Chapter 293
Chapter 293
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: Jianghe's Fury, an Old Acquaintance Passed
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Ten days later.
Chen Jianghe finally met Yu Daniu in Treasure Trove Market City.
Yun Siniu didn't come. He was now the governor of East Sea Prefecture in the Qingyun Province of the Qing Kingdom, a celestial official of the Qing Kingdom.
He could not enter the territory of the Feng Kingdom without authorization.
Otherwise, not only would he face sanctions from the Qing Kingdom, but he would also find it impossible to move freely in the Feng Kingdom, facing various forms of suppression and even secret assassination.
Fortunately, the Feng Kingdom was relatively safe. After crossing the Heaven-Reaching River and entering the Feng Kingdom, Yu Daniu and Yu Guangzhu encountered no danger.
It was just a bit troublesome when crossing the Heaven-Reaching River.
In a high-class private room at the Treasure Trove Inn, Chen Jianghe held a welcome feast for Yu Daniu, spending one hundred spirit stones on a table full of spiritual cuisine.
As for immortal spirit wine, he didn't order any.
He still had the top-grade Jade Dew Wine that he had packed up from the last feast with Ruan Tieniu.
Chen Jianghe sat with Yu Daniu, while Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu sat to his left.
Yun Bufan and Yu Guangzhu sat to Yu Daniu's right.
During the banquet.
Chen Jianghe glanced at Yu Guangzhu with a look of gratification. At nearly twenty-nine years old, Yu Guangzhu was already at the eighth level of Qi Refining, about to break through to the ninth.
From his aura, it was clear that Yu Guangzhu had already perfected his physical body. All that remained was to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, after which he could cultivate a spiritual art.
Then he could attempt Foundation Establishment.
Looking at it this way, there was a great hope that he, like Yun Bufan, could successfully establish his foundation at the age of thirty-six.
With a three-element True Spirit Root, Foundation Establishment was practically a certainty.
Yu Guangzhu was extremely respectful towards Chen Jianghe and also felt a special closeness, always addressing him as "Old Ancestor."
"Zhuzi should be attempting Foundation Establishment in a few years, right?"
Chen Jianghe looked at Yu Guangzhu and said with a chuckle, taking out a jade box from his storage pouch.
"I happen to have an authentic Foundation Establishment Pill on hand, which should help you with your breakthrough."
"Old Ancestor, how can I accept this?" Yu Guangzhu shook his head repeatedly. He had already received so many gifts when he was young.
All of them were extremely valuable.
How could he possibly accept a Foundation Establishment Pill now?
Although a Foundation Establishment Pill was only worth over three thousand spirit stones, it was incredibly scarce. Not only did Qi Refining cultivators need it.
Foundation Establishment cultivators also needed Foundation Establishment Pills.
Which family didn't have junior disciples? Therefore, Foundation Establishment Pills were also a hard currency in the eyes of Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"One must not refuse a gift from an elder. If I'm giving it to you, just take it. Cultivate diligently and establish your foundation sooner. That way, you can add to the family's heritage."
Chen Jianghe said, "I hear your talent for the Dao of Talismans is also quite good?"
"Big Brother, Zhuzi's talent for talismans is just like yours. He's already a mid-grade Talisman Master before the age of thirty. He has a good chance of becoming a second-rank Talisman Master in the future."
Yu Daniu let out a hearty laugh.
At this moment, Yu Daniu's face was covered in wrinkles.
The last time they parted at Clearwater Bay, Yu Daniu hadn't looked so old. Because his physical body was perfected, and he had taken Life Extension Pills and Youth Retaining Pills, his appearance hadn't aged much.
But now, Yu Daniu was already one hundred and thirty-three years old.
He was long past the optimal age for taking Youth Retaining Pills, so their effects could no longer be fully realized.
Furthermore, since Yu Daniu had surpassed the natural lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator, he would naturally begin to age rapidly.
His face was a web of wrinkles, and his eyes were cloudy.
He already had the look of a decrepit old man.
"A mid-grade Talisman Master? That's excellent. You must work even harder from now on. While you cultivate, don't let your talent for drawing talismans go to waste."
Chen Jianghe advised.
As someone with experience, he deeply understood the importance of mastering a skill, especially one at the grandmaster level.
It could even allow one to transcend social strata.
Otherwise, even if one became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would only be considered an upper-tier cultivator among rogue cultivators.
In the eyes of those Core Formation immortal clans, they would still be considered insignificant rogue cultivators.
After half an hour of casual conversation.
The banquet ended, and everyone dispersed.
Chen Jianghe brought Yu Daniu to his room, poured two cups of spirit tea, and sat down to talk with him.
He asked about the Yu Clan's affairs in East Sea Prefecture.
Their current situation and future development plans.
A woman from the Yu Clan had married a descendant of Perfected Qingyun, establishing a marital alliance.
Therefore, the Yu Clan planned to rely on the Qingyun Immortal Clan to accumulate their family's heritage over the next few decades.
They aimed to nurture several more Foundation Establishment cultivators to better handle unexpected events in the future.
The Yu Clan's East Sea Prefecture was right next to the Heaven-Reaching River. If war were to break out between the Qing and Feng Kingdoms, the Yu Clan would be the first to bear the brunt, with no way to escape.
"Ruan Tieniu has become the Right Prime Minister of the Feng Kingdom. We have a decent relationship. If the Yu Clan moves to the Feng Kingdom, I can ask him to consolidate the original Mirror Moon Lake and Qiyun Mountain territories into a single prefecture for the Yu Clan to develop."
"This way, you'll be farther from the Heaven-Reaching River, so even if there's a war, you won't be affected. Think about it."
Chen Jianghe stated his intentions.
Ruan Tieniu had told him to consolidate the three territories of Mirror Moon Lake, Qiyun Mountain, and Red Water into one prefecture.
However, Chen Jianghe felt the clan wasn't that large and lacked the strength, so there was no need for such a vast territory.
Once the Yu Clan produced a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, they could perhaps plan for the position of a province governor or even a Celestial Commissioner.
He couldn't stay with the Yu Clan forever, so everything had to be built on a foundation of strength.
Otherwise, even if you were given a high position, you wouldn't be able to control the cultivators below you and wouldn't be able to hold onto the position of prefecture governor.
Hearing this, Yu Daniu shook his head helplessly.
"Big Brother, your plan is a great opportunity and a way out for the Yu Clan, but right now, the Yu Clan cannot move out of the Qing Kingdom."
"Can't move? Is it because of me?!"
Chen Jianghe's expression changed. He instantly understood the connection, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
"Are the people from the two Qinghe clans keeping an eye on East Sea Prefecture?"
Yu Daniu nodded. "They know about my relationship with you, Big Brother. They also know you're in the Feng Kingdom and on good terms with the Right Prime Minister, so they've become wary of the Yu Clan. Through court maneuvers, an imperial censor has been stationed long-term in East Sea Prefecture."
At this point, even without him saying more, Chen Jianghe could guess the rest. If the Yu Clan made any major moves, they would be directly annihilated by the Qing Kingdom.
Chen Jianghe's face was as dark as water, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
'This is going too far!'
If not for the Qing Kingdom and the Puppet Immortal Lu Clan backing the two Qinghe clans, he would have crushed these fleas long ago.
The clans didn't even have a single False Core wandering cultivator, and their third-rank spirit beast had already perished.
Yet they still dared to act so brazenly. They truly didn't know their place.
Chen Jianghe took a deep breath, understanding that it was impossible to move the Yu Clan to the Feng Kingdom in the short term.
Subsequently.
Chen Jianghe no longer brought up the matter of the Yu Clan coming to the Feng Kingdom. After talking for a while longer, he saw Yu Daniu off.
"The two Qinghe clans, once I emerge from the unknown mystic realm, I will settle this score with you!"
Chen Jianghe had never been this angry.
The two Qinghe clans had a feud with him; it was one thing for them to target him.
But for the two Qinghe clans to point their spear at the Yu Clan...
This filled Chen Jianghe with rage.
He was merely wary of the Lu Clan, not afraid of them.
If they angered him, he could just transform into Ji Wujin, take a trip to Qinghe Province, and annihilate the two Qinghe clans.
Even if a Core Formation expert stood in his way.
He could still escape using a Minor Teleportation Talisman.
From beginning to end, Chen Jianghe had never taken the two Qinghe clans seriously, even if they had become one of the so-called six great Celestial Official families of the Qing Kingdom.
Chen Jianghe still paid them no mind.
As long as they had no Core Formation experts, they posed no threat to him whatsoever.
But these two Qinghe clans were just too audacious.
There must be a reckoning!
Another two days passed.
Chen Jianghe's group arrived at the Treasure Pavilion to attend the New Year's Eve auction in Treasure Trove Market City. Ruan Tieniu was originally supposed to join them.
But later, he felt it was inappropriate and decided not to attend this auction.
As a Celestial Commissioner and the Right Prime Minister, if he attended the auction, should he bring Chen Jianghe into his exclusive private box, or just find a random one?
Even if he found a random box, his appearance would cause a sensation.
If he were to bid then, how could anyone else compete?
So, Ruan Tieniu sent someone early in the morning with a letter for Chen Jianghe, expressing his apologies for not being able to accompany him to the auction.
Chen Jianghe didn't feel it was a big deal.
He could naturally guess the reason.
It was most appropriate for Ruan Tieniu not to appear.
The influence would be bad.
If word got out to the Qing Kingdom that Ruan Tieniu helped Yu Daniu bid for a third-grade superior-bloodline young beast, it would be a devastating disaster for the Yu Clan.
They arrived at the sixth floor of the Treasure Pavilion and found a private box to sit in.
The Treasure Pavilions south of the Heaven-Reaching River all had the same design, resembling a seven-story exquisite pagoda, with the auction hall on the sixth floor.
The seventh floor was a resting place for the disciples of the Feng Kingdom's imperial family.
Having been in Treasure Trove Market City for nearly half a month, Chen Jianghe had gained some understanding of the Treasure Pavilion's auctions.
For the Treasure Pavilion auctions in each provincial capital, the auction items were all centrally dispatched from the capital city. As for how valuable the items were...
...that was closely related to the Celestial Commissioner of the province.
Great merits and good development meant a higher grade of auction items.
Mediocre development, with only hard work to show for it, meant the grade of auction items would be relatively low.
This time, the Treasure Pavilion had twenty-one auction items, which was considered a very good grade.
Ninety percent of the grandmasters of the Hundred Arts in the Tiannan Domain were north of the Heaven-Reaching River, which led to a scarcity of finished cultivation resources in the Feng Kingdom.
To have twenty-one items was already a sign of the Feng Kingdom's high regard for Xichuan Province.
To be precise, it was the Beast Taming Zhou Clan's high regard for Ruan Tieniu.
The first auction item was a set of ten first-revolution Spirit Nurturing Pills. The starting bid was eight hundred spirit stones, and it sold for one thousand one hundred.
The second and third items were also sets of first-revolution Spirit Nurturing Pills, and the final prices were about the same.
Around one thousand one hundred spirit stones.
The fourth to sixth items were first-rank Spirit Nurturing Liquid. The final price was quite a bit higher than the Spirit Nurturing Pills.
This was because the Spirit Nurturing Liquid was easier to absorb and refine.
A set of ten bottles sold for around one thousand five hundred spirit stones.
In fact, the first-revolution Spirit Nurturing Pills and first-rank Spirit Nurturing Liquid could be purchased in the Feng Kingdom's capital, with rules similar to those in the Immortal Sect Market City back then.
After purchase, they could only be consumed within the Feng Kingdom's capital.
If one didn't want to make the long trip, the only option was to bid for them at the auctions in the various provincial capitals.
The seventh to ninth items were Life Extension Pills, with prices slightly higher than in the Immortal Sect Market City.
There were too few second-rank alchemists, so this couldn't be helped.
The tenth to twelfth items were Youth Retaining Pills, also with prices slightly higher than in the Immortal Sect Market City.
The thirteenth to eighteenth items were scarce second-rank spirit pills, healing pills like the Muscle Regenerating and Bone Mending Pill and the Heart-Clearing Detoxification Pill.
There was also a single second-revolution Spirit Nurturing Pill.
When it came to the final three auction items, the quality began to improve.
The nineteenth item was an authentic Foundation Establishment Pill. The starting price was two thousand five hundred spirit stones, and it was bid up to three thousand eight hundred.
"It seems the Feng Kingdom is indeed short on finished resources. They're very scarce, mainly because all the grandmasters of the Hundred Arts have gone to the Qing and Qi Kingdoms."
Chen Jianghe commented lightly.
"For a Treasure Pavilion auction in a provincial capital, especially in an established place like Treasure Trove Market City, the grade of these items is indeed a bit low."
Yun Bufan nodded.
These were basically all resources for Qi Refining cultivators; there were no treasures that Foundation Establishment cultivators needed.
'If Ruan Tieniu can help me get the sword art from Lady Jinghong, then I'll help him raise the grade of the Treasure Trove Market City's auctions.'
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
It would be very simple for him to help Ruan Tieniu.
He himself was a Talisman Grandmaster. Just by taking out a few second-rank superior-grade talismans, he could raise the grade of the Treasure Trove Market City's auction by several levels.
If he also added the second-rank superior-grade spirit pills refined by Jiang Ruxu.
He could basically make the grade of the Treasure Trove Market City's auction skyrocket.
If he was willing, he could even provide a second-rank puppet for Ruan Tieniu to auction.
This was the Feng Kingdom. If the Puppet Lu Clan dared to extend their reach here, it would be cut off by the Beast Taming Zhou Clan.
Besides, as long as Ruan Tieniu didn't betray him, the Puppet Lu Clan would never know the origin of this second-rank puppet.
As Chen Jianghe was lost in thought.
The twentieth auction item was already up for bidding.
"Next, we will begin the auction for the twentieth item. I believe many of you fellow Daoists have come for this very item."
As the auctioneer's voice fell, a four-wheeled cage was pushed out.
It was covered with a red silk cloth, but all the cultivators present could guess what was inside.
It was undoubtedly a third-grade superior-bloodline young beast.
As the red silk was unveiled.
A sharp screech rang out.
Scree!
Inside the cage was a Golden-Crowned Roc, with a wingspan of about two feet. It was clearly still a young bird.
A third-grade superior bloodline, active within the astral winds above the Heaven-Reaching River.
Its attack power was extremely formidable, and its speed was astonishingly fast.
Among those of the same rank, a Golden-Crowned Roc's speed far surpassed that of a cultivator. Even with an escape talisman, it would be difficult to outrun one.
This was because Golden-Crowned Rocs awakened their flight-related divine abilities as soon as they advanced in rank.
"Fellow Daoists, this Golden-Crowned Roc hatched less than half a year ago. It is the perfect time to form a contract."
"The Golden-Crowned Roc is known for its attack and speed. I'm sure I don't need to elaborate, as all of you are well aware."
"Alright, without further ado, let the auction for the Golden-Crowned Roc begin."
"The starting price is five thousand spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than one hundred spirit stones."
The auctioneer had barely finished speaking.
When cultivators immediately began to bid.
"Five thousand six hundred spirit stones."
"Five thousand nine hundred spirit stones."
"...Seven thousand five hundred spirit stones..."
"Thirteen thousand six hundred spirit stones..."
In just a hundred breaths, the price had soared from the starting bid of five thousand to fifteen thousand spirit stones.
However, the bidding was not over.
It continued to climb.
The cultivators who came to this auction were all here for the third-grade superior-bloodline young beast.
Some were cultivators from the Feng Kingdom, while others had come from the Qi and Qing Kingdoms north of the Heaven-Reaching River.
A third-grade superior-bloodline young beast, if properly nurtured, had a seventy percent chance of becoming a second-rank spirit beast.
If it also obtained a spirit core of a corresponding attribute, the chance of becoming a second-rank spirit beast would increase to ninety percent.
The Golden-Crowned Roc was a metal-attribute spirit beast.
Its attacks were powerful, and its speed was unparalleled.
Naturally, it was highly sought after.
"The price of a third-grade superior-bloodline young beast is far higher than that of a third-grade inferior-bloodline one!"
Yu Daniu exclaimed with emotion.
The Mountain Velvet Beast auctioned back then in Mirror Moon Market City, which was Maoqiu.
A third-grade inferior bloodline, bought by a Foundation Establishment Ancestor from the Western Border for two thousand one hundred and fifty spirit stones.
Although that involved the cultivators of the Eastern Border maliciously yielding the price.
But the final price for a third-grade inferior-bloodline young beast would at most be around three thousand spirit stones, not exceeding three thousand five hundred.
But looking at this Golden-Crowned Roc, it was very likely to exceed thirty thousand spirit stones.
A tenfold difference!
"The Golden-Crowned Roc has a third-grade superior bloodline, giving it a chance to become a third-rank spirit beast. A third-grade inferior bloodline doesn't have this opportunity. That's the difference."
Chen Jianghe explained to Yu Daniu.
Although it only had a thirty percent chance of breaking through to the third rank, it was this thirty percent chance that made the Golden-Crowned Roc's value far exceed that of the Mountain Velvet Beast.
"Daniu, you should bid for this Golden-Crowned Roc. It can become a great asset to Zhuzi in the future."
Chen Jianghe said.
"You're right, Big Brother."
Yu Daniu nodded.
Yu Guangzhu was the most promising junior in the Yu Clan. With his three-element True Spirit Root talent, he naturally had to be nurtured well.
Whether the Yu Clan could advance further in the future all depended on Yu Guangzhu.
Let alone over ten thousand spirit stones, even if it was thirty thousand, Yu Daniu was willing to spend it on Yu Guangzhu.
Immediately, Yu Daniu also joined the bidding.
He directly raised the price to twenty-three thousand spirit stones, but the Golden-Crowned Roc was worth more than that.
A thirty percent chance of breaking through to become a third-rank demon beast.
This was very tempting.
Even though without a demon core of the same attribute, the chance of breaking through to the third rank was only ten percent, it was still enough to make people want to take the gamble.
What if it succeeded?
That would mean becoming a Core Formation immortal clan!
After a while.
The price reached thirty-two thousand spirit stones, and the number of bidders dwindled to just a few.
The Golden-Crowned Roc's potential was good.
But raising it also required spirit stones.
After buying it for over thirty thousand spirit stones, raising it to the second rank would require over ten thousand more.
Raising it to the peak of the second rank would require over three hundred thousand spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe was most familiar with this point.
He could completely refer to the expenses for Xiao Hei and Maoqiu.
In the later stages, the resources they consumed were all Origin Spirit Pills and second-rank superior-grade absorbable spirit items.
The three hundred thousand spirit stones was because their bloodlines had reached the fourth-grade inferior level.
If it were a third-grade superior bloodline, the required expense would be over five hundred thousand spirit stones.
Therefore, winning the bid was just the first step of a massive expenditure.
The real spending would only begin afterward.
Fortunately, Chen Jianghe was a Talisman Grandmaster, and he had the help of Jiang Ruxu, an Alchemy Grandmaster.
Otherwise, trying to raise Xiao Hei, Maoqiu, and Latiao to keep their cultivation in sync with his own would be no different from dreaming.
When the price of the Golden-Crowned Roc reached thirty-five thousand spirit stones, only one person was left bidding against Yu Daniu.
At this point, Yu Daniu also had thoughts of giving up.
He also knew that buying this young beast was just the beginning of a huge expense for the clan. If the clan encountered a mishap.
...then all their previous efforts would be wasted.
If they only raised it to the mid-stage of the second rank and then stopped, it would be better to have spent over three thousand spirit stones on a third-grade inferior-bloodline young beast.
Since they chose to bid for a third-grade superior-bloodline young beast, it was for that ten percent chance of breaking through to the third rank even without a demon core.
Therefore, it had to be raised to the peak of the second rank at the very least.
An expense of five hundred thousand spirit stones was no longer just pressure for the current Yu Clan.
It was a heavy burden.
"Daniu, you can't miss out on this Golden-Crowned Roc," Yun Bufan said at this moment.
The meaning was obvious.
He would do his utmost to help the Yu Clan.
The Yun Clan had already been destroyed.
The remaining clan members were all distantly related to him, not as close as Yu Guangzhu before him.
Currently, the person closest to Yun Bufan was Yu Daniu, his brother-in-law.
There were two people with the closest blood ties: one was the missing Yun Xiaoniu, and the other was the governor of East Sea Prefecture, Yun Siniu.
As for the direct descendants of the Yu Clan, they were all descendants of Yun Wuniu.
Yun Wuniu was also his nephew.
With Yun Bufan's words, Yu Daniu no longer hesitated and directly raised the price to thirty-eight thousand spirit stones, winning the Golden-Crowned Roc in one fell swoop.
Seeing this, Chen Jianghe was very satisfied.
With Yun Bufan's help, the Yu Clan could still afford to raise this Golden-Crowned Roc.
Yun Bufan had told him that in the unknown mystic realm, he had not only obtained the Azure Water Golden Lotus but also three quasi-third-rank spirit items.
It could be said that it wouldn't be a big problem for Yun Bufan to break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment in the future.
As for Core Formation, there was currently no hope.
Not even for a False Core.
Unless he had a great opportunity.
The twenty-first item was an Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, which sold for fourteen thousand spirit stones.
This was the only treasure useful to Foundation Establishment cultivators.
After the auction ended, Chen Jianghe had Yu Daniu and the others stay in Treasure Trove Market City for a while.
They would talk about leaving after Yu Guangzhu formed a contract with the Golden-Crowned Roc.
An uncontracted spirit beast could not be stored in a Spirit Beast Ring or a spirit beast pouch.
Parading around with an uncontracted Golden-Crowned Roc, once outside the borders of Xichuan Province, was tantamount to seeking death.
Also, it was a good opportunity for the brothers to spend more time together.
Looking at Yu Daniu's aged appearance.
Chen Jianghe was truly worried that this parting would be their last.
But he couldn't selfishly bring Yu Daniu to the Muyun Mystic Realm.
Yu Daniu had his own sons and grandsons. He couldn't, for the sake of his brotherhood with Yu Daniu, prevent him from seeing his sons and grandsons before his death.
There was one more thing.
Chen Jianghe wanted to ask Yun Bufan what kind of quasi-third-rank spirit items he had obtained.
It wasn't that he was after those quasi-third-rank spirit items.
Rather, he wanted to help Yun Bufan.
If they were quasi-third-rank absorbable spirit items, he could ask Jiang Ruxu to help refine them into Dustfall Pills or Origin Spirit Pills for Yun Bufan.
If they were quasi-third-rank artifact-refining materials.
He could also pull some strings to help Yun Bufan refine them into Spirit-Nurturing magical artifacts.
Inside the Treasure Trove Inn.
Chen Jianghe and Yu Daniu drank wine while reminiscing about their youth, both wearing innocent smiles.
"Big Brother, there's something I forgot to tell you."
"What is it?"
Chen Jianghe looked puzzled.
They were getting into the swing of reminiscing about the past, why the sudden change of topic?
"My sister-in-law, Huixiang, passed away two months ago..."