Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

"This kind of oath might be effective, or it might not. However, it's certain that Han Feiyan and the others dared to make such an oath, indicating their determination. Even if it costs them their lives, they wouldn't leak the information because they couldn't face the terrifying consequences if the oath were to take effect!

"As for those above the Great Xia… My ancestor's notes said that some names shouldn't be invoked lightly. Such beings exist among both the Human Race and the Demon Race! To those powerful entities, the countless disputes within the Great Xia Kingdom are perhaps no more significant than ants squabbling by the roadside!

"Where are these unspeakably powerful beings located? Can Martial Cultivators truly cultivate to such a level of strength? My ancestor's notes were vague on this!

"Perhaps when our Martial Cultivation reaches higher levels, we'll gradually uncover some of the truth our ancestors once glimpsed. For now, pondering such things is useless!"

Hearing this, Lin Xuankong's heart skipped a beat. He thought of his poison resistance advancing to the First Grade of the Immortal Tier. Could those mighty beings be the true Immortals?

However, even if they were real Immortals, being able to sense someone swearing an oath by their name from thousands of miles away… such an ability is overwhelmingly powerful!

After silently marveling for a while, Lin Xuankong suppressed his shock and doubt. He decided to follow Zhao Yufei's advice and not dwell on these matters for now. After all, without enough strength, one wouldn't even have the opportunity to encounter such Immortals. The life-and-death struggles of ordinary Martial Cultivators probably wouldn't even register with them!

What I need to do, he thought, is practice diligently to enhance my Martial Dao strength. With the various Talents bestowed by my Vigorous in Old Age Life Plate, I'm certain that one day I will stand at the pinnacle! Since true Immortals exist in this world, why can't I, Lin Xuankong, achieve what they have? Not only will I achieve it, but I'll also lead my wife and children to build an extraordinary Immortal Martial family, treading an Immortal's path that is wider and more unique! By then, families like the Guo Family, Feng Family, the Black Cat Gang, and the Spirit Insect Gang… I could send a mere grandson to wipe them all out!

"What are you daydreaming about?" Zhao Yufei asked, noticing his silence.

Lin Xuankong, currently filled with drive and ambition, looked at his stunningly beautiful wife and smiled, "Nothing!"

When we get home, he thought, I'll find a way to coax my dear into agreeing to let me pass the Pine Crane Longevity Technique to Yu Fei. That way, you two can accompany me for several hundred years, and then you both can give me dozens of children. Now that's what I call a grand family!

After a moment of pleasant daydreaming, he reined in his thoughts. From the Ghost Frog Pouch, he took out the Soul-Stabilizing Jade, the Kui Ox Drum, and two elixirs Zhao Yufei had called Meridian Opening Treasure Elixirs. These three items were the most important part of today's harvest.

Zhao Yufei sat beside him, picked up one of the elixirs, and studied it closely.

"In the thousand-plus years since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty," she began, "aside from some Frontier Prefectures occasionally being harassed by Demons, the kingdom has always dominated countless sects within its borders!

"One of the key reasons for the Great Xia Royal Family's might—besides the National Guardian Celestial Sect and their monopoly over Exorcism Armor—is this very Meridian Opening Treasure Elixir!

"Before the Great Xia Dynasty, Martial Cultivators who reached the Perfection of the Fourth Layer had to seek various Spiritual Objects and Spirit Grasses with the Sunflower Water Attribute to open the Sunflower Water Strange Vein and convert their Qi Blood into True Qi!

"Yet, even with the best Innate Spiritual Objects in the world, the success rate of opening a Strange Vein wouldn't exceed one in twenty!

"Crucially, as the number of Martial Cultivators increased, these Innate Spiritual Objects became scarcer. They were mostly found in perilous Secret Realms and were extremely rare. Ordinary Martial Cultivators had little chance of acquiring enough Innate Spiritual Objects for Opening Veins!

"Later, the founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty passed down a highly mysterious Alchemy Technique.

"Since then, Alchemists in the Royal Family have been refining Sunflower Water Elixirs, Wood Elixirs, Thick Earth Elixirs, Li Fire Elixirs, and Geng Metal Elixirs. All of these allow Martial Cultivators to open a Strange Vein with a high success rate upon reaching the corresponding Realm. Some even succeed with just one elixir!

"For instance, Chief Steward Jiang broke through his bottleneck to reach the Perfection of the Fourth Layer and, by consuming just one Sunflower Water Elixir, directly advanced to the Early Stage of the Fifth Layer!

"Therefore, despite the many powerful sects within the Great Xia Dynasty, they all need to garrison various regions for the Great Xia to earn rewards in the form of these Opening Veins Elixirs!

"These Opening Veins Elixirs are crucial to the future of every Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Layer, and even stronger Martial Cultivator, making them extremely valuable and difficult to obtain!"

Lin Xuankong listened and nodded joyfully.

"Now that I have two Sunflower Water Elixirs," he said, "when I reach the Perfection of the Fourth Layer, I can directly advance to the Fifth Layer without worrying about elixirs becoming a bottleneck!"

As for the success rate, he thought, with the bonus from my Vigorous in Old Age Life Plate when consuming elixirs, it's bound to be high. I'll definitely advance with just one!

At this moment, a trace of doubt appeared on Zhao Yufei's pretty face.

"However," she continued, "according to my ancestor's notes, if cultivators from our family obtain an Innate Spiritual Object, they should still try to use it. The notes say that the Great Xia Dynasty's Meridian Opening Treasure Elixirs have both advantages and disadvantages!

"My ancestor's records state that if a Martial Cultivator advances using an Innate Spiritual Object, they can continue to use Innate Spiritual Objects for future advancements. But once they use a Meridian Opening Treasure Elixir, they can only use such elixirs to advance thereafter!"

Lin Xuankong nodded.

So, this is one of the ways the Great Xia Dynasty controls the Martial Arts Sects of the world? he mused. It will still take some time for me to reach the Perfection of the Fourth Layer. If I get a chance to obtain Innate Spiritual Objects before then, I should try using them first...

After putting away the Sunflower Water Elixirs, he examined the Soul-Stabilizing Jade in his hand. The jade was a vivid, moist green and felt exceptionally smooth to the touch. Countless Runes seemed to flicker in and out of existence within it.

A Soul-Stabilizing Jade like this, capable of resisting even my Fifth-Grade Heart Thought Entering Illusion, is clearly a highly mystical treasure, Lin Xuankong thought. Although its offensive power doesn't match the Black Soul Wondrous Jade, it's extremely potent for defending against Heart Thought attacks! The Guo Family, which Guo Chui belonged to, truly has deep foundations and numerous treasures...

Finally, Lin Xuankong's gaze fell upon the Kui Ox Drum. Using this drum, much like the Black Tiger Gang's Black Soul Wondrous Jade, required the Guo Family's unique Heart Method. The source of this Heart Method was, naturally, Guo Chui.

That Guo Chui was a perverse and ruthless man—but only towards others. When he was stripped of the Soul-Stabilizing Jade, subjected to two bouts of the Eight Gates Celestial Eye's Entering Illusion, and licked repeatedly by hundreds of Long Tongues, he caved immediately. Consequently, Guo Chui divulged in detail how to use Qi Blood to condense the special Runes and how to activate the Kui Ox Drum.

Once the Kui Ox Drum is struck, it not only causes an opponent's Qi Blood to stagnate, temporarily reducing their strength, but can also unleash a Kui Ox Sound upon oneself or designated targets. This grants an explosive burst of power several times greater than one's normal strength for a short period! Such a treasure, with its profound abilities, far surpasses ordinary Exorcism Equipment; it's practically a super-weapon in group battles!

At this moment, Lin Xuankong wondered if its augmenting effects could stack with the Fierce Tiger Roar Bone Technique and the Shadow Concealment Primordial Technique.

If they can stack… he pondered. First, I'll use the Fierce Tiger Roar Bone Technique to boost my strength. Then, I'll enhance it further with the more potent Shadow Concealment Primordial Technique. Finally, I'll strike the drum for myself. Just how potent would my Explosive Power become then?