Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 387 - 242: Foundation Establishment Methods
It had to be said, this approach was quite clever—even Lu Chang’sheng himself had never thought of it before.
However, as far as he was concerned, this method still came with tremendous risks.
While Fisherman and Woodcutter’s move might earn the agreement of the two Foundation Establishment elders, it also greatly increased the chances of becoming a target.
"Well-prepared, I see."
The smile on Gu Wei’s face faded considerably, but just as everyone thought the matter was settled, his expression turned stern and he said, "If any of you do not wish to participate, we won’t force you. Everyone has their own aspirations. However, there is something we’d like to ask about."
As he spoke, he looked at Fisherman and Woodcutter and said coolly, "Not long ago, someone came to me and brought up the matter of the Hu Family’s merchant ship being ransacked more than ten years ago."
Fisherman and Woodcutter’s expression changed slightly at once, and he tried to explain himself.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator beside Gu Wei gave a cold snort, waved his hand, and a Sleeve Sword shot straight out toward Fisherman and Woodcutter, piercing him in an instant.
"Run!"
The cultivators standing with Fisherman and Woodcutter instantly turned pale. One balding cultivator shouted suddenly, and a cloud of mist erupted around him, attempting to confuse the Foundation Establishment elder’s vision.
"Such petty tricks, dare you show them in public!"
The Foundation Establishment elder of Supreme Profound Sect spat out a gust of wind, instantly blowing away the still-forming mist. At the same time, that Sleeve Sword reversed in midair like a hanging star, and the more than ten late-stage Qi Cultivators scattering in all directions were each pierced through, their life force vanishing on the spot.
The faint, metallic scent of blood made the atmosphere oppressively heavy. Soon, members of the Gu Family dragged the bodies away to handle the aftermath.
"What a terrifying Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"
For Lu Chang’sheng, this was the first time he’d felt the might of a Foundation Establishment elder at such close range. The techniques wielded by the other party were performed with ease, the level of mastery truly extraordinary.
"And that Gust Spell is just a first-grade Qi Cultivation spell, yet it wields such power. It must be related to the vastly superior magical power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
The mist spell used by that cultivator was something Lu Chang’sheng was familiar with too—it was a top-tier, first-grade spell. The Gust Spell was on the same level, and as an elder of White Cloud Pavilion, he had naturally encountered them before.
In cultivator combat, it was all about the initial advantage of spells. Though the opponent acted first, the Supreme Profound Sect elder simply blew away the attempt with his Gust Spell. The true difference lay in magical power and the mastery of the spell itself.
As for that unstoppable Sleeve Sword, Lu Chang’sheng truly couldn’t fathom its depth, but the streak of flowing light he’d glimpsed earlier still left a lingering sense of dread.
It was clear that had he faced such a weapon, he would likely have been as powerless as Fisherman and Woodcutter and the others—no chance to resist at all.
Before long, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators landed first on a Flying Boat.
The Flying Boat wasn’t large, just over a zhang in length, looking like a solitary leaf atop the waves.
Lu Chang’sheng and the others certainly didn’t dare get on the little boat. They could only use the Sword Control Technique and follow close behind the Flying Boat.
After more than an hour, they arrived at their destination—White Stone Ridge.
Here, the vegetation was lush, and bizarre rock formations abounded, making it the ideal place for someone to hide.
Upon a large chunk of stone more than ten zhang tall in the distance, a middle-aged cultivator in white robes was seated cross-legged, with an Array Plate floating before him.
"Our thanks, Fellow Daoist Gu."
At the sight of this man, Gu Wei and his companion’s attitude improved significantly. As fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators, they showed due respect—especially since the other man was highly accomplished in one of the Four Arts of Cultivation.
"That must be Master Gu Ming of the Supreme Profound Sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator skilled in arrays. No wonder he was able to confine Red Cloud Daoist to this area."
Xiao Feng remarked in awe.
Through their conversation, Lu Chang’sheng learned more about the power of Spirit Arrays.
The array Gu Ming had set up was a Celestial Secret Spirit Array, which could lock onto a cultivator’s location within a certain range—but only if the target activated their magical power.
If magical power wasn’t used, it couldn’t lock on.
"That’s exactly why our help is needed. White Stone Ridge isn’t especially big or small, but leaving it without activating magical power would still take quite some time. With us here, Red Cloud Daoist’s escape will be far more difficult, giving the Foundation Establishment elders more than enough time to search."
Lu Chang’sheng speculated aloud.
"No matter what, we should stick together as much as we can. That way, we’re better prepared for any crisis—and if possible, we should invite other fellow Daoists we’re close with to join us."
Lu Chang’sheng suggested.
Xiao Feng and the others had no objection.
But just then, Gu Wei returned.
"Thank you all, fellow Daoists, for your understanding and putting the bigger picture first. Time is short, so I’ll get straight to the point. Right now, the Red Cloud Demon has been confined here by the Celestial Secret Spirit Array. In his current state, without activating his magical power, it will take him at least a full day to escape this place."
"And during that day, I need you all to patrol the main routes. Absolutely do not let that demon escape."
"Please put forth your best efforts, everyone. Should that demon escape along a route any of you are responsible for, then we’ll have no choice but to suspect there might be collusion with the demon within that team."
At these words, many people’s faces changed slightly.
What followed was the team assignments. Fortunately, Gu Wei was still responsible and did not randomly force unfamiliar people together.
Soon, the groups were divided and, under Gu Wei’s direction, each began patrolling their assigned routes.
Lu Chang’sheng and his companions were assigned to several southern routes.
White Stone Ridge was bisected by several rivers, splitting it into dozens of irregular zones. As everyone knew, the wild rivers of the Spirit Realm were the most dangerous places—so hazardous that even demons rarely dared cross them lightly.
At first, Lu Chang’sheng had only a vague idea of why this was. Until he saw a stretch of river from afar—then he understood.
In the Spirit Realm, what counted as a river was usually several li wide. A fog drifted across the surface, with strange bubbles surfacing from time to time. The bottomless river seemed ready to swallow people whole at any moment.
"We call them demons, but really, that just excludes a few other races. In truth, there are many varieties of demons, and most aren’t intelligent."
Xiao Feng explained to Lu Chang’sheng.
If a being is intelligent, it doesn’t count as a demon—but as its own race.
"Demons fight each other like wild beasts do—endlessly—and in uncertain circumstances, many won’t dare barge into unknown territory."
"Of course, for someone as powerful as the Red Cloud Demon, such rivers wouldn’t be intimidating. But if he tries to cross, he’ll have to use magical power—and once he does, that master maintaining the array can lock right onto him."
Lu Chang’sheng nodded, just as he turned around to see Patriarch Huang looking at him gratefully.
"About what happened earlier, I really have to thank Alchemist Lu for the warning."
Thinking back on it, Huang Yun still felt a chill—after all, every Qi Cultivator family had skeletons in their closet. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
He’d assumed no one knew; who would have thought Supreme Profound Sect remembered it all, ready to dig it up whenever they wished.
"You’re too polite, Fellow Daoist. Your families have deep ties—we look out for each other when we can." Lu Chang’sheng replied with a smile.
Huang Yun’s willingness to share this showed he was still thoughtful—and that made Lu Chang’sheng glad.
