Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 473 The Method of External Alchemy
"This is the external alchemy method entrusted to me by Uncle Black Shoes before his departure," Kang Dabao read in a deep voice, and then said, "He said that this is a secret method he obtained from the heretical sects, called the 'Kalpa Qi Cauldron Elixir Formula'."

Jiang Qing reluctantly looked away from the jade slip. Even though he had already guessed most of it, he still wasn't sure and asked hesitantly, "What does Senior Brother mean?"

Kang Dabao, however, did not heed Jiang Qing's words. Instead, he said directly, "The commentary written by my master for this method is all in there. Xiao Sanzi, take it back and study it carefully. Following the instructions, it should not be difficult to master it within ten years."

What Sect Leader Kang said was not beyond Jiang Qing's expectations. The latter was only slightly dazed for a moment, "After all, this box contains a genuine Golden Elixir!!"

Seeing Jiang Qing hesitate, Kang Dabao's tone remained unchanged, and the next second he asked softly, "What is it?"

Jiang Qing suddenly smiled, the burden that shouldn't have been on his shoulders vanishing instantly. He gently shook his head and said calmly, "It's alright, I'll just do whatever Senior Brother instructs me to do."

"Behave yourselves properly, we're brothers, why act so coy and pretentious?!" Headmaster Kang smiled with satisfaction for a while, then solemnly added his instructions:
"You must keep this box safe. It's the Nine Luminaries Mystic Gold Box that I specially asked someone to bring from Wanbao Trading Company. Don't underestimate it just because it looks inconspicuous. It cost me almost 20,000 spirit stones. You'll have to pay me back later."

"Junior brother understands."

After laughing, Jiang Qing still asked with some concern, "Senior Brother, have you discussed this matter with your sister-in-law?"

Even if Sect Leader Kang didn't explicitly say so, Jiang Qing could roughly guess that the genuine Golden Core in the former's possession was closely related to the Fei family. After all, even if Sect Leader Kang was capable, it was unlikely that he could capture a Golden Core being alive. If things were as Jiang Qing expected, then frankly speaking, this Golden Core should be given to the Fei family's son-in-law, not Sect Leader Chongming.

Therefore, even if Kang Dabao himself didn't use it, he should have left it to Kang Changxi. The way he's acting now seems a bit arbitrary. Currently, Chongmingzong still needs the powerful Fei family of Yingzhou to rely on. If Fei Shuhe really develops a grudge because of this matter, it would be very bad.

"Discuss?! No need to discuss!" Sect Leader Kang's tone hardened considerably, but after stating his position firmly, he continued:
“Changxi is only a few years old now, and how can Changyi’s talent compare to yours? To them, this external alchemy method is not a very important thing. After a few years, when you have mastered this method and gained some understanding, we brothers will find other opportunities for these kids.”

Given Jiang Qing's personality, it was already quite remarkable that he could think that this external elixir was of great importance and needed to be handled properly. He didn't care whether what the sect leader Kang said was far-fetched. So he carefully put the box into his storage bag, bid farewell to Kang Dabao, and walked out of the sect leader's room on his own.

The latter only breathed a sigh of relief after Jiang Qing left. The matter was not as simple as Kang Dabao had described. Fei Shuhe was indeed from a wealthy family and had a generous nature, but even generosity had its limits.

It should be noted that a cultivator's golden core has more than just one wonderful use in external alchemy.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak can perfect their alchemy skills but cannot find suitable spiritual objects or form a Golden Core, they can use their Golden Core as supplementary resources.

According to the records of the Dragon Tiger Sect, the first major alchemy sect in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, a cultivator's Golden Core should have at least the five effects of forming a Golden Core, which is of great benefit to the cultivator's Golden Core formation.

Moreover, how rare is a genuine Golden Elixir? Just look at how arrogant Fei Tianqin is and how much effort he has put into this matter, and you can get a glimpse of that.

Even though the Fei family of Yingzhou was one of the most prestigious and powerful families in the Great Wei Dynasty, the competition for the resources needed to form a Core Formation Core was fierce.

Fei Nanying could be considered one of the best among the Fei family members of his generation, but because the Sheshan Hall was weak and had no superior cultivators to speak with within the clan, the matter of forming the core fell behind Fei Nanxi of the Qiushui Hall, whose aptitude was slightly inferior to his, which was quite regrettable.

If it weren't for the fact that Fei Nanying's wife, Han, had been persistently pestering him from her maternal family, the Han family, and that the head of the Han family truly had a discerning eye for talent, Fei Nanying, who could only use Dongshan jade as the material for forming his golden core, might have only been able to smoothly form a first-grade golden core.

If that were the case, not only would Fei Nanying fade into obscurity and have little future prospects, but the Fei family of Yingzhou, a first-class family, would also lose a pillar and a worthy successor.

To say that Fei Shuhe is completely indifferent would be to lack common sense and fail in her duty as a housewife. She is not afraid of things escalating. Even if Fei Nanying, Fei Tianqin, and others hear that Kang Dabao has given the Golden Elixir to an outsider, they will not speak up for the latter. They would not hesitate to make trouble on the spot.

Fortunately, Fei Shuhe had been quite lenient with Headmaster Kang these past few days because of the imperial decree. Even the long-unseen matter of sleeping together was allowed to proceed to the latter's liking. Kang Dabao used his silver tongue to barely manage to make the matter happen.

Even so, Fei Shuhe still demanded a whole host of promises in return. If Headmaster Kang wanted to be a man of his word, he would find it hard to relax in the future.

However, he did not regret it. In fact, ever since he obtained the Golden Core, he had never thought of practicing the external alchemy method.

After all, if everything goes smoothly, it will only take about half a century for him to reach the Core Formation stage.

In addition, he had already made considerable progress in cultivating the high-grade Xuanqing Kurong Secret Manual and the Changxi Technique. Even though he had only just advanced to the late stage of true cultivation, the abundance of his spiritual power was such that even the Shannan Dao could hardly find a few Foundation Establishment cultivators who could match it.

What's even more remarkable is that the wisp of alchemical fire that Yin Shan Gong passed on to him back then is still relentlessly tempering his spiritual power within his dantian day and night. Therefore, whether considering quality or quantity, Headmaster Kang can be considered a first-rate figure among his peers.

The Golden Eyes That Break Through Illusions, The Military Strategy Taught by the Star Lord of the Wood Palace, The True Explanation of the Primordial Essence of the Northern Night Palace, Volume One, The Visualization Method of the Full Moon in the Northern Night Palace, Volume One.
Thus, it seems that although Kang Dabao came from humble origins, his Taoist skills, cultivation methods, and magical artifacts are no less than those of ordinary disciples of major sects.

Even though it is still far inferior to a genuine Golden Core, it is not difficult to defeat an ordinary alchemist, and it is not impossible to compete with a senior like Yuan Buwen, whose reputation resounds throughout several states.

The decision to impart the method of external alchemy to Jiang Qing was indeed made after careful consideration by Headmaster Kang.

Now that Jiang Qingjian has begun to grasp the basics and his Dharma body has returned to perfection, the battle has reached a new level compared to the time when he fought Fu Neng.

Even if Jiang Qing is not as good as the Black-Shoeed Taoist before he went to the outer sea, he should be not far off.

Back then, the latter was able to suppress Yue Lin and Peng Xingyu, another alchemist from the Nascent Soul sect of Wu Lao Mountain, with the same cultivation level as Jiang Qing now, using the external alchemy method. It is likely that Jiang Qing will be about the same level after mastering this method.

Even if Jiang Qing is not as exceptionally talented as the Black-Wearing Taoist, it would not be difficult for him to be comparable to Yue Lin, a top-tier alchemist, ten years later.

At that time, Chongming Sect will not only have another pseudo-core cultivator, but it is also possible that Headmaster Kang and Third Master Jiang of Chongming Sect will work together to deal with Wufeng Shangxiu who has no suitable magic weapon.

This is already quite rare, after all, even with the current tense situation, there are not many Golden Core cultivators under the jurisdiction of the entire Duke of Qin's mansion, so they are still very valuable.

At that time, Emperor Chongmingzong would barely have the qualifications to enter the inner circle, and would no longer have to rely on his superiors and others to grant him favors as he does now.

Thinking of this, Sect Leader Kang once again stroked the worthless sect leader's stone thumb ring on his thumb.

This originally rough and ordinary object had been polished to a smooth and warm jade-like texture by his constant caresses. He had never taken it off for more than sixty years, and the ring had even developed a bit of spiritual energy within it. In the eyes of a low-level cultivator, it would be worth several spirit stones.

But for Kang Dabao, this ring was not just worth a few spirit stones. He remained silent for a while, pondered for a long time, and then murmured, "My Chongming Sect will eventually rise to prominence."

—Half a month later, at Cold Crow Mountain
Wei Gu, the Array Master of Chongming Sect, returned to Jiachou Military Camp somewhat wearily on his Cloud-Stepping Steed.

For him, physical exhaustion was secondary. What was disappointing was that he hadn't performed well at the sword-fighting tournament organized by the Duke of Qin's mansion, which he had accompanied Jin Shilun to.

Among the more than a thousand Qi Refining cultivators, Wei Gu only won two rounds before being easily defeated by a direct descendant of the Yang family of Yezhou.

Despite careful preparation, it was difficult to even make it into the top 100, and naturally, no good resources were obtained, let alone the Foundation Establishment Pill that hung at the top and was out of reach.

This time, the Duke of Qin's mansion really got all the families under its jurisdiction to contribute a lot, including ten Foundation Establishment Pills.

In addition to the high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill prepared for the top spot in the Sword Tournament, the top five will also receive a mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill and a Foundation Establishment Manual. The bottom five will receive a low-grade Foundation Establishment Pill and a spiritual weapon, which is not bad.

Those who make it into the top 50 will receive sufficient Foundation Establishment resources; those who make it into the top 100 will receive a spiritual weapon and a bottle of suitable pills.

As for the cultivators who came after them, they could only accompany the crown prince in his studies.

It was unusual for the Duke of Qin's mansion to be so generous in the matter of Kuang Liuting's conferment of a title. Disciples from the obedient factions under its jurisdiction could be brought back for free after achieving a good ranking, without having to pay any price.

In doing so, it is natural to prioritize selecting the most capable and virtuous. It is perfectly normal that resources must be earned through one's own abilities.

Jin Shilun, who was traveling with Wei Gu, also showed no joy. Although he had made it into the top 100, he had been defeated by a veteran cultivator from the Shishan Sect in a subsequent arena match. Even though the two families were allies and Jin Shilun was the direct descendant of the alliance leader, making him quite valuable, he was worthless in the eyes of this old cultivator who was only focused on making a living.

Under the old cultivator's full-force attack, Jin Shilun fought him for over a hundred rounds, but neither could gain the upper hand. In the end, it was the Foundation Establishment Chief Judge on the stage who urged him on repeatedly. Jin Shilun was simply too inexperienced, and the old cultivator found a weakness in him, resulting in his regrettable defeat.

Jin Shilun knew he was simply outmatched, so he didn't need to find any excuses to make amends. However, it was still a great pity that the foundation-building spiritual item he had envisioned was gone.

Now all I can do is focus on the Foundation Establishment Pill that I'll get for first place in the sect competition, and the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Item that only the second and third place winners will receive.

Now, Ye Yaoling's injuries from her failed attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage have fully healed. This junior sister was not particularly skilled, but in recent years, her cultivation of water magic has progressed by leaps and bounds as if she had suddenly gained enlightenment.

Judging from what people usually say, she must have mastered at least three low-grade Hong-level water techniques, making her one of the most dangerous opponents in this sect competition.

After Ye Yaoling, the most prominent figure was Song Cheng, who served as a deacon in the Punishment Hall under Ye Zhengwen. Having the advantage of proximity, and receiving occasional guidance from Jiang Qing, he was a formidable opponent.

Han Xundao, the assistant disciple of Shanguotang, has always been under the care of the Chongming Grandmaster, including Jin Shilun himself, and has been cultivating to the peak of Qi Refining for many years. His own combat skills are only average, but he has many treasures and is not someone to be trifled with.
There is also He Yuanyi, a junior brother under the second master Yuan Jin. As a first-class top-grade weapon master, he is quite wealthy and can even hire Foundation Establishment cultivators as sparring partners and instructors.
Aside from the aforementioned group, Wei Gu, the junior brother beside him, is also not to be underestimated. Since the birth of her eldest daughter, Third Master's wife Zhang Qingran has been at ease and has indeed put a lot of effort into teaching Wei Gu.

Zhang Qingran has not only greatly improved Wei Gu's array formation skills, enabling him to advance to the second-tier array master just by accumulating enough experience, but she has also generously provided him with a lot of cultivation resources.

After all, if the future elders of the Chongming Sect's Array Hall are her personal disciples, then she can sit comfortably in the inner quarters.
Even with Jin Shilun's comprehensive review, he had only managed to identify the most senior members of his sect.

For cultivators, the importance of their own spiritual roots and aptitude for cultivation is almost beyond the comprehension of reason.

Among the disciples of the same generation, Duan Anle, who is exceptionally talented and insightful, has achieved Foundation Establishment, but the rest of the disciples, who share the same four spiritual roots, still find it difficult to achieve true cultivation. Don't be fooled by the fact that Jin Shilun only reached the ninth level of Qi Refining after the age of sixty; in reality, his cultivation has been quite rapid.

After counting them all, only Ming Zhe, who didn't start early and came from the Ming family, got ahead thanks to his three spiritual roots.

As the disciples recruited by Chongming Sect have become increasingly talented in recent years, it is no longer unusual for them to "surpass their predecessors" within the sect.

The most outstanding among them is Jin Shilun's own junior brother, Kang Changxi. Although he is only twenty years old, he has already cultivated to the eighth level of Qi Refining, making him a force to be reckoned with.

Years ago, he single-handedly subdued the Azure Armored Earth Tiger in the Beast Garden. Now, this ferocious beast has been tamed by him and is as obedient as a lazy cat. This is not a skill that an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator can possess.

This was despite Kang Dabao's repeated prohibition against Fei Shuhe giving this sect leader's eldest son an excessive amount of pills. Now it seems that although Kang Changxi's aptitude is inferior to Kang Changyi's, his age at Foundation Establishment might be slightly younger than the latter.

However, given Chongmingzong's current status, it shouldn't be difficult for Fei Shuhe to use some resources to exchange for a mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill for his eldest son, Kang Changxi, from the Fei family.

Therefore, even if Kang Changxi wins the championship, this Foundation Establishment Pill is probably nothing to him;
Besides Kang Changxi, among the junior brothers and sisters below him is Qi Ke, a disciple of He Wanying. This young girl's cultivation has reached the late stage of Qi Refining and she has been promoted to a true disciple. She has also cultivated a secret technique of divine sense, so she is also a formidable opponent.
Further on, there are Liu Ya, a disciple of Elder Ye Zhengwen (foreign affairs); Zhu Yunsheng, a disciple of Sun Fu (outer sect steward); and Shan Yong, a disciple of Niu Kuang (outer sect steward).
These are all outstanding new disciples, and Jin Shilun cannot afford to be careless in dealing with them.

These junior brothers and sisters may not have gone to Xuanwei City to participate in the sword competition organized by the Duke's Mansion for various reasons, but they would never miss the sect competition.

Just because Jin Shilun is among the top 100 in Xuanwei City doesn't guarantee him a guaranteed spot in the Foundation Establishment resources from his fellow disciples.

Wei Gu felt heavy-hearted, and Jin Shilun didn't seem particularly relaxed either. The two walked in silence for a while, then felt a cold wind behind them. The two spirit steeds beneath them suddenly stopped, and they waited for Jiang Qing, who was rushing over on a flying sword.

"I told you to go ahead, but I didn't say you were only concerned with returning to the sect as soon as possible. By the way, why are you walking so fast today?" Third Master Jiang looked at the two juniors' listless appearance with some curiosity.

The two exchanged a glance, but in the end, it was Jin Shilun, the senior brother, who spoke first: "Looking disheveled and having accomplished nothing, we feel it's not good to stay any longer for the sake of the sect's reputation."

Jiang Qing chuckled and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Didn't I, your martial uncle, also lose to Fu Neng back then? In fact, I was defeated by him during a rotation battle. If we really talk about it, wouldn't that be even more shameful?!"

Upon hearing this, the two younger members realized that their martial uncle's ability to comfort people had not improved at all.

"Defeated by Fu Neng? In a battle of attrition?" A hint of embarrassment suddenly appeared on the faces of the two. They knew their own situation. Even if they could eventually achieve Foundation Establishment, they would still be no match for those cultivators who had fought Fu Neng in a battle of attrition.

It should be noted that even Zhou Yun, the chief disciple of Wu Feng Shang Xiu, who was recognized as the weakest among the nine, went on a killing spree when he returned to Dingzhou Pingjing with his master, and no one could stop him.

Based on the information currently circulating, Zhou Yun has already killed more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators of any renown, demonstrating his ruthlessness. If even Zhou Yun, ranked last, has suffered such a fate, what kind of astonishing power will the higher-ranked Third Master Jiang possess after his further advancements?

Seeing that their expressions had not improved, Jiang Qing comforted them again: "Alright, the Duke of Qin's mansion specifically wanted me to take up the post of deputy general of the Duke's personal guard, with a lot of supplies and a promising future, but I declined it all without hesitation. Even I didn't look sad, so what's a little setback for you?"

"Well, this Third Uncle/Elder Jiang is really not good at comforting people about this."

The two of them silently grumbled to themselves, but naturally they wouldn't reveal it at this moment. Instead, they boarded the flying boat that Jiang Qing had thrown out and returned to their sect together.

As soon as the flying boat landed on Xiaohuan Mountain, before the dust it kicked up had even settled, one could see a series of arenas set up in the training ground outside the mountain. Magical light and Taoist techniques flowed continuously on them, and the occasional booming sounds added a lively touch to the scene.

The three knew that this was a sword-fighting tournament organized by the Chongming Sect, which Ye Zhengwen had been preparing for a long time. As mentioned before, it was open to cultivators from various families in Hanya Mountain and the counties of Ping and Jin.

Unlike the Qin State Duke's Mansion, which required selecting participants based on their cultivation level, the Chongming Sect set no thresholds or cultivation level restrictions, making the event quite lively.

Jiang Qing quietly went to look around for a while, but found it quite boring, so he went to Ye Zhengwen, who was in charge, and asked, "Senior brother, can you see any promising talents?"

The latter gave a wry smile: "There are no promising talents here. It's just that those with high cultivation and good magical artifacts win. Thousands of people have competed here, and we haven't been able to find a single scene of value."

Before Jiang Qingfu could ask any more questions, Ye Zhengwen said, "In about three days, the top 100 talents will be selected and assigned to Junior Brother Yuan to form the second battalion of the Chizhang Guard. The rest will all be sent out. Those who haven't met the requirements will temporarily stay in the camp built outside Chongming Sect for future arrangements."

Upon hearing Ye Zhengwen's words, Jiang Qing's brows furrowed suddenly, and he asked, "Are you sending troops?"

"Both Wumu Mountain and Beikui Sect have lost a Golden Core cultivator, and the atmosphere is already quite tense. As the sect leader said, we should take precautions and do things in advance, which should not be wrong."

"So when should we send troops?"

“We can’t delay,” Ye Zhengwen suddenly paused, “It will begin after this sect competition.”

“Okay,” Jiang Qing replied in a low voice. The two of them stopped talking and just watched the arena in the training ground flicker with light.

P.S.: I'd like to recommend a new book by a fellow reader, a promising new work. I hope you can take a look. Thank you!

Rumors: Starting with Inheriting the Rouge Shop

Lin Mo woke up

She discovered that she had become the new manager of "Liuxiang Pavilion".

In the teahouse, people were gossiping about "the new manager of the rouge shop killing the old manager" and "the concubine of a salt merchant in the east of the city having an affair."

In Lin Mo's eyes, "all these discussions condensed into a crimson fragment."

At this moment, the rumors became concrete in Lin Mo's eyes.
(End of this chapter)