Chapter 165
Chapter 165
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Foundation Establishment Failure, Tieniu Returns Grievously Injured
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"That old scoundrel! He's gone too far! This turtle lord will fight him to the death!"
Xiao Hei erupted in fear, his words filled with a fierce and savage aura. His beady eyes glinted with the intent to kill.
"He's a late-stage Foundation Establishment master cultivator. He's slain more than one Tier 2 spirit beast," Chen Jianghe said with a frown.
"Hmph~"
Xiao Hei's ferocious aura dissipated. He snorted coldly, "When this turtle lord breaks through to Tier 3, then I'll fight him."
Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief internally.
Suddenly, Xiao Hei lowered his noble turtle head, looking down at Chen Jianghe with a moved expression. "Two-legs, you're really good to me."
"Of course. We're brothers," Chen Jianghe said sincerely, every word filled with affection for Xiao Hei.
"But don't use that kind of escape art so easily in the future. I have the [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape] to get you away."
Xiao Hei instructed solemnly, his beady eyes full of seriousness.
"Don't worry, I will."
Chen Jianghe readily agreed.
Afterward, Chen Jianghe returned to his room and sat cross-legged on his bed, a terrifying thought surfacing in his mind.
"If Xiao Hei could cultivate the [Blood River Escape Art], the lifespan consumed when he uses the Limb Regeneration Art would probably be mine."
"My lifespan limit is seven hundred and twenty years. I'm not afraid of the consumption at all."
"No, cultivation arts for cultivators and spirit beasts aren't interchangeable. Xiao Hei can't cultivate the [Blood River Escape Art]."
Suddenly, Chen Jianghe sent a mental transmission, "Xiao Hei, are there any restrictions when you use the [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape]?"
The innate abilities awakened by spirit beasts or demon beasts were not without cost when used.
Some consumed spiritual power.
Some consumed spiritual sense.
And others had a limited number of uses within a certain period.
"As long as I have enough spiritual power, I can use the [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape] continuously."
"What about the [Petrification] ability?"
"The same. Both only require spiritual power."
Hearing Xiao Hei's transmission, Chen Jianghe felt that these two abilities were quite good, just that they lacked any special costs.
For example, consuming lifespan could make these two abilities even more powerful.
He stopped thinking about it, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and focused his attention.
He began cultivating the [Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art], after which he would draw talismans and practice the [Tidal Body Tempering Art].
In the blink of an eye.
A month passed.
Chen Jianghe opened his eyes. His spiritual sense swept out, covering the courtyard. Both Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were cultivating.
There were four letters in the relay box.
One was from Yun Xiaoniu, one from Alchemist Zhuang, one from Zhou Miaoyun, and the last was a message from Ji Wujin.
Chen Jianghe first glanced at Ji Wujin's message.
The content was concise, urging Chen Jianghe to make a decision quickly, as they were running out of time.
Ji Wujin wrote that he had received reliable information: the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard had already left the Beast Taming Market City and returned to the depths of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range.
Furthermore, another Tier 3 demon beast had emerged from the depths of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range and arrived at the Beast Taming Market City, filling the void left by the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard.
In other words, the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard was already preparing to unleash a beast tide on Qinghe Market City.
Chen Jianghe wanted to leave Qinghe Market City, but he didn't trust Ji Wujin. To him, Ji Wujin was currently far more dangerous than any beast tide.
Next, Chen Jianghe opened the letter from Yun Xiaoniu.
They had already returned to Qiyun Mountain and rebuilt a small cultivation town on the old site of the Qiyun Mountain Market City. They had also submitted an application to the Tiannan Sect to establish a Flying Relay Station.
A month ago, the Qiyun Mountain Flying Relay Station was completed, and this letter had been sent from there.
Yun Xiaoniu also told Chen Jianghe that he had already discussed matters with the Yun Clan Ancestor and Yun Bufan. They had even invited the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Qi Clan. Whenever he needed them, they could come to Qinghe Market City to provide support at a moment's notice.
After reading Yun Xiaoniu's letter, Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief.
With the four Foundation Establishment Ancestors from the cultivator clans, plus Fairy Luo, he could safely leave Qinghe Market City as long as he was willing to reveal Xiao Hei.
This was his last resort. Unless absolutely necessary, Chen Jianghe still didn't want to expose Xiao Hei's existence.
He then opened the letter from Alchemist Zhuang.
The letter described his recent situation. He had settled down safely in Qiyun Mountain, and the Yu Clan was treating him as an honored guest with utmost courtesy.
He reminded Chen Jianghe to be careful and to come to Qiyun Mountain as soon as possible.
Zhou Miaoyun's letter stated that the Zhou Clan had moved to a small cultivation town within the Qiyun Mountain territory.
Moreover, Zhou Miaoyun wanted to send a grandnephew to reside in Qinghe Market City long-term, to act as the Zhou Clan's resident cultivator.
She hoped Chen Jianghe could look after him.
Chen Jianghe immediately wrote a reply, telling Zhou Miaoyun not to come to Qinghe Market City and to ask Yun Xiaoniu directly at Qiyun Mountain if she had any questions.
"Did Ruan Tieniu die in the Beast Taming Market City?"
Chen Jianghe was puzzled. Why was there no letter from Ruan Tieniu?
It had been over eight months since he had sent a letter to Ruan Tieniu. Logically, Ruan Tieniu should have replied by now.
But among the four letters in the relay box, none were from Ruan Tieniu.
It was highly likely that Ruan Tieniu had perished in the beast tide at the Beast Taming Market City.
Chen Jianghe walked out of his room. Waiting for a break in Xiao Hei and Maoqiu's cultivation, he had them enter the spirit beast space.
Then, he walked out of his courtyard gate.
He first went to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to sell the talismans he had drawn over the past year.
Because he had spent more than six months cultivating the Blood River Escape Art, Chen Jianghe had only managed to create thirty-seven superior-grade protection talismans.
He had used seventy pieces of spirit fox hide to successfully create thirty-seven superior-grade protection talismans, a success rate of over fifty percent.
The buyback price for superior-grade protection talismans had neither dropped nor risen, remaining the same as the previous year.
They were still being bought back at a sixty percent premium.
This showed that the situation at the Beast Taming Market City had worsened.
If the situation were stable, the prices of spirit pills and talismans would gradually decrease.
For them to remain unchanged like this...
It was obvious that the consumption of talismans in the Beast Taming Market City had intensified.
Even with a continuous supply of resources from other market cities, they were barely able to keep up with the demand.
It was just that his contact with Ruan Tieniu was broken; otherwise, he would be able to know the current situation in the Beast Taming Market City.
Selling the thirty-seven superior-grade protection talismans added another seven hundred and ten spirit stones and forty spirit sand to his funds.
Counting what he already had, he now had exactly one thousand and thirty-two spirit stones.
"Fellow cultivator, what is the situation in the Beast Taming Market City now?" Chen Jianghe asked Chen Ping, who stood before him.
Chen Ping was silent for a moment.
Then he revealed a piece of news that shocked Chen Jianghe.
"The Tiannan Sect has already withdrawn the Flying Relay Station from the Beast Taming Market City, so I'm not too clear about the situation there either."
"What? The Flying Relay Station was withdrawn!"
Chen Jianghe was stunned.
The Flying Relays were an enterprise of the Tiannan Sect, spread throughout the market cities and Foundation Establishment immortal clan territories in the entire Tiannan Region.
He had never heard of anyone daring to intercept a Flying Relay or destroy a station.
Even demon beasts seemed to have a tacit understanding not to attack the Flying Relays.
For the Tiannan Sect to withdraw the Flying Relay Station from the Beast Taming Market City at this time, didn't that mean the city was indefensible?
The Beast Taming Market City was several times larger than Qinghe Market City, with nearly ten times the number of cultivators.
One had to know that Qinghe Market City had nearly ten thousand cultivators.
Even if the Beast Taming Market City didn't have a hundred thousand cultivators, it had at least eighty thousand. Was the Tiannan Sect going to abandon all these cultivators?
He walked out of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath. There was another possibility for the Tiannan Sect's withdrawal of the Flying Relay Station: the Beast Taming Zhou Clan had requested it themselves.
If that was the case...
Then the Beast Taming Zhou Clan was trying to cover up the news about the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard.
But with the power of the Qing and He Clans, it was impossible for them not to know that a Tier 3 Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard had appeared in the Beast Taming Market City.
If they knew, they would also be able to guess that the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard cub they had bought at the auction was definitely related to the one that had appeared in the Beast Taming Market City.
At this point, the Qing and He Clans should have already evacuated Qinghe Market City.
However, the two clans had not carried out a large-scale clan migration, which gave one the false impression that they were unaware of the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard's appearance in the Beast Taming Market City.
"No, they're gambling!"
"Damn gamblers!"
Chen Jianghe suddenly understood the whole situation.
A Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard with a fourth-grade, low-tier bloodline was enough for them to take this risk.
The reason the Qing and He Clans were able to support the prosperity of Qinghe Market City was because they had a Tier 3 spirit beast backing them.
The Qinghe Master had been dead for nearly four hundred years. Based on the rule that a spirit beast's lifespan is twice that of a cultivator's...
The Tier 3 spirit beast behind the Qing and He Clans was likely approaching the end of its life.
For the sake of their two immortal clans' continued prosperity, they could only gamble that the Thunder-Patterned Crimson Flame Leopard in Qinghe Market City was unrelated to the one in the Beast Taming Market City.
Once the Tier 3 spirit beast behind them died of old age, the Qing and He Clans would be completely unable to control Qinghe Market City.
Other factions would surely intervene, and it would eventually become a market city jointly managed by multiple parties.
It was precisely because of this that the Qing and He Clans, despite knowing that Qinghe Market City would face a crisis, would not publicize it.
Nor would they alarm any cultivators.
They were dragging all the cultivators in Qinghe Market City into this gamble with them.
If they won the bet, the Qing and He Clans could continue to prosper for another eight hundred years.
If they lost, all the cultivators in Qinghe Market City would bear the consequences together.
At that time, through their various connections in Qinghe Market City, they might be able to request aid from the Tiannan Sect.
"What a deep scheme."
Chen Jianghe lamented. In the eyes of these great immortal clans, the lives of cultivators were of no consequence.
He arrived at Longevity Lane and glanced at Luo Xiyue's courtyard.
The gate was tightly shut, with a 'In Seclusion' sign hanging on the side.
Clearly, she was still in seclusion.
Which meant she had not yet seen his message.
He took a deep breath, hesitating internally whether he should take the risk.
With the [Blood River Escape Art] plus the [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape], he should be able to shake off Ji Wujin.
As for the marauders from Qingfeng Stronghold, Chen Jianghe wasn't worried.
With Xiao Hei's [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape], it was impossible for the three marauders from Qingfeng Stronghold to catch up.
But Ji Wujin was another matter.
Before reaching Foundation Establishment, that fellow already had a Tier 2 spirit beast and a Tier 2 puppet, and he often went out "fishing."
He must have a secret escape art as well.
Therefore, he couldn't guarantee that he could shake off Ji Wujin.
Leaving Longevity Lane, as he passed by the Qinghe Restaurant, he suddenly felt a spiritual energy fluctuation from the direction he had come from.
He couldn't help but turn around and saw three ten-zhang-wide spiritual energy vortexes gathering in the sky above the southeast district.
Although it was also in the southeast district, it was not the cultivation area provided by Qinghe Market City for breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
"It's the Third Master of the Qing Clan breaking through to Foundation Establishment!"
Instantly, many cultivators on the street looked towards the southeast district. Upon seeing the location of the breakthrough, many guessed it was the Third Master of the Qing Clan.
"The old patriarch of the Qing Clan is nearing his end. To inherit the position of patriarch, one must become a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"The First and Second Masters of the Qing Clan successfully reached Foundation Establishment thirty years ago. Even if this Third Master breaks through now, it'll be difficult for him to get the patriarch position, right?"
"Fellow cultivator, you don't understand. The Third Master's chances of becoming patriarch are low, but once he succeeds in Foundation Establishment, he can immediately become an elder of the Qing Clan. Then he'll be able to obtain many cultivation resources needed by Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"That's right. If the Third Master achieves Foundation Establishment after the patriarch succession, he'll just be the patriarch's younger brother. To get resources, he'll have to depend on the patriarch's will."
Chen Jianghe paused, listening to the discussions of the surrounding cultivators, and felt an even stronger aversion to the idea of establishing a cultivator clan.
Even a cultivation breakthrough was subject to such petty calculations and schemes. How could one even cultivate immortality like this?
However, he did not leave. Like the other cultivators, he watched the spiritual energy vortexes gathering in the southeast district.
"The Third Master of the Qing Clan's breakthrough to Foundation Establishment is very stable."
"How so?"
"Although the Third Master of the Qing Clan has a four-element pseudo spiritual root, his physical body and spirit are at their peak. He also has a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill provided by his clan, and he's breaking through in the most spiritually rich area of Qinghe Market City. That gives him an eighty percent success rate. Isn't that stable?"
"A fifty percent chance is already considered very stable. Eighty percent is basically a guaranteed success."
"Indeed. Back then, that demon hunter, Senior Ruan, was attempting Foundation Establishment for the second time with only a twenty to thirty percent chance, but he still succeeded, didn't he?"
"Eighty percent chance? If I had a forty percent chance, I wouldn't still be too afraid to attempt Foundation Establishment!"
"We rogue cultivators have poor spiritual root talent. Most of us took Calamity Dispelling Pills when breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining. To have a forty percent chance of succeeding in Foundation Establishment is indeed quite good."
"Yeah, if I had a forty percent chance, I'd risk it too."
Rumble~~
Just as they were discussing, a deep, thunderous boom erupted, causing the three condensed spiritual energy vortexes to shatter violently.
The cultivators outside the Qinghe Restaurant were instantly dumbfounded, their mouths agape in shock.
Their faces were filled with disbelief.
Chen Jianghe was also stunned at that moment.
"What's going on?"
"He failed? How is that possible? How could the Third Master of the Qing Clan fail his Foundation Establishment?"
"Yeah, he had an eighty percent success rate!"
"This... failing Foundation Establishment with an eighty percent success rate, that's too rare."
"The fellow cultivator who failed to break through fifty years ago only had a seventy percent success rate. The Third Master of the Qing Clan had eighty percent!"
Hearing the words of the cultivator beside him, Chen Jianghe subconsciously swallowed, a fear of Foundation Establishment rising in his heart.
Fifty years ago, there was actually another cultivator with a seventy percent success rate who failed.
No, how on earth was this Foundation Establishment success rate calculated?
Chen Jianghe stopped listening to the cultivators' discussions. He returned to Qingping Lane, feeling somewhat dejected.
Before one's physical body and spirit reached their peak, all talk of Foundation Establishment success rates was illusory.
This was what Gao Peiyao had told him, and he firmly believed it. In fact, it was true.
One could see it from Ruan Tieniu's failed Foundation Establishment attempt.
Without a perfected spirit, the so-called fifty percent success rate was entirely dependent on luck.
Sixty percent and ten percent were the same; it was all up to chance.
But the Third Master of the Qing Clan had both a perfected spirit and body, and a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill. An eighty percent *real* success rate, and he still failed.
For a moment, Chen Jianghe truly didn't know how this so-called success rate was derived.
Somehow, even an eighty percent success rate felt illusory.
"The Third Master of the Qing Clan's situation is similar to mine. I suppose the fellow cultivator who failed his Foundation Establishment fifty years ago was also similar, perhaps he had a low-quality Foundation Establishment Pill."
"He failed with an eighty percent success rate, and my ninety percent..."
His lifespan was long, and his vitality wouldn't begin to decline for at least another three hundred years. He didn't need to worry about the optimal time for Foundation Establishment at all.
But if he failed Foundation Establishment, that was a different matter.
Perfected body, perfected spirit, a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and a Tier 2 superior-grade spirit vein—he had a ninety percent success rate for Foundation Establishment.
But if he failed, his next attempt at Foundation Establishment would only have a forty percent chance.
And if he failed again?
It would become twenty percent.
He didn't think his luck was that bad, but what if he failed?
Returning home.
Chen Jianghe sat on the reclining chair in the courtyard, closing his eyes in deep thought. The Third Master of the Qing Clan's failure to reach Foundation Establishment had thrown his heart into turmoil.
It made him doubt the so-called success rates of Foundation Establishment.
"Xiao Hei, when you were breaking through to a Tier 2 spirit beast, what were your chances?" Chen Jianghe wanted to find some comfort from Xiao Hei.
To find the truth behind the Foundation Establishment success rates.
"What chances?"
Xiao Hei seemed surprised by the question. He was silent for a long time, about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, before replying, "Since I decided to break through to Tier 2, of course I would succeed!"
"..."
Hearing Xiao Hei's answer, Chen Jianghe was even more speechless.
Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
"Fairy Luo is out of seclusion?"
Chen Jianghe stood up. He would put the matter of Foundation Establishment aside for now. The most urgent task at hand was to escape Qinghe Market City.
If possible, he didn't want to stay in Qinghe Market City for a single day longer.
The beast tide could erupt at any moment.
Especially since, on his way home, he had seen Ji Wujin's figure from a distance on Qing Street.
Clearly, if he didn't leave, Ji Wujin wouldn't either.
Coupled with that message...
It was clear that Ji Wujin was determined to stick with him.
He opened the courtyard gate.
Chen Jianghe couldn't help but take a step back, his pupils shrinking in horror as he stared blankly at the person before him.
A mangled face, tattered clothes, covered in blood, a missing left arm, a quarter of his abdomen bitten off, and his right leg missing below the knee.
"Brother Chen, I'm back from the Beast Taming Market City."
Ruan Tieniu forced a grim smile, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Chen Jianghe as he managed to utter this sentence.
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath and said nothing.
He looked at Ruan Tieniu, never expecting that this man would actually return.
The Beast Taming Market City was besieged by nearly ten thousand demon beasts, including four Tier 3 demon beasts, yet Ruan Tieniu had managed to escape.
Looking at the injuries on Ruan Tieniu's body and his weakened aura...
He didn't know how Ruan Tieniu had managed to evade being intercepted and killed by cultivators along the way.
In Ruan Tieniu's current state, probably any Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator could kill him.
Even with the Limb Regeneration Art, such grievous injuries would consume at least ten years of his lifespan.
"Should I send Ruan Tieniu on his way?"
A thought surfaced in Chen Jianghe's mind.
Xiao Hei had now broken through to a Tier 2 spirit beast. Dealing with the current Ruan Tieniu would only take a single encounter to devour and kill him.
The next moment.
Chen Jianghe stepped out of the courtyard gate, supported Ruan Tieniu by the arm, and said with pleasant surprise, "Brother Ruan, you're back! This is great!"
"Brother Chen, I need a place to recuperate." Ruan Tieniu's weak state made even speaking seem difficult.
"Right here."
Chen Jianghe helped Ruan Tieniu into his courtyard.
Xiao Hei and Maoqiu had both been put into the spirit beast space. Moreover, a year ago, Xiao Hei and Maoqiu had stopped processing demon beasts.
It wasn't that they were lazy; there was simply no more supply.
So, Chen Jianghe's courtyard, apart from the addition of a pond, was much the same as when he moved in. There were no secrets to speak of.
"This is a Zhenyue Bone-Mending Pill. It can help Brother Ruan heal." Chen Jianghe took out a jade bottle and handed it to Ruan Tieniu.
"This..."
Ruan Tieniu took the jade bottle and looked at Chen Jianghe gratefully. His eyes hardened with resolve, and he took out his storage bag.
Then, he took out two more storage bags from within it.
"Brother Chen~ I thank you. I picked these two storage bags up. I haven't had a chance to look inside yet. They're all yours."
After speaking, Ruan Tieniu used his spiritual power to enter the room, swallowed the Zhenyue Bone-Mending Pill to heal, and began to use his Limb Regeneration Art.
He showed no concern that Chen Jianghe was just outside in the courtyard.
Because he knew very well that if Chen Jianghe had wanted to kill him, he would have already done so. He wouldn't have offered his own courtyard.
Nor would he have given him a Zhenyue Bone-Mending Pill.
Chen Jianghe watched the door close. It was clear that Ruan Tieniu wanted him to act as a guard.
He looked at the two storage bags in his hand.
They were stained with blood, having turned from owned items to ownerless ones.
He didn't know how Ruan Tieniu had 'picked' them up.
He gave Ruan Tieniu the Zhenyue Bone-Mending Pill because he wanted Ruan Tieniu's severe injuries to heal as quickly as possible.
The reason he had decided not to kill Ruan Tieniu in the end was that he wanted Ruan Tieniu to leave Qinghe Market City with him.
With Luo Xiyue, they would then have two Foundation Establishment cultivators and one Tier 2 spirit beast.
Even if they encountered danger...
Chen Jianghe was confident he could outrun Ruan Tieniu.
Xiao Hei's [Profound Earth Fissuring Escape] was no worse than the [Blood River Escape Art]. Crucially, as long as there was spiritual power, it could be used continuously.
The Blood River Escape Art only used the blood escape sigil to burn vital blood, imbuing spiritual power with a certain characteristic to increase one's speed.
But this had a time limit.
At most half an hour, and that spiritual power characteristic would disappear.
Therefore, when encountering danger, as long as you could outrun your companion, you would be safe.
In Chen Jianghe's eyes, Ruan Tieniu was the best kind of companion.
He knew the [Blood River Escape Art], ran very fast, and wouldn't fall behind immediately, making him very suitable as a travel partner.
Then, Chen Jianghe channeled his spiritual power to create a water curtain in front of the door and sat cross-legged in the courtyard to guard Ruan Tieniu.
He also took the opportunity to examine the two storage bags in his hands.
He compared them to the storage bag he was carrying.
They looked much more high-grade than his own; the space inside should be larger.
He first sent his spiritual sense into one of the storage bags.