"Brother Ning, why haven't you ventured into the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range to seek your fortune?" Wei Zhong asked, raising his cup in a leisurely toast in the small courtyard where he and Ning Cankun were sharing spirit wine.
"I'm too old to move around much anymore," Ning Cankun replied, downing a cup of spirit wine, his face flushing slightly. "These old bones of mine can't handle the risks anymore."
"Didn't you find anything worthwhile during your last trip to the Clear River Secret Realm?" Wei Zhong pressed.
Ning Cankun chuckled bitterly. "My grandson wanted to buy a magic sword, but he was short on spirit stones, so I helped him out. Besides, it's been years since my last proper fight. Even if I found something valuable in the Secret Realm, I doubt I could defend it. So I abandoned the idea. Once you take one step back, you keep retreating further, unwilling to risk even the slightest danger."
"Ah, Brother Ning, your detachment is admirable," Wei Zhong sighed. "But I can't help but envy those spiritual treasures being brought back from the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range."
Ning Cankun glanced at Wei Zhong and advised, "I still recommend you abandon that thought."
"Oh?" Wei Zhong's interest piqued. Eager to hear more about the Azurewood Sect's development of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, he deliberately refilled Ning Cankun's cup.
"Do you know why the Azurewood Sect suddenly launched an offensive into the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range?" Ning Cankun asked.
Wei Zhong pondered for a moment. "Could it be that the Clear River Secret Realm is running out of resources?"
Ning Cankun nodded. "That's part of it. But this entire operation was orchestrated by those above."
"You mean...?" Wei Zhong prompted.
"Exactly. It was the brainchild of those Nascent Soul Stage Seniors. Rumor has it that even legendary Spirit Transformation Stage cultivators are overseeing the development of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range across the various prefectures."
Wei Zhong gasped inwardly, confirming his suspicions that this was a decision made by the Human Race's high command. The only reason the Wild Plains Prefecture was lagging behind the Netherworld Prefecture was due to geographical distance.
"Then why do you advise me to abandon this idea, Brother Ning?" Wei Zhong asked.
"Heh, while it's true that the high command approved this venture, our Azurewood Sect is still a few days behind the neighboring Rakshasa Sect, and the front lines remain unstable. The Human Race greedily covets the mountain's resources, but what makes you think the demon beasts there don't crave human flesh? Especially the spiritually rich bodies of us cultivators—to them, our flesh is far more delectable than any Spirit Medicine."
Wei Zhong shuddered at the thought.
"Don't let our current bounty fool you," Ning Cankun said. "Every item here was bought with the lives of our cultivators."
"The Azurewood Sect suffered heavy losses in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range this past year. Rumor has it that a third of the first group of disciples sent there perished within a year."
"Even the True Inheritance Disciples sustained injuries. The Second True Inheritance Disciple, our strongest, nearly met his end at the claws of a Core Formation demon beast. If Hall Master Yu hadn't intervened in time, we might be down to seven Great True Inheritance Disciples instead of eight."
"Oh, you mean Senior Lu of the White Robe and Paper Fan?" Wei Zhong asked.
"Exactly! Legend says he wields eight Second-Tier Flying Swords and possesses extraordinary power. Who would have thought such a revered senior would nearly meet his doom?"
Wei Zhong sighed. "The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range truly lives up to its reputation as a dragon's pool and tiger's den in the eyes of our Human Race."
"Brother Chu," Ning Cankun said, "after cultivating your fields for so many years, it's best you avoid such dangerous places. Focus on building up your resources. Even if you can't afford a Foundation Establishment Pill, you might still manage to trade for one or two Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects. With enough effort, you might even have a chance to attempt Foundation Establishment before your life's end."
Wei Zhong raised his wine cup. "Then I'll take your auspicious words to heart, Brother Ning."
"Speaking of which," he continued, "have any new Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged in the area this past year?"
"Indeed," Ning Cankun replied. "Several cultivators who emerged from the Secret Realm a year ago successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, including one Loose Cultivator. Additionally, some of the disciples sent to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range have also reached this milestone."
So many Foundation Establishment breakthroughs in just one year... Wei Zhong thought.
Watching Ning Cankun depart, Wei Zhong returned to his small courtyard. He instructed Nine-Colored to guard the premises before entering his Grotto-Heaven and resuming his cultivation.
He hadn't yet completed his Lifespan accumulation task, nor had he begun transitioning to a new Cultivation Technique. There was no urgency to advance to Foundation Establishment.
Once the outside world stabilized and the Azurewood Sect firmly established its foothold in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, it wouldn't be surprising to see Jade Marrow Mushrooms circulating in the market.
For now, he would let the Jade Marrow Mushroom within his Grotto-Heaven continue to mature.
In the blink of an eye, spring turned to autumn, and a decade had passed.
To outsiders, Chu Zhong, a middle-aged cultivator, appeared to be a steadfast Spirit Farmer who had been cultivating the Azurewood Sect's Spirit Fields for over two decades, earning him recognition as a senior among his peers.
Regardless of the turmoil in the outside world, he remained true to his farming beliefs. Through his years of experience in cultivation and brewing techniques, he had cultivated an enviable network of connections within the Azurewood Sect.
He was not only on good terms with the Outer Sect Elder responsible for Spirit Field rentals but also had connections to the True Inheritance disciples within the inner sect.
One of these disciples was Shen Yuqi, a True Inheritance Disciple of Hall Master Duan Delong of the Pill Hall, and a highly esteemed Pill Refiner.
In recent years, during his leisure time, Wei Zhong had refined the recipe for Azure Vine Intoxication, significantly enhancing its ability to nourish the physical body.
This caught the attention of Shen Yuqi, who was stationed within the sect. Eager to acquire the improved recipe, he offered a substantial sum for it, but Wei Zhong gifted it to him freely.
Overjoyed, Shen Yuqi declared himself indebted to Wei Zhong, promising to assist him if he ever needed help. Wei Zhong readily accepted, knowing that his improved recipe was no small favor.
Who knows, he thought, perhaps I'll need several batches of rare Medicinal Pills to repay this debt in the future.
The past decade had been incredibly fruitful for Wei Zhong.
Name: Wei Zhong
Cultivation Base: Ninth Layer of Qi Refining (99%)
Cultivation Techniques: Azure Wave Art - Master (89%); Body Nourishing Art - Proficient (9%)
Lifespan: 105/150
Through ten years of diligent cultivation, Wei Zhong had not only advanced from the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining to the peak of the Ninth Layer, but had also experienced a "Kryptonite-level" breakthrough, granting him an additional decade of lifespan.
The Azure Wave Art was nearing Grandmaster-level proficiency, but Wei Zhong planned to switch to a different cultivation technique soon, rendering further mastery of this art irrelevant.
Most gratifyingly, the Body Nourishing Art had successfully reached the Proficient level, completely healing Wei Zhong's hidden injuries and restoring his maximum lifespan to 150 years—the standard for Qi Refining cultivators.
Moreover, the Body Nourishing Art still held potential for further development. Wei Zhong wondered if it might eventually function like some lifespan-extending techniques, increasing his maximum lifespan.
In summary, Wei Zhong now had a surplus of 45 years of lifespan, making it an opportune time to transition to a new cultivation technique.
He had heard that higher-grade cultivation techniques made it easier for cultivators to break through to higher realms. He wondered if this was true.
Within the Grotto-Heaven, Wei Zhong picked up the Cultivation Jade Slip containing the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual and began modifying his cultivation technique according to its instructions.
Since both techniques were water-attributed, the transition proved relatively smooth. Within a month, Wei Zhong had completely converted his spiritual energy into the unique form of the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual.
However, his cultivation base had also plummeted from the Ninth Layer to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.
While some loss was inherent in changing cultivation techniques, Wei Zhong's regression to a lower minor realm was primarily due to the vastly superior quality of the Spring and Autumn Water Refinement Manual's spiritual energy compared to the Azure Wave Art.
Previously, Wei Zhong's spiritual energy had been like driftwood floating on the water's surface. Now, it resembled a sturdy rock submerged deep beneath the waves.
The quality had increased by several orders of magnitude, now possessing a unique, profound weightiness.
Consequently, all the Dao Techniques he could now unleash were significantly more potent than before.
The "Dao of Time" entry on his status panel had also lit up. With a single thought, Wei Zhong could instantly trigger his Foundation Establishment.