Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

Chapter 189 Mysterious Withered Branch

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The strange, withered branch seemed inconspicuous, yet it exuded an ancient aura that seemed capable of devouring everything.

Although he didn't know what it was, Chen Xu felt a faint stirring of longing emanating from the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" he was cultivating.

Zhou Caisheng followed Chen Xu's gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and a hint of surprise flashed deep in his eyes.

"Young Master Xu has sharp eyes!" Zhou Caisheng exclaimed in admiration, nimbly guiding Chen Xu closer to the two floating treasures.

He pointed to the fist-sized piece of jade: "This is the Profound Yin Soul-Condensing Jade, a fourth-grade superior spiritual material, produced in the extremely Yin region of the outer sea."

"It is an unparalleled treasure for tempering the soul! Its value is so great that even Nascent Soul cultivators would be envious."

Chen Xu was somewhat surprised to hear this, not expecting that Zhou Caisheng had only mentioned the effect of the Xuan Yin Ning Po Jade in tempering the soul.

Could it be that he... didn't know that the Profound Yin Soul-Condensing Jade could help ghost cultivators break through to the Nascent Soul stage?

After a moment's thought, Chen Xu didn't say much. He turned his gaze to another item and slowly began to speak:

"These withered branches..."

"Oh, this?" Zhou Caisheng said, his smile unchanged, as he introduced it.

"The Chamber of Commerce's expert appraisers debated the origin of this withered branch for a long time, and in the end, they could only determine that it was the remains of some extremely ancient sacred tree."

"Although it contains a trace of the primordial chaos, its specific effects are unknown, and its internal life force is almost completely cut off, making it extremely difficult to regenerate."

"Therefore, its value is unclear; it's mostly kept as a collectible in a vault. I never expected young friend Xu to be interested in it. Do you know its origin?"

Chen Xu sneered inwardly. This Zhou Caisheng truly lived up to his reputation as a chamber of commerce deacon; his words were impeccable, and his praise and criticism were perfectly timed.

He shook his head slightly, his tone calm: "Senior Zhou is joking. Such a rare item is difficult even for the masters of the Chamber of Commerce to determine. How could a junior like me, with my limited knowledge, possibly know its specific origin?"

He changed the subject, his gaze returning to the withered branch with a hint of inquiry and curiosity: "However, I do have a vague feeling about this withered branch, and I feel that it may be destined for me. Since it is a collectible, the Chamber of Commerce must already have its price."

He cut to the chase, pointing directly to the two platforms, and said, "I'll exchange these two items for the complete formula for the Dragon Transformation Elixir. What does Senior Zhou think?"

Zhou Caisheng had an artistic air about him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

In his view, the dead branch had been identified with no results for many years, and placing it in the treasure vault was just taking up space.

Chen Xu was willing to exchange it for something; it was practically free.

However, now that Chen Xu had brought it up, Zhou Caisheng wasn't foolish enough to think that Chen Xu was truly unaware of it.

This withered branch must have a significant history...

Thinking of this, Zhou Caisheng's smile grew even brighter, and he rubbed his hands together, saying, "Oh dear, since you have such discerning eyes and seem to have a connection with these two items, how could I possibly refuse?"

"This withered branch was found by the Chamber of Commerce at great expense in its early years from an ancient site, and it is one of the treasures in their collection."

"Young friend, you think you can exchange a withered branch and a Profound Yin Soul-Gathering Jade for a mere Dragon Transformation Elixir formula? That seems a bit... insufficient."

As he spoke, he rubbed his fingers together, his gaze fixed on Chen Xu's face.

Trying to catch a clue from their expression.

He was betting that Chen Xu was determined to get that withered branch, which would give the Chamber of Commerce more advantages.

Chen Xu listened quietly, a cold smile playing on his lips.

As expected, the old fox became suspicious and tried to take the opportunity to raise the price.

However, considering Zhou Caisheng's previous act of kindness in helping him resolve some troubles, Chen Xu didn't mind giving up some benefits to maintain good relations with the Meteorite Chamber of Commerce.

"Senior Zhou has been a great help to me, stepping forward to help me during the Dan Tribulation. I will always remember this kindness."

"Today's transaction is also to express my gratitude for the help I received from my seniors."

Chen Xu paused for a moment, then continued, "How about this, I'd like to add another thousand-year-old spiritual herb in exchange for these two items. What do you say, Senior Zhou?"

Upon hearing Chen Xu suggest adding a thousand-year-old medicinal herb, Zhou Caisheng was overjoyed.

"Oh dear! Young friend Xu, you're too kind!"

Zhou Caisheng rubbed his hands together, his tone warm: "Young friend, not only are you exceptionally talented and possess outstanding strength, but your magnanimity and straightforwardness are also deeply appreciated!"

Fearing that Chen Xu might change his mind, he quickly agreed: "Then it's a deal. We'll use this Xuan Yin Ning Po Jade and this piece... the remains of an ancient strange tree."

"In exchange, I will receive your Dragon Transformation Elixir formula and a thousand-year-old spiritual herb."

Zhou Caisheng's fingers moved rapidly in the air, and two streaks of light flew towards the two floating platforms.

The soft light shield enveloping the treasure dissipated instantly, and the Xuan Yin Ning Po Jade and the chaotic gray-white withered branch immediately lost their support and fell downwards.

Zhou Caisheng was prepared. With a flick of his sleeve, two gentle streams of spiritual energy rolled out, precisely supporting the two treasures and steadily delivering them to Chen Xu.

"Young friend, please."

Chen Xu remained calm and first reached out to touch the Xuan Yin Ning Po Jade.

The touch was icy cold, and an extremely pure Yin energy instantly seeped into his fingertips, causing his spiritual power to stagnate slightly.

After confirming that everything was correct, he put the Xuan Yin Ning Po Jade into the jade box he had prepared beforehand and affixed a sealing talisman.

This time, he did not touch it directly, but instead used his divine sense to carefully probe it.

The withered branch resembled a stubborn rock that had been silent for thousands of years, devoid of any vitality, and not even a trace of spiritual energy could be detected.

However, when his consciousness sank into it, trying to explore its interior, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, swallowed and dissolved by a chaotic aura, unable to reach the bottom.

The spiritual power cultivated by the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" did indeed produce a very faint resonance the moment it came into contact with the withered branch, but then it fell silent again, as if it had just been an illusion.

Chen Xu's mind raced, but he remained outwardly calm. He carefully put the item away and placed it in another specially made jade box that isolated it from the aura.

"The treasure is indeed genuine. Thank you for your help, Senior Zhou," Chen Xu nodded.

"Haha, I'm glad you're satisfied, young friend!" Zhou Caisheng's smile widened upon seeing this.

"And your pill formula and elixirs, young friend..."

Chen Xu didn't hesitate. He flipped his hand and took out a blank jade slip, then stuck it to his forehead.

His divine sense instantly flooded into the jade slip, clearly imprinting the key information such as the refining method of the Dragon Transformation Guide and the required materials into it.

The whole process took only a few breaths. After it was completed, he did not immediately hand the jade slip to Zhou Caisheng.

Instead, he took out a jade box covered with numerous spirit-sealing talismans from his storage ring.

Uncover the talisman, and the box lid opens a crack, instantly releasing a rich and pure fragrance of herbs and trees.

As a deacon of the Chamber of Commerce, Zhou Caisheng had an exceptionally sharp eye and recognized the extraordinary nature of this medicinal herb at a glance.

"Excellent!" Zhou Caisheng's eyes lit up, and he eagerly reached out his hands to take the jade slip and jade box that Chen Xu handed over.

He carefully closed the jade box before eagerly probing the jade slip with his divine sense.

A quick scan with his divine sense revealed the incredibly detailed information about the pill formulas in the novel "Proving Immortality Through Hextech Runes," which was currently causing a reading frenzy on Cola Novels. The information immediately put Zhou Caisheng at ease, leaving him with no more doubts.

Zhou Caisheng's smile became much more sincere: "Young friend, rest assured, the Meteorite Merchant Guild will definitely keep its promise and will never leak this pill formula!"

The transaction was completed, and both parties got what they needed. Zhou Caisheng personally and attentively escorted Chen Xu out of the treasure vault, chatting and laughing all the way, his attitude even more warm and respectful than before.

"Young friend, if you ever need anything in the future, whether it's collecting materials or dealing with things that are inconvenient to sell, feel free to come to the Merchant Guild! The doors of the Meteorite Merchant Guild are always open for you!"

As he escorted Zhou Caisheng to the gate of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, he patted his chest and assured them.

"Senior Zhou, you're too kind. This transaction was pleasant. I hope we'll meet again someday." Chen Xu nodded slightly, said no more, and transformed into a streak of light, returning directly to his floating island cave.

Looking in the direction where Chen Xu disappeared, Zhou Caisheng's smile gradually faded, and a hint of inquiry and seriousness flashed in his eyes.

He muttered to himself, "This boy... is unfathomable..."

……

Upon returning to his cave, Chen Xu immediately handed the Profound Yin Soul-Gathering Jade to Qingling in his Beast Taming Space.

Qingling took the jade box, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and then she couldn't wait to start refining it.

Next, Chen Xu took out the chaotic gray-white withered branch and placed it in the array in the center of the quiet room.

As he formed hand seals, streams of pure spiritual energy were tentatively injected into it.

The withered branches remained silent and lifeless, showing no reaction. The faint resonance that had just occurred in the Chamber of Commerce's treasury seemed to have been nothing more than an illusion.

But he was not discouraged. He enveloped the withered branch with his powerful divine sense, probing and sensing it inch by inch...

Seven days passed quickly.

Chen Xu sat cross-legged at the eye of the spirit-gathering array, with a plain, unremarkable, chaotic gray-white withered branch floating in front of him.

He tried various methods, but the withered branch remained as lifeless as an inanimate object.

"It seems that uncovering the secret of this withered branch won't be easy..."

Chen Xu pondered to himself. The aura of these withered branches and the connection to the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" were no coincidence.

Perhaps... we could try watering it with the Elixir of Abundance to see if it can revitalize it...

Then, on a whim, he took out a drop of abundant spiritual liquid and dripped it onto the cracked bark of the withered branch.

The emerald green liquid rolled down the lotus leaf like dewdrops, lingered briefly on the surface of the withered branch, but was not absorbed; instead, it tended to slide off.

"No effect?" Chen Xu frowned slightly, about to try again.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Deep within the withered branches, in the chaotic gray-white background, a faint will seemed to be awakened by this pure essence of life.

A tiny, almost imperceptible, chaotic point of light, somewhere between gray and white, quietly shone deep within the bark where the spiritual liquid had come into contact.

hum...

Countless fine and mysterious textures suddenly appeared on the surface of the withered branches.

These textures flicker and shimmer like breathing, exuding an ancient, chaotic aura.

At the same time, a low, deep dragon roar faintly emanated from Chen Xu's body.

A strong sense of longing emanated from the source of the cultivation technique, its target being that withered branch.

"The resonance has intensified!" Chen Xu's spirits lifted, a feeling far exceeding the faint throbbing he experienced in the treasure vault.

Without hesitation, he immediately activated the "Mysterious Water Dragon Awakening Technique," carefully probing a wisp of pure spiritual energy into the withered branch.

The withered branch was filled with an indescribable chaotic energy, slow and viscous, like solidified spacetime.

As soon as Chen Xu's Xuan Shui spiritual power entered, it was immediately enveloped and worn down by this chaotic energy, as if it were about to be decomposed and assimilated.

However, the unique characteristics of the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" become apparent at this moment.

The deep blue spiritual energy was exceptionally resilient; although it was being worn down, it did not dissipate instantly.

Instead, it was like a nimble dragon, struggling to navigate through this chaotic sea.

Chen Xu felt his divine sense being rapidly depleted along with this wisp of spiritual power, but he was completely focused, capturing every subtle change that occurred when the chaotic energy came into contact with the Xuan Shui spiritual power.

"Water... is the source of all things, and can encompass all things... Chaos seems to be the beginning of all things... Could it be...?"

A sudden realization flashed through his mind, as if he had touched upon a deeper level of the profound meaning of the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique," but this feeling was so mysterious and elusive that it was difficult to grasp.

The chaotic energy inside the withered branch spun like a nebula, and Chen Xu's Xuan Shui spiritual power swam within it like a dragon. Each time it was worn down, it brought excruciating pain that tore at his soul.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he finally grasped that fleeting insight.

"Water embraces all things, and chaos gives birth to life... Could the 'Dragon Awakening Technique' seek to awaken the dragon by using water as a bridge to trace back to that primordial essence of chaos at the source of our bloodline?"

Thinking of this, the cracked bark on the withered branch suddenly lit up, and the gray-white chaotic light spots turned into vortexes, which began to actively devour Chen Xu's Xuan Shui spiritual power.

"Not good!" Chen Xu immediately cut off the supply of spiritual energy, but the withered branch had already absorbed nearly 30% of the spiritual energy. A wisp of chaotic energy flowed from the cracks on its surface, slowly seeping into the meridians of his palm.

Wherever the chaotic airflow passed, the spiritual energy began to collapse in reverse, and the sea of ​​qi churned and seemed about to burst.

Chen Xu grunted and used all his strength to suppress it with the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique".

The dark, mysterious water, carrying the dragon's might, met the chaotic airflow. The two forces clashed and struggled within his meridians, each collision causing his body to tremble violently.

At this critical moment, a wisp of true dragon intent, awakened by chaos, suddenly roared within Chen Xu's body.

An invisible dragon's roar reverberated from Chen Xu's body, and frost instantly froze on the floor of the quiet room.

The chaotic energy seemed to have encountered a natural enemy, and its ferocity subsided slightly.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the dark black water launched a counterattack, forcibly refining the wisps of chaotic energy.

boom!!

Chen Xu shuddered; the bottleneck of the late Foundation Establishment stage had loosened slightly.

The refined chaotic energy flow transformed into pure energy and flowed into the Qi Sea. Grayish-white light spots appeared in the liquid spiritual power, and the weight of the Xuan Water increased by 30%.

What surprised Chen Xu even more was that the range of his divine sense had exceeded the limit of sixty miles.

Its spiritual sense is much higher than that of an ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator.

"Using chaos to refine the profound water, nourishing oneself... this withered branch is actually a supreme treasure to aid cultivation!"

Chen Xu suppressed his shock and stared intently at the withered branch. The cracks on its surface had faded, clearly indicating that the recent anomaly had depleted its accumulated power.

Then, Chen Xu took out another drop of abundant spiritual liquid and dripped it onto the withered branch.

This time, the crack greedily sucked in the liquid, and the withered branch trembled slightly, emitting a thirsty urge.

Without hesitation, Chen Xu poured in all the remaining grain, and now there wasn't a single drop left.

The withered branches, like parched land receiving timely rain, lost some of their grayish-white color, revealing a faint bronze luster, and the desire to devour spiritual energy was temporarily quelled.

"Haste makes waste. I don't have much more abundant spiritual liquid right now, so I need to proceed slowly with this."

Chen Xu put away the withered branch and took out a cold jade bottle.

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