Cultivation: Being Immortal

Shenmu City, in Central Province.

Lin Jiang put down his brush, and a shining spiritual talisman appeared on the table. Seeing the success of this symbol, Lin Jiang was overjoyed. It was a top-tier Level 3 new style talisman, completed in one go.

"Congratulations, big brother! The success rate of your Level 3 new style talisman has reached eighty percent. You can now try to break through to a Level 4 new style talisman."

Small Shadiao put away the spiritual talisman and said to Lin Jiang. Your efforts these past few days haven’t been in vain. Bai Yu now considers you a brother for life. By exchanging talisman techniques with Bai Yu, you’ve naturally learned many tricks.

"Yes, I can now start preparing for a Level 4 new style talisman. But the more secrets I uncover from Bai Yu, the more fearful I am of Yang Luo. She’s a terrifying woman."

Lin Jiang nodded. Bai Yu had told him that all these tricks were taught to him personally by Yang Luo, and Bai Yu hadn’t even learned them all. Despite Bai Yu’s talent, he still couldn’t compare to Yang Luo.

Especially, Yang Luo is very talented in the arts of Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation. These four skills have similarities, and Yang Luo is able to excel in the talisman technique, which is beyond the reach of Bai Yu.

"Just stay away from fear, don’t face it."

"Yes, we have to persevere."

"If you really don’t want to persevere, then go back to Yun State and rely on them for support."

"Nonsense."

Lin Jiang shook his head. It was difficult for him to make up his mind and cut ties with Yun State. Now, why would he go back? There’s no way to explain it.

"Fine, here’s the latest news. Yang Luo recently returned from Yun State."

"Why wasn’t there any news about her going to Yun State?"

"She went secretly. There was no news at all. The information I received went through several hands, so there was a delay. Even her return happened half a month ago. It seems that Qing State is very angry."

"Qing State, ha ha, they get angry for no reason."

"It’s useless, Holy Heavenly Sect is not afraid of them. The two sects are far apart, there’s no need to ask for their help."

Small Shadiao said, Qing State is just a powerless rage. After all, Holy Heavenly Sect is strong now and there’s no border between them.

"What other news do you have? Tell me all at once."

"Qing State is about to have its third Tao Achieving."

"Could it be Qing State’s Lin family?"

"Of course, Lin Xuwen doesn’t have this opportunity, it’s Chen family. Since Chen Zheng’s fall, Chen family has been accumulating for hundreds of years. It is said that the probability of a breakthrough is high."

"I don’t care about that. I have nothing to do with Yun State’s Lin family anymore. Even if they are strong, it has nothing to do with me. Let’s just live our own lives." ȓΑ𐌽ȪΒƐŝ

"Okay, then there’s no big news. The cultivation world has been calm recently."

"Hmm, let’s find an opportunity to see what Yang Luo has been doing in Yun State. I want to know Yang Luo’s general plans."

Lin Jiang said. Yang Luo is strategic and careful in his actions. I need to find out where Yang Luo is going to understand his intentions and avoid being deceived.

······

"Brother Yun, come quickly!"

Inside the Little Red House, Bai Yu embraced two women and warmly greeted Lin Jiang.

Bai Yu really likes Lin Jiang now because Lin Jiang plays with him. In the Holy Heavenly Sect, there were people who would play with him, but their games were not very classy.

Lin Jiang’s way of playing is suitable for everyone, with just the right amount of elegance and fun. It hits Bai Yu’s sensitive spot, and he enjoys this style of play.

"Bai brother, take it easy. Don’t make yourself too thin."

Lin Jiang chuckled and said, even with these two women, Bai Yu’s belly is bigger. This style is trendy enough.

"Haha, no, no, Brother Yun, what should we play today?"

"Is it better to try something new or stick to the old?"

"Oh my, it’s been so long, does Brother Yun still have new toys?"

"There are plenty, take your time."

Lin Jiang laughed and said. Rich people can play things you can’t even imagine. There are all kinds of ways to play. Although Lin Jiang hasn’t played before, he’s heard about them. As long as you’ve heard about them, there’s a way to imitate.

"Never mind, never mind. I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. I’ll just stick to the old ways."

Bai Yu said, afraid of running out of Lin Jiang’s ideas. He had gotten used to these days of constantly having something new. If there was no novelty in the future, it would be boring.

"Haha, sure, Bai brother has the final say."

"Good, I’ll have someone arrange it."

Bai Yu nodded and called the steward of the Little Red House, giving a few instructions, then chatted with Lin Jiang.

After a while, serving maids entered one after another, serving precious and delicious dishes to the private room. Lin Jiang and Bai Yu ate and drank heartily.

Bai Yu ate in a crude manner, hardly chewing the food and swallowing it in one gulp. Lin Jiang used to be more refined, coming from the prestigious Lin family. He had been taught table manners before. But to match Bai Yu, Lin Jiang also became crude, almost eating while picking his teeth.

Bai Yu ate quickly because eating was part of his cultivation. The food he consumed would be transformed into energy and stored in his body. Normally, cultivators stored their energy in their dantian or Nascent Soul using spiritual power.

However, Bai Yu stored his energy in his flesh and blood meridians, so he appeared very fat, like a mountain of flesh. But in reality, the fat on his body was the energy he stored.

His fat was not just for show; it had many functions. For example, it provided defense and was said to be as strong as a top-grade magical treasure. It also supplied energy during battles, allowing him to use the power of his fat instead of relying on pills or absorbing the power of spirit stones.

Bai Yu bragged that during his Golden Core Period, he once encountered a powerful enemy and fought a long battle. He eventually exhausted his opponent using his fat. After that fight, Bai Yu lost over a hundred catties of weight.

After finishing his meal, Bai Yu was ready for the next entertainment. Lin Jiang had brought out Bai Yu’s playful side during this time. Every day they thought of different ways to have fun. From an outsider’s perspective, Lin Jiang was Bai Yu’s mischievous friend.

Two hours later, Bai Yu walked into the private room where Lin Jiang was already waiting for him. The two exchanged a sly smile.

"Brother Yun, is my plan for today alright?"

"Do we still doubt Brother Bai’s level?"

"Haha, that’s alright, that’s alright, but we should come to this Little Red House less in the future."

"Why, can’t Brother Bai satisfy his appetite?"

"It’s not that, it’s just that if we listen to Brother Yun, we need to upgrade our level and start supporting ourselves."

"That sounds a bit tiring."

"No worries, I have already found the right people who will help me train them, and the money is coming soon."

"Brother Bai, does this mean you have found a way to become wealthy?"

Lin Jiang was very sensitive and immediately said.

"Yes, this shouldn’t have been said to Brother Yun, but he and I are very close, so today I’ll tell you a little bit. But Brother Yun must swear that this matter won’t be heard by a third person."

"Brother Bai, you don’t know what kind of person I am, do you?"

"I only say it because I trust you."

"Please teach me, Brother Bai."

"Is Brother Yun’s most treasured artifact a top-quality one?"

"Of course."

Lin Jiang nodded, knowing that Brother Yun had a reputable Nascent Soul and it wouldn’t be difficult for him to possess a top-quality artifact.

"How many years has Brother Yun been cultivating?"

"Around a hundred years or so, why?"

"Does that special treasure have the tendency to break through?"

"Brother Bai is joking, if special treasures were so easily cultivated, the cultivation world wouldn’t have so few special treasures."

Lin Jiang said that special treasures are a higher level of treasure than treasures, and they are extremely rare.

Special treasures are divided into innate special treasures and acquired special treasures. Innate special treasures have materials with incredible refining properties, and once they are refined, they give birth to incredibly powerful Item Spirits. However, acquired special treasures need to be cultivated by their owners.

Cultivating is very time-consuming and costly because it requires cultivators to use their energy to nurture them. They have to compete with their owners for spiritual energy, so many cultivators will not voluntarily nurture them.

Only some ancient and prestigious sects have the strength to nurture special treasures because they can find experts who are nearing the end of their lives to nurture them. Generations after generations work together, and it may take tens of thousands of years to nurture a special treasure, but it also depends on luck. It’s possible to spend thousands of years working hard and end up with nothing.

"That’s right, it is common knowledge in the cultivation world that special treasures are difficult to cultivate. However, my Holy Heavenly Sect is about to break this common knowledge."

"Is that true?"

"Why would I deceive you? In one year, my Holy Heavenly Sect will announce a brand-new Intrinsic Cultivation Skill that is several times more effective than the current secret techniques for cultivating special treasures."

"Hiss, what do you want to do, esteemed ancestor?"

Lin Jiang gasped, Is the Holy Heavenly Sect crazy? Can they really announce such a thing?

"I don’t know either, because this matter was led by my master. I can’t guess what my master wants to do."

"Master Yang Luo?"

"Yes, well, hey, Brother Yun, don’t interrupt. This secret technique requires some secret medicine, so a while ago I received an order from the sect to stockpile this batch of secret medicine, in order to make a profit in the future."

"Speculative trading? What does Brother Bai mean…"

Lin Jiang was even more dumbfounded. The Holy Heavenly Sect is going to engage in speculative trading within the sect. Their damn methods are powerful.

"Sort of. I want a piece of the pie, so I want to collaborate with Brother Yun."

Bai Yu said to Lin Jiang, he has been splurging too much lately and while it feels good, the fact that he has spent a lot of his savings is true. If Bai Yu wants to continue enjoying life, he needs another way to make money.

"Brother Bai, please speak."

"I will get the ingredients for this secret medicine next month. At that time, I will tell you a few key materials. I will cover 30% of the purchase cost, and you will handle the collection. We will share the profits equally."

"What about Tianxing Trading Company?"

Lin Jiang asked, Tianxing Trading Company is a business under the Holy Heavenly Sect, which is present in various cultivation cities.

"Tianxing Trading Company will be under my command this time. I will use secrecy as an excuse to temporarily halt the company’s acquisition of resources from other areas of the Shenmu Sect. This will give us enough time to manipulate."

"Okay."

Lin Jiang agreed without hesitation. Damn, who would have thought that Bai Yu, who looks so innocent, would have such a dark heart, even digging into his own sect’s corners.

"We can discuss the specifics later, Brother Yun. Just make sure to not only collect those few materials, but mix them in. We don’t want to give ourselves away, otherwise, my master won’t spare me."

"Brother Bai, rest assured. I have been navigating the cultivation world for many years and have seen it all. I know what to do. This must be done beautifully and profitably in one go."

Lin Jiang said that he had been dabbling in speculation for thousands of years and could even be considered his ancestor.

"That’s good, that’s good."

Bai Yu nodded. This time, he was also putting everything on the line. For the sake of future enjoyment, he was even willing to do something dishonest to his sect. At the moment, Lin Jiang was the most suitable partner for him. If they were to be discovered, he could claim that Lin Jiang stole their secrets. And if things didn’t go well, he could resort to killing to keep things quiet. After all, they were both independent cultivators, so it didn’t matter.

Of course, it would be best not to be discovered. There might be opportunities for future cooperation and a steady stream of income. The good times were still ahead.