"Not willing?"

Lin Chang'sheng narrowed his eyes, his tone instantly icy cold.

A powerful aura immediately enveloped the three men.

"Ah... No, senior, this junior is willing! Very willing!"

Under Lin Chang'sheng's oppressive aura, Chen Cao felt his breath catch, his entire body turn cold, as if he'd fallen into an ice pit—he nearly dropped to his knees, quickly cupped his fists and agreed, and Nie Lin and Tang Lian hurriedly responded as well.

Chen Cao stepped forward and said, "Senior, could you wait a moment? This junior will go fetch it right away."

"Fine. I'll wait for you all at Drunken Fragrance Tower. If you're not there within an hour, three families will disappear from Min Nan City."

Lin Chang'sheng spoke indifferently.

"Yes, senior, this junior understands!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hearing this, the three nodded so hard it looked like chickens pecking rice, and hurried away.

"Little White Fox, let's go to Drunken Fragrance Tower and order some ginseng soup for a recharge, what do you say?"

Lin Chang'sheng patted the little white fox in his bag and spoke.

"Ying ying ying!"

The little white fox let out a cry, apparently very displeased.

"Oh, right, gotta buy you a cage."

Suddenly remembering, Lin Chang'sheng realized the cloth bag was uncomfortable. The little white fox could spit out white light and had quite some abilities—maybe it'd help him out one day, so he'd best keep it by his side.

........

Meanwhile—

Min Nan City, northwest, thousands of miles away.

Inside a mountain cave.

"One more month and I can retrieve that final soul seed!"

"Let's see how the soul seed has grown?"

A young man with a strange tattoo on his forehead sat cross-legged at the center of an array, muttering to himself. Hands moving in secret signs, he sent a black mist into the small triangle banner before him.

That small banner glowed with dark light; countless twisted human faces overlapped across its surface, heartrending wails echoing through the cave, making it feel full of Yin Qi and dread.

A wisp of black energy shot out from the small triangle banner, flying towards the mouth of the cave—but as it drew near, it halted, floating in place.

"This is... The connection to the soul seed is gone?"

"Could it be?"

Qi Hui jolted to his feet and approached, staring at the wisp of mist, his face full of disbelief.

This meant that after all this time of nurturing, the soul seed didn't grow stronger but instead became weakened—that's why the connection to the Myriad Souls Banner kept flickering on and off.

Which also meant—the host had become stronger, weakening the soul seed greatly.

"Originally, I was going to wait a month to retrieve the last soul seed... Looks like I can't wait any longer!"

Qi Hui's eyes glittered with intent.

The soul seed's link was on the verge of breaking—he had to go now, extract the host's blood essence, and refine the soul seed anew; if the host's cultivation rose any further, the seed would be purged for good!

At that point—

The soul seed would dissipate!

Finding a suitable host for a soul seed would be much more difficult.

After all, good hosts are hard to come by and nurturing takes time.

Thinking thus, Qi Hui began packing, preparing to leave the cave.

........

Lin Chang'sheng bought a cage for the little white fox.

Carrying Xiaobai, he made his way to Drunken Fragrance Tower, ordered two pots of ginseng soup, and with one man and one fox, started licking away at the bowls, his fingers never stopping their exercises.

"Hey, brother, are you headed to Jinyong City as well?"

"Sure am! The Liuyun Immortal Sect only recruits disciples once every ten years. It's still over two months off, but I thought I'd try my luck and see if there's any immortal fate waiting for me!"

"We're on the same journey, then. I'm heading to Jinyong City, too!"

"I'll try out for immortal fate first. If it doesn't work out, I'll join the army—maybe bring glory and honor to my family!"

"......"

Lin Chang'sheng listened to the chatter around him; nearly every young man wanted to test for an Immortal Root.

After all—

With an Immortal Root and entry into an Immortal Sect, you could bring honor to your ancestors!

"It's been about an hour."

Estimating the time, Lin Chang'sheng figured the heads of the Chen, Nie, and Tang families should be arriving soon. He finished off his ginseng soup in several gulps, scooped up the still-slurping white fox, and stuffed it into the cage.

"Ying ying ying!"

The little white fox cried out, struggling fiercely, its face full of resentment at Lin Chang'sheng's roughness.

"What's wrong...?"

Lin Chang'sheng looked down and realized his hand had accidentally grabbed Xiaobai's delicate pink bottom. He blinked, stuffed the fox into the cage, and said, "A little fox like you, what's there to be shy about?"

The little white fox, as if understanding him, scurried into the little blanket in the cage to hide.

"Waiter, bill!"

Lin Chang'sheng tossed a silver coin onto the table and headed for the door.

"Take care, sir! Come again!"

The server yanked a rag from his shoulder, wiped his hands, and yelled in his scratchy voice at Lin Chang'sheng's back.

"Senior, this is our Chen Family's Golden Bell Shield Cultivation Technique. I've kept a handwritten copy for myself—this is the original. Please accept it!"

Just as Lin Chang'sheng stepped outside Drunken Fragrance Tower, he saw Chen Family Patriarch Chen Cao carrying a small bundle from ten yards away. With great respect, he opened the bundle, took out a yellowed manual, and handed over a stack of silver notes as well.

"Mmm."

Lin Chang'sheng nodded, took the manual, and skimmed through it. His mind gave a jolt—this was the complete cultivation method for Golden Bell Shield, gates one through twelve!

Flipping to the back, he found some annotations—insights on cultivating Golden Bell Shield, left by someone named Chen Changge.

"Senior, these notes were penned by an ancestor of mine, who was once an Inner Sect Disciple of the Vajra Sect, but later died fighting cultivators, leaving behind only this Golden Bell Shield manual."

"Unfortunately, my later Chen Family descendants have all been mediocre, never able to master it... Sigh!"

Noticing Lin Chang'sheng linger on the notes, Chen Cao respectfully explained.

"Mhm, you've done well. Off you go!"

Noticing Chen Cao also handed over 5,000 taels in silver notes, Lin Chang'sheng patted him on the shoulder, waved him away.

Just then—

Nie Lin and Tang Lian, waiting nearby, saw Chen Cao leave. They stepped up next, each producing a secret manual.

The Nie Family's Lightweight Skill was Water Walking; the Tang Family's was a hidden weapon skill called Purple Lightning Flying Needle. Both also gave 5,000 taels in silver notes.

Lin Chang'sheng waved for them to go as well.

......

It was now winter.

The weather grew colder and colder.

A heavy snow began to fall, flakes swirling down in droves.

Fifty li from Min Nan City—

With the cage on his back, Lin Chang'sheng sped through the wind and snow.

Stepping on Snow Without Leaving Traces Experience Points +1!

Stepping on Snow Without Leaving Traces Experience Points +1!

......

[Stepping on Snow Without Leaving Traces (Great Success 34671/62500)]

[Gale Saber Technique (Great Success 51273/62500)]

"This snowstorm came at just the right time!"

"Give me another two days and I estimate both Stepping on Snow Without Leaving Traces and Gale Saber Technique will reach Perfection. I wonder what kind of new Lightweight Skill and Saber Technique I'll get if I fuse them then?"

Watching the red prompts on the system panel, Lin Chang'sheng's eyes glittered with satisfaction.

Stepping on Snow Without Leaving Traces could, once Water Walking is simplified and perfected, be merged together with Fleeting Shadows and the others.

Gale Saber Technique could be merged into Thunder Shock Slash to produce a new saber technique.

Right now, lacking Spirit Stones and a Cultivation Immortality Technique, his Martial Arts Techniques were his best support!

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