Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Kou Han said firmly.

Chu Lingguang looked up at him.

Kou Han stared directly into Chu Lingguang’s eyes, his words resolute. "If he becomes a demon, a monster, then he is no longer your master. Since you have joined Yuanchu Mountain, Junior Brother, and the sect has bestowed upon you its supreme cultivation Skills, you are expected to clear a path for it, uphold justice, and, when necessary, learn to eliminate your own kin for the greater good."

"You’re still new to Yuanchu Mountain. Get familiar with your surroundings first. As for teaching you the Qi Refining Cultivation Technique, we’ll wait for Master to return."

Kou Han stood up and left.

It seemed Chu Lingguang’s attitude had unsettled him, so much so that he didn’t even dare to rashly impart the Qi Refining Skill to Chu Lingguang.

"Farewell, Senior Brother."

Chu Lingguang said blankly.

Once Kou Han was gone, he sat on the stone bench, silent.

’It seems anyone who merges with one of those strange objects is labeled a demon by Yuanchu Mountain. They’ll find a way to eliminate them and won’t let them grow any stronger. Even if I become an Inner Sect Disciple and plead for Guo Wei, Yuanchu Mountain won’t let him go. In fact, from Kou Han’s attitude, I get the feeling that even with my Spiritual Root, if I were to merge with a strange object, the sect would eliminate me without a second thought.’

’Just what kind of demons and monsters are out there that could make them so ruthless?’

Chu Lingguang couldn’t help but wonder.

’A three-hundred-year reincarnation cycle... Even if it’s not for anyone else, for the sake of my master and Yan, this Yuanchu Mountain deserves to be torn down. I need to find a way to get the Qi Refining Art cultivation method to the Seventh Prince, and I have to figure out the secret to merging with these strange objects so I can help everyone do it,’ Chu Lingguang thought.

In the days that followed, Chu Lingguang was free to move about Yuanchu Mountain, but he had no access to any other Qi Refining cultivation Skills or more advanced cultivation methods.

He marveled at Kou Han’s ability to control Water Qi, using the Five Elements’ Water Qi to form Divine Abilities and defenses. He found himself constantly thinking about how he could control the corresponding Five Elements Power just like him.

In his spare time, he would try to sense the Five Elements Qi and resonate with it, hoping to gain control over its power. Unfortunately, without a cultivation Skill to guide him, it was impossible, even with his Spiritual Root.

Time flew by.

Another half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

「On this day.」

Chu Lingguang followed Zhang Xuan and Li Mao back into the valley.

Yan Zhen, Qin Yu, and the others had been living there the whole time.

The allotted month was up.

Zhang Xuan, Li Mao, and the others were there to test everyone’s mastery of the Void Technique. As per their agreement, anyone who failed to learn the Skill within a month would lose their right to remain on Yuanchu Mountain.

Therefore, no one dared to slack off; they had all been training diligently.

Fortunately, Yan Zhen and Qin Yu were quite talented. Within the month, both had cultivated the Void Technique to a proficient level. They still couldn’t see the Five Elements Qi as clearly as Chu Lingguang, though.

But it made finding the strange objects considerably easier.

By now, Chu Lingguang, Yan Zhen, and the others had confirmed the purpose of the Void Technique: to find the strange objects. Yuanchu Mountain wanted them to help eliminate these objects and prevent anyone from merging with them.

After the test, those who didn’t measure up were escorted off Yuanchu Mountain by Yun Hong and his men. Though they were leaving, they received a new mission: if they continued to practice the Void Technique and were able to help the sect eliminate strange objects two months from now, they would still have a chance to become disciples.

This was common knowledge among the Inner Sect Disciples, and Chu Lingguang was no exception.

Although Kou Han had restricted his cultivation, he hadn’t prevented Chu Lingguang from learning of the sect’s recent movements and decisions. He had even allowed Chu Lingguang to come to the valley and observe.

Chu Lingguang understood Kou Han’s intentions.

’He wants me to understand what an enviable opportunity it is to cultivate on Yuanchu Mountain. He hopes I’ll cherish it, harden my heart, and commit to destroying all demons and monsters—even if it means killing my own master.’

Those who remained were put on a new training plan: they had two months to learn a technique called the Demon-slaying Sword Technique.

It could be powered by both Spiritual Power and Qi Sea Power, and the force it unleashed had a natural deterrent effect on demons. When facing a strange object, executing the Demon-slaying Sword Technique could prevent one from being entangled and devoured by it.

Chu Lingguang was not forbidden from practicing this Sword Technique.

After receiving the cultivation Skill for the Demon-slaying Sword Technique, Chu Lingguang began practicing in his small courtyard.

「Early the next morning.」

He checked his status panel.

Favor Points: 10997

Demon-slaying Sword Technique (170-120000)

(Remaining Lifespan: 800 years)

Chu Lingguang saw that this Skill had the same point requirement as the Void Technique.

So he dumped all his Favor Points into it.

Favor Points: None

Demon-slaying Sword Technique (11167-120000)

SWOOSH!

Chu Lingguang practiced with his sword in the courtyard.

As his Spiritual Power flowed in accordance with the Demon-slaying Sword Technique, he discovered that the movement of his energy and the sword forms naturally created a resonating force. This wasn’t something he was doing consciously, nor was it a result of his Spiritual Root.

Instead, the Sword Technique itself inherently possessed such power.

A Sword Technique that could make one’s own power resonate so naturally... Chu Lingguang had never seen or heard of such a thing. He never imagined that even a common, ordinary Sword Technique from Yuanchu Mountain could possess such might.

SWOOSH!

A Sword Aura erupted from his blade and plunged into the ground.

Chu Lingguang activated his Void Technique and simultaneously extended his Spiritual Sense. He saw the vines under the ground spontaneously combust under the force of the Sword Qi, turning to ash.

The Sword Qi even followed the vine’s root system, piercing dozens of meters deep and completely annihilating all the roots beneath his small courtyard.

"This resonating force has a natural suppressive effect on the vines," Chu Lingguang exclaimed in amazement.

When he had used the Demon-slaying Sword Technique to strike a stone pillar, it had left a startling gash, but that was nothing compared to the shock of seeing it annihilate all the underground roots in an instant.

The Sword Aura that shot into the earth seemed to have a mind of its own. It automatically locked onto the vine roots, even following them as it penetrated dozens of meters underground.

It did all this with barely any loss of power, completely destroying every root in the courtyard.

If there had been a strange object in the courtyard, a single strike like that would have probably silenced it. Even its pulsing heartbeat would have vanished, and it might have hidden underground, never daring to emerge again.

’Yuanchu Mountain has truly gone to great lengths for the sake of the Reincarnation Node. This Sword Technique must have been created by one of their experts specifically to deal with these strange objects.’

’But how is that natural resonating force formed?’

’Who created this Sword Technique? Who could enable a user’s Spiritual Power to resonate so naturally with the sword forms?’

’They must have been at least a Foundation Establishment Realm expert, maybe even someone in the Core Formation Stage.’

Since entering Yuanchu Mountain, Chu Lingguang hadn’t learned much about actual cultivation, but he had picked up a great deal about the realms of Cultivators.

Qi Refining has twelve levels.

Above Qi Refining is the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Foundation Establishment is divided into five tiers: Human Dao Foundation Establishment, Immortal Dao Foundation Establishment, Divine Dao Foundation Establishment, Earth Dao Foundation Establishment, and Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

Above that is Core Formation.

It is further divided into three domains: Purple Core, Solidifying Pill, and Golden Core.

And above Core Formation is the Nascent Soul Realm.

A vast chasm separates each major realm. Chu Lingguang had no idea what level the strongest expert on Yuanchu Mountain had reached. However, given that Kou Han was the senior-most disciple with just his twelfth-level Qi Refining cultivation, he estimated that the sect’s strongest members were likely in the Foundation Establishment Realm, with a few perhaps reaching the Core Formation Stage.

What he couldn’t understand was why the lofty experts of the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stages would restrict cultivation for the masses. Why hoard all the Qi Refining Cultivation Techniques, forcing people to merge with the strange objects out of desperation, only to then label those very people as demons and hunt them down mercilessly?

It was as if anyone who merged with a strange object had touched Yuanchu Mountain’s most sensitive nerve, committing an unforgivable sin.

Chu Lingguang was deeply curious. Sooner or later, he would get to the bottom of it.