Ji Xiang entered a contemplative state. After Mr. Yao finished speaking, he paused briefly before saying, "So, these ten drops of Ri Hua in this small bottle are merely a token of my introduction. If I experience effects from consuming the Heavenly Marrow and agree to cooperate with you, only then will I receive the remaining twenty drops."
Mr. Yao smiled. "Metamorphosis is a fundamental change, and it naturally cannot be achieved overnight. The more exceptional a person's talent, the more stringent the conditions required to complete the transformation."
"You were once a true immortal. Now, to recover to the level of a Earth Immortal in such a short time, your innate talent is already equivalent to the second grade among the five Heavenly Marrows, comparable to the Gan Ying Jade Liquid condensed from Stellar Qi. Furthermore, you must have also reshaped the roots and bones of this physical body, otherwise, you wouldn't have recovered so quickly."
"However, with this level alone, you cannot fully regain your immortal realm. If we were to give you the third-grade Yue Jiang, your recovery would be somewhat slow, and the effects might not be very significant for you. Therefore, using Ri Hua, whose effects far surpass Yue Jiang, is the solution. As for the price you must bear, I believe you can handle it completely."
Ji Xiang replied, "I am eager to hear the details."
"There is no such thing as Ri Hua in the mortal realm. Even if it existed, it would be incredibly difficult to find. It takes one hundred and twenty years for a single drop to condense in places with profound Yang energy. For cultivators, consuming one drop would not be enough to advance their roots and bones. At most, it would slightly enhance their innate talent and abilities, but even that is already a terrifying power."
"A person's talent dictates how far they can travel on their path. Diligence can indeed compensate for lack of skill, but one must at least possess the talent to cultivate to the Earth Immortal realm before those words hold true."
"If one cannot even reach the Earth Immortal realm, remaining below the Ten Realms even after a century, then further progress is essentially hopeless."
"For these cultivators, the effect of a single drop of Ri Hua would likely..."
Mr. Yao interjected, "For these cultivators, a single drop of Ri Hua brings about a greater change than Yue Jiang. Even if they have poor innate roots, it would be enough to allow them to cultivate all the way to the Xiantian realm and beyond."
Ji Xiang showed a hint of surprise. "So, the difference between the sun and the moon is this vast. However, you mentioned a price earlier; please elaborate."
Mr. Yao nodded slightly. "Naturally. Ri Hua can bring about immense changes, acting as a key to knock on the door of immortality, and can even determine the level one can achieve among immortals after ascension."
"As everyone knows, the technique of Corpse Release is also known as Tai Yin Refinement, and its opposite is Tai Yang Refinement, which expels all Yin energy from the body, transforming it into pure Yang... This is the most crucial step required when advancing from the Spirit Refinement realm to the Pure Yang realm!"
"The Pure Yang realm is the strongest realm in the mortal world, achieved after enduring arduous trials in the Spirit Refinement realm. It restores the withered form to a rosy complexion, with rejuvenation being a mere side effect. Immortal bones ascend, transforming into a high grade above Earth Immortals, but below Divine Immortals. All that is needed is a single leap into the daylight to ascend and attain immortality."
"If one can endure Tai Yang Refinement for three hundred days, the firmness of their immortal bones and the abundance of their vital energy will be comparable to the heavens above and the earth below. In this mortal realm, they will have reached the pinnacle, and with a single leap upwards, they will immediately achieve feather transformation and ascend to immortality."
"The pain endured when consuming Ri Hua is precisely the pain of Tai Yang Refinement. At this time, your entire blood will be filled with Yang energy, causing it to boil."
"You must lock the Yang energy of heaven and earth within your body, and then expel all the Yin within you. In this way, your immortal bones will undergo a transformation due to the influx of massive amounts of Yang energy. Your flesh and blood will be scorched by the Yang energy, disintegrating from various points. Your aura will become immensely vast, wild, and difficult to control. This is a form of violent nourishment."
"But within destruction lies rebirth. After the old flesh is burned away, the new flesh will be forged by Yang energy, becoming more compatible with the Yang of heaven and earth. While the immortal bones are being scorched, they will refine all the essence of heaven and earth contained within the Ri Hua."
"For mortals to become immortals and undergo metamorphosis, they must first shed their mortal flesh and then replace it with an immortal body. This is not something that can be perceived by the naked eye."
Mr. Yao spoke at length, comprehensively explaining the benefits of Ri Hua to Ji Xiang. Upon hearing this, Ji Xiang's joy was evident, and he expressed to Mr. Yao:
"This way, the speed at which I recover my immortal body will be considerably faster. I never imagined that the legendary Ri Hua would involve destroying the old body and then transforming into a new one using the essence of heaven and earth. This is already a feat of creation, truly far superior to Di Liu Jiang, the essence of the moon."
"The best Heavenly Marrow obtainable in the mortal world is the moon essence, Di Liu Jiang. Monsters rely on the moon marrow, which appears once every sixty years, to improve their talent and cultivate demonic arts, greatly enhancing their magical power. Mortals can also ascend to the heavens with the help of moon marrow. However, moon marrow has a gentle nature, nowhere near comparable to Ri Hua."
Mr. Yao was naturally very pleased with Ji Xiang's praise and did not spare compliments for the "product" in his hand:
"Violently altering talent requires enduring immense pain, but the benefits gained are also obvious. If Tai Yang Refinement were truly that easy, there wouldn't be so few individuals in the Pure Yang realm in this world."
"To advance from the Spirit Refinement realm to the Pure Yang realm, at least one hundred days of Tai Yang Refinement are required. As for three hundred days, it is impossible for cultivators in this world. The physical body and spirit of a Spirit Refinement cultivator can hardly withstand the pain of the subsequent two hundred days. It is a terrifying experience, one that makes one prefer to fall into the nine hells rather than endure it."
"Moreover, most cultivators cannot even reach the threshold of Tai Yang Refinement. It can be said that once this Ri Hua is released, many high-level Spirit Refinement experts in the world will fight desperately for it."
"Their talent cannot lead them into the Pure Yang realm, so they need a medium to initiate it. As I said, Ri Hua is the key to becoming an immortal, and entering the Pure Yang realm is equivalent to being a quasi-immortal."
Ji Xiang strongly agreed with Mr. Yao's words, but then seemed to recall something. "Then, did Prince Lu also consume Ri Hua to alter his talent? Is his current inability to see me due to him consuming Ri Hua?"
Mr. Yao chuckled. "No, certainly not! How could he possibly have time to consume Ri Hua now!"
"Besides, due to certain matters, it is difficult for His Highness to consume Ri Hua. He has only consumed Yue Jiang, which is milder in effect and easier to obtain."
"Speaking of which, if you recover your immortal strength, you will be able to truly help His Highness resolve the matter that troubles him. This is also the main reason why His Highness ardently wishes for you to be his right-hand man."
"Within this Great Vow Temple, there are the Invincible Bright King and the Six Paths Ksitigarbha. Can you sense the prosperity of Buddhist dharma around you?"
"In fact, all of this is arranged to suppress the power of another Buddha. Prince Lu possesses exceptional talent, but unfortunately, he was cursed by this Buddha a long time ago."
"This Buddha is none other than..."
"Hui Ji Vajra!"