Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 179
Chapter Title: The Alchemy Legacy and News from Yun Xiaoniu
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"Senior~"
Hearing the courtyard gate being pushed open, Jiang Ruxu came out. Seeing Chen Jianghe in front of the recliner, she hurried forward and bowed respectfully.
Chen Jianghe ran his hand over the back of the recliner, his bloodshot eyes misting over. Hearing Jiang Ruxu's voice, he composed himself.
"When did your master pass?"
"The day you successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, Senior. Master saw that you had succeeded, and his final wish was fulfilled."
Jiang Ruxu's pretty eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Chen Jianghe, her voice choked with emotion.
"Where is Xinyan?"
"Senior Sister is in the mourning hall. I'll take you there, Senior."
Jiang Ruxu led the way, guiding Chen Jianghe to Alchemist Zhuang's mourning hall, where he saw the memorial tablet enshrined in the center.
"Senior, Grandfather is gone." Zhuang Xinyan, her eyes red from crying, looked at Chen Jianghe and wept softly.
Chen Jianghe was silent. He glanced at Jiang Ruxu, who understood and brought three sticks of incense, handing them to him.
After paying his respects.
Chen Jianghe finally looked at Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhuang has passed. From now on, you will stay by my side. After you reach Foundation Establishment, you may leave if you wish."
"Yes, Senior."
Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan curtsied and offered their thanks.
It was no secret that Alchemist Zhuang was a second-rank master alchemist. Now that he was gone, only the two of them remained.
Although they were both ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators, the wealth Alchemist Zhuang had left behind was enough to make even Foundation Establishment cultivators intensely envious.
Being able to stay with a close Foundation Establishment senior like Chen Jianghe was naturally much safer and spared them the worry of being killed for their treasures.
Afterward, they stepped out of the mourning hall.
Jiang Ruxu took out a storage pouch and, looking at Chen Jianghe, said, "Senior, this is what Master left for you."
"Left for me?"
Chen Jianghe was taken aback. He accepted the pouch from Jiang Ruxu, feeling a little puzzled.
The last two times he had seen Alchemist Zhuang, the man had already given him three Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills, three Dew-Condensing Flesh-Growing Pills, and one Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill.
It was safe to say that Alchemist Zhuang had already left him a great deal of wealth.
Why would he leave another storage pouch for him now?
Without avoiding the gazes of Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan, Chen Jianghe sent his spiritual sense into the pouch. Inside the five-cubic-meter pouch, he saw only a single jade slip.
With a thought, he took out the jade slip.
He swept it with his spiritual sense.
It was an alchemy legacy, containing the formulas and refining steps for first-rank spirit pills, as well as the formulas and refining steps for second-rank spirit pills.
It also contained Alchemist Zhuang's accumulated insights from his years of alchemy.
"Do you two know what is in this?" Chen Jianghe asked Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan calmly.
"Replying to Senior, it is an alchemy legacy."
Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan replied in unison.
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe put the jade slip away and told the two women that they would be leaving Qiyun Mountain for Thousand Mountains Market City in four years.
Then, he left the courtyard.
"Junior Sister, Grandfather was right. Senior doesn't have those kinds of intentions toward us. What should we do?"
Zhuang Xinyan bit her lip, saying with some disappointment, "He only sees us as juniors."
A flicker of determination crossed Jiang Ruxu's eyes. "Once we reach Foundation Establishment, we will make our intentions clear to him. Don't worry, Senior Sister, I will not let Master's bloodline end."
"Junior Sister, are you also thinking of..."
---
Chen Jianghe returned to his own courtyard.
He didn't let Maoqiu out. The next few days would be busy, and he would likely have to leave the courtyard every day.
Sitting cross-legged in the front hall, he took out the alchemy legacy left by Alchemist Zhuang and immersed his spiritual sense in it, studying it carefully.
Just as Alchemist Zhuang had said, alchemy and talisman crafting were completely different.
Alchemy truly required talent and comprehension.
The variety of medicinal herbs used in alchemy was vast; even some worldly spiritual items were sometimes used as supplementary, or even primary, ingredients.
Before practicing alchemy, one had to first understand pharmacology.
This was not something that could be learned by rote memorization; it required an innate comprehension of alchemy.
"What are these two girls up to?"
Chen Jianghe didn't believe Alchemist Zhuang had left this for him. It was more likely that Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan had given it to him.
He had some understanding of Alchemist Zhuang's character.
Since Alchemist Zhuang hadn't said anything more when he gifted the second-rank spirit pills, he wouldn't have given him anything else later.
That would only increase the burden on his heart.
He believed Alchemist Zhuang could see that he had no such intentions.
"I'll let nature take its course. After the two of them reach Foundation Establishment, they might leave me on their own."
Chen Jianghe cleared his mind of distracting thoughts and focused on comprehending the alchemy legacy in the jade slip. He had been wanting to try his hand at alchemy.
This legacy had arrived at the perfect time.
He became fascinated as he delved deeper into its teachings.
A day passed without him noticing, still immersed in the alchemy legacy, until a knock came at his courtyard gate.
Only then did Chen Jianghe come to his senses.
"Alchemy is indeed more complex than talisman crafting, but there are similarities. I might be able to become an alchemist."
"When I get to Thousand Mountains Market City, I'll need to buy an alchemy furnace and try my hand at it."
With this in mind, he walked out of the gate.
It was Yun Siniu, who had come to invite him. He had told Yun Siniu yesterday that he would meet with the visiting cultivators today.
"Uncle, those fellow daoists and seniors are all in the estate. Father and Big Brother are there too. Would you like to go over now?"
"Let's go."
Chen Jianghe followed Yun Siniu to the Yu Family Estate. The front hall was already crowded with cultivators.
Among them were seven Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Big Brother."
Upon seeing Chen Jianghe, Yu Daniu quickly rose to greet him.
The other cultivators also turned their gazes toward Chen Jianghe, their eyes filled with curiosity and disbelief.
They weren't surprised by Chen Jianghe's youthful appearance; after all, the Face-Preserving Pill was no secret spirit pill.
If Chen Jianghe had a way to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, he certainly had a way to get a Face-Preserving Pill.
Before coming, they had all done some research on Chen Jianghe's background.
Like Yu Daniu, he had a deep friendship with Gao Peiyao, a Foundation Establishment disciple of the Tiannan Sect.
Thinking of it that way.
It became perfectly reasonable that Chen Jianghe had taken a Face-Preserving Pill.
"Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Fellow Daoist Chen."
"For Fellow Daoist Chen to reach Foundation Establishment at the age of eighty shows a truly steadfast heart for the Dao. You are a model for us all."
"In the vast Tiannan Region, we have only seen people succeed at Foundation Establishment in their seventies, but never at eighty. Fellow Daoist Chen, you have broken the thousand-year-old record for high-age Foundation Establishment in the Tiannan Region!"
"I hear Fellow Daoist Chen is also a Talisman Master. I wonder if you would be willing to become a guest elder in my Ji Clan?"
"If Fellow Daoist Chen is willing, my Lu Clan would also welcome you at any time."
"Fellow Daoist Chen, I come from the Yue Kingdom, north of the Heaven-Reaching River. I am here on the orders of my king to invite you to serve as the State Preceptor of the Yue Kingdom."
"..."
After a round of praise and pleasantries, the seven Foundation Establishment cultivators began trying to recruit Chen Jianghe.
From their words, Chen Jianghe learned their identities and origins.
The top-tier immortal clan of alchemists from the Western Border, the Ji Clan; the top-tier immortal clan of puppets from the Eastern Border, the Lu Clan; the royal families of the Yue, Yu, Qi, and Nan Kingdoms from the Northern Border.
As well as the top-tier immortal clan of artifact refiners from the Northern Border, the Chen Clan, had all extended invitations to him.
The lowest offer was that of a guest elder.
The immortal kingdoms north of the Heaven-Reaching River even offered him the position of State Preceptor.
It was obvious.
They were treating Chen Jianghe like a good luck charm.
Chen Jianghe politely and tactfully declined all of these invitations. He didn't even want to find a Dao companion, so how could he possibly become a guest elder or a State Preceptor?
They were not angered by his tactful refusals, seemingly not placing too much importance on him.
They just saw him as a lucky rogue cultivator.
It would be best if they could bring him back as a mascot.
If not, it didn't matter.
About an hour later, these Foundation Establishment cultivators began to leave one after another. They had seen this lucky, high-aged cultivator, after all.
There was no point in staying any longer.
In their hearts, they still looked down on a rogue cultivator like Chen Jianghe. The main reason they had talked for so long was curiosity.
After seeing off the Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Qi Refining cultivators began to swarm forward, congratulating Chen Jianghe one by one.
"Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Senior Chen."
"Senior Chen's success this time has given people like us a great deal of hope!"
"..."
Most of these Qi Refining cultivators were at the ninth level of Qi Refining, hailing from various Foundation Establishment immortal clans and major market cities south of the Heaven-Reaching River.
Most of them had come out of admiration.
There were also those who invited Chen Jianghe to serve as a guest elder in an immortal cultivation market city.
Some even wanted to act as matchmakers for Chen Jianghe, proposing the daughters of clan heads, who were not only beautiful but also possessed excellent spiritual root talent.
As for these matchmaking families.
Chen Jianghe naturally knew what they were scheming. They truly saw him as an ordinary rogue cultivator.
One who would be mesmerized by the sight of a high and mighty immortal clan lady.
They wanted him to marry their daughters so that he would serve their families and use his connections to help their daughters acquire resources for Foundation Establishment.
However, Chen Jianghe wasn't angry.
After all, this was just human nature.
Besides, they were here to congratulate him. He had heard from Yu Daniu that these cultivators had all brought congratulatory gifts when they arrived.
They filled an entire room.
One doesn't slap a smiling face. For the sake of the gifts, Chen Jianghe wouldn't stoop to their level.
However, he uniformly declined all their invitations.
Unlike how he treated the Foundation Establishment cultivators, he didn't refuse them one by one.
He had already achieved Foundation Establishment, crossing a cultivator class to become a lofty Foundation Establishment Ancestor.
There was no need to give these Qi Refining cultivators too much face.
If he gave them too much face, they would feel uncomfortable instead.
Half an hour later, these Qi Refining cultivators also gradually departed.
In the end, only a withered old man and a beautiful woman remained.
If one looked closely at the beautiful woman, one could clearly see that the wrinkles on her face were concealed by makeup.
There were also a few imperceptible strands of white hair on her head.
From this, one could tell that this beautiful woman was likely between fifty and fifty-five years old.
"Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Senior Chen. May your path on the immortal way be promising."
The withered old man clasped his fists in congratulations.
Seeing this old man, an image of a much younger figure surfaced in Chen Jianghe's mind.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, it's been a while."
A smile touched Chen Jianghe's face as he spoke to the withered old man.
"Twenty-eight years have passed since we last met. This old man is already at death's door, yet Senior's vigor remains unchanged. Now, you have even achieved Foundation Establishment. From this day on, your immortal path will be smooth!"
This old man was none other than Talisman Master Chu Lang, with whom Chen Jianghe had traded at Mirror Moon Lake back then.
After so many years, Talisman Master Chu Lang was nearing the end of his lifespan. Although he wasn't as old as Alchemist Zhuang.
One must not forget that Alchemist Zhuang had consumed a Face-Preserving Pill and a Life Extension Pill.
He had twenty-seven more years of life than an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator.
"Chu Ying greets Senior Chen. Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment."
Chu Ying, who was beside Talisman Master Chu Lang, also offered her congratulations to Chen Jianghe.
Chen Jianghe had some impression of Chu Ying. Over forty years ago, when he had sought out Talisman Master Chu Lang, Chu Ying was still a young girl who had served him tea.
In the blink of an eye, the little girl from back then now had white hair.
Truly, there is no sense of time in cultivation.
After a few words with Talisman Master Chu Lang, he saw off his former trading partner.
"Big Brother, those members of the Yun Clan who came to help set up the second-rank superior spirit gathering array disc want to pay you a visit," Yu Daniu said at this moment, asking for Chen Jianghe's opinion.
"Mm, that's fine."
Chen Jianghe had a good impression of these late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who had helped him.
Yu Daniu immediately had Yun Siniu make the arrangements.
Before long, nearly twenty cultivators from the Yun Clan arrived. Upon seeing Chen Jianghe, their faces showed deep respect.
They bowed in greeting.
"Greetings, Senior Chen. Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment and your boundless immortal path."
"There's no need for such formalities. I must thank you all for coming to help."
"You are too kind, Senior. It was our honor to assist you. How could we dare to accept your thanks?"
The Yun Clan cultivators spoke with humility, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Chen Jianghe.
Among the Yun Clan members were two acquaintances of Chen Jianghe.
Yun Bufan's attendant, now a high-ranking deacon of the Yun Clan, Yun San.
And the former manager of the large ship, now the manager of the Mirror Moon Restaurant, Yun Wu.
Meeting Chen Jianghe's friendly gaze, the eyes of Yun San and Yun Wu were filled with even greater reverence and profound respect.
And, of course, some astonishment.
They had never imagined that the little Fishery Farmer who once worked under them would now become a lofty Foundation Establishment Ancestor.
Fortunately, they had both helped Chen Jianghe in some small ways back then.
So, when they met his gaze, there was no fear, only respect and reverence.
After these people had left.
Chen Jianghe turned to Yu Daniu and laughed heartily. "You must have been exhausted these past few days, haven't you?"
"You're not wrong, Big Brother."
Yu Daniu said helplessly, "Dealing with these Qi Refining cultivators is one thing, but those Foundation Establishment cultivators are all from top-tier immortal clans and the immortal kingdoms north of the Heaven-Reaching River. Xiaoniu and I could only tread carefully."
"But, for you to succeed in Foundation Establishment, Big Brother, it was all worth it."
"Mm, Xiaoniu has worked hard too," Chen Jianghe said, turning to Yun Xiaoniu.
"It is what I should do, Uncle."
Yun Xiaoniu said excitedly, "Uncle, by achieving Foundation Establishment at eighty, you've now become the representative figure for high-age Foundation Establishment throughout the entire Tiannan Region."
As Yun Xiaoniu spoke, he took out a stack of jade slips from his storage pouch. Counting them, there were thirty-three in total.
"Take a look, Uncle. All these magazines have put your story at the very front."
"That's right, Big Brother. This time, not only have you become famous, but even Qiyun Mountain has made a name for itself throughout the Tiannan Region," Yu Daniu added with a loud laugh.
Chen Jianghe swept his spiritual sense over the jade slips, reading their contents. It was just as Yun Xiaoniu had said; he had become the headline figure.
But after hearing Yu Daniu's words, an idea began to form in Chen Jianghe's mind.
"Daniu, is the second-rank superior spirit gathering array disc still with you?"
"It is. When the Yun Clan members leave tomorrow, I'll have them take it back."
"Wait a moment, don't let them take it back yet."
Chen Jianghe thought for a moment and said, "Have these Yun Clan members stay at Qiyun Mountain for now. I have a great idea for you to earn some spirit stones, consider it a reward for your hard work during this time."
Yu Daniu was stunned, looking at Chen Jianghe with confusion.
At this, even Yun Xiaoniu was puzzled.
"Big Brother, what's this great idea for earning spirit stones?" Yu Daniu asked.
Chen Jianghe smiled, looking at Yu Daniu and Yun Xiaoniu. "How do these magazine jade slips describe Qiyun Mountain?"
"A blessed land that helped Big Brother break through to Foundation Establishment. What about it?"
"Since Qiyun Mountain is a blessed land, don't you think other cultivators would want to attempt their breakthrough here?"
Chen Jianghe looked at Yu Daniu with a grin.
This sentence made both Yu Daniu and Yun Xiaoniu's eyes widen as they stared at Chen Jianghe in astonishment.
"Uncle, are you saying we can rent out cultivation grounds for breaking through to Foundation Establishment, just like in Qinghe Market City?"
"What cultivation grounds? This is a blessed land for breaking through to Foundation Establishment."
Chen Jianghe corrected Yun Xiaoniu's wording.
If they were to promote Qiyun Mountain, certain terms had to be used precisely.
Originally, Chen Jianghe had thought his successful Foundation Establishment would only cause a stir in the Eastern Border. He never expected that breaking through at eighty would shake the entire Tiannan Region.
Even people from the immortal kingdoms north of the Heaven-Reaching River had come.
And the top-tier immortal clan of artifact refiners from the Northern Border, the Chen Clan, had also invited him to be a guest elder.
With all this, the impact of his high-age breakthrough was immense.
And Qiyun Mountain had also become famous because of him, even being called a blessed land. If he didn't make good use of this opportunity to earn spirit stones.
It would be a complete waste of this chance to make a name for himself in the Tiannan Region.
"You're right, Big Brother. After you achieved Foundation Establishment at eighty, even I want to try breaking through, let alone those ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators in their seventies."
"Your success this time, Big Brother, will surely inspire many cultivators past the age of sixty to attempt Foundation Establishment."
Even if Yu Daniu was usually slow with schemes, he understood Chen Jianghe's meaning now. He immediately asked, "Big Brother, what do you think would be a suitable price for renting out a spot on Qiyun Mountain?"
"Two hundred spirit stones. That's not too high for those attempting Foundation Establishment. They'd be more than willing to pay two hundred spirit stones to strengthen their conviction for the breakthrough."
As Chen Jianghe spoke, his expression turned serious as he looked at Yu Daniu. "You just said you wanted to attempt Foundation Establishment. Were you serious?"
Others might not know, but Chen Jianghe knew exactly why his breakthrough had been successful.
With an eleven-out-of-ten success rate, it would have been stranger if he had failed.
But other cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment at an advanced age didn't have an eleven-out-of-ten success rate.
Even if they originally had a ten-out-of-ten success rate, it would decline to five-out-of-ten after passing the age of sixty.
Of course, Chen Jianghe's success at eighty wasn't entirely without benefit to those cultivators attempting their own breakthrough.
At the very least, it strengthened their firm belief in their own success.
"Haha, I'm already eighty, and my grandson is about to have a son of his own. Why would I still think about Foundation Establishment?"
Yu Daniu burst out laughing.
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe felt a sense of relief.
Yu Qirui had gotten married three months ago. He had been in seclusion at the time and hadn't attended the wedding banquet.
From what Yu Daniu said, it seemed Yu Qirui's wife was already pregnant.
This made Chen Jianghe sigh inwardly. The 'talent' of the Yu family was truly strong; to be a father at such a young age.
"Big Brother, you chat with Xiaoniu first. I'm going to find Xiaoyue to discuss the idea you mentioned."
With that, Yu Daniu quickly left the front hall.
Chen Jianghe looked at Yun Xiaoniu and asked where he had been before.
Yun Xiaoniu naturally wouldn't hide anything from Chen Jianghe and said frankly, "I made a trip to Qingyou Valley."
"Qingyou Valley?"
Chen Jianghe's brow furrowed, and his tone became serious.
"Qingyou Valley is a black market. What were you doing at a black market? You are now a Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Yu family. You can't afford any mishaps."
Yun Xiaoniu was the Yu family's only Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Before they successfully raised a second-rank spirit beast, if anything happened to Yun Xiaoniu, it would be a devastating blow to the Yu family.
After all, he couldn't stay at Qiyun Mountain forever.
The reason a black market was called a black market was that it was a place for fencing stolen goods.
Although it held many treasures, it was also fraught with danger. Many experienced "phishers" would lurk in the black market, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Once targeted, one would be in grave danger.
Right now, the Yu family was contending with the Shi family over the Yunmen Mountain spirit mine, making Yun Xiaoniu's safety especially important.
Furthermore, Yun Xiaoniu hadn't been at Foundation Establishment for long and lacked a deep foundation. If he encountered danger, he would find it difficult to cope.
"I will remember your teachings, Uncle," Yun Xiaoniu said respectfully.
"What did you go to Qingyou Valley for?"
Chen Jianghe asked.
"I knew that you would leave Qiyun Mountain after reaching Foundation Establishment, Uncle. So, I wanted to find the subsequent cultivation arts for the *Myriad Waters True Scripture* for you. But... I was incompetent and only managed to get some news about the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*."
"You went to Qingyou Valley for the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*..."
Chen Jianghe looked at Yun Xiaoniu, wanting to say something but held back, finally letting out a soft sigh.
"Uncle, although I didn't obtain the subsequent arts for the *Myriad Waters True Scripture* this time, I did get a treasure that is closely related to it."
As Yun Xiaoniu spoke, he took out a second-rank, mid-grade spirit plant that emanated an icy aura.
Chen Jianghe looked over, a surprised expression on his face.
"Ice Heart Grass? What does this have to do with the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*?"
Chen Jianghe was very familiar with Ice Heart Grass; he had handled two stalks himself.
If he wasn't mistaken, Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan should have another stalk of Ice Heart Grass in their possession.
It was what Ruan Tieniu had left with them as collateral.
But Ruan Tieniu had returned heavily injured and they had parted ways again before he had a chance to mention the Ice Heart Grass.
Chen Jianghe was very curious. How could Ice Heart Grass possibly be connected to the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*?
"The disciple of the Qingyou Valley Master has cultivated to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage and needs an Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill to break through. And the cultivation art he practices is precisely the *Myriad Waters True Scripture*."