News of the Foundation Establishment Pill

Cultivators don't have as many worldly customs as mortals. Even for a cultivation family like the Zhou Family, when the Great Elder Zhou Qian passed away, they simply gathered all the family cultivators present at the Jade Spring Lake Oasis at the ancestral hall to keep vigil for three days. Afterward, the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan personally cremated Elder Zhou Qian's body with his Foundation Establishment True Fire, and his ashes were interred in the family graveyard.

Cremating the bodies of family cultivators after death was a necessity for small cultivation families.

This was because small cultivation families lacked the strength to protect their family graveyards and could not prevent demonic cultivators who practiced corpse refinement techniques from stealing the bodies of their ancestors to refine them into zombies.

Once the bodies of ancestral family members were refined into zombies by demonic cultivators, it was not only a great desecration of their bodies but also a potential threat to the lives of family cultivators and the mortals under the family's rule.

This was because newly refined zombies required a large amount of blood food to grow, and feeding them with individuals of the same bloodline as the zombies yielded better results.

Therefore, small cultivation families like the Zhou Family would cremate the bodies of those who passed away to prevent them from being exploited by demonic cultivators.

Only major sects and large families like the Yellow Sand Sect, which had Golden Core Ancestors or even Great Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators presiding over them, would inter the bodies of their high-ranking cultivators in graveyards after their passing, with protective formations and dedicated guards.

After handling the funeral arrangements for Great Elder Zhou Qian, Zhou Yang was summoned by the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan into the mountain-top cave dwelling for a private conversation.

"You know the reason for your great-grandfather's death. The family will soon be dispatching people to clear out the demonic beasts in the Crimson Flame Iron Ore Vein. You've just broken through to Qi Refining Layer Seven, and you are the future hope for our Zhou Family's Foundation Establishment. I can make the decision to exempt you from this matter. What do you think?"

"Please, Great-grandfather, do not do this!"

Zhou Yang's expression changed. He bowed deeply to the Old Clan Leader, then raised his head and said loudly, "The Crimson Flame Iron Ore Vein was discovered by your grandson. I will still need a share of the profits in the future. If I don't participate in the battle and just enjoy the benefits, how can I make the other clan members accept it? How can I demonstrate the fairness and justice of the family rules?"

"Although your grandson is untalented, he is willing to contribute his lifelong learning to expand the territory for our Zhou Family!"

As he spoke the last words, Zhou Yang couldn't help but take out a Dharma artifact, a [Armor-Piercing Dagger], from his waist and hold it in his hand, as if to prove his resolve.

Seeing his impassioned demeanor, the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan felt both gratified and amused.

"Alright, alright, I know your resolve. Put away the Dharma artifact first. We'll count you as one head!"

The old man waved his hand with a smile. He was quite appreciative of Zhou Yang's courage to draw a weapon in front of him.

For a Qi Refining cultivator to dare draw a weapon in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, regardless of the reason, was an act of great courage.

Moreover, this matter also proved Zhou Yang's loyalty to the Zhou Family. If he didn't genuinely identify with the family, how could he have spoken those impassioned words just now? How could he have impulsively drawn his sword to declare his intentions in front of the Foundation Establishment family patriarch?

It seemed he hadn't doted on this kid for nothing!

The old man sighed with relief in his heart, and his expression softened considerably. His gaze towards Zhou Yang was filled with the doting affection of looking at his own grandson.

"Since Little Nine, you have such resolve, I will tell you something more. In about ten years, at most fifteen years, the Chen Family's ancestor in Golden Sand Market will organize people to plan the refinement of Foundation Establishment Pills. Our Zhou Family and the Chen Family are allied. As long as one Foundation Establishment cultivator participates in this matter, they will gain the right to bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"Once the family obtains the Foundation Establishment Pill through bidding, they will immediately have someone take it. Therefore, Xiao Jiu, you must cultivate diligently to Qi Refining Layer Nine in the next decade or so, otherwise, this opportunity will be lost in vain!"

The Old Clan Leader looked at Zhou Yang with affectionate eyes and slowly revealed this secret matter, which was enough to shock all the cultivators of the Zhou Family, with a solemn tone.

Upon hearing the Old Clan Leader's words, Zhou Yang's pupils suddenly constricted, and his breathing became heavy.

That was a "Foundation Establishment Pill"!

In his years of cultivation, Zhou Yang had never been particularly moved by any spiritual item. However, the "Foundation Establishment Pill" was the one spiritual item he cared about deeply and was determined to obtain.

In terms of grade, the "Foundation Establishment Pill" was only a Third-tier Low-grade spiritual pill, but its attraction to the vast majority of Qi Refining cultivators was incomparable to Fifth-tier pills.

It was common knowledge that "Foundation Establishment Pills" were rare.

To refine a batch of "Foundation Establishment Pills," not only did the main ingredient require the rare Fourth-tier spiritual herb [Condensing Yuan Fruit] or a Fourth-tier Demonic Core, but also thirty-six extremely rare Third-tier spiritual herbs as auxiliary ingredients. The combined value of these spiritual herbs was even greater than the value of the spiritual herbs required to refine a batch of Fourth-tier spiritual pills.

Even for a major sect like the Yellow Sand Sect, with a heritage of thousands of years and a Golden Core Ancestor, they could only refine a batch of "Foundation Establishment Pills" every ten years, and the number of pills produced each time was only five to seven.

With such a small quantity, even the people within the Yellow Sand Sect were not enough to share, let alone small cultivation families like the Zhou Family, which were affiliated with the Yellow Sand Sect.

Therefore, for small cultivation families like the Zhou Family to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills, they either had to exchange a main ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills or cooperate with other cultivation families to refine pills.

Zhou Yang had heard of the Chen Family, mentioned by the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan, since he was young. The Chen Family was a cultivation family with over seven hundred years of heritage. The current Chen Family ancestor was not only a Late Purple Mansion Stage expert but also a Tier 4 Mid-grade Alchemist.

As a cultivator not born into a sect, even as a Purple Mansion Stage expert, the Chen Family ancestor could not obtain "Foundation Establishment Pills" from the Yellow Sand Sect for his family juniors to consume.

Therefore, after the Chen Family ancestor advanced to the Purple Mansion Stage, he would organize and hold a "Foundation Establishment Assembly" every thirty to fifty years. At that time, invited cultivation families or rogue cultivator Foundation Establishment experts, as long as they were willing to contribute manpower to form a team with the Chen Family ancestor to hunt Fourth-tier demonic beasts in the boundless sea of sand to obtain Fourth-tier demonic cores, they would gain the right to bid for the "Foundation Establishment Pill" after it was refined.

The "Foundation Establishment Pill" that the Zhou Family purchased sixty years ago was obtained in this manner.

At that time, not only did the purchase of that "Foundation Establishment Pill" deplete the Zhou Family's savings, but it also caused the Zhou Family's second Foundation Establishment cultivator after Ancestor Zhou Yuquan, Ancestor Zhou Jian of the "Hua" generation, to be seriously injured, his lifespan greatly reduced, and he passed away at the age of less than two hundred.

And that Ancestor Zhou Jian was the biological grandfather of the recently deceased Great Elder Zhou Qian.

Now that he learned from the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan that the Zhou Family was preparing to participate in the "Foundation Establishment Assembly," Zhou Yang felt a sense of worry mixed with excitement and exhilaration.

He was not worried about having only a little over a decade to prepare, but he was worried about the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan's participation in the "Foundation Establishment Assembly."

Although the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan was a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator at Foundation Establishment Layer Seven, and also a Tier 3 High-grade Artifact Forger, his strength was not enough when facing Tier 4 demonic beasts, whose strength was equivalent to Purple Mansion Stage cultivators. A single full-power strike from a Tier 4 demonic beast could lead to the Old Clan Leader's demise.

As the only remaining Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Zhou Family, if the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan were to be seriously injured or killed, it would be a devastating blow to the entire Zhou Family, potentially leading to its demise.

At that time, even if Zhou Yang successfully obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill and achieved Foundation Establishment, he would never be able to live with peace of mind for the rest of his life.

Therefore, after much thought, he couldn't help but ask, "Great-grandfather, your grandson has heard that if one crosses the Eastern Forty Thousand Li Sea of Sand and climbs over the towering Cloud Severing Mountain Range, one can reach the cultivation world of Flowing Cloud Continent. The cultivation resources there are abundant, and even Foundation Establishment Pills can be bought with Spirit Stones in the market town. Why must you, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, risk hunting Tier 4 demonic beasts instead of going there to buy Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Regarding the cultivation world of Flowing Cloud Continent, Zhou Yang learned about it by chance from the notes of an Artifact Forger while reading artifact forging classics in recent years.

Later, he asked the elder Zhou Quan, but even the elder Zhou Quan, who was over a hundred years old, only knew of the Flowing Cloud Continent as a place name; he didn't know as much about the specifics as Zhou Yang did.

He had originally intended to inquire about this matter from the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan when he returned to the family this time. However, the Old Clan Leader had gone into seclusion after his return, and he had temporarily forgotten about it. Now, hearing the Old Clan Leader mention the "Foundation Establishment Pill," he was reminded of it again.

And as he had expected, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator and the patriarch of a clan, the Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan knew quite a bit about the cultivation world of Flowing Cloud Continent.

"It's rare that Little Nine, you also know about the cultivation world of Flowing Cloud Continent. Unfortunately, you only know about its prosperity, but you don't know how many dangerous places lie between here and the cultivation world of Flowing Cloud Continent!"

"Not to mention how many powerful demonic beasts and bandit gangs are hidden in the forty thousand li of sand sea, even within the Cloud Severing Mountain Range, various Tier 3 and Tier 4 demonic beasts are common. Furthermore, it is rumored that there are Tier 6 demonic beasts hidden deep within the mountain range, comparable to Great Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators!"

"Attempting to cross the Cloud Severing Mountain Range without Purple Mansion Stage cultivation is basically gambling with your life, gambling whether you'll be discovered by demonic beasts and become their meal!"

"And even if you were lucky enough to cross the Cloud Severing Mountain Range and reach the Flowing Cloud Continent's Cultivation World, and managed to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, do you think a foreign Foundation Establishment Cultivator carrying such a treasure could safely return to the Land of Extreme West?"

Zhou Yang was speechless.

An innocent man is guilty when he possesses a treasure!

The Old Clan Leader was right. The "Foundation Establishment Pill" was too precious, so precious that even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator carrying it would easily invite a fatal disaster.

A small family like the Zhou Family, if they obtained such a treasure, would usually have their Qi Refining Layer Nine cultivators consume it immediately. Otherwise, if outsiders found out, it could very well bring about the Calamity of Clan Annihilation.

That's why the Old Clan Leader had told him earlier that he absolutely had to cultivate to Qi Refining Layer Nine before the "Foundation Establishment Assembly" in over ten years. Otherwise, even if the family obtained a "Foundation Establishment Pill," he definitely wouldn't get a share.

"Grandson understands. Please rest assured, Great-grandfather. Grandson will definitely cultivate to Qi Refining Layer Nine before the [Foundation Establishment Assembly]. I will not let your and the family's efforts be in vain!"

He pursed his lips, his eyes firm as he looked at the Old Clan Leader and made his solemn promise.

Thanks to Kuai Kuai Le, Yige Ren De 97, and Snafu for their 100 Qidian coins reward. Here is the second chapter. In the Xianxia category, there seem to be only two or three new books like mine that update six to seven thousand words daily. I suddenly feel a bit amazing, especially since I still have to work during the day and secretly type on my phone behind my leader's back... Well, I'm saying this just to express that I feel I deserve these rewards! (Peace of mind) Lastly, a routine request for recommendation votes.