Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

Hopefully I can be lucky enough to encounter a few Tier Three Ghost Toads in Demon Valley, Lin Xuankong thought as he watched the six Exorcism Weapons being collected and saw the Ghost Frog Pouch. This magical Ghost Frog Pouch, though ugly, is incredibly useful! Moreover, it's no wonder people always say that in this Demon-Suppressing Valley, the strong can reap great rewards! Killing Demons here yields plenty... and the rewards from killing people seem to be just as substantial!

"Alright, everyone head to the gathering place together!" Lii Fenghan, ranked fourteenth, gestured to San Gu and then spoke.

This time, more than a hundred Martial Cultivators kept silent and followed Lii Fenghan toward the south.

After more than an hour of traveling, there were no incidents, except for a few Tier One Evil Sheep encountered half an hour in. They were sliced into pieces by a Martial Cultivator before they could approach the group.

However, during the journey, Hu Shuo's Demon-avoiding Bat kept changing colors. According to what he whispered to Lin Xuankong, there were likely quite a few Tier Two and Tier Three Demons tracking the group...

A few hours later, nearing sundown, the group finally arrived at Juefeng Mountain.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Lin Xuankong took a glance and couldn't help but nod slightly. This Juefeng Mountain was indeed an excellent defensive position, difficult to assault. It stood about a thousand feet high, its body like an elliptical column with extremely steep walls. Ascending required either a tremendous expenditure of Qi Blood to climb the smooth cliffs or using the Profound Iron Chain Bridge connecting it to an adjacent peak. With this terrain, as long as the Chain Bridge is guarded, Demons will find it extremely difficult to breach!

After climbing the adjacent mountain and crossing the Chain Bridge, Lin Xuankong looked at the mountaintop platform and nodded again. Although the platform was littered with the fragmented remains of unknown beasts and humans, hundreds of sturdy stone houses and numerous stone stoves and tables had been built there. This is clearly a viable camp, provided there are enough water supplies!

Lii Fenghan suddenly spoke, "Everyone, come here!"

This early-stage Martial Cultivator from Blood Ape Valley now carried himself with the demeanor of a leader.

Once everyone had gathered, their expressions a mixture of complexities, Lii Fenghan said, "This gathering place is surrounded by Marsh Python Demons; farther out are Evil Sheep Demons. Those intelligent Demons will gradually congregate here. Once their numbers exceed three to five hundred, they will launch a collective attack on this gathering place! Though there won't be a large-scale Demon attack in the next few days, we still need personnel to guard the place. The Yin Talisman Sect, Cangjian Sect, Nine Blades Association, Cold Star Sect, and Blood Shadow Sect—you five sects will be responsible for the night watch and patrolling the Chain Bridge. Dispatch personnel to guard the stone house near the Chain Bridge. If you detect a mob of Demons approaching, you must immediately notify everyone else."

The Martial Cultivators nodded in agreement and prepared to disperse.

Zhao Yufei's brows furrowed as she stepped out and said, "Why are we specifically assigned to night watch duty? Shouldn't everyone take turns?"

Originally about to leave, Lii Fenghan turned and, seeing Zhao Yufei's objection, sneered, "Because your five sects are too weak. If a large number of Demons attack, you won't contribute much. Therefore, you're only fit for night watch duty! What? Zhao Yufei, ranked eighteenth on the Hero List, do you disagree? Or does anyone else disagree?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yufei's face turned ashen. The Martial Cultivators from the Cangjian Sect, Nine Blades Association, and the other designated sects also looked displeased.

Just then, Hu Shuo's expression flickered. He quickly stepped to Zhao Yufei's side and said, "I'll do the night watch! I'll do it! Steward Zhao, please don't worry about this!"

Zhao Yufei glanced at Hu Shuo with furrowed brows, sighed slightly, and turned away.

"The Yin Talisman Sect! So glorious a thousand years ago, yet so pathetic now. Do you really think the Yin Talisman Sect is still the Major Sect it once was?" Lii Fenghan sneered. Then, accompanied by the six-eyed, six-armed San Gu, he walked towards the largest stone house on the platform.

Among the crowd, Lin Xuankong frowned slightly. Although his sense of allegiance towards the Yin Talisman Sect wasn't as profound as Hu Shuo's and the others', he had greatly benefited from the sect and met many companions of good character. Lii Fenghan insulting Zhao Yufei was one thing, but to ridicule the Yin Talisman Sect like this...

"Alright, alright, it's getting dark! I've brought plenty of good food and wine. Let's eat first, let's eat!" Hu Shuo, noticing Lin Xuankong's displeased expression, quickly tried to console him, pulling him towards one of the stone houses. Lin Xuankong, meanwhile, was silently forming a plan...

「....」

A silent night passed, and dawn approached.

Inside the stone house, Lin Xuankong consumed a Nourishing Spirit Pill and cultivated Pine Skill for a while, then suddenly felt a tingling itch in his legs and feet. He lifted his long robe and looked down. His once wrinkled and aged legs and feet were now covered with flakes of old skin. He gently brushed them, and the flakes fell away, revealing smooth and firm skin beneath, like that of a man in his thirties!

Lin Xuankong looked at his Life Plate,

Lin Xuankong: Remaining Lifespan seventy-three years and thirty-six days

[Pine Crane Longevity Technique: Attained Minor Success 1/500]

[Heart Thought: Mortal Tier Fourth Grade 5/20]

A trace of joy appeared in his eyes. Although the Pine Crane Longevity Technique doesn't temper the body like Yin Talisman Thunder, its effect of nurturing one's foundation and greatly increasing Lifespan is still miraculous. Now that it has reached the Minor Success realm, it has directly added twenty-four years to my Lifespan! Twenty-four years! That's nearly half a lifetime for an ordinary person... I wonder how much it will increase next time I advance? When the Pine Crane Longevity Technique advances next, it should make my entire body look like that of a thirty-something-year-old. I wonder what I'll look like then, wearing Daoist Robes—scholarly and gentle? Or perhaps like an ageless sage, dignified and robust? As handsome as Yanzu? Additionally, consuming Nourishing Spirit Pills these past few days has already raised my Heart Thought strength to Mortal Tier Fourth Grade! According to what the Young Lady said... ordinary Martial Cultivators would probably need to take them for ten or more years, consuming thousands, even tens of thousands of pills, to reach this level! Yet, I've only taken less than ten pills over just a few days!

[Yin Talisman Technique: Attained Minor Success 41/232]

The nurturing of the Yin Talisman Divine Thunder Root and the deep tempering of my head and bones are also progressing rapidly. At sixty times the normal cultivation speed, it will only take about ten more days to reach the Mid-grade of the Fourth Layer! If it weren't for the restrictions in Demon-Suppressing Valley limiting my power to the Perfection of the Third Layer, a casual strike from me now would be far more formidable than before! I'm advancing quickly, but I'm still uncertain when those Marsh Python Demons will attack... If I can obtain some Tier Three Marsh Python Gall here—the kind that can regenerate flesh on bones and instantly heal grievous wounds—then I can confidently go on a killing spree at the other gathering places!

As Lin Xuankong was reveling in his progress, a shout filled with terror suddenly erupted from the night-watch stone house hundreds of yards away, "Something's happened! Something's happened!"