Trouble in the Mo Household
His progress in all three Cultivation Methods had been astonishingly swift. The Azure Wood Instruction was already approaching the major accomplishment stage, and he would advance in a little over two months. Once it reached that stage, his cultivation would surely grow far faster than before!
Cultivating the Sun Essence and Moon Radiance Life-Praying Technique was difficult, but through Mo Wen's tireless efforts, he was nearly halfway through the entry stage. He believed that if he kept grinding away for another year, he would not be far from the proficient stage. Once he advanced to that stage, his lifespan would soar by thirty years, pushing the limit of his Qi and Blood back by more than a decade.
The Hundred Transformations Heart Scripture Qi Refining Chapter was the one Mo Wen paid the least attention to, yet it too had improved considerably. As long as he continued cultivating it day after day, the day would come when he achieved complete mastery. By then, not even a Foundation Establishment High Person's Divine Sense would be able to see his true appearance.
As for the Talisman Dao, Mo Wen had devoted only limited effort to it, so his progress was not particularly great. His proficiency had risen by a little over a thousand points. The success rate for his Wood Armor Talismans had also risen to twenty-five percent, while his success rate for Spirit-Concentrating Talismans had barely reached ten percent. He had been saving the Spirit-Concentrating Talismans he drew, intending to sell them all together once he had a hundred.
Over the past year, Mo Wen had delivered twelve Wood Armor Talismans to the Wondrous Talisman Studio on time every month. He had saved all the Spirit Stones he earned as funds for buying a Foundation Establishment Pill. He did not know whether he would need one to reach Foundation Establishment in the future, but there was nothing wrong with saving up more wealth.
In Red Leaf Market, finding a way to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill was extremely difficult. The only widely known source was the Red Leaf Auction, which was held once every five years.
The auction was organized by the Azure Mysterious Gate, the power behind Red Leaf Market. Its main purpose was to attract more Rogue Cultivators to settle in the market, allowing the sect to harvest more cultivation resources.
At every auction, the Azure Mysterious Gate offered a selection of fine items rarely seen on the market, such as Foundation Establishment Pills, second-tier talismans, and supreme-grade Law Artifacts. These things were not especially precious to immortal sects, but to cultivation Lineages, they were treasures that could strengthen their foundations. They absolutely could not be missed!
Of course, some of the foremost Rogue Cultivators also attended the auction, but their wealth fell far short of that of cultivation Lineages. Most of the time, they could only make do with scraps and leftovers.
Mo Wen was just a Rogue Cultivator with no backing. Even if he had enough wealth, he would not dare openly bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill. Fortunately, he had the Hundred Transformations Heart Scripture Qi Refining Chapter to rely on, so perhaps he could slip through unnoticed.
Besides the auction, there were a few other ways to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill in Red Leaf Market. These channels were relatively secretive, however, and anyone who wanted to participate needed a guarantor. Mo Wen had few connections, so he could only work on the matter slowly.
Come to think of it, I've been in this world for almost two years, and I've lived peacefully the whole time. That's quite different from those protagonists in novels who are plagued by trouble.
Looks like I really wasn't born to be a protagonist! But this is better. I don't have to fight people to the death. If I can, I hope I'll have smooth sailing all the way to Foundation Establishment, and even Golden Core and Nascent Soul...
Mo Wen had always known clearly that what he wanted was not to dominate the world, much less build a vast harem, but eternal life.
Unfortunately, the great immortal sects of the cultivation world kept a stranglehold on high-level Cultivation Methods, secret techniques, skill inheritances, and cultivation resources, rarely allowing them to reach Rogue Cultivators. Thus, if Mo Wen wanted to keep climbing higher, he could not avoid contending and killing.
Enough thinking. First, I'll grind my way to Foundation Establishment!
Mo Wen made himself a bowl of longevity noodles, and that was how he celebrated his birthday. In the days that followed, he went out only once a month to deliver talismans to the Wondrous Talisman Studio and buy talisman-making materials and daily necessities while he was at it. The rest of the time, he stayed at home and cultivated diligently, without a moment to spare.
The words "arduous cultivation" sounded light and simple. Only those who had truly experienced it knew what it was like. If Mo Wen had not had his attribute panel to give him positive feedback whenever he needed it, he would have been unable to carry on long ago.
Time flew, and another seven or eight months passed in the blink of an eye. One day, Mo Wen was making talismans at home when he suddenly received a Message Transmission Talisman.
Message Transmission Talismans were a special kind of talisman. Their grade was determined by their transmission range. Low-grade Message Transmission Talismans could receive messages within ten li. Medium-grade ones could receive messages within a hundred li. High-grade ones could receive messages within a thousand li.
Message Transmission Talismans were drawn on talisman paper made from a special material and were extremely costly to produce. Even a low-grade one sold for ten Spirit Stones. Unless the matter was urgent, few people used them.
Mo Wen opened the Message Transmission Talisman and heard Shopkeeper Song's familiar voice: "There's trouble in the Mo Household. Come to the Wondrous Talisman Studio at once!"
His expression grew grave. He hurried out and made for the Wondrous Talisman Studio.
Before long, he spotted the Wondrous Talisman Studio, as well as its shopkeeper, Song Xuan, waiting at the entrance.
"Old Mo, come in, quickly." Song Xuan led Mo Wen into his cultivation room and even activated the protective formation.
"Old Song, what happened?" Seeing Song Xuan's solemn expression, Mo Wen knew the matter was serious.
"Old Mo, Mo Yifeng has passed away!" Song Xuan said bluntly.
"What? So suddenly?"
"Actually, Mo Yifeng passed away three months ago. The Mo Household kept it hidden until it was exposed yesterday! Also, Mo Changge failed to reach Foundation Establishment. His foundation was badly damaged, and he has no chance of reaching Foundation Establishment now."
"Didn't the Mo Household lack a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
"I'm not quite sure. They say Mo Changge didn't originally want to attempt Foundation Establishment so early, but Mo Yifeng couldn't hold on any longer. He could only attempt it in a hurry, and in the end, he fell short of success."
"What's the situation in the Mo Household now?"
"The Mo Household has sealed off the mountain. All its members have withdrawn to Jingxiu Mountain, and they've simply abandoned their properties outside."
The news was so shocking that Mo Wen did not know what to do for a moment.
"Old Song, I'd like some time to myself," Mo Wen said.
"All right. Think carefully before you act, and whatever you do, don't be rash!" After that warning, Song Xuan left the cultivation room.
Mo Wen composed himself, sat cross-legged on a cushion, and opened his attribute panel.
Host: Mo Wen Talent: Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence (you reap what you sow; hard work always brings rewards!) Age: (59/104) Spirit Roots: four Spirit Roots (wood 36, metal 27, fire 23, water 9) Cultivation: Qi Refinement Ninth Layer (1936/3000) Cultivation Methods: Azure Wood Instruction (major accomplishment 2275/10000), Sun Essence and Moon Radiance Life-Praying Technique (entry 8573/10000), Hundred Transformations Heart Scripture Qi Refining Chapter (major accomplishment 352/10000) Law Techniques: Wood Shield Technique (minor accomplishment 1329/5000), Fireball Technique (proficient 438/500), Geng Metal Finger (minor accomplishment 271/5000) Talisman Dao: First-Tier Middle-Grade (3721/5000)
After nearly eight months of arduous cultivation behind closed doors, Mo Wen was not far from Qi Refining Great Perfection. His Azure Wood Instruction had now reached the major accomplishment stage, and its cultivation efficiency had nearly doubled. After two more months of cultivation at most, he would reach Qi Refining Great Perfection. By then, he would only need to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt Foundation Establishment.