80-86

Chapter 80

In the middle section of Yunzhong Mountain Range, in front of Sun Man's cave.

"Boom, boom, boom."

Intense bursts of explosions rang out. Hu Buwei looked at the formation in front of him with great helplessness. He led over ten Qi Refining Period cultivators and had been attacking for over half a month. But the Eight Gate Golden Armor Formation truly lived up to its reputation as a third-tier formation. There was still no sign of breaking it.

"Elder, we are exhausted."

A cultivator at the Qi Refining Period spoke to Hu Buwei, saying that the spiritual power of Qi Refining Period cultivators was not strong enough. After an hour of fighting, they needed to rest and recover their spiritual power.

"Take a rest, once your spiritual power is restored, we will immediately take action. The treasures inside this formation are beyond your imagination. Drinking a potion will be enough to support you for three to five years."

Hu Buwei once again made big promises to them. He didn't dare ask for help from a cultivator at the Building Foundation Period, as that would inevitably lead to infighting. But it would be different with someone at the Qi Refining Period. He would decide how much they would get in the end.

The leader at the Qi Refining Period showed a happy expression. Before this, they had attacked the outer layer of the second-order formation and only took three days to break it. After breaking the formation, they discovered a fifty-acre spiritual land filled with medicinal herbs. Each person's share of the herbs was worth thousands of spirit stones. If they could break the formation inside, they would make a huge profit.

"Someone is coming."

Just as everyone sat down to rest, they sensed someone arriving through the air. More than ten people immediately stood up and took out their magical weapons to prepare. Hu Buwei also took out his own flying sword.

"Taoist Friend Lin"

Hu Buwei saw the newcomer and felt relieved. They were all people who had attended a meeting with Sun Man before, people he knew. Friend Lin was still at the early stage of building their foundation as an independent cultivator, while he was already at the mid-stage of building his foundation, so he had nothing to worry about.

"So it's Friend Hu who practices Taoism. What is Friend Hu here for?"

"Friend Lin, you may not know this, but Friend Sun has gone on a long journey. Before leaving, they entrusted the cave to me for safekeeping. If Friend Lin doesn't have any urgent matters, it's best to leave for now. Friend Hu is busy with something and can't entertain Friend Lin."

"Is that so? But I also received a request from Friend Sun to help manage the cave."

Lin Jiang said coldly. He was furious because he had returned from Yunzhong City to find that his house had been robbed.

The formations were broken through, and all the spiritual medicines in the spiritual land were taken away. Even the spiritual fruits on the mountain were completely picked, and the spiritual bamboo at the entrance was uprooted. Damn it, they even took away the fish fry in the fishpond.

It was a complete ransacking, almost making Lin Jiang vomit blood. This was a home he had spent over three years building, investing so many spirit stones and effort into it. He hadn't even had the chance to enjoy it, and now everything had been cheapened by someone else.

Moreover, it seemed like it had been several days already, and he had nowhere to even start investigating. How could he not be angry?

"It seems that Taoist Friend Lin also knows about Sun Taoist Friend's unfortunate situation. So, I won't pretend anymore, Taoist Friend Lin. This place is mine now, please leave."

Hu Buwei smiled and said. The biggest opportunity in the middle of the Yunzhong Mountain Range is other people's caves. Many independent cultivators are watching many caves. If a cave has been inactive for more than a month, someone will target it.

They will determine if the owner of the cave is dead, missing, or in seclusion, and then make a choice. If they choose correctly, they will benefit greatly. If they choose wrongly, they might lose their lives.

However, there are still many people doing this job every year. Some even set traps and specifically hunt down those independent cultivators. Yunzhong City has seen countless independent cultivators who just arrived and didn't know the risks, and lost their lives here.

Hu Buwei was also a member of the exchange meeting a few months ago. When Liu Dong killed fuliu-jian and Shen Bo, he was there too. Like Lin Jiang, he chose to go home at that time.

After that, he never heard any news from Sun Man, so he sent people to keep an eye on him. They watched for about three months, but never saw Sun Man. He realized that something had happened to Sun Man, so he gathered a group of people to seize the cave.

Lin Jiang wasn't the first to come here. Several others had come before, but he scared them away. This is how the Yunzhong Mountain Range is—it's a survival of the fittest, where the strong prevail.

"It's a coincidence, I also have my eye on this place. You can leave now."

"It seems that today I am going to ask Taoist Friend Lin to teach me some great tricks."

"Come on"

Lin Jiang also took out his flying sword, an excellent quality spiritual weapon, which looked plain and unremarkable.

"Go"

"One Sword Flying Immortal"

The two of them were a hundred meters apart, each summoning their flying sword. The two flying swords quickly collided in midair.

"Snap"

With a crisp sound, Hu Buwei's flying sword instantly shattered. This scene made people gasp in disbelief and feel heartbroken. After all, this was a high-quality spiritual weapon sword that he had spent a lot of money to buy. And now it was gone just like that?

Lin Jiang's flying sword continued its momentum, directly aiming for Hu Buwei's face. Hu Buwei immediately threw out a second-order defense spiritual talisman and took out a shield spell to defend himself.

"Boom"

Lin Jiang's flying sword pierced through the protective shield created by the spiritual talisman, and then stabbed Hu Buwei' magic shield. Hu Buwei felt a strong jolt in his hand, causing his face to turn pale.

"So strong!"

"Come again!"

Lin Jiang activated his flying sword, causing it to swing back and then fly out again.

"Golden light spell!"

Hu Buwei yelled, he only had one flying sword, once it was used, it disappeared. But he wasn't willing to give up just like that. He quickly performed a spell gesture, wanting to fight against Lin Jiang again. It didn't make sense for a mid-level Building Foundation cultivator to lose to an early-stage Building Foundation cultivator.

The golden light hit Lin Jiang's flying sword but had no effect. The sword directly pierced through Hu Buwei' magic shield, breaking through his arm and causing him to scream in pain.

"Splat"

The scream abruptly stopped, a drop of blood appeared on Hu Buwei' temple, slowly growing larger. Hu Buwei collapsed to the ground.

Lin Jiang put away his flying sword and also retrieved the hidden flying needles. These needles are superb quality spiritual weapons, made primarily from the tail needle of a certain third-level demonic bee, inscribed with special formations. Even someone in the Golden Core Period wouldn't be able to notice them if they weren't serious.

"Run quickly."

Seeing Hu Buwei defeated and dead, the rest of the Qi Refining Period cultivators immediately scattered. Lin Jiang didn't bother chasing after them. There was no need.

Lin Jiang approached and took Hu Buwei' storage bag, then dug a hole nearby and buried him. Lin Jiang was someone who paid attention to details. While others might only care about killing, he took care of both killing and burial.

Taking out Sun Man's control token, Lin Jiang swaggered into Sun Man's cave. The area controlled by Sun Man's cave was even larger than his own home, but the core region was only a few hundred acres. The spiritual medicines and such in the outer regions were all gone.

"Purple Gold Tooth, Yellow Purple Flower, Three-Leaf Lotus, and many second-level spiritual medicines, all main ingredients for True Yuan Pills."

Lin Jiang glanced at the Spiritual Herb Garden in the core region, which had a large-scale cultivation of second-level spiritual medicines used by cultivators in the Building Foundation Period. Most of them were main ingredients for True Yuan Pills. Considering Sun Man's identity as an alchemist, this wasn't surprising.

However, the most precious thing was a Spiritual Herb Garden behind the cave. It covered about five acres and had only twelve plants. Each plant was isolated by its own formation. These were fourth-level spiritual medicines, and each plant had a medicinal age of over a hundred years.

"Where did Sun Man get these good things? So many, he hit the jackpot."

Lin Jiang was suddenly filled with joy. The fourth-grade spiritual medicine was very valuable and difficult to cultivate. If they were allowed to mature, each plant could make even an ordinary Building Foundation Period cultivator wake up laughing in the middle of the night.

"It seems like Sun Man has invested a lot in these twelve spiritual medicines."

Lin Jiang noticed a pile of powdered spirit stones nearby. Those were the result of spirit stones being depleted of spiritual energy. Lin Jiang estimated that there were at least tens of thousands of spirit stones.

But thinking about it, Sun Man's spiritual energy in his cave was not enough to support the growth of the fourth-grade spiritual medicines. Even if he used the Spirit Gathering Formation to gather the spiritual energy from several kilometers around, it wouldn't be enough because he also had other spiritual medicines to take care of and his cultivation also required consumption. So he had to use spirit stones to supplement it.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😚)

"Sun Man, my Taoist friend, in the future, I will invest more in your investments. You can rest assured that I won't waste a single bit of these twelve spiritual medicines."

Lin Jiang silently thought to himself, cultivating high-grade spiritual medicines was like a long-term investment for cultivators, similar to playing fixed investments. Every year, or even every month, you would invest some funds in it for several decades or even hundreds of years. Then you would receive a large harvest, perhaps even becoming rich overnight.

Lin Jiang saw how much effort Sun Man had put into this, so he couldn't waste it. He had to pick up where Sun Man left off.

Wealth, it doesn't disappear, it only transfers, just like a smile, transferring from your face to mine.

Lin Jiang found the foundation of the Spiritual Herb Garden and rearranged the spirit stones. Afterwards, he toured the core area.

The next step was a clean sweep, erasing all traces of Sun Man's existence. From now on, this cave would be renamed Lin's.

Two days later, Lin Jiang went to Yunzhong City once again and bought a second-order formation set. He incorporated Sun Man's original cave into it, serving as the outer perimeter.

Lin Jiang decided to stop taking care of bamboo, fruits, and fish ponds. It was taking too much time and not bringing much profit. Instead, he scattered a lot of magic medicine seeds, following the way those bad uncles did. He would let nature take its course and see how many would grow. After all, it was impossible to control everything.

In the coming time, he felt that he needed to work hard.

"Say no to being complacent, say no to laziness, and let's start with me."

Lin Jiang gave himself a pat on the back, and it made him feel really touched.

Chapter 81

Northern part of Yunzhong Mountain Range

The Five Immortals Sect is a small sect that was established less than a hundred years ago. It was formed by five cultivators who had reached the Building Foundation stage. However, after several decades, none of them achieved immortality and they passed away. Nevertheless, their disciples inherited their legacy, and the Five Immortals Sect is now thriving.

Near the entrance of the Five Immortals Sect, there is a small market established by the sect. It is not very big and has only a few shops. However, there is a famous fish shop run by a couple who cook delicious fish. Their fame has spread to the surrounding areas, and people from other places often come here to try their fish.

"Here comes the fish!"

A waiter called out and brought a plate of food to the table. There were already more than ten fish dishes on the table, cooked in various ways such as fried, grilled, boiled, steamed, and even served raw with pickled vegetables.

"Bring us another plate of fish sashimi and two different types of dipping sauces. Make one of them spicy."

Lin Jiang picked up a thin slice of raw fish and dipped it in the sauce before putting it in his mouth. The taste of freshness filled his mouth, giving him a very pleasant sensation.

"The cultivation world is still better, no need to worry about parasites, hehe."

Lin Jiang wondered in his heart. Cultivators are not afraid of parasite infections. They can use their divine sense to inspect their bodies and quickly detect any parasites. They can then force the parasites out of their bodies using their divine sense, or even directly kill them. That's why fish slices are very popular near Yunzhong City.

With a sweep of his magical power, Lin Jiang finished off all the dishes on the table. These fish were all low-grade first-level monster fish. Once he swallowed them, they would be easily refined and disappear. Even if there were three or five more tables, Lin Jiang would be able to finish them all.

"Waiter, please come over here."

"Sir, what else do you need?"

"Please ask your boss and the lady boss to come over here."

"Um..."

"If I ask you to go, then go."

Lin Jiang revealed a bit of his divine sense. The waiter's face immediately changed when he saw that Lin Jiang was only at the first level of Qi Refining. He quickly went to call someone.

After a while, a couple walked out. The man had a rather old face, looking to be in his sixties or seventies, while the woman had taken an Appearance Fixing Pill, still preserving her charm. It was clear that she had been a beauty in her youth.

"Have you met the elders? Do you know why they called me?"

"Let's find a quiet place to talk about something."

Lin Jiang casually threw two spirit stones to the nearby innkeeper. This restaurant isn't expensive. One spirit stone should be enough for a table full of dishes. This place is not like Yunzhong City.

When the two saw Lin Jiang throw the spirit stones, they felt relieved. If he was willing to pay, it meant he probably wasn't looking for trouble.

Inviting Lin Jiang to the backyard, he got straight to the point and said, "I am Liu Dong's friend, here to find you."

The two's faces changed drastically upon hearing this. Liu Siyu even said directly, "Elder, you must be joking. We don't know who Liu Dong is."

"You are Liu Siyu, Liu Dong's cousin. And you are Liu Datong, the former disciple of Yunzhong City's Trident Fish Gang, am I right?"

"Elder, we..."

"If I really wanted to cause trouble for you, why would I need evidence? Haven't you heard the saying 'Better to kill the wrong person than to let them go'?"

"Well, I am Liu Siyu. How is my brother Liu Dong doing?"

"He's dead."

"What?"

Liu Siyu trembled all over, her whole body shaking. Liu Datong quickly embraced his wife.

"Liu Dong almost wiped out the entire Giant Wave Fish Gang. He killed the leader, fuliu-jian, the Grand Elder Shen Bo, and all the members in the main hall. He personally killed at least two hundred members of the Gang. This can be considered as revenge for what happened to you all those years ago."

"Alright, alright, Senior Liu, um..."

Liu Datong quickly said. In fact, he and Liu Siyu had long abandoned the idea of seeking revenge. The water in the fishing gang was too deep, and they, as mere Qi Refining Period cultivators, could not take revenge.

"Alright then. Before Liu Dong died, he asked me to come and see how you two are doing now."

"Very good, we are doing very well..."

Liu Datong quickly explained their family's situation. They have been living well and very comfortably for several decades. After the original five Building Foundation members of the Five Immortals Sect passed away, Liu Datong's eldest brother took over as the head of the Building Foundation Period. Their sons may not have great talents, but they are hardworking. They now manage several large fish ponds to supply their fish shop. Their fish shop is doing well and they make a profit of one or two thousand spirit stones each year.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😂)

Among their grandchildren, there are a few with good talents who have become disciples of the Five Immortals Sect. They have great future potential.

"Knowing that you are doing well is enough. In this storage bag, there are fifty thousand spirit stones and several dozen manuals and secret techniques. Liu Dong asked me to deliver them to you. Originally, he planned to give them to you in multiple installments, but I found it too troublesome, so I decided to give them all at once."

Lin Jiang took out the storage bag and said. Initially, Liu Dong underestimated fuliu-jian and Shen Bo's wealth. He thought that the combined total of nine storage bags would be only around one hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones. But he didn't expect that fuliu-jian alone had more than that. However, Lin Jiang didn't intend to give them too much either, considering that he already spent more than half.

It is very risky for young children to carry so much money in a bustling city. Fifty thousand spirit stones could bring them certain dangers. If it weren't for them mentioning that the head of the Five Immortals Sect is Liu Datong's eldest brother and that his grandson is a personal disciple of the sect, Lin Jiang would not have given them everything at once.

"Fifty thousand spirit stones..."

Both Liu Siyu and her companion were stunned. Their family works hard all year and only earns one or two thousand spirit stones. It would take them twenty years to earn fifty thousand.

"Senior, there is something I would like to ask for your help with."

"Go ahead, tell me."

"Can we exchange these fifty thousand spirit stones for one Building Foundation Pill, just one Building Foundation Pill?"

"A Building Foundation Pill doesn't cost fifty thousand spirit stones. In Yunzhong City, it only costs forty thousand."

"We don't need any more. Let's show our respect to the seniors."

"What's the reason?"

"Safety is important. Although the leader of Five Immortals Sect is our uncle, there are other people in the sect who are in the Building Foundation Period. Spirit stones are too noticeable. If someone discovers them, our lives will be in danger. Besides, it's very difficult to buy Building Foundation Pills around here. Even if we manage to buy them, there's no guarantee that we'll survive long enough to use them. I want to secure a future for my grandson."

Liu Siyu said, "Having spirit stones in hand requires spending them, but the expenses can add up. Even if we're careful, someone close to us might discover it, which could bring trouble and harm us."

The most important thing is that the level of cultivation here is relatively low, and Building Foundation Pills are especially difficult to buy. If we buy them, we might become targets. Building Foundation Pills would be more helpful to our family than spirit stones.

"That makes sense."

Lin Jiang looked at Liu Siyu with surprise. It had been decades, but Liu Siyu was showing an uncommon decisiveness. Back then, she wouldn't have even thought about these things.

"Did the senior agree?"

"Agreed."

Lin Jiang nodded and took out a magic stone from the bag, but he gave them the copied cultivation techniques. He happened to have one Building Foundation Pill left, which was equivalent to selling it and gaining an extra ten thousand magic stones.

"Thank you, senior."

"I'm leaving."

"Wait, senior. I don't even know your name yet."

"Cold River, a lone shadow. Old friend from the martial arts world. Why must we have known each other before? Haha."

With a few words, Lin Jiang displayed his techniques, swiftly departed, and disappeared before their eyes.

"Madam, this senior..."

"I don't know either."

Liu Siyu shook her head, but her eyes twinkled, and she remembered someone, could it be him?

·······

Lin Jiang left the territory of Five Immortals Sect and traveled to various places. He lived in Yunzhong City and inevitably had to deal with Cao Ying and Zhonghang Sect under the identity of Lin Sheng. He used the excuse of going out to gain experience, as he couldn't stay in Yunzhong Mountain Range all the time. If someone were to ask, he might reveal his real intentions. He needed to be careful with the details.

Of course, Lin Jiang had a certain ability to protect himself. As long as he didn't encounter particularly powerful cultivators in the later stages of Building foundation or the Golden Core Period, he didn't think he would be afraid. In a fight, who knows who would win?

The most prosperous place in the cultivation world of Yun State is the central area of Yuntuo River, specifically the region around Yunzhong City. It is the foundation of the two major sects and has a large number of cultivators.

Other places, particularly near the mountain gate of Five Elements Sect, are somewhat better. Otherwise, most places are sparsely populated and filled with primitive scenery and wild beasts. However, the wild beasts are not powerful; they are mostly at the first and second stages. Rarely, there are beasts at the third stage or higher, and most of them have been hunted by cultivators.

After wandering around, Lin Jiang arrived near Anhua City and lingered for a long time, but ultimately didn't go in. It has been seventy or eighty years since he left the Lin family, and he feared meeting members of the Lin family. He didn't know how to face them, couldn't explain himself, and was afraid of exposing his secret.

"Lin Die and Lin Ying have already reached the golden core stage. If nothing unexpected happens, they can live for over three hundred years. There is still time, there is still a chance."

In the Lin family's thoughts, there were not many people he was close to. Most of them had already passed away. Only Lin Die and Lin Ying were still around. Even Lin Batian, he was not close to him either. After turning seventeen, they only exchanged a few words each year.

Now that Lin Die and Lin Ying have already advanced to the Golden Core Period, which has a lifespan of five hundred years, and they are not even two hundred years old yet, there is still a long time left. When Lin Jiang has enough strength to protect himself and is not afraid of his secret being revealed, maybe he will come back.

After taking a walk around, Lin Jiang returned to Yunzhong City and bought a batch of True Yuan Pills. He went back to his cave dwelling to cultivate. Lin Jiang decided to practice in seclusion for a while, trying to improve his cultivation as much as possible. At the very least, he wanted to ensure that he could be invincible in the Building Foundation Period while using the Explosive Element Technique. Only then would he have some capability to roam the world.

Chapter 82

In the cultivation world, there are some cultivators who are really death-defying in their practice. They may spend twenty-four hours a day cultivating.

Hungry?

Non-existent, let me introduce you to the Inedia Pill. Taking one can allow you to go without food for several months.

Sleeping?

Sorry, during the Building Foundation Period, you can go without sleep for several months. If pushed to the extreme, even half a year without sleep is no problem.

Entertainment?

Isn't cultivation a form of entertainment? When tired from meditation, you can practice spells or take a break with secret techniques.

This type of person is called a Scroll King in Blue Star and a Ascetic Practitioner in the cultivation world.

Lin Jiang really wanted to become an Ascetic Practitioner, but he eventually gave up after trying for a few days. This lifestyle was too boring and difficult, and there were also many potential problems.

Almost every cultivator uses elixirs, even if they are top-quality ones. They might contain a bit of drug poison. If elixirs are taken continuously, the drug poison accumulates and has a huge impact on the future. Each elixir must be taken with a two-day interval.

So Lin Jiang's cultivation only meant giving up his time for farming, giving up time to play with Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, and reducing time for drawing symbols. His daily practice time increased to ten hours, which rounded up to being a hardworking person.

·······

Blinking his eyes, Lin Jiang was already 175 years old. After years of arduous cultivation, Lin Jiang decided to reward himself by going to Yunzhong City.

Equipped with Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, Lin Jiang once again arrived at Yingchun Pavilion. He was a sentimental person, visiting Yingchun Pavilion eight out of ten times. Each time, he engaged in heart-to-heart conversations with different little fairies, discussing the true meaning of life.

"Taoist Friend Lin?"

Just as Lin Jiang entered the grand gates of Spring Coming Tower, he heard someone call out from behind. Lin Jiang turned around confidently and saw a young man with a smile catching up to him.

"So you are Taoist Friend Lin?"

Lin Jiang greeted him with a smile. The independent cultivators of Yunzhong Mountain Range are constantly changing. In just a few years, Sun Man and his group were no longer around, replaced by new Building Foundation independent cultivators.

The person in front of Lin Jiang, Xie Youjia, was his new neighbor, not even thirty miles apart. Xie Youjia was a Formation Master who once tried to sell his formations to Lin Jiang, but Lin Jiang didn't need them since he already had second-tier formations. They had interacted a few times but weren't very close.

"I thought Friend Lin was a dedicated cultivator. I didn't expect to meet Friend Lin here."

"Friend Lin is also righteous, I see."

"Haha, we're both honorable. How about we exchange some tips?"

"I don't have that interest."

"Haha, me too. Let's wait a bit and meet in a private room to chat. It's a good opportunity for me to talk to Taoist Friend Lin about something."

"Sure, but with my abilities, it takes at least two hours. Can Taoist Friend wait?"

"I'm sorry, I'm busy for four hours. I also have to switch partners in the middle. My Xie Family talent is quite impressive."

"Haha..."

The two of them smiled slyly, then went their separate ways, pretending not to know each other for now.

Two hours later, they dressed up and arrived at the private room in Spring Coming Tower. Many people gathered there, and after finishing their tasks, they would chat together. The social function of Spring Coming Tower was also very important. They not only provided quiet rooms, but also served tea and fruit.

"Taoist Friend Lin, what do you need from me? If it's to exchange experiences, there's no need. I'm skilled in all eighteen martial arts."

"Taoist Friend Lin, I'm also a serious person, you know."

Xie Youjia forced a smile. Why was Taoist Friend Lin so playful? He always threw curveballs at him. Was it really time for wise people now? Is he really that powerful?

"I am also a serious person, so go ahead, what's the matter?"

"Has Taoist Friend Lin considered settling in other places?"

"Would Taoist Friend not like to start a sect for fun?"

Lin Jiang asked. Independent cultivators face many difficulties, so after reaching the Building Foundation Period, they start seeking new paths. Either they, like Lin Batian, marry multiple wives and establish a family, or they, like the Five Immortals Sect, establish a sect.

Generally speaking, it is easier to establish a family, as it involves one's own bloodline and naturally feels more intimate. Establishing a sect is more difficult, mainly because reliable people are hard to find.

"No, I am still young and have some strength in the Golden Core realm. I meant to settle in a better place."

"Please explain it more clearly."

"Do you know Anhua City?"

"Yes, it's a major city in the southwest of Yun State and holds a significant position in the whole Yun State."

"That's right, Anhua City has changed ownership in the past two years. During the change of leadership, a war broke out, causing significant damage to Anhua City and driving away many independent cultivators. The current owner of Anhua City, in order to develop the city, has recently come to Yunzhong City and has been coaxing many independent cultivators to join. If someone has achievements in Pills, Talismans, Items, and Formations, they can receive great benefits. They approached me, a Formation Master in the early second stage. If I go to Anhua City, I can have a house and establish a business with three years of tax exemption and a half reduction in tax for ten years."

"It seems that Anhua City is being managed by extraordinary individuals. Who is the current ruler of Anhua City?"

Lin Jiang's heart stirred. He remembered hearing people talk about it a few years ago. It seemed that it was the Lin family who was plotting for Anhua City. Could it be the doing of Lin Batian?

The current ruler of Anhua City is the Lin family, a prestigious family of cultivators. The family head is named Lin Batian. Speaking of Lin Batian, he is a legendary figure among us independent cultivators. About two hundred years ago, Lin Batian was still a relatively unknown cultivator at the Building Foundation stage. He settled in the southwest of Yun State and continuously expanded his influence, constantly improving his cultivation. He went from the Building Foundation Period to the Nascent Soul stage, experiencing smooth sailing all along.

The Lin family, which started with Lin Batian alone, has now grown to include eight hundred members and dozens of subordinate forces. They have become the dominant power in the southwest of Yun State, the only one.

Xie Youjia said that every successful independent cultivator is a legendary figure in the eyes of countless struggling independent cultivators. Pill King Li Ruoxu was also such a figure. Li Ruoxu's alchemy skills have surpassed those of the two major sects, and countless independent cultivators are proud of him, considering him a guiding light in life.

Now, Lin Batian's deeds have gradually spread to Yunzhong City, causing countless independent cultivators to envy him. With multiple wives and children, he has taken control of the city. But in the eyes of ordinary people, this is just an ordinary fulfillment in life.

"The Lin family is so powerful, I really want to meet them. Could you please show me the way, taoist friend?"

Lin Jiang nodded. He wanted to see who from the Lin family had come to Yunzhong City and if there were any familiar faces.

"Okay, okay, the people from the Lin family are in Yunzhong City. We'll go there early tomorrow morning, how about that?"

Xie Youjia nodded. There was one more thing he hadn't mentioned - he wanted to recommend a talented person from the Lin family. There would be a reward for that - not only would he receive spirit stones, but his tax exemption period for opening his store would also be extended. For this reason, he had been busy running around for several days.

"Then we'll see each other again tomorrow."

"Ah, Taoist Friend Lin, are you going back to battle again?"

"The beautiful lady feels lonely and can't sleep peacefully. How could I ever allow the lady to be like this? Goodbye."

"Haha, you're acting as if I'm someone who doesn't recognize others. Let's go then."

Xie Youjia burst into laughter and quickly bid his farewell. If someone with the surname Lin is so powerful, he doesn't want to be left behind either.

······

Yunzhong City,West City

Lin Die, with more than ten members of the Lin family, directly rented a small inn. Early in the morning, Lin Die and the family members held a meeting with a list in hand.

"We came to Yunzhong City to recruit talented individuals. Talented individuals in Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation, as well as in Spiritual Farming, Puppetry, and Construction Arts, are welcome. However, if one lacks any particular skill, we welcome them to Anhua City but cannot offer any benefits. We must strictly screen them..."

Lin Die emphasized again that the process of the Lin family taking over Anhua City was not smooth. Anhua City originally had a Nascent Soul Ancestor overseeing it, but that Nascent Soul Ancestor had been approaching the end of their lifespan for several decades without passing away.

Finally, news of their passing came a few years ago, but it turned out to be a sham. They wanted to use it as an opportunity to ambush Lin Batian, but fortunately, Lin Batian had extraordinary cultivation and managed to kill them when attacked.

However, after the battle, Anhua City was largely destroyed, and many cultivators fled the city. Later, the Lin family purged the cultivators aligned with the previous owners, resulting in Anhua City's cultivator population being less than one-fifth of what it used to be.

A city needs talented individuals to prosper, which would then provide wealth for the Lin family. However, ordinary independent cultivators are easy to attract, but those with true talent are not necessarily easy to find.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😉)

Therefore, the Lin family's senior members sent Lin Die to Yunzhong City specifically to recruit talent, in order to develop Anhua City as quickly as possible.

As for what constitutes talent, for cultivators, isn't it just Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation? These talented individuals are important for the city. With their arrival, the market will have more products, attracting more people to live and consume there, which will bring in tax revenue.

"Third Ancestor, we understand. We will never let go of a talented individual and will not allow any mediocrity to deceive us."

"It's okay if you know. Today is the same as yesterday. Me and Changrong, Changsheng are guarding the inn and assessing those people. Chao Yun, Chao Xia, you lead the team to promote at the three major markets in Yunzhong City. Remember not to cause trouble, even though Cloud Sword Sect and Zhonghang Sect have already been informed about us recruiting people and are not happy about it."

Lin Die nodded. This time, the members sent by the Lin family are all capable and mature. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong.

Lin Changrong, Lin Changsheng, Lin Chaoyun, Lin Chaoxia all agreed, and then Lin Chaoyun and Lin Chaoxia led the team and left the inn to go to the bustling market where independent cultivators gather to promote.

After a while, independent cultivators who had passed the Lin family's assessment came with people they recommended. The Lin family promised to reward them, and they were all very enthusiastic.

Lin Die personally assessed them. They reported their skills, and she had them demonstrate on the spot. It was easy to see if they had real abilities.

"Sixth Brother"

The inn was very busy. After a while, when Lin Die looked up, she saw a familiar figure. She exclaimed in surprise, and everyone's gaze followed Lin Die's words and looked toward a corner of the inn.

Chapter 83

Yunzhong City,West City

Lin Jiang saw many familiar taoist friends at the inn. Most of them lived in the middle section of the Yun State mountain range. It's natural to chat a few words when meeting acquaintances.

Through chatting, Lin Jiang discovered that the conditions in Anhua City were very attractive to many independent cultivators. The main reason was that the cost of living in Yunzhong City was too high, especially the rent. It could easily cost thousands of spirit stones per year. Over time, it would become a significant expense.

While chatting, Lin Die's voice saying "Sixth Brother" reached Lin Jiang's ears, making him feel startled.

Could it be? He had been practicing the Disguise Skill for decades and could be considered highly skilled. Could she still recognize him?

Lin Jiang calmly turned around and locked eyes with Lin Die. Seeing the young man in front of her, Lin Die shook her head inwardly. This wasn't her younger brother. Her younger brother, even if he had broken through to the Building Foundation stage, should be over 170 years old by now. Even if he had taken longevity treasures and Appearance Fixing Pills, there should still be signs of aging on his body.

"I'm sorry, taoist friend. I mistook you for someone else. Your figure greatly resembles that of my younger brother."

"It's alright, senior. My surname is also Lin. Perhaps our families have a blood relationship."

"Is that so, taoist friend? What is your name?"

"I am Lin Wu."

"Oh, it's the same name and surname as the Thirty-second Uncle!"

Lin Changrong exclaimed beside, and Lin Die glared at him, causing Lin Changrong to quickly close his mouth.

"Senior Lin, let me introduce you. This is my best friend Lin Wu. He's a skilled Talisman Maker of the Second Order. He can draw sixteen types of low-grade spiritual talismans."

"Oh, there are eighteen types. Thank you."

Lin Jiang added on the side, saying that in all these years of building foundations, he didn't slack off. Drawing talismans was his livelihood, so he had to put in effort to learn.

"Taoist friend, you're talented. How about coming over and having a chat?"

Lin Die nodded. Being able to draw eighteen spiritual talismans was considered high level among Second Order Talisman Makers, and they needed talented people like that.

Lin Jiang followed Lin Die into a room, and the two sat facing each other. Lin Die said, "Taoist friend, are you aware of the rules for recruiting talents in our Anhua City this time?"

"I've heard about it. Providing houses, tax exemptions, and reductions, right?"

"No, my Taoist friend is a master at creating formations. It's the most difficult and rarest skill among the Four Arts of Cultivating Immortals. That's why we can offer a house as a gift. For Talisman Makers, there are more people, so we can't give houses, but we can waive the rent. If my Taoist friend passes our assessment, we can exempt them from paying rent for twenty years in a three-story house. It's the same as tax-free or reduced taxes."

Lin Die said. Not just anyone can receive a house as a gift. Otherwise, there wouldn't be enough houses in Anhua City to give out. Being a Formation Master is the most difficult profession among the Four Arts of Cultivating Immortals and has the fewest practitioners. So the requirements have been lowered. If it's a Talisman Maker, they have to be at least a second-tier premium Talisman Maker.

"Actually, whether you give it or not, I'm not interested in Anhua City."

"Is that so?"

"Senior, don't you believe it?"

"I don't believe it. You saw outside yourself. There are many people who want to go to Anhua City."

"So, senior, do you believe that within a year, even if everyone from outside goes there, more than half will disappear?"

"That's exaggerating."

Lin Die's face turned cold. She didn't like the person in front of her. She thought they were just a arrogant person trying to attract her attention with their wild words.

"Then let me ask you a question. If you can give me an answer, I will work for you for ten years without pay. How about that?"

"Go ahead and ask."

"Sir, do you believe that a chicken lays eggs, or that eggs give birth to chickens?"

"Of course, a chicken lays eggs."

"Is that so? Then please tell me, how did the first chicken come into existence?"

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😔)

"Um..."

Lin Die suddenly became speechless and didn't know how to answer. Yes, eggs are laid by chickens, but chickens also hatch from eggs. So how did the first chicken come into existence?

"If I were to say that it's the eggs that give birth to chickens, you would surely ask how the first egg came into existence, right?"

"Exactly! This question has no definitive answer, but it's quite intriguing. It can be applied to the current situation in Anhua City as well."

"You tell me carefully."

Lin Die immediately became interested, sitting up straight and waiting for Lin Jiang's wise words seriously.

"Anhua City is struggling with people's livelihood, there are few cultivators, the Lin family hopes to strengthen Anhua City, so they are recruiting talents, and the Lin family requires those who have talent to go to Anhua City. So, we can metaphorically compare these people to mother hens that lay eggs, right?"

"Exactly, the Four Arts of Cultivating Immortals are almost necessary for cultivators. With many talents joining Anhua City, it will naturally attract many independent cultivators and small clans to come and trade, strengthening Anhua City."

"Have you ever considered that the pills, spiritual talismans, formations, and weapons we refine need people to buy them? Can you guarantee that everything we make can be sold, or is it that your Lin family can buy them all?"

"No."

Lin Die immediately said that the Lin family has less than a thousand people, plus vassal forces, only a few thousand people in total, so they dare not overstretch. Upon arriving here, she realized that Anhua City's policy does indeed have some issues.

"It seems that the taoist friend is indeed a talented person, not just in drawing talismans, but also in knowledge. Please enlighten me, taoist friend."

Lin Die immediately changed her tone and humbly sought advice. With a population of one million in Yunzhong City, there are indeed many talents. As a mere independent cultivator, she is impressed by the insights here.

"Talking too much, you should also feel the decline of Anhua City now. Many nearby cultivators come to Anhua City but find nothing to buy, so they came up with this method, right?"

"Yes, the current number of shops in Anhua City is less than one-tenth of before."

Lin Die admitted why this is so. Because they killed the previous owner of Anhua City, who had been running Anhua City for nearly a thousand years. Most of the shops in Anhua City were closely related to them. The Lin family fought a bloody battle to seize the city, naturally they wanted to eliminate any threats and caused Anhua City to become extremely exhausted.

"So is this similar to the chicken and egg relationship?"

"Indeed, it is. How can we solve it? Please enlighten us, taoist friend."

"To solve this problem, we should first understand what the needs of your so-called talented individuals and ordinary cultivators are. For me and these people, the most important thing when going to Anhua City is to reduce our living costs, but the premise is that our income remains the same, in order to gain more benefits, right?"

"Yes."

"And for the nearby cultivators of Anhua City, they hope that Anhua City has enough resources so they don't need to go to farther places or take more risks, right?"

"That's right."

"So, how can we ensure our benefits? I think Anhua City doesn't need so many Alchemists and Talisman Makers. If we give them enough benefits, naturally, some people will go. And not just a few, you can reduce the number of people but increase the benefits. Cultivators can take any risk for resources, even if it means going to the Wilderness and taking resources from under the mouths of monsters. So why not Anhua City? Once this group of people makes money, you just need to promote it, and everyone will think of Anhua City as a place where they can make easy money. There will be an abundance of spirit stones everywhere, so why worry about not having anyone come?"

"Um..."

Lin Die felt like this was a deception.

Lin Jiang smiled faintly, it's just a deception, just like Blue Star. They say there are opportunities everywhere in the big cities. How many people go there every year? Once people arrive, everything becomes easier. No matter which world it is, there are always more fools. Even if some people wake up and escape from the big cities or Anhua City, there will be a continuous stream of fools rushing in.

For ordinary cultivators, it's even simpler. Anhua City just needs to propose a strategy, like offering free membership fee, not for too long, just a year. Nearby cultivators will see it as a cheap opportunity, and they will flock to it, won't they?

Once people come, there's nothing to be afraid of. Everyone needs to eat and find accommodation. When they see pills, formations, spiritual talismans, and magical instruments, won't they buy a few for themselves?

Over time, when nearby cultivators around Anhua City get used to buying all their essential resources from Anhua City, then Anhua City will succeed. At that time, the wealth will naturally come pouring in."

Lin Die's eyes immediately brightened, as if it made so much sense. Anhua City was worried about how to grow, but it seemed like it could be achieved so easily?

"Taoist Friend, please accept Lin Die's respect."

"Please don't be like this, senior. What I said was just my own opinion, an arrogant one. To run a city well, it takes a lot of effort, like creating strict rules, ensuring the safety of cultivators in the city, treating businesses and ordinary cultivators fairly, and so on. As a large cultivation city that has lasted for thousands of years, Yunzhong City is actually very mature in this aspect. Seniors who have come to Yunzhong City from far away should not only see the surface, there are still many things to learn."

Lin Jiang said. When it comes to Lin Die and the Lin family, he is completely devoted. He thinks from the Lin family's perspective, otherwise he could easily harm the Lin family from a different angle.

Running a city well is indeed not a simple matter. Yunzhong City has rich experience in this aspect. The Lin family can learn from it.

Especially when Yunzhong City encounters many problems, such as conflicts between businesses and customers, or conflicts between cultivators. How does Yunzhong City handle these situations? These are experiences that can help avoid many detours.

"Listening to your words is better than thinking for half a year. Taoist Friend Lin, would you be willing to come to my Lin family? My Lin family is willing to generously hire you as an advisor."

"I am used to being free and unconstrained. Let's forget about it."

"The Lin family will not force you, Taoist Friend, but the door of the Lin family will always be open to you. If one day you want to find a new place to live, consider my Lin family. The land of my Lin family extends for thousands of miles, with mountains, rivers, and lakes. You can freely choose a place to live."

Lin Die said to Lin Jiang that she thinks the Lin family now needs someone like him who can offer guidance and advice.

"Has the Lin family become so powerful?"

When Lin Jiang heard that the Lin family's territory covered thousands of miles, he was shocked. It had only been a few decades since they last met, and Lin Batian had become so powerful?

"Around Anhua City, within thousands of miles, there are seventy-two sects and five hundred seventy families, all of whom look up to our Lin family."

Lin Die proudly stated that this vast territory was conquered by the Lin family over the past few decades, and she was Lin Batian' right-hand woman, the strongest among the second generation of the Lin family.

"I see."

Lin Jiang nodded, realizing why Lin Die and Lin Ying were able to cultivate successfully. It seemed that the Lin family had been plundering resources relentlessly for these years, dedicating all their efforts to them, making it impossible for them not to advance.

However, Lin Jiang also knew that the foundation of the Lin family was not actually strong. It was mainly because the Lin family's own resources were not sufficient. With just over eight hundred cultivators, it was inadequate to manage such a vast territory. If he stayed, he would probably have to contribute to the growth of the Lin family.

"Therefore, taoist friend should consider our Lin family. We treat our disciples equally. Many disciples of our Lin family have dedicated years of their lives and received generous rewards, including cultivation techniques, secret manuals, pills, and weapons. After contributing to the family's expansion, we will also grant a spiritual mountain for them to thrive."

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I'm not currently considering it. It's getting late, and I have some matters to attend to. I will take my leave."

"Then, we won't keep taoist friend. Please go ahead."

"One more suggestion, treat those people outside well, provide good food and drinks for them. Even if it doesn't meet the Lin family's standards, invite them for a meal and drinks. It won't cost much, and it will make them think that the Lin family is generous."

Before leaving, Lin Jiang couldn't help but add. Cheating Xie Youjia and others a little bit more and creating an image of a wealthy but gullible person is totally worth it. They will earn back their investment and more.

"Third Ancestor, didn't you keep him here? I heard that his skills in drawing symbols are very advanced."

"He doesn't want to stay. If he did, I would offer him benefits equivalent to the golden core."

Lin Die shook her head. She was now very curious about this person. Normally, independent cultivators in Yunzhong City have a difficult life. Those who can reach the Building Foundation Period are considered talented individuals. Why would he commit the taboo of revealing secrets as if he was part of the Lin family?

Chapter 84

Yunzhong City,West City

Lin Jiang and Xie Youjia met once again. This time, Xie Youjia wasn't as confident as he was a few days ago. Lin Jiang knew that Lin Die had listened to his advice.

"Thank you, my Taoist friend. What happened? Were you emptied by the little fairy from the Spring Coming Tower?"

"Don't say anything, the Lin family changed their mind."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday, the Lin family suddenly gathered us and told us that they would double the rewards for the people they accept. They also upgraded their house from two floors to five floors, increased the tax exemption to five years, and even gave out profound-level martial arts. The Formation Master also promised a book of second-level secret arts. I was so happy, thinking that I would benefit greatly this time. But I didn't expect that the Lin family would impose many requirements. The businesses in their house can't be bought, sold, or rented. And instead of recruiting dozens of people, they only want five. I was rejected, and the ones selected were all advanced-stage Building Foundation taoist friends. I can't compete with them at all."

Xie Youjia said with frustration, he thought he could make a fortune, but it turned out to be empty happiness in the end. If it wasn't for the Lin family's power, he would have flipped the table right there.

"Don't be angry, taoist friend. In fact, you can still make money in Anhua City, it just depends on what you do."

"Taoist Friend Lin, do you have a solution?"

"Yes, not only can you make some money, but you can also play a trick on the Lin family, tricking them."

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😡)

"Tell me quickly. Making money is not important, but it would be great to trick them. You don't know, I'm so upset about this."

Xie Youjia immediately brightened up. He had already planned to go to Anhua City and reach the peak of his life, but now he has nothing. To trick them would be the best thing ever.

I heard that the previous owner of Anhua City was named Wu, and the Wu family has been managing Anhua City for a long time. Eighty percent of the businesses in the city have a close connection with them. The Lin family completely destroyed all those businesses and then they went to Yunzhong City.

Nowadays, there are very few businesses left in Anhua City. However, cultivators near Anhua City still go there to buy resources. Imagine if you take a batch of goods there before the Lin family's people return. You can sell them at a high price. But once the Lin family's people arrive, you won't be able to sell anything. You will make money and also give the Lin family a hard time. Won't those people who joined the Lin family resent them? Isn't it like tricking them?

"Alright, but what if the Lin family turns against me and eliminates me as well?"

"Thank you, Taoist friend. It's rare to have such a great opportunity. Will you accept it? Also, we are independent cultivators. What is the biggest characteristic of an independent cultivator? It is freedom to come and go, to make money and then escape. Who can stop you, right? When the time comes, we can hide in Yunzhong City. Can the Lin family overpower the two major sects?"

"Yes, why didn't I think of that? If I go now, there will be no competition. I can make money and then run away."

Xie Youjia suddenly realized. That's right! Make money and run away. By then, we can hide back in Yunzhong City. What can the Lin family do to us?

"Taoist Friend Lin, I will leave first."

"Wait a moment, thank you, Taoist friend. No rush."

"Taoist Friend Lin, is there anything else?"

"How many formations do you have? How much can you make? If you want to make money, make a big bet. Gather three or five good friends, use all your savings, and first buy a batch of resources from Yunzhong City. Anhua City doesn't have many businesses, so raise the prices slightly and you can still sell them. Earn enough money to cover twenty years of expenses at once. Isn't that great?"

"Well, Taoist Friend Lin, how about we cooperate?"

"I can't do it, as you know what's happening in my cave mansion. The spirit medicine inside is almost ripe, so I can't leave. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told you about this good idea, Taoist Friend."

Lin Jiang shook his head. It was all a scam; how could he let himself get fooled?

If three or five people like Xie Youjia went to Anhua City, they would definitely make a profit. But if he convinces thirty or fifty more people to go, the market might become saturated. Then he would be unsure if he can sell his goods, and if he does, he'll lose money. If he doesn't sell, he'll be stuck with the goods and will still have to pay for the travel expenses.

What is this thing called? It's speculation, hype. The people who go early will definitely make money, while those who go later will be the ones getting fooled.

"That would be such a pity."

Xie Youjia nodded. Lin Jiang's cave mansion was also taken from someone else, he knew that. So, there was indeed a reason why he couldn't leave.

"Thank you, Taoist Friend. If you make money, don't forget to invite me for a drink."

"This is necessary, Taoist Friend Lin. I must go now, there's no time to waste, I need to find someone."

Xie Youjia hurriedly left, he wanted to play a big game and gather some close friends to make a lot of money together.

After Xie Youjia left, Lin Jiang also left, but he went to another teahouse. Someone was waiting for him there, the same Taoist friend he had met at the inn rented by Lin Die.

Just like Xie Youjia, he was also in the early stages of Building Foundation, and had been brushed off by Lin Die, feeling down. Lin Jiang used the same tricks and said similar things, and before long, this person also hastily left.

After deceiving seven or eight people in a row, Lin Jiang recorded his conversations with them and later hired an independent cultivator in the Qi Refining Period to deliver the recordings to Lin Die.

······

"Third Ancestor, what is this?"

Lin Changsheng noticed that Lin Die's expression was not right and asked, then looked at the jade slip in her hand.

"See for yourself."

Lin Die handed the jade scroll to Lin Changsheng, and with a sweep of his divine consciousness, Lin Changsheng's face lit up.

"Who did this? Are they trying to trick us?"

"Trick? No, they're helping us."

"Third Ancestor, how is this helping us? If those people rush to Anhua City all at once, what will happen to the people we recruited? It would be deceitful, and what about the reputation of our Lin family? Who would still want to go to Anhua City with us?"

"Use your brain a little. We'll give houses to the people we recruited, exempt them from taxes, and even waive half a year's rent. Can these independent cultivators endure for half a year without doing business? It's not a loss for them. And these independent cultivators have to put in half of their fortune."

"Ah, then, who is this person? And why are they helping us?"

Lin Changsheng was dumbfounded. It seemed to make sense that they were being helped, but who is this person? Why are they helping them? Judging from the content inside, it's clearly a conversation. Aren't they afraid of offending those people?

"That's what I want to know too."

"Does Third Ancestor also not know who this person is?"

"I will handle this, now I have a task for you to do."

"Please tell me what to do, Third Ancestor."

"Go outside and find a group of people. Teach them according to the instructions on the jade slip. Let them go and persuade those independent cultivators. The more, the better. If there are more people going to Anhua City, we will earn more."

"Third Ancestor, is this a good idea? Independent cultivators are not easy either. Will it be too heartless?"

"When it comes to having a conscience, a little is enough. We don't need too much. Besides, did we force them? Did we threaten them with a blade at their necks? It's a matter of their own choice. Can they blame anyone for their own greed?"

Lin Die said coldly. Is the cultivation world really a paradise? There are killings and treasure hunts, black market trading, and malicious scheming. Anything you can think of has happened. If you are foolish, don't blame others.

"The outside world is too scary, I want to go home."

Lin Changsheng murmured. The outside world is too terrifying. There are traps everywhere.

"Chao Xia, immediately send a message back home. Let my father give orders to exempt Anhua City from gate taxes as soon as possible. It would be best to find an excuse to make families and sects from all over send people to Anhua City, to create the impression that Anhua City has a large population and good business."

Lin Die immediately said. If we want to trick people, we need to be careful. Let the people ahead of us earn some money so that more people will be attracted to it.

This is like fishing. If we don't make a bait and let the fish eat a little, how can we catch the fish?

When the second and third generations of the Lin family heard this, they were shocked as if they were meeting their Third Ancestor for the first time. They couldn't believe that the decisive Third Ancestor could be so vicious. They mourned silently for three seconds for the independent cultivators.

Chapter 85

Yunzhong Mountain Range, the middle section

Lin Die has been standing outside Lin Jiang's cave for an hour. She has already sent dozens of Sound Passing Talismans. Lin Die cannot be certain if the person is at home, but she has a feeling that he is.

"Taoist Friend Lin, I don't know if you are inside. If you don't want to come out, I can understand. I have come today to thank Taoist Friend Lin."

"This action has brought great benefit to the Lin family, but you will face great risks. Those independent cultivators who suffered losses will not easily let you go. So, if you are willing, you can return to your ancestral roots. No matter which member of the Lin family your relatives are, I will include you in the family records..."

Lin Die's voice echoed in Lin Jiang's home. At this moment, Lin Die believed that Lin Jiang was a member of the Lin family who had been living outside.

Because only people from the Lin family are willing to help the Lin family in such a daring way, this can also explain the logic of this matter, and such things have indeed happened before.

Since Lin Batian, the Lin family has never had the concept of one man and one woman. From the second generation to the fourth generation, they all followed the same pattern, with numerous wives and concubines. This is to ensure the rapid increase in the number of cultivators in the Lin family. In the past two hundred years, there are now more than eight hundred members of the clan, even though many clan members have been killed in the Lin family's repeated wars.

Lin family members are like this at home and they are also promiscuous outside. Over the years, there have been many instances of illegitimate children from the Lin family seeking their roots at the Lin family.

Lin Batian is accepting of these people. As long as they are confirmed to be from the Lin family and have Spiritual Roots, they are allowed to stay in the clan. Those without Spiritual Roots are sent to live elsewhere, as the Lin family has plenty of land.

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang in the cave was speechless. Lin Die actually took him for a lost illegitimate child of the Lin family. Well, he didn't bother explaining.

"If you don't want to acknowledge the Lin family, it's fine. But because of this matter, I acknowledge you. I have a spiritual talisman here. It was crafted by my father and was originally meant to protect me. Once activated, it can unleash a full-power attack equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage. It is the most precious thing I have. I'm giving it to you. It can protect you if you're in danger."

Lin Die waited for a moment, but there was still no response from inside the cave. She knew that the person inside didn't want to come out. She took out a spiritual talisman and threw it inside.

This specially crafted spiritual talisman is extremely precious because it will deplete the cultivator's cultivation base who made it. Lin Batian would need at least half a year to recover from making this spiritual talisman. It is not given to anyone who is not a close relative or trusted person. It is either exchanged for valuable resources or kept by some Golden Core cultivators as a precious life-saving item.

"I'm leaving. I will depart from Yunzhong City in two days. If you change your mind, you can find me in West City of Yunzhong City."

In the end, Lin Die left. She did everything she needed to do and said everything she needed to say. Even if she didn't come back, she still fulfilled her obligations.

As soon as Lin Die left, Lin Jiang appeared outside the cave and picked up a special charm called a spiritual talisman. As a Talisman Maker, he knew how valuable this talisman was. In fact, if you added up all of Lin Jiang's possessions, he couldn't afford to buy this rare spiritual talisman in Yunzhong City.

"I didn't want to have any more connections with the Lin family, but people are not like plants or trees. Who can be without emotions? I have spent eighty years living with the Lin family, and it has been a wonderful time for me."

Lin Jiang let out a heavy sigh. According to his principles, he should endure and not worry about worldly matters. This time, he made a big mistake by helping the Lin family deceive an independent cultivator from Yunzhong City.

Lin Jiang also knew that this would not be good for him. Once Xie Youjia and the others suffer losses, they will surely come back to hold him accountable. But Lin Jiang couldn't help it.

He wasn't just an inanimate object; he was a living, breathing person with emotions. When he was at the inn in West City, he instinctively considered the interests of the Lin family without any hesitation.

When he weighed the pros and cons of deceiving Xie Youjia and the others again, emotions ultimately overcame reason, and he decided to take the risk and help the Lin family one more time.

"People come before immortals. I hope I won't become a cold and heartless cultivator in the future."

Lin Jiang shook his head and comforted himself. He tried to convince himself that what he was doing was not wrong. People come before immortals. He was first a member of the Lin family, and then a cultivator named Lin Jiang.

·······

"Boom"

Six months later, Xie Youjia appeared outside Lin Jiang's cave and swung a sword towards the cave. The cave emitted a transparent protective shield, blocking Xie Youjia's flying sword.

"Snap"

In the next moment, a flying sword flew out of the cave, heading straight for Xie Youjia. Xie Youjia's face changed, and he summoned a shield. However, with just one strike, Lin Jiang shattered his shield into pieces, scattering fragments everywhere.

"Thank you, taoist friend. Are you getting impatient to make a move against me?"

Lin Jiang revealed himself, standing within the protective formation, and spoke coldly to Xie Youjia.

"Mr. Lin, do you still have the audacity to say that you caused my demise?"

"Aren't you still standing here? Am I talking to a ghost?"

"You..."

Xie Youjia was so angry that he almost vomited blood. After hearing Lin's nonsense, he gathered some good friends and borrowed some money. They went on a shopping spree in Yunzhong City and bought a batch of supplies. They planned to go to Anhua City to make a big profit.

He arrived early. The first few days were indeed very good for business. Anhua City had been under the control of the Lin family for several years, but the strength of the merchants hadn't recovered. When the cultivators from the surrounding areas heard that Anhua City had waived the entrance tax, they would come and explore. If they found something to buy, they would buy a little bit.

Initially, Xie Youjia made some money. However, he was too greedy. When he saw the situation in Anhua City, he immediately raised the prices, wanting to make more profits.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😍)

But he didn't expect that a large group of independent cultivators from Yunzhong City appeared within a few days. Each of them brought a lot of money and goods, just like him.

At first, Xie Youjia wanted to unite with other independent cultivators and raise the prices together. But he soon realized that this was impossible.

They traveled a long distance from Yunzhong City to Anhua City, facing great hardships and even the risk of being hunted by demons and thieves along the way. After entering Anhua City, they needed money for food, drinks, and accommodation. But they had run out of money because it was all in their goods.

So they had no choice but to lower the prices. Vicious competition began, and the prices of goods in Anhua City kept falling. Some people held on stubbornly, while others cut their losses in time.

Xie Youjia chose to hold on stubbornly. He wanted to endure until these independent cultivators left, so he could recover his investment. But he didn't expect that there were so many foolish independent cultivators. They came one batch after another.

He was not one of the people recruited by the Lin family to come to Anhua City. He had a house and land in Anhua City and managed to hold on for four or five months, but he couldn't hold on any longer and could only sell at a discounted price.

After all the going back and forth, along with various expenses along the way, he lost nearly twenty thousand spirit stones and even offended all of his friends. How could he not be furious?

Just when things were going from bad to worse, he returned to the Yunzhong Mountain Range only to find that his cave had been broken into and all the items inside were stolen. It was absolutely infuriating. Filled with anger, he went directly to confront Lin Jiang.

"What do you mean by blaming your own losses on me?"

"Isn't it you?"

"Thank you, Taoist friend. One should always have a conscience. Did I force you to go to Anhua City? Besides, I have heard that there are many opportunities to make money in Anhua City. For example, Taoist friends Chen Shun and Chen Xing, they have earned tens of thousands of spirit stones. They think that Anhua City has many opportunities and have settled there permanently. I heard from other Taoist friends that the two brothers bought a large five-room mansion for only six thousand spirit stones, and they also bought a shop. They are living a happy life. Even when people advise them to come back, they refuse."

Lin Jiang replied. Not all the people who went to Anhua City have suffered losses. Some have actually made profits. This is the case for the two brothers, Chen Shun and Chen Xing. They never came back and have settled in Anhua City.

"I..."

Xie Youjia was speechless because he also knew the two brothers, Chen Shun and Chen Xing. Indeed, what Lin Jiang said was true. The two brothers arrived in Anhua City a few days earlier than him and immediately started selling their goods. They sold as much as they could and even advised him to sell early. But at that time, Xie Youjia was blinded by greed and thought that the two brothers were too timid to travel all this way just to earn a few spirit stones. When he finally came to his senses, it was too late to regret.

"No more words?"

"I don't care, anyway it's your fault. If you don't compensate me with spirit stones, you won't have a good day."

Xie Youjia couldn't swallow it all at once. Since reason couldn't hold up, he would use his flying sword to speak.

"Seems like you want to play dirty. Bring it on then."

"I'm curious to see what you're capable of."

Xie Youjia's face became ferocious. This time he was at a huge loss. If he didn't recover from Lin Jiang, his days would be miserable. Since that's the case, he would be ruthless and kill the Lin family, taking over their dwelling.

"You dare to have murderous intent?"

Lin Jiang's face turned cold. Xie Youjia was not the only one causing trouble for him. Most of them would just let it go after a brief confrontation, accepting their own bad luck. Xie Youjia was the first to dare have murderous intent towards him.

Once the intention to kill arises, the nature changes. Lin Jiang couldn't let him go either.

"Go"

Xie Youjia slapped the storage bag, and more than ten formation discs flew out, scattering around. Xie Youjia was a skilled Formation Master and planned to use his formations against the enemy. Confidently, he believed that once Lin Jiang fell into his killing formation, he would surely win.

"The Formation Master dares to use formations during the battle."

Lin Jiang shook his head inwardly. The Formation Master was very powerful, but it depended on the situation. If the Formation Master had enough time to set up his formations, dealing with three or five enemies of the same level would be as easy as playing.

However, in this sudden and intense fight, it was too late to set up formations on the spot.

Lin Jiang first scattered a stack of spiritual talismans, not aimed at Xie Youjia, but at his formation discs, intending to disrupt his formations. Flying swords followed closely after, aiming straight for Xie Youjia's throat.

Xie Youjia thought back to the scene where Lin Jiang shattered his protective shield with a single blow, feeling a tightness in his heart. He dared not take the blow head-on and immediately used his body movement technique to evade. However, the next second, he felt a sharp pain in his temple and his vision went black, losing consciousness.

"Fighting, but using sneaky tactics is more powerful."

Lin Jiang retrieved the flying needles in his hand, using the flying swords and spiritual talismans as cover to disturb the opponent's vision and attention, and then launching sneak attacks with the needles. It proved to be effective time and time again.

Chapter 86

"In the martial world, one has no control over their own destiny. Thank you, Taoist friend. Come and spar with me at Spring Coming Tower in your next life, since I won't have another life."

Outside the cave, Lin Jiang dealt with Xie Youjia. For a brief moment, Lin Jiang felt a little guilty, but he quickly recovered. The concept of Blue Star had become weaker over the decades, and he had become assimilated into this world.

There is no way around it. If we were to maintain the legal concept of peaceful times, we would have died long ago. The cultivation world simply cannot survive.

Back at home, Lin Jiang opened Xie Youjia's storage bag. Xie Youjia had lost tens of thousands of spirit stones, and his fortune had shrunk to less than thirty thousand. Besides that, there were some miscellaneous items like flying swords, formation discs, and alchemy materials.

Lin Jiang picked out the jade scrolls from inside and took a look. He gave up on any cultivation manuals, as most were of low quality, either yellow grade or lower-level profound grade. He had seen some middle-level profound grade ones before.

Lin Jiang had two profound grade cultivation manuals from fuliu-jian and Shen Bo, but their characteristics were too obvious - all of them were suitable for those with water elemental spiritual roots. He didn't want to learn them, so they were just sitting there.

"I already have hundreds of secret cultivation techniques and skills in my hands. I could set up a small library."

Lin Jiang sighed. Since he started his journey, he had killed many people and obtained numerous storage bags. Almost every storage bag contained some jade scrolls, and together with the ones he had bought, he had accumulated seven to eight hundred. They filled up an entire room, with several cabinets full.

The Complete Guide to Basic Formations

One Hundred Killing Formations

Thirty-Six Variations of Trapping Formations

Two days later, Lin Jiang held the jade slip he found in Xie Youjia's storage bag and read it with great interest. Basic formations, like Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation, and beginner knowledge like Spiritual Farmer puppet technique, are not difficult because they have been studied by countless people and their experiences are widely known.

However, any craft is easy to learn but difficult to master. If you want to make a living out of it, you have to put in a lot of effort, and it is closely related to talent.

After obtaining Sun Man's storage bag, Lin Jiang became interested in pill refining. Especially since Sun Man had complete records on pill refining, it was perfect for beginners. Lin Jiang also wondered if he could learn the craft of pill refining and try his hand at multiple skills.

But after seriously studying for half a month, Lin Jiang gave up completely because it was too difficult.

To give a simple example, a regular non-Alchemist cultivator in the cultivation world only needs to recognize about a thousand commonly used spiritual medicines to meet basic needs. And if it's finished pills, it's even simpler, just recognizing a hundred kinds would be enough.

But for an Alchemist, even the most basic knowledge of different medicines requires memorizing over thirty thousand types, not just their names, but also their properties, dosages, and many other factors. They need to remember the changes that occur in spiritual medicines in different environments and be able to recall them effortlessly.

Seeing this, Lin Jiang gave up. He had to admit that alchemy is a complex science that cannot be mastered in a few days. Similarly, his talisman technique in painting is also the same. If someone can learn it just by looking at talisman patterns for a few days, then either that person is a genius or just bragging.

"Having many skills doesn't mean you're superior."

"Don't challenge someone's expertise with your interests."

"Mastering one skill is better than being average in ten."

Lin Jiang repeatedly reminded himself. This was also a realization in his life. He wasn't a genius. If he were, it would have shown during his childhood. He couldn't even be considered talented; just an ordinary person.

His advantage was time. Even in painting talismans, he achieved his skills by investing more time than others, rather than learning it instantly.

So, when Lin Jiang looked at the jade scroll about formations, it wasn't because he wanted to become an amazing Formation Master. He just wanted to understand formations better so that he wouldn't be deceived by dishonest traders when buying them in the future.

······

Emerging from the Yuntuo River, Lin Jiang grumbled because someone had taken some of the spiritual medicines he left behind, causing him to lose money.

In the past, Lin Jiang took in Liu Dong and Liu Siyu and was rewarded. Liu Hui gave him a map of the distribution of some magical herbs at the bottom of the Yuntuo River, not a real treasure map.

Later, Lin Jiang followed the map and found all these magical herbs, but many of them were still young and not valuable yet, so he kept them. He would come back every five years to check on them and take away the mature ones.

But each time he came, there would be fewer herbs, and the people who harvested them were very wicked. They didn't even spare the young plants. If it weren't for Liu Dong compensating him, he would have suffered a big loss that time.

"I'm so angry, I'm going to Spring Coming Tower to ask the little fairy to guide me."

Lin Jiang said angrily in the end, there were very few magical herbs left at the bottom of the river, and he didn't plan to come anymore. He would leave them for other deserving people.

In fact, Lin Jiang had a lot of magical herbs. All of them were inherited from Sun Man. He had hundreds of acres of ordinary second-tier magical herbs, and there was even a fourth-tier magical herb in the garden behind the house. However, the fourth-tier magical herb was not mature yet, and Lin Jiang was still investing in it. It was estimated that it would take at least a hundred years.

As a matter of fact, Lin Jiang had harvested a batch of the second-tier Spiritual Herb Garden and had achieved a good cultivation cycle. New seeds had fallen and taken root.

It was thanks to this income that Lin Jiang was able to focus on cultivation in these years and reduce the time spent drawing symbols. Otherwise, half of his day would be spent on drawing symbols to make money, and there wouldn't be time for cultivation.

Actually, this is also the dilemma of most lower-class independent cultivators. They have to spend a lot of time working to earn money, but the money they earn is only enough for rent and basic needs. They are unable to invest enough resources into their cultivation, so their progress is slow. And because their cultivation is not high, they don't earn much money and have to spend more time to make money. It's a vicious cycle, and they never have a breakthrough in their lifetime.

So, for the low-level cultivators, the only chance to overcome this difficult situation is to gather together, form a sect or family power, and then sacrifice some of their cultivation to concentrate resources on those with better talent and comprehension. Once this group becomes stronger, they can protect these people and use violence to acquire more resources, creating a positive cycle.

Unfortunately, this path is not suitable for Lin Jiang, and that's one of the reasons why he left the Lin family. Even if his talent is poor, as the second generation of the Lin family, his treatment would not be so bad.

When Lin Jiang arrived at Spring Coming Tower, he encountered some familiar faces. In fact, the circle was small. Although there were many cultivators in the Building Foundation Period in Yunzhong City, compared to independent cultivators, there were much fewer. Lin Wu had used his identity for many years, so he had at least had a few interactions with most of the independent cultivators in the Building Foundation Period, even if they weren't familiar.

The only benefit is that Lin Jiang doesn't have to change his identity frequently. With a lifespan of two hundred years in the Building Foundation Period, he can use this identity for more than a hundred years.

The incident in Anhua City brought some negative impact on Lin Jiang's reputation. Some people think Lin Jiang is malicious and colluded with Anhua City to harm them, so they keep their distance from Lin Jiang.

Lin Jiang readily accepts this. He doesn't need those useless social interactions, only maintaining basic social connections is enough for him.

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😂)

"Master, I'm your little Yuanyuan, do you remember me?"

"Master, it's me, Amei. We were together a few days ago..."

"Master..."

Lin Jiang has been a loyal customer of the Spring Coming Tower for a long time. As soon as he enters, a bunch of birds and swallows come to him. And then, about ninety percent of the people have had a heart-to-heart talk with Lin Jiang, and now they all come rushing in. Lin Jiang is starting to feel overwhelmed. He is a person with thin skin.

"Um, what's going on here?"

Lin Jiang quickly pulled over the mother of many fairies and asked.

"Oh, well, it's all because of Anhua City..."

The elegant old madam complained to Lin Jiang. Anhua City is being too kind, not scamming poor people. This time, the ones being scammed are either at the mid or late stage of Qi Refining, or at the Building Foundation Period.

The early to middle stage of Qi Refining is too poor and weak. They want to go to Anhua City to make some money, but they can't, they don't have the capital. And those in the Golden Core Period don't care about this small income.

Coincidentally, those in the late stage of Qi Refining and the Building Foundation Period are the middle class in Yunzhong City. They are also the largest customer base for industries like the Spring Coming Tower, after all, the poor can't afford it and the rich don't need it. Unintentionally, the entire industry in Yunzhong City has been severely affected.

"Am I that awesome?"

Lin Jiang was dumbfounded. Did his actions have such a big impact?

"Master, my daughters have had a hard time. How about you call a few more daughters today to practice the art of Dao with you?"

After the madam finished complaining, she sadly said to Lin Jiang, "No business means my daughters are also having a tough time."

"Ahem, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do today. I have to leave. Please use this spirit stone to treat the little fairies to tea."

Lin Jiang left behind two spirit stones and quickly ran away. He couldn't handle the weight of the stones or his own waist.

Leaving the Spring Coming Tower, Lin Jiang turned and headed to Baihua Tower. Since he didn't know many people there, Lin Jiang felt more relaxed. He could freely have heart-to-heart conversations with the little fairies. Normally, Lin Jiang wouldn't have the same conversation with a fairy twice to protect himself, so he wouldn't return to the Spring Coming Tower for a long time unless all the little fairies there were replaced.

"Man, you are really heartless."

Lin Jiang self-mockingly said, "Everyone scolds scumbags, but everyone wants to become one."