Starting My Immortal Life by Upgrading Buildings

Chapter 124: Foundation Establishment of the Body!

However, before Ji Yuan could summon the panel, he noticed a piece of jade slowly emerging above the [Pigsty].

This jade was about the size of two fingers, displaying an attractive blue-green hue.

Was this the Runyu Fat capable of repairing magical treasures?

Even though he was currently at the Qi Refining stage, this item would still be useful for his natal magic treasures at the Foundation Establishment or even the Core Formation stage.

Therefore, this Runyu Fat was undoubtedly an excellent item!

If he used it as a gift to befriend a Core Formation cultivator, it wouldn't seem shabby at all.

With a wave of his hand, Ji Yuan had the Runyu Fat fall into his palm.

It felt cool to the touch.

Although it looked like jade, it was soft when held, deforming slightly under pressure, making it extremely comfortable to handle.

Perhaps... he should give it a try?

After some thought, Ji Yuan decided to retrieve the Hundred Fish Shield from his storage pouch.

This old companion had accompanied him through numerous battles.

Although it remained intact without any loss of functionality, its surface had accumulated some scars.

Ji Yuan summoned the Qingfu Flying Sword once more, slicing off a small piece of the Runyu Fat and placing it over the scar on the Hundred Fish Shield.

He then infused it with spiritual energy.

The Runyu Fat instantly melted, covering the scar. After a few breaths, the scar on the Hundred Fish Shield vanished without a trace.

It had recovered just like that?!

Truly effective!

It seemed that in future battles, he could fight without restraint, unafraid of damage.

Satisfied, Ji Yuan stored away the magical artifact and placed the Runyu Fat into a specialized jade box.

Since only one tael could be produced each month, he needed to use it sparingly.

After storing the Runyu Fat, Ji Yuan turned his attention to the panel.

He began examining the effects of the Level 4 [Pigsty].

[Pigsty: Lv4 (Cannot be upgraded)]

[Spiritual Effect 1: The Spiritual Pig develops blood patterns, enhancing body tempering effects; produces 1 tael of "Xuan Yang Blood Amber" monthly; the Spiritual Pig has a certain chance to produce "Chi Yang Bone" (an item of extreme yang and rigidity).]

[Spiritual Effect 2 (Nine Revolutions Xuan Yang): Upon upgrading the Pigsty, an ancient projection will emerge, containing the mysteries of the "Nine Revolutions Xuan Yang".]

[Upgrade Requirements: 600 mid-grade spirit stones; one third-grade water attribute demon core; one third-grade fire attribute demon core; 5 jin of Fire Vein Spiritual Marrow; 3 Three-Eyed Dark Beast spinal bones; 1 Taiyi Azure Light Talisman. (Not yet achieved)]

Ji Yuan repeatedly reviewed the spiritual effects and upgrade requirements of the Level 4 Pigsty.

The upgrade requirements were self-explanatory.

In a word:

Difficult!

But fortunately, there were no cultivation level restrictions, which was a relief.

As for the spiritual effects, the Level 4 Pigsty finally had two effects.

The second spiritual effect...

Based on the effects of the Level 1 to 3 Pigsties, he speculated that the "Nine Revolutions Xuan Yang" was likely a legendary body cultivation technique.

This was probably the path mentioned by the Iron Hammer Island Lord, one that allowed for further advancement in body cultivation... Ji Yuan understood this.

But why, of all places, did this body cultivation technique come from the [Pigsty]?!

He was merely cultivating his body, not intending to become a pig———

What did pigs have to do with body cultivation?!

Could it be that in the future, once he became powerful, he would be known as the "Peerless Venerable who emerged from the [Pigsty]"?

After some helpless internal complaints, Ji Yuan had no choice but to accept this reality.

Regardless of the building, as long as it could enhance his strength, it was a good building!

As for Spiritual Effect 1, the body tempering effect of the Spiritual Pig was further enhanced.

The monthly production of "Xuan Yang Blood Amber" was likely related to the "Nine Revolutions Xuan Yang" body cultivation technique.

Chi Yang Bone, an item of extreme yang and rigidity.

It was undoubtedly a valuable item, but its exact nature would require further investigation. Nevertheless, the effects of the Level 4 Pigsty resolved a significant concern for Ji Yuan.

The path of body cultivation was not a dead end!

As long as he could continue forward, it was a good path.

Moreover, according to the description of Spiritual Effect 2, the "Nine Revolutions Xuan Yang" would be transmitted through an ancient projection.

This title suggested a story behind it.

But the specifics would only be revealed once the [Pigsty] reached Level 4.

Ji Yuan wasn't in a hurry; the Level 3 [Pigsty] was sufficient for his current needs.

Having secured the Runyu Fat as a safety net, the next item was the "Aperture Tempering Pearl".

Ji Yuan instructed Tu Yue to herd the Spiritual Pigs back.

Currently, there were 14 in total, all of which had matured.

After ensuring they were all inside the [Pigsty], Ji Yuan casually decapitated one of the Spiritual Pigs with a single sword stroke. Blood spurted out, but before it could touch the ground, Ji Yuan used the Art of Object Manipulation to gather the spraying blood.

He waited until the last drop of blood had drained before tossing the blood sphere into the mouth of the large clam.

The latter swallowed it in one gulp, its eyes gleaming.

"Croak!"

Its voice carried a distinct note of joy.

The large clam had consumed pig's blood before, and quite a lot at that, but none of those instances had brought it as much joy as this one.

Could it be that the effects of the Level 3 [Pigsty] were already manifesting?

With this thought, Ji Yuan immediately dissected the Spiritual Pig.

After extracting its heart, he sliced it open with a sword.

Inside lay a blood-colored bead.

Ji Yuan took it into his hand, and just by looking at it, he could sense the rich blood energy contained within.

The Aperture Tempering Pearl—was this the pearl used to temper acupoints?

Ji Yuan had no time to concern himself with the corpse of the Spiritual Pig. He immediately returned to his cave dwelling.

After calming his mind and regulating his breath, he swallowed the Aperture Tempering Pearl in one gulp.

It was refined in an instant.

The human body possesses 361 acupoints, distributed along the twelve primary meridians and the Ren and Du channels.

The twelve primary meridians include the three yin meridians of the hand, three yang meridians of the hand, three yin meridians of the foot, and three yang meridians of the foot.

Each contains numerous acupoints.

After refining the Aperture Tempering Pearl, Ji Yuan guided the blood and qi within it towards the Zhongfu point of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian.

As soon as the blood and qi reached the Zhongfu point, Ji Yuan felt a warm and gentle sensation.

It was comforting and extremely soothing.

If body cultivation were always this pleasant, he would wish to practice it daily—just as this thought arose, the Aperture Tempering Pearl seemed to respond.

"Hiss—"

An indescribable sharp pain shot through his arm, causing Ji Yuan's face to turn pale.

Originally seated cross-legged, his body straightened abruptly, nearly causing him to collapse.

This pain was unlike the soreness or aching he experienced during his previous body cultivation under the Iron Hammer Island Lord's training.

This pain felt as though someone were stabbing his acupoints with needles.

Ji Yuan's entire body tensed, his teeth clenched tightly, and his fists gripped firmly.

Fortunately, the stabbing pain lasted only a breath or two before gradually subsiding.

Ji Yuan then felt that the strength in his arm had increased slightly.

Tempering the acupoints.

Tempering just one acupoint wouldn't have much effect; he needed to temper an entire meridian to feel the benefits.

But Ji Yuan had a different plan.

He intended to temper all 361 acupoints in his body at once!

Better to endure intense pain briefly than prolonged discomfort.

Moreover, tempering the acupoints should be done in one go for optimal results.

The only challenge was acquiring several hundred Spiritual Pigs at once.

Ji Yuan estimated that even if he gathered all the Spiritual Piglets from the markets around the Yunyu Marshlands, it might not be enough.

Also, focusing solely on the Yunyu Marshlands could attract unwanted attention.

Therefore, he considered breeding them himself, but that would take too long.

The best approach was to purchase them directly—even if it meant traveling farther and visiting multiple locations.

With this decision made, he acted immediately.

In the following period, Ji Yuan even set aside his regular cultivation.

After all, cultivating for several more years wouldn't necessarily lead to Foundation Establishment, but with sufficient Aperture Tempering Pearls, he could achieve physical Foundation Establishment swiftly.

First, he spent a month visiting every market in the Yunyu Marshlands.

Each time, he carefully disguised himself and bought only a few piglets to avoid suspicion.

In total, he acquired 134 Spiritual Piglets.

He estimated that if he had been more aggressive, he could have gathered all 361 needed from the Yunyu Marshlands alone.

But that would have been too conspicuous.

Ji Yuan preferred to spend more time and travel farther to avoid drawing attention.

Subsequently, he spent over two months visiting nearby cities: Linshui City, Heishan City, and Hongye City.

This was his first time traveling so far, and he gained much experience and knowledge.

While in Heishan City, he coincidentally encountered a Spiritual Pig breeder clearing out his stock.

The cultivator claimed that raising pigs wasn't profitable and decided to learn alchemy instead.

Ji Yuan, under the pretense of starting a "Spiritual Pig farm," purchased over a hundred pigs from him in one go.

He even rented the breeder's premises using spirit stones.

Afterward, he transported the pigs he had acquired from nearby cities to this location instead of sending them to Misty Island.

Using the guise of establishing a pig farm made his activities more discreet and less likely to arouse suspicion.

Once he had gathered over 380 Spiritual Pigs, he activated the building's effect and, over the course of one night, slaughtered them all!

He dissected each one, extracting the Aperture Tempering Pearls from their hearts.

Due to the pigs' bodies being imbued with the building's effect and possessing body-tempering properties, Ji Yuan didn't dare sell them.

To manage this, he had prepared several storage pouches specifically for storing the pig carcasses.

Thus, a peculiar incident occurred in Heishan City—a luxurious cultivator who had raised several hundred Spiritual Pigs vanished overnight, along with all the pigs.

It was as if they had disappeared into thin air.

This news only surfaced half a month later when the original owner of the premises came to collect rent.

The person had fled, and even the pigs were gone.

Some speculated that a Core Formation cultivator was playing around; others believed a great demon in human form had devoured all the pigs in one bite.

Various theories circulated.

But none of this concerned Ji Yuan.

He had already returned to Misty Island.

"Eat—"

"If it doesn't kill you, keep eating!"

Ji Yuan sat atop an ancient tree, instructing the large clam to open its mouth as he continuously fed it Spiritual Pigs.

One after another.

With several hundred pigs in total, it would take Ji Yuan ages to consume them all himself.

Therefore, he had to rely on the large clam.

Moreover, Ji Yuan was curious to see if consuming the Spiritual Pig meat would help the large clam break through.

For instance, advancing from mid-stage to late-stage Tier 2.

If that were possible, even if the large clam consumed all the pig carcasses, it would be worthwhile.

Having a demon beast equivalent to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding his home would allow Ji Yuan to feel at ease wherever he went.

Ji Yuan considered that if he encountered any trouble outside, such as provoking a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, he could lure them here, and the giant clam would serve as his trump card.

However, this would be somewhat taxing for the giant clam.

It had never imagined that eating meat could become such a burdensome task.

Seeing it devour over a dozen Spiritual Pigs in one go, its belly bulging and eyes filled with a pleading look, Ji Yuan finally decided to give it a break.

The main reason was that after resting for half a day, Ji Yuan himself was ready to make a breakthrough.

Having already delayed for so long in purchasing Spiritual Pigs, now that he had finally gathered enough Marrow Tempering Pearls, he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

Delays could lead to unforeseen changes.

It was essential to convert resources into strength promptly.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Ji Yuan stood up from the tree, gestured to the giant clam, and after some effort, made it understand his intentions.

Novel Updates

With the giant clam guarding him, Ji Yuan felt at ease proceeding with his breakthrough.

Half a stick of incense later, Ji Yuan, bare-chested, sat inside his Cave Dwelling.

In front of him was a jade plate containing over three hundred Marrow Tempering Pearls.

Each orb was a vibrant red, resembling a plate full of cherry tomatoes, quite pleasing to the eye.

However, recalling the pain from the last time he tempered his acupoints, Ji Yuan no longer found these orbs endearing.

Taking a deep breath, he activated his spiritual sense, and a Marrow Tempering Pearl flew into his mouth.

Within a few breaths, he let out a muffled groan, clenching his teeth tightly.

Fortunately, the pain lasted only a few breaths before subsiding like receding tides.

But Ji Yuan didn't relish the calm after the pain; instead, he consumed one orb after another.

During the first dozen or so, the pain was unbearable.

But after those, the pain seemed to lessen significantly.

After several dozen, the pain became almost negligible.

After a hundred, Ji Yuan had become numb.

He continued to consume the orbs one after another.

Gradually, his qi and blood seemed overly abundant, or perhaps too domineering, pushing out some impure blood through his pores.

His entire body turned a deep red.

He didn't pay it much mind, as the expelled blood quickly dried into scabs due to the heat emanating from his body.

However, this meant that after consuming each Marrow Tempering Pearl, he had to wait quite a while.

As he consumed more orbs, Ji Yuan felt increasingly bloated.

It felt as if he might explode at any moment.

Eventually, he could barely refine one orb a day, prompting him to halt the process.

Continuing like this wasn't feasible; it was too slow.

With forty to fifty orbs remaining, even at one per day, it would take several weeks.

To expedite the digestion of his qi and blood, the only method Ji Yuan could think of was the hammer technique taught by the Iron Hammer Island Lord.

Although he lacked a hammer, practicing the technique as a fist method was still viable.

With this thought, Ji Yuan stood up and tore off the blood cocoon enveloping his body.

At this moment, if anyone were present, they could visibly see the blood energy swirling around Ji Yuan's body.

He felt an unprecedented surge of strength, believing that a casual punch could kill the giant clam—though that was probably an exaggeration.

Clenching his fists, even his breath felt scorching hot.

With a low shout, he threw a punch, and the sounds of his punches echoed continuously within the narrow cave.

As he practiced the fist technique, Ji Yuan felt a significant relief within his body.

It was akin to the satisfaction of digesting a heavy meal.

Thus, he continued this cycle of practice and consumption.

The speed of tempering his acupoints gradually improved, allowing him to refine several orbs a day.

After another half a month, only three Marrow Tempering Pearls remained in the jade plate, and his refining speed had decreased to one per day.

But that was acceptable; for the final few, a slower pace was fine.

After one day, two remained.

After two days, only one was left.

Staring at the last Marrow Tempering Pearl in the jade plate, Ji Yuan, enduring the bloated pain within, swallowed it.

The final untempered acupoint was the Mingmen point on the Du meridian.

Located on the back at the level of the navel, due to its unique position, Ji Yuan had saved it for last.

But even the last one had to be tempered.

As a familiar sharp pain emerged, Ji Yuan felt his entire qi and blood come alive.

Without any conscious effort, his qi and blood began circulating throughout his body.

Listening closely, one could hear the gurgling sounds of blood flowing.

His entire body's qi and blood flowed like rivers!

Suddenly, a powerful aura burst forth from Ji Yuan, shattering the blood scabs on the ground.

His previously closed eyes snapped open, revealing crimson pupils, resembling a ferocious beast on the verge of eruption.

On Misty Island, the giant clam, previously dozing, sensed something and shivered.

It quickly turned to look towards Ji Yuan's Cave Dwelling.

Initially fearful, it then became aggressive, seemingly ready to charge, but upon sensing the aura clearly, it grew joyful.

It suppressed the urge to shout.

"Bang—"

A dull thud echoed.

"Thud—"

Ji Yuan, bare-chested, stepped out of the cave, looking at the massive stone he had effortlessly kicked into the Yunyu Marshlands, revealing a satisfied smile.

This boulder blocking the entrance weighed at least several hundred pounds.

No wonder they said that once the body was as strong as diamond, one could rival the Foundation Establishment stage.

With this kind of strength, which Foundation Establishment cultivator skilled in close combat could take a punch from him?

His strength had reached such a level—what about his speed?

Ji Yuan, emerging from beneath the mountain wall, looked up at the cliff above. Then, his legs bent slightly, and he suddenly burst into motion.

"Boom—"

The ground trembled slightly, and Ji Yuan’s figure shot up like a cannonball. He tapped lightly a few times along the cliff wall and swiftly ascended to the top.

Standing there, Ji Yuan willed the mist formation of the area to disperse slightly.

As the mist cleared, the morning sun poured down from the horizon.

Under the sunlight, the mist seemed to transform into streaks of violet qi.

With his upper body bare and long black hair flowing freely, Ji Yuan gazed at the scene before him, barely resisting the urge to let out a long howl.

Finally, he leaped high into the air from the cliff top.

He didn’t use his full strength—only leapt a few dozen meters before falling straight back to the ground.

"Bang—"

With a loud crash, Ji Yuan pulled himself out from the soil.

Looking at the wide-eyed giant frog in front of him, he laughed heartily and said:

"Come on, Brother Frog, let’s have a good bout today!"

Before the giant frog could react, Ji Yuan had already charged at it with a punch.

The frog wasn’t too big or too small, and its strength was neither too strong nor too weak for Ji Yuan at the moment.

Perfect for practice and tempering the physical body he had just suddenly enhanced.

So, man and frog began to brawl on the misty island.

Ancient trees collapsed one after another, and the ground was plowed by Ji Yuan into deep trenches again and again.

Half an hour passed.

Ji Yuan finally crawled out of a crater he'd been smashed into, panting and waving his hand as he said, "No more, no more."

The frog, having been driven into a frenzy by the fight, landed before him but didn’t strike again.

Ji Yuan felt miserable, and the giant frog wasn’t much better off.

Though it had strong physical strength, it was sluggish in movement. Ji Yuan relied on his agility to engage it at close range continuously.

His hammer-like fists rained down on its body like a torrential storm.

Now, the giant frog was aching all over, with many parts of its body bruised and torn by Ji Yuan’s blows.

Fortunately, it had thick skin and tough flesh.

No big deal.

A few days of rest and it would be fine.

If there were some Spiritual Pig meat to eat... that would speed things up even more!

During the month-plus period when Ji Yuan was in closed-door cultivation and breakthrough, the frog had finished digesting all the Spiritual Pig meat, and its belly had since become empty again.

"Croak—"

It called out to Ji Yuan’s back, its voice carrying a hint of desolation.

Back in his Cave Dwelling, Ji Yuan first changed into his Daoist robe and cleaned himself thoroughly.

He then felt a sense of unprecedented clarity and smoothness throughout his body.

Especially after the all-out battle with the giant frog, the initial unfamiliarity with his own body had completely vanished.

Now, whether in strength or speed, he was once again fully in control.

Just thinking about his current power, Ji Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Forget about outsiders—even he hadn’t expected he’d one day achieve a body-based Foundation Establishment.

Even on his way to Iron Hammer Island’s lord, Ji Yuan had only felt that his body had gotten a bit stronger. He had never imagined that his physique alone could reach Foundation Establishment strength.

Well then.

Now it had happened.

Ji Yuan had already started envisioning future fights—starting with spells against opponents.

If spells could kill, then use spells.

If not, he’d close the distance, and upon approaching, explode with power and take down the enemy with brute force!

After all, a physique-based Foundation Establishment... who would expect that?

Based on Iron Hammer Island Lord’s situation, Ji Yuan surmised that perhaps not a single person in the entire Water Dragon Sect had achieved Foundation Establishment through the body.

Perhaps even across the whole Cangluo Continent, such cases were rare.

That was for the best—if no one else could do it, and only he could.

To have what others didn’t—that was the true trump card.

This secret must be kept hidden. If it ever came to using his physique in battle, he’d have to eliminate all witnesses—never letting the secret of his body-based Foundation Establishment leak out.

Otherwise, even Core Formation cultivators might grow curious.

Then there was that second-rank movement technique “Shadow Follows Form” he had obtained on the misty island. He hadn’t been able to cultivate it before, but now that his body had reached Foundation Establishment...

He could give it a try and see if he could get started with it.

Having thought his situation through, Ji Yuan stepped out of the Cave Dwelling feeling refreshed.

With his breakthrough complete, the next step was to try helping the giant frog achieve one too.