Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

This was the first time everyone had received an invitation from the family head, so Lin Changsheng naturally couldn't stay out of it.

He and Xu Qinghuan arrived at the wedding banquet that day and met the newlyweds.

There weren't many guests at the wedding banquet; most were relatives of the bride, and there were very few cultivators among them.

On the man's side, all the newly joined rogue cultivators of the He family were present.

Lin Changsheng took out three low-grade first-level spell talismans and presented them as a gift.

Xu Qinghuan felt somewhat embarrassed upon seeing this.

He gritted his teeth, took out a spirit stone, and reluctantly went out with it.

"Thank you both for coming to support us. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

"Master Lin, you are a rare guest. We rarely meet. We must have a good drink together today."

A man reeking of alcohol and dressed in a wedding robe stepped forward to greet them.

The fact that this person changed his surname to He and his name to 'He Liangcai' is quite well-known among these independent cultivators.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on your marriage and may you live a long and happy life together."

Congratulations, Brother He!

Lin Changsheng and Xu Qinghuan offered their blessings with smiles.

"Brother Lin, this kid is willing to change his name and even marry a mortal woman just to marry into the He family. It won't help him with his future cultivation at all. He's short-sighted. Giving him three magic talismans is a complete waste..."

Lin Changsheng's generosity caused Xu Qinghuan to lose a spirit stone as well, and the latter was filled with regret, muttering to herself.

……

After taking his seat, Lin Changsheng saw a middle-aged man walking in, surrounded by a crowd.

It was He Wenbin, the current head of the Xi Danhe family.

Compared to the amiable elder of Hezhi Prefecture, this patriarch appeared somewhat stern, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.

Beside him followed two beautiful and charming women.

Her appearance immediately attracted the attention of many male cultivators in the room.

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, Lin Changsheng learned the identities of the two girls.

These two women are the most talented among the younger generation of the He family, and are known as the 'He Family Beauties'.

He Shan, with near-mid-grade spiritual root aptitude, has enjoyed the best resources in her family since childhood and is one of the 'Foundation Establishment Seeds' cultivated by the He family.

He Wanying's cultivation aptitude was slightly inferior to her cousin He Shan, but she was quite talented in alchemy. She was accepted as a disciple by the clan's second-level alchemist, and her status was even higher than He Shan's.

Soon, the head of the family came to Lin Changsheng's table to offer a toast.

No one dared to be negligent and quickly got up to greet them.

“My two nieces, everyone here is a new member of the He family. You young people can get to know each other better.”

The head of the family, He Wenbin, smiled and introduced the two women beside him.

Surrounded by admirers, the two women were impeccably polite and each possessed their own unique charm.

The cultivation prodigy He Shan wore a white dress, her skin as white as snow. At a young age, she had already reached the eighth level of Qi Condensation. Coming from a prestigious family, she was arrogant and seemed to look down on Lin Changsheng and others who came from independent cultivation backgrounds.

Alchemist He Wanying's cultivation level was slightly lower, at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. She wore a long, flowing blue dress, exuding gentle elegance, like a friendly older sister. She inspired a sense of closeness in others.

During the wedding banquet, He Liangcai, the son-in-law who had married into the family, addressed the head of the household as "uncle" in front of everyone.

The patriarch was in high spirits and immediately announced that He Liangcai would be married into the He family and would become a true member of the He family. He would receive 20 catties of spirit rice and 10 spirit stones every month, and would be rewarded with cultivation-enhancing pills every three months. If he were to give birth to a child, he would also have the opportunity to cultivate within the family's 'Spirit Gathering Array'...

As they spoke, the head of the He family glanced at Lin Changsheng and the others, intentionally or unintentionally.

Such a generous reward made the other rogue cultivators widen their eyes in envy.

Those who initially scorned He Liangcai's change of surname and marriage into his family are now gradually changing their minds.

When Xu Qinghuan saw that He Liangcai's status had been elevated due to his marriage into the family, she was shocked and her eyes widened.

After some deliberation, he gritted his teeth, took out two spirit stones, and went into the accounting office.

"He Liangcai really... got incredibly lucky."

On the way back, Xu Qinghuan looked sour and muttered to herself.

"Perhaps this is a signal that the He family is intentionally sending?"

Lin Changsheng smiled meaningfully, as if he were referring to something.

"Does the He family still refuse to trust us independent cultivators and insist that we change our names and marry into the He family?"

"Our cultivation level is too low now; any woman in the He family with spiritual roots would look down on us. We're not content with finding a mortal woman without spiritual roots. Beauty fades quickly; who wouldn't want to find a graceful fairy to accompany them for eternity..."

Xu Qinghuan was somewhat discouraged.

His thoughts are also what most people think.

In the mortal world, a person's life is but a few short decades. But those who cultivate immortality can be free from all illnesses and easily live to be a hundred years old.

Some late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators who are skilled at cultivating their Qi can even live to be 150 years old.

The lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator can easily reach two hundred years.

If one is fortunate enough to form a Golden Core or, as the legendary, Nascent Soul stage, their lifespan can be hundreds or even thousands of years...

Generally speaking, in addition to mutual trust, finding a Daoist partner requires similar qualities to ensure a long and lasting relationship and make them the most important other half on the long path to immortality.

The so-called Dharma, wealth, companions, and location are the four most important elements for cultivating immortality.

Daoist partners are one of them.

Therefore, in the eyes of others, it was really inappropriate for He Liangcai to casually marry a mortal woman from the He family.

"What if the He family never believed us from the beginning?"

"Perhaps only those who have lived here since childhood can have an instinctive sense of belonging."

"The He family suffered a severe blow not long ago, and the number of cultivators has decreased significantly. We outsiders do not have the concerns of blood relatives. If we can have more branches and leaves, as long as we can survive for more than ten years, the new generation of He family members will be able to grow up."

“Although we joined later in life, we all possess spiritual roots, and our offspring have a high chance of having cultivation talent. Those who have been nurtured from a young age are the truly trustworthy members of the He family.”

Lin Changsheng understood the He family's intentions perfectly and couldn't help but sigh.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qinghuan fell silent, wilting like a frostbitten eggplant, her heart filled with turmoil.

……

A few days later, Xu Qinghuan brought a mortal woman from the He family to visit.

"Brother Lin, I've decided to marry Shuang'er. I've brought her here today to meet you."

Lin Changsheng glanced at the pretty woman beside him. She was beautiful and charming, but unfortunately, she had no magical aura whatsoever.

Lin Changsheng didn't say much about his friend's choice, but generously offered five low-grade first-tier spell talismans.

"No matter what happens in the future, I will treat her well. These are my blessings."

The two were somewhat hasty in their marriage, which took place the following month.

Not many people came to the wedding; they were all ordinary relatives from the bride's family.

Although both Xu Qinghuan and He Liangcai married ordinary women from the He family.

However, He Liangcai's wife was the niece of the family head, while Xu Qinghuan's wife was just an ordinary member of the He family.

Even so, the He family still sent ten catties of spirit rice and twenty spirit stones as a congratulatory gift.

After Xu Qinghuan's example, the remaining rogue cultivators could no longer hold back and began to seek opportunities to marry ordinary women from the He family.

A few months later.

Lin Changsheng has been living in Xi Danhe's house for a full year.

During this period, with the help of the He family's spiritual veins, he devoted himself to studying the "Withered Tree Everlasting Spring Technique" and talisman-making skills every day. Although his cultivation level did not break through, he reached the fourth level of Qi Condensation, and the bottleneck in his body was becoming increasingly loose.

Lin Changsheng was confident that he could break through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation in two years at most, even without external help.

With my current abilities, I can barely afford a low-grade first-tier breakthrough pill to greatly shorten the time required for a breakthrough.

However, this kind of pill is usually most effective the first time it is taken, so after considering it, Lin Changsheng decided to save the opportunity for later.

On this day, Lin Changsheng was meditating cross-legged in his room.

A visitor arrived outside the courtyard.

"Master Lin, the clan leader requests your presence."

He Yong, from the He Family Law Enforcement Team, knocked on the courtyard gate.