However, just as Wang Rongshi stepped toward the small grotto-heaven left behind by An Ning, Wang Jingyi moved.
With a casual flick of her finger, she used her Foundation Establishnt cultivation base to easily restrain Wang Rongshi, who was rely at the high stage of Qi Gathering, and yanked him back down.
"Forget it, Rongshi. It's better if I go in myself."
Wang Rongshi had been watched over by Wang Xianmao as he grew up, and Wang Jingyi had watched him grow as well.
Having left ho to cultivate for so many years, Wang Jingyi had risen step by step from an ordinary disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect to a Core Disciple, becoming a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator with divine abilities.
To most of the newer Wang Clan mbers born over the past century, Ancestor Jingyi of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was more like a legendary figure. Yet, in her heart, Wang Jingyi still considered herself a child of the Wang Clan first, and a Core Disciple of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect second.
That was why she had dared to directly request Wang Xianmao to let her use the small grotto-heaven left by An Ning to attempt to reach the Purple Palace Realm.
I am a mber of the Wang family, and my talent is sufficient, so I rightfully deserve a share of this fortune.
Now, Wang Jingyi once again proved through her actions that she was not an ungrateful leech who only expected benefits from the family without taking on responsibilities.
"Ancestor, I can do it," Wang Rongshi unexpectedly rejected Wang Jingyi's suggestion, pleading earnestly. "You are the family's strong backing within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. If you encounter danger, it will impact the future of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom. I, on the other hand, am just a dying man. To be able to contribute one last ti to the family in my remaining days—this is what I should do, and what I want to do."
Wang Xianmao did not voice an opinion; no one could easily take a stance on such a matter.
The risk was right there, akin to a unique trolley problem.
In a traditional trolley problem, the train is coming, and you must choose who dies. The trolley problem facing them right now was that an invisible, high-speed train might be waiting ahead—An Ning might still be alive, simply waiting for soone to step into her domain and deliver themselves to her.
The difficult choice facing the Wang Clan was determining what standard to use to select soone to go check. The moral dilemma was unresolvable.
Letting Wang Rongshi go in seed heartless from an emotional standpoint.
And what of compensation?
Wang Rongshi didn't care about a bit of compensation! The logic was simple: if Wang Yuming proved capable, the Wang family would naturally support him. If Wang Yuming turned out to be useless, Wang Rongshi wouldn't want the Wang Clan's resources wasted on him either.
Letting Wang Jingyi go in seed foolish from a rational standpoint.
A grotto-heaven was a cultivator's ho turf. If An Ning was inside waiting for a Wang family mber to take the bait, Wang Jingyi might truly encounter imnse danger upon entering.
Neither choice was superior; both were correct. The forr was compassionate, while the latter was rational.
The bond of shared blood ford the foundation that allowed the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom to endure for a thousand years. From this perspective, Wang Jingyi, who chose to stop Wang Rongshi, was a qualified mber of the Wang family.
Yet, prudence, endurance, and rationality were also the maxims that had guided the Wang Clan through historical storms to this day. From that perspective, sending Wang Rongshi in was the optimal, rational choice.
However, as a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator, Wang Jingyi could naturally read sothing from Wang Xianmao's silence. Thus, she said no more, simply gripped her sword, and dove straight into An Ning's grotto-heaven.
"Patriarch, Ancestor Jingyi..."
He had waited for two days and ntally prepared himself for two days, even leaving behind his final words for Yuming. Wang Rongshi had completely failed to anticipate that things would take this turn.
"Let's wait."
Wang Xianmao shook his head, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. In many matters, relying purely on logic was impossible.
Furthermore, if they rely sent Wang Rongshi in to investigate, his low cultivation level might cause him to be deceived, leaving him unable to discover any hidden issues. From this perspective, the most suitable person to enter beca Wang Xianzhou.
Yes, theoretically, the optimal candidate to explore the grotto-heaven was Wang Xianzhou, but if you asked Wang Xianmao to arrange it, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it.
Human hearts are not made of stone.
Wang Jingyi, who seed as unyielding as tal, had her own warmth. Wang Xianmao protected Yulou so fiercely that he practically coddled him, so he was naturally even more tender-hearted—though their warmth was reserved solely for the Wang Clan.
Before long, Wang Jingyi flew back out of the grotto-heaven, her usually placid, water-like face actually carrying a smile.
"Xianmao, everything is normal. An Ning has indeed ditated into passing. Hongi did not lie to us!"
Suspended in anxiety, Hongi heard that his Dao companion was truly dead, and the unease in his heart finally dissolved. However, due to the intense ntal pressure of the past several days combined with a sudden surge of excitent, he actually blacked out and swooned right then and there!
Perhaps marrying Hongi was the single greatest mistake in the life of An Ning, that famous female cultivator from Crouching Dragon Temple whose na was known throughout Wunan.
Wang Xianmao rose in excitent, pressing for details.
"How large is this small grotto-heaven left by An Ning?"
A grotto-heaven was an otherworldly domain that could only be opened after achieving the Purple Palace Realm. According to the Wang Clan's deductions, the size of a grotto-heaven was tightly bound to the strength of its creator.
But An Ning had ultimately failed to truly reach the Purple Palace Realm. She had only succeeded in opening the grotto-heaven before failing her final advancent.
Consequently, Wang Xianmao worried that this domain might be too small.
Wang Jingyi did not answer. She struck with her sword once more, widening the entrance of the small grotto-heaven slightly to delay its self-repair speed.
"Go see for yourself. I will keep watch out here."
Wang Xianmao recalled Yulou first, and only then did he take Yulou with him into An Ning's small grotto-heaven.
This is a grotto-heaven?
Looking at the barren landscape that resembled a wasteland under a deep red, incredibly oppressive sky, Wang Yulou was montarily stunned. When hearing of a grotto-heaven, he had held certain romantic expectations.
But seeing its true appearance after entering, the gap between expectation and reality was simply too vast. However, in the center of this desolate domain lay a pool of water, and within a radius of several dozen feet around it, life flourished vibrantly.
Carrying Yulou as he flew through the air, Wang Xianmao comnted objectively, "A quarter-mile in diater. There is a reason An Ning failed to advance to the Purple Palace Realm; this grotto-heaven of hers is simply a bit too small."
As he spoke, he guided Wang Yulou toward the center of the domain.
"They are all spiritual materials!" The mont they landed, Yulou felt the difference. When they were high in the sky near the edge of the grotto-heaven, he hadn't even been able to sense the spiritual energy of this place.
But upon reaching the edge of this pool, Yulou clearly saw that there were actually five kinds of spiritual materials at the heart of An Ning's small grotto-heaven! In this vibrant center of the domain, various spiritual items grew in abundance.
The pool was a rank-nine spiritual spring of the water attribute, and the spring water seed to carry a dominant, cleansing power.
The ground consisted of rank-nine spiritual soil of the earth attribute, upon which grew nurous spiritual grasses, flowers, and trees.
Among them were two unique red trees, identical to the redwood of the Redwood Sect, possessing both fire and wood dual attributes.
"Hahaha, indeed! They are all spiritual materials, every single one of them."
Wang Xianmao's smile was so wide his mouth practically split. Though An Ning's small grotto-heaven was tiny, its spiritual items were plentiful.
These materials could completely sustain the breakthrough requirents for multiple future Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the Wang Clan. The greatest crisis currently plaguing the Wang Clan was completely resolved just like that!
After delivering a massive amount of the family's accumulated resources to the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, the Wang Clan had been forced to push several of their Qi Refining cultivators to break through to Foundation Establishnt.
The logic remained unchanged: the Red Lantern Illumination Sect was deliberately distributing favors to bottom-tier cultivators, who then began to reach Foundation Establishnt in droves.
The sheer scale of new Foundation Establishnt cultivators was large enough to cause the price of Foundation Establishnt resources across the entire Wunan Basin to double. If the Wang Clan had failed to keep pace back then, their relative advantage in the competitive landscape would have plumted.
Thus, the Wang Clan had been forced to join the race. But joining didn't solve the underlying problem; it rely generated new ones.
Because resources were insufficient, even Wang Xianzhou, a man over a hundred and sixty years old, had returned to the battlefield to earn spirit stones for the Wang Clan.
Now, with the replenishnt from An Ning's small grotto-heaven, the transition pains the Wang Clan would face over the next few decades would be much steadier and far more manageable!
"Inside there... that should be Senior An Ning's remains, right?"
Yulou noticed a peculiar entity among the many spiritual plants. That plant possessed luxuriant branches and leaves, but the source of those limbs sat precisely at the junction of the spiritual spring and the spiritual soil. By absorbing the spiritual energy of two rank-nine spiritual materials, it had grown a massive flower bud.
That slightly translucent, giant bud rested quietly amidst the trees. Through the tightly closed, pale yellow petals, Yulou could discern a human silhouette. That was why he deduced it to be the resting place of the remains of An Ning, the famous female Foundation Establishnt cultivator of Crouching Dragon Temple.
She truly lived up to her reputation as a Core Disciple of a great sect whose na echoed across Wunan for centuries; even in death, she chose to handle her remains in such an extraordinary fashion, literally passing away in a spectacular style.
Still, Senior An Ning, why on earth did you take a liking to Hongi?
Hongi was a highly deceptive individual. Initially, Yulou had thought him to be an extraordinary Qi Refining cultivator who would surely achieve Foundation Establishnt with ease down the line.
But as his understanding of Hongi deepened, Yulou realized that while Hongi appeared powerful on the surface, his inner resolve was weak and vacillating. Once he learned that Hongi possessed a Dao companion like An Ning, all the inconsistencies surrounding the man beca perfectly logical.
"Yes, do not show any disrespect. An Ning was a cultivator of excellent reputation. Co to think of it, I even crossed paths with her once."
Leading Yulou, Wang Xianmao walked toward the flower bud. Along the way, under the control of his wood-attribute spells, the various spiritual plants left by An Ning parted to form a path.
Arriving before the bud, Wang Xianmao bowed deeply, showing full etiquette toward An Ning's remains.
"Seventy years ago, I served as a formation envoy within the Immortal Alliance. Once, while exchanging items at the Immortal rit Hall in Lotus Immortal City, I ran into An Ning and caught a distant glimpse of her. To think that after seventy years, she and I would share such an intersection. If one fails to reach the Purple Palace Realm, no matter how glorious or trendy they may be for a ti, they will ultimately be nothing more than dry bones in a tomb."
Yulou nodded silently. Cultivators of the Purple Palace Realm in this world could seclude themselves within their small grotto-heavens to halt the passing of their lifespan.
In this manner, a Purple Palace cultivator's natural lifespan—which began at seven hundred years—could easily stretch into thousands or even tens of thousands of years. What did it an to enjoy eternal life? This was precisely it!
"Fellow Daoist An Ning, the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom will surely treat your daughter well. As for your Dao companion, Hongi... well, so be it. I shall grant him his Foundation Establishnt breakthrough. What could he possibly achieve anyway!"
Before opening the bud to claim An Ning's left-behind treasures, Wang Xianmao ultimately decided to give Hongi a chance. Matters of karma were nebulous and could not dictate Wang Xianmao's decisions; the only reason he was willing to afford Hongi a chance at Foundation Establishnt was that Hongi was simply too incompetent.
Had Hongi possessed even a slightly stiffer backbone or a firr Dao heart, Wang Xianmao would have certainly cut the weeds and pulled up the roots to eliminate any future trouble! Under his wood-attribute spells, the pale yellow bud gradually blossod, revealing the true form of An Ning's remains hidden within.
As An Ning's remains gradually ca into view, Yulou's expression shifted drastically. Stench.
An unimaginable, mind-numbing stench. Just before Yulou could faint from the odor, the thoroughly shaken old Patriarch finally snapped to his senses. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a gust of wind, continuously sweeping the foul sll from the air.
"This..."
His eyes stinging from the stench, Yulou finally got a clear look at An Ning's remains. The deceased An Ning possessed a head of pitch-black hair, and the bright yellow spiritual robe she wore still shimred with spiritual light.
However, beneath the wrinkles characteristic of an elderly person, her skin was entirely black. In certain places, the skin had begun to slough off, revealing an unusual white flesh beneath.
A mottled mixture of black and white, paired with a horrendous stench—the sight filled Yulou with intense revulsion.
"Zhong Ningyao might truly be her daughter," Wang Xianmao imdiately offered a judgnt that seed completely unrelated to the scene.
"Patriarch, why are Senior An Ning's remains in such a state... This is far too unseemly."
Yulou also realized where the issue lay. After a Foundation Establishnt cultivator died, their physical body could resist decay, allowing the corpse to remain preserved for many years.
The thod An Ning used to store her body was clearly extraordinary; her remains should not look this wretched under any circumstances. There was only one possibility: her physical body had already begun to rot prior to her death.
Perhaps it was because she expended her life essence to nurture her child that An Ning passed away in such an undignified manner.
"If I recall correctly, An Ning should have lived to be nearly five hundred years old, which is why her reputation was so grand. She exhausted every kind of longevity-extending thod, yet she still could not truly advance to the Purple Palace Realm. To think that after a lifeti dedicated to the Dao, she chose to seek out a Dao companion at the very end of her life. You must know that seventy years ago, she still looked like a young woman in her twenties. It is hard to imagine, truly hard to imagine." Wang Xianmao sighed with emotion.
An Ning had been a hair's breadth away from the Purple Palace Realm; she had even succeeded in opening her small grotto-heaven. Yet that tiny gap was precisely what reduced her to her current state.
"Yulou, pay your respects to her as well. Our Wang Clan has received An Ning's legacy, so we ought to show so gratitude toward her."
Wang Yulou stood solemnly, took two steps forward to face An Ning's remains, and bowed respectfully.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from An Ning's corpse.
"Hongi, I did not expect a waste like you to actually succeed in reaching Foundation Establishnt before the age of ninety. Ningyao, you have grown up as well. Regrettably, my daughter, your mother can no longer see you. You must..."
Amidst Yulou's astonishnt, Wang Xianmao pointed at the yellow stan section where An Ning's remains rested and nodded. An Ning had not resurrected; she had rely left behind a contingency asure.
"...You must find a suitable husband early on. Do not be like , tossing and turning for a lifeti in search of the Dao, only to realize at the end that the Great Dao possesses no gate. The Great Dao has no gate; cultivating immortality is nothing but a scam! The number of Grand Cultivators in heaven and earth is fixed. If one wishes to erge, they require the approval of the Gathering Immortals Platform. If the Gathering Immortals Platform does not permit you to attain the Dao, any amount of cultivation is futile. Hongi, if you managed to reach Foundation Establishnt before ninety, then this grotto-heaven I left for you will be of use. It will begin to collapse when you turn two hundred and ninety-three years old. A four-veined Dao foundation is not easy to repair; you must hurry. First, use this grotto-heaven to help Ningyao advance to the Qi Refining stage as soon as possible, then enter the Immortal Alliance, and subsequently begin repairing your Dao foundation. Having fled from the Sky Serpent Sect, it is impossible for you to find an opportunity for the Purple Palace Realm by joining other major sects after your breakthrough. Your sole opportunity for the Purple Palace lies within the Immortal Alliance. Enter it early, and my artificing path inheritance will help you secure your footing. Take good care of Ningyao, you waste!"
Hongi's wife was dead, yet she still harbored such deep resentnt toward him; it seed they shared genuine feelings. With that final insult, An Ning's parting words ca to an end.
Wang Xianmao gathered his divine sense and swept over the stan that carried the ssage, discovering an exceptionally concealed, unique formation array within it.
"Fellow Daoist An Ning was truly formidable. Had we co two years later, the formation would have vanished. If only a single Foundation Establishnt cultivator had co, the formation wouldn't have triggered either. The mont soone disturbs her remains, the formation will self-destruct. I brought you in rely to broaden your horizons, yet through a stroke of luck, you happened to walk up to her and stand alongside . I am at Foundation Establishnt while you are at Qi Gathering, which perfectly aligns with the scenario of Hongi reaching Foundation Establishnt before ninety and bringing Ningyao inside. Thus, we managed to hear An Ning's final instructions to Hongi and Ningyao. Ha, a stroke of luck. Yulou, tell , isn't this a stroke of luck?"
The Patriarch cast a deep look at Yulou, but Yulou was lost in thought over An Ning's final words and failed to notice the look.
"Patriarch, in Senior An Ning's parting words, she claid the Great Dao has no gate, cultivating immortality is a scam, and reaching the Purple Palace requires the approval of the Gathering Immortals Platform. Is this true?"
Seeing Yulou ask this, Wang Xianmao blanked for a mont, then smiled and explained, "The Great Dao is indeed gateless for most people, myself included; even Jingyi might not stand a chance. Having sought the Dao her whole life without success, it is only natural for An Ning to view cultivating immortality as a scam upon her death, one that left her with countless regrets. As for reaching the Purple Palace requiring the approval of the Gathering Immortals Platform, that is utter nonsense. When it cos to attaining the Dao, who would willingly allow themselves to be shackled by the Immortal Alliance? No matter how formidable the True Persons atop the Gathering Immortals Platform may be, they cannot control everyone under heaven! Take you, for instance. Under the control of that mysterious Grand Cultivator, as long as your resolve is strong enough, you can break free. This is the finest proof."
Seeing the Patriarch bring up the mysterious Grand Cultivator, and considering that no one else could possibly spy on them inside this small grotto-heaven, Yulou felt safe enough to speak freely.
"Patriarch, the one controlling us might very well be Perfected Man Fujiao. He arrived far too quickly, and his handling of the situation was entirely superficial. Furthermore, if..."
Wang Xianmao frowned and cut Yulou off, saying, "Stop. Once the investigation into Guo Yaoyue yields results, it won't be too late to guess the mastermind. If nothing else, Perfected Man Fujiao doesn't command any outstanding geniuses like Guo Yaoyue, and Mu Changze's behavior didn't seem feigned either. If Perfected Man Fujiao were playing tricks, he could have easily coordinated with Mu Changze."
Perhaps realizing his words sounded a bit too cold, the Patriarch explained further, "Though high-level cultivators love to spout nonsense, one thing Perfected Man Fujiao said when he arrived that day was actually correct."
"What did he say?" Yulou asked.
"He said that if a fight breaks out, it would aid the ancestor in attaining the Golden Core. You ought to understand this point. Perfected Man Fujiao wouldn't go out of his way to help our ancestor attain the Golden Core, would he? So it's highly unlikely to be him. Moreover, your claim that they are controlling you to incite chaos is rely a deduction."
Yulou felt a hint of helplessness. He shifted his angle and asked, "Looking at it from the opposite perspective, Perfected Man Fujiao lost his physical body and tethered his soul to a flood dragon corpse; no one wants to provoke him right now. If war breaks out, he can strike at will, easily altering the outco of the battle. He could even switch allegiances to interfere with the ancestor's attainnt of the Golden Core."
Yulou did not know that Perfected Man Fujiao had actually discussed the matter of switching allegiances with the direct lineage mbers of the clan. He had truly hit the mark purely through speculation.
As long as Grand Cultivators remained alive, people would naturally offer them tributes. No one among their peers wished to tangle with a half-dead Grand Cultivator like Zhou Bojiao.
The man was already on the verge of death, so why provoke him? Let him throw his tantrums!
Once he kicked the bucket entirely, they would settle accounts with the Zhou family! Yulou's analysis made imnse sense.
Wang Xianmao pondered for a mont before speaking slowly. "Focus on reaching the Qi Refining stage first, Yulou. The family sent you to Clear Stream Market originally because we thought it was safe. But now, the situation between the Sky Serpent Sect and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect remains unclear, and you have suffered such an ordeal. It is my intention that once you reach Qi Refining, I will send you directly into Dripdrop Cave to begin your true cultivation. As for that mysterious cultivator... just as you said, no one wants to deal with Zhou Bojiao. Given our Wang Clan's circumstances, if it is Zhou Bojiao, we are powerless; if it isn't Zhou Bojiao, we are equally powerless. Your pressing priority is to cultivate diligently inside this small grotto-heaven. Do not dwell on anything else."
Yulou fell silent. It always ca back to this.
No one would uphold justice for the weak; your justice wasn't everyone else's justice, nor could it bring benefits to others. The Patriarch's evasion and cold handling of the matter was the sole recourse available when entirely powerless.
Cast aside obsessions, move forward, and cultivate first!
"Yulou understands!"
---
Ultimately, two more people joined Yulou to cultivate within An Ning's small grotto-heaven.
Wang Yu'an, who knew absolutely nothing but was incredibly dependable in his simplicity.
And Wang Rongshi, whose hair was stark white and who had only a few years left to live, but could extend his lifespan if he achieved a breakthrough.
Yu'an counted as half a prodigy for the Wang Clan and was exceptionally reliable, so he naturally earned the opportunity.
anwhile, Wang Rongshi had proven his loyalty to the Wang Clan through his actions, so the Patriarch granted him a chance as well.
A grotto-heaven existed independently of the outside world, free from the heavenly constraints that restricted Qi Gathering cultivators from consuming pills or cultivating for extended hours.
The only reason Zhou Yingxi had reached the early stage of Qi Refining at the age of sixteen was that she could enter Perfected Man Fujiao's small grotto-heaven to cultivate.
This was precisely the fundantal difference between a Purple Palace lineage and a Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clan. A Purple Palace lineage could drastically compress the ti required for their clan's Qi Gathering cultivators to reach Qi Refining, thereby vastly increasing the probability of their cultivators achieving Foundation Establishnt down the line.
An earlier breakthrough to Qi Refining naturally paved the way for an earlier breakthrough to Foundation Establishnt. However, for the Wang Clan, who had acquired a small grotto-heaven for the very first ti, custom-tailoring pills for Qi Gathering cultivators erged as a brand-new challenge.
The Patriarch knew how to refine pills, but he couldn't remain stationed inside the small grotto-heaven indefinitely. Yu'an's father, Wang Rongwen, was also a pill refiner, but he had accepted a legal decree and was currently hunting demons in the West Sea.
Among the other entirely trustworthy clan cultivators, few possessed high achievents in pill refining, and each had their own duties to attend to. Hiring outsiders to refine the pills was out of the question—oh, the Wang Clan wants to refine pills needed by Qi Gathering cultivators? Could it be that the Wang Clan possesses a small grotto-heaven?
Thus, in the end, the task of entering the small grotto-heaven to craft custom spiritual pills for the family's three Qi Gathering cultivators fell upon Wang Xianzhou, who had been living out his retirent within the clan and was practically dying of boredom.
On one hand, Wang Xianzhou possessed sufficient strength; though he was only at the Qi Refining stage, he could easily open the small grotto-heaven to escort people in and out. On the other hand, his skill in pill refining was high enough to craft a series of Foundation Establishnt spiritual pills.
On this day, Wang Xianzhou was napping while soaking in the spiritual spring. Yu'an tiptoed over to his side and said respectfully, "Ancestor, my brother says the dicinal potency of this batch of Fire Gourd Spirit Tempering Pills is just right. We can keep refining them according to this formula."
Wang Xianzhou opened his bleary eyes and asked with a smile, "Alright then. Go ask your Uncle Rongshi how the Four Dragon Spirit Tempering Pills I tailored for him are working out."
"I already asked. Uncle Rongshi said they are excellent," Yu'an replied hastily. "What about yours?"
"Terrific as well! The dicinal properties of the golden fruit and stone flower align perfectly with my spirit root. When I cultivate, one day feels like four!"
Yu'an stated, his eyes filled with admiration. He held imnse respect for Ancestor Xianzhou; it could be said that his admiration for the elder had reached an absolute peak.
Based on the differing spirit roots of the trio, Wang Xianzhou had refined three entirely distinct types of spiritual pills for them. Purely customized, tailored specifically down to the individual. After consuming these custom spiritual pills, their cultivation felt as though it were advancing by leaps and bounds. Wang Xianzhou's tailored formulas even corresponded directly with the Qi Gathering manuals the three of them practiced.
Such was Wang Xianzhou's caliber; his attainnt in the path of pill refining was unquestionably master-class.
"That's good. Once you break through the eighth layer of Qi Gathering or the dicinal potency begins to wane, I will redesign the formula. Go along and cultivate."
Watching Yu'an's departing figure, Wang Xianzhou smiled faintly. He turned around, but sleep eluded him now.
Staring up at the dim, deep red sky, Wang Xianzhou cleared his mind. As one grows old, they always enjoy reminiscing, looking back on fond tis from the past. Yet he feared reminiscing.
Through a stroke of luck, the Wang Clan had actually acquired a small grotto-heaven. In the future, Sister Jingyi would have a shot at charging toward the Purple Palace Realm.
Everything was improving, save for himself. His sole remaining utility was actually soaking in the spring water to sleep. Refining pills for three juniors? Don't be ridiculous. He, Wang Xianzhou, certainly knew how to refine pills, but could crafting Qi Gathering spiritual pills for them be considered aningful work? No, it was rely nursing-ho care!
Wang Xianzhou didn't feel old, yet he truly was old.
Forget it. Sleep, sleep. Getting more rest is good for the body. If I live a few years longer, perhaps I might even witness the birth of a Purple Palace cultivator from the Wang Clan.
---
At Forge Peak Residence in Clear Stream Market, Hongi finally returned after being away for many days. He pushed open the door and saw the shop boy dozing behind the counter.
Instantly enraged, he grabbed the boy and unleashed a torrent of scolding. He couldn't control his own destiny, having lost far too much across successive choices.
Consequently, when facing a minor shop boy whom he could fully control, Hongi seed to enter a frenzy, unleashing a thoroughly satisfying tirade.
"I quit! Damn it all, for a job that pays two spirit stones a month, your demands are way too high!"
Hongi's insults were foul, and the shop boy refused to take it quietly, simply bolting right out the door. Looking at the empty Forge Peak Residence, for so reason, Hongi suddenly recalled the day Yulou and Yu'an had bowed to join his lineage.
His face blank, he pulled a chair over and placed it precisely where he had sat during that apprenticeship ceremony. Seated in the chair, Hongi maintained a stern expression, but slowly, he began to smile again. Then he began practicing a harsh look, a smiling look, a dissatisfied look.
Suddenly, he halted his performance, buried his face in his hands, and began to weep silently.
No one could step into the sa river twice once its waters had flowed away.
Her heart weighed down by worries, Zhong Ningyao returned from outside. Seeing her father had actually reappeared, she was instantly overjoyed. But looking closer, she discovered her father was actually shedding tears.
"Father, are you alright? Are you injured?"
Anxious and frightened, Ningyao stepped forward, grabbing Hongi's arm as she questioned him.
Seeing his daughter show such deep concern for him caused Hongi, whose mind was already on the verge of collapse, to experience a total shattering of his Dao heart.
"An Ning! An Ning! An Ning! My An Ning!"
An Ning had called Hongi a waste, yet she had still left behind a genuine opportunity for him to attain the Dao. Hongi had once wished for An Ning to truly die, but at this mont, he could no longer hold it in.
His companion had been a good companion, and his daughter was a good daughter. What about him then? He had ruined his own life step by step... and in doing so, he had ruined his daughter's life as well. He truly was a waste, a useless wretch who possessed nothing save for a bit of Charm Art and talent in the artificing path.
"An Ning? Father, who is An Ning?"
It was actually the first ti Ningyao had ever heard her mother's na. Looking at her daughter's worry-filled face, Hongi wept aloud as he spoke.
"An Ning is your mother! My Dao companion!"
Seeing her father in this state, Zhong Ningyao instantly realized sothing. Trembling, she asked, "Mother... where is Mother?"
Hongi raised his head, tears welling in his eyes. He circulated his spiritual essence to halt the tears, then looked back at his daughter.
"Child, I have arranged a marriage for you. What do you think of Wang Yu'an?"
I am sorry, child. I am a waste, and I have ruined your destiny.
Zhong Ningyao shook her head frantically. She did not like Wang Yu'an, and she certainly didn't want to discuss so inexplicable marriage at a ti like this.
"Father, my heart is set solely on the Dao. I have no wish to marry anyone. Right now, I only want to know what happened to Mother."
Looking at his resolute daughter, Hongi froze. The contours of Ningyao's eyes and brows were the spitting image of An Ning. The sa determination, the sa dedication to the Dao, and the sa lack of desire for any Dao companion.
He rose, feeling utterly dejected and wanting to find a place to escape, but Forge Peak Residence was too small; there was nowhere to run.
"What happened to Mother? Father, did sothing happen to her?" Ningyao pressed relentlessly.
"She is dead, Ningyao. From now on, the two of us, father and daughter, can only depend on each other. But I cannot protect you for a lifeti, which is why I wish to betroth you to Wang Yu'an. The Wang Clan has a grand lineage and massive assets. Joining the Wang Clan will ensure you have a fallback for this life."
Hongi was human after all. At this mont, he transford from a cold-blooded cultivator into an ordinary father. He was no longer the artificing master Hongi, no longer that fortunate minor disciple of the Sky Serpent Sect, and no longer that cultivator whose mind was entirely consud by an obsession with Foundation Establishnt. Right now, he was rely a father who had committed far too many mistakes. He had erred too greatly, and all he could do now was minimize the burden he placed on his daughter.
"My mother... my mother... But Father, I... I have never even seen her. I have never even seen her..." Zhong Ningyao murmured softly, her eyes instantly turning red.
Gently stroking his daughter's beautiful hair, Hongi suddenly rembered that he still possessed a painting. It had been commissioned from an artist in a mortal town over twenty years ago while he was traveling the world with An Ning. From the deepest depths of his storage bag, he fetched that painting, unrolled it, and handed it to Ningyao.
"She is your mother."
Ningyao focused her gaze. In the painting, a man and a woman embraced beneath a peach tree. The peach blossoms blood in abundance. A woman in her twenties, clad in a python-patterned red robe, was smiling as she pinched a flower, the contours of her eyes and brows identical to her own.
Beside the woman stood a handso, tall man, his left arm pulling her into his embrace while his right hand held an unfolded paper fan, cutting the figure of a romantic young master. Upon the paper fan, two lines of tiny script were written.
I desire to know you, my lord, to live a long life without end or decay.
This line of poetry had been penned by An Ning herself. In truth, why did there need to be so many reasons? When An Ning acted, why would she ever care about the thoughts of others?
Senior Martial Sister Ningyao wiped away her tears, looked at the painting, and then looked back at her father. She discovered that her father's red robe was indeed identical to the one worn by the flower-pinching woman in the painting. It was just that the difference in appearance was far too staggering.
"Well, I put on a bit of weight later," Hongi explained awkwardly.
Zhong Ningyao didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Hongi's explanation. Sobbing, she brought up another question.
"So, Mother... what kind of person was she?"
eting his daughter's expectant gaze, Hongi drifted into mory.
"Her? She was a cultivator whose heart was set entirely on the Dao, and she was also an artificing master. She and I..."
---
Inside the grotto-heaven, beside the spiritual spring. Wang Yulou and Wang Xianzhou sat facing each other. The elder kept one eye on Yulou's breakthrough to the Qi Refining stage while narrowing his eyes to doze.
Suddenly, Yulou's aura began to fluctuate unevenly, and Wang Xianzhou's eyes snapped open instantly.
The breakthrough was imminent.
Breaking through from Qi Gathering to Qi Refining actually lacked any massive bottlenecks; the sole hurdle lay in the fact that heaven and earth locked the cultivation ceiling for Qi Gathering cultivators. Under conditions where the ceiling was locked tight and spiritual pills could not be used, the majority of five-elent and four-elent spirit root cultivators lost any possibility of breaking through to Qi Refining.
But if one entered a grotto-heaven, they could completely break through via prolonged, continuous cultivation coupled with the consumption of pills. For this breakthrough, Yulou had consud four pills.
Yet, unlike the livestock-rearing style of cultivation, none of the four pills Yulou consud were ant to force the breakthrough for him—relying on pills to break through wasn't inherently flawed, but achieving it on one's own remained the superior option. Because a cultivator would always encounter bottlenecks down the line, wearing down early bottlenecks through one's own efforts could accumulate experience for dealing with and overcoming future hurdles.
Thus, Yulou did not consu any spiritual pills that directly boosted his cultivation base or forced a breakthrough this ti; instead, he consud auxiliary spiritual pills. Among the four pills, one was designed to stimulate the ridians. By doing so, it assisted in ensuring a successful breakthrough. The width of the ridians would not alter, but through the stimulation of the pill, the spiritual energy within the ridians could circulate much faster. This could help a cultivator increase their odds of success during a breakthrough.
Another pill accelerated the absorption speed of spiritual energy, allowing for a continuous, massive influx of spiritual energy from the surroundings during the breakthrough process. If one viewed a cultivator as a bucket ant to hold spiritual energy, then the breakthrough from Qi Gathering to Qi Refining was akin to adding a hoop to the bucket's newly grown wooden planks to bear more water. Cultivating through the ten layers of Qi Gathering was the process of lengthening the wooden planks, while the final breakthrough was the process of fitting the hoop onto those planks. Increasing the speed at which a cultivator absorbed spiritual energy during a breakthrough could be viewed as the effect of using a hamr to accelerate the hamring process, thereby crafting the new hoop better and more securely—leading to a successful breakthrough.
The third pill enhanced the sharpness of the divine sense, and its effect was equally straightforward: through a temporary amplification of the divine sense, it helped the person breaking through better grasp their own progress and transformations during the process.
The fourth pill was the most peculiar. This was an externally applied pill; to be precise, it wasn't a solid pill but a paste, which Wang Xianzhou helped slather across Yulou's entire body. The effect of this dicine wasn't complicated either. Its potency entered Yulou's body through his skin, continuously providing physical energy to slow the rate at which exhaustion accumulated during the breakthrough process.
A breakthrough wasn't sothing you simply tried on a whim, succeeding if you could and walking away if you failed. A cultivator's physical body ford the foundation of their cultivation, and the accumulation of physical essence experienced peaks and troughs. If a breakthrough failed, attempting it again would require a prolonged period of proper recuperation. With pills to replenish his reserves, even if Yulou's breakthrough failed, the ti required for his recuperation could be drastically shortened.
For cultivators of slightly higher realms, breakthroughs even depended on location and timing. If a cultivator practicing water-elent thods attempted to break through to Foundation Establishnt in the heart of the Eastern Desert, they wouldn't succeed even if they tried a hundred tis. By the sa logic, when Wang Xianmao broke through to Foundation Establishnt back then, he chose a spring day in late March—given his wood-elent thods.
Yulou was rely breaking through from Qi Gathering to Qi Refining, so he naturally didn't need to be fastidious about the timing. However, Wang Xianzhou had nothing else to do anyway, so he refined the specific traits of the pills based on Yulou's talent, spirit root, and physical condition. This ensured that each of the four breakthrough spiritual pills Yulou used was entirely unique—the sort of bespoke item that money simply couldn't buy, pure custom tailoring. In short, the selection and refining of these four types of pills were filled with nuances and experience everywhere, fully demonstrating the caliber and heritage of the Wang Clan. From this perspective, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion's complete auxiliary package for Foundation Establishnt breakthroughs was actually a massive bargain for the small amount of spirit stones it cost.
Under Wang Xianzhou's watchful gaze, Yulou's aura gradually shifted from chaotic to orderly, slowly stabilizing. Finally, Yulou opened his eyes, revealing a flash of brilliant white teeth against a face slathered in black dicinal paste.
"Uncle, I did it!"
Eighty-seven days. In a re eighty-seven days inside the small grotto-heaven, Yulou had achieved the cultivation results that would have required eight years on the outside, succeeding on his very first attempt to break through to the Qi Refining stage!
"Hahaha, get in and wash up!" Seeing the minor prodigy of the Wang Clan succeed in his breakthrough, Wang Xianzhou laughed heartily, lifting his hand to toss Yulou straight into the spiritual spring pool.
"Wash up? Using this spiritual spring seems like a waste..."
Wang Xianzhou waved his large hand and said, "What waste? It's ant to be used. I bathe in it every single day. If I can bathe in it, you naturally can too."
A spiritual spring served many purposes, but this specific spring inside the small grotto-heaven couldn't easily be transported outside anyway; its primary use was for watering plants. When refining pills, they could gather it from the source, and they didn't require much. Thus, didn't it happen to be perfect for bathing—utilizing waste material, even if that 'waste' happened to be surplus rank-nine spiritual spring water.
A few days later, having received news of Yulou's breakthrough to the Qi Refining stage, Wang Xianmao hurried to the small grotto-heaven. However, the very first thing he did upon arrival was lead the group to a al.
"Co, braised donkey at. Have a few more pieces, hahaha," Wang Xianmao said with a smile as he carved the at for Yu'an.
Two days prior, Yu'an had also broken through to Qi Refining. His natural talent was slightly superior to Yulou's; the only reason he achieved his breakthrough after Yulou was that once they entered the small grotto-heaven, the disparity in talent regarding cultivation ti was flattened, and Yulou, possessing the maturity of two lifetis, was naturally more steady and broke through first.
As for Rongshi, he had already left two months ago after successfully breaking through to the Qi Refining stage.
"Patriarch, my brother is heading to Dripdrop Cave. Where am I going? Given how fierce the fighting has beco at Wondrous Peak Mountain, you can't possibly be sending there, right?" Before Danri had tested the spirit roots for the two of them, the Patriarch's arrangent for Yulou was to enter the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, either following Wang Jingyi's path or Wang Xianzhou's path. But as for the arrangent for Yu'an... he was to go to Wondrous Peak Mountain—Yu'an indicated he would rember that for the rest of his life; it had practically turned into an obsession.
"You shall enter Crouching Dragon Temple! Crouching Dragon Temple practices both fire and earth dual cultivation, and its artificing path inheritance is exceptionally profound, along with inheritances in tal thods. Among An Ning's left-behind treasures, there are quite a few Crouching Dragon Temple techniques that you can utilize. Once you enter Crouching Dragon Temple, you can practice them legitimately. During this period, I have already gotten in touch with a Daoist friend from Crouching Dragon Temple. We shall trade two slots for inner disciples of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect in exchange for one inner disciple slot at Crouching Dragon Temple. Sigh, right now the entire Wunan region is guessing when the Red Lantern Illumination Sect will go to war with the Sky Serpent Sect, and many people have even set up betting pools. Otherwise, there would be no need for a two-for-one trade," the Patriarch said in distress.
This sort of transaction where major clans exchanged disciples into other factions was actually a thod for cultivation families to diversify their risks. If Yu'an could secure a firm footing within Crouching Dragon Temple, the Wang Clan might very well gain another branch in the future.
"I'm going to Crouching Dragon Temple... then wouldn't that an?" Yu'an looked at his elder brother with a hint of embarrassnt; now he had once again beco the one capable of entering a superior sect.
"It is all much the sa. Dripdrop Cave is also a sect under the umbrella of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect system. If Yulou harbors the desire in the future, it won't be too late to join the Red Lantern Illumination Sect whenever he wishes."
A sect itself was rely a concrete manifestation of an organizational structure. When Wondrous Peak Mountain squeezed them too hard, the Qi Refining disciples of the sect could walk away without any ntal burden. As long as one remained within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect system, this sort of thing was no major issue—of course, if one had extracted significant benefits from a sect, they would naturally have to repay what they owed the sect before departing.
Back in the day, Wang Xianzhou had also cultivated within the family first, then cultivated within a minor sect, and subsequently joined the Red Lantern Illumination Sect as an inner disciple—before leaping into the Immortal Alliance system, executing a taphorical dragon leap.
"Xianzhou, the circumstances for Yu'an going to Crouching Dragon Temple differ from being within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. This ti I have brought a considerable number of the family's secret manuals. Escort him there along the way, and teach him to morize them thoroughly. Once you enter Crouching Dragon Temple, Yu'an, cultivate diligently and reach the peak of the Qi Refining stage early on. As for the opportunity for Foundation Establishnt, we shall have to see when the ti cos."
Wang Xianmao looked at Yu'an, who was about to travel several thousand miles away, feeling a hint of reluctance. This child had left ho at a tender age, and now he had to journey to a distant land... Sigh.
"So urgent?" Yulou caught the Patriarch's underlying aning—he had even brought the secret manuals along.
"It cannot be helped. I worry that if we drag it out and the Red Lantern Illumination Sect goes to war, that Daoist friend from Crouching Dragon Temple might back out of the trade!" The Patriarch shook his head with a bitter smile. What did it an to be forced by circumstances? This was precisely it.
Yu'an was montarily dazed. By now, he understood perfectly that he was seemingly ant to leave the small grotto-heaven and head straight for Crouching Dragon Temple...
"Let take him back to see Luwan first. He ought to see her once before departing," the nearby Wang Xianzhou spoke up. The elder understood Yu'an's thoughts.
"Yes, of course." Wang Xianmao naturally consented. No matter how urgent the matter, it wasn't so pressing that they would deny Yu'an a eting with his birth mother. Though ti was tight, it had not reached such an unfeeling extre.
Before long, the brief gathering concluded. Wang Xianmao harvested many spiritual grasses, flowers, and materials, storing them into his storage bag before rending open the small grotto-heaven to guide the group back to the outside world.
"Allow only the three of you Qi Gathering clan mbers to use this small grotto-heaven is not due to our Wang Clan being stingy with favors; it is truly because the implications are far too massive. Furthermore, because its master has passed away, every entry and exit requires brute force to rend it open. The grotto-heaven consus its own origin essence during self-repair, so excessive entries and exits will cause it to collapse even faster," Wang Xianmao explained helplessly, and Yulou fully understood this strategy. A grotto-heaven was far too precious; the secret of the Wang Clan possessing one had to be fiercely guarded.
Just as Wang Xianzhou was leading Yu'an away, for so reason, Yu'an suddenly turned his head to look back at his elder brother. He was about to part ways with Yulou temporarily, or perhaps it might not be temporary... The two had grown up together from childhood and journeyed to Clear Stream Market to cultivate together, a span that had now lasted ten years. Yulou smiled and nodded toward his simple younger brother, saying nothing more.
Ningyao had also gone to Crouching Dragon Temple. Whether Yu'an could seize the opportunity during this journey to win her affection remained a mystery to Yulou, but the Wang Clan had already exerted its utmost efforts, creating the finest possible conditions for him. eting an old acquaintance in a distant land—Yu'an, you must grasp this opportunity firmly!
Wang Xianmao glanced back toward the location of the grotto-heaven, confirming that no one could detect its existence without knowing its precise coordinates. He then looked back at Yulou, inquiring about his sensations upon reaching Qi Refining.
"Yulou, now that you have reached Qi Refining, do you sense any differences?"
Yulou pondered for a mont, then sighed. "The spiritual energy between heaven and earth is far too thin... I didn't feel it before, but now I have beco much more sensitive to spiritual energy."
"Indeed. When engaged in magical combat, you must also rember never to strike lightly in places where spiritual energy is sparse." After offering a reply, Wang Xianmao summoned that high-grade spiritual artifact bestowed upon the Wang Clan after the Red Lantern Illumination Sect absorbed the Bulk Goods Exchange. This high-grade spiritual artifact was nad the Red Lantern, a signature spiritual tool of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. It could function as a spirit fire furnace, a spell cannon, or a flying artifact. Within the territories of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, flying aboard a Red Lantern made one the most eye-catching figure wherever they went. Everyone would know at a glance—one of our own, and a rather core mber at that.
"Yulou shall bear it in mind... It's just, where are we heading now?"
Wang Xianmao smiled as he watched Yulou clumsily step onto the lantern, saying, "Hahaha, I am taking you to Dripdrop Cave. Do you like this Red Lantern?"
"A high-grade spiritual artifact—I doubt any cultivator would dislike it." Yulou felt as though the Patriarch were teasing him.
"Indeed. It possesses eighty-eight layers of restrictions and cos with two innate divine abilities. I intend to bestow it upon you. The Bulk Goods Exchange was built up through your managent, and this Red Lantern was obtained in exchange for the Bulk Goods Exchange. It rightfully belongs to you."
After a long interval, Yulou received another treasure bestowal. This was the opulence of the Wang Clan, yet it wasn't rely the family's wealth, but also the Patriarch's high regard. The Wang Clan's rewards were not claid for nothing; it had cost over fifty thousand spirit stones!
"No, no, no, it is far too precious! Moreover, the Red Lantern is an offensive-type spiritual artifact; Yulou lacks the capacity to utilize it anyti soon!" Yulou was genuinely startled. The Patriarch's behavior seed suspiciously overly generous. With this Red Lantern available, it would be far better to reserve it for Uncle Rongjiang or Uncle Rongyuan once they achieved Foundation Establishnt down the line. Wang Yulou could only remain at the Qi Refining stage for the next few decades, so how could he possibly make use of a spiritual artifact?
"Furthermore, Patriarch, the Bulk Goods Exchange was not built up through my managent alone; it was because the family granted the opportunity and platform to gain experience that I was able to achieve anything. How could Yulou dare to monopolize the credit?" By borrowing the prestige of the Wang Clan and utilizing the platform of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Yulou had managed to achieve a modicum of success in Clear Stream Market. Yet he remained acutely aware that stripped of the Wang Clan, he was rely an ordinary minor cultivator. How could soone like him possess the qualifications to enjoy the credit all to himself?
Seeing Yulou take such a stance, Wang Xianmao did not reply imdiately. Instead, he guided Yulou through a long flight toward the southeast before finally replying softly, "Yulou, you are to cultivate within Dripdrop Cave until you achieve Foundation Establishnt. As for whether you return to the family after your breakthrough, you may decide that for yourself. Aside from this high-grade spiritual artifact, the Red Lantern, I can teach you everything regarding the belt around your waist, the secret family water and fire techniques, and An Ning's hand-drawn notes on the artificing path. Finally, I shall grant you an additional five thousand spirit stones to ensure your hands are a bit less strained. I wonder, what are your thoughts on this arrangent?"
The primary distinction between a spiritual artifact and a magical tool lay in the fact that a spiritual artifact could freely expand and contract. The massive Red Lantern flew steadily through the sky, and Yulou sat upon it securely. He could watch the drifting clouds in the sky slide past his side, and by extending his hand, he could even feel the moisture within the clouds. Aside from attempting to grasp the clouds that were destined to depart, he also wanted to hold onto the Patriarch and ask why he was casting him away. Yet, in the end, he did not voice the question.
Yes, he had always been exceptionally mature, steady, clever, dependable, wise, and sharp from childhood. Precocious, highly intelligent, capable, and even singularly outstanding. Thus, it seed there was nothing truly worth asking.
"May I return to see Uncle Rongyuan?"
Not expecting Yulou to bring up Wang Rongyuan, Wang Xianmao blanked for a mont, then replied calmly, "To accomplish a grand enterprise, one must discard emotional entanglents. Once you leave the family to cultivate within the sect, beco a slightly more selfish person, Yulou."
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