Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 351 - 216: Even More Than That

No wonder they care so much about this—the quota is a huge deal, and closely tied to Heaven-Burning Valley.

Even though Lu Chang’sheng is quite talented in the Alchemy Dao, his future is extremely limited. Giving him this slot would honestly be a waste.

In comparison, the inheritance left behind by Master Baiyun suddenly doesn’t seem quite so important.

Seeing that everyone else was voicing their objections, even Xiao Feng started feeling a bit hesitant.

Besides, White Cloud Pavilion has only been around for a few years. Now isn’t the time to break with these people, so he could only let it go for now.

The three saw Xiao Feng’s dark expression and each took a step back as well.

"There’s still plenty of time. We don’t have to rush. Zhou Lin only entered Qi Cultivation Level Seven a few years ago. Whether it’s his alchemy or his cultivation, achieving second-tier won’t happen overnight. We’ve got some breathing room to observe Fellow Daoist Lu, and we can bring this up again when the time’s right." One of them said.

And with that, the proposal was dropped for now.

After returning to his courtyard, Xiao Feng saw a woman come out of the house. Though she wore a loose magical robe, it was clear her belly was starting to show.

"You should be resting. What are you doing out here?" There was a rare tenderness in Xiao Feng’s usually rugged face.

The woman was his Dao partner, Liu Yunxi, with whom he shared a deep bond.

"Just moving around a bit. The child in my belly seems to prefer calm and quiet. If I don’t walk more, he’ll get even lazier." Liu Yunxi smiled, though her complexion was a bit pale.

Xiao Feng supported her as she sat down, his heart full of guilt.

Back when he first met Liu Yunxi, she was still a well-bred lady in the mortal world, while he was just a Martial Artist with a few minor achievements.

Through becoming acquainted and then close, they’d been through many hardships together. Life only stabilized after he broke through to Qi Cultivation mid-stage.

After that, they tried for a child.

But who could have predicted that back in their Guangnan Domain wandering years, too many close calls left Liu Yunxi with lingering ailments. Normally they didn’t matter, but once pregnant, her condition began to show.

This child in her womb is only three months along and already needs daily pills for nourishment. When the birth draws near... he can’t even imagine what will happen then.

Thinking of this, Xiao Feng made up his mind—once the time came, even if his wife hated him for it, he would abandon the child if must be.

"Husband, are you upset over the True Seed matter?" Liu Yunxi caught the worry in Xiao Feng’s expression and had to ask.

Her husband never could hide his emotions—which is probably why Liu Jiu and the others set him up for that bet in the first place.

"Yeah. The people we picked all have decent talent, but compared to Zhou Lin, they just come up short."

Xiao Feng told her what had happened that day.

Liu Yunxi said, "Makes sense. The people you all picked are more or less connected to those three. Now that you want to bring Alchemist Lu in, of course they’re feeling the pressure."

Xiao Feng knew those three were better schemers than him, and the ones they chose were all tightly tied to them.

But to him, it didn’t matter much. As long as their own faction snatched the final slot, that was victory.

That way, not only would he finally get some vindication, he could also use the chance to ask Heaven-Burning Valley for pills.

Liu Yunxi shook her head with a bitter smile. "Sometimes, husband, the human heart is the hardest thing to control or predict; everyone wants the most for themselves."

"They’ve all invested so much in their three candidates. If they have to swap now, they’ll end up with less for themselves. After all, Alchemist Lu is your recruit. If he wins, the one with the most gain is you."

Liu Yunxi saw Xiao Feng didn’t like discussing these back-stabbing politics. She switched tactics: "Still, their worries aren’t unfounded. Alchemist Lu does have some major drawbacks. The Immortal Dao Spirit Root is a chasm he can’t cross."

Xiao Feng frowned. "So what do you suggest?"

"Isn’t the solution already set? Just observe him a bit longer. But husband, you should go give Alchemist Lu a heads-up. I don’t think he’s the flashy kind. If he tries to keep a low profile, he’ll lose the quota before the competition even begins."

Xiao Feng nodded, chatted with Liu Yunxi for a while, then went to tell Lu Chang’sheng the news.

Of course, he didn’t spell it out; he just reminded Lu Chang’sheng to make a good showing.

After all, the quota is a big deal. If the news gets out, and someone with bad intentions latches on, even Immortal Sects like Supreme Profound Sect would get involved themselves.

······

"He wants me to put on a good show?" After Xiao Feng left, Lu Chang’sheng started pondering deeply.

Xiao Feng’s words weren’t just empty talk.

Selling pipe dreams in the Spirit Realm wasn’t just pointless—it could literally get you killed.

If I were some nobody, Xiao Feng might spin a fantasy with no fear. But with my current strength and connections, no one can ignore me.

So there must be an angle here he can’t say out loud.

At this, he remembered Huo Zun and the others talking about the "True Seed." That alone was enough to get Xiao Feng invested.

Lu Chang’sheng made note of this, and the next day started probing Huo Zun and the rest for all kinds of intel about White Cloud Pavilion.

"Right now, White Cloud Pavilion has four Elders. Three of them—including Xiao Feng—are specialists in the Alchemy Dao, so at the start, White Cloud focused on pill alchemy above everything else."