Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 300 - 189: Farewell, Tong Huan!

It shouldn’t be more than ten thousand.

However, Li Nangua is different. Her former master was none other than Fairy Yunxia, a formidable cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. Thus, her art learning fee is much higher than that of ordinary cultivators.

"By rights, Nangua hasn’t been under tutelage for even twenty years. Her fee at most would just surpass ten thousand, perhaps even less."

"But now they’re demanding thirty thousand lower-grade Spirit Stones. Surely, Fairy Yunxia is behind this."

Lu Chang’sheng certainly wasn’t planning to force anything. With Fairy Yunxia’s strength, even Master Baiyun would have to tread carefully.

"If the Immortal Contract isn’t removed, the other side will have a hold over us and we’ll be too passive."

Lu Chang’sheng also didn’t want to run all over the place fulfilling Fuyun Mountain disciples’ obligations.

"I don’t think you need to worry too much. After so long, Fellow Daoist Nangua hasn’t been targeted, so perhaps the other party doesn’t care about such things."

For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to target a little former Qi Cultivation disciple—if word got out, it would be a blow to their reputation.

"It’s easy to deal with King Yama, but little ghosts are troublesome. It never hurts to bring some gifts."

"But first, let’s go visit someone," said Lu Chang’sheng.

The one he wanted to visit was, of course, Tong Huan.

Because he hadn’t been in touch with Tong Huan, Lu Chang’sheng sought out a Fuyun Mountain disciple and spent a few Spirit Stones to find out that Tong Huan lived near the mountain gate. Go one step further and you’d enter the depths of Fuyun Mountain.

Soon, the group arrived before a signboard gate.

Beyond it lay layers of dense fog.

Tall wild grass overgrew the area, taller than a person, making it seem remote and secluded. However, Lu Chang’sheng knew full well there was more hidden behind that gate.

"No wonder Fuyun Mountain cultivators have such means. This is quite a display,"

Fang Yuan and the others all remarked in awe when they saw it.

In the midst of a vast wildland stood only a single gatehouse with the words ’Tong Mansion’ inscribed above. Nothing else was visible. If not for a small market at the outskirts recently, they might have thought they’d fallen for some Immortal Illusion Technique.

"Why do you say that?" Lu Chang’sheng asked humbly for guidance.

Fang Yuan replied, "This place is shrouded by a Spirit Array. Of course, it’s not quite like ordinary Spirit Arrays, since it doesn’t use Spirit Stone Power but Spirit Vein Power; so, the consumption is much less. But even so, the daily drain of Spiritual Qi is terrifying."

"Even in Platinum Immortal City, only the Gu Family would dare such extravagance."

After they moved closer, a small figure suddenly emerged from the thick mist—a temple priest.

This one was even shorter than the previous priests they’d seen, and so, Fang Yuan and the others grew extra cautious.

A priest’s strength is inversely proportional to their size; the shorter, the stronger.

Of course, there’s a limit. Generally, two feet is the extremity—any stronger, they can’t get shorter.

The priest before them was nearly four feet tall.

"What brings you here, Immortals?"

"I am an old friend of Fellow Daoist Tong and have come for a visit," said Lu Chang’sheng.

A moment later, the temple priest seemed to confirm their claim by other means and led them into the mist. Soon, the scenery shifted. The thick fog dispersed and a lush green area appeared, where ordinary mortals could be seen tending Spirit Fields and Medicine Fields.

The group walked along a bluestone path inlaid with jade, exuding an unusual aesthetic charm.

Before long, in a courtyard, Lu Chang’sheng saw Tong Huan.

Of course, he hadn’t actually seen Tong Huan before; their last interaction had been on Great Yuan territory, and back then, Tong Huan couldn’t intervene in person, instead using the body of a Mountain Wolf to communicate with him.

But Tong Huan had seen Lu Chang’sheng before.

He’d first focused on Fang Yuan and the other late Qi Cultivation cultivators, then soon realized they all centered around Lu Chang’sheng. Looking at him, a vague sense of familiarity surged up.

It had been quite some time, and Lu Chang’sheng had been just a mortal then, so Tong Huan didn’t recognize him at all, at first.

"Greetings, Immortal Tong Huan. I’ve come because of a matter concerning my wife," Lu Chang’sheng observed Tong Huan’s expression and guessed he didn’t recall him, so he went straight to the point.

"And who might your wife be?" Tong Huan was a bit displeased inside but kept it in check.

Lu Chang’sheng, a Qi Cultivation fourth-layer cultivator, wasn’t someone he cared for, but Fang Yuan and company were a different story.

Especially Fang Yuan, who gave him an overwhelming sense of danger.

"My wife’s name is Li Nangua."

Lu Chang’sheng answered.

Tong Huan suddenly frowned, as if recalling something. He glanced at Lu Chang’sheng and, a bit uncertain, asked, "You wouldn’t happen to be Li Nangua’s husband?"

"So Immortal Tong Huan remembers me, then."

After Lu Chang’sheng confirmed it, Tong Huan’s pupils trembled. He didn’t expect that the lowly martial artist from back then had become a mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivator today.

Could it be he’d misjudged before?

Now Lu Chang’sheng was no longer that Innate Martial Artist. Tong Huan couldn’t use his Dharma Eye to spy, so he suppressed his curiosity and conversed as normal.

After hearing Lu Chang’sheng came to dissolve Li Nangua’s Immortal Contract, Tong Huan sighed. "It really is a pity about your wife. That Fairy Yunxia is a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. With someone of that level looking after her, her road to Foundation Establishment would have been smooth."

"It’s just that Nangua didn’t have that fortune."

Lu Chang’sheng presented his gifts.

Tong Huan hesitated but accepted them, saying, "To be honest, I bear some responsibility for this. I’ll help you with dissolving the Immortal Contract."

If he hadn’t taken Li Nangua to the Spirit Realm back then, things wouldn’t have come to this.

Lu Chang’sheng could guess the cause of his guilt. Nangua’s talent was decent, but Tong Huan hadn’t seen the full extent before. Later, during the formal Spirit Root test upon returning to Fuyun Mountain, it was found that Nangua’s Spirit Root Talent was upper grade D level, but included a Spiritual Body.

The spiritual body was called Guiyuan Spirit Body, one of the top-tier Spiritual Bodies.

While cultivating in the Qi Cultivation stage, it offers a speed bonus.

All considered, Nangua’s talent was not inferior to a C-grade Spirit Root. With proper guidance, she would have had a good chance at reaching Foundation Establishment.

Foundation Establishment cultivators are the top figures even in Fuyun Mountain, so back then, several Foundation Establishment masters wished to take Li Nangua as a disciple.

While Li Nangua was still torn, Tong Huan accepted a favor from Fairy Yunxia and gave Li Nangua a somewhat questionable suggestion.

Since Li Nangua was new and unfamiliar with the place, Tong Huan’s proposal carried tremendous weight for her.

So, she ended up choosing Fairy Yunxia.

"Thank you for your trouble!"

With his goal reached, Lu Chang’sheng took his leave.

But just as he was about to cross the threshold, Tong Huan finally couldn’t restrain himself and called out to Lu Chang’sheng.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist would mind if I took a look with my Dharma Eye?"

Fang Yuan and the others all frowned. That was a rather abrupt request. If it weren’t on his turf and with advance notice, they’d have been ready to fight.

Seeing this, Tong Huan was even more intrigued.

He couldn’t fathom why these late-stage Qi Cultivators were so protective of Lu Chang’sheng.

"By all means!"

Lu Chang’sheng smiled casually and didn’t refuse. It was a form of reciprocation for Tong Huan’s help.

Tong Huan activated his Dharma Eye; a vertical eye appeared at his brow. He fell silent.

The Spiritual Root aura that Lu Chang’sheng emitted was denser than decades before, but the difference wasn’t dramatic.

"He might have a Spiritual Root now, but it’s not much better than not having one."

The Dharma Eye can’t perfectly discern Spirit Root Talent level. Last time, it showed Martial Dao level—no Spirit Root. Now, though he had one, it was low-grade.

"So, he had a fortuitous encounter, it seems."

Tong Huan’s mood calmed considerably.

······

On the way back, Lu Chang’sheng was full of thoughts.

For now, he was glad his Spirit Root Talent only improved by one point every five years. If it gained a point a year, he might have already drawn the attention of high-level cultivators.

"At present, each domain is basically governed by Immortal Sect rules, so mass chaos is unlikely. Still, if personal interest is involved, it’s not rare for someone to moonlight as an evil cultivator."

After so long in the Spirit Realm, Lu Chang’sheng had learned something: the moral lines of many orthodox cultivators were extremely flexible. At their best, they were Saints. At their lowest, they’d outdo evil cultivators.

So long as they aren’t caught, all evil deeds are blamed on ’those evil cultivators.’

Lu Chang’sheng now suspected some of those so-called evil cultivators were actually family members or disciples from certain sects in disguise.

Chilling!

"Tong Huan is a seasoned Guiding Cultivator, late-stage Qi Cultivation, well connected. He should be able to handle this matter."

So Lu Chang’sheng thought to himself.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before he got word from Tong Huan.