Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

Time flies, and more than half a year later.

Wu Fan awoke from his cultivation and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"After advancing to the Earth-grade spiritual root, the cultivation speed is indeed vastly different, much faster than before."

"If it were in the past, with a mid-grade spiritual root, it would have taken at least forty years to cultivate to the peak of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage; now, having advanced to an Earth-grade spiritual root, it will likely only take a dozen years to achieve this naturally."

He nodded in satisfaction, then slowly finished his practice by twirling his hands.

I wonder if, after the Five Elements Pearl advances again, it will directly upgrade his spiritual root to a Heavenly Spiritual Root?

What if the Five Elements Beads continue to advance?

Is it possible to advance to a spiritual root that is even more powerful than a Heavenly Spiritual Root?

Or will it directly evolve into some kind of spiritual entity that accelerates cultivation?

Or perhaps the Heavenly Spiritual Root is the ultimate goal for the Five Elements Beads to advance?

These thoughts surged through Wu Fan's mind, but ultimately they were nothing more than wishful thinking.

After all, he can't fully control the Five Elements Beads right now, and he doesn't even know their origins.

The Five Elements Beads are now completely unresponsive, even to the spiritual objects that used to be able to move them, which confirms his previous guess.

To nourish and upgrade the Five Elements Pearl in the future, one must obtain rare and precious natural materials.

The matter of enhancing the spiritual essence of the Five Elements Pearl can be put on hold for now; there's no need to rush it.

The most urgent task is to focus on honing and improving one's own skills; that is the right path.

Thinking of this, Wu Fan slowly stood up, intending to go find Jiang Ling to inquire about the latest developments in the war at the front.

He already had few connections in Falling Star Valley. Apart from a few people he usually dealt with through pill transactions, he had almost no particularly close fellow disciples.

Jiang Ling, on the other hand, has always been on good terms with her fellow disciples in the sect, and is far more well-informed than him.

Previously, Falling Star Valley, together with Spirit Mirror Sect and Spirit Control Sect, had the upper hand in their fight against the Myriad Beasts Sect and Zhongtian Ruins City.

However, after the six allied forces of Yan Kingdom joined the war, the situation reversed instantly, and the three factions suffered repeated defeats.

The Spirit Mirror Sect, which borders the territory of the Myriad Beasts Sect, has already lost half of its sect territory and is now in dire straits.

Wu Fan knew that it wouldn't be long before he was transferred to the front lines by the sect to help the Spirit Mirror Sect hold the line.

......

After leaving the cave, Wu Fan flew straight towards Jiang Ling's cave.

Before long, it landed in the air above the entrance to the other party's cave.

He immediately raised his hand and cast a sound transmission spell, then calmed himself down and stood quietly outside the door, waiting patiently.

Before long, the protective array outside the cave rippled, revealing a circular entrance and exit about ten feet in size.

Upon seeing this, Wu Fan's lips curled up slightly, and he floated lightly towards the formation.

Upon landing, he saw the entrance to the cave, where a beautiful woman stood, waiting for his arrival.

"Junior Sister Jiang, it's been years! How have you been?"

Wu Fan smiled and spoke in a gentle tone.

The visitor was none other than the owner of this cave dwelling—Jiang Ling!

"I never expected that Brother Wu, after all these years, would have advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage even earlier than me! Congratulations!"

Jiang Ling smiled gently, her eyebrows curving upwards.

"It was just a lucky encounter at Bamian Mountain. Junior Sister Jiang has now successfully entered the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and her cultivation is stable. Congratulations on that as well."

Wu Fan's gaze fell on Jiang Ling. After a brief sensing, he realized that her aura was harmonious and that she had recently broken through to a higher realm. He immediately smiled and spoke.

"Alright, let's stop with the mutual flattery. Brother Wu, please come in."

Jiang Ling raised her hand to cover her smiling lips, and with her other hand she raised it slightly in an inviting gesture.

Wu Fan nodded slightly and stepped into the cave.

Jiang Ling led him to the main hall of the cave dwelling. After they sat down, she smiled and asked softly:

"Brother Wu, we usually only meet when we're trading pills. What brings you here today? Is there something you'd like to ask? Please feel free to tell me."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Wu Fan with a curious expression.

"Ahem... Actually, I wanted to ask about the situation at the front."

Wu Fan coughed lightly and gave a slightly embarrassed wry smile.

He first gave a general account of the reclamation of Bamian Mountain, and then emphasized the sudden and dramatic change that occurred in the valley at the end.

Of course, he omitted the fact that he personally killed Zheng Yue, and he only briefly mentioned how he escaped from the Ten Thousand Mountains. He mainly told the story of how the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain and Zhongtian Ruins City were actually internal collaborators of the Six Sects of Yan Kingdom.

It's likely that Jiang Ling had already heard about these inside stories.

After all, he reported to the sect's higher-ups as soon as he returned to the sect. Moreover, he was not the only cultivator who had escaped from Bamian Mountain by chance; they must have all reported to the sect, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

The last group of cultivators who went to explore the Eight-Faced Mountain suffered extremely heavy losses.

Of the Foundation Establishment cultivators who were traveling with them, only a small portion survived, while almost all the Qi Refining disciples were wiped out, and all the Golden Core cultivators from the three sects perished.

It was precisely for this reason that the three sects, enraged, joined forces and besieged Zhongtianxu City.

However, no one expected that there were a large number of cultivators from the six sects in Zhongtianxu City, and that the allied forces of the six sects of Yan Kingdom would arrive to provide reinforcements. As a result, the battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and things became increasingly difficult.

After listening to what Wu Fan had to say, Jiang Ling's expression turned serious, and her tone became heavy:

"Brother Wu, I don't actually know much about the inside story."

However, Senior Sister Yu Shuang has a close friend who is currently on the front lines and sent the message back through intermediaries.

The front lines could no longer hold out, and the Spirit Mirror Sect had no choice but to activate its full protective formation to barely withstand the combined onslaught of the three sects of the Wild Goose Kingdom and the Myriad Beasts Sect. They are now desperately awaiting reinforcements from our sect.

If the battle at Zhongtianxu City hadn't tied down the remaining forces of the other three of the six sects of Yan Kingdom, Lingjing Sect would probably have already fallen.

Senior Sister Yu Shuang also heard that the sect will most likely be sending a large number of disciples to support the Spirit Mirror Sect.

After hearing Jiang Ling's words, the two fell silent.

After all, both of them knew that going to support the Spirit Mirror Sect was an extremely dangerous mission. Facing a coalition of cultivators from four sects, they might very well die.

However, if they do not go, the sect will likely treat them as traitors on the spot and abolish their cultivation, which is no different from death.

After a long pause, Wu Fan was about to speak, wanting to find some comforting words to ease the atmosphere.

Before he could finish speaking, several "clangs" of bells rang out from the direction of the sect's council hall.

Wu Fan and Jiang Ling exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions changing drastically at the same time. They then turned to look in the direction from which the bell tolled and began to listen intently.

Only after the ninth bell rang and no more bells were heard did the two turn back to look at each other.

"The bell rang nine times in total, which is the most solemn and highest-level summons in the sect. All disciples of the sect, regardless of their status, must be present to receive orders. It seems that today is the day the sect will send troops to aid Lingjing Sect."

Jiang Ling looked at Wu Fan with a serious expression and a somewhat helpless tone.

"No matter what, we Foundation Establishment disciples can only obey the sect's arrangements! Let's go, let's go take a look first. We might not be sent to the front lines, and we might even stay behind to guard the sect!"

Wu Fan hesitated for a moment, then spoke calmly.

"Well, I hope so!"

Hearing Wu Fan's words of comfort, Jiang Ling let out a long sigh.

Then, the two responded in unison, left the cave together, and flew towards the council hall on their respective magical artifacts.

......

Two hours later.

Thousands of cultivators, all at the Qi Refining stage, had gathered in the plaza outside the council hall, while Wu Fan and his fellow Foundation Establishment stage disciples had already entered the hall to discuss matters.

The so-called "deliberation" is just a euphemism.

After all, the sect's real major affairs are not for the Foundation Establishment disciples to comment on. The sect's higher-ups have already made their decisions. They are just here to say a few words in front of everyone as a symbolic way of seeking opinions.

And they could only follow the decisions already made by the higher-ups and pretend to completely agree.

At this moment, an old man sat on the main seat in the hall. He was tall and thin, with gray hair, but his cheekbones were high and his eyes were upturned, making him look extremely mean and cold.

But at this moment, when Wu Fan saw this tall, thin old man, his heart began to pound violently, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He had seen Golden Core cultivators and personally experienced the pressure emanating from that realm, but he had never felt such terror before. Just one glance sent chills down his spine and his courage seemed to shatter.

It was as if the other party could see through all their secrets with just a glance.

"This is... a Nascent Soul cultivator?! The sect's Supreme Elder, True Monarch Bingxuan?!"

Wu Fan was shocked, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

His nervousness and fear were not simply due to being shocked by the aura emanating from the Nascent Soul cultivator; there was another reason.

That is—the Five Elements Beads!

The Five Elements Beads began to react violently in the Yellow Court!

At first, Wu Fan thought he had stumbled upon some rare and precious treasure, but the mysterious feeling transmitted by the Five Elements Pearl was completely different.

That wasn't the feeling of spiritual treasures, but rather the "original essence" within the body of this Nascent Soul cultivator, the sect's supreme elder.

This made him panic instantly.

Besides fearing that the Supreme Elder would discover the existence of the Five Elements Beads, there was also:

Will the advancement of the Five Elements Beads rely on absorbing the essence of Nascent Soul cultivators?!

In that case, where would he get the courage, let alone the ability, to covet the essence of a Nascent Soul cultivator?

This is an absolute joke, and a recipe for disaster.

As Wu Fan was having these conflicting thoughts, the tall, thin old man suddenly looked at him.

Wu Fan felt a chill run through his body again, and felt even more uncomfortable than before. He almost couldn't stand up, and his expression changed drastically.

Fortunately, the other person only glanced at him and did not linger, which relieved him greatly.

Jiang Ling quickly reached out to support Wu Fan's arm, her eyes showing concern.

Wu Fan turned his head and nodded slightly to her, indicating that he was alright.

After waiting for about two incense sticks' worth of time, the two and the many cultivators in the main hall arrived one after another.

At this moment, Elder Li, a Golden Core cultivator standing beside the tall, thin old man, turned around and respectfully addressed the tall, thin old man on the high seat:

"Master, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the valley have arrived. However, Junior Brother Yu and his group of disciples are still on their way back and probably won't be back for a while."

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin old man frowned slightly and fell silent, ultimately refraining from saying what he had just intended to say.

After a moment, once he had regained his composure, he said in a calm tone:

"If he didn't come, so be it. Let's just say it's not meant to be. Let's announce the operation first."

"Yes, Master."

After respectfully bowing with clasped hands, Elder Li turned around and began his introduction to the crowd:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to a senior and great master."

This is the legendary Ice Profound True Monarch, the Ice Profound Ancestor, who has existed like a legend since the day you and I entered the sect, and is also the Supreme Elder of my Falling Star Valley.

Our sect is now facing an unprecedented calamity, as I believe you all already know.

The six sects of Yan Kingdom have launched a massive invasion of the cultivation world of Chu Kingdom. Lingjing Sect is struggling to withstand the onslaught and is on the verge of collapse.

Lingjing Sect and my Falling Star Valley have been friends for many years. We both belong to the same lineage of the Chu Kingdom and are of the same bloodline, sharing weal and woe.

If the Spirit Mirror Sect suffers annihilation today, my Falling Star Valley will be left vulnerable and will never have peace again.

Therefore, the patriarch decided to immediately dispatch the sect's elite forces to reinforce the Spirit Mirror Sect.

As he spoke, Elder Li's gaze swept over everyone present.

The expressions on everyone's faces were complex and difficult to describe, and no one spoke for a moment.

Elder Li then spoke again:

"This mission was personally assigned by the Ancestor. Those selected to go to the front lines, regardless of who they are, are not allowed to use connections or back channels to arrange their own deployment. Anyone who dares to disobey orders and refuse to go will be dealt with according to the sect rules. Do you all understand?"

"I understand..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present immediately raised their hands in agreement.

Seeing this, Elder Li turned and bowed to the tall, thin old man. After the man nodded in agreement, Elder Li turned back to the somewhat agitated crowd and said:

"Everyone, please be quiet."

His voice carried a hint of spiritual energy, and an invisible pressure swept directly towards everyone.

Everyone felt a sinking feeling in their hearts and fell silent instantly; the entire room became quiet.

Seeing this, Elder Ma slowly began to speak:

"Alright, everyone, there's no need to worry too much. Our ancestor has already made an alliance with the Nine Provinces Alliance, and they are determined to come to the aid of our Chu Kingdom's cultivation world. As long as we can withstand this offensive from the six sects of Yan Kingdom, the situation will naturally improve."

These words eased the atmosphere in the hall somewhat.

After a moment, seeing that the expressions on everyone's faces had softened, Elder Li addressed them in a deep voice:

"Next, Sect Leader Shi Shoushan will announce the list of personnel who will go to Lingjing Sect to provide assistance."

He had barely finished speaking when Shi Shoushan, the elderly monk who was standing at the very end of the crowd on the high platform, quickly stepped forward.

Shi Shoushan first took out a roster from his storage bag at his waist, looked at everyone present, and then began to read the roster aloud.

The list was read out quickly, in less than fifteen minutes.

There were only about a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators present in Falling Star Valley at this moment.

The list had only been read halfway through before it was finished.

As for the thousands of Qi Refining cultivators outside the hall, the disciples in charge of the valley had already prepared a list and began reading it aloud in turn outside the hall early on.

Inside the hall, Wu Fan did not hear his name called after the sect leader Shi Shoushan finished reading the roster. This meant that he did not need to go to the front line, which was undoubtedly a good thing for him.

But this good fortune did not fall on Jiang Ling.

Her name was prominently listed, which meant she was destined to go to the Spirit Mirror Sect to provide assistance; the dangers ahead were self-evident.

Attention all die-hard fans of Zhao Fu Nie! The latest chapter of "Cultivating Immortality: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude" has been released!