The world has undergone great changes over the years.

The Long Family, once the overlord of the Five Dragons Island Sea Region, has fallen into decline in just a few decades due to the failure of the family’s ancestor to form a Nascent Soul.

Now the Long Family can only retreat to one area.

Although the Long Family’s influence is far less than before, because the Long Family has timely retracted its power, it still remains an influential force in the Five Dragons Island Sea Region.

The Long Family still occupies the two main peaks of the five major Spirit Veins of the Five Dragons Island.

The other three Spirit Veins are occupied by the Profound Sound Pavilion and other forces, vaguely forming a tripartite confrontation.

Celestial Spring Peak.

[Life Span: 141//586]

[Realm: Core Golden Early Stage (1/100)]

In the underground magma world, Lin Chang’an, who was seated cross-legged on the Fusang Divine Tree, slowly opened his eyes and sighed deeply.

"As expected, the quality of the Spirit Root and the core is particularly significant after reaching the Core Formation stage."

Over two years, his cultivation improved by only a bit, which means that if he wanted to smoothly break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage, without considering any bottlenecks, it would take two hundred years.

"I would be 350 years old by the time I break through to the Core Formation Middle Stage, and there’s still the later stages beyond that. My lifespan is not enough to support cultivation to the Nascent Soul level."

Lin Chang’an shook his head, thankful that he had the pill formula for the Heaven Repairing Pill.

"It seems it’s time to collect the materials for the Spirit Supplement Pill, not the Heaven Repairing Pill! By then, upgrading the Spirit Root and core quality to the middle grade will surely greatly increase my cultivation speed."

The Spirit Root concerns cultivation speed, while the quality of the core affects potential, and they complement each other.

"Previously, the Profound Sound Pavilion hinted at some secret techniques to enhance the Spirit Root, but these secret techniques have harsh cultivation conditions and, more importantly, offer little potential enhancement."

The Profound Sound Pavilion went to great lengths to win him over.

Unfortunately, after Lin Chang’an slightly understood the secret techniques to enhance the Spirit Root from the Profound Sound Pavilion, he shook his head.

These secret techniques, aside from harsh cultivation conditions, also had unsatisfactory effects. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

They are far inferior to the pill formula for the Heaven Repairing Pill he obtained from True Monarch Lu.

"Five Tier Three Middle Grade Demon Pills and other materials, crafted into a Spirit Supplement Pill, are enough to elevate my Spirit Root and core quality to the extreme middle grade."

Lin Chang’an pondered silently, as for the Heaven Repairing Pill, he did not dare to wish for it; at least, it was unthinkable at present.

After all, it is said to be able to directly refine the cultivator’s Spirit Root to the Celestial Spirit Root level, and even elevate the core quality to an Immortal Golden Core.

The materials required for the Heaven Repairing Pill need the Demon Core of a Transformed Great Demon.

"Step by step, no rush. Lifebound Treasure and upgrading the Spirit Root’s quality, all these need time."

With his current rigorous cultivation, he would take two hundred years to break through to the Golden Core Middle Stage. It would be better to enhance the Spirit Root and core quality first to shorten the cultivation time.

This is indeed the most efficient way of cultivation.

"No wonder Master Tan once said that the resources needed for cultivators to continue cultivation after Core Formation are far larger than before."

After forming the Golden Core, the resources needed to continue cultivation are too enormous.

This is also why many Core Formation Cultivators spend their entire lives stuck at the Core Formation Early Stage.

"To earn more cultivation resources now, I still have to rely on the commercial fleet influence behind the Sixth Elder on the surface."

At this moment, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but admire his previous wise decision.

The commercial fleet brings great benefits, and although it does not belong to him, it’s still good enough for him to enjoy the residual benefits.

"It’s not that I want to rely on such external forces, but once the skills reach Tier Three, the materials become incredibly scarce, making it impossible to rely on quantity to earn Spirit Stones like before Foundation Establishment."

Lin Chang’an’s gaze flickered as he considered his current Tier Three skills in Talisman crafting, Array, and Alchemy.

However, the materials needed for Talismans and Alchemy are limited and relatively rare. Crafting them for self-sufficiency and occasional sale is acceptable.

But to achieve what he did before, to profit hugely through quantity, just collecting the materials is incredibly difficult.

"Array crafting is different. The range of rare materials is wide, and more importantly, there is a big market demand."

Lin Chang’an nodded secretly. This is also why he exposed himself as an Array Master when forming his Golden Core.

With a big market, those cultivators seeking Arrays would naturally prepare some materials, or he can openly collect Array materials without anyone suspecting.

"There’s also Artifact Refining. In the future, I will openly earn Spirit Stones through Arrays, while secretly dealing in Talismans and Pills."

Lin Chang’an had long begun planning for the future.

If before, he was worried that it might delay his cultivation, now that he has external avatars, there is no worry about it affecting his own cultivation.

"If I had two more avatars, wouldn’t my skill level improve even faster without interrupting my cultivation?"

Thinking about the power of external avatars, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but feel a bit excited, envious of the remnants left in the Long Family.

Unfortunately, even if the Long Family is weaker now, it’s not something he can easily manipulate.

As he was cultivating cross-legged on the Fusang Divine Tree in the underground magma world, a message suddenly reached him, interrupting his daily cultivation routine.

...

Celestial Spring Peak.

Under the Yinchuan Waterfall, the Tier Two Late Stage Cyan-Horned Bull leisurely soaked in the pool below, which was no longer the small pond from before.

And Lin Chang’an, coming out from within the pavilion, used a Breeze Technique to remove the traces of heat from his body from previous cultivation, and then transformed into an Escape Light to leave the cave dwelling.

"Elder Lin, the commercial route to the Yue Kingdom has recently been reopened, and this is a pile of letters that have been accumulating for decades, among which several are addressed to you, Elder Lin."