Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

"It's been a long time, Miss. How have you been?"

Lin Changsheng smiled and glanced at the cute little girl whose face resembled Li Manting's by three or four points, and he had a guess in his heart.

He had watched this eldest daughter of the Li family grow up since she was a child, and her delicate and beautiful appearance was exactly the same as the girl in front of him.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin, on reaching the seventh level of Qi Condensation. Your future is bright..."

Seeing the cultivation level of her old friend, Li Manting's eyes revealed a complex emotion. She smiled gently and offered her sincere blessings.

Her eyes and brows no longer possess the playful and lively charm of yesteryear, but instead exude a more mature and elegant allure.

“Xin’er, this is your Uncle Lin Changsheng, who is also my friend of many years.”

Li Manting introduced the girl beside her in a gentle voice.

Hello, Uncle Lin!

The little girl glanced at Lin Changsheng with her bright, dark eyes and said in a clear, crisp voice.

The well-behaved and adorable little girl looked just like the young lady when she was young, Lin Changsheng thought with emotion.

Later, during a casual chat with Li Manting, I learned that this young lady had not been having a good time in recent years.

Born into a wealthy family, he never lacked food or clothing in his childhood.

Later, due to family connections, he came into contact with the cultivation world and became a disciple of the Qinglan Sect, which made a group of rogue cultivators like Lin Changsheng envious.

However, because her younger brother was being targeted by Lin Xiurong, a direct disciple of the sect, the young lady was very worried about it.

In recent years, in order to help her younger brother Li Xuewu, she considered it carefully and married her fellow disciple whom she had mutual feelings for.

Unexpectedly, not long ago, her husband's small family was wiped out by their enemies, with all the main members of the family killed, leaving only some female relatives.

Li Manting also mingled among the female members of the family and escaped with her daughter Li Suxin. They are currently settling down in Qingmen Immortal City.

"Why not return to the sect?"

Lin Changsheng lamented the fickle nature of fate, describing how a pampered young lady who had enjoyed a life of luxury had fallen to such a state.

"The Qinglan Sect has a rule that only Foundation Establishment True Persons are qualified to marry and have children within the sect. Once other Qi Condensation disciples get married, they will be assigned to various properties."

Li Manting spoke calmly and frankly, her voice clear and gentle.

"Please accept my condolences, young lady..."

After a moment of silence, Lin Changsheng offered words of comfort.

It's understandable that Li Manting wanted to rely on her husband's family's influence to provide protection for her younger brother, Li Xuewu.

Just like Xiao'e back then, who wholeheartedly regarded herself as someone to rely on.

However, if one does not strive for self-improvement, one will suffer a miserable fate when one loses support.

……

The next day.

After the sect's Foundation Establishment celebration ended, Lin Xiurong, dressed in a white gauze dress, and Zhang Xiucai came to the market to meet with several old friends.

The young girl wore a flowing fairy dress and had a cool and aloof demeanor, like a fairy who did not eat the food of this world.

But the alluring and charming quality in her eyes and brows contrasts sharply with her natural aura, making her captivating.

"My old friends, how have you been?"

Lin Xiurong has bright, captivating eyes and a clear, soft voice.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin, on your advancement to the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Everyone stood up to offer their congratulations.

Lin Changsheng sensed it silently.

Lin Xiurong's slender, girlish body contained a suffocating aura, making Lin Changsheng feel a slight pressure.

His magical power underwent a qualitative change after being refined.

Not angry.

This is the difference between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Condensation cultivators.

A transformation and sublimation at the level of life.

For this small gathering of friends, Lin Xiurong booked a private room at the upscale Feixianlou restaurant in the market.

It is said that this "Flying Immortal Pavilion" has a second-tier superior spiritual chef who can blend the flesh and blood of various demonic beasts and spiritual herbs to make medicinal dishes that can satisfy the appetites of cultivators and enhance their cultivation.

The meal was a feast of rare and delicious fruits, fine wines, and unusual monster meats, which satisfied everyone's appetites.

However, the atmosphere was somewhat somber and oppressive.

After greeting everyone at the beginning, Lin Xiurong remained silent.

No one took the initiative to approach and strike up a conversation.

Although they are old friends, their current statuses are worlds apart. Lin Xiurong is a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Zhang Xiucai, also a disciple of the Qinglan Sect, cautiously accompanied him from the side.

Xu Qinghuan stole a glance at Lin Xiurong's delicate, girlish face, her eyes dimmed, and she gulped down the spirit wine.

Back then, Li Manting, who was the head of the household, had to treat Lin Xiurong with utmost respect.

Of all those present, only Lin Changsheng remained unaffected, his expression calm as he spoke eloquently.

Just as he was savoring the food and wine at 'Feixianlou', a soft and pleasant voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Master Lin, please allow me a moment to speak."

Lin Changsheng paused slightly as he picked up some food, but his friends around him seemed oblivious, and Lin Xiurong across from him remained calm.

'Method of Transmitting Sound'

Using concentrated magical power, the sound was enveloped and secretly transmitted to the ear.

This is a small technique that only those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage can use.

Shortly after, Lin Xiurong apologized and left her seat.

Lin Changsheng followed without making a sound.

Several friends reacted differently upon seeing this, with Xu Qinghuan's expression being particularly complex.

……

The two entered the private room in the restaurant one after the other, which was specially equipped with isolation barriers around the guests to prevent the contents of their conversation from being leaked.

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Lin on advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm. May your path to immortality be smooth and your cultivation even more advanced."

Seeing that Lin Xiurong remained silent, Lin Changsheng took the initiative to break the deadlock.

As soon as he spoke, Lin Changsheng suddenly remembered the blessing Xiao'e gave him amidst her disappointment when he advanced to the third level of Qi Condensation.

How similar it is to the scene today.

It really does prove the saying "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river" true...

The difference is that Lin Changsheng offered his blessings sincerely, without any other ulterior motives.

"Brother Lin... I encountered the influence of inner demons at the critical moment of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and almost failed at the last minute."

Lin Xiurong pursed her lips, her voice soft and gentle, and called out the name she used to call Lin Changsheng back then.

"My master said that this is because the matter from back then was not resolved satisfactorily, leaving an obsession in my heart. If this knot in my heart is not removed, I fear that my cultivation will be difficult to improve in the future."

"If Brother Lin is willing, we can become Daoist partners under the witness of Master. I have now established my foundation. According to the sect rules, the Daoist partners of Foundation Establishment cultivators can share the sect's spiritual veins. With the help of my master's lineage, Brother Lin will have the possibility of advancing to Foundation Establishment in the future."

"If you, Lin-ge'er, still harbor resentment about what happened back then, I will secretly kill Li Xuewu. From then on, Lin-ge'er will be Xiao'e's only man in the world..."

Lin Xiurong, unlike her usual aloof self, seemed to have transformed back into the obedient Xiao'e of yesteryear, pouring out her tender feelings.

Lin Changsheng sighed softly upon hearing this. He never expected that he would have such an opportunity to enter the Qinglan Sect, which he had failed to enter back then.

He looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, but found it hard to connect her with the Xiao'e from back then.

"Although the Qinglan Sect is good, I, Lin, have now found my own path."

Lin Changsheng shook his head, glanced at Lin Xiurong, and said calmly, "Qinglan Sect has many experts. I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. If you're willing, Xiao'e, why don't you leave the sect and settle down with me in the Xi Dan He family? With your current level, I'm sure the He family won't treat us badly. In a few years, when I break through to the second-tier talisman master level, we can leave the He family and find a spiritual vein. Our talisman-making skills will be enough to support us."

"Brother Lin, you actually have such thoughts?"

A hint of disappointment flickered in Lin Xiurong's pretty eyes.

The disciples of the Qinglan Sect, a major sect, have a natural sense of superiority over smaller forces.

The Xi Danhe family, a small, insignificant family, simply couldn't afford to support two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As a direct disciple of the Qinglan Sect, Lin Xiurong was highly valued by her sect. How could she possibly give up such a promising future and join the Xi Danhe family with Lin Changsheng, casting a pearl on the sand...

At this moment, Lin Xiurong suddenly felt that Lin Ge'er, who had rejected her back then, was nothing special after all.

Short-sighted and lacking foresight...

As Lin Xiurong was thinking this, she was about to speak to persuade him when she suddenly paused.

Suddenly, I remembered that many years ago, when I first arrived at Huangling Market, I had tried to persuade Brother Lin to give up his cultivation of immortality and return to the mortal world with me to get married and have children…