Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 291 Schemes and Ambushes

Gunzhou.

The scorching sun beat down on the earth, and the climate was dry and sweltering.

In the desolate desert, several long, jet-black puppet lizards roamed the sand.

Hundreds of miles away, Lin Changsheng was standing beside a sand dune, his mind absorbed in the black puppet lizards.

This desert is devoid of spiritual energy, scorching hot year-round, barren of vegetation, and practically a no-man's-land.

Without the aid of plants, Lin Changsheng's perception is limited and he is unable to use it effectively.

Lin Changsheng could only release these second-tier puppets to scout out the environment on his behalf.

Before he arrived, he had summoned several disciples to inquire and found out that the ones who activated the sensing talisman earlier were his eldest disciple Hao Chi and his second disciple Han Jiuying.

Logically speaking, Hao Chi, who possesses the 'Blood Burning Secret Technique,' and Han Jiuying, who cultivates the 'Netherworld Poison Scripture,' should be able to hold their own even against a Qi Condensation Peak cultivator.

Unless it involves a crisis involving those at or above the Foundation Establishment stage.

Even so, Lin Changsheng did not immediately approach the direction of the sensing talisman's aura.

In the past two years, the immortal city under the sect's jurisdiction has continued to expand, and the Ghost Valley True Monarch has frequently plundered spiritual veins, making the sect's reputation infamous and offending many nearby forces.

Although he is a Golden Core cultivator and the sixth elder of the Ghost Valley Sect, one still needs to be cautious and wary if the truth is unclear.

The scene of two outside True Monarchs leading people to besiege the sect a few years ago is still vivid in my mind. Although it was resolved by True Monarch Guigu on his own, it is hard to guarantee that there will be hostile forces secretly targeting it.

Especially among the elders of the Ghost Valley Sect, Lin Changsheng was the only newly promoted Golden Core cultivator, and on the surface, he seemed to be the easiest to bully.

He didn't want to become a scapegoat for his sect one day, and be ambushed by hostile forces.

……

"Huh? Found it."

In less than half an incense stick's time, Lin Changsheng suddenly focused his attention.

One of the puppet lizards that had broken away found a passage near the aura of the sensing talisman.

"Could this be some kind of ancient ruin?"

Based on the information fed back by a wisp of divine consciousness possessing the lizard puppet, Lin Changsheng became suspicious.

The distance was too great, and Lin Changsheng could only capture a blurry image, unable to experience it as if he were there in person.

But he still urged the puppet lizard to explore deeper into the passage.

If Hao Chi and Han Jiuying really encounter difficulties, this late-stage second-tier lizard puppet is enough to wipe out everything.

Unless it is a danger of 'quasi-third level' or higher.

However, Lin Changsheng did not believe that enemies of the quasi-third rank or higher would give Hao Chi and Han Jiuying the opportunity to activate the 'sensing talisman'.

Even some senior second-tier demonic beasts and Foundation Establishment cultivators could easily kill two Qi Condensation cultivators in an instant, leaving them no time to report.

The passage twists and turns, and a jet-black lizard puppet with a lively look in its eyes moves at an extremely fast speed through the underground desert.

Before long, a powerful aura suddenly emanated from the winding underground passage.

'Boom! '

The metallic puppet suddenly snapped in two, split in two by a sharp aura.

"This Lin Changsheng is truly adept at concealing his true intentions. Even though he has already advanced to the Golden Core realm, he still only sent out a second-tier puppet after his disciple was captured!"

A cold, sharp female voice suddenly rang out in the once silent desert.

"Hmph, this person has always liked to hide his talents and is good at forbearance, otherwise I wouldn't have misjudged him back then. However, the more this young man is like this, the more it shows that he has great opportunities, so we must be careful in everything we do."

Another rough voice then rang out.

Before long, two figures, a man and a woman, suddenly appeared.

The alluring woman among them wore a colorful scale-patterned leather outfit, exuding charm and allure.

The burly man had a thick beard.

These two were none other than Green Snake Master and Yu Huai Master, who had been relentlessly pursuing Lin Changsheng for many years.

"However, since that brat's puppet has appeared here, it means that I am certainly not far away. Can your young Sunflower Water Serpent use the methods from back then to find this person?"

Master Yu Huai then inquired.

"Too much time has passed, and the traces left from back then have almost disappeared, making it impossible to accurately capture this person."

The Green Snake Immortal's tone was slightly regretful.

"That's fine. We already know that this kid is disguised as 'Zhang Meng' and is the Sixth Elder of Mingling Peak. The two of us will ambush him on his way back!"

The two reached a consensus and immediately transformed into streaks of light, disappearing into the horizon.

……

Hundreds of miles away.

Lin Changsheng frowned slightly, surprised.

The puppet lizard was destroyed in an instant.

So fast was the divine sense that possessed him not having time to transmit any useful information before it was forcibly shattered by a force.

"To be able to instantly kill a second-tier lizard puppet, it must be done by a cultivator who is at least 'quasi-third-tier' or 'pseudo-core level'."

Lin Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine.

After a moment's thought, he decided to temporarily return to Mingling Peak and report the matter to the sect.

This matter is strange.

A lizard puppet with a hard texture was destroyed in an instant, but Hao Chi and Han Jiuying, whose cultivation was only at the late stage of Qi Condensation, were able to activate the sensing talisman to contact themselves.

This in itself is abnormal.

The appearance of an unknown expert near the sect is not something he can decide on his own.

Even if one is to explore, one should at least travel with other elders so that they can look out for each other.

……

Half an hour later.

Approaching the eastern border of Gunzhou, a ruthless man dressed in a black robe transformed into a streak of light and sped away.

Suddenly, a burly man with a thick beard stood in the road ahead.

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, you seem to be in such a hurry. May I ask where you are headed?"

Master Yu Huai's entire body surged with magical power as he looked at the person flying towards him with a sinister smile, his eyes filled with coldness.

"I wonder whether I should address you as Fellow Daoist Zhang Meng Zhenren or as Lin Zhenren now?"

At the same time, a bluish-green light flashed again from behind, and a bewitching woman appeared with a smiling face.

In an instant, two late-stage Golden Core auras surrounded the thug, one in front of the other.

The thug trapped inside didn't show much change in expression; instead, he appeared somewhat wooden.

"Something's not right with this person!"

Looking at the wicked man, Master Yu Huai felt a strange sense of unease. He immediately raised his hand and unleashed a several-zhang-long azure water blade.

With a 'thud,' it easily pierced through the thug.

'bang'

A few breaths later, a broken humanoid puppet fell to the ground, and at the same time, a talisman that had lost its spiritual power floated down.

"A substitute talisman!"

In an instant, the expressions of Master Yu Huai and Master Qing She changed drastically.

"Over there, this person used a substitute talisman to cover their tracks, while the real person quietly escaped!"

A moment later, Master Yu Huai suddenly raised his eyes and stared intently in a certain direction.

……

"It was actually these two people!"

Hundreds of miles away, Lin Changsheng piloted the Water Cloud Boat and activated a third-tier escape talisman to fly away at high speed.

Lin Changsheng was astonished when he vaguely sensed the two familiar golden core auras.

The Green Snake Immortal and Yu Huai Immortal, who were the ones who besieged the Li family of Dafang Township in Dayeze and then secretly attacked them, have actually appeared here!

Almost instantly, Lin Changsheng understood the whole story.

Even after all these years, these two still couldn't forget him and plotted to kill him.

Fortunately, even after advancing to the Golden Core stage, Lin Changsheng remained humble and prepared a backup plan before returning to the sect, using a puppet in conjunction with a substitute talisman imbued with his own aura to deceive others.

Sure enough, they caught the two of them.

"These two are relentlessly pursuing me, even at the risk of offending the Ghost Valley Sect. They are clearly after the treasures I possess, and have even imagined that I have some kind of inheritance or opportunity."

"This is a considerable hidden danger. It seems we need to find a way to deal with these two."

Lin Changsheng pondered to himself.

Back then, when his cultivation level was still low, in order to get rid of the entanglement of a Golden Core cultivator, he not only used the Azure Wood Spirit Cauldron, but also revealed the Seven-Colored King Butterfly Wings.

They thought they would never meet again after leaving, but who knew that the two would become entangled like this.

However, Lin Changsheng guessed that if the other party coveted the treasure, they would not easily spread the word.

Now that he has discovered it, we must find a way to eliminate this scourge.

"These two late-stage Golden Core cultivators have mediocre magical weapons and techniques, and not much potential. Moreover, they have spent many years in the Nine Swamps Continent and are skilled in water combat. In the desert of Gunzhou, they are limited by the environment and pose little threat. If they were to face either of them alone, they could easily kill them with their many methods."

Lin Changsheng secretly analyzed the situation of both sides.

Whether it's Qing She Zhenren or Yu Huai Zhenren, like most water-based cultivators, they all practice water-related techniques and methods.

Once they leave their home turf, their power is greatly diminished.

Lin Changsheng, relying on his own methods, was already no weaker than an ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. With the addition of two third-tier demon beasts and his trump card, he had a slight advantage.

But if they encounter two people working together, they're no match and can only flee in terror.

Now that the two of them know his extraordinary abilities, it's unlikely they'll separate.

Lin Changsheng faces two choices.

Firstly, he could return to the sect's Mingling Peak to avoid the two. With the mountain-guarding formation in place and the renowned reputation of Ghost Valley True Monarch, it was likely that True Man Green Snake and True Man Yu Huai would not dare to act recklessly.

After several decades, when he reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, the Snow Demon Wolf successfully broke through to the third rank. At that time, his own strength was enough to fight the two of them head-on.

Secondly, he took the initiative to contact his fellow disciples, Senior Brother Tan and Shen Wenyao, to ask them to help him deal with the two.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

Staying cooped up in the temple and not going out for a long time means that in the future, one will not be able to obtain much opportunity and will find it difficult to increase one's own foundation.

After achieving the Golden Core stage, the influence of the 'Heavenly Poison True Man's' legacy in his memories weakened. The days of focusing solely on cultivation and relying on digesting the inherited memories were no longer sufficient for his daily practice.

He sought help from Senior Brother Tan and Shen Wenyao. If they knew that he was being remembered by two late-stage Golden Core cultivators when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, they would inevitably be curious and there was a possibility that they would expose the fact that he possessed a great treasure.

Although Senior Brother Tan, as a disciple of a True Monarch, has a broad perspective, Shen Wenyao, who also possesses enormous resources from the Linglong Pavilion, may not care.

However, Lin Changsheng also needs to take various factors into consideration.

……

Upon returning to Mingling Peak, Lin Changsheng summoned his fourth disciple, He Dawei, and instructed him to go to Green Wilderness Immortal City to investigate the cultivators who had come and gone from this place over the years.

The focus of the investigation is on individuals at or above the Foundation Establishment stage who come in pairs, regardless of gender.

Since a Golden Core cultivator would prefer to conceal their true identity, revealing their Foundation Establishment stage cultivation level would be the most appropriate course of action.

After all, the Foundation Establishment realm is neither too high nor too low. It won't attract attention in a high-profile way, nor will it be targeted by some ill-intentioned people because of its low cultivation level.

Seven or eight days later, He Dawei returned with a detailed list.

The record clearly shows the number of cultivators above the Foundation Establishment level that Green Wilderness Immortal City has received over the years.

Lin Changsheng even saw his record of his first entry into the Immortal City on it.

Zhang Meng, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose origins are unknown, is suspected to be a cultivator who has undergone a tribulation.

Receiving disciples, Qi Fengchun of Moguang Peak.

Supplement: After passing the examination, he was promoted to the sixth elder of the Ghost Valley Sect, and then advanced to the Golden Core stage, with his Daoist temple being 'Mingling Peak'.

Lin Changsheng carefully studied the cultivator information on the list and quickly focused his attention on a brother and sister who had moved into Green Wilderness City a few years ago.

Yu Zhen, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, comes from a small family in Jiuze Continent. He and his cousin were passing through this place when they came here because of his reputation.

Qinglin, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, comes from a small family in Jiuze Continent. He and his cousin were passing through this place when they came here because of his reputation.

Receiving disciple, Feng Ping of Wankufeng.

"These two really went to great lengths to scheme for the treasures on my person, even starting their plan early on, and even Feng Ping became a pawn in their hands."

After some reasoning, Lin Changsheng basically figured out the gist of the matter and sneered inwardly.

No wonder Feng Ping of Wanku Peak showed some talent in the minor competition; it turns out he had two Golden Core cultivators backing him up.

This young man was born in the Mingling Peak and is quite familiar with some aspects of Lin Changsheng's situation.

Although he concealed his identity to join the Ghost Valley Sect, his skills in talisman making and alchemy could not be hidden.

The two immortals, Green Snake and Yu Huai, only need to learn some stories about him from the disciples of the Li family.

By comparing and verifying, it becomes clear that there are many overlaps between Zhang Meng and Lin Changsheng, making it not difficult to confirm his identity.

Of course, this is also because after Lin Changsheng advanced to the Golden Core stage, his ability to protect himself increased, so he did not pay much attention to hiding his identity.

Although his methods of disguise and bone shrinking were exquisite, they could not fool a Nascent Soul cultivator like Ghost Valley True Lord.

Guigu Zhenjun had seen through it long ago, but he had never paid attention to it.

……

A month later.

During this period, Lin Changsheng remained stationed at Mingling Peak and did not venture out.

He dispatched his disciples to Green Wilderness City to secretly gather information about Yu Zhen and Qing Lin.

However, news came that these two Foundation Establishment cultivators had left the Immortal City half a year ago and their whereabouts were unknown.

Lin Changsheng was not surprised by this.

The two had been tracking him for years, and now that their trail had been exposed, they naturally had to hide immediately.

Like a venomous snake, it lurks in the shadows, only revealing its deadly fangs at the crucial moment.

Since that's the case, Lin Changsheng decided that it's better to stay put than to take any action.

Rather than being led by the nose by the two of them, it's better to focus on cultivation and improve one's strength.

……

That day, Lin Changsheng was in his cave, crafting parts for a third-tier puppet.

The fifth disciple, Yun Miaomiao, knocked on the barrier.

"Master, this is a message talisman sent by Tiangui Peak."

The little girl, as delicate as a porcelain doll, looked at her dignified master, her eyes flashing with fear, reverence, and longing.

The message was simple: Senior Brother Tan relayed the instructions from the True Lord, ordering the elders of each peak to gather at Heavenly Ghost Peak one day later.

The next day, Lin Changsheng arrived as promised.

On the main seat of the main hall at Tiangui Peak.

The young man in the black robe with gold patterns sat upright, his expression cold and his aura majestic.

"This is……"

Lin Changsheng stared in surprise at the man and woman below, who were bound by thin black threads and looked dejected. His eyes flickered.

It turned out to be an old acquaintance of his.

Green Snake Immortal.

Yu Huai Zhenren.