Chapter 167

At this moment, in a secret chamber within the Yao Family Mansion.

A group of white-haired elders was concentrating on studying the Marrow Washing Pill bought from the auction.

There were two and a half pills in total; the other half of this Spirit Gathering Pill, which had been split down the middle, was in the hands of the Dan Clan.

Every elder had their eyes wide open, staring fiercely at the few Marrow Washing Pills, their eyes filled with fanaticism.

At this moment, the oldest elder was holding that half of the Marrow Washing Pill in his palm, his eyes almost pressed against it. The more he looked, the more excited he became, his face flushed with excitement, and in the end, his whole body was actually trembling.

This group of Gu King-level old fellows actually didn't go to the auction but instead hid here to study low-grade spirit pills.

The Yao Family Head revealed a bitter smile after looking at these research fanatics. Seeing them so focused, he still couldn't help but speak up to disturb them: "Several Ancestors, the Gu King special auction has already begun. Shouldn't we go and join in the fun?"

"The pill business is a windfall profit. We earn massive wealth just by selling King-Breaking Pills that increase the breakthrough rate for Gu Kings. Our clan is the wealthiest in the entire Western Lands; we absolutely have the strength to bid for that Living Wood."

The several elders were still focused on studying those few Marrow Washing Pills and didn't even turn their heads to look at him.

That oldest elder stared fixedly at the half Marrow Washing Pill, and after a long time, finally said: "No need. Even if you bid for that thing with spirit stones, it might not be yours. Coveting that thing is too risky."

"If very few people knew about that Living Wood, we could try our luck."

"But now the whole city is in an uproar, and everyone in the world knows about it. How could I dare to want this hot potato?"

The Yao Family Head frowned and hurriedly said: "But Ancestor, your lifespan is already running low. The Living Wood is enough to increase your lifespan by at least five hundred years."

Yao Chen finally looked at him and said earnestly: "For the sake of my own interests, to drag the family into a vortex of war—do you want me to become a sinner of the family?"

"To live five hundred years longer for myself, I would stake the fate of the family. How could I, Yao Chen, be such a selfish person? Do not speak of this again. I would rather forgo the chance for longevity than let the family be anything but absolutely secure."

"What does living five hundred years longer matter? Since I cannot pursue the ultimate Dao, dying early or dying late is the same."

Once these words were spoken, everyone in the room looked at him with admiring eyes, feeling moved.

Faced with a life-or-death choice, who would choose death and give up life? Yet Yao Chen had done it.

He was the strongest in the Yao Clan; whether to fight for that Living Wood was entirely his decision. Yet he had given up the opportunity without hesitation. Everyone felt sincere admiration, and the eyes they looked at him with were full of respect.

"Hmph! No matter who wins that Living Wood, it will eventually trigger a great melee. Gu Kings nearing the end of their lifespan are irrational; they are capable of anything. It would be strange if they didn't strike to seize it. Let that group of people fight over it."

"With this time, I might as well study this half Marrow Washing Pill. In my eyes, this half Marrow Washing Pill is far more valuable than that Living Wood."

After Yao Chen finished speaking, everyone's attention was diverted to the half Marrow Washing Pill in his hand.

"Did the Ancestor notice something? Does this Marrow Washing Pill really have high reference value that can be used by our clan?"

The Family Head showed a look of surprise. Yao Chen's statement that its value was higher than the Living Wood really shocked him. This evaluation was too high; could the value of this half pill really exceed that of a Living Wood? Was the Ancestor not exaggerating?

Seeing everyone's skeptical expression, Yao Chen smiled: "It certainly has reference value, but whether it can be used by our clan is hard to say. It can be said to be very difficult."

"You should know that for the same pill formula, when different people refine this same pill, the medicinal effect is completely different."

"Take the Hemostatic Pill, for example. Even though the materials used are exactly the same, some people refine Hemostatic Pills with stronger medicinal power, while others refine ones with very poor effects. They are all Hemostatic Pills, but the difference in medicinal power between them can be worlds apart."

"The difference existing in the same type of pill was called 'fusion degree' in the distant past; this is a term belonging to the pill world."

"However, during the Age of Gods, there was a dark period of severed laws, and most inheritances were lost during that time, including most alchemy techniques."

"So nowadays, the term 'fusion degree' is rarely used, and most people don't even know what it is."

"Fusion degree is the classification of the same pill, divided into one to ten levels."

"The higher the fusion degree of the pill, the stronger the medicinal power; the lower the fusion degree, the weaker the medicinal power."

"The level of fusion degree is often reflected in proficiency and alchemy technique."

"This explains why pills refined by novices are far inferior to those of high-grade alchemists."

"But three parts of the fusion degree depend on proficiency, and seven parts depend on alchemy technique."

"Alchemy techniques and methods are things that are kept secret and are not things that an alchemist can increase just because they want to."

"Even as the number one alchemist in the Western Lands, refining a spirit pill with a seven-level fusion degree is already my limit, and it requires extremely high luck to possibly succeed."

"And the fusion degree of these three Marrow Washing Pills is, without exception, a shocking ten levels."

"Do you know what a ten-level fusion degree concept is? Only when every step of pill refining is done one hundred percent perfectly, without a single flaw in any step, is it possible for a pill with a ten-level fusion degree to appear."

"How could this be something a normal person can easily do?"

"And this person can easily do it, which is enough to show that this alchemist has mastered alchemy techniques far beyond mine. The alchemy technique he mastered can greatly improve the fusion degree of pills."

"However, wanting to crack such a technique just from the pills is a very difficult thing to do. I really want to visit this alchemy genius now."

Yao Chen's eyes were fiery, revealing a look of admiration. He suddenly looked at the Yao Family Head and hurriedly asked: "How did the matter I asked you to inquire about go? Did you find out the origin of that alchemy genius?"

The Family Head smiled bitterly: "How could I possibly find out? The Qian Clan Merchant Association is the most honest merchant association in the world; it is impossible for them to expose any information about the seller."

"Their attitude toward integrity is simply exaggerated. This time, the Living Wood is such a heaven-defying treasure, and they clearly have it in their hands, yet they didn't take the opportunity to deduct even a bit of bark."

"You must know that the Qian Clan Merchant Association has many Gu King-level ancestors whose time is running out and who urgently need the bark of the Living Wood to extend their lives."

"Yet even in such a situation, they never commit theft, and even if they watch their own Gu King-level ancestors die, they never move a single bit of that Living Wood."

"In their eyes, the value of integrity actually exceeds that of several Gu King-level ancestors of the family. Being this trustworthy is simply terrifying; I truly admire them to the point of prostration."

"How could I possibly ask for information about that alchemy genius from such a trustworthy merchant association?"

"Furthermore, the people of the Qian Clan Merchant Association really don't know the identity of that alchemy genius."

"According to Qian Duoduo, that alchemy genius only reveals his eyes every time he trades with the Qian Clan Merchant Association. They have no idea of this person's identity. You also know that the merchants of the Qian Clan Merchant Association cannot lie."

……

At this moment, on the highest spire of the Long Clan residence, Long Xuan looked at the person who suddenly appeared behind him, revealing a look of surprise.

"Master, why are you here?"

That's right, the person who came was none other than Long Lao. After the Space Hut was placed in a hall of the Western Lands Long Clan, people from the Extreme West Long Clan could crawl over from this Space Hut at any time. It wasn't surprising that Long Ao could suddenly appear here.

"Ziyan hasn't been home for a long time, so I came to see my daughter. Is that not allowed?" Long Lao walked over and said with a straight face.

Hearing this, for some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of guilt in his heart. He shouldn't have discovered the matter between him and Long Ziyan yet, right?

But what he feared came to pass. Long Lao had a straight face, and his expression was terrifyingly dark: "Ziyan has already told me everything. Not bad, you brat. Ziyan clearly swore that she would never talk about romantic affairs in this life. How could your charm be so great that she would not hesitate to break her own oath?"

"What about the promise not to eat the grass by the nest? My tender cabbage was actually arched by you, this pig. It's my fault; I shouldn't have let the wolf into the house. I also shouldn't have let you go to your Senior Sister for advice when you didn't understand something, creating an opportunity for you."

Hearing this, Long Xuan shrank his neck, feeling even more guilty. Why did Long Ziyan tell him everything? Wasn't it bad to hide such things? Now it was so awkward.

"That... we are in mutual love, our hearts are in tune, we are truly in love, I will definitely treat her well..." Long Xuan didn't know what to say, so he could only say whatever came to mind.

Long Lao nodded, sat beside him, looked up at the starry sky, and suddenly sighed.

"I don't oppose her falling in love. She can find her own happiness, and I should be happy for her."

"But! Do you know that she has the Nine Yin Intercepting Body and is born with a shorter lifespan than others?" Long Lao suddenly changed his tone and looked at him with an extremely serious gaze.

Long Xuan was stunned. He really didn't know that she had the Nine Yin Intercepting Body.

It is rumored that those who possess the Nine Yin Intercepting Body have to race against time. Every possessor of the Nine Yin Intercepting Body has the most terrifying cold energy in the world, the Nine Yin Cold Qi; all ice-attribute abilities in their hands are multiplied by more than ten times.

The combat power of the Nine Yin Intercepting Body is extremely exaggerated. It is one of the ten great odd bodies, as famous as the Ten Extremes Body, and is also known as invincible among the same rank.

But while people with this constitution obtain invincible combat power, it comes at the cost of a short lifespan.

Long Xuan tidied up his attire, pushed the door open, and walked in with his head held high.

It is rumored that once a possessor of the Nine Yin Intercepting Body lives a long life, they are invincible. Once Long Ziyan learns the Longevity Sutra, it is simply a perfect match. Once the heaven-defying combat power of the Nine Yin Intercepting Body is no longer bound by lifespan, it will be unstoppable in the future and soar into the sky.

He didn't expect that Long Ziyan already had sword bones and would also possess the Nine Yin Intercepting Body. No wonder her lifespan wasn't high in the progress bar.

Although he didn't know about Long Ziyan's Nine Yin Intercepting Body, he did know about her short lifespan, but he didn't take it to heart.

In his view, a short lifespan was a problem? There were too many things in this world that could increase lifespan.

Not to mention anything else, just the bark of that Living Wood could increase lifespan by five hundred years. There were simply too many similar treasures that could increase lifespan.

If the lifespan wasn't enough, then supplement it. How simple a matter. Long Xuan truly didn't take Long Ziyan's short lifespan to heart.

He was completely standing and talking without back pain at this moment. There were indeed many treasures that could increase lifespan, but which one could a normal person easily obtain?

Even for a peak Gu King, finding treasures that increase lifespan was an extremely difficult thing, let alone for those at lower realms.

If increasing lifespan were really that easy, wouldn't the emperors of this world all be able to have long lives? That was clearly an impossible thing.

This Living Wood alone was enough to make numerous Gu Kings break their heads fighting for it, and it was unknown how many Gu Kings would fall because of it. How could increasing lifespan by five hundred years be such an easy thing?

If you want to covet those five hundred years of life, you must be prepared to lose your life. It's not as easy as Long Xuan says.

(End of chapter)