The ensuing scramble and frenzied purchases went without saying.
Princes argued amongst themselves.
High-ranking officials and super-grade dukes bickered.
One claimed his advanced age necessitated more to nourish his body, while another asserted his numerous battle scars from serving the country demanded similar care.
Each side presented valid points.
Regardless, Ding Yun successfully sold all the pills she had accumulated, raking in a fortune.
And the medicinal herbs promised but not yet delivered.
The invited guests, content with their hard-won pill haul, departed.
Though aware the pills didn't extend life, their ability to fortify the body, mend hidden injuries, detoxify, and even reverse aging was enough to captivate them.
It was certainly enough to open their purses generously.
Most importantly, they understood that the Princess Royal’s claim of not extending life meant not extending their natural lifespan beyond its limit, but who in this world truly reached their limit?
Reaching seventy or eighty was considered longevity.
Now, with these pills, they could easily live to ninety or even past a hundred.
What then was the difference between that and extending life?
This was the core reason behind their frantic buying.
...
After the pill tasting feast concluded,
Ding Yun presented Qin Xuming with two sets of 'Rejuvenation Packages,' superior to what others had purchased, capable of genuinely extending lifespan by thirty years, allowing one to live past 120, and potentially reaching 150 without mishap.
"Take these two sets of pills back with you.
You must follow my instructions precisely, including the physical conditioning exercises. No skipping days, and no mix-ups. Otherwise, they won't work.
Head back now. I have some matters to discuss with my friends from the Heavenly Master Sect. You may go,"
After handing the two sets of pills to Qin Xuming, Ding Yun immediately turned towards a side hall. Qin Xuming, recalling the faces of the old Taoists from the Heavenly Master Sect, confidently took the pills and returned home. Two minutes later, Ding Yun met with several Taoists from the Heavenly Master Sect in the side hall. After exchanging pleasantries, she began,
"Does the Heavenly Master Sect look down on me, sending only you, who haven't even begun Qi cultivation?"
Ding Yun was currently in the late stage of Qi Refining, far from immortal but no mere mortal. She could easily injure with a thrown leaf and fly with a sword if she had one.
Considering the faint spiritual energy in this world, cultivators theoretically existed, hence her remark, which was largely a test.
She was testing whether the Heavenly Master Sect understood true cultivation.
"Please forgive the Princess Royal. It is not that the Heavenly Master Sect is negligent towards you, but rather that no one in our sect has achieved Qi cultivation in centuries. We believed the ancient texts were falsehoods until you succeeded."
"If possible, we would even like to learn from you. For this, we are willing to offer all the ancient texts and pill manuals collected by the Heavenly Master Sect over the past millennium."
The old Taoists from the Heavenly Master Sect had not expected the Princess Royal's Qi cultivation to be real when they arrived. Only upon sensing the spiritual pressure emanating from her, identical to the ancient texts' descriptions, did they finally believe. Exchanging glances, they immediately made numerous promises.
Since the downfall of the previous dynasty and the destruction of the ancestral ley lines,
Ninety-nine percent of the world's spiritual energy had dissipated.
Those who achieved cultivation either hid in blessed lands to survive or perished, their mortal lives slowly fading. In the mortal realm, cultivation had effectively ceased.
No one could achieve Qi cultivation.
Until Princess Royal Ding Yun emerged.
Hearing this, Ding Yun breathed a sigh of relief. She then examined the Taoists before her and asked, "Could you tell me your Qi cultivation methods?"
"Yes..."
Having practiced for decades with no results, the Taoists of the Heavenly Master Sect did not hoard their knowledge.
They readily recited the secret techniques.
Then, Ding Yun understood why their Qi cultivation had failed for decades. Their cultivation method completely lacked the stage of 'Refining Essence into Qi.'
They aimed directly for 'Refining Qi into Spirit.'
In ancient times, with abundant spiritual energy and far superior innate talent, some were born with Dao physiques, their meridians clear, easily sensing and absorbing spiritual energy to directly refine it into spirit.
But now, the spiritual energy was so sparse that even sitting for a century would barely allow one to sense it, let alone absorb it to refine Qi into spirit.
Therefore, before 'Refining Qi into Spirit,' there needed to be a stage of 'Refining Essence into Qi.' Through the human stomach, food was converted into essential energy for cultivation. This energy was then transformed into a gas akin to spiritual energy, circulated within the body to open the meridians, and remolded the body into a Dao physique.
Only then could one proceed to the next stage.
That is, 'Refining Qi into Spirit.'
The environmental conditions had changed, as had human physique, yet they still practiced the most ancient cultivation methods. It was a wonder they expected success.
However, after understanding the situation, Ding Yun hesitated about whether to reveal this. After all, even if she told them, she gained little, her influence wouldn't significantly increase.
Conversely, it might lead to other extraordinary beings in a world that currently had only her. Though Ding Yun doubted they could surpass her, it would still be a hassle. And what if a genius emerged?
Ding Yun's prolonged silence
began to make the Taoists uneasy.
What did this mean? Did she think their methods were flawed? Or was she unwilling to teach them Qi cultivation and was looking for an excuse?
"Your Qi cultivation methods are flawed.
Are they ancient methods? The ancients are gone, and the present is now. What was the spiritual energy concentration in ancient times, and what is it now?
Using ancient methods to cultivate in the present is like using the imperial sword of a previous dynasty to execute an official of the current one."
Just then, Ding Yun suddenly thought of another variation of 'Refining Essence into Qi,' which was martial arts. Cultivation before the Innate realm was essentially the process of 'Refining Essence into Qi.' While martial arts, compared to orthodox Qi refinement, were not as conducive to health and longevity, and orthodox Qi refinement might be difficult to spread and increase her influence, martial arts...
If made simple, perhaps focusing on external techniques,
and not too easy to spread,
becoming the Ancestor of Martial Arts would certainly etch her name in history.