Chapter 172: Chapter 155: Foundation Establishment Venue, Successful Pill Refinement

The visitor was none other than Mo Zhaoli.

Lin Changheng noticed the figure descending from the sky and immediately hurried out to greet her.

"Brother Lin."

As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Mo Zhaoli had a cool, ethereal, and self-assured demeanor—but that was reserved for others.

Whenever she saw Lin Changheng, she would revert to her gentle self, a sweet smile gracing her lips as she softly called him Brother Lin.

"Li’Er, come in and rest. It must have been a long and tiring flight."

With a sincere smile, Lin Changheng led Mo Zhaoli inside and served her a cup of Tier Two Spirit Tea. "Drink some Spirit Tea. It will help you relax."

Mo Zhaoli had come solely for his sake, even ending her secluded cultivation early to do so.

"It wasn’t tiring at all."

Mo Zhaoli gently shook her head. "Brother Lin is about to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill and use it to break through. No matter what, I had to make time to come and serve as your Dharma Protector."

"Besides, for you to entrust me with such a secret is a sign of immense trust. I will not let you down."

The two of them sat facing each other in the courtyard. He was handsome with a refined air, and she was gentle with striking features. Complemented by the courtyard’s scenery, they created a truly picturesque scene.

Lin Changheng was moved. His expression grew solemn as he said, "Li’Er, I will not forget this kindness."

Lin Changheng was not one to be swayed by emotion. While he was polite and kind to others, he also had an internal scale by which he judged them.

Empty words meant nothing to him.

Mo Zhaoli’s words, however, were backed by her consistent actions, which made them all the more genuine.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Changheng moved on to the important matters.

She would pose as an Alchemy Seeker, bringing the Medicinal Materials with her, and then serve as his Dharma Protector during the alchemy process.

The chances of someone interfering were low; after all, it would affect the success of the Foundation Establishment Pills in their own furnaces as well. No one would be that foolish!

But just in case? Since Mo Zhaoli was here, he asked her to stand guard against the off chance a madman decided to cause trouble.

...

Now that Zhao Li had arrived and his own preparations were complete, he could meet with Gu Chang’an and the Qi Xing Foundation Establishment Cultivator—the ones he would be refining the Foundation Establishment Pills with—and set a date for the alchemy.

Using his identity as a Tier Two Alchemist, he had already taken the time to rent a High Level Cave Mansion in the Outer Lake district of the Immortal City for a standard price.

The lease was for one year, with an annual rent of 250 Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

No deposit was required.

Presumably, they considered Foundation Establishment Cultivators and those with Tier Two Skills to be reputable individuals. ’Collecting a deposit from them? Who would they be slighting?’

The Cave Mansion was situated over a branch of a Tier Three Spiritual Vein. The concentration and quality of the Spiritual Qi were around Tier Two Middle Grade, and the supply was stable—more than enough for breaking through to Foundation Establishment!

He would also conduct the alchemy there. As soon as the refining was finished, he would immediately enter secluded cultivation to attempt his breakthrough.

He sent out two Communication Jade Talismans.

A short while later, he received two replies confirming their attendance.

That night, Mo Zhaoli stayed in a guest room at Qingyuan Small Building.

...

「The next morning.」

Lin Changheng and Mo Zhaoli boarded the latter’s Dharma Ship and flew toward the Outer Lake, soaring through the air at incredible speed.

This was because Foundation Establishment Cultivators possessed certain exemptions to the flight restrictions.

Before their departure, Lin Changheng had completely cleared out all the important items from his Qingyuan Small Building.

The two valuable plants in the Spirit Field out back had been dealt with the day before:

One was harvested, placed in a specially made wooden box, and sealed. Its roots were cut off and kept separately. The other was transplanted, soil and all, into a different wooden box for temporary storage.

...

They soon arrived at the district of High Level Cave Mansions, where the Spiritual Qi was so dense it was comparable to what he had once felt within the Purple Extreme Sect.

The glimmer of the lake was visible in the distance, but the view was soon obscured by a thick mist.

It was impossible to see any deeper.

It was likely some kind of mist-emitting Grand Array for concealment.

"This place is quite nice. The environment is pleasant, and the Spirit Vein is well-suited for cultivation."

Mo Zhaoli commented from aboard the Dharma Ship, having sensed the quality of the surroundings.

"It’s just that the rent is a little steep—a full 250 a year. That’s almost the price of a Tier One Middle Grade Masterpiece Spiritual Artifact."

Lin Changheng said with a laugh.

"We’re here!"

The two of them jumped off the Dharma Ship. After putting it away, Mo Zhaoli covered her mouth and teased Lin Changheng, "Surely the great Master Alchemist Lin, with his countless Pill Seekers, isn’t concerned about such a paltry sum?"

"One must be frugal. Save where you can, spend where you must. Is there any part of cultivation that doesn’t cost Spirit Stones?"

Lin Changheng trailed off, holding something back. He had another major money sink—

Demon Beast Essence Blood! Buying it by the hundreds of portions was a truly staggering expense.

"I was only joking just now," Mo Zhaoli said. "Brother Lin is right. The further you advance in cultivation, the greater the expenses become."

Mo Zhaoli deeply agreed.

She had devoted herself to cultivation. In the beginning, she had relied on her grandfather’s alchemy for support, but later, she had to struggle through missions on her own. Without one of the Skills to provide a steady income, she lacked a reliable source of Spirit Stones and felt the truth of his words keenly.

...

"Number Ninety-Eight."

This was only Lin Changheng’s second time here, so he had to check the cave mansion’s number before using the special Restriction Token to disable the Restriction and open the entrance.

Although this cave mansion couldn’t compare to Mo Zhaoli’s own on Bilan Peak, it still had all the essential facilities.

It was equipped with a Cultivation Room, a Secluded Meditation Chamber, a Skill Room, a Spirit Medicine Garden, a Spirit Beast Room, and a Guest Wing Room.

"Have a seat for a moment, Li’Er."

Lin Changheng went directly to the main hall, selected a spot, and set down his Upper Grade Magical Artifact Pill Furnace. Then, with a slap to his Storage Bag, a large pile of Tier Two Spirit Wood flew out.

In another corner of the hall, he arranged a number of chairs.

He placed them a great distance apart. This was ostensibly to allow for observation without disturbance, but it also gave him enough time to react even if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator were to launch a sudden attack while he was performing alchemy.

After busying himself with all this, Lin Changheng slapped his forehead as if suddenly remembering, then handed the primary and supplementary Medicinal Materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill to Mo Zhaoli. "We’ll proceed as planned shortly."

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