I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 36 - 27: Opportunity

In the Quiet Room of the Immortal Herb Building.

An old man with white hair and beard stroked his beard, his fingers resting on Tao Fengnian’s wrist, his brow gradually furrowing.

"Old Du, can I still... make it for three more years?" Tao Fengnian’s voice trembled, his expression heavy.

Du Zhong withdrew his hand, sighing long, "Difficult!"

"Then just say it outright, how long can I live?"

"At most a year, and that’s with the premise of you maintaining inner peace and nurturing your life."

Tao Fengnian fell silent. The Lifespan Extension Pill was a rare commodity, always short in supply. There was no hope of purchasing one outside; he had to find a way within the Heavenly Interence Sect.

He entered the Dao at thirty, with mediocre aptitude and foundation, failing twice at Foundation Establishment and damaging his core.

In earlier years he still had drive, taking on tasks to plant spiritual medicine, but now he sought stability in all things, unable to save the thirty thousand contribution points needed to exchange for a ten-year Lifespan Extension Pill. His only hope lay with Jiang Yuebai.

But even with Yuebai’s extraordinary skills, she couldn’t possibly become a Spiritual Cultivation Master in just a year.

"Is there really no way? Even if... even if just to last two more years?" Tao Fengnian’s eyes were filled with pleading.

Du Zhong was puzzled, "You came over last year, saying you were willing to abide by the Heavenly Dao’s arrangement, so why now do you have this desire to live?"

Tao Fengnian gave a bitter smile. If one could avoid death, who would choose it? If not for the desire to live, he wouldn’t have pursued Immortal Cultivation; he would have joined his wife in death long ago.

Before, there was no hope; his heart carried no burdens. Death could simply take him.

But now, just the thought of that little girl made him deeply unwilling.

She was still so young, relying on him for everything. How could he easily leave this world, leaving her heartbroken and helpless?

"There might be a way."

Tao Fengnian suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing.

Du Zhong took a deep breath, "Using Gu to extend your life, but that’s like drinking poison to quench thirst. You must think it through."

Tao Fengnian lowered his gaze in contemplation, "Drinking poison to quench thirst is my only choice. That girl says every day that if you don’t fight against the heavens, you’ll be destroyed by the heavens. Since I don’t want to die, why not fight once?"

Du Zhong nodded, "It’s also the Heavenly Dao looking out for you; otherwise, the Immortal Herb Building wouldn’t have encountered that Heavenly Witch Gu Master half a year ago and bought this batch of Gu.

A moment later, Du Zhong left and returned, placing down a pot of flowers and a bottle of elixir.

The flower was like flames, its pistil like a fleshy tumor, extremely exotic.

Du Zhong said: "This is a Child and Mother Gu, called ’Heart Burning.’ The Child Gu, once ingested, will drastically increase your Essence Qi for three days. But after three days, at 11:00 AM each day, you’ll suffer the pain of being burned by fire and will need to absorb the essence of the Mother Flower to alleviate it."

"This Gu is vicious and won’t easily let the inflicted person die. For at least three years, the Gu will extract the afflicted person’s Essence Qi to sustain life. To break this Gu, you must water the Mother Flower with your own blood until it bears fruit, then consume the fruit to break the Gu."

Tao Fengnian nodded, feeling no fear towards the poisonous Gu at this moment; instead, he felt a sense of relief and joy at finally being saved.

"Old Du, this kindness is like receiving a new life; Tao thanks you." Tao Fengnian stood and bowed in gratitude.

Du Zhong’s eyes flickered as he stood and supported Tao Fengnian’s arm.

"No need for such heavy words. If you hadn’t saved me from falling off a cliff collecting herbs back then, I would not have achieved anything now. Everything is the Creation of cause and effect. Don’t blame me for nagging; one Gu, one flower, you must not lose the Mother Flower, or not even Immortals can save you. Even a hundred-year Lifespan Extension Pill won’t prolong your life. During the time with the Gu, avoid conflicts and consume nourishing Essence Qi supplements to nourish the Gu Worm; only then can you last long."

"Understood." Tao Fengnian laid down a bag of Spirit Stones.

"And also, if you can find another way, it’s better... better not to use the Gu Worm."

Tao Fengnian nodded, carrying the talisman-inscribed wooden box containing the Mother Flower as he left the Immortal Herb Building, feeling a clarity of mood.

He couldn’t help but imagine, as Jiang Yuebai grew each day, passed the Spiritual Cultivation Master examination, and even became apprenticed to an Inner Sect True Monarch, the scene of her boasting proudly to him.

At this moment, every day held hope.

Tao Fengnian chuckled foolishly twice, turning to look for Jiang Yuebai.

Seeing her fiddling with wooden blocks in front of a stall across from him, along with the wooden sign at the stall, he immediately panicked.

"Oh, how did I forget to warn her not to be fooled."

Tao Fengnian quickly walked over; such scams were common in the workshop, using valuable artifacts as bait, laying seemingly simple puzzles to entice people with the hope of a small gain but losing their Spirit Stones.

"I’ve solved it; hand over the items!"

Tao Fengnian had just arrived in front when he saw Jiang Yuebai putting down the scattered wooden pieces, her expression proud, her small hand outstretched.

The stall owner’s mouth was slightly open, and the surrounding people were shocked speechless.

Nine items, and they hadn’t even solved the first one when Jiang Yuebai quickly dismantled all nine, not even taking a quarter of an hour, less than a cup of tea’s time.

The female cultivator laid down her file, her amazed eyes bright, leaning forward to ask, "Kid, have you seen these kinds of Divine Mechanism Locks before?"

Jiang Yuebai did not conceal it, "My family has been carpenters for three generations; this Divine Mechanism Lock is just a slightly complex mortise and tenon structure. I’ve been fiddling with them since I was young."

The female cultivator revealed a ’just as expected’ expression, flipping her hand to retrieve a walnut-sized small boat and tossing it to Jiang Yuebai.

"Take it to play with."

Jiang Yuebai caught the small boat, stunned for a moment. She thought the person was a scammer about to deny it, but she was unexpectedly so generous.

Could it be fake?

She immediately examined the small boat, when Tao Fengnian’s voice came from above.

"It’s a genuine Seventh-Grade Magical Artifact."

"Grandfather!" Jiang Yuebai’s eyes lit up, hastily presenting the small boat like a treasure to Tao Fengnian, "I won a Flying Artifact for you. You should really throw away that old paper crane."

"This is too valuable; you should keep it for yourself." Tao Fengnian declined.

Jiang Yuebai resolutely shoved the small boat into Tao Fengnian’s hand, "I don’t even know how to use it, and grandfather takes me back and forth every day, so it’s better for you to have it."

Tao Fengnian was touched, rubbing Jiang Yuebai’s head, "Alright, grandpa will hold onto it for you first, and give it back when you can use it."

"Ahem, sorry to interrupt you two, but I wonder if your little granddaughter would be willing to become my disciple?"

Hearing this, Tao Fengnian finally looked up to carefully scrutinize the female cultivator in front of him.

A Golden Core Master!

Tao Fengnian’s heart trembled; he quickly cupped his hands in salute, "Greetings, Senior."

The female cultivator responded blandly with a nod. The Golden Core pressure radiated, scattering the onlookers.

"I am Moh Baichun, Daoist Name Wuchen Wanderer, who has mastered Puppet Mechanism Technique, roaming freely without a fixed abode. Recently, I’ve had a sense, and my calculations revealed an opportunity, thus I set up this stall, seeking talented individuals to continue my legacy."

Jiang Yuebai blinked in confusion, while Tao Fengnian’s brow knit tightly. The cloud of agitation in his recently cleared heart gathered again.

He couldn’t have anticipated Jiang Yuebai encountering such fortune, being favored by a Golden Core Master. Even if the person is a Loose Cultivator without a sect, it’s still better than being a servant in the Heavenly Interence Sect.

Moreover, he knew Jiang Yuebai had been reading the "Five Flavors Collection" recently, yearning for the Wuwei Mountain Man’s life of roaming the world freely.

But he...

Tao Fengnian’s fist clenched and unclenched. Moh Baichun was in no rush; she had already noticed that Tao Fengnian’s lifespan was near its end, feeling confident in this opportunity to take in a disciple.

"Grandfather?"

Taking a deep breath, Tao Fengnian squatted down, speaking gently, "Girl, Wuchen Wanderer is a Golden Core Master, and she wants to take you as a disciple, to let you roam the world. This matter is important for you, so you must decide for yourself. You needn’t worry about grandpa. Just ask yourself if you want to go with her."

Jiang Yuebai’s delicate brows furrowed, her expression cautious as she eyed Moh Baichun, resolute and unwavering.

"I don’t want to go!"