Chapter 275
Chapter 275
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Peiyao's Wrath, Late Foundation Establishment
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Upon returning to his courtyard, Chen Jianghe saw that the defensive formations around Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu’s cultivation area were active, so he did not disturb their secluded cultivation.
Over the years, Jiang Ruxu had accumulated a considerable amount of resources and a vast quantity of spirit stones through her alchemy, enough to support the two of them for twenty years of cultivation.
Therefore, Jiang Ruxu had set aside her alchemy to focus on cultivation.
“Ruxu and Xinyan will probably only come out after they’ve broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. I need to work hard as well and break through to the late stage first.”
Chen Jianghe returned to the East Courtyard and entered his cultivation chamber.
He had already cultivated two hundred thirty-eight drops of Foundation Establishment mana. At most, it would take another three months for him to break through to the late stage.
As for his physical body, he had reached the sixth level of the Tidal Body Tempering Art a year ago, making it incredibly powerful.
When he circulated his mana, his body would emanate an azure glow, resembling a single piece of warm, smooth, and resilient jade.
A high-grade flying sword could not harm it.
Even a top-tier magical artifact could only injure his flesh, not break his bones.
Chen Jianghe possessed the Jade Dew Flesh Regeneration Incantation; as long as his bones were not injured, it was as good as being unharmed.
Defending against magical artifact attacks was not the strong suit of the Tidal Body Tempering Art.
Immunity to magical art attacks—that was the true strength of the Tidal Body Tempering Art.
After cultivating the Tidal Body Tempering Art to the sixth level, he could immunize himself against all conventional first-tier magical arts of the five elements.
He could also nullify over seventy percent of the power of special-attribute first-tier magical art attacks.
His only weakness was a lower resistance to sinister and malevolent magical arts.
This couldn't be helped.
Generally, body tempering techniques struggled to resist sinister and malevolent magical arts; only special magical artifacts were effective against them.
As for second-tier magical arts cast by Foundation Establishment cultivators, Chen Jianghe’s body could also offer effective resistance.
He had nearly fifty percent resistance to second-tier water-attribute magical art attacks.
Against other second-tier magical arts, he could nullify thirty percent of their power, which was quite impressive.
Furthermore, after his physical body’s breakthrough, his speed in drawing talismans had also seen some improvement.
Previously, he could draw five second-tier high-grade talismans a year; now, he could draw six.
Once Chen Jianghe’s cultivation also broke through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment...
His mental energy would increase significantly, allowing him to draw seven, or even eight, second-tier high-grade talismans a year.
And this was not his limit.
Chen Jianghe’s spiritual technique was still only at the fifth level. Once he cultivated it to the sixth, his speed at drawing second-tier high-grade talismans would surely increase again.
Even now, Chen Jianghe’s speed at drawing second-tier high-grade talismans was much faster than other Talisman Grandmasters.
Even if they were at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, Chen Jianghe was not the least bit inferior; in fact, he was even a notch above.
His soul was different from that of ordinary people; his spiritual sense was profound, and his mind was powerful.
In addition, the Myriad Waters True Scripture he cultivated amplified his mana, giving him an inexhaustible supply for drawing talismans.
“A message from Peiyao?”
Chen Jianghe was just about to enter seclusion for his breakthrough.
But he sensed a faint glow from the message box in the courtyard. A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed a letter from Gao Peiyao.
“‘See me at once?’ This must be urgent!”
Seeing the message, Chen Jianghe didn't delay. He rose, left the cultivation chamber, and walked out of his courtyard.
There, he saw Gao Peiyao, her eyes filled with fury.
“What happened?”
Chen Jianghe asked.
This was the first time he had ever seen anger in Gao Peiyao’s eyes.
Previously, every time he met her, she wore a faint smile, her gaze calm and composed, as if everything was under her control.
“The Lu Clan has submitted a duel request to the sect. If nothing unexpected happens, the sect will certainly accept it.”
Gao Peiyao said in a cold voice, “The Lu Clan is convinced that I am the one who killed Lu Qingming and is demanding that I hand over the second-tier puppet inheritance.”
“Hmph! They’ve gone too far. Do they really think I can’t defeat that Lu Qingfeng? If they want a fight, they’ll get one!”
Gao Peiyao’s words were filled with anger and hatred for the Lu Clan.
A duel request between the younger generation.
This was a rule established long ago by the Tiannan Sect.
Any cultivator from outside the sect who had a grudge with a sect disciple and couldn't find them in the outside world...
Could submit a duel request to the Tiannan Sect.
For cultivators of the same stage, the Tiannan Sect would always accept the challenge.
However, during the battle, the use of external aids such as spirit pets, puppets, or talisman treasures was forbidden.
The Tiannan Sect held everything in contempt, but they wouldn't send their disciples to their deaths. What if, despite being of the same stage, the opponent possessed a talisman treasure or a peak second-tier spirit beast?
Thus, this was also an indirect way of protecting the sect’s disciples.
If a disciple still lost even with spirit pets, puppets, and talisman treasures forbidden...
Then they deserved to be killed.
After joining the Tiannan Sect, every main peak, and even the branch and sub-peaks, had their own inherited sword arts and other offensive techniques.
If you’ve cultivated these techniques and still can’t defeat an outsider, what’s the difference between you and trash?
The Tiannan Sect had no need for trash.
After a defeat, even if one was lucky enough to survive...
The Tiannan Sect would expel the defeated disciple from the sect, leaving them to fend for themselves in the outside world.
“When is the duel?”
Chen Jianghe frowned and asked.
“In half a year, at Cangyan Mountain on the outskirts of the Youxian Mountain Range, south of Youxian Town.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“I’d like to borrow your Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword, Brother Jianghe.”
“Of course.”
Chen Jianghe didn't hesitate. He immediately took out the Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword and erased his spiritual sense imprint so Gao Peiyao could begin refining and using it.
“Thank you, Brother Jianghe.”
Gao Peiyao was touched to see Chen Jianghe give her the Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword without a second thought.
“But in just half a year, you’ll only be able to perform a preliminary refinement of the Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword. You might not be able to unleash its full power.”
“Not being able to unleash its full power is exactly what I want,” Gao Peiyao said, a glint in her eyes as she looked at Chen Jianghe.
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe guessed her meaning.
He was somewhat shocked.
He remembered Gao Peiyao mentioning that Silvermoon Peak had an inherited sword art, which she must have cultivated.
Yet she had always used the Dragon Spine Whip and never once brandished a flying sword. This didn't mean she didn't have her own soul-nurtured flying sword.
Rather, she was hiding her strength.
A trump card should be saved for last.
Gao Peiyao’s words, in particular, strengthened his belief that she definitely had her own soul-nurtured flying sword.
The Dragon Spine Whip was just a diversion.
“Brother Jianghe, you must be about to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, right?” Gao Peiyao asked softly, sensing the aura around him.
“Within three months.”
“If you have time, Brother Jianghe, you can come to Cangyan Mountain to watch the battle. It will be a good chance to understand the combat strength of the prodigies from the top immortal clans.”
Considering Chen Jianghe's cautious nature, Gao Peiyao added, “The duel location is very safe. My master will be there, along with three other Core Formation elders from the Tiannan Sect.”
“The Lu Clan will also have two Core Formation masters present.”
“Alright.”
Chen Jianghe nodded in agreement.
“By the way, this is the list of people entering the unknown mystic realm. You can take a look, Brother Jianghe. I still need to refine the Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword, so I’ll take my leave now.”
“Take care.”
Chen Jianghe held the jade slip and watched Gao Peiyao fly away.
“Lu Qingfeng reached perfected Foundation Establishment twenty years ago. His physical body and spirit must have reached their peak as well. He has also cultivated an offensive sword art. Even without a peak second-tier spirit beast and a top-tier second-tier puppet, his combat strength is unimaginable.”
“And Gao Peiyao intends to fight him after refining the Silvermoon Flowing Wave Sword for only half a year.”
“It seems my little sister has quite a few trump cards!”
Chen Jianghe returned to his cultivation chamber. He scanned the list in the jade slip with his spiritual sense; it was similar to the one Ruan Tieniu had given him.
But it was more detailed than Ruan Tieniu’s.
Gao Peiyao had marked more than ten names for Chen Jianghe, individuals who needed to be handled with care.
Chen Jianghe noticed that among the eighteen Pseudo-Core Rogue Cultivators, Gao Peiyao had only marked four names.
The other fourteen were unmarked.
In other words…
Those fourteen Pseudo-Core Rogue Cultivators posed no threat to her.
This once again demonstrated that Gao Peiyao's strength was far from what he had seen.
Chen Jianghe wasn't surprised that Gao Peiyao was revealing some of her strength to him. Mutual understanding would make it easier for them to work together in the unknown mystic realm.
But what she revealed was only the tip of the iceberg.
No one would expose all their trump cards.
Just like Chen Jianghe himself, who would never reveal Xiao Hei unless absolutely necessary. That was his greatest protective measure.
With that thought…
Chen Jianghe stopped dwelling on it.
He composed his mind and calmed his spirit.
Chen Jianghe first drew a Verdant Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman before cultivating the Myriad Waters True Scripture.
He hadn't reached the final moment of his breakthrough yet, so he couldn't neglect drawing talismans.
The cultivation of the Tidal Body Tempering Art also couldn't be delayed for a moment, as he absorbed and refined the spiritual energy of the Essence Soul Pill in his divine gate.
This was the last Essence Soul Pill he had consumed.
After Jiang Ruxu came out of seclusion, he would need her help to refine second-tier high-grade Blood Soul Pills. It was time to turn the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Ginseng into spirit pills.
He planned to use the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Ginseng to push his Tidal Body Tempering Art to the peak of the sixth level in one fell swoop.
Time flew by.
More than two months passed.
Chen Jianghe now held one more Verdant Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, and one less set of second-tier high-grade talisman materials.
The mana in his dantian had grown to two hundred and forty drops. He was ready to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
He looked inward with his spiritual sense.
In his dantian, the drops of Foundation Establishment mana were scattered like individual water droplets.
To break through to the late stage, he needed to make these drops of mana connect closely, preparing them to form a mana sea in the future.
The cultivation of the late Foundation Establishment stage involved cultivating more drops of mana while simultaneously causing them to link together.
The cultivation of the perfected Foundation Establishment stage, then, was to fuse these drops into a single entity, forming a mana sea—a massive ball of mana.
This would then generate worldly Yuan Qi, which would fuse with the mana and be compressed into the size of a quail's egg. This was Core Formation.
With a thought, a jade box appeared in Chen Jianghe's hand. As he opened it, a captivating fragrance filled the air, intoxicating him.
The scent was so fresh and pleasant that one couldn't help but take a few more deep breaths.
The pill, which looked like a blue crystal, was a second-tier high-grade spirit pill needed by late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—the Dust-Cleansing Pill.
It could wash away impurities from the Foundation Establishment mana, allowing the drops to connect closely within the dantian.
It could also help late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators continue to cultivate more mana drops.
To break through from the late stage to the perfected stage, not only did the mana drops need to be closely connected, but one also needed to cultivate a total of three hundred and sixty drops.
Relatively speaking, cultivating the mana drops was easy.
Chen Jianghe had already cultivated two hundred and forty drops. Cultivating another one hundred and twenty would take ten years at most.
However, getting the mana drops to connect closely was very difficult. Even with a Dust-Cleansing Pill to remove impurities, it was an incredibly slow process.
Unless one had a third-tier spirit spring to wash the body, allowing it to seep into the dantian and cleanse the mana drops along with it, removing all impurities.
But how rare was a third-tier spirit spring?
There might not even be one in the Tiannan Region.
There were no shortcuts for Chen Jianghe to reach the perfected stage of Foundation Establishment. He could only cultivate step by step, following the proper procedure.
He had a lifespan of seven hundred and eighteen years and was only one hundred and twenty-four this year. He was in no rush.
Chen Jianghe picked up the Dust-Cleansing Pill, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed. He immediately began circulating the sixth level of the Myriad Waters True Scripture.
Within his dantian, the three nurtured talismans, the Profound Ice Battle Armor, the Ice Source inscribed with the ‘Miles of Frozen Land Seal’, as well as the Jade Dew Dharma Seal and the Blood Evasion Dharma Seal, were all moved to the edges.
As the Dust-Cleansing Pill entered his stomach…
A vast amount of spiritual energy instantly surged into his dantian, enveloping each drop of Foundation Establishment mana. Under the circulation of the sixth level of the Myriad Waters True Scripture, it washed the mana and expelled the impurities.
Then, it began cultivating new drops of Foundation Establishment mana.
Gurgle~
A low sound echoed in Chen Jianghe's dantian, like the heavy beat of a drum. Under the influence of the Dust-Cleansing Pill's spiritual energy, the drops of mana produced a white gas, which rose through the great gate, passed through the Purple Mansion, and was expelled through his seven orifices.
These were the impurities within his Foundation Establishment mana.
Ten days passed.
Chen Jianghe had cultivated the two hundred and forty-first drop of Foundation Establishment mana in his dantian, successfully breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
All the mana drops were now pressed closely together, but each drop remained distinct and separate.
Next, while cultivating more mana drops, he would have to use spirit pills and items like the Dust-Cleansing Pill to remove impurities and break down the barriers between the mana drops, allowing them to fuse into one.
Forming a mana sea.
“Phew~”
Chen Jianghe opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
“Thirty years. I’ve finally broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.”
He had reached the middle stage at the age of ninety-five. Now, at one hundred and twenty-four, it had taken him a full thirty years to break through to the late stage.
The spiritual energy refined by his five-element miscellaneous spiritual roots was too slow to condense into mana. If he had four-element pseudo-spiritual roots, twenty years would have been enough.
The cultivation speed of a three-element true spiritual root would be even faster.
Of course, this was all under the premise of having sufficient resources. Without enough resources, even someone with a heavenly spiritual root would waste away for a century and turn to dust.
After his successful breakthrough…
Chen Jianghe immediately looked inward at his sea of consciousness, focusing on the Spirit Platform, but there was no reaction at all, as if it hadn't sensed his breakthrough.
“Wait, I’ve broken through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Why isn’t the mark on my Spirit Platform reacting at all?”
“Could it be that the only benefit my Spirit Platform mark gives me is a long life?”
“Or is my cultivation still too low to unlock its other benefits?”
Chen Jianghe was a bit baffled.
He had thought that reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment would bring a big surprise from his Spirit Platform, but it was being too reserved, showing no reaction whatsoever.
“Don’t tell me it’s going to wait until I form my core before it triggers any other benefits? This golden finger is too lame.”
Chen Jianghe decided to stop thinking about this frustrating matter.
He stood up and walked out of the cultivation chamber.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Xiao Hei, Maoqiu, and Latiao blocking the entrance. It was clear that Xiao Hei had sensed his breakthrough.
He had brought Maoqiu and Latiao to congratulate him.
“Congratulations, Master, on your great advancement in cultivation. The path to immortality is within reach, and longevity is assured.”
Xiao Hei, Maoqiu, and Latiao spoke in unison, offering their congratulations to Chen Jianghe.
“Haha, good.”
Chen Jianghe called out in satisfaction.
But then, Xiao Hei said in a somber tone, “The late stage of Foundation Establishment is merely a starting point on the path to eternal life. You must not become arrogant and complacent because of a small breakthrough and slack off in your cultivation.”
“Uh…”
Chen Jianghe felt like he was being lectured.
Something seemed off.
Shouldn't he be the one saying these words to Xiao Hei? How did the roles get reversed, with him being the one lectured?
However, breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment was indeed nothing to celebrate.
The cultivators entering the unknown mystic realm would have a minimum cultivation of late Foundation Establishment. By the time they entered…
Most of them would probably be at the perfected stage of Foundation Establishment or higher.
He was still far behind.
Indeed, the late stage of Foundation Establishment was just the beginning of the immortal path. He couldn't become arrogant just because he had reached this stage. He still had to cultivate diligently.
And hope to one day form a core.
That would also extend Xiao Hei’s lifespan.
He walked out of the East Courtyard and saw that the defensive formation around the cultivation area in the West Courtyard was still active.
“It seems Xinyan and Ruxu are also breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.”
Chen Jianghe wasn't surprised at all that the two women could break through to the late stage. From the moment Jiang Ruxu became a Grandmaster Alchemist, her cultivation had a guaranteed minimum.
As long as she didn't perish midway, reaching the perfected stage of Foundation Establishment was a certainty.
In the cultivation world, any Grandmaster Alchemist, even one who could only refine second-tier mid-grade spirit pills...
Their minimum cultivation level was perfected Foundation Establishment, let alone a Grandmaster Alchemist like Jiang Ruxu who could refine second-tier high-grade spirit pills.
It was the same for Grandmaster Artifact Refiners; they all had a minimum cultivation level. As long as they didn't die, they could cultivate to the perfected stage of Foundation Establishment.
However, a Talisman Grandmaster like Chen Jianghe was slightly inferior.
The minimum cultivation was generally the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Whether one could reach the perfected stage depended on opportunities.
If one's connections were poor, there would be no channels for exchange.
If the situation in the Tiannan Region was too stable, the value of second-tier talismans would be very low, making it even more difficult to trade for the resources needed for late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Therefore, the path of talismans was not as stable as artifact refining or alchemy, so naturally, its minimum cultivation level wasn't as high as those two of the hundred immortal arts.
As for the path of formations…
Rogue cultivators had no access to the path of formations, so he naturally had no idea what its minimum cultivation level was.
Chen Jianghe wasn't worried about Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan breaking through to the late stage; they both had Dust-Cleansing Pills.
A year ago, Chen Jianghe had begun preparations for his breakthrough and asked Jiang Ruxu to help him refine Dust-Cleansing Pills.
One hundred-year-old snow lotus had yielded five Dust-Cleansing Pills.
Originally, Chen Jianghe had planned to give one Dust-Cleansing Pill to both Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan, but to his surprise, Jiang Ruxu had taken out six of her own.
Clearly, a Grandmaster Alchemist was never short of pills like the Origin Spirit Pill or the Dust-Cleansing Pill.
As long as a cultivator asked Jiang Ruxu to help refine Dust-Cleansing Pills, she could take one as her fee.
The same went for the Origin Spirit Pill.
However, he still intended to give the hundred-year-old snow lotus from Ruan Tieniu to the two women after they came out of seclusion.
After all, that snow lotus had been traded for spirit pills that Jiang Ruxu had refined.
And one must know, the Flesh Regeneration and Bone Mending Pills, second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, and Mind-Clearing and Detoxification Pills that Jiang Ruxu had given him were all free of charge.
If he were to take the pills gifted by Jiang Ruxu and trade them with others, Chen Jianghe would feel ashamed, no matter how thick-skinned he was.
“The battle at Cangyan Mountain is in a little over three months. There’s no rush to go yet.”
Chen Jianghe sat down in the pavilion in the West Courtyard, took out a half-finished Verdant Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman, and continued to charge it with spiritual energy, waiting for the two women to emerge from their seclusion.
He had too many second-tier high-grade talisman materials on hand and had to hurry up and turn them into talismans.
However, even though time was tight…
He would not overexert his mind just to draw talismans.
He couldn't do anything that would jeopardize his future.
After waiting for more than two months, Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan both emerged from the cultivation chamber. Their cultivation had also reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Just as Chen Jianghe had thought, the two women wouldn't come out until they had broken through.
During these two-plus months, Chen Jianghe had completed the half-finished Verdant Wood Soul-Entangling Talisman and had also drawn a new one.
The Foundation Establishment mana in his dantian had also grown to two hundred and forty-three drops.
“Xinyan, Ruxu, this hundred-year-old snow lotus is from Ruan Tieniu. I gave him some healing pills for it.”
“You two take it.”
Chen Jianghe took out the hundred-year-old snow lotus and handed it to Zhuang Xinyan. Usually, Zhuang Xinyan was in charge of their resources.
“Brother Chen, we have Dust-Cleansing Pills, we don’t need the snow lotus. I’ll refine it into Dust-Cleansing Pills for you,” Jiang Ruxu said with a charming smile, her pretty eyes twinkling.
“That’s right.”
Zhuang Xinyan also looked at Chen Jianghe gently, then took out a storage bag and gave it to him.
“Brother Chen, there are three second-tier low-grade puppets inside. Sister Ruxu redeemed some second-tier puppet-making materials from the Tiannan Sect with her contribution points. I’ll give you more after I make them.”
“…Uh, alright.”
Chen Jianghe was stunned for a moment, then accepted the three second-tier low-grade puppets.
Jiang Ruxu, the Grandmaster Alchemist, was just too good at acquiring resources.
Chen Jianghe was now a Master Alchemist himself, but he could only refine second-tier low-grade spirit pills. To reach Jiang Ruxu's level would probably take until the year of the monkey.
Actually, Zhuang Xinyan was also very quick at earning resources.
She was just restricted in the Tiannan Region.
She couldn't reveal her identity as a second-tier Puppeteer, or it would attract disaster.
“Peiyao is going to fight the Lu Clan’s prodigy, Lu Qingfeng, at Cangyan Mountain. Let’s go watch together.”
Chen Jianghe said to the two women.
“Why is Sister Peiyao just like Sister Luo, so fond of fighting?”
“Exactly, that’s not good.”
Neither Jiang Ruxu nor Zhuang Xinyan liked to fight. They just wanted to cultivate peacefully by Chen Jianghe’s side.
“Er~, it’s not that Peiyao wants to fight Lu Qingfeng. It’s that Lu Qingfeng submitted a letter of challenge to the Tiannan Sect, forcing Peiyao to fight him.”
Chen Jianghe said with a smile.
“This Lu Qingfeng is despicable.”
“Then can Sister Peiyao defeat him?”
“She should be fine, but we’ll have to see the fight to know for sure.”
Chen Jianghe could guess that Gao Peiyao held a great secret, but Lu Qingfeng was no ordinary cultivator either; he was a prodigy of the Lu Clan.
Who was stronger and who was weaker would only be known after they fought.
Chen Jianghe was also very curious about just how strong these so-called prodigies from the top immortal clans were.