Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 52: Foundation Establishment Pill in Hand

Although the Foundation Establishment Pill is a Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Pill, it is extremely difficult to refine. Even the Chen Family Ancestor, with his Tier Four Middle Grade alchemy skills, needs to be very cautious and takes nine days to complete the process.

When the nine days had passed and the Spirit Pills emerged from the furnace, Zhou Minghan and other Foundation Establishment cultivators, who had been waiting outside White Camel Peak, received an invitation from the Chen Family Ancestor to enter his cave dwelling on White Camel Peak.

"Welcome, fellow Daoists. This time, upon opening the furnace for alchemy, I am fortunate not to have failed the mission and successfully produced six pills!"

In the guest chamber of the cave dwelling, after Zhou Minghan and the others gathered, the Chen Family Ancestor did not say any superfluous words and directly addressed the matter everyone was most concerned about.

You could see that when the Chen Family Ancestor mentioned "producing six pills," the dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators who came to the meeting all showed great delight on their faces.

Everyone knows that the Foundation Establishment Pill is difficult to refine. In the past, when the Chen Family Ancestor opened the furnace to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, the number of pills formed was mostly four to five. This time, producing six pills is truly a great event worth celebrating.

"Congratulations to the Ancestor on greatly advancing your alchemy skills! Producing six pills at once is something only a Tier Four High-grade Alchemist can achieve. Even within the Yellow Sand Sect, there is only one such level alchemist. Ancestor, you truly are a genius, with the demeanor of a celestial being!"

Zhou Minghan’s face flashed with joy, and he was the first to react, quickly paying his respects and loudly congratulating the Chen Family Ancestor on the great advancement of his alchemy skills.

Hearing his words, others also snapped out of their delight, secretly cursing Zhou Minghan as cunning while quickly following suit in paying their respects and congratulations.

"Hehehe, Ming Han’s praise is exaggerated. I might have some confidence in my alchemy skills, but I don’t deserve such praise. Furthermore, if it weren’t for Ming Han’s successful sneak attack using an exotic treasure, weakening that Tier Four demon beast, some of us might have perished under its dying counterattack!"

The Chen Family Ancestor chuckled, verbally calling it exaggerated praise, yet revealing a pleased expression on his face. Evidently, Zhou Minghan’s flattery hit the mark for him.

As Zhou Minghan said, a Tier Four High-grade Alchemist, even within the Yellow Sand Sect, there is only one. In this Boundless Desert Sea, the status of such an alchemist is no less than an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator.

In his happiness, he also intentionally highlighted Zhou Minghan’s contributions, subtly implying that he hadn’t forgotten the previous promises made.

Indeed, hearing the Chen Family Ancestor’s words, Zhou Minghan naturally revealed a relaxed smile, while the other Foundation Establishment cultivators frowned, cursing Zhou Minghan for his luck, with feelings of both envy and jealousy.

"Alright, enough idle chat. According to the previous agreement, of the six Foundation Establishment Pills, our Chen Family will take half. As for the remaining three pills, the Zhou Family only needs to pay twenty thousand spirit stones to take one. The final two pills, if any of you want them, can bid for them by sending an offer talisman to me. Everything will be done according to the usual rules, and the highest bidder wins."

The Chen Family Ancestor swept his gaze over the variously expressing Foundation Establishment cultivators and plainly stated the distribution method.

With six pills produced, the Chen Family taking half means three, which, with good fortune, could just fill the positions of three Foundation Establishment cultivators lost on Golden Dawn Mountain. After much consideration, he decided it was best to abide by the agreement and distribute according to it.

"Great Ancestor, the Zhou Family is immensely grateful. Here are twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones, please verify them."

Zhou Minghan had been waiting for this moment, and as soon as the Chen Family Ancestor finished speaking, he excitedly took out a storage bag filled with spirit stones that he had prepared in advance and handed it over. Inside were the two thousand low-grade spirit stones, ready for the trade.

Under typical circumstances, the price of one Foundation Establishment Pill is around ten thousand spirit stones. However, in the Boundless Desert Sea, the situation is unique. As only a few individuals can refine Foundation Establishment Pills, it is common for the price to double or triple.

The Zhou Family needing only to pay twenty thousand spirit stones for a Foundation Establishment Pill this time is indeed a great bargain!

"Good, since you were well prepared in advance, this Foundation Establishment Pill is yours."

The Chen Family Ancestor scanned the storage bag Zhou Minghan handed over with his divine sense. After confirming the correct amount of spirit stones, with a wave of his sleeve, a jade bottle containing a Foundation Establishment Pill flew into Zhou Minghan’s hand.

"Thank you, Ancestor. This junior’s wish has been fulfilled, and I will take my leave now."

Holding the jade bottle with both hands, Zhou Minghan did not even glance at it before storing it in his storage bag. He then bid farewell, quickly leaving the cave dwelling under the envious and jealous glares of other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

As soon as he exited the Chen Family Ancestor’s cave dwelling, he immediately sent out a Sound Transmission Talisman to have Zhouyang come over to White Camel Peak. He then sought out a Zhou Family Foundation Establishment cultivator he was on good terms with, to prepare for Zhouyang to enter seclusion for Foundation Establishment in that cultivator’s cave dwelling.

Zhouyang also understood what day it was, so upon receiving the Sound Transmission Talisman from the old Clan Leader, Zhou Minghan, he immediately set off toward White Camel Peak.

When he arrived at the foot of White Camel Peak, he saw the old Clan Leader, Zhou Minghan, and an unfamiliar Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivator waiting there.

"Junior Brother Pingzhi, allow me to introduce to you, this is Zhou Yang, a descendant of our Zhou Family who is taking the Foundation Establishment Pill this time. Although he possesses a middle-grade spiritual root talent, he is quite gifted in cultivation, having reached the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation in his thirties, and is also a Tier Two Top Grade Artifact Refiner. My artifact refining skills will rely on him in the future."

Seeing Zhouyang arrive, the old Clan Leader, Zhou Minghan, smiled as he introduced his family junior to his friend in a blue Daoist robe. At the same time, he called out to Zhouyang, "Xiao Jiu, come over and pay your respects to Junior Brother Pingzhi. Treat him with as much respect as you would treat me; I’ve known Brother Pingzhi for over seventy years."

"Junior Zhouyang, greetings to Elder Chen, I hope Elder will look after me in the future."

Zhouyang respectfully bowed to the middle-aged daoist in a green robe named Chen Pingzhi, observing all the formalities.

Seeing this, Chen Pingzhi waved his hand, and a gentle force helped Zhouyang up. He then laughed softly, "Haha, I’ve known Brother Ming Han for nearly seventy years, but it’s rare to hear him praise a junior so, which shows how fond he is of you, young friend!"

He continued with a surprised look, "However, for young friend to be in the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Stage and able to advance the Artifact Refining Skill to Tier Two Top Grade at over thirty, such achievements are unparalleled even in the Chen Family among peers. No wonder Brother Ming Han humbled himself specially to ask me to ensure your smooth ascent to the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Minghan also spoke, "I must trouble Brother Pingzhi for this matter."

"Rest assured, Brother Ming Han, with our friendship of over seventy years, I certainly will help. Let’s go to my cave dwelling on the mountain."

Reminded of the benefits promised by Zhou Minghan, Chen Pingzhi immediately agreed with a smile, feeling warmed at heart.

Friendship needs nurturing; even though he and Zhou Minghan had been associates for seventy years and fought side by side many times, as the saying goes, even brothers calculate accounts clearly!

If Zhou Minghan hadn’t promised him a benefit, he might not have lent his cave dwelling to a Zhou Family junior for closed-door cultivation because, in a sense, one more Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Zhou Family could mean potential threat to the Chen Family.

As a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Chen Family, Chen Pingzhi naturally had a good location for his cave dwelling on White Camel Peak, where the spiritual energy was so dense that it formed a slight mist of spiritual qi.

Such rich spiritual energy land is not suitable for Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators because if they meditate and cultivate here, they are likely to injure their meridians due to excessive absorption of spiritual qi. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

However, for Zhouyang, whose cultivation had stalled at the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Stage, no matter how rich the spiritual qi was, he needed not absorb nor refine, thus he had no worries of injuring himself.

"Indeed, the Tier Four Spiritual Vein is extraordinary. Xiao Jiu, for you to establish Foundation here is certainly a significant opportunity. Once you successfully establish Foundation and undergo Spiritual Energy Infusion, utilizing the abundant spiritual qi here, you could save at least a year’s hard work!"

Even though Zhou Minghan was visiting Chen Pingzhi’s cave dwelling not for the first time, he couldn’t help but marvel at the cultivation environment again.

If he, too, could consistently cultivate on such rich spiritual vein, he would have broken into the Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment, or even Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment long ago, then given his age, there’s still a chance for him to reach the Purple Mansion Stage.

Unfortunately, Tier Four Spiritual Veins are scarce, not to mention those without Purple Mansion Stage cultivation cannot hold such spiritual lands even if they occupy it, so he can only envy.

Upon hearing his old friend’s words, Chen Pingzhi couldn’t help but reveal a proud expression. Truth be told, not only could small clans like the Zhou Family not allow all Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Yellow Sand Sect to open cave dwellings on Tier Four Spiritual Vein nodes.

Despite the numerous spiritual veins in the Yellow Sand Sect, every Tier Four Spiritual Vein is occupied by Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators. These cultivators occupying the spiritual veins would never allow other Foundation Establishment Cultivators to open cave dwellings at spiritual vein nodes unless they are their disciples or close friends, not even fellow sect members.

It’s only because families like the Chen Cultivation Clan all share the same bloodline that Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators would willingly share Tier Four Spiritual Veins with all clan Foundation Establishment Cultivators, supporting the clan juniors without charge.

However, pride aside, the necessary words must be spoken.

Seeing the proud expression disappear, Chen Pingzhi solemnly addressed the Zhou Family grandfather and grandson: "Brother Ming Han, young friend Zhouyang, let me say it in advance. This seclusion chamber in the cave dwelling can be temporarily lent to young friend Zhouyang for closed-door training, but Chen has set up array restrictions around other areas. Please do not trespass, or if anything happens, don’t blame Chen for not giving a prior reminder."

"Please rest assured, Elder Chen, this junior will only cultivate in the seclusion chamber and will go nowhere else."

Zhouyang, understanding the importance, immediately responded solemnly.

Zhou Minghan also nodded, "Rest assured, Brother Pingzhi, this old man can vouch for Xiao Jiu."

"Since both of you understand, then Chen will open the seclusion chamber."

With that, Chen Pingzhi formed a spell with his hands, and with a rumbling sound, the stone door of the seclusion chamber deep in the cave dwelling opened.

Seeing this, Zhou Minghan also raised his hand to hand the jade bottle containing the Foundation Establishment Pill to Zhouyang: "The Foundation Establishment Pill is in the jade bottle, Xiao Jiu, go inside; this old man will wait outside the cave dwelling with Brother Pingzhi for your good news."

"Please rest assured, great-grandfather, I will not disappoint you!"

Zhouyang tightly held the jade bottle, nodded vigorously, and walked steadily into the seclusion chamber.

"Alright, Brother Ming Han, let’s go too. With such an outstanding grandson, he is sure to successfully establish Foundation." Chen Pingzhi smiled slightly, then cast a spell to close the stone door of the seclusion chamber and led the worried Zhou Minghan out of the cave dwelling.