Longevity through Upgrading Buildings

“Not good, the Nascent Soul has emerged!!”

At that moment, Ji Yuan was both shocked and delighted.

Delighted that he had actually succeeded in coalescing a Nascent Soul, shocked that… the Heart Demon Tribulation was coming.

Thus, when this perspective emerged, Ji Yuan immediately consumed the remaining Nascent Soul Fruit and the Sacred Heart Lotus Seed simultaneously.

The Nascent Soul Fruit transformed into pure energy, repairing various injuries on his body.

Especially the previously damaged Dantian.

In just a few breaths, Ji Yuan’s injuries were swept away, restoring him to peak condition.

As for the Sacred Heart Lotus Seed, after consuming it, it did not get refined immediately but rather took root in Ji Yuan’s void, its released azure aura continuously stabilizing his mind.

Meanwhile, the new figure appearing in his Dantian had a satisfied smile at the corner of its mouth, saying:

“You even have Nascent Soul Fruit and Sacred Heart Lotus Seed, heh, you truly are my true self.”

“No matter how many tactics you have, can they withstand the deepest… fear in your heart?”

“…”

“I’ll come again tomorrow, and if you continue to postpone the Immortal Residence fees this month, you should get out of our Zengtou City.”

Cloud Rain Marsh, Zengtou City, lakeside cabin.

Ji Yuan listened to this voice by his ear and saw the black-robed figure leaving in front of him, stunned for a moment.

… Is this Zengtou City?

I’ve returned?!

No, this is the Heart Demon, these are all illusions, meant to deceive my heart!

Ji Yuan instantly became alert, subconsciously wanting to break free from the Illusion Realm.

“Alright, stop wasting effort, crossing the tribulation should be done properly; if you succeed, it’s your blessing, if you fail… that’s also your blessing.”

Ji Yuan’s ears echoed with that Nascent Soul’s voice again.

This helped him calm down gradually.

Heart Demon.

What exactly is my Heart Demon?

As Ji Yuan stood at the door pondering, the gate of the neighboring courtyard creaked open, revealing a figure holding an old smoking pipe.

“Brother Ji, why not borrow some from Liu Lai first and pay the Immortal Residence fees.”

“Otherwise, with your second-layer Qi Cultivation, leaving Zengtou City might mean a dead end for you.”

Ji Yuan glanced at the figure long dead, blinked, and said:

“Alright, I’ll go borrow from him now.”

Old Man Huang heard this and was overjoyed.

But just when he thought he could get a cut and a few Spirit Stones for free, he saw Ji Yuan resolutely returning to his own courtyard gate.

“Borrow? Ha, finding a chance to kill Liu Lai is better.”

Entering the door, Ji Yuan instinctively swiped his hand, but the wooden door didn’t close the way he imagined.

He paused, realizing he couldn’t use the Artifact Manipulation Technique.

“Hehe.”

With a bitter smile, he reluctantly stepped forward to close the door himself.

As for panic, there was no reason for panic in his heart, as long as the panel remained, even if it was a Heart Demon illusion, so what?

As he thought, he wanted to summon his panel to take a look, but suddenly he discovered…

The panel was gone?

“How’s it? Scared now?”

The Heart Demon’s voice this time echoed directly in Ji Yuan’s mind.

“You actually know, too. The reason you’ve reached today, to meet me, is all thanks to that panel of yours. Without the panel, what are you, Ji Yuan?”

“Old Demon Ji, Ji Celestial Venerable, bah!”

“You’re just a useless fisherman on the shores of Cloud Rain Marsh, an orphan without parents meant to die!”

“Know what Old Man Huang often says?”

“Cloud Rain Marsh will have another pitiful Drowned Ghost… Your way back and path forward, there’s only this one!”

Listening to these words in his mind, Ji Yuan’s mood remained unruffled, responding blandly:

“With or without the panel, I am Ji Yuan.”

Afterward, he walked into the room on his own.

The panel was gone, but memories were still intact, with myriad techniques and countless tactics, still afraid of not standing firm in Cloud Rain Marsh?

Meanwhile, his mind echoed again with the Heart Demon’s sinister laughter.

Back inside, Ji Yuan prepared to cultivate… but he had no Spirit Stones, no Elixirs, relying solely on absorbing the scattered Spiritual Qi in the heavens and earth, no knowing when he could break through.

“To gain the first bucket of gold on the path of cultivation, either go fishing or become a talisman-making apprentice in Zengtou City, then save enough Spirit Stones to buy a Talisman Brush and start anew…”

While Ji Yuan was contemplating, a voice called from the door.

“This voice is… Lin Youwei?”

Ji Yuan paused, recalling who this person was, Lin Hu’s father next door, Lin Youwei.

Although knowing these were illusions created by the Heart Demon, Ji Yuan had no choice but to face them.

As he reached the door and opened it, he saw Lin Youwei’s gloomy face.

“Ji, the Spirit Stones you owe me, it’s time to pay up.”

“What?!”

Ji Yuan was startled, having never owed Lin Youwei Spirit Stones before his crossing or after.

“What, and the Spirit Stones borrowed for your father’s funeral? Talk nicely when borrowing Spirit Stones, but now you’ve learned to deny debt?”

Lin Youwei became increasingly angry as he spoke, ultimately taking direct action.

As he raised his hand, a deep blue water ball appeared in front of him, and he pushed it forcefully.

Ji Yuan naturally thought of evading, even subconsciously instantly casting a Water Shield Technique.

But even so, as someone only at the second layer of Qi Cultivation, he was no match for Lin Youwei, who was at the fourth layer.