Red Leaf Square, Wu Family residence.

In a secret chamber, several people dressed in red robe magical robes were discussing something.

"Lao Qi, tell the elders about your discovery." A middle-aged man in a red robe spoke, giving instructions to the young man on his left.

This man was specifically responsible for tracking and secret investigations for the Wu Family, and his cultivation of the Spirit Concealment Technique made him proficient in concealment and tracking.

"Yes, Patriarch!" The man cupped his hands in agreement.

He then began to recount his findings:

"Under the orders of the Patriarch, I tracked the Fifth Elder of the Lin Family and discovered that he was associating with the steward of the Hundred Refinements Pavilion. They were laughing and dining together."

"The Lin Family mainly focuses on cultivating spirit medicines and refining elixirs, while the Hundred Refinements Pavilion focuses primarily on artifact refining. How could these two be associating?"

"Following that, I continued to track this Fifth Elder. After leaving White Cloud Immortal City, he headed west and flew for a month."

"He finally arrived at a large mountain 2000 miles northwest of Red Leaf Square."

"Later, I sent a Tracking Rat to investigate, and it discovered a Fire Element Stone spirit ore there!"

"I believe this is the reason for the close association between the Lin Family and the Hundred Refinements Pavilion!"

As he spoke, the man took out a fire-red stone, the size of a goose egg, from his bosom.

The elders received it and examined it carefully.

"It's indeed a Fire Element Stone!"

"Hmph, the Lin Family broke the rules by secretly hoarding a mine!"

When the four great clans of Red Leaf Square were established five hundred years ago, they formed an alliance to support each other, like branches of the same tree. Any discovered spirit ore was to be shared among the four families.

"No wonder they've developed so quickly in recent years, and within just a few decades, their strength has come close to rivaling our Wu Family!" An elder with white hair and beard shouted angrily.

"This matter must be brought to the Sun and Li Families' attention. The Lin Family must hand over this mine!" The elder's face was filled with resentment.

Yet, if it were them who found such a spirit ore, they wouldn't likely share it with the other three families either.

It's just that when they are the ones being deceived, they can't stand it.

"I think we could seize this opportunity to expel the Lin Family!" The middle-aged man spoke calmly.

"Expel?" Everyone was shocked.

"Patriarch, ever since the establishment of Red Leaf Square, the Wu, Lin, Sun, and Li Families have been like branches from the same stem for five hundred years. Are we going to start breaking it from today?" The oldest elder in the room shook his head and asked.

"Perhaps the elders don't know yet, but my elder brother has now advanced to the realm of Foundation Establishment Perfection. Meanwhile, the Lin Family's secret medicinal field happens to cultivate a Nascent Ganoderma,"

"This is the main ingredient for the Crystal Condensing Pill, which can enhance the probability of Core Formation by thirty percent. If we obtain this item, with my elder brother's Earth Spirit Root talent, the probability of achieving a Low-Grade True Pill is as high as eighty percent,

"Even for a Middle-Grade True Pill, it's as high as sixty percent, and for a High-Grade True Pill, it's as high as forty percent."

"With this, our Wu Family hopes to break the five-hundred-year barrier and become a True Pill Clan!"

"Foundation Establishment Perfection? Really, has Zongdao reached such a realm?" The elders of the Wu Family were overjoyed.

"If that's the case, expelling the Lin Family might not be impossible!" The eldest among them showed a fierce glint.

Wu Zongdao, the elder brother of Wu Family Patriarch Wu Zongheng, was extraordinarily gifted, with a gold attribute Earth Spirit Root.

After being discovered to have an Earth Spirit Root, he was hidden by the Wu Family, who announced to the outside world that he had perished.

In reality, he was secretly cultivated outside, as an Earth Spirit Root is a natural Core Formation seed and incites envy.

This information was only known to the Wu Family Patriarch and the Foundation Establishment Elders.

Unexpectedly, within a mere hundred years, he had cultivated to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.

"How does the Patriarch plan to persuade the Sun and Li Families?"

"The Sun Family's main business is beast taming and acquiring demon beast materials. Lately, the Hundred Savage Mountain has birthed a Tier Three Great Demon, causing its influence to spread outward, leading many Demon Hunting Cultivators to return."

"The Sun Family's business has been greatly impacted, and from what I've observed, it's only a third of what it used to be in recent years,"

"If they don't find a way to change this, they might soon fall to the bottom of the four families. If we agree, after dismantling the Lin Family, to let the Sun Family take over all of the Lin Family's elixir business, they will surely be tempted."

"As for the Li Family, they are already ranked at the bottom among the four families, and now they are experiencing a shortage of talent. Only Li Shanjiao, at the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment, is struggling to support them; you all know Li Shanjiao is over a hundred and fifty years old and doesn't have much lifespan left. If we offer them a Tier Two Life-Extending Pill and a Foundation Establishment Pill as compensation, they will surely agree!"

"Is it really worth investing so heavily?" The oldest elder seemed somewhat displeased.

A Tier Two Life-Extending Pill can extend a cultivator's life by 30 years, and it's extremely valuable, with Foundation Establishment cultivators fighting over it whenever available.

The family's Tier Two Life-Extending Pill was originally intended for him.

With the current situation of the Li Family, they would not be able to refuse those two pills.

"If my elder brother breaks through to the True Pill, what significance does a mere Life-Extending Pill have?" The Wu Family Patriarch regarded it with disdain.

"Very well, let's proceed like that then!" The Wu Family elder came to terms with it, and the other two Wu Family elders also agreed.

...

Pill Treasure Pavilion, Alchemy Room.

Zhou Xun was refining Fireproof Pills.

Over time, Zhou Xun had mastered the art of refining Fireproof Pills to perfection.

Each batch of Fireproof Pills consistently yielded around eleven pills.

However, outwardly, he still claimed it to be ten.

Even so, his yield of Fireproof Pills was the highest, except for the Lin Family's eldest daughter.

Every five days, he had to hand over the refined Fireproof Pills to the Lin Family's eldest daughter, Lin Xueying.

Lin Xueying also had an estate in the Pill Treasure Pavilion, not far from Zhou Xun's place.

Zhou Xun took the refined Grain Avoidance Pills and came to the gate.

"Dong, dong——"

He knocked on the door knocker.

In a moment, a maid in a green dress and shoes emerged, with fair skin and long legs, looking gentle and comely.

Seeing it was Zhou Xun, the maiden bowed slightly and saluted:

"Greetings, Alchemist Zhou!"

"Is the eldest daughter present?" Zhou Xun cupped his hands in return, courteous and elegant.

"Inside, please come in, Alchemist Zhou!"

Immediately, Zhou Xun stepped through the gate.

The courtyard was filled with spirit flowers and exotic grass, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance, and a graceful figure stood among them, tending to them earnestly.

The Lin Family's eldest daughter, not only excelled in alchemy, but was also proficient in the art of spirit plants.

"Greetings, eldest daughter!" Zhou Xun slightly cupped his hands.

Upon seeing Zhou Xun, the young lady beamed:

"Alchemist Zhou is here. You must have finished refining the Fireproof Pills; this time, it must be your highest completion rate yet!"

The young lady smiled brightly.

Zhou Xun nodded and was about to leave when the young lady stopped him

"Alchemist Zhou, wait a moment, please stay and have some Spiritual Mist Tea with me!"

She turned and instructed, "Little E, brew a pot of Spiritual Mist Tea!"

Zhou Xun wasn't sure of her intentions, but he followed the young lady regardless.

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