Eternal Life from Talisman Painting-Chapter 199 - 143: Master Lu, the Sage of Chess

"Foundation Establishment Pill!?"

Inside the cave abode, seeing the resources Zhou Bingyun took out to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, Lin Chang'an was puzzled.

"Miss Zhou, with your aptitude and the current connections of the Zhou Family, getting a Foundation Establishment Pill shouldn't be that difficult."

Especially with the Zhou Family's development over the years, given Zhou Bingyun's aptitude, he couldn't believe the Zhou Family would be stingy with one or two Foundation Establishment Pills.

However, Zhou Bingyun sighed in rare helplessness, knowing her family's situation well.

"Brother Lin, the Zhou Family has grown, and the cultivation resources needed are many, especially with the few Tier Two Spirit Beasts we raise consuming a lot regularly.

On the surface, it might seem glorious, but this time, the family prepared two Foundation Establishment Pills for me, but I'm just being cautious, so I used what I secretly saved..."

Goodness!

This scene made Lin Chang'an show a strange expression, not knowing from whom this girl learned her cautious nature.

He, with low-grade Spirit Root, had a ninety-five percent chance with three Foundation Establishment Pills.

Yet you, with middle-grade Spirit Root, tell him you need to prepare three as well!

But this girl wasn't speaking the truth.

"Brother Lin, I've heard your black market has a Tier Two Pill Master who can exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills if you provide the resources. Shouldn't my materials be enough for one?"

Zhou Bingyun said with a smile, Foundation Establishment Pills are strategic resources; if they can be exchanged for with simple Spirit Stone resources, naturally, she doesn't want to owe anyone favors.

"These materials are beneficial for Spirit Beasts and are indeed valuable enough."

Lin Chang'an nodded lightly. Since he operates a black market that opens its doors for business, he certainly welcomes all comers.

And he could guess part of the Zhou Family's intentions, most likely wanting to keep good relations with them. After all, the current black market's six Foundation Establishments is an undeniable force.

Moreover, there's the matter of leftover Foundation Establishment Pills after Zhou Bingyun's breakthrough, which are precious resources for the family.

No matter how she does it, she's not making a loss.

"However, the Zhou Family's resources in recent years shouldn't be so limited..."

Suddenly, Lin Chang'an thought of the Zhou Family's guardian Spirit Beast, the Profound Water Turtle, and seemed to understand something.

Most of the Zhou Family's resources over the years must have been invested in this guardian Spirit Beast.

Some families without remarkably talented cultivators can easily enter a period of weakness. It's better to carefully nurture a guardian Spirit Beast with a lifespan far exceeding that of a cultivator.

This explained everything. No wonder the Zhou Family had been so stingy in recent years.

"Very well, if Miss Zhou has more of such resources in the future, the black market will accept them all."

Lin Chang'an said with a smile and cupped his hands, for whatever reason, if the Zhou Family wanted to maintain good relations, he felt the same.

After all, given the Zhou Family's actions in these years, they weren't bad.

"Thank you, Brother Lin."

Zhou Bingyun nodded with a smile. This Foundation Establishment Pill was indeed genuine, as was the strategic planning for the family's resources.

The more important thing, of course, was the family's guardian Spirit Beast.

Zhou Bingyun felt helpless in her heart. Her elder brother, with a Wind Spirit Root, had been the most talented in the Zhou Family in a century, but his luck wasn't good.

Now, the Zhou Family's interests were tied with Celestial Profound City, and some years ago, they even acquired a secret technique that could help the family guardian Spirit Beast break through to near Tier Three.

Although this secret technique had significant drawbacks, from then on, the guardian Spirit Beast's Cultivation would cease to advance, becoming like a Fake Pill Cultivator.

If successful, a Spirit Turtle with a millennium-long lifespan could secure the Zhou Family's prosperity for a thousand years.

That's why she approached Lin Chang'an; the family's resources were genuinely tight, and she was wholeheartedly working for the family's development.

"I suppose next time we meet, we'll address each other as fellow Daoists, and Miss Zhou will become the Zhou Family's first female Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

Faced with Lin Chang'an's blessing, Zhou Bingyun humbly nodded.

Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Bingyun sought further insights on Foundation Establishment, and Lin Chang'an was naturally generous with his advice.

In his observation, this Miss Zhou had a solid foundation and a middle-grade Spirit Root, with about a sixty to seventy percent chance of succeeding with two Foundation Establishment Pills.

Moreover, her talent in Alchemy Dao warranted the Zhou Family's investment.

...

Time flew by, months turned into years.

Outside was tumultuous with flying rumors, but as long as Master Lu didn't pass away, the Celestial Profound City would not experience major unrest.

With the unrest of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range's demon beasts, numerous cultivators from the Seven Kingdoms flocked here, making Celestial Profound City exceptionally prosperous.

Although it brought some chaos, their six-person black market thrived, earning massive Spirit Stones.

These external cultivators came for the demon beasts; if a Beast Tide occurred, they'd just leave.

Even some Tribulation Cultivators were secretly hoping for an incident in Celestial Profound City, so they might profit from the chaos.

Half a year later, Zhou Bingyun successfully reached Foundation Establishment, and at the Zhou Family's Foundation Establishment banquet, Lin Chang'an presented a gift.

All six Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the black market were present, considering the cooperation between Zhou Family and the black market over the past half year.

[Life Span: 75/245]

[Realm: Mid-stage Foundation Establishment (12/100)]

Inside the cave abode, Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes, looking at his Cultivation with a satisfied smile.

"Seventy-five years old, and my Cultivation remains steadily advancing. If outsiders knew, how envious they would be."

Then Lin Chang'an slowly stood up, raising his hand, and the Cyan Bamboo Sword suddenly appeared above the cave abode.

As his mana continuously poured in, within just two breaths, the Cyan Bamboo Sword above his head burst into a radiant light.

It transformed into a giant sword of cyan light, over ten feet in size, exuding an incredibly terrifying aura.

[Giant Sword Technique]

With Lin Chang'an's raise of a hand, in an instant, the giant sword straightly struck towards the golden nine-layered light shield below the cave abode.