Mortal: Refining Weapons for Immortality

Chapter 16 Foundation Building Pill

After an unknown period of time, the powerful qi and blood in his body began to dissipate, his physical strength declined, and his lifespan was completely depleted by one year.

However, it is worth mentioning that by running at a speed close to that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could quickly pass through the chaotic area and would likely not encounter any further disturbances or ambushes by the Tribulation Cultivators.

......

One day later.

Lin Changqing headed towards the more populated areas and hurried back to Huangfeng Valley Market.

I also went to the north end of the market to see Li Zhijing. I found that he was quite good at buying and selling, and he was eloquent. Many rogue cultivators would come up to take a look.

He didn't have much time to cultivate to begin with, so he planned to have Li Zhijing help him manage the stall so he could focus on refining weapons and cultivating. This way, he could cultivate while also using spirit stones.

"So few spirit stones! Did they all go to the Immortal Pavilion for a good time? What a waste of a year of my lifespan! I won't even get my money's worth!!"

Back in his cave, Lin Changqing checked the storage bags he had collected, rummaged through them, and couldn't help but complain.

The two cultivators who intercepted him were rogue cultivators, and the total number of spirit stones they possessed was only about a hundred, which was pitifully small. However, since they were rogue cultivators, even if he killed them, he wouldn't be afraid of causing any trouble afterward.

After searching through all the items, he discovered that the most precious thing was probably the black net artifact that he had broken.

After careful examination, Lin Changqing compared his own magical artifact with the one he was wearing and found that it was very suitable for him, but he also discovered that his own artifact had its drawbacks.

"This black net is quite remarkable. It is highly poisonous and has a binding function. Ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivators simply cannot break through it. If it weren't for my pure magic power, which far surpasses that of others of the same level, I wouldn't have been able to withstand the black net's attack at all."

"Right now, this black net is just a high-grade magic weapon. When I have the ability, I can upgrade it and forge it into a top-grade magic weapon. When I reach the Foundation Establishment stage, it will be a very good magic weapon."

"However, I should also upgrade my Ironwood Sword and Greenwood Shield. If the Ironwood Sword reaches the level of a superior magic weapon, it will be no problem for me to cut through the black net with my own strength, and I won't need to use secret techniques to consume my lifespan."

To Lin Changqing's surprise, he found another pale blue spirit snake egg in the ugly woman's storage bag. It was about the size of a fist, but its aura was weak and it was in a very low state. The life force contained in the spirit egg was very little, so it was a spirit egg with little value and could not be exchanged for any spirit stones.

Most people would give up on this spirit snake egg, since even if such a monster were to be born, it would be weak and useless in battle. Moreover, raising a monster would cost countless spirit stones, and if its growth was not satisfactory, the spirit stones spent would likely be wasted and the cost would not be recovered.

However, Lin Changqing was a little different. He carefully observed the spirit snake egg in his hand, which was weak in energy, and saw a blurry figure rolling and struggling in the spiritual liquid. Its determination and its willingness to risk everything to break through the eggshell piqued his interest in the spirit snake inside.

Even though it was weak, it still had an indomitable spirit. Lin Changqing felt that this unborn spirit snake was very intelligent.

This spirit egg, which had been unable to hatch for a long time, would soon lose its life force if it were not nourished by precious spiritual liquid. At this moment, the phantom of the spirit snake made one last attempt to break through the eggshell.

Lin Changqing continued to observe, wanting to see how long the spirit snake inside could hold on, and whether this desperate spirit snake could break out of its shell.

The illusory image of the spirit snake kept flowing, and the spirit egg kept shaking under its shaking. However, no matter how much it shook, no crack appeared on the eggshell, until its movements became slower and slower, and it fell into a deep sleep once again.

"Sigh! You've been watching for so long, but you still haven't succeeded. What a pity. But you're lucky to have met me. If you were still with that Jiexiu, you'd probably be sold to some monster."

Lin Changqing sighed inwardly. The phantom in the spirit egg seemed to be a mortal struggling against the heavens for a sliver of life. No matter how much it struggled, it could not break free of its shackles in the end. This made him feel a pang of pity and he began to use his skills to release wisps of magic power into the spirit snake egg.

The cultivation method he practices has its own healing and nourishing properties. If he uses the secret method, which consumes his lifespan, he can transform into a small toon tree body to use his magic power. The life energy contained within is extraordinary, with the effect of bringing the dead back to life and healing flesh and bones.

Even without using lifespan, the nourishing effect is not bad, more than enough to revive this spirit egg.

With the support of magic, the life force inside the spirit egg began to slowly recover. What was originally a certain death situation began to change. The spirit snake phantom spontaneously absorbed the magic power supplied by Lin Changqing while it was asleep. Unbeknownst to them, the spirit snake phantom began to grow slowly and continuously, from originally occupying a quarter of the size of the spirit egg to becoming a third, growing quite a bit.

Seeing that the life force of the spirit egg was rising and had reached a near-saturation point, Lin Changqing decisively stopped transmitting magic power and placed the spirit egg back in a corner of the cave.

"It should be alright now. It took quite a while, but we finally managed to save it. After a few more months of intermittent nurturing, the congenital deficiencies of the spirit snake egg will be made up for. It won't need any more spiritual objects to repair its foundation, and it will hatch on its own."

Eight days later.

Lin Changqing began refining the spirit beast bag, drawing artifact patterns on it, and successfully created the spirit beast bag. Its quality was almost at the level of a high-grade magic weapon, and it could nurture one or two Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts.

[Successfully crafted a superior magical artifact: Blue Crystal Inner Armor, reward: five years of lifespan]

Lifespan: 367 --> 372

In just a few days, he refined the spirit beast bag and the spirit feeding pill, officially beginning the process of raising the demon beast inside the spirit egg. As an alchemist and weapon refiner, raising a demon beast wouldn't cost him many spirit stones.

As for beast taming techniques, Lin Changqing also took some time to practice some magic seals, planning to imprint them on the beasts after they hatched. After all, he couldn't let the beasts he raised go to waste, as he would need them to do his work in the future, and a contract was necessary.

After finishing the magical artifact, Lin Changqing did not rest. He took out the Foundation Establishment Pill he had bought a few days ago from his storage bag, intending to completely restore a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Lin Changqing took out the discarded pill from last time and found that his usual magical repair could only go this far.

After his research, he nurtured the pill with his magic power, restoring it from a failed Foundation Establishment pill to about the level of a genuine Foundation Establishment pill, comparable to the effect of a level three inferior Foundation Establishment pill.

Once you reach that level, you can no longer improve; you can only rely on secret methods.

Looking at the Foundation Establishment Pill before him, which was no longer pitch black but had a hint of bright white and some Foundation Establishment effects, Lin Changqing couldn't help but consume his lifespan and use a secret technique to restore his spirit, thoroughly purifying the pill to improve its quality.

"Restore the spirit!" Lin Changqing made hand seals and silently chanted the incantation.

In the blink of an eye, a pure aura emanating from Lin Changqing's body began to surround the Foundation Establishment Pill before him, guided by him. It even slowly permeated the Foundation Establishment Pill, constantly removing the black impurities and revealing the pure white color of the pill, emitting a rich fragrance.

At the same time, lifespan is constantly being depleted until the elixir is completely purified.

[372-->371-->368...]

【368-->362】

"Stain!"

Lin Changqing felt his lifespan being depleted, and his heart ached inexplicably. However, seeing the pill in his hand transform from its original dark appearance into a Foundation Establishment Pill that now radiated spiritual light, he still managed to suppress those unpleasant words.

"Repairing a defective Foundation Establishment Pill takes about ten years of lifespan, that's quite a lot! How many decades does a Qi Refining cultivator have?!"

Lin Changqing gripped the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, sighing in disbelief. It took so much lifespan to repair a Foundation Establishment Pill, almost as long as the secret method to wash away his drug resistance.

Finally, he realized that for most people, Foundation Establishment Pills were essential, which was why they were monopolized. Without Foundation Establishment Pills, unless one had a Heavenly Spiritual Root, there would be risks involved.

However, since he has a pseudo-spiritual root, it will be even more difficult for him to establish his foundation. It is difficult to successfully establish his foundation with just one Foundation Establishment Pill, so he must prepare several more.

His body has low drug resistance, and he can successfully break through to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining by taking pills. After taking eight or more Foundation Establishment Pills, he will definitely be able to successfully establish his foundation. However, right now, even if he repairs all the defective pills, he only has six left, which is still not enough to be safe.

"Forget it, I'll worry about these things after I reach the tenth level of Qi Refining. The fact that there were defective Foundation Establishment Pills in Tianxing Market this time means that there will be more in the future. I should focus on improving my cultivation and repairing the remaining pills first."

In the end, Lin Changqing gave up his desire for the Foundation Establishment Pill, stopped forcing himself to obtain it, let go of his obsession, calmed his mind, and waited for his cultivation to advance further before making any further plans.

One day later.

Lifespan: 323

"Alright, I won't live past the Core Formation stage anyway." Lin Changqing said helplessly as he looked at his diminishing lifespan, and put away the six Foundation Establishment Pills that he had purified by consuming his lifespan.

These are pills he risked his life for; they must be kept safe, otherwise they won't be available for purchase in the Yue Kingdom.

As for myself, I definitely wouldn't sell it. What spirit stone could buy life?! I haven't reached the point where I'd trade my life for spirit stones.