Eternal Life from Talisman Painting-Chapter 71: Gathering Again at the Gathering Immortals Tower
Gathering Immortals Tower.
"Brother Lin, let me first congratulate you in advance on your Foundation Establishment and for your Immortal Dao to last as long as the heavens."
Inside the private room, Li Erniu, with a face full of smiles, directly raised his wine cup. Compared to a few years ago, he had obviously put on some weight.
Beside him, Shen Lie also raised his cup with a smile and said, "Brother Lin, this matter is not my fault. Once they found out, they insisted on coming."
"Brother Lin, wishing your Immortal Dao to last as long as the heavens." Lu Qingqing on the side also raised her wine cup with a smile.
Even Wei Buyi, who had been silent since the incident, rarely raised his cup, recalling his youthful ignorance, with a trace of embarrassment on his face.
"Brother Lin, I was rude back then. If it weren’t for the help of my fellow Daoists, I might have already died on the street of the market."
Looking at everyone, Lin Chang’an smiled and raised his wine cup as well, saying with emotion:
"In a few decades of life, the path of cultivation is long, having three or five close friends is already a blessing, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their cups, showing sincere smiles and threads of memories.
The Immortal Cultivation Realm is ever-changing. From meeting in their youth to making it to this day, being able to gather together while still alive is already fortunate.
At the table, everyone was filled with happiness and memories. After all, they were all over fifty, the age of knowing one’s fate.
Given the lifespan of over a hundred for a Qi Refining Stage cultivator, they could be considered to have lived half their lives.
"Don’t be fooled by the peace in Celestial Profound City, it’s still a mess outside. Especially at the front lines, tension is high, and the Three Major Sects are still competing in private."
"Indeed, don’t be fooled by the current alliance between Li Huo Palace and Profound Sound Pavilion; this delicate alliance is maintained by Master Lu, with conflicts still ongoing secretly due to the Secret Realm incident."
As the one running the tavern, Shen Lie had the most sources of information. Under the sound insulation barrier of the private room, he spoke freely about the outside world’s situation.
Erniu occasionally chimed in, as being part of the Zhou Family, he had information that even Shen Lie was unaware of.
As for Wei Buyi, who used to love showing off the most, he was now silent, having undergone significant changes in personality after a heavy blow in life.
Finally, as the banquet neared its end, Lu Qingqing glanced at everyone with a smile and finally spoke:
"Brother Lin, since they are too embarrassed to speak, let me start."
Upon hearing this, everyone laughed, as Lu Qingqing took out a spirit stone bag.
"Brother Lin needs to prepare for Foundation Establishment. Whether pooling resources with others, delving into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range to hunt demon beasts, or auctioning Foundation Establishment Pills, some resources are necessary."
The heavy spirit stone bag was placed on the table, Lu Qingqing did not explicitly state how much, while Shen Lie smiled and waved his hand:
"Brother Lin, what Qingqing means is what I mean too. We all failed together back then, so you must establish the foundation and get back some dignity for us."
Under Shen Lie’s half-joking tone, even Wei Buyi nodded heavily in agreement.
"Indeed, we failed back then, and over the years, we often encountered those disciples from Li Huo Palace. We must regain some face for ourselves."
Under Wei Buyi’s hoarse voice, he also took out a spirit stone bag.
Finally, Li Erniu, looking at everyone and then at Lin Chang’an, scratched his head awkwardly.
"Brother Lin, as you know, my kid Yifan used plenty of resources, and the family has gained two more chubby boys over the years."
However, the next moment, Li Erniu turned red-faced and took out a storage bag from his long boots.
But everyone was not foolish; Erniu’s actions showed that his family wasn’t too optimistic about Lin Chang’an, unable to compare to geniuses like Yun Yao.
Thus, Erniu’s support came from his private savings.
"Erniu, you’re already a Qi Refining Sixth Layer Great Cultivator, yet you haven’t changed this habit." Shen Lie couldn’t help but tease with a smile.
Everyone burst into laughter, even Wei Buyi showed a smile and looked nostalgic.
This scene left Lin Chang’an with a slightly blurred look in his eyes.
Back when they first came to the Immortal Cultivation Realm, Erniu hid the silver coins his family gave him in his shoes and socks, and that habit didn’t change in the realm.
When Lin Chang’an was disheartened and ready to return to the Mortal Realm, Erniu did the same.
The difference now is, decades later, everyone has cultivation, Erniu is no longer using shabby cloth but a storage bag.
Faced with everyone’s teasing, Li Erniu’s old face turned red.
"Brother Lin, I look forward to you achieving Foundation Establishment so I can feel proud, and let that kid Yifan know he has a Foundation Establishment uncle."
Looking at the spirit stone bags on the table, regardless of how much or little, for Lin Chang’an, these may seem insignificant, yet today these spirit stone bags felt inexplicably hefty in his hands.
"Everyone!"
The smile on Lin Chang’an’s face gradually turned solemn, and just as the atmosphere grew tense, everyone exchanged glances and burst into hearty laughter.
"Come! One last cup, next time we gather, we’ll drink to Brother Lin’s Foundation Establishment wine!"
Lin Chang’an also raised his cup, drank it down amidst everyone’s smiles.
However, this time the wine tasted different from any he’d had before.
It was the only and unforgettable taste he’d ever had in his life.
Everyone knew the chances of Foundation Establishment with a low-grade spirit root were slim, yet they all came together regardless.
...
Night gradually fell.
In the cave abode, Lin Chang’an wore a smile on his face, looking at the precious spirit stone bags.
Shen Lie and Lu Qingqing, as a couple, provided three hundred spirit stones. Although it wasn’t as much as they had supplied to Yun Yao back then, given the couple’s cultivation and raising children, producing over three hundred spirit stones this time likely strained their resources.
Wei Buyi also contributed over a hundred, while Erniu had the least with only eighty-nine spirit stones.
Yet the friendship these three parts of spirit stones represented was far more valuable than the stones themselves.
"Not afraid of losing everything."
Lin Chang’an smiled, shook his head, and put all these spirit stone bags away. He didn’t plan to use them; they were his precious memories.
Even though he was a Tier One Talisman Master, repaying these spirit stones wouldn’t be difficult even if the Foundation Establishment failed. But if harboring ill intentions and refusing to acknowledge the debt, no one could reclaim it.
But none of this matters, as it’s about their thirty-plus years of friendship.
"It’s time to prepare for Foundation Establishment, it would be best to give everyone a surprise then."
Lin Chang’an murmured to himself, contemplating his Foundation Establishment plan.
Nowadays, with three forces converging in Celestial Profound City, only these forces had Tier Two Alchemists.
But sect forces were entangled and intertwined, just like how renowned Ghost Three Blades on the bounty list back then was a bloody lesson, after all.
No matter which Pill Master he approaches, should there be any delay in coming out, word would spread about someone refining Foundation Establishment Pills.
It’s easily leaked and being targeted, although the odds are small.
Yet he cannot gamble on luck.
At this thought, Lin Chang’an nodded secretly.
"To play it safe, I should visit Yun Yao."
After all, Yun Yao can guarantee the purchase of an array for him, and even sponsored him several middle-grade spirit stones, assuring at least character reliability.
Thinking about it, a direct disciple of a Golden Core True Man would never regard these things.
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours; this is what maintaining social relationships is about.
It’s not about who owes whom, but maintaining this connection is very practical as a loose cultivator whenever there’s any motion up the ranks.
After all, who knows when the Three Major Sects might clash again.
