Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 454: The Xia Emperor’s Lifespan
The Xia Emperor was in a good mood now that the matter of Ji Province had gained the support of the Five Great Immortal Sects.
He then raised another matter. “As all of you have probably heard, the Corpse-Driving Sect Leader was supposed to have his body taken over. However, as his soul lamp was placed in the Dao-Seeking Sect, the Great Yu cultivators feared detection by the Dao-Seeking Sect and didn’t fully take over his body, leaving behind his soul.”
“That’s right! That grandson Lu Baqian narrowly avoided death. When I was dealing with the aftermath in Hanshui City, he kept flaunting his Transcendent Tribulation body all day. Utterly reprehensible!”
The Xia Emperor pretended he didn’t hear Qiu Jin’an’s outburst. “In that case, can we draw on this lesson and have other sects place their soul lamps with the Five Great Immortal Sects and the imperial court as a safeguard?
“As Fellow Daoist Yun has mentioned, Great Yu has at least four more Transcendent Tribulation cultivators. If a Fusion cultivator takes over the body of another Fusion cultivator, we could detect the ensuing battle. But it’s too simple for a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator to take over a Fusion cultivator’s body. That could be accomplished without anyone noticing.
“If we implement the soul lamp system, we could deter Great Yu cultivators from complete body takeover like what happened to Sect Leader Lu, preserving at least the victim’s soul.”
“This is feasible.” Yun Zhi nodded, becoming the first to endorse the Xia Emperor’s proposal. She had already conceived a similar solution on the way here and intended to propose it during the meeting, only for the Xia Emperor to be one step faster.
“I also see no issues with it.”
“The Prison Suppression Sect finds it workable.”
The Hanging Monastery’s abbot remained silent, which everyone took as tacit agreement.
Seeing that consensus had been reached, the Xia Emperor continued. “After this meeting, I’ll instruct people to compile a registry of sects to be distributed to you all and inform the sects on the list.”
Great Xia’s sect registration system was based on declaration. As long as one submitted to the authorities basic information like the number of members, size, location, and sect leader, the registration would be deemed successful, requiring neither review nor approval. However, any subsequent changes, such as the appointment of a new sect leader, would still need to be reported to the authorities.
Thanks to this system, Great Xia maintained clear records of the number of sects and their locations, allowing officials to quickly compile the registry requested by the Xia Emperor.
With the discussion of major matters concluded, the five sect leaders exited the hall with smiles and chatter—and the abbot of the Hanging Monastery with only smiles—painting a harmonious picture.
Eunuchs and palace maids stood respectfully outside the hall, ready to see off the five immortal sect leaders.
Cough, cough. The Xia Emperor was just discussing the Taciturn Daoist Priest with Qiu Jin’an when he suddenly burst out coughing. Clamping his mouth, his palm became speckled with blood, and a stark white strand of hair appeared within his dense, black hair, glaringly conspicuous.
“Your Majesty!” The chief eunuch nearly lost his soul from fright, rushing forward in great strides to support the emperor.
“Summon the imperial physicians! Quickly!” The other eunuchs and palace maids scrambled about in obvious panic.
“What’s wrong with you?” Qiu Jin’an frowned, his expression shifting as he grasped the Xia Emperor’s wrist.
“Why are you so weak?!” This shouldn’t be the case though. Even provincial governors enjoy protection from the national fortune, immune to poisons and ailments. As Great Xia’s emperor with supreme command over the national fortune, it’s all the more unthinkable that there’s something wrong with his body.
The Xia Emperor waved his hand with a bitter smile, reluctant to elaborate. The Hanging Monastery’s abbot silently recited “Amitabha” in his heart, though he couldn’t say anything.
Possessing the highest cultivation among them, Yun Zhi saw through the Xia Emperor’s condition at a glance. “His lifespan is exhausted.”
“Lifespan exhausted?” Luo Hongxia was stunned, never imagining the Xia Emperor would face such a crisis and so abruptly.
The Xia Emperor looked up at Yun Zhi with similar astonishment. I’m always shielded by the national fortune, so nobody should be able to detect my condition, yet Yun Zhi had discerned it instantly.
Realizing that he could no longer conceal the matter, he relented. “After all, I’m only at the Divine Transfiguration Stage.”
Among the six present, Yun Zhi’s cultivation was the highest, while the Xia Emperor’s was the lowest.
Whether one could become an emperor bore no direct relation to one’s cultivation level. After all, no matter how high the emperor’s cultivation was, could the emperor suppress the whole world alone?
“That still doesn’t add up. You’re only a thousand years old. Divine Transfiguration cultivators can typically live 1500 to 2000 years old.” The Prison Suppression Sect Leader frowned in bafflement. With Great Xia facing internal turmoil and external threats, the Xia Emperor’s lifespan exhaustion crisis would inevitably trigger unrest, and all manner of demons and monsters would emerge. This doesn’t bode well.
“When I was crown prince, I suffered a life-threatening illness and was on the brink of death. To treat my illness, I consumed numerous rare medicinal ingredients, including two Herb Kings’ roots and leaves. Unfortunately, my body was too frail to absorb the nourishment properly. Though my life was preserved, my lifespan was reduced.”
The other five had heard of this incident, and so did the older eunuchs and palace maids.
“Our sect has several Little Herb Kings, Eternal-Life Cedar, and whatnot to extend one’s lifespan,” Qiu Jin’an offered. We can’t afford to have anything happen to the Xia Emperor now.
The Eternal-Life Cedar, whose spring and autumn each spanned eight thousand years, was a peerless rarity among life-extending medicinal ingredients. The Boundless Longevity Stone grew every year, though imperceptibly, requiring ten millennia to expand visibly. The scrapings from its surface were top-tier supreme treasures that tempted even Fusion cultivators.
The Xia Emperor’s eyes brightened briefly at Qiu Jin’an’s words before dimming again as he shook his head lightly. “It’s no use. After consuming too many natural treasures, the imperial physicians say my body has developed resistance. No Little Herb Kings or other medicinal treasures can help now.” The lifespan problem is fatal. Even the national fortune’s power can’t compensate. Only by becoming an immortal and attaining an endless lifespan can this issue be resolved.
“How much longer do you have?”
“Probably about ten years.” I know my own body best.
Everyone fell silent. Ten years passed in the blink of an eye for cultivators, far too brief. Is the Xia Emperor going to close his eyes forever just as the Grand Era begins unfolding before him?
Since ascending the throne, the Xia Emperor diligently served the nation and people. Under his rule, Great Xia’s power had grown steadily, its national fortune solidifying by the day. He was a rare wise monarch who could rank among the top three in the history of Great Xia.
Does Heaven envy his talents, making him die at this critical juncture and denying him even a glimpse of the true Great Era?
This isn’t fair.
But even if it isn’t fair, what could be done about it?
The Prison Suppression Sect Leader couldn’t help but offer words of comfort. “There’s still plenty of time. I’ll go back and consult the other elders. With how vast the world is, there must be other solutions.” I refuse to believe we can’t extend the Xia Emperor’s lifespan by several decades or even a century.
The five immortal sect leaders departed the imperial capital, soaring through the skies with silent sighs in their hearts, each returning to their respective sects to seek solutions.
“Come to think of it, a crown prince hasn’t been designated, right? That’d be another bloody storm.”
“Great Yu, Great Qian, the Demon Region, and the East Sea. With internal turmoil and external threats, and now with his lifespan drying up...truly turbulent times.”
After everyone left, the Xia Emperor declined to be attended to and proceeded to the imperial palace’s ancestral grounds, hoping his old ancestor might provide a solution.
