Chapter 124: Two Paths to Longevity

Baohua Workshop.

On the deck, Lin Qinhu said calmly: "The Quanshan Earth Sha cycles every hundred years. This hundred years is certainly mine, and the next hundred years will certainly be Nine Springs Temple's. If you cannot attain the Dao Foundation, then it has nothing to do with you. If you can attain the Dao Foundation, you still have a chance to compete for the time after next."

Uh. Chen Ci thought for a moment; it seemed that was the logic.

Hey, wait, that's not right.

This Waterway Superintendent has a background; he is not some wild spirit beast. It seems he is supported by Liuyun Palace behind the scenes. Isn't the banquet this Lin Laohu is so eagerly rushing to attend the Thousand-Year Banquet of the Liuyun Palace Dragon Lord?

Good, good, good, so that's how you want to play, is it? Let me write that down in my little notebook first.

Chen Ci spoke with righteous indignation, his heart filled with fervor: "As the saying goes, 'If the brother is humiliated, the younger brother dies.' If it weren't for the fact that I, your junior brother, am weak and feeble, I would go right now to take that fellow's dog head and bring it back for you, Senior Brother, to kick around like a ball!"

"Haha!"

Lin Qinhu also laughed. This kid, heh.

"The Quanshan Earth Sha is filled with stable Sha energy because the Hongchen Zhuqi of the East and West Prefectures stabilizes the Sha, and there are arrays to comb the earth veins. Furthermore, its five elements belong to water, which is quite fitting for the Nether Yin True Qi. If you have an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, you should have an eighty or ninety percent chance of drawing the Sha into your body to condense a Void Dan."

Lin Qinhu didn't say much more, just smiled: "If you were to find an Earth Sha Yin Vein of the same quality in the deep mountains and great marshes, while it wouldn't be too difficult, the success rate for condensing the Dan would only be fifty percent. And when drawing the Sha into your body, you would have to divide your attention to guard the surroundings, reducing it by another ten percent."

Chen Ci: "." This mortality rate seems a little bit high.

No wonder this Lin Laohu is willing to risk everything to fight for this Quanshan Earth Sha; so that's the reason.

"The entire He Mountain Sect only has two 'Sha Fields' in the Liang Kingdom, both negotiated by Master Jiao with Longhu Mountain. You don't need to think about the Yun River Earth Sha in Yunzhou; I don't even rank high enough for that. The Quanshan Earth Sha in Quanzhou is used in rotation by Nine Springs Temple and Fuhu Altar. I don't know how many people are eyeing it; without a Dan Realm True Person supporting you from behind, you could never sit firmly."

Lin Qinhu turned his head to look at the river surface and smiled faintly: "That fellow, the Waterway Superintendent, lost the fight this time, so he can only fight for the time after next."

That means he's locked horns with Old Master Chen, then.

To fight or not to fight, that is the question.

Chen Ci had a bit of a headache, but since he hadn't even touched the threshold of the Dao Foundation yet, he didn't need to worry about it for now.

Five Ghosts Transportation Method: Great Success/2/100

Five Ghosts Possession Method: Not yet initiated

Five Accumulations Yin Demon Art (Fragmented): 14 (43)/100

These three were his core Dao arts at present. The Essence Refining he had stored on him was already exhausted, and he hadn't been able to practice the Five Ghosts Transportation Method for several days. Once he reached the Sea Market, he would have to find some Essence Refining; he just didn't know if it was expensive.

As for silver money, he still had quite a bit, equivalent to about four hundred and thirty Spirit Pearls, which should be enough for his cultivation needs for the coming days. However, he didn't know if he could return to his own Sanyin Temple; he figured it would depend on the situation of this cheap senior brother. Having lost his foundation, he was like a tree without roots; this silver money was being used up bit by bit, with no income coming in.

It's worrying.

Before even getting off the ship, Chen Ci was already considering how to walk his own Dao path.

At worst, he could first go sell kidney-nourishing—pfft, health-nourishing pills. The Sea Market is by the sea, so surely there would be no shortage of fresh fish.

Just as Chen Ci was thinking about something, Lin Qinhu seemed to think of something too and said indifferently: "Don't worry about that Liuyun Palace. That bird-fellow is not an important figure. I have already won the fight this time; to go and kill him now would break the rules. If you were the one competing with him, you wouldn't have this concern. You will understand when you attain the Dao Foundation. This time I suffered a muffled loss; if I don't kill him, I cannot resolve the hatred in my heart. Even if you can't kill this bird-fellow, I will still kill him when I find the opportunity later."

So, this Waterway Superintendent is a dead man sooner or later.

Chen Ci came back to his senses, performed a salute with both hands, and smiled: "Senior Brother misunderstood. A mere spirit beast—I will definitely bring its head to see you in the future. I just felt that the lifespan of such spirit beasts seems to far exceed that of us cultivators, which is a bit strange."

This Lin Laohu is indeed petty. Chen Ci hurriedly found an excuse to explain away his previous distraction.

"Hmm, spirit beasts that can step onto the Dao path are mostly exotic breeds, and their lifespans are indeed longer than ours."

Lin Qinhu also chatted a bit: "Just like that Liuyun Palace Dragon Lord; it is said this is already his second thousand-year lifespan, but his cultivation is only at the Dan Realm. However, their path to Longevity is also somewhat different from ours."

"The path to Longevity is different?"

Now Chen Ci was a bit interested. Could it be that there is more than one path to Longevity in this world? "Lin Shixiong, could you tell me about it?"

Lin Qinhu thought for a moment before speaking slowly: "The sages of antiquity pursued Longevity by understanding Yin and Yang, controlling the five elements, comprehending the He-Luo star patterns, drawing upon the spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth, consuming Qi and practicing arts, and only then attaining the Primordial Spirit. However, in the primordial era, there were god-demon species that were born as Longevity beings. There were also some sages who aimed to pursue the power of ancient gods and demons, refining apertures and exchanging blood to become a god-demon body, immortal and indestructible. Most so-called exotic breeds are spirit beasts that possess some god-demon bloodline, and they walk this path."

Refining apertures and exchanging blood?

Hearing this term, Chen Ci felt a stir in his heart. Could it be that when a mundane technique is practiced to Zhoutian Consummation and True Qi is born, stepping onto the Dao path, one can actually walk two paths to Longevity?

Just like the Stone Lock Hunyuan Art; after a mundane person cultivates Hunyuan True Qi, they can both consume Qi to practice arts and refine apertures to exchange blood.

"Senior Brother, why have I never heard of such a cultivation method?"

Chen Ci thought for a moment and asked the question deep in his heart: "Is there a distinction of high or low between these two methods? Can we human cultivators walk this path to Longevity?"

"As for the method of Longevity, where would there be a distinction of high or low? Those who can attain Longevity are all righteous methods."

Lin Qinhu smiled faintly: "However, this method is mostly passed down among the tribes of the demon kingdoms. Furthermore, the Divine Sects and Demon Gates of the North also cultivate this method. It is said that they have seventy-two True Inheritor righteous methods in their sects, which can form seventy-two types of god-demon bodies. I don't know if it's true or false, but if you ask me, our Primordial Spirit path should still be a notch higher. Firstly, the Liuyun Palace Dragon Lord is switching to the Primordial Spirit method, which is why he is obsessed with the 'Sha Fields' of the Liang Kingdom. Secondly, although this method can also lead to Longevity, since the Divine Sects and Demon Gates stay in the bitter cold lands of the North, there must be some reason for it."

"Oh."

Chen Ci thought about it, and that was indeed the logic. He had just thought he had discovered some blue ocean, but it turned out he had overthought it.

Such minor arts only waste one's energy; it's better not to learn them.

"However, don't you find it familiar if these two paths to Longevity were combined?"

Lin Qinhu suddenly smiled and asked Chen Ci a question.

Familiar?

Chen Ci pondered for a moment and replied uncertainly: "The sect's number one great art, the Seven Kill Primordial Spirit Method?"

"Hmm, this method is a shortcut taken by Ancestor Feng, who took the strengths of both paths. However, he failed to innovate, and although it can extend life, it truly cannot ascend to the hall of elegance."

Speaking of this, Lin Qinhu's tone was slightly regretful.

Perhaps he was tired, or perhaps he thought of the fact that there was no true path to Longevity in the He Mountain Sect. Lin Qinhu's interest waned slightly. He waved his hand, preparing to go back. He had just turned and walked two steps when he stopped and turned back.

"Lin Shixiong, is there anything else?"

Chen Ci was silently digesting the information he had just learned. Xishan Prefecture was still too remote, and his own horizons were too narrow; he still knew too little about the various things in this world. Seeing Lin Laohu turn back, he thought there was something else and raised his hand to ask.

"Nothing, just remembered something from back then..."

Lin Qinhu pondered for a moment and gave a dry laugh: "Just remembered some things from when I was at Baohua Workshop. Do you know how this Treasure Ship operates?"

Without waiting for Chen Ci to answer, Lin Qinhu said it himself: "Baohua Workshop calls it a Treasure Ship, but it is actually a Dharma Ship. Its core is an exotic treasure, the Dharma Seal Furnace, which requires cultivators to fan and control the fire day and night to provide power. It cannot be interrupted for even a half-quarter of an hour. It is truly a bitter chore, but it also earns a lot. One trip pays four catties of Divine Sand; two round trips a month means eight catties of Divine Sand."

Chen Ci: "." No, Old Lin, your train of thought is jumping a bit too far, isn't it?

Could it be that the secret technique used that day had side effects on the brain? That's a bit scary.

"Back then, in order to accumulate resources for cultivation, I spent many years as a Ding-tending warrior. If there was sword-dueling in Xishan Market, I would go duel; if there was no sword-dueling, I would come to run the ship. That period of time..."

Lin Qinhu shook his head and said indifferently, "Since you cultivate the Five Skandhas Yin Demon Method, I will give you one more piece of advice: the method of refining apertures and changing blood is of great benefit to cultivating Five Ghosts Possession, but it is a great hindrance to True Qi cultivation. You must weigh the gains and losses yourself."

Chen Ci was stunned at first, then reacted and bowed to Lin Qinhu, "Thank you for your guidance, Shixiong!"

In the world of low-level cultivators, there is no such thing as an easy path.

He hadn't expected that Lin Shixiong had also once worked and cultivated diligently; Chen Ci had assumed that his path of cultivation was filled with killing and looting every day.

"But what does it mean to be of great benefit to the Five Ghosts Possession Method but a great hindrance to True Qi cultivation? What you mean is, are you telling me to practice it or not?"

Returning to his room, Chen Ci scratched his head. Why had Lin Laohu also started speaking in riddles, failing to get to the point? Was he trying to act like an expert in front of him?

It really gave him a headache.

"I'll wait until I see what the Five Ghosts Possession Great Method is actually like before deciding."

Thinking of this, Chen Ci exhaled a breath of turbid air, gripped a Spirit Pearl, and began to circulate his Qi and perform the method to polish his Nether Yin True Qi; restoring his cultivation first was the right thing to do.

Four days later.

Chen Ci slowly woke from his meditation. The spiritual energy in the Spirit Pearl in his hand had completely faded, returning it to an ordinary bead, but he did not feel it was a pity; he only felt that his Nether Yin True Qi had increased once more.

Five Skandhas Yin Demon Method (Incomplete): 16 (43) / 100

"Whew~ twelve Spirit Pearls down, this speed is quite fast. Calculating this way, I can return to 43 apertures in less than two months, but it will cost one hundred and sixty Spirit Pearls, which really makes one's heart ache."

He did a quick mental calculation; his family assets had instantly decreased by forty percent, and nearly twenty thousand taels of gold had been consumed just like that. It was truly spending money like dirt.

Chen Ci suddenly gasped; he never imagined that one day he would be able to cultivate immortality by "paying to win." This was much more extravagant than his previous cultivation.

*Clang*

Suddenly, a crisp sound came from outside the window. On the Treasure Ship, there were also some noisy sounds; it was very lively.

Chen Ci stood up and opened the window to look. At this moment, the river and sea were vast and boundless, but not far away, there was a landmass covered in buildings and treasure pavilions, and from time to time, figures wrapped in Spirit Light could be seen slowly descending from mid-air.

At a bustling pier, several huge multi-story ships no smaller than 'Baohua Workshop' were docked, and all around were ferries and small boats of various sizes, with pedestrians and cultivators going up and down.

Liangjiang Sea Market had finally arrived.

(End of chapter)