Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 182 - 157: Fame Soaring, Bloodline Experiment_2

During this process, revealing some of the battles' process and details is inevitable.

After Zhang Yao took position, to consolidate people's hearts and his prestige, the Haihe Association also proactively advertised his strength externally.

Combined together, Zhang Yao, once unknown, has now become a renowned figure throughout the Da Li Cultivation Realm, a well-known powerhouse.

It's said that although he only advanced to Foundation Establishment less than ten years ago, his strength is several degrees more formidable than some late stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, comparable to cultivators with Celestial Spirit Roots, earning him the acclaim of being a prodigious talent.

"Unexpectedly, I misjudged!"

Li Shuixian's mood at this moment is somewhat complicated.

Back then, she stayed with Zhang Yao out of sheer necessity, but after Zhang Yao dispelled the Blood Curse Technique for her, although she was grateful, she began to harbor the idea of leaving him.

After all, she was just a step away from the Foundation Establishment Stage; she too had ambition and aspirations, unwilling to depend on another ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator for life.

This was an important reason why she chose to steal treasure and leave when Suiyu Mountain City was attacked.

But what she didn't anticipate was that the seemingly ordinary newly advanced Foundation Establishment master would become such a powerful figure, now ruling the Haihe Association and becoming a dominant force.

"Phew..."

Li Shuixian took a deep breath, suppressing her chaotic emotions, as she left the marketplace area.

Though her feelings were complicated, she didn't regret her choice from that day, nor did she intend to return to the Haihe Association, for she was unwilling to entrust her life to another's whim.

Although Lord Qingxu is indeed formidable, his intentions are hard to predict; even if she chooses to return, it would at least have to wait until she achieves Foundation Establishment.

"In three years, it will be the decade-old grand auction at the Celestial Treasure Tower."

Li Shuixian mused to herself:

"During these three years, I need to gradually sell off those Taibai Refined Gold and Black Jade..."

At the grand auction of the Celestial Treasure Tower, Foundation Establishment Pill and other Foundation Establishment spiritual objects consistently appear.

The Foundation Establishment Pill is beyond her reach, not only because of its high price but also as it's mainly fought over by various Foundation Establishment masters. She only hopes to auction off one or two Foundation Establishment spiritual objects.

Most Foundation Establishment cultivators rely on slightly lesser effective Foundation Establishment spiritual objects to achieve Foundation Establishment, and those who succeed with sheer luck without anything are quite abundant.

...

Two months swiftly passed.

After the ownership of the Du Bu Commerce Association was resolved, the intensity of the struggle for Kang Continent's interests dramatically decreased a notch.

Subsequent conflicts among Haihe Association, Changshan Yin Family, Taihe Sect, and Xuanmen Association became much more restrained, not escalating further.

Two months later, due to the active retreat of the Haihe Association, this tumult was declared over.

"There are still too few Foundation Establishment stage members!"

Zhang Yao increasingly sensed the insufficiency of Foundation Establishment masters.

Precisely because the number of Foundation Establishment stage members was too few, he had to relent in the final stages, voluntarily conceding some interests to attain standby agreements from various parties.

There was no choice; apart from him, the Haihe Association currently had just five Foundation Establishment masters, hardly enough to hold too many interests.

However, such matters can't be rushed. He has already strategically issued several orders, enhancing external monitoring and recruitment, and focusing on internal cultivation.

A month later:

The once ruined Cangjiang Water Mansion was almost repaired. Zhang Yao led a large group to relocate back to the water mansion, transferring the Haihe Association's headquarters back.

On that night, deep inside Cangjiang Water Mansion, within Zhang Yao's cave abode. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

A massive piece of crystal was refined into a custom fish tank, inscribed with densely packed spirit pattern array veins.

The fish tank was over a dozen yards square, filling up an entire hall, hosting tens of thousands of small fish and shrimp, along with over a dozen Water Demon Race, mostly various fish types.

"Hmm..."

Zhang Yao stood before the fish tank, observing the Water Demon Race within.

Now holding power, he could handle those who were critically monitored, at Qi Refining Perfection, yet he was reluctant.

After all, these demon races were now his assets; among them once anyone breaks through to Foundation Establishment stage, he could claim most of their bones, scales, and essence blood, akin to unearned gains.

Moreover, his bloodline experiments had just begun, and for caution's sake, he couldn't start directly with the Qi Refining Perfection demon race.

"Crash..."

With a hand gesture, Zhang Yao captured a demon race with magical power, breaking the water surface, and letting it fall into his palm.

"185 years... 192 years... 203 years..."

He used talent to sense the primordial energy limit, silently noting down these data, engraining them onto a blank jade scroll.

"The stimulus from this spiritual energy, causing a leap in life level change, is truly astonishing!"

After measuring over a dozen Water Demon Race, Zhang Yao sincerely expressed his admiration.

Ordinary human race mortals have quite high primordial energy limits; even if they don't know Martial Dao longevity methods, as long as they live in comfort and maintain well, living seventy to eighty years isn't hard.

Yet ordinary fish species, their lifespan is far shorter than the human race, generally ranging from five or six years to a dozen years; fish species living past thirty or forty years are rare, and the lifespan of shrimp species is even much shorter, often one or two years at most.

However, once breathing Spiritual Qi and refining demonic power, these demon races immediately underwent a tremendous transformation.

Taking the inferior shrimp demon race as an example, their primordial energy limit could suddenly soar hundreds of times, from less than two years to nearly two hundred years, far surpassing human race cultivators of the same rank.

"It seems ordinary bloodlines and 'bloodlines' in the sense of cultivation aren't the same thing at all..."

Zhang Yao pondered for a while, gradually summarizing a pattern in his mind.

Using the demon race as an example, the gap between different species and categories is far less than the gap between cultivation realm and bloodline levels.

An ordinary turtle, not transforming into a demon can live over a hundred years, far surpassing fish species; yet once it becomes a demon, its lifespan only doubles, barely stronger than fish demon races of the same rank.

This is because their bloodline levels are not vastly different; even though their physical form seems poles apart and not of the same species, once crossing the demon race threshold, it's no longer a difference in essence.

Human race is actually the same principle.

The evolution of mortal bloodlines merely determines physical fitness, appearance, beauty, and some details; only the bloodlines of cultivators can amplify the probability of birthing a Spirit Root.

The higher the cultivation level of the combining cultivator, the more evident this enhancement is.

If not for this trait, all Cultivation Clans would lose their foundational basis, and the sect organizational forms would completely dominate.

After Zhang Yao extensively read, he not only heard about the 'Qi Mechanism Sympathy Theory' but also a 'Celestial-Human Bloodline Theory,' meaning that the initial batch of cultivators were naturally born and not cultivated postnatally. They are the source of Spirit Root bloodlines and are the common ancestors of all human race.

"...Never mind, contemplating this aspect isn't meaningful."

Zhang Yao shook his head inwardly, temporarily suppressing this line of thought.

Pursuing the truth about bloodline power is a monumental task even past sages haven't been able to complete; for him now, to delve into this is like a blind man feeling an elephant.

His current goal is to artificially induce the Foundation Establishment stage in demon beasts, facilitating the harvest of essence blood, with any additional gains along the way being naturally welcomed.

"Anyway, it's confirmed that bloodline level determines primordial energy limit."

"As for whether changes in primordial energy limit can alter the bloodline level, further experiments are needed..."

While pondering, Zhang Yao quickly clarified the first step of the bloodline experiment.

First is to confirm whether the mutual relationship is one-sided or bidirectional.

And he already has a ready tool in his possession, the 'Unity and Destiny Curse,' developed through researching the Blood Curse Technique. It can burn the opponent's lifespan while possessing the same effect as the 'Blood Curse Technique'—able to lock the primordial energy limit.

"Phew... Let's begin!"

Zhang Yao took a deep breath, grabbed a demon fish that had just refined its qi, and prepared to commence the first experiment...