CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: LATE STAGE OF QI CULTIVATION

At the auction, most attendees were Qi Cultivation Late Stage cultivators.

Those bidding for the Youthful Appearance Pill were not for personal use.

After Shen Xuan made his bid, there was a brief silence.

Soon after, only two people followed to raise the price.

When Shen Xuan shouted "sixty-five pieces," no one continued.

The rest of the time, Shen Xuan watched the spectacle in peace.

After the auction ended, Shen Xuan returned home.

He wanted to give his wife a huge surprise!

...

"Husband, what’s so urgent that it can’t wait? I’m practicing!"

"Is practicing important, or is your husband important?"

Ding Yuyao blushed: "Husband is important. But it’s still early, and there’s plenty of time tonight."

Shen Xuan found it amusing.

"Dear, what are you thinking! I bought a gift for you, let me show you!"

"If you don’t like it, I’ll return it!"

With a slight movement of Shen Xuan’s Divine Thought, a delicate porcelain bottle flew to the table.

"Open it and see."

Ding Yuyao curiously opened the porcelain bottle.

Inside, there was only one Spirit Pill.

The fragrance was overwhelming, radiating multicolored Spiritual Light.

"Husband, what is this Spirit Pill?"

Ding Yuyao wasn’t foolish.

She was simply inexperienced and had never seen this Spirit Pill before.

Just by looking at the exquisite porcelain bottle, she knew the Spirit Pill was valuable.

"Can’t you read? Isn’t the name of the Spirit Pill written on the bottom of the porcelain bottle?"

Ding Yuyao picked up the porcelain bottle, flipped it over, and her eyes widened instantly.

"Youthful Appearance Pill!"

"Husband, is this the Fixed Face Pill?"

Ding Yuyao couldn’t believe it.

This was the Youthful Appearance Pill.

A pill many female cultivators in the Ding Family dreamt of.

And she was just a mere mortal.

How could she possibly deserve such a Spirit Pill!

Ding Yuyao was twenty-six years old this year!

She had been married to Shen Xuan for a full ten years!

When she got married, she was still a delicate young girl.

Now, although living in a second-class mansion with abundant Spiritual Qi.

Additionally, her cultivation in the Jade Maiden Scripture had succeeded, offering health and longevity benefits.

But her anxiety about her appearance had never diminished.

Her husband Shen Xuan seemed to be reborn.

As if he suddenly awakened some kind of talent.

His cultivation improved, and his cultivation realm kept growing.

His fame also grew larger and larger.

The family’s expenses increased steadily.

Strangely, her husband, at seventy, seemed more vigorous as he aged.

When experts exchange moves, often the outcome hinges on a single thought.

In recent years, in their friendly matches, her husband repeatedly won.

He would only stop to rest after making her admit defeat.

Cultivators of the Ding Family treated her exceptionally well!

Although her husband had bizarre ideas, making her do many indescribable things.

But her husband remained self-disciplined.

He never had inappropriate relations with others.

The Celestial Fragrance Pavilion’s VIP Jade Token was never used.

Even Jiang Xueqi privately asked her what spell she had cast on Shen Xuan.

Otherwise, with Shen Xuan’s status and power, why would he be so devoted to her?

Having multiple wives for a successful man was commonplace.

Not to mention the Cultivation Realm.

Even in the mortal world, it was hard to find someone like Shen Xuan.

Ding Yuyao stared at the Youthful Appearance Pill, warm tears slowly dropping.

She had heard of this Spirit Pill.

Just consuming it would have a rejuvenating effect.

Though aging would still occur, the speed would drastically slow.

Each one costs as much as fifty to sixty Spirit Stones!

Now she still appeared youthful and beautiful.

Her husband was still intensely interested in exploring her body.

If in another decade or so, her appearance fades, her skin dulls, resembling an elderly woman, would her husband still treat her the same? Now, her anxiety was finally relieved.

"Husband, you’re too good!"

Ding Yuyao threw herself into Shen Xuan’s arms, murmuring like in a dream: "A Spirit Pill as precious as this Youthful Appearance Pill, how could a mere mortal like me deserve it!"

Shen Xuan found it somewhat amusing.

"Just tell me, do you want it or not! If not, I’ll return it! Sixty-five Spirit Stones!"

"Ah! Of course, I want it! This is a gift from my husband!"

Ding Yuyao kissed Shen Xuan and lost herself in it.

"Husband, go take a bath. I will serve you well tonight!"

Shen Xuan whispered a few words into her ear.

"Let’s give it a try..."

Ding Yuyao blushed deeply.

Still, she nodded gently.

...

One year later.

In the practice room.

Shen Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed, with five hearts facing heaven, operating the [Divine Hidden Sea Technique].

On the mysterious jade talisman.

[Cultivation Technique: Divine Hidden Sea Technique Mastery (399/400)]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer: 99/100]

The breakthrough was at this moment!

In the dantian, the aquamarine-colored Spiritual Qi slowly condensed, cycling through the internal organs and forming a small world of its own, teeming with life.

With the nourishment of the Water Spiritual Qi, Shen Xuan’s organs and meridians all became stronger.

With the assistance of the Spirit Gathering Array, the dense Spiritual Qi in the practice room, like mist and smoke, penetrated his body with each breath Shen Xuan took.

It was time!

Shen Xuan gathered his energy and focus, crushed the two middle-grade Spirit Stones in his hand, and pure Water Spiritual Power erupted in the dantian, spreading throughout the body along the meridians.

Boom!

It was as if there was a thunderous roar.

Shen Xuan’s whole body trembled.

In a moment.

It was as if some stagnant joints in the body were unlocked.

Breaking through the shackles, rising to a new realm.

A vast amount of spiritual power abruptly burst forth from his dantian, instantly saturating his entire body.

The Water Spiritual Qi that originally surrounded him, like mist and smoke, was suddenly drawn with immense force into Shen Xuan’s body.

The array light of the Spirit Gathering Array gently shook, also drawn by Shen Xuan.

The Spiritual Qi flowed rapidly, stirring up a gale in the practice room, sweeping towards Shen Xuan.

Shen Xuan took a long breath.

In an instant, all the Spiritual Qi in the practice room, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, was completely swallowed into his abdomen.

Inside the dantian.

The color of the Water Spiritual Power abruptly deepened, vaguely appearing to take on a liquid form.

Divine Sense, Spiritual Power, flesh body, and even the sensory abilities of the five senses, all experienced significant enhancement!

"Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, stepping into the late stage of Qi Cultivation!"

As he operated the spiritual power within, a hint of joy appeared on Shen Xuan’s face.

During the Qi Cultivation period, each minor checkpoint increased the spiritual power by one or two-tenths.

Every small realm increased the spiritual power by three to five-tenths.

From the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, Shen Xuan’s spiritual power increased by more than fifty percent!

Reaching the limit of a Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator!

It is no exaggeration to say that at this moment, his strength had a qualitative leap.

Divine Sense and spiritual power, comparable to perfection in Qi Cultivation.

If he were at a source of water, he could beat the perfection in Qi Cultivation to a pulp!

Not easy!

Seventy-one years old!

Shen Xuan finally stepped into the late stage of Qi Cultivation, breaking out of the realm of lower-level cultivators!

[Lifespan: 71/138]

As expected, lifespan is not so easy to increase.

The [Longevity] talent at the mastery stage, breaking a small realm, only increased the lifespan by three years.

[Spirit Root: Water 28/100]

This year, he no longer plundered Demon Beast talents, and the Water Spirit Root Talent remained at 28 points.

During this period, he tried some first-tier lower-grade Water Attribute Demon Beast blood, to no avail.

Shen Xuan sighed lightly, deeply feeling the difficulty of cultivation.

"In a second-class mansion, equivalent to a first-tier upper-grade dojo. Even with the Spirit Gathering Array blessing daily, it requires three years of time. In the future, wanting to break through will only be harder."

In theory, a middle-grade Spirit Root has the opportunity for perfection in Qi Cultivation and to establish a Dao Foundation.

But those who successfully establish a Dao Foundation are still mostly of upper-grade Spirit Roots.

Moreover, there are quality distinctions for the Dao Foundation.

A lower-grade Dao Foundation, the path is limited, halting at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

A middle-grade Dao Foundation can charge towards the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Only upper-grade and top-grade Dao Foundations have hope of Core Formation.

Of course, a very few cultivators can defy the heavens and change their fate.

With a lower quality Dao Foundation, condense an Inner Core.

The way of heaven is fifty, forty-nine in natural evolution, and the missing one is the variable, which can be sought but not found.

This special exception, Shen Xuan would not dwell on it.

"Establish Foundation before ninety, the goal remains unchanged!"

Shen Xuan stabilized the spiritual power within, his Dao heart still firm.

"Now that I’m in the late stage of Qi Cultivation, various talents can continue to improve."

"In addition, I also need to seize more Demon Beast bloodline talents to enhance Water Spirit Root Talent."

"Therefore, what I need to do is leave Cyan Dragon Bay and find a good foothold near the East Sea!"

"The vast number of Demon Beasts in the East Sea can provide me with more water attribute Demon Beast talents!"

The Water Attribute Demon Beasts in Longze River are still too few.

The East Sea Islands are more suitable for Shen Xuan’s cultivation.

Moreover, in Cyan Dragon Bay Market, there is a huge hidden danger.

The Ding Family ancestor, his lifespan is coming to an end!