Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

Chapter 108 Prolonging Life by 200 Years

After Qiu Zhenning and four other Foundation Establishment Cultivators left, they began to form a Demon Hunting Team and started recruiting cultivators to join.

With five Foundation Establishment Cultivators taking the lead, the Demon Hunting Team quickly attracted many Loose Cultivators.

Inside Little Danling.

"Fang Shitou, the other five Spiritual Lands have formed Demon Hunting Teams. I plan to report to the mountain master and join the Demon Hunting Team to hunt demon beasts and earn resources. Would you care to join me?"

The now grown and handsome young Xu Xiunian asked Fang Shitou, who looked honest and naive.

Fang Shitou smiled naively and said, "I plan on staying in the mountains to manage the Spiritual Medicine fields for my master! To repay his kindness!"

Xu Xiunian raised his eyebrows and said, "Fang Shitou, the mountain master only took us as nominal disciples, and the resources he bestowed on us are even less than those of his beautiful servant. All cultivation resources must be obtained by ourselves. Only by joining the Demon Hunting Team can we earn a substantial amount of resources and hope to achieve Foundation Establishment in the future!"

Fang Shitou smiled slightly and said, "I am but a farmer's son, fortunate to have set foot on the path of cultivation all thanks to my master's kindness. I am of average talent, and may not have hope of achieving Foundation Establishment. It would be good to stay in Little Danling to serve my master, marry a beautiful wife, and live a peaceful life."

The reason the Great Sects and powerful factions prefer to recruit young boys and girls of exceptional talent, and not older cultivators, is to train them from a young age, fostering a sense of identity with their sect or faction.

"Forget it! Everyone has their own aspirations! I won't force you!"

Xu Xiunian shook his head slightly and strode towards Zhao Yu's cave mansion.

Fang Shitou smiled slightly, went to the Spiritual Medicine Garden, and took out a book on Spirit Plants to read carefully.

After Xu Xiunian reported, he came before Zhao Yu, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed, saying, "Mountain Master, Xu Xiunian wishes to go to the Demon Hunting Team to hunt demon beasts and earn resources. I beg the Mountain Master to grant his approval."

Zhao Yu said indifferently, "Since you have this desire, then go! But from now on, you will no longer be my nominal disciple, and all the benefits of a nominal disciple will be cancelled."

As for nominal disciples like Xu Xiunian, Zhao Yu would accept a few every year and didn't value them highly. Although Zhao Yu also instructed them in the arts of Cultivation and the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, whether they could stand out was up to them.

Of course, nominal disciples like Xu Xiunian also had to manage the Spirit Fields, Spiritual Medicine Garden, Spirit Peach Orchard, and Spirit Tea Garden within Little Danling, serve as law enforcement cultivators for Little Danling, and handle various miscellaneous affairs.

Since Xu Xiunian wished to join the Demon Hunting Team for his future prospects, Zhao Yu wasn't going to stop him. However, he would also take back the treatment associated with nominal disciples.

As long as one became Zhao Yu's nominal disciple, they could have a small courtyard in a low-grade second-order spiritual energy area of Little Danling and live there for free. Apart from that, there were various hidden benefits.

Xu Xiunian trembled slightly and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Mountain Master!"

Zhao Yu said, "Xue'er, from now on, if someone wants to go to the Demon Hunting Team, do not stop them. Handle it as in this case. I will be in closed-door cultivation for a while."

Tuoba Xue said, "Yes!"

After Xu Xiunian left, several more people chose to go to the Demon Hunting Team. Tuoba Xue did not make it difficult for them; she let those few nominal disciples go.

The Demon Hunting Team took several months to prepare and then, under the leadership of the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, ventured deep into Canglong Mountain to hunt demon beasts.

A year passed in a flash.

Inside the quiet room of the Little Danling cave mansion, an aura as steady as a mountain slowly spread out.

Zhao Yu slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted in a smile, "I have finally succeeded in cultivation! The Mountain Sutra!"

"Zhao Yu."

"Age 61/663."

"Cultivation Level: Mountain Sutra Eleventh Level (0/100). Foundation Establishment First Level!"

"Divine Sense: Sixth Level of Foundation Establishment (72/100)."

Over the last year, Zhao Yu had transformed his Earth Elemental Skill cultivation into the cultivation of the Mountain Sutra, finally achieving the eleventh level of the Mountain Sutra, which drastically increased his lifespan by two hundred years.

Although Zhao Yu's mana had become much less than before, it was purer, and besides, after achieving the Mountain Sutra, his resistance to various spells had also drastically increased.

"With cultivation success, when shall we celebrate?"

After bathing and changing his clothes, Zhao Yu left the Quiet Room and entered the garden.

There, in the garden, Wei Xinlan was dressed in white, sitting inside the pavilion of the garden, quietly reading a book. The scene of her with the flowers formed a beautiful landscape.

"Greetings, Master!"

The commotion of Zhao Yu's arrival startled Wei Xinlan, and upon seeing him, she put down her book, stood up with a sweet smile, and greeted him.

Zhao Yu said, "Walk with me."

Wei Xinlan smiled joyfully and replied, "Yes, Master!"

Zhao Yu and Wei Xinlan then strolled through the beautiful garden, listening to Wei Xinlan explain the origins of various flowers there.

Unlike Tuoba Xue and Shangguan Lingxiu, who were shrewd and capable, Wei Xinlan was naive and cheerful, loving only to garden and read books, non-contentious and non-competitive—truly a joyful spirit, greatly loved by all in Xiaodan Ridge.

After touring the garden, Zhao Yu suddenly took Wei Xinlan's snow-white jade hand.

"Master!"

Wei Xinlan was initially startled, then her face blushed as she snuggled into Zhao Yu's embrace willingly.

Zhao Yu smiled faintly, picked up Wei Xinlan, and walked towards the cave mansion.

Another month passed, and the Demon Hunting Team returned from Canglong Mountain.

Xu Xiunian, dressed in plain clothes and missing his right arm, arrived at the foot of Xiaodan Mountain in the heart of Xiaodan Ridge, his eyes filled with complex emotions as he gazed at the mountain scenery.

Fang Shitou came down from Xiaodan Mountain, and upon seeing Xu Xiunian's right arm, his face changed slightly and said, "Brother, your right arm!"

Xu Xiunian gave a bitter smile and replied, "In the Canglong Mountains, I was careless for a moment and got bitten by a highly poisonous demon insect, leading to the loss of this arm. But thankfully, my life was spared! It's just that there's almost no chance of further progress for me now! Shitou, for the sake of our ten years as fellow disciples, please take care of your brother in the future."

For those in the Cultivation World, the physical body is very important before achieving success in cultivation; if the body is not whole, progress in cultivation is almost impossible. Naturally, the Cultivation World possesses Secret Techniques and treasures for regenerating limbs, but Xu Xiunian, a mere Qi Refining fifth level individual, could not possibly obtain them.

Fang Shitou asked, "Brother, what brings you here this time?"

Xu Xiunian sighed deeply and said, "Having lost my right arm, I can no longer hunt demons. I hope to find a small job in Xiaodan Ridge to end my days."

After losing the title of pupil under Zhao Yu, Xu Xiunian's family was required to pay twenty Spirit Stones annually as rent to Xiaodan Ridge or else move to cheaper living areas like low-grade Spiritual Land, inferior Spiritual Land, or even mundane cities.

Living in Spiritual Land makes it more likely for descendants to possess Spirit Root. If Xu Xiunian and his family moved to a mundane city, it would be even more difficult for them to have offspring with Spirit Root.

Eventually, after going up the mountain, Xu Xiunian did not even see Zhao Yu but met Tuoba Xue instead and was given a job collecting rent for the Spirit Fields.