Nanying's Core Formation

The scene fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of the wind.

Being stared at for so long by a powerful fake alchemist was not a pleasant experience. Kang Dabao endured it for a while before finally speaking to break the deadlock, "Senior, the matter of Brother Yuan Feng's death had absolutely nothing to do with me."

He spoke with an extremely honest and sincere expression.

Yuan Buwen ignored Kang Dabao's words, it was unclear whether he already believed him or simply didn't care. He stopped, turned his back, and said with his hands behind his back, "In a few years, that temple-protecting abbot will return to Cloud Horn Prefecture. Are you afraid then?"

Even though Yuan Buwen didn't say anything, Kang Dabao still had a slight smile on his face. His expression was respectful, his posture humble, and his tone courteous. "In my mind, there are still twenty years left."

"Aren't you afraid?" Yuan Buwen was slightly taken aback. This Kang Dabao was somewhat different from the cautious and respectful sect leader he remembered.

"Senior, twenty years ago, I wouldn't have been qualified to even glance at you," Kang Dabao replied calmly, his High Antiquity expressionless. This prompted Yuan Buwen to scrutinize him for a while longer before he said in a low voice, "You're indeed somewhat different from the rumors."

After saying that, he turned his back to Sect Leader Kang Da, his words carrying a hint of intrigue. "My Xiyue, I'm afraid she's been bullied quite badly by the Fei Household girl, hasn't she?"

Kang Dabao had already thought about how to answer, and he bowed slightly, saying, "Although my wife is somewhat spoiled, she is still quite virtuous and would never do such a thing. Xiyue will certainly not be able to endure any grievances in the Chongming Sect. Apart from the title of First Wife, I can give her anything."

As soon as Kang Dabao finished speaking, a smile finally returned to Yuan Buwen's face, which had been cold for so long.

However, the former couldn't discern whether the old patriarch of the Yuan Household was pleased or angry. He only heard Yuan Buwen say coldly, "You're quite clever, kid. If you dare to try to fool me by saying something like 'placing Xiyue and the Fei Household girl on the same level of honor,' you'll lose your head this time."

The Sect Leader Kang Da remained respectful as ever, his face even more humble, yet he showed no sign of panic. He possessed the composure to remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, or to keep his eyes fixed on a deer running past him, which made Yuan Buwen look at him with even greater respect.

He had no idea that because of the Azure Smoke of Creation, Sect Leader Kang Da was truly fearless at this moment, and simply thought that the latter was outstanding and a rare talent.

"This lad possesses remarkable composure in the face of adversity. He's already at the Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment, and with less than sixty years of lifespan, he'll at least reach the False Core stage in the future. Since he was able to extract the True Intention the 'Wooden Palace Star Lord's Halberd-wielding Military Strategy' from Feng'er's insights, his strength at that time will likely be comparable to mine. However, this clan-protecting technique cannot be allowed to be obtained by him so easily."

Judging from his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, yet he was able to kill Yue Fu. He might actually have a 30% chance of forming True-Grade Golden Core in the future. Speaking of which, while Feng'er has good aptitude, his temperament is poor, and his understanding of Core Thesis is difficult to perfect. His chances of Core Formation might not be much higher than this kid's."

Yuan Buwen understood this point and felt much better.

When Yuan Xiyue was chosen by the abbot of Original Response Temple as a candidate for consort, he felt no joy and had no interest in serving the Ming King or achieving the Golden Core Elixir.

The titles of "Mingfei" and "Tianfei" sound nice, but who doesn't know that the snow-capped mountains are teeming with ruthless demons who devour people without spitting out their bones?

Even if Yuan Xiyue later gained the favor of the temple's guardian Buddha Mother Wisdom Consort Dao, thus becoming Golden Core cultivator, in the eyes of those beings, she was nothing more than another wanton woman to be trained. What honor could she possibly have? And how much assistance could she provide to the Jingnan Yuan Household?

If this path weren't so unreliable, Yuan Feng wouldn't have received the tacit approval of his Yuan Household Yuan Xiyue, when he defied human ethics to try and absorb her essence for Core Formation core.

If no more Golden Core emerge from the Yuan Lineage in the short term, having a Golden Core son-in-law is already quite good, even if he's only half a Golden Core son-in-law.

Having said what needed to be said and heard what he wanted to hear, he had no further desire to speak with Kang Dabao. In closing, he simply left Sect Leader Kang Da with a casual remark. "When you return, tell Zhu Tong to keep a low profile for the next few days and not to cause any trouble."

The latter bowed in agreement, Yuan Buwen withdrew gracefully.

For a moment, only the sound of the wind could be heard in the arena.

---- Old Ox Mountain

"What does Yuan Buwen mean by that?!" Zhu Tong frowned and asked in a deep voice.

Gun Shilu and Granny Liu also looked grim. The three of them discussed for a long time, but could only come up with the idea of waiting and seeing how things develop before making a decision.

For the state government, following Yuan Buwen's advice wasn't necessarily a bad thing, given that they had been in a situation where they could only passively take hits for some time now.

It should be noted that the two False Core Formation cultivators assigned to the Yuan Two Instruments Sect by the Yuan Household Sect remained largely untouched for most of the time. Yet, even so, they couldn't do anything to Yuan Buwen alone. So what's the point of them actively provoking a war?

Yuan Buwen's words were simply too arrogant and harsh, making everyone feel embarrassed. But they had already been slapped in the face, and knew they couldn't retaliate. Ultimately, cultivators should speak with their abilities.

The three men, each harboring their own resentment, dispersed. Kang Dabao, who left to deliver a message, was led back by Granny Liu, and the two entered the Fei Household's tent together.

The old woman still didn't give Sect Leader Kang Da a friendly look, but the True Cultivator Fei Household, upon seeing Kang Dabao, showed no arrogance. They straightened their clothes, composed themselves, and stepped forward to pay their respects.

The title of champion of the She Mountain Hall competition may not be worth much, but the head of the person who achieved Two Instruments Sect Foundation Establishment in the Liangyi Sect, whom Kang Dabao mentioned earlier, is extremely valuable.

To date, among all the cultivators in the Fei Household, only Granny Liu has achieved the feat of slaying a late-stage cultivator from the Two Instruments Sect.

Granny Liu glanced at Kang Dabao sideways, then said, "In the tent earlier, I felt you had many things you wanted to say but didn't. Now that there are no outsiders in the tent, just say what you think of Yuan Buwen's words, and no one will blame you."

"Great-aunt, Yuan Buwen may not necessarily be wholeheartedly committed to following the Two Instruments Sect."

The moment Sect Leader Kang Da uttered those words, they piqued the interest of the Yuan Household family cultivators, including Granny Liu. The old woman raised an eyebrow, ready to play along, and asked in a questioning voice, "What do you mean by that?"

"Yuan Xiyue is not the root of the problem," Kang Dabao said confidently.

Granny Liu had certainly heard of the name "Yuan Xiyue." Seeing the varying degrees of envy on the faces of many of the Fei Household's younger generation, her displeasure intensified, and her tone became even harsher. "What is that?"

"Beforehand, the young man also thought that Yuan Buwen came for Yuan Xiyue, whom I had in my hands, and that he was unwilling to give up this candidate for the Mingfei, who was appointed by the abbot of the temple."

But today, after personally meeting Yuan Buwen and speaking with him, I learned that Yuan Xiyue was merely a title, Two Instruments Sect used by the Liangyi Sect to have Yuan Buwen destroy the Yunwei Zheng Household on their behalf."

The old woman thought for a moment, then slowly nodded and continued, "That makes sense. The Two Instruments Sect may not trust the Jingnan Yuan Household either, otherwise they wouldn't have sent two supervisors to Yuan Buwen."

Kang Dabao knew that the old woman was referring to the two fake alchemists sent to Jingnan by the Liangyi Sect, so he interjected, "If the Liangyi Sect really wanted to interfere, they could have sent a few more fake alchemists over. We would have been defeated and forced to retreat to Pingrong County long ago, and we wouldn't have lasted until now."

These words were rather direct and offensive, which displeased Granny Liu even more, but she had no way to refute them, and could only mutter, "You mean..."

Kang Dabao spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "The Two Instruments Sect dislikes the state court, but it may not necessarily like the Yuan Household. The Yuan Household family has monopolized a state, having cultivated deep roots in Jingnan for far too long."

Granny Liu clearly disagreed with Kang Dabao's deduction. She shook her head and continued, "At this critical juncture, the high-ranking cultivators of the Two Instruments Sect would not be so unwise. It's just a mere Jingnan Prefecture; given their vision, they wouldn't stoop to such a level."

Sect Leader Kang Da did not refute her, after all, what the old woman said might not be wrong.

But Granny Liu added, "However, Yuan Buwen is probably thinking, just as you suspected, that he really does have some intention of joining the state government. But he's being so hesitant and indecisive; he's probably still planning to stand by and watch."

The old woman paused here, staring into Kang Dabao's eyes, before continuing, "Such people are the most despicable."

"Great-aunt is right," Kang Dabao replied respectfully, his pupils slightly contracting but his expression unchanged.

Seeing that Kang Dabao's reaction was slightly unexpected, Granny Liu ignored him and instead said, "You can see it too. Even these officials from the Capital Circuit region who came to Cloud Horn Prefecture together cannot be generalized."

The old woman's words were veiled, but Kang Dabao understood their meaning. In fact, during the short time he had been in the Jingnan camp, it was not difficult for him to realize that the Fei Household and Gun Shilu were not on the same side.

Gun Shilu was a rare and loyal minister, and while being a loyal minister, he did not mind maintaining good relations with the Fei Household in order to gain some benefits for his own clan.

Although the Ying Prefecture Fei Household was one of the most trusted powerful families of the Immortal Dynasty's imperial clan, it was not a vassal of Kuang Liuting.

The relationship between the two parties is less one of subordination and more one of partnership in business.

The Fei Household placed a heavy bet on Kuang Liuting, a promising member of the imperial clan, She Mountain Hall was one of the few shares that outsiders could see. The amount of resources invested in it was unknown, but it was all for Kuang Liuting's cultivation.

Judging from the current situation, Sect Leader Kang Da thinks this is a good deal. The Fei Household should be able to get a lot of benefits in the future.

The civil service faction led by Zhu Tong differed from both of the aforementioned factions.

Starting with the cabinet ministers of the capital, the relationship between court officials from prominent families, Chancellor Gui, and the royal family of Great Wei was akin to cooperation.

Both sides banded together for mutual support, employing every means possible to maintain this vast empire that, on the surface, had not yet fallen apart. At the same time, however, they were also wary of each other and deeply estranged, which was truly bizarre.

However, the atmosphere in the state court was irrelevant. After all, the three parties had different thoughts, but the same goal: to make a name for themselves in this humble place and gain the appreciation of important figures.

Kang Dabao thought to himself, "Once the Earl of Nan'a Core Formation, these matters should no longer be a problem, right?!"

Seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da did not answer, Granny Liu continued, this time being much more concise. "Do a good job, and remember that you are the eldest son-in-law of the Fei Household. Also remember, in the future, no matter what the state court can or cannot give, the Fei Household can give it to you."

"I'll remember that, lad," Kang Dabao replied solemnly.

"Go and rest. Be careful, Yuan Buwen might be feinting. There could be fighting in the next few days." The old woman said this last sentence before returning to her brocade tent to cultivate.

Once the elders left, the Fei Household True Cultivator in the room began to lose some of their composure.

Fei Wen was considered an anomaly within the Fei Household, and thus he was the first to approach and speak with Sect Leader Kang Da.

"The Foundation Establishment you just slew possessed a remarkable golden spear-like Spirit Artifact. I wonder if you have any use for it? If it's convenient, would you be willing to part with it?"

"A golden spear-like Spirit Artifact?"

The golden spear Spirit Artifact that Fei Wen had been longing for took Sect Leader Kang Da quite a while to remember. It was all because that Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator died too quickly, so quickly that Kang Dabao didn't even have a deep impression of the Spirit Artifact he used.

"Is this the one? Since you like it, Brother Dao, then this price will do." Kang Dabao smiled and quoted a price that was much lower than the prices offered by many shops in the market.

Fei Wen was overjoyed. Everyone said that Kang Dabao was a greedy and opportunistic person who was good at bargaining. Before he spoke, he never thought that he could make a profit from such a person. He immediately bought the golden spear Spirit Artifact.

Kang Dabao was quite pleased to see him like this.

You must know that Sect Leader Kang Da is a businessman by trade; how could he possibly do business that loses money?

Although Fei Wen came from an ordinary background, in Kang Dabao's eyes, he was the most outstanding cultivator of the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall in this generation. Even Fei Enhua, who had already become Ice Leaf cultivator, could not compare to him in this respect.

It's a good thing that you can befriend such a person with so little investment.

The other Fei Household True Cultivator all had support from their elders and family connections, so they looked down on Sect Leader Kang Da's petty favors. However, Kang Dabao's actions still earned him a lot of goodwill among the Fei Household True Cultivator.

Many people were quite interested in the high-grade spear Spirit Artifact left behind by Yue Fu. This late-stage True Cultivator of the Two Instruments Sect had used it to show off his prowess on the battlefield, attracting the envy of many, who immediately started to offer a price for it.

This time, Kang Dabao's asking price wasn't as cheap as before, but it was still fair enough, and Fei Nanhu eventually bought it at a high price. This Spirit Artifact was far inferior to his Fire Venerable Seal, and the Sect Leader Kang Da didn't know whether he would keep it as a backup or give it away.

Once this business starts, it's hard to stop. Kang Dabao has quite a few Storage Bag that need to be disposed of, so he might as well take advantage of having those rich and Fei Household family members around and sell some of them first.

The Fei Household's tent immediately became lively. It wasn't just Kang Dabao who started doing business; it was easy for them to follow suit.

Under Kang Dabao's direction, an internal barter meeting quickly began. The atmosphere gradually warmed up, so much so that many Fei Household True Cultivator forgot Kang Dabao's status as an outsider.

After the barter meeting, there was a banquet.

Sect Leader Kang Da was quite skilled in this area; after a few drinks, he became sworn brothers with Fei Wen and Fei Enxing, who were not particularly cunning.

However, this joyous scene was hard to maintain for long. Just as Granny Liu said, only two days later, the Yuan Household's attacking force was already fully prepared again.

Just as another great battle was about to begin, Sect Leader Kang Da had already checked the strength of each faction and given instructions to all Foundation Establishment. However, a message from Xuanwei City caused both sides to temporarily cease hostilities.

The Yuan Household withdrew from the entire territory of White Sand County like a tide, creating a vacuum area, a scene that had not been seen for one or two years.

Kang Dabao only learned of this news from the smiling Granny Liu after the Yuan Household had withdrawn their troops:

"My Boyue Core Formation?!?"