Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 459 Pei Yi's Thoughts in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage
Peng Daoren chatted with Yang Baoshan and Chu Yanran for a few words in his cell, but seeing that neither of them responded, he simply retreated to a corner of the prison to heal his wounds.

However, he was bound by various spiritual restrictions, and the elixirs he had just received were all ordinary. After several days, although his injuries had not worsened, they showed no signs of improvement.

He thought that with his peak Golden Core cultivation, even as a prisoner, he would at least receive some courtesy. However, he never expected that Fei Tianqin, that old bird, would value him so little. After the latter discovered that he was following the edict of the Star-Picking Tower to collude with the demon race, he did not come again for several days.

Under such circumstances, Peng Daoren couldn't help but feel uneasy, and in his worry, he seemed somewhat saddened.

He was heartbroken in prison, while Master Kang sat in the Jade Toad Cave, his cultivation improving.

Although the "Songxi Pill" he had obtained from the state treasury had not been stored for many years, its medicinal effects seemed to have weakened compared to before. As soon as it was swallowed, Kang Dabao did not have to refine it for long before it turned into a stream of pure energy that flowed through his meridians.

Fortunately, the pill I just got from She Fuyi is indeed quite remarkable. The actor from Wuwei Tower really went all out, even using such a precious pill as a prop.

Logically speaking, Kang Dabao had not yet reached the point where he could break through by taking the elixir, but the increasingly critical situation aroused his desire for quick success and instant benefits.

After all, it was rare to even meet a Pill Master in the past, but now even someone like Xiang Tianxing is trying to take his life. Headmaster Kang has no choice but to be afraid. Even if he knows it's a case of forcing growth, he still has to give it a try.

After taking the second Songxi Pill, Sect Leader Kang did not emerge from seclusion for two months.

When Kang Dabao emerged from seclusion, two months had already passed, and he had achieved the late stage of Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Although Sect Leader Kang only broke through a minor realm this time, in a remote place like Yunjiao Prefecture, if word got out, it would be a topic of conversation. A cultivator with four spiritual roots, not even eighty years old, had already achieved the Ice Leaf Dao Foundation, cultivated to the late-stage True Cultivation realm, defeated a Tantric Khenpo, fought against a Pseudo-Core Pill Master, married a noble lady, and become the leader of an alliance.
None of these entries are particularly groundbreaking, but when they are all attributed to the first person, they become quite intriguing.

Not to mention that in this remote place of Shannan Road, it is not easy to find someone comparable to him. In the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, among those members of the royal family and the bloodline of the True Persons, how many cultivators of the four spiritual roots of the same age can achieve such accomplishments?
However, Master Kang has one good quality: no matter what, he can quickly suppress any sense of pride he feels.

The first thing to do after passing through the border was to summon someone to inquire about the situation.

It's important to know that the Liangyi Sect lost a high-level cultivator last time. In Kang Dabao's view, this is one of the signs of a complete break between the two sides. Not to mention that Daoist Peng, who knows what crucial item he's hiding on his person; if he were to release it, it would likely trigger a major incident.

Therefore, when the two sides suddenly went to war, Master Kang did not find it strange at all.

However, when Duan Anle, who was temporarily in charge of the sect affairs, came to report, he said that things were calm now, even more normal than before. At least according to the battle reports sent from the front, in the past month or two, neither side had suffered any casualties among the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This unusual situation made Kang Dabao somewhat uneasy, after all, the most agonizing time is before the outcome is decided.

Even though things may seem calm on the outside, who knows if a storm is brewing?

Kang Dabao made up his mind and sent a message to Yuan Jin and Zhou Yixiu, who were stationed at Yehushan, instructing them to train the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards well and be ready for battle at any time.

Whether it's the unknown conflict over opening up spiritual land for the Fei family patriarch, or the bloody battle between the two sides that could start at any time, it's all just a matter of someone giving orders.

These few words could concern the wealth that Master Kang had painstakingly accumulated over the years, so he naturally had to be careful.

As long as fewer disciples die in the future, Kang Dabao, who is always diligent and frugal, will not mind spending more resources to train troops at this time.

Zhang Yuandao, the founder of the Chongming Sect, rose to prominence through military achievements. As the sixth-generation disciple of Zhang Yuandao, Master Kang also had to master this skill to secure his livelihood.

Stopping the flattery from the crowd, Duan Anle immediately brought good news: "Master Qin Shibo asked Uncle He to bring a hundred top-grade flying swords when he went on a business trip a month ago. They all came from the Yue family's Mingxin Spring."

Junior Brother Mingzhe inspected them one by one; the quality was quite good, and more importantly, the price was fair. It was the same price that the cultivator from the Liangyi Sect paid before his death. We can probably save nearly ten thousand spirit stones. Even if we resell them now, we'll still make a considerable profit.”

Master Kang nodded in agreement. Perhaps because of the Yue family's family tradition of swords and wine in Hancheng, their workshop called Mingxinquan became quite famous.

Swords are forged in cold springs, and wine is brewed in hot springs; in times of peace, they are in high demand and short supply. Qin Sufu's actions now demonstrate his loyalty and righteousness. He is still the same shrewd and unrestrained person who protected Emperor Chongming back then, and his behavior is still incredibly bold.

Furthermore, the feud between the Yue family in Hancheng and his own family had been somewhat resolved, so Yue Lin might have hinted that Qin Sufu wanted to use this matter as a way to smooth things over.

"It will be much more comfortable to get along with you in the future."

No sooner had Kang Dabao finished speaking than he suddenly remembered this matter: "Anle, Junior Brother Zhou mentioned to me last time that the Glazed Treasure Tree will bear Glazed Relics this year. Has there been any news?"

A quick calculation reveals that twelve years have passed since Zhou Yixiu received Chu Yanran's spiritual plant notes and successfully planted the glass tree given to him by Bu Se.

The crystal tree bears twelve crystal relics in one ring, which are used to lay the foundation for future generations. Even in a prosperous place like Gyeonggi Province, even the most powerful families have to ask someone to go to a Buddhist temple to request one or two relics to bring back to their clan and cultivate their children.

According to the Zen masters of the original Buddhist sect, this relic must be taken before the age of twenty to be effective. After a cultivator takes this spiritual object, it can help him return to the moment of his dream, draw back a wisp of innate purple energy, and enhance his spiritual root aptitude.

As for the effects of taking it, they are naturally related to the grade of the Glazed Treasure Tree and the cultivator's understanding after taking the spiritual item.

It is said that the original Buddhist temple's ancestral vein of glazed glass takes four cycles of sixty years to produce twelve glazed glass relics. After these relics are consecrated by eminent monks in the temple, they are said to be able to increase the cultivation speed of ordinary disciples with five spiritual roots to be similar to that of ordinary cultivators with four spiritual roots.

Of course, such spiritual treasures are rarely circulated outside the sect. Even a major Chan sect like the Yuanfo Sect does not dare to use them all by itself; each time, several masters would come to request them with perfect understanding.

Within the Chongming Sect, let alone the fourth-tier Glazed Ancestral Vein, even this sapling, which was given away without any effort, would be a top-tier spiritual plant. Although its second-tier mid-grade quality is not particularly high, it can still improve the spiritual root aptitude of the disciples to some extent, which is enough to make Sect Leader Kang look forward to it.

Duan Anle knew his master's thoughts and immediately replied respectfully, "I was just about to inform Master of this matter. Ten days ago, when Fourth Uncle and Junior Brother Kang returned to the sect from Wild Fox Mountain, they brought back these eleven glass relics. Seeing that Master had not yet come out of seclusion, they handed them over to Uncle Ye and put them into the sect's treasury."

Kang Dabao nodded slightly upon hearing this, not asking who had used the remaining glass relic, and then said, "From now on, after each round of glass relics are produced, half will be collected into the sect's treasury, and half will be used in the minor competition, allocated to the top six in the rankings for cultivation. In addition, any disciple with two or more spiritual roots who enters the sect, or any newly promoted elder, will also be allocated one." "I will make the arrangements after I leave," Duan Anle replied respectfully, then added after a moment's thought, "Master, my junior sister failed to complete her Foundation Establishment cultivation some time ago, and her injuries have not yet healed. Someone still needs to look after the Yulin Hall."

Master Kang's eyes darted around and he immediately had an idea: "Transfer Xun Dao over there. He managed that business in his early years and is very familiar with it. As for Shan Gong Tang, let Liu Ya take over. She is Old Ye's disciple, so she can ask him for advice whenever she doesn't understand something."

"Disciple understands," Duan Anle said, then paused. Master Kang could tell that the former had something on his mind, so he asked, "Speak your mind. Why keep me in suspense?"

"Master, please don't be offended. It's just that I've noticed that Uncle Pei has aged considerably because of Junior Sister's failure to establish her foundation, which is why I'm a little worried."

“His problem isn’t here,” Kang Dabao paused, stood up from his seat, and then instructed, “Go and arrange what I’ve told you, I’m going to see Junior Brother Pei.”

"Yes, Master, don't worry."

————Chongming Zongdanfang
A faint blue light seeped from the cracks of the brass alchemy furnace. Pei Yi huddled three feet in front of the furnace, his thin back pressed against the stone wall. Every cough he uttered echoed in the empty stone chamber.

He trembled as he threw the last ingredient of the elixir into the furnace. His pale knuckles spasmed into the shape of eagle claws from the pain, and when his sleeve slipped down, the winding purple lines on his wrists were revealed.

The fire in the stove suddenly turned a deep blue, making his face appear even paler.

The twelve talismans on the furnace body lit up in sequence, but suddenly dimmed during the third rotation.

He groped for the jade bottle, but a metallic taste rose in his throat first, and dark red blood beads fell onto his black Taoist robe, staining it with a few fleeting ink plum blossoms.

The aroma of medicine and the stench of blood intertwined in the damp air, condensing into wisps of blue smoke that climbed up the dome of the alchemy room and clung together, resembling a spider web.

As the fire spirit stones at the bottom of the furnace emitted a series of cracking sounds, Pei Yi mustered his strength, bit his tongue, and shot a mouthful of blood essence into the furnace.

Suddenly, the flames at the bottom of the furnace surged up, burning the communication talisman he had been holding tightly to his sleeve to ashes. The blue light seeping from the furnace lid burst forth, lifting the lid half an inch further, and the glimmer of light swept across his sunken eye sockets, illuminating the obsessive thought deep within the handsome man's pupils.

The flames at the bottom of the furnace grew even more rampant, scorching several mid-grade spirit stones embedded in the Bright Light Array into dust. After the radiance faded, a few wisps of cold wind shot out from a pool of drawn-in cold spring, carrying the chill from the ground and seeping into Pei Yi's clothes. Despite the raging flames right in front of him, he was still frozen, his chest turning a bluish-purple.

Unaware of the danger, Pei Yi continued to form the condensing pill incantation seal, ignoring the scorching and curling skin on his fingertips from the flames. His eyes remained fixed on the pill furnace until he heard a sudden, shrill buzzing sound emanating from within. Only then did a look of joy appear on Pei Yi's face, and a fine wisp of hair appeared on the furnace's surface.

At this point, it was too late for Pei Yi to panic. The fine lines on the furnace body spread rapidly like a spider web, and after a burst of blue flames at the bottom of the furnace, they suddenly turned into grayish-white embers.

"Boom!"

Pei Yi disregarded the heartache over his long-time companion, the spiritual artifact alchemy furnace, now shattered into pieces. Instead, he vomited blood, his face ashen. He murmured to himself in a barely audible voice, "It's one thing to fail at Foundation Establishment, but can't even break through to the second-tier alchemist level?"

After saying this, Pei Yi showed a self-deprecating expression. Remembering the communication talisman from earlier, he quickly tidied up and went out.

"How did it get like this?" When the sect leader Kang saw Pei Yi outside the door, his reproach was tinged with heartache. He stepped into the alchemy room and saw the mess of the magic array, which was completely blackened. He sighed inwardly.

"I just went to see Yaoling. She's doing very well. She should be able to try to establish her foundation again in about ten years. You don't need to worry too much."

"Thank you, senior brother. I'm sorry to have troubled you again." Pei Yi's expression did not improve as he spoke. Kang Dabao could only look around and change the subject: "It's a good thing that things have gone wrong. Let's tidy up a bit first. Later, I'll ask my nephew Wei to come over and help set up the alchemy room properly. It will make things easier for you and also allow you to practice the skills of the array masters in our sect."

"I'll follow your instructions, Senior Brother."

"What's wrong with you lately?!" Kang Dabao's gaze sharpened, and his tone became slightly harsher.

Pei Yi was taken aback, and a wry smile appeared on his face: "Senior brother is overthinking it. It's just that these past few days I've felt that I'm only one step away from breaking through to the second level in alchemy, but I can't seem to get past it, so I've become a little anxious."

But he was an honest gentleman, unlike some unscrupulous sect leader who was good at deceiving people. In front of him, Sect Leader Kang was truly insightful. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "I thought that after so many years, you had forgotten about the past."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yi lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Junior brother also thought it should be so, but he had almost forgotten about it, yet... he could not forget it again. He thought about it every moment."

"Fate is fickle. You couldn't do anything to him back when you were in Yushan Market, but now that he's even more powerful, what can you do?"

"I've never really thought through what you're asking, Senior Brother." Pei Yi grinned, a hint of mockery flashing across his face. "Back then, I just thought that if I cultivated diligently with Master, I could kill my enemies after a few years. I thought that once I reached Foundation Establishment, I could look down on them and interrogate them, making them repent and kneel before my brother's grave to beg for forgiveness."

But now I realize it was all a pipe dream. Not only did I fail to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, but my alchemical skills also stagnated. In the end, it was truly as my senior brother said: "One step behind, and you're behind at every step." How could I possibly contend with someone whose reputation had already risen and who could be considered a leading figure in the Five Provinces? Perhaps in a few more years, I'll become like Chen Di…

"In the end, it's hard to determine right and wrong regarding what happened back then, junior brother."

"Even my senior brother believes that he was truly without fault in what happened back then?!"

"Junior brother wants me to go and help?"

“No, it’s not right. Logically and emotionally, my senior brother shouldn’t help me. As brothers, I shouldn’t put my elder brother in a difficult position.” Pei Yi sighed softly. Kang Dabao, seeing this, felt a pang of heartache and said, “Perhaps you could write a letter for me, junior brother?”

Pei Yi raised an eyebrow, clearly tempted but then forcibly suppressed his thoughts: "No, this is a personal grudge, and Senior Brother shouldn't get involved. In some time, Junior Brother wants to attempt Foundation Establishment again. If I'm lucky enough to succeed, then Junior Brother will continue to cultivate peacefully until I can ask him face to face whether he's right or wrong. If not, then please ask him for me when it's convenient in the future."

Pei Yi's tone was casual, yet unwavering. So stiff that even Sect Leader Kang was momentarily speechless. After scrutinizing Pei Yi for a while, he finally managed to utter a hoarse sound from his throat: "Alright."

(I can't write much anymore. I originally wanted to reveal the answer, so please bear with me.)
(End of this chapter)