Several days later.
Mystic Jade Cave.
Qin Ruxue had finally found a rare mont to co et with Fang Qing.
Now that the core strength of Array Island had been completely wiped out on Tianxin Island, even the Array Island Lord Xuan Zhen had perished.
She had beco the undisputed number one figure on Array Island. If Fang Qing was still only acting as the proxy island master of Pill Island, then Qin Ruxue needed no such qualifier.
The feeling of running a family business together was strangely delightful. Fang Qing almost began to imagine that in a short ti the entire Blue Sea Sect might end up bearing the Fang surna.
"Young Master, regarding the task you previously entrusted to this consort, I have already found so leads. Tomorrow two disciples will co to pay their respects to you."
Qin Ruxue reported on the assignnt Fang Qing had given her earlier.
"Mm. Any latest intelligence on True Personage Heiyuan or the Sea-Destroying Alliance?"
Fang Qing asked casually.
"True Personage Heiyuan has taken up residence on Tianxin Island and has not changed the na of the Sea-Destroying Alliance. It seems his malice toward our sect runs quite deep."
Qin Ruxue furrowed her delicate brows, showing a trace of worry.
"Or perhaps he is rely posturing. He is a demonic path Core Formation cultivator with no real ties to those two families."
Fang Qing held a different view. Suddenly he asked, "Do you think True Personage Heiyuan knows about the entrance to the secret realm ruins?"
Qin Ruxue thought for a mont and gave a wry smile. "Even if he did not know before, after seizing Tianxin Island he must know now."
The next day.
Qin Ruxue left in a hurry. By mid-morning, two Qi Refining disciples arrived holding her visiting card to pay respects to Fang Qing.
One was male, the other female. The man had thick brows and large eyes, with rugged features that gave him a sowhat simple and honest appearance.
The woman had red lips and white teeth, wheat-colored skin, and carried the bold, spirited air of a fishing village girl. Her lively eyes kept stealing glances at Fang Qing.
The two bowed together. "Greetings, Elder!"
"No need for formalities. My cave residence lacks servants. Since Junior Sister Qin recomnded the two of you, you must have so noteworthy qualities."
Fang Qing sat casually cross-legged and spoke leisurely. "State your nas, the techniques you cultivate, and your current cultivation level."
The female disciple spoke first. "Elder, this little woman's na is Cha Hongye. I co from Dahua Fishing Village. I cultivate the White Water Art at the sixth layer of Qi Refining."
The male disciple was a step slower. "This humble one is Xiang Dahu. I cultivate the Thickening Earth Art at the sixth layer of Qi Refining."
"Dahua Fishing Village?"
Fang Qing looked toward Cha Hongye. Another Cha surna. Could she be related to Old Man Cha? But the old grievances between us have long been settled.
He realized this was Qin Ruxue aning well but doing poorly.
On the other hand, this Xiang Dahu was the descendant of Xiang Shaocen whom he had specifically asked Qin Ruxue to seek out. The man had genuinely learned the Water-Fire Pill Formula and deserved a chance.
"Not bad!"
Cha Hongye puffed out her chest proudly and shot a glance at Xiang Dahu beside her. Seeing his awkward, slow-spoken manner, she grew even more certain she would be chosen!
This was the acting island master of Pill Island, one of the most influential figures in the Blue Sea Sect. Once accepted under his wing, would she not soar?
Fang Qing remained noncommittal. His divine sense swept over them and settled on Xiang Dahu. "Why is your vital energy damaged?"
"Reporting to Elder, this humble one previously lacked a breakthrough pill and attempted to force the late Qi Refining bottleneck on my own. I failed and suffered a minor injury."
Xiang Dahu's expression turned bitter. It seed this opportunity was about to slip away.
"It is no longer a minor injury. The damage has reached your foundation. Without proper care, not only will future advancent beco far more difficult, but Foundation Establishnt will be hopeless."
Fang Qing shook his head and delivered his verdict.
At these words Cha Hongye almost cheered aloud.
"Ah?"
Xiang Dahu was also startled. "It is that serious? I... I..."
"Your ancestor was a second-rank pill master. Even with poor aptitude, how did things deteriorate to this point?"
Fang Qing frowned and asked.
"Reporting to Elder, that Pill Master Xiang was not my direct ancestor. He had no children in his lifeti. I am rely a distant relative."
Xiang Dahu felt even more bitter inside. If he had a Foundation Establishnt elder as a backer, how could he have fallen so low?
"So that is how it is."
Fang Qing nodded inwardly. If there had been close disciples or direct descendants, the Water-Fire Pill Formula might never have co into his possession.
"Very well. You may stay."
He pointed at Xiang Dahu and spoke.
"Elder?"
Cha Hongye froze in place, seemingly more shocked than Xiang Dahu himself.
In terms of appearance, potential, and cultivation talent, how was she lacking?
"Hmm?"
Fang Qing slightly released his Foundation Establishnt aura. Cha Hongye imdiately shivered. "This little woman spoke out of turn. Please punish , Elder."
"No need. You may leave."
He waved his hand and casually dismissed Cha Hongye. Toward Old Man Cha's side he felt no guilt. If anything, he believed the old man owed him more. Naturally he would not go out of his way to promote anyone from there.
He then looked back at Xiang Dahu. "From now on you will build a hut beside the spirit fields outside my cave residence. Your duties are planting and pest control. Without my explicit order you are not permitted inside the cave residence. Do you understand?"
"Understood. Many thanks to Elder for the opportunity."
Xiang Dahu was overjoyed.
After sending the man away, Fang Qing naturally would not imdiately bestow items to repair his foundation.
Such a servant needed to be observed for a period first. Only after confirming diligence and capability would he bestow grace.
On the other hand, this was quite a good little test subject for experinting with the Long-Awaited Sweet Rain. Or perhaps in the future... Never mind. For now he would remain a candidate.
In the blink of an eye several months passed.
The Minor Huan Sea cultivation world was in a state of upheaval. Not only had a Core Formation cultivator seized Tianxin Island, he had openly declared himself the leader of the Sea Destroying Alliance and made a high-profile stand against the Blue Sea Sect.
The Blue Sea Sect refused to show weakness. Aside from the Core Formation ancestors clashing in several fierce battles, Cui Zhe had repeatedly led enforcent disciples on raids to ambush and kill Sea Destroying Alliance cultivators.
The two sides traded blows back and forth across the Minor Huan Sea, forcing many rogue cultivators and Foundation Establishnt powers to choose sides.
For a ti, the situation once again split into two opposing camps.
Of course, all of this seed to have absolutely no connection to Pill Island, safely protected within the Blue Sea Sect's grand array.
Inside the Pill Hall.
Fang Qing sat in the seat of honor, casually flipping through several pill scriptures.
Since taking over as master of the Pill Hall, he had accomplished few actual tasks but had read quite a few pill books.
The Heavenly Cauldron Pill Scripture in particular had given him considerable inspiration. It even contained several third-rank pill formulas collected by Elder Tianding, which opened Fang Qing's eyes to new possibilities.
"Gold Core Pill... an Eastern Sea cultivation world Core Formation spiritual dicine that can increase the success rate of breaking through from Foundation Establishnt perfection—or pseudo-Core—to Core Formation by twenty to thirty percent. Unfortunately, the required materials have long vanished from the Minor Huan Sea. Even when Linghu Jin attempted his breakthrough back then, this pill was unavailable."
In the Minor Huan Sea, most Foundation Establishnt cultivators attempting Core Formation relied purely on their aptitude to force the breakthrough or used so third-rank heavenly materials and earthly treasures for assistance, such as third-rank Ice Soul Cold Hearts.
Such thods were not only wasteful but also far less effective than a dedicated Core Formation pill like the Gold Core Pill.
Elder Tianding had recorded this formula clearly because he once harbored ambitions toward Core Formation himself. Unfortunately, he later lost all hope.
In the scripture he had noted that the main ingredient for the Gold Core Pill was extrely difficult to obtain, and attempts to substitute it were simply fanciful.
After all, Elder Tianding was only a second-rank superior alchemist, not third-rank superior!
Even modifying a single auxiliary ingredient in the Gold Core Pill formula would have been beyond his pill-refining skill!
"Still, for this is worth rembering. If I head to the Eastern Sea cultivation world in the future, it might prove useful."
Fang Qing swept his divine sense through the Pill Hall and noticed that Hua Lingsu and Gong Susu were no longer present.
Clearly, once he beca master of the Pill Hall, plenty of people below were eager to read his mood and act accordingly.
Those who had previously clashed with him—Wu Longzi, Gong Susu, and even Hua Lingsu—had all been stripped of their positions in the Pill Hall and sent outside the sect gate to fight and bleed on the front lines.
Given the current casualty rate among Blue Sea Sect cultivators, Cui Zhe must have been delighted to receive these three talents.
It was even said that word had spread of Cha Hongye sohow falling out of his favor. She too had been reassigned to Cui Zhe's command.
At that mont Han Qingfeng walked in with an unpleasant expression.
"Old Han, what happened?"
Fang Qing asked casually.
"Hall Master... the official docunt from the Dragon Transformation Pool has arrived. They slaughtered more than twenty second-rank flood serpents and extracted ten second-rank demon cores. These can serve as the main material for refining Foundation Establishnt Pills."
Han Qingfeng's face showed clear resentnt. "They even deliberately opened the sect treasury and took out the three demon cores we had stockpiled from the beast tide back then—all sent over to us. They said that since Junior Brother is acting as Pill Hall Master under difficult circumstances, they wanted to offer special support. Even if fewer pills are refined than expected, it is no problem."
"Oh?"
Fang Qing listened and let out a aningful laugh. "If we accept more resources than before yet produce far fewer Foundation Establishnt Pills than anticipated, would that not invite endless criticism and resentnt?"
"Exactly! It is clearly a setup to make us look bad."
Han Qingfeng thought for a mont and probed cautiously. "Hall Master... have you offended soone?"
"I focus solely on bitter cultivation. How could I possibly have enemies?"
Fang Qing spread his hands with perfect innocence. "It is simply a case of the tallest tree catching the wind. I am young, my cultivation is shallow, yet I am acting as Pill Island Master. I have probably already drawn plenty of jealous glares. And then there is Qin Ruxue—now the island master of Array Island. If not for how difficult it is to train array masters and the sect's urgent need for her to maintain the grand array, she would likely face even greater harassnt than I do."
Even among the people on Pill Island right now, were they truly obedient?
Putting aside everything else, those who had sent away Gong Susu and the others—were they genuinely trying to follow his wishes, or were they deliberately creating the impression that he was domineering and petty?
And the ones who punished Cha Hongye? They were not even Pill Island cultivators; they had no need to flatter him.
In this way, even if caught, they could claim they acted loyally for the Hall Master's sake.
The ones who confessed without a word only made Fang Qing himself seem more suspicious.
In short, once seated in this position, no matter what he did, it would be wrong!
"Ah? Then what should we do?"
Han Qingfeng was starting to regret his choices. He blad himself for not thinking clearly earlier and boarding the wrong ship.
At this point, jumping ship... was it still possible?
"For this batch of Foundation Establishnt Pills, we will have to give it our all."
Fang Qing let out a long sigh, appearing thoroughly dejected. "Alas... getting things done is truly difficult."
In truth, if he went all out he could guarantee turning every single demon core into three Foundation Establishnt Pills. With alchemy skill surpassing even Elder Tianding, he could beco the undisputed master of Pill Island and silence every critic.
But why bother?
He had already held the position of acting Hall Master for quite so ti. He had taken all the benefits he could and read all the pill formulas worth reading. It was ti to retreat while the tide was high.
From now on he would refine pills with just enough effort to get by. If he perford too brilliantly, endless responsibilities would pile up. Of course he could not botch it either, or the sect would hold him accountable. Maintaining the skill of a second-rank pill master—neither too high nor too low—would be perfect.
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