Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 505 After Core Formation (Part 1)

The golden core inside the dantian was covered with a layer of jade color, which was the last trace left by the Jade Leaf Dao Foundation.

The flames surrounding the Golden Elixir were indeed more intense than those described in ancient texts. This might be the last vestige of the legacy left behind by Master Kang after being nurtured by Master Yin Shan.

"As a Golden Core cultivator, I will be the first Golden Core cultivator in the Chongming Sect in over two hundred years since its founding by Patriarch Zhang Yuandao." Kang Dabao felt an indescribable joy, as if his title as the patriarch of the sect's revival had become even more prestigious.

However, the fact that one has formed a high-grade Golden Core, thus steadily progressing to the Nascent Soul stage and potentially reaching the Divine Transformation stage, would be quite astonishing if it were to be told.

The Kuang family clan spent countless efforts and resources, spanning several generations, to finally produce Kuang Liuting, their sole heir. If the head of the Kang clan, who rose from humble beginnings in the border region, could also achieve such success, then they would truly be at the center of a storm.

At that time, it seems that a family like the Fei family of Yingzhou would not be able to provide protection, or we would have to see what the Kuang family plans to do.

If the Kuang family doesn't care, and it truly arouses the curiosity of all the immortals in the world, then it would be perfectly normal for Kang Dabao to be taken away and examined like a rare and precious treasure.

With a mere thought, the jade-like radiance on the surface of the Golden Core gradually seeped in, and the Tai Chi double fish chasing each other's tails on the core dimmed and slowly turned into a colorless glass-like state, which is one of the external manifestations of a mid-grade Golden Core.

"Phew, thankfully this skill still exists." Kang Dabao's face was full of relief. Although a mid-grade Golden Core was quite impressive, if one was lucky, a few Nascent Soul cultivators could still emerge every few hundred years.

In fact, given his pragmatic and down-to-earth nature, even if he were to fake the Golden Elixir as a low-grade, turbid, and concealed form, it would still be acceptable.

However, considering the extensive training and support the Fei family had provided, he couldn't help but hesitate. After all, the books that Fei Dongwen had presented on behalf of the Fei family were truly "valuable."

Whether it's "Nine Tribulations Seed the Dao," "The Yin-Yang Transformation Ascend to Truth," or those towering stacks of Golden Core manuals, they certainly provided considerable assistance to Headmaster Kang in achieving a superior Golden Core.

Therefore, upon reaching this point, Master Kang made up his mind and presented himself as a mid-grade cultivator.

Once this news spreads, Headmaster Kang will surely become a prominent figure both within and outside the sect. Even within the renowned Fei family of Yingzhou, he will hold a pivotal position.

Just by looking at how Fei Nanying has already become the next patriarch of the Fei family after achieving the mid-grade Golden Core, one can foresee what Kang Dabao's future status will be.

Indeed, this was the case. After Master Kang emerged from seclusion, Fei Dongwen, who was guarding outside Shuyu Pavilion, was immediately filled with surprise upon seeing the quality of the pills.

Having cultivated his Golden Core for many years, Fei Dongwen quickly regained his composure, his face returning to its usual warm and gentle expression. However, when he spoke, his tone naturally lacked some of his usual casualness and instead carried a more egalitarian air:

"Congratulations, Mr. Kang! Your two ancestors will be overjoyed when they find out."

"I thank Elder Zong for his teachings and protection. The 'Yin Yang Yao Bian Deng Zhen Ce' is indeed a superior method for condensing pills. After reading the painstaking notes of all my predecessors, I was able to achieve a medium-grade pill. I am fortunate that I have not failed the trust of my elders."

Seeing that Headmaster Kang's actions and words remained respectful as always, Fei Dongwen's joy deepened. The two exchanged a few words with Fei Shuhe and her two children, who were still anxiously waiting in Qianzhu Courtyard, before hurrying to the outside of Baodan Platform.

As usual, grass puppets greeted them at the entrance of the cave. However, Fei Dongwen was in a hurry this time and did not let the grass puppets lead the way as usual. Instead, he led the Grand Master Kang to the place where the two elders of the Fei family were cultivating.

Their actions did not escape the notice of Fei Yeqing and Fei Tianqin. Before the two could get close, the former put on a slight smile: "Well? Brother, didn't I tell you this boy might have some good fortune?!"

Both the man and the bird were very experienced. Judging from Fei Dongwen's actions, who was always prudent and ranked high among the Fei family's cultivators, Kang Dabao's newly formed elixir body was definitely not a murky and hidden form.

Fei Tianqin's eyes revealed a complex expression, his gaze unreadable, neither worried nor happy. He did not speak, but instead probed Kang Dabao and the other man with his divine sense.

"Haha, congratulations, Master Kang." Fei Yeyi's smile was undisguised. His cultivation was much stronger than Fei Dongwen's. He could tell from just a glance that Master Kang's Golden Core was indeed of the middle grade.

This was a stroke of good fortune befitting a high-ranking official and a rising star among the imperial family. It was another successful gamble, which naturally made Fei Yeyi very happy.

"When my brother and Nan Ying are in the future, things will be a little easier."

Even after reaching the Core Formation stage, Sect Leader Kang showed no arrogance in front of the two patriarchs of the Fei family. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I, Kang Dabao, will forever remember the great kindness of the two patriarchs in guiding me through life."

As usual, Fei Tianqin was tired of hearing those two words, but they were quite appropriate for Kang Dabao, who had just achieved the Golden Core stage. The old bird listlessly lifted his eyelids, and a rare look of weariness appeared in his sharp eyes.

After glancing at Fei Yeyi again and confirming that the latter's joy was genuine, Fei Tianqin carefully looked Kang Dazhang down and up for a while before finally managing to utter, "Not bad, not bad."

"Why does Ancestor Tianqin seem so aloof and distant today?!"

Not to mention Kang Dabao, even Fei Dongwen, an outsider, noticed something unusual in Fei Tianqin's reaction. However, the latter quickly dismissed this surprise and was instead drawn to what Fei Yeyi, who was sitting at the head of the table, was saying.

"Dongwen, write this down."

"Yes,"

"Firstly, I hereby issue this edict in my name: Fei Nanying, the head of the Sheshan Hall, has carried the hopes of the family and the entrustment of the clan elders, venturing far to open up new lands in foreign lands, abandoning his family and career to honor the imperial heir. Later, he achieved the middle-grade Golden Elixir and was granted a marquis title. He is a precious tree of the family and a pillar of the ancestral temple. In addition, he has the merit of having a discerning eye to recognize talent, and he deserves to be rewarded."

For the next sixty years, the annual stipends and stipends of the members of the Sheshan Hall will be elevated to the first rank, comparable to those of the Shangyu Hall. A special stipend of half a sixty-year period will be allocated for their journey to Yunjiao Prefecture, as a reward for their service. The Sheshan Hall will be awarded various fake jade tablets, which may be used to request funds for the clan's treasury.

Fei Dongwen had already figured it out when he put pen to paper: his ancestor was probably using the opportunity of the sect leader Kang forming a mid-grade golden core to pave the way for Fei Nanying to succeed him.

This wave of benefits is a real boon to the Sheshan Hall, which has been somewhat sluggish in recent years. However, there are differing opinions within the family regarding Fei Nanying's succession as head of the family.

After all, since the Fei family was established, the position of family head has always been held by a senior cultivator from Shangyutang. Now, Fei Yeyi, who has brought the Fei family to its peak, is also from Shangyutang. Therefore, even if Fei Nanying has achieved the middle grade of Dan and is recognized by two elders, the opposition is not small.

However, the heads of the other branches had nothing to say about Fei Yezhi's large allocation of funds to Sheshan Hall. Even though the Fei family of Yingzhou had relatives all over the twenty-seven provinces of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, no one had ever seen a family marry a mid-grade Golden Core cultivator.

It should be noted that when Fei Nanying first met Master Kang, the latter was merely a minor cultivator. Neither the title of Master Chongming nor the title of County Lieutenant of Pingrong were particularly valuable.

Despite the ridicule from outsiders, Fei Nanying insisted on marrying his precious niece to the Fei family of Yingzhou, thus securing a son-in-law with a mid-grade Golden Core level. Fei Nanying truly deserves the title of "discerning eye for talent."

Once this news spreads, it will naturally be hailed as a good story. It will also benefit the reputation of the Fei family in Yingzhou, perhaps even being compared to the Emperor's selection of talented individuals and the marriage of Princess Shen Lingfeng to the Silver Whip Prince Consort.

Fei Yesui could clearly see through Fei Dongwen's thoughts, but he ignored the latter's complicated feelings and then spoke:
"Secondly, the magistrates of the five counties of Qiao, Dan, Lu, Fu, and Zhen in the south of Yingzhou shall each select one person from a respectable family and six from impoverished households to relocate to Yunjiao Prefecture as a supplementary measure. Furthermore, the officials in charge of resettlement in each county should also focus on the relocation of immigrants, preferably those skilled in various arts. This matter shall be recorded in the annual performance evaluation, and those with excellent performance will be promoted."

Following Fei Yelei's lead, Fei Dongwen began writing, and in his heart, he also felt that this second point was indeed reasonable. After all, the dowry that Fei Shuhe brought back then was considered respectable by Emperor Chongming at the time, but now it seemed far from enough.

Therefore, by providing appropriate subsidies, Fei Shuhe's position as the principal wife can be further secured.

This is indeed something that respectable families often do, because marrying off a daughter is not selling her. What kind of despicable family would be unwilling to give more of their wealth and instead be concerned about the wealth of their son-in-law's family?

Once they landed, regardless of whether they were from respectable families or impoverished households who had been governed and protected by the Fei family for generations, or rogue cultivators recruited by the relocation commissioners of various counties in Yingzhou, they would naturally be very close to the noblewoman of the Fei family. The husband and wife were essentially one, and what was given to Fei Shuhe was also given to Headmaster Kang. Moreover, the strength of these families could also provide some support for Fei Nanying's Sheshan Hall, and might even gain some favor with Kuang Liuting, who was lying low in Shannan Road.

Whether these families were willing to migrate from the fertile lands surrounding the capital to the impoverished and desolate border states was not a matter for the high-ranking cultivators present to ponder. After all, the hardships and dangers along the way were none of their concern.

Among the elders of the Fei family, Fei Dongwen was considered one of the kindest. So, as he was putting down his pen, he felt a little sad for these unfortunate people who would suffer in the future, and then immediately picked up his pen again to write as Fei Yeyi spoke.

"Thirdly, we will advertise in the name of the Fei family of Yingzhou to all parties, clearly stating that my son-in-law has achieved immortality today, without any concealment."

After Fei Yeyi finished speaking, he asked again, which was quite unusual for him: "Have you remembered everything clearly?"

"I have remembered everything clearly, Ancestor."

“Good,” Fei Ye nodded, his face full of satisfaction. He beckoned Kang Dabao to his side, took a gold talisman from his python-patterned jade belt, and handed it to the latter.
"Let Dongwen take you to the Fei family's treasury with my order. It contains the Fei family's accumulated wealth over thousands of years. You may take anything you desire today, and all good deeds will come from me."

Before Sect Leader Kang could even feel the golden talisman burning his hand, Fei Dongwen had already sighed inwardly, "My two ancestors are both incredibly generous."

The elder of the Fei family looked at the head of the sect with barely concealed envy. The treatment the latter received today was something he had never dreamed of in his hundreds of years.

"Thank you, ancestor!"

Aside from expressing his gratitude, Headmaster Kang had no other words to say. He simply kept this great favor in his heart and followed Fei Dongwen to the Fei family's treasury.

After the two left the cave, the grass puppets standing on either side of the archway activated the dense spiritual restrictions surrounding them. At this moment, Fei Tianqin, who had remained silent except for the first four words, finally spoke again:

"My brother's mind is made up?!"

“I’m not even willing to take human pills, so why do you want me to refine a human as a catalyst, brother?!” Fei Yeyi said this with a rare hint of relief on his face.

Seeing the sadness in Fei Tianqin's eyes, he comforted him, saying, "It is not that I, your foolish brother, am trying to disappoint you, brother. According to our previous agreement, if this child's elixir is of medium quality, then this matter should be dropped."

"It's a pity. That Taoist Peng said the Crimson Universe Life-Extending Pill is excellent in every way, but the blood essence within it is extremely impure. To refine it to perfection, the best method is to use the essence blood of a high-level demon beast, the leader of scaled insects, to harmonize it."

This item is so rare that even the Wanbao Trading Company within the Great Wei Dynasty couldn't find it in a short time. When I asked the two princes, they both just smiled and didn't answer.

Fei Tianqin paused here, thinking about what he was about to say, and felt it was absurd: "They all pointed to the outer sea and claimed that there was only one place in the territory of David, which they were certain existed."

Although it wasn't the first time Fei Tianqin had mentioned this matter, Fei Yeqing still laughed out loud: "Haha, even if a True Monarch were to personally come and taste the essence of the Palace Master of Lanmeng, it would be difficult."

“I found half a dragon's essence and blood, and a fake Pan Yuan essence, and showed them to Taoist Peng. He said they were both unsuitable, as they were not pure enough. So there is only the second method left,”

The old bird's tone suddenly turned extremely serious when he got to this point: "Use the two aforementioned spiritual treasures as ingredients, and the pure spiritual golden elixir as a catalyst!"

Upon hearing this, Fei Yeyi's smile faded considerably, and she let out a soft sigh. Fei Tianqin, however, seemed oblivious to this and continued speaking:
"Leaving aside Kang's cultivation and comprehension for the time being, his essence and spiritual energy are indeed incomparable to ordinary characters. Our Juntian Bird Clan is born with spiritual eyes, and when it comes to the matter of the Burning Rhinoceros and Wen Qiao, we are certainly no less than the descendants of the Luan and Phoenix bloodlines."

"In my life, I've drunk the blood and marrow of the Demon General alongside the late Emperor and received the True Man's Heart Mercury from the current Emperor. I've seen quite a bit of the world. But when I first entered Yunjiao Prefecture, the moment I encountered Kang Dabao and saw the essence and spiritual energy emanating from his body, I immediately had the urge to consume him. This is enough to show that he is indeed the right person for me! After he formed his core, I examined him carefully, and he is certainly excellent!!"

Before Fei Ye could react, it casually yanked Peng Daoren out of a restriction and rolled him to the feet of a man and a bird.

"Master Peng!"

Peng Daoren was clearly tormented, yet he dared not show the slightest resentment. Instead, upon hearing Fei Tianqin call his name, he immediately knelt down with a deep bow and respectfully replied, "This junior is here!"

"Tell me, was what I just said right or wrong?!"

"Senior, you are learned and have a strong memory; you are sure to know exactly what I'm talking about!" Peng Daoren saw the meaning in Fei Tianqin's eyes and turned to Fei Yeqing, bowing and advising, "If you would allow me to give it a try, senior, I would have at least a 90% chance of success. It would be enough to help you extend your life by two cycles of sixty years, advance to the level of a True Person, and live for 1,500 years."

Upon hearing this, Fei Yisui's expression remained unchanged. He seemed reluctant to even glance at Peng Daoren, instead turning his back and softly smiling at Fei Tianqin:
"If I really did take the Human Pill as my brother thinks, it's hard to predict whether I can become an Infant. However, I might end up looking like this annoying little brat with the sea-eyed eyes."

After that, today they can consume the Blood Pill of Ten Thousand People, tomorrow they can use relatives and in-laws as bait, and the day after tomorrow they will surely devour my Fei family's sons and pave the road with their bones.

Fei Tianqin sighed again, as if recalling the terrifying scene Fei Yeyi had described, and then flapped his wings once more. Peng Daoren only managed to stammer, "Senior, please listen to me," before being swept up by a gust of wind and locked back into the restriction.

The Crimson Life-Sustaining Pill shot out from its thickest feather, and was immediately crushed into smoke by several gusts of wind as soon as it appeared.

Fei Tianqin's voice deepened again: "Since that's the case, I won't try to persuade you anymore. After some time, I will take Kang Dabao back to Shannan. I will also take this Taoist priest back with me so I can use him. Don't worry, brother, as long as I have a breath left, I will protect the Fei family for you."

However, after speaking, Fei Tianqin seemed to feel more relieved. He raised his eyelids and saw that Fei Yeyi's eyes were full of concern. The two of them smiled at the same time.

The previously quiet atmosphere inside the cave seemed to be suddenly dispelled by the laughter, giving Fei Tianqin a long-lost sense of joy.

However, at that moment, the grass puppet outside the cave handed over a silk scroll. Fei Yeyi scanned it with his divine sense, his face initially showing slight surprise, but he quickly calmed down.

Without any hesitation, Fei Tianqin flicked a feather across the silk scroll in Fei Yeqing's hand, his tone revealing surprise: "His Majesty actually knew that already?!"

The latter's tone was rather calm compared to the veteran's.

After pondering for a moment, Fei Yeyi finally spoke: "It's not surprising that someone in the family has been secretly communicating with members of the imperial clan. Since someone in the family knows, then His Majesty must know as well."

The Emperor's intention to use those of humble origins to break the shackles of sects and aristocratic families is already common knowledge. Today, with Kang Dabao's pill reaching a mid-grade level, it's no wonder he can't contain himself any longer.

Fei Tianqin agreed with this statement and nodded in approval: "So that's why we can't wait to summon Kang Dabao to the Xuanqiong Palace for an audience, so we can bestow favors upon him?!"

"It is natural that with such a background and such talent, one is untouched by those rebellious traitors and is devoted to the royal family. In the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, it has been more than four hundred years since one has emerged. The current emperor naturally hopes that another Shen Lingfeng will emerge soon."

After speaking, Fei Yeyi shook his head and chuckled. He burned the spirit scroll personally written by the emperor in his hand to ashes, then reached out and pointed to a straw puppet, saying softly:
"Tell Dongwen to take Kang Dabao to carefully select items from the treasury and not to be stingy. The Emperor's spending this time will certainly be substantial; we mustn't let him seduce my son-in-law as well."

Fei Yeyi turned around and sighed again at Fei Tianqin: "It's a pity that the current emperor is not Kuang Liuting. No matter how brilliant his political strategies and mental strength are, how can he win the hearts of the people with his own great power?"
If my family were to obtain another mid-grade Golden Elixir, our chances of maintaining our position would increase by three points. But what about the current emperor? This Great Wei realm is far more difficult to defend than our Fei family of Yingzhou.

Kuang Liuting may or may not be the one to break this deadlock. After all, to truly restore order to this land, a great figure like the founding emperor, capable of uprooting mountains and lifting tripods, is needed. Kuang Liuting, at present, is far from being that person.

(End of this chapter)