Why is my Hundred Lifetimes Book different?

"Fellow Daoist Ren, what path do you plan to take in your future cultivation?"

After waiting in the private room for a short while, a young girl, barely out of her teens, entered. She introduced herself as Liang Hongchan. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she sat down and asked with a smile.

This woman is very young, at most two or three years older than me, but she is very mature in her demeanor and speech. Her surname is Liang, so she should be a direct descendant of the Liang family and work as a manager.

"Well... how do you explain that?"

Ren Qingshan asked calmly.

Liang Hongchan had already investigated. Although this young man had been granted a title, he had no family. He might have had a strange encounter or be an illegitimate child, but that didn't matter. Right now, he was just a client of the Liang family.

"The path to immortality is long and arduous. We cultivators must plan from the beginning, taking into account our personal nature, family background, and talents... and plan carefully for the future."

"Nowadays, the path of a cultivator is divided into three."

"The first path is Daoist cultivation, the supreme and righteous path. It seeks the Dao, immortality, the supreme, ascension, and the unraveling of the mysteries of heaven and earth, as well as the cultivation of newly developed Daoist techniques. It is mostly chosen by the sons of wealthy and powerful families, and it is difficult to succeed without great perseverance. The spiritual seeds that are compatible with it are such as the Five Elements Spiritual Seed, the Yin-Yang Spiritual Seed, the Divine Mechanism Spiritual Seed, and so on."

Ren Qingshan nodded, waiting for what was to come.

"The second path is combat cultivation, which is also a supreme and righteous path. It is to prove one's Dao through battle, and one's combat power is often astonishing. However, the mortality rate is extremely high, as one often experiences great terror between life and death. The spiritual seeds that are compatible with this path include divine weapon spiritual seeds, heavenly dew spiritual seeds, wind and thunder spiritual seeds, and so on."

Ren Qingshan immediately understood.

Daoist cultivators, warrior cultivators.

The former can be called the theoretical school.

The latter is a true practitioner.

"The third path is professional cultivation. After all, whether it is Dao cultivation or combat cultivation, without an extraordinary opportunity, the support of a family, or a lack of personal character, it is extremely difficult to achieve anything. In comparison, professional cultivation is the choice of most cultivators."

"Cultivating immortality involves a hundred arts. Choose a specific profession as the foundation for your livelihood. First, focus on survival, then on development. If you have the opportunity in the future, you may as well aim for the highest level. Even if you have no hope of achieving the Great Dao in this life, at least you can leave a legacy for your descendants."

"Of course, there is another path in the professional cultivation, which is the path of the Guardian Immortal Master. It is good to be backed by the Immortal Sect. The Guardian Immortal Masters in various places are all direct descendants of the Immortal Sect, and are extremely noble. Although there are many daily chores and layers of constraints, there are always gains and losses."

After hearing this, Ren Qingshan fell into thought.

Liang Hongchan did not urge them. She took out a jade slip, copied down the information and prices of the stored spiritual seeds, and handed it over.

"Fellow Daoist Ren, you can take a look first; there's no rush."

"We cultivators, especially the young, must first set our goals and listen to the voice of our hearts; the answer will then become clear."

……

into the night.

In the superior room of Caiyuan Inn, incense burned on the table, a cup of tea sat, and Ren Qingshan sat cross-legged on a futon.

My mind and body are completely clear and empty.

Set your goals!

My ambition has long been set – though no one can help me achieve my lofty aspirations, I will brave the snow and climb to the mountain peak myself!

To see the view from the mountaintop is the goal of my life!

However, the path up the mountain requires careful consideration.

The chances of reaching the top differ for Daoist cultivators, warrior cultivators, and professional cultivators, decreasing in that order, with Daoist cultivators having the highest chance and professional cultivators the lowest.

The difficulty naturally decreases in that order, with Taoist cultivation being the most difficult and occupational cultivation the easiest.

For ordinary cultivators, professional cultivation is the safest choice, providing a safety net, especially with the option of becoming a "Guardian Immortal Master".

Battle is too dangerous; you can die in an instant.

Daoist cultivation is difficult in the early stages, difficult in the middle stages, and even more difficult in the later stages. It requires both massive resources and unparalleled talent.

At this moment, in a state of serene tranquility, as countless thoughts surfaced in Ren Qingshan's mind, he suddenly recalled his past life.

He was talented from a young age, and considered himself extraordinary. Relying on his cleverness, he achieved mediocre results, neither particularly good nor particularly bad. He was complacent, feeling that he was better than some but not as good as others. Although he had a happy and stable life, he often felt regretful in the middle of the night, either in his dreams or occasionally.

I could have!

Even though it was truly impossible, at the time, I didn't take a desperate leap, but instead chose the safest path.

Suddenly, Ren Qingshan opened his eyes, his gaze slightly moist.

He already had his choice.

Take the difficult path and enter through the narrow gate!

……

The path has been decided.

The choice of the spiritual seed then naturally emerges and is determined.

"Fellow Daoist Ren, this is the spirit seed you requested, the Limitless Spirit Seed. Congratulations on making your choice."

The next day.

Upon receiving Ren Qingshan's telepathic message, Liang Hongchan personally delivered the spirit seed.

This Limitless Spirit Seed is ranked seventy-third, but its position keeps dropping every year as the rankings are updated, which is quite disheartening.

It should be known that this Limitless Spirit Seed once ranked as high as fourth on the ranking list a hundred years ago!

However, fortunes change, and in the last hundred years, the performance of the Limitless Spiritual Root has been poor, with its drawbacks being particularly obvious, so fewer and fewer cultivators are choosing it.

Liang Hongchan never expected that this young man would choose the Limitless Spirit Seed.

This spirit seed is indeed the highest-ranking one within his budget.

Whether this young man is confident and arrogant, or simply overly ambitious...

Ultimately, it's just one business deal.

The Wuji Spirit Seeds have been in stock for nearly ten years, so it's a good thing that they can be sold now.

Ren Qingshan thanked her and accepted the jade box containing the sealed spirit seed. It was covered with dense seals, which Liang Hongchan opened one by one with her magic. A dreamlike spirit seed immediately appeared in front of Ren Qingshan.

Its surface is pure, like the clearest crystal.

It contains countless points of light, like a vast starry sky, with endless deductions and profound mysteries.

The Limitless Spirit Seed is a naturally occurring spiritual object. It is so rare that only cultivators at the highest level of cultivation can reach it, let alone get close enough to harvest it.

Ren Qingshan is fully aware of its advantages and disadvantages.

But once the decision is made, there is no going back!

"Fellow Daoist Ren, the spirit stones have been counted, totaling forty thousand. Are you going to nurture a spirit seed next?"

"My Liang family has a secluded meditation room in the center of the earth, as well as various elixirs to aid conception. If you need them, please just ask."

Ren Qingshan was impressed by the Liang family's business acumen. However, breaking through to the second level of Qi Refining was his top priority. After listening to her introduction and price quote, he immediately booked a secluded meditation room for 150 spirit stones per month for three months.

Refining the spiritual seed and nurturing the spiritual root normally takes about a month.

However, given the peculiar characteristics of the Wuji Spirit Seed, a two-month buffer period was still allowed.

At this point, all the spirit stones he had earned from this sudden windfall had been spent, leaving him with less than five hundred spirit stones.

……

After moving out of the inn's main room and passing through the Liang family's multiple arrays, Ren Qingshan entered the underground secret chamber.

The outer and inner parts were sealed off by a protective array, creating an extremely silent cave.

It was very small, barely big enough for a horse to turn around, and completely empty.

When a cultivator receives their ordination, they no longer need to eat or drink, their bodies are free of impurities, and they excrete no waste.

Sit cross-legged.

Ren Qingshan solemnly put the Limitless Spirit Seed into his mouth.

"The Limitless Spirit Seed..."

"The greatest advantage is that it can infinitely breathe in and store spiritual energy, and can also contain true qi of any nature."

"The biggest drawback is the long training time."

"To date, among those who cultivate the Limitless Spiritual Root, zero cultivators have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage within the last hundred years!"

Even those scions of wealthy and powerful families couldn't withstand the strain!

"This spiritual root also carries a huge risk: it is easily coveted by powerful cultivators, who may take it as a disciple or an adopted son, but ultimately, it will all result in it becoming a spirit slave!"

"Using my vast and abundant spiritual energy reserves, I'm doing all the work for others."

"However, for me, the Book of a Hundred Deaths and this Limitless Spirit Seed are a perfect match!"

"Although there will certainly be many twists and turns in the future, we have already been fortunate enough!"

……

……