Chapter 103: Life Span Nearly Depleted, He's Almost Dead!

Chapter 103: Life Span Nearly Depleted, He's Almost Dead!

Fat City.

At the end of the bustling street, in a teahouse, Fat Dragon sat by the window, gazing at the fireplace embedded in the table, shivering as he sipped his hot tea. "Isn't the temperature in Fat State a bit too low?"

"This is the first time I've seen a teahouse with a fireplace in the tables."

"No wonder everyone here is so fat."

"Even the thinnest commoners might struggle to survive this winter."

"Speaking of which, Scholar, why did you insist on bringing us here? You mentioned seeing a great treasure, where is it?"

"Here!"

The scholar, brimming with excitement, pointed towards the bustling street below. He laughed as he indicated a woman seated in a palanquin, "This is the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty. You've definitely never seen her before, and not many people have the chance to see the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty. Don't you want to take a look?"

It was dusk.

The street was lively, with the sounds of gongs and drums echoing.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing the scholar's words, Fat Dragon immediately became interested. He leaned out the window and saw a woman sitting in a bright red palanquin. Eight burly, muscular men were exerting themselves, lifting the palanquin and moving it forward step by step along the street with great effort.

With each step, the men's foreheads glistened with an increasing number of sweat beads.

Behind them, a group of people followed, banging gongs and drums, creating a lively atmosphere.

It was like a wedding procession, with the sounds growing louder as they approached.

The woman in the palanquin had a body at least as large as eight or nine women combined. She lay sprawled in the palanquin, and with each step, her overflowing flesh jiggled like waves.

Her legs, chest, and even her belly were hidden from view.

Only her smiling face and a large mound of fat were visible.

"What the heck is this?"

Fat Dragon, somewhat incredulous, pointed out the window at the woman and exclaimed, "You call this the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty? Are you sure she's ranked second on Great Xia's Beauty Ranking?"

"With that figure, if you killed her, the meat would feed the entire nation for three years! Enough for everyone in Great Xia to have meat for three years!"

"Not to mention..."

"If you don't have a three-zhang-long..."

"Even if you shared a bed with her for three years, she'd still be a virgin. Do you believe that?"

"Slap!"

Chen Qiu, sitting across from Fat Dragon, wordlessly picked up a jade fan and swatted Fat Dragon's hand, which was sticking out the window, "Just talk, don't point."

Regardless of her appearance, as the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty, she surely had no shortage of suitors.

He didn't want to cause any trouble due to Fat Dragon's words.

It wasn't that he was afraid of losing a fight.

But it was always better to avoid trouble than to invite it.

"That's an exaggeration."

The scholar shook his head and clicked his tongue, "No need for three zhang, three chi should be enough. It's said that this woman was once an ordinary mortal. One day, she saved up enough money for medicinal pills, broke through to the first layer of Qi Condensation, and suddenly became the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty."

"The previous Celestial Dao's Second Beauty was demoted to the Third Beauty due to her appearance."

"She has the strength to do so."

"And overnight, suitors flocked to her doorstep. It was like she had attained the Dao in a single day."

"Originally, she was extremely unwelcome among her neighbors due to her extreme obesity. The locals would often speak disparagingly of her, and because she was unwilling to go out, she stayed home all day and became even fatter."

"Then, suddenly, she became a Celestial Dao Beauty. It was like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Every day at this time, she would have people carry her in a palanquin and parade her around the city with gongs and drums."

"And she's also looking for a husband, one who truly loves her and is willing to cherish her."

"But in all honesty..."

"What kind of person could truly love a pile of fat?"

"If you wanted to kiss her, you'd have to use your hands to forcefully pull the drooping flesh from her chest to find her lips. So, although she became the Celestial Dao's Second Beauty, she has enjoyed wealth and honor, but she hasn't found a suitable husband."

After hearing the scholar's explanation, Chen Qiu also became curious about the woman in the palanquin below. Although her figure was indeed exaggerated, her smile was gentle and kind.

It wasn't the kind of smile one would expect from a commoner who had suddenly gained power.

Instead, it seemed like a genuinely happy smile.

It was clear that the locals were used to her, as not many people paid attention to the woman. However, some visitors from other places stood on the cobblestone street, gawking in amazement, finding the sight quite peculiar.

"What is this Celestial Dao Beauty's effect?"

Each Celestial Dao Beauty had a unique effect, and anyone who was truly loved by a Celestial Dao Beauty would receive this effect.

The Celestial Dao's Second Beauty would undoubtedly have a remarkable effect.

"Here."

The scholar, with a hint of schadenfreude, pointed to a few men following the palanquin procession. "The man on the left, dressed in a green robe and looking utterly dejected, is the true heir disciple of the Jade Medicine Sect in the capital. The middle-aged man in the center, forcing a smile, is the outer sect's grand elder of the Purple Moon Palace."

"And that old man is the third inner sect elder of Medicine King Mountain."

"Medicine King Mountain is also a highly renowned pill concocting sect in the southern state. All these people following behind are her suitors, hoping to one day marry this Celestial Dao Beauty."

"Without exception, these sects are all pill concocting sects, known for their abundance of pill concocting cultivators."

"Naturally, the effect of this Celestial Dao Beauty is..."

"To grant her husband a tenfold success rate in pill concoction."

"A straightforward and powerful Celestial Dao Beauty effect."

"Otherwise, why would so many pill concocting cultivators, who usually put on airs and are difficult to meet, chase after her? The third inner sect elder of Medicine King Mountain used to be quite domineering, requiring three sets of medicinal ingredients for each pill request, keeping two for himself. And for rare pill recipes, he would demand five sets of ingredients."

"Look at him now, lowering himself to follow behind her."

"Tsk, I'm curious how this old man, who looks like he's about to kick the bucket, could even do anything if he married her."

"Oh?"

Chen Qiu's eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of excitement flashed in his pupils. Indeed, the effect of this Celestial Dao Beauty was quite overpowered. Typically, pill concocting cultivators would consider a three-fold success rate in pill concoction to be quite impressive.

Especially for some high-level pills.

In that furnace, not only one pill, but even if only one pill is formed, it's normal for the furnace to fail.

But if you become the husband of this Celestial Dao Beauty, no matter how difficult it is to refine high-level pills, as long as the pill refinement process is correct, the success rate will increase from one in ten to ten out of ten.

This is not an ordinary improvement.

It's extremely useful when refining high-level pills.

Of course, if you can't form even one pill, then this tenfold success rate won't be of much use.

"The Celestial Dao Beauty effect is really good."

Even Chen Qiu, who is not an Alchemy Cultivator, couldn't help but be tempted after hearing about the Celestial Dao Beauty effect. As for the Alchemy Cultivators, they were probably so excited that they couldn't sleep.

Bringing such a Celestial Dao Beauty home is like bringing home a gold mine.

"Hmm?"

Fat Dragon suddenly thought of something and started browsing the Celestial Dao Beauty Ranking. With a smirk, he said, "Let me see if there's a suitable one for Alchemy Cultivators. Maybe I can find a wife for Qiu Ge and a sister-in-law for us."

Soon—

Fat Dragon's eyes lit up as he found his target: "The 16th-ranked Celestial Dao Beauty on the ranking has a great effect. Her ability allows her husband to speed up his cultivation of magical techniques, allowing him to quickly master multiple Great Perfection Realm spells."

"No good."

The Scholar shook his head. "She already has a husband. It's Qu Qi, the young master of the Qu Family in the Capital State."

"It's fine. The 27th-ranked Celestial Dao Beauty on the list is also suitable for Alchemy Cultivators. Her effect allows her husband to absorb Spirit Energy faster, making it quicker to replenish Spirit Energy and advance in cultivation."

"That one's taken too."

"By whom?"

"Qu Qi, the young master of the Qu Family in the Capital State."

"What about the 33rd-ranked one?"

The Scholar quietly interrupted, "She's also taken."

"You don't mean Qu Qi again, do you?"

"Mhm."

"What about the 43rd-ranked one?"

"Qu Qi."

"Surely the 89th-ranked one isn't Qu Qi, right?"

"Still Qu Qi."

"..."

Fat Dragon looked at the Scholar expressionlessly: "What do you mean? There are only five Celestial Dao Beauties suitable for Alchemy Cultivators on the ranking, and all five of them are married to Qu Qi?"

"His father has a talent for naming."

"Can one man marry five Celestial Dao Beauties?"

"Yes."

The Scholar's expression turned complex. "As long as you're willing and have enough charm, you could even marry all the Celestial Dao Beauties on the ranking. Qu Qi is an Alchemy Cultivator, and he's currently at the initial stage of the Golden Core realm. He just broke through not long ago."

"He's also a strong contender for the top spot on this year's Heaven's Pride Ranking."

"If Qiu Ge participates in the ranking, he'll have a chance to meet Qu Qi."

"The Qu Family is a merchant family, and they have an abundance of Spirit Stones. Qu Qi's father has equipped him with the best defensive Spirit Treasures from head to toe. As for talismans, pills, and array discs, they're in abundance."

"The Qu Family spent a fortune in Spirit Stones to marry Qu Qi to those five women."

"Many in the Capital State said that the effects of those five Celestial Dao Beauties weren't worth so many Spirit Stones."

"What do you think the head of the Qu Family said?"

"The old man of the Qu Family waved his hand dismissively and said, 'No matter how good a Spirit Treasure or powerful a spell is, if Qu Qi can have it, other Alchemy Cultivators can have it too. But when it comes to Celestial Dao Beauties, they're one of a kind! If Qu Qi has one, others won't! This is an eternal gap! An unbridgeable gap!'"

"And so..."

The Scholar continued, "The Capital State created such a miracle, and Qu Qi is the only one in Great Xia to have married five Celestial Dao Beauties as wives. In recent years, the Qu Family has been aggressively acquiring Entry Scrolls suitable for Alchemy Cultivators."

"It can be said that many believe Qu Qi is the hottest candidate for the top spot this year."

"No," Fat Dragon said with a dazed expression. "Can someone who relies solely on Spirit Stones be considered Heaven's Pride?"

The Scholar looked at Fat Dragon with a complex expression. "Then guess why 'Wealth' is ranked first, 'Companion' second, 'Alchemy' third, and 'Earth' fourth?"

"All four are present, and they're all top-notch."

"If this person isn't Heaven's Pride, then who is?"

After some conversation, they sighed, wondering about the greatness of the Celestial Dao Beauty's husband, and then they set off, continuing their journey towards the Endless Ice Plain.

An hour later, night fell, and they arrived at the Endless Ice Plain.

At first glance.

The endless ice plain stretched as far as the eye could see. The cracked soil was frozen together, and just standing there, one could feel the endless cold air rushing towards them. Above the ice plain, dark clouds covered the sky, spanning millions of miles.

Almost all visibility was blocked.

The deeper they went, the darker it became.

At the deepest point, it was as if they had fallen into a cosmic black hole, where all light was absorbed, leaving them unable to see their fingers, losing all sense of touch, and even unable to tell if they were standing on solid ground.

Their mental state would gradually crumble.

The Great Xia's Golden Core Peak Array Cultivator, who had ventured into the Endless Ice Plain years ago, never returned.

"We're here."

The Scholar pointed into the depths of the Endless Ice Plain: "The Heritage Realm is at the edge of the Endless Ice Plain. The temperature there isn't too low, and the light hasn't been completely swallowed, making it a safe area without any danger."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu scanned the surroundings and nodded: "Let's go."

The Spirit Energy in the air was mixed with bone-chilling cold. The constantly rotating Dao Foundation absorbed the Spirit Energy, giving him the illusion that his dantian was about to freeze.

Although he wasn't sure if he could pass the Alchemy Cultivator's heritage trial.

Even though he didn't have high hopes, he still had to go and take a look. After all, even the former Great Xia's First Sword Cultivator, White-Robed Sage, had failed to obtain the Sword Cultivator heritage, so the chances of him acquiring the Law Cultivator heritage were not great.

"Sect Lord Qu."

Inside the Qu family compound, Ji Taiping, dressed in white, sat in a grandmaster chair and turned to the Qu family patriarch with a slight apology, "I had already obtained the Entry Scroll for the 'Tenfold Spellcasting,' but something unexpected happened, and the scroll ended up in someone else's hands."

"However, I've narrowed down who that person is."

"It's Chen Qiu, the Law Cultivator from Fufeng City, who has been quite popular recently."

"But then I received an order from the palace, asking me to go to the Hundred Nations to quell the unrest. I'm a bit too busy to personally handle this matter, so I'll have to trouble you, Sect Lord Qu. Perhaps that kid hasn't crushed the Entry Scroll yet and is planning to sell it for a good price later."

"After all, for a wandering cultivator, Spirit Stones are the most important. For him, a large sum of Spirit Stones would definitely be more valuable than the 'Tenfold Spellcasting' technique."

"Of course."

Sect Lord Qu was a slightly plump and round-faced man. With a hearty laugh, he waved his hand, signaling for a servant to bring over a plate with a Storage Ring lying flat on it. "Since it concerns my son, I'll definitely take it to heart. You go and deal with the unrest, Sword Envoy."

"I'll remember this person."

"Although you couldn't bring back the Entry Scroll, you've been working on this for so long. Please accept this small token of appreciation, and don't refuse it."

Ji Taiping, sitting in the grandmaster chair, scanned the Storage Ring with his Divine Sense, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. Without hesitation, he waved his sleeve and took the Storage Ring into his embrace. Then, he stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Sect Lord Qu."

"It's nothing."

After seeing Ji Taiping off at the gate of the Qu family compound with a hearty laugh, Sect Lord Qu turned around and asked a servant beside him, "How is Qu Qi's mission going?"

"The Heaven's Pride Ranking is about to start, and he still hasn't returned?"

"Reporting to the Sect Lord."

A black-clothed man standing nearby replied in a low voice, "News from the Endless Ice Plain says that the conditions for the Law Cultivator heritage assessment were too harsh. He's already on his way back. The young master plans to return after the Heaven's Pride Ranking to try again for the Law Cultivator heritage."

"Hmm?"

Sect Lord Qu's eyebrows furrowed, "I spent a lot of money to hire a Golden Core Peak old monster to accompany that kid, and even the Grand Elder came out of seclusion to protect them. With two Golden Core Peak cultivators accompanying him, how could they fail to obtain a Law Cultivator heritage?"

"Yes."

The black-clothed man lowered his head and said cautiously, "That heritage realm has existed for over a thousand years. It's not something ordinary people can obtain. So far, no one has ever taken away any of the heritages from there."

"The young master has already made great progress. He has passed the first three trials. After the Heaven's Pride Ranking, he will definitely pass all the assessments and successfully obtain the Law Cultivator heritage."

"That's true."

Sect Lord Qu's frown relaxed, and he laughed, placing one hand behind his back, "Send a message to the 'Qitian Tavern' in the capital to prepare several tables of the finest wine and dishes and have them delivered to our residence. When my son returns, I want to have a good father-son chat with him."

"Also, tell him that I've found another excellent Entry for him, one that suits a Law Cultivator perfectly."

"This time, he must at least rank in the top three of the Heaven's Pride Ranking."

Just then—

"Hey there, Sect Lord Qu."

A middle-aged man with red hair and a red beard, dressed in a long robe, stood at the entrance of the Qu family compound with a slightly unpleasant expression, "I was just about to send someone to inform you, but here you are. Perfect timing, I have something to discuss with you."

"Today is indeed a double celebration."

Sect Lord Qu waved his hand with a hearty laugh, "Bring out the wine! I want to have a good drink with Sect Lord Qiu."

"No need to prepare anything."

The middle-aged man in the gray robe, with his red hair and beard, had a slightly displeased expression as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Something unexpected happened. The nine Dragon Vein Stones you ordered were almost mature, but then some ruffians broke into our Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's forbidden area and took all the Dragon Vein Stones, even the ones that weren't fully mature."

"..."

Sect Lord Qu's smile suddenly froze, and after a moment of silence, he said calmly, "Sect Lord Qiu, are you joking?"

"You should know that Dragon Vein Stones are top-grade materials for forging Law Cultivator treasures!"

"My Qu family has acquired all the top-grade materials used to forge Law Cultivator treasures, and these Dragon Vein Stones are a crucial part of that."

"Are you telling me they're all gone?"

"With you guarding the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's forbidden area, could it be that easy to break in?"

"Or is it that someone offered a higher price, or you don't want to sell them anymore?"

"Not at all."

Sect Lord Qiu sighed and said helplessly, "To put it nicely, I, Qiu Zong, have always been a man of my word. To put it bluntly, no one in Great Xia can afford to offer a higher price than your Qu family."

"The forbidden area was indeed invaded, and all the Dragon Vein Stones were taken."

"I had kept one Dragon Vein Stone for myself to forge a magical tool, but now I'll give it to my nephew."

As he spoke, he took out a two-foot-long jade box from his embrace and handed it over.

"Hmm."

Sect Lord Qu's expression improved slightly, as one Dragon Vein Stone was better than none. He waved his hand to signal a servant to take the jade box, but then he frowned, "Didn't you catch the thief?"

"Your Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's forbidden area shouldn't be that easy to break into, right? How could they have escaped unscathed?"

"No."

Sect Lord Qiu's eyes filled with anger and pain, "That thief left no trace and escaped very quickly. I've already hired people from the Dao Sect to use the Celestial Path Rewind Technique to investigate the scene."

"We'll soon know who the thief is."

"Regardless of who the thief is, I will definitely tear him into pieces and let him experience the Ten Thousand Toxins Devouring Body!"

"No one can take my things without consequences!"

"..."

Sect Lord Qu looked up at Sect Lord Qiu with an expressionless face, "Are you implying something?"

"Bring me a Mysterious Number Storage Ring."

"I dare not."

At the mention of the Mysterious Number Storage Ring, a broad smile spread across Qiu Zongzhu's face, and he nodded in satisfaction.

It was said that in the Qu family's accounting room, there were over a dozen shelves filled with storage rings.

Each storage ring contained a different amount of spirit stones.

From top to bottom, they were arranged in the order of heaven, earth, mystery, and yellow.

The spirit stones in the Mysterious Number Storage Ring were quite a lot. Although they had lost a large number of Dragon Vein Stones, they had at least regained some of their losses, and once the people from the Dao Sect found the missing Dragon Vein Stones, they might even be able to retrieve them.

At the time of departure—

The head of the Qu family looked at Qiu Zongzhu with a serious expression and said, "Ask the people from the Dao Sect to speed up and retrieve the lost Dragon Vein Stones as soon as possible. My son is preparing to rank in the top three on the Heaven's Pride Ranking this time, and then use these materials to forge a Heavenly Dao Artifact that perfectly suits him."

"You know how rare this opportunity is."

"This is a matter of my son's future."

"If we can make it perfect, we should strive for perfection. I don't want to leave any regrets in my son's heart. Nine Dragon Vein Stones are definitely better than one, so I'm counting on you, Qiu Zongzhu, to put in extra effort for this matter."

"There will be a generous reward after the task is completed!"

"Rest assured."

Qiu Zongzhu nodded solemnly and replied, "Qu Qi is also my nephew whom I've watched grow up since he was young. His matters are my matters, and as his uncle, I will naturally do my best for him."

On the Endless Ice Plain.

On a rather luxurious flying boat, a young man lay shirtless on a long chair, casually glancing at the ice plain outside the boat before opening his mouth slightly to eat a peeled grape handed to him by a maid with slender jade-like hands.

He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Fly faster. Every moment spent in this godforsaken place is a waste of life."

"If it weren't for that old man at home insisting that I come here to obtain some Law Cultivator heritage, I wouldn't have wanted to come to this broken place."

"Yes."

The servants beside him nodded in agreement, choosing to ignore the disrespectful words their young master had spoken about his father.

"How boring."

The young man, lying shirtless on the long chair, looked out at the ice plain outside the flying boat, already thinking about finding some amusement after returning. The flying boat was protected by a spirit energy barrier, maintaining a constant temperature inside, unaffected by the cold outside.

His name was Qu Qi.

Three years ago, he had crossed over into this world.

At first, he was quite apprehensive, finding himself in a completely unfamiliar world with the existence of immortals. He wondered if he might be killed at any moment. But he soon recovered his wits, realizing that his fate in this life seemed quite favorable.

In his father's eyes, he was their only son who had suddenly regained consciousness after being foolish for seventeen years.

This was a great blessing.

They showered him with a hundredfold love and affection. In just three years, he had advanced from an ordinary mortal body to the initial stage of the Golden Core. He hadn't even endured much hardship, and cultivation wasn't tiring at all.

He was even too lazy to think about what he needed.

Regardless of what he could think of or what he couldn't, he had it all.

Most people in this life would never get to see a Celestial Dao Beauty, but he had five of them, and he didn't even know what else he was lacking.

All he needed to do was lie down every day, and he would be considered a Golden Core Powerhouse in the eyes of the world.

It was that simple, with no difficulty at all.

"I have to go back and face that old man again."

Lying on the long chair, Qu Qi murmured in a daze. If he had to say what the most painful thing was, it would be that his cheap old man loved to chat with him. Every time they parted and met again, he would act as if he wanted to have a long conversation and share some heartfelt words.

But Qu Qi had no affection for this cheap old man.

Every time he saw his bloated face, he felt repulsed.

Just then—

A divine sense descended from above the flying boat, and it was from the Qu family's Grand Elder.

"A group of people are heading deep into the Endless Ice Plain, apparently aiming for the Heritage Realm."

"No need to bother with them."

Qu Qi shook his head. "In this world, there are always some self-proclaimed geniuses who overestimate their abilities. Not to mention the past, even the former Great Xia's first Sword Cultivator, White Robes, is said to have ventured there several times without obtaining the Sword Cultivator heritage."

"Genius is the cheapest thing in this world."

"Some people are born to stand at the pinnacle of the world."

"This gap in status cannot be bridged by effort alone."

". . ."

The Grand Elder, a Golden Core Peak Cultivator, twitched his lips slightly but said nothing. He had wanted to scold this damned Qu Qi many times!

Just because you crossed over, you think you're so great?

It was just good luck, and you've been acting up for a day.

But he dared not.

The good news was that when he crossed over, he was already at the Golden Core Peak, almost invincible in the world! The bad news was that his lifespan was nearly exhausted, and he was running out of time! Every bit of spirit energy he consumed was like spending his remaining lifespan. He even suspected that he had crossed over when his original body was on the verge of death. Although he hadn't died after crossing over, he was still close to the end.

He was now hanging on by a thread, hoping that someone would achieve Nascent Soul and that he could also achieve Nascent Soul with the help of the Qu family, thus extending his lifespan.

He had crossed over a month earlier than Qu Qi.

At first, he was in closed-door cultivation, and no one could detect his anomaly. But he had witnessed Qu Qi's abnormal behavior and his self-talk, and he saw right through it, though he didn't expose it.

Once he achieves Nascent Soul!

The first thing he'll do is kill Qu Qi!

To make this beast understand that the gap in cultivation cannot be bridged by status!

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end