Chapter 840
Two Years [Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit]
"Fellow Daoist Zixu, are you really not returning with us?"
After several days of rest, Ling Xiao's face was still pale, but his health was much better. He still had doubts about Song Changsheng's decision.
The demonic Nascent Soul True Monarch who attacked Baiding Pavilion has still not been found.
It is currently unknown whether the other party is targeting the Hundred Cauldrons Pavilion or the Five Academies Grand Competition, but in any case, this is a huge hidden danger, and this hidden danger is very likely to be right next to us.
The best way to avoid the hidden danger is to stay away from it, so they chose to return to the Great Qian Cultivation World ahead of time.
As the top performer in this Five Academies Grand Competition, Song Changsheng, this dark horse who shook the world, attracted the most attention. His image and name had already spread throughout dozens of cultivation circles around him through a series of photos.
In this situation, countless people are watching his every move, whether openly or secretly. These watches may be well-intentioned, or they may be ordinary, but they could also be malicious.
Therefore, Song Changsheng's situation can hardly be described as safe.
Furthermore, the Array Dao Academy, as a sacred place in the hearts of array masters across the world, is the focus of the southwest region, attracting the attention of people from all over the world. In Ling Xiao's opinion, it is not a wise choice for Song Changsheng to go to the Array Dao Academy now.
Of course, within the Array Dao Academy, True Monarch Yingyue could certainly guarantee Song Changsheng's safety, but they would eventually have to return to the Great Qi cultivation world, and their safety on the way would be difficult to guarantee. It would be better to travel with them.
"It's not that I, Song, am blind to the situation, but this trip to the Array Dao Academy is of utmost importance to me, and I have no choice but to go."
Song Changsheng's move was also out of necessity. As True Monarch Yingyue had said before, "Inscribing the Formation with One's Body" was indeed the method first proposed and perfected by He Yunxuan, but it still had many flaws due to the limitations of his cultivation and vision.
He used to treat it as his last trump card to save his life, but as his cultivation level increased, ordinary opponents could no longer threaten him. However, for any opponent who could threaten him, the [Unpredictable Killing Array], his most relied-upon trump card, could no longer save him from adversity as it had before.
The reason he was able to defeat his opponent in one move in this competition was mainly due to the power of the essence of the sun and moon that he had accumulated in his dantian over the years.
The condensation and absorption of the essence of the sun and moon takes time, and the enemy will not wait for him to prepare everything before appearing.
Therefore, he had to make a change.
But True Lord Yingyue provided him with a rare opportunity.
The Array Dao Academy is currently verifying and perfecting this method. As long as he actively cooperates and shortens the verification time, he will be able to obtain the perfected "Inscribing Arrays with One's Body," which is of great importance to him.
However, Ling Xiao is right. Staying behind does involve some risks, so the others cannot go with them.
"I'll trouble you to take care of my disciples and elders in the clan."
The situation in the East China Sea is unpredictable and could escalate at any moment. I am unable to leave for the time being. I would be extremely grateful if you could keep an eye on the Twin Islands for me.
Seeing that Song Changsheng had entrusted these matters to him, Ling Xiao understood that the other party had made up his mind, so he stopped trying to persuade him and nodded slightly, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. It is just a small favor. After returning to the Great Qian Cultivation World, Ling Xiao will personally escort them to the Twin Islands."
"Thank you."
Although Song Changsheng hadn't had much contact with Ling Xiao, he greatly admired his character. Since Ling Xiao had agreed, he would definitely do his best.
"Fellow Daoist, please take good care of yourself. Lingxiao takes his leave."
"I wish you all a safe journey."
After bidding farewell to Liu Yunxuan and the others, Song Changsheng gave some instructions to Song Youlin and the others. After watching them all board the flying ship, he bowed to everyone and to the Dragon Elephant True Lord at the bow of the ship.
By the time he looked up, the flying boat had already sped away, leaving only a faint trail in the air.
"When will Fellow Daoist Zixu depart?" Zhao Yin turned around and asked.
“We will depart today, together with True Monarch Yingyue,” Song Changsheng replied with a smile.
"Things haven't been peaceful lately. I wish you all the best."
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. There have been some rumors circulating in the capital recently, pointing directly at Your Highness, who is caught in the middle of them. Please be careful," Song Changyi said meaningfully.
From the moment the Demonic Nascent Soul True Monarch appeared, under the calm surface of the capital city of Gaoyang, undercurrents were surging. In addition, Zhao Yin's trump card was inexplicably exposed, and rumors targeting Zhao Yin continued to circulate.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that this was aimed at Zhao Yin, the eldest son of the royal family, but the official response of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, or rather the royal family, was unusually calm.
Although Zhao Yin was not affected by these low-level tactics, it is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Sometimes, rumors can also kill.
I know what I'm doing.
Song Changsheng stopped there, cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Then I shall take my leave, lest I keep the True Lord waiting."
He actually told Zhao Yin a little lie. It was true that he was going to the Array Dao Academy, but he wasn't going with True Lord Yingyue. Instead, he went there alone with Zhuang Yuechan.
Besides enjoying the scenery along the way and broadening my horizons, my main goal was to create an opportunity to spend time and talk with Zhuang Yuechan alone.
Zhuang Yuechan had clearly gone through something important on this trip, something that couldn't be easily told to others, otherwise she wouldn't have been so cautious.
Traveling with True Monarch Yingyue, even if the two communicated through divine sense, there was still a risk of leakage. After arriving at the Array Dao Academy, where there were countless experts and even a Nascent Soul Supreme in charge, the risk of leakage was even greater.
As for safety, there's no need to worry. As long as he changes his appearance, no one will notice him, no matter how big the world is.
They first left the territory of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty with True Lord Yingyue, and then, under the pretext of personal matters, left with Zhuang Yuechan, agreeing on a date to visit her again later.
"Where shall we go next?"
As the spatial rift ahead slowly healed, Zhuang Yuechan grasped Song Changsheng's warm and generous hand.
"If we go any further ahead, we will reach the territory of the Qingyuan Cultivation World. We have already done some research beforehand. At the junction of the Dazhen Immortal Dynasty, the Qingyuan Cultivation World, and the Mingjing Cultivation World, there is a no-man's-land called the Chaotic Ancient Domain."
There is a city of cultivators within the Chaotic Ancient Domain. Let's settle there first, resolve our matters, and then head to the Array Dao Academy.
Song Changsheng spoke cryptically, but Zhuang Yuechan understood his meaning.
The two changed their appearances and concealed their whereabouts before heading to the Chaotic Ancient Domain.
After finding a secluded spot and confirming that no one was watching, Song Changsheng set up a protective barrier before asking Zhuang Yuechan about what had happened after they arrived at the Tianshan Mountains. Zhuang Yuechan then recounted the events that had transpired.
"After leaving Tianshan, I was preparing to enter the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty from the border, but I never expected that the snow python would transform into human form and keep following me."
She used her supernatural powers to trap me, wanting me to use the art of music to suppress the demonic energy within me. At the time, I was anxious to reunite with you and worried that she might have ulterior motives, so I did not agree.
But she gave me this thing, which changed my mind and helped her suppress the demonic energy within her.
The demonic energy within her had been accumulating for a long time, deeply rooted, and extremely potent. My cultivation was insufficient to suppress it in a short period, thus delaying our meeting.
As soon as Zhuang Yuechan finished speaking, she flipped her hand and took out a jade box, which was covered with a layer of white frost.
Song Changsheng did not take the jade box immediately because his thoughts were somewhat confused at the moment.
A snow python with only a thin amount of dragon blood accidentally ingested something that allowed it to far exceed its lifespan limit and live for thousands of years.
It should be noted that even a Nascent Soul True Monarch typically only has a lifespan of around 1,800 years.
Although the lifespan of demons is longer, this is the first time Song Changsheng has heard of a third-tier being able to live for thousands of years. This is something that ordinary life-extending spiritual objects cannot achieve.
Even the most advanced longevity-extending spiritual objects currently known can at most grant a living being a lifespan that exceeds their own realm, and that is at the cost of consuming their own essence. It is impossible to do more than that; that is the predetermined fate.
A remnant soul can survive longer, but the physical body will eventually decay.
As far as Song Changsheng knew, there had never been an exception.
But now, an exception has appeared: the snow python.
When the opponent is at the third level, they can survive for thousands of years. Not only is their soul intact, but their physical body also shows no signs of decay.
Now that the opponent has broken through to the fourth-tier demon king realm, in theory, as their cultivation level increases, their lifespan should also increase dramatically, meaning at least several thousand years of lifespan.
This is just too crazy. If it's true, it's not an exaggeration for the other party to describe themselves as having "immortality."
After all, it already possesses a lifespan that even a Nascent Soul Supreme cannot match, and its lifespan can continue to increase as its cultivation level improves.
"If it really is the snow python that Jade Monarch encountered, once this news gets out, it will probably cause a bloodbath," Song Changsheng said quietly.
He also inherited a portion of Jade Dew True Lord's memories, which happened to include this part.
A snow python that has almost achieved "immortality" is so valuable that it can only be described as astonishing. If word were to spread, not to mention a demon king, even a demon lord would probably not escape the fate of being skinned, dismembered, and drained of blood and marrow to be used as a catalyst in an alchemical furnace.
The allure of longevity surpasses all else in this world.
Those who cultivate themselves can give up everything, but when faced with the temptation of "immortality," even immortals find it difficult to choose.
Whether the "Longevity Seed" elixir could extend lifespan was unknown to Song Changsheng, but the effect of the item consumed by the snow python was almost certain.
Even if there are side effects, what do they matter in the face of the threat of death?
Song Changsheng now understood why Zhuang Yuechan had been so cautious.
Once this news spreads, countless legendary monsters will be alarmed. Not only will the snow python's life be in danger, but the entire Tianshan mountain range could be uprooted in search of that thing.
Under those circumstances, how could the Song family possibly remain unscathed?
"This matter ends between you and me; you must not reveal it to a third party." Song Changsheng's tone was solemn; a single misstep could lead to his death.
"Am I the kind of person who doesn't know what's important?" Zhuang Yuechan gave him a playful glare, then raised the jade box in her hand and said, "Here, take a look at this."
Song Changsheng then noticed the jade box in front of him: "What is this?"
The jade box was made of warm jade, but it was covered with a thick layer of white frost. As soon as you touched it, you could feel a bone-chilling cold spreading from your fingertips to the top of your head, as if it would freeze your soul.
Zhuang Yuechan said softly, "According to the snow python, this is a Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit that was nurtured deep within the core of the Extreme Cold Heavenly Pool of Tianshan Mountain. It has been nurtured for more than two thousand years. During this time, the snow python has been nourishing it with its own essence and blood. It was originally intended to prepare for breaking through to the fourth rank, but it was not used later and was thus preserved."
"【Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit】?" A glint of light flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes. He couldn't wait to open the jade box. Inside, a fruit shaped like a white apricot lay quietly, about the size of a fist.
Generally speaking, it's remarkable if this fruit grows to the size of an egg; to grow to the size of a fist, it would take at least several thousand years.
Logically speaking, two thousand years is not enough. Perhaps it is because of the nourishment of the snow python's essence and blood that it has grown to such a size.
The Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit is a top-grade fourth-tier fruit that grows by absorbing the power of laws. It can be used to refine the Heavenly Purity Jade Marrow Pill, a rare elixir that Golden Core cultivators can use to break through minor realm bottlenecks.
It has a remarkable effect on cultivators in the Purple Mansion stage, as it can enhance their understanding of the laws. Although it cannot increase the success rate of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, it can help you break through that barrier.
This is something the Song family urgently needs right now. Song Changsheng needs it to break through his cultivation level, and the other cultivators need it to break through their bottlenecks.
This is just the effect of refining a regular Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit into a pill. The spirit fruit in Zhuang Yuechan's hand grew in the Extreme Cold Heavenly Pool, and its spiritual essence has changed. In addition, the snow python has been continuously nourishing it with its essence and blood for nearly two thousand years, and its medicinal effects have undergone earth-shattering changes.
If this fruit is used to refine elixirs, there might be some unexpected surprises.
Of course, it's not always a pleasant surprise; it could also be a shock.
After all, the Snow Python of Tianshan was suppressing endless demonic energy within its body, and its essence and blood would likely be affected as well. Song Changsheng needed to carefully verify this before he could use it.
Those cultivators who can take the [Heavenly Purity Jade Marrow Pill] are all pillars of the Song family, so we cannot be careless.
"Besides this Jade Marrow Spirit Fruit, I also found the Heavenly Snow Lotus. Wu Jie and your divine soul avatar can now rebuild your physical bodies!"
Zhuang Yuechan held the snow-white and emerald-green Tianshan Snow Lotus in both hands and presented it to Song Changsheng like a precious treasure.
Looking at the Tianshan Snow Lotus in front of him, Song Changsheng couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. Zhuang Yuechan had suffered a lot for this snow lotus, and even encountered a demonic snow python chasing her, almost losing her life.
He reached out and pulled the beauty into his arms, reluctant to let go for a long time...
...(End of chapter)