The "Life-Shortening Cultivation Enhancement Skill" only has three levels. Cultivating the first level requires the loss of twenty years of lifespan, but it can increase a person's affinity for spiritual energy by twenty to thirty percent, achieving the effect of improving the spiritual root quality.
If the second level is cultivated, it entails a loss of one hundred and eighty years of lifespan, but it can further increase the spiritual energy affinity by five to twelve percent.
Cultivating the third level, it is rumored to require the sacrifice of three hundred years of lifespan, but it can further increase the spiritual energy affinity by more than one fold.
Theoretically speaking, a person who is willing to give up five hundred years of lifespan can completely upgrade from the worst inferior spiritual root to the worst medium-grade spiritual root.
And an inferior spiritual root can also be upgraded to the worst top-grade spiritual root.
As for whether the top-grade spiritual root can continue to be upgraded, it is unknown because the creator of the technique, the Hundred Loss Demon Path, also died of cultivation failure. Among his disciples used for experiments, none had a top-grade spiritual root.
Perhaps this is a strange divine skill that can change the qualification of medium and low spiritual roots.
The reason why it is strange is that for most people who only have an inferior spiritual root, it would be impossible to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage in their lifetime. Their lifespan hardly exceeds a hundred years, so it is difficult to use this method to upgrade to an inferior spiritual root.
This is also due to the fact that those with a long lifespan already have strong qualifications and do not need to practice, while those with a short lifespan simply cannot practice.
However, Chen Dengming is now approaching a lifespan limit of 148 years, he still has 66 years left to squander. His spiritual root affinity is not the worst in the inferior grade, so there is a high probability that he could lose only about ten years of lifespan and upgrade his spiritual root to a medium-grade level...
That day, Chen Dengming began to attempt the "Life-Shortening Cultivation Enhancement Skill" in his room.
As a Daoist technique, it naturally needs spiritual energy to be cast.
However, the creator of this technique may have also considered that some people have low qualifications and find it difficult to become cultivators, so he recorded another set of techniques that use the spiritual energy in spirit stones as a cost.
Chen Dengming took out two low-grade spirit stones that he had dug back from the gathering point outside. He put one in his mouth and kept it against his tongue.
He placed the other one on the top of his head, the celestial spirit, and then began to drive the spiritual energy inside the spirit stone with his innate True Qi.
Before long, the spiritual energy inside the two spirit stones began to stir, with his tongue and the top of his head feeling the most intense.
It felt as if the ice-cold pure spiritual energy was soaking into the tip of his tongue, or it was infiltrating his brain along the celestial spirit at the top of his head. His whole body started to feel cold and clear from his head, and his ability to sense spiritual energy was rapidly increasing.
At this moment, it seemed as if many green and white small dots had suddenly appeared in the dark space and were rushing towards his tongue and brain, so much so that both places turned green and white and gathered much spiritual energy.
But what came with this was that his essence, Qi, and spirit began to dwindle rapidly.
After one night, Chen Dengming felt worn out when he finished practicing, but he vaguely felt that his ability to sense the spiritual energy in the surrounding air seemed to have become somewhat stronger.
Only, this feeling was not very obvious, more like a psychological effect.
He drew out his broken sword and looked at his own face reflected on the blade that could reflect light.
His face was still handsome, without any change.
But the fatigued look between his eyebrows was evident, and there were a few more strands of white hair among the temples.
The Stay Young Pill was not a miracle drug. It only preserved one's youthful looks and did not promise eternal youth. When the essence, Qi, and spirit were consumed to a certain extent, there would still be some traces visible on the face. However, these traces would be controlled to the maximum extent by the medicinal effect.
"This is really life-shortening that one can see with the naked eye..."
Chen Dengming sighed in his heart, and then focused on observing the information in the panel. He found that his spiritual root attributes had indeed undergone subtle changes, but so had his lifespan.
"Innate Eightfold Martial Artist [Chen Dengming]
Lifespan: 84/152
Spiritual Root: Gold, Wood (Inferior 90/100)
Martial Arts: 'Chen Family Martial Arts Compendium' (Complete 29/100)
Dao Technique: 'Gu Refining Section' (Proficient 0/100), 'Three Elements Gathering Spirit Skill' (Beginner 3/100), 'Life-Shortening Cultivation Enhancement Skill' (Beginner 10/100)"
"The limit of my lifespan has increased by four years again, becoming 152 years. It seems that the effect of extending lifespan by practicing, also works for studying Dao techniques.
Learning the 'Life-Shortening Cultivation Enhancement Skill' also extends my lifespan. This technique should not be on the same level as the 'Three Elements Gathering Spirit Skill', otherwise, the effects of life extension cannot be stacked..."
"My own elapsed lifespan has changed from 82 years to 84 years, and the affinity of Gold and Wood Spiritual Root has changed from 87 to 90... Is it that sacrificing two years of lifespan can increase the affinity of the spiritual root by 3 points?"
"By this calculation, I only need to cultivate for three or four more days, continue to lose six to eight years of lifespan, and my inferior-grade spiritual root can be upgraded to a medium-grade spiritual root...?"
Chen Dengming's eyes flickered, finding the result quite satisfactory.
His spiritual root was also among the best for the inferior grade.
Loss of nearly ten years of lifespan, could be upgraded to a medium-grade spiritual root, this sacrifice was within his endurance.
However, he was exhausted at the moment, Chen Dengming did not continue to practice the Life-Shortening method.
Instead, he took out the bottle of Clear Spirit Pills that he had obtained from the Immortal Master earlier, poured out one and took it.
After a while, he felt that his ability to sense the spiritual energy in the surrounding air seemed to have become much stronger.
As he focused his spirit, the information on the panel appeared.
"Spiritual Root: Gold, Wood (Low-grade 100/100)"
"This Clear Spirit Pill indeed seems to be able to enhance one's affinity to spiritual energy, and strengthen my intuitive awareness, but it does not seem to be able to break through the realm of low-grade Spiritual Root?"
"I heard that the cultivation speed of mid-grade Spiritual Root is ten times stronger than the low-grade. It seems that once the Spiritual Root level is broken through, a qualitative leap would occur, something that the Clear Spirit Pill cannot achieve..."
Chen Dengming pondered deeply. He did not waste the Elixir Pills. During the duration of the elixir's effects, he practiced the "Three Elements Gathering Spirit Skill" once. Before he completed one cultivation session, the effects of the elixir had already faded.
He took a towel from his bag to wipe off the sweat on his body, ate some dry food, and then took out another Clear Spirit Pill. He sat on the bed and began to meditate and continue his cultivation.
Only hard work and daily dedication to cultivation can make one stronger, even if one possesses such a golden finger which can prolong life by merely practicing cultivation.
…
Three days passed in an instant.
Luo Family.
The brightly lit courtyards with red walls and green tiles, arranged according to the layout of the Spirit Gathering Array, collected all the spiritual energy from the first-grade spirit vein of Luo Mountain City and concentrated it into this large cultivation family, making the spiritual energy abundant within the entire Luo Family.
In an elegantly and warmly furnished hut, steam filled the room.
Luo Bing was bathing in a fragrant soup full of spiritual springs, breathing in and out to accumulate strength for her impending break into the tenth level of Qi Cultivation.
Her skin was as white as mutton fat jade, and as exquisite as ivory. She had a slender, glamorous figure that was as charming as a hyacinth. At this moment, her slender and smooth hair was floating in the pool, passing by some undulating spots, making her look especially attractive.
Several maids who were waiting nearby were adding water to the fragrant soup. One of them, her personal maid, was talking about some recent news she'd heard.
"It has been heard that Master Luo is about to come out of his retreat. He has been preparing for this breakthrough into Foundation Establishment Stage for a while now. This time he should..."
Luo Bing shook her head calmly, "The Luo Family hasn't obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill, and Luo Ping only has a mid-grade spiritual root. If he doesn't have a Foundation Establishment Pill, it is still very difficult for him to break through... If I break through into Foundation Establishment before him, the engagement between us…"
She didn't speak further. The maids all understood and were silent as cold cicadas, not daring to ask more.
This engagement was originally a family alliance. It would be impossible for them to have deep feelings for each other.
If Luo Ping fails to breakthrough for the third time, it will point to his potential limitations, and the Luo Family will naturally make other arrangements. It is not even Luo Bing's decision to make. Even someone who appears to be the shining pearl of the Luo Family may have their own frustrations.
Her shrewd personal maid changed the topic and laughed, "Miss, do you remember the mundane person you brought back? He showed your waist plaque and attracted the attention of Xu Ning from the Gold Word Workshop. Xu Ning has invited him to join the Gold Word Workshop, seemingly wanting to establish some connection with you through him."
Luo Bing lazily turned around, revealing a smooth back. She leaned against the edge of the water platform. Her enviable figure bore half the pressure of her body, making one wonder if it was a waste of natural resources.
She couldn't be bothered to comment on such a small matter.
A normal person with conflicting twin spiritual roots would likely only reach the fourth level of Qi cultivation at most.
If it weren't for the Stay Young Pill and Gu Skill, she might not even remember his name. Even Xu Ning is just a minor character.
The observant maid chuckled, "This mere mortal doesn't deserve to be associated with you, Miss. Xu Ning really has no discernment.
However, I heard that this mortal is currently collecting some of the Gu objects you mentioned last time, probably planning to refine the Golden Silkworm Gu..."
"Oh?"
Luo Bing's eyebrows raised slightly, a look of interest appeared on her rosy cheeks, flushed from the steaming water.
Since she obtained the knowledge of Gu Cultivation Skill, she had been studying it in her spare time.
But after all, this path is too niche, and many Gu objects are grotesque and not pleasing to the eye. Only the Golden Silkworm Gu caught her interest. She is currently searching for the resources required to refine it and plans to start trying out.
Thinking of the mortal's display of Gu Skill at the Ascending Immortal Convention, Luo Bing nodded slightly, "It's a pity that he is just a mortal and does not possess spiritual energy. If he were a cultivator, he would be useful...
However, he seems to have some money to collect the materials for Golden Silkworm Gu. It seems he has some skills. If you have collected all the materials, sell them to him and call him up the mountain... I want to see how he plans to refine it..."
Even so, she didn't hold out much hope.
According to the record of the Golden Silkworm Gu refining method, it involves some precise operations with spiritual energy.
She wasn't sure she would be successful on her first try, let alone a mortal who does not yet possess spiritual energy.
Selling materials to Chen Dengming was more like a random game.
As for giving away the materials for free, that would be impossible. Resources must not be wasted...
...
...
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