Eternal Life: I Can Harvest Demon Beast Talents

Lin Changheng knew that Xu Xuzhong was playing matchmaker to tie him securely to the Xu Family’s great ship with the bonds of family and emotion.

And Xu Xuzhong’s reasoning was sound enough. After all, Lin Changheng was nearly forty and it was high time he found a Daoist partner and started a family.

What he couldn’t say aloud was that Lin Changheng only had a Mixed Spirit Root and had struggled so much just to break through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Cultivation. The probability of him reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime was virtually nonexistent, and one could see the end of his Immortal Path at a glance. He needed to plan for his future.

The wealth and resources accumulated by a Middle Grade Alchemist were quite astonishing and needed to be passed down to an heir.

But Xu Xuzhong would never have guessed that everything they saw was exactly what Lin Changheng wanted them to see.

Whether it was his progress in the Alchemy Dao, his cultivation strength, or even his Spirit Root, everything had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

Lin Changheng casually cast a Spirit Detecting Skill on himself.

Immediately, the state of his five-element Spirit Root appeared in his perception.

Fire Spirit Root, sixteen strands of Spiritual Charm.

Wood Spirit Root, fourteen strands.

Earth Spirit Root, increased to nine strands.

Water Spirit Root and Metal Spirit Root, still at five strands.

Lin Changheng stroked his chin in thought. ’Perhaps I should focus all my efforts on cultivating my Fire Spirit Root to a Middle Grade Spirit Root first.’

’That way, when my cultivation reaches the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation, I won’t get stuck at the Late Stage bottleneck and wish I were dead.’

’A Middle Grade Spirit Root can weaken the Late Stage bottleneck to a certain extent.’

’It will also help with Foundation Establishment later on.’

’Developing all five elements at once is good, but for now, I have to prioritize.’

...

Early the next morning, while Lin Changheng was still eating breakfast, he received an invitation from a clansman sent by Xu Xuzhong, asking him to meet at the Wind and Rain Pavilion outside the Gui Feng Dojo.

"Fellow Daoist, please go on ahead. I’ll be there shortly."

Lin Changheng smiled and sent the clansman away. He finished the Nourishing Spirit Meal on his plate before leisurely making his way out.

Without a doubt, this was a setup orchestrated by Xu Xuzhong. He was most likely going to meet the "exceptionally beautiful" Xu Family woman he’d been hearing about.

Lin Changheng felt rather helpless. Who would have thought that even in the Cultivation Realm, one couldn’t escape matchmaking?

But it wouldn’t kill him to meet her. Besides, he currently had no intention of finding a Daoist partner, so he would just go through the motions.

First, his Immortal Path was not yet at its end; he still had a long way to go, and at forty, he was in his prime for getting things done. Second, he had too many secrets. Having a Daoist partner by his side would only increase the risk of them being exposed, so it was absolutely out of the question.

But outsiders didn’t know about these two points, so their matchmaking attempts were understandable. And he couldn’t use these reasons to refuse them, either.

Not long after, Lin Changheng ascended Cui Mountain outside the Gui Feng Dojo. Halfway up the mountain was a pavilion for resting and taking in the scenery.

From there, one could see the distant river and nearby peaks. The shimmering water and mountain vistas were all visible, creating a scene of unique charm.

"Changheng, over here."

Xu Xuzhong was standing in the high pavilion, leaning against the railing. Seeing Lin Changheng arrive, he smiled and waved him over.

"Just a moment, I’m coming."

Lin Changheng looked up at the sound of the voice and cupped his hands in a distant salute. He then saw two other people emerge from beside Xu Xuzhong. One was a young woman in green robes, about eighteen or nineteen years old. With a delicate nose, cherry lips, a slender waist, and a graceful posture, she was truly a budding beauty.

Behind her was a woman dressed as a Maid, who curiously peeked her head out to look down. She was also pretty, but paled in comparison to the woman in green.

Their eyes met. The woman in green didn’t look away, but instead smiled openly and gave a slight curtsy.

Lin Changheng naturally returned the gesture.

Seeing this exchange from the side, Xu Xuzhong immediately began stroking his beard and chuckling, clearly quite pleased with this match.

This first meeting seemed to be off to a good start...

Soon, Lin Changheng came up to the pavilion. After some pleasantries, the three of them sat down, with the Maid standing behind the young woman.

Xu Xuzhong then briefly introduced them to each other.

The young woman’s name was Xu Hanyi. She was the granddaughter of a veteran high-ranking clan member, eighteen years old, possessed a Mixed Spirit Root, and had a cultivation at the Second Layer of Qi Cultivation.

After a bit of conversation, Xu Xuzhong made an excuse to leave. He shot a look at the Maid, who instantly understood and followed him out.

Only the two of them were left, sitting opposite each other.

Lin Changheng was, after all, more than twenty years her senior and had his own way of handling social situations. Plus, the young woman wasn’t resistant—in fact, one could even say she was cooperative, staring at the Middle Grade Alchemist with wide, curious eyes. As a result, they got along well and their conversation flowed pleasantly.

As they continued talking, the two grew closer. Xu Hanyi even took the initiative to pour his tea, asking with innocent curiosity, "Brother Lin, are you really almost forty?"

"Why? Do I not look it?"

Lin Changheng asked with a smile.

"You really don’t. Brother Lin, you look like you’re barely in your early twenties, even younger than my own older brother."

Xu Hanyi said frankly.

"Haha, Miss Xu, you’re just saying things to make me happy."

Lin Changheng shook his head and chuckled, then added as if he’d just thought of it, "Though, it’s likely because I spend all year doing alchemy in my Alchemy Room and rarely go outside. With no wind and sun to weather me, and no need for scheming and plotting, I’m quite content. A good state of mind naturally makes one look younger."

Xu Hanyi’s expression showed that she completely understood, not a hint of doubt on her face.

An hour later, Lin Changheng was the first to take his leave. As he was going downstairs, he was surprised to find Xu Xuzhong and the Maid still waiting at the bottom.

"Brother Xuzhong?"

"So, how did it go?"

Xu Xuzhong gestured for the Maid to go upstairs, then gave the descending Lin Changheng a suggestive look, pulling him away to talk as they walked.

"Brother Xuzhong, you jest. Miss Xu is wonderful, but the age gap between us is just too large..."

Lin Changheng started to make excuses.

"Hey, that’s not right!"

Xu Xuzhong immediately began to correct him. "A twenty-year age gap isn’t even that uncommon in the mortal world, where old men with young wives are a regular sight. So what does it matter to us in the Cultivation Realm, where we seek to follow our hearts’ desires?"

"It’s not unusual for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to find Daoist partners or take concubines a hundred years their junior. There was even an ancestor of a Foundation Establishment Clan who, on the verge of death, took a new concubine who wasn’t even twenty. The age difference there was two hundred years!"

"And that’s just Foundation Establishment! For many Core Formation and Nascent Soul Cultivators, age gaps of three or four hundred, or even nearly a thousand years, exist... So, what does age matter? Don’t be constrained by such mortal conventions."

"..." Lin Changheng was speechless.

"Besides, Hanyi is truly a fine young woman. If you, Changheng, marry her, not only will you secure your footing within the clan, but the family’s core Cultivation Techniques and secret arts will be open to you. Her grandfather can also provide you with support. This is all-around nurturing that can’t even be compared to your current situation."

"Isn’t that what happened with your friend Xu Fugui? He might even have a chance at Foundation Establishment now. They say it’s a roundabout way to achieve your goals. Aren’t you tempted at all?"

Xu Xuzhong continued to persuade him, even using Fugui as a positive example.

An ordinary person would indeed be tempted, but Lin Changheng was no ordinary person.

In the end, Lin Changheng used the grand, clan-benefiting excuse of "focusing on the Alchemy Dao in hopes of breaking through to Tier One Upper Grade" to deflect Xu Xuzhong’s successive bowls of "bewitching soup."

Watching Lin Changheng’s rapidly retreating back, Xu Xuzhong couldn’t help but scratch his head, a little dumbfounded.

’Why isn’t he tempted? Could it be that Brother Lin is really that dense?’

After a long moment, a thought surfaced in his mind, shocking him greatly:

"Could it be... he doesn’t like women?"