Chapter 9: Local Dan

However, once one breaks through to the Innate Realm, one can live at least 140 to 150 years. Furthermore, reaching the third and sixth levels of the Innate Realm can each extend one's lifespan by an additional 20 years. If one attains the eighth level of the Innate Realm, one can add a full cycle of sixty years. Should one reach the ninth level of the Innate Realm, barring any unforeseen circumstances, living to 300 years is quite feasible.

The Four Great Families are the prominent families second only to the royal family, and naturally, they possess some enterprises within the five states of the Baiyu Dynasty. Therefore, the dispatch of a steward by the Lu family did not attract anyone's attention.

Therefore, the enhancement of one's境界 is not merely a matter of increasing strength; it also extends the lifespan of the practitioner. However, if the lifespan is nearing its end and there is no way to enhance strength, then one can only focus on the use of elixirs and miraculous medicines.

He knows that people like Lu Jie would at most regard the Earth Origin Pill as a kind of miraculous elixir for enhancing strength. If they were to consume it, it would be a sheer waste, unable to maximize the value of the Earth Origin Pill.

Therefore, the Tianyuan Pill of the fifth rank in the Celestial tier, the Diyuan Pill of the fifth rank in the Earth tier, and the Renyuan Pill of the fifth rank in the Human tier are the spiritual pills that practitioners—especially those whose lifespans are nearing their end—desperately desire. These three types of spiritual pills can respectively extend one's lifespan by three cycles of sixty years, two cycles of sixty years, and one cycle of sixty years.

"Second Uncle, how many of these Earth Origin Pills did we obtain this time?" After a moment of thought, Ye Xuan finally asked.

Local Dan is a relatively rare spiritual elixir

Of course, Ye Xuan did not show any of this. What he is now doubting is whether this fleet can still return alive to Hanshui City in two months

This is the reason for Ye Xuan's shock

Good! Li Er is indeed exceptionally talented! Lu Jie, seeing that Ye Xuan and the library are becoming increasingly proficient in the Listening Wind Sword Technique, feels genuinely happy. If I had known earlier, I should have ignored that old fool Lu Ren's words and directly taught you the Lu family's Qi Induction Technique and the Listening Wind Sword Technique. Otherwise, you wouldn't have wasted three years of your time.

To advance to the sixth rank of the intermediate level, it is insufficient to merely absorb spiritual energy; one must also possess certain insights and experiences

The better the talent and the deeper the realm of a person, the more pronounced the effects of taking the Earth Origin Pill will be, as they can convert the medicinal power of the elixir into spiritual energy to nourish themselves in the shortest possible time

These are not the circumstances that Ye Xuan wishes to see

Then Li Er would like to thank Second Uncle.

However, this transformation from a mere ox to a tiger is not easy to achieve. Back in the day, it took me quite some time to succeed. Lu Jie said with a hint of nostalgia, "I didn't have a good teacher back then; those fools in my family were even worse than I was. But Li'er, you need not worry; you have me, your second uncle. If you continue to practice according to the techniques I have taught you, I guarantee that you will reach the seventh rank within a month, and at the latest... in three months. After three months, you will be able to reach the pinnacle of the seventh rank."

The greatest value of the Earth Element Dan lies not in enhancing strength, but in breaking through realms

It is said to be three. Lu Jie was unaware of the miraculous effects of the Earth Origin Pill, so he did not think too much about it. "Our Lu family is the commander of this fleet, so we will definitely be able to obtain one. Hmm, when the time comes, I will steal this pill for you to take, and you will surely be able to break through to the Innate Realm!"

Originally, Ye Xuan was merely curious, but at this moment, upon hearing the name "Diyuan Dan," a look of shock appeared on his face and in the books.

Seeing Lu Jie’s excited expression, Ye Xuan knew that Lu Jie was not joking. However, at this moment, he could not feel any joy at all: asking him to take the Earth Origin Pill would likely be even more wasteful than asking Lu Jie to take it.

The Earth Origin Pill is a fifth-tier spiritual pill. Consuming the Earth Origin Pill can rapidly enhance one's cultivation, and it also has a very good effect on consolidating one's realm. Most importantly, it does not cause any pill toxicity or any side effects within the body

A practitioner at the innate realm can easily determine the strength of another based solely on their aura, the momentum of their gestures, and the fluctuations of their spiritual energy; concealing one's true power requires special methods. In contrast, a practitioner at the ninth rank of the martial arts has no such subtleties; to ascertain the true strength of another, one can only judge through their actions.

The White Jade Dynasty can only be considered a relatively minor dynasty on the Tianyuan Continent, but it is still capable of establishing its own nation, as it possesses certain abilities.

Ye Xuan could easily imagine that after a while, this Cold Water City would inevitably be filled with turmoil, and the individuals who emerge would likely not be ordinary characters

Since Ye Xuan successfully took over the body, only a month has passed, yet Ye Xuan's cultivation has already reached the peak of the seventh rank in the lower tier, possessing the strength of two tigers

In another month or two? Lu Li was taken aback, "How can it be so fast? Hasn't it only been a month since we set sail?"

He knows that the news of the appearance of the Earth Elemental Dan cannot be kept hidden, and at that time, powerful individuals will surely emerge. It is also possible that some ancient beings nearing the end of their lifespan will come out to intervene.

The last time the first place was awarded was to the Lu family, therefore the commander and the - map - book were naturally assigned to members of the Lu family.

Moreover, the overall commander of the fleet is always selected from the family that achieves first place

However, the manifestation of such familial affection by Lu Jie truly warmed Ye Xuan's heart

Moreover, even if it were truly given to him, he would not dare to consume it

However, these are not the reasons that Ye Xuan would feel shocked

This situation is somewhat different. Lu Jie displayed a hint of seriousness on his face, "Yesterday, the four major families all received messages via carrier pigeon. Recently, we unexpectedly obtained several Earth Origin Pills in the Nanhai Islands, so we had to return immediately. After all, if this news were to leak, the consequences would be truly unimaginable"

Certainly, the distribution of financial contributions and efforts follows this model. After all, it is unreasonable to expect a family that only accounts for ten percent to share such a significant amount of expenses

The elixirs are not comparable to ordinary pills; they are akin to the divine weapons of the Wàn Bīng Zhǒng, also categorized into three tiers: Heaven, Earth, and Man, with each tier further divided into nine grades, where the ninth grade is the highest and the first grade is the lowest

To achieve this, Ye Xuan had to exert only seven or eight parts of his strength, and dared not reveal his true strength of two tigers in front of Lu Jie

What Ye Xuan lacks the least is insight and experience in this regard; however, he must now come here to put on a show. If he were to rashly break through to the sixth rank of the middle stage and attract certain attention, that would not be what Ye Xuan desires

Certainly, the variations among the upper, middle, and lower tiers do exhibit subtle differences in temperament, and based on this, one can generally discern the level of the other party's state of being.

The maritime merchant fleet is jointly funded and maintained by four prominent families, setting sail twice a year for periods ranging from four to six months each time. After deducting the relevant taxes, the profits earned by the fleet during each voyage will be distributed among the families that secure the first, second, third, and fourth places in martial arts training, in the proportions of 40%, 30%, 20%, and 10% respectively

Due to Lu Jie’s furious outburst last time, even explicitly stating his intention to use the Qingfeng Sword, no one in the Lu residence dares to trouble Lu Li and Lu Xin anymore. As for Lu Xin, who had his entire foundation of cultivation destroyed, he was personally escorted out of Hanshui City by Elder Lu Quan the next day, reportedly assigned to a certain city in Jingzhou as a steward.

It is important to note that even a top-tier martial artist can only live for about one hundred years

With Lu Jie currently possessing the innate strength of the sixth realm, if he does not perish in battle, living for another two hundred years is certainly not a problem

In the following days, Ye Xuan almost went to the cave in Han Mountain every day

Because if those who come understand some genuine practices of cultivation, they will inevitably recognize that he is a body taken over by another spirit, which would lead to even more trouble. After all, his consciousness and this body have not yet achieved true harmony; it will at least take another year or so to reach that state.

If a disciple trained in a truly prestigious family or a major sect like the Fifteen Sects of Tianyuan were to achieve such accomplishments in a month, it would merely elicit an exclamation of "truly a genius." However, if this were to occur in the Baiyu Dynasty, it would not be perceived in the same way; more likely, it would be regarded as an extraordinarily monstrous talent, and it might even attract the attention of certain sects or members of the royal family.

Certainly, in comparison to its role in breaking through boundaries, the other function of the Earth Origin Pill is the true reason that drives people to madness. This other function is that it can increase the lifespan of the user by two cycles of sixty years. Furthermore, since the Earth Origin Pill does not cause pill toxicity, it is possible to consume multiple pills in succession and still achieve effects

Upon hearing Lu Jie’s words, Ye Xuan merely smiled faintly, appearing somewhat shy, and did not respond.

On that day, Ye Xuan did not continue to absorb spiritual energy in the cave, but practiced swordsmanship in Lu Jie’s small courtyard

There are still some differences between cultivators of the Mortal Realm and those of the Innate Realm

Ye Xuan chuckled, revealing a hint of anticipation on his face, yet deep down he felt a sense of amusement. Given the current situation, there was no longer any need for Lu Jie to teach him; he had already reached the pinnacle of the seventh rank. Breaking through to the intermediate sixth rank was merely a matter of time and opportunity, and he was simply lacking an excuse.

This is also the reason why Ye Xuan did not rush to break through to the sixth rank of the intermediate level, because once he breaks through, there will inevitably be some changes in his demeanor. Therefore, Ye Xuan currently only displays the strength of seven or eight bulls, and Lu Jie has not noticed that Ye Xuan is concealing his true abilities.

Han Shui City is the most prosperous city within the territory of Han Prefecture in the Baiyu Dynasty, and even throughout the entire dynasty, its level of prosperity is second only to the capital. Therefore, the four great families have established their main branches here, and every ten years, they hold a martial arts competition. This event serves not only to test the strength of the younger generation from each family but also to discuss the distribution of certain benefits related to Han Shui City. Thus, the four great families have established their main branches here, and every ten years, they hold a martial arts competition, which serves both to test the strength of the younger generation and to discuss the distribution of certain benefits related to Han Shui City.

Among them, the maritime merchant fleet is the most significant source of revenue for Cold Water City

He is well aware that advancing from the lower ninth rank to the middle sixth rank in just one month, although it sounds like only a three-rank improvement, is not something that an ordinary person can achieve

"Hey, what are you thanking me for? You are my nephew after all," Lu Jie said with a hearty laugh. "I estimate that in one or two months, the maritime merchant fleet will be back."