Eternal Life from Talisman Painting

It turns out that these years the Outer Sea has been turbulent. Previously, merchant ships were robbed, and the Four Seas Commerce Association invited many cultivators to investigate, finally detecting something.

But to make the Four Seas Commerce Association so anxious, it seems this time the goods robbed must be of immense value.

"Mr. Lin, you are the top array master on our Five Dragons Island."

Finally, this cultivator, surnamed Zhu, helplessly cupped his hands and mentioned the reason he wished to invite Lin Chang’an to act.

"This group of tribulation cultivators comes from the Outer Sea, daring and reckless, having slaughtered many fellow cultivators over the years. Our Four Seas Commerce Association has already gathered quite a few friends.

But the island where these tribulation cultivators are located has arrays protecting it..."

Listening to him, Lin Chang’an frowned. Before he could refuse, the other party offered a reward that tempted him.

"This time, as long as you can help us break the array, the killing can be left to us. Our Four Seas Commerce Association is willing to first pay a late-stage tier three earth attribute demon core.

Of course, if you, Mr. Lin, and Mr. Qiu are willing to help, our Four Seas Commerce Association is willing to offer information about a late-stage tier three wind attribute demon beast."

"Wind Attribute Demon Beast!"

Upon hearing it, Lin Chang’an hesitated. If it’s only about breaking the array and supporting, it’s not too problematic.

After all, he has explored for many years without any clues about this wind attribute demon core.

But to make the Four Seas Commerce Association offer such generous rewards, it’s conceivable how tough the opponent must be.

"Mr. Lin, rest assured about this operation, we also invited the Long Family and Fairy Ni Chang from the Profound Sound Pavilion."

Wow, even the Long Family has been mobilized.

This surprised Lin Chang’an a bit. You should know the Long Family has been quite low-key for decades. What kind of reward did the Four Seas Commerce Association give?

"Mr. Zhu, this matter is of great importance, I still need to consider it."

The alliance of three major forces is something Lin Chang’an hadn’t expected before, but he naturally can’t agree so hastily.

After all, he still doesn’t know the specifics; he can’t just listen to the Four Seas Commerce Association alone.

Seeing Lin Chang’an’s hesitation, Mr. Zhu of the Four Seas Commerce Association realized his mistake, then slapped his forehead with a laugh:

"Mr. Zhu was thoughtless."

Asking for someone’s help requires careful consideration, no matter who they are.

Moreover, given the current unsettling environment, greater caution is naturally needed.

After seeing Mr. Zhu from the Four Seas Commerce Association off, Lin Chang’an’s eyes began to sparkle.

"Ling’Er, is there any news recently?"

Nearby, the sword servant also frowned, then said gravely:

"Master, given the Four Seas Commerce Association’s urgency, there must be important items lost among the merchant ship’s goods. But previously, rumors suggested the merchant ship came from Sea Abyss City."

The sword servant hesitated and shared their guess.

"Sea Abyss City!"

Lin Chang’an squinted, knowing the Four Seas Commerce Association wouldn’t be foolish enough to pay such a high price.

It seems he ought to visit this Mr. Ni Chang.

...

Profound Sound Peak.

"Mr. Lin, it’s a rare pleasure to have you visit."

Inside the loft, a cup of spirit tea was fuming with swirling white air. Seeing the visitor, Fairy Ni Chang smiled and gestured to the spirit tea she brewed herself.

Upon seeing this, Lin Chang’an smiled, took a seat at the table, picked up the spirit tea, and took a sip, feeling a refreshing fragrance that cleared his mind, with spiritual power seemingly more active around him.

"Mr. Ni Chang, you never usually take out such spirit tea."

But facing Lin Chang’an’s teasing, Fairy Ni Chang merely chuckled, indicating:

"Mr. Lin, you haven’t visited my abode once in these ten years. Surely, you wouldn’t expect me to bring spirit tea to your abode to brew?"

This statement left Lin Chang’an speechless, raising his glass helplessly in acknowledgment.

Given his daily rigorous cultivation, he hardly has the time to visit others’ abodes.

And Fairy Ni Chang chuckled softly, pouring herself a cup of spirit tea, saying with a smile:

"This spirit tea was sent by the Four Seas Commerce Association."

This statement immediately pointed out she knew Lin Chang’an’s intentions.

It also implied that over the years, she’s always visited Celestial Spring Peak, knowing Lin Chang’an only comes to her when there’s a reason.

"But it’s Autumn Junior Sister who occasionally visits."

The sword servant’s real name is Qiu Ling’Er, who Fairy Ni Chang referred to.

The two sat serenely in the loft, sipping spirit tea, until after a while, Lin Chang’an finally clarified his intentions.

"This matter with the Four Seas Commerce Association is due to their greed."

Mentioning this, the usually gentle Fairy Ni Chang surprisingly showed a rare amused smile.

"Despite the turmoil in the Outer Sea over the years, it presents opportunities too. These years, the Four Seas Commerce Association has grown increasingly bold in the surrounding seas.

Earlier, they seized a large batch of goods from a Nascent Soul Elder’s association in Sea Abyss City, never expecting tribulation cultivators to intercept them on the way back..."

Listening to Fairy Ni Chang, Lin Chang’an finally understood why the Four Seas Commerce Association was so anxious.

It turns out various major families have invested heavily, and no one wants to suffer heavy losses.

"I heard there are quite a few precious items among the goods."

"I see, no wonder the Four Seas Commerce Association is so desperate."

This enlightened Lin Chang’an, understanding their urgency to reclaim the goods.

"The Long Family has a spirit beast with an extremely keen sense of smell that was also invited, though the Four Seas Commerce Association paid a lot."

"As for me!"

Fairy Ni Chang chuckled and revealed the Four Seas Commerce Association’s reward.

"What is the origin and cultivation of this group of tribulation cultivators?"

Lin Chang’an did not hide his curiosity, inquiring on the matter.

After all, with hard-fought clues about wind attribute demon beasts, he wouldn’t want to miss the chance.

And with the Five Dragons Island’s three forces teaming up, it made Lin Chang’an feel a bit more at ease.

"There are a total of six Core Formation cultivators among the enemies, while the Four Seas Commerce Association can only deploy two, and those two escaped by abandoning their spirit ship during a prior tribulation cultivator encounter..."

Two people!

This left Lin Chang’an speechless, but thinking about it, the Four Seas Commerce Association is composed of various major families.

And these Fake Pill and Core Formation cultivators are practically the pillars within their families.

So naturally, they wouldn’t act hastily.

Meaning the Four Seas Commerce Association is all about earning spirit stones together, but when it comes to risking one’s life? That’s not an option.

Listening to Fairy Ni Chang’s description, Lin Chang’an now understood why the Four Seas Commerce Association’s spirit ship was so easily robbed.

No wonder; the goods are collective, not the property of those two. Facing danger, the priority is naturally to save one’s life.

Hence, the current situation where they are willing to bleed and offer more rewards to invite outsiders for help.

"This really is..."

At this point, Lin Chang’an didn’t know how to describe it.

Since the Four Seas Commerce Association is all about earning spirit stones together, facing a weak tribulation cultivator is not a problem.

If replaced by a family or sect, under such heavy responsibilities, the situation would be entirely different.

"No wonder the Four Seas Commerce Association is so generous. It turns out most of the help is foreign aid."

People’s hearts aren’t aligned, encountering problems leads everyone to want to back down and let others take the front.

How can anything be achieved this way?

"Such commerce associations are common in the Immortal Cultivation Realm, but how many eventually stand out?"

Fairy Ni Chang spoke calmly, and Lin Chang’an understood.

Commerce associations are initially like this, but as time goes by, if one or two families within the association can grow strong, becoming the backbone.

The situation would be completely different.

Lately, Lin Chang’an, after gathering more information here at Fairy Ni Chang’s place and probing at the market, confirmed the intelligence matched well.

However, after discussing with Fairy Ni Chang, conservatively, he suggested.

During the Four Seas Commerce Association’s operation, their two major families must each deploy one Core Formation cultivator, five Fake Pill cultivators, and no less than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators under these conditions.

Furthermore, these cultivators must come from various major families within the Four Seas Commerce Association.

Counting the two who abandoned their ship and fled earlier, this strength isn’t too weak.

The strongest among them is Fairy Ni Chang, at the Core Formation Late Stage, and then Lin Chang’an, a Tier Three Array Master, with equivalent pricing to Fairy Ni Chang.

As well as the Long Family and other invited cultivators, Lin Chang’an nodded in satisfaction.

This way, it’s safer than before.

Privately, he formed an alliance with Fairy Ni Chang; if things became difficult, the two would join forces to escape, barring any obstruction from Nascent Soul cultivators.