Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Inside the Zhou family hall.

Wang Qingshang sat on the grand master's chair, her skin as white as snow, like white jade, flawless and radiant.

Her fair and delicate face had an air of mystery and otherworldly grace.

Her beautiful, clear eyes, like a dazzling galaxy, gave her an ethereal and otherworldly appearance.

"Congratulations to Qingchang on successfully condensing a Heavenly Grade Golden Core!"

Zhou Ling congratulated his wife with a joyful expression.

"Congratulations, Chang'er, on condensing a Heavenly Grade Golden Core!"

"Congratulations, Sister Qingchang, on condensing a Heavenly Grade Golden Core!"

Li Ru and his wife, along with Wang Xin, all offered their congratulations with smiles on their faces.

Li Ru, in particular, was overjoyed.

The Zhou family has another Golden Core cultivator, and a Heaven-grade Golden Core at that. Their strength will be completely different from now on.

The family had grown too fast, and all the pressure was on the son.

Now that his wife has also become a Golden Core cultivator, it is enough to show that the family's strength has reached a new level.

"I owe my success in achieving the Heavenly Grade Golden Core so smoothly to my husband's Five Elements True Yang Qi!"

Wang Qingshang looked at Zhou Ling, her eyes brimming with gratitude, and said...

Originally, in the family's treasure test, her chances of successfully obtaining a Heavenly Grade Golden Core were only 30%.

However, this time, the fusion of the five elements of true yang energy has increased her chances of reaching the Heavenly Grade Golden Core to over 60%.

The results were better than she had expected.

"This is what I should do as a husband!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

By absorbing the power of the lightning tribulation rules, the lightning rules he had consumed were not only fully restored, but also significantly strengthened.

This is far more effective than absorbing through the [Illusionary Realm Simulation].

Then, in a gentle voice, she said, "Qingchang, although you successfully entered the Golden Core stage this time, the cost was considerable, so you still need to stabilize yourself as soon as possible."

The subsequent tribulation lightning also caused considerable damage to Wang Qingchang.

Although she managed to condense a Heavenly Grade Golden Core with the help of feedback, and her cultivation level surged, it has not yet been completely stabilized.

"My lord, I'm not in a hurry."

"But you're heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall soon, so I'd like to spend more time with you!"

Wang Qingshang said gently.

Although she was overjoyed at successfully condensing a Heavenly Grade Golden Core, she was still somewhat worried because Zhou Ling would be heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall in ten days.

"You focus on consolidating your cultivation level; I'll be fine."

"This is the best time for both magical power and understanding of rules; we can't waste it!"

Zhou Ling said to his wife with a smile.

"Alright, I'll do as you say!"

Wang Qingchang nodded.

Now all we can do is try to consolidate the situation as quickly as possible.

Then he went to the training room.

"Xin'er, you also need to improve your cultivation as soon as possible. Then I will use the Five Elements True Yang Qi to assist you, and you will be able to form a Heavenly Rank Core!"

Watching his wife enter the cultivation room, Zhou Ling smiled at Wang Xin again.

"Husband, can I also achieve the Heavenly Grade Core Formation?"

Wang Xin said somewhat uncertainly.

The Heavenly Grade Core Formation is much more difficult than the Heavenly Grade Foundation Establishment.

"Of course, although you have a mid-grade spiritual root, you have a dark fire spiritual body."

"This Dark Flame Spirit Body seems to me to be several times stronger than Qing Chang's Azure Flame Spirit Body. With other preparations, it's only natural that it can form a Heaven-grade Core!"

Zhou Ling said with a confident expression.

With his current military merits, he can naturally exchange them for various auxiliary spiritual items for Wang Xin, so he is confident in this.

"Okay, I will definitely try my best."

She wanted to give her husband a big surprise when he returned from the Great Wall of Swords.

"Father, Mother, you must also work hard and strive to reach the third stage of Body Refinement and Core Formation."

Zhou Ling then spoke to her parents.

"Ling'er, do you think I can form a Core?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ru exclaimed with delight.

She was already extremely satisfied with being able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

And now, her son is actually saying that she can form a golden core.

Keep in mind that she only has a mid-grade spiritual root.

That wasted a lot of time back then.

It was only after the children grew up and the family became more well-off that they had enough resources to cultivate and improve their cultivation.

She had never even considered the possibility of forming a core.

"Mother, just focus on your cultivation. Your son guarantees you'll reach the Core Formation stage!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

Now that he is the sect leader of the Lingxiao Sect, he can also make decisions and recognize his mother's cultivation of the Evergreen Technique, a wood-attribute cultivation method within the Five Elements Qianyang True Technique.

There are no problems with the training methods.

He was also able to gather other resources.

The only thing I was worried about was my mother's spiritual root.

After all, even with a mid-grade spiritual root, achieving the Golden Core stage takes an extremely long time.

Now that he has the true Yang energy of the Five Elements, he believes he can solve this problem.

The father's body refinement was relatively easier, mainly involving the consumption of resources.

High-level blood-nourishing medicines are needed to aid cultivation, but this is no longer a problem for the Zhou family.

Afterwards, Zhou Ling discussed the next steps of his cultivation plan with his wife and parents.

Putting everything else aside, at the very least, during his year-long absence, he was preparing ample cultivation resources for them.

Moreover, with the help of [Intermediate Observation] and [Intermediate Analysis], he is also able to better determine their cultivation path and improve efficiency.

······.

In Tianxia Immortal City, at the main campus of the Nine Heavens Sword Academy, lies a small courtyard brimming with spiritual energy.

Three young men and women, exuding an air of refinement, sat facing each other, sipping tea.

"It's really unacceptable that Chen Ling from the Qingyang Immortal Realm is the number one on this year's Prodigy Ranking."

A handsome young man looked at the list of prodigies in his hand, raised an eyebrow, and said with some surprise.

This person is Tao Yue, who ranked fourth on this year's Prodigy Ranking and is hailed as the number one formation genius in the Dao Alliance in five hundred years.

He accepted his defeat at the hands of Feng Lan, whose swordsmanship was astonishing.

But why should he lose to Zhou Ling?

"I heard that this person once killed a fifth-tier demon king in Five Spirits Immortal City. Perhaps because of this, he has far more military merits than us, which is why he is number one on this year's Prodigy Ranking!"

Beside the man, a beautiful woman with flowing black hair and a graceful figure poured the warm spring water into a teacup and said with a smile.

As hot water is poured into the teacup, a rich aroma of tea is released.

She is Pei Qingshuang, who ranks sixth on the list.

"I'm not worried about being ranked third, why are you so anxious!"

Another beautiful woman, with skin as white as snow and a lively and charming demeanor, spoke softly.

She is Feng Lan, the sword prodigy of the Nine Heavens Sword Academy.

Because they all lived in Tianxia Immortal City, the three of them had some contact and their relationship was fairly good.

With their journey to the Sword Qi Great Wall imminent, they gathered together to discuss their upcoming collaboration.

Although they were confident in their abilities, this journey was to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, and even Nascent Soul cultivators could not guarantee they would not perish.

Therefore, cooperation among all parties is undoubtedly the best choice.

Pei Qingshuang and Feng Lan are both sword cultivators, and Tao Yue is a formation master. Their combined strength will be greatly enhanced. "I'm just standing up for you, aren't I?"

Tao Yue smiled and said.

"This boy was able to kill a fifth-tier demon king while only at the Golden Core stage, so his combat strength is absolutely terrifying. We'd better not make enemies with him!"

Pei Qingshuang smiled and said.

"I don't mean to make enemies with him, it's just that he's ranked first right now. If he ranks first again in this Sword Qi Great Wall trial, then he'll probably be ahead of us in the future!"

"This makes us, the pride of the main hospital, lose face!"

Tao Yue shook his head and said.

"The higher-ups of the Dao Alliance sent us to the Sword Qi Great Wall for trials, not to have us fight amongst ourselves."

"Moreover, this person's ability to gain recognition from higher-ups must be considerable!"

Feng Lan's beautiful eyes were like clear spring water, pure and clear. She took a sip of spiritual tea and didn't pay much attention to what Tao Yue said.

“You’re ranked fourth. Your talent in formations is amazing, but without the help of others, I feel you’ll be behind me.”

Pei Qingshuang smiled and gracefully picked up the teapot to add tea for the two of them.

"Besides, it's just an empty title, so there's no need to take it too seriously."

Feng Lan also said calmly.

"You guys are quite good-natured. This guy came on strong; he might just become the top leader of the Dao Alliance in the future."

Tao Yue sighed.

Although he did not know Zhou Ling, his family was allied with the Zixiao Sect.

The Zixiao Sect and the Lingxiao Sect are now at odds, and he naturally does not want to see Zhou Ling gain more and more power.

Now that this young man has defeated the renowned Liu Polei, the higher-ups of the Dao Alliance have come to highly regard him.

Otherwise, he would have become number one on the list of prodigies.

The next trial is also extremely important.

If this person can still achieve first place in military merit during the trial, then their future prospects are limitless.

"This time I'm only number one on the Prodigy Ranking; I'm still a long way from taking the top spot in the Dao Alliance!"

Pei Qingshuang smiled and continued, "The Prodigy Ranking only represents the recognition of the Dao Alliance's higher-ups. To truly grow into a powerful force is a completely different matter."

"Given his current strength and foundation, this doesn't seem like a good thing to me."

"The ranking of the Dao Alliance's Prodigy List is based on three main factors: military merit, personal strength, and an additional, undeniable background factor."

"Zhou Ling doesn't have any powerful background. Although he is the sect leader of Lingxiao Sect, Lingxiao Sect has long since declined and can't even be ranked as a fifth-grade sect."

"And military merit is more important than personal ability."

"Therefore, this person was able to become the number one on the Prodigy Ranking only after killing a fifth-tier demon beast."

"The reason why we were able to kill the fifth-tier demon beast, according to the intelligence we obtained, was mainly due to the cooperation between the fifth-tier Purple Cauldron Warship and the Five Spirits Immortal City Warship Formation."

"In this situation, I think you would probably be able to do it too."

She slowly analyzed the situation for Tao Yue.

The reason why the Dao Alliance's Prodigy Ranking has this points system is mainly because the Dao Alliance's higher-ups hope that future leaders will have enough ability to contribute to the Dao Alliance.

That's why military merits take the lead.

The same principle applies to this trial at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The military merit Zhou Ling gained from killing a fifth-tier demon king was already far greater than theirs.

That's why he became number one on the list of prodigies.

This is not enough to prove that Zhou Ling's strength is greater than that of others.

"No matter what, we absolutely cannot allow him to get first place in this trial."

Tao Yue looked intently at Zhou Ling, who was ranked first on the Prodigy Ranking, and said.

"If you're not satisfied, just go ahead and deal with him. I also want to see just how strong he really is."

"A second-grade Spirit Cloud Immortal City, a rogue cultivator, yet he is able to be on par with us, and even surpasses us. His talent is truly terrifying."

Feng Lanyu picked up the teacup again, took a small sip, and said softly.

Seeing the two women's nonchalant attitude, Tao Yue's eyes flickered, and he smiled and said, "I received inside information that the reward for this trial is a Heaven-grade Nascent Soul Pill."

"Are you sure you don't want to try for first place?"

Upon hearing this, the two women, who had been leisurely sipping their spiritual tea, suddenly sharpened their gazes.

"A Heavenly Grade Nascent Soul Pill!?"

The two exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

It should be noted that the number of Nascent Soul Pills produced by the Dao Alliance each year is limited.

There are no more than a handful of Heavenly Grade Infant Condensing Pills available.

Even members of the Nascent Soul Clan who wish to obtain it must apply and wait in line, and they also need a large amount of military merit to exchange for it.

Simply put, obtaining a Heavenly Grade Condensed Infant requires extensive planning.

This immediately captivated them.

······.

Tianxia Taoist Academy Main Campus.

After reading the list of prodigies in his hand, Yan Yutian smiled faintly and put it away.

"Senior brother, I never imagined that with your cultivation level, you could only come in second place!"

Beside him, a refined-looking young man spoke up.

His tone suggested surprise.

"It's just a list, not worth mentioning!"

Yan Yutian smiled faintly.

"Now that we're heading to the Sword Qi Great Wall trial, ranking first might not necessarily be a good thing!"

To their right, another man with a short beard and deep-set eyes spoke up.

He paused briefly, then continued, "If the alien races find out about this list of prodigies, the number one will be targeted severely."

"This will undoubtedly put us in the most dangerous situation!"

"Whether we can return safely from this trial is uncertain!"

"According to Senior Brother Ma, it's actually a good thing that Senior Brother Yan is ranked second!"

The other man couldn't help but ask.

"It's definitely safer than number one, isn't it?"

Brother Ma smiled and said.

"My two junior brothers, please don't say any more. I, Yan Yutian, am not a coward. If the alien race dares to target me, I would be more than happy to do so!"

Yan Yutian smiled calmly, his tone extremely confident.

"Yes, with Senior Brother Yu's cultivation level, he naturally has nothing to fear from other races!"

The two of them hurriedly cupped their hands in greeting.

"However, I will naturally reclaim the first place in this trial!"

Yan Yutian then said calmly.

······.

At the main campus of the Flying Dragon Battle Academy, beneath a cliff face, a young man sitting cross-legged in front of the explosion looked at the Prodigy Ranking in his hand and said with considerable surprise,

"This Zhou Ling is actually a rogue cultivator. To have risen to this level, he must actually have some strength!"

“Zhou Ling is a prodigy, and he’s also the one your uncle-in-law Chen Zhenglei is leading the patrol team to inspect the division. You should get closer to him during this Sword Qi Great Wall trial!”

In front of the young man, another burly middle-aged man, who was swinging his fishing rod, spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes, father!"

The young man cupped his hands in greeting.

He is Qi Jianzhi, who ranks fifth on this year's list of prodigies.

He was quite curious about Zhou Ling, how could a rogue cultivator achieve such amazing results in such a short time?

They surpassed those from well-off families with abundant resources.

The middle-aged man was his father, Qi Hao, the current head of the Qi family, who was at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. His sister was Chen Zhenglei's wife.

That's why he encouraged his son to befriend Zhou Ling. (End of Chapter)