Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Chu Lingguang bowed as well.

"Tell me, who gave you the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique? The Spiritual Qi in the Celestial Sea is sparse, and all cultivation resources are in the hands of Yuanchu Mountain. There is only a single Purple Gold Vine on the entire continent. Even Yuanchu Mountain doesn’t possess the pure versions of the Qi Refining and Qi Condensation Techniques."

Old Liu asked.

Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei stiffened.

Chu Lingguang had obtained the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique through his Favors. Although Guo Wei had been puzzled upon receiving them, he had never asked Chu Lingguang where they came from.

Now that Old Liu had asked, Guo Wei racked his brain, trying to think of a way to cover for Chu Lingguang.

But Chu Lingguang cut straight to the point. "You mean to say that even the Profound Celestial Sect doesn’t have the pure versions of the Qi Refining and Qi Condensation Techniques?"

Old Liu paused, then couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re a clever kid. Since you won’t say, I won’t force you. But this Profound Celestial Sect is no Yuanchu Mountain. It’s easy to get in, but difficult to get out. The two of you, master and disciple, had best be careful."

"This..."

Both Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei were stunned.

’What did Old Liu mean by that?’

’Don’t tell me the Profound Celestial Sect isn’t some sacred ground for cultivation, and everyone who enters wants to get out?’

"If I may ask, Elder, what Skills can we cultivate after joining the Profound Celestial Sect?"

Chu Lingguang asked.

"That depends on your destiny. You might not learn a single thing and just end up as fertilizer in the Spirit Valley. Look at these mountainsides covered in Spirit Herbs and Medicines. Don’t they look like they’re thriving? The dense Spiritual Power within the Profound Celestial Sect is inextricably linked to these Spirit Herbs."

Old Liu pointed to the Spirit Herbs and Medicines in the Spirit Valley.

"Uh..."

The looks on Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei’s faces grew even fouler.

"Once your injuries are healed, be on your way."

Old Liu turned his gaze back to the furnace.

"We will take our leave, then."

Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei bowed again.

As they glanced again at the Spirit Herbs and Medicines covering the mountainsides of the Spirit Valley, a chill suddenly ran down the master and disciple’s spines.

The two of them officially entered the Profound Celestial Sect.

They became Outer Disciples of the Profound Celestial Sect.

The master and disciple pair were given a small, private courtyard.

「The next morning.」

Two children delivered the robes of a Profound Celestial Sect Outer Disciple and a cultivation Skill to Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei.

They were both stunned.

The cultivation Skills sent by the Profound Celestial Sect were none other than the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique.

The contents were identical to the Cultivation Technique from the Favors system, a perfect word-for-word match.

’It seems the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique are unique to the Profound Celestial Sect. No wonder Elder Liu was so puzzled.’

’He could tell I was cultivating the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique, so Steward Zhou should have been able to as well. But why didn’t Steward Zhou ever speak to me about it?’

Chu Lingguang was filled with curiosity.

"Everyone who enters the Profound Celestial Sect must go to the Spirit Valley to harvest Spirit Herbs and Medicines in one month. Cultivate the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique well. Someone will come for you in a month."

one of the children instructed.

"Master, why are there so many children in the Profound Celestial Sect?"

Chu Lingguang asked.

He had been observing them carefully.

Aside from Steward Zhou, who had seemingly regressed in age, all the others were children. Whether it was the Spirit Children in the Spirit Valley or the menial servants in the Outer Sect responsible for serving tea, none of them looked older than sixteen.

Some even looked as young as six or seven.

They repeated the same tasks day in and day out and didn’t cultivate, but nourished by the dense Spiritual Qi of the Profound Celestial Sect, every one of them had fair, smooth skin.

"I don’t know. It’s best not to pry into the affairs of this place. We’ll see what Spirit Herbs and Medicines we have to harvest in a month."

Guo Wei said, shaking his head.

A man of his experience, he had long since sensed a bizarre atmosphere shrouding the Profound Celestial Sect. A strange aura permeated the sect, both inside and out.

And so, the master and disciple pair began to peacefully cultivate the Qi Refining Technique and the Qi Condensation Technique.

The values for both of these Skills had already reached Perfection.

Nourished by the dense Spiritual Qi, Chu Lingguang’s cultivation speed advanced by leaps and bounds.

The Spiritual Power in his Star System grew every day.

「Ten days later.」

Chu Lingguang entered the Void Spirit State.

At the fifth level of the Mental Realm, the state of Unity of Heart and Thought, Chu Lingguang was finally able to capture an identical resonance from seventy-three of the seven hundred and sixty-three responses.

Two hours later, Chu Lingguang finally managed to awaken the power within those seventy-three responses.

Within his Star System, Chu Lingguang saw a thick, golden stream of power appear.

Using the Void Technique, he could now clearly perceive not only his orange Spiritual Power, but also the Five Elements Power swirling around it.

Among the Five Elements, the Gold Spiritual Power was like roiling water, boiling at Chu Lingguang’s side.

The thick stream of golden Spiritual Power in his Star System throbbed with vigorous energy.

"Gold Spiritual Power."

’Is my Spirit Root Attribute a Metal Spirit Root?’

’When a Spiritual Root resonates with its corresponding power from the Five Elements, it means you possess that Spirit Root Attribute.’

Chu Lingguang muttered to himself.

Ever since his cultivation broke through the True Martial Realm to reach the Qi Refining Realm, Chu Lingguang had learned much of the common knowledge of cultivation, including information regarding the Five-Element Spiritual Root.

He vaguely recalled.

The reason Yan Zhen had been taken away by the Profound Celestial Sect was because he possessed a Water, Fire, and Earth Tri-Element Spiritual Root. An expert from the Profound Celestial Sect had snatched him away from both the Cyan Cloud Sect and Yuanchu Mountain.

After entering the Profound Celestial Sect, both Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei had been trying to find news of Yan Zhen, hoping to meet with him.

Unfortunately, while many throughout the Profound Celestial Sect knew that the Sect Elders had recently brought back a disciple with a Tri-Element Spiritual Root from the Celestial Sea, no one knew where that disciple was now.

Thus, Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei had been unable to meet with Yan Zhen.

The two of them could only focus on their cultivation.

Feeling the resonance and harmony between his Spiritual Power and the Gold Spiritual Power, Chu Lingguang turned his palm upward and felt a small whirlwind form above it.

WHOOSH!

A gentle breeze swept through the small courtyard.

Chu Lingguang felt a strange sense of affinity. As the breeze blew past him, it felt as if the Gold Spiritual Power itself was washing over him. The Spiritual Power in his body trembled, and deep within his Star System, that thick stream of golden Spiritual Power roared like a golden dragon.

’A Metal Spirit Root has a natural advantage with wind energy.’

’It’s a shame I don’t have a cultivation Skill that corresponds to a Metal Spirit Root. If I could grasp this wind power, maybe I could be like Kou Han. He seemed to grasp Water Spiritual Power, materializing a basin of water from thin air and even injuring people from a distance with mere droplets.’

Chu Lingguang vaguely recalled when Kou Han had demonstrated his Divine Abilities. He had resonated with the Water Spiritual Power of the Five Elements, causing water to flow from his palm. The droplets were as deadly as arrows, capable of killing without a trace.

Although he had now resonated with Gold Spiritual Power and confirmed his Spirit Root Attribute as a Metal Spirit Root, he lacked any supporting Magical Techniques and Divine Abilities, leaving him unable to properly control this wind energy.

’The power from those seventy-three responses allowed me to resonate with Gold Spiritual Power. I wonder if the power from the remaining six hundred-plus responses will let me resonate with the other Spiritual Powers of the Five Elements?’

’Yan possesses a Water, Fire, and Earth Tri-Element Spiritual Root. Maybe he also used the power of these responses to achieve resonance, allowing his body to evolve and gain a Tri-Element Spiritual Root.’

Chu Lingguang thought.

He knew that Yan Zhen had fused with an anomaly—a vine possessing Water Spiritual Power. Water benefits all things and does not contend. Using his Water Spirit Root, Yan Zhen had helped Guo Wei awaken his own responses, allowing Guo Wei’s body to gain a Spirit Root Attribute. Then, bolstered by the Purple Gold Vine Spiritual Power, Guo Wei had successfully passed the Profound Celestial Sect’s Spiritual Root assessment.

That was how the master and disciple pair had ended up entering the Profound Celestial Sect together.

This incident made Chu Lingguang realize that Spiritual Roots could evolve, and their attributes could grow stronger.

’If I also had a Dual Spiritual Root, or even a Tri-Element Spiritual Root, wouldn’t the Profound Celestial Sect give me special training, just like Yan Zhen?’

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed since Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei started cultivating at the Profound Celestial Sect.

On this day, everyone who had entered the Profound Celestial Sect a month ago was summoned to the Spirit Valley. They gathered before the fields of Spirit Herbs and Medicines that covered the mountain forest.

"This field of Spirit Herbs and Medicines before you can help you harmonize with the power of your Spiritual Root. You have three days to use the Spiritual Power in this valley to break through and strengthen your Spirit Root Attribute."

Steward Zhou had appeared before the crowd once more.

"How far you can walk on the path of cultivation is determined by the power of your Spirit Root Attribute. If you wish to stand out from the masses, it will all depend on your own skill and fortune."

Steward Zhou continued.

Under his watchful gaze, the crowd entered the field of herbs.

Guo Wei and Chu Lingguang recalled Old Liu’s words and were extremely wary of the medicinal field. Nevertheless, they did as instructed and stepped into it together.

A moment later, everyone felt the ground begin to heave up and down.

It felt as soft as rolling waves.

Then, the surrounding Spirit Herbs and Medicines released their roots and stems like vines, wrapping tightly around everyone. At that moment, the power of the Five Elements became incomparably clear to their senses.

A strange sensation began to seep into their bodies.

’Anomalous entities?’

Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei both instinctively thought of the Purple Gold Vine from Great Yuan.

’These Spirit Herbs and Medicines can also be used to strengthen one’s Spirit Root Attribute.’

"AHHH!"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Everyone watched as a heavyset man, completely cocooned by the Spirit Herbs and Medicines, was mercilessly dragged underground. Countless white roots shot out from the earth, then whipped back in.