Chapter 654: The Green Emperor's Longevity
Chapter 654: The Green Emperor's Longevity
"This Eastern Mountain Ao is quite impressive..."
"That white fox has already cultivated to the Essence Spirit stage, and it seems to have awakened a trace of Azure Peak bloodline... In the future, it could develop in the direction of Charm Art..."
Treasure Palace.
In the main hall.
Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons sat on jade seats, sipping tea and wine, occasionally commenting on the disciples who came to seek guidance.
Ao Xin casually praised the white fox, but in her heart, she thought: 'A mix of good and bad, a gathering of fish and dragons... This grand opening of the sect is merely a temporary measure... It’s far inferior to the population growth in the small world of the sect, where loyal disciples are selected and cultivated from a young age...'
'But, my Boundless Mountain seems to be in a similar situation...'
On the other hand, Seven Kill, looking at a scene projected by a mystic light mirror, had a thought: 'This Yi Ling is a real killer... Unfortunately, his lifespan is not long.'
Most of the Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons in the hall were paying attention to Yi Ling.
After all, those who could become Essence Spirit overlords were even rarer than Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons.
And unless deliberately challenged, any test for the Essence Spirit realm should be easily passed by an Essence Spirit overlord!
Yi Ling was a scholar, dressed in white, with a handsome appearance, holding a plum blossom in his hand, and a touch of gray in his temples.
He transformed into a beam of light, moving faster than any other challenger, and had already reached the final platform.
On the platform stood only a Green-Scaled Snake Woman, holding a whip.
"A Heavenly Demon puppet?"
Yi Ling was a bit surprised: 'The Master of the Treasure Palace truly has vast resources, even possessing such a puppet...'
He had come to seek refuge under the Black Dragon Demon Emperor, harboring a bit of ambition.
His lifespan was running out, and breaking through as an Essence Spirit overlord was notoriously difficult.
With the Treasure Palace newly established, he might have a chance to become the founding disciple.
Even if it was just for the sake of a thousand gold horses, the Black Dragon Demon Emperor wouldn’t let him die of old age, would he?
Moreover, he would serve the Treasure Palace with all his heart, even after breaking through.
After all, finding such a solid backing as the Treasure Palace was quite difficult.
For a wandering cultivator, this level of loyalty was already enough.
But seeing that Heavenly Demon puppet, Yi Ling's heart sank. He felt he might have overestimated himself.
His value wasn’t as significant as he had imagined!
'Could it be that the Black Dragon Demon Emperor doesn’t look favorably upon me and is preparing to eliminate me directly?'
Yi Ling felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
He was just an ordinary Essence Spirit overlord, equivalent to the first or second level of a Heavenly Immortal.
Facing a third-level Heavenly Immortal or higher, he would be defeated.
"Endure ten strikes from me, and you can pass this platform and enter the sect."
Fortunately, Green Servant's next words relieved Yi Ling: "Thank you... But was this also the final test for those mortals?"
"Of course not, I will only be one minor realm above your own strength."
Green Servant smiled lightly.
"One minor realm?"
Yi Ling's expression stiffened, and then he felt a burst of fourth-level Heavenly Demon power. A hint of bitterness and determination appeared on his face: "Seven Stars Secret Technique, Ignite!"
The plum blossom in his hand emitted a life-force aura...
Whips lashed through the air, dispersing the plum blossom.
After a few breaths.
"Ten strikes have passed, congratulations."
Green Servant's figure disappeared.
Yi Ling remained, looking at the now bare branch in his hand, with a wry smile on his face:
'Actually a peak Heavenly Demon puppet...'
'This Treasure Palace, I’ve come to the right place.'
...
Outside the Treasure Palace, Yi Ling tidied his robes and entered the main hall.
Instantly, the gazes of numerous Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons converged on him.
Yi Ling seemed oblivious, but when he met Fang Xing's eyes, his body trembled, and he bowed deeply: "Disciple Yi Ling, sincerely seeks to join the Treasure Palace, please accept me as a disciple..."
"Yi Ling?"
Fang Xing smiled: "Your talent is good, you can be my registered disciple..."
Being a registered disciple was similar to a teacher-student relationship in modern society. You could call it a master-disciple relationship, but it was too tenuous to have any significant consequences.
Therefore, powerful cultivators often took many registered disciples, while true disciples and lineage disciples were chosen with great caution.
"Hiss..."
A chorus of gasps arose from the crowd.
"An Essence Spirit overlord, in terms of status, is almost on par with us, and he is only a registered disciple?"
"This Black Dragon Demon Emperor is so strict in accepting disciples?"
"This will be interesting. It’s said that Yi Ling has always been proud and has even rejected the invitations of many powers. Will he choose to leave now?"
"Hehe, my friend, you’re overthinking it. If it were four or five thousand years ago, that might be the case... But now, Yi Ling is over nine thousand years old..."
An old Heavenly Immortal smiled.
With endless lifespan, he had seen many short-lived species.
Even Essence Spirit overlords only had ten thousand years of life!
Once dead, they were nothing.
Therefore, except for a few heroic figures, most Essence Spirit overlords in their later years would seek various ways to break through their bottlenecks.
Yi Ling had always been carefree, but now he had come to seek guidance, clearly falling into the latter category.
Bang!
He immediately bowed: "Disciple greets Master!"
"Good!"
Fang Xing nodded. After all, Yi Ling was a valuable asset, a dominant Essence Spirit with the power of a Heavenly Immortal. Once taken under his wing, there was no need for much guidance; just toss him a few manuals to practice. Besides his age, which made him less useful as a laborer, he was otherwise quite acceptable.
Moreover, there were ways to address even that issue.
"Since you are the first to seek my guidance, your sincerity is commendable. As your Master, I shall grant you a piece of the 'Emperor Green Heartwood.' Once you refine this, it will extend your lifespan by three to five thousand years..."
Fang Xing smiled faintly, and with a wave of his hand, a green heartwood appeared.
An aura of life immediately radiated from it.
"This... this is the heartwood of the Emperor Green’s own body? Even for those in the Chaotic Realm, it is a rare treasure."
"To extend the life of a mere Essence Spirit, this is such a waste!"
Many Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons present cast covetous glances at Yi Ling, as if they wished to snatch him away. Indeed, if they weren't in the Treasure Palace, they might have acted on their urges.
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"
Yi Ling was dazed by the unexpected gift. While he had come to seek guidance for breakthroughs and longevity, he had expected Fang Xing to test him, perhaps using him as a laborer for a while before accepting him. Some less scrupulous sects might even use him until he died, then act as if nothing had happened.
But with no other options and the Treasure Palace’s first intake, he had decided to give it a try.
He never expected such a sudden and pleasant surprise!
Fang Xing was indifferent, not worried about losing a laborer.
'An Essence Spirit dominant is perfect... in this Green Essence Great Realm, many mystical realms can only be entered by Essence Spirits, making them perfect laborers...'
By Fang Xing's standards, even with an additional five thousand years, it was unlikely Yi Ling would break through.
Essence Spirit dominants were tragic figures; if they could break through to the Heavenly Immortal or Heavenly Demon stage, they would rarely linger at this level for long.
'Unless... I invest heavily in his cultivation.'
'That... depends on his fortune. If he can acquire something that truly moves me, elevating him to the Heavenly Immortal realm is not out of the question.'
'I’ve already paid the price...'
Fang Xing mused to himself.
Soon after, others like Dongshan Ao and Baisan Hu entered the palace and performed the formalities of the apprentice ceremony. Fang Xing accepted them all, but none were taken as personal disciples, only as named disciples, which left the Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons somewhat speechless.
"Senior, your standards are truly high..."
Ao Xin, who had some prior acquaintance with Fang Xing, spoke more freely: "You don’t even consider Yi Ling or the cultivator with the Heavenly Moon Constitution?"
"Heh heh, I choose my disciples based on affinity."
Fang Xing glanced at the rows of named disciples and cleared his throat: "The Treasure Palace has countless techniques and treasures... there are twelve slots for Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Demons. You must strive to earn them."
These words left the Wahuang Hall cultivators with sour expressions.
Those in the know, however, rubbed their hands in anticipation, recognizing a golden opportunity.
Once the twelve Heavenly Immortals were in place, breaking through without the Treasure Palace’s abundant resources would be exceedingly difficult.
"Senior, which disciple do you favor?"
Ao Xin scanned the crowd, curious.
"Cast a wide net... but currently, the disciple with the Herbwood Constitution is quite promising."
Fang Xing casually pointed to someone.
Ao Xin looked and saw a young human in green robes, with an ordinary appearance.
While the Herbwood Constitution was a decent spiritual talent, it was far less powerful than the Heavenly Moon Constitution, which remained useful even at the thirteenth stage of Heavenly Immortal and Heavenly Demon.
She was a bit skeptical.
"In the Treasure Palace, we have a technique called the 'Emperor Green Longevity Art.' I believe it would suit this disciple quite well."
Fang Xing explained with a faint smile.
After obtaining the Emperor Green’s longevity tree, he had conducted extensive research. He was now experimenting with how to cultivate seeds from the tree.
Once the seeds matured, they could be given to cultivators, who could use the Druid's talent to grow them into their own Sacred Plants, potentially breaking the natural limits of this world and allowing Essence Spirits to live for over ten thousand years.
Of course, this technique was still in its early stages, and its success would depend on his own efforts.
'Observing the myriad paths is to prepare for the opening of new paths...'
Fang Xing looked at the sea of disciples below, feeling a mix of pity and determination.
Many of these disciples would likely become cannon fodder on his path to creating new paths.
Of course, such cannon fodder was something many would eagerly seek.
'Now that everything is in place, it’s up to the main body...'
'No, I am the main body... but the talents of this Black Dragon form are clearly inferior to the main body, especially the 'Great Divinity'...'
(End of Chapter)
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