Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Daniu's Choice
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Holding the letter written by Yu Daniu, he felt a weight settle upon him as he read its contents.
Yun Yixuan, Yun Bufan's own cousin and an elder from the main family branch, had a success rate ten percent higher than Yu Daniu's.
To ensure he could successfully establish his Foundation...
The Yun Clan had not only employed a second-tier, high-grade Spirit Gathering Formation but had also fully activated Mirror Moon Market City's large-scale, second-tier defensive formation.
They wanted to prevent Yun Yixuan from suffering any external disturbances during his breakthrough.
The Yun Clan Ancestor and Yun Bufan had both come out of seclusion to personally guard him.
The result, however, was disappointing.
He failed.
A swift and decisive failure.
Half an incense stick's time after beginning his attempt at Foundation Establishment, his sea of qi exploded, and his dantian shattered, killing him.
"I was wrong."
Chen Jianghe looked at the letter's contents, realizing now how ridiculous his previous thoughts had been.
If the total success rate for Foundation Establishment is one hundred percent...
...then the five necessary conditions each account for twenty percent.
Three-element True Spirit Root + Body Tempering Perfection + Spirit Perfection + a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill + a second-tier, high-grade spirit vein.
The Three-element True Spirit Root was non-negotiable.
This meant that a five-element Miscellaneous Spirit Root and a four-element Pseudo Spirit Root couldn't be counted as ten percent; they had to be counted as zero.
In other words.
Yun Yixuan's success rate was only twenty percent, and that was solely because of the second-tier, high-grade Spirit Gathering Formation.
As for the other conditions for Foundation Establishment, he met none of them.
Previously, Chen Jianghe had laughably thought that a five-element Miscellaneous Spirit Root or a four-element Pseudo Spirit Root could count for ten percent of the conditions.
"Yun Bufan's success rate when he attempted Foundation Establishment must have been over seventy percent."
Yun Bufan's talent was a Three-element True Spirit Root, which gave him a base success rate of twenty percent.
Add to that a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, and the spiritual qi vortex condensed by the second-tier, high-grade Spirit Gathering Formation, which was equivalent to a second-tier, high-grade spirit vein.
If either his body tempering or his spirit was at perfection, Yun Bufan's success rate at the time could have reached eighty percent.
No wonder the Yun Clan Ancestor called Yun Bufan a prodigy.
Chen Jianghe continued reading the letter.
After Yun Yixuan's failure to establish his Foundation, the main family branch suffered a great blow, and Yun Huizhen's branch gained direct control over two more small cultivation towns.
The Yun Clan's decision-making council was now down to five people: the Clan Head Yun Xiaotian, and four elders, including Yun Xiaogan and his son-in-law.
As for the Yun Clan Ancestor and Yun Bufan, the two Grand Elders, they could not directly interfere in the clan's affairs.
If they did interfere, it would signify that the Yun Clan was facing a major crisis.
They could then directly decide everything for the Yun Clan.
There was another reason they couldn't directly interfere.
Yun Bufan was the Clan Head's son and would certainly side with the main family branch.
But the Yun Clan Ancestor was different. Yun Xiaotian, Yun Xiaogan, and the other two elders were all his direct descendants.
He could only watch, not intervene.
Witnessing the consequences of Yun Yixuan's failure, Yu Daniu became hesitant.
His success rate was even lower. Because he had used a Calamity Dispelling Pill to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining, his Foundation Establishment success rate had to be reduced by another ten percent.
That left him with only a ten percent chance of success.
If he failed, Yun Huizhen's branch would have to relinquish control of at least eight small cultivation towns from everything they managed.
Failing at Foundation Establishment meant not only the loss of one's life but also the resources the clan had already invested.
Nurturing someone from nothing to the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining required a vast amount of resources.
The Yun Clan had already exhausted all its reserves to establish Mirror Moon Market City; otherwise, the clan wouldn't be left with only four elders.
"The Clan Head, Yun Xiaotian, doesn't support it. The Great Elder, Yun Xiaogan, doesn't support it. Even Yun Huizhen and Yun Xiaoniu don't support it."
"Combined with Daniu's own success rate, he'll likely give up on the idea of Foundation Establishment."
"A Qi Refining cultivator has a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. He's only just past the halfway mark. By staying alive, Daniu can better secure resources for Xiaoniu."
Chen Jianghe mused to himself.
Yu Daniu's chances at Foundation Establishment were slim, but Yun Xiaoniu had great potential.
As long as his body tempering reached perfection, he would have a forty percent chance of successful Foundation Establishment in the future.
By then, Yu Daniu's influence within the Yun Clan would be greater, and Mirror Moon Market City would be even more prosperous.
It might not be impossible to scheme for a Foundation Establishment Pill for Yun Xiaoniu.
After finishing Yu Daniu's letter, Chen Jianghe prepared to write a reply, urging him to think twice and consider his options carefully.
Before, he had no way to persuade him.
Now that Foundation Establishment seemed hopeless, he could finally write back.
But just then, the post box in the courtyard flashed faintly. Another letter had arrived.
He had Maoqiu fetch the letter.
It was another letter from Yu Daniu.
Two letters in a row. This puzzled Chen Jianghe. He quickly opened it and a smile spread across his face.
The contents of this letter were much simpler.
It expressed a single idea.
Yu Daniu had come to terms with it. He would no longer pursue the illusory immortal path, nor would he risk it all for a mere ten percent chance at Foundation Establishment.
He had a wife who respected him and five children.
This life was enough.
Besides, he still had sixty years of life left, enough to see Yun Xiaoniu establish his Foundation in the future.
It was clear that Yu Daniu had placed his hopes for Foundation Establishment onto Yun Xiaoniu. For the rest of his life, he had only one thing to focus on.
A warm home with his wife and children.
Chen Jianghe was very happy that Yu Daniu had come to this conclusion. He immediately wrote a reply, praising his clear and enlightened state of mind.
He wished him a future filled with children and grandchildren.
He also wrote some words expressing his high hopes for Yun Xiaoniu.
Then he went straight out, telling Xiao Hei and Maoqiu to hide in the pond first, while he opened the courtyard gate.
He placed the letter in the post box and immediately returned to the courtyard.
He hung the 'In Seclusion' sign.
With Yu Daniu's Foundation Establishment matter settled, he could now enter seclusion with peace of mind.
Hearing the courtyard gate close, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu both leaped out of the pond and resumed their work.
Under Xiao Hei's pressure, Maoqiu had made great progress in cleaning the demon beast pelts.
His use of water-type spells to rinse the pelts had become much gentler.
Moreover, he had started using a slurry bucket to control the spirit blood.
It was clear that both spirit beasts were very serious about their tasks.
Chen Jianghe didn't disturb them. He went directly back to his room and began his secluded cultivation, which included drawing talismans.
During this period, his mind had been in turmoil, and he couldn't calm down, which had slowed the improvement of his talisman-crafting skills.
Now, things were settled, and he could focus on drawing talismans with a calm heart.
Time flew by, the years slipped away.
Before he knew it, New Year's Eve had arrived again.
Chen Jianghe slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath of turbid air, and felt the medicinal power in his Shenque acupoint deplete.
The progress of purifying his spiritual power had indeed slowed down a lot.
Even with a superior cultivation art like the Myriad Waters True Scripture, he still needed the assistance of True Spirit Pills to quickly liquefy his spiritual power.
"Two True Spirit Pills a year, with no other immortal materials or spiritual objects to assist... I'm afraid it will still take another five years to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining."
After reaching the eighth level of Qi Refining, he could clearly feel his cultivation improving with almost every passing period.
Purifying his spiritual power, causing it to rapidly liquefy.
Over the past few months, he could clearly feel that the mass of spiritual power in his dantian had shrunk by another circle.
If he had enough spirit stones, besides True Spirit Pills, he could also purchase some spiritual materials and objects to accelerate the liquefaction of his spiritual power.
But such immortal materials and spiritual objects were very expensive.
It was difficult for anyone but a cultivation clan to afford them.
Back then, it was with the help of immortal materials and spiritual objects purchased by the Yun Clan that Yu Daniu was able to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining in just three short years.
It then took him another three years to reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
This showed just how great a cost a cultivation clan had to bear to nurture a ninth-level Qi Refining elder.
Naturally, the clan didn't want elders with low chances of success to attempt Foundation Establishment, because their cultivation was built on a pile of spirit stones.
They couldn't afford the loss!
Then, Chen Jianghe got up and walked out into the courtyard.
The remaining demon beast had also been processed by Xiao Hei and Maoqiu. Its flesh, organs, and heart marrow had been eaten and refined by Maoqiu.
The spirit core had been swallowed by Xiao Hei.
He put the pelt, beast claws, beast fangs, and spirit blood into his storage bag, then had both Xiao Hei and Maoqiu enter the spirit beast space.
The five-year period was up.
He had to hurry to the housing agency to renew his lease; otherwise, he would be kicked out of Courtyard 512.
After arriving at the housing agency, he waited in line for about fifteen minutes.
He renewed the lease for ten years.
The total cost was eighty spirit stones.
Then, he went to the Beast Taming Workshop to sell the demon beast parts.
The beast claws, fangs, and spirit blood were all bought back at the normal market price, earning him a total of three spirit stones.
As for the pelt, it was still a flat price: one spirit stone.
After all, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were just starting out, and pelt processing was a very complex and strict task.
Getting one spirit stone was already good.
That demon beast cost twenty-three spirit stones. Selling some of its parts got him four spirit stones, which meant he had effectively spent nineteen spirit stones to purchase it.
This was already very good.
One must remember that the most valuable parts of the demon beast—the spirit core, flesh, and heart marrow—had all been eaten by Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
After finishing these tasks, he hurried back home.
He continued to draw talismans.
He didn't dare to waste a single moment now.
This wasn't time; it was clearly spirit stones.
In the tenth month, Yu Daniu sent a letter, inviting Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao to Mirror Moon Market City to attend Yun Wuniu's wedding.
Chen Jianghe politely declined.
He reckoned Gao Peiyao probably didn't go either.
However, he did send a congratulatory letter.
On the third day of the new year.
The knocker on the courtyard gate sounded.
Chen Jianghe went out, opened the gate, and saw Ruan Tieniu with a joyful expression, looking like he'd had a fruitful harvest.
"Brother Chen, inside here are four second-grade, low-tier bloodline demon beasts. Two are late-stage first-tier, and two are mid-stage first-tier."
Ruan Tieniu handed his storage bag to Chen Jianghe and wiped his spiritual sense imprint off it.
Obviously, this was being left with Chen Jianghe as collateral.
"Thank you, Brother Ruan."
Chen Jianghe swept his spiritual sense over it and saw the four demon beasts inside the storage bag. He then took out all the talismans he had drawn over the past year.
There were thirty-five mid-grade protection talismans in total.
This was three more than the year before last, a clear sign that his talisman skills had improved, his spiritual power was purer, and he could draw more talismans.
"Thirty-five mid-grade protection talismans!"
Ruan Tieniu counted them and said with some embarrassment, "The value of my storage bag and the demon beasts is still eight spirit stones short of your talismans, brother."
"It's fine, Brother Ruan. Just go ahead."
Chen Jianghe said with a chuckle.
He really wasn't afraid that Ruan Tieniu would run off over eight spirit stones.
If he really did run, he would lose his channel for buying discounted spirit pills.
He should know which was more important.
Besides, a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator wouldn't be so poor as to flee with the "huge sum" of eight spirit stones.
After watching Ruan Tieniu leave.
He returned to the courtyard with Ruan Tieniu's storage bag and placed all four demon beasts by the pond.
Two late-stage, first-tier Flame Foxes, and two mid-stage, first-tier Wind Wolves.
All were second-grade, low-tier bloodline demon beasts.
It seemed that even demon beast hunters picked on the weak and feared the strong when choosing their targets.
The combat power of a second-grade, high-tier bloodline demon beast was significantly higher than that of a low-tier one.
The most crucial point was that their selling prices weren't that different.
Naturally, hunters wouldn't risk injury to hunt a second-grade, high-tier bloodline demon beast.
"Xiao Hei, does skinning these demon beasts put any psychological pressure on you?"
Chen Jianghe asked curiously.
If it were a cultivator, they might feel a sense of kinship in sorrow.
"I want to eat them."
"Uh... pretend I didn't ask."
Chen Jianghe felt snubbed.
The cultivation methods of spirit beasts and cultivators were different. In particular, spirit beasts and demon beasts had gradually evolved into two distinct categories.
Furthermore, they improved their cultivation by devouring heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and their own kind.
How could they possibly have any thoughts of kinship in sorrow?
After about an hour, Ruan Tieniu returned.
He handed Chen Jianghe two hundred and twenty spirit stones and fifty grains of spirit sand.
Chen Jianghe had Ruan Tieniu calculate the price of the demon beasts.
The two late-stage, first-tier Flame Foxes were worth forty-six spirit stones.
The two mid-stage, first-tier Wind Wolves were worth sixteen spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe gave Ruan Tieniu another sixty-two spirit stones.
After the transaction was complete, Chen Jianghe went to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to buy two True Spirit Pills, five sheets of Black Dolphin Skin, and five boxes of spirit ink.
He spent one hundred spirit stones.
The profit from drawing mid-grade talismans was higher, but the cost was also higher.
When drawing low-grade talismans, he could make a net profit of about one hundred and ten spirit stones a year.
Now, the mid-grade protection talismans he drew in a year could be sold for two hundred and twenty spirit stones.
But the cost was nearly sixty-five spirit stones.
All told, his annual net profit was only one hundred and fifty-five spirit stones.
Compared to drawing low-grade talismans, this was only a forty percent increase in profit.
Far from double.
However, once he started drawing mid-grade Five Elements Escape Talismans, his income should see a new increase.
Now, he was left with only one hundred and five spirit stones and five grains of spirit sand.
But he had paid eighty spirit stones for ten years of rent on his courtyard.
He wouldn't have to think about rent for the next ten years.
He still had five jars of Fasting Pills.
He had fewer spirit stones, but more resources.
Besides, after these four demon beasts were processed by Xiao Hei and Maoqiu, they should fetch another ten-plus spirit stones.
"Xiao Hei, when you have Maoqiu process the pelts, be a bit more careful. Have him practice on the mid-stage first-tier Wind Wolves first. And... you can't always resort to violence. You need to provide proper guidance."
"Why don't you do it?"
The first part of the sentence was fine, but the latter part didn't sit well.
Hearing Chen Jianghe's objection to his method of supervising Maoqiu, Xiao Hei spread his claws and narrowed his beady eyes.
"Hehe~ Just a suggestion, don't take it seriously. You're the expert in this area."
Chen Jianghe gave Xiao Hei a thumbs-up and quickly retreated to his room.
It was a joke. He had zero patience for that kind of delicate work. No wonder it was always the female family members who scrambled for the support positions at the Beast Taming Workshop.
Male cultivators really weren't suited for this kind of work.
What he needed to do was increase his success rate for mid-grade protection talismans to forty percent this year, and then attempt to draw mid-grade Five Elements Escape Talismans.
A moment later, both the room and the courtyard became busy, with each party working without disturbing the other.