It Actually Didn't Work?

"I understand," Sect Leader Kang Da replied, a hint of surprise in his eyes after hearing the disciples' accounts.

He hadn't expected that by sheer fortuitous opportunity, these younger generation would also learn of Gui Xiang, his enemy. Seeing the pairs of bloodshot eyes before him, Kang Dabao suppressed his grief and continued, "I have my own plans for this matter. You few know this, but you are not allowed to tell anyone else."

The moment these words were spoken, the courtyard of Gu Su fell silent. The younger generation looked puzzled, and even the Duan Anle was surprised, a hint of astonishment appearing on his face.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da has always been autocratic and absolute in the Chongming Sect. In the past, even the elders of his generation did not dare to question his arrangements, let alone the younger disciples.

Only Yuan Changsheng, who had been closest to him since childhood, dared to steel himself and ask in a low voice, "Uncle, what about Senior Brother Han?"

This act of courage only earned him a perfunctory response from Sect Leader Kang Da: "You don't need to concern yourselves with this matter anymore; I have my own plans."

Yuan Changsheng, still fixated on his beliefs, refused to listen. Just as he was about to ask again, Duan Anle preemptively said, "We disciples will not disturb Master any longer and will return now."

"Hmm," Kang Dabao responded calmly, and then Duan Anle led his fellow disciples out of the sect leader's courtyard.

Sect Leader Kang Da, sat alone in the empty courtyard, suddenly feeling a profound emptiness in his heart.

No one knows how long he sat alone, until a withered leaf was blown by the cold wind and landed on his hair. Only then did he finally change his posture, stand up, and mutter, "Gui Xiang, you mustn't die young."

Duan Anle and the others were oblivious to Kang Dabao's dejected expression. The group remained silent as they returned from the sect leader's courtyard to the Double Brightness Beast Garden, which was under Duan Anle's management.

Yuan Changsheng, who was extremely impatient, immediately lost his temper upon entering the room. "What's wrong with my master today? We finally found our real enemy, how can he remain indifferent? Is he still Senior Brother Han? Is he still the head of the Chongming Sect?!"

Wei Gu was an honest man, and although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Sect Leader Kang Da's reaction, he was still shocked and broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing these words.

This left him no choice but to be afraid, as two of the four people present were disciples of the sect leader, and one was the sect leader's nephew and the elder's only son.

I'm not even an inner disciple, so there are some things people say that I can't stand to hear.

"Changsheng!!" Jin Shilun shouted in a low voice. Only then did Yuan Changsheng realize that he had misspoke and immediately bowed to the group to apologize.

Compared to the reactions of the other three, Duan Anle's expression remained largely unchanged. When everyone was momentarily at a loss for words, he finally spoke slowly, "Junior brothers, don't overthink it. Master is Master, and that will never change."

Yuan Changsheng thought Duan Anle's words were a warning or reminder, and was about to explain when he heard the latter speak again, "I think Master probably already knew about this."

"What?!" Yuan and Wei could hardly hide their astonishment, while Jin Shilun nodded in agreement. "Second Senior Brother is right, Junior Brother thinks so too."

"If that's the case, why are we still with Gui Xiang?" Wei Gu couldn't contain himself, but stopped midway through his sentence.

Jin Shilun could tell that he had reservations, so he added on his behalf, "Why does Master still want to put aside past grievances with Gui Xiang and live in peace?"

After Duan Anle had already pieced together most of the hidden story. He muttered in a low voice, "Master is probably still concerned about Gui Xiang's relationship with the Han City Yue Household."

Yuan Changsheng clearly didn't buy this explanation. He frowned and retorted, "Uncle also has the Yue Household behind him. He wouldn't be afraid of the Yue Household because of this."

This may sound awkward, but its meaning is quite simple.

Wei Gu was persuaded by Yuan Changsheng and was about to agree when he saw Jin Shilun and Duan Anle exchange a glance, both with solemn expressions.

Duan Anle agreed with Yuan Changsheng's words, only sighing, "I'm afraid that's why Master deliberately kept it hidden."

Yuan and Wei looked even more puzzled, but Jin Shilun seemed to understand the meaning behind Duan Anle's words and spoke up for him, saying, "This is not the time."

---- Chongming Sect, Foreign Affairs Elder's cave abode

"Yes, now is not a good time to make a move against Gui Xiang. You are right." Ye Zhengwen, who had just finished inspecting the local militia in Jin County, looked a little tired in his single eye, but he suddenly perked up after hearing what Sect Leader Kang Da.

Before the latter could even speak, he continued:

"In recent years, Lord Bo has devoted most of his energy to his own cultivation; Sima Fei has been in Core Formation; Prefectural Governor Zhu is unable to independently mediate the conflicts between the local officials and the migrants in the prefecture; and people like Tie Liuyun are ambitious. At this time, even a small incident could cause a huge uproar."

Kang Dabao sighed and said, "Yes, although my brother Boyue is a top figure in the Capital Region Faction, he is not as arrogant as Zhu Tong. If he were here, the situation in the state court would be much more stable, and he would not have done such a reckless thing as fighting on two fronts."

If the Earl of Nan'an doesn't take responsibility, the local and Hakka factions might really clash in the next year or two. Even if things don't escalate into a full-blown war, minor skirmishes are inevitable.

Prefectural Governor Zhu is a man of some petty wit, but he is not exactly broad-minded.

The war in Jingnan Prefecture has reached a stalemate, while the Ding Prefecture camp is reporting a series of victories. How could he allow himself to remain suppressed by Tie Liuyun forever? He might very well resort to any means to sabotage the affairs of Ding Prefecture.

At this moment, he was hoping someone in his camp would step forward as a scapegoat so he could fight the local cultivators led by the Yue Household. We'd better not get involved. Even if we can't avoid it, this matter shouldn't be caused by my family."

Ye Zhengwen nodded repeatedly, adding, "That makes sense. Even if a fight is unavoidable, the arena shouldn't be set up in my house."

This principle is self-evident to intelligent people, but Kang Dabao still had some concerns. So he instructed, "Let's not talk about this now. When you have time, go and tell the younger ones. The news can't get out. If the Yue Household finds out we know, they might try to make a fuss about it. We absolutely cannot let it get out."

"We mustn't let Brother Qing find out, otherwise even if Gui Xiang hides in Double Brightness Trade Market and doesn't dare to show his face, he'll probably still be cut in two on the street. This incident will definitely cause trouble," Ye Zhengwen added at the right moment.

"Yes, that's true." Sect Leader Kang Da sighed. After Ye Zhengwen emerged from seclusion, he could indeed help him with many things.

The latter dared to speak frankly and directly point out the flaws that Kang Dabao was bound to make, and his temperament could also be described as steady. With him temporarily in charge of clan affairs, the Sect Leader Kang Da felt even more at ease than when Yuan Jin was in charge.

This was due to his pragmatic, meticulous, and cautious nature.

Ye Zhengwen could see through it, but he didn't say anything at the moment. After all, he had already given this advice quite a few times recently, and it would be better to wait until another time to make a difference.

He had just finished discussing that matter when he brought up the matter of inspecting the Jin County militia in Jin County on behalf of Kang Dabao:

"The newly arrived county constable trained a hundred men to a very respectable level, and his words were nothing more than a boast. But he's only been in office for less than a month; where did he get such skills?!"

Kang Dabao knew he was trying to glorify the deceased Feng Wan, but he had no intention of criticizing him. He simply asked softly, "Just tell me, are those hundred men capable of fighting or not? The White Sand County front is waiting to send men over. If we delay for a few more days, Zhu Tong will come directly to our Chongming Sect to issue orders."

Ye Zhengwen didn't mince words, stating directly, "If we really need to draw this force, we can arrange it. However, this would mean that Jin County, which has just recovered somewhat, would have to go back to mourning every household."

"Well, it's better for others to cry than for us to cry. Let's just drag it out for one more day." Kang Dabao had no other choice. Although there were no explicit rules about the vassals under the Chongming Sect, there was a hierarchy in Sect Leader Kang Da's mind. They would just take turns being unlucky according to their closeness and relationship with the sect.

Those who had kinship ties with the Chongming Sect were naturally of the first rank, such as the Kuai Household and the Shan Household;

The second tier consists of families from the Tong County who are not weak and have always been friendly. The Lu Household of yesteryear and the Ingenious Craftsman Fort of today can be roughly considered to belong to this category.

The third category consists of local forces in Pingrong County, such as the Fish Mountain Fellow Cultivators Association and other local powers with considerable strength but ambiguous relationships.

The fourth category consists of those with unclear strength and ambiguous relationships. This type of force is the most numerous in the newly restored Jin County, and therefore they will be the first to suffer great misfortune.

In addition, there are a number of close associates such as the Tanggu Ming Household, the Hong County He Household, and the Four Friends of Cold Mountain, who can help as needed when necessary.

Kang Dabao now only hopes that Tie Liuyun from Ding Prefecture will stop his fierce attack after suffering a misfortune at the Mystic Moon Sect, so that Zhu Tong, who is stationed in Jingnan Prefecture, can breathe a sigh of relief.

Otherwise, judging from the current situation, it shouldn't be long before it 'Chongming Sect's own family's turn to bleed.

Kang Dabao did not speak to Ye Zhengwen again, and went to Yuan Jin's cave abode.

On the way, he thought to himself, "I'll send Linglu and the Second there first. He's a stubborn man; not even eight horses could pull him back. Whether he succeeds in Foundation Establishment or not depends entirely on his own fate."

Ten days later, at the Elder's cave abode

Yuan Jin was completely naked, immersing himself alone in a pool of blood that was only a foot deep. At this moment, fine sweat beaded on his forehead, his face was tinged with black, his pupils glowed with blood, and smoke rose from his Baihui point (GV20).

His facial features were almost contorted into a single mass, clearly indicating that he had reached a crucial stage in his cultivation.

After an unknown amount of time, an imperial edict suddenly rang out in the empty, Seclusion Chamber.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes and began to murmur incessantly. At the same time, streams of deep red Blood Qi, accompanied by a wisp of black energy, swirled and dissipated within Yuan Jin's broad meridians, mutually generating and interacting.

This was repeated more than ten times in just a few breaths.

Before long, the weapon-refining elder of the Chongming Sect was drenched in sweat and his veins were bulging. A moment later, Yuan Jin's resolute face was extremely solemn, clearly indicating that he had been tormented by the pain to an extent that was unimaginable to ordinary people.

"Om! Om! Om!"

The three loud Buddhist chants reverberated through the quiet room. Yuan Jin closed his eyes again, feeling his burning hot skin gradually cool down and calm down; the surging Blood Qi in his body gradually drew the black energy from his Dantian, then enveloped and dissolved it until it was no longer noticeable.

Then Yuan Jin exhaled another puff of white steam, and as the smoke dissipated, specks of red light fell into the dried-up, dark brown blood pool, making it appear even more gloomy.

Yuan Jin ignored him, took out a talisman and tore it up. A burst of pure energy cleansed away the bloodstains and filth on his body, and he immediately felt his meridians flow smoothly.

He sighed deeply, and when he opened his eyes again, the bloodshot color in his eyes had faded, and his two clear black and white eyes were bright and piercing, showing that he had benefited greatly from this seclusion.

And that is indeed the case. "Phew, thanks to the Essence Blood from the Black-Pupiled White Ape's mountain root that my fellow disciples collected for me over the past year, I'm finally able to suppress this violent demonic energy and attempt to Foundation Establishment."

Although the "Calming the Mind Incantation" that my senior brother found wasn't of a high grade, it still has other wonderful uses after one has cultivated it to the point of perfection. Without the help of this mantra, I would have had to spend at least two more years.

Upon reading this, Yuan Jin took out a pill box from the depths of his Storage Bag, carefully opened it, and inside was a pill brimming with Spiritual Qi, its color as black as ink, with three spiraling patterns. Yuan Jin only took a light sniff, and he felt his confidence in successfully Foundation Establishment increased even more.

"This is Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, which can increase a cultivator's chances of forming Core Formation by a full 50%. It is truly extremely precious. Even those with False Core bloodlines may not be lucky enough to obtain one, yet I have had it for several years." Yuan Jin couldn't help but feel grateful for his senior brother's kindness.

Yuan Jin then carefully put away the pill. He had made up his mind that after he came out of seclusion, he would settle his wife, only son, and disciple at home, and then talk to his senior brother, the sect leader, before going into seclusion to establish his Foundation Establishment.

"If I achieve the Dao Foundation of my Dao with the fully repaired White Ape Scripture, then I will be considered to have just reached the Foundation Establishment, and I should not be considered mediocre among my peers. I wonder if Little Sanzi has found Spirit Artifact more suitable for me than the Mixed Gold Staff he obtained in Mountain-Viewing Cave in the past year or two."

Yuan Jin was now full of confidence in the Foundation Establishment process. He straightened his clothes and composed himself, then stepped out, only to see the large, stout figure of Sect Leader Kang Da sitting in the courtyard.

With the Second Dong still in the courtyard, it was impossible for Sect Leader Kang Da to act alone. Therefore, Yuan Changsheng was granted a favor and was dragged over to play chess for several days.

The sight of Yuan Changsheng's handsome face turned pale and haggard, and Yuan Jin, feeling sorry for him, rushed to his rescue. "Go away, go away, what kind of chess can you play? Go back to your cultivation, I'll play with your uncle."

Yuan Changsheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he disregarded all formalities and fled the place.

Yuan Jin was pretending to be serious, thinking about how to lose to Sect Leader Kang Da, when he saw the latter's smile vanish, his face turn solemn. Kang pulled him into the stone chamber where he had previously secluded himself, and pulled out a large bowl-shaped Law Artifact, saying:

"This is a bowl of spiritual dew that I obtained by fortuitous opportunity. It will benefit your Foundation Establishment. Drink it quickly!"

"So it was about Foundation Establishment. No wonder Senior Brother was so nervous earlier." Yuan Jin had never seen Kang Dabao so readily abandon his chess game to attend to serious matters before. Only after seeing the Law Artifact in the latter's hand did he understand.

Yuan Jin didn't know where Kang Dabao had found this nameless so-called "spiritual dew," but as long as he knew that the latter would never harm him, even if he were presented with a bowl of lava, as long as the Sect Leader Kang Da said it was alright, Yuan Jin would dare to swallow it whole without hesitation.

Seeing Yuan Jin open his mouth wide and gulp down the spiritual dew in the bowl, Kang Dabao couldn't help but feel his palms sweat and become nervous.

But after a while, Yuan Jin's reaction exceeded what Sect Leader Kang Da had expected.

"It's useless?!"