Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

「The next day,」

From the second-floor window, Lii Xiaolan, having just awoken, glanced outside, and her lovely eyes immediately widened again. Her clear, bright eyes were filled with disbelief. At this moment, Lin Xuankong was strolling about the backyard pool. On the calm water surface, aside from the occasional faint ripples stirred by a gentle breeze, the water where his feet landed remained smooth and flat, without any sign of sinking. Seeing this, Lii Xiaolan's feelings were incredibly complex.

It was one thing for this guy to have no bottlenecks in the first, second, or third layers, but why was the process of enhancing his Heart Thought and explosive power with pills also so unnaturally smooth and fast! It was inhumane!

At this moment, Lin Xuankong stood on the water's surface, a smile playing on his lips. Although he had managed to project his Qi Blood outside his body the previous day, he still couldn't quite control his weightlessness when walking on water. He had stumbled and splashed into the pool several times, much to the amusement of the young lady on the second floor.

Today, after taking the second Nourishing Spirit Pill, he could finally walk on water effortlessly, without causing any ripples.

Moreover, his Realm had finally progressed from the Perfection of the Third Layer to the Early Stage of the Fourth Layer, reaching the same realm as the Grand Chief Stewards of the Yin Talisman Sect.

[Realm: Transcendence Fourth Layer Early Stage]

[Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Entering the Hall 226/300]

[Yin Talisman Technique: Attained Minor Success 1/280]

[Heart Thought: Mortal Tier Second Grade 0/12]

Lin Xuankong slightly raised his hand. A Divine Thunder, as thick as a thumb, instantly appeared in his palm, winding and weaving around his five fingers. This Minor Success Divine Thunder, though the same thickness as one at the Entering the Hall level, was at least four to five times brighter—dazzlingly so—and pulsed with terrifying power.

One could only imagine how much its power would increase if such Divine Thunder were used to unleash techniques like Aurora Shining Heaven or Divine Thunder Illusion!

Delighted, Lin Xuankong took out the Ruyi Profound Gold Rod. Grasping it with both hands, the entire rod instantly blazed with light, twenty-four Minor Success Divine Thunders coiling around it. He took a step, swinging the rod over the water's surface. If I were to strike Wu Sanlang, Pang Hu, or Sima Liuyun with this Ruyi Profound Gold Rod, now wreathed in Minor Success Divine Thunders, they'd be reduced to dust in a single blow!

At the second-floor window, seeing this scene, Lii Xiaolan sighed helplessly. Alas, this guy even has a talent for taking pills! In the future, in this household, my position… will my position definitely be beneath his?

Moments later, Lin Xuankong finished his cultivation and walked towards the wooden building. Lii Xiaolan leaned on the window sill, her eyes twinkling. "Oh my, I'm a bit hungry!"

Lin Xuankong looked at Lii Xiaolan, a smile appearing on his face. Now that he had reached the Fourth Layer, he couldn't help but reflect. How much had this young lady helped him on his cultivation journey? If it weren't for her, the grass on his grave would already be three feet tall!

"Then I'll go buy some stuffed cakes for you," Lin Xuankong said, walking out. "Old Zhang's health is quite good; after taking several doses of the medicine I gave him, he started setting up his stall again yesterday!"

Watching him go, Lii Xiaolan's heart skipped a beat, the corners of her mouth curling up, her eyes narrowing into crescents. He didn't get arrogant just because he reached the Fourth Layer. He's a good husband!

After Lin Xuankong left, her eyes flickered as she thought to herself:

My dear husband has already reached the Fourth Layer. His explosive power will only grow stronger. I must specifically temper his head and bones to enhance their endurance! Otherwise, with full-force outbursts, the bones slowly nurtured through the first three layers won't be able to withstand it!

I hope… his future cultivation will be smooth and increasingly rapid!

After all, on the eighth of September, my husband is going to challenge the Cyan-Eyed Tiger, a cultivator at the Late Stage of the Fifth Layer, in front of millions in Great Marsh Prefecture!

By then, will my dear husband return victorious and become the most envied hero in all of Great Marsh Prefecture?

Thinking of this, Lii Xiaolan felt a mix of joy and worry in her heart.

「Several days later,」

At the entrance of the Feng Family Mansion on Peace Street, over a hundred Martial Cultivators were crowded around the Feng Family Steward's table, ready to place bets. In some distant food and wine establishments, many Independent Martial Cultivators were pointing in this direction.

Lin Xuankong looked at Steward Lin Jiao, who had brought him over. "You're betting that you'll come out alive? How many silver taels are you planning to wager?"

Lin Jiao was startled, then grinned widely. "I don't have much confidence I'll make it out alive! I'm just planning to bet two thousand silver taels here at the Feng Family's today!"

This Lin Jiao and Steward Hu seem like decent people. If I can lend a hand in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, I naturally will, Lin Xuankong thought, then said aloud, "Why not wager more? If you're about to die anyway, keeping silver is useless! If you're gone, it's all over!"

Lin Jiao was speechless for a moment. "I have a sixty-something-year-old mother and a brother who isn't quite right in the head to support. I must leave them some silver to live on!"

Lin Xuankong frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Don't worry, you should be able to come out of the dangerous Demon-Suppressing Valley alive!"

Suddenly, a Martial Cultivator beside them sighed, "Alas, with countless Demons in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, getting out alive is no easy feat!"

"That's right! If you ask me, the only ones almost guaranteed to make it out of the Demon-Suppressing Valley are probably the top fifty who possess a full set of Battle Armor!" someone else chimed in softly.

"Do you think the Conical Hat Guest will participate in the Demon Slaying Conference?" another person asked.

At the mention of the Conical Hat Guest, the surrounding Martial Cultivators immediately became animated, discussing how the Conical Hat Guest had slain the Four Great Stewards in an instant.

"Speaking of the Conical Hat Guest, the power of his weapon is truly terrifying. I was asleep at the time, and the wooden building shook so violently I nearly thought it was an earthquake!"

"Heh, I tell you, if that Conical Hat Guest enters the Demon-Suppressing Valley, he could rampage through it relying on that weapon alone!"

As everyone was discussing, Lin Xuankong and Lin Jiao had already reached the Feng Family Grand Steward's table.

Lin Jiao wagered two thousand silver taels, while Lin Xuankong placed a large chest on the table. "One thousand taels of gold, six hundred portions of Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup, all betting that I, Lin Xuankong, will come out alive!"

The moment he spoke, the surrounding Martial Cultivators, who had been chattering amongst themselves, instantly fell silent, their gazes fixed in astonishment on the items on the table.

"A thousand taels of gold! Six hundred portions of Qi Replenishing Soup!"

"Lin Xuankong... who is he? Is he very strong? Are his chances of survival high?"

"Six hundred portions of Qi Replenishing Soup! Good heavens, that's so many medicinal ingredients! It would be far better to leave them for his family. If he dies in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, wouldn't it be a colossal loss!"

A noisy discussion erupted among the crowd. The Grand Steward of the Feng Family looked at Lin Xuankong. "Yin Talisman Sect Silver Jade Steward Lin Xuankong, fifty-nine years old, Second Layer Mid-grade. He once killed three Tier Two Demon People using the Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand. Ranked 628. The odds are 1 to 22. Are you sure you want to wager all these items?"

Lin Xuankong shook his head and took a Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand from the box. "I'll bet another Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand!"

Hearing this, Lin Jiao's face changed dramatically. "Steward Lin, if you wager your Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hand, what will you use to fight the Demons? Don't be impulsive! This is a huge mistake, a terrible mistake!"

The expressions of the surrounding Martial Cultivators shifted, and they shook their heads one after another. Twenty-two times the payout... With such a low survival rate, it's almost certain death! Betting anything is just giving it away to the Feng Family!

Lin Xuankong looked at the Feng Family steward. "What, you can't bet equipment?"

Feng Cai, a steward at the Mid-grade of the Fourth Layer, frowned. The man before him was indeed the first to wager equipment, and Exorcism Equipment at that, which was extremely valuable. Although this man's strength was low and he was almost certain to die, if he somehow managed to come out alive... compensating him with twenty-two Wandering Dragon Exorcism Hands would cost the Feng Family—the foremost of the Four Great Families of Great Marsh—half their fortune!

"Bet, why not bet!" a voice called from the Feng Family courtyard.

A handsome young gentleman, cradling a small black cat with fur as smooth as satin, walked to the entrance, a smile on his face. "Since our Feng Family is open for business, how could we refuse anyone? We certainly welcome every fellow practitioner! Feng Cai, issue a receipt and apply your seal for this Lin Xuankong!"

The handsome gentleman smiled. The black cat in his arms regarded Lin Xuankong with its gemstone-like eyes, tilting its head slightly.

Moments later, Lin Xuankong walked away with the receipt and seal, the anxious Lin Jiao by his side.

「In the Feng Family Mansion,」

Steward Feng Cai walked into the courtyard with the young gentleman from the Feng Family. Feng Cai cupped his hands. "Sixth Young Master, this Exorcism Equipment is incredibly valuable. What if that Lin Xuankong actually manages to survive?"

The young gentleman gently stroked the black cat in his arms. "Have you forgotten that I will also be participating in the Demon Slaying Conference? What's my rank?"

Feng Cai cupped his hands. "Sixth Young Master, you are at the Mid-grade of the Fourth Layer, possess the Seven-Phase Battle Armor, and are ranked tenth, just behind Vice Hall Master Liy Ruofeng of the Black Tiger Gang!"

The young gentleman smiled. "Given that, would dealing with someone ranked 628 in the Demon-Suppressing Valley be difficult for me?"

Feng Cai's eyes widened at these words. He paused, then smiled. "Never mind one Lin Xuankong; even a thousand of them would be no match for you, Young Master!"

The Sixth Young Master of the Feng Family walked towards the inner hall, still holding the black cat. "For those who have recently bet on themselves to survive with odds greater than five to one, compile a list of their names and prepare their portraits.

"Once in the valley, if they aren't devoured by Demons, I, along with several of our family's protectors, will secretly eliminate them near the gathering points within the Demon-Suppressing Valley!

"Ants like Lin Xuankong, dreaming of making profits several or even dozens of times over from my Feng Family—it's pure delusion, utterly laughable!"

Standing at the entrance of the inner hall, the Sixth Young Master of the Feng Family paused.

It's a pity no one knows the true identity of the Conical Hat Guest, nor whether he will participate in the Demon Slaying Conference! I hope to encounter him in the Demon-Suppressing Valley. This Soul-Devouring Spirit Cat, which I've secretly nurtured for over a decade, possesses mysterious superpowers. Anyone whose Heart Thought has not reached Mortal Tier Fourth Grade will find it impossible to resist! If I can encounter the Conical Hat Guest and ensnare his Heart Thought, I can surely obtain his weapon and any Demon Pearls he has. Then, my Feng Family will be destined for great prosperity!

「Returning to his wooden building,」

The image of the Feng Family's young master and his black cat surfaced in Lin Xuankong's mind, and his eyebrows gradually furrowed. That black cat appeared ordinary, yet its eyes were agile and full of Spirituality... Moreover, for it to be held by a young master of the Feng Family, the foremost of the Four Great Families, it couldn't be an ordinary pet; it had to be an Exotic Beast with strange abilities! The various families and sects of the Great Marsh Hundred Cities indeed harbored numerous experts, each with their unique and marvelous techniques. Although I've already reached the Early Stage of the Fourth Layer, once I'm in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, I must be exceedingly cautious and avoid recklessness!

As he was deep in thought, Lii Xiaolan's voice suddenly came from behind him, "What are you thinking about? Are you pondering what delicious food you'll have for your sixtieth birthday tomorrow?"

At her words, Lin Xuankong turned to look at Lii Xiaolan. We're clearly in the same Realm, so how can she still sneak up behind me so silently? Also, am I really turning sixty?

"I'm turning sixty?" Lin Xuankong's eyes showed a hint of joy.

"Yes, your sixtieth birthday is coming up!" Lii Xiaolan said with a smile.

Lin Xuankong thought for a moment. According to his birthdate, at 3:45 AM tomorrow, he would indeed turn sixty. He had been so busy with cultivation and various other matters recently that he'd completely forgotten to check! Sixty years old!

Under the effect of the Vigorous in Old Age Life Plate, will my cultivation speed increase dramatically again, perhaps to sixtyfold? Will there be other mystical changes?

"How do you plan to celebrate your sixtieth birthday? A grand feast, a hearty celebration?" Lii Xiaolan asked.

Lin Xuankong shook his head slightly. "We'll just order a few more dishes. Having you celebrate with me is enough. At most, we can invite Steward Ma, Steward Hu, Lin Jiao, Yang Mountain, Li Er, and Little Hu over."

Lii Xiaolan nodded immediately. "Alright! Then I'll make sure to order plenty of dishes!"

Once Lii Xiaolan returned to her room, Lin Xuankong sat on his small bed, waiting expectantly. If my cultivation speed truly increases sixtyfold, it means that whether it's the Pine Crane Longevity Technique, the Yin Talisman Technique, or my Heart Thought enhancement, everything will accelerate again...

Time trickled by as Lin Xuankong waited in anticipation.

「Night fell,」

The moon hung at the corner of the eaves.

「First watch, second watch...」

Until finally, the clang of the fifth watch drum echoed through the street.

Suddenly, Lin Xuankong felt the words 'Vigorous in Old Age' within his Brain Mansion Life Plate erupt with a brilliant purple-gold light. In the next instant, the progress of his various Cultivation Techniques abruptly changed. At the same time, several new lines of text appeared within his Brain Mansion Life Plate, introducing a second talent associated with his Life Plate.