Longevity begins with alchemy master

"The way to cultivate Qi lies in meditation. In the darkness, one contemplates the Qi of the world and then refines it for one's own use. This is what is called cultivating Qi."

"Brother, I understand the principles, but how can I sense the existence of spiritual energy in heaven and earth?"

When asked for advice by her younger sister Zhou Qingyu, Zhou Fuyou was stunned.

For him, this was the last thing he needed to consider.

Because in his perception, water-attribute spiritual energy is omnipresent, and absorbing and refining it is as simple as breathing instinctively.

However, for Zhou Qingyu, it was as if an insurmountable chasm stood in front of the gate.

"Could it be that the three pills left behind by the senior of the Pill Sect were useless?"

A month ago, he had already given his sister the Five Visceral Nourishing Pill, Snow Spirit Meridian Opening Powder, and most importantly, the Spirit Root Pill, which were bestowed upon him by his ancestor.

According to the description, when these three elixirs are combined, a "Danling Root" will be generated in mortals, helping them absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

This medicine's effects can even last for thirty years!

Within thirty years, if one can break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, relying on the cultivator's outward spiritual sense and inwardly expanding Qi Sea, one will be able to sense, capture, and refine external spiritual energy on their own.

However, Zhou Qingyu's physical aptitude at this moment was unexpectedly poor.

Even with the spiritual root of Dan, she still couldn't sense the spiritual energy in the outside world.

Even though she and her sister were twins, it was inconceivable that she possessed such extraordinary talent while her sister was so inferior.

Even in Zhou Fuyou's view, as her younger sister grew up, she also showed great intelligence. She could understand and comprehend many things from classical texts with just a few words from Zhou Fuyou.

"If only I could give half of my talent to my sister."

Sighing inwardly, Zhou Fuyou showed no sign of disappointment on her face.

After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly thought of a method recorded in an ancient text, which was used by high-level cultivators to help low-level cultivators comprehend the next realm ahead of time.

Although that method was extremely energy-consuming and had a low success rate, Zhou Fuyou couldn't afford to worry about it at the moment.

"Mao Mao, close your eyes, relax, and don't resist me!"

Zhou Qingyu was confused, but her trust in her brother made her close her eyes obediently without reservation.

Zhou Fuyou took a deep breath, slowly reached out, and covered the girl's head.

Then, strands of pure spiritual energy shot out from his palm, flowing along acupoints such as Baihui, Fengchi, and Taiyang, into the girl's body.

In an instant, the girl instinctively groaned in pain.

Seeing this, Zhou Fuyou whispered:
"Don't resist, follow my movements, and sense the outside world!"

The girl endured immense pain, yet she did her best to maintain a clear mind.

Gradually, she seemed to see some tiny specks of light outside her body.

Is that spiritual energy?

After an unknown amount of time, the girl slowly opened her eyes. Zhou Fuyou was staring at her with great concern.

Zhou Qingyu opened her mouth, weakly but with immense joy, and said, "I can feel the presence of spiritual energy!"

Zhou Fuyou breathed a long sigh of relief.

Then came the same surprise.

He originally thought that this guiding technique would require several attempts, but to his surprise, he succeeded on the very first try.

His sister's body seemed to have very low resistance to his spiritual power.
The reason why it seemed to be in so much pain at first was simply because Zhou Qingyu was still a mortal and could not withstand the powerful spiritual energy.

"Logically, people are all individuals, so why doesn't my sister seem to reject my spiritual power much?"

The thought flashed through her mind, and then Zhou Fuyou asked about more details.

"Can you sense the corresponding spiritual energy attributes?"

"It has all five colors, but it is a mess."

"So, the spiritual root within you contains all five elements. Is there one that feels particularly familiar to you and that you can absorb relatively easily?"

"No, they all feel about the same."

"Tsk tsk, I don't know how to evaluate the Spirit Root Pill refined by the senior of the Pill Sect. It clearly gave people hope, yet it also left them in such despair. Can five spiritual roots truly lead directly to the Great Dao?"

After some reflection, Zhou Fuyou was not discouraged.

If the Danzong elders could do it, and Zhou Ping'an, who specially took away the five spiritual roots from the Tiannan Dao Palace, also wanted to do it, then why couldn't he try to cultivate his younger sister as well?

All that's needed is a huge amount of resources!

Perfect timing! He currently holds a position of immense power within the Zhou family, second only to the head of the household, with access to any resources at his disposal. Moreover, his talent is so extraordinary that he has no use for ordinary resources; he can simply give them all to his sister!

"You should rest well. I'll go to the family's library to choose a suitable cultivation method for you."

After giving a brief instruction, Zhou Fuyou stood up and left the Yinlv Water Pavilion.

……

The Zhou family's scripture library was quite far from the Yinlu Water Pavilion, and it would take some time to get there.

Zhou Fuyou used the newly learned water escape technique, "Wave Walking," to quickly head towards the Scripture Pavilion.

Along the way, they frequently encountered members of the Zhou family.

But when everyone saw the handsome young man in red and white, they all respectfully gave way.

Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding outside the Scripture Pavilion did not stop him in the slightest after he showed his ancestor's token.

Once inside the library, Zhou Fuyou began to peruse the scriptures with practiced ease.

From the first floor to the fourth floor, he only needed to glance at the various cultivation techniques to understand their general effects.

However, the more Zhou Fuyou selected, the more disappointed she became.

There are very few cultivation techniques that are compatible with the five spiritual roots.

However, he looked down on ordinary single-attribute cultivation techniques.

Gradually, Zhou Fuyou stopped walking, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Perhaps I'm being too picky?"

"For my younger sister, the Danling Root only gives her thirty years. The cultivation method she needs should not pursue power or limit, but only focus on the speed of cultivation."

"If that's the case, isn't the 'Cicada's Dew Technique' that I've been practicing the most suitable technique?"

The "Cicada's Dew Technique" has no entry requirements, meaning it can be used with any of the five elements. Its only drawback is that the magical power gained from cultivation is very, very little, making it unsuitable for combat.

But Zhou Fuyou believed that under his protection, his sister wouldn't need to fight anyone.

All he wanted was for his sister to live a good life, to live peacefully for several hundred more years.

Moreover, there is an advantage to letting his younger sister practice the "Cicada Technique": he can pass on his cultivation insights to her, saving her from many detours.

Having figured all this out, Zhou Fuyou, who was on the fourth floor, stopped searching for the cultivation technique and slowly released the white coral jade slip that her fingertips had been touching.

But the moment he released it, he touched the jade slip again.

"A new spell? And it even bears the mark of our ancestor. Could it be our ancestor's latest work?"

Zhou Fuyou became interested, took down the white coral jade slip, and probed it with his spiritual sense. Four large characters appeared in his mind.

"Floating Heaven of Qi Sea"

Then came a brief introduction left inside by our ancestors.

This technique is the culmination of my life's insights and all my accumulated cultivation. It has no specific rank; its power expands continuously with the cultivator's advancement, and it is ever-changing and extremely inclusive. As long as a cultivator has reached the Foundation Establishment stage and opened their Qi Sea, they can practice this technique… If someone possesses exceptional skill, agility, and talent, and masters this technique to perfection, they might one day make it comparable to a divine power!

Zhou Fuyou was stunned.

He never expected that this spell would have such a profound origin, being the culmination of his ancestor's life's work.

Moreover, the ancestor had extremely high expectations for this magic, hoping that future generations would be able to cultivate it to the level of supernatural powers.

"But why should it be later generations, instead of the ancestor himself, who pushed it to its limit and created a truly supernatural technique?"

This question only surfaced for a fleeting moment.

In an instant, Zhou Fuyou provided the answer himself, and he thought sadly:
Rumor has it that our ancestor's lifespan is nearing its end, and he may not have much time left.

Perhaps this is why he created this spell and left it in the library!

"Then I, your grandson, will carry on the legacy of our ancestors and make this magic flourish!" Zhou Fuyou roused himself and put the original copy of "Qi Sea Floating Heaven" into his storage bag.

This trip wasn't a complete waste!
He not only thought about his sister's future main cultivation technique, but also gained a spell with growth potential.

How wonderful!

……

Time flies like an arrow, making us grow old; years pass like a horse, chasing away our youth.

Eight years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The younger generation of the Zhou family have all left the Transmission Hall and grown into genuine Qi Refining stage cultivators.

On this day, a group of young people were summoned and headed to Bailuze.

On the way, many people were talking about the reason why the family had summoned all the cultivators.

"It must be related to the development of Bailuze!"

"This plan was conceived more than a decade ago, but it was temporarily shelved because a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators perished within the clan at that time."

"Yes, Bailu Marsh is vast, covering an area of ​​three thousand miles. However, my Zhou family only occupies one-third of it. The other large area is occupied by highly poisonous miasma and a group of black-beaked white egret monsters. As the population of our Zhou family continues to grow, our mere one-third territory can no longer meet our needs, so the plan to develop Bailu Marsh has been restarted."

"I heard that this time it's being presided over by the Sixth Elder?"

"Zhou Yuqi's father? After advancing to the Golden Core stage, his status within the clan has become increasingly noble. First, he presided over the Spirit Testing Ceremony, and then he spearheaded the White Egret Marsh development project. Perhaps he will take over the responsibilities of the Third Elder in the future, handling external affairs!"

"That's normal. After all, the Sixth Elder is the youngest! Moreover, he has a wide network of connections outside. I heard that he even pulled some strings to get Zhou Yuqi sent to Tiannan Dao Palace to audit classes."

"Tsk tsk, I'm so envious, he has such a good father."

"Even if you don't have a good father, having a good older brother is fine too!"

Amid the discussion, some people quietly cast their gazes at a beautiful woman at the back of the crowd.

She was only twenty years old, but she had already blossomed into a graceful young woman. Her eyebrows, lips, and nose were perfectly proportioned, as if they were the creations of nature.

If it weren't for her stubborn and obstinate nature, she would truly be considered a beauty that could topple kingdoms!

This woman is Zhou Qingyu!

Logically speaking, because of Zhou Fuyou's connection and her own stunning beauty, she should have been enthusiastically sought after within the family.

But in fact, that's not the case!

Zhou Qingyu, who was once found to have no spiritual roots, suddenly found himself able to cultivate one day!

Moreover, although his cultivation speed was not fast, it was definitely not slow either. He reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining in eight years, even faster than some members of the Three Spirit Root Clan.

This inevitably leaves room for speculation among many people.

Was it because her extremely noble brother abused his power and deliberately gave Zhou Qingyu a lot of resources, which is why he was able to push a useless person to such a level?
This alone is enough to make many less talented and resource-poor clansmen green with envy and consumed by jealousy.

Of course, some sycophantic members of the Zhou family tried to befriend Zhou Qingyu, but the sudden change in attitude of those so-called friends at the Spirit Testing Ceremony made Zhou Qingyu no longer believe in such easily obtained friendship, warmth, and affection.

She was cold and indifferent to everyone except her brother.

All she did every day was to practice diligently, just to catch up with her brother.

woohoo hoo...

With the wind howling, the group of young people, piloting their flying magical artifacts, quickly arrived at the edge of the White Heron Swamp.

They did not venture further, but waited quietly.

Before long, powerful beams of light flew in from within the clan.

The leaders were none other than the family head, Zhou Junxiao, and the sixth elder, Zhou Haiye.

Looking at the vast Bailu Marsh, the two of them clearly showed joy on their faces.

"Sure enough, in recent years, the amount of miasma filling the swamp has visibly decreased. As a result, those monstrous creatures hiding in the swamp have finally lost their support!"

Zhou Junxiao said excitedly.

The miasma in Bailuze is not as simple as it seems.

In the most concentrated areas, even those at the Golden Core stage dare not ingest too much.

Those black-beaked egret demons not only have tough bodies and fly extremely fast, but they can also control highly poisonous miasma, making them extremely difficult to deal with.

Without the intervention of their ancestor, the vast Zhou family was utterly helpless in the face of this treasure land.

Fortunately, in recent years, the miasma in the Bailuze Swamp has mysteriously decreased significantly.

After consulting with his ancestor, Zhou Junxiao received clear orders to begin exterminating the Black-beaked Egret Demon and developing the Egret Marsh.

"Haiye, I grant you fifty Foundation Establishment clansmen to venture deep into the Evil Swamp and slay demonic beasts. If you encounter the White Heron Demon King, your primary objective is to subdue it; if you cannot subdue it, then kill it!"

Zhou Haiye smiled slightly, and immediately led a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators, each with a poison-avoiding pill painstakingly refined by the Fifth Elder Zhou Chongxiao in their mouths, into the miasma-filled swamp.

Zhou Junxiao then looked down at the hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators below.

It contains not only older Qi Refining cultivators, but also younger generations who have just grown up.

He said seriously, "The Sixth Elder will be responsible for dealing with the threats inside. If any first-tier White Heron Demons escape, you will be responsible for capturing and killing them. This is also a training opportunity for many people. Alright, everyone, form teams of three and spread out to surround the White Heron Swamp!"

Hundreds of people responded in unison, and then dispersed.

Seeing this scene of strict discipline, Zhou Junxiao couldn't help but smile slightly.

Under his leadership, the family finally recovered some of its vitality.

However, when he saw a lone woman in the southeast corner, he couldn't help but frown.

Why is no one teaming up with Zhou Qingyu?

At this moment, Zhou Qingyu, holding a small and exquisite flying sword, landed on a hilltop and gazed at the distant White Egret Swamp.

She seemed oblivious to the surrounding gossip, mockery, and ridicule.

"My brother once said, 'Dragons don't live with snakes, and tigers don't walk with dogs.' To achieve something, one must endure loneliness and hardship. As for friends, it's good to have them, but it's okay if you don't; there's no need to force it!"

She gripped the flying sword tightly, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

I look forward to the possibility of encountering the White Heron Monster later on and engaging in a real battle.

I also hope that my brother will come back after the White Egret Swamp is completely cleared out.

Yes, only she knew that her brother disappeared three years ago to cultivate deep within the White Egret Marsh.

I heard that my brother is trying to cultivate a special kind of magic?

I wonder how well my cultivation is progressing now?
……

at the same time.

Deep within the Egret Marsh, in a swamp thick with miasma.

Several streaks of light flashed past, one of which seemed to sense something and landed.

She was a beautiful young woman, holding a map in her hands, and following the map.

"According to the map provided by the Yin family, that precious small mineral vein should be located nearby."

"If Haiye wants to take charge, then I will take over."

"Be quick, and try not to be discovered by the other tribesmen!"

The young woman, with a poison-repelling pill in her mouth, moved forward quickly.

As she ventured deeper, the miasma around her grew increasingly dense, giving her a bad feeling.

This isn't even the deepest part, so why is the miasma so thick?
suddenly!

The thick miasma suddenly spread out, revealing the scene inside clearly.

A handsome man dressed in a white Taoist robe embroidered with red coral opened his eyes and looked at her indifferently.

"Seventh Aunt, why are you disturbing my cultivation?"

The young woman, referred to as Seventh Aunt, changed her expression slightly upon seeing the young man.

"Zhou Fuyou, what are you doing here?"

“That’s what I should be asking you. And…” Zhou Fuyou slowly stood up, a strange light shining in her eyes, “By the way, I also want to ask about that incident from back then!” (End of Chapter)