Cultivation Starting from Full Talent

Chapter 136: Chapter 134: Evergreen Technique, Sixteen Layers!

The news of Lin Zhuojun’s fall was brought back to the sect by his son, Lin Yun.

It was said that Lin Zhuojun’s death stemmed from a battle over a small spirit stone mine.

During the time when Jiang Yu was promoted to the mid-stage of Golden Core, Lin Zhuojun led a group of the Qingyuan Lin Family cultivators to fight for a spirit stone mine, but unfortunately, they were ambushed during the conflict and Lin Zhuojun sustained fatal injuries.

Moreover, Lin Zhuojun’s death was directly related to his son, Lin Yun.

According to Lin Sheng, the reason why the Qingyuan Lin Family was involved in the struggle over the spirit stone mine was precisely because his son, Lin Yun, had made many acquaintances among independent practitioners of Jianghu, who then incited the conflict with another Zhao family Foundation Establishment clan over a small spirit stone mine.

Initially, Lin Zhuojun, leading the family cultivators, had the upper hand, but was ambushed by a group of independent practitioners on their way back after a minor victory, resulting in his death from severe injuries.

This group of independent practitioners included some of Jianghu friends Lin Yun had made, containing even an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator amongst them.

Moreover, it was said that to gamble over this small spirit stone mine, Lin Yun had risked the family’s second-tier spirit vein without authorization.

In the end, not only did Lin Zhuojun die, but even the Qingyuan Lin Family’s own second-tier spirit vein was also taken away by a group of independent practitioners a few days earlier.

All of this was due to Lin Yun’s ambitious overreach.

…

Qiongbi Peak.

Ning Daoran, Lin Sheng, and Han Bing sat around a small table, all quite silent.

“Junior Brother Ning.”

Lin Sheng frowned, “This matter has been reported to the sect, but the Sect Master indicated that since Lin Zhuojun died due to a family interest dispute, the sect will not send cultivators to intervene.”

“It’s reasonable for the sect to stay out of this matter,” Ning Daoran said.

“That Lin Yun kid…”

Lin Sheng’s brows furrowed tightly, “He’s now outside our gate, nearly forty-seven years old but still unable to achieve Foundation Establishment. We three are all his elders, what should we do?”

“Has Senior Brother forgotten what Lin Yun did back then?”

Ning Daoran said indifferently, “When has he ever considered us three as his elders?”

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

Lin Sheng said, “It’s just… before Lin Zhuojun’s death, he wrote us a letter. The letter said that his son was stubborn and unruly, disobedient, and asked us to help him if we could, and leave him to his own devices if we couldn’t.”

“I’ll defer to Senior Brother Ning in this matter,” Han Bing said softly.

“Hmph…”

Ning Daoran glanced outside the Small Cloud Mist Array, “Lin Yun was called a prodigy from a young age, arrogant and haughty, and now he’s reaped the consequences. Such a person deserves this lesson.”

He looked towards Lin Sheng, “Senior Brother, I don’t plan to help him. Helping him now would only backfire.”

“Understood.”

Lin Sheng nodded gently.

In the end, Lin Yun waited outside the Small Cloud Mist Array for half a day, only to receive a few lukewarm words from Lin Sheng.

Before long, Lin Yun left.

…

Months later, news arrived.

Lin Yun, unable to obtain the chance of a sect-provided Foundation Establishment Pill, applied to guard the medicine garden in the Inner Mountain, which was considered diligent.

Qiongbi Peak returned to its peaceful life once more.

One clear morning.

Ning Daoran strolled leisurely to the fish pond with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Little Blackie!”

“Squeak~~~”

The Ink Jiao Dragon instantly burst out of the water, its bulk lying across the water’s surface, looking respectfully towards Ning Daoran.

Now, its demon beast aura had grown a bit stronger once again.

“Not bad.”

Ning Daoran flicked out a few top-quality Blood Strengthening Pills made from millennia-old Blood Transformation Ginseng, “Cultivate well. There will come a day when you’ll be useful.”

The Ink Jiao Dragon opened its maw wide, swallowed the Blood Strengthening Pills in an instant.

However, just as it saw Ning Daoran turn away, turning his back to it, a strange gleam flashed in the vertical pupils of the Ink Jiao Dragon.

This was an opportunity.

Little Blackie had always been rebellious, and it seemed this had never changed.

It glided silently through the water, heading straight for its “unrighteous” master.

But just as Little Blackie’s gaping mouth opened once more, a sharp buzzing sound erupted!

In an instant, twelve silver flying swords appeared out of thin air!

The Silver Moon Flying Swords pierced into Little Blackie’s scales and flesh at the neck, the tips reaching deep inside, blood flowing freely as if a scarf was suddenly placed around Little Blackie’s neck.

Agony swept over it, and the rebellious Ink Jiao Dragon let out a pitiful howl.

“Did you think I wouldn’t kill you?”

Ning Daoran soared into the air, his finger abruptly pointing at the top of the Ink Jiao Dragon’s head.

Immediately, a wisp of emerald Evergreen Technique Power solidified into a palm that reached into the Ink Jiao Dragon’s brain, the thumb and index finger lightly pinching the demon core within.

With some exertion, the demon core began to make a sizzling noise and faint cracks appeared in an instant.

“Owow…”

The Ink Jiao Dragon’s body thrashed about as it screamed in pain.

The sharp sting went straight to its soul, causing it unspeakable agony.

“Keeping you has only been because you still have some usefulness,”

Ning Daoran’s gaze was icy cold, “Of course, it isn’t that you can’t be replaced.”

“Wu wu~~”

The Ink Jiao Dragon lay prostrate on the ground, its wails of pleading for mercy unceasing.

“Hmph!”

Ning Daoran withdrew the Evergreen Technique Power and, raising his hand, pinched out several flying needles from his Storage Bag. They were the Shadowless Needles, First-tier Top-Grade Magical Artifacts.

In the next second, six Shadowless Needles wrapped in Evergreen Technique Power burrowed into the Ink Jiao Dragon’s brain, their tips aimed directly at the dark cyan Demon Core.

“If you dare have any treacherous thoughts again, these six Shadowless Needles will self-destruct, shattering your skull.”

Ning Daoran’s mouth curved into a smile as he said, “The choice is yours.”

With that, he departed with a swipe of his sleeve.

Left behind was the massive Ink Jiao Dragon, shivering all over, appearing as uncomfortable as if it were sitting on pins and needles.

Little Blackie, cowed but not grateful, was genuinely and completely tamed by Ning Daoran during that moment.

Of course, such a Little Blackie would have a higher chance of advancing in the future, because its ambition was entirely preserved.

Had Ning Daoran forcibly signed a contract and erased its Divine Soul, Little Blackie would likely have no hope of rising to the Third-tier for the rest of its life.

…

Several days later, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Ning Daoran personally cooked a table full of sumptuous dishes to entertain his Senior Sister, Junior Sister, and Senior Brother Lin Sheng.

After the honored guests had left contentedly, in the afternoon, a figure appeared outside the Small Cloud Mist Array.

“Uncle Ning…”

The visitor was none other than Lin Yun, who had not been seen for a long time, and he held gifts in his hand.

After the incident with Lin Zhuojun, Lin Yun seemed to have transformed into a different person.

With his rebellious nature, he actually painstakingly took care of the Spiritual Medicines in the sect’s Medicine Garden, yielding certain harvests each month — quite a steady performance indeed.

The gifts he brought were not too expensive, but they were a thoughtful gesture nonetheless.

Ning Daoran didn’t leave him hanging; after finishing a cup of tea, he gave Lin Yun ten pounds of Purple Jade Spirit Rice and let him go.

Later, it was heard that Lin Yun also visited Senior Brother Lin Sheng and Han Bing.

He brought quite a few gifts for Senior Brother Lin Sheng.

As for Han Bing, she had gone into seclusion soon after returning, and Lin Yun did not get to meet her.

A few months later.

Lin Sheng felt that the young man had truly changed, so after discussing with Ning Daoran, they decided to transfer him away from the Medicine Garden.

Subsequently, Ning Daoran spoke with an Outer Sect Foundation Establishment Senior Brother for a long time, and eventually, they moved Lin Yun away from the Medicine Garden to manage several Spirit fields on Shuiyun Peak of the Outer Mountain.

This provided him with a decent income of Spirit Stones.

This was Ning Daoran and Lin Sheng extending a bit of kindness to the descendant of Lin Zhuojun.

…

Life on Qiongbi Peak was quiet and leisurely, and time flew by swiftly.

Time wore on, and years went by like a fleeting shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed.

This year, Ning Daoran was eighty-two years old, which would classify him as a long-lived elder among mortals.

Yet he still appeared as a young green lad, happily and busily working in the fields with Big Stupid Deer every day, completely resembling a country bumpkin.

By now, his Refining Time had accumulated over one hundred and forty thousand years.

It was time to take a shot at advancing in the Evergreen Technique. Although consuming Refining Time for this Earth Rank top-grade cultivation technique was incredibly terrifying, the benefits after cultivating profound depths were indeed quite significant.

Last time, he managed to escape from the Shadow Wolf King thanks to the Fifteenth Layer of Evergreen Technique!

Over these years, Ning Daoran had been somewhat worried that the Shadow Wolf King might find some trace and find him.

Yet, with no disturbances over so many years, he gradually let go.

It seemed that the Shadow Wolf King wasn’t so omnipotent after all and hadn’t seen through his true guise.

Inside the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.

Ning Daoran sat cross-legged, his expression earnest, pouring Refining Time into the Evergreen Technique. Instantly, his entire soul became immersed in a mysterious and incomparable Divine Soul World.

[In the 34,566th year, you came to an ancient temple and devoted yourself to practicing the Evergreen Technique. Year after year, fallen leaves and flying snow arrived as expected, yet your progress in the Evergreen Technique remained stagnant.]

[An old monk in the temple advised you to let go of your obsessions, but you simply smiled indifferently. After several hundred years, you still remained eternally youthful, while the other had long since passed away.]

[In the sixty-nine thousand four hundredth year, the ancient temple weathered the vicissitudes of time. You stood in the midst of the deep woods that the temple had become, reflecting on past events. Suddenly, your mind became enlightened, and that glimmer of light gradually illuminated your heart.]

[Evergreen Technique. Earth Rank top quality (Sixteen Layers)]

[Remaining Refining Time: 46,422 years]

…

In a flash, a surge of boundless vitality erupted within him, advancing his Evergreen Technique by another layer, and the everlasting energy of the Evergreen Magic Power instantly filled his body!

“Phew…”

Ning Daoran took a deep breath, his eyes opening even clearer and more immaculate.

At this moment, he understood the Evergreen Technique on another level. The Wood attribute spiritual power in his body became purer, and his whole demeanor became even more serene and unflappable, as calm as an ancient well without ripples.

Now, with the Sixteenth Layer of Evergreen Technique, his lifespan in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment reached six hundred and forty years.

A typical Golden Core Cultivator’s lifespan would barely extend to five hundred years.

Others cultivated to decrease their lifespan, but with his cultivation, his lifespan grew longer.

Ning Daoran smiled faintly to himself, fearing he was truly on his way to becoming a thousand-year-old tortoise.