Haoyang Cave

"Earth Origin Spirit Milk is indeed an essential supplementary ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, but it has another use: when a Qi Refining Layer Nine cultivator under a hundred years old consumes it, it can restore their bodily vitality to the state it was in before they turned sixty, granting them one precious chance to attempt Foundation Establishment!"

Ignoring Zhou Xuanhao's drastically changing expression, Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan spoke in a low voice of what Zhou Xuanhao had deliberately overlooked before.

"Old Clan Leader, you..."

Zhou Xuanhao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but as if he had some unspeakable difficulty, he could not get the words out. His expression was extremely unpleasant.

Yet the Old Clan Leader did not let him off there. Instead, he looked at him and shouted solemnly, "Xuanhao, this old man knows what you want to say. But let me tell you: once you embark on the path of cultivation, you can only forge ahead without looking back!"

"If you cultivate immortality only to live twenty or thirty years longer than mortals, only to possess this little bit of meager ability, then you might as well have been an ordinary person from the start and lived out a quiet, uneventful life!"

Zhou Xuanhao's entire body shook, and a fierce struggle suddenly surfaced in his eyes.

At that moment, Elder Zhou Quan also spoke up. "Xuanhao, you know yourself that your spiritual root aptitude is not inferior to Xuanyu's in the slightest. If the Lineage had not lacked an alchemist back then, forcing you to devote so much cultivation time to alchemy, you would never have reached Qi Refining Layer Nine only at the age of sixty-three!"

Once Elder Zhou Quan finished speaking, Zhou Dan, the Lineage's Third Elder, hurriedly added, "That's right, Xuanhao. The Old Clan Leader and Third Brother are right. You delayed your chance to attempt Foundation Establishment for the Lineage. Now that you have another chance, why can't you make up your mind and give it a try? To speak bluntly, even if you fail, you still have an outstanding junior like Little Nine to inherit your work. Your life would still be free of regrets!"

Hearing this, the struggle in Zhou Xuanhao's eyes immediately grew even fiercer. He looked complicatedly at the somewhat bewildered Zhou Yang beside him, his throat working as though he had something to say.

"Enough, stop talking. It looks like this Earth Origin Spirit Milk will still need roughly another eight or ten years to condense a portion. Xuanhao, you still have plenty of time to consider it. Once you have made up your mind, come tell this old man. If you want it, the first portion will definitely be reserved for you!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan stopped the elders of the "Guang" generation from continuing their persuasion, and also forced the words rising to Zhou Xuanhao's lips back down into his stomach.

He swallowed back what he wanted to say and nodded heavily. "Xuanhao understands. This junior will seriously consider the words of the Old Clan Leader and all the elders."

Zhou Yang had remained silent because he had not understood what riddle the Old Clan Leader and the others were speaking in before.

But having heard this much, if he still could not understand what they meant, then he would have lived all these years for nothing.

So the Old Clan Leader and the others wanted Father to consume Earth Origin Spirit Milk and attempt Foundation Establishment. No wonder Father, who had always respected his elders, was in such a difficult position this time!

Once Zhou Yang understood this, his heart suddenly grew incomparably heavy.

Zhou Xuanhao was already eighty-seven this year, and he had also lost his primal yang. Even if he consumed Earth Origin Spirit Milk and restored his bodily vitality to how it had been before sixty, his chance of successfully achieving Foundation Establishment would not exceed five percent!

With such a low chance of Foundation Establishment, it was no wonder Zhou Xuanhao could not make up his mind.

After all, he was no longer alone. He had a wife and a son, and they were both ties that bound his heart.

But on the other hand, just as Elder Zhou Dan had said, after gaining a wife and son and living nearly a hundred years, if he had another opportunity to attempt Foundation Establishment now, then even if he failed, his life could still be considered free of regrets.

Would Father agree? If it were me, what would I choose?

Zhou Yang secretly glanced at his father's grave expression. Though a thousand words surged in his heart, he could not utter a single one.

As a son, if he urged his father to agree, then should his father fail in his Foundation Establishment attempt and perish, it would be unfilial.

But as a cultivator, if he urged his father to refuse, that would be equivalent to personally cutting off his father's Dao Path. That too would be unfilial.

At a time like this, he could only play dumb!

Fortunately, other Zhou family elders entered the stone chamber then to report information about the cave exploration to the Old Clan Leader, rescuing him from this awkwardness.

"Reporting to the Old Clan Leader, I explored the area around the underground river. I found no other demonic beasts hiding there, nor any trace of spiritual items. It seems to be merely an ordinary branch of an underground river passing through this place."

The speaker was Zhou Xuanyan, the eighth-ranked female cultivator of the Zhou family's "Xuan" generation. She cultivated a Water Element Cultivation Method, something comparatively rare in the Boundless Sea of Sand, so after entering the cave, she had volunteered to investigate the underground river.

Underground rivers were peculiar places. Even in an arid inland region like the Boundless Sea of Sand, Water Element Demonic Beasts could appear within them. These Water Element Demonic Beasts lived in underground rivers and had virtually no natural enemies, so Tier 3 or even Tier 4 great demons sometimes appeared.

Therefore, whenever cultivators discovered an underground river, they would carefully investigate the situation before deciding whether to establish a settlement nearby.

"This matter cannot be taken lightly. This old man remembers that Qian once repaired a Water Attribute Tier 2 High-grade formation and placed it in the Lineage treasury. Later, I will have Xuan Tai bring it over and set it up in the underground river. Xuanyan, lend him a hand when the time comes."

After pondering briefly, Old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan decided it was better to remain cautious.

Although a Tier 2 High-grade formation could not defend against attacks from Tier 3 or Tier 4 demonic beasts, it could at least serve as a warning, allowing the Family Cultivators stationed in the stone chamber area in the future time to react.

But at the thought of Zhou Qian, the late Great Elder of the Zhou family, Zhou Minghan's mood grew heavy again for no reason.

His gaze swept over the Zhou family cultivators in the stone chamber. With a wave of his sleeve, a metal disk studded with more than ten pale yellow flags suddenly appeared in his hand.

"This Shutu Jinge Formation is Qian's final work left in this world. Though it is only Tier 3 Low-grade, it is exceptionally suited to the spiritual vein's attributes here. Go now and assist Xuan Tai in setting up this formation!"

With a sigh, Zhou Minghan explained the metal disk's origins, then lightly tossed it to Elder Zhou Quan at his side.

As everyone obeyed and departed one after another, he seemed to think of something and suddenly said, "Right, Little Nine, stay behind."

"Little Nine, strictly speaking, you discovered this spiritual vein. Have you thought of a name for it?"

Just as Zhou Yang, who had been singled out to remain, was wondering what the Old Clan Leader wanted to say, he received this question instead.

His expression froze at once. Only after a long while did he answer, "Since Great-Grandfather asks your grandson this, then I will be so bold as to suggest it. What do you think of Haoyang Cave?"

"Haoyang Cave, Haoyang Cave. Good. From this day onward, this place shall be called Haoyang Cave!"

The Old Clan Leader murmured the name "Haoyang Cave" twice. With a sweep of his sleeve, a streak of radiant sword light shot forth and swiftly carved the three words "Haoyang Cave" into the stone chamber wall.

After doing this, the Old Clan Leader recalled his flying sword and looked solemnly at Zhou Yang. "Little Nine, this Haoyang Cave possesses a Tier 3 Low-grade natural spiritual vein and is connected to an underground river, giving it tremendous potential for future development. This old man intends for you to move here and guard this place once you achieve Foundation Establishment. What do you think?"

Why was he asking him now about matters after Foundation Establishment?

A flash of confusion crossed Zhou Yang's face. Then his heart stirred, and he could not help blurting out, "Great-Grandfather, do you mean for your grandson to cultivate in seclusion here for the coming years?"

"You can be taught!"

Zhou Minghan nodded at Zhou Yang with approval in his eyes, then revealed his plans.

"Haoyang Cave is a Tier 3 natural spiritual vein, and it lies beside the Crimson Flame Iron Ore Vein. In terms of actual value, it is not much inferior to the Jade Spring Lake Oasis. Before a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is stationed here, this old man will not allow the Lineage's low-level cultivators to come here, lest news leak out and outsiders learn of it."

"Once the Shutu Jinge Formation has been set up, this old man will take Xuanhao and the others back to the Lineage. This place will then be entrusted to Quan, Dan, Xuanyan, and you, Little Nine. With the four of you, all Late Qi Cultivation cultivators, guarding this place and relying on the formation's power, even if a Tier 3 Demonic Beast attacks, you can hold out until this old man arrives with reinforcements. There is no need to worry about safety at all!"

"Of course, the most important thing is that the environment here is more suitable for your cultivation than Jade Spring Peak. Cultivating here, you will have a greater chance of reaching Qi Refining Layer Nine within a dozen or so years."

Zhou Yang understood all the reasoning, but when he thought of having just reunited with his parents only to separate again so soon, he still felt deeply reluctant.

In truth, he wanted very much to tell the Old Clan Leader to let his father, Zhou Xuanhao, remain here with him.

But he knew even more clearly that, as the Lineage's only Tier 2 High-grade alchemist, his father could only fully fulfill his role by overseeing the marketplace shop.

Moreover, if Zhou Xuanhao made up his mind to attempt Foundation Establishment, then over the next eight or ten years, he would surely need to select an heir from among the juniors of the "Yuan" generation and teach them alchemy, in case he failed and the Lineage's alchemist inheritance was severed.

"Your grandson understands."

Suppressing the pain in his heart, he answered in a low voice.

"Ah! You father and son have suffered greatly!"

With a long sigh, Zhou Minghan could not help reaching out to gently pat Zhou Yang's shoulder, showing that he understood everything.

If he had any choice, Zhou Minghan would not have wished to do this either. But the Zhou family's current predicament forced his hand.

For a family to develop and grow strong, someone always had to make sacrifices.

As Family Cultivators, they could not simply enjoy the Lineage's benefits without doing anything. The more benefits they enjoyed, the more they naturally had to give in return.

Zhou Qian had been like this back then. Zhou Xuanyu had been like this as well. How could Zhou Xuanhao and Zhou Yang, father and son, be exceptions now?

Yesterday morning's update came late, so everyone was not very enthusiastic about casting recommendation votes. Today, I stayed up until midnight to update. Please give recommendation votes, recommendation votes, and join the new book investment group!