Two Years of Expansion and Casualties; the Second Tier Spirit Artifact, the Crimson Fire Divine Sword
Inside a house on the highest peak of the mountain range in the Kong Household's settlement, Kong Wenxuan opened his eyes and saw that the starlight on the "Peacock County Magistrate's Official Seal" he was holding had faded and dimmed.
The "Bifang" pattern carved on the official seal has also lost its starlight and returned to normal.
Kong Wenxuan's mind raced as he reviewed his online work report in the "Celestial Stars True Spirit Diagram" (a system of celestial constellations and stars). Confirming that he hadn't said much, he calmed down and severed the connection between his official seal and the "Peacock True Spirit Star."
As for what the Bifang Commandery meant by inquiring about the "spirit medicine garden"?
He didn't intend to think too much about it. Even if something happened, it was a matter between the Bi Household and Ya Household and wouldn't involve the Kong Household.
However, it seems fortunate that the Kong Household was unable to enter the "spirit medicine spirit medicine Garden" and get involved in its affairs.
Otherwise, who knows what other things might be involved because of this "spirit medicine garden" incident.
As for whether or not to inform the Ya Household about this matter, and tell them that the Bifang Commandery inquired about the "spirit medicine Garden"?
After pondering for a long time, Kong Wenxuan finally shook his head and suppressed his thoughts.
Regardless of whether the Bifang Commandery's concern for the "spirit medicine Garden" was good or bad, or what his purpose was, it was no longer relevant to the Kong Household.
He didn't need to invite trouble and drag his family into it.
When he reported the matter of the "spirit medicine Garden" to the "Bifang Commandery," he did not embellish the story but simply told the truth, which was already a good thing for the Ya Household.
Ultimately, the relationship between the Kong Household and the Ya Household is now more of a transactional one.
Back at "Demon-Suppressing Pass," Ya Zhaoying exchanged a promise to help him slay a large number of Demon Beast to aid in suppressing the Demon Race race; and in the "Five Peaks" region, Ya Xingqu also exchanged the corpse of a Third Tier Demon Beast for the Kong Household's assistance in conquering the "Eastern Peak."
During this war of expansion, the two families engaged in more frequent and in-depth trade. Even now, outside the "Peacock City" currently under construction, caravans from the Ya Household are trading with the Kong Household, profiting handsomely from the price difference.
So, in the end, the Kong Household didn't owe the Ya Household anything, and the Ya Household didn't do anything for the Kong Household.
Naturally, these business relationships were not worth him betraying the Bifang Commandery and informing on them to the Ya Household.
Moreover, as I said before, he doesn't even know the true relationship between the Bi Household and the Ya Household. What if he goes to inform on them and gets betrayed by the Ya Household? Wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?
Therefore, at this point, it's best to avoid trouble and remain silent, pretending not to know anything about it.
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Kong Wenxuan made a decision. He immediately put away the "Peacock County Magistrate's Official Seal," and after restoring his Law Power and Spirit Stone, he took out a Second Tier spirit fire, "Orange Crimson Fire Divine Sword Orange Heart Flame," and summoned the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword" to continue refining and upgrading it, thereby increasing his cultivation and strength.
Two more years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In the past two years, the Kong Household's expansion in Peacock County has been in full swing. They have surveyed and occupied more and more land and resource sites, killed more and more Demon Beast, counted more and more resources, and mined more and more spiritual spirit medicine, Spirit Plant, materials, minerals and other spiritual objects. Their trade with the Ya Household has been growing year by year.
Of course, in this vigorous pioneering operation, various dangers were encountered, and there were quite a few deaths and sacrifices.
Even though the Kong Household has tried its best to improve the combat power and safety of its members, in the past two years of expansion, the number of Kong Household cultivators who have sacrificed their lives is still more than ten, and even more have been injured.
Among them were both newly awakened Lineage members in the past few years and elderly people whom Kong Wenxuan knew and was familiar with.
Like his former teammate Kong Yutang in the Lineage's hunting party, and Kong Wenyuan, his peer who awakened his bloodline in the same batch, they all sacrificed themselves in the pioneering wars of the past few years, falling in battles and fights against Demon Beast.
The Kong Household alone lost more than a dozen people. The number of casualties among the hired cultivators and the cultivators from the three servant Lineage, the Yan Household, the Ma Household, and the Yun Household, was naturally much greater in this war of expansion.
As far as Kong Wenxuan knew, the Kong Household relied on selling various spirit medicine, spiritual materials, minerals, spiritual objects, and demonic materials during this expansion war. More than half of the Spirit Stone they obtained were used to purchase various consumable items such as pills, artifacts, and talismans used in the expansion war.
Of the remaining less than half of the Spirit Stone, nearly half were used to provide relief and medical treatment for the sacrificed and injured cultivators.
In addition, there were the Spirit Stone used by the Kong Household to hire those cultivators, the rewards and consolation given to the three servant cultivator Lineage, and the Contribution Points cultivators from all sides who participated in the expansion operation, which could be exchanged for Spirit Stone.
They have basically used up all the Spirit Stone and other resources the Lineage earned in the expansion wars.
Apart from some precious resources and spiritual items that they were unwilling to sell, as well as a batch of newly mined resources and spiritual items, there were hardly any Spirit Stone left in the Lineage treasury.
As a result, it has already begun to slow down and affect the progress of the Second Elder and others in building the city walls and fortifications of "Peacock County".
Therefore, the Second Elder has even suggested to the Clan Chief that some of the precious resources stored in the Lineage warehouse be sold to obtain Spirit Stone and supplies to support the construction of "Peacock County Seat".
However, the clan chief seemed to disagree, believing that the Second Elder's design and construction of "Peacock County Seat" had been too costly and that the standards should be lowered.
After all, the Kong Household's resources and strength are limited now, so there is no need to have too high requirements for the construction of "Peacock County Seat". Meeting the standard is sufficient.
Later, we can wait for the Lineage's resources and strength to increase before gradually expanding and upgrading "Peacock County Seat".
However, the Second Elder disagreed, and the two even argued about it.
However, these matters rarely bothered Kong Wenxuan. In the past two years, apart from a few times when he received requests for help and dealt with some troublesome Demon Race and insects, he spent most of his time in the house on the highest peak, refining the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword," devouring and refining the Second Tier spiritual fire "Orange Heart Flame," and advancing the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword."
Now, after more than three years of devouring, refining, and sacrificing, we have finally reached the last step.
On the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword" hanging upside down in front of Kong Wenxuan, orange flames had already covered more than 90% of the sword body, while below the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword", the last bit of Second Tier spiritual fire, "Orange Heart Flame", had only half a fist's size left.
He formed a hand seal, and his Law Power and Spiritual Consciousness, along with the seal, transformed into a final Spiritual Restriction injected into the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword." The tip of the divine sword emitted a crimson sword light, which devoured the last bit of "Orange Heart Flame" below and absorbed it into the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword" for refinement.
Buzz!
Instantly, the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword" hanging upside down in front of him trembled and hummed violently. The orange flames covering it burst forth, completely engulfing the entire "Crimson Fire Divine Sword Crimson Fire Divine Sword" and rapidly circulating before gradually being absorbed back into it.
At this moment, the entire "Crimson Fire Divine Sword" has completed its transformation, with its quality, power, and spirituality all reaching First Tier, successfully advancing from the First Tier Law Artifact level to the Second Tier Spirit Artifact level.
At the same time, as the "Crimson Fire Divine Sword Crimson Fire Divine Sword" underwent its final transformation and advancement, a surge of Law Power and spirituality emanated from it, flowing into his Dantian and Sea of Consciousness, respectively, thereby increasing and enhancing his Law Power and Spiritual Consciousness.
After adjusting his breathing, Kong Wenxuan gathered the newly added Law Power and Spiritual Consciousness, realizing that he had completed half of his cultivation journey to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.
Next, all that's needed is to upgrade one of the remaining three Law Artifact -level divine swords to the Second Tier Spirit Artifact level, and that should simultaneously raise my cultivation level to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.