Immortality: Starting with the Fruit of Taiyin

……

"It's actually quite reasonable for the demon race to value bloodlines."

"Thinking about it carefully, according to the classification of the Void Shadow Sparrow clan, Xiao Qing is still a child who is only five or six years old at the moment."

"This is the age when growth is most rapid."

"Of course, if it is a long-lived demon beast such as a turtle or a plant, even if it has a heavenly bloodline, its growth rate cannot compare with that of a human of the same period."

Wang Xuan knew that "demon" was the human race's general term for all spirit beasts, but it was only a uniformity in terminology.

In other respects, all spirits are different and cannot be generalized.

For example, in some regions far from human territory where only demons live, many demons do not consider themselves "demons".

Just like in the sea, where humans, like other monsters on land, are collectively referred to as "land races" by many sea creatures.

As for whether humans and monsters consider each other to be of the same kind... that's not a question they need to consider.

……

"call……"

In the quiet room, Wang Xuan calmed his thoughts and slowly finished his practice, focusing his inner gaze upon himself.

His bones gleamed with a jade-like hue, and magical power flowed through his meridians.

It had been three or four years since Wang Xuan broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, but the Taiyin magic power within his body had not changed much.

At the current pace, it will take him at least two or three more years to successfully reach the second level of Foundation Establishment.

The initial stage of Foundation Establishment is the simplest part of the entire Foundation Establishment process.

"At the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, without considering the impact of bottlenecks, a superior-grade spiritual root needs two Jiazi (60 years) to accumulate mana, while a mid-grade spiritual root needs three Jiazi."

"In reality, the bottlenecks in minor realms become stronger after Foundation Establishment. For those with mid-to-low-grade spiritual roots who do not possess top-tier cultivation techniques, every step forward becomes an obstacle."

"Especially the mid-to-late stage, apart from being able to repeatedly challenge it without affecting one's foundation and lifespan, is no less difficult than the foundation building stage itself. Without the assistance of corresponding elixirs, it can take decades to break through."

"No wonder Foundation Establishment cultivators have long lifespans, yet many still remain at the early to mid-stages for their entire lives, unable to make any further progress."

Wang Xuan had anticipated this, as it was a common practice in the cultivation world.

During the Qi Refining stage, as long as there is a supply of spiritual energy, everyone can break through to the sixth level of Qi Refining; however, during the Foundation Establishment stage, although lifespan increases significantly, a small percentage of people are stuck in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

Of course, the reality is like this because, on the one hand, the difficulty of the bottleneck is due to the difficulty, but on the other hand, it is also due to the unequal benefits.

After all, there is no major difference in realm between the early and middle stages of Foundation Establishment, nor is there an increase in lifespan, and the difference in strength is not so great as to be overwhelming.

This has led many cultivators to be unwilling to risk everything just to seize this one chance to break through, even when they know that forming the Golden Core is hopeless.

"It is said that when a Core Formation cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit unite to form a true core, even a breakthrough in a minor realm can affect their lifespan. This is quite different from Foundation Establishment. I wonder what it is like."

With a focused gaze, Wang Xuan pulled his wandering thoughts back to the present.

He couldn't stay at Fire Maple Abode any longer; the spiritual veins there were still too weak. Upon emerging from seclusion, he needed to first resolve the issue of his Daoist temple.

A mid-grade spiritual root is already a hindrance in the Foundation Establishment stage; without the assistance of spiritual veins, it will inevitably affect cultivation.

Fortunately, based on the information he had gathered over the past three years, there were still quite a few vacant temples in Ezhou at the level of second-tier spiritual veins.

To rent a place, one must join a faction.

Wang Xuan made two preparations for this, and he inspected the two chambers of commerce and the several spiritual vein dojos occupied by the Lu family.

Having no better option, he had no choice but to temporarily choose one side and sign a long-term contract to provide alchemy services.

As an alchemist, as long as he doesn't actively get involved in the Ezhou dispute, no one will bother him.

……

a few days later.

In the core area of ​​Black Water Fairy City, people of all kinds come and go in a bustling manner.

Inside a high-end teahouse, Wang Xuan released his spiritual sense, listening to the gossip circulating in the city while taking out the letters he had recently received.

As expected, the first letter was from Yang Yunzhi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Since his first failed attempt at Foundation Establishment a few years ago, this "old classmate" seemed to have suffered a major blow.

Even though they were both in the same immortal city, they only communicated by writing letters.

Later, by chance, Wang Xuan learned from someone else that Yang Yunzhi was not doing well at the Lu family recently.

Failing to establish a foundation is a major event for anyone.

If even the Lu family's own members are like this, what about those outsiders who are able to marry into the family based on their qualifications?

Fortunately, top-grade spiritual roots are precious, and Yang Yunzhi is still young.

Until recently, the backlash from his failed foundation-building attempt gradually healed, and much of the controversy subsided.

Physical recovery is relatively easy, but the accumulated pills lost after the last failure are not so easy to replenish.

"The letter didn't contain much. Apart from a few pleasantries, it didn't really contain any complaints... Well, if he could really put aside his pride, he wouldn't have ended up like this."

"But what happened next... he actually knew Chen Wanrou was coming?"

Wang Xuan looked slightly surprised and couldn't help but be somewhat astonished.

Judging from the contents of the letter, it is unclear where Yang Yunzhi heard the news from, even though it had never been mentioned before. He still heard in advance that Chen Wanrou was coming to Chen State.

Of course, Yang Yunzhi was unaware that Wang Xuan was going to offer Ye Yan the spiritual item on Ye Yan's behalf; he only mentioned the upcoming opening of the Ezhou Secret Realm.

The Star Pool Secret Realm produces Core Formation spiritual items, and because it is an ancient relic, it is not completely controlled by any one force, so it is famous in the surrounding countries.

This time, many forces from the Xu Kingdom arrived in large transnational airships, intending to try their luck at the opportunities within the secret realm.

Years later, upon learning of this, Yang Yunzhi hoped that his classmates from the same prefecture could reunite, reminisce about their different experiences over the years, and reconnect.

Wang Xuan pondered this for a moment, then understood.

He guessed that this "exchange" was probably not just Yang Yunzhi's idea, but more of a demonstration of the Lu family's intelligence system.

Tianyin Pavilion is a major sect in Xu Kingdom, whose strength far surpasses that of Chen Kingdom. Xingchi Secret Realm, as an ancient secret realm that produces Core Formation resources, is also the focus of contention among major Core Formation forces.

Perhaps it was for various reasons that the Lu family hoped to use Yang Yunzhi as a connection to make early contact with the Tianyin Pavilion's personnel who were exploring the secret realm.

It would be best to reach a consensus in advance based on this connection, but if not, there's no loss.

As for whether there are other factors involved, Wang Xuan found it difficult to analyze.

"It would be good to go and take a look."

Without much hesitation, Wang Xuan wrote back, indicating that he would be there on time.

By using the pretext of meeting an old acquaintance to complete the transaction, he saved himself the trouble of meeting Chen Wanrou separately.

It's worth noting that Wang Xuan couldn't help but feel somewhat wary of this talented fellow disciple whom Chen Yao had repeatedly mentioned.

Making friends is one thing, but it doesn't stop him from first finding out about the other person's background.

After all, no one knows whether the other party is also hiding some secrets.

……