Chapter 712 Yang Spirit (2)

“But the problem is, we can’t be without this Spirit Vein…”

Yu Feng’Er said worriedly.

After leaving their homeland and losing the support of their Sect, they had been living off their savings. Staring at the ledgers that only showed expenses and no income, she had been deeply troubled.

Now that even the Spirit Vein was in trouble, her worries only deepened.

Without the Tree of Spiritual Eye, they wouldn’t be able to grow Spirit Medicines, even if they managed to build the Spirit Medicine Garden. At the same time, the consumption of Spirit Stones would accelerate due to the operation of the Spirit Gathering Array.

If that happened, their supplies would dwindle at a frightening rate.

Yu Feng’Er wasn’t the only one who had thought of this; Lü Zhong had as well.

The Divine Wood’s fusion with the Tree of Spiritual Eye had both its pros and cons.

The benefit was that as the Divine Wood grew, the Mountain and River Space would enter a period of rapid expansion. In the future, it wasn’t impossible that it might even evolve into a Mountain and River Realm. The drawback was obvious: they would lose a Tier Five Spirit Vein.

Should he intervene?

He was hesitant.

In terms of future potential, letting the Kongsang Divine Wood fuse with the Spirit Vein was the natural choice. But if they were to prioritize their immediate interests, they would have to interrupt this fusion and find another solution.

Just then, Su Caocao suddenly spoke up.

“Master, I have something to say.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. We both have Nascent Soul Cultivation, so we should address each other as Fellow Daoist.” Lü Zhong looked at his prized disciple, a smile gracing his lips as he spoke in a gentle tone.

“Master, please forgive me, but I cannot do as you ask!” Su Caocao shook her head, rejecting Lü Zhong’s suggestion. She said seriously, “I only know one principle: a teacher for a day is a teacher for a lifetime.”

Her expression showed she wasn’t joking.

Lü Zhong was at a loss for words and could only change the subject.

“…Alright, what was it you wanted to say?”

“Master, when I was traveling through Central Earth before, I came across a heaven-shattering opportunity. Without it, I never would have succeeded in my Nascent Soul Formation. During that time, I obtained a Secret Technique that allows me to communicate with the Divine Wood,” Su Caocao explained.

“Communicate with the Divine Wood?” Shuini’s eyes lit up when she heard this.

This could certainly be a breakthrough.

The Divine Wood possessed a spirit and wasn’t some ordinary plant, so communicating with it was naturally a possibility. If they could understand its intentions, even if only in vague concepts, it would give them something to base their decision on. That was far better than deciding with no information at all.

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you!” Lü Zhong decided.

“Master, I will do my best to communicate, but it will take some time. The Wood Spirit Mantra doesn’t provide a direct translation; it requires interpretation and understanding. It will take about… nine years.” Su Caocao nodded, giving a timeline that was quite in line with the perception of time held by a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

“We can’t pin all our hopes on this alone.”

Shuini spoke up, her gaze turning to Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er.

“I’ll stay here as well and see if I can find another solution. This means I won’t have time for other matters, so I’ll leave the rest to you two.”

Lü Zhong nodded, and then he and Yu Feng’Er left the area.

It was only when they reached the entrance of Tide Cave that Lü Zhong suddenly remembered he hadn’t seen Tianwen or Jiuge in a very long time.

He mentioned this to Yu Feng’Er, only to receive an unexpected answer.

“Are you sure? Tianwen and Yun’Er have taken a liking to each other?”

“I think it’s very likely to work out,” Yu Feng’Er said with a smile.

As a mother, even a Nascent Soul Cultivator like herself had to worry about her children’s marriages. Now that Tianwen and Yaoyun were together, and they were well-matched in status, it was indeed a good pairing.

“It would be best if it works out. After all, he’s one hundred and thirty years old. It’s about time he started a family.”

Lü Zhong was a little surprised as he calculated Tianwen’s age.

Who could have imagined that over a century had passed in the blink of an eye? To him, it all felt like it had happened just yesterday.

‘This is the downside of a long lifespan, I suppose.’

He couldn’t help but wonder. ‘If I really become an immortal, will thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, pass in the span of a single thought? After witnessing all the wonders of the world, one’s perception of time is bound to fade. It wouldn’t be strange at all. The truly strange thing would be to live every single day to its fullest.’

Lü Zhong’s thoughts then turned to Jiuge, and he couldn’t help but feel concerned about her marriage prospects as well.

“A wonder you even remember your own precious daughter!” Yu Feng’Er rolled her eyes at him before sighing. “Jiuge has taken a fancy to Luo’Er. She even wanted to stay behind with him before!”

“Er, well…” Lü Zhong gave an awkward laugh.

‘Too much time in seclusion always has its side effects.’

“I wonder how things are going for Luo’Er…” Yu Feng’Er said, worried.

It was rare for Jiuge to find someone she liked, but now they were forced to be apart.

Over time, things could inevitably change.

“Don’t worry. Nothing major is happening in the Southern Barbarian lands. A Divinity Transformation expert is the supreme existence in this realm; they wouldn’t stoop to venting their anger on ants. As for the minor annoyances beneath them, they’re a hassle, but Luo’Er can handle them.” Lü Zhong contacted his Incarnation and relayed the situation.

“That’s good to hear.” Yu Feng’Er’s worried frown smoothed into a smile.

After seeing her off, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

‘If Tianwen and Yaoyun get together, then every time I emerge from seclusion, I’ll probably be greeted by a new batch of descendants. First, I’ll be a grandfather, then a great-grandfather… It won’t be long before the family tree starts to branch out, and they’ll be calling me great-grandfather, then great-great-grandfather.’

‘I should have expected this the day I decided to have children.’

Lü Zhong didn’t dwell on it; he had made up his mind long ago.

‘My descendants will have their own paths to walk. At most, I’ll concern myself with my great-grandchildren. After four generations, the bloodline connection thins so much… what real family affection could be left?’

He then sent out his Incarnations to act as his eyes and ears, scattering them over a radius of ten thousand li.

With these precautions in place, Lü Zhong finally began his Alchemy.

…

「One year later.」

Inside the Pill Room, the Pill Qi was thick in the air.

Lü Zhong formed a Technique Mantra, clearing the ashes from within the Pill Furnace.

He withdrew the Purple Gold Extreme Fire, signaling the end of the Alchemy session.

After this period of refinement, his entire stock of Spirit Medicine was depleted. Thanks to his improved alchemy skills, he had produced a considerable number of Pills—thirty percent more than he had estimated. If they were used sparingly, the supply could last for nearly forty years.

Forty years might seem long, but to a Nascent Soul Cultivator, it was merely the blink of an eye.

Once the Pills ran out, he feared they would have no choice but to rely on absorbing Spiritual Qi directly.

‘I can’t believe I have to worry about resources again.’

Lü Zhong shook his head, sorting the Pills and placing them into his Storage Ring.

He had spent a considerable amount of time on Alchemy. In addition to the Six Yang Sandalwood True Pills and the Heaven-Mending Liquid essential for his own cultivation, he had also refined a large quantity of Pills for the early and Middle Stages of the Nascent Soul realm, all prepared for Yu Feng’Er and the others.

‘I wonder how Caocao is progressing?’

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong got up and walked out of the Pill Room.

He soon arrived before the Kongsang Divine Wood. Su Caocao was enveloped in a green glow, deep in a state of communication. Shuini, standing to the side, shot Lü Zhong a look, warning him not to disturb Caocao.

Seeing this, he could only retreat.

‘A year isn’t much time to communicate. I hope this actually works.’

After leaving, Lü Zhong contacted his Incarnations outside. Upon learning that they had found nothing unusual, he still didn’t let his guard down and took the trouble to patrol the area himself. Only after personally confirming that everything was normal did he return to his Quiet Chamber to resume taking Pills and practicing Qi Cultivation.

In cultivation, years pass like days.

Once he entered seclusion, time began to fly by once more.

By the time Lü Zhong took notice, a full five years had passed. At the cost of burning through an entire medium-sized Spirit Stone Mine, he had finally achieved initial success with the Heaven-Mending Mantra.

At this moment, he could sense a small white dot upon his Spirit Root.

Gold corresponds to the color white.

This white dot was the nascent bud of a Gold Spirit Root.

It wouldn’t be entirely wrong to call it a Spirit Root.

By fusing his Primordial Spirit with his Nascent Soul, Lü Zhong had taken a crucial step forward. And it was thanks to this step that he now understood how to achieve Divinity Transformation.

To reach Divinity Transformation, one must first forge a “Yang Spirit”!

The Nascent Soul, gained through arduous cultivation, had only ever had one purpose: to serve as a “vessel” for the Primordial Spirit.

Time is, and always will be, the greatest enemy.

The prerequisite for attaining Longevity was to resolve the issue of time’s erosion on the Divine Soul. Otherwise, everything else was just empty talk.

And that was why the method of forging a “Yang Spirit” existed.