Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Longevity (Congratulating in Silver)_1 Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Longevity (Congratulating in Silver)_1 Following a period of observation and experimentation, Fang Xi roughly figured out the situation.
The Monster Tree could absorb flesh and blood, transforming it into the purest life energy, which in turn nourished its owner!
And life energy is key to many “life-extending elixir classes”!
“That is to say… each time I cultivate, it’s like swallowing a Longevity Pill, and the lifespan I lose in a day may well be replenished directly?”
“In this case, wouldn’t I be able to achieve immortality? No, that’s not correct, I’m missing a key prerequisite, a large amount of Blood Qi!”
According to Fang Xi’s observations and judgments, the primordial energy nourished back by the Monster Tree daily was roughly equivalent to half a day’s worth of lifespan.
In other words, he could live the equivalent of two ordinary people’s days in one!
The lifespan was doubled directly!
If he let the Monster Tree absorb Blood Qi unrestrainedly, it might even achieve “Immortality”.
Of course, this was actually unlikely, because the supply of Taisui Meat was limited, and if he expanded the Monster Tree recklessly, even Peach Blossom Island wouldn’t suffice.
Even if Peach Blossom Island had that much flesh and blood, such a peculiarity would certainly be discovered, followed by Immortal Cultivators coming to slay the demons and eliminate the Monster Trees!
“Regardless, an increase in lifespan by nearly a factor of one is still extremely astonishing!”
“In other words, as long as I keep planting trees, even at the Qi Refining Stage, I could live over two hundred years?”
Fang Xi’s eyes brightened.
The lifespan of a Qi Refining Cultivator is roughly two Jiazi, which equates to one hundred and twenty years!
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator then typically lives up to four Jiazi, around two hundred years!
Those who form a Golden Core possess a high longevity of nearly five hundred years!
Beyond that, certain life-extending elixirs can also increase lifespan to some extent.
Then there are cultivators practicing Wooden Element cultivation techniques, who, if they avoid fighting and are good at self-care, can at least ensure they live out their natural lifespan.
Fang Xi had studied “Longevity Skills” and knew that the best way to extend life was to cultivate into a postnatal Wooden Element Spirit Body!
After all, Spiritual Trees live eternally spring-like!
Cultivators who awaken a “Green Wood Spiritual Body” can extend their lifespan by about ten to twenty percent!
It is even more terrifying for the legendary ‘Yi Wood Magic Body’, which can increase a Cultivator’s lifespan by nearly half!
In other words, if one awakens the ‘Yi Wood Magic Body’, a Qi Refining Cultivator could live one hundred and eighty years, nearly reaching the lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!
And Foundation Establishment Cultivators could easily live past three hundred years!
What about the ‘Eternal Green Body’?
This kind of physique probably doesn’t exist in this world but may only be found in the Immortal Realm.
According to the scant references in the “Longevity Skills”, Fang Xi knew that one of the abilities of the ‘Eternal Green Body’ was simply — ‘extending life by ten thousand years’!!
This kind of physique, which is destined for immortality, can probably only be born in the Immortal Realm.
Before, Fang Xi had made long-term plans, prepared for everything, because he knew that after awakening a ‘Green Wood Spiritual Body’, his lifespan would surely be long.
“But I didn’t expect the Monster Tree to have such an incredible opportunity!”
“With such a long lifespan, how am I supposed to spend it?”
Fang Xi fell into a happy quandary.
After his cultivation session, he actively severed the Qi Root, stood up, and pondered over a set of fist techniques.
This was the Emperor Dragon Fist taught to him by Pang Fei!
Although the leveraging parts were very clever, Fang Xi valued even more the spiritual secret method and various profound martial arts concepts within, integrating them into his own Mixed Origin True Skill.
“Eh?”
Practicing the fist technique now, Fang Xi suddenly discovered that his Blood Qi, which had already reached the limit of a Grandmaster and could break no further, seemed to have thickened by a sliver?
With the spiritual sense of an Immortal Cultivator and the intuition of a Grandmaster, he was definitely not mistaken!
“So… this life energy can also replenish Blood Qi?”
“That makes sense, aging is related to the decline of Blood Qi.”
“Going on like this, although the degree is very small… if multiplied by several years or even decades, the effect won’t be weaker than swallowing a second-order Blood Qi class treasure pill, and might even be better!”
Fang Xi clenched his fist: “The inability for a Grandmaster to break through and transform the True Gang is entirely hampered by the physical limitations of humans… With the limited lifespan of ordinary Great Liang people, a mere hundred years, how could they accumulate enough robust Blood Qi?”
“But I am different… with the Monster Tree’s enhancement, plus the willingness to spend time!”
“If anyone can break through True Gang transformation, it must be me!!”
…
Feeling great, Fang Xi went to the courtyard compound.
In the pond, a large Daqing fish had grown significantly, probably weighing around twenty to thirty pounds now!
Its aura had also advanced from the original first-level lower grade to first-level middle grade!
After swallowing a substantial amount of Snake Dragon essence blood, this Dead Salted Fish finally advanced a small realm!
“Looks like it’s gotten quite a bit bigger huh…”
Fang Xi scattered a handful of Red Blood Spirit Rice into the pond, stroked his chin, and seemed to mumble to himself: “If it can’t advance to first-level top-grade within ten years, then it’s going to be mercilessly sliced up to make sashimi… Slices of fish meat dipped in sauce must be really enjoyable!”
At the bottom of the pond, the Daqing fish trembled: ‘Humans are so terrifying…’
…
As spring went and autumn came.
One day, as usual, Fang Xi was inspecting the Spiritual Field.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a black beetle munching greedily on the Red Blood Spirit Rice.
“Damn!”
With a thought from Fang Xi, he flicked his finger, and a Metal Sword Qi immediately flew out, piercing the black beetle.
Upon closer inspection, he found that his Spiritual Field had somehow been infested with this kind of pest!
“Black Patterned Golden Beetle, brutal by nature, fond of eating Spirit Rice…”
From the Spiritual Plant Farmer Inheritance, Fang Xi easily found corresponding information.
“It must be a problem with the Array…”
He meticulously examined and found that the southeastern corner of the Array was slightly loose, occasionally the prohibition failed, and it was easy for little bugs to exploit the gap.
After repairing the ‘Little Cloud Rain Array’, Fang Xi immediately began exterminating pests in each acre of land.
It was not too late for the lost sheep to mend their ways!
Although the Spirit Rice could not yield abundantly this year, it was essential to ensure there would be a harvest!
After more than ten days of hard work, Fang Xi looked at the multitude of black-patterned golden beetles climbing over each other in a small cage and stroked his chin.
Among these black-patterned golden beetles, there was one that shone like jade, with a pattern on its back, akin to a king among the beetles.
“Cyan Flower Golden Beetle!”
“There is even a leader…”
Fang Xi thought for a moment, then took out a jade slip from his storage bag.
This was something he had found in one of the storage bags of the five Qi Refining cultivators who had ambushed him last time. He didn’t know whose unlucky possession it was, but inside was a notebook on bug cultivation.
Although the notebook was incomplete, by combining it with the Beast Controlling inheritance he had obtained before, he could barely make sense of it.
“Black-patterned golden beetles are useless, and their demon Qi is mediocre. They can be wiped out in droves with a simple Spirit Farmer Weeding Skill… But these pests breed quickly and in large numbers, much like rats… Once the selection process highlights the superior, it’s possible to give birth to the Cyan Flower Golden Beetle!”
This Cyan Flower Golden Beetle was indeed a true lower-tier first-grade demonic insect. It was still weak, but if their numbers increased substantially, they would be quite considerable.
Fang Xi planned to establish an insect room to start breeding and carry out the selection process.
This would be a good opportunity to refine his pest control and Beast Controlling Skills.
During this period, although he had not abandoned his research into the Four Arts of Cultivation, his progress had been minimal.
On the contrary, in the fields of Spirit Plant farming and Spiritual Beasts rearing, Fang Xi still had some confidence and talent.
“Insects naturally grow quickly, and combined with my extensive time, I can breed the most excellent varieties!”
“The remaining bugs can also feed the Daqing fish, perfect!”
Fang Xi looked at his Spiritual Field, noting that many crops had suffered a severe reduction in yield, and felt a pang of distress.
These pests weren’t consuming the Spirit Rice but the life essence of the Taisui Meat and the Monster Tree! — That was his lifeblood!
“Sooner or later, everything that eats from me must be spat back out!”
“Feed Daqing fish? Feed them directly to the Monster Tree!”
Fang Xi thought viciously.
…
Winter days, snowflakes drifting down.
Fang Xi went to the wine cellar and took out a bottle of cellar-stored ‘Red Blood Wine’!
After popping the cork, the liquid inside was as red as blood, and the fragrance of the drink was intoxicating.
He took a sip and felt no longer the fishy scent of the Red Blood Spirit Rice, but rather enjoyed a particularly mellow and potent taste, reminiscent of strong spirits like baijiu.
“Such strong liquor!”
Feeling like he had swallowed a ball of flame and noticing a subtle invigoration of his Blood Qi, Fang Xi nodded then shook his head.
This ‘Red Blood Wine’ had indeed matured and, unfortunately, would only serve to lay a foundation and invigorate the Blood Qi in those at the initial stages of body refining.
For him, it merely enlivened his Blood Qi for a moment, without the effect of increasing his Blood Qi.
After all, after becoming a Grandmaster whose Qi coursed through his body, his body refining skill was comparable to that of a full-fledged Qi Refining cultivator!
Advancing further from there would undoubtedly be extremely difficult!
Luckily, he still had the Monster Tree, providing a faint but steady supplement each day.
Holding a jug of wine, Fang Xi went down to the underground cavern.
At this time, the Monster Tree had grown a few feet taller, reaching over fifteen feet in height, almost as tall as a bungalow.
Fang Xi sat down under the Monster Tree, feeling a surge of Wood Essence energy entering his body.
Next to him, a Qi Root descended, curling around the bottle, allowing him to take a sip.
This Monster Tree was essentially an extension of Fang Xi himself, naturally enabling him to use Qi Roots to do many things.
“Hope for longevity is within reach, hope for longevity is within reach…”
During his routine practice, Fang Xi felt the vitality flowing out from his limbs and showed a contented smile on his face.
Just then, he frowned and took out a prohibition token.
“Someone’s coming?”
Fang Xi returned to the Cultivation Room, put the meditation cushion back in its original place, and walked out of the courtyard.
He waved his hand to disperse the Array, only to see Ruan Xingling arrive, stepping on a basket of flowers.
“I pay my respects to the Island Master!”
Fang Xi hurriedly bowed in greeting.
Surrounded by innumerable flower petals twirling in the air, Ruan Xingling gracefully descended from the basket of flowers, like a celestial immortal alighting upon the mortal plane, “Recently, the Spiritual Fields of Peach Blossom Island have been plagued by insects, so I came to have a look…”
“Ah, I’ve suffered heavily here too…”
Fang Xi’s face showed a bitter smile, then he brightened, “Since the Island Master has come here, why not sit in the courtyard for a while? I’ve just brewed some ‘Red Blood Wine’!”
It would be impolite not to invite a guest into the courtyard for a sit-down.
As for the underground cavern? Fang Xi had already disguised it well, and it was protected by an Array.
Qi Refining cultivators lacked Divine Consciousness and couldn’t project it outward, so it would be difficult for them to notice anything amiss.
Ruan Xingling entered the courtyard, indifferent to the Daqing fish but simply stood with her hands behind her back and surveyed the surroundings, sighing, “This courtyard seems a bit empty and desolate, you could plant some peach trees… I’ve planted peach trees all over Peach Blossom Island, when they blossom next year, it will be a beautiful sight.”
“The Island Master speaks wisely.”
Fang Xi, holding a tray, took out two bottles of cellar-stored Red Blood Wine and invited Ruan Xingling to taste them.
Ruan Xingling held a jade cup and took a sip of the Red Blood Wine, then slightly furrowed her brow, “This liquor is very strong. Do you have anything else?”
“This…”
Fang Xi pondered, “I do have some homemade spirits, which I brewed as an experiment, but the taste is not so great, it might be somewhat embarrassing.”
“Let’s have a taste of that then,” Ruan Xingling’s eyes glinted like morning stars.
Having no choice, Fang Xi went to get two more bottles, poured a cup for Ruan Xingling, and took a sip himself.
The Spirit Rice wine was drinkable, but still had a tangy and astringent taste, one that he had been unable to get rid of.
“Although the taste of this wine is average, its sharpness is quite fitting for the season. Does it have a name?”
Ruan Xingling tried it and seemed to like it.
“Unnamed… let’s just call it ‘Green Bamboo Wine,'” Fang Xi reexperienced the flavor, feeling somewhat nostalgic as he remembered those days in the market.
“Green Bamboo Wine, not bad, not bad… I hope to drink this Green Bamboo Wine every year from now on.”
Ruan Xingling, controlling the myriad of flower petals, slowly rose into the air, “Today, my great-grandfather… has reached the end of his life span and has passed away in ‘Sitting and Transforming’…
“Island Master, please accept my condolences…”
Fang Xi watched Ruan Xingling depart and thought to himself: ‘Another one outlasted…’