Chapter 329: Chapter 195: Seclusion! Late-stage Foundation Establishment

Inside the tavern.

After Madam Lu left, only he, Old Hu, and the Wen couple remained in the private room.

The four of them appeared somewhat solemn, and the treatment Madam Lu gave them could not be considered disrespectful.

“In addition to the spirit fields originally belonging to us, the Lu Family is willing to offer us twenty percent of the annual profits from the trade association’s operations, merely for us to serve as nominal Honored Guest Elders.”

For a moment, all four of their gazes flickered.

“Mr. Lin, Mr. Hu, what are your thoughts on this?”

Ultimately, it was the beautiful Madam Wen who, somewhat tempted, spoke first.

Lin Chang’an pondered for a moment, then finally nodded and said:

“The Lu Family is indeed offering quite a bit, obviously to win us over.”

Becoming an honored elder of a clan, even just in name, should not be taken lightly. Otherwise, not only would your reputation suffer, but any future attempts to join other factions would likely be met with disdain.

Worst case, a bounty could even be placed on you; therefore, without significant benefits, very few guest elders or tributors betray their alliances.

In the end, it was Old Hu who, seeing everyone’s worried expressions, waved his hand and said:

“Although I, Old Hu, am a rough man, I know that if the four of us advance and retreat together, the Lu Family wouldn’t dare cause trouble. Moreover, their visit is also to reassure us.”

As for the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator surnamed Fang, he was directly excluded from the consideration.

After all, no one knew when he got involved with the Lu Family.

After some discussion among the four, although they couldn’t claim full trust in each other, they were aligned on the interests at Jade Spirit Island.

Advancing and retreating together was the only way to ensure shared benefits.

After the Wen couple left, Old Hu sighed wistfully.

“The prosperity of the three clans was still fresh in memory, and now it’s come to this.”

“Who wouldn’t agree?”

Lin Chang’an shook his head, got up, and went to the market to buy cultivation materials, as he was planning to go into closed-door training.

He needed to prepare quite a bit and even secretly sold more than twenty near-tier three Talismans.

A few days later, the four met at their agreed location. Once they ensured they weren’t being followed, they headed towards Jade Spirit Island.

…

Upon returning to Jade Spirit Island,

they saw the clan territories with replaced banners, with the three clans gone and the Lu Family taking over.

The loose cultivators and mortals on the island, after a brief period of chaos, resumed their normalcy.

After all, it was the Lu Family; over a decade ago, this place was still under their control, so it wasn’t unfamiliar.

Once back at the cave residence, the Lu Family sent people again with generous gifts.

“This is the benefit of having strength.”

Lin Chang’an nodded to himself; if he were newly established in Foundation, he certainly wouldn’t receive such treatment.

However, regarding the attractive female cultivator sent by the Lu Family as a concubine, Lin Chang’an shook his head and declined outright.

Wasn’t this just arranging a pair of eyes beside himself?

It was said that the Lu Family did not send beautiful maids to the Wen couple.

“It seems no matter where you go, there are always troubling matters. When I have the strength in the future, I must find a spiritually rich island in the outer seas to avoid disturbances.”

Lin Chang’an shook his head, then set up an array formation outside the cave residence, spreading the word of his closed-door training.

He also released the Cyan-Horned Bull and the Phoenix Cry Bird, then turned back into the cave.

Gazing at the numerous cultivation materials and the Pill Furnace before him, Lin Chang’an took a deep breath.

“For this closed-door training, I won’t come out without breaking through to late-stage Foundation Establishment!”

[Life Span: 94/253]

[Realm: Mid-stage Foundation Establishment (92/100)]

…

This closed-door training wasn’t for a breakthrough in a great realm, nor for overcoming a difficult bottleneck requiring seclusion.

Instead, it was to wholeheartedly focus on diligent training within the cave, consistently tending to spirit beasts, talisman painting, alchemy, and comprehending the mysteries of array formations, none of which would be neglected.

Three years later, when Lin Chang’an found his cultivation stagnating due to spirit root aptitude, he reluctantly made a secret trip to Five Dragons Island.

He sold all his talismans and elixirs from the past years and exchanged them for a considerable amount of near-tier three elixir materials before returning to continue his closed-door training.

Time flew by.

In the chamber, Lin Chang’an sat cross-legged, operating the Cultivation Technique, with a dense and ancient life aura flickering around him.

No one knew how much time had passed before suddenly, his body erupted with a surge, and a wave of immense mana emerged.

Due to the array barrier in the cave, outsiders remained undisturbed.

However, the Cyan-Horned Bull and Phoenix Cry Bird sensed something, casting their eyes back at the cave.

“A hundred-year lifespan, finally a breakthrough.”

Late-stage Foundation Establishment!

In the chamber, Lin Chang’an felt his internal mana nearly double and was somewhat excited.

No wonder the bottleneck was so challenging, requiring him to undergo six years of extensive closed-door training.

“Indeed, this Cultivation Technique shows its might gradually; with my current mana, it’s already comparable to sixty or seventy percent of a Fake Pill Cultivator’s power.

If I cultivate to the Perfection Realm of late-stage Foundation Establishment, my mana might rival that of a Fake Pill Cultivator.”

With eyes shining, Lin Chang’an realized that although he was slightly lacking in quality, he was not outmatched in quantity, and even had superior recovery ability.

This ebb and flow meant his Perfection Realm in late-stage Foundation Establishment rivaling a Fake Pill Cultivator was not merely a dream.

“This truly deserves the name of an Ancient Cultivation Technique.”

At this moment, Lin Chang’an felt his thoughts clear, and his body was instantly filled with comfort, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

He knew it, after all, being an Ancient Cultivation Technique, it wouldn’t just provide a Self-Healing Body, right?

Indeed, the cultivation techniques of ancient cultivators were far from weak; it was only that his cultivation was too low.

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