Cultivation: I Can Steal Lifespan from Spirit Beasts

Chapter 140: Spiritual Root Enhancement, Mountain Moving Ape Breakthrough

The Chicken Farm.

Wang Ba exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on the talisman in his hand, which shimmered with three distinct lights: earthy yellow, aquatic blue, and verdant green.

A trace of joy flickered in his eyes.

Thanks to the large-scale, high-frequency breeding of Low Grade Spirit Poultry required to produce Spirit Poultry Essence over the past year, he had accumulated a considerable amount of Lifespan. This remained true even after deducting what he had spent on accelerating the poultry, breaking through his Qi Refining cultivation, and mastering various techniques.

Not long ago, his reserves had finally hit 20,000 years.

After expending a staggering 18,432 years of Lifespan, he had successfully broken through to the twelfth layer of the Physique Strengthening Scripture.

To his delight, his original Fire Spiritual Root had been completely cannibalized by the other three. Now, his Water Spiritual Root was the most dazzling, boasting a full eight rays of light.

The Wood Spiritual Root followed with four rays.

The Earth Spiritual Root was the weakest, with three.

Three-element spiritual roots. This meant that even before his Physique Strengthening Scripture reached the thirteenth layer, his aptitude had already reached Middle Grade.

Wang Ba pondered this development. He suspected that his aptitude had improved beyond his expectations due to his long-term, persistent consumption of Spirit Poultry.

Subtly, imperceptibly, his body’s fundamental quality had been elevated.

He quickly cycled the Ren Water Four-Defense Art and was pleased to find that the disappearance of his Fire Spiritual Root had not negatively impacted his cultivation.

The technique still functioned. However, since his Fire Attribute Qi had been devoured by the other attributes, he could no longer cultivate the corresponding ‘Ren Water Divine Light.’

Wang Ba didn’t mind. No matter how powerful the Ren Water Divine Light was, its might was limited to the Qi Refining stage. A random technique from a Foundation Establishment cultivator would far outstrip it in power.

More importantly, he discovered that his cultivation speed had increased by another ten percent.

He estimated that he only needed another month or two of cultivation to touch the next Bottleneck.

The ninth layer of Qi Refining was getting closer.

With his spiritual root aptitude enhanced and his cultivation speed boosted, Wang Ba’s mood improved significantly.

To be honest, watching Cultivator Yan soar to the heavens had stirred mixed feelings in Wang Ba. While he was happy for his friend, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy and defeat.

Sometimes he wondered: If I had switched to a Demonic Path cultivation method like Yan, would I have reached Foundation Establishment long ago?

But such emotions did not sway Wang Ba. He chose to stick to his own rhythm, advancing steadily, step by step.

Of course, feeling a little sour was unavoidable; it was only human nature.

He stood up, stretching a body grown stiff from prolonged sitting, and strolled out of the small wooden hut.

He looked out at the chicken farm, kept in meticulous order by Bu Chan. The Spirit Turtles played in the pond, and beyond the fence, the Spirit Fields were crisscrossed with footpaths. The two newly planted types of Spirit Rice had already grown to waist height, their lush green stalks pleasing to the eye.

A sense of deep satisfaction welled up in Wang Ba’s heart.

His gaze fell upon the Mountain Moving Ape, which sat cross-legged with closed eyes atop a wooden stake. His heart stirred.

“It’s time to deposit Lifespan into this Mountain Moving Ape.”

Previously, he had hesitated. The ape was new and unfamiliar; if a sudden Lifespan Breakthrough caused it to go on a rampage, Wang Ba would have been unable to stop it.

But after spending some time together, he realized this little ape wasn’t the irritable, uncontrollable type.

Still, for safety’s sake, he made a special trip to the market. After considerable trouble, he finally managed to purchase a second-tier Spirit Beast Collar, strong enough to restrain a Foundation Establishment beast.

Returning to the farm, he immediately swapped the ape’s collar.

Although the little ape looked at him with confusion, it cooperated obediently. Wang Ba had always been the one to feed it, fostering a close bond between man and beast.

Then, Wang Ba deposited Lifespan into the creature.

The exchange ratio was roughly 1:3. One year of Wang Ba’s Lifespan converted to about three years for the Mountain Moving Ape.

This was a lower efficiency than the ratio for Spirit Poultry.

After the deposit, Wang Ba allowed the ape to roam freely within the farm.

However, he soon noticed abnormalities in its behavior.

First, its appetite exploded. It quickly devoured the baskets of Green Fire Spirit Berries that Bu Chan delivered daily. Sometimes, seeing Wang Ba and Bu Chan stewing chicken soup, it would actively approach and beg for food.

It also became incredibly restless.

Usually, it would sit quietly meditating on its stake. But now, surging with energy, it snapped a wooden stake weighing several hundred jin in half and swung it around to vent its excess vigor.

Even that wasn’t enough. It began actively provoking the male Green Water Spirit Turtles and Alpha-Thirteen.

At first, perhaps because of its youth and immature body, the little ape was pinned down and bitten by the turtles or pecked full of bloody holes by Alpha-Thirteen.

But as time passed, the tables began to turn.

First, the Green Water Spirit Turtles fell. Relying on its agility, the little ape gave them a sound beating before they could react. Although the turtles’ strong defense meant the ape didn’t inflict much damage, they learned their lesson. Whenever the ape provoked them by the pond, they refused to come ashore, contenting themselves with spitting water techniques from the safety of the liquid.

Next was Alpha-Thirteen.

Alpha-Thirteen held its ground for a while, primarily due to its blinding speed, which far outstripped the ape’s. In several clashes, the ape couldn’t keep up and was nearly pecked to death.

If not for Wang Ba’s timely intervention, the rooster might have actually killed it.

But the ape’s reaction speed and strength grew daily.

A few days later, during a routine skirmish, Alpha-Thirteen failed to dodge in time. The ape, erupting with sudden violence, grabbed the rooster by the neck and slammed it into the ground repeatedly, like a ragdoll!

Again, only Wang Ba’s intervention saved Alpha-Thirteen from being bludgeoned to death.

From that day on, Alpha-Thirteen remained irritable toward everyone else but gave the little ape a wide berth.

Some more time passed.

Finally, the little ape’s appetite decreased significantly, and it returned to a quiet state. When idle, it would climb onto the broken stake and meditate like an old monk.

Its physical appearance had changed as well.

Originally only waist-high, it now stood almost as tall as Wang Ba’s shoulder. Its muscles were clearly defined under its fur, which had transformed from a dull gray to a lustrous sheen.

Wang Ba knew the Lifespan Breakthrough was complete. He quickly tested it with an Intermediate Spirit Light Talisman.

To his delight, a purple glow flickered on the paper.

“Second Rank?!”

Second Rank—equivalent to the Foundation Establishment realm!

Although it was only a Low Grade Second-Rank Spirit Beast, this meant Wang Ba finally possessed a combat asset comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If he accelerated its growth further, allowing it to pass the Minor Heavenly Thunder Tribulation, it might advance even more…

But upon careful thought, he shelved that idea.

Firstly, the commotion of a tribulation would inevitably attract attention. Although the Incense Path’s influence had waned, they were still present, and the remnants of the Eastern Sage Sect were watching from the shadows. He dared not leave the Eastern Sage outpost yet.

Secondly, as long as he stayed within the outpost, having a higher-grade ape wouldn’t make much practical difference.

It was better to wait for a suitable opportunity.

After that, life returned to a repetitive rhythm.

He commuted daily between the Spirit Water Courtyard and the chicken farm while studying the beast taming archives left by the Myriad Beast Department.

As his cultivation inched forward, his knowledge of breeding deepened.

The knowledge accumulated by the Myriad Beast Department over centuries was truly extraordinary. It covered birds, beasts, fish, and insects, detailing Bloodline Breakthrough methods for over a thousand types of low-grade Spirit Beasts.

Especially regarding Spirit Poultry derived from the Rare Fowl.

Centuries ago, when Daoist Horn-Pot led the Eastern Sage Sect, he had formulated a plan to cultivate Nascent Soul Spirit Poultry based on the Rare Fowl’s unique characteristics.

Through his efforts, a pair of Low Grade Second-Rank Spirit Poultry (Foundation Establishment) were successfully bred.

Although his successor deemed the project too costly and slow, halting it to focus on other developments, the plan was quietly revived and heavily supported when Ji Lan took over.

Thanks to this, combined with the refinement of the taming system over hundreds of years, the current Head Chamber Elder of the Myriad Beast Department had successfully cultivated a Top Grade Second-Rank Spirit Poultry—a creature at Foundation Establishment Perfection, just one step away from the Golden Core realm.

Regrettably, the documents Wang Ba had access to only preserved the method for breeding Low Grade Second-Rank Spirit Poultry.

There were mentions of breaking through to Middle Grade, but the specific ingredient ratios were vague.

Undoubtedly, the profound knowledge was held exclusively by the Elders and the Sect Leader.

“Ten-year Mountain Bees, Chicken Bone Grass processed with Spirit Water, ash of a Hundred-Year Fallen Phoenix Parasol Tree incinerated by Heavenly Fire, large amounts of blood essence extracted from Spirit Poultry… supplemented by the Myriad Beast Department’s unique unnamed Formation, nurtured by a Second-Rank Spirit Vein…”

Wang Ba stared at the record hidden in a corner of a scroll, memorizing it silently.

This was the Bloodline Cultivation method for breaking through from Top Grade First-Rank to Second Rank.

The text noted that this wasn’t the only method, but it was the only one recorded there. Wang Ba hadn’t found others yet amidst the sea of scrolls.

This method was cumbersome, requiring adjustments to ingredient ratios based on the specific bird’s condition. Acquiring the materials was also troublesome.

Wang Ba hesitated, but eventually compiled a list. He included the materials he couldn’t find, mixed with supplies for raising Spirit Turtles and dozens of decoy items to obscure his true intent. He sent the list to Bai Yu via a Sound Transmission Talisman.

After all, Bai Yu had promised that the Heavenly Gate Sect would provide resources for Spirit Poultry cultivation.

Whether it succeeded or not, Wang Ba had nothing to lose.

After sending the request, he put the matter aside and continued his dual routine of cultivation and study.

He often found unexpected surprises in the texts.

For instance, in a book titled Hundred Explanations on Turtles, he found a method for the Bloodline Purification of Spirit Turtles. It effectively prevented deformities and significantly increased the probability of Bloodline Atavism in offspring.

Wang Ba didn’t hesitate to experiment on his Yellow-Throated Spirit Turtles, Shield-Armored Giant-Headed Turtles, and Green Water Spirit Turtles. However, due to the short timeframe, he hadn’t seen significant results yet.

Other techniques yielded faster returns.

Methods for cultivating loyalty or teaching complex techniques proved effective.

Wang Ba used the department’s techniques to teach the Mountain Moving Ape. Whether due to the ape’s intelligence or the efficacy of the methods, the creature quickly mastered its innate technique, ‘Mountain Collapse and Earth Split,’ as well as two ordinary first-tier techniques: ‘Quicksand Technique’ and ‘Wood Spirit Vine Technique.’

However, the ape couldn’t learn more than that.

According to the texts, memorizing two additional ordinary techniques pushed the ape’s mental capacity to its limit. To learn more, it would need increased intelligence, a higher rank, or years of grinding practice.

Wang Ba tried teaching Alpha-Thirteen and the others, but the results were awkward. The Spirit Poultry were far less intelligent than the ape; none learned a single technique.

The male Green Water Spirit Turtles, however, successfully learned a first-tier defensive technique—’Ice Armor Technique’—further boosting their durability.

With ample test subjects and unlimited access to the sect’s archives, Wang Ba’s beast-taming skills grew rapidly. This level of privilege was something previously enjoyed only by the Eastern Sage Sect Leader and the Head Chamber Elder.

Yet, a vast number of classics remained unread.

Some time later, Wang Ba received a message from Bai Yu summoning him to the Blood Bone Hall.

“Could the materials have arrived?” Wang Ba felt a surge of excitement.

At the Blood Bone Hall, Bai Yu handed him a Storage Bag.

A quick scan revealed a large quantity of the materials from his list.

“These are the things you wanted,” Bai Yu said.

“Thank you, Senior Bai,” Wang Ba said respectfully, unable to hide his joy.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Bai Yu’s attitude seemed noticeably gentler than before.

Bai Yu waved his hand. “No need to thank me. If you really want to show gratitude, then study hard. As long as you can cultivate high-grade Spirit Poultry, everything will be fine.”

“Yes, Senior Bai. Rest assured, this Junior will do his best…”

“Not your best,” Bai Yu interrupted. “You must go all out!”

His expression turned solemn.

“Manager Lu asked me to convey a message to you and the other beast tamers. Your ultimate goal is to cultivate a Spirit Poultry capable of bearing Fan Ming’s Nascent Soul. At the very least, you must recreate the Golden Core Spirit Poultry that caused Fan Ming’s rampage that day…”

“So, a Top Grade First-Rank Spirit Poultry is merely the beginning. Every time you achieve a higher grade, you will reap significant benefits.”

“But if you cannot even survive this beginning… not only will there be no benefits, but you may also lose your life.”

“I have said enough. I believe you understand.”

Wang Ba wasn’t surprised.

He had connected the dots the moment Lu Yuansheng selected beast tamers. The brief, stunning appearance of the Golden Core Spirit Poultry in Water Controlling City had reversed the tide of battle instantly. The Heavenly Gate Sect clearly placed immense importance on replicating that success.

“Alright, go back. Make good use of these resources. This is all I could secure for you—a one-time offer. If you want more from me in the future, you’ll have to show results.”

Bai Yu seemed to shed a burden, his tone returning to its usual lukewarm indifference.

Wang Ba didn’t mind. Getting a free set of Bloodline Breakthrough materials was already a windfall.

Returning to the chicken farm, he cleared his schedule of miscellaneous tasks.

Finally, he could devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation and breeding.

…

Seven years later.