Chapter 120: Chapter 28: Five Years of Cultivation

Golden Core Perfection, lifespan exceeding five hundred years, one step further and you become a Nascent Soul True Monarch, with a lifespan reaching a thousand years!

Li Jizhou couldn’t help but show a trace of envy in his eyes.

“In this life, this is the goal!”

However, this also made Zhang Ruoyu and Li Jizhou slightly surprised. Supreme Elders basically guard the sect and only act unless there is a calamity threatening the sect, why would they rush to the direction of the Inverted Mountain?

“Could it be that Inverted Mountain has discovered a Nascent Soul level opportunity that even attracts Supreme Elders?” The two nodded simultaneously almost at the same time.

But neither harbored any coveting thoughts.

Zhang Ruoyu’s greatest advantage is patience. To increase his Core Formation probability and enhance the quality, he has been continually accumulating reserves during the Foundation Establishment stage, gathering core formation spiritual objects. Anyway, he practices the Health Cultivation Skill and is proficient in medicine. Dietary supplements, medical supplements, cultivation supplements, and over the years he has consumed several Lifespan Extension Pills, allowing his lifespan to have already surpassed the typical limit of Foundation Establishment stage.

Core Formation requires the body’s vitality, basically at the latest by the age of one hundred and sixty. Compared to the lifespan of two hundred and twenty-three during Foundation Establishment, the body’s vitality is still in a relatively vigorous phase.

Yet, given Zhang Ruoyu’s centennial health cultivation plus having consumed many Longevity Fruits and never having fought anyone, keeping all bodily functions intact, he estimates he can push it to one hundred and eighty years.

His top-grade Spirit Root absorbs Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi at a decent speed during Core Formation, inherently providing a twenty percent success rate,

mainly cultivates top-grade techniques, and the speed of refining Spiritual Qi during Core Formation can keep up with the speed of Solidifying Pill, adding another ten percent to the chance.

This provides a thirty percent chance for Core Formation.

As an elder-level figure in the Golden Sun Sect and a third-tier physician, he is bound to have Crystal Condensing Pills, possibly even top-grade ones, further increasing the chances by twenty percent.

With a fifty percent chance, at worst he can form a Fake Pill.

However, a ten percent chance of Fake Pill basically cuts off the future path, leaving no possibility of further advancement, and lifespan and magical power are halved compared to a True Core.

He certainly does not aim for a Fake Pill,

but if there are no other spiritual objects for Core Formation, unable to further increase the chance, the probability of forming a True Core becomes quite small.

Moreover, if the Core Formation probability does not reach ten percent, then you cannot pursue the quality of the core, at most forming a True Core.

As for the Golden Core, Immortal Golden Core, they are not even hopeful.

This will greatly reduce the hope for future Nascent Soul achievement!

As for Li Jizhou, it’s even simpler. As long as he steadily progresses, in possession of such rare core formation spiritual objects like Celestial Pure Water, he just needs to refine a high-quality Crystal Condensing Pill to have a ten percent certainty for Core Formation, and the core formation quality does not need urgent attention for now.

Seeing off Zhang Ruoyu, Li Jizhou arrived at the Celestial Pool’s edge, feeling the mild breeze, sitting cross-legged.

Holding in hand a Lifespan Extension Pill.

Typically, this middle-grade Lifespan Extension Pill can extend life by ten years, for regular cultivators it can delay blood vitality aging by ten years, postponing the optimal time for major realm advancement by ten years.

But for Li Jizhou, extending ten years of life also equates to an additional ten Spirit Root points in the next life.

Calming his mind, aligning his state with Heaven and Earth.

Then he swallowed the Lifespan Extension Pill in one gulp.

Once the Lifespan Extension Pill enters, it dissolves, a trace of qi containing the scent of time slowly merges into the Dantian.

Li Jizhou looked within the Dantian, carefully observing the changes within.

Only to see the qi from the Lifespan Extension Pill entering the Dantian, instantly devoured by three layers of annual rings.

For a moment, Li Jizhou witnessed the originally lush three layers of annual rings become even more verdant after devouring the Lifespan Extension Pill’s qi, though it was fleeting, soon reverting to their initial state, yet the annual rings noticeably gained slight enhancement.

Li Jizhou nodded inwardly, understanding.

The annual ring itself converts the power of time year after year.

While the Lifespan Extension Pill abruptly brings ten years of time power, it is indeed a supplement for annual rings.

“Reincarnation Treasure Mirror!”

With a stir of the Sea of Consciousness, Li Jizhou checked the lifespan change after consuming the Lifespan Extension Pill.

Lifespan: 「46/320.」

Indeed, the lifespan limit increased by ten years.

Then he perceived the annual ring characteristics.

The lifespan perception ability of the first layer of annual ring saw an increase in distance.

The infinite vitality of the second layer of annual ring saw an increase in total amount.

The mind condensation power of the third layer of annual ring also saw a total increase.

“Not only extending life but also enhancing annual ring characteristics! Excellent!”

The Lifespan Extension Pill gave Li Jizhou an extra surprise.

This provided him additional goals for future planning.

Retracting his emotions, the sight of Black Xuan lying on its back sunbathing caught Li Jizhou’s attention.

Ever since the puppet alchemy child replaced it, it has been living more comfortably.

Moreover, it seems its aura is gradually nearing the breakthrough to the Tier Two Mid Stage.

“To enjoy life without worry and constantly improve… enviable indeed!”

If one could upgrade by lying down like Black Xuan, who wouldn’t want to lie down?

“In this life, work hard, lay a solid foundation for the next, and the next life will be much easier!” Encouraging himself, Li Jizhou returned to a peaceful and leisurely cultivation life.

Five years later.

“Talisman Tier Two Perfection! This exquisite Celestial Halberd Talisman can rival the full force strike of Late Stage of Foundation Establishment!” Li Jizhou looked at the talisman in his hand, containing a powerful offensive aura, showing a delighted expression.

Having this talisman in hand, he can face Late Stage of Foundation Establishment head-on!

The only drawback is its high cost,

Tier Two high-grade talisman materials require at least Tier Two Demon Beast or Spirit Wood, and also need quasi-third-tier demon beast blood to make Spiritual Ink, costing nearly a thousand per talisman.

Fortunately, Bai Yi’s diligent work over the years, ceaselessly refining pills day and night.

Although they are beginner pills, the quantity is sufficient, with monthly profits exceeding five hundred, providing Li Jizhou with continuous financial support.

Moreover, within these five years, Tier One array has reached perfection as well,

but concerning the current Foundation Establishment stage strength, Tier One array appears somewhat weak, taking time to seek Tier Two array inheritance.

Puppet crafting is difficult to start, but becomes easier with experience. With the detailed guidance from Hua Yanshi, over five years, Li Jizhou has already created two Tier Two initial-level puppets, successfully advancing to a Tier Two artificer.

Tier Two puppets possess the strength of the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, but due to the lack of a demon core, they have yet to blend one during crafting, thus not exhibiting the full potential of Tier Two puppets.

For this reason, he’s in no rush, planning to blend a demon core only upon reaching the advanced level of Tier Two artificer.

During these five years, Li Jizhou has also refined his artifact refining skills, absorbing Han Zhen’s experienced insights, becoming proficient in Tier One artifact refining,

and having an understanding of array formations allows him to effortlessly inscribe array patterns during refining, making it seem quite easy.

However, there is still a way to go in refining his personal magical artifact.

Forging within the dantian and outside are quite different.

His goal in studying artifact refining is not for profit, but solely to refine a personal magical artifact.

“Black Xuan, come!”

Taking out the two puppets, Li Jizhou summoned Black Xuan.

The two puppets, one attacks, one defends.

One wields a dark long blade, its figure agile.

One holds a half-human tall shield, its figure robust.

Black Xuan glanced at the two puppets and didn’t take them seriously.

“Go!” Li Jizhou directed with his divine sense, and the two puppets charged forward.

“Quack!” Black Xuan crouched on the spot, eyes in its back suddenly opened, an invisible energy wave quickly enveloping the two puppets.

This was Black Xuan’s biggest trump card.

However, Li Jizhou only glanced at it disdainfully.

That creature’s intelligence is still limited, not knowing puppets have no sea of consciousness, thus unaffected by illusions.

“Quack!” Seeing the large blade coming, Black Xuan quickly fled underground.

The next second, it emerged three zhang away, a hint of anger in its eyes.

“Poof~” The tongue shot out instantly.

“Bang!” The shield puppet raised the shield and rushed to the front.

However, the next moment, the shield puppet was knocked flying.

The black blade puppet raised its blade to chop Black Xuan’s tongue.

A burst of sparks flew, Black Xuan’s tongue remained unscathed.

In the next moment, Black Xuan burrowed underground again.

But this time, it wasn’t escaping.

Instead, it appeared under the feet of the blade puppet, coiled it with its tongue, and then immediately dived underground again.

“Enough!” Li Jizhou hurriedly stopped it.

The two Tier Two puppets cost two thousand spirit stones.

“Quack quack~” Black Xuan grinned, winking at Li Jizhou.

“As expected of a demon beast approaching the Tier Two Mid Stage!” Li Jizhou nodded to himself.

Yet, he resolved to make a trip to the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain market.

Five years ago, Black Xuan’s aura was already at the brink of breakthrough.

After five years have passed, it still hasn’t broken through.

It’s time to buy it some demon beast advancement pills.

After testing the puppets, Li Jizhou looked towards the distant Little Turtle Peak.

Since three years ago, it has become busier, with sect disciples seemingly going there for treatment every day.

Moreover, up until now, the Supreme Elder of the Golden Sun Sect has not returned.

Li Jizhou speculated there might’ve been changes in the underground treasury of the Inverted Mountain.

Another matter also caught Li Jizhou’s attention.

Two years ago, the official gazette suddenly reported cultivators mysteriously disappearing nationwide.

And eventually, it was discovered that every missing person was cultivating a technique called “Nine Nether Swift Flame.”

This reminded Li Jizhou of the scene eleven years ago when he first saw this cultivation technique in the market during his initial Foundation Establishment.

He only felt its level and price didn’t match, not thinking further.

But now, considering the disappearance of many who practiced this technique.

He speculated this technique could belong to some kind of demon skill.

During his years in the Immortal City, besides cultivation, he perused practically all available recorded materials.

And gained more knowledge about this world.

On the traditional path of cultivation requiring talent and resources, many lacking in aptitude and unable to seize resources naturally resort to crooked means.

After years and generations of development, indeed some aberrations have created some unconventional demon skills in the world.

Some practice with blood sacrifices, some through self-destruction, others through slaughter, worship… various methods emerge endlessly in pursuit of power.

However, these paths not recognized by the Great Dao often end poorly.

Being too heinous, they result in widespread denunciation, forever lurking in dark, cold corners.

Li Jizhou, combining his prior perusal of this Nine Nether Swift Flame technique and reports from the Celestial Secret Tower’s gazette, speculated this technique might have a devouring ability.

The introduction at the time mentioned that the Nine Nether Swift Flame, upon achieving Qi Cultivation completion, can spawn a Nether Swift Flame, comparable in power to an ordinary cultivator at the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment.

At the Foundation Establishment Stage, it can spawn a second Nether Swift Flame…

When the Nine Nether Flames are fully realized, they can incinerate the heavens and boil the seas, scorching the firmament!

Of course, Li Jizhou suspected this technique might have never given birth to the zenith of the Nine Nether, likely just an imaginary concept.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep