Chapter 272 - 199: Ancient Medicine Substitution, Steady Progress
After all, the difference between a Middle Grade Masterpiece Puppet and an Upper Grade Masterpiece Puppet was two major leaps!
The commotion from controlling it was so great that the Black Armored Earth Turtle, which had been dozing by the mud pit with its head out to sunbathe, was startled. It immediately retracted its head into its shell, hiding it completely.
"This cowardly turtle..."
Lin Changheng muttered helplessly upon seeing this.
’No wonder turtles live so long. Being timid must be a big part of it. Otherwise, how could they achieve such longevity if they died in an accident?’
"Brother Lin, what do you think of the Puppet I refined?"
Yan Mingyi couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle at the sight of the Black Armored Earth Turtle. She then looked up at Lin Changheng and asked.
"Your Skills are exquisite. I look forward to you reaching new heights. When that time comes, the Puppet Array I desire will depend on you to create, Mingyi."
Lin Changheng didn’t hold back his praise, directly expressing his anticipation.
"Alright!"
Yan Mingyi was eager and full of fighting spirit. Then, she suddenly bit her red lip and said, "Brother Lin, you just came out of seclusion. Shouldn’t you get a massage to relax first..."
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Lin Changheng looked at Yan Mingyi with some surprise. He saw a blush creep up her face, even coloring her delicate, fair earlobes red with shyness.
’So that’s how it is.’
Lin Changheng instantly understood. Not minding a little extra ’dessert,’ he nodded and said, "Then I’ll leave the preparations to you, Mingyi."
"Okay!"
The Female Cultivator departed with light, expectant steps to make her preparations.
...
「More than half an hour later.」
"Get some rest. I’m going to heal Xiaobai."
After saying this, Lin Changheng, still wrapped in a damp aura, walked out alone from the depths of the cave residence.
He walked until he reached the side of the newly dug, deep pool in the courtyard.
He flicked a finger toward the pool. A stream of Magical Power shot out, striking the surface. Water splashed everywhere as the calm pool vibrated, sending ripples spreading outward.
GURGLE GURGLE...
The Deep Lake Spirit Clam, resting at the bottom, sensed the disturbance and floated to the surface. Realizing it was Lin Changheng, its shell opened to reveal the soft flesh within as it spouted several jets of water in greeting.
"Come ashore. I’m going to treat your injuries."
Lin Changheng said with a smile.
CRACK! CRACK!
The shell clacked open and shut as if nodding. Then, a five-foot-wide column of water lifted the clam from the pool and set it gently on the ground.
Lin Changheng extended a hand to set up a Concealing Array, and only then did he begin.
GURGLE!
The Deep Lake Spirit Clam opened its shell as wide as it could, presenting an attitude of complete trust in Lin Changheng.
Lin Changheng directly channeled his Magical Power to activate the True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities. A greenish halo immediately appeared and descended like a phantom light onto the clam’s flesh.
It enveloped the creature, pulsing with life force.
HUUUU... HUUUU...
Seemingly in extreme comfort, the Deep Lake Spirit Clam let out a continuous, soft sound.
Half an hour later, Lin Changheng withdrew his hands.
He scanned the Deep Lake Spirit Clam again and found its condition had improved significantly.
Moreover, its condition hadn’t deteriorated again since the last "healing" session.
"Good. A full recovery is just a matter of time."
Lin Changheng patted its shell. There was another sentence he left unsaid. ’And so can blood donations...’
After a moment’s thought, he flicked a captured Tier Two Elixir, letting it fall into the clam’s flesh.
The Thick Earth Spirit Feeding Pill was of the Earth Element. While the Water Element clam could consume it, most of the Medicinal Power would be lost, making it wasteful. Besides, the Medicinal Power from a Tier One pill would have been insufficient.
But a human-grade Tier Two Elixir at least had the advantage of abundant Medicinal Power.
The Deep Lake Spirit Clam detected a rich aroma. Its flesh writhed, enveloping the Elixir and slowly dissolving and digesting it.
GURGLE! GURGLE!
A feeling of comfort immediately spread through the entire clam.
In reality, ever since it had broken through to Tier Two, the Sun Family had judged the Deep Lake Spirit Clam to have insufficient lifespan and potential. They had almost completely stopped providing resources for its cultivation. In other words, the clam hadn’t even smelled a Tier Two Elixir in a very long time.
Now, its new master was not only healing its injuries but was also feeding it a Tier Two Elixir. Its fondness for him skyrocketed instantly.
If its previous affinity was merely a forced connection from the Beast Taming Token—something it couldn’t resist and had to accept—this new feeling was a genuine, naturally growing affection.
It even extended its soft flesh to nuzzle against Lin Changheng’s palm.
...
By the time Lin Changheng turned to head for the Spirit Medicine Garden, Yan Mingyi was just getting up and entering her Puppet-Making Room.
Lin Changheng’s expression showed his approval. ’Strength and Skills are the foundation of a Cultivator. This woman’s drive for self-improvement is very much to my liking.’
Deactivating the Flowing Clouds Covering Moon Formation, Lin Changheng entered the Spirit Medicine Garden, which he hadn’t visited in a long time.
He took a look around. The growth of the medicinal plants was merely acceptable.
After all, without the boost from his Rongsheng Divine Abilities’ True Intent, Lin Changheng didn’t expect them to have some sort of explosive growth spurt.
He prepared a new row in the Spirit Field to the side and planted the withered Roots of the Tier Two Purple Jujube Grass.
He then directly cast the True Intent of his Rongsheng Divine Abilities to revive it.
HUMMM~
As the green halo enveloped them, the withered Roots began to tremble faintly, like slumbering creatures stirred awake by a spring breeze.
As time passed.
The originally scorched-brown outer layer gradually cracked and peeled away, revealing tender, purple new buds within.
Moreover, under Lin Changheng’s Divine Sense, the hair-thin Roots stretched out within the green light, greedily absorbing the life force from the light and the Spiritual Qi from the soil. They even emitted a faint, rustling sound as they swayed.
"It worked!"
Only when he saw the Treasure Plant was firmly rooted in the Spirit Soil did Lin Changheng withdraw his power.
After expelling Xiaobai’s Withered Silence aura and then reviving the Purple Jujube Grass, Lin Changheng felt somewhat drained and exhausted.
He didn’t rush to mature another one of the Spirit Plants and Treasures. Instead, he just glanced at the Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng. Its fourth leaf had grown even more and was on the verge of being fully formed.
If he maintained a high-intensity, daily ripening schedule, it would be fully mature and ready for use in about another four and a half years.
This time, it meant he would be able to obtain Masterpiece Foundation Establishment Pills.
These were true strategic assets. In theory, they could be traded for many other scarce resources.
They were the kind of thing that would make even the Late Stage Core Formation Qing Lan Wanderer take a second look if he were to accept another disciple!
The main ingredient for the Youthful Appearance Pill, the Vermilion Fruit Grass, hadn’t changed much either. With full-force ripening, he calculated it would also mature in about five years.
By then, he would only need to find the remaining main and supplementary Medicinal Materials to refine the Youthful Appearance Pill.
’With two precious Marvelous Pills in hand by then, trading with a Core Formation Cultivator for the main ingredient—the Roots—for either a Returning to Truth Core or a Dust-Reduction Pill shouldn’t be a problem, right?’
’If my luck is good enough, I might even be able to trade for both.’
’After all, withered Roots are truly useless to them!’
"I’ll just have to think of a plausible excuse by then, so I don’t attract any suspicion."
Lin Changheng was extremely cautious, always planning ahead and acting only after careful consideration.
...
「Three days later.」
Lin Changheng flew his Dharma Ship out and once again made a trip to the Spiritual Materials Hall.
When the old Steward saw Lin Changheng again, he felt his head start to ache.
The other two Tier Two Middle and Upper Grade Alchemists might have skimmed some materials for themselves, but they only ever took one extra type at a time, just on multiple occasions. The impact wasn’t so great.
But the last time Alchemist Lin came, he took twice as much.
If this happened a few more times, the steward wouldn’t know what to do.
If the replacement Medicinal Materials were successful, that would be one thing; it could be written off as a necessary loss, and he could easily close the book on the matter.
But if the task failed and the precious Medicinal Materials were taken anyway, wouldn’t that be a huge problem?
Compared to the other two, Lin Changheng was only a Tier Two Lower Grade Alchemist; his Alchemy Dao Realm was simply too low, which gave the steward a natural sense of unease.
The moment he saw Lin’s smiling face, he felt as if he could already see the punishment paddle of the Immortal City being raised high.
"Alchemist Lin, you’ve come this time to..."
The old Steward still managed to force a smile as he greeted him. It might not have been a pretty smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.
"Regarding the replacement Medicinal Materials from last time, I was fortunate enough not to fail my mission. I succeeded in creating one of the main ingredients. The replacement for the other supplementary ingredient is still off by a little. I need to switch out some materials and rebalance it, and then it should be done."
"This time, I’m eighty percent confident!"
Lin Changheng took in the man’s expression at a glance, his mind as clear as a mirror. The first words out of his mouth were meant to be a shot of adrenaline for the steward.
It also served to lay the groundwork for what was to come.
"Is that true?"
The old Steward stared blankly for a moment before his eyes lit up with obvious, pleasant surprise.