After refining the Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills, Elian took out the Crystal of Blazing Flame and said,
"With my current level of alchemy, the success rate for refining the Creation Cloud Pill wouldn't be high. It's best if you handle this crystal to maximize its value."
Seeing that he intended to refine the Creation Cloud Pill, Su Mingwei, who was nearby, glanced excitedly at Jiang Linglong.
Having broken through to the Purple Mansion stage twenty years before Elian, Su Mingwei had already reached the third layer of the Purple Mansion and was in need of the Creation Cloud Pill.
Jiang Linglong, with a knowing smile, teased her, "You sly girl, too embarrassed to ask Elian directly?"
Su Mingwei's face flushed, but she managed a response as Jiang Linglong added, "Don't worry. Once the pills are refined, you won't be left out."
"Hehe… thank you, Master."
Su Mingwei grinned and added cheekily, "And thank you, Martial Uncle."
"You little trickster," Jiang Linglong scolded gently, her face tinged with a faint blush. Then she began refining the Creation Cloud Pills.
With Jiang Linglong's exceptional alchemical skills, her success rate was remarkably high, and she successfully refined eight pills in one batch.
Theoretically, a batch could yield ten pills, but due to the imperfections of the world, it was impossible to achieve a perfect success rate. Refining eight or nine pills was already considered the upper limit.
Elian estimated that with his current level of alchemy, he would have managed only three pills per batch at best, highlighting the considerable gap in skill.
After refining the Creation Cloud Pills, Jiang Linglong handed two pills to Su Mingwei and gave the rest to Elian.
After some thought, she said, "In ten years, I plan to take action against the Qingyang Sect. About a year or two beforehand, I will invite the Purple Mansion families from the Three Regions to a council at Tianxu Mountain."
"During this time, we can also host a barter exchange. You can trade any surplus pills with other Purple Mansion cultivators."
Elian nodded, understanding that Jiang Linglong intended to nurture more mid-to-late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators to increase the chances of defeating the Qingyang Sect.
Unused pills like the Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills, which had a shelf life of only about thirty years without proper storage, were better traded for other valuable resources such as Five Elements Crystals.
After leaving Tianxu Mountain, Elian stopped by the Xu family to deliver two Purple Qi Cloud Pattern Pills before returning to Pingyang City.
The Patriarch, having received the Creation Cloud Pills, immediately retreated to his seclusion chamber to attempt a breakthrough to the mid-Purple Mansion stage.
Elian remained in Pingyang City to stand guard for him.
In just seven days, the Patriarch successfully broke through to the mid-Purple Mansion stage, emerging from the chamber with hearty laughter.
"This breakthrough took two Creation Cloud Pills, but it went smoothly. I've finally reached the mid-Purple Mansion stage."
Elian also smiled with joy. At less than ninety years old, he was witnessing the Patriarch, ninety-seven years his senior, step into the mid-Purple Mansion stage at just over 190 years old. With over 200 years of lifespan remaining, there was now a genuine possibility of him attempting a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.
"Congratulations, Patriarch. With this breakthrough, you are destined to ascend to the Golden Core stage in the future."
"I owe my success to your unwavering support," the Patriarch said warmly, stroking his beard.
Among the family, the Patriarch was the only one whom Elian had supplied with Spirit Peaches unconditionally. Without them, the Patriarch might still have been stuck at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage, or, at best, might have succeeded in a single attempt at the Purple Mansion stage only to wait for his lifespan to run out.
Having reached the mid-Purple Mansion stage, the Patriarch began preparations to refine his natal artifact: the Whiteblade Star Pearls.
The artifact consisted of seven pearls, too challenging for the Patriarch to refine alone with his current power. Fortunately, with Elian's assistance, the two managed to complete the artifact in three months.
"It's done."
The Patriarch looked at the seven bright white pearls with a pleased expression.
The Whiteblade Star Pearls possessed three unique abilities. When wielded by the Patriarch with his mid-Purple Mansion cultivation, they could unleash power rivaling the late Purple Mansion stage.
From then on, his strength would be significantly enhanced, enough to deter most late Purple Mansion cultivators.
The two flew to a desolate area to test the artifact's abilities. Elian realized that, despite his own cultivation, he would struggle to deal with the Patriarch unless he used the combined power of the Fiery Void Sword and Heavenly River Deep Water Sword.
However, this combination released an overwhelming force close to the peak of the Purple Mansion stage, which Elian could not yet fully control. Hence, he refrained from using it during their sparring session.
After their test, the two returned to Pingyang City on their swords.
During the journey, Elian noticed many commoners farming in the wilderness and couldn't help but ask, "The wilderness is full of poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. Isn't it dangerous for them to farm here?"
"It used to be dangerous, but things have improved now," the Patriarch replied, explaining further.
Pingyang City, apart from the Patriarch, had three hundred Qi Refinement cultivators and three Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed there permanently.
The Patriarch had ordered regular cleanups of the wilderness. After decades of continuous efforts, 99% of the beasts and poisonous creatures within a thousand-mile radius had been eradicated, ensuring the safety of the commoners.
Around Pingyang City, numerous villages had been established, and the newly cultivated lands were sufficient to support millions of people.
The family's commoner population had been growing explosively for years, now surpassing two million.
This burgeoning population brought an increase in cultivators, with over two thousand Qi Refinement cultivators under the Chen family's banner—a number comparable to other Purple Mansion families.
Elian nodded but expressed concern, saying, "With a population exceeding a million, we must be wary of Purple Mansion demonic cultivators taking desperate actions."
"I was about to discuss this with you," the Patriarch replied, his expression turning serious.
A blood sacrifice of one million commoners could be used to forge a third-tier demonic treasure. With the Chen family harboring two million commoners and still growing, even late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators might be tempted to act recklessly.
However, the Chen family had their precautions in place.
The Patriarch said, "The six second-tier high-grade spiritual veins have now been cultivated to completion. It's time to set up the Seven-Star Demon-Suppressing Array."
"With your assistance, we can complete this array and ensure peace for at least a century."
Elian nodded. The Seven-Star Demon-Suppressing Array was a high-grade third-tier formation capable of covering an area of eight hundred miles. Once established, it would provide reliable protection for a hundred years.
Furthermore, should the Chen family advance to the Golden Core stage and acquire a fourth-tier formation master, the array could be upgraded by replacing the formation disks and flags with higher-grade components, elevating its power to match the Golden Core level.
...
85+ chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D