Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 103 - 101: The Transformation Is Finally Complete!
"This is truly absurd..."
Zhang Yao shook his head, gesturing for the youth to continue.
"Yes, Immortal."
The youth nodded and began to recount his experiences.
It turned out that several decades after Zhang Yao left, the Zhao Family and the Qingping Palace of that time had some interactions.
After dealing with each other, they discovered there was a certain familial connection, so the Zhao Family accordingly joined Qingping Palace, finding a strong supporter.
Over the next hundred years:
Relying on this relationship, the Zhao Family always had someone in a high position, holding significant power within the Qingping Sect.
Until a few years ago, when the Lu Kingdom approached the end of its dynasty, and chaos gradually spread everywhere, the Qingping Sect seized the opportunity and rose in rebellion under the banner of "following heaven’s mandate."
In just a few years:
The Qingping Sect, drawing on the substantial power it had accumulated, waged wars north and south, sweeping across several southern provinces, becoming the foremost warlord in the land.
Yet as the empire grew, internal conflicts within the Qingping Sect did not ease because of it.
In the course of its conquests, the Qingping Sect absorbed many local noble families, powerful factions, and martial arts schools.
The various factions within the sect desperately tried to win over and compete for these new forces, and with frequent conflicts of interest, internal strife became increasingly intense.
Finally, about a month ago, a major internal conflict erupted within the Qingping Sect.
The youth’s father was killed in this internal upheaval, and his mother fled with him from the Qingping Sect’s headquarters, dying at the hands of a pursuing group while trying to cover his escape.
Poor and solitary, he wandered, eventually making his way to Baihe City, relying on the connections his father left behind, and sought refuge at the home of a Cao Bang leader.
It’s a heartrending tale:
The Cao Bang leader had died in a mishap years ago, leaving only his elderly father and young daughter at home.
But this old boatman was a stalwart hero in his youth who always remembered the life-saving debt owed by the youth’s father to his son.
Upon hearing of the youth’s plight, the old boatman immediately took him and his granddaughter, planning to sail deep into Bai Bo Lake to temporarily lay low before seizing a chance to leave Jiangzhou.
Unexpectedly, they were only halfway when they were tracked down, and without Zhang Yao’s intervention, they faced a fatal outcome.
"It truly is fate..."
Zhang Yao sighed, looking at the youth with warmth:
"Our meeting today is also your karma."
"With your troubled past and now being alone, if there is no other place for you, you may come to the island with me to train for a few years."
"Lord Qingxu and I are old acquaintances, and I know a bit of his Qingxu True Scripture."
At these words, the youth was overjoyed, hurriedly kneeling:
"Thank you, Immortal... no, thank you, Master, for your mercy."
"No need to call me Master, though we share karma, we do not have the master-disciple bond, you may rise."
Zhang Yao waved his hand, then turned to the old boatman and the young girl:
"Those people from earlier will no longer remember you."
"I have some gold and silver here; you can take it and find a small island to stay for half a month, then leave Jiangzhou in peace."
The old boatman opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but finally lowered his head and assented.
"Let’s go."
Zhang Yao turned with a flick of his sleeve, mounted his Flying Sword Escape Light, took the youth, and flew away.
"Ah... let’s go too."
The old man patted his granddaughter’s head, looking bemused:
"That Zhao Family kid, to encounter an Immortal at Bai Bo Lake, even if he can’t become an apprentice, it’s a tremendous fortune."
"But since we don’t have such a destiny, there’s no need to force it..."
...
Moments later.
On Wuyin Island, the recently landed youth, Zhao Hechu, still felt dizzy, almost falling to the ground.
"Immortal."
He shook his head, recalling the flight scene earlier, revealing a look of anticipation:
"These Immortal Skills... can I learn them?"
Zhang Yao shook his head, saying:
"You don’t have a Spirit Root, so you cannot learn these Immortal techniques."
"In a few years, at most, I’ll be leaving this Wuyin Island, so you’d better use this time to learn as much of the Qingxu True Scripture as possible."
"...I understand."
Zhao Hechu looked somewhat disappointed, but his youthful spirit quickly revived.
With Zhang Yao’s permission, he began exploring Wuyin Island, finding everything marvelous, exclaiming in amazement every so often.
Several hours later, Zhang Yao cooked some Spirit Rice, serving it to Zhao Hechu.
Zhao Hechu carefully took it, eating it properly, yet couldn’t resist his curiosity:
"Immortal, since you know Lord Qingxu, what kind of person is he?"
"I heard from my father that he is an elder of our ancestors, reputedly possessing earth-shattering martial arts, but very mysterious..."
Hearing this, Zhang Yao paused and then replied with a faint smile:
"No need to be so restrained."
"As for Lord Qingxu... he is something of a leisurely fellow, afraid of death."
...
Five years later.
Inside a Quiet Chamber, Zhang Yao carefully examined the Earth Soul Crystal in his hand.
That sense of all things being reborn had intensified to the utmost, and if not within a secluded chamber, the golden light from the crystal would illuminate an area over a hundred meters wide.
"The transformation should be very near completion..."
Zhang Yao thought, skillfully channeling Primordial Energy, once again infusing it into the Earth Soul Crystal.
He had repeated this action thousands of times.
But this time was clearly different.
"Hmm?"
Zhang Yao’s expression shifted slightly, noticing the Earth Soul Crystal beginning to actively absorb his Primordial Energy.
The brilliant golden light became increasingly dazzling, almost too blinding to look at directly.
Zhang Yao showed a hint of delight and increased the infusion of Primordial Energy.
"It seems to be reaching the final stage at last!"
Two years, five years, ten years...
Twenty years, a hundred years, five hundred years...
The Earth Soul Crystal absorbed Primordial Energy voraciously, taking in over a thousand years’ worth of longevity in a matter of moments.
"Damn it... this thing absorbs too much."
Zhang Yao’s complexion gradually paled, his skin showing signs of dryness.
Essence and Yuan Qi are interconnected, and excessively violent fluctuations in Primordial Energy can cause damage to Essence Qi, though it is significantly less severe than direct Essence Blood combustion.
A half hour later.
"Whew..."
The loss of Primordial Energy finally slowed, and Zhang Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
A few breaths later, the ocean-like golden light faded, revealing a pale golden crystal.
Within the crystal, azure streams swirled, and at the core curled a tiny infant, eyes closed, serene in expression.
"This..."
Zhang Yao examined it closely, showing a hint of hesitation:
"What is this thing?"
