Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Maoqiu's Flaw, and Ji Wujin's Return?
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A batch of Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills was successfully refined.
Feeling his spiritual energy was abundant, Chen Jianghe decided to strike while the iron was hot. He fired up the furnace once more to continue refining the Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills.
Ten hours later, the fragrance of pills filled the entire alchemy room.
Another batch of Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills was completed.
He had refined four batches of Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills, succeeding with three and failing with one.
For an alchemist who had just reached the second order, this wasn't just good; it was excellent.
The reason Chen Jianghe had such a high success rate…
…was due to his control over his spiritual power and his insights into the Dao of Alchemy.
Alchemist Zhuang had told him back then that the Dao of Alchemy was different from the Dao of Talismans. Talent in alchemy was merely the stepping stone.
To become a second-order alchemist, one needed comprehension.
Once one's alchemical skills reached a certain level, it was necessary to comprehend the profound principles of the Dao. For example, refining Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills required a precise understanding of how the medicinal ingredients changed during the process.
This was completely different from refining first-order spirit pills, which only required proficient technique.
Refining second-order spirit pills was more about fully understanding the characteristics of the pill, which allowed one to form precise hand seals and strike the alchemy furnace at the right moments.
Otherwise, a single misstep could cause the furnace to explode.
Of course, if one sensed the refinement was about to fail, it was best to let it fail. Trying to reverse the inevitable was what would cause an explosion.
Chen Jianghe was very pragmatic about this.
During his first attempt, the moment he saw signs of failure, he immediately abandoned all hope, never thinking of using his superb alchemical skills to turn the tide.
Failure was failure. There was no need to risk a furnace explosion to perform some grand feat of reversal.
Success would only yield three Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills.
But if the furnace exploded, he himself could be injured.
Besides, a second-order alchemy furnace was extremely valuable, costing twelve thousand six hundred spirit stones.
If it exploded, the second-order alchemy furnace would be ruined.
Wasting over two hundred spirit stones worth of ingredients versus destroying a second-order alchemy furnace—he knew which was the lesser loss.
He now had three more Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills in his possession.
Chen Jianghe still felt his spiritual energy was plentiful, so he refined another batch of Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills.
Seven hours later.
As the lid of the furnace opened, three irregularly shaped, pitch-black spirit pills flew out, devoid of any refreshing fragrance.
But they also lacked any pungent odor.
"I was careless. Still not composed enough."
Chen Jianghe mocked himself, crushing the three failed pills into dust that dissipated into the air.
Refining second-order spirit pills demanded extremely strict adherence to understanding medicinal principles, alchemical techniques, and hand seal methods.
Any single mistake would lead to failure.
Chen Jianghe walked out of the alchemy room and saw Maoqiu under the pavilion, diligently drawing talismans. He walked over.
Maoqiu had broken through to the late second order a year ago, and its combat power had increased tremendously. Wielding its profound iron heavy rod, it could shatter Xiao Hei's turtle shell shield in a single strike.
It could even leave a faint mark on Xiao Hei's shell.
Don't underestimate this faint mark.
One had to know that Xiao Hei's defense was so strong that even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator using a spirit-imbued offensive artifact would struggle to break the turtle shell shield, let alone leave a mark on the shell itself.
This showed that Maoqiu's attack power was quite formidable.
It was much stronger than a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a spirit-imbued offensive artifact.
Watching Maoqiu draw a low-grade Five Elements Escape Talisman, he noted its skilled technique and decent control over its spiritual power.
Logically, it should be able to break through to become a mid-grade Talisman Master.
But Maoqiu struggled to concentrate and couldn't fully focus on drawing the spirit talismans.
Thus, even after eighteen years of studying the Dao of Talismans, Maoqiu was still a low-grade Talisman Master. If it couldn't calm its mind and concentrate, becoming a mid-grade Talisman Master would be very difficult.
But if Maoqiu could achieve complete focus, it could reach the level of a high-grade Talisman Master in a short time.
"Master."
After finishing a low-grade Water Escape Talisman, Maoqiu saw Chen Jianghe standing beside it and quickly called out.
"Mm, keep up the good work."
Chen Jianghe encouraged Maoqiu.
Inwardly, however, he was pondering how to get Maoqiu to concentrate and not get distracted while drawing talismans.
Maoqiu was a Mountain Velvet Beast, a primate. In the end, it was a white monkey, naturally active. It was its nature, making it difficult to focus.
Without saying more to Maoqiu…
He allowed it to continue drawing talismans.
Chen Jianghe then went to the lotus pond and looked at the spirit turtles lying on the ground. Every one of them had reached the mid-first order, including the three Mystic Water Turtles he had purchased later.
To raise these spirit turtles…
Chen Jianghe's spirit stone expenditure over the past five years had been immense.
The high-grade first-order spirit pills he refined weren't sold; they were all fed to these spirit turtles.
His spirit stone income came only from the five acres of spirit fields Maoqiu tended and the low-grade first-order talismans it drew, amounting to about five hundred spirit stones per year.
Over five years, that was only two thousand five hundred spirit stones.
Yet, this five-year income wasn't even enough to cover what these spirit turtles consumed in a single year.
Forty-six spirit turtles consumed four thousand eight hundred of Chen Jianghe's spirit stones in one year, and the amount increased annually.
The second year, it was four thousand nine hundred and fifty spirit stones.
The third year, it reached five thousand two hundred.
In the fourth and fifth years, they consumed five thousand three hundred fifty and five thousand five hundred spirit stones, respectively.
In other words, these forty-six spirit turtles had consumed twenty-five thousand eight hundred of Chen Jianghe's spirit stones in five years.
Adding the seventy-five thousand spirit stones consumed by the Dragon Pattern Red Pine over these five years…
Just raising the spirit turtles and the Dragon Pattern Red Pine had cost Chen Jianghe one hundred thousand and eight hundred spirit stones.
He also bought three Peachwood Heart-Clearing Talisman Brushes and nine boxes of second-order spiritual ink.
That cost five thousand seven hundred spirit stones.
Including various other miscellaneous expenses, Chen Jianghe had spent a total of over one hundred and ten thousand spirit stones in five years.
Fortunately, he had made a small fortune during the Three Kingdoms War; otherwise, he would have had to ask Zhuang Xinyan for spirit stones again.
"These spirit turtles eat a lot, but they also grow extremely fast. I estimate they'll all break through to the late first order in another ten years."
Chen Jianghe calculated that in another ten years, these spirit turtles would likely consume another seventy thousand of his spirit stones.
He still had two hundred forty-one thousand five hundred spirit stones on hand.
It was more than enough.
In preparation for entering the unknown secret realm and to draw high-grade second-order talismans, his spirit stones had only been spent, not earned, these past few years.
Naturally, they were being consumed quickly.
In these five years, Chen Jianghe had drawn twenty-six high-grade second-order talismans: seven Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talismans, ten Yimu Green Vine Shield Talismans, and nine Yimu Soul-Entangling Talismans.
He now possessed twenty-two Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talismans, fifteen Yimu Green Vine Shield Talismans, and ten Yimu Soul-Entangling Talismans.
It was enough for Zhou Xiaoxuan.
The regular secret realm would open in another nine years.
Zhou Xiaoxuan had sent a letter informing him that this time, the secret realm would open at Muyun Mountain in Xichuan Prefecture of the Feng Kingdom, near the boundless sea.
That was sixteen thousand li directly west of Many-Treasures Market City.
Learning the location of the secret realm's opening, Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't north of the Heaven-Reaching River, it was fine.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the two Qinghe clans.
The main issue was that behind the two Qinghe clans was the Qing Kingdom and the Puppet Immortal Lu Clan.
He didn't have a spirit boat. If he ran into Lu Qingfeng, his only option would be to use a Lesser Teleportation Talisman to escape.
Otherwise, if he got entangled, he would be in grave danger.
Xiao Hei was powerful, but Lu Qingfeng had a peak second-order spirit beast and a top-tier second-order puppet.
If the peak second-order spirit beast and the top-tier second-order puppet managed to tie down Xiao Hei…
Chen Jianghe would have to use all his trump cards to fight Lu Qingfeng, which would ruin his plans for the unknown secret realm.
Just then.
The message box in the courtyard flashed faintly.
With a thought, Chen Jianghe pulled the incoming letter into his hand. It was a message from Ruan Tieniu.
After reading the letter…
Chen Jianghe walked out of his courtyard and into the spirit fields.
There, he saw the magnificently dressed Ruan Tieniu. His tall and sturdy frame made him look powerful and strong.
His previously honest and simple demeanor was gone.
His somewhat swarthy face now held an air of authority, a disposition clearly cultivated from years in a high position.
Grand Protector of the Feng Kingdom—it was indeed a high position.
"I wonder what matter is so important that it brings Grand Protector Ruan here in person?" Chen Jianghe said with a chuckle.
At present, the Tiannan Sect and the Beast Taming Zhou Clan were in a period of cooperation.
Ruan Tieniu could freely enter and exit the Immortal Gate Market City's territory and openly associate with Chen Jianghe.
Of course, such undisguised association would be very disadvantageous for Chen Jianghe if war were to break out again.
But it didn't matter much anymore.
After coming out of the unknown secret realm, Chen Jianghe didn't plan to stay in the Immortal Gate Market City for long, and not because the Tiannan Sect was planning to move from the south of the Heaven-Reaching River.
It was because the time he had agreed upon with Luo Xiyue was approaching.
If he wanted to obtain that supreme-grade spirit stone, he would need to find Luo Xiyue on the Ice and Snow Island.
Chen Jianghe very much wanted to obtain a supreme-grade spirit stone. Having one was equivalent to having an endless supply of cultivation resources.
Even if he didn't use the supreme-grade spirit stone for his own cultivation, he could let Xiao Hei devour it.
"Haha... Brother Chen, you're teasing me!"
"In front of Brother Chen, I'm still the same beast hunter I once was. How could I dare call myself the Grand Protector of the Feng Kingdom?"
"I've come looking for you this time because there is indeed a matter I wish to discuss with you."
Ruan Tieniu looked at Chen Jianghe, his expression gradually turning serious. He took out a jade slip, enveloped it in spiritual power, and sent it to a spot fifty zhang from Chen Jianghe.
"Before we discuss, Brother Chen needs to take a look at this list."
"A list?"
Chen Jianghe swept his divine sense over it, imprinting the contents of the jade slip into his sea of consciousness, and looked at the names one by one.
"The list of people entering the unknown secret realm?!"
On this list, Chen Jianghe saw his own name, as well as the names of Gao Peiyao, Xiao Chen, and Yuan Chenyu.
'Lu Qingfeng, Ji Yanfeng, Chen Chengping, Cen Linchuan, and Cen Linfeng...'
Chen Jianghe saw several familiar names.
Among them were Ji Yanfeng and Chen Chengping, who had tried to harm him in the Wind and Snow Valley secret realm. They were not good people.
As for Cen Linchuan and Cen Linfeng, it seemed they had accepted Chen Chengping as their master, which meant they were also against him.
Furthermore, Chen Jianghe himself had a karmic tie with the Cen Clan.
Back then, Cen Linchuan's father had forced him to draw high-grade second-order talismans. This karmic debt would have to be settled sooner or later.
As for Lu Qingfeng?
After entering the secret realm, he and Gao Peiyao would form an alliance. If Lu Qingfeng tried to attack Gao Peiyao, he naturally couldn't stand by and watch.
So, he was a semi-enemy as well.
"Ji Wujin?!"
When Chen Jianghe saw a particular name on the Feng Kingdom's side of the list, he froze.
He had actually seen Ji Wujin's name.
"Brother Ruan, is Ji Wujin in the Feng Kingdom?"
Chen Jianghe asked.
"I haven't heard of him in the Feng Kingdom. I don't know how his name got on there. They say the Beast Taming Zhou Clan added it directly."
Ruan Tieniu replied.
Chen Jianghe was puzzled.
If Ji Wujin wasn't in the Feng Kingdom, how could his name be on the list? Logically, he shouldn't even be in the Tiannan Domain!
Has he come back?!
He had learned from Luo Xiyue that Ji Wujin was not a cultivator from the Tiannan Domain. Like her, he had come to the Tiannan Domain for training.
Ruan Tieniu wasn't concerned about Ji Wujin. He looked at Chen Jianghe and sent a voice transmission: "Brother Chen, now that you've seen the list, the names in blue represent late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, the names in red represent peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the names in purple represent False Core Adepts."
"That's not right. Why is my name in white?"
Chen Jianghe asked in confusion.
Of the sixty-five names from the Tiannan Sect and thirty-five from the Beast Taming Zhou Clan, only Chen Jianghe's name was white.
"Brother Chen probably hasn't broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment yet, so yours is the only one in white," Ruan Tieniu said with a laugh.
"Ah... you're right."
Chen Jianghe glanced at the list again. Indeed, only his name was white.
Ruan Tieniu's name was blue, which meant he was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Gao Peiyao's name was red, meaning that when the list was finalized, she had already broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Xiao Chen, Yuan Chenyu, Lu Qingfeng, Ji Yanfeng, Chen Chengping, Cen Linfeng... their names were also red.
Clearly, they were all peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Cen Linchuan's name was blue, but there were still nearly twenty years until the unknown secret realm opened.
He would surely break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment by then.
"Ji Wujin, peak Foundation Establishment?!"
Ji Wujin's name was also red, indicating that he too had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.
He hadn't heard any news of Ji Wujin for almost fifty years.
To think that the next time he heard of him, the man was already at the peak of Foundation Establishment.
It was a good thing they hadn't met. Otherwise, with his current cultivation, he truly wouldn't be a match for Ji Wujin.
Back then, Ji Wujin had said that the next time they met, if he hadn't broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, he would kill him on sight.
"Eighteen False Core Adepts, twenty-seven peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, fifty-four late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and you, Brother Chen, at the mid-stage."
"This is the list of participants agreed upon by the Tiannan Sect and the Beast Taming Zhou Clan. There will be no changes, unless someone dies before entering the unknown secret realm."
"Brother Chen, you need to be careful. Many cultivators in the Feng Kingdom are eyeing your spot."
Ruan Tieniu teased.
"Eyeing my spot? Even if I died, the Tiannan Sect would just arrange for someone else to take my place. What does that have to do with the Feng Kingdom?" Chen Jianghe rolled his eyes, speechless.
"Hehe..."
Ruan Tieniu grinned.
"Brother Ruan, just say it. What did you come to discuss with me?"
"Cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
"Yes. After entering the unknown secret realm, we brothers will cooperate. Those colleagues and friends of mine in the Feng Kingdom are all incredibly wealthy, and one of them even has a Core Formation spiritual item."
Ruan Tieniu raised an eyebrow, looking at Chen Jianghe and transmitting his voice: "What do you say? Want to team up and do something big?"
"Brother Ruan came to find me just for this?"
Chen Jianghe was stunned.
Ruan Tieniu actually wanted to target his own colleagues in the Feng Kingdom. That was a truly dangerous idea.
Chen Jianghe didn't dare to agree.
He was afraid this was a trap set by Ruan Tieniu.
What if Ruan Tieniu conspired with his colleagues to deal with him instead?
It wasn't impossible.
"Yes, that's a Core Formation spiritual item we're talking about!"
"How many Core Formation spiritual items are there?"
"One."
"If we succeed, who gets the Core Formation spiritual item?"
"Of course, it goes to... After we get it, we brothers can discuss it. We're brothers, so it's the same no matter who uses it."
Pressed by Chen Jianghe, Ruan Tieniu was caught off guard and almost blurted out the truth.
Chen Jianghe pursed his lips. He would never do something like this.
If he did, how would he be any different from a robber cultivator?
"Brother Ruan, you should find someone else!"
"I'm just a minor mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could I dare have any designs on late-stage and peak Foundation Establishment masters?"
Chen Jianghe refused via voice transmission.
"Brother Chen, you're being too modest. You'll definitely reach the peak of the late stage of Foundation Establishment before entering the unknown secret realm."
"I don't mind telling you, Brother Chen, I'm also confident that I can reach the peak of Foundation Establishment before entering the unknown secret realm."
"If we brothers join forces in the secret realm, we'll surely be unstoppable and claim all the treasures for ourselves."
Ruan Tieniu still wanted to cooperate with Chen Jianghe.
He had some understanding of Chen Jianghe's character. He was cautious and acted with prudence. A person like that would have known about the unknown secret realm long ago.
He must have amassed a pile of high-grade second-order talismans.
Those were the resources he needed.
Chen Jianghe shook his head, still showing no intention of cooperating with Ruan Tieniu.
"Since Brother Chen is unwilling to cooperate, could you sell me some high-grade second-order talismans?"
"We've been through a lot together. You wouldn't want to see me die before I even get started, would you!"
Ruan Tieniu looked at Chen Jianghe eagerly, his expression filled with longing.
"So this was your real purpose, Brother Ruan!"
Chen Jianghe sent a faint voice transmission.
Ruan Tieniu couldn't be unaware of his personality.
Therefore, Ruan Tieniu must have guessed that he would not agree to cooperate in ambushing others.
Buying high-grade second-order talismans was Ruan Tieniu's true objective.
Before seeing the list, Chen Jianghe might have sold some high-grade second-order talismans to Ruan Tieniu.
But not now.
There were eighteen False Core cultivators, many of whom were once-famous geniuses in the Tiannan Domain, including Madam Jinghong.
Twenty-seven peak Foundation Establishment cultivators—this number wasn't fixed. By the time they entered the unknown secret realm…
Chen Jianghe estimated there would be at least thirty-five peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
With nearly twenty years left, even Ruan Tieniu could reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, let alone the disciples of the major sects and the direct descendants of top immortal clans.
Most importantly, he had seen Ji Wujin's name.
He had to be prepared for Ji Wujin.
That fellow was too unpredictable. It was unclear whether he was friend or foe. If he decided to attack…
Chen Jianghe would have a hard time defending himself.
"High-grade second-order talisman materials are hard to come by. How could I have any high-grade second-order talismans to sell to you, Brother Ruan!"
Chen Jianghe shook his head.
He sighed, his face full of helplessness.
"I won't buy them with spirit stones. I'll trade high-grade second-order talisman materials with you, Brother Chen. And after I get something in the secret realm, I can give you priority in trading for any spiritual items that are useless to me."
"How many high-grade second-order talisman materials do you have, Brother Ruan?" Chen Jianghe asked via voice transmission.
"Eleven sets."
"I can give you five high-grade second-order talismans, Brother Ruan, but once we're in the secret realm, you'll need to give me one quasi-third-order spiritual item."
"Deal."
Ruan Tieniu immediately agreed.
Without any hesitation, he took out a storage bag, enveloped it in spiritual power, and sent it to a spot fifty zhang from Chen Jianghe.
Trading two sets of high-grade second-order talisman materials for one high-grade second-order talisman…
This was an incredibly good deal.
Normally, it would take four or five sets of high-grade second-order talisman materials to trade for a single high-grade second-order talisman.
As for the quasi-third-order spiritual item Chen Jianghe mentioned…
To Ruan Tieniu, as long as he could survive in the secret realm, what was giving Chen Jianghe a quasi-third-order spiritual item in the future?
Chen Jianghe accepted the high-grade second-order talisman materials from Ruan Tieniu.
If it were a sale for spirit stones, he naturally wouldn't have agreed. But if it was a trade for high-grade second-order talisman materials, that was something he could consider.
And there was also a quasi-third-order spiritual item.
Although he would only get it in the secret realm, it was still a good deal for Chen Jianghe.
"Brother Ruan, what kind of second-order talismans do you need?"
"One Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talisman, two high-grade second-order offensive talismans, and two high-grade second-order defensive talismans."
"Alright."
Chen Jianghe took out one Purple Lightning Cloud-Piercing Talisman, two Yimu Green Vine Shield Talismans, and two Yimu Soul-Entangling Talismans and gave them to Ruan Tieniu.
"Brother Chen, could you sell me some second-order spirit pills as well?"
"What does Brother Ruan plan to trade with?"
"This hundred-year snow lotus. I wonder how many spirit pills it can be exchanged for?"
Ruan Tieniu took out a hundred-year snow lotus and sent it directly to Chen Jianghe, not at all worried that he would take the lotus and not deliver the pills.
"Nine Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills, nine Dew-Condensing Flesh-Growing Pills, ten Flesh-Growing Bone-Mending Pills, fifteen second-order Spirit-Recovering Pills, and five Heart-Clearing Detoxification Pills. How about it?"
"Brother Chen is truly a generous man. Let's do as you say. After we enter the secret realm, I'll definitely pick out a good quasi-third-order spiritual item for you!" Ruan Tieniu exclaimed in delight.
Although these spirit pills weren't worth as much as the hundred-year snow lotus, they were difficult to purchase in the Feng Kingdom.
The Feng Kingdom currently had only one Grandmaster Alchemist.
If he wanted to ask for pills to be refined, he would probably have to wait for fifty years.
"Good, then I'll be waiting for Brother Ruan's quasi-third-order spiritual item."
Chen Jianghe said with a light laugh.
He took out the spirit pills, placed them in five separate jade vials, and sent them to Ruan Tieniu.
Six months ago, Jiang Ruxu had given him thirty Flesh-Growing Bone-Mending Pills, thirty second-order Spirit-Recovering Pills, and thirty Heart-Clearing Detoxification Pills.
The nine Mountain-Suppressing Bone-Mending Pills he gave Ruan Tieniu were the ones he had refined himself.
As for the Dew-Condensing Flesh-Growing Pills, they were Jade Dew Pills that Chen Jianghe had condensed using the Jade Dew Flesh-Growing Incantation.
"This hundred-year snow lotus is perfect for Ruxu and Xinyan. They are both about to reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment and need the main ingredient to refine Dustfall Pills."
Chen Jianghe had already cultivated two hundred and thirty-eight drops of Foundation Establishment spiritual power.
Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu had also cultivated over two hundred and thirty drops of spiritual power. They should be breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment around the same time as him.
"Brother Chen, Sister-in-law Jiang's fame as a Grandmaster Alchemist is well-known in the Feng Kingdom. In the future, cultivators from the Feng Kingdom will definitely come seeking spirit pills."
"If someone comes with a treasure like the hundred-year snow lotus, don't go easy on them. Even if you offer them two-thirds of the pills you gave me, they will still trade with you!"
Ruan Tieniu advised before leaving.