Six Hundred Years Old

Li Yufu took Qin Sang's words to heart, swearing to diligently pass down the sect's lineage and bring glory to Qingyang Temple. Qin Sang searched through his belongings and brought out the copy of the *Complete Nether Scripture* he had purchased at Youshan Cultivation Market, presenting it to Li Yufu. The basic incantations included in this cultivation method had all been meticulously selected, offering more than enough for Li Yufu to study for quite some time. In addition, Qin Sang selected several items from the pile of unused magic tools in his mustard seed bag to give Li Yufu for self-defense. The finest among them was the Sky-Soaring Shuttle, which had been replaced by the Nether Silk Cloud. If Li Yufu ever found himself in danger, it could be used to escape with his life, and it would serve him well all the way to the Foundation Establishment stage. "Since you address me as your martial uncle, consider these a welcoming gift from me." Qin Sang remarked with no small amount of emotion, "Your current circumstances are far better than mine were when I first set foot upon the immortal path. Remember to cultivate diligently and never grow slack. Senior Yunyouzi has no fondness for the lazy..." Li Yufu nodded vigorously. "This disciple will surely study hard and train tirelessly!" Qin Sang then went on to explain the *Nether Scripture* and basic common knowledge of the cultivation world in detail to Li Yufu. "Once you sense spiritual power, you may use Marrow-Nourishing Decoction to assist your cultivation..." "You are no child, so I need not lecture you on the perils of the world. The cultivation world is no different from the mortal realm: the strong prey on the weak, and deceit runs rife. You have only just stepped onto the path of cultivation and your strength is meager, so remember to keep a low profile in all things. Never show off before others, lest you invite disaster. If you encounter trouble you cannot resolve, take my token and seek refuge at the nearby Han Family Fort; that will ensure your safety..." "The next time I meet Senior Yunyouzi, I will inform him about you. Wait patiently here at Qingyang Temple." After offering incense once more to Daoist Priest Jixin and Mingyue, Qin Sang declined the master and disciple's pleas to stay. He set out under the starry night, rising upon the clouds beneath their reluctant gazes and speeding toward Shaohua Mountain. Along the way, Qin Sang remained lost in thought, taking a long time before he entered meditation. This return to Great Sui had brought regret, sentimentality, and gratification... All manner of emotions welled from the depths of his heart, like a gentle breeze rippling the surface of a pond. At last, Qin Sang slowly closed his eyes, and the waters returned to stillness. The world had changed, and the people of the past were gone. The ties to his former life were severed. ... Shaohua Mountain. With his sect in sight, Qin Sang did not linger. He flew straight past Shaohua Mountain and entered Yuncang Great Marsh. Arriving over a desolate stretch of water, Qin Sang surveyed his surroundings with vigilance before quietly revealing himself. Employing a water-escape technique, he dove deep beneath the surface. He descended all the way to the lake bed. The spiritual energy here was thin, and the underwater expanse was exceptionally barren. Thick silt was overgrown with clumps of aquatic weeds. Qin Sang darted through the vegetation like a swimming fish, skimming toward the location in his memory. Finally, Qin Sang paused. His eyes flashed with divine light as he inspected the area. Compared to any other place, there was nothing peculiar here. Even when Qin Sang swept his spiritual sense over every inch, he could not detect the slightest anomaly. The spirit spring and the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid were hidden right here by him! The spirit vein lay a thousand zhang beneath the silt. Qin Sang had spent a great deal of time meticulously locating this inconspicuous vein. Because the spirit vein was small, isolated, and tightly locked down by the Xuanming Tortoise Shell Formation, it was now concealed to the utmost. Even a Golden Core Master would be incapable of detecting its existence unless they completely overturned the entire area. Although the spirit vein was well hidden and Qin Sang was confident no one would discover it, the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid was simply too precious. While in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, he had been unable to stop worrying about it. Upon his return, the very first thing he did was come to check on the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid. "Still, I should come here as little as possible in the future. The fewer visits, the better, just to be safe..." Qin Sang murmured to himself. Returning to Yuncang Great Marsh, Qin Sang had made no contact with other cultivators, yet from various signs, he could tell the atmosphere in the marsh was indeed tense. Cultivators hurried about, all anxious over how the situation would unfold. Yuncang Great Marsh was vast and boundless. If a major war broke out between the Heaven-Traversing Alliance and the Lesser Cold Domain, it would take place only in the central waters. Unless the Lesser Cold Domain abandoned all resistance and suffered a complete rout, the fighting would not reach this area anytime soon. There was no need to rush to relocate the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, and Qin Sang could not find a more suitable location for the time being anyway. However, Yuncang Great Marsh was now a mixed bag of all sorts, and the major sects had dispatched disciples into the marsh to monitor the situation. If someone with keen eyes noticed his movements on the way, it could expose the existence of the spirit spring. Pondering this, Qin Sang sank into the silt and dove straight down. Reaching the position of the spirit vein, Qin Sang paused, sensed the barrier, opened the Xuanming Tortoise Shell Formation, and slipped inside. A dense surge of spiritual energy washed over him, bringing a look of satisfaction to Qin Sang's face. He eagerly widened his eyes to look at the spirit spring. The cave abode was exceedingly crude and cramped. In the center, what had once been a boulder had been hollowed out by Qin Sang and planted with the spirit spring object. By now, a pool of clear spring water had manifested, and in its center, the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid swayed gracefully. The moment he laid eyes on the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation of surprise, his expression turning to one of delight. Originally, the orchid had possessed seven petals, completely purple, resembling a Snow-Covered Ink Orchid. Now, every single petal had wrapped tightly together into a bud, and the deep purple hue had faded considerably. "This is... it has reached the end of the seventh transformation and is beginning to brew the eighth!" Qin Sang was overjoyed. The insights left behind by that master alchemist contained detailed descriptions of each transformation of the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid. During the eighth transformation, all color would fade away entirely, leaving the petals a pure white. By the ninth transformation, when the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid fully matured, even its form would shift into that of the most common orchid. This process could truly be called returning to simplicity and nature. Once all the purple vanished and the petals bloomed again, the eighth transformation would be complete. Provided the spiritual energy remained rich and the herb's growth was unhindered, only the final transformation would remain before maturity—which would take five hundred years. Right now, the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid had likely only recently closed into a bud. Qin Sang calculated in his mind that in another twenty to thirty years or so, it would begin its eighth transformation. By then, he would be precisely a hundred years old. In other words, even if no mishaps occurred along the way, he would have to wait until he was six hundred years old for the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid to mature. Yet the lifespan of a Core Formation cultivator was merely five hundred years. "Six hundred years old... Will I have to seek out longevity-extending pills...?" Qin Sang felt a tremendous headache coming on. In the cultivation world, pills that could extend one's lifespan by twenty to thirty years were fought over by everyone. What did a hundred years of life even mean? Furthermore, it was said that such pills could not simply be stacked indefinitely, as their medicinal efficacy diminished with use. "I can only take it one step at a time. I haven't even formed my core yet; overthinking it now is pointless." "In any case, the Du'e Pill cannot be missed. A twenty percent boost to the chance of Nascent Soul formation is far too enticing and vital to me. Whether by extending my lifespan or finding a way to accelerate the herb's growth, I must find a way!" Qin Sang clenched both fists tightly. Crouching beside the pool, he gazed at the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid for a while longer. Then Qin Sang sealed the cave abode once more, quietly traveled a fair distance beneath the earth, and flew off on his escape light.