Three Years Later

Time flew by. Song Qingming had thought he would only be stationed at Lingyuan Mountain for one extra year, but that extension unexpectedly lasted more than three years. Only now, after the Liu Family mortals who had been resettled there had finally settled into stable lives, did Ninth Uncle Song Changxin return to Lingyuan Mountain.

Only then did Song Qingming pack his belongings and return to Funiu Mountain. Sixth Brother Song Qinghe seemed to have taken a liking to the place. Although his own term of duty had already ended, he unexpectedly volunteered to remain at Lingyuan Mountain.

The two mu of Spirit Fields on the mining platform had, under his careful cultivation, more or less stabilized their Spiritual Energy. What had once been a desolate scene of weeds running wild and jagged stones standing everywhere had now become a spiritual plot brimming with radiance and lush green leaves.

Three years had added a touch of maturity and steadiness to Song Qingming's handsome features. Now, he was no longer as lost about his path of cultivation as he had been when he first arrived at Lingyuan Mountain.

Not only had Song Qingming become a Mid-grade Talisman Master, his cultivation had also advanced steadily. With the aid of the Jade Profound Scripture and the Incomplete Map over the past three years, he had broken through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining a few days ago. Among the Song Family's Qing Generation, apart from Third Brother Song Qingze, Song Qingming's cultivation had already surpassed that of all his other brothers and sisters.

Song Qingze possessed outstanding Spiritual Root Aptitude. From the day he began cultivating, he had ridden alone in a cloud of dust above the Qing Generation. A month ago, Song Qingming received news from Funiu Mountain that Song Qingze had already entered seclusion to break through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. With his Spiritual Root Aptitude and the family's vigorous support, he had presumably already stepped into the Late Qi Refining Stage.

Song Qingze was only thirty-four years old. Reaching the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining at that age already placed him on par with the direct descendants of those Great Foundation Establishment Clans. At his current rate of cultivation, he would certainly reach the Ninth Level of Qi Refining before turning fifty. If he could obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill by then, Foundation Establishment would not be beyond hope.

It was only a pity that he belonged to a weak Qi Refining Family like the Song Family. If he remained in the family in the future, the Song Family certainly would have no way to provide him with a Foundation Establishment Pill. The entire Song Family earned only four to five hundred Spirit Stones a year. After covering the expenditures of the family's cultivators, they could save only a hundred or so Spirit Stones annually. In years of disaster or war, they even had to draw upon the Treasury's Spirit Stones for relief. Two hundred years of accumulation had amounted to barely over two thousand Spirit Stones.

Yet a single Foundation Establishment Pill cost at least ten thousand Spirit Stones, and it was a rare spiritual item that had a price but no market. Within Wei State, only the Carefree Sect sold a small amount every ten years, and only families that had rendered great service to the sect were qualified to purchase them. Under such circumstances, Qi Refining Families below Foundation Establishment effectively had no chance at all.

The reason the Qian Family of Qinghe County had obtained an opportunity to acquire a Foundation Establishment Pill four years ago was also because one of their ancestors, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, had rendered great service to the Carefree Sect. Only in Qian Guangyao's generation had they gained the opportunity to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

If they left Wei State and traveled to other nations tens of thousands of li away, even if a Qi Refining Family like the Song Family could produce ten thousand Spirit Stones, they might not necessarily be able to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill successfully. Before they even returned to Wei State, they would likely be targeted. When that time came, the family's savings of several hundred years could vanish overnight, and the lives and fortunes of the entire clan might be thrown in as well.

Now that Song Qingming had completed his six-year stationing assignment, he had at least six years of free time for cultivation. After returning to his Cave Abode on Funiu Mountain, Song Qingming quickly applied to the family for permission to undertake a Training Journey in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range.

His cultivation was now rising steadily according to his own plans. In recent years, he had accumulated quite a few Spirit Stones by crafting mid-grade Spirit Talismans. He did not lack the pills or Spirit Stones needed for cultivation, and he had even saved several hundred Spirit Stones.

Having stayed cooped up in Lingyuan Mountain over these past years, with Ninth Uncle absent, Song Qingming had not dared rashly attack the demonic beasts invading the formation for the sake of caution. When he encountered High-grade Demonic Beasts, he even had to release communication talismans to notify the family for aid. Now, he felt that his combat abilities had declined considerably, and he had long wanted to find a place to temper the mana and divine abilities he had gained after cultivating the Jade Profound Scripture.

This had been his plan all along: to spend several years training in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range while also inquiring about where he might find news of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

In all of Wei State, aside from the Carefree Sect, Foundation Establishment Pills only occasionally appeared in the Black Market near the Floating Cloud Mountain Range. Although Foundation Establishment was still far off for him, he still needed to make preparations early. He possessed a Water Spirit Fruit equivalent in value to a Foundation Establishment Pill, but how to exchange the Water Spirit Fruit for a Foundation Establishment Pill was a problem that gave him quite a headache.

Taking the Water Spirit Fruit directly to the Carefree Sect would naturally be the safest course for him. But with the Liu Family incident now exposed, the Carefree Sect would certainly suspect the origin of this spiritual fruit. Even if he told the truth, they might not believe him. If they used a spiritual item like the Spirit Questioning Talisman on him, the Water Spirit Fruit would still be explainable—but if the secret of the Incomplete Map on his person were exposed, Song Qingming would be doomed beyond redemption.

Cultivators below the Golden Core realm found it difficult to resist the questioning of a second-grade Spirit Questioning Talisman. Once he entered a place like the Carefree Sect, his fate would be difficult to control himself. Only after forming a Golden Core in the future could he escape such danger.

When he arrived at the Treasury Pavilion, Song Gucai saw that his cultivation had broken through again and could not help feeling somewhat envious. However, he did not think much of it, merely believing that Song Qingming cultivated so quickly because of the few spiritual fruits he had eaten years ago.

When Song Qingming applied to Fourth Elder Song Gucai for three years to leave the family on a Training Journey, he never imagined that this would even alarm the family head, Song Gushan.

Song Gushan had served as the Song Family's patriarch for nearly thirty years. Though he had no conspicuous great achievements in the family's development over those years, he possessed a calm temperament and a broad mind, making him a patriarch deeply beloved by the clansmen. During his decades in office, no major incident had occurred within the Song Family, and the family had continued advancing steadily.

Song Gushan had just celebrated his hundredth birthday last year. Though he appeared rosy-cheeked and full of vigor on the surface, cultivators of the Qi Refining Stage could live no more than one hundred and twenty years. He now had only a little over ten years left.

He had initially wanted to offer some advice, but after several exchanges, seeing Song Qingming's eyes filled with determination, Song Gushan ultimately nodded and agreed to let him go on a Training Journey.

"Qingming, although you have been to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range before, you must still be especially careful when traveling outside. The Cultivation World is full of deception and intrigue, filled with people who will stop at nothing for profit. You must never trust others lightly. This High-grade Spirit Talisman is for your protection. Consider it a small token of goodwill from this elder. The family is still not very well-off, so do not look down on it."

After speaking, Song Gushan handed over an Azure Talisman, his face full of gratification. Among the younger cultivators of the family, there were not many like Song Qingming who took the initiative to request a Training Journey outside. After all, cultivators naturally benefited more in their path of cultivation by going out and seeing the world. Single-minded Arduous Cultivation in the mountains might be safer, but cultivation that was too comfortable also made cultivators more likely to encounter bottlenecks.

"Qingming thanks the patriarch for this treasure."

Song Qingming accepted the Spirit Talisman and examined it. It was a rare High-grade Green Light Talisman, likely a treasured item from the patriarch, himself a High-grade Spirit Talisman Master. Though Song Qingming did not lack Spirit Talismans at the moment, and had purchased several High-grade Spirit Talismans in Guiyun Marketplace last time, even if he had no immediate use for such a spiritual item, he could always exchange it for Spirit Stones in a Marketplace to buy other spiritual items. As far as he was concerned, the more things that could be converted into Spirit Stones, the better. After placing the Spirit Talisman into his Storage Bag, Song Qingming lowered his head and cupped his hands to the two elders. He then slowly withdrew from the Treasury Pavilion.

Watching Song Qingming leave, Song Gucai said softly to the patriarch before him, Song Gushan, somewhat reluctantly, "Fifth Brother, Qingming is one of the most promising among the family's younger generation. Is it not somewhat rash to let him train alone in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range?"

After hearing this, Patriarch Song Gushan paused before replying, "Rest assured. Last time, Qingming was able to return safely even from such a perilous situation in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, and he even gained an unexpected opportunity. This shows that not only does he remain calm in the face of trouble, he is also a man blessed with fortune. Letting them gain more experience outside will benefit their future path of cultivation as well."