Wei Zhong lowered his head in thought. He had originally intended to sell this Foundation Establishment Pill to Ning CanKun. They had been friends for many years, so it was only right to lend him a hand.
But Ning CanKun had chosen to refuse, frankly admitting that he had already given up hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Selling it to Hu Yang Daoren before him was not bad either. It could add some visible spirit stones to Chu Zhong's identity.
Whether he rented spirit land or bought artifacts and pills afterward, he would have a shortage of spirit stones.
Thus, Wei Zhong raised his head and said, "What you say is true, Fellow Daoist. I do indeed have one Foundation Establishment Pill left in my possession, and I do intend to sell it. Compared to selling it to someone else, selling it to Senior Hu would naturally be better. I wonder what price Senior is willing to offer."
Hu Yang Daoren raised three fingers. "Three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."
Wei Zhong frowned. The market price for a Foundation Establishment Pill was now five thousand spirit stones. Hu Yang's offer was simply too insulting.
Yet the latter maintained a faint smile.
"Do not rush, Fellow Daoist. First, take a look at the gift this poor Daoist has brought you."
Wei Zhong looked at the gift box on the table. After opening it, he discovered a damaged Jade Slip inside.
When his divine sense entered it, the contents filled Wei Zhong's heart with delight.
A fragmentary inheritance of second-tier Spirit Wine brewing techniques.
It seemed to contain several wine recipes as well, but they were concealed by restrictions, making the details impossible to see.
"What do you think, Fellow Daoist? Are you satisfied with this gift?
"Your Spirit Wine craftsmanship is so superb that this old man admits himself inferior. But you are clearly trapped at the first tier and are not proficient in second-tier brewing methods.
"Though this inheritance contains only fragmentary second-tier methods, it merely lacks several important wine recipes. The main body of the inheritance remains undamaged; calling it a complete inheritance would not be an exaggeration.
"A second-tier inheritance like this is exceedingly difficult to obtain with your current status as a Rogue Cultivator."
Wei Zhong could tell with a brief scan of the Jade Slip that Hu Yang was speaking the truth.
While it was not quite worth two thousand spirit stones, it came close enough.
Still, it was rather unfair of this old Daoist to count the value of the gift as part of the transaction.
"Let us trade according to Senior's terms."
Wei Zhong ultimately made his decision.
After the transaction, the two spoke again of the matter of becoming a Guest Elder.
"Fellow Daoist Chu showed foresight by not becoming a Guest Elder of the Azurewood Sect."
There was a trace of emotion on Hu Yang's aged face.
"Oh? Could there be some hidden secret behind this Guest Elder matter?"
Hu Yang shook his head.
"It cannot be called a secret. But over the years, the Azurewood Sect always assigns troublesome tasks to Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivators like us.
"For example, during the last development of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range, several fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators died."
Wei Zhong's heart tightened. Sure enough, refusing Xu Changjun's invitation had been the right choice.
"Alas, this position of Guest Elder is not exactly a hot potato. It is simply that our luck is poor, and we happened to encounter this time.
"Not only is the Azurewood Sect doing so, Hanzhu City in our prefecture is likewise preparing for matters concerning the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.
"The forces of other prefectures are also preparing or proceeding in full swing.
"The development of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range has already become the great trend of the current cultivation world."
Wei Zhong was somewhat puzzled.
"Could there be a deeper secret behind the development of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range?"
Though Wei Zhong had heard some news from Ning CanKun, it certainly could not compare with the more comprehensive knowledge of Hu Yang Daoren before him.
Hu Yang drank a cup of Spirit Wine.
"In truth, several decades ago, the upper echelons of our human race already intended to make a move against the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.
"Recently, the secret realms of various sects have repeatedly collapsed, accelerating this process."
"Secret realms collapsing?"
Wei Zhong could not help thinking of the Qingchuan Secret Realm.
"There are all sorts of explanations for the collapses, but the prevailing view is that this world's power of absorption toward fragmentary spaces such as secret realms has grown stronger.
"Some say this is a great upheaval in the cultivation world, a sign that the power of this world's plane is strengthening. The cultivation world will welcome a golden age."
Wei Zhong nearly choked at his words. He recalled the rule from novels in his previous life: whenever a protagonist descended upon a world, that world would inevitably meet calamity.
Behind every golden age, there had to be disaster and tribulation.
Could it be that after transmigrating here, he was just that unlucky?
This won't even let me cultivate in peace.
"Haha, little brother, there is no need for surprise. A golden age is a good thing. Perhaps with our ordinary talents, we may have a chance to glimpse the Golden Core, or even the Nascent Soul realm."
Wei Zhong wiped away a splash of wine.
"Senior speaks truly."
"All right, let us leave our conversation here for today, Fellow Daoist. This old Daoist still has important matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
"Take care, Senior."
Outside the door, the two cupped their hands in salute.
"Oh, right. If Fellow Daoist wishes to seek spirit land, you might as well go take a look at the Li Family."
After saying this, Hu Yang stepped onto a fiery-red flying sword and flew into the sky.
Leaving Wei Zhong alone at the courtyard gate, lost in thought.
The Li Family... could it be that Li Family that spent seven thousand spirit stones to auction off a Foundation Establishment Pill over a decade ago? I heard their Foundation Establishment patriarch's lifespan had long been nearly exhausted. I wonder whether he is dead yet. Since this involves spirit land, I need to take a look.
Wei Zhong immediately packed his things and went to the market to make inquiries.
The news he obtained was that the Li Family patriarch had passed away ten years ago.
As for that extremely valuable Foundation Establishment Pill, it had been given to Li Haowen, the Qi Refining "genius" then believed to have the greatest hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. Unfortunately, he still failed, damaging his foundation.
At the same time, his main branch was attacked and disparaged by the other branches. It had now become an inconspicuous side branch within the Li Family.
The newly ascendant main branch, meanwhile, had latched onto a Rogue Cultivator.
His name was Candle Daoren, and he had come here from Hanzhu City.
He had originally been fleeing disaster and seeking a place to settle down. Who would have thought that the Li Family would climb right up to him and let him take advantage of them?
Thus, with his aid, the Li Family retained most of its strength and barely maintained the prestige of a Foundation Establishment lineage.
Yet after only a few years, the Li Family discovered that this foreign cultivator had become increasingly greedy, practically a bloodsucking worm lodged upon the Li Family.
Every year, great amounts of their output were taken by him, and in recent years his appetite had become even more ferocious.
It had made the treatment of Li Family disciples worse than that of disciples from Qi Refining families.
But intimidated by his Foundation Establishment cultivation, no one in the Li Family dared openly resist him. They merely spread word of his atrocities everywhere and secretly begged other Foundation Establishment cultivators to stand up for them.
Candle Daoren, early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, skilled in fire arts. When he first arrived in this region ten years ago, he was suspected to be injured. He ordered the Li Family to gather all kinds of healing treasures, and that demand has still not ceased.
Injured? More likely an old schemer.
Wei Zhong had never trusted such intelligence.
He even simply treated Candle Daoren as having Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, or perhaps even Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.
As for Core Formation, that should be impossible. The Azurewood Sect would not allow a Core Formation Cultivator unaffiliated with them to remain so close by.
If he had become a Core Formation Guest Elder of the Azurewood Sect, he could simply announce it openly and generously. Why would he need to conceal his identity and pretend to be at Foundation Establishment?
This has potential.
Wei Zhong made up his mind in an instant.
Moreover, the Li Family's spirit land greatly satisfied Wei Zhong.
It was located within Sea Moon Lake and possessed two second-tier spirit islands, one with a mid-grade second-tier spirit vein and the other with a low-grade second-tier spirit vein, along with several scattered first-tier islets.
Spirit islands in a lake were perfectly suited for Wei Zhong to cultivate the Spring Autumn Water Refining Art.
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