Chapter 288: Supplementing Longevity Pills, Longevity Pills, Turtle Longevity Pills

“Wanyou, it really was the combat victor! I was still doubting it, but I saw him when he took off his mask,” one of Shi Wanyou’s roommates, a girl with golden shoulder-length hair, said excitedly, gripping her hand after Chen Mobai and Yu Rulin had left.

“I ran into him on the way here. He still remembered me, and since he had something to ask someone from the Longevity Academy, we came together,” Shi Wanyou said, her mood low after Chen Mobai’s departure, losing her earlier cheerfulness.

“Oh, I see,” her two other roommates said, also looking disappointed.

“I heard him say he would look for you when he’s free and even buy you lip balm,” an elegant girl with long black hair reaching her waist suddenly spoke up. She cultivated a hearing-enhancing technique, and Chen Mobai hadn’t tried to conceal his voice, so she easily overheard him.

“Those were just polite words. Given his status, I probably won’t get another chance to meet him,” Shi Wanyou said, her spirits low.

***

Meanwhile, Yu Rulin and Chen Mobai had already begun conversing amiably.

After realizing that the person seeking his advice was the Chief Disciple of the Weapon Arts Academy, Yu Rulin’s attitude completely changed.

As a student who had managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage among the hundred and twenty academies, Yu Rulin considered his talent exceptional. Had it not been for the death of his dearest elder before the college entrance exam, which caused him mental distress and led to underperformance, he could have easily entered one of the Ten Great Sects, even if he couldn't get into the Four Great Daoist Academies.

Therefore, while Yu Rulin held a certain respect for those from the Four Great Daoist Academies and Ten Great Sects, he believed he was no less talented than them. However, if the comparison was with Chen Mobai, the combat victor, it was entirely different. This was a true monstrous genius. "I am nowhere near his level!" This was Yu Rulin’s heartfelt sigh after watching the live broadcast of the Little Crimson Heaven event. He believed he could match the average Foundation Establishment true cultivators from the Four Great Daoist Academies and Ten Great Sects, but compared to those of Chief Disciple rank, he felt truly inadequate. And Chen Mobai, being the most brilliant among this year's Chief Disciples, was someone he was even further beneath.

It was precisely for this reason that Yu Rulin felt greatly honored to offer guidance to such a figure.

“It's like this, Senior Chen. Let's elaborate using the previous example. Consider innate lifespan as a container. Filling it with water or emptying it is very easy. However, if you want to remake the container to be larger, meaning to increase one's lifespan, that becomes extremely difficult.”

Chen Mobai nodded in understanding. Just then, a waitress in a black and white maid uniform, with a professional smile, served two cups of coffee and desserts. For a moment, he found himself drawn to her skirt, which barely covered her shapely rear, and her long legs clad in silky black stockings.

“Just like this cup of coffee: after we drink it, refilling it is simple. But if I wanted to drink two cups' worth at once, and was only allowed to use this single cup, they couldn't fulfill my request. Unless this cup was melted down and recast into a larger one.” To emphasize his point, Yu Rulin quickly drank all the coffee in his cup, then pointed to the empty vessel and continued his explanation.

“This is the research topic at our Longevity Academy: increasing the container's capacity. And 'dying of old age' represents the problem of the container's capacity gradually shrinking with time. This is irreversible because it involves the rules of time. All we can do is make the container larger, even infinitely large, until it reaches eternal life, before its capacity completely dwindles to zero.”

“Lifespan depletion, on the other hand, means the container's capacity hasn't actually shrunk, but some of the water inside has leaked out prematurely. This could be due to damage to the container, or because the container's owner intentionally opened a valve to release some, which is what you, Senior, just referred to as using those lifespan-consuming spells. Generally, depending on the situation, we either need to repair the container or refill it. That's why we always ask the container's owner to clearly state the specific circumstances of their lifespan loss, so we can make the most accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment. Among these, damage to the container is the most troublesome; it requires detailed examinations at a major hospital, followed by a consultation with our academy's team of experts to devise a specialized treatment plan.”

Yu Rulin's words brought a sudden realization to Chen Mobai. Based on the description of the 'Two-Phase Reversion Art', he gave a precise response: “The container itself is undamaged, but a significant portion of the water inside was released by the owner. Under these circumstances, are there any methods to replenish it?”

“That's the simplest condition. You just need to purchase our academy's Longevity Replenishing Pills. These are Tier 1 spirit pills developed by our academy in collaboration with the Gou Mang Daoist Academy. Each pill replenishes one year of lost lifespan, and a person can take up to 30 pills, which should be enough for your esteemed father to recover.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai's spirits lifted. The problem that had troubled him for so long was, to the professionals at the Longevity Academy, merely a simple, minor ailment.

“Can't he take more of these pills? My father might have lost more than 30 years of lifespan.” Recalling the fortune teller in sunglasses who said he'd lose 180 years of lifespan when forming his Golden Core, Chen Mobai simply fabricated a higher number for Chen Xinglan.

Yu Rulin's expression showed a hint of surprise at this. “There shouldn't be any spells in the Immortal Sect that can deplete 30 years of lifespan, should there? Generally, anything over 10 years has been classified as a forbidden art. Only our Longevity Academy has some related data due to research needs. Could it be that your esteemed father used several such spells?”

“Yes, yes, that's right. The situation my father faced back then was extremely difficult, a true brush with death, so he had to use them quite a bit.” Chen Mobai truly hadn't known this point, so he could only go along with Yu Rulin's line of questioning. Fortunately, Yu Rulin didn't probe further, believing that the Chief Disciple of the Weapon Arts Academy's father was also a Foundation Establishment true cultivator, which explained the greater lifespan consumption.

“Above the Longevity Replenishing Pills, there's also the Tier 2 Longevity-Extending Pill. Each of these pills restores 10 years of lifespan. Foundation Establishment true cultivators can take up to 9 pills, after which they will develop a resistance, and while they can still be taken, their efficacy will gradually decrease.” Chen Mobai mentally calculated: 30 years from Longevity Replenishing Pills, plus 90 years from Longevity-Extending Pills, totaling 120 years of lifespan recovery. He was still 60 years short of the 180 years the fortune teller had mentioned. However, since Longevity-Extending Pills could still be taken, as long as he bought enough, those 60 years wouldn't be an issue.

“Are there any other miraculous spirit pills or medicines that can extend lifespan?” To be on the safe side, Chen Mobai asked another question.

“That would be one of the highest achievements of our Longevity Academy: the Turtle Longevity Pill. This Tier 3 spirit pill can replenish 60 years of lifespan after consumption.” Chen Mobai's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Just three of these pills could completely counteract all the side effects of a set of Immortality Tree Fruits.

“What is the price of this pill? And how can one acquire it?”

Yu Rulin, however, shook his head, indicating that this pill had no set price and couldn't be bought. “Within the Immortal Sect, Longevity Replenishing Pills and Longevity-Extending Pills are generally sufficient. The Turtle Longevity Pill might not even be refined once every hundred years. The last time our academy refined it was because a Golden Core True Immortal from the Five Thunder Academy failed to form an Infant Soul after burning his lifespan. He had to gather the materials himself, and luckily, he managed to acquire a piece of the Great Toon Tree bark from the Gou Mang Daoist Academy as the primary ingredient through a loan and auction, barely assembling enough for one batch.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but give up hope, focusing his attention solely on the Longevity Replenishing Pills and Longevity-Extending Pills.

He inquired about the prices and learned that the Longevity Replenishing Pills were relatively inexpensive, officially priced at 8,888 Merit Points per pill by the Longevity Academy. As a Chief Disciple, Yu Rulin could round down the price when acquiring them to 8,800, a very auspicious number. The Longevity-Extending Pills, however, were much more expensive, at 128,888 Merit Points per pill. After rounding down, it was 128,800. Comparing the price and efficacy, the Longevity Replenishing Pills offered better value. However, for Chen Mobai, taking the Immortality Tree Fruits necessitated the use of Longevity-Extending Pills to fully replenish the lost lifespan.

Chen Mobai checked his account. Although he had possessed over a million Merit Points at his wealthiest, after selling the 'Three Treasures for Foundation Establishment' to Shen Juanxiu, he had helped his parents repay their loans. Coupled with his years of living off savings, he now only had a little over a hundred thousand left. This was just enough to buy one Longevity-Extending Pill and three Longevity Replenishing Pills.

Chen Mobai felt awkward admitting he was short on funds, so he made the excuse that he'd buy one of each for his father to test their efficacy. Yu Rulin didn't suspect anything. After receiving payment, he made a phone call in front of Chen Mobai, and soon, Le Chengwei from the medical consultation stall arrived. He delivered two beautifully packaged pills. Chen Mobai took them and checked the bottom of the packaging box. As expected, it was printed with the formulas for both Longevity Replenishing Pills and Longevity-Extending Pills, along with their usage instructions and various contraindications. Satisfied, he accepted them and expressed his gratitude to Yu Rulin.

The two chatted pleasantly, adding each other as friends before parting ways. Yu Rulin, having made a profit, graciously paid for the coffee. Chen Mobai's trip to the exchange event was quite fruitful. It was only a pity that he was short on funds; otherwise, he could have directly consumed the small fruit obtained from Yan Jinye and advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage using the 'Everlasting Scripture'.

***

On his way back, Chen Mobai had a thought and walked through the alley once more. Unfortunately, the sunglasses-wearing fortune teller was no longer there. He stood for a moment, then left.

In front of the True Spirit Academy's stall, Hua Zijing was still petting a cat. Its white, smooth fur appeared exceptionally pure and flawless against her red and black robe. Chen Mobai couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by the gentle smile on her lips. Just as he had thought, she really did look beautiful when she smiled.

“Oh, you're here,” Hua Zijing said. At that moment, she also noticed Chen Mobai. She stood up, placed the white cat she was holding into a nearby cat carrier, and stepped out.

“You can play for a bit longer. My business is finished.” The problem in Chen Mobai's mind had been resolved, and he was in a good mood. He thought about how Hua Zijing had spent half the morning accompanying him, which must have been tiring, and didn't want to disrupt her rare leisurely time.

“No, it's alright. No matter how much I like it, it's not mine. The happier I am playing with it, the sadder I'll be when we part. This is a good time to stop.” Hua Zijing's words made Chen Mobai look at her in a new light. This woman seemed to have a deep understanding.

However, seeing her reluctant gaze towards the white cat in the carrier above, Chen Mobai had an idea. He walked over to the plump manager, who seemed to be in charge of the True Spirit Academy's cat cafe. He whispered a few words. The manager initially frowned and shook his head, but after Chen Mobai reached up and pulled off his mask, the manager's expression completely changed. “Oh, it's you! We definitely have to grant your request. However, these spirit pets are registered spirit cats of the academy, so I need to inform the supervising teacher. Please wait a moment.”

After hearing the student from True Spirit Academy who was in charge of the cat cafe, Hua Zijing's eyes instantly widened as she looked at Chen Mobai. She faintly guessed what Chen Mobai was doing. “You…”

“Since you like it, I thought about whether it could be brought to the student council to be raised. Fortunately, my influence seems to be enough,” Chen Mobai said with a light chuckle. Hua Zijing felt a subtle stirring within her; a warm current, indescribable, welled up in her heart and spread throughout her body. “Is this what it feels like to be cared for? Why is it so warm?” Hua Zijing couldn't help but lower her head and cover her chest.

Fortunately, at that moment, the plump manager and an acquaintance walked over. Chen Mobai was slightly surprised to see the latter. It was Lu Qiulong.

“I didn't expect it to really be you.” Outside the Little Crimson Heaven, Lu Qiulong no longer held his previous aggressive stance. After confirming it was Chen Mobai, he smiled, picked up the white cat, gently stroked it twice, and then handed it to the plump manager. The manager immediately reached for the white cat's scruff and dissolved a contract, then removed a bronze tag and reluctantly handed it to Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai took it and petted it for a while. It did feel very good, like a fluffy ball of fur. Its wet nose rubbed against his palm, making Chen Mobai, who wasn't particularly interested in petting cats, grow fond of the feeling.

“Are you the supervising teacher for the True Spirit Academy this time?”

“That's right. I had originally intended to come here to relax, but I didn't expect to run into a little monster like you.” Lu Qiulong didn't make excuses for his defeat, generously admitting his loss.

“If you have time, you're welcome to visit Crimson City Mountain,” Chen Mobai invited him, then handed the white cat he was holding to Hua Zijing, whose cheeks were already flushed with excitement.

“I will,” Lu Qiulong nodded in agreement, and then the two said their goodbyes and departed.

***

In the cat cafe, a male student, accompanied by his girlfriend, saw Chen Mobai and Hua Zijing leave with the white cat. Annoyed because his own request to buy a cat had just been rejected, he stood up and pointed at the departing pair. “Manager, why can they take the cat? How much did they pay? I'll pay double!”

“This cat was gifted to Chief Disciple Chen; it wasn't a purchase,” the plump manager immediately explained. The male student was still somewhat unconvinced. At that moment, Lu Qiulong turned around and glanced at him.

“It's him.” Lu Qiulong was still quite famous; a few people in the cat cafe had already recognized him. Connecting this to the manager's mention of 'Chief Disciple Chen' and the red and black robes worn by the two, especially the young man who deliberately wore a mask to conceal his face, some immediately guessed his identity.

“If it can be given to him, why can't it be given to me?” The male student, however, didn't realize the significance, still feeling rather indignant. Lu Qiulong bothered to say nothing more and simply walked away. The male student felt he had been slighted and was a little angry. Just as he was about to follow, his girlfriend pulled him back, trembling slightly as she whispered in his ear, “That person is this year's Chief Disciple of the Weapon Arts Academy...” The male student's eyes widened upon hearing this. Soon after, he and his girlfriend sheepishly left the cat cafe.

As for Chen Mobai, he paid no attention to this matter at all. He was already contemplating how to earn money to buy more medicine.