Chapter 171: Chapter 160: Obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill, Qi Cultivation Peak

After leaving the Zheng Family estate, Lu Zhao didn’t linger for a moment. He endured his weakness and the exhaustion of his Spiritual Soul, piloting the Cyan Feather Crane Puppet and speeding away from Northern Plains County.

For five days and five nights, he traveled without rest. Lu Zhao’s face was pale as paper, sustained only by his sheer tenacity and a steady diet of Spirit Recovery Pills. Only when he was certain he had completely left the territory of Northern Plains County, with the endless mountain ranges below revealing an unfamiliar landscape, did he finally find a remote, desolate hollow and direct the Cyan Feather Crane Puppet to land.

The mountain wind howled, kicking up withered branches and dead leaves. Lu Zhao found a natural, sheltered, and hidden cave. Its entrance was narrow, only allowing one person to enter sideways. The inside wasn’t large, but it was enough to accommodate him. He immediately took out the Black Water Profound Turtle Formation’s Array Disc from his Storage Bag.

Magical Power flowed from his fingertips, activating the Array Disc. Lu Zhao shouted in a low voice, "Array, activate!"

HUM!

A faint black light screen instantly formed over the cave entrance and along the inner walls. It looked like an inverted Turtle Shell, enveloping the entire cave. The light screen flowed, emitting a dense and heavy aura that isolated all sound, light, and Divine Sense probes from the outside.

With this layer of Defense in place, the taut string in Lu Zhao’s mind finally loosened slightly. He could no longer hold himself up. He staggered two steps and collapsed cross-legged onto the cold rock. He couldn’t suppress it any longer—PFFT!—a mouthful of stagnant blood with a metallic-sweet taste sprayed onto the ground, spattering dark red droplets.

"COUGH, COUGH..." Lu Zhao coughed violently a few times and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, however, were exceptionally calm. He quickly took out a few Pills and stuffed them into his mouth.

The Little Spirit Rain Technique slowly began to circulate. Cool Water Spirit Power, like a trickling stream, began the arduous task of replenishing the Essence Blood lost from using the Blood Shadow Escape. The cave was silent, filled only with the sound of his long, slightly ragged breaths and the faint medicinal fragrance that drifted from the dissolving Pills.

「Three days passed quietly in healing and meditation.」

When Lu Zhao opened his eyes again, most of the exhaustion in them had faded. Although he was far from fully recovered, at least his movements were unimpeded. He let out a long, turbid breath, and the stale air in the cave seemed to freshen slightly.

"I’m safe for now," Lu Zhao murmured, his gaze turning to the numerous Storage Bags hanging from his waist. He focused especially on the one belonging to the Zheng Family Ancestor, Zheng Feng, and the several large Storage Bags stuffed to the brim from the Zheng Family’s treasury.

’Time had been tight before, so I’d had no chance to examine anything closely. I simply acted on instinct, cramming anything I could carry that felt valuable inside. Now that the crisis has temporarily passed, it’s time to take stock of the haul from this life-or-death gamble.’

The first thing he picked up was Zheng Feng’s Storage Bag. He sent his Divine Sense inside. The space was far more vast than an ordinary Storage Bag. The very first things to enter his "vision" were three Jade Bottles, placed side by side.

Lu Zhao’s pupils shrank. ’I recognize these Jade Bottles! They’re the same kind Zheng Feng used on Luming Mountain Peak when he tried to trade the Unsettled True Water for Zheng Fan!’

He carefully took out one of the Jade Bottles, peeled off the Sealing Spirit Talisman, and uncorked it. An ethereal and profound Spiritual Charm instantly filled the air. The substance in the bottle was indeed Unsettled True Water; its formless, shapeless "unsettled" property could not be faked.

Lu Zhao’s heart trembled. ’According to the Ancient Texts I’ve read, while this item isn’t considered top-tier among Tier Two items, its properties are extremely rare. It can be used to refine Magical Artifacts and assist in cultivating certain special Water Element Techniques. It’s always in demand but never in stock on the market, and its value surpasses many Tier Two High-Grade Spiritual Objects!’

He swept his Divine Sense over the other two Jade Bottles. To his astonishment, they were also filled to the brim with Unsettled True Water!

’Three bottles! Three whole bottles!’ Lu Zhao sucked in a sharp breath. ’The value of a single bottle is probably equal to a decent Tier Two Spiritual Artifact! If handled correctly, the three of them together would be more than enough to trade for a Foundation Establishment Pill!’

At the thought of the Foundation Establishment Pill, a flash of insight struck Lu Zhao! He connected the dots: Zheng Fan’s Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivation, the fragmented memories from Zheng Hu about things Zheng Feng had said, and these three bottles of Unsettled True Water... A thought streaked through his mind like a bolt of lightning!

’Did the Zheng Family really only have these three bottles of True Water? Could they have already sold some... Could they have prepared a Foundation Establishment Pill for Zheng Fan?’

At that thought, he immediately began to rummage frantically through Zheng Feng’s Storage Bag. All sorts of rare materials, Jade Scrolls, and Magical Artifacts were temporarily pushed aside. Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, he found it: a Jade Bottle, slightly smaller than the ones containing the Unsettled True Water, with a Sealing Spirit Talisman stuck to it!

The Jade Bottle was cool and smooth to the touch. Lu Zhao’s heart began to race uncontrollably. He took a deep breath, channeled a wisp of Spiritual Power to his fingertip, and carefully peeled off the Sealing Spirit Talisman before uncorking the bottle.

An indescribable Pill aroma, one that contained a vast life essence and the profound mysteries of Breaking a Realm, instantly filled the entire cave! The fragrance seeped into his body!

Inside the Jade Bottle lay a single Pill, the size of a longan fruit. It was perfectly round, its surface covered in complex Pill Patterns that resembled natural Daoist markings. A gentle, jade-like luster flowed across it. This was the very thing countless Qi Cultivators dreamed of—the Foundation Establishment Pill!

"Haha... HAHAHAHA!" Lu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable, wild laughter. The sound echoed in the small cave, filled with immense relief and indescribable excitement. "A Foundation Establishment Pill! It really is a Foundation Establishment Pill! The Zheng Family! What a wonderful Zheng Family! After all your scheming and plotting, you just ended up doing all the hard work for me! HAHAHAHA!"

He laughed for a full quarter of an hour before gradually calming down, his chest still heaving slightly and his eyes shining with brilliant light. ’With this Foundation Establishment Pill, plus the one the Bixia Sect will issue in a few years, I’ll have two in hand! Combined with the Spiritual Objects and Pills with minor Foundation Establishment-aiding effects that I can exchange for Merit in the Sect, and my own Middle-Grade Water Spirit Root aptitude, my success rate for reaching Foundation Establishment will be as high as eighty percent!’

After the immense wave of joy subsided, Lu Zhao quickly regained his usual composure. He rubbed the Jade Bottle containing the Foundation Establishment Pill, his thoughts racing.

’Should I try to get another one? If I sell all the Spiritual Objects and Magical Artifacts I got from the Zheng Family... it should be enough to buy another Foundation Establishment Pill.’

After pondering for a long time, Lu Zhao gave up on the idea. The risks of buying another Foundation Establishment Pill were too great, and the returns weren’t guaranteed to match.

’First, the procurement channels are a major problem. The Sect is out of the question; they will only provide one for an Outer Sect Steward like me. At the Bixia Sect auctions, unless you come from a Foundation Establishment Clan, the other Foundation Establishment Clans will tacitly collude to drive up the price against non-clan Cultivators. If I really wanted to buy one, the final price would be absurdly high. As for the Black Market, they occasionally show up, but that requires luck and would likely attract unwanted attention.’

’Second, even if I could buy a third Foundation Establishment Pill, the boost to my success rate would be far less significant than the first two. The cumulative effect of the pills isn’t simple addition. Especially for someone with a Middle-Grade Spirit Root, two pills is already a fairly ideal configuration. The boost from a third might not even be ten percent, yet I’d have to bear the immense risk of exposing my wealth and attracting trouble.’

’Finally, selling the items from the Zheng Family would be a huge headache, especially the distinctive ones like the Magical Artifacts belonging to Zheng Feng and the Zheng Family Elders, the family’s specialty products, and the Unsettled True Water... I absolutely cannot sell them anytime soon.’

’After all, the Bixia Sect isn’t stupid. The annihilation of the Zheng Family in a single day by a ’Demon Cultivator’ is bound to cause a huge stir. The Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall and Precepts Hall will definitely conduct a thorough investigation. Any flow of assets related to the Zheng Family could become a clue in their pursuit.’

After careful calculation, Lu Zhao concluded:

’The risks outweigh the rewards.’ His gaze was firm. ’Two Foundation Establishment Pills, supplemented by auxiliary Spiritual Objects, give me a nearly eighty-percent chance of success. That’s enough! Biting off more than I can chew could just lead to unexpected complications. The most urgent task now is to raise my Cultivation to the absolute peak of Qi Cultivation, wait for the Sect to issue its Foundation Establishment Pill, and then make a single, decisive push for Foundation Establishment!’

He reverently put away the Jade Bottle with the Foundation Establishment Pill and the three bottles of Unsettled True Water, placing them in the safest spot. Then, he began to take inventory of the other items in Zheng Feng’s Storage Bag.

There weren’t many Lower Grade Spirit Stones; a quick scan revealed only about three thousand. However, there were more than ten Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, which emitted a purer and denser Spiritual Qi.

There was a dazzling array of Tier One Middle-Grade and High-Grade Pills for Healing, Qi Recovery, Detoxification, Body Forging, and even some for breaking through minor bottlenecks. The variety of Refining Materials, Array Materials, and Talisman Materials was even more extensive, all of top-notch quality. Among them were many rare items that Lu Zhao needed to craft a Tier One High-Grade puppet.

There were also several Cultivation Technique Jade Scrolls, mostly derivative Secret Techniques or complementary Magic related to the Zheng Family’s sole Middle-Grade Cultivation Technique, the Sharp Gold True Skill. They were of limited use to him as a Water Spirit Root Cultivator. However, one Jade Scroll that recorded a rather clever auxiliary Secret Technique for increasing cultivation speed did pique his interest, earning a second look.

Finally, his gaze fell upon several Tier One Spiritual Artifacts shimmering with Spirit Light: a tremendously powerful golden Giant Sword, at least Tier One Top-Grade, and perhaps even touching the threshold of quasi-Tier Two; a Tier One High-Grade Turtle Shell Shield; a set of Array Banners; and a golden pearl. All of them were extraordinary items.

After finishing his inventory of Zheng Feng’s Storage Bag, Lu Zhao directed his Divine Sense to the large Storage Bags he had plundered from the Zheng Family’s treasury. Their contents were even more comprehensive: mountains of ordinary Spirit Stones; large quantities of Low Tier but practical Pills and Talismans; bundles of Spirit Grass and Spirit Ore; piles of Demon Beast Materials; quite a few Lower Grade Cultivation Techniques; and Tier One inheritances for Alchemy and Talisman Making. Unfortunately, the Cultivation Hundred Arts inheritances were only the Tier One portions, and he couldn’t find the sole Middle-Grade Cultivation Technique, the Sharp Gold True Skill. He figured someone who escaped must have taken it.

A rough estimate, not including the Cultivation Techniques and Cultivation Hundred Arts inheritances, placed the total value of the items from the Zheng Family’s treasury at well over ten thousand Spirit Stones!

He sorted all the items into categories, storing the valuable treasures separately and sealing away anything he had no immediate use for or that might cause trouble.

After taking stock of the Zheng Family treasury, Lu Zhao turned his Divine Sense to the Storage Bags of the other Zheng Family cultivators. The combined fortunes of the Elders, Stewards, and even the Elite Disciples added up to a surprising total of around ten thousand Spirit Stones.

Finally, when the last Storage Bag was sorted, the "Treasure Light" that had filled the cave seemed to recede along with it.

Lu Zhao let out a long breath, as if a great, invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He once again sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor and began his healing. ’Completely recovering from my injuries is only the first step.’ His resolve was firm. ’I will lie low in this cave in the desolate wilderness. Once my Cultivation reaches the state of Perfection at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Stage, I will plan my return to the Sect.’

A faint light flickered in the cave, making Lu Zhao’s figure appear even more profound within the glow of the Array.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」 Lu Zhao’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit had returned to their peak state. He no longer hesitated. The final stage of his Qi Cultivation Stage training... had begun!

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