Chapter 715: Farewell, Nanshan Bo

"The Lord has returned; quickly inform the Lady."

"We pay homage to the Lord."

After Xiu Xiang returned home, the servants respectfully welcomed his return.

Xiu Xiang, in his joy, did not forget to issue orders: "Prepare a banquet. Today we have distinguished guests—use the finest meat, the finest wine, and summon all the beauties in the household to attend."

"Yes."

Upon receiving the order, the servants immediately set to work.

Not long after, the scent of roasting meat filled the estate, and all the servants bustled about.

Yet during this time, Li Yi had already climbed onto the trunk of the ancient tree in Xiu Xiang's estate and sat down; beneath him, a cloud of auspicious energy coalesced and did not dissipate, his body radiating brilliant light, visible even in broad daylight.

"This place is truly astonishing." Li Yi, now in cultivation, was stunned within.

He attempted to activate the Great Heaven-and-Earth Qi Absorption Method.

The next moment, he felt the entire cosmos responding to him—limitless cosmic energy surged like a tidal wave, instantly submerging him; he was now immersed in an energy field, and with every breath, countless cosmic energies filled every corner of his body.

His cultivation speed accelerated as if blessed by incense offerings.

Moreover, Li Yi sensed a warm, radiant energy flowing into the depths of his soul—this energy nourished his soul, granting it the breath of life and causing it to grow vigorously.

"Is this the energy field of the Divine Tree? Can this energy strengthen the soul and trigger its transformation even in cultivators?" he marveled.

He had never encountered such an extraordinary energy field before.

If he cultivated here for a while, he had full confidence he could reach the Five Qi Converging to the Source realm.

With his soul power strengthened, Li Yi's cultivation speed increased again—he had entered a virtuous cycle, progressing at a visibly rapid pace.

All of this was due to the Divine Tree in Divine Wood City.

"Those who consume Qi become divine and long-lived. Great Yi—do you consume Qi?"

At that moment, an old man's voice sounded; a sturdy elder, holding a wooden staff and sporting white whiskers, had appeared beneath the tree, smiling.

Li Yi suddenly opened his eyes; his gaze emitted light—the result of condensed cosmic energy.

"Nanshan Bo?"

He looked at the elder with a flicker of surprise: "You're also in Divine Wood City?"

"When the Merchant Lord was in peril, I abandoned my journey to come rescue him—but I arrived too late; the Merchant Lord had already been saved by you, so I came to Divine Wood City," said Nanshan Bo.

Li Yi's expression subtly changed.

He knew that from rescuing Xiu Xiang to arriving in Divine Wood City, only a few hours had passed—yet this Nanshan Bo had already caught up.

His mobility was truly terrifying.

Indeed.

Last time, his single remark had guided this Nanshan Bo onto the path of cultivation—and once a man from the wilds embarked on cultivation, he became fearsome indeed.

He likely had already mastered countless techniques without a master, and his strength must have surged to an unimaginable height.

It was like Li Yi, an Evolver, suddenly taking up martial arts—thirty years of others' rigorous training couldn't match one month of his dual cultivation.

"Nanshan Bo, your aura has merged with Heaven and Earth. I cannot even fathom the realm you've reached—perhaps you're not far from becoming a Local Deity," Li Yi exclaimed.

"Heh."

Nanshan Bo smiled, stroking his beard: "After ten days of consuming Qi, I felt life's vitality growing; after thirty days, I sensed my life no longer dwindled—time left no mark upon me. Now, my will has detached from my body and roams freely through Heaven and Earth, no longer perceiving the passage of time."

"The legendary immortality must be this realm—but I have not yet become a Local Deity; perhaps I simply haven't cultivated long enough."

Li Yi was momentarily stunned.

Nanshan Bo had already achieved immortality after only this much cultivation?

In the End-Dharma Dao World, this would rival a Dao-Realized being; even on the Xuan Immortal Continent, he'd be a Human Immortal.

And how much time had passed?

This Nanshan Bo was truly an unparalleled cultivation genius—if he continued, becoming a Local Deity was merely a matter of time.

"Yet this is thanks to your words, Great Yi, which revealed to me the mystery of life: a person's lifespan is finite, but Heaven and Earth are infinite. If, within one's limited life, one fuses with Heaven and Earth, then one becomes part of them—undestroyable by time; the entire cosmos becomes one's body. Mighty warriors may destroy life, but they cannot destroy the natural order of Heaven and Earth."

Nanshan Bo squinted and said: "This must be the secret behind the Deity's power."

"Nanshan Bo, what you've realized is profound and correct—I deeply admire it," Li Yi sincerely said.

"I have recorded all my cultivation insights in this book, The Great Wilderness Annals: Yi's Chronicle. If Great Yi is interested, you may read it."

But Li Yi shook his head in refusal: "I won't read it. Each person's realized Dao is unique—it is your Dao, Nanshan Bo. I have my own path to walk."

He already cultivated too many paths; he had no time to study another. So he politely declined.

Moreover, the Dao Nanshan Bo had realized was too profound for his current stage.

He would focus on the Three Flowers Converging and Five Qi Converging to the Source.

"Hah! Great Yi, you're right—this is my Dao, not necessarily suited to all. Your words have taught me another truth."

Nanshan Bo's eyes brightened, then he laughed heartily.

"Great Yi, though consuming Qi is good, the Merchant Lord has prepared a banquet—will you join me to feast on meat?"

Li Yi said: "How could I refuse an invitation from Nanshan Bo?"

He ceased cultivation, leapt down from the tree, and joined Nanshan Bo for the banquet.

To celebrate his survival from Northern Wild City and to repay Li Yi and Nü Heng for saving his life, Xiu Xiang hosted an extravagant banquet; merely smelling the aroma of the meat, Li Yi knew it was extraordinary.

Likely the meat of a Mountain Lord.

Even the scent alone made his divine blood churn and his entire body feel invigorated.

At the banquet, Li Yi also met Xiu Xiang's wife.

She was indeed a graceful beauty, appearing extremely young—with no trace of time upon her—yet she had already borne Xiu Xiang five children.

"Great Yi, take your seat."

Xiu Xiang smiled: "You must eat plenty of this meat—it's the flesh of a Three-Mountain Lord. I bought it at great cost; the seller said it's exquisitely delicious and greatly strengthens one's strength."

"Thank you, Xiu Xiang," Li Yi nodded.

After he sat, a beauty immediately brought him a plate of Mountain Lord's meat.

After eating a piece, Li Yi felt his essence surging, his divine blood burning hot, as if he possessed boundless strength.

The Three-Mountain Lord's meat was indeed extraordinary.

He immediately ate several more pieces and drank copious amounts of fine wine.

Others did the same—eating meat and drinking wine.

Even Long Yu's injuries had healed considerably after consuming this meat.

(End of Chapter)