Eternal Tale

”Ancestor, back then I was on that boat! It was you and Ancestor Bull who saved me.”

Qi Hao hurriedly explained, recalling the scene that always unsettled his Dao heart, ”I dare not forget.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire cave abode relaxed significantly. Qi Hao let out a deep breath, suspecting that if he had said anything wrong, he might already be a corpse...

”No, the lifespan of someone in the Elemental Infant phase is only two thousand years. You couldn’’t have lived until now.”

Chen Xun did not probe him but instead showed a mysterious smile, ”I heard you were cultivating in the Endless Mountain Range?”

What surprised him most wasn’’t the mention of Liu Yuan, but that people from Liu Yuan’’s era absolutely couldn’’t have survived until now!

Unless Qi Hao had broken through to the Divine Transformation phase, or he was lying.

Qi Hao’’s pupils contracted, feeling as if he had been seen through. He respectfully replied, ”Reporting to Ancestor, I once consumed two Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruits, extending my life by a thousand years...”

Chen Xun’’s fingers trembled at his words, his eyes filled with disbelief, ”Two Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruits?! A thousand years of extended life?!”

His breathing became slightly rapid. The barrier of lifespan had stumped too many cultivators. Even though he pursued longevity, there were times he felt powerless, leaving many regrets.Chen Xun’’s heart was somewhat defenseless. The younger generation’’s lifespans were limited, and there was Little Chi in the future to consider.

Yet, this supreme treasure had never appeared or been recorded in the books of Da Li or Kingdom Qian.

He had never even heard of it; it seemed utterly absurd!

But the facts were before him, and he had no choice but to believe. He then changed the topic, ”Qi Hao, tell me about this item.”

Qi Hao was pushed back a few steps by the overwhelming aura earlier. This was a secret he never dared to share, his greatest secret. But in front of this person, he wouldn’’t hide anything.

It turned out that the Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruit was an ancient relic, a treasure that existed since the very beginning of the world!

In ancient times, after those powerful cultivators left, countless great demons lay in wait, directly occupying the entire Endless Mountain Range.

The reason was this sole surviving Taiwei Purple Immortal Tree.

However, this tree took thirty thousand years to bloom, another thirty thousand to bear fruit, and thirty thousand more to mature, requiring a full ninety thousand years...

Not to mention the vast resources consumed, needing mid-grade spirit stones for nurturing and spiritual herbs for cultivation.

Moreover, the current concentration of spiritual qi was insufficient, leaving the Taiwei Purple Immortal Tree half-dead.

It might not survive another hundred thousand years, and this world would have no more relics.

Each time the tree bore fruit, it produced only twenty, and a being could consume at most three in a lifetime, requiring at least a mid-Golden Core phase cultivation to withstand its potency.

The great demons of the Endless Mountain Range fought fiercely over this, causing chaos. Even the Demon Ancestor Hall couldn’’t suppress these old demons, as no one could resist the allure of extended life.

But coincidences abound. After Qi Hao broke through to the mid-Golden Core phase, he happened upon the Fruit Distribution Assembly!

And coincidentally, he encountered two Nascent Soul great demons in a secret place who couldn’’t agree on the division.

Coincidentally again, by the time he arrived, the two great demons had perished together... Their Nascent Souls had fled, leaving their belongings behind, seemingly in a rush to return and rebuild their bodies.

If they had taken the fruits, no demon would have helped them, making their deaths possible.

The two great demons, in mutual understanding, left the fruits in that secret place, planning to return and fight over them later.

Wasn’’t that another coincidence?! Qi Hao scavenged their remains, took two Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruits, and immediately fled, hiding his achievements and reputation.

From then on, he thrived in the Endless Mountain Range, relying on the maps and resources of the two great demons, stepping onto the Nascent Soul path!

”Ancestor, that is the journey I have taken.”

”You are not one to forget your roots, deserving such a great fortune.”

Chen Xun sighed lightly, unconsciously placing his hands behind his back, ”In recent years, have there been other cultivators coming to fight for this treasure? But their information seems to have come too late.”

”Ancestor, there was indeed a group of people whose origins were unclear, and it was uncertain which sect they belonged to.”

Qi Hao’’s eyes showed a strange expression, surprised that the Ancestor knew of such matters, ”I only heard they came to explore the secret realm together. I suspect their goal was the Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruit.”

He gave a bitter smile, ”The Demon Ancestor Hall might have some Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruits stored, and perhaps they intended to storm the hall.”

Chen Xun’’s eyes showed contemplation. It seemed that young Meng Sheng was dragged into exploring the secret realm, eventually being pursued and discovering an ancient teleportation array.

The opportunities and secrets of these cultivators were truly more bizarre than the last. He and Bull didn’’t have such dramatic experiences.

One could only sigh: the younger generation is truly formidable.

”However, extending life doesn’’t seem to replenish your vitality, like a mortal barely clinging to life, unable to rejuvenate.”

With his sharp insight, Chen Xun immediately pointed out the key aspect of the Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruit, ”Extending life doesn’’t bring about a breakthrough effect, and exceeding the original realm’’s lifespan might significantly weaken one’’s strength.”

”Ancestor, your insight is unparalleled.” Qi Hao’’s expression remained calm, showing no signs of despair, ”Only by breaking through can vitality be restored, and combat power reach its peak.”

”Or perhaps finding heavenly materials and earthly treasures to replenish the realm’’s vitality, but I have never found any in Kingdom Qian...”

Qi Hao sighed inwardly, his cultivation had completely stagnated.

His combat power was among the weakest in the mid-Nascent Soul phase, so Liu Han kept him hidden to deter the petty.

Now, he was a mere shell of his former self, otherwise, he wouldn’’t have volunteered to guard the Endless Mountain Range, doing whatever he could for the sect, repaying the life-saving grace of that person.

Chen Xun’’s expression was somewhat profound. Extending life was never as simple as ordinary people imagined, especially with such heavenly materials and earthly treasures, which must be consumed with a plan.

It’’s not as if a cultivator nearing the end of their lifespan could simply consume a life-extending fruit and directly charge into the next realm.

Attempting a breakthrough at this time was a great taboo, as both the body and primordial spirit would have weakened to their lowest point in this realm. Extending life wouldn’’t rejuvenate the body to its former vitality.

It’’s like trying to break through to the Divine Transformation Realm just after entering the late Nascent Soul phase; the outcome would be predictable.

One would only feel their once fiery body grow cold, their restless heartbeat gradually weakening, a serene smile forming at the corners of their mouth, a glimmer in their eyes, their entire body becoming subtly different, as friends and fellow Daoists come to pay their respects.

However, Chen Xun had the treasure of the Nine Hua Demon-Sealing Apes: the Chaoyuan Red Treasure Fruit, which could precisely complement the shortcomings of life extension, seemingly pairing well with the Taiwei Purple Immortal Fruit when consumed together!

”The Demon Ancestor Hall, is it? Take me there, and I’’ll invite those demon kings for some tea.”

”What?! Ancestor... There might be late Nascent Soul great demons in the Endless Mountain Range! Moreover, if you make a move, those great demons might flee, leaving a future threat!”

Qi Hao was startled. Although those demon ancestors had no interest in human territories, provoking them would undoubtedly cause irreparable damage.

Even though Ancestor possessed extraordinary cultivation, once enmity was formed, the great demons of the Endless Mountain Range couldn’’t be completely eradicated, always posing a threat to humans.

Their presence here wasn’’t to block those demon ancestors, but merely to contain the somewhat inflated early Nascent Soul great demons.