Longevity starts with choosing Hextech enhancement

Chapter 417 The Secret of the Perilous Land: Clear Dew Foundation Building Pill

Upon receiving the message, the old man of the Cai family practically ran all the way from his study to the door.

He personally took over the conflict.

They arranged for someone to take the beautiful lady and the little girl to the ancestral hall to wait.

He also stated, "I will now handle this matter and will make sure to clarify the whole story in front of our ancestors, giving you a fair and just resolution."

He then instructed his servants to summon all the heads of the various branches of the Cai family.

Furthermore, a specific time limit was set: "I must see everyone present at the ancestral hall within half an hour. Anyone who is late will be punished according to family rules!"

Done this.

Before Old Master Cai could speak, he dispersed the onlookers, including clansmen and independent cultivators.

Finally, he gave a barely perceptible nod to Xiao Chen in the crowd, but did not speak directly.

Instead, he went back to his study alone to wait.

The reason for not welcoming them in through the main gate is mainly because they are worried about the large number of people and distractions outside.

Before they parted ways last time, Xiao Chen had specifically reminded him of this point: to be mindful of his behavior in front of outsiders and avoid exposing himself.

He naturally had ways to enter the Cai family compound, including the study, without anyone noticing.

"Senior Xiao, I have failed to manage my household properly, and I am sorry to have made you laugh at me."

Upon meeting, Grandpa Cai immediately admitted his mistake: "Please rest assured, I will definitely deal with this seriously and rectify the family's conduct."

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "Let's not talk about that, let's get down to business."

"Tell me, has there been any news from Qingquan Paradise?"

Grandpa Cai shook his head: "We haven't received any letters yet."

"Should I send someone over there to inquire about the progress?"

Xiao Chen was a little disappointed upon hearing this.

Back then, True Lord Broken Gold said that it would take about six months to a year to customize a fully fused spiritual weapon.

Now that more than half a year has passed, it is theoretically possible that the forging has been completed.

However, since the Cai family has not received any notification, it means that the forging process of this magical artifact may be quite difficult, and therefore it is not yet finished.

It looks like it might take until the year is up.

However, on the other hand, slow and steady wins the race, and good things come to those who wait.

Let's wait a little longer. Half a year has already passed, so a few more months won't make a difference.

As Xiao Chen came into more and more contact with other Nascent Soul True Monarchs, he gradually got used to using years and months to keep track of time.

Gradually, I started to not feel that a few months was a long time.

"I just saw the report about being trapped in a dangerous area."

Xiao Chen changed the subject and asked, "What exactly happened in this regard?"

"The information in those books was vague. How much do you know about this?"

To be honest, this is quite annoying.

Xiao Chen had already browsed through the Cai family's collection of books, so theoretically his understanding of this world should be better than that of most locals.

However, in reality, he feels that he still doesn't understand many things.

I even started to wonder if I had missed reading a portion of the content back then.

Or perhaps the Cai family has been hiding some of their ancient texts from the public.

Otherwise, why would he still not know something that even a member of a branch of the clan understands?

This is clearly not right!
"Senior, calm down!"

Old Master Cai broke out in a cold sweat and quickly explained, "There are many things in this area that even the clan doesn't know much about."

"Therefore, it was not included in the family's collection of books, which is why it is missing."

"It was absolutely not something we intentionally concealed."

After explaining the reasons, Grandpa Cai gave a heads-up: "I don't know much about dangerous places either, and most of what I know is hearsay from old friends."

"It is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and there may be some inaccuracies."

"If you wish to obtain definite information, please allow this old man to write to some old friends for advice."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately waved his hand: "No need for that trouble."

"Just tell me what you know."

Writing letters is far too slow.

He decided to listen to the rumors first before considering whether he should conduct an in-depth investigation himself.

Only then did Grandpa Cai report with relief: "I have heard that the various dangerous places have existed for a long time, but most of them are located in extremely remote and barren areas."

"Not only is it fraught with danger, but there are also almost no spiritual objects inside."

"Due to the great distances, even some of the relatively nearby dangerous areas require several years of travel by airship to reach."

"Therefore, it is rarely circulated or discussed here."

Ok?
This isn't right.

Xiao Chen was a little puzzled. If this was such a place, why would someone from the Cai family go to such a dangerous place on their own initiative?

He didn't need to ask any further questions.

Grandpa Cai explained directly, "But it's quite a strange thing, actually."

"The more treacherous the place, the more likely it is to give birth to extraordinary and wondrous things in the most central and dangerous areas."

“Things like Blood Fiend Crystal, which is extremely ominous, or Ghost Infant Fruit or Heavenly Thunder Wood, which are extremely yin and extremely yang.”

“Even rare and precious treasures such as the Midnight Twin Lotus, Cliffside Cloud Mist Tea, Golden Thread Clay, and Millennium Snow Soul.”

"Therefore, some independent cultivators often venture into various dangerous places to take risks."

"Or some nearby forces might periodically organize people to go in and check the situation, and harvest spiritual items."

"The reason why my Cai clan members are involved is due to an old case."

At this point, Grandpa Cai sighed softly: "The situation within the clan has not been very optimistic since the early years."

"At that time, it was to exchange for the same key spiritual medicine with the Nagano Ying family, and to save some mid-grade spirit stones in reserve."

"The previous clan chief promised to send the clan's elite members to dangerous places to serve as repayment for the debt."

"But since we are going to explore deep into dangerous places, we will inevitably encounter dangers."

"Therefore, what happened at the door just now was most likely related to the seventh branch of the clan who disappeared after being sent there last time, and who is also my grand-nephew Cai Youzhu."

"Sigh~, that child actually does have some talent in cultivation."

"I originally planned to transfer to the ancestral home to be cultivated as a seed for the Golden Core if I could pass this trial, but I never expected that I would be gone forever."

After he said that, Xiao Chen understood much better.

Speaking of which, there's a saying in the Southern Regions that strange things are more likely to be born in perilous places.

On the contrary, ever since I went to the Eastern Region, I have never heard anything like that again.

Upon hearing a similar situation again, Xiao Chen felt a mix of nostalgia and contemplation.

It's unclear whether this phenomenon is related to the lack of spiritual energy on both sides.

Or perhaps it is related to the idea that yin gives rise to yang, or that after the worst comes the best?
In short, after understanding the general situation, he lost much of his interest.

This was because Xiao Chen had already become accustomed to listening to such stories of dangerous places as myths and legends when he was in the Southern Region.

It's not that there are no opportunities in dangerous places; these rumors are all hoaxes.

Rather, the probability of an ordinary cultivator encountering a rare item inside is so small that it's almost a scam.

In places where truly extraordinary items can be born, local sect cultivators often arrive early and set up camp there.

Any place that can be visited by independent practitioners or outsiders is either at the wrong time of year or has nothing at all.

"Oh, so that's what happened."

Xiao Chen nodded: "Since we've come this far, why don't you go and take care of things over there?"

Now that the important business has been discussed, we decided to let the other party take care of their family matters first.

Moreover, he noticed that there was a lot of family intelligence from the Cai family members on the desk in the study.

So he simply walked over and sat down at the desk, picked up a piece of intelligence, and prepared to delve deeper into the recent situation.

Although Xiao Chen had already inquired about it from Zhang Cunfu before.

However, changing your perspective can help you grasp things more accurately.

Old Master Cai's eyelids twitched as he looked at the intelligence being flipped through, but he didn't say anything.

He quietly left the study, turned around and went directly to the ancestral hall, where he adjudicated tonight's farce.

Actually, it's nothing new. The truth is that the two members of the seventh branch of the clan have been watching Cai Youzhu go out for several years without any news, and they are most likely to have died outside.

So they prepared to seize the sacred fields from the orphans and widows he left behind.

Similar incidents have occurred in various families.

As the clan leader, Old Master Cai was already used to it.

Such matters can range from minor to major, and are usually handled by several elderly members of the corresponding branch after the identity has been verified.

However, this time he skipped the process and gave the most severe punishment—the two masterminds were dragged out and beaten to death, and several accomplices who participated in the oppression and coercion had their cultivation crippled and were expelled from their families.

This actually goes beyond the scope of clan rules.

But precisely because of this, the older members of the clan, after exchanging bewildered glances, wisely remained silent.

For a moment, apart from the increasingly faint pleas for mercy from the person being dragged away, the ancestral hall was so quiet that the sound of candlelight could be heard.

Old Master Cai then took a look at the beautiful lady.

After thinking for a moment, he gestured for her to leave the little girl in the care of several elders in the clan, and then called her outside to give her some private instructions.

Then he took her back to the study to report back.

"Senior Xiao, everything has been taken care of."

Grandpa Cai briefly explained the situation and the outcome, then said, "Xiao Wan is grateful for the help she received from her seniors and said she wanted to come over to thank them in person."

"The old man took it upon himself to bring her along as well."

After saying that, he winked at the other person to come forward.

The young woman named Xiaowan was extremely unwilling, but she thought of the clan chief's earnest instructions and looked at his humble and respectful posture.

After a great internal struggle, I finally resigned myself to taking a few steps forward.

Then, he stammered, "This humble servant thanks you for your help, senior."

"I have no way to repay your great kindness and virtue. I only wish to serve you, my esteemed senior, with my humble and unassuming nature."

Ok?
She didn't seem like this kind of person before.

Xiao Chen sensed something was wrong, and when he looked up, he saw the other person's eyes, which were filled with a look of utter defiance.

She immediately realized that she was probably acting under the secret instructions of Old Man Cai.

So he simply comforted her, saying, "Since you have nothing to repay us with, don't force yourself."

“I’ve heard that your husband is quite talented, and I believe he will be able to return safely in the future.”

"Just wait until he comes back, tell him what happened today, and then have him come and help me with my work."

In reality, there's a high probability the other party won't be coming back, and Xiao Chen's implication was that if they can't come back, so be it.

If the other person really manages to escape death, then it means they are indeed a promising talent. We can send them to Chen Fan's side to lend a hand. With something like this happening today, we can trust them to be used in the future.

However, his push left Grandpa Cai somewhat bewildered.

If he didn't have his eye on anyone, why would a dignified True Lord bother with such a trivial matter?

Does this mean there are really good people in the world?

Given Mr. Cai's age and experience, he is more inclined to believe that human nature is inherently evil.

It's not really his fault, after all, resources are scarce in this world, which makes the competition among cultivators extremely fierce, and there are almost no good deeds in the outside world.

The woman named Xiao Wan was sent away.

As Xiao Chen continued to peruse the intelligence in his hand, he asked, "I suddenly remembered that there's something else I need to do here."

"It's nothing major, I just want to acquire a large quantity of Qinglu Foundation Building Pills."

"That's why I came to ask you if you have any connections?"

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Cai immediately frowned.

After mentally counting the pills, he replied, "If you need them urgently, senior, this old man should be able to gather about one hundred Qinglu Foundation Building Pills by the end of the month."

"If the timeframe could be extended by a few months."

"By the end of the year, we should be able to gather another forty or fifty."

How many?

Xiao Chen's lips twitched when he heard the number.

With only a hundred or so Foundation Establishment Pills, you can only earn a few spirit stones at most.
If that's all there is, it's not worth the trip.

"That's so little, then let's forget about it."

Xiao Chen then asked, "Well, go ask the alchemists in the clan what the specific formula for the Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill is?"

"Then just bring the prescription."

Considering that the Foundation Establishment Pill is a second-tier pill, Xiao Chen felt that it was more convenient and faster to refine it himself.

Or, after obtaining the pill formula, he could find a few reliable second-tier alchemists to contract it out.

Unfortunately, his plan failed before it even began.

Because the Cai family simply did not have the recipe for the Qinglu Foundation Building Pill.

"Not even a second-tier pill formula?"

Xiao Chen asked with a hint of doubt, "Did your family really have a Nascent Soul cultivator in your family?"

This is not how a large family should behave.

"Please forgive me, senior."

Grandpa Cai gave a wry smile: "Most of the second-tier pill formulas are available within the clan, including the ancient Foundation Establishment Pill."

"However, new types of breakthrough pills like the Clear Dew Foundation Building Pill are indeed not included in this category."

"Since the emergence of the new breakthrough elixir, the relevant formula has been a closely guarded secret."

"It can only be produced in the Holy City and various blessed lands, and a batch is periodically distributed to the outside world for sale."

So strict?

When Xiao Chen first heard this, he felt it was a bit outrageous.

Is it really necessary to be so cautious about a mere second-tier pill?

But after thinking about the 90% success rate of the Foundation Establishment Pill, I suddenly felt that this made more sense.

You should know that breakthrough pills are a form of hard currency.

Such a powerful breakthrough elixir is highly sought after by everyone and is a treasure that is almost always in high demand.

If you control the relevant output, it's practically like controlling a treasure trove.

No, it's more than that.

Xiao Chen quickly realized that the key was to control powerful Foundation Establishment Pills like the Clear Dew Foundation Establishment Pill, which could indirectly affect the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators within the territory.

Its importance far surpasses that of ordinary Foundation Building Pills.

It is indeed worthwhile for the Guiyun Sect to keep a close watch on them.

But if I do that, wouldn't it mean I'd have to resell something else?
Just as Xiao Chen was considering whether to give up and switch to other spiritual items for resale...

Grandpa Cai mistakenly thought that he was not satisfied with the answer.

So he quickly stepped in to make amends, saying, "Actually, when I was young, I had some connections with Alchemist Zhao from the Guiyun Sect."

"Although we've grown a little distant these past two years because I've been busy with family affairs."

"But if we want to meet, it shouldn't be too difficult to buy some Qinglu Foundation Building Pills."

"If we can get some more from him, we should be able to gather two hundred by the end of the year."

Actually, this number is a bit of a stretch.

However, Old Master Cai had already decided that if it wasn't enough, he would break it up with other families, and eventually raising two hundred shouldn't be a problem.

If Xiao Chen really pressed him hard, he could try to find a few more on the black market or something similar.

Send someone to a nearby blessed land to buy a few seeds, including writing letters to some acquaintances to buy and sell at a higher price.

Theoretically, it is possible to reach 260, 270 or even 300 by the end of the year.

However, that would be too much pressure, so I certainly couldn't agree to that much right away.

However, upon hearing this, Xiao Chen suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

So he smiled slightly and asked directly, "What kind of person is that Alchemist Zhao?"

"If you visit him with gifts, could you ask him to give some pointers on alchemy to the younger members of your clan?"

what?
At first, Grandpa Cai didn't understand why Xiao Chen had suddenly changed his tune.

After listening, I finally understood.

So he quickly explained, "Senior, you may not know this, but Master Zhao's parents were both disciples of the Guiyun Sect, so he is a true and legitimate member of the Guiyun Sect."

"Although the old man had some acquaintance with him and could exchange a few words with him."

"But there is absolutely no possibility of bribing him to reveal the sect's secrets."

"Moreover, people like them don't easily leave this blessed land."

"Many alchemists from various sects will never even step outside the protective array of their mountain in their entire lives, leaving no opportunity for others to take advantage of them."

"If we want to see him, we can only do so by visiting him in the blessed land."

In fact, not only Guangjing Blessed Land, but other blessed lands are also in similar situations.

The sect's high-ranking talents are protected very strictly.

This is to prevent rebellious groups like the Rebellious Immortal Alliance from trying to buy things through kidnapping.

"Hey, what are you thinking?"

Xiao Chen smiled, offering no further explanation, and simply asked, "Of course I know they won't come out easily."

"But for example, if we are curious or admire them and want to stand by and observe them while they are refining pills, is that feasible?"

Let me explain it more clearly.

"Now, let's say I'm the one among the new generation of the Cai family who has the best talent in alchemy."

"You wanted to teach me the correct way of alchemy, so you took me to see that Alchemist Zhao."

"Then I would ask him if he would agree to let me watch him refine pills and learn the details of his techniques and steps."

what?
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Cai was completely stunned.

He could understand every single word Xiao Chen said.

But putting these words together makes things a little unclear.

If you connect this to the previous topic, you'll be even more confused.

Aren't we discussing how to purchase Qinglu Zhuji Dan right now?

Why did the conversation eventually turn into whether or not it's okay to watch others refine elixirs?
Grandpa Cai really couldn't understand whether there was any connection between the two.
But no matter how puzzled they are, the question still needs to be answered.

After thinking it over carefully, he replied, "Such matters should be decided by the alchemist himself."

"At the same time, that Alchemist Zhao is relatively easy to talk to compared to the others, otherwise the old man wouldn't have approached him back then."

"Therefore, if we can bring a generous gift, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"However, this gift must be substantial enough; it can't be something you can just buy anywhere."

"Moreover, the pills to be observed cannot be high-level spiritual pills that take a long time to produce."

"At most, only some third-tier spirit pills that are not particularly important will have a certain chance of success."

"If it involves key elixirs or secret techniques, the other party may become suspicious of us."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately felt relieved: "That's easy to arrange. Gifts are definitely not a problem. Besides, we don't need to look at high-grade spiritual pills. We just want to see the Clear Dew Foundation Building Pill once."

"This should be fine, right?"

"Help me think of a suitable excuse, and then say that I am a member of the Cai family."

"Let's set off as soon as possible and come back as soon as possible."

If they act quickly enough and get to the blessed land overnight...

There should still be enough time.

Grandpa Cai didn't understand what Xiao Chen was in such a hurry for, but he didn't dare to ask.

So he had no choice but to leave home under the stars and moon.

While rushing to the blessed land as quickly as possible, he carefully planned what to say after they met.

Actually, Grandpa Cai didn't want to be in such a hurry: "Senior, I think we should wait a couple of days before we talk about it."

"Let me inquire about Master Zhao's preferences over the past two years."

"Then we'll address the symptoms and cater to their preferences."

As the head of a large family, he was not used to the impulsive and whirlwind style of independent cultivators.

On the contrary, they are more accustomed to thinking things through before acting and making decisions before taking action.

However, Xiao Chen said, "There's no need for that. I'll take care of the gift."

He currently possesses several fourth-tier spiritual items that he doesn't need.

Any one of these items would be a generous gift, and you're absolutely certain the recipient won't like it.

This has nothing to do with personal preference, because fourth-tier spiritual items are inherently valuable.

Unless Xiao Chen is so unlucky as to accidentally send the other party the thing he hates most.

Thinking of this, he asked in advance while continuing on his way, "By the way, you should be able to tell that I am not a local of Zejing Blessed Land."

"What taboos should we be aware of when we meet Master Zhao later?"

Grandpa Cai did indeed see this, so he told him about several local customs and traditions one by one.

They also discussed the types of spirit objects.

Although the two slowed down their escape speed due to their discussion.

However, they still managed to arrive near the blessed land of Zejing just as the sun was rising in the east.

(End of this chapter)