Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Outside Huanglingfang Market, inside a thatched hut.

Lin Changsheng opened the package left by Li Manting.

Three milky-white jade stones the size of pigeon eggs, a silk scroll with about a hundred words written on it, and some loose silver coins were displayed in front of me.

Lin Changsheng picked up the silk scroll, on which was written a mnemonic incantation without any beginning or end.

By using this incantation, one can gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into oneself and refine it to cultivate magical power.

From this moment on, I have taken my first step into cultivation!

Once you possess magical powers, you can spend a milky-white jade stone to obtain the necessary permits to freely enter and exit Huangling Market.

In the market, there will be cultivation techniques for later stages, as well as various rare and precious items used by cultivators in their daily lives.

They also had to exchange the milky white jade left by Li Manting for the purchase.

This milky-white jade contains pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and is highly sought after in the cultivation world, where it is known as a 'spiritual stone'.

"Brother Lin, dinner's ready."

Pushing open the door, Xiao'e's petite figure walked in, carrying soup and rice with small, shuffling steps.

"The prices in this place where immortal masters gather are too high. A simple soup and rice meal costs one or two taels of silver. After I finish eating, I will go and buy some cooking utensils so that I can cook for myself in the future."

Buying a meal made Xiao'e feel a little distressed about the money.

However, Lin Changsheng insisted on staying, so they agreed that regardless of whether they could become immortal masters, they would return to Longshan County in Yue Kingdom three years later to resolve their household registration issues.

"Xiao'e, you studied with the young lady for a few days before, so you can try these immortal incantations. If you can really master them, then..."

"I know that if I can really master it, I can become a female immortal master, live a long and healthy life, and even slow down the aging process!"

Xiao'e smiled as she set out the bowls and chopsticks, then took the incantation and put it in her bosom without looking at it immediately. Instead, she urged Lin Changsheng to eat.

In her view, being able to escape slavery in this life was already a great blessing; she dared not hope to become an immortal.

She felt that once Lin Changsheng had been causing trouble for a few years, his restless thoughts would fade, and he would accept his fate.

In fact, Xiao'e also had her own thoughts.

On the way here, she lost her virginity while sleeping with the young master Li Xuewu, and inevitably felt somewhat inferior in front of Lin Changsheng.

If you waste a few years with Lin Changsheng now, he'll eventually accept you when he gets older.

During this period, the two simply separated the thatched huts to live in.

After finishing her meal, Xiao'e cleared away the dishes and went to water the fields next to the thatched hut.

These are all farmland products from Huanglingfang Market, where a special kind of miraculous rice is grown.

The produced spirit rice contains spiritual energy, and regular consumption can promote the growth of magical power within the body.

The area beneath Huanglingfang Market has a spiritual vein, and only in this special environment can spiritual rice be produced.

There are many mortals like Lin Changsheng who pursue immortality.

To live here and enjoy the spiritual veins, one must plant spiritual rice every month and then hand over the full amount of spiritual rice.

Xiao'e refused to cultivate herself and took over all the farm work.

Lin Changsheng had more time to study breathing techniques.

In addition to planting spirit rice every month, Xiao'e also bought some seeds of melons, fruits and vegetables and planted some in front of the thatched house.

Perhaps due to the spiritual energy of Huanglingfang Market, these fruits and vegetables are growing vigorously.

The two soon began to enjoy the fruits and vegetables they had grown.

Sometimes, after several months of accumulation, Xiao'e would even save up some spirit rice and steam some spirit rice.

The two people who tasted the spirit rice for the first time were both amazed by this celestial product.

The steamed rice grains are plump and round, crystal clear, and leave a lingering fragrance and unforgettable aftertaste.

Lin Changsheng clearly felt that his body was much lighter than before.

Xiao'e secretly sold the remaining few bowls of spirit rice.

Three spirit sands were replaced.

Spirit sand is essentially broken spirit stones, and it's also a form of 'currency' that's even smaller than spirit stones.

A complete spirit stone can be divided into about twenty grains of spirit sand.

Xiao'e lived here for several months before she learned that this tiny grain of spiritual sand could actually be exchanged for fifty taels of gold!

Xiao'e's thinking changed.

If you can accumulate some spirit sand here and exchange it for silver, you can live a good life in the future.

And so, her desire to go back faded.

Lin Changsheng gradually learned many common sense things about the cultivation world, and also met some like-minded people who were also pursuing immortality.

"Brother Lin, Xu Qinghuan next door developed magical power yesterday!"

Xiao'e, carrying the rice, said with a hint of envy on her pretty face.

"That's great news, congratulations, Brother Qinghuan!"

Lin Changsheng smiled faintly.

He had a feeling that his dreams had become increasingly vivid recently, which seemed to be related to his persistence in practicing the breathing techniques.

That evening, a young man who looked like a worldly playboy swaggered out of Huangling Market and into the thatched hut area.

"Brother Lin, Sister Xiao'e, Scholar Zhang, come to my room for a chat!"

Before long, three men and one woman gathered at the thatched hut and sat around an old square table.

Besides Lin Changsheng and Xiao'e, there was also Xu Qinghuan, a wealthy young man dressed in brocade.

And there was Zhang Shangwen, a somewhat dull-witted scholar with a pedantic air about him.

At this moment, all three listened intently as Xu Qinghuan recounted what he had seen and heard in the market that day.

Although they had seen many cultivators on a daily basis, they mostly kept their distance and never took the initiative to talk to mortals like them.

Through Xu Qinghuan's explanation, Lin Changsheng learned that once one cultivates magical power, one can barely be considered a cultivator.

There are also different levels among cultivators.

Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation…

It's pretty much the same as the cultivation novels he used to read.

“Brother Lin, the Li siblings you mentioned earlier who had the Ascension Tokens are very likely to have entered the Qinglan Sect.”

“Those are sect cultivators. Even if people like us cultivate magical power, we are at most just rogue cultivators without any background. It is very important to maintain good relations with these sect disciples.”

Xu Qinghuan chattered on and on, showing off the information she had gathered from Huanglingfang Market.

It is said that more than half of the industries in the entire Huanglingfang City belong to the Qinglan Sect, a cultivation sect!

A large number of cultivators from the Qinglan Sect gathered there, including not only Qi Condensation stage cultivators but also many Foundation Establishment stage seniors.

I've heard that there's a late-stage Core Formation ancestor in the Qinglan Sect.

That ancestor was known as 'Qingyun Zhenren', and he had a prestigious reputation throughout the entire cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.

The remaining assets were divided up among three nearby cultivation families.

They are the 'Chen Family of Huangling', the 'He Family of Xidan', and the 'You Family of Luochuan'.

"Xu Qinghuan, now that you've become a cultivator, when are you going to return my spirit sand?"

Seeing Xu Qinghuan getting carried away with her talk, Xiao'e couldn't help but offer a reminder.

In order to gather enough spirit stones to register as a cultivator in Huangling Market, Xu Qinghuan had no choice but to ask Xiao'e for help.

The reason is simple: Xiao'e has little interest in cultivating immortality, and spirit stones are to her what worldly money is.

Although Zhang Xiucai and Lin Changsheng also possess spirit stones, they are both people pursuing the path of immortality, so they might not lend him their spirit stones.

Xiao'e even specifically asked Lin Changsheng for advice on this matter.

Lin Changsheng only gave two possibilities.

If Xu Qinghuan returns the borrowed spirit stone on time, you will not only receive an extra grain of spirit sand, but also gain Xu Qinghuan's favor.

But at the same time, there are also risks involved. After all, Xu Qinghuan has become a Celestial Master. Will he still be able to maintain the same relationship with them as before?

After all, since he was a cultivator who owed mortals spiritual sand, Xiao'e couldn't do anything about it.

In the end, Xiao'e only agreed to borrow seven spirit sands after Xu Qinghuan pleaded with her and promised an interest of one spirit sand grain.

"Little Sister Xiao'e, what are you saying? I'm already a cultivator, how could I possibly be short of a mere seven grains of spirit sand?"

Xu Qinghuan was momentarily speechless, and awkwardly agreed.

But he admitted it without hesitation, showing no intention of reneging on the debt.

"It's not seven spirit sands, it's eight! One of them is interest!"

Xiao'e observed people's expressions and demeanor.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of reneging on the debt, I felt much more at ease.

But upon hearing that the number Xu Qinghuan gave was incorrect, he quickly corrected her.

"Yes, yes, eight spirit stones. You're such a money-grubber, Xiao'e. I'm a cultivator now. I can easily find a job in the market and earn at least one spirit stone a month! I'll pay you back then."

"You were the one who said you'd add an extra grain of spirit sand as interest, so why are you blaming me! Give me back the seven grains of spirit sand, I'm not lending it to you anymore, hmph!"

Xiao'e and Xu Qinghuan started arguing.

Zhang Xiucai was introverted and didn't talk much, but listened from the side, though his eyes would occasionally reveal a look of longing.

Lin Changsheng inquired about some experiences in breathing in spiritual energy.

The conclusion was that there were no shortcuts to the initial breathing process.

The length of time it takes to cultivate magical power depends on several factors: firstly, one's spiritual aptitude; secondly, one's age; and finally, one's luck.

Older people are more tainted by worldly affairs and need more time to exhale spiritual energy and cleanse themselves of impurities.

However, some lucky people can cultivate magical powers in ten days or half a month.

Lin Changsheng had a feeling.

He has been feeling groggy lately, and his dreams at night are becoming clearer; he can quickly 'remember' more of what he dreamed about.

Two years have passed since Lin Changsheng and Xiao'e arrived here.

On this day, Lin Changsheng, who was practicing breathing exercises, suddenly had a feeling of enlightenment.

My mind was clear, and my body felt as if it had broken through some kind of limitation and entered a completely new state.

boom!

Lin Changsheng felt a tearing pain in his head, and then everything went black and he lost consciousness.