Chapter 108: The Exhaustion of the Longevity Source

Han Yu's beast taming art truly has commendable aspects; unlike Zhu Youlong, he has no sect inheritance. He is a genuine Scattered Cultivator, having risen step by step from the very bottom to the present Great Completion of the Qi Refining Realm, and has made a huge reputation in Nanshan Fang.

Moreover, he also possesses two bloodline‑exceptional, late‑stage First Tier spirit beasts, one of which excels at fleeing.

Thanks to the two spirit beasts, he has the leverage to contend with some Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivators, and has once achieved a record of escaping unscathed from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Thus, before departing Nanshan Fang, he resided in Cave Residence No. 5, labeled Yi.

His status surpasses Zhu Youlong's by a notch.

Otherwise, under normal circumstances, beast tamers are less popular than Pill Masters.

However, having received the inheritance of a First Tier Upper‑grade beast tamer, Xiao Zhangqing still has not cultivated any spirit beasts.

Still the same old problem: Nanshan Fang's resources are too scarce. Although one can purchase some beast eggs and cubs, they are basically First Tier bloodline; even Second‑rank Beast spirit beasts are extremely scarce, and cultivators generally are unwilling to sell them.

Because a Second‑rank Beast spirit beast, if properly cultivated, has the chance to grow to a strength comparable to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

In Nanshan Fang, which is dominated by Qi Refining cultivators, the Foundation Establishment Realm is the absolute giant; who could refuse it?

Yet even a Second‑rank bloodline spirit beast is of little use to Xiao Zhangqing.

Spending energy and wealth, taking decades to raise a Second‑rank demon beast—what help could that provide Xiao Zhangqing? By then, Xiao Zhangqing would likely have already formed a Pill, his strength unimaginable; using a Second‑rank spirit beast as a pet, just for looks and fun? Thinking that, Xiao Zhangqing loses interest.

Instead, he'll wait until an opportunity arises to encounter a high‑tier bloodline beast egg, then consider cultivating a spirit beast.

As for Lin Zixi, she has cultivated a spirit beast.

It was obtained by chance—a cub of a "Crimson Flame Eagle" possessing Second‑rank bloodline.

Lin Zixi's cultivation, a year ago, successfully broke through the seventh layer of Qi Refining, entering the Late Stage of Lian Qi; this year she is only thirty‑nine, still relatively young.

Unsurprisingly, reaching Great Completion of Qi Refining before sixty poses no problem.

As for whether she can Foundation Establish, there's little certainty… or rather, hope is slim.

Lin Zixi still has full vigor, diligently cultivating every day.

Besides cultivation, due to her interest in beast taming, she begged Xiao Zhangqing to teach her the beast taming technique, and she displayed quite impressive potential in this area.

Not only did she successfully hatch the Crimson Flame Eagle egg, but the nurturing process also went smoothly.

Now Lin Zixi regards beast taming as the most important thing beyond cultivation, determined to raise a Second‑rank spirit beast.

Lin Ziyu's cultivation also advanced a notch, progressing methodically; not long ago she broke through the eighth layer of Qi Refining, still staying one step ahead of her younger sister.

She also tried beast taming, but found no talent there and gave up quickly. However, earlier when Xiao Zhangqing was idly refining pills, Lin Ziyu assisted, discovering she had a decent talent for Pill refining. She later studied it seriously, and after Xiao Zhangqing's guidance, within a few months she astonishingly succeeded in producing a batch of basic Pill of the Qi Refining Realm.

Now, three years later, despite not being very diligent or spending much time, Lin Ziyu somehow succeeded in advancing, being promoted to a First Tier Lower‑grade Pill Master! Had she uncovered such Pill‑refining talent earlier while in Peng Hu Qu, major factions would likely have courted her, even Zhu Youlong, the top Pill Master of Nanshan Fang, would have been eager to take her as a disciple!

With a clear cultivation goal and new skill development, the Lin sisters' lives became more fulfilling, and they felt more motivated living in Nanshan Fang.

The two sisters had long known that their lord Xiao Zhangqing would inevitably leave Nanshan Fang someday.

And they also happened to hear Xiao Zhangqing mention that the place he most intends to go to now is Character: Liyang Immortal City.

To this, Lin Zixi is even more excited; deep down she yearns for broader horizons, unwilling to be ordinary, loves wandering and adventure. Regarding Character: Liyang Immortal City, she is full of anticipation, which is also one of the motivations behind her diligent cultivation and beast taming.

In places like Character: Liyang Immortal City, Qi Refining cultivators are only considered low‑tier, whether in the early or Late Stage of Lian Qi.

Without reaching Foundation Establishment, they cannot gain any attention or favor.

As for Lin Ziyu, she doesn't think that much.

In Nanshan Fang she lives happily, very satisfied with her current life; all the wishes she had when leaving the Lin family for Nanshan Fang have already been fulfilled, far exceeding expectations, with no dissatisfaction.

But when Xiao Zhangqing goes to Character: Liyang Immortal City, she will not oppose and will be very happy.

The lord goes wherever, she should go wherever.

Moreover, her only living relative in this world, her sister Lin Zixi, also goes along.

The three of them traveling, whether in Nanshan Fang, Character: Liyang Immortal City, or any other place, she feels fine.

……

Another two years later.

Xiao Zhangqing's magical power has almost reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, with only a hair's breadth separating him from the middle Foundation Establishment.

His foundation is solid; during Foundation Establishment he took no external aids like Foundation Establishment Pills, relying entirely on himself; moreover, he possesses an Earth‑spirit root, so theoretically the middle Foundation Establishment should encounter no bottleneck, and breakthrough is a natural matter.

Yet reality shows that Xiao Zhangqing still underestimated the difficulty of cultivation.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment realm, even though the Earth‑spirit root still offers great advantage, the cultivation speed remains rapid, yet not as great as in the Qi Refining Realm.

The middle Foundation Establishment also gave him a slight hindrance.

Originally he expected to reach middle Foundation Establishment within five years; now it seems he still needs some time to find a breakthrough opportunity.

"After arriving at Character: Liyang Immortal City, the top priority is to see whether the spiritual root quality can be upgraded to a Celestial‑spirit root!"

After finishing cultivation, Xiao Zhangqing felt some stagnation of magical power within his body and silently made a plan.

Having an Earth‑spirit root quality makes reaching Foundation Establishment a near‑certain matter; essentially, a family with Earth‑spirit root descendants implies a Foundation Establishment cultivator will appear later.

However, Earth‑spirit root cultivators attempting to break into the Pill‑forming realm face a high failure rate.

Although in a small place like Nanshan Fang, a Earth‑spirit root prodigy appears only once in a hundred years, across the entire Da Yu Cultivation World, there are countless cultivation towns, many Immortal Cities and sects, so Earth‑spirit root quality is not that rare.

At least.

For Pill‑forming true beings, Earth‑spirit root quality is decent but not overly esteemed.

To be accepted as a true disciple by a Pill‑forming true being, Earth‑spirit root quality is basically a prerequisite.

Yet not all Earth‑spirit root qualities are chosen by Pill‑forming true beings as true disciples!

They also require various tests, training, observation of comprehension, etc.

Because too many Earth‑spirit root prodigies spend their whole lives trapped in the Foundation Establishment realm, unable to successfully form a Pill.

Even if Pill formation succeeds, an Earth‑spirit root aspiring to forge a flawless Golden Core and retain the chance to impact a Nascent Soul true lord is exceedingly unlikely. Thus, Earth‑spirit root quality holds limited appeal for Pill‑forming cultivators.

Taking on a true disciple, however, requires a large investment of resources, yet may not yield the expected return.

Only Celestial‑spirit root quality is coveted by Pill‑forming true beings.

However, Celestial‑spirit root quality generally appears only within the two major Nascent Soul forces, Seven‑Star Sword Sect and Xingyue Palace, where it is treated as a key cultivation target.

But even with a Tianling root, the chance of eventually becoming a Nascent Soul True Lord is still slim.

After all, throughout the Da Yu Cultivation World, there are countless cultivators, yet the Nascent Soul True Lords can be counted on one hand.

Finishing his cultivation, Xiao Zhangqing stepped out of the cultivation chamber and saw Lin Ziyu already waiting for him.

Seeing him emerge, she hurried to greet him.

"What happened?" Xiao Zhangqing asked upon seeing this.

Lin Ziyu nodded, speaking sadly, "Just now Zhu Dan Shi's servant brought news: Zhu Dan Shi's lifespan has ended; he has passed away."

Because of her innate alchemy talent, Lin Ziyu has been encountering difficulties in pill refining these years and often consults Zhu Youlong.

Although two years ago Zhou Youlong sensed his own end was near and had already told Lin Ziyu.

But now that day has arrived, Lin Ziyu cannot help feeling sorrowful.

The Dao is merciless.

Even for cultivators like them, whose lifespans are longer than mortals', they are still but a grain of sand in the vast sea.

Xiao Zhangqing, also moved, asked, "Who is handling Zhu Dan Shi's funeral arrangements, Ruan Zhanggui? Send a monetary gift on my behalf."

Zhu Youlong, in life, was considered a Pill Master listed under Baibao Lou; because of his admiration for Ruan Qingzhu, normally one must purchase his Pills through Baibao Lou.

Thus he was effectively a client official of Baibao Lou.

Now that he has passed, Baibao Lou should handle the arrangements.

Lin Ziyu, originally sorrowful, heard this and unusually grew angry: "Baibao Lou does not intend to hold a proper funeral for Zhu Dan Shi; they plan to handle it perfunctorily. Moreover, Zhu Dan Shi had arranged his inheritance, leaving most of it to Ruan Zhanggui and Baibao Lou, but now Baibao Lou has seized it all."

Xiao Zhangqing frowned at the words and said, "Ruan Zhanggui isn't that kind of person, is she?"

Lin Ziyu shook her head, "Ruan Zhanggui certainly isn't. However, Baibao Lou recently hired a Foundation Establishment Realm overseer who now controls Baibao Lou. Ruan Zhanggui has been sidelined."

Baibao Lou also brought in a new overseer, and he's of Foundation Establishment Realm? Could Baihua Valley be dissatisfied with Ruan Qingzhu and intend to push her out?

"Then I'll go with you in person," Xiao Zhangqing said after a moment's thought.

Zhu Dan Shi was not only Xiao Zhangqing's friend but also inherited his sect's legacy, promising to avenge the other side after achieving a Foundation Establishment Grand Completion and obtaining the Condensing True Pill. Given this cause-and-effect, both emotionally and logically, he must help with the funeral if he can.

Of course.

That's also because Xiao Zhangqing now has sufficient strength and confidence.

If he were an ordinary Foundation Establishment Initial Stage cultivator, or a mid‑stage Foundation cultivator like Cao Hao, he would not dare to intervene when faced with a Foundation overseer dispatched by Baihua Valley.

"Lord, the other party represents Baihua Valley…" Lin Ziyu said with some worry.

She also wishes to handle Zhu Dan Shi's funeral properly, but does not want her lord to get entangled in trouble.

Xiao Zhangqing smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing; I won't act rashly."

……

More than a hundred li north of Nanshan Fang lies a picturesque, rarely visited valley, where nameless wildflowers bloom, butterflies flutter, a river runs through the gorge, and animals occasionally come to drink.

If judged solely on scenery, most Yi-level Cave Dwellings of Nanshan Fang are inferior to this place.

But there is no spirit vein here, so it is naturally unsuitable for cultivators to reside.

Zhu Dan Shi had chosen this spot as his burial ground while alive.

When Xiao Zhangqing and Lin Ziyu arrived, many cultivators had already gathered in the valley to mourn; they were all friends of Zhu Dan Shi from before.

Ruan Qingzhu, dressed in a white robe, was also there, her thoughts deeply sorrowful.

She has no feelings for Zhu Youlong, having consistently and clearly rejected him, yet that does not prevent the two from becoming close friends.

Zhu Youlong has helped her considerably these years; one could say his great contribution allowed her to secure the Baibao Lou shopkeeper position without further sect interference.

Unfortunately, Zhu Youlong's lifespan has run out, and at this moment Baihua Valley has dispatched a Foundation cultivator to manage affairs, so her future situation looks grim.

"Symbol Master Xiao has arrived!"

"Greetings, senior…"

Xiao Zhangqing's arrival immediately stirred a few murmurs in the solemn atmosphere.

Xiao Zhangqing and the others nodded, then approached the tombstone, offered incense, paid their respects, and stood aside without stealing the focus.

After arriving at Nanshan Fang, Zhu Youlong did not take disciples, perhaps considering his sect's deep blood feud involving the Dan‑binding Real Person; accepting disciples would be useless and only add trouble.

Yet over the years he has taken many concubines and servants, ranging from low‑level cultivators at the early Qi‑refining stage to some mortals, all of whom are quite attractive.

From this, although Zhu Youlong is a sycophant of Ruan Qingzhu—mocked secretly by many Yi-level Cave Dwellers—this Pill Master has not been shortchanged and has enjoyed some blessings.

Zhu Youlong, before his death, willed most of his property to Ruan Qingzhu for disposition, while also leaving a small portion to his concubines and servants.

However, according to Lin Ziyu, Zhu Youlong's inheritance has been forcibly seized by the new Foundation overseer from Baihua Valley, leaving even Ruan Qingzhu unable to intervene.

The memorial concludes.

"Ruan Zhanggui, please wait." After the memorial, Xiao Zhangqing found Ruan Qingzhu to inquire about the details.

Upon hearing Xiao Zhangqing's purpose, Ruan Qingzhu hesitated, her expression conflicted, and finally urged, "Symbol Master Xiao, I know you mean well. You care about old Zhu's funeral and want to help me… but in this matter, I think you'd better not get involved. The Foundation cultivator coming to Nanshan Fang is extraordinary and cannot be offended…"

Xiao Zhangqing frowned, waved his hand, and said, "Zhu Dan Shi was not a Baibao Lou person, nor a Baihua Valley disciple. Even from a friend's standpoint, inquiring about his funeral could offend the new overseer, wouldn't it? She is indeed overly domineering."

Ruan Qingzhu, seeing Xiao Zhangqing's firm stance, could only smile wryly, "That's exactly how domineering she is… She is the valley chief's niece, renowned throughout the southwest of the Da Yu Cultivation World for her overbearing nature."

(End of Chapter)