Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Ronron was a little annoyed at the fact that Alex had left the moment he earned the 5000 stars she had made him promise he would, but since he had fulfilled it, she couldn’t be mad at him at all.

”I wanted you to enjoy your time there, Father. Not come here so soon. You could’ve made such a big name if you were still there. No doubt the whole of the Sky God’s Realm would know you.”

Alex chuckled. ”They already know me. If news of what I did were to spread, then it will be no different,” he said.

Ronron’s eyes narrowed. ”What did you do?”

Alex grinned. ”Well, you’ll have to wait and find out, won’t you?”

Ronron couldn’t say anything.

”Besides, it is good that I came back. Apparently, the gods have started arriving at the palace, and I don’t want to miss out on meeting the ones I can while ignoring the ones I most definitely should.”

Ronron nodded. ”3 gods have returned. The others should be coming too, though we do not know for certain if all 33 of them will be coming over.”

”That’s unlikely, given only 31 gods exist in total,” he told her.

”31?” Hannah, who had been sitting to the side, asked with sudden curiosity. ”Why only 31?”

”Because one of them is dead,” Alex said. ”And the other one is hiding from my master.”

Hannah raised an eyebrow. ”I think I’m aware of the Sword God who is hiding from your master. But who is dead?”

”The Body God,” Alex said. ”He was killed some time ago. Apparently by a group of Divinities, no less, who called themselves Godbreakers.”

Hannah gave an amused look. ”I never heard anything about that.”

”I don’t think they want it known, after all,” Alex said. ”There were others who were apparently attacked as well, but none but the first one is dead. Though they must be looking for the best opportunity to do so.”

Hannah nodded.

”You have to be careful, Father,” Ronron said. ”It is good that you are beginning to claim yourself as the Sun God, but if these people find out, they might come after you.”

Alex nodded slowly. ”Maybe, but that’s hardly what I’m concerned about at the moment. With the gods starting to come over, there is really only one god I am most worried about.”

Ronron sucked in a deep breath. ”The Fire God.”

Alex nodded along. ”But let’s forget about that for now,” he said. ”It doesn’t look like there is much for me to do right now, so I will go meet with the Artifact God next. Can you let her know that I’m available whenever she wants to see me this week?”

Ronron nodded and left. She returned half an hour later with the message that Alex should go meet her in her courtyard the next morning.

The next morning, Alex left early and arrived at the Artifact God’s courtyard. The few Sky God’s soldiers outside of her courtyard let Alex in.

Alex walked in and found the woman in her green robe, sitting by a small pool of water, looking at the reflection inside it.

”You’re here,” she said.

”I am,” Alex answered. ”It is a pleasure to meet you again, Senior.”

The woman nodded. ”Come, sit.”

Alex looked at the grass where she was seated and walked over next to her, sitting beside her as well. He looked inside the pool to find a couple of fish moving around.

”Do you know what’s special about these fish?” she asked.

Alex looked at the fish, unable to tell much about them. ”I can tell they are some sort of carp. But beyond that, I don’t think they are special at all.”

”Well, they are slightly special,” she said. ”You are aware of the various beasts that can’t cultivate, and as such receive some special powers, right?”

”Like the Seeking Mice, Heavenly Silkworm, and Pill Swines?” Alex asked.

”Yes, precisely those. These carp are the same,” she said with a slightly excited voice.

Alex was interested in learning that as well. If there was anything impressive about these carp, then he would be happy to hear about it.

”What makes these carp special?” Alex asked.

The woman remained silent for a breath too long before answering. ”They can live for a long time.”

Alex looked toward her. ”They are immortal?”

”Not really. They just have a long lifespan,” she said.

”How long?” Alex asked.

”I believe they can live for over 500 thousand years.”

Alex blinked in surprise. ”That is quite a lot. I don’t believe there are many gods who have lived that long,” he said.

”There are Celestials that haven’t lived that long,” she said. ”And yet, these fish can.”

”But that doesn’t mean they have lived that long, have they?” Alex asked. ”They just have a long lifespan.”

”True. But these ones in particular have lived for over 300 thousand years, if I’m remembering correctly,” the Artifact God said.

Alex nodded. ”But in the end, they are still fish, aren’t they? They can’t communicate, and they can’t do much else. They are just fish, trapped in a pond.”

The woman laughed a little. ”Aren’t we all, if you really think about it?” she asked. ”This world is a giant pond, and we just live in it.”

Alex looked toward the woman, unsure if he should say anything at all.

She seemed to feel his gaze and smiled. ”There is something else special about these particular carp.”

Alex waited for her to answer.

”This guest courtyard is for the artifact makers. It has housed many Artifact Gods and sages throughout its time, and one of those was the Sage of Ten Thousand Treasures,” she said.

Alex blinked in surprise and looked back at the place where that being had once lived.

”And these carp were here to see him,” she said. ”They were the last living beings to see the sage on the day he turned into the Godkiller.”