Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 10 - 10 10 'Yin's Great Dream Sutra' Level 1!_1
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Chapter 10: Yin’s Great Dream Sutra Level 1!
Wang Ba could feel the powerful energy coursing through his veins and the hardening of his muscle fibers. Sensing his newfound strength, he felt a sudden urge to push his Body Strengthening Scripture to Stage IV.
However, he managed to suppress the impulse.
If he achieved a breakthrough now, what would happen if Deacon Li noticed? How could he possibly justify such rapid progress?
While reaching the first three stages might be explained away by hidden talent, mastering the fourth stage would be crossing a line. After all, the time required to conquer the first three stages combined didn't even equal the time needed for the fourth.
No, he had to remain cautious. He was only thirty years old, far from his twilight years. With plenty of time ahead of him, there was no need to act recklessly.
After weighing his options repeatedly, Wang Ba finally abandoned the temptation to force his Body Strengthening Scripture to Stage IV immediately.
Still, it felt like a waste to let so much accumulated lifespan sit idle. If he couldn't convert his resources into personal strength, it felt like a missed opportunity. It certainly wouldn't justify the danger he had faced by selling a Spirit Chicken.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Old Sun’s gold paper contained a specific cultivation method: the Book of Yin Gods Grand Dream.
This particular Cultivation path was known to be incredibly time-consuming, and its actual power was somewhat vague. The text only mentioned it could manipulate the minds of others; its true potential could only be realized by the practitioner. Previously, Wang Ba hadn't wanted to dump his lifespan into it. But now, since he couldn't safely advance his Body Strengthening Scripture, he had no other alternative.
"The more skills I have, the more options I’ll have in the future," Wang Ba muttered to himself, finding comfort in the thought.
The only hurdle was that the method hadn't appeared on his status panel yet, meaning he hadn't officially started. This was easily fixed. Once he finished fermenting the feed, tending to the chickens, and cleaning the pens, he would have ample time to study it.
He then remembered the small bag Shopkeeper Lu had given him. Intrigued, he pulled it out and carefully emptied the contents onto the table.
Click.
A small, irregular light-blue stone—no larger than his pinky—and a small pile of shimmering red rice tumbled out.
"Is this a Spirit Stone? And... Spirit Rice?"
Holding his breath, Wang Ba picked up the Spirit Stone. He held it close to the dim candle flame, examining it. The jagged stone cast a mesmerizing, ethereal glow. Its clarity rivaled the finest diamonds from his previous life. This was the first time he had ever held such a treasure; previously, he had only envied them from afar. Holding this immortal artifact felt like the moment he had received a long-awaited gift as a child—it was so much more than just a stone.
He took a deep breath to steady his racing heart. Once calm, he turned his attention to the Spirit Rice. He had seen it often at the grocery store but never dared to buy any because of the exorbitant price. Unlike common rice which cost two taels of silver per kilogram, Spirit Rice was traded in Spirit Stones. Even the lowest grade cost two-points of a Spirit Stone per kilogram. He weighed the pile and estimated it to be exactly one kilogram.
"Shopkeeper Lu certainly knows his trade," Wang Ba sighed. He had traded twenty-two Spirit Chickens for three Spirit Stones, and the merchant had thrown in a kilogram of rice as a sweetener. Even if it was the cheapest variety, it ensured that a customer would return to Lu’s Grain Shop next time.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Wang Ba grabbed a male Spirit Chicken. He extracted its remaining 0.4 years of lifespan before swiftly slitting its throat. He prepared the bird—boiling water, plucking and burning the feathers, and cleaning the carcass—before placing it in a clay pot to simmer over a low flame. In a separate pot, he mixed a tael of Spirit Rice with ordinary rice to cook a porridge.
He wouldn't have used the Spirit Rice if it weren't for the excess of Spirit Chickens. Keeping them was a liability; Deacon Li visited monthly, and while hiding one or two birds was easy, a large flock would surely be discovered. He had already decided that the best way to dispose of the evidence was to eat it. Twenty-two chickens wasn't an impossible task—if a woman in confinement could eat thirty a month, so could he. It was wasteful, but necessary. If he couldn't finish them, he’d find a way to sell them at a distant market, as he couldn't keep them on the estate.
After several Shichen of simmering, he lifted the lid. A magnificent aroma filled the room. Without any seasoning other than a pinch of salt, the fragrance was intoxicating. The underlying Spiritual Energy was so potent that a single breath made Wang Ba feel as if he were about to transcend. It was a blessing his home was so isolated; otherwise, the scent would have attracted unwanted attention.
Wang Ba dug in, serving himself a bowl of red Spirit Rice along with the chicken soup, meat, and blood tofu. The meat was incredibly tender, and the blood tofu melted on his tongue. Although he lacked a Spiritual Root and couldn't formally cultivate Qi, the dense Spiritual Energy from the meal surged through his body. He even felt a slight, almost imperceptible nudge in his Body Strengthening Scripture progress.
"No wonder the immortals eat this daily. It's truly miraculous!"
Despite the delicious taste, he felt stuffed after just one chicken leg and half a bowl of rice. The Spiritual Energy was simply too dense for a mortal body to process in large quantities. This realization brought a new worry: there was less than a month before Deacon Li’s return, and at this rate, he wouldn't finish the twenty-two chickens in time. Even five birds a month would be a feat. He felt so energized that he suspected he could go three days without eating again.
By midnight, he was still wide awake, watching the moonlight dance across his bed. Since sleep was impossible, he lit a lamp and pulled out the Book of Yin Gods Grand Dream. He had glanced at it before, and though the text was tiny, his memory of it was sharp. He scrutinized every line, making sure to grasp the meaning of every word.
Perhaps it was the effect of the Spirit Chicken, but his mind was exceptionally clear. He felt as if he had gained a photographic memory, understanding and retaining the complex information instantly. He became so absorbed in the gold paper that he didn't notice the time until a rooster crowed.
Looking out the window, he saw the dawn breaking. An entire night had passed in an instant. A cool morning breeze drifted into his cramped room. Wang Ba stood up and stretched; despite sitting all night, he felt no stiffness or fatigue. He felt vibrant and completely refreshed.
Most importantly, his night of study had yielded results on his panel:
[Consumable Item: First Layer of the Book of Yin Gods Grand Dream. Based on current aptitude and physique, requires 113.7 years.]
[Current remaining lifespan: 125.3 years].