[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-life-from-talisman-painting":3,"chapter-eternal-life-from-talisman-painting-eternal-life-from-talisman-painting-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Eternal Life from Talisman Painting",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":12,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},1733548,2217,"Chapter 1: Awakening at Forty","eternal-life-from-talisman-painting-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>\"Lin Chang’an, low-grade Spirit Root!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking through the window at the first spring rain trickling down the eaves, Lin Chang’an rubbed the aching spot between his brows, revealing a forlorn expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again recalling the cold voice from twenty years ago when he first entered the Immortal Cultivation Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time flies so fast, forty years have passed in this lifetime.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spring wind swept through, carrying away much of the alcoholic vapor from the room, and Lin Chang’an sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With low-grade Spirit Root aptitude and no resources, he struggled for twenty years and is still only at the Qi Refining Third Layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not just poor aptitude anymore, but sheer lack of everything, making cultivation exceedingly difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty years of asceticism, and now forty years old, it’s time to resign to fate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bang! Bang! Bang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a knock at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, are you alright? You drank so much at the pub yesterday, I was really worried about you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the door opened, Li Erniu, seeing Lin Chang’an’s haggard face, let out a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniu, I’m fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Erniu brought a smile to Lin Chang’an’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Erniu, the fellow struggling brother among the four who failed together, although they came to Cyan Bamboo Mountain Market together, Erniu chose to marry into a family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty years have passed, and the aura of a farm boy has completely faded, now he’s evidently a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lin Chang’an like this, Li Erniu helplessly patted his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, we’ve been through so much over the years, I understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Li Erniu’s concerned eyes, Lin Chang’an felt warmth in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marrying into a family isn’t easy; the Zhou Family needed to restore Primordial Energy due to resource disputes, which created this opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, such good fortune wouldn’t typically come by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an enviously glanced at Erniu’s magic robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to marry into a family too, but the Zhou Family surprisingly valued honesty and reliability over looks when selecting a son-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this was taking advantage of honest people, causing him to be directly eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Erniu sighed helplessly too, no longer the honest farm boy he once was, showing more of big family’s mannerisms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Erniu, Lin Chang’an waved off, feigning lightness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniu, I’m a Qi Refining Cultivator; I’ll go to the Mortal Realm someday, buy good farmland, live in large houses, and find a few pretty beauties. It’s not bad at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon saying this, Lin Chang’an chuckled, teasingly adding:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My good days are ahead; don’t envy me by then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"True enough.\" Li Erniu thought of his own life as a son-in-law and grinned in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This carefree smile spoke of enjoying life in the Mortal Realm, but to anyone else, perhaps believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lin Chang’an, this ascetic of twenty consistent years, is his smile genuine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Li Erniu remembered his purpose for coming, awkwardly whispering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, your plan to return to the Mortal Realm might have to be postponed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This time is different from usual, there’s an order from above to increase the development efforts, so...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest went unsaid, but Lin Chang’an, having spent 20 years here, understood well, feeling speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly misfortune comes when least expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was preparing to give up returning to the Mortal Realm, and then this happened,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The market had taken over twenty years of development to reach its current scale, developing every three years; those unwilling to take part had to pay taxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time it’s clear that the upper authority wishes to intensify efforts, and the tax is likely to double.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not paying taxes is possible, but that makes one purely a Wandering Cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paying taxes and holding an Identity Jade Token means one can live luxuriously in the Mortal World Capital, enjoined with titles and privileges, with descendants directly leaping to nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protected by the Immortal Sect behind the scenes, and descendants receive attention too, as the chances of Spirit Root arising in a cultivator’s descendants are high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, within Mortal nations, factions backed by sects, none lack a sect’s influence, whereas Wandering Cultivators without Identity Jade Tokens can only roam around towns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference is vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand, looks like I’ll have to pick up old habits and work for a while longer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having intended to leave, yet restrained from going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chang’an shook his head helplessly, while Li Erniu furtively glanced around then carefully took off his boots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, retrieved a ball of fabric carrying a scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniu, you old rascal, years gone by without changing a bit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chang’an laughingly scolded while Erniu opened the bundle, revealing twenty-six fingernail-sized Spirit crystals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit Crystals, a smaller denomination currency than Spirit Stones in the Immortal Cultivation Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, borrow these first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Li Erniu knew Lin Chang’an was dispirited, preparing to retreat to the Mortal Realm, fearing he had exchanged all Spirit Stones for Mortal goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Lin Chang’an did not decline Erniu’s goodwill, as his pockets were indeed emptier than his face due to previous preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Erniu, thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lin, you helped me plenty back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Erniu said solemnly, when they first entered the Immortal Cultivation Realm, Lin Chang’an took care of him often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Zhou Family sought a son-in-law, it was Lin Chang’an who saw Zhou Family’s choice, hurrying back to inform him timely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending Erniu off, watching his figure in the rain that got not a drop on him, Lin Chang’an showed a sign of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A low-grade Magic Robe, Erniu first had a descendant with Spirit Root, and now recently advanced, seems his days in Zhou Family are about to flourish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the table, gold, silver, and jewels that would make ordinary people greedy, Lin Chang’an shook his head, picking them up as if dirt, casually stuffing them into a pouch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like these trinkets will continue to gather dust for a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though viewed as dirt, the value lies in Mortal Realm wealth, thus casually tossed into a corner near the door to gather dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More talisman drawing again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing his forehead, Lin Chang’an slowly sat cross-legged on the bed; talisman drawing is meticulous work, demanding vitality and spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his current state, he couldn’t bear wasting talisman paper and cinnabar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With cross-legged meditation, starting to circulate the Chang Chun Skill cultivation technique, a flash of light appeared, making Lin Chang’an gape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Name: Lin Chang’an]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Life Span: 40\u002F88]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer (95\u002F100)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Cultivation Technique: Chang Chun Skill (Proficiency: 489\u002F500)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Skills: Golden Light Talisman (Proficiency 498\u002F500), Divine Movement Talisman (Proficiency 358\u002F500)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Spell: Fire Bomb Technique (Mastery 450\u002F1000), Breath Concealment Technique (Mastery 210\u002F1000), Invisibility Technique (Mastery 120\u002F1000), Exorcism Technique (Proficiency 478\u002F500)...]\u003C\u002Fp>",1130,"2026-06-06T16:18:31.580Z","novelbin.me","06413c33f04e28801a8c5a9b088a6e50f473b2aa7a9de6a778e120f298ade54f","eternal-life-from-talisman-painting-chapter-2","eternal-life-from-talisman-painting-chapter-250",514,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-life-from-talisman-painting-cover.jpg"]