Chapter 67: Chapter 65: 10-Year Life-extending Pill
On the day after payday, three suns appeared again in the sky.
At this time,
All leaders of the Fire Camp—including Yan Shaohua, who was moving bricks ten kilometers away—gathered at the portal.
The camp adopted such a grand stance primarily to welcome one person.
An elder who once made shocking achievements for this country.
Twenty minutes later.
The portal stirred slightly.
A small and frail elder was helped to walk in from outside the door.
The elder was small and thin, with a face resembling that of a seasoned farmer, worn and weather-beaten.
Yet his eyes burned with a strange power, twinkling with a resilient light.
Once this light shines, it can even defy the heavens—no mystical descriptions here, he actually did this.
In the universe beyond the portal.
At this moment, a small asteroid named after him is floating in space.
Numbered 8117.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Lin Li’s face quickly flushed with an excited expression.
He hurried forward, reverently holding the elder’s hand:
"Elder Yuan!"
Elder Yuan smiled and patted Lin Li’s arm, speaking in Mandarin with a strong Xiangchu accent:
"Hey, don’t be so polite.
You’re Xiaolin, right? I saw you in the year before last during the Technology Progress Award." (I checked the videos, Elder Yuan often used the word ’nei’ as a tone particle)
Then, with the help of an assistant, Elder Yuan greeted the main camp leaders present.
Meanwhile, young researchers like Wang Qiang and Zhuo Yuanxing could only watch from the outside due to their rank.
But this didn’t affect their excitement in the slightest—kidding, it’s Elder Yuan!
The saying on the internet goes:
"No one can call me fat, except Elder Yuan, because I really ate his family’s rice!"
In other more fantastical novels.
As soon as Elder Yuan walked through the portal, he ought to be bestowed with a heavenly golden body, right?
After meeting the camp leaders, Elder Yuan curiously glanced around:
"So this is the Damo Realm?
The geography looks somewhat similar to the homeland."
Lin Li, supporting Elder Yuan, smiled and said:
"Elder Yuan, the geography of the Damo Realm is somewhat similar to the homeland, but the plant and soil compositions are quite different.
We attempted to plant some native plants on Damo Realm soil and set up two control groups.
One group used harmless growth hormones like brassinolide, while the other was simulated under a pure natural environment.
Unfortunately, the survival rate of these native plants was not very promising.
However, native rice seedlings didn’t fall into this category—our planted seedlings didn’t thrive well but didn’t wither and die.
This indicates that the soil of Damo Realm could possibly grow native crops.
Apart from this.
Damo Realm has a wonderful soil called Spirit Field, specially used for planting spirit medicines and spirit rice.
Leaving aside spirit medicine, spirit rice cultivated here offers great benefits to the human body.
Cultivators before the Core Formation Stage can’t fast, and the most they consume are ingredients like spirit rice."
Upon hearing the word ’rice’, Elder Yuan became interested.
Somewhat impatiently, he asked:
"Spirit Field sounds like a good thing.
How about if we plant it entirely with spirit rice, how much yield can it produce?"
Lin Li had already memorized the relevant information beforehand, so he quickly replied:
"Elder Yuan.
According to the Wei Mansion’s statement.
Theoretically, one acre of First-tier Spirit Field can produce about 500 jin of spirit rice, but the highest yield at the Wei Mansion’s Spirit Field barely reaches over 200 jin.
Moreover, the milling rate of spirit rice is about 30%-35%, and the highest wouldn’t exceed 40%."
Elder Yuan immediately frowned, showing disappointment:
"Only 200 jin of spirit rice per acre? Deducting the shelling rate, that’s just sixty to seventy jin of rice?
What kind of grain is this?
Our super premium Thousand number had completed seeding last year, and the per-acre yield could reach over 2000 jin."
Lin Li displayed a bitter smile and explained:
"Elder Yuan, those spirit rice are for cultivators.
They contain various unknown substances, not your usual concept of rice."
Elder Yuan snorted, looking somewhat dissatisfied; this stubborn elder had his judgments on matters:
"Poor cultivation is still poor cultivation.
The rice isn’t ordinary, but neither is the land.
It’s all grain for people to eat; if they can’t grow it well, it’s just because their technique is poor!
I heard the ancestors of the Wei Family were also Huaxia people?
That makes it even less excusable, how could Huaxia people not know how to farm?
Let’s go, take me to see it!"
After saying this, Elder Yuan patted his assistant’s hand, ready to move.
However, before the assistant could act, Lin Li quickly blocked in front of him:
"Elder Yuan, please wait a moment!"
Elder Yuan looked at Lin Li, pondered for a few seconds, as if something struck him.
He exclaimed, "Captain Lin, is it time for a physical exam? I got checked in Modu, very healthy!"
"An exam is necessary, it’s a directive from the base camp, please don’t make it hard for me. But there’s something even more important than the exam."
After Lin Li finished, he took out a small porcelain bottle and carefully poured out a jade-green pill:
"Elder Yuan, please take this first."
Elder Yuan curiously examined the pill:
"What is this? Candy?" (Elder Yuan really likes sweets)
Lin Li chuckled, explaining:
"This is a pill provided by Patriarch Wei, called a Vitality Pill.
One Vitality Pill can improve an ordinary person’s physique, delay... delay the aging of some organs.
After all, at your age, even if your Spiritual Root awakens, the body’s recovery in a short period cannot compare with the Vitality Pill, so taking the pill directly is currently the fastest way.
We’ve previously taken some pill fragments and experimented on lab mice, the results were astonishing.
We’ve also analyzed the composition of the pill fragments, not detecting any harmful substances — frankly, the Wei Family wouldn’t dare to deceive us with this.
So, you can take it with confidence."
Elder Yuan stared at the pill for a few seconds, hands clasped behind his back, and slowly asked Lin Li:
"Xiaolin, this pill must be expensive."
Lin Li raised an eyebrow gently, rubbed his nose, and said, "Not really..."
"Be honest."
"Pretty expensive, over two thousand Spirit Stones."
Faced with the now stern Elder Yuan, Lin Li instantly grew compliant, confessing honestly:
"The Vitality Pill is a pill that can be taken by mortals and can extend life by more than ten years.
The difficulty and process of refining it surpasses the Spirit Awakening Pill by an unknown amount, so the price is very high. Even the Wei Family would feel a pinch in buying one Vitality Pill.
Since the Spirit Stone mines are still in the exploration phase, there are no outputs for the time being.
So this pill was exchanged for a complete drainage system with the Wei Family. (Note: I checked the data, a budget for drainage pipes in a county in Sichuan in ’14 was over nine million, a total length of 9000 meters; does this price seem reasonable, it feels a bit too much... any pros out there to clarify?)
But giving it to you has been agreed upon by the base camp, and all costs are borne by them.
Considering your contributions, this is what you deserve."
Elder Yuan gave him a deep look, said nothing, extended his hand to take the pill:
"Should I swallow it directly?"
Lin Li was momentarily stunned.
He had prepared to spend a lot of time convincing Elder Yuan, but who would’ve thought Elder Yuan’s response would be as such?
Seeing Lin Li’s stunned expression, Elder Yuan almost saw through his thoughts.
Elder Yuan let out a long sigh, smiling, said:
"Xiaolin, do you think I would decline this pill?"
Before Lin Li could nod, Elder Yuan continued:
"More than two thousand Spirit Stones for a pill, converting to Huaxia currency, it must be... wow, over twelve million?
I am very frugal, but I also know how to calculate.
I’m 91 years old, and I’m aware of my body, it’s not as good as before.
If I hadn’t come to the Damo Realm, I wouldn’t take this pill no matter what, even if it could extend my life by a hundred years!
But now the Damo Realm needs my old bones, I have to hold on for a few more years.
If my old bones were ten years younger, I would confidently earn the country 1.2 million annually."
Lin Li suddenly felt his chest tighten.
Not long ago, Liu Xiangqian, Hua Jun, now Elder Yuan, and even Lin Li himself.
All of them over sixty years old.
These elders, who have given most of their lives for the country and should have retired to a life of leisure.
Now are unhesitatingly becoming fuel in another world, burning themselves, shining brightly.
Thinking of this.
Lin Li cast a deep glance at Wang Qiang, Zhuo Yuanxing, and others not far away.
The next generation of young people...
While we can still burn,
grow quickly.
The burning of the fire not only needs old fuel but also requires new fuel...