Old Friends Scattered Far and Wide

In Spirit Farmer No. 17, Chen Sheng's courtyard.

At dusk, the bonfire was lit.

The grill was set up, and layer upon layer of oil was brushed over the ingredients. The fragrance of roasted meat immediately filled the air.

Chen Sheng, Huang Wangyou, Li Huayao, Senior Brother Zhang Yue, and Senior Sister Luo Yun sat together, skewers in hand, enjoying the barbecue.

They chatted and teased one another, their laughter echoing through the courtyard.

The five were close in age and had studied under the same master for over a decade. Their bond was quite strong.

Not long ago.

Zhang Yue and Luo Yun had successfully completed their apprenticeship and, under their master Huang Yueyang's presiding, become husband and wife.

This gathering of the five was meant to see Zhang Yue and Luo Yun off.

Zhang Yue took a bite from a lamb leg and shook his head.

"Qianji Market has been established for a hundred and twenty years. It is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The pill trade at the bottom is truly hard to survive in."

Luo Yun nodded as well.

"We're only low-grade alchemists. Even if we work ourselves to death here, we can barely scrape by."

"Altogether, we earn a little over two hundred Spirit Stones a year, barely enough to keep up our cultivation."

Zhang Yue looked at Chen Sheng and continued pouring out his grievances.

"A tree dies when moved, but a person thrives when they move!"

"I've asked around. Yunlong Market is still newly established, and the cultivators from the three clans are busy opening up the land. They're short on people like us."

"There is even a chance to buy Spirit Fields. It's better than wasting away here!"

Chen Sheng raised his wine cup.

"Of course. A new Market Town has countless things waiting to be built, and opportunities are everywhere. Senior Brother and Senior Sister will surely seize them, buy a Spirit Field, and pass it down to your descendants."

Huang Wangyou and the others beside him raised their cups as well.

"I wish Senior Brother and Senior Sister everlasting prosperity on the Immortal Path!"

"Then I wish Senior Brother and Senior Sister can open your own Pill Workshop soon!"

Hearing the three offer their blessings.

Zhang Yue and Luo Yun laughed heartily, raising their cups to clink them with the others.

"Thank you for your kind words, Junior Brother and Junior Sisters."

"We also wish you everlasting prosperity on the Immortal Path!"

Yunlong Market.

It lay eight hundred li southeast of here.

Ten years ago.

Zhou Family cultivators had accidentally discovered a Second-grade mid-tier Spiritual Vein there.

The Li and Zhang Clans nearby had noses like hounds and quickly caught wind of it, following close behind.

After the clans fought more than a dozen battles and negotiated for several years, they finally set their shares according to Qianji Market's precedent.

The three clans jointly recruited people to reclaim the land, then established a Market Town there—Yunlong Market.

A new Market Town, a new beginning, and endless opportunities.

After three rounds of wine, Zhang Yue pulled Chen Sheng aside to discuss the details of Yunlong Market. From the distribution of Spiritual Veins to the various clan forces, his eyes shone with anticipation.

He had clearly investigated it thoroughly. This was not a rash decision made on a whim.

Both he and Luo Yun came from Qi Refining minor clans. Each clan had only five or six cultivators, struggling to support their cultivation and training.

They wanted to repay their clans as well!

—With Yunlong Market newly established, the surrounding Spirit Fields were their target.

On the other side.

The three women huddled together, chattering away without pause.

"I heard your family introduced someone to you last time. How did it go?"

Huang Wangyou bumped Li Huayao with her elbow, smiling mischievously.

Li Huayao rarely blushed, but now her face reddened as she muttered softly.

"What else could it be? It was just... so-so."

Luo Yun leaned closer.

"Oh? This little girl is getting shy. Looks like she has her eye on him. At least tell us about his background and looks, right? We're all waiting to drink your wedding wine."

Li Huayao fidgeted for a long while before speaking.

"He's about the same as me, from a Zhang Clan branch family. Tall and sturdy, and his looks... are fairly decent."

She paused, and her eyes lit up.

"If it really works out, I might go to Yunlong Market in a couple of years too. His clan plans to send him there next year to manage some affairs. They're short on people there, so we can look after each other."

Luo Yun slapped her thigh.

"That would be wonderful!"

"Then we can all gather in Yunlong Market and make it lively."

The group laughed and chatted.

Only when the moon hung high overhead did they bid one another farewell.

As Zhang Yue was leaving, he gripped Chen Sheng's hand. His face was slightly red, and his eyes were filled with hope.

"If Junior Brother ever comes to Yunlong Market, this Senior Brother will sweep out a bed and welcome you. We'll drink to our hearts' content again."

Chen Sheng clasped his hands in farewell. "Definitely!"

Time slowly passed.

Zhang Yue and Luo Yun, along with several elders from their families, headed to Yunlong Market to carve out a future for their clans.

Not long afterward, news came back.

Through Li Huayao's connections, the two had made contact with the Li Clan. Since they were alchemists, they were valued greatly and lived quite comfortably there.

Chen Sheng soon put the news aside and threw himself into studying Alchemy Skill.

He still had far too much to learn.

Huang Yueyang had taught him his secret Fire Control Hand Seals and Pill Condensation Technique without holding anything back. Like a sponge, Chen Sheng greedily absorbed every scrap of knowledge.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye.

Alchemy Room.

Chen Sheng stood solemnly before the Alchemy Furnace. The Spiritual Pressure around him rose another level.

He had reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

A year ago, he and Huang Wangyou had cultivated together one night and unexpectedly found an opportunity, breaking through in one stroke.

"Rise!"

He formed a Hand Seal. With his stronger spiritual power, he handled the flames with increasing ease.

Whoosh!

Inside the Alchemy Furnace.

A cluster of pale green flames suddenly flared up.

Chen Sheng's gaze sharpened, and the Hand Seals at his fingertips shifted so quickly they seemed to leave afterimages.

In an instant!

The flames split into more than a thousand Fire Threads, each one as fine as silkworm thread.

"Scatter!"

The Fire Threads spread out like a spiderweb, distributing themselves evenly.

This was precisely the Huang Clan Secret Manual's Fire Control Hand Seal—Thousand Silk Myriad Strands Incantation.

When cultivated to mastery, it could divide into ten thousand Fire Threads, each capable of precisely controlling temperature.

It could burn different portions of a medicinal ingredient separately, while also processing multiple ingredients with vastly different properties at once.

It was truly profound!

Yet Huang Yueyang himself could only divide seven thousand threads.

As for Chen Sheng, after years of bitter practice, he had barely entered the gate, able to divide only a thousand threads.

Before long.

Chen Sheng expertly tossed in one medicinal ingredient after another. The Fire Threads tightly coiled around them, gradually melting them into medicinal liquids of various colors.

"Condense!"

Hand Seals flew out one after another as he gathered the liquids and spun them into condensation.

He carefully controlled the medicinal liquids as they drew together into a mass, slowly rotating and gradually accelerating, using powerful centrifugal force to fling away impurities.

The Alchemy Furnace trembled as a round green pill gradually took shape amid the rotation.

Just then!

Chen Sheng struck out nineteen Hand Seals in succession—solidifying the pill and sealing in its spiritual power.

Each clan used different methods for this step.

Yet it was extraordinarily crucial!

Some people spent their entire lives refining pills without producing even one with eighty percent efficacy, while Huang Yueyang could consistently refine Fine-grade pills with Pill Patterns.

The core of it all.

Lay in the trick behind this step.

Huang Yueyang had gained inspiration from observing a master refine pills.

After years of contemplation, he had finally comprehended this secret art—the Spirit Sealing Incantation.

The Hand Seal spread out like nets cast from all directions, capable of sealing away ninety percent of a pill's spiritual power and enhancing its medicinal effect.

Finally.

Chen Sheng struck the Alchemy Furnace with the Pill Collection Incantations.

"Collect Pill!"

The Alchemy Furnace opened in response. A jade-green pill the size of a longan flew out and landed in his hand.

It was precisely a Huang Clan Rejuvenation Pill.

Chen Sheng appraised it himself.

"The pill body is flawless, and the medicinal fragrance is clear. It should have eighty-five percent efficacy."

"Unfortunately, no Pill Patterns formed. It can only be considered a lesser Fine-grade pill."

Though the Huang Clan Rejuvenation Pill was a low-grade pill, its difficulty of refinement ranked in the middle to upper range.

Not to mention that Chen Sheng had refined a lesser Fine-grade pill, something ordinary alchemists might seek their whole lives without finding. It showed just how rapidly he had advanced in the Way of Alchemy over the years.

Before long.

Inner hall.

Huang Yueyang repeatedly examined the pill and revealed a satisfied smile.

"Starting tomorrow, the Pill Workshop's Rejuvenation Pill refining will be entrusted to you."

"Be careful. Don't ruin our reputation."

He paused, amusement in his eyes.

"You can take eighty percent of the profits. Leave twenty percent to me as rent. You and Wangyou have a household to support as well."

Hearing this, Chen Sheng respectfully bowed to him.

"Thank you, Father-in-law!"

Huang Yueyang smiled softly.

"All right, go on. And don't forget Wangyou either. Spend more time with her."

Chen Sheng smiled faintly as well.

"This son-in-law understands."

After leaving the inner hall.

Chen Sheng silently calculated the earnings the Rejuvenation Pills could bring him. He quickly arrived at the answer: three to four hundred Spirit Stones a year.

That was right.

This was the value of the Huang Clan's Three Major Signatures!

Chen Sheng slowly let out a breath.

"I can finally afford to support a family."

He immediately felt lighter, his steps brisk as he headed toward the rear courtyard.

Beneath the Grape Trellis in the rear courtyard.

Huang Wangyou reclined in a bamboo chair, pinching a sour dried fruit between her fingers.

She had filled out somewhat, her belly visibly swollen. She was pregnant again.

Beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

A spirited girl formed Hand Seals with her fingers.

Strands of azure sword light crisscrossed through the air, forming a tightly woven sword net.

The sword net fell. More than ten vital points on the training bronze dummy in the distance were each left with a sword mark five inches deep.

"Return!"

The sword light flew back, landing in the girl's hand. It was a green three-foot flying sword.

Not far away, Chen Sheng watched his daughter practice her swordsmanship and revealed a gratified expression.

Six years had passed, and the little child of the past had grown into a graceful young woman.

Tang Xichen possessed an unyielding nature and a steadfast Dao Heart. Her cultivation had risen rapidly, nearly one level every two years.

He had now cultivated to the late Qi Refining Third Layer. He estimated that in another half year, he would reach the Fourth Layer.

With a Mid-grade Spiritual Root, there were no bottlenecks in the early and middle stages of Qi Condensation.

Speaking of which.

His daughter's excellence put considerable pressure on Chen Sheng. Judging by Huang Yueyang's way of nurturing Chen Sheng and his wife.

If not for his father-in-law's support, he would have been unable to support the family long ago.

The moment Tang Xichen saw Chen Sheng, her eyes filled with delight as she ran toward him.

"Father, how was my Starry Net?"

Chen Sheng laughed heartily.

"Your father's Sword Skill has long since fallen behind yours."

Father and daughter both loved cultivation and had always been close, sharing a wonderful relationship.

Chen Sheng was also his daughter's sparring partner for Sword Skill.

Although Chen Sheng's sword-controlling technique had long since become inferior to hers, relying on the Flame Control Technique and the suppression of greater spiritual power from his realm, he could still teach his daughter a lesson.

Huang Wangyou, standing nearby, felt a little jealous.

"With your father around, you've forgotten your mother."

"How could I!"

Tang Xichen smiled sweetly. She had inherited her mother's quick wit, and hurried to Huang Wangyou's side, massaging her back and shoulders while tossing out playful remarks now and then.

Before long, she had coaxed Huang Wangyou into hearty laughter.

Chen Sheng smiled as he watched the scene before him.

The next day.

There was another gathering.

Chen Sheng and his wife hosted a banquet at a restaurant in the Market Town.

Li Huayao, who had only barely completed her apprenticeship, arrived with her husband Zhang Shichang. This time, however, the banquet was to see the two of them off.

Back then, Li Huayao's words had proved prophetic.

Several years had passed.

Sure enough, she too was going to Yunlong Market to seek opportunities.

Zhang Shichang was a tall middle-aged man with heroic features.

Like Chen Sheng, he was at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

The two cupped their fists to one another, thus making each other's acquaintance.

Both wished to cultivate a friendship, and their conversation soon became lively. From Zhang Shichang, Chen Sheng learned much information.

Li Huayao was also heavily pregnant at the moment, her face radiant with a bright smile.

Seeing Huang Wangyou's belly, she could not help but laugh.

"How about we arrange a marriage before birth?"

"If I have a son and you have a daughter, we'll have them become husband and wife. If we both have daughters, they'll become sworn sisters. If we both have sons, they'll become sworn brothers."

Huang Wangyou rolled her eyes at her, though her lips were smiling.

"You certainly have it all planned out."

"Once that little rascal in your belly comes out, you'll have plenty of headaches."

"When Chen'er was learning to walk, she knocked over the Medicinal Ingredients and made a complete mess."

"I chased after her to spank her, but she only giggled."

Li Huayao laughed merrily.

"That only proves the child is clever!"

"I hope to have a daughter like Chen'er—spirited and sensible."

After the banquet.

Li Huayao was the one who found it hard to part.

She hugged Huang Wangyou, her eyes slightly red.

"I grew up here. Now that I'm leaving, I really can't bear to go."

Huang Wangyou patted her back.

"It's not like you're never coming back."

"Whenever you miss this place, you can come back for a visit."

Li Huayao nodded gently.

The group cupped their fists, bidding each other farewell.

Several days later.

Li Huayao and her husband would also be accompanying the main body of their clan to Yunlong Market to seek opportunities.

At this time.

The three Foundation Establishment Forces of the Zhou, Li, and Zhang families were concentrating their efforts on developing Yunlong Market.

As for Qianji Market, it was too stable.

Though it had also been opened jointly by the three families.

As time passed and a century went by, Qinghua Sect, the superior sect, naturally stepped in, levying taxes and seizing immense profits.

The three families' influence and benefits gradually declined.

They could neither change nor shake the superior sect's decisions, and could only shift their focus elsewhere.

Huang Wangyou sighed softly.

"Six years ago, we saw Senior Brother Zhang and Senior Sister Luo off."

"Today, it is Junior Sister Li."

"Old friends scatter in all directions. Once they leave, who knows when we will meet again?"

Chen Sheng drew her into his arms and comforted her softly.

"All feasts must eventually end."

"It is only eight hundred li away, a journey of merely a few days. If you miss them, you can visit next year."

Huang Wangyou pursed her lips.

"No, thank you. Outside the Market Town is far too dangerous. We should simply live our own lives well."

Chen Sheng smiled softly. Husband and wife were both cautious by nature.

What he had said earlier was merely consolation.

Qin Mansion.

A Child was sitting cross-legged in cultivation, his small face full of seriousness.

Several years had passed, and Qin Dajiang had grown far more weathered, his temples streaked with gray.

Years passed in a flash.

Qin Shuang had yet to return. The answer could not have been more obvious.

"Foundation Establishment is difficult to achieve!"

Qin Dajiang sighed inwardly. He even felt a touch of sorrow; he did not even know where his son's remains lay and could not retrieve them.

Only when his gaze fell upon his young grandson, Qin Yuan, did a trace of affection appear on his face.

Watching Qin Yuan's earnest expression.

Regret flashed through Qin Dajiang's fierce eyes.

Two years ago.

He had tested his grandson's Spirit Root.

—Only a Low-grade Wood Spiritual Root.

With this level of Spirit Root aptitude, the Dao path would be difficult to seek!

Qin Dajiang shook his head, then suddenly came to terms with it.

"Forget it, so what if he has a Low-grade Spiritual Root?

"I ask for nothing else. I only hope he does not strive to outdo others and can live out his life in peace."

"Passing down the family line would be good enough."