X-Dragon Era-Chapter 523 - s 379-381: Formidable Skeleton

The reason the pinecone possesses the power of everlasting life is, in fact, only natural. When wishing longevity to the elderly, it is common to use the pine as a symbol, such as in phrases like "pine and crane prolonging life." This is not without origin.

All fruits produced by Innate Spirit Roots actually contain a large amount of Spiritual Energy, and even gourd seeds are no exception. It's just that Xin Yun plans to refine it into a magical treasure, which is why he cannot remove them.

During his contemplation, Xin Yun suddenly nodded and said, "Alright, let's trade... I just don't know how much Yimu Spiritual Qi you would want for one pinecone."

Faced with Xin Yun's question, the old pine fell silent for a good while before speaking, "Since you are aware, you should naturally understand that it takes ten thousand years for a single pinecone to grow. It's exceedingly precious, so... unless the Yimu Spiritual Qi you provide has a greater effect on me than the pinecone, I would never consider trading."

Hearing the old pine's words, Xin Yun nodded in understanding. The pinecone is valuable not just for them who consume it, but it is equally beneficial for the old pine itself, just like Zhenyuan Great Immortal would eat Ginseng Fruit.

Since he wants to trade, he needs to show sincerity. If the item offered in exchange isn't as valuable as the original item, only a fool would agree to trade.

Amid his thoughts, Xin Yun nervously said, "You tell me, how much Yimu Spiritual Qi will it take to trade for one pinecone."

In response to Xin Yun's persistent questioning, the old pine fell silent for a short while. After calculating, it finally said, "Based on the units of Yimu Essence Qi you just released, it would take ten more units of Yimu Essence Qi to trade for one pinecone."

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

"Hiss..." Hearing the old pine's words, Xin Yun couldn't help but take a sharp breath. That amount was truly terrifying; the Yimu Spiritual Qi he had just released had been accumulated over half a year of alchemy by Lü'er.

The so-called Yimu Spiritual Qi is actually the alchemic Qi that wafts away during alchemy. It's not of much use and usually just disperses with the wind. However, for the old pine, it's a different story altogether. The Yimu Essence Qi is far more beneficial to it than the pinecone. In equal ratios, Yimu Spiritual Qi is the best.

Originally, the Soul-scattering Gourd also needed this Yimu Spiritual Qi, but since Xin Yun had already planned to refine the Red Gourd into a magical treasure, the method of enhancement would change accordingly, rendering the Yimu Spiritual Qi almost useless. Although keeping it had its benefits, they were minor and could be considered negligible.

Now, the old pine wants to trade pinecones for Yimu Spiritual Qi, which to Xin Yun is essentially trading something precious for something he deems to be trash—even though the volume traded may be large, what is given in return is definitely of equal or even greater value!

After careful calculation, Xin Yun roughly figured out that the accumulated Yimu Spiritual Qi of six months, multiplied by ten, was the equivalent of sixty months, nearly six years' worth of time. Although this seems long, the pinecone is a treasure that only flowers and bears fruit every three thousand years! Comparatively, these six years are insignificant.

However, as this is a trade, there is room for negotiation. After pondering for a short while, an idea struck Xin Yun, and he promptly said, "You wait here for a moment, I'll be right back!"

In the midst of speaking, Xin Yun activated the Tai Chi Diagram. As he crossed the golden bridge, he vanished in an instant, reappearing inside the gourd Immortal Realm. Without a word, he grabbed a water jar and ran towards the central spring.

As previously mentioned, the main vein in the gourd heaven is manifested in the form of a spring, from which water shoots a hundred meters high, actually being the exit for Earth's pulse.

Arriving next to the spring, Xin Yun swiftly filled a large jar and then turned to rush back to the golden bridge. One must not underestimate this jar of spring water; it is Sunflower Water Essence stretching from the bottom of the sea, condensed with ample Spiritual Energy.

Quickly, through the golden bridge, Xin Yun returned to Shoushan Cave Heaven, carrying the jar directly to the old pine. He poured all the water from the jar onto the ground where it soaked into the soil in an instant, as there was not much water in the jar to begin with.

"Ah!" At first, the old pine was puzzled, but as the water from the jar poured out, its crinkled old face transformed into one of sheer amazement. What kind of water was this that carried such a dense Spiritual Water Energy!

In the face of the old pine's astonished inquiries, Xin Yun couldn't help but smile secretly, saying with a smile, "Don't worry about what water it is, I just want to know if you need it, if you like it?"

Answering Xin Yun's question, the old pine eagerly said, "Of course I need it, of course I like it! What tree doesn't love water, especially one so rich in Spiritual Energy? This is truly the sweetest spring water!"

Seeing the old pine's satisfaction, Xin Yun smiled and said, "Then let's talk business. If I use this water, along with the Yimu Spiritual Qi, how much would it take to trade for one pinecone?"

"This..." Hearing Xin Yun's words, the old pine hesitated. After a good while... the old pine firmly said, "We pine trees don't need too much water; too much water will actually rot the roots. So... I only need ten jars of such water a day. If you are willing to provide it long-term, I am willing to reduce the consumption of Yimu Spiritual Qi by ten percent for each year supplied!"

Hearing the old pine's words, Xin Yun did a rough calculation. Clearly... Although the Spiritual Water was good, for the old pine, it was more like a tasty snack. It could live without water; the Spiritual Energy in the water wasn't significant, so how much Spiritual Energy could ten jars of water contain?