Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Xiao Hei's Fury, Alchemist Zhuang's Passing
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In the front hall of the courtyard.
A high-grade restriction talisman was activated in the air. The special spiritual energy within it overflowed, emitting a faint blue glow that isolated a thirty-foot radius from the outside world.
No matter the situation, as long as Xiao Hei remained unexposed, he would always take every precaution.
"Two-legged beast, you broke through!"
Xiao Hei suddenly appeared, his dazed, beady eyes blinking open. Upon hearing Chen Jianghe's words, he instantly perked up.
He immediately looked inward at his spiritual platform, checking his lifespan.
The next moment.
With a *whoosh*, Xiao Hei shot upright. The excitement on his face was palpable. His round, black face was split by a wide grin, like a general returning in triumph.
"Haha! This lord turtle is back in business!"
"Two hundred twenty-nine years and ten months!"
"Two-legged beast, this lord turtle is finally normal again."
Xiao Hei looked at Chen Jianghe with excitement, reached out with his two thick, short claws, and shook Chen Jianghe's shoulders.
*Hiss*~
Chen Jianghe winced in pain. Xiao Hei's strength was immense, as if he was about to be shaken to pieces.
"Master, how much did your lifespan increase?"
Xiao Hei asked, seeming to want to share in the joy of a soaring lifespan with Chen Jianghe.
"..."
Chen Jianghe froze. He looked at Xiao Hei, momentarily at a loss for words.
He didn't even need to check; he knew his own lifespan hadn't increased. Only when Xiao Hei's cultivation broke through would his lifespan soar.
Still, he took a look anyway.
[Lifespan: Seven hundred and twenty years]
Indeed, it was still the same lifespan he had gained when Xiao Hei broke through to a second-tier spirit beast. His own cultivation breakthroughs only affected Xiao Hei's lifespan.
"Well, say something! How much did your lifespan increase? Let this lord turtle be happy for you too," Xiao Hei said, looking at Chen Jianghe curiously.
"I~"
The look in Chen Jianghe's eyes changed. A sudden expression of delight appeared, his excitement even greater than Xiao Hei's.
He leaped up in excitement, jumping right onto Xiao Hei's bare head.
"Speak up! Don't just be excited by yourself, let this lord turtle share in the joy." Seeing Chen Jianghe's ecstatic state, Xiao Hei began to chuckle.
"Seven hundred and twenty years, Xiao Hei! My lifespan has increased to seven hundred and twenty years!"
"Haha! My lifespan has increased to seven hundred and twenty years!"
Chen Jianghe excitedly straddled Xiao Hei's neck, hugging his turtle head and shouting ecstatically.
"What? Seven hundred and twenty years!"
Xiao Hei was stunned. His turtle head swiveled one hundred and eighty degrees as he stared at Chen Jianghe in disbelief.
"Seven hundred and twenty years?"
After his initial shock, Xiao Hei was about to celebrate for Chen Jianghe, but in the next instant, he realized something was wrong.
His own lifespan was two hundred and thirty years, so why was the two-legged beast's seven hundred and twenty?
This wasn't consistent with the legacy of the Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art!
Even the bloodline inheritance of the Black Crystal Mystic Turtle had records of cultivator lifespans.
Cultivators generally had short lifespans. At the same cultivation level, they were far outlived by demon beasts and spirit beasts, let alone a long-lived spirit beast like himself.
Suddenly, the look in Xiao Hei's eyes changed. His thick, powerful claws snatched Chen Jianghe from his neck and slammed him onto the ground.
Then he pinned him down.
He roared in fury, "Old thief, vile thief, treacherous thief, common thief! This lord turtle will fight you to the death!"
Chen Jianghe's clear eyes were filled with confusion as he looked at Xiao Hei, completely bewildered. "Xiao Hei, what's wrong? Aren't you happy that my lifespan soared?"
"Happy my foot! You old thief who stole this turtle's lifespan!"
Xiao Hei stood up, pulling Chen Jianghe to his feet as well. "Don't blame me for bullying you," he said angrily. "Make your move!"
"I stole your lifespan? How is that possible!"
Disbelief rippled through Chen Jianghe's clear eyes, like a stone dropped into a tranquil pool.
Then, Chen Jianghe's expression suddenly changed as realization dawned on him.
"No, that's not right. I'm a cultivator. How could my lifespan be seven hundred and twenty years? I'm only at the Foundation Establishment stage!"
At that moment, Chen Jianghe shot his head up, took a swift step forward, and stood before Xiao Hei, their eyes meeting.
Sincerity met fury.
"Xiao Hei, why did this happen? Why would you trade lifespans with me?"
Chen Jianghe's gaze also turned to anger. He discreetly activated a few more restriction talismans, then loudly questioned Xiao Hei.
"Even if it's not safe right now and you can't work to earn spirit stones, you still have me! I can draw talismans to support you."
"I've told you so many times, I really can provide for you."
"We've been together for sixty-six years. Have I ever treated you like a mere spirit pet? We're brothers! It's only right that I provide for you. Brothers don't ask for anything in return!"
Chen Jianghe pressed forward, step by step.
Xiao Hei's momentum faltered. The anger in his eyes turned to confusion, and he couldn't help but retreat under the pressure of Chen Jianghe's fury.
But when he remembered his stolen lifespan, another flicker of rage ignited.
However, faced with Chen Jianghe's clear, sincere, and yet angry eyes, he knew the two-legged beast was probably innocent as well.
For a moment, Xiao Hei wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. His dark face flushed red.
He felt a surge of anger, but hearing Chen Jianghe's words, he was also deeply moved.
But then he thought of his lifespan being only two hundred and thirty years, and he felt aggrieved, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I didn't trade it!"
As he said this, the mist in Xiao Hei's eyes condensed into tears and fell.
"It wasn't you who traded it?"
Chen Jianghe confirmed.
"It really wasn't." Xiao Hei sat down on the ground, all his earlier fury gone, replaced by a sense of deep grievance.
"I understand now. It was the mark on our spiritual platforms. It swapped our lifespans and gave us each a different kind of opportunity."
Chen Jianghe had a sudden realization.
Hearing this, Xiao Hei was stunned, and he too thought of this possibility.
The Three Revolutions Demon Ascension Art he cultivated was bestowed upon him by Chen Jianghe's mark on his spiritual platform.
Therefore, his stolen lifespan had nothing to do with Chen Jianghe at all. It was all the doing of the spiritual platform's mark.
He had misunderstood Chen Jianghe!
Thinking about how he had just slammed Chen Jianghe to the ground, looking like he was ready to fight to the death—even though he wouldn't have actually done it—it was still going too far.
For a moment, Xiao Hei looked at Chen Jianghe, his eyes filled with guilt.
"Xiao Hei, don't worry. For the sake of our long and carefree lives as brothers, I will cultivate diligently and make you a thousand-year-old turtle!"
Chen Jianghe then took out a jade bottle. Inside were a Youth-Retaining Pill and a Bigu Pill.
"Xiao Hei, look what this is."
"This is a spirit pill I found for you. It can extend your lifespan. Hurry up and eat it."
As he spoke, Chen Jianghe gave the Bigu Pill to Xiao Hei and had him consume it.
He then consumed the Youth-Retaining Pill himself.
The reason he did this was to prevent Xiao Hei from discovering that he already knew about the lifespan swap.
Xiao Hei was very smart.
His intelligence had been high since he was young.
If he had only taken the Youth-Retaining Pill himself and not given Xiao Hei the Bigu Pill, Xiao Hei might have connected it to the time he took the Life Extension Pill.
"Master..."
After consuming the Bigu Pill, Xiao Hei checked the lifespan on his spiritual platform.
[Turtle Lifespan: Two hundred thirty-nine years and ten months]
For a moment, Xiao Hei's large mouth trembled. His eyes were filled with gratitude, emotion, and deep self-reproach.
"Xiao Hei, I will continue to find life-extending spirit pills for you. We are brothers!" Chen Jianghe said, looking at Xiao Hei with a sincere gaze.
"*Sob*... Master!"
Xiao Hei picked up Chen Jianghe, and translucent tears rolled down like pearls.
Chen Jianghe wanted to give Xiao Hei's shell a firm pat, but he found his arms were a bit too short and Xiao Hei was too tall, so he gave up.
A quarter of an hour later.
Chen Jianghe felt his entire back was soaked with tears. Deciding it was enough, he soothed Xiao Hei with a few more words and returned him to the spirit beast space.
"*Phew*... That was a close call."
Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief.
He recalled how, in his fury, Xiao Hei's powerful body had pinned him to the ground like a straw doll.
As a lofty Foundation Establishment senior, he couldn't even resist.
It seemed that in front of Xiao Hei, there was no difference between his Foundation Establishment cultivation and a Qi Refining ant—both could only take a beating.
"It might be a matter of physical strength. My body tempering is complete, but that's for the Qi Refining stage. I haven't yet cultivated a Foundation Establishment body tempering art."
"After I temper my body at the Foundation Establishment level, perhaps I'll be able to... But what's the point of comparing? The stronger Xiao Hei is, the safer I am."
He cleared his mind of stray thoughts and focused his spirit.
Chen Jianghe did not immediately come out of seclusion. Instead, he calmed his mind and contemplated his future plans.
He had successfully reached Foundation Establishment.
In the entire Tiannan Region, he was now considered an upper-echelon cultivator. If he wished, with his connections, he could easily establish a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan.
However, he had no interest in establishing a clan.
Luo Xiyue had once commented on Yun Bufan, saying that if he weren't burdened by his clan, he might have had a chance to reach the late Foundation Establishment stage in the future.
But being held back by his clan, his highest achievement would likely be the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
Therefore, he would not do something that amounted to shackling himself.
However, his perspective was limited, and he had little contact with other Foundation Establishment cultivators, making it difficult to form a clear plan.
After much thought.
Chen Jianghe decided that his priority was to find a cultivation art for the Foundation Establishment stage to enhance his means of self-preservation.
The *Qinghe Journal* recorded that after a cultivator successfully reached Foundation Establishment, they could cultivate the fourth level of their art.
Some superior arts came with a powerful spell of their own.
He currently lacked the subsequent levels of his art for the Foundation Establishment stage. The most urgent matter was to find the continuation of the Myriad Waters True Scripture.
Although it was possible to switch to another art of the same level after reaching Foundation Establishment, Chen Jianghe didn't want to.
He was very fond of the Myriad Waters True Scripture's ability to increase his dantian's spiritual power by thirty percent and enhance the power of his spells by twenty percent.
Furthermore, if he were to switch to another art.
With his connections, he could purchase cultivation arts for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but they would all be common, run-of-the-mill types.
They wouldn't be able to enhance spell power.
They couldn't even increase spiritual power.
As for the Yun Clan's Condensed Origin True Water Scripture, it was also a superior water-element art, but it only had the first four levels.
It lacked the fifth level.
Upon reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he would need to find another follow-up art anyway, so he might as well just search for the continuation of the Myriad Waters True Scripture.
Moreover, he didn't like the characteristics of the Condensed Origin True Water Scripture.
It purified spiritual power, making it more refined, which helped in smoothly breaking through the spiritual power barrier during Foundation Establishment.
And it enhanced spell power by ten percent.
During the Qi Refining stage, the Condensed Origin True Water Scripture was more cost-effective than the Myriad Waters True Scripture, but after Foundation Establishment, it fell somewhat short.
Of course, this was only from Chen Jianghe's perspective.
After all, after Foundation Establishment, the purer one's spiritual power, the more helpful it would be when attempting to form a Core in the future.
"First, I'll search for the Myriad Waters True Scripture. If I really can't find it, I'll have no choice but to switch to another art."
Besides a cultivation art, there were also spiritual artifacts, second-tier talisman-crafting legacies, and so on to consider.
These were all ways to improve his means of self-preservation.
Fortunately, he had the Silver Moon Flowing Wave Sword and the Profound Ice Battle Armor refined by Luo Xiyue, so he didn't have to worry about lacking spiritual artifacts.
Top-grade spiritual artifacts were very difficult for early Foundation Establishment cultivators to obtain.
The Foundation Establishment Ancestors of immortal clans or disciples of sects wouldn't have to worry about top-grade spiritual artifacts.
But it was a different story for rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Especially in the early Foundation Establishment stage, most rogue cultivators were still using high-grade spiritual artifacts.
Take the Xu brothers, Feng and Hong, for instance. Between the two of them, both early Foundation Establishment cultivators, they only had a single top-grade offensive spiritual artifact.
As for defensive spiritual artifacts?
They used high-grade ones.
Ruan Tieniu was the same.
Generally speaking, most rogue cultivators in the early Foundation Establishment stage only possessed a single top-grade offensive spiritual artifact.
Only after reaching the mid-Foundation Establishment stage would they possess both a top-grade offensive and a top-grade defensive spiritual artifact.
Top-grade spiritual artifacts with special abilities like the ones Chen Jianghe possessed were generally only owned by sect disciples or late-stage Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators.
This showed the benefits of being on good terms with a master artifact refiner.
"Those sect disciples and the direct descendants of top-tier immortal clans most likely have talisman treasures in their possession."
"My foundation is much stronger than that of a rogue cultivator, but compared to them, I still fall far short."
Chen Jianghe did not grow complacent just because he was stronger than a rogue cultivator.
Rogue cultivators didn't pose much of a threat to him.
He had Xiao Hei, and once Maoqiu successfully broke through to a second-tier spirit beast, he would have two second-tier spirit beasts.
"As long as I focus all my efforts on raising Xiao Hei, once he reaches the late second tier, his Petrification divine ability should be able to block an attack from a talisman treasure, right?"
Talisman treasures were a type of special talisman that contained twenty to thirty percent of a magic treasure's power and could easily kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Generally, only Core Formation mighty figures could refine talisman treasures.
Of course, False Core cultivators could also refine them if they were willing to pay a certain price.
Chen Jianghe had no channels to obtain one, so he could only focus all his efforts on raising Xiao Hei, hoping to make his combat strength equal to that of a talisman treasure.
"Second-tier water-element spirit cores... *Sigh*. I'm still short on spirit stones!"
"I have to find a way to get a second-tier talisman legacy. With my current talisman-crafting skill, I'm fully capable of attempting to draw second-tier talismans."
His success rate for drawing Spirit-Chasing Talismans had already surpassed fifty percent and was approaching sixty.
A forty percent success rate with Spirit-Chasing Talismans was enough to attempt drawing second-tier talismans.
It could be said that his fundamental talisman-crafting skill was more than sufficient; all he lacked was a second-tier talisman legacy.
"Finding a cultivation art, helping Maoqiu quickly become a second-tier spirit beast, then focusing all my efforts on raising Xiao Hei, finding a second-tier talisman legacy, and attempting alchemy—these are the most urgent matters at hand."
Chen Jianghe now had a short-term plan.
Then, he began to experience the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
First, he conjured a water mirror and extended his spiritual sense into it. It reflected and extended outward, reaching a terrifying distance of one hundred and twenty zhang.
Generally, after a cultivator successfully reached Foundation Establishment, their soul essence would be elevated, and the strength of their spiritual sense would increase dramatically, causing its range to expand significantly.
One hundred zhang was the typical range of spiritual sense for a cultivator who had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Ten jun was the maximum weight they could control with their spiritual sense.
Chen Jianghe, having just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, had a spiritual sense range that reached a frightening one hundred and twenty zhang.
He could be considered exceptionally talented.
Next, Chen Jianghe extended his spiritual sense and tried to lift a flowerpot in the front yard. Including the flowering tree inside, it weighed about eleven or twelve jun.
The next moment.
The flowerpot was easily lifted by his spiritual sense.
Then, his spiritual sense targeted the stone table under the pavilion. He extended it and attempted to lift the table.
"..."
An embarrassed look appeared on Chen Jianghe's face. He then lifted a stone stool next to the table...
Finally, Chen Jianghe's spiritual sense returned to the flowerpot. He manipulated a smaller flowerpot to land on top of the larger one and then tried to lift them both.
"Around fifteen jun. Not bad at all."
Chen Jianghe was delighted. He finally had a talent that surpassed the ordinary.
After that, he turned his spiritual sense inward to feel the terrifying power of his Foundation Establishment spiritual power. Although there was only a single drop of spiritual power in his dantian's sea of qi.
It had been condensed from an entire sea of spiritual power. It was as heavy as ten thousand jun and could easily crush a Qi Refining cultivator to death.
Moreover, this single drop of spiritual power could be drawn out like a thread, and its power far surpassed that of a Qi Refining cultivator.
"Truly, once you enter Foundation Establishment, you are no longer a mortal!"
Chen Jianghe marveled at his own strength.
He glanced at his physical body again. With a thought, a faint blue shield of light covered him.
Spells from a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator could no longer pose any threat to him.
They couldn't even break through this outermost physical shield.
After an hour of experiencing his own changes, he summed it up in three words.
'I am strong.'
"With my current strength, I should be able to easily handle that rogue cultivator Duan Ming from before. If I refine those two top-grade spiritual artifacts, dealing with the Fifth Chieftain Chen Feng shouldn't be a problem either."
Chen Jianghe knew a little about the Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators of Qingfeng Stronghold. That Fifth Chieftain, Chen Feng, had been at the Foundation Establishment stage for a hundred years.
But so what?
He had just reached Foundation Establishment, and he could already handle him with ease.
This was the strength of his foundation.
As his thoughts flowed, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a smile.
Even against Yun Bufan, Chen Jianghe was not the least bit afraid. As long as he refined the two top-grade spiritual artifacts in his possession, he was confident he could defeat him.
Even with Yun Bufan's second-tier long-armed ape.
Yun Bufan was a genius regarded by the Yun Clan's ancestor as the clan's Qilin son. He had been at Foundation Establishment for fifty years, yet Chen Jianghe had already caught up to him right after his breakthrough.
"I really am so strong."
Suddenly.
An image of Luo Xiyue appeared in Chen Jianghe's mind, especially the scene where she executed the Profound Ice Sword Art.
His eyes instantly cleared.
The smile on his lips vanished.
He shook his head, stood up, and walked out.
"Uncle."
Just as Chen Jianghe opened the courtyard gate, he saw Yun Siniu standing outside. "You've been waiting here all this time," he said.
"Nephew congratulates Uncle on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment."
Yun Siniu first bowed to Chen Jianghe in congratulation, then said respectfully, "Uncle's success in reaching Foundation Establishment at such an advanced age has caused a great stir in Mirror Moon Lake and Qiyun Mountain. Many visitors have come, and Nephew was worried they would disturb Uncle's seclusion, so I stood guard here."
"Mm."
Chen Jianghe nodded in satisfaction.
Chen Jianghe had anticipated the sensation his breakthrough would cause. His age was indeed quite advanced.
Furthermore, he had achieved his breakthrough south of the Tongtian River, on Qiyun Mountain, and had even borrowed the Yun Clan's second-tier high-grade Spirit-Gathering Array Plate.
The news was impossible to conceal.
Once he succeeded, it was bound to cause a sensation throughout the entire eastern region of Tiannan.
Achieving Foundation Establishment at eighty, he had become something of a representative figure.
Although this kind of fame would bring him from the shadows into the limelight, it would definitely be beneficial for his steady cultivation.
As a representative figure for achieving Foundation Establishment at an old age.
This would naturally make most cultivators feel favorably towards him. Especially given his background, no one would see him as a threat.
They would only see him as a lucky old cultivator who had managed to reach Foundation Establishment.
A cultivator with such great fortune might even attract the attention of many large immortal clans looking to recruit him.
"Where is your father?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Many clan heads and elders from Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans have come to visit Uncle. My father and older brother are currently attending to them."
"Oh, and people from the Puppet Lu Clan and the top-tier Alchemy Ji Clan from the western region have also arrived."
Yun Siniu said happily.
Chen Jianghe's successful breakthrough on Qiyun Mountain had brought the Yu Clan into the spotlight throughout the Tiannan Region.
Now, various journals in the Tiannan Region featured the name of the Qiyun Mountain Yu Clan, which would be very helpful for the clan's future development.
"Daniu must have had a hard time."
Chen Jianghe said with a chuckle, then asked, "Have your Aunt Yao and Fairy Luo left?"
As he asked this, Chen Jianghe's gaze couldn't help but drift to the neighboring courtyard.
He wondered if Gao Peiyao and Luo Xiyue had left.
"Aunt Yao has already left for Qinghe Market City, but before she left, she said that we must inform her when Uncle holds a small celebration for your breakthrough."
"Fairy Luo has not left."
"Mm, I understand. You may go. Tell your father I will meet with the visiting cultivators tomorrow."
Chen Jianghe nodded, letting Yun Siniu leave first.
Although he didn't know why Luo Xiyue hadn't left yet, for him, her staying was a good thing.
It wasn't that he was interested in the ice beauty.
He was thinking that when it was time to leave Qiyun Mountain, traveling with Luo Xiyue would be not only convenient but also very safe.
As for why he would meet the visiting cultivators tomorrow,
it was because he had something more important to do.
He walked away from his own courtyard gate and soon arrived at the adjacent courtyard belonging to Alchemist Zhuang. He raised his hand, but it froze in mid-air.
He was about to knock on the gate when he saw a piece of white cloth on the door knocker.
His body trembled, and he involuntarily took a step back. Looking up, he saw the white banner above the gate.
His expression changed drastically. A mist formed in his eyes, and his heart grew heavy.
Scenes of his interactions with Alchemist Zhuang flashed through his mind: their first meeting on the lake island, their encounters in Qinghe Market City, their trades, their friendship...
The scenes passed through his mind like a film reel.
In the end, Alchemist Zhuang had come to see him as a junior, and the help he had given was immeasurable by spirit stones.
At the very end, he hadn't even voiced his final plea.
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath, composing himself.
He pushed open the heavy gate and walked inside.
The reclining chair that Alchemist Zhuang loved to sit in came into view. The chair was still there, but the person who used to occupy it was gone.