Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age

Zhou Lin actually reached Foundation Establishment!

Lu Chang’sheng looked a little stunned. Zhou Lin hadn’t spent much time reaching Qi Cultivation Level Seven compared to other cultivators, but now he was stepping into Foundation Establishment. It really caught Lu Chang’sheng off guard.

"A few years ago, the White Cloud Mountain Range bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill in Supreme Profound Immortal City. With so many years of preparation, maybe it’s really possible."

Lu Chang’sheng didn’t think he was the only one hiding his strength.

Anyone could be hiding their true capabilities.

That evening, Lu Chang’sheng arrived at the gates of White Cloud Cave Mansion bearing gifts. Inside, the halls were brightly lit, and every family from Platinum Immortal City had sent people to attend Zhou Lin’s Foundation Establishment banquet.

During the feast, Zhou Lin deliberately walked over to where Lu Chang’sheng sat, exchanged a glance, then strode off toward the other side with a calm, indifferent face.

"Zhou Lin really can’t stand success!" Duan Ming muttered under his breath behind Lu Chang’sheng.

Zhou Lin was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Perhaps because he’d just recently ascended, he couldn’t restrain his aura, leaving Lu Chang’sheng and the others feeling a faint sense of suffocation.

Duan Ming, even though he was unhappy about it, kept his voice so low you could barely hear him when talking bad about Zhou Lin.

"If Zhou Lin had reached Foundation Establishment earlier, maybe he could’ve overshadowed me and snatched the Heaven-Burning Valley spot."

Lu Chang’sheng felt a trace of worry. Right now, he’d only gotten a verbal promise from Cao Wei. If Cao Wei went back on his word, there wouldn’t be much Lu could do about it.

And sure enough, it wasn’t long before signs of his concern started to show.

As the end of the year approached, all of Platinum Immortal City was suddenly shaken by a piece of news.

The secret manor where Profound Turtle Alchemist had passed was right in the area around Purple Ice Lake.

This drove countless cultivators, who’d planned on hunkering down for the winter, to become restless and eager to act.

Many set their sights on Lu Chang’sheng, hoping to recruit him into their exploration teams.

Lu Chang’sheng was perfectly aware these people were trying to mooch off his alchemy skills.

He refused them all.

"Purple Ice Lake is just too dangerous. Chang’sheng’s only mid-stage Qi Cultivation—going there would be courting death."

"Patriarch Lu and Fellow Daoist Li are deeply devoted, their combined strength is no less than a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. Why underestimate yourselves?" others tried to persuade him.

Lu Chang’sheng kept shaking his head: "No, no, my wife isn’t suited for fighting. I can’t put her at risk!"

So those who came to his door left disappointed and turned to Lu Chang’sheng for help with alchemy instead.

Lu Chang’sheng, of course, did not refuse them.

Still, alchemy took time, and the ingredients for Clarity Pills weren’t easy to come by. So, while plenty wanted his help, very few actually met the requirements.

"Clarity Pill ingredients aren’t especially rare, but because the pill is so scarce, there’s not much on the market. A batch was snatched up not long ago—what remains is even less."

Thinking of this, the corners of Lu Chang’sheng’s mouth lifted into a smile.

He’d always kept a portion of the ingredients for himself when helping with alchemy. Now, he had dozens of sets of Clarity Pill ingredients stored with his immortal insects—if he was careful, he could probably brew five or six furnaces’ worth.

"The news is spreading fast. I reckon someone’s stirring the pot on purpose, causing chaos—or maybe something happened over at Purple Ice Lake?" Lu Chang’sheng speculated.

Purple Ice Lake covered a big area, and was extremely dangerous, so exploring it was never going to be finished in a short time.

Which explained why Elder Xiao Feng and the others still hadn’t returned after so long.

"Tap tap!"

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Lu Chang’sheng flicked his hand and the door swung open. Lu Ziyou walked in and said, "Father, Elder Xiao Feng and the others are back."

Lu Ziyou’s face carried a hint of unease.

"But things aren’t looking good for them."

Lu Chang’sheng and Lu Ziyou hurried to the White Cloud Pavilion. Soon, they saw Xiao Feng and his team, and seeing that they were safe, Lu Chang’sheng felt relieved. No matter what, they’d supported him quite a bit, and if possible, he didn’t want to see them die just like that.

"We ran into Daoist Huanglong during the exploration."

Xiao Feng looked thoroughly defeated.

Lu Chang’sheng’s heart skipped a beat.

Daoist Huanglong was a solid Foundation Establishment powerhouse, worlds apart from Red Cloud Daoist.

After all, there were only a handful who attained the True Man title at the stage of Qi Cultivation.

It was said he was overbearing. Looks like the rumors were pretty much true.

"Is it true that the secret manor where Profound Turtle True Man passed really exists?" Lu Chang’sheng consoled them, then asked.

"It’s real. Someone found the Turtle Shell Map left behind by Profound Turtle Alchemist."

Elder Li sighed with emotion.

The Turtle Shell Map from Profound Turtle Alchemist might contain vital information he left behind. If they got it, it would be a considerable windfall.

Especially for alchemists like themselves.

Lu Chang’sheng couldn’t help but feel tempted. Zhou Lin advancing to Foundation Establishment had put pressure on him; if he could get his hands on more Turtle Shell Maps and study the alchemy insights inside, he might be able to make rapid progress in alchemy.

Suddenly, he remembered Lin Yan and Master Baiyun, who’d lost their lives at Purple Ice Lake, and quickly stilled his thoughts. "The Turtle Shell Map may be great, but you’ve also got to stay safe," he said.

Hearing this, Elder Li swallowed the invitation he’d been about to extend to Lu Chang’sheng to join their group.

Instead, he switched to asking for Lu Chang’sheng’s help with pill refining.

"After the new year, we have to go again. If we can get our hands on a few of Profound Turtle Alchemist’s Turtle Shell Maps, it’ll be worth it."

Lu Chang’sheng saw the stubbornness on Elder Li’s face and didn’t try to persuade him further.

Foundation Establishment was tough; they’d been stuck at Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer for years, they weren’t going to let this opportunity slip by so easily.