The Lang Ya Land Spirit's gaze was piercing as he evaluated Liu Chen's condition. "You used the Three Watches Gu. You clearly have no time left!" he barked, his voice echoing with a mix of mockery and concern. "Do you even know the requirements for ascending to immortality? Balancing the three qis of Heaven, Earth, and Man is a task that geniuses fail for centuries. How much Human Qi can you possibly accumulate in just twenty years? If you give me that Bone Sword recipe, I can help you survive the tribulation."
"My Human Qi has already accumulated to a point where I don't need you to worry about it," Liu Chen replied calmly, his eyes unyielding. "As for your solution, it is nothing more than using specialized Qi Path Gu to absorb the two qis of Heaven and Earth to artificially balance the ascension disaster. Forget about this recipe; it is not for sale."
Liu Chen's confidence was rooted in the fang yuan. Having inherited Fang Yuan's five hundred years of memories, he was intimately aware of every obstacle on the road to Immortal Ascension. He knew the Land Spirit's methods involved using Qi Gu as a shortcut , a method that was clever but entirely unnecessary for someone who had already walked that road once through inherited experience.
Furthermore, Liu Chen wasn't worried about his Human Qi. This resource didn't appear out of thin air; it was forged from the vicissitudes of life and the mastery of one's chosen paths. With his current status as a Master in multiple schools and the depth of a dual life experience behind him, he possessed enough foundation to trigger a massive surge of Human Qi when the time came.
"Young man, just have pity on me, an old man! On weekdays, I can only rely on refining Gu to pass the time. It is so dreadfully boring!"
Seeing that Liu Chen was unmoved by threats or logic, the Lang Ya Land Spirit suddenly splashed onto the ground. He began rolling around like a petulant child, his previously transcendent, immortal demeanor vanishing instantly.
Liu Chen's face was covered in metaphorical black lines. Faced with the Land Spirit's eccentric behavior, he was momentarily speechless. He could only take a silent sip of the tea the spirit had manifested earlier to soothe his irritation.
The Land Spirit, seeing that his tantrum was being ignored, eventually stood up and brushed the dust from his white robes. His clothing was now stained and disheveled from his antics on the floor.
"What a cold hearted young man!" the Land Spirit huffed indignantly. "You are indeed a worthy successor to that thief, Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable, hmph!"
Liu Chen turned a deaf ear to the complaints. He knew exactly how vital the Three Refinement Opportunities were. They were the most precious treasures in the blessed land and could not be squandered.
"The three opportunities left by the Demon Venerable are absolute," the Land Spirit said, his tone finally softening as he recognized Liu Chen's resolve. "If I refine a mortal Gu for you, I can guarantee success regardless of the difficulty. However, if you wish to refine an Immortal Gu, the opportunity is consumed the moment the process starts, whether it succeeds or fails. So, what exactly is it that you want to refine?"
Liu Chen remained silent for a moment, weighing his options.
"Do not worry. Although I cannot sell you the Nameless Sword Path recipes, I didn't say that other recipes were off the table," Liu Chen finally said, a glint of shrewdness appearing in his eyes. He decided to leverage the other legacies he had plundered to secure his position.
"Other recipes?" The Land Spirit's eyes lit up with renewed interest, though he quickly masked it with a serious expression. "I should warn you, the inventory of recipes I possess is already beyond counting. Unless they are truly unique, they hold little value to me."
Liu Chen smiled firmly. "I will never exchange the core of my path until I ascend to heaven. My word is final."
The Land Spirit's face turned ferocious once more. He leaned in, his aura vibrating with a terrifying intensity. "Boy, do not toast only to drink a forfeit! I have imprisoned you within this blessed land. I could torture you until you beg to reveal your secrets!"
The weight of the Land Spirit's power passed through Liu Chen's body, acting directly on his skeleton. He could hear the faint, ominous clicking of his own bones under the pressure, as if they were seconds away from snapping.
However, faced with the potential of a Gu Immortal's wrath, Liu Chen did not flinch. He straightened his back like a proud pine in a winter storm.
"I am the successor of the Heavenly Thief Demon Lord," Liu Chen said, his voice quiet but filled with absolute certainty. "If you have not fulfilled the promise of the Three Gu, your own obsessions will never allow you to harm me. You know the rules better than anyone."
Liu Chen's eyes were like lightning, locked onto the Land Spirit's gaze without an inch of retreat. The Land Spirit's face turned a bruised shade of blue and white; Liu Chen's words had stabbed him right in his vitals.
"You..." The spirit was furious, but like a deflated ball, his energy suddenly hissed out of him.
The crushing pressure on Liu Chen's shoulders evaporated instantly. The Land Spirit's attitude changed faster than the flipping of a book. He waved his hand with a bright smile, and a steaming cup of tea appeared out of thin air, floating gently toward Liu Chen.
"Young man, please, have some tea! How does it taste?"
Liu Chen looked at the cup, sighing inwardly at the spirit's bipolar nature. He took a light sip. A fresh, lingering fragrance spread through his mouth, momentarily easing his tension. "Good tea," he admitted.
Taking advantage of the break in hostilities, his gaze drifted briefly toward the Eight-Color Treasure Box still floating serenely in front of the Land Spirit. He had already secured the Nine Color chest from the stone forest the moment he had found it. This one, however, belonged to the old man before him for now. Whether it could be claimed legitimately through trade or by other means was a question he filed quietly at the back of his mind, keeping his expression perfectly neutral as he set the tea bowl back down.
"Ascension?" the Land Spirit said, his voice turning mocking again as he watched Liu Chen drink. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to become a Gu Immortal? Do you think it is something that can be done casually? If you die during the tribulation, your precious recipes will be lost to the world forever!"
Liu Chen set down the tea bowl and looked directly at the spirit. "I am confident I can reach that goal within these twenty years."
The reason for his confidence was the Three Watches Gu. While it consumed his lifespan, it granted him a speed of practice that was essentially a cheat. If he could not reach the immortal realm in twenty years of tripled time, he would simply accept his fate.
The Land Spirit saw through his state immediately. "You used the Three Watches, so you have no time at all! Balancing the qis requires immense accumulation. How many mortals can gather enough Human Qi in such a short window? If you give me that recipe, I can use my power to assist your balance."
"My Human Qi is my own concern," Liu Chen said flatly. "Your method is just using Qi Path tricks. Do not mention that recipe again."
Liu Chen was unconcerned about his Human Qi because he had fully absorbed the memories of Fang Yuan's past life. He knew the arduous trials and the profound insights required for a perfect ascension. The Land Spirit's method was merely to absorb the two qis of Heaven and Earth through Qi Gu to force a balance , a crude shortcut compared to what he had planned.
With his status as a Master of multiple paths, Liu Chen's Human Qi was already surging to a level that would shock any observer. The Flower Wine Monk's Earth Path attainment, Mu Shenjun's Wood Path wisdom, Ping Duhe and Ou Ye's Sword legacies, and now five hundred years of Fang Yuan's lived experience all of it had been slowly, inexorably shaping his Human Qi into something that most mortal cultivators could not accumulate in several lifetimes. He had no need for the Land Spirit's assistance in that regard, and no intention of explaining why.