Cultivation System: Stronger with Age
Chapter 33 - 29: Taking Office Immediately, Rapid Promotion

Chapter 33: Chapter 29: Taking Office Immediately, Rapid Promotion

About an hour later, after finishing a round of the Pine Heart Method while seated cross-legged on the bed, Lin Xuankong felt his whole body lighten, as if he were about to ascend to the heavens.

Such a sudden sensation of the body becoming lighter was very much like the feeling when the Pine Skill advanced in Realm and subsequently extended one’s Lifespan!

He carefully looked at his Life Plate.

[Lin Xuankong: Remaining Lifespan fifteen years and seventy-two days]

[Transcendent Qi Blood: 736/100,000]

Seeing the changes in the Life Plate, I’m overjoyed! This medicine is incredible; the Charming Daoist Nun has treated me well! Lin Xuankong thought.

The Transcendent Qi Blood had already increased by nearly twenty points. A bowl of Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup would only increase the Qi Blood Amount by about thirty-odd points... Moreover, the Qi Blood was still slowly increasing!

The most important effect was the increase in Lifespan from the Turtle-Poria Elixir.

To others, this effect might seem elusive. After all, others might feel some bodily changes but wouldn’t be certain if their Lifespan had increased, or by how much.

However, relying on my Life Plate, I can see it clearly and precisely, down to the day! Just a single Turtle-Poria Elixir has increased my Lifespan by three years! With such a miraculous medicinal effect... if I took ten or eight pills, even if resistance developed, it would probably extend my life by at least ten or twenty years. What if I took hundreds, or thousands of pills?! I just wonder what kind of merit I would need to achieve in the Yin Talisman Sect to obtain more Turtle-Poria Elixirs... But, since I’m now a Chief Steward of the Yin Talisman Sect, I’ll have opportunities in the future!

Lin Xuankong’s eyes revealed a touch of anticipation. Joining the Yin Talisman Sect was indeed the right choice. For me, there are daily medicinal supplies to claim, opportunities to learn Yin Talisman Thunder, and elixirs from the Charming Chief Steward... so many benefits!

「Early the next day,」

Lin Xuankong finished his cultivation early, then washed up, put on his Steward Daoist Robe, and hung the Sandalwood Token for his office around his waist.

Just as he was about to leave, Lii Xiaolan’s clear, pleasant voice came from behind, "Now that you’re a Steward of the Yin Talisman Sect, you should tie a Daoist topknot to look the part!"

Lin Xuankong was taken aback. "I don’t know how to tie a Daoist topknot!"

Usually when I go out selling pancakes, I just tie my hair casually. A poor family like mine has no such demands, nor the energy to bother with hairstyles!

Lii Xiaolan glanced at him and said helplessly, "Sit down, I’ll help you with your hair!"

After Lii Xiaolan carefully gathered his silver hair and tied it into a Daoist topknot, the young lady couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Lin Xuankong in his brand-new Steward Daoist Robe, with his Daoist topknot.

Lin Xuankong asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"With your current appearance, if you had an Iron Trigram Divine Calculation flag, you’d look just like a charlatan!"

"Charlatan? This is an immortal demeanor!" Lin Xuankong replied, looking displeased.

However, as he walked out of the wooden building, he couldn’t help but smile when he recalled the moment the young lady had carefully tied his hair for him.

By this time, many early-rising neighbors were already on the streets.

Seeing his Yin Talisman Sect Daoist robe, everyone was visibly surprised and hurriedly moved to the side of the road, bowing respectfully.

These neighbors couldn’t have imagined that Old Lin, who was selling pancakes just a few days ago, could suddenly become a member of the Yin Talisman Sect!

After Lin Xuankong walked away, the neighbors quickly gathered and started buzzing with chatter!

They didn’t know the significance of the Sandalwood Token on Lin Xuankong’s waist, nor that he had become the master of the Five Streets and Forty-Two Lanes. If they did, their expressions would be even more remarkable!

As Lin Xuankong stepped onto Cow and Horse Street, not far from the Steward’s residence, several burly men approached quickly.

Leading them were Bald Li Er, Double Halberd Guo Yun, and Long Spear Yang Mountain. These three, wearing Yin Talisman Sect Daoist robes, bowed from a distance. "Steward!" "Steward!"

The other martial cultivators who had joined the Yin Talisman Sect yesterday had also changed into Daoist robes and followed behind, bowing as well.

Seeing everyone so respectful, Lin Xuankong felt a wave of emotion. A few days ago, when I saw Yin Talisman Sect Daoists, I would avoid them from afar, stepping to the side of the road. Now, things have changed drastically.

Lin Xuankong said, "No need for formalities, everyone. Let’s return to the residence together! Our residence was newly established, and everything is in its initial stages. We’ll likely have a lot of hard work ahead!"

The group walked towards the Steward’s residence together.

Upon entering the several-acre residence, Lin Xuankong stood before the Steward’s Tower, with its flying eaves and ornate tiles, looking at the forty Daoists assembled in the courtyard.

These forty Daoists were ’old’ disciples who had cultivated in the Yin Talisman Sect for many years. All had practiced the Yin Talisman Technique, and most had their strength at the Early or Mid-grade of the First Layer of Transcendence.

The Daoist leading them, his face solemn, bowed without arrogance or submission. "Subordinate Ma Rusong, current Deputy Steward, leading thirty-nine disciples of the Cow and Horse Street residence, respectfully welcome Steward Lin!"

All the Daoists bowed in unison, shouting, "Respectfully welcome, Steward Lin!"

The voices of the forty people sounded as if from one person, orderly and synchronized!

Moreover, these forty men, each with a solemn expression, stood tall and imposing, their attire and weapons neatly uniform.

Lin Xuankong thought to himself: As the Chief Steward of the Yin Talisman Sect, the number of men at my command is pitiably small. It’s incomparable to someone like Zhang Wu, a Deputy Steward of the Black Tiger Gang. It doesn’t even match the number of subordinates under a Leader of the Black Tiger Gang. Nonetheless, these disciples are exceptionally elite! The sheer presence of these sect disciples is a stark contrast to the slovenly Black Tiger Gang members, who are always posturing and trying to look fierce, as if wishing ’intimidation’ was etched on their faces! Although the Yin Talisman Sect has fallen from a Major Sect a thousand years ago to a small sect that even the Black Tiger Gang can provoke, it still possesses the heritage of a thousand-year-old Major Sect. It doesn’t have the nouveau riche aura of the Black Tiger Gang!

Besides, I’m somewhat surprised that the scene I anticipated, where old Yin Talisman Sect disciples would give newcomers a hard time, didn’t occur! Although Deputy Steward Ma Rusong didn’t rush out from the residence to greet me from afar like Li Er and the others, and Ma Rusong has a modest yet unflinching demeanor and isn’t trying to get close to me... his conduct is still proper. At least everyone is acting peacefully, so I don’t have to make a vigorous show of authority as the new Steward.

After completing the formalities for welcoming the new Steward, the next step was to arrange the various affairs of the Cow and Horse Street residence. This included managing the Yin Talisman Sect’s properties such as restaurants, gambling halls, wine shops, entertainment houses, and brothels. It also involved organizing the disciples’ duties, patrols, street cleaning fee collection, daily cultivation, and preparation for battle.

Cow and Horse Street and the surrounding Five Streets and Forty-Two Lanes were adjacent to the Black Tiger Gang’s territory and were not very stable. However, Lin Xuankong had highly skilled individuals under his command like Li Er and Ma Rusong, who were no weaker than him; both were masters at the Early Stage of the Second Layer. He also had talents like Yang Mountain and Guo Yun, who had achieved Perfection in the First Layer, as well as many new and old disciples. Therefore, while the threat from the Black Tiger Gang to the Cow and Horse Street residence made him somewhat vigilant, he wasn’t overly worried.

After roughly arranging all the affairs, Lin Xuankong assigned personnel to various industries and leisurely returned home!

I’m very clear in my mind that joining the Yin Talisman Sect wasn’t to climb the ladder, get rich, or find a new wife. Of course not! I joined for the herbs, for cultivation, for the Yin Talisman Technique! Now that I have the herbs, cultivation is obviously the most important... That Bearded Martial Cultivator from the Black Tiger Gang put a lot of pressure on me. I naturally hope to advance to the Late Stage as soon as possible and become that kind of invulnerable, formidable expert!

「In an instant, ten days had passed.」

This morning, Lin Xuankong was practicing the Cangsong Posture in the courtyard when he suddenly felt that the Transcendent Qi Blood in his body was rapidly decreasing.

The speed at which it decreased was like an uncontrollable torrent.

His eyes flickered, and he quickly looked at the Life Plate in his mind.

The amount of Qi Blood in the Life Plate, originally replenished by the Turtle-Poria Elixir and the Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup, had become extremely abundant but was now rapidly decreasing.

[Transcendent Qi Blood: 1,217/100,000]

In a blink, it changed to [Transcendent Qi Blood: 1,187/100,000], and it continued to decrease!

Lin Xuankong’s face suddenly showed joy.

I know that after more than ten days of cultivation, I’ve finally made pleasing progress! This rapid decrease in Qi Blood isn’t its disappearance but rather its condensation. It’s akin to cotton becoming wood, and wood becoming steel; the quantity decreases, but the quality rapidly increases!

After nearly a cup of tea’s time, Lin Xuankong stopped the Cangsong Posture movements, feeling the extremely condensed Qi Blood in his body, then looked at the Life Plate information.

[Realm: Second Layer Mid-grade Transcendence]

[Second Layer Mid-grade Qi Blood: 568/100,000]

[Cultivation Technique: Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Integration 48/150]

Just as I expected! Lin Xuankong couldn’t help but excitedly clench his fists.

In a total of eleven days, the progress of the Pine Crane Longevity Technique had reached about one-third. At this rate, it would likely only take another ten days or so to reach the invulnerable realm of that Bearded Martial Cultivator!

My original Transcendent Qi Blood, after many days of cultivation, has finally undergone a qualitative change. The quantity has decreased by more than half, condensing into Second Layer Mid-grade Qi Blood!

He stood still, silently invigorating the Second Layer Mid-grade Qi Blood. In the next moment, warm sensations arose in his internal organs, his chest, and his back.

Gradually, his breathing became extremely deep, and his heartbeat grew steady and powerful. His stomach and intestines moved like millstones grinding beans. He seemed to feel the food inside being ground into powder and rapidly absorbed by his body...

These wonderful sensations deeply fascinated Lin Xuankong.

It was only after more than half an hour that he roused himself from observing the changes in his torso and internal organs. Suddenly, he felt an itch in his throat and spat out a large lump of condensed blackish-red substance, which fell to the ground with a SPLAT.

Lin Xuankong immediately felt an unparalleled freshness and lightness within his torso, as if all his organs had been replaced with new, stronger ones! I’m sure that now, if I urinated with full force, I might shoot twenty feet high...

At that moment, Lin Xuankong’s pupils contracted. He suddenly felt something terrifying approaching from behind. A WHOOSHING sound of displaced air instantly reached the vicinity of his back!

Black Tiger Gang members? A demon? ... This is definitely a formidable expert, to have snuck into my home so silently!

No time to think.

No time to turn around.

He fiercely dashed forward and to the side, trying to dodge the sneak attack, simultaneously channeling the Second Layer Mid-grade Qi Blood to his back!