Autumn Gathering

Several days later.

Ling Pengyun rode the Immortal Spirit Crane King across tens of thousands of miles, and after more than two months, he finally returned to the Rock Scale Snake Den.

As soon as they entered the Snake Cave, the Wind Shadow Peng, which had been stationed there for nearly two months, came out to greet them along Snake Cave path.

"Has anything changed during the two months I was away?"

Ling Pengyun looked at Wind Shadow Peng and asked.

Wind Shadow Peng cried out twice to indicate that there was nothing wrong.

Seeing this, Ling Pengyun didn't ask any more questions. He led Wind Shadow Peng along the path into the second-tier Spirit Gathering Formation that had been set up there long ago deep inside the Snake Cave.

This array has the effect of gathering and purifying Spiritual Qi, which makes the Spiritual Qi within this Spirit Gathering Formation extremely pure.

And in the place where the Spiritual Qi of this formation is most concentrated, there is an egg and a fox.

That Demon Beast egg was a Black Armored Turtle Black Armored Turtle Egg, laid by the Foundation Establishment Realm Xuanjia Turtle, which Ling Pengyun obtained seven or eight months ago when he followed Yan Siyi and others into Serpent Dragon Lake to kill Demon Beast.

That spirit fox was the Mutated Spirit Beast Three-Eyed White Fox, that Ling Pengyun obtained after killing Luo Qiuming.

"Unexpectedly, with such abundant Spiritual Qi here, more than half a year has passed and this Black Armored Turtle Egg still hasn't hatched."

"Could it be that the baby Black Armored Turtle inside the egg possesses extraordinary talent and is tempering its body with Spiritual Qi?"

"If that's the case, this tortoise will likely be at the Qi Refining stage when it's born, far surpassing Wind Shadow Peng's aptitude. At that time, the probability of this tortoise Foundation Establishment will be extremely high."

"Thinking about it this way, I am not ashamed of the Yin Yang Primordial Qi I gave to this turtle egg half a year ago."

Ling Pengyun stared at the Black Armored Turtle Egg that was constantly absorbing Spiritual Qi into its body, his eyes gleaming, and muttered something to himself.

Last year, when Ling Pengyun was thirty-six years old, he once again condensed a breath of Yin Yang Primordial Qi.

Coincidentally, he obtained a Black Armored Turtle Egg whose parents were both at the Foundation Establishment stage. Since he wanted to nurture the Black Armored Turtle, he transferred his Yin Yang Primordial Qi to the little life growing inside the Black Armored Turtle Egg to improve the little turtle's aptitude.

As for Wind Shadow Peng's innate cultivation level, it is the Innate Perfection.

Overjoyed, Ling Pengyun glanced twice at the Three-Eyed White Fox that was fast asleep.

Seeing that the fox's aura was much stronger than it had been two months ago, his expression shifted slightly.

"This white fox hasn't been slacking off these past two months; its resolve to pursue the Dao is truly unwavering."

"Now, I have also made contact with Wu Tian, Spirit Talisman True Person of the Hundred Spirits Sect. If I become richer in the future, I can find a third-tier spiritual object to repair the meridians for this fox, so that it can recover its foundation and embark on the Dao Path again."

"In this way, I can have another capable assistant."

His thoughts returned, and his gaze shifted to the vast Spirit Field within the Snake Cave.

During the two months he was away, Wind Shadow Peng, who was quite intelligent, watered the Spirit Plant in these Spirit Field.

However, the Spirit Plant planted in those Spirit Field are at least of the First Rank Middle Grade, and their growth period is even longer, taking at least three years to mature.

This also meant that during the two months that Ling Pengyun was away, the Spirit Plant planted in those Spirit Field seemed to have not grown at all.

"Fortunately, it only delayed us for two months. If it had been delayed longer, it would have been troublesome."

Ling Pengyun muttered something to himself and didn't linger any longer. He quickly walked to the edge of the large Spirit Field and used the "Cloud Rain Technique" to conjure a large cloud above the Spirit Field.

"Fall."

Drops of Spirit Rain, condensed from pure spiritual energy, fell from within the clouds onto the Spirit Plant Spirit Plant, nourishing their growth.

Then, he used a "Ripening Technique" on the Spirit Plant.

After finishing this task, Ling Pengyun sat cross-legged on a Meditation Mat in the Spirit Gathering Formation and carefully considered his cultivation plan.

"The time when the 300-year-old Evergreen Spirit Fruit of the Hundred Spirits Sect will ripen is not far off."

"Once that fruit ripens, the Hundred Spirits Sect will be thrown into chaos."

"With my current cultivation level, it's not bad in Huai River County, but it's still not enough in the entire Hundred Spirits Sect territory."

"I need to advance to the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer as soon as possible. At that time, the power of my Higher Vehicle Innate Spell, Azure Sea Sky Sword Art Technique, will also increase. Even if it is Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, I will be able to fight it."

"At that time, I will be better prepared to deal with the great chaos that will occur several years later."

After making up his mind, Ling Pengyun took a Spirit Gathering Pill and then began to cultivate.

Time passed gradually.

Winter goes and spring comes, the four seasons cycle.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye.

That autumn.

Riding his Lineage's Immortal Spirit Crane King, Ling Pengyun left the Rock Scale Snake Den, flew thousands of miles, and entered the most prosperous Tu Yuan Market Town in the current Hundred Spirits Sect territory, inside a teahouse called "Free-and-Easy Teahouse".

Led by a waiter, Ling Pengyun went up to the second floor and entered a private room.

The five high-ranking members of the Hundred Spirits Sect — Qin Shi, Body Cultivator; Yan Siyi, Spirit Chef; Zhang Chuan, Artifact Refiner; Xue Chao, Talisman Crafter; and Ye Yu Ling Pengyun, who had already made an appointment with Ling Pengyun—had already arrived.

The moment Ling Pengyun saw these five people, he sensed that, apart from Qin Shi, the auras of the other four were much stronger than a year ago, reaching the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment stage.

Moreover, these people all carried a hint of murderous intent.

A year ago, Yan Siyi, Zhang Chuan, Xue Chao, Ye Yu were all hovering at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment.

"It seems that since that parting more than a year ago, Fairy Yan and the others have still ventured into the Serpent Dragon Lake area to fight against the Demon Beast quite a bit."

Ling Pengyun muttered to himself.

A year ago, Yan Siyi, Zhang Chuan, Xue Chao, and Ye Yu were already stuck at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Third Layer. However, due to consuming too many spiritual items to improve their cultivation, their foundations became unstable.

It is normal for one's cultivation level to improve after fighting against Demon Beast and consolidating one's foundation.

"Fellow Daoists, I'm late. I'll pay for the tea today as an apology," Ling Pengyun said apologetically.

"Ling-xiong, this autumn gathering was arranged by me a year ago. I should pay for the tea and drinks at this gathering. Besides, we just arrived. You don't need to do this."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shi, who was inside the private room, smiled and said...

"Then thank you very much, Brother Qin, for the treat," Ling Pengyun said.

"It's alright, please take a seat," Qin Shi said.

Ling Pengyun nodded slightly and greeted Yan Siyi and the others in the same private room with clasped hands.

"Fairy Yan"

"Daoist Zhang."

"..."

He then sat down in an empty seat and chatted with the others over tea.

Because Qin Shi and the others treated Ling Pengyun as a friend, they told him everything they knew.

This led to Ling Pengyun and Qin Shi and the others quickly becoming acquainted.

During their casual conversation, Ling Pengyun learned that Yan Siyi, the Spirit Chef, could now cook second-tier Spirit Cuisine. However, Yan Siyi was currently only proficient in cooking Second Rank Low Grade Spirit Cuisine, such as stir-fried meat. She had not yet mastered the cooking of other dishes.

Nine months ago, Zhang Chuan, a Artifact Refiner, successfully used the shells of the three Black Armored Turtle he had obtained to forge a Second Rank Low Grade magic shield.

Xue Chao, Ye Yu, Qin Shi, and others remained largely the same as before.

Qin Shi and the others also inquired about Ling Pengyun's involvement in the Ling Clan's destruction of the Luo Clan.

After chatting for several hours, Yan Siyi extended another invitation to Ling Pengyun, a year later.

"Ling Daoyou, I have never forgotten your kindness in helping me twice back then. Now I can cook second-tier Spirit Cuisine."

"However, my success rate in cooking second-tier Spirit Cuisine is only 20%, and I can only cook stir-fried meat Spirit Cuisine. If I were to keep the appointment and prepare two tables of Spirit Cuisine feasts with a total of 24 Spirit Cuisine for you, I would need at least 6,000 catties of the Foundation Establishment Realm Demon Beast meat."

"There is a considerable amount of flesh and blood from these Foundation Establishment Demon Beast, which I cannot produce in a short time."

"However, I have a compromise idea."

"Several months ago, when my Senior Brother Qin and I were searching for and killing Demon Beast in Serpent Dragon Lake, we found a group of Black Rock Bear Demon."

"However, the group of Black Rock Bear Demon is large in number. Not only are there three or four hundred Black Rock Bear Demon in the Qi Training Stage Refining stage, but there is also one Black Rock Bear in the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, two Black Rock Bear in the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment, and a Black Rock Bear King in the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment."

"It was precisely because these bear demons were so powerful that Senior Brother Qin and I dared not fight them and had no choice but to give up."

"However, those four Foundation Establishment Realm Black Rock Bear are all extremely large. If we kill these four bear demons, we can gather enough Demon Beast meat to cook twenty-four Spirit Cuisine for you, Ling Daoyou."

"Fellow Daoist, would you be willing to help us slay those bear demons?"

"By the way, outside the Black Rock Bear's den, there is an orange grove that stretches for several miles, with tens of thousands of orange trees, including five Spirit Mandarin Tree, and even one First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Mandarin Tree that is showing signs of approaching the second grade."

"I know that you are Spirit Planter, and the Ling Clan behind you was originally a Aristocratic Clan of Spirit Plant. If you agree to hunt demons with us, we are willing to exchange those five Spirit Mandarin Tree for Spirit Stone and sell them to you."

Upon hearing this, Ling Pengyun's eyes gleamed slightly.

Although Yan Siyi has only mastered the second-tier Spirit Cuisine of cooking stir-fried meat, all twenty-four Spirit Cuisine are just stir-fried Demon Beast meat.

Even a low- Second Rank Low Grade Spirit Stone contains considerable Spiritual Qi, comparable to half a Spirit Gathering Pill Spiritual Qi the same tier.

Furthermore, the Spiritual Qi within the Spirit Cuisine is extremely pure, and cultivators will not experience any side effects no matter how much they consume. After simply refining the Spiritual Qi, it can be directly sent into the Dantian, making it almost identical to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Water and earth.

Ling Pengyun's cultivation level is now not far from the peak of the Fourth Layer Foundation Establishment. If he has the help of twenty-four Second Rank Low Grade Spirit Cuisine, Ling Pengyun is confident that he can try to break through to the fifth Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer.

Furthermore, he is not Rogue Cultivator; he has a Lineage behind him. If he can obtain those five Spirit Mandarin Tree this time and transplant them back to his clan, they will be enough to last for hundreds of years.

The benefits brought by these five Spirit Mandarin Tree even far exceeded those of the twenty-four Second Rank Low Grade Spirit Cuisine.

Moreover, among those five Spirit Mandarin Tree Spirit Mandarin Tree, there is one that has the potential to reach the second tier.

Without much thought, Ling Pengyun immediately accepted Yan Siyi's invitation and replied.

"I'll take on this demon-hunting mission."

Upon hearing this, Yan Siyi, Qin Shi, and the others all showed joy on their faces.

Yan Siyi wasn't the only one who wanted to kill the four Foundation Establishment Realm Black Rock Bear and obtain their materials.

Qin Shi and the others also wanted to, but unfortunately, no one in the Tu Yuan Market Town invited them to hunt demons together, so they had no choice but to seek out their old friend Ling Pengyun again.

Qin Shi needed to integrate the hard bear bones from that Late-Stage Foundation Establishment bear king into his natal Lifebound Magic Item, which was a Full Body Armor, to enhance its Lifebound Magic Item.

At the same time, he also found a highly skilled Artifact Refiner. As long as he obtained the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Bear King, he could find that Artifact Refiner to forge a heavy magic Law Artifact.

Yan Siyi's thoughts were simple: she wanted the meat from the four Foundation Establishment Black Rock Bear to improve her success rate in cooking second-tier Spirit Cuisine.

Zhang Chuan, a Artifact Refiner, needed the spiritual materials from the four Foundation Establishment bear demons, the Black Rock Bear, to attempt to refine Second Grade Magic Tool.

Xue Chao needs bear skin to refine Second Rank Spirit Talisman.

Ye Yu, a cultivator who doesn't possess any particular skills, is wealthy, but she has developed feelings for Xue Chao, so naturally she supports whatever Xue Chao does.

"I wonder if Ling Daoyou is currently free? If so, it would be best to set off immediately to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Yan Siyi looked at Ling Pengyun and asked.

"Okay," Ling Pengyun nodded.

With everyone agreeing, they left the teahouse together, exited the Tu Yuan Market Town, and headed towards the Serpent Dragon Lake area.

Thanks to: Black Ice 135, FURogner, and Li Mingye for their monthly tickets.