NOVPUBHearing this, Lin Shihua and the others all let out a long sigh of relief.
To win over Li Huafeng and his companion, the family had taken out forty thousand Spirit Stones as a bribe, allowing Lin Tianming to go to the battlefield and potentially arrange some safe and relaxing tasks, so he wouldn’t be treated as cannon fodder.
After all, on such battlefields, many tasks were fraught with danger, and even used as sacrificial ploys.
For Tianming’s safety, it was necessary to bribe and win people over.
Such unwritten rules were not exclusive to the Lin Family; other families would surely do the same, though the value of the treasures they offered might vary.
After all, nothing is more important than staying alive.
What are a few ten thousand Spirit Stones in the grand scheme of things, and besides, the Lin Family’s current wealth was not what it used to be; giving away several tens of thousands of Spirit Stones wouldn’t cripple them.
Recovering his composure, Lin Shihua nodded and said, "Then I must thank Li for his help. If there’s a chance in the future, please visit our Lin Family again."
"Hehe... Chief Lin’s hospitality is much appreciated, I will surely visit again if there’s an opportunity," Li Huafeng said in return, glancing at Shen Yu beside him before continuing, "Lin Tianming need not rush to the frontline; arriving at Qianchuan Market within a month will suffice."
"Once the cultivators participating in the war have gathered, they will likely move to the frontline. At that time, you can pay a visit to my senior brother, Xu Chengli."
After saying this, Li Huafeng took out a dark-colored stone which was, unmistakably, a Soundstone.
A Soundstone was a fairly common auxiliary Spiritual Object that could capture sounds, including the voices of cultivators, and usually preserve them for several months before they naturally dissipated. Its utility may seem minor yet peculiarly significant.
Li Huafeng cast a Law Decree on the Soundstone and then spoke a few words to record on it.
After making sure nothing was missed, he handed the Soundstone to Lin Tianming, then prepared to stand and take his leave.
As the two rose to their feet, Li Huafeng gave a fist-and-palm salute and said, "Since everything has gone smoothly, my sister and I should start our journey!"
"Fellow cultivators, we take our leave!"
"Farewell!"
Lin Shikang and the others also stood up and responded in unison, after which Lin Shihua personally escorted Li Huafeng and his companion off the clan grounds.
In no time at all, Lin Shihua returned, and everyone sat around Lin Tianming.
After some casual conversation, Lin Shikang took out a storage bag and passed it to Lin Tianming, gesturing for him to take it.
Lin Tianming accepted the storage bag, sent his Divine Sense inside to take a quick look, and found that it contained a good number of treasures, including more than thirty Second Order Low-grade Attack Talismans and as many as six Second Order Medium-grade ones.
These talismans were not particularly valuable, but what was precious were the two Second Order High-quality Attack Talismans, which were obviously among the rare treasures of the family.
Besides those, the storage bag also contained a light blue fruit, a red jade pendant, and a gray bead that looked like a Demon Core but had no aroma of Demonic Beasts; it was unclear what kind of treasure it was. Nevertheless, coming from Lin Shikang, it was surely not ordinary.
Looking at these treasures, Lin Tianming did not fuss but simply put away the storage bag to examine later in his cave dwelling.
Seeing him accept the treasures, Lin Shikang and the others nodded with satisfaction.
Tianming’s journey was filled with uncertainties, and it was unknown what kind of trials and dangers he might face, so these treasures were specially prepared for him, almost depleting the most precious items from the family’s Treasure Vault.
"Tianming, there is a Qingyu Fruit among them. Consume it immediately and try to increase your cultivation within half a month. Once you come out of seclusion, you should have enough time to rush to Qianchuan Market," Lin Shihua instructed.
"Alright, no time like the present; I’ll start preparing right now!"
Lin Tianming replied and stood up, giving a fist-and-palm salute to the others before walking out of the hall.
Returning to his cave dwelling, Lin Tianming entered his secret chamber without delay.
Sitting cross-legged on a cushion, he took out the storage bag Lin Shikang had given him, then removed and laid out all the items before him.
Earlier, he had only glanced at the contents briefly and had no time to inspect them closely. Now, he’d cleared his own storage bag to get a good sense of all the treasures and means of combat he possessed, to avoid overestimating his strength.
Lin Tianming first took out the lustrous and translucent Qingyu Fruit, observing it closely in the palm of his hand.
The Qingyu Fruit is a Second Order Superior Spirit Fruit that contains powerful energy; one fruit is equivalent to a year of arduous cultivation, and there is no diminishing effect from consuming it in excess, making it one of the best treasures for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to rapidly enhance their cultivation.
No one knows where this Qingyu Fruit came from, but such a rarely seen treasure, besides being ineffective for a Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, is an extremely precious existence for any Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"No matter, advancing my cultivation is the priority right now!"
Refocusing his mind, Lin Tianming stowed away the Qingyu Fruit, then picked up the blood-red jade pendant in front of him to examine it.
This was a defensive treasure, comparable to a Second Order Superior Defense Talisman. Judging from the energy within, it should be able to be used twice without issue; it’s a rare defensive treasure.
"With this blood-red jade pendant, as long as I don’t encounter a Third Order Demon Beast or a large group of Second Order Late Stage Beasts, survival shouldn’t be difficult," Lin Tianming thought.
It was evident that the Lin Family had pulled out all the stops to ensure his safety on the battlefield.
Looking at the two valuable treasures, Lin Tianming felt moved and reassured.
After storing the treasures in front of him, he proceeded to examine his original storage bag.
A little less than a quarter of an hour later, after tallying his resources, he found that his wealth was quite considerable; he had over one hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones, a veritable fortune.
In terms of offensive capabilities, he had the Tiangang Sword and fifty-six Earth Evil Swords, as well as the greatly empowered Thousand Beast Banner to assist him. He had dozens of Second Order Talismans, including two Second Order Superior Attack Talismans.
Besides these, he had one more truly deadly weapon – the Fake Golden Core Talisman purchased from Tianfeng Pavilion that he hadn’t had a chance to use yet.
Regrettably, the Sword Qi condensed from the Great Sun Sword Qi Art had been used up during the previous battle with the Golden Fang Beast Clan, and it wouldn’t be able to provide assistance in the short term.
Otherwise, if he had a Spirit Art up his sleeve, his safety on this trip could be greatly enhanced.
But after careful consideration, in a battlefield teeming with Demonic Beasts and Cultivators, and potentially Golden Core Cultivators present, a Spirit Art truly shouldn’t be revealed lightly; otherwise, attracting the attention of Golden Core Cultivators could bring about a disaster more terrifying than an attack from Demonic Beasts.
With these treasures and trump cards, for now, he wasn’t lacking in attack methods.
As for defense, he had the blood-red jade pendant, along with the Green Scale Shield and several Second Order Medium Quality Defense Talismans, which should be barely sufficient.
In terms of various elixirs, he was hardly lacking. Even if something was missing, being a Second Order Medium Grade Alchemist himself, he could produce whatever was needed provided he had the materials.
Furthermore, carrying quite a number of Spirit Stones and Demon Cores, once he reached Qianchuan Market, he could make grand purchases of more treasures for thorough preparation if conditions allowed.
After all, on this trip to the battlefield, he would have no backing; everything would rely solely upon himself, so utmost caution was required.
Regathering his thoughts, Lin Tianming packed all the treasures and picked out some items of little use to give his father when they passed Golden Horn Mountain.
After all, once he left, his father would bear great pressure, and leaving behind more treasures might prove crucial. 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
Having completed these tasks, he began to meditate and adjust his breath until his condition reached its peak, then took out the Qingyu Fruit.
Beholding the lustrous, translucent Qingyu Fruit exuding bursts of refreshing aroma, one couldn’t help but become elated and refreshed.
"With this Spirit Fruit, my cultivation might reach the peak of the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment," Lin Tianming murmured to himself.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he swallowed the Qingyu Fruit without hesitation.
As soon as the fruit entered his mouth, a surge of overwhelming energy burst forth, making his blood boil.
Lin Tianming concentrated intently and began to circulate his cultivation technique, slowly refining this energy, which, through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, finally pooled into the Seven Sea Dantian.
Feeling this formidable energy, which was countless times stronger than the Fusion Spirit Pills he had taken before, Lin Tianming was incredibly excited.
He focused on refining the energy with all his might, and his Seven Sea Dantian, like a parched pond, greedily absorbed the Spiritual Power that formed.
At this instant, the energy contained within the Qingyu Fruit gradually dwindled.
And as this vast energy flowed into the Seven Sea Dantian, he could feel his cultivation, which hadn’t changed much for a long time, slowly improving, drawing ever closer to the peak of the Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment.
At this moment, the sound of breathing emanated from the secret chamber, and Lin Tianming was absorbed in the intense process of cultivation.
