Cultivating Immortality: Starting from Ferrying Passengers

Chapter 223 Three-Layer Perfected Pill Sample Tasting
With the golden pangolin's permission, Fang Jingxuan felt much more at ease. Unlike humans, these wild beasts were not cunning and generally kept their promises.

Seeing that the matter was settled, the Golden Crow gave a few instructions and flew directly back to its own sacred land.

Clearly, she didn't want to stay here, in the territory of another Golden Core demon beast.

Bai Lu also took her leave; in this matter, her role had been fulfilled.

After all the other demonic beasts had left, Fang Jingxuan slowly approached the giant pine tree.

The spirit tree before him was dozens of feet tall and extremely magnificent. Fang Jingxuan felt that his [Azure Wood Treasure Garden] could not contain it.

Mentioning the [Azure Wood Treasure Garden], Fang Jingxuan also had a headache. He had previously stuffed the Enlightenment Vine into it, but the Enlightenment Vine was not of high grade, and the spiritual energy in the [Azure Wood Treasure Garden] could still meet its needs.

However, with the addition of the Green Gourd Sword Vine, the supply of spiritual energy in the [Green Wood Treasure Garden] is no longer sufficient.

Having no other choice, Fang Jingxuan had to fill the Green Gourd Sword Vine with spirit stones to enrich its spiritual energy so that it could grow as much as possible.

However, this is not a long-term solution. The best way is to transplant the Green Gourd Sword Vine from it and plant it in a high-level spiritual land.

However, Fang Jingxuan was also homeless at this time. His current cave dwelling was of a very low grade and was only a temporary place to stay. Therefore, he had no choice but to make do with the Green Gourd Sword Vine and continue to stay in the Green Wood Treasure Garden.

The interior of the [Azure Wood Treasure Garden] is limited in size. After accommodating the Enlightenment Vine and the Azure Gourd Sword Vine, there is not much room left.

Moreover, the spiritual pine tree in front of him is exceptionally large, making it difficult for Fang Jingxuan to take it away and make it his companion.

However, for now, Fang Jingxuan can use this spiritual plant to cultivate. In addition, this is the location of the spiritual vein of the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast. With a third-level spiritual land and a fourth-level spiritual plant, Fang Jingxuan doesn't know how many cultivation points he can gain in one cultivation session.

As the night passed and the sky brightened, the morning mist dampened his sleeves, causing Fang Jingxuan's figure, who was sitting cross-legged on the large rock, to stir.

Not far away, Tuoyuan turtle lay dormant, waiting patiently. Liugu was hidden in mid-air. That night, the two of them were doing their best to protect Fang Jingxuan.

At this moment, the illusory image of the [Thousand Spirit Cypress] in Fang Jingxuan's sea of ​​consciousness grew a little larger. Noticing this change, a look of joy appeared on Fang Jingxuan's face.

That night, after communicating with the four-tiered pine tree before him, Fang Jingxuan immersed himself in the profound spiritual energy accumulated by this spiritual plant over thousands of years.

There should never have been any living being able to establish such a connection with this spiritual plant before; Fang Jingxuan is the first person to do so.

Fang Jingxuan could sense that this spiritual plant had probably already developed its own consciousness, but it could not manifest itself and become a true living being.

For a spiritual plant to embark on the path of cultivation, it is hundreds of times more difficult than for an animal. The higher the grade of the spiritual plant, the less likely it is to develop its own consciousness.

Even when they are just beginning to grow, they will face many hardships.

However, once they transform into human form, their strength is naturally terrifying, and ordinary demonic beasts of the same level are no match for them.

The pine tree spirit plant in front of Fang Jingxuan is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. It has some means to protect itself and can defend against the destruction caused by Qi Refining demonic beasts. However, it is powerless against demonic beasts in the middle or late stages of Foundation Establishment.

Fortunately, this place is where the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast cultivates its spiritual veins. This pine tree can gather spiritual energy and regulate the earth's veins for its spiritual land, and thus it has been protected by the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast, allowing it to grow steadily for so many years.

After a night of cultivation, Fang Jingxuan made initial contact with the spiritual pine tree, and his cultivation points increased by as much as 120 points during that night of meditation.

It's more than four times the previous amount, almost five times.

This is the effect of a high-level spiritual land combined with fourth-level spiritual plants. After cultivating here for a night, Fang Jingxuan knew that he probably wouldn't want to leave this place for a long time to come.

Half a month later, on a night of full moon, the bright moon hung high in the sky. Under the clear moonlight, Fang Jingxuan was communicating with the fourth-tier spirit pine in front of him, preparing to use its body to collect the moon's essence and jade dew of the month.

When the moonlight was at its brightest, Fang Jingxuan activated his innate divine power in his sea of ​​consciousness. Instantly, an invisible wave was transmitted to the spirit pine, and then the moonlight in mid-air seemed to be attracted, gathering on the leaves, branches, and trunk of the spirit pine.

The moonlight, like water, rippled gently. Beneath the distant spiritual vein, the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast sensed this unusual moonlight and quietly revealed itself, silently observing the scene before it.

As time passed, drops of moonlight dew began to condense, while Tuoyuan and Liugu each used their own methods to collect this spiritual dew into the jade bottle that Fang Jingxuan had just made.

Half an hour later, the moonlight within a radius of several miles was diluted, and the place where the spirit pine was located instantly became a low-lying area of ​​moonlight.

At this moment, the illusory image of Fang Jingxuan's natal spirit, [Thousand Spirit Cypress], appeared dim, which also meant that this collection of moonlight had come to an end.

After Fang Jingxuan withdrew his supernatural powers, he sensed the filial piety emanating from the spirit pine in his soul. Clearly, through this cooperation, it had also benefited greatly from the moonlight.

In just half an hour, it could achieve the same growth as a year of cultivation in the past. How could it not be instinctively delighted?

Fang Jingxuan responded slightly and offered some reassurance before turning his attention to the dozen or so jade bottles in front of Tuoyuan and Liugu.

This jade bottle contains one hundred drops of collected Moon Dew. If all of these dozen or so bottles are filled, it means that he has collected over a thousand drops of Moon Dew this time.

Fang Jingxuan waved his hand and gathered them all. After checking them one by one and confirming that each contained a hundred drops of Moon Essence Dew, a look of gratified satisfaction appeared on his face.

With a total of thirteen bottles, there was finally hope for his second Xuanqi Dharma Domain.

"It smells delicious, but it's different from what I've had before. You should pay me."

A huge shadow enveloped Fang Jingxuan's body. The Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast had somehow swum to Fang Jingxuan's side, staring at the jade bottle in his hand with a greedy tone.

After Fang Jingxuan put all the jade bottles into his storage bag, he leisurely used his divine sense to say:
"It's not time yet, my esteemed Lord of Guitu. If you try to seize it by force, you will never be able to enjoy the delicious food of that day, because only I can make it."

Fang Jingxuan made his stance clear. He wasn't worried that this Golden Core Returning Earth Beast could kill him here, because it wasn't a Golden Core Raven and didn't prioritize speed. Returning Earth Beasts were primarily defensive, and speed wasn't their forte.

At worst, Fang Jingxuan could use his Rainbow Transformation Light Escape technique to get away from this place. Although he couldn't defeat this Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast, Fang Jingxuan was confident that if he wanted to leave, this Golden Core demon beast wouldn't be able to stop him.

Moreover, only I know the method of refining Moon Essence Jade Dew. When I return to the Golden Core Crow's territory, I will complain to it about this matter. Whether it's for face, for the dozen or so drops of Moon Essence True Dew a month, or even for the 'Emperor Jade Dew Pill' that I will eventually refine, neither the Golden Core Crow nor that beautiful snake will let it off easily.

Sensing Fang Jingxuan's determination, the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast chuckled a few times before shrinking its body underground.

"Don't forget mine."

After the other party left, Fang Jingxuan let out a soft breath, then took out the alchemy furnace and began to refine pills. He had a premonition that with a sufficient supply of Moon Essence Dew, he would soon be able to refine the 'Emperor Jade Dew Pill'.

In early May, the white deer arrived as promised and received the agreed-upon drop of Moon Essence Dew. After this, it held Fang Jingxuan in even greater respect.

The Golden Core Returning Earth Beast also received its own drop, and after consuming it, its gaze towards Fang Jingxuan softened considerably. Fang Jingxuan gave the Golden Core Crow two drops; one for herself, and one for the unseen but incredibly powerful beautiful snake.

These two are Fang Jingxuan's strongest backers at present, and he has no choice but to curry favor with them. If he really encounters something he can't solve, he still needs these two to help him out.

The current monthly quota of thirteen drops has made Fang Jingxuan much more financially secure, but now is not the time to refine the True Qi Domain, as the output is still insufficient.

By the end of May, after a month and a half, Fang Jingxuan had completely completed the third level of Foundation Establishment cultivation, based on his current progress.

However, there is a barrier between the third and fourth levels of Foundation Establishment. Without breaking through this barrier, the progress of daily meditation will be in vain.

Fang Jingxuan had made some preparations for this barrier. Among the spiritual herbs he had obtained before, there were several that could help him break through the barrier.

Moreover, Fang Jingxuan himself still has the Enlightenment Vine in his possession. Normally, this Enlightenment Vine doesn't have much of a presence, but at times like this, it's time for it to show its effectiveness.

Five days later, at dusk that day, Fang Jingxuan was refining pills.

This batch is the 'Imperial Jade Dew Pill'. After his cultivation level is stuck, Fang Jingxuan can focus on refining this second-tier pill without having to devote his attention to cultivation anymore.

Now, whether it's Tuoyuan or Liugu, Fang Jingxuan no longer needs to avoid other human cultivators, so he releases them and lets them do whatever they want.

Right now, these two are playing not far away, while also shouldering the important responsibility of guarding and protecting Fang Jingxuan.

The 'Imperial Jade Dew Pill' is an ancient formula, not as complex or delicate as modern pill formulas.

Ancient prescriptions emphasized the efficacy of added medicinal herbs, while modern prescriptions focus on refining techniques and the steps involved in adjusting the reaction.

This is because many elixirs have become extinct, and the substitute elixirs contain too many ineffective ingredients, requiring a large number of reactions to achieve the original pure effect.

However, Fang Jingxuan is currently refining an ancient formula, which does not require high skill. Therefore, even though the 'Emperor's Jade Dew Pill' is a second-tier pill formula, he has only been refining pills for about ten years, yet he dares to directly refine it.

Unsurprisingly, the first three batches were completely ruined, and the subsequent batches, for various reasons, produced pills that even Tuoyuan dared not consume.

But as he refined batch after batch, Fang Jingxuan became more and more adept at it. He had a premonition that he would succeed within ten batches.

For the next ten days, Fang Jingxuan maintained a pace of one batch per day, continuously refining this pill.

As the Moon Essence Dew he had accumulated gradually ran out, Fang Jingxuan finally refined a batch of 'Emperor's Jade Dew Pills' that satisfied him.

Fang Jingxuan confirmed that he had successfully refined the elixir, but he was reluctant to let Tuoyuan and Liugu try it out on its specific effects.

If something went wrong after consuming it, it would be a huge loss, so Fang Jingxuan set his sights on the Golden Core Returning to Earth Beast as the test subject.

At noon that day, Fang Jingxuan stood on a hillside and sent out a divine thought to summon the dark, sacred land in the distance.

Deep underground, the sleeping Earth Beast sensed Fang Jingxuan's call. It didn't want to respond, wanting only to sleep. But then it sensed that the divine thought contained the intention of eating something delicious, so it immediately leaped out of the ground and came to Fang Jingxuan.

The enormous head was placed before Fang Jingxuan, its soul emitting a muffled sound:

"Where's the good stuff? Give it to me quickly."

Fang Jingxuan took out the freshly made 'Imperial Jade Dew Pill' and said to the giant beast:

"This is something I just came up with. It's made from the real dew I gave you before. It's sure to taste great because I added a lot of golden jade flower honey. However, it might contain some toxins, but with your body, I'm sure you won't care about that at all."

The Earth Beast listened impatiently to Fang Jingxuan's rambling. If he hadn't been unable to defeat the Golden Core Crow and the Serpent Beauty, he wouldn't have been so polite.

Hmph, is there anything else that can poison me?

The Earth Beast was very confident. Back then, it had been bitten by that beautiful snake, but it hadn't died. It had only been asleep for ten years, and now it had recovered.

"I understand, give it to me quickly."

Seeing that the Earth Beast didn't care, Fang Jingxuan was even less concerned. He smiled and tossed the pill to it.

The pill, about the size of a longan, was indeed tiny to the enormous Gui Tu beast, but despite its small size, it was packed with medicinal properties.

"It's a bit hot, but it's really nice. I'm a little sleepy, I'm going back to sleep."

The Earth Beast muttered to itself, turned around and returned to its underground cave, where it fell into a deep sleep moments later.

Fang Jingxuan, who was standing still, pondered whether his attempt to refine the pill had succeeded or failed.

Five days later, the Returning Earth Beast reappeared before Fang Jingxuan, this time much more enthusiastic.

"Any more?"

Fang Jingxuan first shook his head, but then nodded; the previously discarded pills were still there.

"Eat them all. They are indeed good stuff. I only slept for a few days, but I feel that my cultivation has improved by half a year."

The successfully refined 'Imperial Jade Dew Pill' is ten times more effective than pure Moon Essence Dew. This is the power of alchemy, which can use various auxiliary materials to amplify the original efficacy of Moon Essence Dew by more than ten times.

Originally, a single drop of Moon Essence Dew would only have a noticeable effect on the Returning Earth Beast, improving its strength over about twenty days. However, with this elixir, the effect became immediately significant.

"I can trade you something. Look, here, take all of these."

The Earth Returning Beast spit out its treasures with a whoosh, most of which were flashy and gaudy items, but many of them still tempted Fang Jingxuan. After all, it was a Golden Core stage demon beast, and over the years it had accumulated quite a few treasures.

Upon seeing this, Fang Jingxuan had an idea. He took out the five discarded pills from before and handed them over. They were swallowed whole, along with the jade bottle.

"You choose first, I'm a little sleepy, let's talk after I wake up."

The Earth Beast shook its body, burrowed into the ground, and then remained silent.

Looking at the mess on the ground, Fang Jingxuan wondered if he had poisoned the place.
(End of this chapter)