Putting Down Roots on Deer Island

[Hundred-Life Reincarnation]

[Fifth life: lifespan of thirty-two years]

[Inscription: ten years of meetings and partings, karmic fire consuming the body. Cause and effect follow one another; retribution never fails.]

[Talent available for extraction: Spiritual Root Purification]

Although this talent could not fundamentally change his four spiritual roots, it could cleanse and purify them, improving their quality.

Meng Yuan had heard that this world also had quite a few methods for purifying spiritual roots, but they were far too difficult.

"Clean roots are like a clean face-just the thing for going out and doing great things!"

For a moment, coolness washed through his entire body, leaving him feeling light.

"This life, I absolutely won't rely on women again!" Meng Yuan heard his own hypocritical words once more.

Blue waves stretched without end, and the sea breeze carried a fishy tang.

Meng Yuan had returned to his starting point, his heart brimming with countless feelings.

The Soul-Tracking Thread was overbearing, and there was also its ten-year limit.

Meng Yuan's aptitude was poor to begin with, so time was naturally very tight. He could not go elsewhere to cultivate in seclusion, or he would waste all his time traveling and have to sort out people and relationships all over again. It would be a tremendous nuisance.

His best option was to reach the upper end of the late Qi Refining stage on Deer Island and resolve the Soul-Tracking Thread issue.

Otherwise, bound by that ten-year limit in every life, he would truly have no room to maneuver!

Meng Yuan already had a plan. This life, he would still put down roots on Deer Island!

Of course, his immediate priority was to find somewhere to cultivate.

Old Turtle Island was sinking year by year and would disappear completely beneath the sea in two years.

The disaster refugees Meng Yuan had brought over by ship this time were the last group from Old Turtle Island. Even if anyone remained there now, they would only be the old and weak who lacked the means to leave.

He would spend two years on Old Turtle Island as a stopgap, then turn his sights to Deer Island!

For that, he first needed to get a boat!

"Fairy Du asked me to bring you a message. Which Fairy Du? Your younger sister!"

"I'm from Ten-Mile Slope on Old Turtle Island. My name is Pei Hu."

"She was on official business on Old Turtle Island and left in too much of a hurry to visit you, so she picked me to pass on a message."

"Heh, why didn't she ask Fairy Xin to bring it? Let me ask you: you're a mortal-are you worthy?"

"Am I worthy? Of course I am! I even coupled with Fairy Xin!"

"My leg injury? Nothing to worry about. A Raimei Angelfish bit me a couple of times. Just a trifle!"

"The fairy said you would understand once I mentioned two things. First, beneath the pillow in her old bedroom, she had a short jujube-wood sword inscribed with the six characters 'Stars Shining Brightly in the Sky.' Second, you have two moles on the inside of your left thigh, ticklish soles, and sparse body hair."

"What's the message? Listen: take stock of the family assets and build more large ships. She'll come see you in two years!"

"And get me a boat to take me to Scattered Rock Island!"

"Then let's eat first! Set up a big pot. After days of being tossed about aboard ship, let everyone have something to eat! Family! Come feast at the rich household's expense!"

Du Yueyi was no greenhorn. Rather than letting this man eat from the communal pot, she invited him home, arranged fine food and drink, and sent people to investigate.

No one on Old Turtle Island had seen her younger sister. Ten-Mile Slope did indeed exist, but it was desolate, and few people had heard this man's name. Yet he knew the names of quite a few refugees from Old Turtle Island.

Moreover, he really had been bitten by a Raimei Angelfish, and afterward Fairy Xin Li had actually bestowed her intimate favor upon him.

Du Yueyi could not tell how much of his story was true. But as for the supposed message-taking stock of the family assets and building more large ships-when had she not been doing those things?

And sending a boat to transport someone was no more than a small favor. She might as well oblige him.

That night, Du Yueyi prepared another banquet and probed him a little.

"That's right! Fairy Xin said she'd look for me again the next time she came!"

Seeing this, Du Yueyi arranged for a maid to share his bed. But the man flatly refused, saying he abstained from women.

"Pah! Putting on airs now! He slept with a fairy and thinks he's become an immortal himself? A lousy key happened upon a gold lock once, and now it thinks it's a master key!"

The next day, Du Yueyi arranged a boat and sailors, and prepared numerous supplies according to the man's instructions.

After five days and four nights, Meng Yuan reached Scattered Rock Island. He disembarked there, transferred to a small boat, and took another half day to reach Old Turtle Island.

Most of Old Turtle Island had already sunk beneath the sea. Meng Yuan made a circuit and saw no living people, only a few dogs and some wild chickens.

When he found the Turtle Head of Old Turtle Island, the cultivator stationed there had already left. Meng Yuan built a stone hut there and devoted himself to cultivation.

Although he still had four spiritual roots, their quality was much better than in his previous life.

Having cultivated before also helped. Meng Yuan sensed Qi in just ten days, then successfully drew it into his body after another half month.

He had now entered the Dao and reached the Qi Refining first layer. He could address others as fellow Daoists.

In his excitement, Meng Yuan cast his fishing line a couple of times, but caught nothing.

Meng Yuan had not managed to find any good cultivation methods in his previous life, so he could only practice the Circulating Heaven Qi-Gathering Method.

This method had also been imparted by Huo Old Freak. But in his previous life, Meng Yuan had discussed it with Xin Li and Li Nineteen. It was no false teaching, but a genuine scripture.

With his spiritual roots renewed, his progress practicing this method was actually not slow.

In just one year, he reached the Qi Refining second layer, matching his progress with the Bright Garment Art in his previous life.

Another year passed, yet he had still not reached the threshold of the third Qi Refining layer.

In Qi Refining, each layer followed the last, and the farther one progressed, the harder it became.

Those with poor aptitude might remain stuck at the second or third layer for their entire lives. Those with decent aptitude could advance one layer a year in the early stages, or even one layer every month or two.

In any case, reaching Foundation Establishment within twenty or thirty years was not bad.

Sure enough, however hard Meng Yuan cultivated, he began to feel his progress bogging down. Clearly, his four-spiritual-root aptitude was still somewhat lacking. Breaking into the middle stage would not be easy; he would have to grind away at it over time.

Either that, or rely on pills and change cultivation methods!

Besides, all of Old Turtle Island had already sunk beneath the water. Most of Meng Yuan's Turtle Head Daoist Sanctuary was covered by seawater too, and his worn-out shoes had never once dried.

Abandoning the place, Meng Yuan boarded his battered boat and headed for Deer Island.

Within two days, he spotted a seagoing vessel. Meng Yuan skimmed across the waves and boarded it in the blink of an eye.

"Where are you fishermen from? Are you partners, or did you rent a wealthy household's boat?" As soon as Meng Yuan boarded, he recognized that these men came from Deer Island-his family from two lives ago!

"How many days have you been at sea? How much did you catch today?" Meng Yuan showed none of an immortal's lofty bearing.

"Mostly cold food? You need hot meals too. You can't go without vegetables and rice. Food is the people's heaven. Let me see what you're eating." Meng Yuan lifted the pot lid and offered a few casual comments.

"You're a steward of the Kong Clan? Go back and tell your household head to improve the sailors' food and raise their wages." Meng Yuan and Deer Island's Kong Household were old adversaries.

"It's always been this way? Does that make it right? Fairy Xin Li kills people? Heh, when this venerable one meets that wretch, I'll fight her for three to five hundred exchanges and show her whose heaven reigns over the Star Sea!" Meng Yuan pointed at the sky.

"Men! Throw this dog of a steward overboard to feed the fish!" Meng Yuan flew into a rage.

Four days later, Meng Yuan came ashore feeling refreshed and invigorated.

In the distance, Chaolong Mountain lay shrouded in mist, as though a dragon lurked within.

There was a secret beneath Chaolong Mountain. The Bronze Lamp resembled the Heart-Refining Candle in the Immortal Mausoleum back home, but he did not know what connection the two shared.

And that place was strange. Du Xingyi had been intent on reaping the benefits beyond the Bronze Gate, yet she could not get past that candle stand.

As it happened, Meng Yuan could turn his wheel and get through.

Dressed in an old Daoist robe and barefoot, Meng Yuan set off for Chaolong Mountain.

In his previous life, Meng Yuan had been sucked dry until his whole body felt miserable.

This life, Meng Yuan would suck it all back with a vengeance.