「About a quarter of an hour later.」
Li Chang’an finished taking inventory.
"This guy was really loaded," he marveled to himself.
The Treasures in the bracelet were worth no less than three thousand Spirit Stones in total.
Adding the more than two thousand Spirit Stones he already had...
The total was over five thousand Spirit Stones!
It was a truly massive sum!
So of the smaller Qi Refining Clans couldn’t even produce this many Spirit Stones.
Li Chang’an put away the bracelet and looked at Zheng Jinbao.
"I have a few questions for you. If I’m satisfied with your answers, I might let you go."
"Really?"
Zheng Jinbao was stunned, a sliver of hope rising in his heart.
He had thought his death was certain.
But now, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
He had hope of survival.
"Don’t worry. I’m a man of my word. I never lie."
Li Chang’an’s expression was earnest, his tone solemn.
"Alright, then. Ask away."
Zheng Jinbao swallowed hard.
Although he knew the chances were slim, he still clung to a shred of wishful thinking.
’What if Li Chang’an really does let go?’
"What is the real situation with your ancestor, Zheng Yuandao? How many years does he have left?"
Li Chang’an spoke, his gaze fixed on Zheng Jinbao’s face, observing any change in his expression.
Hearing this, Zheng Jinbao froze for a mont.
A bitter look on his face, he shook his head and said, "That’s a family secret. How would soone of my status be qualified to know?"
"You’re a core mber of the Zheng Family. You don’t even know that?"
"Barely anyone in the entire Zheng Family knows."
Zheng Jinbao honestly explained the reason.
"The Patriarch is worried about spies within the clan, so he hasn’t disclosed the ancestor’s physical condition internally."
He thought for a mont, then added:
"However, the Young Miss should know the ancestor’s true situation."
He explained that Zheng Qingqing was the Zheng Family’s Foundation Establishnt Seed, deeply trusted by the two Foundation Establishnt Ancestors.
She was a direct descendant of one of the ancestors, her own strength was formidable, and she broke through to the Late Stage of Qi Refining long ago.
The reason the Zheng Family sent her to the Marketplace instead of keeping her on the clan grounds was to temper her character.
’This Young Miss is truly unfathomable,’ Li Chang’an mused.
If all went according to plan, Zheng Qingqing would very likely be the Zheng Family’s next Foundation Establishnt Ancestor.
"Does the Zheng Family have any more Foundation Establishnt Pills?"
Li Chang’an asked again.
On this question, Zheng Jinbao did know sothing.
He shook his head and replied:
"There probably aren’t any left."
"Oh?"
Li Chang’an seed lost in thought, then asked:
"Could it be that soone failed their Foundation Establishnt and wasted the Elixir Pills?"
"Yes."
This sort of information was also a family secret, one Zheng Jinbao was not originally qualified to know.
But...
Attempting Foundation Establishnt causes an anomaly in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
Although the Zheng Family tried to hide it, it was impossible to conceal completely.
Over the past few decades, there had been four such Spiritual Power anomalies within the Zheng Family, but no new Foundation Establishnt Ancestor had erged.
A Foundation Establishnt Pill only increases the success rate by twenty percent.
Whether one ultimately succeeded or not still ca down to the individual.
"Later, I happened to overhear the Patriarch sighing that although those few were talented, their characters were too weak and lacked tempering, which is why they failed."
Four consecutive failures had been a major blow, even for a family like the Zhengs.
After all,
for a large clan like this,
every attempt at Foundation Establishnt is prepared for at the highest standard.
They not only had to prepare a Foundation Establishnt Pill, but also Foundation Establishnt Spiritual Objects like "Earth Dragon Saliva," as well as various other supporting Treasures.
The amount of Spirit Stones consud was astronomical.
"The last Spiritual Power anomaly was thirteen years ago. There’s been no movent since then, but there are clearly several others in the family who et the conditions for Foundation Establishnt."
Therefore, Zheng Jinbao guessed that the Zheng Family had no more Foundation Establishnt Pills.
"Perhaps the ancestors are gathering materials for refining. After all, they think very highly of the Young Miss and will definitely prepare a Foundation Establishnt Pill for her."
"I see."
After hearing this, Li Chang’an fell silent for a mont in contemplation.
’The Zheng Family is quite unlucky.’
’Failing four tis in a row!’
’However, this also just goes to show how difficult Foundation Establishnt truly is!’
Afterward,
Li Chang’an asked a few more questions.
Zheng Jinbao was very cooperative, answering everything he knew.
Finally, he looked at Li Chang’an nervously and asked cautiously, "Chang’an, you promised you’d let go, right? We’ve known each other for so many years; you could say we’re old friends."
"Mhm."
Li Chang’an grunted in agreent and turned to glance at Dahuang.
At his side,
Dahuang understood instantly. A fierce light glinted in its eyes as it pounced, swiping down with a claw!
SHLIIICK—
Zheng Jinbao’s face was filled with horror, but he couldn’t dodge in ti.
His entire neck was torn in two by the sharp claws.
Blood instantly stained his robes red.
"You... you..."
Zheng Jinbao stared deathly at Li Chang’an, knowing he wasn’t going to live.
On the verge of death, all sorts of emotions flashed through his mind.
There was venomous hatred, unwillingness to accept his fate, and also regret...
Back then,
he had taken Li Chang’an’s Spirit Stones.
He should have removed Li Chang’an’s na from the mining list.
But at the ti, he had looked down on a low-level Loose Cultivator like Li Chang’an and insisted on sending him to the mines anyway.
One had to understand,
most Cultivators assigned to the mines t a miserable end.
"Back then, you never thought of letting go."
Li Chang’an’s expression was indifferent, his tone ice-cold.
Hearing these words,
Zheng Jinbao trembled all over.
He said no more, slowly lowered his head, and his life’s breath faded away.
You reap what you sow.
Perhaps it was all fated from the start.
BOOM!
A ball of fire erupted, engulfing his corpse and burning it to ash.
After that,
Li Chang’an ordered Dahuang to fill in the Underground Space.
Man and beast used the Earth Escape Technique to travel far away, finding a new place to hide.
...
At this mont,
the two Foundation Establishnt Ancestors had not yet determined a winner.
The Marketplace was still in chaos.
Through his Puppet Body, Li Chang’an controlled the Array and had already killed more than a dozen Tribulation Cultivators who had charged his residence.
During this ti,
he discovered a few familiar Tribulation Cultivators.
’There are even people from Black Wind Mountain.’
Those Tribulation Cultivators were the very sa ones who had hunted Zheng Yunting.
Their appearance here ant that Black Wind Mountain had a hand in tonight’s events.
’It’s possible Black Wind Mountain secretly instigated the chaos in the Marketplace,’ Li Chang’an thought.
’However, Black Wind Mountain should only be targeting the Zheng Family. It has nothing to do with .’
Until now, he had been relatively at ease.
He hadn’t suffered any losses.
On the contrary, he had gained quite a lot.
But not everyone could be as relaxed as him.
...
At this mont,
Luo Kun, his next-door neighbor, had reached the end of his rope.
"How are there so many of these Tribulation Cultivators? It’s like they’re endless!"
Luo Kun’s face was pale, and he was gasping for breath.
When the chaos first broke out, he had wanted to leave the Marketplace.
However,
because he was usually so high-profile, he was far too well-known.
The mont he stepped outside, a group of Tribulation Cultivators targeted him.
He fought a running battle, but was forced to retreat back to his residence.
"Sigh, why did I have to be so high-profile? I should have learned from that kid, Li Chang’an!"
Luo Kun was filled with regret.
In the past, he had thought Li Chang’an was too rigid and didn’t understand how the world worked.
Thinking about it now,
there were advantages to not understanding how the world worked. At least not so many people would know who you were.
But it was too late for regrets!
In the blink of an eye, another group of Tribulation Cultivators ca charging at his door.
Among them were several whose strength was no less than his own.
"Jie jie jie, Old Luo, hand over all your Treasures!"
The words had barely faded when a great saber ca cleaving down.
Luo Kun’s expression changed drastically. He summoned his Magical Artifact to block, but it was no use.
PFFT!
His face paled as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He was sent flying backward by the blow, crashing through the courtyard wall with a loud BANG.
He landed right in Li Chang’an’s courtyard.
’How co that kid Li Chang’an hasn’t run yet?’
Luo Kun spotted Li Chang’an and couldn’t help but sigh.
’It’s too late to run now.’
’Sigh, I’ve dragged him into this.’
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