Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 3 - 3 3: Handle LifeSpan!_1

Elder Sun swished his Daoist robe and shuffled unsteadily toward his sleeping quarters.

Prior to departing, he dropped a parting comment.

"No need to tally them; there are 32 hens here capable of laying eggs."

"The one you're gripping isn't prepared yet; it needs one more year!"

"Ah, yes, yes, excellent!"

Wang Ba remained frozen in place, yet a tempest raged inside his mind!

Could this be the golden finger? After enduring so much suffering, had the golden finger at last appeared?

Incredulous, he pulled his hand away.

The mystical display visible solely to him vanished right before his eyes.

Hastily, in his eagerness, he placed his hand beneath the large hen once more.

The interface reappeared promptly.

[Target lifespan: 19.2 years]

[Current remaining lifespan of host: 71.7 years]

[Dispersible items: None]

[Extraction/Input?]

It's genuine! It's genuinely here!

Wang Ba struggled to steady his quivering form, glancing swiftly toward Elder Sun's quarters to confirm he couldn't glimpse this private view.

With that, he straightforwardly carried the large hen to his personal room.

He sealed the windows and doors with care.

The space was cramped.

He set the large hen straight onto the bedding, disregarding any potential mess to the covers.

Extraction Input

Start with extraction!

Wang Ba lightly selected the Extraction choice.

At once, a progress indicator materialized in his vision.

As he adjusted the slider, the figures on the display shifted accordingly.

[Target lifespan -10 years]

[Host lifespan +1 year]

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: 72.7 years]

Cluck cluck

The large hen twisted its neck in confusion, eyeing Wang Ba.

With its limited intellect, it dimly perceived an intangible loss.

Yet, given its modest smarts, it couldn't fathom exactly what had been taken.

Exchanging ten years from a Precious Chicken for just one year of my own lifespan?

Still, that's expected; how could a chicken match a person's value.

Wang Ba shut his eyes and focused on sensing the difference.

But no alterations registered.

Is that all?

A touch of letdown washed over Wang Ba.

What about inputting instead?

He pondered briefly before sliding the progress bar in reverse.

[Target lifespan +11 years]

[Host lifespan -2.2 years]

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: 70.5 years]

No sensation hit him.

That said, Wang Ba did observe that inputting lifespan into the hen shifted the exchange to a 1:5 ratio.

Perhaps it's due to conversion losses?

A pang of ache struck Wang Ba.

Switching back and forth like this meant forfeiting five years of lifespan to the Precious Chicken.

Yet, what astonished him was the hen he held down appeared subtly altered!

Its formerly dull plumage now gleamed with more luster.

Even its resistance against his grip felt markedly fiercer!

This prompted Wang Ba to press it down more firmly without thinking.

Cluck cluck cluck cluck

The large hen craned its neck and clucked at Wang Ba.

Whether real or fanciful, he sensed the hen conveying:

Gently more gently

Blast it!

Wang Ba vigorously shook his head!

He had to be losing his mind!

So, were these shifts in the large hen authentic?

After a moment's reflection, he adjusted the progress bar further.

[Target lifespan +1 year]

[Host lifespan -0.2 year]

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: 70.3 years]

On this occasion.

Wang Ba distinctly witnessed the transformation.

The large hen's form plumped up noticeably to the bare eye!

It even swiveled its head, narrowing its eyes contentedly as it nibbled softly.

As if it was savoring the moment completely.

Coo-coo.

Its call sounded seasoned, rather alluring in truth.

Wang Ba felt a bit at a loss for words.

Nonetheless, thrill bubbled up inside him!

He dimly realized he had uncovered a purpose for his golden finger!

Accelerated maturation!

Despite the lifespan cost.

Nearly half got squandered during the transfer.

Still, he might draw lifespan from additional chickens to foster a batch of prime breeders.

Hastening their growth to slash maturation periods!

And then proliferate swiftly!

Through this method, fulfilling the sect's monthly egg quotas might become feasible!

However, with Elder Sun nearby, recklessness could lead to exposure.

Wang Ba mused silently.

It appeared he'd need to proceed cautiously.

Having mulled it over, he marked the still-relishing large hen on the bedding before tossing it outdoors.

He aimed to monitor this hen's condition and plan accordingly next.

Though he had forfeited 1.4 years of lifespan that day.

Provided his theory held up, the sacrifice paid off.

He shut the door once more.

Lifting the quilt away, he sprawled on the firm mattress, rolling restlessly, sleep evading him.

All of a sudden, as though struck by a thought, he bolted upright.

That's right! With lifespan acquisition possible, does this open the door to practicing the Body Strengthening Scripture?

Even reaching the thirteenth layer of the Body Strengthening Scripture demands 8191 years, factoring in inefficiencies, that's beyond eight thousand Precious Chickens!

More than eight thousand Precious Chickens.

Invaluable assets.

In other places, they would prove elusive.

But within this chicken farm, prospects abounded!

Naturally, contingent on enduring here sufficiently long.

At this realization, he sprang from the bed and retrieved the Body Strengthening Scripture from beneath it.

He began leafing through its contents anew.

The Body Strengthening Scripture held no intricacies, merely about a dozen postures. Though simple on the surface, persistent application yielded results.

Wang Ba attempted to mimic them. He discovered that while the postures appeared straightforward, performing them demanded considerable exertion.

He drilled through the night, and as dawn's rooster heralded the day, he had scarcely grasped the fundamentals.

Certainly, this merely covered the basics. Advancing to Stage I necessitated a full year's diligent effort.

Steadfastness mattered most.

Right then,

The interface flickered into view unexpectedly.

[Current Remaining Lifespan: 70.3 years]

[Applicable expenditure: Body Strengthening Scripture Stage I, overall qualification/status/constitution, requires an estimated 9 years of lifespan]

Before joy could surface, the lifespan demand left him dumbfounded!

9 years?! Didn't normal training take just 1 year?

This consumption proved exorbitant!

Ninefold the duration for standard cultivation.

All the same, after wavering, Wang Ba opted to expend the lifespan.

He lacked alternatives.

Or should he truly bide eight thousand years?

Who could predict the twists over such an epoch.

[Lifespan of Original Body -9 years]

[Current Remaining Lifespan: 61.3 years]

The instant after,

His arms, legs

A subtle bloating sensation spread, instilling a surge of budding power.

But from his core, an underlying frailty emerged.

This clash of vigor and debility induced a brief queasiness.

The display before him stayed static.

[Current Remaining Lifespan: 61.3 years]

[Applicable expenditure: Body Strengthening Scripture Stage II, overall qualification/status/constitution, requires an estimated 18 years of lifespan]

After deliberating, Wang Ba elected to dismiss it.

Achieving Body Strengthening Scripture Stage I overnight might pass as prior groundwork.

But pushing further risked undue scrutiny.

Even in this isolated spot with only Elder Sun, he strove to conceal everything.

He rose from the bed.

The rigidity from an all-night vigil stiffened his back somewhat.

He swung open the door.

To his surprise, Elder Sun stood in the yard, clutching a full-bodied, rotund large hen. His usual detached expression brimmed with bewilderment.

"This shouldn't be. How come it laid an egg all of a sudden?"