At first, Chen Changsheng couldn't find the right method. Although spirit roots exist within the human body, no one truly knows what form they take.
Based on this, Chen Changsheng made a bold hypothesis: there is no physical "spirit root" inside a person. What cultivators call a "spirit root" is merely an individual's innate sensitivity to specific elemental attributes. The higher the sensitivity, the better the quality of the so-called spirit root.
With this hypothesis, Chen Changsheng immediately devised a safe and harmless method: immersion in plant essence.
Spiritual herbs belong to the Wood element. Prolonged immersion should enhance sensitivity to Wood-element spiritual energy, thereby granting him what others would call a Wood Spirit Root. Moreover, when he entered slumber, his body would enter a state of suspended animation. This perfectly solved the problem of his body actively absorbing the plant essence.
To put it more simply, Chen Changsheng was treating himself like an ingredient steeping in medicinal wine.
Thud!
With the coffin lid sealed, Chen Changsheng's vitality completely vanished. All organs in his body ceased functioning at that moment, making him indistinguishable from a corpse. With life processes halted, his body would no longer absorb any energy. However, the plant essence within the jade coffin continued to permeate Chen Changsheng's body persistently. Though the process was slow, it never stopped.
...
Time flies like an arrow, and the sun and moon shift like a shuttle. Eighty years might pass for Chen Changsheng in the blink of an eye, but for all things in nature, eighty years is no short period. In the mountain range where Chen Changsheng rested, many plants had undergone dozens of life cycles. The young sapling that once stood at the cave entrance had now grown into a towering tree as thick as a man's waist.
Squeak~
A grating sound echoed within the cave. The fine jade coffin had now lost its luster. The heavy lid slowly shifted.
Thump!
A hand covered in green fur gripped the edge of the coffin. Next, a humanoid figure entirely shrouded in green fur sat up.
Phew~
A pale green, turbid breath escaped the green-furred creature's lips. That's right, this green-furred monster was none other than Chen Changsheng, who had slumbered for eighty long years.
Awakening from his slumber, Chen Changsheng didn't rush to allocate his attribute points. Instead, he retrieved a spirit root testing artifact. Placing his fur-covered hand on the crystal ball, it immediately lit up with a rich green glow. Seeing this, Chen Changsheng finally couldn't contain his laughter.
"Ha ha ha! The artificial spirit root actually works! Now I don't have to worry about being captured by powerful experts for research!"
Indeed, ever since encountering the cultivation world, Chen Changsheng had harbored a constant fear: that others might discover his secret of longevity. Although slumber granted him attribute points, who knew how many eons it would take to become strong enough to rival those old monsters at the Nascent Soul or even Transformation stages? If any mishap occurred during that immense span of time, he would be finished. Therefore, he absolutely needed to gain self-preservation power during this transitional period. Cultivation was an excellent method.
After confirming he possessed a High-Grade Wood Spirit Root, Chen Changsheng looked at the system panel in his mind.
[Host: Chen Changsheng]
[Strength: 1]
[Speed: 1]
[Defense: 11]
[Spiritual Power: 0]
[Lifespan: 160]
Chen Changsheng: ???
His face filled with question marks. "System, what's going on? Why have my attributes regressed? If I remember correctly, I was at the fourth level of Qi Refinement before slumber. Although the power was minimal, all attributes had improved somewhat. Why are they back to mortal standards now?"
The System's voice promptly responded in his mind. "During slumber, the spiritual power within the Host's body gradually dissipates. Without spiritual power sustaining them, the Host's attributes naturally revert to mortal standards. However, strength gained through attribute points is excluded."
Chen Changsheng puckered his lips but quickly accepted the explanation. Just the fourth level of Qi Refinement? So what if it's gone. With his High-Grade Wood Spirit Root talent now, reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement would take at most a few days.
He then directly allocated all eighty attribute points into Defense.
Looking at his Defense attribute, now at a formidable 91 points, Chen Changsheng said contentedly, "System, what level of cultivator can this 91-point Defense withstand?"
"Reply, Host: With 91 Defense points, attacks from cultivators below mid Foundation Building stage cannot breach your defense. Mid Foundation Building stage can injure you. Late Foundation Building stage can cause serious harm. Peak Foundation Building stage poses a risk of death. Any stage beyond Foundation Building will undoubtedly result in the Host's death."
As the System spoke, an explosion suddenly came from the cave entrance. Immediately after, a figure leaped in excitedly.
"Heavens are on my side! This time I'm sure to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refinement!"
The voice cut off as the intruder froze. She saw a jade coffin inside the cave. Even more terrifying, within the coffin sat a corpse covered in green fur, staring directly at her.
"Ah!"
A scream pierced the sky. The figure immediately summoned a flying sword, attacking Chen Changsheng.
Facing this sudden assault, Chen Changsheng instinctively raised his arm to block.
Clang!
The sharp flying sword was knocked away. Seeing her most powerful method fail, the figure's mind instantly conjured ninety-nine different gruesome deaths awaiting her. Overwhelmed by terror and despair, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away.
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng scratched his head in bewilderment and climbed out of the coffin. Approaching, he saw the intruder was a young demon girl. She had a pair of furry fox ears on her head, wore rough hemp clothes, and looked about sixteen or seventeen years old.
"Why would a demon race member come here? There's no treasure here!" Chen Changsheng was baffled by the demon's intrusion. When choosing his slumber spot, he had deliberately avoided spirit energy-rich areas to prevent discovery by treasure hunters or cultivators. But judging by the fox-eared girl's words, she seemed to have intentionally blasted her way in.
However, his confusion didn't last long. Chen Changsheng soon spotted the reason. The fox-eared girl tightly clutched a Springback Herb in her hand. Judging by its growth, it was at least eighty years old. Springback Herb is a common spiritual herb in the cultivation world. Back when scattering seeds at the cave entrance, Chen Changsheng had casually included some Springback Herb seeds. Unexpectedly, this one had surpassed its normal growth limit, surviving for eighty years. If he wasn't mistaken, it was likely this very herb that had drawn her here.