Pill Island.
"Big news... This time, the sect released three Foundation Establishment Pills. The first was uncontestedly exchanged by Cui Zhe... The second fell into the hands of Senior Brother Ruan Tianshou."
"The third... was just exchanged by Wu Longzi!"
"Wu Longzi? I remember his merit points were clearly still somewhat short. I wonder who he borrowed from... This man's nature is cold and fickle—there are actually people daring enough to gamble on him?"
"When the sect distributes Foundation Establishment Pills, contribution points are merely a hard requirement. If several dozen of us pooled our points together, we could manage it too. Do you see the sect exchanging one for you? Giving it to Wu Longzi naturally means they believe he has hope of Foundation Establishment..."
...
On Hanquan Peak, many disciples were chatting casually while performing water-method pill refinement. Their tones were not lacking in envy and jealousy toward Wu Longzi.
Fang Qing, however, didn't particularly care.
Although he had paid spiritual resources, in his eyes it was protection money.
The Five Dragons Association had accepted protection money, provided shelter when he was weak, and had many connections and relationships.
To say nothing else, without the Five Dragons Association, the spirit pool inside his cave abode could never have been established!
And once protection money was given, he had never heard of it being taken back.
Or rather, he hadn't ever expected to get it back when he gave it.
'Wu Longzi... I wonder if he will succeed?'
After returning to his cave abode, Fang Qing habitually wanted to perform divination, but then forcibly endured it, instead calculating Hua Lian's fate: "Hmm? So the sect already noticed long ago and is secretly investigating? Without even needing me to act, this person already has the star of death looming over him—not only will he die, but his entire clan will suffer disaster?"
Although Flying Fish Island acting as spies was extremely secret, as long as something was done, it would inevitably leave traces!
Not to mention, Bihai Gate wouldn't reason with Flying Fish Island!
Once suspicion arose, they could immediately exterminate the clan and confiscate their property... then leisurely search for evidence!
"Another familiar face will soon be gone..."
Fang Qing sighed, arrived at the spirit pool, and began refining pills.
This time, he didn't refine low-grade spiritual water to warm the furnace. Instead, he directly began refining 'Ice Soul Spiritual Water'!
The method to refine this spiritual water had come from Zhong Wufu. As Bihai Gate was at war with the Zhong Family, they had captured quite a few ice-attributed spiritual items. Fang Qing had merely strolled through the miscellaneous affairs hall's market area and easily collected everything he needed.
"The key to water-method pill refinement... lies first in refining spiritual water!"
"First-order Ice Soul Spiritual Water, second-order Ice Soul Cold Light, third-order Ice Soul Mysterious Light... I wonder if I'll ever be able to glimpse the true form of that famously great divine ability in the future?"
"This Ice Soul Spiritual Water is extremely cold in nature. When it comes to pulverizing medicinal ingredients and even preserving medicinal properties, it is rather effective..."
Several hours later, Fang Qing looked at the jade bottle in his hand and nodded secretly.
The surface of this jade bottle was now covered in a layer of white frost.
Clearly, this portion of Ice Soul Spiritual Water was successfully refined.
"Next is the Qi Refining Powder..."
Fang Qing casually pointed with a finger. Under the execution of the Water Control Art, the Ice Soul Spiritual Water was like a cold dragon, coiling above the spirit pool.
Several portions of the Qi Refining Powder's main ingredients instantly exploded, turning into powder.
...
With the assistance of his divine sense and spiritual water, although it was Fang Qing's first time refining Qi Refining Powder, his luck was quite good—he succeeded with the first pool.
"The quality is slightly inferior to a standard-grade product... The pill toxin is slightly excessive."
His divine sense swept over the spirit pool as he looked at the powder crystals beginning to settle at the bottom, pondering secretly.
At the same time, his hands formed seals, and streams of magical power were sent into the spirit pool.
"Water-method pill refinement is slow, but it has an advantage: it can use time to increase pill quality..."
"For example, this pool of not-so-perfect Qi Refining Powder—if nurtured for a few more days... it should reach the standard-grade level... and the pill toxin will lower to a reasonable degree."
"If it was a perfect-quality standard-grade Qi Refining Powder, through water-method nurturing... perhaps it could become a premium-grade pill?"
Several days later.
Fang Qing looked at a standard-grade Qi Refining Powder in his hand, nodded, and lightly tasted it.
In an instant, the surging Black Water magical power in his dantian qi sea seemed to be drawn forth, beginning to rampage through his body's meridians.
"Not bad. As expected, it's the most suitable pill for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to raise their cultivation... With this pill's assistance, I have confidence that within four or five years, I can raise my cultivation to the ninth layer of Qi Refining..."
And five years later would be the True Transmission Competition!
Fang Qing calculated secretly: "By then, my Horse-Head Vajra Guardian Divine Art should also reach perfection in the first stage, comparable to second-order body refinement..."
"The secret to Foundation Establishment lies in the transformation through the unity of essence, qi, and spirit... I've already cultivated divine sense. If I also have second-order body refinement, the essence and spirit bottlenecks absolutely won't stop me!"
"Even the qi essence bottleneck—the crux lies in 'liquefying mana,' which has very high requirements for mana quality and quantity... But I can completely cultivate the Water Classic Commentary to the great perfection of the ninth layer of Qi Refining, not converting it into [Ji Water] mana but storing it up, then cultivate the Observing Black Mausoleum Scripture to the ninth layer of Qi Absorption, converting everything into Primordial Qi... This is at least the mana of two great ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivators. Stacked together, it should be enough to cross the qi essence bottleneck, right?"
"Looking at it this way, even without the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, my Foundation Establishment success rate would be frighteningly high!"
"But Foundation Establishment failure almost means dying with severed meridians. I can't gamble... I need at least one Foundation Establishment Pill as insurance..."
"I can't just keep not breaking through to Foundation Establishment, constantly accumulating Primordial Qi, and becoming the strongest Qi Refining cultivator in history, right?"
Even if he mastered ten or more ninth-layer cultivation methods, the Qi Refining stage still couldn't compare to Foundation Establishment. This was a matter of quantitative change versus qualitative change.
Fang Qing secretly mapped out his Foundation Establishment grand plan. If everything went smoothly, he could achieve Foundation Establishment after the next True Transmission Competition!
'By then, even that damn place... Forget it, that damn place has never played by the rules. I thought I could show off at Foundation Establishment, but who knows—a Purple Mansion cultivator might come to bomb the fish...'
Yet even though he knew Ancient Shu was a cesspit, a damn place, Fang Qing found it hard to give up.
After all, his aptitude issue was an eternal pain in his heart.
Mid-grade aptitude cultivators mostly spent their entire lives stuck in the Qi Refining stage, with only a slight possibility of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
And after Foundation Establishment, their cultivation almost stagnated, with ninety-nine percent stuck at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment!
Without large amounts of resources, Fang Qing felt that Golden Core was a bit of a pipe dream for him.
And Ancient Shu's resources, cultivation methods... were the good medicine to solve this problem!
Without the Observing Black Mausoleum Scripture, he might still be stuck at the threshold of water-method pill refinement.
Without the Horse-Head Vajra Guardian Divine Art, divine sense would be out of the question.
And the Plum Blossom Yi had solved the major problem of his personal safety.
"So... I still have to go to that damn place. I still have an agreement about the Great Sun cultivation method with that old fox. I hope this demon keeps its word... Also, don't bomb my fish. Before the next transaction, I definitely have to perform divination first and ask about auspiciousness or inauspiciousness..."
It had to be said, ever since being bombed by that slovenly daoist last time, Fang Qing had become somewhat paranoid.
...
While Fang Qing was in closed-door bitter cultivation.
Myriad Treasures Island.
Inside a cave abode.
Hua Lian slowly finished his cultivation, stroking a lush green jade pendant at his waist: 'Last time's harvest was all handed over to the family to handle... According to the agreement, they should send me a batch of pills that can advance my cultivation.'
'Qi Refining stage cultivation—as long as pills are sufficient, even inferior aptitude can advance by leaps and bounds.'
'With this help, perhaps I can compete for the next True Transmission position?'
'Obtain one Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect, and if the family supports me with another one, under two Foundation Establishment Pills, I will definitely succeed in Foundation Establishment!'
He was just indulging in beautiful visions of the future when his expression suddenly changed.
Rumble rumble!
The cave abode shook, and a light screen was broken apart.
Clatter!
A large amount of rubble flew everywhere.
"Who dares attack my cave abode?"
Hua Lian hurriedly took out a turtle-shell shield to protect himself, his voice carrying a trace of fear.
The only ones who dared to forcibly break open an inner disciple's cave abode within the sect were...
"Heavenly Punishment Island, Punishing Evil Hall, Cui Zhe!"
A sword light flew out—not particularly blazing, but carrying an awe-inspiring intent to destroy all dharmas.
With just a single sword, that high-grade magical instrument, the turtle-shell shield, turned into fragments.
The terrifying force of wind that followed caused Hua Lian to spit blood, his entire body sticking to the wall like a hanging painting.
"Senior Brother Cui? No... Senior Uncle Cui? You... you've succeeded in Foundation Establishment? Why have you come to arrest this disciple? This disciple is wrongly accused!"
Clinging to a sliver of luck, Hua Lian immediately shouted.
"It's useless. All of the Hua Family's people in the sect have been arrested at this moment. Not a single transmission talisman can be sent out..."
Cui Zhe looked very young, with a slightly pointed chin, bright eyes, and a hint of a cynical smile at the corner of his mouth: "Your Flying Fish Island actually dared to defect to the Zhong Family and leak our sect's great secrets. Have you prepared to have your entire clan exterminated?"
Hua Lian's face turned deathly pale: "I... how did you discover it?"
At this point, he knew that no amount of quibbling would help.
"Speaking of which... it was your side that showed a flaw."
The smile at the corner of Cui Zhe's mouth grew increasingly eerie.
"Impossible! I am certain there wasn't the slightest flaw..."
Hua Lian's pupils contracted. If it was because of him that the leak happened, his dao heart would collapse!
After all, he prided himself on being cautious in handling affairs. He shouldn't have left the slightest clue!
"Heh... You asked, so I must tell you?"
Cui Zhe sneered, and a sword light suddenly rose.
Hua Lian's head flew off, blood gushing wildly like a fountain.
After finishing all this, Cui Zhe walked out of the cave abode and saw the Heavenly Punishment Elder.
Clearly, everything that had just happened was under the divine sense of this late-stage Foundation Establishment great cultivator.
"Elder, everything has been handled properly."
Cui Zhe bowed respectfully.
"Mmn... Afterwards, issue the 'Island Extermination Order' and exterminate the Hua Family of Flying Fish Island."
The Heavenly Punishment Elder said expressionlessly: "That Hua Family ancestor bitterly cultivated for many years yet is still only at early-stage Foundation Establishment. He is perfect for you to test your sword on... This old man will personally hold the line for you."
"Many thanks, Elder!"
Cui Zhe bowed respectfully, his eyes carrying a hint of eager anticipation.
As a sword cultivator, he simply preferred magical combat, seeking opportunities for cultivation breakthroughs in battle.