The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu

Chapter 167: The Yao Clan Studies the Marrow Cleansing Pill

At this moment, within a secret chamber of the Yao Clan's residence.

A group of elderly men, all with gray hair, were intensely focused on studying the Marrow Cleansing Pills they had acquired from the auction.

There were two and a half pills in total, with the half pill split from a complete Spirit Recovery Pill, the other half being in the hands of the Dan Clan.

Each elder stared wide-eyed at the pills, scrutinizing them with a fanatical gaze, their eyes filled with intense excitement.

The eldest of the group was holding the half Marrow Cleansing Pill in his palm, his face flushed with excitement as he examined it more closely. The more he looked at it, the more agitated he became, until his entire body trembled with emotion.

This group of elderly experts, all at the Gu King level, had chosen not to attend the auction but instead hid here, researching a low-grade spiritual pill.

The head of the Yao Clan watched these research fanatics with a bitter smile. Seeing them so absorbed, he couldn't help but interrupt, "Honored ancestors, the Gu King auction has already begun. Shouldn't we go and join in the fun?"

"The medicinal pill business is immensely profitable. We've already amassed great wealth just from selling the King Breakthrough Pills, which increase the chances of Gu Kings breaking through. Our clan is now the wealthiest in all of the Western Lands, and we definitely have the strength to win the bidding for that Living Wood."

The elders continued to focus on their research, not even glancing at him.

Finally, the eldest elder, without taking his eyes off the half Marrow Cleansing Pill, spoke after a long pause: "There's no need. Even if you use spirit stones to win the bid, it may not necessarily be yours. Trying to obtain that thing is too risky."

"If very few people knew about the Living Wood, we might have taken a chance."

"But now, the entire world knows about it. How could I dare to touch such a hot commodity?"

The Yao Clan head frowned and quickly said, "But Honored Ancestor, your lifespan is already running out. The Living Wood could extend your life by at least 500 years."

Yao Chen finally looked at him and said seriously, "For my own benefit, would you have me drag the entire clan into the vortex of war? Do you want me to become the sinner of the clan?"

"To gamble the fate of the clan just so I can live another 500 years—am I, Yao Chen, such a selfish person? Let’s not speak of this again. I'd rather give up the chance for a longer life and ensure the absolute safety of the clan."

"And what’s the point of living another 500 years if I can't pursue the ultimate Dao? Whether I die sooner or later makes no difference."

Hearing this, everyone in the room looked at him with admiration, moved by his words.

When faced with the choice between life and death, who would choose death and give up life? Yet, Yao Chen had done just that.

He was the strongest in the Yao Clan. Whether or not to compete for the Living Wood was entirely his decision. Yet, without hesitation, he gave up the opportunity. Everyone sincerely admired him, and their gazes were filled with respect.

"Hmph! No matter who wins that Living Wood, a great battle will inevitably follow. Gu Kings whose lifespans are nearly at an end aren't rational. They'll do anything to extend their lives. It would be strange if they didn’t try to snatch it by force. Let them fight over it."

"As for me, I'd rather spend my time studying this half Marrow Cleansing Pill. To me, its value far surpasses that of the Living Wood."

After Yao Chen spoke, everyone's attention shifted to the half pill in his hand.

"Honored Ancestor, could it be that you've discovered something? Does this Marrow Cleansing Pill truly hold significant reference value and can be used by our clan?"

The clan head looked astonished. Yao Chen's words, claiming it was more valuable than the Living Wood, had truly shocked him. Was this half pill really worth more than a Living Wood tree? Was the ancestor exaggerating?

Seeing everyone's doubtful expressions, Yao Chen smiled and said, "It definitely has reference value, but whether we can use it is another matter. It’s very difficult."

"You should know that the same pill formula, when refined by different people, produces pills of completely different potencies."

"For example, with Blood-Stopping Pills, even if the ingredients are exactly the same, some people's Blood-Stopping Pills are stronger, while others are weaker. The difference in potency between pills of the same type can be like heaven and earth."

"In ancient times, this difference in potency was called 'fusion degree,' a term used in the world of alchemy."

"However, during the Dark Age of the Era of the Gods, when many arts and techniques were lost, most of the alchemy knowledge, including this concept, was forgotten."

"Nowadays, very few people use the term 'fusion degree,' and most don't even know what it means."

"The fusion degree is the measure of a pill's grade, and it's divided into ten levels."

"The higher the fusion degree, the stronger the pill's potency; the lower the fusion degree, the weaker the pill."

"The fusion degree is determined 30% by skill and 70% by alchemical technique."

"Alchemy techniques and methods are closely guarded secrets. It’s not something an alchemist can improve just because they want to."

"Even though I am the number one alchemist in the Western Lands, refining a pill with a fusion degree of 70% is my absolute limit, and even then, I would need a great deal of luck to succeed."

"But the fusion degree of these three Marrow Cleansing Pills—without exception—is an astonishing 100%."

"Do you know what a 100% fusion degree means? It means that every step of the refinement process was performed with absolute perfection, with not the slightest flaw. Only under these conditions could a pill with a 100% fusion degree be produced."

"This is not something a normal person can easily achieve."

"The fact that this person could do so effortlessly proves that they possess alchemy techniques far superior to mine. The techniques they control can greatly increase the fusion degree of their pills."

"However, trying to deduce such techniques just from studying the pill itself is an almost impossible task. I really want to visit this alchemy genius myself."

Yao Chen's eyes burned with admiration. Suddenly, he looked at the Yao Clan head and asked urgently, "How did the investigation go? Did you find out anything about this alchemy genius?"

The clan head gave a bitter smile and replied, "How could I possibly find that out? The Qian Clan Chamber Of Commerce Association is the most trustworthy business in the world. There's no way they would ever reveal any information about their sellers."

"They value integrity to an extreme. This Living Wood is an extraordinary treasure, and they have it in their possession, yet they didn’t even take a single piece of bark for themselves."

"You must know that many of the Gu King-level ancestors in the Qian Clan are nearing the end of their lives and urgently need the bark of the Living Wood to extend their lives."

"Yet, even in such dire circumstances, they did not steal any part of it. They would rather watch their Gu King ancestors die than take even a small piece of the Living Wood."

"In their eyes, the value of integrity has surpassed the lives of several Gu King-level ancestors. Their commitment to trustworthiness is terrifying. I admire them deeply."

"With such integrity, how could I possibly get any information about the alchemy genius?"

"Moreover, according to Qian Duoduo, the alchemy genius only shows his eyes when trading with the Qian Clan. They have no idea who he is. And as you know, the merchants of the Qian Clan never lie."

At this moment, atop the highest spire of the Long Clan’s residence, Long Xuan noticed the person who had suddenly appeared behind him, showing a look of surprise.

“Master, why are you here?”

Indeed, the visitor was none other than the old Elder Long. After the space hut was placed inside a hall of the Western Long Clan, members of the Far Western Long Clan could crawl through the space hut at any time. It wasn’t exactly surprising that Long Ao had suddenly appeared here.

“Ziyan has been away from home for a long time. I came to see my daughter. Is that not allowed?” The Elder Long walked over with a stern face.

Upon hearing this, for some reason, Long Xuan suddenly felt a bit guilty. Surely he hadn’t discovered what was going on between him and Long Ziyan, right?

But, just as he feared, the Elder Long's expression darkened even more. “Ziyan has already told me everything. Good job, kid. Ziyan swore she wouldn’t engage in personal relationships in this lifetime, yet your charm was strong enough for her to break that vow?”

“We agreed that we wouldn’t ‘eat the grass around the nest,’ right? And yet, it’s my fault for letting you get so close to her, and for giving you all those chances to consult with her when you didn’t understand something.”

Upon hearing this, Long Xuan shrunk his neck and felt even more uneasy. Why did Long Ziyan have to tell him everything? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep this hidden? Now things had become incredibly awkward.

“Well… we are deeply in love with each other. It’s mutual and sincere, and I promise I will treat her well…” Long Xuan didn’t know what else to say, so he just blurted out whatever came to mind.

The Elder Long nodded, sat down beside him, and looked up at the starry sky. Suddenly, he sighed.

“I’m not against her falling in love. If she’s found happiness, I should be glad for her.”

“But! Do you know that she possesses the Nine Yin Severing Body, and that her lifespan is naturally shorter than others?” Elder Long's tone suddenly became serious as he stared at Long Xuan.

Long Xuan was taken aback. He genuinely had no idea that she had the Nine Yin Severing Body.

It was said that those with the Nine Yin Severing Body constantly race against time. Each bearer of this constitution possesses the world’s most terrifying cold energy—the Nine Yin Cold Energy. All ice-attribute abilities in their hands would be amplified tenfold or more.

The battle power of those with the Nine Yin Severing Body was incredibly formidable, ranking among the Ten Great Physiques, equal in fame to the Ten Absolute Physiques, and similarly known for being invincible at the same level.

However, this power comes at the cost of a shortened lifespan.

Due to their short lifespan, it’s difficult for Nine Yin Severing Body bearers to break through to the final stage of cultivation within their limited lifespan. Each bearer spends their life racing against time, but very few throughout history have managed to outrun it.

It’s said that if a bearer of the Nine Yin Severing Body can extend their lifespan, they will become truly invincible. If Long Ziyan were to learn the Eternal Life Sutra, it would be a perfect match for her. Once her life is no longer bound by her lifespan, her world-defying battle prowess would become unstoppable, propelling her to unimaginable heights.

Long Xuan hadn’t realized that Long Ziyan not only possessed a Sword Bone but also the Nine Yin Severing Body. No wonder her lifespan appeared so limited.

Although Long Xuan didn’t know about the Nine Yin Severing Body, he was aware of her shortened lifespan, but he hadn’t given it much thought.

In his mind, having a short lifespan wasn’t that big of a deal. After all, there were many things in this world that could extend lifespan.

For instance, the bark of the Living Wood alone could extend one’s lifespan by 500 years, and there were countless other treasures that could increase lifespan.

If the lifespan is insufficient, you can just replenish it. Such a simple matter. Long Xuan genuinely didn’t see Long Ziyan’s short lifespan as a significant issue.

Of course, he was speaking lightly, without fully understanding the situation. While there were many treasures that could extend lifespan, how many of them could be easily obtained by an ordinary person?

Even a peak Gu King would struggle to find treasures that extend lifespan, so how could someone of a lower realm expect to succeed?

If extending lifespan were really that easy, wouldn’t the emperors of this world all have long lives by now? Clearly, that’s impossible.

Just the Living Wood alone would cause countless Gu Kings to fight tooth and nail for it. Many would even fall in battle for a chance to extend their life by 500 years. How could it be as easy as Long Xuan made it sound?

If you want those extra 500 years of life, you have to be prepared to risk your life. It’s nowhere near as simple as Long Xuan imagined.

........................................................................

Read extra chapters on >>> /SpiritStonetranslation