Why is my Hundred Lifetimes Book different?

Eight thousand spirit stones...

For Ren Qingshan today, this accounts for one-third of his total net worth.

After the Wuji Spirit Root is formed, it can absorb Qi on its own every day and form about ten low-grade spirit stones. In a year of 365 days, that is 3,650 stones.

Over the years, Ren Qingshan has lived in the mortal world and has never used a single spirit stone.

Now, eight years later, they have accumulated more than 28,000 spirit stones.

This number seems like a lot, but you should know that it cost 40,000 spirit stones to buy the Limitless Spirit Seed.

To this day, this investment has not yet been recouped.

Fortunately, it's a steady, long-term process.

The cultivation tax for the second level of Qi Refining should be one thousand spirit stones per year. After deducting the tax, there will still be more than two thousand spirit stones left each year.

In another ten years, we should be able to break even.

The Immortal Sect's exploitation is truly ruthless!

"I have a Limitless Spiritual Root, and I can produce my own spirit stones, yet I'm still living such a miserable life. How do those cultivators who can't produce their own milk survive?"

No wonder so many cultivators choose to become guardian immortal masters.

Even the guardian immortals of remote and impoverished areas.

There is at least one stable source of spirit stones.

Liu Yunsong... what's the situation now?

With a thought, Ren Qingshan's divine power quietly spread.

The divine thoughts at the third level of Qi Refining already have substantial ideas. Compared to the second level of Qi Refining, the range has expanded by an unknown amount, and the stability and clarity are also worlds apart.

A person at the second level of Qi Refining cannot sustain their spiritual power for more than a few miles from their body. They are also extremely susceptible to interference; a gust of cold wind or scorching sun can damage their soul.

At present, his divine sense has already traveled several dozen miles away from his body, yet he still has plenty of energy left.

"There are now three Qi Refining cultivators in this Shanyang City..."

The spiritual insights of cultivators shine brightly in the mortal city, like a beacon in the night sky.

"Liu Yunsong... Oh? He's actually married. Tsk, he's married five wives and has children. It seems he's going to follow the path of many children, many blessings."

"And this one is Chung Ching-wan. He's very hardworking and is still studying diligently."

Zhong Qingyun is now a handsome young man with delicate features. He lives in the government office opposite the Immortal Master's Mansion. He sits cross-legged, diligently practicing his Qi Refining cultivation to the first level.

"This is... Lu Jiyue?"

The other cultivator, who lived not far away, was a graceful female cultivator. She was wearing a silk nightgown and was lying lazily on the bed, reading a book, while two maids served her.

Ren Qingshan recognized her from the beauty mark between her eyebrows. This should be Lu Jiyue, who had lived in the Immortal Master's Mansion since childhood. She was said to be from Fuzhou, but her specific identity was unknown.

"When I left, Shanyang County had selected a seedling of immortality once, and it was selected once every seven years. In the past ten years, it has been selected again. Shanyang County only has one spot. In recent years, only two more Qi Refining cultivators have been selected."

"Liu Yunsong is quite an interesting person. He didn't choose his own niece, but recommended Lu Jiyue instead."

"It seems this woman may have some status, but it's not that high."

The Immortal Sect claims to be selecting promising immortals, but in reality, it's essentially a rationing system.

In places with abundant spiritual energy, there are more quotas allocated. For example, Wuhua County, which I once visited, is a top-tier county with six guardian immortal masters. Naturally, there are also many immortal seedlings who can be ordained each year, and the selection intervals are short.

In a remote and desolate county like Shanyang, having one quota every seven years can actually be considered poverty alleviation.

Moreover, newly recruited cultivators are not given any resources.

You either have to steel yourself and go out and make your way in the world.

Either go back to your hometown and endure hardship.

What a tragedy!

Like a peering eye hidden in the darkness, Ren Qingshan surveyed everything in Shanyang City.

Due to the overwhelming power of their spiritual senses, none of the three noticed them.

After watching for a while, Lu Jiyue seemed tired. The maid had boiled water, so she took off her clothes and went to take a bath.

Ren Qingshan immediately withdrew his divine sense.

Do not look at what is improper.

I will see these old friends again tomorrow.

Peeping at someone taking a bath is rather despicable... We cultivators would never stoop to such a thing!

Take another look!

go!

Withdrawing his scattered divine senses, Ren Qingshan shook his head and smiled, focusing on heading towards Bailu Mountain, wanting to see his hometown.

I also want to test how far my divine sense can spread.

The moment his divine sense left the city, it was drawn to a sudden inspiration.

This is the ancestral home of the Zhang family in Tianshui.

The Zhang family's secret was a sword hanging at the entrance of the family ancestral hall. Although it showed signs of decline, its will was still clear, indicating that a divine thought was attached to it.

Huh?

That's a good idea!

Once an idea takes concrete form, it can possess a vessel, allowing one to see what happens at home, even if one is thousands of miles away.

I wonder if this "master" from the Zhang family is still alive?

What level of cultivation is it?

Having learned this little trick, Ren Qingshan had a thought and continued to probe far with his divine sense, eventually reaching the Li family in Shuangfeng.

The Li family's spiritual source is a large seal hidden in their ancestral tomb. It is ancient and profound, but it has a crack, and the spiritual source is extremely weak, like a candle flame in the wind, about to be extinguished.

The land of Shanyang has, after all, lost its spark of inspiration.

Neither the spirit sword nor the great seal can be replenished.

Hey……

The tragedy of children in the mountains.

To achieve success in spiritual practice, one must go out and explore.

But to be fair, the chances of making a name for oneself by venturing out are extremely slim.

For the past ten years or so, I've probably been all alone.

Of course, without the Book of a Hundred Deaths, Ren Qingshan would have perished in the tiger's jaws at the age of eight!

……

"Almost a hundred li away."

The divine thought continued forward, and Ren Qingshan saw Bailu Mountain.

In the dead of night, Bailu Mountain resembles a long, dead dragon, lying silently in the darkness.

Ren Qingshan vaguely felt that there seemed to be a spiritual energy in Bailu Mountain, but it was extremely weak and almost imperceptible.

Moreover, once his divine sense reached a range of a hundred miles, it began to feel powerless, and he wondered if he had misjudged the situation.

To be fair, Ren Qingshan still had a lot of affection for Bailu Mountain.

If there is indeed a flash of inspiration, that would naturally be a good thing.

After all, this is where I grew up, where I obtained the Book of a Hundred Deaths, and where my dream began!

Curiosity filled my heart.

Ren Qingshan left the room silently, transforming into a streak of light and heading straight for Bailu Mountain.

"My body is now greatly enhanced, and my speed is at least five times faster than that of someone at the second level of Qi Refining, roughly reaching sword speed, one mile per breath!"

"However, it's still much slower than the speed of divine sense, which is at least ten times faster."

"If a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining encounters a battle in the field and spots enemy aircraft, they can run away in advance."

"Being able to fight is part of combat effectiveness, and being able to run fast is also part of it."

"I should forge a weapon."

As he sped through the night wind, Ren Qingshan once again experienced the seemingly ordinary combat techniques.

……

Standing atop a mountain, Ren Qingshan unleashed his divine senses, searching the entire mountain range.

After circling around for most of the way, he was surprised to find that there was indeed a spiritual energy rapidly fleeing into the depths of the ground.

Through divine sense, it seemed that at the same time as he discovered the other person, the other person also discovered him!

Burrowing underground?

In the blink of an eye, this spiritual inspiration had become extremely faint, until it disappeared without a trace.

They must have escaped to a deeper underground.

With my current level of cultivation, burrowing underground is not impossible, but it would require a great deal of effort.

It cannot be called...escape.

Moreover, deep underground, the speed of the physical body is hindered, and it is definitely not as fast as this spiritual energy.

The Immortal Sect possesses various Taoist arts and supernatural powers, including the ability to burrow underground. Not to mention burrowing underground, even the Five Elements Great Escape is possible, but I haven't learned it yet.

For the past ten years, I have only focused on improving my cultivation level.

You only realize how little skill you have when you need it.

But I'm not panicking.

If you have the principles but lack the skills, you can still acquire the skills—it's simple!

Just learn it!

By spending spirit stones, one can purchase various Taoist techniques from the Immortal Sect through the Qi Refining Talisman.

At this moment, Ren Qingshan was increasingly curious about the spiritual energy of Bailu Mountain, and even worried that it would disappear forever and never be found again, but he had no better solution at the moment and could only go back and think of another way.

On the way back, Ren Qingshan was still pondering:

This world...

This is what you see when you are in the first and second levels of Qi Refining.

It was as if he had no inspiration whatsoever.

There were no special opportunities whatsoever.

Even if it were available, it wouldn't be my turn.

But when one advances to the third level of Qi Refining, the world one sees is completely different; even in this barren land, traces of spiritual energy are discovered.

Once I master the art of escape and my cultivation level is higher, the scenery I can see from the heavens above and deep underground will naturally be different.

……

……