Gu Chen picked the Longevity Fruits one by one, placed them in jade boxes, and put them away.
"Now that you've reached the level of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, can you free yourself from the Lake of Life's constraints?"
he asked.
"Master, I can leave the Lake of Life for a short time. But without the life force it supplies, unless I can find a place teeming with life force and take root again, I'm afraid I won't have long to live."
The Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree answered truthfully.
"Even at a hundred thousand years of cultivation, you still can't escape your need for life force?"
Gu Chen was somewhat surprised. Just how powerful was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Every Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had formed a Soul Core within its body, and it was precisely because of that Soul Core that it was guaranteed to drop a Soul Bone. Yet even though the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree had reached a hundred thousand years of cultivation, it still couldn't escape that need. Its species truly placed too great a restriction on it.
"Master, if I chose to take human form, I could escape that constraint."
Seeing Gu Chen lost in thought and silent, the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree offered a reminder.
"No need. Just stay here in the Lake of Life. Once I've dealt with the restriction that prevents Soul Beasts from becoming gods, I'll help you become one!"
Gu Chen shook his head. That wasn't what he wanted.
After all, he already had Myriad Spirit Fruits, Ageless Fruits, and Longevity Fruits. He could have used Soul Beast corpses to upgrade each of those fruits just the same, so why hadn't he?
Naturally, it was because the returns were different!
Using ten Life-type Soul Beast corpses to upgrade one fruit, or using them to upgrade the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree so it would bear nine fruits.
He knew perfectly well which of the two was more profitable.
Especially now that the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree had reached its current stage, upgrading it one more time would produce an extraordinary result. At least, he could see it clearly on the upgrade panel.
[Item: Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree] [Effect: A top-tier Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with top-tier life force. It can bear Longevity Fruits once every hundred thousand years, producing nine fruits each time. Consuming one extends one's life by a hundred years.] [Upgrade result: Fortune and Longevity Divine Tree] [Effect: A top-tier million-year Soul Beast with Ultimate Life. It can bear Fortune Fruits once every million years, producing nine fruits each time. Consuming one extends one's life by a thousand years.] [Upgrade requirements: 10 Hundred-Thousand-Year Life-type Soul Beast corpses]
At the next stage, a single fruit from the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree could extend a person's life by a thousand years.
If Qian Daoliu learned of something so valuable, he might well cast his moral standards to the back of his mind and come charging over with his Angel Holy Sword!
"You don't have a name yet, do you?"
Gu Chen looked straight at the ancient Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree as he spoke.
"Please bestow a name upon me, Master."
Just listen to that. Next to such emotional intelligence, even Xiao Wu, innocent and sweet as she was, looked like a green recruit.
"How about San Ming?"
Xiao Wu, still unaware of her own shortcomings, spoke up before Gu Chen could.
"Here, have a tanghulu. Go play in the mud over there."
Gu Chen took a stick of tanghulu from the Void Ring and handed it to Xiao Wu.
"What's that supposed to mean? You look down on the name I picked, don't you? Hmph! If you don't like it, I don't want to name him anyway. Give me the tanghulu! Slurp~ So sweet!"
Xiao Wu snatched the tanghulu with an indignant huff and happily began to savor it. As for anything else? Forget it, it wasn't important. This tanghulu was so sweet!
Nearby.
Da Ming and Er Ming fell silent.
This...
Their Sister Xiao Wu did seem a little stupid... Uh, a little easy to coax.
However.
Though Gu Chen hadn't said it, they couldn't help feeling that their names had been thoroughly scorned. Should they change them to something nicer? But when they saw Xiao Wu eating her tanghulu with a slightly silly look, they abandoned the thought.
Forget it.
They'd been called those names for tens of thousands of years and were used to them! Changing them would only feel awkward.
"The green mountains stand as before, through countless sunsets glowing red."
"May you stand forever like the green mountains. From now on, your name shall be Chang Qing!"
After a moment's thought, Gu Chen finally spoke slowly.
Those words were meant not only for the Fortune and Longevity Fruit Tree-no, Chang Qing-but also for himself. The poem "Immortals by the River" lamented the rise and fall of history and expressed an attitude toward life that transcended worldly fame and achievement.
But.
Having been given another life, he sought immortality and eternity, not a life where right and wrong, success and failure turned to nothing in an instant, and all were passed off with a laugh.
Whoever stood in his way, he would kill.
"Chang Qing thanks you for the name, Master."
Chang Qing's branches and leaves rustled as they swayed, revealing his joy.
Just then.
"Gu Chen, when do you plan to make your move against Tang Hao?"
Da Ming asked.
A Titled Douluo knew that Sister Xiao Wu was a Soul Beast in human form. As long as that man lived, the threat he posed would remain ever-present. Naturally, Da Ming wished he could kill him at once, but he still had to rely on Gu Chen.
"I'll act as soon as I've absorbed my Soul Ring. Oh, right, Xiao Wu, take these three fruits and eat them. Now that you've taken human form, you no longer have a Soul Beast's long lifespan. These three fruits will extend your life by a hundred and sixty years. If you can reach level ninety-nine and become a Peerless Douluo, living to five hundred won't be a problem."
"But with me around, if you're willing to be my little follower, I won't mind taking you along when I ascend to the Divine Realm in the future."
Gu Chen had just taken out the jade boxes containing the Myriad Spirit Fruit, Ageless Fruit, and Longevity Fruit, but before he had even finished speaking, Xiao Wu lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his leg.
"I'd brave boiling water and walk through fire for you, Brother Chen! From now on, I'll do whatever you tell me to. When you ascend to the Divine Realm, don't you dare forget your little sister!"
"Let go! Let go of me! Your tanghulu is getting all over my trousers!"
Watching Xiao Wu cling to Gu Chen's leg, Da Ming and Er Ming fell into deep thought. Could they exchange this sister of theirs for another? She was far too embarrassing.
Only after a struggle did he manage to pry Xiao Wu off himself.
After tossing the three fruits to her, Gu Chen paid her no further attention. He had fruits to eat himself; no one would turn down a few extra years of life.
The first Myriad Spirit Fruit went into his mouth and warmed his stomach.
The second, the Ageless Fruit, went down, filling his whole body with comfort.
The third, the Longevity Fruit, reached his stomach, leaving him refreshed and clearheaded.
As for Gu Chen.
He could clearly feel his life force growing. If he might say so himself, those three Peerless Douluo of sea, land, and sky couldn't live as long as he could.
But that wasn't all.
Besides increasing his life force, the fruits also contained a staggering amount of the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. Each one took him considerable time to refine, but because his Soul Power Level was stuck at level ten, the effects did not appear immediately. Nor was it so easy for him to refine them completely; much of their medicinal power remained in his body. He felt that the fruits' remaining medicinal power would lend him a hand until he reached level seventy.
Meanwhile.
After Xiao Wu ate hers, she too spent several days refining them. Perhaps because, unlike him, she did not possess a special physique and a top-tier Martial Soul, nor did she have the Advanced Life Meditation Method to assist her, it took her a little longer.
But that was no matter.
After she finished refining them.
Xiao Wu's Soul Power Level soared all the way to level twenty, and she even formed her second Soul Ring, bringing her Soul Power Level to twenty-one.
Gu Chen didn't mind, however.
Because.
After studying the Soul Beast encyclopedia for several days, he had finally chosen the Soul Beast best suited to him.
The Ten-Thousand-Root Longevity Tree!!!
A Plant-type Soul Beast whose roots, once established, would constantly divide into tens of thousands of tendrils, burrowing into the earth and continuously drawing nutrients from it.
And now.
A hundred-year Ten-Thousand-Root Longevity Tree had been uprooted by Er Ming and brought before Gu Chen. It lay there at death's door, waiting for him to make his move.