Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Master Hu’s Invitation to Explore

「More than ten days later.」

Inside the cave-dwelling on Immortal Peach Mountain, Li Ping hovered hundreds of feet in the air, looking down.

After more than ten days of hard work from Bai Lin, all the rare flowers and exotic herbs planted in the cave-dwelling had been completely uprooted, turning into fertilizer for the soil.

The entire courtyard now looked barren, a far cry from its former exquisite beauty.

After finishing all this, Bai Lin had reported to him this morning and already left Immortal Peach Mountain to find Cheng Yao, asking her to accompany her to the market to buy Spirit Medicine seeds.

Now, he was the only one in the cave-dwelling. Taking this opportunity, Li Ping decided to test the power of the Blood Wing Escape Skill he had just successfully cultivated.

...

Taking a deep breath, Li Ping activated the Escape Technique.

A sickening, grinding sound suddenly echoed in the air.

As the sound echoed, two large lumps rapidly swelled up beneath Li Ping’s ribs, as if something was about to burst out from within.

Under the intense pain, even as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, large beads of sweat still poured from Li Ping’s forehead.

The two lumps on his back, just below his ribs, continued to grow until his skin was stretched so thin it was like a bloody membrane, and a pair of translucent, jade-like Blood Wings could be faintly seen extending within.

RRRIP!

The pair of Blood Wings finally burst through the skin, emerging from Li Ping’s body.

...

’So these are the Blood Wings?’ Li Ping stroked the enormous blood-red wings that had unfurled behind him, easily ten feet wide.

Just by making this pair of Blood Wings emerge, Li Ping could feel that he had already lost several years’ worth of his life’s Origin.

’The Transformation Secret Skills of the Demon Dao are truly vicious!’

Feeling his life’s Origin continuing to drain away, Li Ping dared not delay any longer.

SWOOSH!

With a slight flap of the Blood Wings, a fierce gust of wind was instantly kicked up!

The next moment, Li Ping’s figure vanished. All that could be seen in the sky was a faint red line shooting out at a terrifying speed, zipping back and forth within a thousand-mu area!

The air instantly filled with the smell of blood.

...

After using the Blood Wing Escape Skill for only a moment, Li Ping had to stop.

His experiment confirmed the Escape Technique’s astonishing speed. It wasn’t just for escaping; it would be incredibly useful in combat. The ultra-high speed over short distances would make it impossible for an enemy to defend against.

However, Li Ping had no intention of using this Escape Technique for combat.

’After all, if I can escape, why risk a fight?’

The Blood Wing Escape Skill’s escape speed was astounding, but at the same time, its consumption of his life’s Origin was truly terrifying.

Just from using it for that brief moment, Li Ping felt he had lost at least several decades of his lifespan. Faint strands of white had even appeared in his full head of black hair!

Fortunately, in the time since he had stopped, he could feel his depleted Origin slowly recovering under the nourishment of his Nourishing Life Skill Power.

He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, snapping out of the immense panic of losing his lifespan.

’Without the protection of my Nourishing Life Skill Power, I would never have cultivated such a deadly Magic, not even if it killed me.’

’I’m cultivating to achieve immortality. Who would complain about having too long a life?’

But when he thought about how he now had another Secret Technique for self-defense, one that would allow him to escape even from a pursuing Core Formation Cultivator, a smile couldn’t help but appear at the corners of his mouth.

...

「Two months later.」

Li Ping’s depleted Origin had been completely replenished. He had also refined over a dozen portions of the Spirit Medicine in his Storage Bag into Pills.

His Alchemy skill was only Tier One Upper Grade. Of course, with the boost from the Tree of Heritage, his success rate for refining Tier One Upper Grade Pills was one hundred percent, far beyond what ordinary Tier One Upper Grade Alchemists could compare to.

However, limited by his skill level, refining Qi Nourishing Pills was not as simple as refining Qi-Replenishing Pills.

Even with his astounding talent, a single cauldron of Qi Nourishing Pills still took him several days to successfully refine.

He had originally intended to continue his seclusion and refine all the Spirit Medicine into Pills, but Bai Lin reminded him that he had a visitor.

Li Ping had no choice but to temporarily stop his Alchemy and go out to meet his guest.

...

「In the courtyard pavilion.」

Li Ping was smiling and exchanging pleasantries with his visitor. The man appeared to be in his sixties, short and stout, with a sallow complexion and long white hair that draped over his shoulders.

It was none other than his good neighbor, Master Hu Feng.

After a short while, Bai Lin served the two of them Spirit Tea. Upon seeing Bai Lin, Master Hu said with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Fellow Daoist Li, you certainly have good fortune."

Li Ping also smiled and introduced her, "This is Bai Lin, my housekeeper."

Over the past two months, Bai Lin’s performance had been quite satisfactory to him. Although she was a bit clumsy at times due to her youth, she had a simple and pure heart and wasn’t the type to stir up trouble. He had already decided to let her stay.

It was just that during this time, he had been busy with Alchemy and restoring his Origin, so he hadn’t had a chance to tell Bai Lin yet.

"Well, since this is our first meeting, I can’t be stingy." As he spoke, Master Hu chuckled and took a palm-sized, green Jade Bottle from his Storage Bag. "Young friend Bai, this is a bottle of Beauty Pills. It helps Female Cultivators maintain their youthful appearance. This old man will gift it to you."

"Huh?" Bai Lin was caught completely off guard.

Li Ping, however, smiled and said, "Since Master Hu is giving it to you, go ahead and accept it."

’To Li Ping, the Beauty Pill was like the skincare products from his past life. Taking one helped slow the external signs of aging. A single bottle was worth even more than a Qi Nourishing Pill, which could advance a Cultivator’s Cultivation. However, the ones who pursued Beauty Pills and were willing to pay high prices for them were mainly older Female Cultivators like Meng Qingyi. Young Female Cultivators like Bai Lin were in the prime of their lives, their natural beauty like "the morning glow on fresh snow" without any need for cosmetics. They didn’t need to worry about their looks fading, felt no anxiety about their appearance, and wouldn’t actively seek out such Pills. She truly didn’t understand how valuable a bottle of Beauty Pills was, probably thinking it was some trinket that only cost a few Spirit Stones.’

Hearing Li Ping’s instruction, Bai Lin dazedly accepted the Beauty Pills. Not forgetting her manners, she bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Master Hu."

Li Ping smiled and waved his hand. "Alright, you can go back to your work."

...

After Bai Lin left, the two men chatted idly. Before they knew it, the conversation turned to the time Li Ping had visited Master Hu, only to be interrupted by the Wang family’s ancestor.

"That day, he asked me to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. I had a good run and managed to produce two Pills for him." Speaking of this, Master Hu shook his head. "I later heard that his family’s junior took both Foundation Establishment Pills in a row to try and break through to Foundation Establishment, but failed both times. Both Pills were wasted. Such a shame."

"Oh? Both attempts failed?" Li Ping asked, though he was inwardly overjoyed. ’What wonderful news!’

’The Wang family’s ancestor set a trap to scam me of my Spirit Stones, and now his family’s junior has wasted two Foundation Establishment Pills and still failed to reach Foundation Establishment. Talk about swift, worldly retribution!’

Though he was ecstatic inside, Li Ping’s expression didn’t change. He simply agreed with Master Hu, lamenting the waste of the two Foundation Establishment Pills.

"By the way, Fellow Daoist Li," Master Hu said suddenly, his voice mysterious. "I actually came here today to invite you to join me in seizing a great opportunity."

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