres in size. According to Lin Jiang's knowledge of the Formation market, this set of Three-tier Eight Gate Golden Armor Formation costs no less than 80,000 spirit stones. Plus other Formations, just for safety, Sun Man has invested more than 130,000 spirit stones.

This amount of wealth is enough to make Lin Jiang and others envious. Lin Jiang's family doesn't even have a Three-tier Formation. Of course, the main reason is that the spiritual veins there are low, so even if they had a Three-tier Formation, it wouldn't be useful at all.

"Fellow Taoist friends, please don't mock us. Everyone knows that in the Yunzhong Mountain Range, there are always several Building Foundation cultivators dying every year. They know that alchemists like us are wealthy and always have their eyes on us. We can't bear to invest too much, but in the end, we might end up helping someone else."

Sun Man laughed bitterly and shook his head. He felt heartbroken because he had invested so much money. But there was no other choice. Among independent cultivators, alchemists are the richest. Everyone knows that they are like fat sheep, attracting countless thieves. If they don't enhance their security measures, they will become prey to others.

"While others hoard food, I hoard spears. Others are my granary. It seems that I also need to be more cautious from now on. In the eyes of others, Talisman Makers are also wealthy people."

Lin Jiang nodded silently. There are many impoverished and ruthless individuals in the cultivation world. They don't have any means to make a living, but they are always ready to kill and seize treasures. In their eyes, even Talisman Makers are considered wealthy.

"Sun's Taoist friend, since your family has a Three-tier Formation, why don't we activate it and take to the sky to see what's going on? If there is any danger, we should prepare in advance."

"This, activating the third-level formation requires a lot of spirit stones. We might need the support of our Taoist friends."

Sun Man looked troubled. The third-level formation was not something to be taken lightly. In theory, it could withstand attacks from the Golden Core Period, but it consumed a lot of energy. He didn't want to be the one to bear this burden alone. After all, they were all seeking refuge together. How could he be the only one to provide the spirit stones?

Lin Jiang and the others immediately had dark expressions. Sun Man was being a real jerk. They invited him to their house for a gathering, and he couldn't even contribute a little money.

But now was not the time to argue. After some discussion, everyone agreed to contribute five hundred spirit stones each, totaling seven thousand, to give to Sun Man. Once he received the spirit stones, he immediately activated the third-level formation.

With the protection of the third-level formation, everyone felt more at ease. Even if they faced a direct attack from someone in the Golden Core Period, they could withstand it for a while. So they ascended with peace of mind.

As they reached an altitude of a hundred meters, everyone cast their spells and looked around. Some had practiced eye techniques and could easily see tens of kilometers ahead. Lin Jiang hadn't practiced eye techniques, but with the enhancement of spiritual energy, he could still see three or four kilometers without any problem.

"There, do you see it?"

"It's the people from the Giant Wave Fish Gang."

"Do you know them, Taoist friend?"

"We've seen him several times, he is definitely the leader of the Giant Wave Fish Gang."

"It's definitely fuliu-jian, I've seen him a few times. Fighting alongside him is the Grand Elder Shen Bo of the Giant Wave Fish Gang. I just don't know who the person in the black robe is."

The people immediately started discussing. Sun Man and the others were experienced members of the Building foundation, over a hundred years old. They were familiar faces around Yunzhong City and recognized two of them as fuliu-jian, the leader of the Giant Wave Fish Gang, and Grand Elder Shen Bo.

And Lin Jiang recognized the person in the black robe. Isn't that the same person who massacred the members of the Giant Wave Fish Gang at Yuntuo River?

"Friend Sun, don't you think that person in the black robe's abilities are familiar?"

"Indeed, he practices the Overlord Scroll, a forbidden cultivation technique. I didn't expect someone would actually practice such a dark art."

"I heard that the descendants of the Trident Fish Gang have been attacking members of the Giant Wave Fish Gang everywhere. It must be this person. The Trident Fish Gang and the Giant Wave Fish Gang have a long-standing vendetta. Their descendants would stop at nothing for revenge."

"That makes sense. It must be him."

The people discussed again, and Lin Jiang remained calm. He was certain that the person in the black robe was undoubtedly Liu Dong. Otherwise, Lin Jiang couldn't imagine anyone else doing such a thing.

"Oh, this Evil Scroll, it should have been banned a long time ago."

"Why hasn't it been banned? The Zhonghang Sect and the Cloud Sword Sect have been destroying this technique, but it's always been popular in the cultivation world. Many people have secretly kept this technique."

"I know that too. Many independent cultivators hide this technique as a powerful weapon. They hope that if they are ever bullied, they can use it for revenge."

"It's not that simple. I also read about this technique in the past. It doesn't require the cultivator to have special spiritual abilities, but not everyone can succeed in practicing it. It requires great determination, and the cost is terrifying. Even though that person in the black robe currently has a golden core cultivation, there's no guarantee they'll live past a hundred years."

Sun Man said. Techniques are not magical cures. Just having this technique doesn't guarantee success in cultivation. Countless people have died halfway due to the side effects of techniques.

As Lin Jiang listened to the people discussing, he also watched the battle several miles away. The black-robed person, Liu Dong, fought against two opponents and was not at a disadvantage. In fact, he was even overpowering them. fuliu-jian and the other person were in a very difficult position.

"Kid from the Liu family, don't push us to the limit. The downfall of the Trident Fish Gang wasn't our intention. You should know that if we don't intervene, other fishing gangs will."

Fuliu-jian, feeling desperate, shouted at the black-robed person. The Overlord Scroll is a heavenly level cultivation method, far surpassing the techniques we practice. Both in terms of quantity and quality of spiritual energy, it's on a completely different level. They simply can't compete.

"So what? You killed our people. If we don't kill you, how can we justify it to the more than thirty members of the Liu family?"

Liu Dong coldly said, the conflict among the fishing gangs was rooted in the power struggle among the upper echelons. Trident Fish Gang lost their support, either being absorbed by Giant Wave Fish Gang or other fishing gangs.

The fact was true, but he didn't care. He only knew that more than thirty members of the Liu family had perished at the hands of Giant Wave Fish Gang. This was enough. He sought revenge and he didn't get the wrong person.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😔)

"Shen Bo, when will the reinforcements arrive?"

"I have already sent eighteen pleas for help using Sound Passing Talisman."

"Don't wait, your supporter is no longer in Yunzhong City. Prepare for death."

Liu Dong laughed. He had been discovered by fuliu-jian and chased to this point. But this was the result of his careful calculation. The supporter of Giant Wave Fish Gang was currently on a breakthrough retreat, unable to receive the Sound Passing Talisman messages.

"Join forces, devouring all the fish."

Fuliu-jian's face turned pale when he heard this, exchanging a glance with Shen Bo. They prepared to join forces and cast a spell.

"Haha, without water, what can the fish do?"

Liu Dong was not afraid at all. The secret technique of the Giant Wave Fish Gang, Fish Swallowing the World, was indeed very powerful, but it required water. In Yuntuo River, they were naturally advantaged. But what water was there here?

As expected, after the two of them used their secret technique, the surrounding streams were quickly drained by them. These waters turned into a water dragon and swept towards Liu Dong.

However, the nearby streams were not big enough to sustain the consumption of the water dragon. After a few rounds of confrontation with Liu Dong, the water dragon collapsed.

"If someone from the Giant Wave Fish Gang could use water magic at this time, maybe they could win."

Lin Jiang thought to himself, instead of using other spells, just a Rain Decision would be enough. But the condition was that they needed more people. A little bit wasn't enough.

Unfortunately, no one from the Giant Wave Fish Gang appeared. It was unknown whether they were too scared to come or if they were held up by other things.

"Break!"

When Liu Dong saw the water dragon collapse, he immediately increased his attack. He hadn't studied many secret techniques, but with a big sword, he was able to unleash waves of sword energy. The sword energy tore apart Shen Bo's magic shield in an instant. One strike landed on Shen Bo, who let out a cry of pain and flew away.

Upon seeing this, fuliu-jian quickly turned around and fled. The two of them were not even evenly matched, let alone just him alone. Liu Dong wouldn't let him get away and pursued him once again.

"Shen Bo seems to be in trouble."

"What should we do?"

"Save him or..."

Unable to continue this conversation, there are people in Sun Man's cave who are restless, their intentions unknown.

"I don't know anything, don't mind me."

Lin Jiang is the first to land, whether it's to save someone or to take advantage of the situation, he doesn't take action right away. Safety comes first, he'll think about it later.

"I don't know either."

"Same here."

Several more people, like Lin Jiang, quickly descend. It's out of our control. But still, more than half of the people, including Sun Man, haven't come down yet. They all know that the Golden Core Elder is wealthy, not to mention being the Grand Elder of the Fishing Gang. That's definitely a super fat lamb. Saving someone can result in a generous reward, as for killing... hehe.

Chapter 77

Sun Man's home had fourteen independent cultivators in the Building Foundation Period, plus himself making fifteen people. At this moment, five people descended while ten others remained suspended in midair.

"Be cautious, my Taoist friends, they might silence us."

As soon as Lin Jiang came down, he sensed that Sun Man and the others were communicating with each other. Immediately, he also communicated with the other four. If they decided to take action and kill someone, then Lin Jiang and the others could be eliminated by their joint efforts because they didn't dare let the Giant Wave Fish Gang know that they were the ones responsible.

The faces of the other four people changed, and they quickly stood together, back to back, staring up at the sky. Sun Man and the others also seemed to have come to a decision, as they all looked towards Lin Jiang and the others.

"Sun, my Taoist friend, today's exchange has come to an end. How about opening the formation and letting us go home?"

"We don't mean to neglect you, my Taoist friends. How about taking a temporary break?"

"No, Sun, my Taoist friend. I want to go home. Please release the formation."

"The outside is filled with danger. It would be better to take a temporary break."

"Dear Taoist friend Sun, please think carefully. I am a second-level Formation Master. Your family's formation is difficult to break from the outside, but not so great on the inside. The Eight Gate Golden Armor Formation and the Five Elements Shock Killing Formation must be activated simultaneously, requiring a complete third-level spiritual vein. Spirit stones won't do."

A person stepped forward and said coldly. Sun Man's formation has three layers: two for external defense and one for internal confinement. It is incredibly powerful. However, on Lin Jiang's side, there is a Formation Master, which changes things. They can see the strengths and weaknesses of the formation. Breaking it won't be difficult.

"Dear Taoist friend Sun, we understand the rules of the Taoist path. Today, we will leave first. We know nothing about what will happen afterwards."

"Dear Taoist friend Sun, think it through. Hesitation will only lead to chaos. There are many independent cultivators in this area. Do you really think you can eliminate them all? If you truly want to do it, do it and then run away. The Yun State is vast. There are plenty of places to cultivate."

Someone else said. A battle among golden cores will cause a great disturbance. It won't just be Shen Bo they are after. It's impossible to keep it a secret. If we truly want to take action, it's better to escape immediately after succeeding.

"Taoist Friend Chen speaks wisely. Dear Taoist friend Sun, I shall also take my leave."

As soon as these words were spoken, three more people stood by Sun Man's side, facing Lin Jiang and his group. Lin Jiang recognized them as settled residents of the Yunzhong Mountain Range, with families and homes. They had already established themselves and saw no need to flee for this one occasion.

"Since you Taoist friends are determined to leave, I dare not keep you any longer. Please go."

Sun Man saw that Lin Jiang's side had more people and immediately made the difficult choice to allow everyone to leave.

"Thank you, Taoist Friend Chen."

"Thanks, Brother Chen."

After leaving Sun Man's cave, everyone thanked Taoist Friend Chen, who is an expert in formations. He had just exerted great pressure on Sun Man, and if it wasn't for him, Sun Man might have taken action.

Lin Jiang quickly flew back home and immediately activated the protective formation, placing Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao into the Spirit Beast Bag. He also added spirit stones to various formations as a precaution.

Lin Jiang had no intention of practicing cultivation. He sat and waited for the situation to unfold, feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Sure enough, two hours later, a powerful divine sense swept through Lin Jiang's residence. Lin Jiang promptly got up and flew high up into the sky, where he saw Liu Dong, the person in the black robe.

"You truly are a clever person."

Liu Dong saw Lin Jiang and recognized him as the person he had previously met by Yuntuo River.

"I can still pretend not to know anything."

"That's what they said too."

Liu Dong casually swung his hand and seven heads fell down, exactly belonging to Sun Man and his six friends.

"Do we have to fight to the death?"

"Haha, what can you do to challenge me?"

"Killing fuliu-jian and Shen Bo wasn't without consequences, right? The support behind the Giant Wave Fish Gang will soon appear."

With a thought, Lin Jiang summoned Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, who flew up into the sky and let out a piercing cry, filled with a warning.

"You're lucky to encounter a late-stage second-tier Aurora falcon."

Liu Dong's eyes lit up, but he wasn't intimidated by Lin Jiang at all. He summoned a powerful magical sword and struck down towards Lin Jiang.

"*Boom*"

The spell protecting Lin Jiang's cave broke instantly. Lin Jiang became anxious and shouted, "Liu Dong, do you want to repay kindness with enmity?"

"What do you mean?"

"Take a look at who I am."

Lin Jiang immediately changed his appearance, transforming back into Lin Yu's original look.

"You, you..."

"It's me. I saved both you and Liu Siyu back then, and I also gave you the Overlord Scroll."

"It's really you, Uncle Lin."

Liu Dong looked at Lin Jiang in absolute shock, memories of their past together flashing through his mind.

Liu Dong first met Lin Jiang at his home. His father, Liu Jie, asked Lin Jiang to teach him script magic. However, the greatest favor came after the Trident Fish Gang was destroyed. Lin Jiang risked his life to shelter Liu Dong and Liu Siyuan, providing them with the Overlord Scroll and paying their rent for three years. This allowed them to evade the relentless pursuit of the Giant Wave Fish Gang.

"It's me."

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye back then?"

"Back then, I was only in the Qi Refining Period. How could I have offended the Giant Wave Fish Gang? Your father Liu Jie and your uncle Liu Hui helped me. All I could do was that."

"That's alright, let me come in and rest for a bit."

"Okay."

Lin Jiang opened the inner formation. He couldn't beat them in a fight. fuliu-jian and Shen Bo, both at the golden core stage, died. Sun Man and the other seven at the Building Foundation Period were easily defeated. He had no chance of winning, and it seemed impossible for him to escape. That's why Lin Jiang decided to reveal his identity.

"Uncle Lin, how have you been all these years?"

"It's been tough. Independent cultivators struggle, as you know. It took me a lot of effort to barely reach the Building Foundation stage."

"You seem younger than when I last saw you."

"Just took the Appearance Fixing Pill."

"Very good."

Liu Dong nodded, knowing that Lin Jiang was lying, but he didn't expose it. After all, who doesn't have secrets as a cultivator?

"What happened to Liu Siyu?"

"She got married, married an independent cultivator in Yunzhong City. Just like you, he's also a Talisman Maker. They settled in the northern part of Yunzhong Mountain Range, living in seclusion. They might even have a grandchild by now."

"That's great, it wasn't in vain for me to save you back then."

"Indeed, it's good. So, Uncle Lin, can you help me out?"

"What do you want?"

"I'm a dying person now. Here are nine storage bags, all of them are yours. Inside, there are at least a hundred thousand spirit stones. You can give Liu Siyu's family five thousand spirit stones every ten years, totaling fifty thousand. Additionally, there are some cultivation techniques and secrets. Make sure to give them a copy. The rest is all for you."

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😘)

"Aren't you afraid that I will keep everything for myself?"

"It doesn't matter if you keep everything for yourself, I owe you from the past."

Liu Dong said that Lin Jiang, who was in the Qi Refining Period back then, risked his life to save him and even paid three years' rent in Yunzhong City. This favor was not small.

"Alright, I promise."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Lin."

"Could you let me see what I look like after practicing the Overlord Scroll? I almost couldn't resist practicing it back then."

"Should we still not do it?"

Liu Dong shook his head. He no longer wanted to show his true face. The Overlord Scroll was too terrifying.

Lin Jiang didn't say anything else, but he noticed Liu Dong's hands. They were very thin and old, like the hands of an elderly person near the end of their life. However, Liu Dong was not even a hundred years old, so he should have had a lifespan of five hundred years.

"Never mind, I'm leaving. I won't kill the other independent cultivators in the Building Foundation. Uncle Lin, be careful."

Liu Dong wanted to say something else, but in the end, he didn't speak. He left behind the bag and quickly disappeared, taking the heads with him.

Lin Jiang looked at where Liu Dong had just stood, a puddle of blood, and realized that he had been seriously injured.

"Forget it, forget it."

Lin Jiang sighed and once again lamented the difficult life of independent cultivators. Seven Building Foundation Period cultivators, all gone, and it had only been a few hours.

Lin Jiang quickly found fuliu-jian and Shen Bo's bag, used his spiritual sense to erase the markings inside, opened it, took out ordinary items like spirit stones, and immediately put back anything that could expose his identity. Then he had Big Shadiao carry it away and throw it out, preferably flying hundreds of miles away as quickly as possible.

After cleaning up the traces, Lin Jiang waited for Big Shadiao to return and immediately left Yunzhong Mountain Range, entering Yunzhong City and finding an inn to stay in. He opened each storage bag, one by one.

Half a day later, a terrifying fortune was laid out in front of Lin Jiang. The spirit stones alone exceeded four hundred thousand, with fuliu-jian and Shen Bo being the richest, their spirit stones totaling over three hundred thousand. There were also some pills, martial arts techniques, and the rest of the items were all discarded, as they were even more valuable.

Sun Man and the others also had substantial wealth, after all, they were all experienced Building Foundation Period cultivators. Sun Man, in particular, was a second-tier alchemist. However, Sun Man's most valuable possession was still in his house. Lin Jiang now had Sun Man's formation control token.

"The combined value of all the various treasures amounted to over five or six hundred thousand spirit stones."

"Seeking wealth and fortune amidst danger, the ancient people were truly not deceiving me."

Lin Jiang sighed repeatedly, he could understand why Sun Man and the others took the risk. Their wealth during the Golden Core Period was too abundant. Spirit stones were just a small part of their wealth, the valuable equipment and treasures added to the total value, not less than two hundred thousand. If they were divided equally among the seven of them, they would each receive tens of thousands, which would be their income for one or two years. And if they succeeded, it would probably be a matter of solving it within an hour.

To earn a year or two's worth of money in just one hour, there would be many people who couldn't resist the temptation.

"I've lost more than what I've kept, I need to find some secret techniques that can remove special marks, or find a reliable and powerful place to sell stolen goods."

Thinking about the things that were thrown away afterwards, Lin Jiang felt very regretful. The value inside was even greater than what Lin Jiang had kept. If he had the ability to keep them, it would have been a big profit.

Chapter 78

At the banks of Yuntuo River, in the main hall of the Giant Wave Fish Gang, there were already corpses all over the place. Liu Dong changed into the attire of the former Trident Fish Gang and was tinkering with offerings.

In front of him were one tablet after another, some commemorating the help of the Trident Fish Gang and some of his own Liu family members, over a hundred in total.

"Leader, Liu family ancestors, Liu Dong is ashamed. He only remembers so many people. Maybe there's no chance to make up for it..."

Liu Dong knelt in front of those tablets, whispering something. He kept murmuring and didn't know how long had passed. A dark figure fell outside the main hall, walking step by step towards Liu Dong.

"Even the esteemed elder of Cloud Sword Sect doesn't dare to show their true face."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The person behind him smirked. He was wearing a black robe, only revealing a pair of eyes, which couldn't be seen clearly.

"Forget it, if you don't want to admit it, then don't. Everyone knows that the Fishermen Gang are the dogs of the two major sects."

"You used to be part of the Fishermen Gang too."

"Yes, I used to be your dog. But as your dog, I accumulated countless wealth for you. How did you treat me in return?"

"When a dog is useless, it gets killed and eaten. Isn't that what should happen?"

"It seems like this, but you should know, we're not real dogs, we're humans, with flesh and blood, with homes and families."

"Is there any difference?"

"You..."

Upon hearing these words, Liu Dong became extremely angry, blood boiling in his head.

"Are you very angry? But this is the truth, an unchangeable truth. In the eyes of the upper class cultivators, the lower-class cultivators are even lower than dogs."

"This is the major sect, the ruler of Yun State. I finally understand."

"And then what? After understanding, what does it accomplish? Being angry, very angry, so what?"

"When an ordinary man gets angry, blood splatters five steps."

"Haha, just based on you?"

The person in the black robe laughed and said. Is the Overlord Scroll very powerful? It's just a dark martial art. Compared to the truly top-level martial arts, it's nothing but garbage. Besides, it is also suppressed by different levels. Can Nascent Soul defeat the golden core?

"Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to learn from Senior Emperor. If I could advance to Soul Changing, I would definitely destroy your Cloud Sword Sect."

Liu Dong looked at his hands, which were old and thin. His face was no better. A golden core that should have been flourishing before the age of one hundred was now withered and weak.

The Overlord Scroll has been circulating in Yun State for thousands of years. Countless people have practiced this martial art, but no one has reached the height of Senior Emperor. The drawbacks of this martial art are really terrifying.

"Are you done talking? If you are, I can send you on your way."

"I'm done talking. Come on, let me experience the Cloud Sword Sect's superior swordsmanship."

Liu Dong stood up, took out his big sword treasure. He had known for a long time that he wouldn't live much longer, even if no one killed him. So, he would rather die and give a final blow to the person behind the fishing gang.

"Sword Sutra, Skyscraper Sword."

"Furious Sea Angry Blade."

"Explosive Element Technique"

The man in the black cloak used a sword technique, while Liu Dong used the Powerful Blast Technique to burn his remaining life force, then he unleashed his strongest strike.

A fierce wave of sword energy burst out from his precious sword, forming a phantom that was several tens of meters long. It slashed towards the man in the black cloak, but his flying sword still seemed ordinary.

"Boom!"

The wave of sword energy collided with the flying sword. The wave shattered, but the flying sword continued its momentum and cut through Liu Dong's body. Liu Dong's body suddenly exploded, blood and flesh splattering towards the man in the black cloak. However, it was all blocked by the man's protective barrier, leaving not a single droplet on him.

"Ants will always be ants, even if they splash blood five steps away, how ridiculous."

The man in the black cloak coldly said, then he retrieved his flying sword and used a spell to take Liu Dong's storage bag.

Effortlessly removing the marks on the storage bag, the man in the black cloak emptied its contents. There were several thousand spirit stones and a pile of miscellaneous items, but everything else was gone.

"Does Liu Dong have any survivors?"

The black-clothed person immediately became unhappy. If you only cut the grass without getting rid of the roots, it will grow again when the spring wind blows. Although these ants cannot threaten him, they can still cause some trouble, just like annoying flies buzzing around.

Thinking of this, the black-clothed person took out a magical tool that looked like a compass. After casting a spell, a small insect flew out from the center of the compass and quickly flew away. The black-clothed person glanced around and found no other things to deal with, so he followed the insect along the way.

Finally, the black-clothed person arrived in front of a cave in the middle section of the Yunzhong Mountain Range. With his spiritual awareness, he sensed that there were three cultivators inside the cave. They seemed to be three brothers, all of them at the Qi Refining Period cultivation level. There were many items placed in front of them, including even magical flying swords.

The three brothers were excitedly taking inventory of these items. The sudden fortune had made them so happy that their mouths were crooked, and they were fantasizing about living a good life in the future.

"Bang!"

The black-clothed person reached out and easily shattered the defensive formation of the cave. The three brothers immediately woke up and were about to take out the flying swords from their storage bags to confront the enemy, but they found themselves unable to move at all.

"Senior, please spare our lives!"

"I ask, you answer. if you tell the truth, I will spare your lives."

"Yes, yes, senior. We would never dare to hide anything."

"Where did these things come from?"

"Picked them up."

"Plop."

Just as the person answered, the person in a black robe slapped their palm, and the person was shattered into pieces.

"How did they come?"

"Senior, we really just picked it up. Today, an Aurora falcon threw a storage bag into the valley ahead, and when we went to look, we found the storage bag."

"What level is this Aurora falcon?"

"We don't know for sure, but it's definitely a second-order."

"You're not lying to me, right?"

"Really don't have, senior, we wouldn't dare to lie to you"

"Come here"

"Yes"

One of them tremblingly walked up to the person in the black robe. The person in the black robe stretched out their hand and placed it on his head, then the soul-searching technique started.

In this person's memory, the person in the black robe indeed saw an Aurora falcon flying from the east. The three brothers saw the Aurora falcon carrying a storage bag in its mouth, so they came out to investigate. Afterwards, they saw the Aurora falcon drop the storage bag and leave.

"It should not be a third rank, it's at the mid-level of the second rank"

The person in the black robe nodded, then released his hand, while the man being soul-searched stared blankly, drooling from the corners of his mouth, becoming a fool.

"Big brother"

The remaining man let out a mournful roar.

"Quacking and chirping"

The person in the black robe waved their hand, and both people died at the same time, their bodies sliced open.

The person in the black robe packed up the things in their storage bag, stood up, and flew away. They flew towards the east, their powerful spiritual sense sweeping through various caves, terrifying cultivators everywhere. Although they were scared, they didn't dare to speak out against it.

········

In Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang had been staying at the inn for half a month. Finally, news about the Giant Wave Fish Gang spread throughout the city.

"The Giant Wave Fish Gang is finished. The gang leader and the elders in the Building Foundation Period have all died."

"The headquarters of the gang has been destroyed. There's nothing more to say."

"Oh, what a pity. Compared to other fishing gangs, the Giant Wave Fish Gang was relatively fair and didn't exploit people too much. I wonder who will take over now."

"Who knows? Anyway, we don't rely on Yuntuo River for our livelihood. It has nothing to do with us."

"That's true, but did you hear about a lot of people getting rich in the past few days? Do you know what happened?"

"It's all because of the trouble caused by the main branch of the Giant Wave Fish Gang. Liu Dong, who is a descendant of the Trident Fish Gang, killed the leader fuliu-jian and the Grand Elder Shen Bo of the fisherman gang. Then he wiped out hundreds of people from the main branch, but unfortunately, Liu Dong died too. He had the audacity to search his corpse and not only found a lot of storage bags but also looted the Giant Wave Fish Gang's warehouse."

"Really? What a loss! Why wasn't I outside the city?"

"If you had gone, you might have been the one searching his corpse."

"Haha, that's true. But who killed Liu Dong?"

"Who knows? The main hall of the main branch was completely destroyed. People say it was likely someone at the advanced stage of golden core who made a move."

In a inn in Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang listened carefully to the conversations of the people around him. Recently, the matters of the Giant Wave Fish Gang had become the focus of conversation among the lower-level cultivators in Yunzhong City.

Everything from the grudges between the Giant Wave Fish Gang and the Trident Fish Gang in the past was brought up. Liu Dong's true identity couldn't be hidden anymore, but no one really cared. The main concern for everyone was to just watch the drama unfold.

"Let's hide for a few more days and then go home to check on things. If everything is fine, I'll take over Sun Man's cave. His place is much better than mine."

Lin Jiang secretly thought that although he had put in a lot of effort in the cave over the past three years, it was still far inferior to Sun Man's side. Sun Man alone had valuable formations, not to mention the high-level spiritual medicines Sun Man planted. Lin Jiang saw that some of the medicines had been aged for decades, making them extremely valuable.

Returning to the inn, Lin Jiang glanced at the storage bag, which contained hundreds of thousands of spirit stones. Within the Building Foundation Period, this wealth was definitely an astronomical figure. If it became known, who knows how many heroes and adventurers would come to snatch it from him.

"I'll hide for a few years and then look for Liu Siyu again, but I can't meet her face to face. I'll just secretly give it to her."

Lin Jiang calculated in his heart that he didn't plan to reveal himself to Liu Siyu. Recognizing Liu Dong earlier was unavoidable; if he didn't explain, Liu Dong would have killed him.

Lin Jiang didn't know if the Giant Wave Fish Gang or their backers could find Liu Siyu, so he didn't dare take the risk. The fact that he agreed to Liu Dong's request already impressed him. If he had a bit more selfishness, he could have kept the money all to himself.

After hiding in Yunzhong City for a few days, Lin Jiang was preparing to return to Yunzhong Mountain Range when he saw an independent cultivator roaring at the guards of Yunzhong City. He said, "It's ancestral, I've been saying it all along. My family's Aurora falcon is ancestral. But you killed it. How will you compensate me?"

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😡)

Upon hearing the words "Aurora falcon," Lin Jiang immediately stopped in his tracks and, like the others, stood still to observe. After a while, Lin Jiang finally understood what was going on.

The Cloud Sword Sect's He family suddenly brought up the incident of the young master He Yunwei being killed decades ago and increased the reward for the original perpetrator. The perpetrator was characterized by having a mid-late stage second-order Aurora falcon. Hence, this cultivator with an inherited Aurora falcon beast pet was mistakenly injured.

Lin Jiang's heart suddenly chilled. It was abnormal for an incident from several decades ago to resurface. Even if he just used his toes to think, he would know this was not normal.

"What happened in the end?"

Lin Jiang was also very confused. He had been well-behaved these past few years, and it seemed like he hadn't offended anyone. How did this thing get brought up in the end?

Chapter 79

"Senior Lin, Senior Lin is here!"

"Shopkeeper, come out quickly, Senior Lin is here!"

When Lin Jiang appeared once again in the face of Lin Sheng at Star Gathering Tower, he was quickly recognized by the staff. Soon, Lin Jiang entered the VIP room once again, and the shopkeeper of Star Gathering Tower personally came out to greet him.

"Taoist Friend Lin, it's been years since you last came."

"In these past few years, I've been traveling around and haven't been in Yunzhong City."

"I see. I envy you, Taoist Friend Lin. You have time to travel around, unlike me. I'm caught up in worldly matters and can't break free."

"The shopkeeper of Star Gathering Tower doesn't know how many people envy him."

"Haha, it seems that we both admire each other. What does Taoist Friend Lin need this time at Star Gathering Tower?"

"Let's customize some spiritual tools. The ones I have are not usable anymore."

"Looks like a big business is coming. I wonder what level of spiritual tools Taoist Friend Lin needs to customize."

"A complete set, top quality, and if there's superb quality, that would be great too."

Lin Jiang said calmly. This morning, he saw the incident involving He family's young master being mentioned again by Cloud Sword Sect in Yunzhong City, which made him feel a sense of crisis. Plus, the middle section of Yunzhong Mountain Range has always been a world of survival of the fittest. So Lin Jiang gritted his teeth and decided to change his equipment.

Magical tools and spiritual tools are generally divided into four categories: upper, middle, lower, and top quality. Top quality is the limit of magical tools and spiritual tools. But no one knows which genius came up with the concept of superb quality.

What is superb quality? It means using a slightly lower grade material while predominantly using higher grade materials, through special means. This surpasses the limit of the next grade material.

Let's give an example - using materials used to forge treasures to create spiritual tools. These spiritual tools will surpass the level of regular top quality spiritual tools but will be lower than treasures. That's why they are called superb quality.

This kind of excellent quality spiritual weapon is expensive and can only be crafted by a highly skilled blacksmith. Its price is not lower than that of a magic treasure, making it the most high-end spiritual weapon that only a few people can afford.

"Wow, Taoist Friend Lin must have made a fortune with this superb quality item."

"What fortune? Going out and exploring the cultivation world is dangerous. Without your life, you have nothing. That's why I prioritize staying alive."

"Taoist Friend Lin is right. Please wait a moment while I summon a blacksmith to discuss this with you."

The shopkeeper realized he had said too much and quickly changed the subject, calling for a blacksmith to join them.

"I am Master Zheng Daqi, a blacksmith at the Star Gathering Tower. I have been informed by the shopkeeper that Taoist Friend Lin wishes to customize a superb quality spiritual weapon. May I know your requirements?"

"I want to customize two flying swords. One should be sharp and sturdy enough to break through top-tier spiritual weapons with a single strike. The other should be fast and energy-efficient.

I also need a set of flying needles with the ability to break through strong defenses, but they don't need to possess both qualities. They should be able to conceal my divine consciousness. Additionally, I would like to customize a set of armor..."

Lin Jiang explained his requirements one by one, requesting items that he commonly used, but with a high level of quality.

"Friend Lin, why don't you listen to my advice?"

"Please speak, respected Zheng."

"I won't talk much about the flying sword, as our friend here cannot activate magical treasures. Let's follow their suggestions, and we don't really need heavy armor. I suggest using a magical robe instead. Also, there's..."

Based on Lin Jiang's needs, Zheng Daqi gave suggestions to Lin Jiang. Since it's a custom order, it should be tailored according to the customer's actual requirements. Star Gathering Tower does this very well.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Jiang decided to respect the technicians' opinions and follow their recommendations. The next step is to discuss the materials to be used. Different materials have different characteristics and prices.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😢)

Lin Jiang's knowledge in this area is lacking. Each craftsman specializes in their own field, and there are countless materials for refining in the cultivation world. It's difficult for anyone to be omniscient, so professional opinions are needed.

After a busy half-day, Zheng Daqi has recorded all of Lin Jiang's needs and taken measurements of their body. He hands the list over to the shopkeeper.

"Friend Lin, to make it according to your requirements, it will cost 250,000 spirit stones."

"Is there no discount? I am a longtime customer of Star Gathering Tower, after all."

"This is already the discounted price, and it's the best deal. I won't deceive you, and everyone knows about our Zhonghang Sect."

"Okay, it's 250,000, no problem. I just have one small request."

"Taoist Friend Lin, please speak."

"Don't make it fancy, keep it simple. Also, I require confidentiality about my identity. I don't want anyone else to know about this, or else I'll report it to the elders of your sect through Cao Ying."

"Taoist friend, don't worry. Star Gathering Tower in Yunzhong City is very strict in following the rules. I guarantee, on behalf of Star Gathering Tower, that this matter will only involve a maximum of five people. The sixth person will never find out."

The shopkeeper nodded. Keeping confidentiality for high-level customers was their basic requirement. Lin Jiang had mentioned it, so naturally, the confidentiality level had to be raised once again.

"Alright, let's leave it at that."

"Taoist Friend Lin, please pay a deposit of 50,000 upfront. The remaining amount can be paid on the day of delivery."

"How long will it take to refine it?"

"Three months"

Zheng Daqi said on the side, some materials still need to be sourced from other places, which will take time.

"Then it will be three months."

Lin Jiang didn't ask to shorten the time, he needed to maintain quality and quantity.

Lin Jiang paid a deposit of fifty thousand spirit stones and then left the Star Gathering Tower.

"Zheng Master, you heard what Taoist Friend Lin said. You need to personally handle this matter, don't let the disciples fool around. We can't afford to offend this person."

"Hehe, don't worry, shopkeeper. I know him, he is Cao Ying's uncle."

Zheng Daqi nodded. Cao Ying has been the most outstanding genius in the Zhonghang Sect in recent years. Not only is she exceptionally talented, but she is also loved by the two elders Chen Mingyang and Ouyang Qing. Who dares to offend him?

"It's good that you know. Let's not say much else. Once this matter is accomplished, you will receive a higher commission."

The shopkeeper nodded. Now no one wants to offend Cao Ying, plus Lin Jiang is their important customer, so they naturally have to serve him well.

······

Lin Jiang left Star Gathering Tower and went straight to the northern part of the city. Luckily, there was a cave just vacated in the north, so Lin Jiang rented it for three months.

Upon entering the cave, Lin Jiang took out the True Spirit Pill for cultivation. In all these years, he has never been so diligent as he is now. But he has no choice, because the current Lin Jiang feels a sense of urgency and crisis.

The matter involving He family's young master is related to Cloud Sword Sect. If something happens, Zhonghang Sect cannot guarantee his safety, after all, he is not a disciple of Zhonghang Sect and his relationship with Cao Ying is not strong enough.

Lin Jiang understands these relationships very well. If it doesn't involve the core interests of Zhonghang Sect, everyone is willing to give him face, but once it touches the core interests, it becomes difficult. The relationship between Zhonghang Sect and Cloud Sword Sect is indeed a core interest, there's no denying that.

After three months, Lin Jiang returned the rented cave in the north of the city. To his embarrassment, despite three months of hard cultivation, his cultivation only slightly improved and he was still at the early stage of Building foundation. Lin Jiang once again felt the gap in his talent in this body.

Coming back to Star Gathering Tower, Zheng Daqi and the shopkeeper appeared again, displaying the customized items one by one.

"Taoist Friend Lin, these are superb quality spiritual tools. It takes three to five years for someone to customize one at Star Gathering Tower, and it's worth giving them names. We didn't name them confidently, so how about you suggest one?"

"I'll go back and come again, once I confirm everything is correct, then we can trade."

Lin Jiang nodded, he didn't really spend much thought naming the spirit tool, an item is just an item, cultivators should not rely too much on them, their own cultivation is the most important.

Lin Jiang used all his knowledge to discern each one, but of course he didn't discern anything, he could only feel the impressive power of these items from their aura. Star Gathering Tower has been a reputable business for hundreds of years, they wouldn't sell inferior goods. The bigger the business, the more they value their reputation, and reputation is an invisible wealth.

After completing the delivery of the spirit stones, Lin Jiang left and stayed one more day in Yunzhong City. In the inn, he consecrated and imprinted his own divine consciousness on the various spirit tools before he could use them freely.

"For an ordinary Building foundation stage cultivator, having one or two high-quality spirit tools is already a luxury. How can they have as many equipments as I do? Relying on these equipments, I am not afraid of the threats of the mid-stage of Building foundation. If I add the Explosive Element Technique, I can even defeat cultivators in the late stage of Building foundation."

Lin Jiang said to himself, if he encountered Chen Jianhong from back then, he wouldn't need Zhang Ruifang to sacrifice herself, he could kill him easily.

Early the next morning, Lin Jiang flew to Yunzhong Mountain Range, it's time to take Sun Man's cave. If he didn't take it soon, it might become someone else's opportunity.