Chapter 1601: Lunar Cultivation Chronicle

Bai Shuyue truly had a talent for mysticism. After successfully "predicting" the natural disasters that would occur in the coming years, her status in the Prince's residence increased dramatically day by day.

Moreover, Bai Shuyue almost never concerned herself with worldly affairs, spending her days immersed in books, only offering a few pointers at critical moments.

This behavior made Prince Langya trust her even more.

More importantly, such a mysterious figure had a fatal weakness: her frail and sickly nephew, who was confined to bed all day.

Prince Langya observed Bai Shuyue's deep concern for Li Fan. Given the power of the Prince's residence, supporting not just one Li Fan, but even a hundred or a thousand for life, was well within their means.

Thus, a special garden was built to accommodate Li Fan.

One day, Prince Langya sought Bai Shuyue's advice regarding his future.

Concealed behind a light veil, amidst swirling mists, Bai Shuyue slowly replied, "Your Highness is destined for supreme power. You only need to wait for the opportune moment, for the hidden dragon to emerge from its abyss. Do nothing else. More action, more mistakes."

Prince Langya pondered for a long time, then bowed and withdrew.

Three years later, an imperial decree was issued from the capital. The Emperor, before his demise, astonishingly passed the throne to Prince Langya, who had always kept a low profile!

Undercurrents surged among various factions.

Prince Langya, having been forewarned by Bai Shuyue, was already prepared for this.

While others were still searching for him in Langya Commandery in Jiangnan, he himself had already appeared in the palace with three hundred elite soldiers.

With lightning speed, he successfully ascended to the throne before any other forces could react! He then proclaimed a new era, Xuanjing.

The world believed that Emperor Xuanjing's decisive actions allowed him to resolve the internal crisis without bloodshed.

Only a handful of people knew that the mysterious woman in the Prince's residence—now the imperial palace—was the true architect behind all these achievements!

"Although you have ascended the imperial throne, the realm is not yet settled. Troubles lurk, and you must be vigilant."

Bai Shuyue handed a slip of paper to Emperor Xuanjing.

Emperor Xuanjing, acting on the list from the paper, secretly sent people to investigate and indeed discovered signs of rebels planning an uprising. He then wielded the blade before they could strike, crushing everything in its infancy.

Emperor Xuanjing's ruthless methods thoroughly intimidated the imperial court.

The existence of Bai Shuyue, mysterious and rumored to possess supernatural abilities, was finally revealed to the ministers.

Hiding all their personal ambitions, the court temporarily became stable.

As for Bai Shuyue, she could finally devote herself entirely to researching a cure for Li Fan's strange illness.

Just like in the previous life, Li Fan's strange illness struck on time.

Despite her extensive preparations and reading countless medical texts, Bai Shuyue found no way to cure her nephew.

She couldn't even alleviate his condition, only watching helplessly as Li Fan grew thinner day by day.

Upon hearing of this, Emperor Xuanjing summoned imperial physicians to jointly diagnose and treat Li Fan.

However, they were all at a loss.

Just as in the previous life, Bai Shuyue witnessed Li Fan's death with her own eyes.

This time, however, Bai Shuyue had gradually become accustomed to it.

Her hair didn't turn white overnight; she simply quietly collected Li Fan's remains.

After losing her nephew, Bai Shuyue had no further attachments to worldly affairs. She immersed herself entirely in medical research.

Even later, when Emperor Xuanjing repeatedly inquired about supernatural matters, Bai Shuyue merely feigned ignorance.

Even when the increasingly enraged Emperor Xuanjing threatened Bai Shuyue's life, she calmly refused.

Emperor Xuanjing was utterly helpless, but in the end, he did not harm Bai Shuyue.

He simply ordered her palace to be completely sealed off, forbidding any outsiders from entering.

As long as she had medical books, Bai Shuyue didn't mind.

Once the palace gates closed, thirty years passed.

Thirty years later, Bai Shuyue was nearing the end of her life.

On this day, the long-sealed wooden door opened once more. Emperor Xuanjing, also with a full head of white hair, slowly approached Bai Shuyue.

After dismissing all his servants, Emperor Xuanjing gazed at the aged Bai Shuyue. The question of prolonging his life, which he had intended to ask, remained unspoken.

"You, who understand matters of ghosts and gods, have also met the same fate," Emperor Xuanjing said with a bitter smile.

Bai Shuyue remained silent.

"Have you found a cure for the illness?" After a long silence, Emperor Xuanjing, looking at the countless medical books piled high yet neatly arranged around them, asked.

"Mortal methods may not be able to cure his illness," Bai Shuyue finally spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse.

Emperor Xuanjing stared at Bai Shuyue, full of hope, anticipating her next words.

"But how can the secret arts of immortals be known to mortals?" Bai Shuyue said with a hint of dejection.

Emperor Xuanjing was stunned. He gave a few bitter laughs, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

This time, the palace gates were not sealed shut again.

However, Bai Shuyue also had no intention of leaving.

Sensing that she was nearing the end of her life, Bai Shuyue felt utterly peaceful. She lay quietly on the bed and lost consciousness.

Saint-Making Project: Fourth Lifetime.

This time, Bai Shuyue was no longer confined to conventional medical practices.

Instead, she focused on various folk remedies and mysterious sorcery.

Since ordinary methods couldn't cure Li Fan, Bai Shuyue decided to take an unconventional approach.

"Fan'er, be a good boy. Listen to your auntie and drink this bowl of medicine," Bai Shuyue said, holding out a dark, foul-smelling "medicine" to Li Fan.

Li Fan pinched his nose and drank it.

Half a day later, he died with a bruised face and blood flowing from his orifices.

Bai Shuyue stared blankly at Li Fan's corpse, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes.

"The progress is too slow. After all, I'm just a mortal. It seems I need to find a way to speed things up."

Saint-Making Project: Fifth Lifetime!

This time, Bai Shuyue employed multiple approaches. Combining the strengths of various schools, she developed a method that could successfully prolong Li Fan's life.

Utilizing Prince Langya's authority, she gathered many young and strong individuals.

She extracted their vital essence and infused it into the ailing Li Fan.

These vital essences were all carefully selected by Bai Shuyue to ensure they would not conflict with Li Fan's destiny. With the nourishment, Li Fan's complexion indeed improved.

This was a historic breakthrough! Bai Shuyue was immediately overjoyed.

However, prolonging Li Fan's life required a large quantity of vital essence from young, strong individuals. Although with Prince Langya's authority, a few strong men were nothing.

But drawing vital essence from living people for treatment was truly shocking. Moreover, for some unknown reason, news of this leaked, becoming public knowledge.

The common people were outraged, the ministers were indignant, and the Emperor was furious.

Out of helplessness, Prince Langya could only hand over Bai Shuyue to take the blame.

Fortunately, Bai Shuyue was astute; she had long since placed informants throughout the Prince's residence. Having received the news in advance, she hastily fled with Li Fan.

Although she wasn't caught, she had become a notorious "demoness" throughout Da Xuan, forced to hide in the deep mountains and old forests.

With Bai Shuyue's medical expertise accumulated over several lifetimes and a hundred years, the two managed to survive.

However, the environment in the wilderness was harsh. Without the vital essence to sustain his life, Li Fan's previously somewhat healthy body slowly deteriorated.

"It seems I need to learn from this next time. I must build my own power and not place all my hopes on others," Bai Shuyue thought to herself, after feeding Li Fan a dose of medicine and watching her nephew gradually fall asleep.

Bai Shuyue no longer expected him to last much longer, so she simply abandoned the idea of curing him.

Instead, she traveled through mountains and rivers with Li Fan, living a life completely different from before.

Just when she thought Li Fan would soon succumb to his illness and she would begin her next reincarnation, the two of them unexpectedly discovered a mountain cave one day.

"Auntie, I feel a little better staying here."

Li Fan's words greatly surprised Bai Shuyue.

This was a situation that had never occurred in her previous lifetimes. She immediately began to carefully examine the cave.

It seemed to have been someone's dwelling, but not much was left behind.

Only half a stone emitting a peculiar aura and a jade slip were found.

Bai Shuyue, who prided herself on her extensive knowledge, looked at these two items and fell into confusion.

Although she didn't know what the stone and jade slip were, they certainly seemed beneficial for her nephew's illness.

As if seeing a glimmer of hope, Bai Shuyue simply took up residence in the cave.

She tried to unravel the mysteries of the jade slip and the stone.

Unfortunately, she gained nothing until Li Fan's death.

She cremated Li Fan's remains and carried them with her. Bai Shuyue carefully put away the two items and traveled the world, seeking someone who might recognize them.

However, she found no one.

Just as Bai Shuyue was nearing the end of this lifetime, a widely circulating rumor reached her ears: Immortals came from the East, bringing down divine punishment, and the capital, Xuanjing, was reduced to ruins.

Countless casualties!

Bai Shuyue was startled upon hearing this; it was something that had never happened in all her long cycles of reincarnation!

"How could this be?"

Bai Shuyue was confused for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"For some reason, my lifespan this time is far greater than before? This year is... fifty years later? Unbeknownst to me, I've lived for so long?"

Bai Shuyue was astonished, then quickly took out the peculiar item she carried with her.

The jade slip remained unchanged.

But the stone...

It seemed to have become smaller compared to when it was first discovered.

Bai Shuyue immediately had a theory.

Next, she set out towards Xuanjing City, trying to gather more information about the immortals, while also attempting to further "absorb" the stone.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it back to the capital.

Her lifespan was nearing its end.

Saint-Making Project: Sixth Lifetime!

In this lifetime, with a clear goal, Bai Shuyue was no longer lost.

Before her nephew's illness flared up, she went into the deep forest and retrieved the jade slip and the stone.

She gave the stone to Li Fan to wear close to his body.

She, herself, continued to study the jade slip.

"If my guess is correct, these two items are related to immortals, or perhaps belong to them."

Bai Shuyue toyed with the jade slip in her hand, pondering to herself.

"Perhaps I'll only know more fifty years from now, from the two immortals who will descend."

Suddenly, Bai Shuyue's expression subtly tightened.

For some reason, she felt that the jade slip in her hand seemed slightly different compared to the previous lifetime.

But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different.

Yet, Bai Shuyue was certain it was not her imagination!

With the miraculous stone prolonging his life early on, Li Fan lived longer in this lifetime than in any previous one.

Bai Shuyue was very pleased.

However, Li Fan didn't live to see the immortals descend; he still succumbed to his illness.

Only then did Bai Shuyue begin to study the small remaining piece of the stone.

"It seems there's some mysterious energy within it."

Bai Shuyue closed her eyes and could feel that she seemed capable of activating the peculiar substance contained within the stone.

After hundreds of attempts, Bai Shuyue successfully absorbed the spiritual energy from the spirit stone into her body.

In just an instant, Bai Shuyue's appearance rapidly aged.

Her already limited lifespan was burned away in a flash.

Bai Shuyue died in astonishment.

"Still too slow!"

"But not too fast either. The path to sainthood, through countless reincarnations, must have no flaws. Otherwise, it will all be for naught before dawn!"

Li Fan's voice echoed in the darkness.

Seventh Lifetime!

Because of the horrifying experience in her last lifetime, Bai Shuyue felt apprehensive about the items related to immortals in this one.

But to save Li Fan's life, she ultimately chose to continue her research.

She temporarily gave up direct contact with the spirit stone.

Instead, she used the method from the previous life, which had activated the energy within the spirit stone, to activate the jade slip.

At that moment, Bai Shuyue was suppressing her inner fear, prepared to instantly age again.

But the expected disaster did not occur. Instead, a piece of text appeared in Bai Shuyue's mind.

"I had tried this before. But at that time, the jade slip didn't react."

"It seems my intuition was not wrong."

Although she didn't know what each change in reincarnation signified, it seemed to be a good sign for now.

Bai Shuyue carefully read the contents of the jade slip.

Her expression gradually turned to shock.

"Lesser Five Elements Technique? What exactly is this..."

Bai Shuyue took a deep breath, first calming herself. Only after she was completely calm did she continue to study.

To Bai Shuyue, who had read extensively, although some parts of this technique contained unclear terminology, it was not difficult to understand overall.

"The spiritual energy of the five elements of heaven and earth can all be absorbed into the body to strengthen the five vital organs..."

"In medical texts, there are indeed classifications of organs by five-element attributes. But five-element spiritual energy?"

Bai Shuyue frowned slightly.

"Spiritual energy, spiritual energy..."

She thought of the spirit stone again.

"According to the technique, one cannot cultivate without spiritual energy. But from my previous experience, spiritual energy seems to be highly poisonous to me..."

Bai Shuyue was completely bewildered.

Ultimately, she could only place her hopes on the two immortals who would descend fifty years later.

Time flew by.

On this day, two streaks of light, like meteors, came from the horizon.

The sound of thunder reverberated throughout the world.

"Dao Xuanzi! Don't push your luck!"

Bai Shuyue hid far away in a safe spot outside Xuanjing City, gazing at the two figures in the sky, becoming inexplicably excited.

This was her first time truly witnessing the existence of immortals.

However, she wasn't in a hurry to approach and greet the immortals; instead, she waited patiently.

Bai Shuyue knew that these two immortals were about to engage in a fierce battle.

That would be her opportunity to make an appearance.

"I hope it works."

Bai Shuyue's gaze subtly swept around Xuanjing City.

For fifty years, she hadn't merely been waiting.