Chapter 108 Lord of Qingjiang, Tongshan County (Seeking Support)
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Among the wives of Xu Mingwei and his two brothers, only Yang Ronghua neither practiced martial arts nor cultivated immortality. Like Bai Jing, she was an ordinary woman.
But they had no demands or worries, understanding the joy of contentment.
Because both Xu Chuan and Xu Mingwei cherished them deeply.
Even after a short sixty years together, they had no complaints.
Bai Jing looked at everyone gathered together, a faint smile on her face.
"The Xu family, since your father's time, has grown stronger under your leadership, reaching its current prosperity. Each of you has made invaluable contributions."
"Come, let us all drink this cup together, wishing the Xu family prosperity and longevity!"
"Prosperity and longevity!"
"Prosperity and longevity!"
Bai Jing's gaze fell on Zhang Wanqing and Wu Rushan, and she smiled faintly, "Wanqing, Rushan, you have worked hard to give birth to Yun'er and Rong'er."
"Mother, you flatter us. It is our duty to continue the Xu family line. How can it be considered hardship?" Wu Rushan came from a prestigious family, and her demeanor was more composed than Zhang Wanqing's.
"Yes, Mother, you flatter me."
Bai Jing nodded slightly, then said, "Rushan, I also know about what happened to the Wu family recently. Please accept my condolences."
"Mother, this matter is over. The Fang, Wang, He, and Cao families have all fallen into obscurity." Wu Rushan sighed softly, "I know what the Wu family was like before. If they had been as low-key and kind as our Xu family, they wouldn't have suffered this calamity."
"During this time, with my husband's tacit approval, I also sent a lot of support, which can be considered as doing my best."
"It's good that you can think so positively."
Bai Jing then looked at Xu Mingshu, and seeing her avoidance of eye contact, sighed, "Xueji, you don't dare to look at me."
"How could I, Mother?"
"After the New Year's Eve, you'll be twenty-four. When your sister-in-law was your age, Devon was already born."
Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan, the three brothers, couldn't help but chuckle at their usually sharp-tongued sister's current embarrassed and distressed expression.
"You older brothers shouldn't laugh either. You also bear some responsibility for her situation. If there were suitable men, you wouldn't have introduced them to your sister."
Xu Mingxuan said, "Mother, you can't blame us for this. Xueji has such high standards and is so outstanding. How could an ordinary person be worthy of her?"
"It wouldn't be right for us to run around to various prefectures to find her a husband."
"Why not?!"
Bai Jing's words left Xu Mingxuan speechless. "This is your responsibility. If Xueji ends up alone, I'll hold you accountable!"
"Mother, perhaps Father will bring good news when he returns."
Xu Mingwei brought up Xu Chuan again.
"Yes, if your father saw the Xu family in such a state, he would be beaming with joy."
Bai Jing nodded slightly, then chided, "Yun Nu has come back several times, but he hasn't come even once."
Everyone fell silent.
"Alright, let's not talk about that. Today is the anniversary of the founding of the Xu family, so let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Let's not waste the delicacies and the hard work of everyone in the Xu family."
"Yes, Mother."
The next day.
All the servants, maids, and guards of the Xu family received a red envelope, sharing in the joy.
Xu Mingwei and the others also had a rare rest.
All family members gathered at Bihan Pool to enjoy family time.
Now, the five great families of Qingjiang have fallen into decline, and almost all of their businesses have come to belong to the Xu family, which has further deepened its wealth.
They own more shops in the county town than the Xu family.
However, their combined fields and forests are not as large as the Xu family's, but they still amount to tens of thousands of acres.
After these shops were reorganized, some were merged, and others closed down, giving them a new look.
The common people who had previously rented land from the five great families were worried that they would have no land left to cultivate, but upon hearing that they had all been brought under the Xu family's
control, they were overjoyed. The Xu family was renowned for its treatment of its tenants.
The outstanding among them would be absorbed into the Xu family.
Their offspring could attend school for free to learn to read and write, and those with talent would be sent for martial arts training, and so on. Countless commoners in Qingjiang envied the Xu family's servants and guards.
However, since the large-scale recruitment following the drought, the Xu family had not made such a significant move.
Although people were still being absorbed later, the selection process was more rigorous.
Under the Black Iron Fruit Tree.
Xu Derui and Xu Deheng climbed onto the back of the White Tiger to play. Xu Deling looked at the Azure Fire Eagle A'da perched on the tree trunk, his eyes flashing with a crimson light, remarkably similar to the Azure Fire Eagle's eyes.
The Azure Fire Eagle A'da tilted its head, its eyes showing surprise.
"Screech~"
It flapped its wings twice, instantly stirring up a gust of wind. Xu Deling seemed startled and took a few steps back.
Seeing this strange phenomenon, Xu Mingshu went over and, after speaking with A'da, looked at Xu Deling with surprise, though her eyes had already returned to normal.
"Big brother, come here."
"What is it?" Xu Mingwei walked over and asked with a smile.
"A'da just said that Ling'er's eyes seem to have a strange phenomenon, similar to eagle eyes."
"Oh." Xu Mingwei looked surprised. "Similar to mine? Is it the Crimson Eagle Spirit Eye that Father mentioned?!"
"I think it looks a lot like the rare spirit eyes described in some cultivation tales," Xu Mingshu said in a low voice.
Xu Mingwei remained composed.
"Brother, in the cultivation world, those born with spiritual eyes are even rarer than those with true spiritual roots!" Xu Mingshu exclaimed excitedly.
Xu Mingwei pondered for a moment before saying, "Don't make this public yet. Ling'er is still young and may not be able to fully control her spiritual eyes, hence their intermittent appearance.
Let her follow you as much as possible in the future. If she truly has eagle eyes, she'll likely gain the approval of the Azure Fire Eagles more easily. If she can gain the recognition of one of them, it will greatly benefit her future path."
"We'll do as you say, brother."
"Little Ling'er, how about following your aunt from now on?" Xu Mingshu ruffled her hair.
"Yes, Aunt." Xu Deling smiled sweetly.
Although she was only eight years old, she was already at the peak of the second level of Qi Refining and should be able to enter the third level of Qi Refining in a short time.
This was only because the spiritual energy here was thin and the Xu family currently had no cultivation pills to supply them.
Otherwise, she should have already broken through to the third level of Qi Refining.
For cultivators with true spiritual roots, bottlenecks are rare in the early stages, the pace slows down slightly in the middle stages, and only the cultivation speed truly slows down in the later stages.
Xu Deheng also possesses all five elements and has the aptitude for cultivation, but only the lowest level of pseudo-spiritual root aptitude.
Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingwei discussed it and ultimately decided to let him pursue martial arts first, before entering the path of immortality.
There are two reasons for this consideration: firstly, there are very few cultivators in the Xu family at present; secondly, the three brothers have decided that, except for Xu Dezhao, everyone else with incomplete five elements should pursue martial arts.
Unlike Xu Chuan, they cannot see whether a person has talent. If
everyone enters the path of immortality through martial arts, it will inevitably bring great trouble to the Xu family, so this is the only decision they can make for now.
As for whether there will be any changes in the future, it depends on the development of the Xu family.
In the open space in the northwest corner,
Xu Dejing and Xu Dewen sparred with each other.
They were the same age and both were third-rate martial artists, but Xu Dejing had just entered the third-rate stage, while Xu Dewen was not far from becoming a second-rate martial artist.
After all, he possessed a pseudo-fire element bloodline, supplemented by the Xu family's secret medicinal diet. Even if he couldn't reach the
Innate Realm before the age of fourteen like his elder brother Xu Dezhao, reaching it at fifteen or sixteen wouldn't be a problem. "Dewen, the martial arts you learned from the Yang family, the 'Fire Element Technique,' are indeed exquisite. The martial arts moves are even better than those recorded in the 'Little Dragon Elephant Skill.'"
The two nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Xu Dewen looked at Xu Dejing and smiled faintly, "Sister Jing, these two martial arts are actually not that different. The main difference is that the 'Fire Element Technique' is very difficult to learn, and only those with the Yang family bloodline can cultivate it.
With the bloodline enhancement, both internal strength and moves can gain an extra three points of power."
"Jing'er, your martial arts talent is not as good as Wen'er's. You must work even harder in the future.
" Xu Dejing cupped her hands and bowed to Wu Rushan, saying, "Yes, Mother."
Yang Ronghua smiled gently, "Rushan, don't be so stern today. Let the children have some fun."
"Sister-in-law is right." Wu Rushan smiled again, "Go play with your younger brothers and sisters."
Xu Dejing immediately ran to Xu Deling's side, took her hand, and ran away.
Yang Ronghua beckoned to Xu Dewen, who ran to Yang Ronghua, who then took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands.
"Go play too."
"Mother, then I'll go." Xu Dewen also cupped his hands in greeting and then went to join his brothers and sisters.
Several days later.
They returned to their former lives, some cultivating martial arts, others pursuing the path of immortality.
Nanshan Academy, study.
Xu Mingwei summoned two innate martial artists from the Xu family's guards, Cheng Fei and Shen Guang, both in their early forties.
"Patriarch."
The two men came to Xu Mingwei in the study and respectfully clasped their hands in greeting.
"Cheng Fei, Shen Guang."
"What are your orders, Patriarch?"
"Don't be so tense, it's just a casual chat. Neither of you seems to be married, and you're both around forty, why are you acting like this?"
Cheng Fei was startled, but feigned extreme fear. "Patriarch, I truly wouldn't dare have any improper thoughts."
Xu Mingwei was slightly taken aback, then laughed and cried, "Cheng Fei, what are you thinking?"
"Xue Ji's ambitions are sky-high; even I find it difficult to make decisions for her. How could I have invited you here for this matter?"
"That's good."
Cheng Fei felt slightly relieved.
Shen Guang's lips twitched slightly, thinking that his brother was truly delusional.
Marrying Xu Mingshu? That was nothing short of a pipe dream!
After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Master, I was married when I was young, but because I was obsessed with martial arts, my wife couldn't bear the loneliness and had an affair. When I found out, I killed her and her lover together. After that, I stopped indulging in women."
Cheng Fei stared at Shen Guang, his eyes seeming to say, "I never thought you had such a tragic past, brother.
" "And what about you?" Xu Mingwei's gaze fell on Cheng Fei again.
"I'm similar to Brother Shen, but the difference is that I have a cursed fate, killing three people in a year. In the end, I also gave up that idea and focused on martial arts."
Xu Mingwei nodded slightly. "There is a task that needs you to do. Are you willing?"
"We will obey your orders, Master, even if it means going through fire and water!"
The two looked at each other and said in unison.
"Rest assured, this is a good thing. You should also know about the changes that have occurred in the five great families. Now that Li Zhi has been promoted to county magistrate, the positions of county assistant and county lieutenant are vacant. I plan to appoint you two to these two military posts."
"Furthermore, my Xu family will secretly support your two families, allowing you to flourish in Qingjiang."
"Li Zhi is a member of the Xu family, as everyone knows. But you two are different; your reputations are not prominent. From now on, the three of you will operate in the open, while my Xu family operates in the shadows, firmly controlling the Qingjiang officialdom for my Xu family."
"When the time is right, you two can openly confront Li Zhi, which might draw out some petty people who want to target my Xu family."
"Patriarch, is it really necessary to expand the family line?"
"Is it difficult?" Xu Mingwei asked doubtfully, "Do you two have a penchant for homosexuality?"
The two waved their hands repeatedly and said decisively, "Of course not, we will obey the patriarch's orders."
Xu Mingwei smiled and said, "You two are the elites of my Xu family, and my Xu family will certainly not mistreat you. Every now and then, we will send people to deliver innate medicinal cuisine to assist you in cultivating innate martial arts."
"Thank you, patriarch!" The two clasped their fists, their faces slightly excited, clearly this matter was more attractive to them.
As for women.
Just complete the task!
"Go tomorrow, just treat yourself as outsiders. If there are any obstacles, my Xu family will help remove them."
The next day.
Cheng Fei and Shen Guang left the Xu family and rode to the Qingjiang County Magistrate's Office, wanting to compete for the positions of county magistrate and county lieutenant.
Although a few problems arose—a mid-stage Innate Realm martial artist from another county also ran for the position of County Magistrate.
He defeated Shen Guang.
However, the Xu family secretly intervened and killed him.
Only two of the three candidates remained, and Shen Guang undoubtedly still obtained the position of County Commandant.
However, both of them only held the title of official, not the official rank.
The Xu family, like a spider web, firmly controlled the official and commercial circles of Qingjiang, and its influence gradually encroached upon the surrounding counties, with many merchants transitioning to official positions.
Although the Zhao, Qian, Sun, Chen, and Bai families were developing well, they were still far from being able to seize official positions.
The primary condition was that their own family must produce an Innate Realm martial artist.
Of course, with the Xu family secretly cultivating them, this was only a matter of time.
As for the Xu family themselves, they kept a low profile, hiding in the countryside, living a life like a paradise.
————————————
Tongshan County, its territory is bordered by the Cangwu Mountains to the north, like a coiled azure dragon, and faces the Yunmeng Marsh to the south, like a black tortoise lying in wait.
Within the prefecture stands a colossal cliff called Bronze Sparrow Cliff, its surface entirely crimson, which glows with a purplish-copper luster at sunrise. Legend has it that it was formed from the essence of copper carried by an ancient divine phoenix.
It contains a rare crimson copper vein, highly valued by the Great Wei Dynasty, hence a member of the royal family is stationed in Bronze Mountain Prefecture.
Among the prefectures and cities of the Great Wei, its prosperity ranks among the top three, far surpassing that of Moon Lake Prefecture.
To the south of the county seat, thousands of acres of fertile fields, nourished by the Yunmeng River, yield rice stalks heavy as bronze hammers, a place said to be worth "three bushels of pearls for a single load of copper rice."
The great marshland is rich in aquatic products, teeming with spirit fish, which are divided among various aristocratic families.
The county is teeming with aristocratic families, with martial arts families and cultivation families accounting for seven to three. Therefore, cultivators are frequently seen in Tongshan County, unlike in Yuehu County.
There are even cultivation markets within the county seat itself.
At this moment,
several miles outside Tongshan County
, two figures are heading towards the city. One is a middle-aged man in a gray robe, the other a young man in a green robe, walking side by side.
They are none other than Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian!
"Father, we've traveled to many cultivation markets over the past six months and accumulated quite a few spirit stones. Although Tongshan County is prosperous, how can it compare to the imperial city?"
Chapter 109 Copper Mountain Market, News of the Clan Protective Array (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
"We will go to the Imperial City. Only by going there can we gain a clearer understanding of the situation in the entire Great Wei cultivation world."
Xu Chuan turned to look at Xu Mingxian and smiled faintly.
"Well," Xu Mingxian said,
"Although you're not far from the eighth level of Qi Refining, and I'm also in the late stage of the eighth level, we still need to be careful about whether others have methods we don't know about.
Cultivators aren't as straightforward as martial artists; there are countless examples of the weak defeating the strong. Just like the rogue cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining who controlled Gu worms that we encountered not long ago, we almost suffered a great loss at his hands." Xu Mingxian nodded slightly upon hearing this, "Father is right, but we also obtained half of the 'Insect Control Scripture.' I've roughly flipped through it; it records many methods for cultivating spirit insects, which are quite profound." "I think it should be suitable for Fourth Sister, but I don't know if it likes creatures like controlling insects. Those densely packed ones would definitely terrify ordinary people." "From what I've observed, she prefers fluffy spirit beasts like Little White, which are both good-looking and powerful." Xu Chuan shook his head and chuckled. "Judging from your tone, you still have an adventurous impulse deep down. Well, I won't say much more. Just remember that you have the Xu clan behind you, and think twice before you act." "Father, I understand." "As for Xue Ji, we'll talk about other things after she enters the Dao through martial arts and becomes a cultivator. Even if she doesn't want to, it's fine. Anyway, we don't have any insect eggs for her to hatch and control." Xu Mingxian nodded slightly, then said, "Father, after the last battle, your alchemy furnace seems to have cracked. When we get to Tongshan County, should we find a weapon-refining shop to repair it, or buy a new alchemy furnace? We can't afford a high-grade one, but we can afford a mid-grade magic weapon-level alchemy furnace now." "Repair it, I'll save up the spirit stones to replace it with a high-grade magic weapon," Xu Chuan said with a smile. "Although you've studied formations as I suggested, you're still inclined towards combat at heart. The Golden Sword Technique you've cultivated is mostly offensive techniques that condense sword light." After several battles, Xu Mingxian has shown considerable talent in combat. Xu Chuan even considered bestowing the [Sword Heart Clarity] talent upon Xu Mingxian, but considering he already possesses the [Nine Palaces Dao Evolution] destiny talent, and that the path of formations is profound and complex, even a lifetime of study wouldn't reveal its full scope, further pursuing the sword path would only hinder him, would it? As for martial prowess, Xu Chuan has already decided on Xu Mingwei. His archery skills are unparalleled in offense, surpassing even his sword skills. "I wonder how things are at home, whether any outstanding children have been born." Of the three generations of the Xu family, Xu Chuan has only bestowed the [Blood Furnace] destiny talent upon Xu Dezhao; he has been cautious and dared not easily grant the others. Even if one were to bestow a destiny or talent upon a family, it would only be two or three at most. It's normal for great families to produce geniuses generation after generation. As long as resources are concentrated on two or three individuals with slightly better talent, whether it's a top martial arts family or a Qi cultivation family, they can cultivate several geniuses to serve as their representatives. However, not everyone is a genius, and not everyone is a cultivator. Soon after, a massive city wall, far exceeding the size of Moon Lake County, appeared in their field of vision, resembling a bronze dragon stretching across the vast land. Its foundation was cast from iron ore mixed with a small amount of molten spirit copper, displaying a blue-red dragon scale pattern, emitting a faint metallic odor when washed by torrential rain. The city gates were all made of red copper, with hundreds of thousands of kilograms of copper gates. Octagonal copper towers were located at the four corners, with thirty-six unique copper bells hanging from the eaves; the sound of the bells could alert the entire city. Such a sturdy city wall, yet equipped with warning devices, was because Copper Mountain County had repeatedly encountered beast tides surging from the Cangwu Mountains. Ordinary brick walls wouldn't be enough to keep out the lurking monsters in the beast tide. The two entered the city and saw a wide main street stretching to the horizon, lined with houses, pavilions, taverns, and inns. Pedestrians thronged like a tide, and carriages sped out of the city. "Fellow Daoist Mingyun, let's go to a restaurant for a bite to eat first, and while we're at it, let's ask where the cultivation market in Tongshan County is. Master Wu only said it was inside the city." "Okay, let's go then." After walking several hundred meters, they saw a restaurant called "Guyunju," bustling with customers. They smiled at each other and went inside. After asking around and eating their fill, the two headed east of the city. That was also where fifth-rank martial arts families, numerous cultivation families, and members of the royal family resided. The cultivation market was protected by an array; only those with identity tokens or who were cultivators could enter. Outside the formation, two innate martial artists stood with swords, and beside them sat a young cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining. A desk sat before them, upon which lay a thick book. Seeing the newcomers without proper identification tokens, they immediately blocked their way, saying, "This is the Immortal Master Market; ordinary people are not permitted to enter." "If you two are cultivators, please demonstrate a few spells," Xu Mingxian said, quickly making a hand seal. A golden light flashed, and a golden flying sword materialized, hovering beside him. Xu Chuan, in turn, conjured a fiery lotus in his palm. "So you are Immortal Masters, we apologize for our rudeness," the two immediately clasped their hands in apology. Seeing this, the young man beside them knew that Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian's cultivation was profound; their hand seals were skillful and controlled, clearly not those of early Qi Refining cultivators. He immediately smiled and said, "Seniors, please register your names and origins here, and then I will open the formation's restrictions for you."
The two walked to the desk. Xu Chuan looked at the young man and asked in surprise, "We've been to many markets, but we've never encountered such strict checks. May I ask why?"
"It seems this is your first time here, seniors. More than ten years ago, a group of rogue cultivators took advantage of the chaos to plunder, causing heavy losses to all the families. Since then, this rule has been implemented. Regardless of whether one enters or leaves, a designated person must activate the array restriction."
"There are still such audacious rogue cultivators? What happened to that group?" Xu Mingxian also asked curiously.
"They were basically killed by the combined forces of the families. Only one person, Qiu Jiu, who is at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, remains. He has not been found to this day, and we don't know if he escaped from the Great Wei."
"Wealth really does tempt people," Xu Chuan sighed.
"Who says otherwise?" the young man echoed, then clasped his hands in greeting. "May I ask your names and origins, seniors?"
"San Shu Dao Ren
, a rogue cultivator, from Yuehu County." "Yun Ming Dao Ren, a rogue cultivator, also from Yuehu County."
The young man nodded slightly, completed the registration, then patted his storage pouch at his waist
. A jade tablet flew out, and after he infused it with his magic power, the tablet flew into the air, emitting a burst of azure light that landed on the array. A moment later
, a semi-circular archway, ten feet high, appeared on the array's light screen ahead.
"Seniors, please come in quickly. The array can only be maintained for twenty or thirty breaths."
Xu Chuan nodded and immediately entered the Tongshan County market with Xu Mingxian.
They were greeted by a dense spiritual energy, thirty to forty times denser than other cultivation markets.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Mingxian transmitted her voice, "Father, there might be a small spiritual vein beneath the East District. Otherwise, the concentration of spiritual energy wouldn't be this high with just a few tiny nodes." "
If Tongshan County is already like this, I wonder what the concentration of spiritual energy in the Imperial City will be like," Xu Chuan sighed. "Let's take a look around and find out the situation."
Half a day later.
The Tongshan market was filled with shops trading spiritual materials. These materials included not only spiritual herbs and spirit iron, but also materials from demonic beasts, fragments of magical artifacts, and even half-sections of spirit wood.
In addition, there were alchemy shops, artifact workshops, and talisman shops.
There were also some independent cultivators setting up temporary stalls.
In the market, there was a building called the Treasure Pavilion, which specialized in trading rare spiritual materials and exquisite magical artifacts. Its owner was Cao Jinming, a member of the Great Wei royal family of Tongshan County, whose cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
If he were not at this level, he would not be able to govern Tongshan County.
After all, this county had five major Foundation Establishment families and dozens of Qi Refining families with profound foundations.
Some martial arts families of the fifth or sixth rank also have five or six Qi Refining cultivators. Based on their cultivation level, they could certainly apply to become a lower-third-rank cultivation family.
However, only middle-third-rank and upper-third-rank cultivation families are valued by the Great Wei Dynasty.
Therefore, these martial arts families quietly accumulate their strength.
Cultivation families must be certified by the dynasty. Cultivation families of the sixth rank or above are exempt from all taxes, military service, and corvée labor.
The Great Wei Dynasty will not force these families' members to participate in wars of other countries, but if they do participate, the spoils of war belong to them.
Furthermore, they have special privileges; as long as they do not commit mass killings, even murder is not a crime.
Lower-third-rank cultivation families, on the other hand, have at most five or six cultivators, and their strength and foundation are inferior to those of fifth or sixth-rank martial arts families. Such cultivation families are unworthy of their name.
There have even been instances in the Great Wei where lower-third-rank cultivation families have been besieged by fifth or sixth-rank martial arts families.
Given this precedent, lower-ranking cultivation families are virtually nonexistent in the Great Wei Dynasty.
All known ones are at least sixth rank.
Cultivators in the Great Wei are revered and respected by mortals, honored as Immortal Masters.
Therefore, their opponents are each other and cultivators from other countries.
Wars frequently erupt between cultivation families, whether due to grudges or resources.
Whenever a cave, spiritual vein, or mineral vein is discovered, almost every family will investigate, and if they have the strength, they will fight for it, leading to battles.
Thus, the rise and fall of families
is constant.
The Great Wei Dynasty has never prohibited this, explicitly stating that whichever family seizes it belongs to them; however, there are unwritten rules in private as well.
For example, of spirit stone mines, 30% goes to the Great Wei royal family, and the remainder to the families.
These families are not without resentment.
The Great Wei royal family has occupied this place for a thousand years, and thanks to the continuous emergence of two Golden Core Ancestors, they have always had Golden Core cultivators in charge, thus ensuring their enduring prosperity.
However, if one day a Golden Core cultivator were to perish, it might be the moment when the Great Wei is transformed.
Xu Mingxian borrowed a workshop and spent several days repairing his magical artifacts and alchemy furnace.
Afterwards, he rented a cave dwelling, and as he had done in other markets, Xu Chuan bought spiritual herbs and refined pills, while Xu Mingxian studied formations.
Of course, the two of them would meditate and cultivate for several hours every night.
At their level, they did not need sleep; simply sitting cross-legged in meditation was enough to replenish their essence and perfect their minds.
Nearly ten months had passed since they left Moon Lake Market.
Xu Chuan's alchemy skills had improved again, and the success rate of high-grade pills had reached 50%, usually producing one high-grade pill, occasionally two.
Xu Chuan's utilization rate of the medicinal liquid extracted from spiritual herbs had reached a certain peak.
Of course, this is still far from the legendary pinnacle of alchemy, where nine pills are produced, each of them being of superior quality.
The varying quality stems from the difficulty of separating nine clumps of medicinal liquid to ensure they all reach the purity of a superior pill.
This is primarily related to divine sense and fire control.
Any alchemist's fire control skills will continuously improve over many years of alchemy practice, until they reach a state of consummate mastery.
However, divine sense is different. Aside from increases in cultivation level, ordinary methods are unlikely to amplify it.
Xu Chuan, however, relies on the feedback from his daily divination to increase his divine sense, making it comparable to a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
But he has already reached a bottleneck.
Unless he finds another method, his divine sense will not increase further; he can only wait until he breaks through to Foundation Establishment and transforms it into divine consciousness.
It can be said that Xu Chuan's current alchemy skills are facing a bottleneck. Even with his mastery of fire control, he can only produce two to three high-grade pills per batch at most.
To refine more, he would have to sacrifice the number of pills produced.
However, this is not what Xu Chuan desires.
Over the past half year, thanks to Xu Chuan's alchemy skills, they have accumulated a considerable amount of spirit stones.
Of course, they have also purchased several mid-grade magic artifacts in other markets to enhance their strength.
Currently, Xu Mingxian possesses a mid-grade flying sword and a mid-grade magic artifact shield, in addition to the mid-grade flying sword given to him by the Wu Market Master. Xu Chuan, on the other hand, has purchased a low-grade storage bag, one attack magic artifact, and one defense magic artifact.
They also obtained three inferior storage bags, one spirit beast bag, four low-grade magic artifacts, several cultivation techniques and classic texts, and over a dozen spirit stones from the two groups of rogue cultivators who attempted to rob them
. They were quite wealthy.
In the Copper Mountain Market, Xu Chuan continued his daily pill refining as usual. As for selling pills at their stall, the two took turns every three days, changing locations each time.
With Xu Chuan's current pill-refining skills, refining these familiar, ordinary pills was enough to bring in ten times the return.
An ordinary pill refiner would consider themselves to have achieved five or six times the return.
Two months passed peacefully.
They had accumulated over six hundred spirit stones.
After that, Xu Chuan stopped selling pills and instead refined Rejuvenation Pills and Qi Gathering Pills, aiming to improve the quality of the pills and strive to make them as high-grade as possible.
These pills were for their own cultivation.
He even collected materials for three Breakthrough Pills, refining two high-grade Breakthrough Pills, four mid-grade Breakthrough Pills, and two low-grade Breakthrough Pills.
He kept the mid-grade and above pills for himself, as they could be used to break through bottlenecks. As
for the low-grade ones, Xu Chuan thought he would check with the Treasure Pavilion in ten days or half a month to see if he could sell them for a good price.
As long as they weren't sold in large quantities in the market, they usually wouldn't attract attention.
After all, there were also pills with similar effects in the cultivation world, called Barrier-Breaking Pills, but their effects weren't as strong as Breakthrough Pills.
The next day.
Xu Mingxian returned from his outing and excitedly went to Xu Chuan's meditation room.
"Father, good news!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan opened the restrictions on the meditation room and let him in.
"How old are you? Still so impetuous. What good news is there? Tell me slowly."
"The clan's protective formation is showing promise."
"Really?!" Xu Chuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and joy appeared on his face.
"But unfortunately, the price is too high."
Upon hearing Xu Mingxian's words, Xu Chuan chuckled. "So it wasn't you who researched it, but rather you discovered the finished product of the clan-protecting array."
I lay on the bed like a useless piece of trash, completely motionless.
The pain was unbearable!
Chapter 110 Swallowing the Elixir to Enter the Ninth Level (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
"Father, even with my considerable talent in formations, it's impossible for me to go from nothing to being able to set up a clan-protecting formation within a year or two. And according to your requirements, it must be a clan-protecting formation capable of blocking Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"At my current level and progress, it will take at least another ten years to reach your expectations."
Xu Chuan smiled. "Alright, then tell me where you discovered it?"
"Treasure Pavilion." (
This appears to be a website link or website, possibly related to a novel or website
.) "Indeed, it is. Only the Great Wei royal family could produce such a grand formation. Tell me more about it."
Xu Mingxian nodded slightly and said, "In my opinion, it's a second-tier high-grade incomplete formation. Although it can currently operate, it can only defend against attacks from those at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining
. It's hard to say how long it can last. And I reckon that because it's incomplete, the formation has many flaws, which is
why it's been gathering dust in the Treasure Pavilion." "Not to boast, but because I'm not boasting." Xu Mingxian raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes sparkling. She chuckled, "I've made some progress in comprehending formations, and I consider myself quite skilled in deduction, especially in completing incomplete formations."
That's natural!
Xu Chuan chuckled inwardly. The [Nine Palaces Dao Derivation] destiny talent is best suited for formation deduction.
Once Xu Mingxian's mastery of formations reaches its peak, he will undoubtedly innovate and create unprecedented, magnificent formations.
Completing a flawed formation is difficult for other formation masters,
but Xu Mingxian can certainly give it a try.
"According to you, it's a second-tier high-grade flawed formation. Yun Nu, are you sure you're confident?" Xu Chuan pondered for a moment before looking into his eyes.
"Yes!" Xu Mingxian replied firmly, "Give me seven or eight months, at most a year, and I will definitely be able to complete it."
"Good." Seeing his pledge, Xu Chuan nodded slightly.
"But there's a problem." Xu Mingxian scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, "That incomplete formation costs eight hundred spirit stones."
Xu Chuan's face froze, a troubled expression appearing on his face. After hesitating for a while, he said, "In that case, we have no choice but to take the risk. I didn't want to continue selling pills in Tongshan County because I was afraid of being targeted." "
But the clan's protective formation is crucial to our Xu family."
"Tomorrow I will continue to go to the spirit herb shop to purchase the corresponding spirit herbs. Following the previous sales method, we can reduce the risk considerably."
"Thank you for your trouble, Father." Xu Mingxian cupped his hands in thanks.
"Father will take care of the spirit stones, but completing the incomplete formation depends on you, Yun Nu." Xu Chuan placed his hand on his shoulder, encouraging him.
"I will not let Father down!"
Half a month later.
Through selling pills, Xu Chuan and his group had accumulated eight hundred and eighty spirit stones.
Aside from the eight hundred spirit stones for the second-tier high-grade incomplete formation, the rest was enough to cover the cost of renting the cave dwelling and the daily expenses for researching formations.
If all else fails, he'll go back to the Treasure Pavilion in a while and try to sell the two Breakthrough Pills; they should be worth several dozen spirit stones.
Xu Chuan gave all the spirit stones he had to Xu Mingxian, who then put them into his low-level storage bag before heading to the Treasure Pavilion.
No one would cause trouble in the market, so Xu Chuan was assured of his safety.
In the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea, he returned to his cave dwelling with a high-grade second-tier array.
"Father, this grand formation is called the Four Symbols Heavenly Gang Formation. It has thirty-six formation flags, divided into the Azure Dragon Formation, White Tiger Formation, Vermilion Bird Formation, and Black Tortoise Formation. All four formations are first-tier high-grade formations.
Only when the four symbols are gathered together, combining offense and defense, can it be considered a complete second-tier high-grade grand formation. Unfortunately, the formation flags of all four formations are only partially intact, with some formation patterns incomplete. I can only deduce the formations based on the intact flags and patterns."
"Just do it with peace of mind. But if needed, Father will fully support you."
"Thank you, Father. Then Yunnu will go back to her room to study."
"Go ahead, but don't forget your own cultivation."
Xu Mingxian nodded slightly and then returned to her room.
Xu Chuan also kept a low profile for seven or eight days, neither going out to buy spiritual herbs nor selling pills. Instead, he honestly consumed high-grade Qi Gathering Pills in his cave.
Once he pushed his cultivation to the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining, he planned to consume a high-grade Breakthrough Pill.
With his true spiritual root aptitude, and with the help of elixirs, his breakthrough probability was as high as 70-80%, saving him half a year or even two or three years of hard work.
If he had a mixed spiritual root aptitude, it would probably take seven or eight years, or even more than ten years, to break through from the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining to the early stage of the ninth level, with only a 20-30% chance of success.
After consuming two or three high-grade Qi Gathering Pills, Xu Chuan felt his mana had improved considerably. In
the later stages of Qi Refining, each level is more difficult than the last, and the amount of mana that needs to be condensed is several times greater than before.
Without the assistance of resources, one can only rely on one's own day and night cultivation to accumulate mana.
As for Qi Gathering Pills, if they are only of low grade, they are still effective at the seventh level of Qi Refining. At the eighth level, only mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills can maintain the previous cultivation speed, and as for the ninth level of Qi Refining, only high-grade pills are needed.
"I'll start refining pills again in two or three months. I expect that with the help of the high-grade Qi Gathering Pills I refine, two months should be enough for me to reach the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining."
After the Awakening of Insects in March, all things are bustling with life.
In the courtyard, peach blossoms are in full bloom, their pink petals surging.
Xu Chuan has been cultivating diligently for two months, and his cultivation has made slight progress.
Given his true spiritual root aptitude, it's no wonder that most of the people he sees at the eighth level of Qi Refining are in their seventies, eighties, or even nineties.
If he didn't take any pills, even with his innate talent, it would take him more than half a year to go from the late stage to the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining.
"I should break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining as soon as possible."
Xu Chuan glanced at the old peach tree in the courtyard. He knew he didn't have many spirit stones left, and he could only sell the low-grade Breakthrough Pills to buy more spirit stones for medicinal herbs.
Previously, he had never bought spiritual herbs from the same spiritual herb shop, and this time was no exception.
Each spiritual herb shop was backed by a different powerful family, and the competition between them was fierce, so they wouldn't share resources.
They all assumed that Xu Chuan or Ming Xian were just ordinary rogue cultivators who studied pills.
As for the extra batch of pills he sold recently, although it attracted attention, the two of them switched identities every few days, and they had been keeping a low profile for more than two months.
Therefore, they were lucky not to be targeted.
Copper Mountain Market, East District.
Treasure Pavilion.
Xu Chuan stepped into the gate. There weren't many cultivators coming and going in the pavilion.
After all, the items were all of high quality and expensive.
"Senior, do you have any pills or magic weapons you want? My Treasure Pavilion has everything." A middle-aged man wearing a dark black robe and a tall hat greeted him.
At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary shop owner, but a quick scan with his divine sense revealed that he was a cultivator at the early stage of the seventh level of Qi Refining.
He looked to be only in his early sixties.
"The Cao family is indeed wealthy and powerful. Even the shop manager is a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining."
In a Qi Refining family, that would be enough to make him an elder.
"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind. I have come here with something I wish to sell to your esteemed establishment. I wonder if your establishment would accept it?"
"What is it?"
"Pills."
The middle-aged man in the tall hat pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "In that case, senior, please follow me. I am not an expert on pills, but my establishment has a resident alchemist. I will invite him to take a look. If it is acceptable, my establishment will offer a price to purchase it."
"As you wish, fellow Daoist."
Xu Chuan was led to an antique-style quiet room.
The room was simply and elegantly furnished. A rosewood eight-immortal table was placed in the center, complete with writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
In the corner stood an antique shelf, stacked with several bronze tripods and porcelain vases. Occasionally, a ray of sunlight would slant through the surface of the objects, giving them a faint glow of age.
A couch with a brocade cushion was placed by the window. The rustling of banana leaves outside the window, along with the wisps of smoke rising from the bronze incense burner on the table, added to the serene atmosphere.
The smoke itself had a calming effect.
A moment later,
a middle-aged man in a tall hat led an elderly man in his seventies or eighties into the quiet room and said to Xu Chuan, "Senior, this is Master He of our sect, skilled in alchemy. Please take out the pills that need to be appraised and hand them to him."
Xu Chuan nodded, patted his storage pouch at his waist, and a porcelain bottle flew out, landing in front of Master He.
Master He grasped the bottle, made a hand seal, and a pill flew out, hovering in front of him.
A strong fragrance of the pill filled the air, instantly masking the calming and soothing scent in the quiet room.
Master He's pupils contracted slightly. He gently pinched the pill between his index and middle fingers, examining it closely and occasionally sniffing it.
After a while, he took out another Breakthrough Pill and examined it as well.
After finishing, put it back into the porcelain bottle and plug it with a cork.
After a moment's thought, he said, "This pill is not one I am familiar with, but if I'm not mistaken, it should be a breakthrough pill, specifically for the late Qi Refining stage.
I only inhaled a little of its fragrance, and I felt the bottleneck at the seventh level loosen slightly. Its efficacy should be about 70-80% of a Breakthrough Pill, and it's most likely made according to an ancient formula."
The middle-aged man in the tall hat was slightly surprised, not expecting Master He to give such a high evaluation. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master He, what do you think this pill is worth?"
"If there is a formula, it would be very valuable."
After saying that, Master He looked up at Xu Chuan, who smiled wryly, "If there really is, I would naturally be willing to sell it to your esteemed establishment. It's just a pity that I obtained this pill by chance in a cultivator's cave.
The owner of that cave was a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator who must have died after failing to break through to Foundation Establishment. There was also an empty porcelain bottle, which should have previously contained a high-grade pill of this kind." "
That's a real pity. These two are only low-grade pills, but their efficacy is close to that of a high-grade Breakthrough Pill. They are worth eighteen spirit stones each."
"Senior, Master He is a renowned alchemy master in my Copper Mountain County. His evaluation is certainly accurate. My pavilion will accept it for thirty-six spirit stones. What do you think?"
Xu Chuan remained silent.
How could he not know that if he specifically sold it to some late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who were at a bottleneck, he could even raise the price to thirty spirit stones per pill?
"Then so be it," Xu Chuan replied, raising his eyes.
The transaction was completed, and Xu Chuan immediately left the Treasure Pavilion. He first wandered around the market, making sure no one was following him, before entering a spirit herb shop he had never been to before.
The spirit stones, barely warmed, were all exchanged for spirit herbs.
He wandered around again, making sure no one was following him, before returning to his rented cave dwelling.
Then came alchemy, cultivation, alchemy, cultivation.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Chuan's cultivation finally reached the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining. He rested for half a day, then sat cross-legged in his room and swallowed a high-grade breakthrough pill. The
moment he swallowed the pill, saliva welled up under his tongue, turning into a clear stream that flowed straight into his dantian.
The previously still and calm magical power suddenly rippled, eight vortexes of spiritual energy colliding with each other. Fine sweat beaded on Xu Chuan's forehead, and three wisps of white vapor rose from the top of his head, indicating that the impurities within his body were being forced out.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of shattering glass within his body. Xu Chuan's eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, as if in delight.
He made a hand seal, and a stream of azure light flowed around his body.
In an instant, the impurities forced out of his body were completely washed away.
A moment later,
Xu Chuan opened his eyes, azure light flickering in his pupils. His breathing was long and deep, like a silkworm's, and his sleeves fluttered without wind.
"Finally, I've reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. The rest is to refine my magical power to its peak."
The peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining is the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, touching the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment.
This is a bottleneck at a major realm, an insurmountable chasm for those without Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude, far surpassing the bottlenecks of minor realms.
The first step is to condense the Five Elements Qi, combining it with the Five Elements Spiritual Root to forge an Immortal Foundation.
At this stage, the Immortal Foundation is like a rootless duckweed.
The next step is to break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck.
Countless Qi Refining Grand Perfection cultivators have fallen at this stage.
The current cultivation world is unlike that of ancient times; the spiritual energy is unimaginably abundant, making breaking through bottlenecks much easier.
Now, without the aid of elixirs, only those with Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude can break through the bottleneck with unstoppable force.
Those with Earthly Spiritual Root aptitude, if unprepared, also have a considerable chance of failure.
Once this hurdle is overcome, the rest is easier, generally succeeding within two or three days.
Concentrate your divine sense, solidify the Immortal Foundation, sink it into your dantian, and let it take root there; from then on, the Immortal Foundation is no longer a rootless duckweed.
Foundation Establishment cultivators, thanks to their immortal foundation, absorb spiritual energy far faster than Qi Refining cultivators, and their mana can also be transformed into higher-quality Foundation Establishment mana.
Several days later,
Xu Chuan's cultivation level was completely stabilized at the early stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
This level was not considered weak even in the Great Wei cultivation world.
However, Xu Chuan was focused on alchemy, and his combat skills were weak. He could only wait until he reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining before finding time to learn various spells and increase his combat experience.
Xu Chuan went to see Xu Mingxian. Although he seemed a little tired, his eyes were bright and full of excitement, indicating that everything was going smoothly.
"Father, aren't you going to ask me how my progress is?"
"Judging from your appearance, I know everything is going well."
"Father has a discerning eye. If I'm not mistaken, I can expect to complete it before the annual sacrifice. However, repairing this second-tier high-grade array flag requires some materials, all of which are second-tier, so it will probably cost some spirit stones."
Xu Chuan nodded upon hearing this and said, "Tell me what materials you need first, and I'll go to the market to look for them when I have time."
Xu Mingxian then mentioned five kinds of materials.
Xu Chuan silently memorized it.
At this moment, Xu Mingxian suddenly asked, "Father, you've broken through?"
"I recently broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, and now my realm is stable."
"Foundation Establishment cultivators are rare. Unless it concerns the safety of the family, they rarely venture out. The ninth level of Qi Refining is considered top-tier combat strength."
"Congratulations, Father!"
Seeing Xu Mingxian's excited expression, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Don't be too happy yet. In terms of real combat, your father is only comparable to the eighth level of Qi Refining."
"With me and my elder brother here, why would you need to fight others yourself, Father?"
Speaking of Xu Mingwei, Xu Chuan was quite satisfied; he was the unparalleled martial arts expert of the Xu family that he had nurtured since childhood.
"I wonder if your elder brother has reached the Grandmaster level yet?" Xu Chuan sighed. "If your father were by your elder brother's side now, with your current alchemy skills, you would probably have reached the Grandmaster level long ago. But now it's hard to say, after all, a Martial Arts Grandmaster is equivalent to the mid-to-late stage of Qi Refining ,
and each breakthrough is equally difficult."