Royal Road
Chapter 94: A Million-Year Lifespan, Five Elemental Treasure Body!
Chapter 94: A Million-Year Lifespan, Five Elemental Treasure Body!
Crown Prince Li Dai returned to visit Gu An just seven days after leaving, bringing along numerous medicinal herb seeds. It was evident he had put in significant effort.
Although Gu An wasn’t sure why Li Dai was being so generous, he accepted the gesture with appreciation and even invited him to share some wine. The atmosphere between the two was noticeably more pleasant than before. Even by the time Li Dai departed, he hadn’t tried to recruit Gu An, as though he was genuinely interested in building a connection.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
After Li Dai left, however, Yang Ni’s gaze toward Gu An had changed.
“This is the first time I’ve seen him act so attentively toward someone,” she said in a complicated tone.
Gu An chuckled. “What can I say? I’m just that approachable.”
He wasn’t foolish; he had a guess that this had something to do with Lü Baitian, though he didn’t know the specifics.
Li Dai came to Taixuan Sect seeking support, and it was unlikely he would approach noble families like the Ji Family. Other than that, only Lü Baitian wielded such influence.
Yang Ni also speculated that Gu An had a significant backer. After all, even someone like Li Xuandao couldn’t make the crown prince act so courteously. She was increasingly curious about who Gu An really was.
“It’s best not to mention this to His Majesty,” Gu An said seriously, looking at Yang Ni. “You’ve followed me for so many years; you should know my personality. I don’t want to fight for anything, nor do I want to be a target for suspicion.”Yang Ni nodded and teased, “It seems Li Ya isn’t your blessing; instead, you’re the blessing for Li Ya. Considering your diligent work cultivating so many herbs and not vying for power or wealth—if I were part of the Taixuan Sect’s leadership, I’d favor you too.”
Gu An retrieved a storage pouch gifted by the crown prince, took out a hundred seeds, and handed them to Yang Ni. “These are fifth-grade seeds. Cultivate them carefully. If you succeed, I’ll let you keep one-tenth of the harvest, and I’ll give you more seeds in the future.”
Yang Ni was delighted as she accepted the seeds, agreeing to the task without hesitation. Gu An was pleased to see her enthusiasm.
Among the many members of the Third Medicine Valley, Yang Ni was the only one who genuinely loved planting herbs and flowers. Xiao Chuan preferred raising demonic beasts, while other disciples only labored out of necessity for their cultivation. Gu An held high hopes for Yang Ni.
With summer gone and autumn painting the land, Xuan Valley, Horizon Valley, and the Third Medicine Valley were bathed in the season's hues. The Taixuan Sect took on an ethereal beauty in autumn, as fallen leaves blanketed the mountains and valleys in a seemingly endless carpet of gold.
Late in the season, on a crisp autumn afternoon, Horizon Valley:
Gu An wrapped freshly harvested herbs in spirit-protecting paper. A set of prompts suddenly appeared before him:
- [You have successfully harvested Deerbone Grass (Fifth Grade), gaining 52 years of lifespan.]
- [Your lifespan has surpassed one million years for the first time. Lifespan Foresight ability unlocked.]
- [Lifespan Foresight: When activated, it automatically identifies karmic threats. If any creature harbors malicious intent toward you, you will receive a notification. Notifications do not consume lifespan. Investigating their lifespan will, however, consume your own.]
Gu An paused, stunned by the new ability.
“What a treasure!”
This ability would alert him to potential enemies, allowing him to avoid unnecessary risks. He immediately activated the Lifespan Foresight, though no warnings appeared yet—likely because it would only detect future threats.
Feeling immensely satisfied, Gu An thought this feature was invaluable and worth the years he’d waited to unlock it. With a million years of lifespan now accumulated, he was finally ready for a breakthrough!
He sped up his harvesting, gathering all the mature herbs in Horizon Valley before storing them in the warehouse. Upon arrival, he noticed that the warehouse had been emptied of its prior contents. Without dwelling on it, he deposited the new batch and left.
Just as he stepped outside, Lü Xian approached him.
“Don’t rush off,” Lü Xian said. “We haven’t practiced the Black Tortoise Tidal Palm today.”
Lü Xian had been teaching Gu An eight different techniques. Two years ago, he decided to focus on mastering just one, determined to succeed even if it took fifty years. After all, even a pig should learn it by then!
Gu An brushed past him. “Not today. Next time.”
Lü Xian was stunned. Did this guy just push him? And succeed?
“No way!” Lü Xian grabbed Gu An’s shoulder, refusing to let him leave.
Gu An sighed and turned. “I think I’ve already mastered the Black Tortoise Tidal Palm. Want to see?”
“Really? Show me!” Lü Xian immediately released him, urging excitedly.
Gu An walked to an open space and raised his palm. A powerful wave of qi surged from his palm, creating tidal ripples in the air several meters ahead.
He withdrew his palm and said, “See? I’ve been practicing in private. I really have something else to do. Next time, teach me how to refine it further.”
With that, he leapt into the air and flew off.
Lü Xian didn’t stop him but stood there, frowning. For a long moment, he remained silent, then muttered:
“No gestures to activate it, no qi lingering after... Complete mastery of form and function...”
Returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An harvested herbs from the Third Medicine Valley and prepared to leave again. He informed Yang Ni of his plans, saying he needed to run an errand in the Inner Sect. She didn’t question him.
At twilight, Gu An left, flying toward the Outer Sect City, taking a large detour before circling back near Xuan Valley. Late into the night, he snuck into the Eight Views Celestial Realm and brought Hao Long out.
Hao Long looked around, visibly excited.
Without delay, Gu An led him out of the Taixuan Sect, employing the Infinite Trace Celestial Step to bypass the sect and head toward the Northern Sea Mountain Range.
Hao Long was intrigued by Gu An’s footwork, though not entirely surprised. To Hao Long, Gu An was the most important person in the world—having not met anyone else, he lacked the perspective to truly marvel.
The Northern Sea Mountain Range was over 300,000 miles away from the Taixuan Sect, but Gu An traveled relentlessly using the Infinite Trace Celestial Step, maintaining his full speed without stopping.
Upon reaching the mountain range, Gu An set Hao Long down.
“Goodbye, Master!” Hao Long shouted excitedly as it dashed off, leaving Gu An smiling to himself. Afterward, Gu An donned a mask, changed into black robes, and resumed his journey.
He intended to make his breakthrough in the depths of the Northern Sea Mountain Range.
Despite its name, the Northern Sea was actually a vast lake, comparable in size to an ocean. Walking through the air, Gu An gazed at the shimmering surface of the lake under the moonlight, its waves glistening as mist swirled over the seemingly boundless expanse. Along the way, he witnessed a colossal fish over a hundred meters long leap from the water, stretching its body midair in a breathtaking display.
The mountain range was home to more than just beasts—cultivators and spirits also roamed the area. Gu An sensed a fierce battle between two Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, but he only glanced in their direction briefly before hurrying past.
“Breakthrough first, admire the scenery later,” he thought.
The image of Li Ya crossed his mind momentarily, though he didn’t dwell on where the crown prince might be. Spreading his divine sense, he searched for a suitable place to advance.
Half an hour later, Gu An found himself in a remote and eerie section of the mountains. Sitting under a large tree, he began meditating.
The area within a 3,000-mile radius was devoid of people and largely uninhabited by demonic beasts. Only restless spirits wandered about, creating a haunting and ghostly atmosphere.
Gu An activated his Lifespan Barrier, concealing himself completely, then called up his personal stats panel:
- Name: Gu An
- Lifespan: 58/1,002,060
- Spiritual Root: Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root
- Cultivation: Ninth Level Integration Stage
- Techniques: Fire Manipulation Art (Minor Understanding), Yang Wood Primordial Art (Mastery), Yellow Dragon Qi Technique (Peak Mastery), Alchemy (Initial Proficiency), Ten Thousand Gu Mystical Art (Unpracticed), Yin-Yang Technique (Unpracticed), Dao Yan Technique (Unpracticed)
Looking at his seven-digit lifespan, Gu An felt a deep sense of achievement.
His plan was to invest 100,000 years of lifespan into enhancing his spiritual root, Yang Wood Primordial Art, and Yellow Dragon Qi Technique, while minimizing investments in skills, ultimate techniques, or divine abilities since he rarely engaged in combat.
Starting with his spiritual root, he poured 100,000 years of lifespan into it, resolving not to go overboard regardless of the outcome.
- [You have invested 100,000 years of lifespan to evolve your spiritual root.]
- [You attuned to nature’s essence for 1,000 years. Your Five Elemental Spiritual Root’s sensitivity increased.]
- [You attuned to nature’s essence for 2,000 years. Your Five Elemental Spiritual Root’s sensitivity increased.]
...
- [After 7,000 years of attunement, you comprehended the true meaning of the Five Elements, and your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root was refined.]
...
- [After 56,000 years of attunement, you comprehended the true meaning of the Five Elements, and your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root was refined.]
Gu An watched as a flurry of prompts filled his vision, darkening his expression despite his preparation.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to enhance my spiritual root,” he muttered. The Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root was already exceptional. However, having spent the lifespan, there was no turning back. He could only console himself that refining his root would still improve his aptitude.
The notifications continued:
- [After 70,000 years of attunement, you comprehended the true meaning of the Five Elements, and your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root was refined.]
- [After 80,000 years of attunement, you comprehended the true meaning of the Five Elements. The heavenly energy enveloped you, initiating a nirvana state.]
- [After 90,000 years of attunement, you successfully emerged from nirvana. Your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root fused with your body and soul, transforming into the Five Elemental Treasure Body.]
...
- [After 100,000 years of attunement, your Five Elemental Treasure Body was further refined.]
Upon seeing the words “Five Elemental Treasure Body,” Gu An’s mood lifted, a smile breaking across his face.
“It was worth it after all!”
Just as he started celebrating, the surrounding spiritual energy erupted violently, rushing toward him in a terrifying torrent. It far surpassed the commotion caused by his previous breakthroughs, including reaching the Ninth Level of the Integration Stage.
“Apologies, inhabitants of the Northern Sea Mountain Range. This is going to scare you a bit!”
Immersed in the exhilarating process of spiritual energy tempering his body, Gu An let himself be carried by the surge.
Across the mountain range, every living creature felt the sinking of spiritual energy. Within mere moments, even those at the edges of the region sensed the disturbance.
In a secluded valley, Li Xuandao sat cross-legged atop a ritual platform surrounded by thousands of pill bottles, storage pouches, flags, and talismans, each strategically placed on the platform and its surroundings. The intricate array was mesmerizing.
Opening his eyes, Li Xuandao frowned deeply.
“Another spiritual energy disturbance. What’s happening? Why is it affecting even the Northern Sea Mountain Range now?” he murmured, unease flickering in his gaze.