Chapter 540 Immortal Apricot Tree Advancement

The supplementary herbs are not of high value. As long as 4 precious pills are refined per cauldron, the costs are covered. Producing 5 or more yields a profit, while managing to refine 6 or 7 results in substantial gains.

Imagine this: if 1 alchemical cycle produced 7 precious pills, 3 cycles would yield 20-1. Each pill enhances 30 years of cultivation—that’s 6 100 and 30 years of accumulated power. More than double the gains from directly consuming the spirit peach!

After all, at least until the spirit peach tree advanced to the fifth-rank middle grade, its yield of spirit peaches would remain limited. And for the tree to reach that stage, it would likely require at least 6 100 years.

During this period, after the Old Patriarch and the others broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, the 3 spirit peaches every 100 years would likely no longer suffice for distribution.

The refinement of these Immortal Peach Pills was not particularly difficult. With Eldrin’s alchemical skills, he produced 4 pills in the first batch, while the subsequent 2 batches yielded a full 5 pills each.

After 3 batches of Immortal Peach Pills were refined, Eldrin had accumulated 14 of them—enough to sustain a Nascent Soul True Monarch for hundreds of years.

Having completed the refinement of the Immortal Peach Elixir, the 2 emerged from the seclusion chamber only to find a message talisman hovering at the entrance, evidently awaiting them for quite some time.

He picked it up and smiled. "A letter has arrived from The Vast Sea (Location), summoning us to go there."

"Oh?" Lyra smiled faintly and remarked, "By my reckoning, it has been nearly 30 years since we seized The Vast Sea. That Spirit Apricot Tree should be ready to advance its grade."

"That makes sense."

Eldrin revealed a smile and said, "Let's go take a look first."

Without further delay, Eldrin set out immediately. He deliberately brought along the Void Gem and soared through the skies astride his spiritual treasure sword, heading toward The Vast Sea.

A few days later, Eldrin arrived at The Vast Sea, transforming into a streak of sword light that soared to the frigid shores of Glacierflow Island.

As soon as they landed on the spirit island, they were greeted by an overwhelming surge of rich spiritual energy, and smiles involuntarily spread across their faces.

"The spiritual energy density is no weaker than that of Spirit Lake Continent. It seems the Immortal Apricot Tree has already advanced."

Eldrin said with a laugh, only to spot several streaks of light flying toward him.

The old clan leader landed nearby with Kael and the others. Upon seeing Eldrin, he exclaimed urgently, "Come with me, quickly."

Following Chen Changxuan to the summit of the spirit island, Eldrin finally laid eyes on that ancient, vigorous Spirit Apricot Tree.

The spirit apricot tree stood barely over 10 feet tall, yet every leaf and branch radiated astonishing spiritual treasure patterns, emanating an extraordinary and divine mystique.

Upon the Ancient Spirit Apricot Tree, there grew but 3 spirit apricots, yet each 1 radiated a hazy immortal glow, brimming with an extraordinary vitality of creation.

"Indeed, the breakthrough has been achieved."

Eldrin studied it carefully for a moment, then performed another round of deductions. His expression grew increasingly astonished and delighted.

Back when he was at the Fourth Layer, the Spirit Apricot Tree would blossom in 30 years, bear fruit in another 30 years, and then take 30 more years to ripen—roughly 1 100 years for a full cycle.

The spiritual apricot that grew could extend 1's lifespan by 2 sexagenary cycles, making it an exceedingly rare treasure. Yet compared to the present, it still fell far short.

Now that the Spirit Apricot Tree had advanced to become a fifth-grade Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), its effects had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

From then on, the Spiritual Apricot Tree would bloom after over 3 100 years, bear fruit after another 3 100 years, and ripen after yet another 3 100 years. It would take approximately 1 1000 years to produce 3 Spiritual Apricots.

The ripened spirit apricot contains the vitality of creation, a treasure among the essence of heaven and earth. Consuming it can extend 1's lifespan by a 1000 years.

Contemplating the profound mysteries of the spirit apricot, Eldrin couldn't contain his delight as he exclaimed, "Though this fifth-tier lower-grade spirit apricot tree bears only 3 fruits every 1 1000 years, it truly deserves to be called a supreme treasure of heaven and earth."

"From now on, with this treasure guarding our clan, you need not worry about insufficient lifespan."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up with joy. A cultivator could only use 3 life-extending treasures in their lifetime. Only after breaking through to the Nascent Soul True Monarch realm and receiving the heavens’ and earth’s bestowed rewards could they take 1 additional pill.

Given the limited number of such precious lifespan extensions, it is naturally more cost-effective to utilize high-tier longevity treasures. Consequently, the value of these high-tier longevity treasures remains exceptionally high.

Even a True Monarch of the Nascent Soul level would covet the spirit apricots before his eyes. If put up for sale, each 1 could fetch a mid-grade spirit treasure.

Chen Changxuan’s heart swelled with exhilaration as he caressed the Spirit Apricot Tree with an almost possessive fondness. “The True Lord has lived for 3 1000 years,” he murmured. “If he were to consume 3 fifth-rank Spirit Apricots, wouldn’t his lifespan extend to 6 1000 years?”

"If I cultivate the Nirvana Tribulation Transcendence Art and undergo rebirth, wouldn't that mean I'd have lived for 9 1000 years across 2 lifetimes combined?"

His tone was filled with utter astonishment. A Nascent Soul True Lord who could theoretically live up to 9,000 years—this was truly astounding.

Even a Nascent Soul Dao Lord, without the use of life-extending treasures, would have a lifespan of merely 10,000 years. It was astonishing to discover that a Primal Infant True Monarch’s longevity could approach such a realm.

Lyra listened, then shook her head and said, "While that may be true in theory, only 1 in a 100 actually lives to such an advanced age."

Fifth-tier life extension treasures are far too precious; most True Monarchs can only afford 1 or 2 at most. Moreover, over 80% of True Monarchs have already consumed life extension treasures before breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, leaving them with very few remaining opportunities for lifespan extension.

Eldrin also nodded with a smile. "Those who can afford multiple life-extending treasures are mostly top-tier True Lords at the late Nascent Soul stage, or even Great Perfection of Nascent Soul."

It is said that in the Eastern Wastelands (Location), some Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) cultivators, lacking confidence to survive the Primordial Spirit Tribulation, remain stagnant at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) stage while seeking fortuitous encounters. Only when their lifespan approaches its end after 8,000 years do they dare risk attempting the breakthrough.

Hearing this, the old clan leader stroked his beard and said, "When I was but a child, I heard that within the Lin Immortal Clan of the Eastern Barren Mountains, there grew a single Nīrvāṇa Transcendent Apricot Tree."

That Nirvana Immortal Apricot Tree blooms once every 1000 years, bears fruit for another 1000 years, and then takes yet another millennium to ripen.

"When fully ripened, the celestial apricot can extend a mortal's lifespan by 2 100 years with but a single whiff. Should a Primordial Spirit Dao Lord consume it, they would undergo nirvanic rebirth and live an entire new lifetime. I wonder if it truly possesses such astonishing power?"

"It must be true."

Eldrin chuckled, recalling the records of the Void-Refining Immortal Scripture. "Legend has it that over 80,000 years ago, an immortal ascended to the heavens," he remarked.

Before his ascension, he had long since comprehended the laws, yet remained at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage for 20,000 years. If 1 were to include the time it took him to cultivate to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul, his lifespan would likely have exceeded 30,000 years.

"A lifespan so prolonged has already exceeded that of a Primordial Spirit Dao Lord by several times over. It's likely he has lived through at least 3 reincarnations or more."

The crowd was somewhat taken aback by these words, yet they couldn't help but nod in agreement.

For a cultivator to achieve the Great Perfection of the Primordial Spirit, it would likely require an exceedingly long period of time, let alone the fact that the Void-Refining Immortal had also attained insights into the Laws.

Take the Ji Clan Patriarch as an example. When he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm, his lifespan had already exceeded 4 1000 years, having consumed at least 2 life-extending opportunities. From this point onward, cultivating to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm would likely require nearly 10 1000 years more.

This could not even be considered encountering a bottleneck. Many Primordial Spirit Dao Lords remained trapped just before the bottlenecks of the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage and Late Stage, unable to advance even a single step further until their lifespans were completely exhausted.