An Heir to Carry On

He Wanying returned with a host of troubles, leaving Kang Dabao at a loss. He couldn't bring himself to abandon her, nor did he want to drag his hard-earned disciples onto another chariot.

He left only a letter for the Daoist Black Shoes was in seclusion, briefly explaining the matter and instructing Chu Huer and others, who had no connection with He Wanying, to take good care of the couple, before leaving the matter to others for the time being.

Furthermore, Huo Ying was pregnant, and Sect Leader Kang Da, the "instigator," was not always by her side.

After reaching the Foundation Establishment, he realized many things. If he had reached the Foundation Establishment ten years earlier, the Chongming Sect might have been able to avoid many disasters.

There are many things that cannot be done without human effort, but rather require immense power.

The Daoist Black Shoes had told Kang Dabao this principle before, but although he had heard it, he did not understand it as clearly as he does now.

Kang Dabao held the two jade pendants in his hands, which emitted a fluorescent glow, shining brightly in the quiet and simple Yunfang room of the sect leader.

The Black Bone was positioned Fang Yi of Kang Dabao's brow. The silver seal script that was originally imprinted on the Black Bone had turned from silver to gold, with only the last dot still resisting the erosion of the gold.

It's unclear how much time passed, but Kang Dabao, with his eyes closed, seemed to hear celestial music. Little Qi and the Lion Insect swarm emerged from their sleeves at the same time and began to dance gracefully.

When Sect Leader Kang Da opened his eyes, he saw that the immortal script on the Black Bone had completely turned into a brilliant gold.

At the very moment this change occurred, a Daoist book, as if bestowed by heaven, was engraved in Kang Dabao's mind.

"The True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace, Volume One," Sect Leader Kang Da read out the name of this Cultivation Method word by word. After quickly skimming through a few lines, the shock in his heart could no longer be concealed.

"A high-grade body-forging Method Formula of the Zhou Grade Upper-Grade? And it's only for beginner disciples to lay the foundation? Just what kind of sect is Northern Night Palace?"

Kang Dabao thought to himself that even the imperial family of the Immortal Dynasty wouldn't have such a grand gesture.

Shifting the gaze back to the Black Bone, the golden immortal rune that once shone with light has dimmed, and another immortal rune appears faintly behind it.

Kang Dabao tried to comprehend the jade pendant for a while, but his progress was very slow. He thought to himself that if he continued at this pace, by the time the five Jiazi of his lifespan as the Sect Leader Kang Da was exhausted, he might not even be able to comprehend half of this Immortal Seal Script.

"Tsk, who knows, we might actually have to go and find the corpse of the barbarian cultivator from Golden Core Mountain Barbarians?" A presumptuous thought suddenly popped into the mind of Sect Leader Kang Da. In the past, he would have reflected on himself at such times.

But for some reason, Kang Dabao felt incredibly calm, even somewhat eager to try.

Sect Leader Kang Da knew that something called "ambition" had taken root and sprouted in his heart. He didn't know whether this change was good or bad.

The first volume of "The True Explanation of the Primordial Ancient Body of the Northern Night Palace" has a relatively low entry barrier. According to its text, it is not limited by Spirit Root; as long as one's physical Root Bone is of average quality, it is easy to begin.

If a cultivator can fully master its essence, even a regular True-Grade Golden Core cultivator using Law Treasure will find it difficult to harm their physical body in the slightest.

Moreover, the spiritual items required for the initial stage are not many. One only needs to apply Moon Scale Stone Juice to the whole body and then temper the body with yang fire. After a year or two, one should achieve something.

At that time, one can fight to a draw with a Qi Refining cultivator who uses Qi Refinement Law Artifact using only physical strength.

However, although Moon Scale Stone Juice is not a high-grade spiritual item, it is considered a rare spiritual item in Cloud Horn Prefecture and is not easy to find.

Only a few small-scale weapon-refining shops would keep the leftover scraps from refining magical Law Artifact for a while, hoping to find a buyer to sell some of them.

Acquiring this spiritual item won't cost too many Spirit Stones, but it will take some time.

Kang Dabao himself had no time to do it, so he waited until he came out of seclusion to post a task at the Merit Points Hall so that his disciples could go out and earn some supplies.

He circulated the "Green Goat Pine Discourse Scripture" for several more cycles, but felt that his spiritual energy was accumulating slowly. At this rate, he didn't know when he would be able to advance to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

After Sect Leader Kang Da achieved the Jade Leaf Dao Foundation, he did not increase his cultivation speed as he had previously expected.

If one wishes to successfully form the Golden Core within the remaining four Jiazi cycles, it is not a matter that can be done casually; the only way is through arduous cultivation.

Kang Dabao stopped his Cultivation Method and fed Little Qi a Ram's Horn Coral, which was still only a First-Tier Middle-Grade creature.

It wasn't that Sect Leader Kang Da of nurturing were flawed, but rather that Kang Dabao's own cultivation progressed too quickly, leaving Little Qi far behind.

The spirit beasts belonging to "Hidden Six" are known for their late-stage power spikes. According to Sect Leader Kang Da's prediction, at the current rate, this little guy will probably need another two or three years to advance to First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit beast.

To break through to become Second Tier spirit beast, one would need to work hard for twenty or thirty years to even have a sliver of hope.

It seems that "Turtle Son No. 2" is falling behind his wild father's cultivation speed.

In comparison, the Lion Insect swarm's progress was much more impressive.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, only feeds them Moon-Reflecting Stone Slab and Star Frost Soil at fixed times and locations. Over the past few years, the number of Lion Insect has increased to more than 500, most of which have advanced to the First-Tier Supreme-Grade.

What's even more surprising is that, despite the fact that the Star Frost Soil had been feeding the Lion Insect swarm for so many years, Kang Dabao couldn't see any significant change in its size to the naked eye.

But the carapaces of these Lion Insect that had eaten the Star Frost Soil were completely stained silver.

Kang Dabao did not find any description of this change in "The Wondrous Herb Hall's Treatise on a Hundred Insects" which he had plundered from the Grass Witch Cult.

However, considering that the Grass Witch Cult is ultimately just a Qi Refinement sect with limited foundation, it's understandable that they lack understanding of Second Tier spirit insects like Lion Insect.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da could sense that this change was developing in a positive direction. In his opinion, this Silver-Armored Lion Insect was at least one-third stronger than the ordinary Lion Insect described in the ancient texts.

If they continue to be raised on the Star Frost Soil, sooner or later these Lion Insect in the hands of Sect Leader Kang Da will be used as another means besides the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes.

At least Kang Dabao didn't think that a fellow body cultivator of the same level, who was not good at Toothless Old Man magic or Spirit Artifact, could get any advantage in front of the Lion Insect.

The Lion Insect Swarm is estimated to be able to hold them back before they break through to the Second Tier. If they break through to the Second Tier and encounter an opponent like the Toothless Old Man, it won't be as troublesome as a three-person battle. Sect Leader Kang Da alone can easily defeat them.

However, according to the "Wondrous Herb Hall's Treatise on a Hundred Insects", the art of insect control requires a very high level of Divine Sense strength from the owner.

While Sect Leader Kang Da's spiritual power is considered outstanding among those of the same level, his Divine Sense is merely average.

The Lion Insect Swarm has not yet broken through to the Second Tier, so Sect Leader Kang Da can still command it with ease; however, once the Lion Insect Swarm breaks through to the Second Tier, Kang Dabao's limited Divine Sense may not be enough.

Thinking about it this way, using this group of Lion Insect as another trump card is not so easy; we still need to make plans early.

After the turtle son and the Lion Insect swarm had eaten their fill, Sect Leader Kang Da put them away and resumed practicing the "Green Goat Pine Discourse Scripture," taking the Foundation Establishment Elixir he had just received and focusing on his cultivation.

On this clear and sunny day, a magnificent Golden-Feathered Owl swam above Green Lotus Courtyard as usual. Green Lotus Courtyard kept many Golden-Feathered Owl, but only the strongest and bravest were allowed to patrol this area.

Fei Nanying held a high position in the Fei family's She Mountain Hall in Ying Prefecture Fei Household, Fei Shuhe, as his niece, received exceptionally good treatment.

The beast master assigned to Green Lotus Courtyard was quite capable; he had been recruited by the Fei Household to serve as a garrison soldier in Liangxi Circuit for twenty or thirty years in his early years.

With his skill in controlling beasts, he even managed to obtain a Foundation Establishment spiritual item from the Fei Household when his service period ended.

However, after Gui Household, the beast master was betrayed by his own son, who stole the spirit creature.

It took the Beast Master another one or two decades to finally find the whereabouts of that unfilial scoundrel, only to discover that his own son had already failed to Foundation Establishment and had turned into a skeleton.

Having failed in both his Dao Path and his bloodline, the beast master suddenly lost all hope. In despair, he returned to the Fei Household as a low-ranking retainer, where he spent the rest of his life.

Although this beast master had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment, he was already considered one of the most outstanding first-class beast masters among the First Tier beast masters, Golden-Feathered Owl he cultivated was naturally extraordinary.

Just as the Golden-Feathered Owl took flight, a splash of red appeared on the Chongming Sect's archway across the way.

Normally, such a change wouldn't seem like much, but Chongming Sect doesn't have many affairs to begin with, so the Golden-Feathered Owl would remember even the slightest disturbance and report it to the Beast Master.

But just as the red banner was being hung up, Golden-Feathered Owl saw an elderly cultivator with white hair and beard directing his disciples to remove it.

As First-Tier Superior-Grade spirit beast, Golden-Feathered Owl's intelligence was no less than that of an ordinary child, but it still couldn't discern such a change. After circling in the air for a while, it returned to Green Lotus Courtyard.

At this moment, the beast master was taking a rest in the Beast Garden, where the air was filled with the complex odors of various birds and beasts. The beast master did not mind at all, but instead seemed to enjoy it.

Golden-Feathered Owl pounced on the Beast Master, affectionately rubbing against the Beast Master's clothes until it returned with a crimson fruit, then it chattered away for a while longer.

The beastmaster, still half-asleep, stood up and strolled leisurely to Nanny Sun's courtyard.

This beast master is quite experienced and skilled. In Green Lotus Courtyard, his status is second only to Fei Shuhe and Nanny Sun, and even higher than the guard leader who is at the Peak Qi Refinement.

As soon as he arrived, Nanny Sun came out to greet him and offered him tea. However, the beast maker politely declined with a smile, saying, "Thank you, Granny, but I am just a rough man, and it would be impolite to waste your treasured possessions."

After this pleasantry, the Beast Master finished recounting the news that Golden-Feathered Owl had brought, and then took his leave.

Having gone through the upheavals of the past, he now prefers to be with those scaly, armored, wet-born, egg-laying beasts, finding them more human-like.

Upon hearing the news, Nanny Sun's expression changed slightly. Without lingering, she went straight to Fei Shuhe's courtyard.

The latter had only been out of seclusion for a few days and was currently playing the zither with a group of maids. As usual, the little sparrow was still there, flitting and frolicking around the green willows to the sound of the zither, having a great time.

Not wanting to disturb her young mistress's enjoyment, Nanny Sun waited until Fei Shuhe had put away the zither before coming over to relay the news.

Ping'er was completely unaware, while Yu'er seemed lost in thought.

Upon hearing this, Fei Shuhe wore an inscrutable expression. She first glanced at the oblivious little sparrow before smiling and saying, "It's always a good thing. Please have the steward prepare gifts so that they can be given to the family when they come to announce the good news."

"Has the son-in-law come out of the pass?" Fei Shuhe turned to ask Nanny Sun, who replied, "We haven't received any news yet."

"After reaching the Foundation Establishment, it seems that people become much more indifferent, don't they? That makes sense. How many cultivators in the world who have a promising Dao Path aren't like that?" Fei Shuhe said softly, it was unclear to whom she was explaining this, or whether she was happy or resentful.

Upon hearing this, Nanny Sun found herself speechless, and a moment of silence fell over the room.

It wasn't until a maid from the outer courtyard came to report that Elder Ye Zhengwen and Zhou Yixiu of the Chongming Sect had come to deliver the good news that Fei Shuhe sent Yu'er to welcome them in. Ping'er also put away her playful expression and carefully prepared tea to welcome the distinguished guests.

"Greetings, Madam." Ye Zhengwen and Zhou Yixiu were meeting Fei Shuhe in person for the first time, and the fact that they had to bring up this somewhat delicate matter so soon after meeting her left them at a loss for words.

Originally, this job was not meant for either of them, let alone Yuan Jin and Jiang Qing; even Pei Yi would have been more suitable.

However, since the three of them were either in seclusion or refining pills, they couldn't refuse, and they couldn't very well let Chu Huer speak.

Fei Shuhe could see their concerns, and instead asked with a smile, "The Lady Huo family has done a great service, and I have prepared nourishing supplements. Please remember to take them with you when you go back, uncles."

After leaving the affairs of the spirit field Zhou Yixiu, this old cultivator, lost his confidence, especially recently, he was exhausted by his second wife, whom he both loved and hated.

Upon hearing Fei Shuhe's words, Zhou Yixiu was startled, thinking to himself, "No wonder my fellow disciples always say that my family has no secrets to speak of in Green Lotus Courtyard. My sister-in-law already knows about this matter so soon after it came out."

Ye Zhengwen, who had almost become Foundation Establishment son-in-law in his early years, was much more composed and calm than Zhou Yixiu, an old cultivator. He flattered her, saying, "Sister-in-law is kind and benevolent; Changyi is blessed."

"Oh, right," Fei Shuhe said with a light smile, her slender fingers pinching lightly. "This baby has a good name." As she spoke, something appeared from her soft hand: a bright red jade pendant, as red as blood.

"This is a congratulatory gift from a Pill Master alchemist when I got married. It has the effect of strengthening the foundation and nourishing the Root Bone. Since Brother Yi is the eldest son of my family, I will give him this Spirit-Nourishing Jade to wear, hoping that he will soon attain immortality and bring glory to his ancestors and descendants."

Ye Zhengwen's ability to discern spiritual essence is extraordinary in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture. Even many Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in the area cannot compare to him, so he is a connoisseur.

Seeing the quality of the jade pendant that Fei Shuhe took out, one knew it was no ordinary item.

Not to mention that the Chongming Sect's vast treasury couldn't find anything comparable, even among established sects like the Jade Moon Shan Household, it would be difficult to find something of similar quality.

This Spirit-Nourishing Jade is not only Second Tier, but it is also a rare foundational item, truly hard to find in this humble place of Cloud Horn Prefecture.

No wonder Ye Zhengwen felt that Fei Shuhe was very noble when he saw her. This legitimate daughter of a prominent family in the capital was truly extraordinary.

To be able to so magnanimously bestow such a spiritual object upon a concubine's son shows true character. Ye Zhengwen felt a rare pang of jealousy towards Kang Dabao. He respectfully accepted the jade pendant from Fei Shuhe and bowed in gratitude.

Since the two were guests from out of town, it was not appropriate for them to stay any longer. After explaining the matter clearly, they excused themselves and declined to discuss it further.

Only after the two left did Ping'er, a beat behind, realize what had happened. She pouted, feeling wronged on Fei Shuhe's behalf.

At this moment, Fei Shuhe broke the deadlock. "Granny Lao sent word home that the Kang Household is expecting a child. Since the two families are related by marriage, the Fei Household should also express their gratitude."

"Miss, after all, she's only a concubine's daughter," Nanny Sun asked hesitantly.

"Even if they are illegitimate sons or daughters, they are still my children Fei Shuhe's children." Fei Shuhe interrupted, then added, "If one of them has Spirit Root in the future... well, let's talk about the future later."

After saying this, Fei Shuhe thought for a moment, then added, "Yu'er, please remember this for me. If Brother Yi has Spirit Root in the future, I will write to Sister Yuyao and ask her family to arrange a marriage with a legitimate daughter."

Yu'er's eyes widened in surprise, and she almost lost her senses before quickly agreeing. Nanny Sun, who had overheard everything, thought to herself that this change in her young mistress should probably be reported to the master as soon as possible.

Fei Shuhe ignored it and returned to the music room, where the bamboo flutes danced on the strings once more.

The music reached everyone's ears, changing from its initial gentle and melodious tone. The delicate figure danced frequently, gradually becoming more passionate.

Upon hearing the music, the Golden-Feathered Owl in Green Lotus Courtyard became quite excited and chased after a foreign red-collared falcon for quite some time.

It wasn't until darkness fell that they realized they had long since left their assigned airspace and had no idea where they had ended up.

Golden-Feathered Owl was so anxious that he immediately turned around and flew swiftly over Fang Yi.

A middle-aged Foundation Establishment with indifferent eyes watched the golden spirit bird depart without uttering a word. At this moment, a robust old man carrying a spirit corpse approached and said politely, "Attendant Chen, let's go. The sect leader summons you."

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