Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 221 Future Daoji
On the cinnabar dunes, blazing red fire rises.

Using a three-pronged approach, Jiang Chen gathered the spiritual herbs from the entire prefecture. It took some time, but he managed to collect enough ingredients to refine a batch of Xuanqiao Pills. One of the herbs was now extinct, but the Ding family had done extensive research on Xuanqiao Pills, so they found a substitute.

"After all this hard work, the most difficult part of refining the Profound Aperture Pill is finally over."

Sensing the changes in the medicinal properties within the alchemy furnace, Ding Buyu reached out and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

At the same time, the two Ding family alchemists who were assisting them also breathed a long sigh of relief. They were the third and fifth elders of the Ding family.

This batch of pills is of utmost importance. The entire Ding family has been working hard on it for some time now. If something goes wrong, the trouble will be immense. Although the Ding family hadn't made any absolute statements beforehand, given how much importance Frost Flood Dragon had shown, he would inevitably hold the Ding family accountable if the pill refining failed.

"Patriarch, once this hurdle is overcome, the next step is careful nurturing. As long as nothing goes wrong, there's a high probability of success."

With a look of delight on his face, the third elder of the Ding family spoke up.

Upon hearing this, the fifth elder of the Ding family nodded in agreement, while Ding Buyu remained silent.

"The elixir has not yet been produced, so we must not be careless. For the next period of time, you must keep a close eye on this place to prevent any problems from arising."

In a low voice, Ding Buyu solemnly gave a word of advice.

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder immediately bowed in agreement. In the Ding family, Ding Buyu still held considerable influence.

“Patriarch, that Frost Dragon has already reached the peak of Qi Refining. Although he has a demon under his command who has reached the peak of Qi Refining, he only took it in halfway. There is no need for him to spend so much energy on this demon, right? I feel that there is something strange about this.”

Seeing that Ding Buyu's expression had softened slightly, the Third Elder couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.

The Mysterious Aperture Pill is an ancient elixir that can help cultivators break through to the Qi Refining Perfection stage. The Ding family was naturally very interested in it and had previously spent a great deal of time researching it. However, the medicinal materials for refining this elixir were too complicated, and the Ding family spent a long time but still could not collect them all. Over time, they naturally gave up.

Otherwise, the Ding family would not have given away such a pill formula so easily. However, they never expected that the Frost Dragon would value this pill so much. Logically speaking, this pill should not be of much use to it, and there is no need to spend so much effort on it.

"Frost Dragon has its reasons for doing this, perhaps to cultivate a junior it values ​​or to exchange with others."

Turning around, Ding Buyu glanced at the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder, and said something seemingly casually.

Hearing this, the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder nodded, which did make sense. Just then, Ding Buyu spoke up again.

"Was that batch of Cold Essence Pills sent to Yanqiu?"

As if remembering something, Ding Buyu turned his gaze to the Third Elder standing on the left.

"Lord, it's been delivered, and as you instructed, the quantity was increased by thirty percent, but we..."

As he spoke, a hint of hesitation appeared on the Third Elder's face.

"Just say whatever you want to say."

Seeing the Third Elder's hesitation, Ding Buyu directly pointed it out.

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder no longer hesitated.

“Patriarch, we are already almost half-subservient to Frost Flood Dragon. We should certainly not neglect the offerings we are due to it. But Frost Flood Dragon is a demon after all. If we show too much respect, there may be trouble in the future.” “Especially since the Xuanjia Army will be arriving in Changfeng County soon, the winds in Changfeng County will probably change again. If our family gets too close to Frost Flood Dragon, it may bring disaster upon us.”

With a low voice, the Third Elder expressed his concerns.

Upon hearing this, Ding Buyu did not immediately answer the Third Elder.

"You think so too?"

With an unchanged expression, Ding Buyu turned his gaze to the Fifth Elder.

Seeing Ding Buyu like this, the Fifth Elder hesitated for a moment and then nodded. He did indeed have similar concerns. In fact, not only him, but the entire Ding family had some worries about this.

Ultimately, there is a natural barrier between humans and demons. If Frost Flood Dragon were a human cultivator, it wouldn't matter. It would be normal for the Ding family to serve him and befriend him. This is a common tactic used by the Ding family. But since it is a demon, the Ding family has many more things to consider.

“Your concerns are not unfounded. No one knows what the attitude of the Xuanjia Army will be after they arrive. Logically speaking, it is indeed not appropriate for us to get too close to the Frost Dragon.”

"But the Frost Dragon is not an ordinary Qi Refining Perfection cultivator; it already possesses some of the characteristics of a Dao Foundation cultivator."

"Although it is difficult to establish a foundation for the Dao, it is still possible given the talent shown by the Frost Dragon. I even suspect that it has already begun to refine spiritual treasures. Otherwise, it would not have caused snow to fall all over the sky that day. That is not a method that should be used for Qi Refining."

“Things are different now than they used to be. The Kingdom of Nan Jing is getting more and more chaotic. In the past, it was unimaginable for a prefect to be killed by rebels.”

"Under such circumstances, simply seeking stability will not protect the Ding family. This may be our only chance to establish a connection with a future Dao Foundation cultivator. Even if we take some risks, it is worth it."

With a soft sigh, Ding Buyu finished speaking and walked out of the alchemy room.

He understood the current situation better than anyone else, and he was also well aware that getting too close to Frost Flood Dragon could backfire. But he also knew that in this chaotic world, with the Ding family's capabilities, they needed to find a powerful patron to rely on if they wanted to ensure a stable continuation of their lineage.

The only awkward thing is that given the Ding family's current situation, ordinary forces cannot provide the protection they want, while the Ding family is not qualified to be a true Dao Foundation power. The appearance of the Frost Dragon just happened to give Ding Buyu an opportunity.

That is precisely why Ding Buyu has adopted his current stance.

Watching Ding Buyu's departing figure and pondering his words, the Third Elder and the Fifth Elder fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time.

Jiang Chen paid no attention to the Ding family's affairs; at this moment, he was wholeheartedly focused on his cultivation.

As he expected, after he killed Black King Kong and conquered Fengcao Valley, his reputation reached another peak, allowing him to gather spiritual energy even faster.

"The spiritual energy of the dragon pearl has been filled by 50%, and the speed is getting faster and faster. At this point, it is difficult for me to stop."

Within the secret realm, sensing the changes within himself, Jiang Chen slowly opened his eyes.

Compared to before, his aura is now much stronger, gradually inspiring awe in those who look up to him. This is a change brought about by the convergence of spiritual energy.

"With my current strength, if I were to face Huang Feng Sanren again, I could kill him on the spot."

Extending his dragon claws, Jiang Chen felt a surge of power within him, lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)