The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

Firetail shuddered, his pupils instantly shrinking to a point, his furry face visibly wrinkling up, and the next moment, tears and snot flowed uncontrollably.

"Waaah..."

Ignoring its tears and snot, it covered its mouth tightly with its paws, knelt down on the ground with a thud, and pounded its head on the ground, wriggling like a caterpillar, whimpering incessantly.

Zhu Yu: "..."

He suddenly remembered that animals seem to have a more acute sense of taste than insects, meaning that the sour taste that Firetail tasted was much, much more sour than what he perceived.

Seeing the fire tail wriggling further and further away, Zhu Yu hurriedly dug out a piece of black bear honey, went to it, and lifted its head.

Seeing Huowei's face contorted in a grimace, covered in mud, yet still desperately covering his mouth and refusing to spit out the fruit, I couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.

"Open your mouth..."

"Waaah..." Firetail shook its head in refusal.

Zhu Yu was speechless, and said irritably, "Then why don't you use your spiritual power to suppress the fruit pulp? What? Do you like this sour taste, Fire Tail?"

Firetail shuddered again, and Granny Tears widened her eyes, looking as if to say, "How could I not have thought of that?" An aura of perfect enlightenment emerged as she swallowed the flesh of the "Xifu Begonia" with difficulty.

"Waaah..."

Only then did it dare to open its mouth, its mouth full of sour and astringent taste, which made it drool, which mixed with the dirt around its mouth, turning its white belly fur black.

Zhu Yu flicked his wrist, sending the bear honey into its mouth, then closed its mouth and laughed:

"Don't open your mouth, just taste it, it won't be sour anymore soon..."

Without his prompting, as soon as the bear honey entered the fire tail's mouth, it instantly felt a sweet sensation emerge from its numb taste buds, which then spread rapidly like wildfire.

In the blink of an eye, all the bitterness in my heart turned into a gurgling sweetness, sweet to the very core of my being. It felt like jumping into an icy spring on a hot summer day, a feeling of complete refreshment and invigoration. I couldn't help but let out a soft groan.

"Eek..."

Zhu Yu: "..."

Was Firetail a male or female fox?

The surrounding spirit beasts stared blankly at the startled Firetail, completely bewildered. Why did eating the divinely bestowed fruit make it seem like it was poisoned? And what was with Firetail's expression of pure enjoyment? ...

They didn't understand, but they knew who did, and they all looked at Zhu Yu with expectant eyes.

Zhu Yu glanced at Huowei to make sure it was alright, then turned and went to the table. Instead of immediately dividing the fruit, he explained:

"The flesh is a bit sour and astringent, it tastes better when paired with bear honey."

After saying that, he picked up a piece of the "Xifu Crabapple" fruit, a gift from the gods, and looked at the bald man who was usually responsible for delivering messages and loosening the soil in the orchard. He said, "Here, bald man, this piece is for you."

He handed the dried fruit to the bald man, who was filled with excitement. Just as the man was about to take a piece of bear honey and let him eat it together, the bald man, like the fire tail, opened his mouth and took a bite of the "Xifu Haitang" fruit.

The result can be imagined.

Its bald head was so sore that it wanted to bury its head in the ground. In the end, Zhu Yu stuffed a piece of bear honey into its mouth, which calmed it down. It then lay on the ground with a peaceful expression, squeaking and whimpering.

Zhu Yu glared at it, then picked up two more pieces of "Xifu Begonia" fruit pulp, his gaze falling on Hei Da and Bai Er, the two spirit beasts who were usually responsible for patrolling the hundred-mile territory of Jufeng Mountain and occasionally recruiting insects and beasts.

"Blackie, Whitey, come here..."

This time, he dug up two pieces of bear honey in advance and handed them the divinely bestowed fruit along with the fruit pulp.

But what he didn't expect was...

Blackie and Whiteie glanced at Firetail, who was enjoying himself, and then at Baldy, who was rubbing his belly and squeaking. They simply curled their tails up the divinely bestowed fruit of the "Xifu Crabapple" and put it into their mouths, without eating the bear honey along with it.

The result was that two black snakes and a white snake appeared on the ground, trembling all over and with their heads drooping violently.

Zhu Yu: "..."

Seeing this, Hua Ling, who was covering her mouth to suppress her laughter, could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

Zhu Yu couldn't help but chuckle, shook his head, and watched as Hei Da and Bai Er trembled as they put the bear honey into their mouths, too lazy to bother with them anymore.

Turning his head, he looked at the white-haired man, the hummingbird couple and their offspring, the peacock, as well as the black earth and the three-headed dog, Kuroko, who had suddenly become docile.

Zhu Yu glanced strangely at the meek Hei Zi, but without thinking much of it, waved his hand and said:

"Come over here, one piece for each spirit beast. Just a heads up, the flesh is very sour; it will only taste sweet when eaten with bear honey..."

"White Hair knows."

"We know that too..."

The spirit beasts eagerly accepted the divinely bestowed fruit, and then, under Zhu Yu's speechless gaze, took a bite of the fruit.

Three more spirit beasts lay on the ground.

The peacock shared a piece of fruit with Xiong Da and Xiong Er.

The peacock took a peck, blinked, looking a little dazed. Turning to look at the white fruit on the table, bigger than itself, it took another peck. Crisp, sweet, not sour at all—it was delicious!

Its little head couldn't understand why its parents and white fur had all fallen over, but it stopped thinking about it in an instant. It pecked at the ground, then pecked at the ground again, and happily circled around Zhu Yu, chirping away.

The two bears, Big Bear and Little Bear, remained silent, only indulging in a voracious eating.

Black Earth didn't eat the divinely bestowed fruit; instead, he carefully put it into his "spider silk bag." "Almost there, almost there. In a few more years, I'll have enough 'Life Elixir' to buy my main body for a lifespan extension of sixty years..."

Thinking of this, it couldn't help but look at Hua Ling, whose eyes were narrowed with beauty as she ate a bite of divinely bestowed fruit and a bite of bear honey. It swallowed hard, leaned closer, and asked:

"Hanabiko, does the flea-trading merchant sell 'Life Dew'?..."

Hua Ling turned to look at Zhu Yu, swallowed the fruit, and nodded, saying, "Sold! Sold! One jade coin for sixteen drops of 'Life Dew,' Black Earth, would you like to buy?"

Heitu shook his head and said, "I'll buy it from Hualing after I've collected enough money." Then, he turned and approached Zhu Yu, who was also eating fruit and bear honey, and asked, "Jufeng, do you remember what Heitu told you a few days ago?"

Zhu Yu nodded and asked, "I remember, is it a spirit beast or an insectoid warrior coming?"

Black Earth thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "They should all be there, right?... But how many Life Stones are needed to live in Giant Peak Market?"

Zhu Yu shook his head, "I don't want the Life Stone, but I must follow the rules." After saying that, he finished eating the remaining fruit and bear honey in his hand. It must be said that the "Xifu Begonia" tasted surprisingly good when eaten with bear honey, and the spiritual essence contained in the "divine gift" was easier to absorb.

"Don't want it?...Then you, Giant Peak..."

Black Earth was stunned for a moment, and just as it came to its senses and was about to say something, it suddenly saw Giant Peak stuff something into its mouth.

It took a bite instinctively, and the sweet juice burst in its mouth, moistening its throat. A strange aroma wafted out, and its tired body absorbed the aroma as if it had been parched for a long time and was thirsty. A strange feeling that was hard to describe rose in its heart.

Zhu Yu handed it a piece of the "White Tail Pear" divinely bestowed fruit and then ignored it. Instead, he picked up two more pieces of fruit and handed them to Hei Zi, who was baring its teeth and about to bite into its three heads.

I gently patted their heads, and they immediately lowered their heads and ate one of the fruits, glancing at each other.

"etc…"

Zhu Yu suddenly noticed that the color of the fruit held in the middle of the black seed was wrong, and quickly spoke up to stop it.

But you can only say half of what you mean.

The flesh of that "Malus spectabilis" fruit had already been chewed up.

Aww…

Blackie, the three-headed dog, was not from a poor background. Knowing how hard it was to obtain the "divinely bestowed fruit," he let out a howl and jumped up like a spring, while his other two heads followed him into the forest, looking completely bewildered.

"Woof..."

"The banquet hasn't started yet..."

"..."

"hiss…"

Zhu Yu took a light breath, shook his head, raised his hand to beckon the peacock, gave it a piece of bear honey, and instructed it to deliver it to Hei Zi.

He then turned to look at the spirit beasts, including Firetail and Baldhead, who had gotten up, pointed to the "divinely bestowed fruit pulp" and "Kyoho grapes" on the table, and said irritably:

"You guys divide it up as you see fit, no more, no less, and absolutely no saving it to sell. Just eat it here..."

A moment of silence fell over the mountaintop.

Immediately, a burst of excited cheers rang out.

"Wow…"

"A magnificent, towering peak..."

"Kyoho is the best..."

"..."

The barrage of compliments pleased Zhu Yu greatly. He narrowed his eyes, waved his hand, and said, "Stop shouting, hurry up and eat, it'll get stale soon."

With that, it flapped its wings and flew to the side.

Baldhead, Firetail, and other spirit beasts, along with Black Earth, Big Bear, and Little Bear, quickly gathered around the table and, under Firetail's guidance, began to distribute the divinely bestowed fruit.

Zhu Yu watched as Hua Ling walked over with light, swaying steps, and asked in confusion, "Hua Ling loves to eat the flesh of the 'Xifu crabapple,' why don't you go and share some?"

Hua Ling shook her head, turned around, and stood at the same level as him. Ku Ku chuckled in a low voice, "It's useless for Hua Ling to eat it. Baldy and the others will become even stronger after eating it and will be used to guard the orchard for Giant Peak."

Zhu Yu was taken aback, then nodded and whispered, "After the 'Divine Gift' results next year, secretly save half of Jufeng for Hua Ling, and um, leave all the 'Xifu Begonia' for Hua Ling."

"Kukuku..."

Upon hearing this, Hua Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud. She glanced around with her small eyes and whispered, "The bald ones need to eat 'divine gifts' to advance to mountain lords. Hua Ling can wait until they break through before eating them..."

Zhu Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and said casually, "Who said there are only two 'divinely bestowed' giant peak trees?..."

"Jufeng, you weren't born in the department..."

Hua Ling was about to say something when she suddenly stopped, turned to look at Zhu Yu, and said blankly, "Ju Feng, what did you just say? Hua Ling didn't hear you... Could you say it again?...

Zhu Yu spread its wings and raised its head slightly, "Who said there are only two 'divinely bestowed' giant peaks?..."

"ah…"

Hua Ling gasped, quickly covering her mouth. She looked around, and seeing no spirit beasts or insects watching, she moved closer and exclaimed in shock:

"Jufeng, you've discovered another 'divine gift'?..."

"Um."

Zhu Yu nodded without explaining, but smiled and said, "When you come again next year, Hua Ling, I'll definitely give you a surprise."

"Waaah..."

Upon confirmation, Hua Ling could not hide her shock. She covered her mouth with her hands, forcibly suppressing her exclamation.

A while later.

It had just calmed down, spun around several times, then circled Zhu Yu a few more times. It then leaned closer, its azure eyes fixed on Zhu Yu for a few moments, and said earnestly:

"Giant Peak, Mother Goddess favors you; you're sure to become an incredibly powerful insect in the future..."

"certainly."

Zhu Yu nodded without hesitation, then added, "Hua Ling will be very powerful in the future." He paused, then smiled, "All of Ju Feng's 'divine gifts' will be sold by Hua Ling; Hua Ling is the most powerful one."

Upon hearing this...

Hua Ling shuddered, her listless aura vanished, and she let out a low "kukuku" laugh, saying happily:

"Both Hanabishi and Kyoho are amazing... Kukuku..."

For some unknown reason, the little guy became spirited and said:

"Jufeng, the 'Divine Fruits' should be dried by now. Hualing wants to store them away and go to Lord Yelian Mountain to buy some spiritual food for Jufeng."

Zhu Yu glanced at the sky, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll have Baldy and the others take you there later."

Hua Ling did not refuse and readily nodded.

On the way into the formation, he asked on behalf of Xiong Da and Xiong Er if they could send life stones to the "Red Fire Ant" tribe.

Hua Ling nodded without hesitation, "Sure, but you'll have to take one-tenth of the delivery fee." It blinked, and Kuku chuckled, "Hua Ling can keep it a secret and deliver it secretly."

"Will this cause trouble?...?"

There weren't many Life Stones left, and Zhu Yu didn't want to cause Hua Ling any trouble because of this.

Hua Ling shook her head repeatedly. As long as she didn't say anything, Lord Ye Lianshan wouldn't know or care about transporting the Life Stone.

Zhu Yu nodded, entered the formation, carefully collected the dried "White-tailed Pear" and "Crabapple" divine fruits, and returned to the banyan tree.

at this time.

The "divinely bestowed fruit" had been distributed, and the spirit beasts and insect warriors ate it slowly, bite by bite, amidst constant laughter.

On the wooden table, there were three untouched portions, clearly reserved for Zhu Yu, Hua Ling, and the three-headed dog Hei Zi.

Zhu Yu turned to look at Hua Ling, and seeing that it shook its head, said, "Ju Feng and Hua Ling don't eat this, so you can divide it among yourselves."

He then beckoned Xiong Da and Xiong Er to his side and said:

"Hanabiki can help you transport the Life Stones, but she will charge a minimum of one-tenth of the transportation fee."

One-tenth!

"Big Bear and Little Bear exclaimed in surprise."

Just as Zhu Yu thought they were complaining about the price, he heard Xiong Da's surprised voice, "So little! Taro used to say that traveling merchants transporting Life Stones charge a third of the transportation fee."

"Bear Big wants Flower Diamond to deliver it."

Xiong Er said somewhat reluctantly, "Xiong Er will also have Hua Ling deliver it."

As they spoke, the two insects took off the spider silk bags from their backs and handed them to Hua Ling, saying joyfully:

"Hana-Rin, you count, the taro that Xiong Da and Xiong Er are going to give to the 'Red Fire Ant' tribe's market..."

Actually, there weren't many.

After all, the two insects only worked for Zhu Yu for a year. Even with his occasional rewards, Xiong Da only managed to accumulate a little over a hundred life stones, while Xiong Er had even less, with only a pitiful twenty or so.

Zhu Yu spoke up, "This time, Hua Ling won't charge you for shipping, but are you sure you'll send everything back?..."

"You'll be four years old soon, right?"

"We can give you the Spirit Seed Giant Peak, but are you sure you don't want to buy some spiritual energy food? Once you reach your age, forcing a transformation will damage your bodies..."

"Wow, thank you, Hanabishi."

Xiong Da cheered and thanked him, then hesitated for a few moments before shaking his head and saying, "Xiong Da can bear with it a little longer..."

Xiong Er shook its head. It earned just as many life stones as Xiong Da in a year, most of which it spent on buying spiritual food. For it, transforming to the fourth age was not difficult.

"Alright, once the seeds of life you've nurtured bear fruit and yield a stable harvest, it won't be too late to make up for the physical deficiencies then."

Zhu Yu nodded without saying anything more.

Each insect has its own destiny. Although Xiong Da is small, his stubborn nature is already evident, and it's no use trying to persuade him.

At worst, he'll help them out more in the future; he won't let them die during their metamorphosis.

"Hanabishi will be back soon..."

After getting the address, Hua Ling put away the Life Stone, called out to Zhu Yu, and then, accompanied by the spirit beasts such as Huowei, she couldn't wait to go down the mountain and head towards "Wangyue Plain".

Zhu Yu took flight, watching the group of insects and beasts disappear into the forest. He turned around, looked in the direction of the formation, and muttered softly:

"The fire elemental energy seems to be getting stronger..."