Chapter 11: Foolishness
"Choose option two!"
Li Changsheng didn't hesitate at all. After simulating hundreds of times, wasn't this moment the reason for all that effort?
As Li Changsheng made his choice, a new set of memories about cultivating the "Primordial Unity Qi Art" and the "Wind Blade Technique" surfaced in his mind. However, the Primordial Unity Qi Art in these memories only had six layers, enough for him to cultivate up to the sixth level of Qi Refining. As for the Wind Blade Technique, it was just a simple first-tier spell.
Finally, he could begin his journey into immortality!
"Again!"
[Simulation Start!]
[At eighteen, you killed Cao Zheng and the Swift Wind Sword Zhou Yunqing with a single strike and left Wushan City.]
[You secluded yourself to disperse your martial arts and devoted yourself to practicing the Primordial Unity Qi Art.]
[At twenty, progress was slow.]
[At thirty, you finally reached the first layer of the Primordial Unity Qi Art and successfully stepped into the first level of Qi Refining!]
[At seventy, you reached the second level of Qi Refining!]
[At one hundred, you died of old age!]
[Simulation ended. You may retain one of the following.]
[Option one: The cultivation realm at one hundred years old.]
[Option two: The combat experience at one hundred years old.]
"Option one!"
Why even hesitate?
As Li Changsheng made his choice, a warm current arose from his dantian, quickly replacing the internal energy in his body and flowing gently through his meridians.
"Is this the feeling of cultivating immortality?"
Li Changsheng took a deep breath, sensing the true essence within him.
The true essence cultivated through the Primordial Unity Qi Art was extremely gentle, nourishing his meridians quietly. Even so, the true essence at the first level of Qi Refining could easily overwhelm the internal energy of a peak innate martial artist.
Between the two, true essence was like a rock, while internal energy was like tofu—there was simply no comparison.
"According to the records in the Primordial Unity Qi Art, the qualifications of a cultivator are ranked from worst to best as five spiritual roots, four spiritual roots, three spiritual roots, two spiritual roots, and heavenly spiritual roots."
"For someone with three spiritual roots, it would take about a year to guide Qi into the body and enter the first level of Qi Refining."
"But based on the results of my simulation, my spiritual root aptitude is probably only at four spiritual roots? That's quite poor!"
"Fortunately, I have the Immortality Simulator! For me, spiritual roots are just a matter of simulating more or fewer times!"
Li Changsheng murmured to himself.
"Again!"
Strike while the iron is hot.
[Insufficient balance. Host's cultivation has advanced to Qi Refining, successfully beginning the path of immortality. Please recharge with spirit stones!]
[Previously remaining silver tael balances have been converted into silver. Please check, Host.]
This...
Before Li Changsheng could react, a pile of silver ingots appeared in the chest where he had stored his silver. Glancing at it roughly, there were still about five thousand taels left.
"Let's test the power of true essence first!"
Li Changsheng lightly pressed his feet against the ground, and his body glided like a large bird out of the Yichun House, arriving at an old forest outside Wushan City.
"Wind Blade!"
As Li Changsheng formed a hand seal, a half-zhang-long wind blade shot out.
Boom!
Where it passed, six or seven trees so thick that it would take two people to encircle them collapsed, the cuts smooth and clean.
"With the true essence in my body now, I can only release the Wind Blade five times before my true essence is completely depleted," Li Changsheng muttered. "But since I'm still in the mortal world, using true essence to enhance my martial arts means that even a hundred innate martial artists couldn't harm me in the slightest!"
Shaking his head, Li Changsheng lightly pressed his feet and rushed back toward the Yichun House.
Returning to his room.
"Since I can't simulate anymore, I'll try cultivating on my own!"
Li Changsheng murmured, sitting cross-legged on the bed and circulating the Primordial Unity Qi Art.
...
Creak!
The sound of a door opening.
Bai Qing'er entered the room carrying a basin of hot water. She looked at Li Changsheng sitting cross-legged on the bed, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
Though only a night had passed, she felt that Li Changsheng had undergone a tremendous change. Compared to his previous imposing aura, he now carried a sense of otherworldliness.
"Young Master..."
Bai Qing'er spoke.
"Hu!"
Li Changsheng opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. A streak of white mist shot from his mouth, making a sizzling sound in the air before dissipating five or six meters away.
'After a night, the true essence in my body hasn't increased much. Cultivating immortality is truly difficult!'
Li Changsheng shook his head and stood up.
Bai Qing'er placed the basin of water on the side and began tidying up for Li Changsheng like a servant.
After finishing, Bai Qing'er went downstairs to fetch breakfast for Li Changsheng.
"It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality!"
"The ancients truly spoke wisely!"
Watching Bai Qing'er busy herself, Li Changsheng muttered.
Over the past two days, Bai Qing'er had served him attentively. Even in his previous life on Blue Star, he had never lived so comfortably.
After finishing breakfast, Li Changsheng looked at Bai Qing'er, who was placing the dishes into a food box, and asked lightly:
"What are your plans for the future?"
Bai Qing'er's hands paused for a moment before she replied, "I don't know."
"Right now, the entire Wushan City knows that you're my honored guest. If you win tomorrow, no one in Wushan City will dare to touch me. But if you lose, the Cao Gang won't spare me!"
Yesterday, she had thought that as long as the Song family stood strong, the Cao Gang wouldn't do anything extreme to the Yichun House. But after seeing the Song family head's behavior yesterday, it seemed the Song family was already struggling to protect itself.
"After I deal with the Cao Gang, you can stay by my side as a servant."
Li Changsheng spoke indifferently.
"Song Ruhu, what do you think you're doing!"
Before Bai Qing'er could respond, Song Rulong's furious voice echoed from downstairs.
Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
He got up and walked out of the room, seeing Song Rulong blocking the stairs on the first floor of the Yichun House. A middle-aged man who looked somewhat similar to Song Rulong, along with over a dozen people, was confronting him.
"Song Rulong, get out of my way! If you don't, don't blame me for not showing respect to my elder brother!" Song Ruhu sneered at Song Rulong.
"Uncle, I think you've gone senile!"
The young man standing beside Song Ruhu also spoke disdainfully: "Expecting some young man to save the Song family? You're just pushing the Song family to its doom. When the Cao Gang comes for us, we'll all suffer because of you!"
Song Rulong looked coldly at the Song family members who had sided with Song Ruhu and said icy: "Is this what you all think?"
Many of them were high-ranking members of the Song family. It was unexpected that they would now side with Song Ruhu.
Under Song Rulong's gaze, two of them couldn't meet his eyes and lowered their heads silently.
The rest, however, met his gaze squarely and said calmly:
"Family Head, everything we're doing is for the good of the family. The only way to save the Song family now is to capture that boy and hand him over to the Cao Gang."
"Only then can we mend relations with the Cao Gang and avert the Song family's impending doom!"
"Ha ha ha ha!" Song Ruhu laughed uproariously!
"Song Rulong, get out of my way now, or I'll arrest you along with him and hand you over to the Cao Gang!"