A Century Slips Away with a Glance, a Hundred Years of Time Empty in a Snap

Within the Evergreen Sect, on the mountainside on the south side, lies a cave abode dwelling area reserved exclusively for the sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The south side of a mountain and the north side of a river are considered yang, and this location, with its yang energy, is beneficial for fortune and luck, making it the most suitable place to live.

Not to mention that this area is located on Second-Rank Spirit Vein of the Evergreen Sect, with extremely abundant Spiritual Qi, far surpassing any Spirit Vein Chen Dengming had ever been in.

And, most importantly, he doesn't have to pay for it.

It was now the early morning of the second day.

The air was cool and filled with a fresh, honey-like floral fragrance. A wisp of translucent mist floated on the mountainside, a shimmering, ethereal Spiritual Qi visible to the naked eye as it refracted the sunlight.

A few melodious bird calls, with crisp endings, drifted gently from the mist deep in the mountains and forests.

In the light mist, a cave cave abode entwined with ancient vines shimmered with light, appearing and disappearing like stars.

The babbling brook, like a silver thread, Spirit Spring and flows out from between the rocks in front of the cave abode.

"Splash--"

A long tongue covered in barbs suddenly plunged into the water, licking and drinking several mouthfuls of the Spirit Spring. Then it licked a few more mouthfuls, spat them out with a few 'gulps' to rinse its mouth, yawned, turned its dark head, and looked at the scattered lights in the cave abode behind it. A hint of disdain flashed in its copper bell-like leopard eyes.

What's so interesting about foolish Ghost Soul dancing?

I watched it all night, but nothing beats Brother Leopard's voluntary blood donation.

The Black Cloud Leopard felt neglected and was unhappy, but it was quite satisfied with its new cave abode.

A sweet and refreshing Spirit Spring, imbued with a touch of Spiritual Qi like soda, flows past the door. Upon waking in the morning, one can simply open their mouth and take a sip, spit it out, and rinse their mouth.

The surrounding Spiritual Qi was so rich that it felt as if it were sleeping on soft clouds all night. The air it breathed in, and even when it farted out, was purer and fresher than the Spiritual Qi in the wild mountains and forests.

What a treasure!

This is truly Immortal Blessed Land.

The two lines of characters carved on Leopard Brother's body were not for nothing; he was born with a life of wealth and honor, and his owner was the right one.

It was initially somewhat resistant to being a shameful Cave Guarding Spirit Beast.

But now, all it wants to do is lie here at the entrance every day, bask in the sun, drink from the Spirit Spring, and breathe in the Spiritual Qi. Who knows, its strength might improve in no time.

Even now, it felt an itch on its back, as if Spiritual Qi was gathering there, indicating that it was not far from breaking through and evolving.

Inside the cave abode.

Chen Dengming had been practicing the Evergreen Merit all night.

The Little Array Spirit also danced energetically all night long.

The girl's carefully prepared new dance did not disappoint him.

His cultivation efficiency was very high in the first half of the night.

However, even the highest efficiency will be somewhat reduced in the latter half of the night.

Cultivation is inherently a tedious process that consumes personal energy. Without the assistance and pleasure of Little Array Spirit, the efficiency would likely be even lower.

Even so, after a whole night, his progress in cultivating the Evergreen Merit reached 22 points, and he could cultivate 44 points of proficiency in a whole day.

This speed and efficiency is indeed very high, but compared to the three thousand proficiency required for the first level of Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method like the Evergreen Merit, it is not considered high.

After switching to the Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method Cultivation Method, not only are the effects of the Spiritual Qi energy produced by the Cultivation Method different, but the Cultivation Method is also different, and the proficiency of the Cultivation Method has also increased significantly.

The Evergreen Merit is a static exercise that can be practiced while sitting or lying down. However, unlike the Three Yuan Spirit Gathering Technique, it does not require changing postures for each Lesser Celestial Circuit, making it much simpler and significantly reducing the number of daily practice sessions, thus making it less cumbersome to practice.

Furthermore, the Evergreen Merit is Wood Element Cultivation Method. The Spiritual Qi cultivated is transformed into Wood Element Spiritual Essence, which prolongs life and is extremely suitable for Chen Dengming to cultivate.

At this moment, after a night of cultivation, Chen Dengming was full of energy, but he was also exhausted.

After telling the Little Array Spirit that it could rest, he slowly took out the treasure the Little Array Spirit had asked for, under the spirit's pleading and charming expression, preparing to reward this little pet who had worked so hard to please him.

"This thing looks so dirty. Even though I've cleaned it up a bit, are you really going to eat it?"

Chen Dengming looked puzzled and hesitant, fearing that something might happen if the Little Array Spirit ate it.

The Little Array Spirit insisted, "I, I can do it. It may look dirty, but its spirit is actually very pure."

I feel that after eating it, I might be about to break through.

"Oh well."

Chen Dengming looked down at the dying Ghost Eater in the Spirit Subduing Bottle, whose body had become much more transparent, and it did indeed seem to have become much cleaner.

With a surge of Spiritual Qi, the ghost was shaken out.

"Call--"

As soon as the Ghost Eater emerged, the temperature inside the entire cave abode seemed to drop significantly.

As soon as it appeared, it immediately went from looking listless to fierce. Its eyes lit up when it saw the Little Array Spirit, and it howled as it pounced on it.

"Bang!"

A large slap landed on it, only slowing the Ghost Eater attack for a moment.

Chen Dengming felt as if a cold current had passed through his palm, chilling him to the bone, before he realized he had used the wrong method.

He immediately focused his Blade Intent, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and unleashed a palm strike.

"Call--"

The Ghost Eater let out a painful growl, its form flickering like a light bulb before quickly fading into darkness.

"Okay, okay, alright—stop killing me!"

The Little Array Spirit jumped up and down anxiously. Seeing that the Ghost Eater was completely on its last breath, she rushed over as well.

As her sleeves fluttered, a Red Rhombus flew out, directly entangling the Ghost Eater. Then, the sharp, glowing end of the Red Rhombus pierced into the Ghost Eater's spirit body.

The Ghost Eater cried out in pain and struggled desperately, but as waves of almost transparent power were absorbed by the Red Rhombus, its struggle gradually weakened.

On the contrary, the Little Array Spirit's body shimmered with spiritual light, and light rain drifted down. Every strand of hair seemed to sparkle and glow, pure and flawless, and its aura gradually grew stronger.

This ebb and flow situation is somewhat chilling to behold; the competition among spirit cultivators seems even more brutal than that among normal cultivators.

"This is what Ling'er meant by 'eating ghosts'!"

Chen Dengming's eyes widened, feeling like he had learned something new. He had thought that the Little Array Spirit's so-called eating meant eating directly with its mouth, but it turned out that this was how it ate.

Moreover, the Little Array Spirit's current appearance is quite extraordinary.

In his previous life, he had read some online novels, in which whenever a stunningly beautiful woman was described, she would be described as having crystal-clear hair, skin so white it was almost transparent, and being surrounded by shimmering light, exuding Immortal Qi.

At first, I thought it was made up. I wondered if the hair was so shiny because it hadn't been washed for years and had become oily.

It turns out that what was written in the novel was actually true. The author might actually be a knowledgeable monk, a Daoist priest who went down the mountain to become a novelist.

Seeing that the Little Array Spirit's condition was gradually stabilizing, there should be no danger.

Chen Dengming was immediately relieved. He then sat down, took a sip of cold tea, calmed his mind, and observed his own status on the panel.

"Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator [Chen Dengming]"

Lifespan: 84/238/584

Spirit Root: Metal, Wood (Superior Grade 0/100)

Martial Arts: <Chen Family Martial Arts General Outline> (Great Perfection)

Daoist Techniques: <Evergreen Merit> (Level 1 330/3000), <Chen Family Daoist Magic Chapter> (Master 34/100), <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> (Level 1 78/100), <Golden Body> (Beginner 11/100), <Substitute Peach Tree Technique> (Beginner 14/100)

More than twenty Heavenly Timing have passed since he officially broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

During this period, the gradual improvement in physical condition, life potential, and lifespan resulting from the advancement in cultivation level has also gradually approached perfection.

Therefore, his lifespan was extended considerably again. In the end, Chen Dengming could clearly and intuitively see that his lifespan increased by a full 105 years after breaking through from the Qi Refining Stage to the Foundation Establishment stage.

This is five years longer than the expected standard, and he is very satisfied.

Too little will lead to disappointment, too much will be a pleasant surprise.

Besides the increased lifespan brought about by Foundation Establishment, learning the Evergreen Merit, the signature Cultivation Method of the Evergreen Sect School, also directly extended his lifespan by 15 years. And this was only at the initial stage; the lifespan increase was astonishing.

Putting aside his cheat ability to extend his Golden Finger through cultivation, this means that other cultivators who practice this Evergreen Merit can also directly extend their lifespan by five years.

Once the entire twelve-level cultivation is completed, one's lifespan will increase by sixty years, allowing them to live sixty years longer than other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Evergreen Merit truly lives up to its reputation as an offshoot of Longevity Merit, with its remarkable effect on prolonging life.

Aside from his main cultivation Cultivation Method, Chen Dengming also raised the near-breakthrough Technique Method <Qi Transformation to Gold> to the Master level in these seven days. <Water Yin Wood Lush Poison Gu Art> and <Dragon Coiling Bone Forging Art> were both raised to the Proficient Level. In addition, he also learned the Technique Method <Golden Body> and <Substitute Peach Tree Technique>.

His Lifespan Limit was thus extended by another 25 years, reaching a total of 584 years.

After the Cultivation Method were upgraded and changed, Chen Dengming packed all the Cultivation Method that had reached the level of proficiency or even mastery into the <Chen Family Daoist Magic Chapter>.

Looking at the panel now, it seems that the entire Daoist magic system has undergone a significant transformation, replacing some of its previous methods with more sophisticated ones.

As Chen Dengming gazed at his long lifespan, the urge to continue cultivating the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique>, which had been buried deep within him for a long time, began to stir restlessly.

"I look like a handsome young man in his thirties now, but I am actually an old man in his eighties. However, I have lost 238 years of my lifespan."

"I spent the entire lifespan of a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator to upgrade my low-grade mutually restraining Spirit Root to High-grade Counteracting Spiritual Root."

This is probably due to the panel settings; the effects I achieved by practicing the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> were almost optimal at every level.

Otherwise, with slightly less luck, one might only reach the level of Medium-grade Spiritual Root, and with even less luck...

Chen Dengming shook his head.

Such is the fleeting nature of life, where every hundred years pass in the blink of an eye.

No normal person can imitate him.

Those who can be emulated, such as Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivator, almost all possess exceptional talent. If one cannot elevate oneself to the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root, it is of little significance.

However, the demonic cultivator who created this Cultivation Method, Bai Sun Dao Ren, was Golden Core Perfection cultivator, but he only had Medium-grade Spiritual Root, making him a talentless waste among the big shots.

In order to upgrade to High-grade Spiritual Root and increase the chances of achieving the Nascent Soul stage, this demon recklessly risked his Nascent Soul. However, he misjudged his remaining lifespan and the effects of the Cultivation Practice Method, and unfortunately lost his Nascent Soul before his death.

"This Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique actually pairs very well with the Longevity Merit of the Longevity Sect."

If a disciple of the Longevity Sect with less aptitude practices the Longevity Merit and gains a lifespan longer than ordinary cultivators, it might be worth a shot. However, whether or not they can improve their cultivation depends entirely on luck."

Chen Dengming had a sudden inspiration, but then immediately shook his head inwardly.

When he first entered the Longevity Sect Territory, a disciple of the Longevity Sect looked down on his experience of practicing the secret technique of shortening lifespan.

Perhaps for disciples of the Longevity Sect who pursue longevity, the lifespan they have painstakingly cultivated is extremely precious, so how could they possibly squander or diminish it?

But he's different. With so many years of lifespan, just leaving him is like saving money; he won't earn any interest.

Using the Qiangzi form algorithm of hadrons, if such a long lifespan is left unused without generating interest, then it is a loss every day, a waste of time.

Living like this, you lose money every day. In the end, you'll have lived in vain.

With Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method being so difficult to cultivate nowadays, continuing to increase cultivation speed and trading time for space is the best way to reap the benefits of life-saving cultivation.

As for the lifespan loss, it can be improved by continuing to learn more advanced Technique Method, diligently improving existing Cultivation Method, or breaking through previous Strength Realm. There is no need to worry about losing lifespan due to the loss.

Chen Dengming is a man of action.

The thought that it had been more than a year since he last practiced the "Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique" made his liver ache.

This is essentially wasting a lot of lifespans without investing them.

There is no interest for a single moment of lifespan.

Immediately, he entered the quiet room, preparing to begin cultivating the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique>, sacrificing his life force to improve his aptitude.

Whether this Cultivation Method can elevate High-grade Spiritual Root to the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root remains to be seen.

However, with continued improvement, the affinity with Spiritual Qi energy will at least increase, which can be considered a slight improvement in aptitude.

"I still have 346 years to live, I'm still very young."

"Let's start by investing a small amount and see how it goes."

Chen Dengming decided to first test the waters by throwing out a hundred-year lifespan that would kill an Innate Martial Artist.

At the same time.

In a gloomy canyon a thousand miles away from the Evergreen Sect, the mist swirls, as if a white ribbon of mist wraps around the canyon, resembling a soft brocade bridge.

Eight figures of cultivators, some with eerie and sinister auras, others with fierce and terrifying presence, gathered in the canyon, seemingly plotting and discussing something.

One of the figures, completely wrapped in a foul-smelling black cloth, said coldly in a hoarse voice, "Blood Demon, you were too reckless this time, almost ruining our operation."

Now, the Evergreen Sect, including the surrounding Wusheng Sect, are on high alert and have increased their vigilance. They have even begun searching the mountains for our whereabouts, making our plan several times more difficult. How do you expect us to explain this to the Devilish Son Prince?"

Upon hearing this, numerous cold gazes, each carrying a different meaning, were directed at the gray-robed cultivator whose expression had slightly changed.

This gray-robed cultivator had a horse-like face, high cheekbones, and pale red eyes; he was none other than the Blood Ghost Daoist who had fought Chen Dengming a day earlier.

Beside him, the burly and mighty Blood Demon, sensing the threatening gazes around him, let out a restless growl, and his Blood Sha Qi surged.

However, the people present all had indifferent expressions. They were all formidable individuals, each a top fighter who had emerged from the cruel and bloody Devil Cultivator land of the Western Regions. Each of them possessed formidable strength, and few cultivators of the same realm from the other three regions could match them.

The Blood Demon cultivator suddenly smiled, easing the tension, and hissed as he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Fellow Daoists, this time it was indeed I, the Blood Demon, who acted rashly."

However, I am not one to speak without reason. Although this attempt failed unexpectedly and caused serious consequences, the Devilish Son sent me to the vicinity of the Evergreen Sect to gather intelligence and make contact, instead of sending you all."

As he finished speaking, the blood demon cultivator drew out the last syllable. Upon hearing the words "Devilish Son," everyone's eyes flickered slightly, and the hostility in their gazes towards the blood demon cultivator lessened somewhat.

Although the blood demon before me is despicable, he is, after all, a confidant of the Devilish Son.

Although they wished they could kill and eat him, they had to admit that they still had to consider the Devilish Son's feelings.

The Blood Demon cultivator smiled, having obtained the desired result. His tone softened, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Everyone, I have made contact with my inside contact and obtained reliable intelligence. However, the time is not yet right, so I cannot reveal too much. I can only inform Fellow Daoist Li."

To everyone, I'll give you a rough timeframe; the latest we'll take action will be no later than the end of summer.

Someone said impatiently, "That means there are still three or four months left. That's too long. I can't wait to storm into the Evergreen Sect. I've heard that the Evergreen Sect cultivators practice the Evergreen Merit, and the female cultivators are all extremely well-maintained, young and beautiful, with sweet blood."

"Hehehe, no rush, no rush, it's just a matter of three or four months, a seclusion period."

"The zombies I left at the Fengwu Workshop last time had only just advanced to the Red Hair Zombie level when they were disturbed. This time, I'm going to capture a few powerful cultivators and refine them into Flying Zombies."

Time flies by in the blink of an eye; a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye.

Half a day later.

Indeed, in just half a day, it felt like a hundred years had slipped away for Chen Dengming. His lifespan of a hundred years was completely consumed, and he directly invested it into his Spirit Root to earn interest.

During his hundred-year lifespan, forty years were spent upgrading the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> to the second level, a crucial step towards the third level. As a result, his Spiritual Qi affinity also increased by 10 points.

Sacrificing forty years of lifespan to increase affinity by only 10 points—this level of efficiency would have been very unsatisfactory for Chen Dengming in the past.

However, now that he has High-grade Spiritual Root, the effects of the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> are no longer as good as before, where every six years of lifespan consumed would increase his Spiritual Qi affinity by four points, reaching the optimal effect of twelve times.

A ten-point increase in Spiritual Qi affinity is equivalent to the minimum 50% boost effect of the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> at level two.

The next sixty years of lifespan are used to cultivate the <Life-Damaging Seedling Pulling Technique> to advance from the second to the third level. Almost every thirty years of lifespan consumed will increase the proficiency of the Cultivation Method by ten points, and the affinity with Spiritual Qi will also increase by twenty points.

After sixty years of lifespan, Chen Dengming's affinity with Spiritual Qi energy increased by forty points, and his aptitude for superior-grade, High-grade Counteracting Spiritual Root officially entered the mid-level.

In the quiet room, Chen Dengming, looking slightly tired, got up and walked to the mirror to check his appearance.

Time is the most deadly of all; youth fades and gray hairs appear, life is diminished, seemingly silently, yet it is the most terrifying of all.

His bone age has now returned to over a hundred years old.

Looking at the strands of hair at my temples, I was relieved; they were just a little dry, but hadn't turned white.

Come to think of it, even if he invests his hundred years of life to test the waters, he still has over two hundred and forty years of life left as a fixed asset, so he won't easily turn back into Bai Mao Chen.

However, if one were to invest another 150 years of their lifespan to raise the Spiritual Qi of their High-grade Spiritual Root to its peak, then the outcome would be uncertain.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Dengming decided to observe the investment returns first before deciding whether to increase the investment further.

People who invest hundreds of Spirit Stones in a business need to consider things for a long time, research the market, and vet the products, etc.

He's investing in a lifespan of over a hundred years, a priceless treasure, so he needs to be even more cautious and not blindly gamble everything.

Getting up, Chen Dengming walked out of the quiet room and discovered that the Little Array Spirit seemed to have finished eating the Ghost Eater and returned to the array plate to rest, as if it had begun to enter the stage of breakthrough and advancement.

He left the cave abode refreshed and without disturbing anyone.

He kicked the silly leopard, who was lying across the doorway sunbathing, making it roll over and stretch out with a big yawn.

"Ah-- the Spiritual Qi from this second-tier Spirit Vein is truly amazing!"

He tried circulating his internal energy, and instantly the surrounding Spiritual Qi gathered, the speed of which was significantly faster than before his aptitude improved.

This means that his spellcasting speed and spiritual energy recovery speed will also increase.

This will be a huge advantage in future battles.

Having a good Spirit Root means more than just faster cultivation; it also includes advantages such as casting speed, which increase exponentially.

"Fellow Daoist Chen's Spiritual Root Potential is truly enviable. I heard that you have a counteracting Spirit Root among the High-grade Spiritual Root, and I was initially disappointed for you. But now it seems that your Spiritual Root Potential is clearly quite good even among the superior-grade."

Just then, a woman's voice drifted from the mountain mist not far away.

Chen Dengming turned his head in surprise, his eyes brightening. Through the mist, he saw a female cultivator walking out of the entrance of a cave abode across the way. He immediately smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

"So it's Master Crane! You flatter me. A conflicting Spirit Root is a conflicting Spirit Root. No matter how good it is, it can't compare to a true High-grade Spiritual Root!"

"Just call me Fellow Daoist He or Senior Sister, why call me Master Crane? Fellow Daoist Chen, you're just mimicking Vice Sect Master Liang's tone and talking nonsense."

The female cultivator opposite her smiled faintly and shook her head, her eyes flashing as she said, "However, Fellow Daoist Chen, you are indeed as they say, very low-key and humble. I heard that two days ago, you defeated the recently rising Western Region Devil Cultivator, Blood Ghost Daoist. Your reputation has spread throughout the nearby sects."

"Seriously? Who's so shameless as to spread this kind of fame about me?"

Chen Dengming was stunned and speechless.

As the saying goes, "People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat," especially now, during a time of intense war, when Devil Cultivator from the Western Regions have invaded the heart of the Eastern Regions, making the situation quite dangerous.

At this moment, he only wanted to cultivate discreetly within the safe confines of his sect, and he didn't want to stand out, lest many Devil Cultivators from the Western Regions target him as the one who would make a scene.

Many cultivators also love to pursue fame and fortune, especially Devil Cultivator. These madmen believe that the greater their reputation, the more ferocious and intimidating they are, the more power they can build, recruit followers, and compete for resources.

"Junior Brother Chen, do you perhaps not want to become famous?" Crane Cultivator seemed to have discerned Chen Dengming's thoughts.

Chen Dengming coughed lightly, "Cough, not bad. Hey, I joined the Evergreen Sect because I wanted it to emulate the Longevity Sect Evergreen Sect live a life of peace and tranquility, not for some empty fame or to fight with others."

I'm actually a very easygoing person; I rarely make enemies or fight with others.

Hearing this, Crane Cultivator was skeptical. Could someone capable of defeating a more ruthless Western Region Devil Cultivator be a gentle, reclusive cultivator who rarely engaged in combat?

Moreover, the Black Cloud Leopard lying in front of its cave abode is quite enviable. Unlike ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage beasts that can be easily obtained, this kind of Demon Beast, although it Qi Cultivation Eighth Level of Qi Refining, is a rare species and is relatively difficult to capture.

At this point, Chen Dengming started chatting and took the initiative to fly towards Crane Maiden's cave abode to get closer to her.

His Ice Spirit Blade was damaged and needed repair. He also wanted to replace one or two second-tier Law Artifact. Since Master Crane He was his neighbor, he should visit him more often and deepen their relationship.

(Good votes for monthly tickets, so I'll add an extra 1,000 words, bringing the total to 12,500 words today. If I get another 200 monthly tickets, I'll continue tomorrow.)