Chapter 36: Three Yang Heavy Water (Please keep reading! Please collect!)

"Three hundred years of lifespan?"

Yunhe felt a bit dazed; his immediate reaction was: "Is there something wrong with the 'Year Ring Technique'?"

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator, unless possessing a special spirit body advantage, would find it hard to live to three hundred years even if desperately consuming lifespan-extending pills.

But he, merely a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, actually has a three-hundred-year lifespan?

Three hundred years—that's the time it takes for a mundane dynasty to change, enough for several or even dozens of generations to live out their lives.

Yunhe hurriedly activated the Year Ring Technique again.

After testing three or four times with no change, he finally opened his eyes again.

"It's really three hundred years!"

No wonder he's a bit excited, for living long carries too much meaning.

Slowly, as Yunhe calmed from his initial excitement, he gradually understood.

"It must be the Demon Beast Body."

Demon beasts generally have longer lifespans than human cultivators, and much longer—at the same realm, a demon beast's lifespan is at least two to three times that of a human cultivator.

Among demon beasts, turtle-type demon beasts have the longest lifespans.

"In other words, the Cultivator Body and Demon Beast Body truly share one life; if one falls, the other is very likely to meet the same fate."

Having a longer lifespan is absolutely a good thing for Yunhe, but since the two bodies share one life, it means he must be more careful.

"Such a long lifespan, even if just walking a dog"

"Cough cough."

"Don't casually plant flags."

"According to some sects' teachings, the best time for a cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment is before sixty, that is one cycle. Based on a Qi Refining cultivator's 120-year lifespan, that's half; and now I have a 300-year lifespan, half of that is 150 years!"

"Before 150 years old, all counts as the optimal period for Foundation Establishment!"

"No no no." Yunhe shook his head again to himself.

"Although the lifespan is long, the body's decay speed may not be that slow; at most it could only be somewhat delayed."

"Moreover, the first of the three major hurdles of Foundation Establishment is the flesh and blood qi gate; heaven and earth spiritual energy pours in, and if the flesh cannot bear it, Foundation Establishment fails."

Thus cultivators more or less need to train the body.

"The method of body training."

Yunhe pondered, and suddenly his eyes lit up slightly.

"Is there anything more suitable than the Three Yang Heavy Water?"

The demon beast body's obtained technique "Mountain Carrying Art" is suitable only for turtle-type demon beasts.

But some of the methods recorded therein are not exclusive to demon beasts.

For example, the "Turtle Breath Contraction Technique"—Yunhe has tried to contemplate it, progressing with both demon beast and cultivator bodies together; he estimates he could enter the gate within three days.

The key to cultivating the Three Yang Heavy Water lies in gathering the morning's Lesser Yang Water, noon's Pure Yang Water, and dusk's Ultimate Yang Water, then refining them with a secret art.

After success, it can both temper oneself and be used to kill enemies in battle.

The Lesser Yang Water, Pure Yang Water, and Ultimate Yang Water within the Three Yang Heavy Water can be gathered naturally or refined by extracting and distilling certain spiritual plants.

As long as his body keeps up, he effectively possesses a lifespan comparable to a demon beast's.

The point is.

"The demon beast body has only just broken through to First Stage Middle; as long as cultivation base continues to rise, lifespan will naturally keep increasing."

Yunhe smacked his lips and sighed:

"The Great Dao is promising."

"Indeed, it is a demon beast technique, truly suitable for demon beast cultivation."

On the sunbathing platform of Huanhu Dao, Yunhe opened his eyes after circulating demonic power through his body via the "Leaning Mountain Chapter" of the Mountain Carrying Art for a full heavenly circuit, and sighed.

"No wonder it's so hard for a demon beast without techniques to raise its cultivation."

According to the Mountain Carrying Art.

In demon beast cultivation, they draw heavenly and earthly spiritual energy into the viscera; a large part naturally dissipates before absorption, only a tiny fraction merges into the body, entering blood and meridians.

Of that portion, only a few ultimately reach the qi sea, condensing into demonic power.

More of it, during natural circulation, merges into flesh and blood, strengthening the physical body.

Thus the demon beast's bodily strength largely stems from this.

Most importantly, because they lack the steps and methods of technique refinement, the finally condensed demonic power is impure, carrying "impurities"; when later condensing a demon core, the obstacles will increase geometrically.

Therefore, for demon beasts, the earlier they obtain cultivation techniques, the better.

But demon beast intelligence awakens gradually with cultivation base; if the base is insufficient, they lack awareness of this, and cannot reach the level of demon beast techniques.

This forms a paradox.

"It's also good luck."

The more he understands the demon beast cultivation basics in the Mountain Carrying Art, the more Yunhe marvels at his own luck.

Now his cultivation speed, I don't know how much faster it is than before.

"Still, thanks must go to the Black Fish."

Yunhe extended his claw, grasping an irregular spirit stone.

"You say, right?"

He lifted his head and looked.

"Gurgle—"

He saw the Black Fish's head floating on the water surface, stiffly motionless, merely opening its mouth and blinking its eyes, as if responding.

If observed closely, one could see that at this moment, a few crystal-clear water droplets clung to the Black Fish's head.

Under the sunlight, the water droplets emitted a sparkling crystal light, and within them seemed to flow golden threads finer than hair.

Actually not just it; the Ni Qiu nearby, as well as all the Black Fish possessing demonic power in the Black Fish school, floated on the water surface, with water droplets of varying sizes atop their heads.

"Cough cough, thanks for your hard work."

Seeing the situation before him, Yunhe felt a bit embarrassed and gave a light cough.

No way.

The Lesser Yang Water, Pure Yang Water, and Ultimate Yang Water required to refine the Three Yang Heavy Water still have rather harsh conditions.

It also requires rootless water, and this water must contain a trace of solar essence.

If in the cultivation world, a Cultivator Body could obtain materials and spiritual plants to try making it themselves, but in this Yao Shou Shijie, one can only search far and wide.

Rootless water is still manageable; it's where lake mist is abundant, and if one wants to collect it in the morning, they can still get quite a bit.

The most troublesome part is that trace of solar essence.

One must know that for demon beasts to absorb solar and lunar essence, heavenly and earthly spiritual energy is already troublesome; what little they can retain is minuscule, let alone a drop of lifeless, unintelligent rootless water.

For water droplets to retain solar essence is purely a matter of luck and coincidence; it's hard to find even one drop among ten thousand rootless water droplets.

So Yunhe thought of a method.

Actually it cannot be said that he thought of it himself; rather, it is mentioned in the Carrying Mountain Secret.

"One can collect the dew beads on the back when drowsy."

That's the meaning.

One can collect the dew that condenses on the back right after cultivation finishes.

The possibility of it containing solar essence is higher.

The reason is simple: when demon beasts cultivate, they absorb heavenly and earthly spiritual energy and solar-lunar essence, which trickle into the body; naturally, the dew that condenses on their bodies, irrigated by spiritual energy, is more likely to retain solar essence.

However, Yunhe felt collecting this way was too slow, so he dragged a few lackeys along to help.

Moreover, this also urges the lackeys to train diligently, so they can advance their Cultivation Base sooner.

It's definitely not because he looks a bit silly carrying a body of dew alone.

"Almost done."

He glanced at the sun in the sky, which was gradually becoming scorching; the best time to collect Lesser Yang Water has already passed.

He extended his claw in a gesture, and the water droplets on his back, as well as on the heads of the Black Fish and Ni Qiu, were scooped up.

Gazing at the faint golden threads within the small water mass, Yunhe nodded in satisfaction.

"This time it's not bad."

With his mouth slightly open, a blob of water the size of a Lvdou slowly drifted out.

As soon as the Lvdou-sized water droplet touched the small water mass, the two masses merged together.

Yet they did not fully merge; instead, they remained clearly distinct.

Yunhe opened his mouth again, and the water was swallowed into his belly.

What comes next is to refine it using the method of the Three Yang Heavy Water.

However, after refining the water they painstakingly collected, only a strand as fine as a hair could remain, even if the solar essence purity is high.

"To refine it to a level sufficient to face enemies, one would have to wait until the year of the monkey and month of the horse."

But thinking that he now has a lifespan of three hundred years, he isn't in a hurry either.

"Actually, there is still a method to speed up the collection of Three Yang Water."

"Increase spiritual energy concentration!"

"And how to increase spiritual energy concentration."

Yunhe, while circulating demonic power to condense the Three Yang Heavy Water, lowered his head to play with the Spirit Stone.

He had asked the Black Fish where that chunk of the Tuoshan giant turtle's skull and the Spirit Stone came from.

Unfortunately, communication remains a major problem between them; the Black Fish gestured for a long time, but Yunhe still couldn't make sense of it.

He only knew that the Black Fish had been obtained by chance from some place; it couldn't say exactly where, but it could bring Yunhe there again.

The direction — that is, the direction toward the lake.

Considering the possible dangers, Yunhe temporarily chose to give up.

At least, he must wait until the Turtle Breath Body Forging Technique is cultivated to minor completion, so that demonic beasts below Second Stage cannot sense its demonic power.

"It's fine, no rush."

He gave himself a word of comfort, dismissed his underlings, lay on the sunning platform, and began practicing the drawing of the talisman's spirit patterns.

"I have already helped you contact the main office; if you're not in a hurry, at most fifteen days, then you can come again to inquire."

The steward of the Cinnabar Cauldron Workshop smiled narrowly at Yunhe and said.

"Then, thank you, steward." Yunhe clasped his hands and, without leaving a trace, handed over a small cloth bag.

After taking the cloth bag, the steward's smile widened, and he chuckled: "As for your three bottles of Spirit Nourishing Pill, they indeed cannot be discounted; the rule is set by the owner."

After a brief pause, he continued: "However, Zhu Mou, acting as host, can give you a bottle of Blood Qi Powder; though not expensive, it is merely a token of goodwill."

Yunhe paid forty-five Low-grade Ling Stones, received three bottles of Spirit Nourishing Pill, and a stalk of Lesser Yang Flower emitting a faint yellow light.

Money and goods were both settled.

He did not linger, but turned and left.

Looking at his retreating back, a servant beside Steward Zhu approached quietly and said: "Steward Zhu, this cultivator has quite some resources; he not only bought three bottles of Spirit Nourishing Pill, a stalk of Lesser Yang Flower worth fifteen Low-grade Ling Stones, but also inquired about Late Heart Chrysanthemum."

Before he finished speaking, Steward Zhu gave him a fierce glare.

"Put away your useless little thoughts! This person's Cultivation Base hasn't even grasped the Profound Spirit Talisman; how could you dare to covet him?"

"Hehe." The servant, not nervous, gave an embarrassed laugh and said: "I definitely can't, but isn't there still Steward Zhu?"

"Silence!" Steward Zhu barked lowly, his face stern: "How could our Cinnabar Cauldron Workshop be bothered over a few dozen Spirit Stones?"

"Yes, yes!"

Seeing the steward truly angry, the servant only then nodded and bowed, answering carefully.

The 'Alchemy Cauldron Workshop' does things rather properly.

After waiting a long time and still not seeing the bandit cultivator Yunhe who had come chasing, Yunhe secretly nodded.

He hurriedly and swiftly departed.

Soon he arrived at an uninhabited wilderness.

He turned over his palm.

The Gold Killer Sword flew out.

"Hit!"

On a big tree, he chiseled out a small hole.

Then, carefully, he took out a handful of several tens of crystals emitting a dark red glow from the spirit insect bag and placed them in the tree hollow.

Spiritual light flowed over them.

"Finally, it's about to hatch."

What kind of spirit bee will hatch from the eggs produced by the Red Pattern Spirit Bee Queen?

(End of chapter)