At Wang Family Mountain, a traveler who had been away from ho for ten years finally returned to his holand. Unlike Gray Back Falcon, as an elder of the Wang Clan, Wang Rongyuan would not resort to crawling through so underground river; that would be far too undignified.
He steered his flying magic artifact, and before even approaching the Layered Cloud Array, he activated the sowhat unfamiliar hand seal.
The hand seal triggered the formation array, causing the clouds in the sky slowly to part and reveal a path. Looking down at the familiar Dumb Donkey Plain in the mountain valley, a smile appeared on Wang Rongyuan's weathered face.
Compared to the West Sea, which was plagued by demonic beasts and fraught with extre danger, Wang Family Mountain was practically a paradise on earth. However, the Patriarch was not in the clan today.
Instead, it was Tie Qinhuo who noticed his return and proactively flew up to greet him.
"Rongyuan, you have had a hard journey."
Sizing up Wang Rongyuan's empty right sleeve and noticing that his cultivation base had dropped by two layers, Tie Qinhuo let out a sigh. He and Wang Rongyuan were old acquaintances.
Contrary to his fierce and domineering na, Tie Qinhuo was actually a shriveled little old man. His age when he achieved Foundation Establishnt had even exceeded one hundred and thirty years.
He had been in the Foundation Establishnt stage for four years now. His primary reason for remaining at Wang Family Mountain was that, as a Foundation Establishnt cultivator with an outside surna, there were simply too many gaps in his cultivation that required redial study.
The Patriarch had negotiated terms with him: the Wang Clan would first help him complete his missing techniques and secret heritages, and in the future, he would provide greater returns to the Wang Clan. Wang Rongyuan did not mind Tie Qinhuo's gaze.
The demonic beasts of the West Sea were not vegetarians; they enjoyed eating at—the flesh of cultivators. That Great Demon erkat had only consud half of his shoulder, which was already a stroke of luck for him.
Accompanied by Tie Qinhuo, Wang Rongyuan landed in front of the gates of his own residence.
"Senior Qinhuo, is the Patriarch not present?"
Tie Qinhuo shook his head and said, "You already know about the matters concerning Wondrous Peak Mountain and the Valley Spirit Sect. The Wang Clan's businesses in Clear Stream Market have been affected by the war, so the Patriarch needed to head over there to oversee the situation."
After Yulou received the news from Zhou Yingxi, he had sent a ssage to the Patriarch, but the Patriarch had explained things very clearly to Tie Qinhuo.
"However, you do not need to worry about these things. Now that this West Sea mission is completed, you should first rest well at ho for a few years to recover your lost cultivation base."
Wang Rongyuan had half of his shoulder devoured by a Great Demon equivalent to the Foundation Establishnt stage, resulting in the loss of his right arm as well. His cultivation base had plumted directly from the peak Qi Refining realm to the seventh layer.
The fact that he currently possessed an eighth-layer cultivation base was already the result of recuperating in the West Sea for two years. After all, no matter how harsh the Immortal Alliance's legal decree was, they could not force an injured cultivator to march to their death.
As the cultivator who had accepted the legal decree on behalf of the Wang Clan, the Immortal Alliance could not coerce the Wang Clan into imdiately sending a new Qi Refining cultivator after Wang Rongyuan was injured.
Consequently, he had recuperated at the Immortal Alliance's station in the West Sea for two years, and only after fully collecting the rewards for his ten-year demon hunting mission did he return ho.
"It is fine. I exchanged for the Yin-Yang Life Vein Elixir at the Immortal Alliance's Military rit Pavilion, so my cultivation base and injuries will slowly recover. On the other hand, Rongwen ntioned in his letter to that Yulou is managing things quite splendidly in Clear Stream Market?"
The Yin-Yang Life Vein Elixir? Tie Qinhuo's heart stirred.
That item was by no ans cheap; its price was comparable to a Foundation Establishnt Pill, and that was even after the price hike. Comnsurate with its exorbitant price, its effects were naturally potent.
When used by a Qi Refining cultivator, it could regenerate limbs without damaging their Dao foundation. It appeared that the Wang Clan would also arrange for Wang Rongyuan to attempt Foundation Establishnt in the future.
With this thought, Tie Qinhuo's attitude beca even more amiable as he smiled and explained,
"It is not just a matter of being splendid. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion has nothing particularly unusual about it, except that the items are more expensive yet still manage to sell. However, Yulou also set up a shop called the Great Goods Store. He does not actually sell physical goods there day-to-day; instead, he specializes in bringing other cultivators together to trade contract orders at his establishnt. In addition, he oversaw the cooperation between our Wang Family and the Yang Clan, successfully getting the racetrack up and running. Over the years, this child has given our family quite a few surprises."
Even though Tie Qinhuo was praising Wang Yulou, Wang Rongyuan frowned instead. Currently, Yulou's primary task should be to focus wholeheartedly on his cultivation rather than managing shops.
Wang Rongyuan did not yet realize that the Wang Clan was currently in a critical transition period. Within a transition period, there were positive aspects, but there were also imnse risks.
To be specific, the things Wang Yulou was currently doing had actually received the Patriarch's permission.
"Surprises... Fine. I plan to host a banquet at my residence tonight, so Senior Qinhuo must co. It has been many years since we last t, so we must have a good drink together. Returning from the West Sea this ti, besides this body full of injuries, I did bring back a few jars of fine wine."
"Ah, why call Senior? Just like before, calling Brother Tie will do. However, Rongwen is not at ho, and Rongjiang is in secluded cultivation, though Uncle Xianzhou has returned."
Tie Qinhuo was very humble. Even though he had established his foundation, he still referred to Wang Xianzhou, who was at the peak of Qi Refining, as Uncle Xianzhou.
In the evening, Wang Rongyuan's residence was brightly lit. He sat among the tables, chatting about his experiences in the West Sea with the brothers, sisters, seniors, and juniors of the clan.
"...That Great Demon erkat was incredibly cunning. It disguised itself as a white fox and hid among a pack of white foxes that only had the cultivation bases of small demons. The mont we approached, it suddenly struck. Next to was a Fellow Daoist from Great Skymount Mountain. Before he could even react, he was swallowed whole in a single bite. This half of my shoulder and my arm were rely torn and bitten because I was caught in the erkat's massive jaws. At that ti, I was also impatient and activated the Escape Talisman too quickly. Its teeth were clamped down on half of my body; I wanted to leave but could not break free. Left with no alternative, I could only channel my spiritual energy to shatter my own shoulder before I finally managed to escape from the Great Demon erkat's mouth."
Wang Rongyuan's narration left everyone at the tables sowhat silent.
Having one's body caught in the teeth of a Great Demon, and wanting to leave, one had no choice but to shatter their own shoulder—shattering their own shoulder by themselves.
"Was that erkat at the early stage or mid-stage of the Great Demon realm, or rather, did it have any specific traits? Rongyuan, tell us in detail. In the future, when the juniors of the Wang Clan go to the West Sea, they might have a chance to avenge you."
Wang Xianzhou set down his wine cup and asked solemnly.
He no longer had the chance himself. Over the years, Wang Xianzhou had actually accumulated quite a few enemies.
If he went to the West Sea, it would an certain death. He could only pass the days under the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, barely scraping by while bullying those cultivators at the Qi Refining stage.
"There is no need. Co, let us drink. This is the Moon Dew Nectar gifted to by a female immortal from the Moon Splendor Sect. It cannot be purchased within the territory of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect."
Wang Rongyuan was exceptionally open-minded, showing no intention of seeking revenge at all, and instead urged everyone to drink.
Revenge? Against whom would he seek revenge? It was the Immortal Alliance's legal decree that pressed down, forcing the Wang Clan to send people to the West Sea for demon hunting.
As for the consequences, the Immortal Alliance did not care, and the Wang Clan lacked the power to resist the rules. On the other hand, the Wang Clan could have originally hired soone to accept the legal decree on behalf of the family, yet they directly dispatched Wang Rongyuan instead.
Many matters could not bear close scrutiny, but at the very least, the clan's arrangents were flawless. Without experiencing tempering, on what basis could he, Wang Rongyuan, beco the target of the clan's resource allocation? Based on high talent? That was impossible.
If talent decided everything, then those with poor talent could rightfully lie flat and do nothing, and the very foundation of the Wang Clan's existence would perish. Zhou Yingxi viewed herself as a flower in a greenhouse, while seeing Wang Yulou as a wildly growing weed full of vitality; her perspective possessed a sort of naive ignorance born of privilege.
Within the Wang Clan's tric of evaluation, Wang Yulou had at most rely proven his talent in the way of business. The corresponding tempering was still heavily lacking, and he would still need to be thoroughly polished in the future.
"Rongyuan, tell us more about that female immortal from the Moon Splendor Sect, hahahaha," Tie Qinhuo joked with a laugh.
When the banquet concluded and the crowd dispersed, Wang Xianzhou, who remained until the very end, touched Wang Rongyuan's ferocious wound, his eyes entirely filled with worry. This heavenly genius of the Wang Clan, who was approaching the end of his lifespan, was filled entirely with concern for the junior generation.
"Is the Yin-Yang Life Vein Elixir enough? If not, I will think of another way for you."
Wang Xianzhou's Dao foundation had beco completely ruined after losing half of his body. No matter how excellent the dicinal pills were, they could not salvage the damage of a half-destroyed body. Being able to maintain his cultivation base at the peak Qi Refining realm was already a miracle.
Wang Rongyuan's situation was sowhat unique. He had lost half of his shoulder, placing him in an ambiguous state where his future remained uncertain.
"Uncle Xianzhou, there is no need to worry. A Foundation Establishnt senior from the Immortal Alliance has already examined it. Even if it truly affects my foundation establishnt, the impact will not be too severe," Wang Rongyuan said calmly.
The family required responsible disciples to beco its pillars, which was why they were sent out to be constantly tempered through trials. Risks naturally existed. Wang Xianmao knew this, and Wang Rongyuan knew it as well. Therefore, he could accept this outco. At the very least, he was still alive, was he not?
—
Rewinding ti to a few hours prior.
At noon, inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Yulou stood behind the counter, holding a copy of Thirty-Six Stratagems for Rogue Cultivator Magical Combat, reading it with great absorption.
"Go, call your shopkeeper over!"
A cultivator at the peak Qi Refining realm with a thick, beard like halberds tapped the stone surface of the counter, ordering Yulou about. Yulou naturally would not argue with a custor. He set down the book and replied with a smile,
"Fellow Daoist, I am the shopkeeper of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Wang Yulou of the Anbei Kingdom Wang Clan. Might I ask your esteed surna?"
The heavily bearded cultivator looked at Yulou suspiciously, hesitated for a mont, and then spoke, "My humble surna is Luo. Just call Luo Old Three. I heard that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has foundation establishnt auxiliary spiritual pills for sale?"
A big fish! Storing the book into his storage bag, Yulou led this big fish up to the second floor. After the two of them took their seats, an attendant served spiritual tea.
"Daoist Luo, please have a taste. Although it is not Gu Family Spiritual Tea, it is still sothing our Wang Clan has cultivated with care, and it is a spiritual tea that is close to entering the ranked tiers."
"No need for tea. Just introduce the matter of the foundation establishnt auxiliary spiritual pills directly," Luo Old Three said impatiently.
Yulou smiled slightly and began his introduction. "For a cultivator like yourself who is preparing for foundation establishnt, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion offers three related services.
"The first type is the informational introduction of foundation establishnt auxiliary spiritual pills. For three hundred spirit stones, you can obtain information that is not inferior to what disciples of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect can access.
"The second type is the custom tailoring of foundation establishnt auxiliary spiritual pills. We can refine over a dozen different types of foundation establishnt auxiliary spiritual pills. Although the refining cost is high, the quality is absolutely guaranteed.
"The third type is full-process guidance for foundation establishnt. If you are a rogue cultivator, purchasing foundation establishnt-related precious pills and spiritual herbs on your own will inevitably lead to being deceived, and you might suffer a loss if you are not careful. If you choose full-process guidance, our Wang Clan can impart to you all information related to foundation establishnt, provide corresponding custom pill-refining services, and finally, allow you to read the foundation establishnt insights left behind by successive generations of the Wang Clan's Foundation Establishnt Ancestors. Of course, if you have not found a suitable location for foundation establishnt, the Wang Clan can also arrange a related secluded cultivation cave dwelling for you."
"How much does the full-process guidance cost?" Luo Old Three asked, his face full of anticipation.
"That will be three thousand spirit stones to start. Custom pill-refining and arranging a cave dwelling will each require an additional three thousand spirit stones, depending on your own preferences. It is sowhat expensive, but the Hundred Treasures Pavilion has always been this way. Since we dare to ask for a high price, we naturally provide the finest service." Lifting his tea cup, Yulou replied in a warm tone.
Faced with the Wang Clan's highly sophisticated thods of gathering wealth, Luo Old Three, who had initially been full of confidence, fled in a state of utter dishevelnt. He had spent many years hustling on the front lines between the two sects, believing that his accumulated wealth was already sufficient to support a lavish expenditure. However, in front of the super harvesting machine that Wang Yulou had introduced, he was still far from qualified.
Having failed the sales pitch, Yulou returned to the counter, pulled out that copy of Thirty-Six Stratagems for Rogue Cultivator Magical Combat, and resud reading. The book sounded unreliable, but the content was rather interesting. Golden Liquid Magic Swords, li for battlefield control... In order to survive, rogue cultivators truly employed a myriad of clever sches.
"Big Brother, Big Brother!" Wang Yu'an called out Yulou's na as he ca running in from outside.
"Why are you shouting? Speak clearly if sothing happened!" Wang Yulou did not even lift his head, directly transmitting his voice to reprimand his younger brother.
The custors and shop hands inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion had already turned to look at Yu'an. Yu'an nodded awkwardly, pretending to be calm, and also replied via voice transmission, "Senior Wu, Wu Jinyan, has successfully established his foundation!"
The pupils of Yulou, who was reading the book, contracted slightly. That bastard surnad Gao is finally going to suffer a downfall!
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