Chapter 123: Chapter 123: The Blessing of Self-Healing

With enough resources for Body Refining, Lin Changheng was confident he could advance his Body Refining Realm at a rapid pace.

Xu Hanji waved her slender hand, and twelve porcelain jars and twelve rectangular boxes instantly appeared on the tabletop.

"This is a six-month supply of Spirit Liquid and Spirit Wood. When you’ve used it all, just let me know, and I’ll have someone send more."

Lin Changheng accepted the items without inspection and asked for the price.

Xu Hanji told him there was no need; this time it was a gift.

"Thank you!"

Lin Changheng didn’t insist. It was a matter of give and take, after all. He would simply return the favor next time, which would also deepen their connection.

After their business was concluded, Lin Changheng stayed for a moment longer before taking his leave. One could say everyone got what they wanted.

...

He went straight back to his own small courtyard.

Lin Changheng took out the porcelain jars and rectangular boxes containing the Spirit Liquid and Spirit Wood.

He first lifted the lid of a rectangular box, revealing a section of Jade Dragon Wood about a foot long and as thick as a baby’s wrist. The wood was dense with a matte surface, and a few faint, light-brown age rings were vaguely visible.

It felt quite heavy in his hand.

He then broke the clay seal of a nearby jar. It was nearly full of a pale green Spirit Liquid that gave off the faint, bittersweet, and sharp scent of pine needles.

Lusong Spirit Liquid!

Both were Tier One Spiritual Objects.

Lin Changheng immediately prepared a wooden tub of hot water. Then, he measured out a one-inch section on the Jade Dragon Wood with his fingers. With a precise strike from his Wandering Bee Blade, the wood snapped, and a few drops of transparent resin seeped from the cut, looking like solidified amber in the moonlight.

The blade flashed repeatedly, sending splinters flying into the wooden tub.

He also took out a measured amount of the Spirit Liquid and poured it into the wooden tub. As the two mixed, fine bubbles immediately rose to the surface, like a school of fish gasping for air in a midsummer pond.

Once the bubbles disappeared, he was left with a tub of deep cyan medicinal liquid.

Lin Changheng didn’t immediately jump in. Instead, he slowly submerged his right forearm into the liquid while simultaneously activating the Magic Technique. Green veins immediately became clearly visible on the surface of his skin.

These were the "channels" created by the Cultivation Technique.

As a faint green light was drawn through his arm and into his body, Lin Changheng strongly felt his cultivation of the Evergreen Body of the Ancient Wood technique progressing.

"It’s working!"

Without further hesitation, Lin Changheng stripped off his clothes and sat cross-legged directly in the tub, submerged in the cyan medicinal liquid.

Steam billowed and a green light shimmered like mist. A jade-like luster slowly appeared on Lin Changheng’s skin. At the same time, the deep cyan medicinal liquid in the tub slowly began to fade.

...

By the time the entire measured portion of medicinal liquid in the tub had been absorbed, turning it transparent, the wood splinters within had also disintegrated into dregs.

Only then did Lin Changheng slowly rise.

He also understood why the medicinal liquid was administered in measured doses—

It wasn’t just his skin; his muscles at a deeper level were also being tempered by the liquid, causing them to slowly transform.

This tempering process would undoubtedly cause harm and leave behind minute injuries.

But the physical body has its limits. This tempering was calibrated to be right at that limit, leaving some leeway.

If a single session was overdone, the minute injuries would worsen, creating hidden problems in the body and defeating the original purpose.

Moreover, one had to wait for these minute injuries to heal before undergoing the next tempering session. Rushing into the next one would mean adding new injuries on top of old ones. This compounding of damage would become more severe, leaving behind latent injuries and damaging one’s very foundation.

Thus, measured dosage and frequency were crucial for Body Refining.

This was a point repeatedly emphasized in the Magic Technique Xu Hanji had given him.

Proceed gradually, do not rush.

But Lin Changheng discovered he was an exception.

Possessing the Self-Healing Technique: Tongming, any damage that formed from the tempering was instantly repaired by his Self-Healing Technique.

The Self-Healing Technique was the perfect counter to these minute injuries!

They were healed in an instant, good as new.

This also meant that Lin Changheng could temper his body with larger amounts and greater frequency.

He could endure Body Refining sessions far longer than any ordinary person!

Consequently, his rate of progress would also be beyond comparison!

’Too bad the Self-Healing Technique is only at the Third Layer, otherwise it would be even sweeter! Damn that Wood Puppet Fox, why was it so useless?’

Lin Changheng sighed with regret.

Every time he felt how great the Self-Healing Technique was, the Wood Puppet Fox was dragged out for another round of posthumous flogging.

...

After this, Lin Changheng stayed at the Xu Family’s residence for another three days.

He drank with Fugui and asked about his cultivation. Although Fugui had also reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation, his potential had been hampered, making Foundation Establishment a distant hope.

Lin Changheng also asked why he hadn’t received any invitations to happy occasions from Fugui in recent years. To be honest, he had grown so used to receiving them that it felt strange not to.

Xu Fugui replied with a bitter smile that he hadn’t dared to have any more children these past few years.

He was afraid of losing too much Essence Qi, that his body would become as leaky as a sieve.

If he lost even that last shred of hope for Foundation Establishment, that would be true despair.

But his children’s development was coming along nicely.

His children were all doing well now. His first two had married mortal women and had mortal children of their own.

Barring any accidents, they could live out their lives happily and peacefully under their parents’ protection.

It was a good outcome as well.

His other offspring were also developing well, especially the two with Middle Grade Spirit Roots. Under the Xu Family’s tutelage, they had built a solid foundation and would have a chance to attempt Foundation Establishment in the future.

After listening, Lin Changheng also praised Xu Fugui’s seventh son, Xu Qi’an, saying he had considerable talent for the Alchemy Dao and a good chance of reaching the Entry Tier in the future.

"Thank you for training him, Brother Lin. My boy wrote to me last time saying that Uncle Lin had praised him, and I didn’t believe it. I never thought it was actually true."

Xu Fugui beamed, a wide grin splitting his face, revealing his old true self. For a moment, Lin Changheng faintly saw the image of the farmer’s son he had known thirty years ago.

"When the time comes, I wonder if my tenth and eleventh sons could be sent to Mr. Tantai to try their luck with the Talisman Dao."

"Haha, when the time comes, bring the boys for a visit. Perhaps it’ll work out."

Lin Changheng didn’t make the decision on the Commandery Princess’s behalf. Although the two were already intimate, Lin Changheng still maintained a proper sense of discretion.

Then, Xu Fugui also asked about Lin Changheng’s cultivation progress.

He couldn’t see it clearly; it was as if Lin Changheng’s cultivation was shrouded in mist.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Changheng found it hard to lie and equally hard to refuse to answer. He could only smile and say, "I was lucky enough to reach the Late Stage. In the future, I’ll have to give it my all for Foundation Establishment."

"Then I wish you swift success, Brother Lin!"

Xu Fugui was surprised but knew that the future of a Pill Master was not something he could fathom. After all, it was Brother Lin’s own strength, unlike his own path of marrying into the family—a path that consumed his potential and forced him to rely on others.

In the beginning, his cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds thanks to the rewards for fathering children. He had looked down on everyone else and felt immense satisfaction, only to later realize it was all a giant pitfall.

By then, however, he was already in too deep to escape.

...

Additionally, Lin Changheng also went to visit Ink Master, as well as Xu Xuzhong and others with whom he had a good relationship.

He spent the rest of his time with Tantai Feiyue.

"Journey safely."

He hadn’t told anyone else. Only Tantai Feiyue was there at the riverbank to see him off, watching reluctantly as Lin Changheng boarded a boat and disappeared into the morning mist on the Black Water River.

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