Qi Refinement Ninth Layer

"One Vast-Tier Superior-Grade is missing, four Vast-Tier Middle-Grade are incomplete, and seven volumes of the Vast-Tier Lower-Grade lack the Foundation Establishment portion. Only the 150 volumes below the Desolate Tier are complete. Ha, this Senior Lang Yi is not as generous as he appears."

It took Kang Dabao three months, working day and night, to roughly read through the 166 books on woodworking that Lang Yi had given him.

After a cursory reading, most of them could hardly be called masterpieces, and even those that could be considered remarkable were few and far between.

Sect Leader Kang Da knew this was bait thrown out by Lang Yi. The latter was clearly the type to not act without seeing a benefit; he probably wouldn't bring out his true treasures until he saw an advantage.

Lang Yi's plan was likely to use the pretense of writing to Sima Fei to request some decent spiritual supplies and provisions before revealing his treasured possessions.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da thought Lang Yi's plan was unlikely to succeed, since even Sect Leader Kang Da himself did not believe that Sima Fei would put in any more effort for him.

Lang Yi's expectant look, as if he were waiting for a high price, seems rather like he's trying to fool a blind man; in the end, he'll most likely end up empty-handed.

However, upon careful consideration, Kang Dabao realized that in just five years of cultivation here, the Old Pine cave abode not only possessed Second Tier Spirit Vein, but also had Lang Yi, a Foundation Establishment, who True Cultivator answered his questions.

During this period, one only needs to focus on cultivation, avoid worldly affairs, and repay not a single Spirit Stone or incur any favors.

Kang Dabao's treatment was extremely rare, enough to make even the direct disciples of major Foundation Establishment sects envious.

Even if they fail to obtain the Foundation Establishment fortuitous opportunity, Sect Leader Kang Da can still improve his cultivation to the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer and return to the Chongming Sect moment, which will certainly not be a loss.

Thinking of this, Kang Dabao smiled slightly and swallowed another Grain Avoidance Pill. Just as he was about to take out a Jade Slip to examine it carefully, he received a letter talisman.

After reading it, Kang Dabao pondered for a moment, then flicked his finger. The restrictions on the stone door Seclusion Chamber meditation room slowly dissipated into spiritual light, wandering and disappearing along the rock wall. The thin, short Wen Liu, head bowed, walked in with a humble expression.

"Your Excellency Kang, this was sent by Senior Jiang through He Degong. He instructed me to personally deliver it to you."

"Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Wen. I have troubled you for a long time and have indeed caused you a lot of trouble." Kang Dabao reached out and took the gift, speaking warmly.

"No, no, if Your Excellency has nothing else to do, I will not disturb your peaceful cultivation any longer." Wen Liu maintained his respectful and cautious demeanor, but inwardly he thought, "You know you've only brought trouble upon yourself by coming here!"

In the past, as Lang Yi's personal servant, he only needed to serve Lang Yi well in the Old Pine cave abode of Crane Spirit Mountain. In front of others, he was an arrogant and domineering person who acted recklessly.

With Kang Dabao suddenly appearing as an ancestor on his head, Wen Liu was naturally unaccustomed to it.

As for why they treat Sect Leader Kang Da like an ancestor, it's because Wen Liu, as usual, went down the mountain to beg for money from several vassal Lineage a few days ago, but he was humiliated by the He Household.

As Lang Yi's close follower, Wen Liu was used to doing things like extorting money and favors.

According to Wen Liu's prior thoughts, even though Sect Leader Kang Da is now a guest of Lang Yi, a local official is still more powerful than a county magistrate, and Kang Dabao will leave sooner or later.

The logic is very simple: even if we don't ask for it, the He Household will know better.

But he didn't expect that while the Double Brightness Sect Leader had gone up the mountain to cultivate, the Chongming Sect had still placed a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in the He Household.

At that moment, Jiang Qing's flying sword was only halfway out of its sheath, and Wen Liu's arrogant face hadn't even had time to hide before his heart sank. If he hadn't still retained some composure, he would have been so frightened that he would have loosened his sphincter and soiled the ground.

This old servant had served Lang Yi diligently for decades, burning incense for so long. Even the most incompetent and worthless person would have been imbued with a touch of Buddhist spirit.

Xiujie in Hong County was not greatly affected by the campaign to pacify the Mountain Barbarians, and was therefore much more prosperous than Xiujie in Pingrong County.

Therefore, although true Foundation Establishment True Cultivator are still rare in Hong County, Wen Liu, with his experience, has seen quite a few.

Even so, in his opinion, none of the cultivators in Hong County who had spent years Foundation Establishment possessed a sword intent as sharp as Jiang Qing's.

Wen Liu was only spared thanks to He Degong's persuasion. Now, instead of getting any benefit, he owes He Degong a huge favor.

From Wen Liu temporarily put aside his arrogant thoughts and returned to Crane Spirit Mountain to cultivate honestly. This trip to deliver things to Sect Leader Kang Da was the first time he had gone out in a long time.

The Sect Leader Kang Da knew little about the old servant's inner thoughts, but his way of getting along with the latter was completely different from Jiang Qing's; he always treated him with courtesy.

After all, with the current strength of the Chongming Sect, it is far from being able to extricate the He Household from Lang Yi's hands.

Even if they meticulously plotted to harm Wen Liu, that Chang Ghost, there would be other Chang Ghost to take his place. This newly arrived evil spirit is eager for profit, and his methods of sucking the marrow from the bones might be even more ruthless than Wen Liu's.

In that case, it would be better to befriend this old servant and gain some goodwill for the He Household.

After delivering the items, Wen Liu thanked Sect Leader Kang Da for his invitation to stay and carefully withdrew from the secluded stone chamber.

With a wave of his hand, the Sect Leader Kang Da caused the previously dispersed restrictions to regroup, forming a sticky, swirling silver barrier that tightly protected the stone gate.

Only then did Kang Dabao open the Storage Bag that Wen Liu had sent. There weren't many items inside: a letter and a small food vessel.

Logically speaking, such a small amount of stuff shouldn't need to be stored in Storage Bag, but Jiang Qing has all sorts of Storage Bag in abundance.

The letter contained only a few lines, the gist of which was that Jiang Qing, accompanied by He Degong, had visited all the forces in the vicinity that had previously been on good terms with or at odds with the He Household.

Not only were all the Qi Refinement cultivators extremely respectful, but even a group of Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator from the vicinity became friends with Jiang Qing. These four even promised to protect the He Household's safety within their capabilities.

As a result, Jiang Qing's flying sword not only deterred the other members of the He Household from making any further moves, but also made the nearby families give up any inappropriate thoughts.

Jiang Qing felt that there was nothing more to do here, so he thought about following Duan Anle on this trade route.

Since some tactless bandits no longer acknowledge He Dezong's kinship, that's fine. Jiang Qing might as well just use his sword to deal with them directly, saving Duan Anle and the others from having to feign friendship with these demons and monsters while they are doing business.

After reading it, Kang Dabao sighed. Although Jiang Qing's letter only had a few lines, he had only stayed at the He Household for three months.

If it were Sect Leader Kang Da to do all these things, who knows how much effort, resources, and scheming he would have to expend to accomplish them. Even if he did succeed, there would inevitably be setbacks afterward, and it might not be as good as Jiang Qing's trip.

"Foundation Establishment, Foundation Establishment!" Sect Leader Kang Da carefully put the letter away before opening the small food container.

This small gui (a type of ancient Chinese cooking vessel) is not large, only about the size of an average person's head. When the lid is opened, wisps of white smoke rise, and through the smoke, you can see a dark, oily, red-maned pig's shank lying inside.

Kang Dabao was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Hearing the noise, Little Qi, hidden in the sleeve, came out to investigate. At first, it was quite interested in the small food vessel. But after taking a closer look, it saw that the pork knuckle lacked color, aroma, taste, shape, and meaning, so it pouted, shook its head repeatedly, and burrowed back into the sleeve.

Even Little Qi found it unappetizing, and the gourmand Sect Leader Kang Da could tell the taste just by looking at it. So, although he was moved, he had no intention of touching the chopsticks.

However, he was a frugal person by nature, and since this was a "dish" made from spiritual objects, he raised his hand again, and a small group of Lion Insect buzzed out.

They weren't picky at all, nor did they show any reluctance; they simply devoured the red-maned pork knuckle at Kang Dabao's command.

The rustling sounds of the Lion Insect eating were incessant, but Sect Leader Kang Da didn't find it noisy. He picked up the Jade Slip he had just put down and began to study it carefully.

There is no calendar in the mountains, and one does not know the year when the cold ends; in the blink of an eye, two years have passed.

Lang Yi, with his withered face, looked at the young man before him, who had a broad face, a heavy chin, and a bright and clear appearance, and his eyes revealed undisguised surprise.

"I thought that based on his past qualifications, even five years would be too little, but now I see that I was wrong!" Lang Yi thought to himself, looking at the Sect Leader Kang Da who had answered the questions fluently during the test, and couldn't help but feel a little admiration.

"Young friend, you've achieved this in just two years. Even among the Foundation Establishment seeds of those major sects, I'm afraid 99% wouldn't be able to reach such an achievement," Lang Yi said with a faint smile, putting down the Jade Slip in his hand.

"You flatter me, senior." Sect Leader Kang Da did not utter any insincere words such as "all thanks to your guidance, senior." If he did, he would be indebted to you.

Lang Yi's intentions were not out of kindness or to mentor younger generations; he wanted to obtain the resources to form False Core from Sima Fei. The two were merely exchanging benefits, with no genuine feelings involved.

Moreover, Lang Yi might still be burdened with the blood debt of his sworn brother He Dezong, and it was hard to say whether Kang Dabao would be his friend or foe in the future, so he had even less desire to have any further dealings with this old man.

"If I were still young, I might as well invest a sum of money and make a good connection," Lang Yi thought to himself as he carefully looked Kang Dabao up and down.

During the two years that the latter cultivated at Crane Spirit Mountain, Lang Yi sent several letters to the Sima Office to report on Kang Dabao's cultivation progress, but never received a single word from Sima Fei.

From this, Lang Yi realized that Kang Dabao might not have much influence in the Fei Household's eyes.

It makes sense, really. How many sons-in-law of wealthy families in the world would be stuck with such a hard and tiring job as being hung up as horse bones?

Therefore, Lang Yi also came to a conclusion. Apart from showing great care for Kang Dabao in the first few months, Sect Leader Kang Da Lang Yi has recently begun to avoid seeing Kang Dabao when he comes to seek advice.

Therefore, Kang Dabao's early mastery of these classic texts, exceeding Lang Yi's expectations, was ultimately beneficial to both parties.

If he stays any longer and fails to achieve Lang Yi goal, he will inevitably grow to dislike Sect Leader Kang Da. If he fails to learn the skills within five years, he will likely have to tear off the mask and kick him out.

After all, cave abode with Second-Tier Lower-Grade Spirit Vein would fetch two to three Spirit Stone a year even if rented out. How could it be allowed to allow people who are of no use to Lang Yi to cultivate at will?

Fortunately, Kang Dabao was sensible and did not spend much time before gaining considerable insight into these woodworking classics.

Although Sect Leader Kang Da did not see Lang Yi's actual collection, he still gained a great deal, which probably gave him a 50% greater confidence in his future Foundation Establishment endeavors. It was certainly a worthwhile trip.

Although Lang Yi did not obtain the False Core elixir from Sima Fei as easily as he had expected, he still managed to establish a good relationship with the Sima Office and Chongming Sect by relying on some rudimentary books, so it was not a loss.

Even when discussing the Dao with Lang Yi, a True Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment, the latter's theories, though somewhat rudimentary and immature, often contained insightful and ingenious remarks that greatly inspired Lang Yi.

If Lang Yi hadn't been nearing the end of his life, he might have even considered taking on a disciple.

However, what Lang Yi did not expect was that, in the past two years, Kang Dabao, relying on the jade pendant, not only memorized the more than one hundred wood magic books he had given him, but also took advantage of this Second Tier spiritual land to raise his cultivation to the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer Refining.

In this way, Sect Leader Kang Da has overcome all the obstacles before Foundation Establishment. He only needs to cultivate his Law Power to perfection before he can try to take the elixir to Foundation Establishment.

Of course, the reason why Sect Leader Kang Da was able to study these classics so quickly was not only due to the power of the jade pendant, but also because Lang Yi had put in effort, and the classics he provided were mostly homogeneous and of poor quality.

While it is said to contain over a hundred classic works, the underlying True Intention of many of these books are largely the same. Once you have mastered one book, you will find it much easier to understand the others.

If it weren't for the jade pendant stimulating Sect Leader Kang Da's increased comprehension, which allowed Kang Dabao to glean considerable insights from several incomplete Hong Grade Cultivation Method...

So, given Sect Leader Kang Da of comprehension, after five years of arduous cultivation at Crane Spirit Mountain, it remains to be seen how much nourishment he can absorb from these classic texts.

Regardless of how tortuous the process was, at least the result was acceptable for both parties, and could be considered a satisfactory outcome for both host and guests.

Kang Dabao was a sensible junior. He understood that Lang Yi did not intend to keep him any longer, and he had already packed his bags before leaving.

Seeing that Lang Yi had finished speaking, he then took his leave. "Now that the matter is settled, I would not dare to disturb your peaceful cultivation any longer. I will bid you farewell and return home today."

"Excellent! This is the perfect time for you, young friend, to be ambitious and enterprising. You won't make much progress by simply shutting yourself away and studying in seclusion." Lang Yi was quite pleased to hear this, and he didn't even bother to pretend anymore.

After saying this polite remark, Lang Yi called Wen Liu over to escort Kang Dabao down the mountain. Judging from his expression, he truly had no hope for this son-in-law of the Fei Household.

Wen Liu's attitude remained unchanged. After all, whether in the past or present, Sect Leader Kang Da was never arrogant in his interactions with others, and he was always willing to humble himself and ask questions of those less knowledgeable.

This is not a remarkable skill, yet many people in high positions lack it entirely, but it is something many people cannot fake.

In the past two years, Wen Liu's relationship with him has not only not deteriorated, but has actually become quite harmonious.

Because of this, even after being treated coldly by Lang Yi, Kang Dabao still received many benefits while cultivating on Crane Spirit Mountain.

Not to mention, in the past year or two, the Hong County He Household has gradually emerged from the shadow of He Dezong's death thanks to Jiang Qing's remaining influence Wen Liu's protection.

When the two reached the foot of the mountain, the feeling of parting that Sect Leader Kang Da had not sensed from Lang Yi beforehand, he did sense from Wen Liu, the cowardly old servant, which was truly quite poignant.

After bidding farewell to Wen Liu, Kang Dabao looked back at the mountain. It was late autumn, and the mountain was deep in color, with the forests ablaze with color.

Pale golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting its glow upon the vast Crane Spirit Mountain, adding a touch of color to this autumnal scene.

The autumn wind was bleak, brushing against the face of Sect Leader Kang Da. He let out a long sigh and said softly, "Finally, I can go back and see him."

(There's not enough space for the author's note in this chapter, so please include your monthly votes in the next chapter. Thank you again for your continued support! The words in parentheses are free, so don't worry!)

At the invitation of the operations manager, I'd like to recommend a few novels for you to check out:

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