Chapter 333: Lifespan Finally Ends

"Why does it seem like the effect isn't very significant, right?" Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable smiled, voicing Xi Menyue's doubt.

Xi Menyue quickly bowed her head in apology.

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable waved his hand, dismissing it. "The Heavenly Feather Transformation Pill grants 800 years of life. The Everlasting Fruit, 500 years. The Rebirth Longevity Fruit, 300 years."

"These are all extremely rare treasures. Among the countless treasures I've seen in my past 3,612 years, the value of these few definitely ranks high."

"Yet now, they've all fallen into the hands of a dying man like me."

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable said with a touch of self-mockery.

"Combined, they could add 1,600 years to an ordinary cultivator's lifespan."

"But applied to me..."

"Heh heh, guess what the effect is?"

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable asked.

Seeing that Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable seemed quite approachable at this moment, Han Yi became a bit bolder.

He was the first to answer: "Five hundred years?"

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable chuckled softly and shook his head repeatedly.

"Two hundred years?" Xi Menyue guessed.

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable still shook his head.

"Twenty years?" Li Fan suddenly spoke up at this point.

His guess was somewhat outrageous, causing both Han Yi and Xi Menyue to look at him.

"Although you're quite bold, you've still overestimated!" Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable laughed heartily, extending his right hand and raising one finger.

"Ten years."

"This is the maximum I can gain."

"And this includes the longevity treasures offered by other cultivators."

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable said with a deep, muffled voice, smiling.

Li Fan and the others, upon hearing this, all showed expressions of horror.

"How can this be?" Xi Menyue asked, her face full of disbelief. "Could it be that the Heavenly Profound Mirror's appraisal results can be false?"

Li Fan and Han Yi also had very grave expressions, looking at Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable, trying to get an answer from him.

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable did not answer immediately. Instead, he pointed at the large tree in front of them and asked the three: "Do you know what kind of tree this is?"

Han Yi and Xi Menyue looked at it for a while, both shaking their heads, unable to identify it.

Li Fan, however, said without hesitation: "A Green Cloud Willow. An ordinary spirit wood, with no other value apart from being ornamental."

After all, he hadn't read the *Celestial Physician Immortal Scripture* for so long for nothing.

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable appraised Li Fan with his cloudy eyes, seemingly surprised that he could recognize it.

He then asked: "Do you know how long a Green Cloud Willow can live?"

Li Fan thought for a moment and replied: "For a Green Cloud Willow tree to live for eight hundred years is already extremely rare. Beyond a thousand years, it's almost impossible."

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable slowly nodded: "You are correct."

"This Green Cloud Willow was planted by me when I achieved Dao Integration and was designated as the successor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison Department."

"That was over nine hundred years ago."

"Back then, I was full of vigor and ambition."

"I thought death was still far from me. I believed I could advance further and achieve immortality."

Ji Cheng shook his head.

"Truly, I didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth..."

The Immortal Venerable sighed and returned to the main topic.

"For the past hundred years or so, I've watched as this old companion, who has been with me through thick and thin, slowly approached its demise."

"I tried every possible method to preserve its life."

"Greenwood Spirit Liquid, Immortal Soil Ambrosia..."

"I tried every kind of treasure."

"But I merely managed to pull it back from the brink of death."

"Just barely clinging to life..."

"It was then that I knew. Death is inevitable for us."

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable looked up again at the withered Green Cloud Willow.

"I just didn't expect that the same fate would befall me so soon."

After Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable finished speaking, he fell silent.

Li Fan and the other two exchanged glances, not daring to speak and interrupt, and simply stood quietly, waiting.

After a long pause, Ji Cheng slowly spoke again: "When one's destined lifespan is nearing its end, all other methods, aside from achieving a further breakthrough and completing a complete transformation of oneself, can only slightly delay the arrival of death."

"Not only is the effect greatly diminished, but the more one struggles, the faster similar methods lose their efficacy."

"For example, these longevity treasures you submitted. I had already consumed too many similar ones before. That's why 1,600 years turned into just ten years."

"If fate decrees your death at the third watch, it's truly hard to survive until the fifth."

Ji Cheng looked up at the sky, and a faint, unidentifiable expression flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"However, ten years. For me, that's enough."

The old man's voice gradually lowered, and Li Fan and the other two could no longer hear clearly.

"Dare I ask, Immortal Venerable, does that mean these longevity treasures aren't as precious as one might think?" After a long silence, Han Yi couldn't help but ask.

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable glanced at the three of them and chuckled deeply.

"The younger one is, the more precious they are."

"The older one is, the more useless they become."

"Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, all three wore thoughtful expressions.

"Alright, seeing you vibrant young people today, I've spoken more than usual."

"Now it's time to give you your rewards."

Without Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable making any discernible movement, three jade plaques radiating colorful, exquisite light suddenly appeared and flew towards Li Fan and the others, one for each.

Li Fan took the jade plaque. He saw intricate patterns carved around it, encircling the character "法" (Fa, meaning Dharma/Law) in the center.

"This is a Law-Viewing Jade Plaque. With this token, you can go to the Myriad Immortals Alliance Headquarters, to the Dharma Protector Hall, and apply to use the Dharma Derivation Jade." Ji Cheng introduced to the three.

As if remembering something, Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable reminded them: "Remember, one Law-Viewing Jade Plaque grants only one application opportunity."

"After you submit your application, it might be a long wait before it's your turn. Furthermore, each Dharma Derivation session has a time limit."

"Don't be overly greedy and miss your chance."

"Heh heh, back in my day..."

Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable's voice grew fainter and fainter, until it was barely audible.

At this moment, the blue-robed cultivator who had led them in earlier quietly reappeared beside them.

"Let's go," he transmitted.

Li Fan and the other two put away their Law-Viewing Jade Plaques and slowly withdrew from the courtyard.

"Young man, here's some advice. Your jade plaque can only be used to derive cultivation methods at the Nascent Soul stage. If you only use it to derive your main cultivation method for advancing your cultivation realm, it might be a bit of a waste."

"You could try having the Dharma Derivation Jade derive cultivation methods with special effects."

"Even though it's only at the Nascent Soul level, it might still produce miraculous effects."

Just as Li Fan stepped out of the small courtyard, Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable's voice suddenly reached his ear.

Li Fan couldn't help but turn his head to look. He saw Ji Cheng Immortal Venerable, just as he had seen him upon arrival, stroking the withered Green Cloud Willow.

His silhouette was lonely.

Li Fan saw an old man approaching the end of his life.

He slowly bowed to him and quietly departed.