Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 136 The Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven is About to Open!

Feng Zhitao snorted at Ji Yuan's appearance, said nothing, and walked into the house on her own.

Ji Yuan couldn't figure out this senior's personality, so he had no choice but to hurry up and follow.

Feng Zhitao entered the room, and she seemed even more familiar with him than Ji Yuan.

He would stare blankly at this spot for a moment, then look at that spot in a daze.

Ji Yuan understood, because Feng Zhi Tao's appearance wasn't what it looked like here, but rather the path she had taken... She must have lived in this house for a very long time.

After looking at the front yard, the two went to the wall in the back yard.

Feng Zhitao looked at her own note, and then at the notes left by others, and murmured softly, "That old man is dead too."

"You're the fifth owner of this house since it was built," Feng Zhitao said, turning to Ji Yuan with a smile. "You should at least open your own island, shouldn't you?"

Opening the island also means laying the foundation.

Ji Yuan said with a wry smile, "Junior brother will do his best."

"snort."

After Feng Zhitao finished expressing her feelings, she emerged from her emotional state and returned to her previous lively self.

"I didn't realize you were so handsome and tidy. I thought your room would be as messy as my senior brothers'."

That's because there's a female corpse in my house who's specifically responsible for cleaning up after me... Ji Yuan recalled the time before he got Tu Yue in Zengtou City.

His house was a mess, especially when the pigsty and chicken coop were inside.

When I entered the room, there was a terrible stench.

Feng Zhitao led the way and showed Ji Yuan around his house. Finally, they arrived at the alchemy room in the front yard. "This is where I used to practice alchemy."

"Come on, what kind of pills do you plan to use to break through to the second-level alchemist? Refine a batch and let me see."

Feng Zhitao is ready to come and give Ji Yuan guidance.

"Water Spirit Pill".

Ji Yuan hurriedly said.

"Water Spirit Pill? That'll do, it's not difficult."

After Feng Zhitao finished speaking, she took a few steps back, clearing the space in the middle of the alchemy room.

Ji Yuan glanced at her discreetly, and seeing that she didn't seem to be faking it, he took out his superior-grade alchemy furnace, along with various medicinal herbs he had just bought, from his storage bag.

Feng Zhitao went up and checked it over.

"The alchemy furnace is good. You're someone who's willing to spend money. Let me tell you, we alchemists must be willing to spend money on our alchemy furnaces. A good alchemy furnace is half the battle."

"If you work harder, you can get a spirit-grade alchemy furnace. It will be engraved with various formations to assist in alchemy, making your pill refining process much more efficient."

"The medicinal herbs are alright. Let me tell you, a good batch of medicinal herbs is half the battle."

Feng Zhitao kept talking on and on.

Ji Yuan couldn't help but interject with a laugh: "Then according to what Senior Sister said, these two are halfway to success, so we alchemists don't need to do anything."

"How dare you talk back! You're asking for a beating!"

As Feng Zhitao spoke, she raised her right hand, as if she wanted to give Ji Yuan a flick on the forehead.

But when she raised her hand, she realized that Ji Yuan was much taller than her. If she didn't use her magic, he would probably have to jump up and hit her.

Her pretty face flushed red, and she glared at him, saying:

"Do I need to teach you anymore? Hurry up and start refining pills! Stop dawdling; you're clearly not cut out for anything important!"

This martial uncle looks so fierce... Never mind, as long as he can teach me alchemy and help me raise my alchemy skills to the second level, he's a good martial uncle.

Ji Yuan hurriedly stepped forward to process the medicinal herbs. After glancing out of the corner of his eye and seeing that Feng Zhitao seemed to be alright, he quietly opened the [Enlightenment Room].

The building's exterior cannot be opened; only the building's visual effects are enabled.

Moreover, after activating it, Phoenix Peach didn't feel anything.

Without the minimum living allowance, there would be no abnormality.

Furthermore, since comprehension is such an ethereal thing, it's even less likely that she would perceive it.

As Ji Yuan began processing the medicinal herbs, she followed and watched without saying a word or disturbing him. She simply watched him process the herbs, then watched him light the furnace, and then watched him "fuse," "remove impurities," and "form the elixir."

As expected, the attempt to create the elixir failed.

Sitting in front of the alchemy furnace, Ji Yuan looked at the broken dregs of the medicine, then looked up at Feng Zhitao and said with a helpless smile, "Senior Sister, look, that's how it is."

Feng Zhitao placed her left hand in front of her chest, supporting her right elbow, while her right hand gently caressed her smooth chin.

"There's nothing wrong with your alchemy technique. The reason you failed is that you didn't handle the medicinal properties of the various herbs properly. When you were fusing them, you needed to make sure the medicinal properties of the Water-Clearing Fruit were on top..."

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon their first move.

As soon as Feng Zhitao spoke, Ji Yuan knew what a second-tier high-grade alchemist was.

Her few words of guidance made Ji Yuan suddenly understand.

Just as Feng Zhitao finished explaining, and Ji Yuan was preparing to start another batch of pills to try... Feng Zhitao's eyes were somewhat hazy, as if she had thought of something.

Or rather, I've figured something out.

Her eyes gradually turned golden, and she froze in place.

Looking at her like this... Damn it, could she have had an epiphany?!

She was telling me about alchemy, but then she herself had an epiphany?

Is it because she is naturally talented, or is the effect of my Level 2 [Enlightenment Room] just too strong?

Ji Yuan glanced at the panel. If the Phoenix Peach was already trapped in a certain barrier, it would gain a 30% comprehension bonus. In that case, enlightenment seemed to be a matter of course.

The gold in her eyes grew even more intense, and then Ji Yuan felt a scorching heat permeating the air around him.

This senior sister is actually a fire magic cultivator?

Is he practicing fire magic at the Water Dragon Sect?

Surprised, Ji Yuan sensed the increasingly hot air around him and dared not stay in the room any longer.

This senior sister is a second-tier high-grade alchemist. Her cultivation level must be at least at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, or perhaps the late-Foundation Establishment stage?

Ji Yuan was unaware of this, and he quickly left the room, at which point the intense heat subsided considerably.

He looked back at the house, where the firelight grew even brighter... He wondered if she had broken through her cultivation level or comprehended some kind of magic.

Ji Yuan was unaware that he was eating peaches in the courtyard and waited for a full hour before the firelight inside the house dimmed.

He waited for nearly an hour before he saw Feng Zhitao emerge from the house.

Compared to before, she was now much more spirited, and the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"I never expected that I would be able to break through in this familiar place. It seems that this house is truly destined for me."

Ji Yuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Senior Sister! Congratulations!"

"It's just a minor breakthrough, nothing to congratulate."

Feng Zhitao couldn't suppress the smile on her lips, but she forced a nonchalant expression on her face and casually waved her hand.

Ji Yuan, being tactful, added another sentence.

"Senior sister's comprehension is truly the highest I've ever seen. I never expected that she would break through her own limitations just by giving me some pointers."

He said this very seriously.

Feng Zhitao was even happier after hearing this.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and refine the pills. You're fine, but I have things to do."

Having achieved his goal, Ji Yuan returned to the warm room and took out the alchemy furnace.

With Feng Zhitao's previous guidance, and her meticulous instruction throughout the entire alchemy process... the plan was successful.

Even though only two pills were successfully refined from one batch, it's still a success, isn't it?

Don't aim for many successes; just one successful attempt is enough to upgrade the [Alchemy Room].

With the elixir completed, Ji Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, senior sister."

Ji Yuan sincerely expressed his gratitude.

"What are you thanking me for? Your comprehension is pretty good too."

As they talked, Ji Yuan started another batch of pills. This time, he turned off the effect of the [Enlightenment Room] and turned on the effect of the [Alchemy Room].

Although a level 1 [Alchemy Room] only increases the success rate of second-tier pills by 5%, it's still an increase, isn't it?

Thus, Ji Yuan successfully obtained three coins quite naturally.

Seeing this, Feng Zhitao felt relieved.

After the two went out the door, Feng Zhitao said that she had to leave.

Ji Yuan picked a whole tree of summer peaches as a gift.

Feng Zhitao rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You take the peaches I grew and give them to me as a favor, and I have to say thank you, huh?"

Ji Yuan blushed, just about to offer some explanation.

"Alright, this is my communication talisman. If you encounter anything you can't handle within the sect in the future, you can contact me. But remember, you only have one chance; I'll only help you once. Also, don't cause any major trouble that I can't handle, otherwise, if I come back, I'll have to put the greater good before family!"

Feng Zhitao handed over a communication talisman, speaking with righteous indignation.

Ji Yuan promptly accepted it with both hands.

Whether or not to use it is one thing.

But since Feng Zhitao has given it to me, I must accept it.

In this way, just considering the communication talismans of Foundation Establishment cultivators... Li Changhe, Qinghe Island Master, plus the Phoenix Peach in front of him, he already has three.

This is the network of connections I have during the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Thank you, senior sister."

"Okay, I'm off now. I'll send you a message if I want to come back next time."

After Feng Zhitao finished speaking, she left with the summer peaches before Ji Yuan could reply.

Ji Yuan looked up at the fiery red light and couldn't help but feel a little happy. He hadn't expected that just randomly choosing a house would lead to this opportunity.

The opportunity to advance to the late-stage alchemist level was thanks to the luck in this room.

Now that I've advanced to the second-tier alchemist level, I still...

But no matter what, getting promoted is a good thing.

He brought up the panel and looked at the upgrade requirements for the Level 2 [Alchemy Room].

[Upgrade Requirements: 20 Medium-grade Spirit Stones, 3 Misty Hidden Poria Cocos, 5 Mysterious Water Serpent Grass, and successfully refine one Water Spirit Pill (Not yet achieved)]

The essential condition, Water Spirit Pill, has been met.

The rest should be enough with just spirit stones.

Even after emptying his pockets, including low-grade spirit stones, Ji Yuan only had 17 mid-grade spirit stones in total.

I can't even scrape together 20 yuan, let alone buy things like Misty Poria and Mysterious Water Snake Grass.

Damn it, I should have saved some up first.

But Ji Yuan never expected that breaking through to the second-level alchemist would be so smooth and seamless.

He had originally thought that it would probably take another month or two before he could return to Misty Island and collect another batch of spirit stones.

It seems we'll have to make do with what we have now.

How do I collect them?

Refining pills himself was too slow, so Ji Yuan decided to return to Misty Island and have the giant toad take him to hunt some second-tier demonic beasts.

It's a good time to get used to the many new magical artifacts and spiritual weapons I've acquired.

When the monsters are hunted, a demon core can be obtained and traded with Bai Piao. It's perfect!

Just as Ji Yuan was thinking about returning to Misty Island, he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Who?"

He subconsciously thought that Feng Zhitao had returned, but the sound coming from outside was not it.

"Fourth brother, you've emerged from seclusion?!"

Du Wanyi is back.

Ji Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly went to open the door.

Du Wanyi, standing at the door, was not much different from before, except that her temperament had changed slightly. She was no longer as weak as before, but had a more clean and neat feeling.

Her experiences in Qingye City during this period must have brought about some changes in her.

"Second sister, how did you know I was in seclusion?"

Ji Yuan asked with a smile.

"I heard it from Dong Qian. She said she went on a mission with you, and you were injured in it. Is that true? Are you better now?"

As soon as Du Wanyi entered the room, she nervously looked Ji Yuan up and down.

"It's alright, just a minor injury, nothing serious."

Given Dong Qian's steady personality, she must know what to say and what not to say, so Ji Yuan wasn't worried.

Du Wanyi felt relieved, then seemed to sense something, sniffed lightly, and frowned, saying, "Fourth Brother, have another female cultivator come here?"

Damn it, you have such a keen sense of smell...

Upon hearing Du Wanyi's words, Ji Yuan also noticed that Feng Zhitao had a strong peach blossom fragrance, but this fragrance was also mixed with a hint of sweetness.

"What female cultivator?"

Ji Yuan asked in confusion.

Du Wanyi sniffed again, "You smell like a female cultivator, not like you."

Ji Yuan: "..."

"You'll know where the fragrance comes from once you eat a peach."

Ji Yuan handed her a peach, which Du Wanyi took, sniffed, and then smiled broadly, relaxing. "This is the taste."

Seeing her like this, Ji Yuan thought to himself: No matter what Du Wanyi's intentions are towards me, it seems that I need to keep my distance from her and not get too close.

Given my situation, I can't get too close to anyone.

As for Daoist partners, they are not currently within Ji Yuan's considerations.

He hasn't even completed his foundation building; he's currently in dire need of his own survival, let alone becoming a Daoist partner with someone else.

After all, if this were to happen, he would indeed be able to enjoy a lot of wonderful things in life, but at the same time, he would also have to bear a lot of responsibilities, and he doesn't have that idea right now.

If that's the case, then we can only keep our distance.

"I haven't had a chance to congratulate my second sister on joining Shuiyitang yet."

Ji Yuan said with a smile.

This is the first time the two of them have met since Du Wanyi went to Shuiyitang.

"There's nothing to congratulate you on. Once you get there, there will be a lot of things to do. You'll be busy with this and that, and you'll have to squeeze out time for cultivation yourself."

Du Wanyi ate the peach in her hand and said helplessly.

The two talked and then went inside and sat down.

"That's perfect. Back in the Water Dragon Sect, you kept saying you were bored and had nothing to do."

These words drew even more criticism from Du Wanyi.

She was told what she needed to do in Qingye City, such as various guard duties. If any cultivators got into a fight, they would have to mediate as members of the Water Dragon Sect. That was alright, though; basically, as long as they went there, the rogue cultivators wouldn't dare to make a move.

If they make another move, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Water Dragon Sect in the city will teach them how to become ghosts.

Secondly, Du Wanyi also told Ji Yuan in detail about the shady businesses that could be exploited.

For example, they can earn a lot of income every time they go out on duty, because there are always some rogue cultivators who want them to turn a blind eye.

Besides that, I can also make some money when I collect rent each month.

Because those shops in good locations are intended to be rented out again, so we have to give them a little something in return.

Some people in less desirable locations who want to rent a better shop will also ask them for help.

At first, Du Wanyi was unclear about the ins and outs of this matter, such as what could be accepted and what could not, but fortunately, her colleagues would carefully explain it to her.

After all, their interests are intertwined, and if one of them makes a mistake, it could very well bring them all down.

So although they sometimes fight with each other, they still share some basic information.

Then there are the complicated colleague relationships, which Du Wanyi complained about even more. In short, in her opinion, none of her colleagues were good; they all had this or that problem.

Ji Yuan listened silently, gleaning the information he needed from the details she revealed.

For example, the battle over Liancheng Mountain has finally ended, and the three families have divided up the spirit stone mine.

For example, Qingye City holds an auction once a year, and it's quite large. Many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Water Dragon Sect participate in it.

There are even members of the Yuling Sect coming from the north.

After waiting for more than two hours, Du Wanyi finally finished complaining, picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp. A drop even slid from the corner of her mouth and flowed down her snow-white neck.

Ji Yuan glanced at her casually and only then noticed her collar.

Although Du Wanyi was still wearing the Water Dragon Sect's standard clothing on the surface, she was wearing a different high-grade protective robe underneath.

"It seems this Water Hall can really rake in quite a few spirit stones."

Ji Yuan muttered to himself, but didn't ask any more questions. Anyway, Du Wanyi would tell him what needed to be said, and asking about things that really couldn't be said would only make things awkward.

"Is the matter at Liancheng Mountain over? How was the final outcome determined?"

Ji Yuan asked curiously.

"The three families will divide it equally, and the extra portion will be used to stabilize the spiritual vein array and as a stipend for those stationed there."

"That's quite a lot!"

"Yes, so Liancheng Mountain is still a hot commodity. Everyone wants to go there and get a share of the pie. Foundation Establishment cultivators want to go, and many branches of the Water Dragon Sect also want to go."

As Du Wanyi spoke, Ya Jiu lowered her voice and whispered, "But most likely it will still fall on our Shui Yitang, because this external affairs are our responsibility."

"That's true."

Ji Yuan nodded and said with a smile, "Then Second Sister should try her best. If she goes to the Spirit Vein, she'll make a fortune."

"Even if they go, it's on a rotating basis; it's impossible for the same group of people to keep getting rich indefinitely."

Du Wanyi spoke casually, then glanced at Ji Yuan.

"Fourth brother, are you interested in our Shuiyitang?"

"If you want to come, I can introduce you. With your strength, you're sure to succeed if you want to come."

Ji Yuan had expected Du Wanyi to invite him; it would have been strange if she hadn't.

So he thought about it and politely declined, saying, "Let's forget it. You know my personality, Second Sister. I'm used to being carefree and don't like being tied down."

"Well... that's fine too. If you have any ideas, just let me know."

Du Wanyi was somewhat disappointed, but she didn't insist.

The two chatted for a while longer. Just as Du Wanyi was about to leave, they suddenly heard a resounding bell ringing through the sky. They looked at each other and immediately stood up.

The golden bell in the Ancestral Hall of the Water Dragon Sect always signifies a major event when it rings.

"when--"

"when--"

After three consecutive chimes, the bell stopped, and Ji Yuan felt a little relieved.

Three rings of the bell indicate that something important is about to be announced.

Immediately afterwards, a powerful voice resounded throughout the islands of the Water Dragon Sect.

"The Nine Netherworld Cave Heaven is about to open. All disciples may go to the nearest hall to learn about the details."

"The Nine Netherworld Grotto-Heaven, we've finally arrived..."

Du Wanyi turned to Ji Yuan, "Come on, Fourth Brother, let's go take a look!"

"good!"

(End of this chapter)