Chapter 18: 18

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Immortal Cultivators did not have as many common customs as mortals. Even in a cultivation clan like the Zhou clan, when Grand Elder Zhou Qian passed away, only clan cultivators at Yuquan Lake Oasis were summoned to the ancestral hall to guard his spirit for three days. Then, the clan leader, Zhou Minghan, used his Foundation Establishment True Fire to cremate Zhou Qian’s corpse and bury his ashes in the clan graveyard.

The cremation of a deceased cultivator characterizes a small immortal cultivation clan because it did not have the manpower to guard its graveyards against Devil Cultivators who used the Devil’s Path’s Corpse Refinement Spell to resurrect the dead and refine them into zombies.

If the corpses of a clan’s ancestors were refined into zombies by Devil Cultivators, it would not only defile the ancestors but endanger the lives of the clan’s cultivators as well as the mortals under their care.

This was because newly refined zombies need to consume large amounts of blood to grow, and the blood from those of the same bloodline would greatly improve the zombies’ growth.

Therefore, for small immortal cultivation clans like the Zhou clan, the corpses of the deceased would be cremated and buried to avoid being misused by Devil Cultivators.

Only large sects and clans like Yellow Sand School with Core Foundation or Nascent Soul Grandmasters could afford to bury the corpses of their deceased high-level cultivators in the cemetery. They would also use arrays and highly talented people to guard the graves.

After dealing with the funeral of Zhou Qian, Zhou Yang was summoned by Zhou Minghan, to enter the cave at the top of Yuquan Peak for a private chat.

“You already know the reason for Zhou Qian’s death. The clan is about to send people to get rid of the demon beasts in the Red Flame Iron vein. Since you are our only hope of being our clan’s future Foundation Establishment Cultivator and have just broken through to Qi Refinement Level 7, I will most likely forbid you from going. What do you think?”

“Clan Leader, please don’t do this!”

Zhou Yang quickly bowed deeply to the clan leader. “I was the one who discovered that Red Flame Iron vein and will be the one to get a share of the profit’s dividends. If I don’t participate in the clean-up and be there to enjoy the fruits of our collective labor, how else will I be able to convince others of my leadership and worth?

“I may not be the most talented, but I am willing to use my lifetime of learning to contribute a meager amount of strength to the expansion of the Zhou clan’s territory!”

At the end of his speech, Zhou Yang took out an Armor Breaker Dagger from his waist and held it in his hand, as if he wanted to prove his determination.

Zhou Minghan was gratified and amused at the same time when he saw how determined Zhou Yang was.

“Alright, alright, I know how determined you are. Put away the magical weapon first. When the time comes, I’ll appoint you as the leader!”

The old man smiled. He really admired Zhou Yang’s courage as a mere Qi Refinement Cultivator to hold a dagger in his presence, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Moreover, this matter also proved Zhou Yang’s loyalty to the Zhou clan. If he didn’t sincerely agree with the clan’s plan, why else would he say such impassioned words just now? Why would he unwittingly draw his dagger in front of the Foundation Establishment Stage clan leader?

Zhou Minghan definitely did not dote on this kid for nothing!

The old man sighed internally as his expressions slowly softened. He started to look at Zhou Yang with love as if he was looking at his own grandson.

“Since you are so determined and courageous, I will tell you the truth. In about ten years and no more than fifteen, the Chen clan leader in Jinsha Square City will organize people to prepare the Foundation Establishment Pill. Since the Zhou clan and the Chen clan are allies, they have agreed that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be able to bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill when the time comes.

“Once the clan obtains the Foundation Establishment Pill in the auction, it will definitely be consumed immediately. Therefore, Zhou Yang, in the next ten years or so, you must work hard to cultivate to Qi Refinement Level 9. Otherwise, this opportunity will be wasted!”

The clan leader looked at Zhou Yang with a face full of affection but his tone was solemn as he slowly revealed this secret matter that would have shocked the other Zhou clan cultivators.

Zhou Yang’s pupils suddenly constricted and his breathing instantly became heavy.

This was the Foundation Establishment Pill that they were talking about! In all his years of cultivation, Zhou Yang had never been moved by a spiritual item except for the Foundation Establishment Pill, and he was determined to obtain it.

Though the Foundation Establishment Pill was only a Grade-3 lower-tier spiritual item, its value in the eyes of the majority of Qi Refining Cultivators was something that even Grade-5 medicinal pills couldn’t compare to.

It was a well-known fact that Foundation Establishment Pills were hard to come by.

In order to refine a batch of Foundation Building Pills, not only did one need to use the rare Grade-4 spiritual herb – the Essence Condensing Fruit – or the Grade-4 Demon Beast Core, but another thirty-six extremely rare Grade-3 spiritual herbs as supplementary medicines too. The total value of these spiritual herbs was even greater than that of those needed to refine a batch of Grade-4 spiritual pills.

Even a large sect like Yellow Sand School that had a history of thousands of years and was led by a Core Foundation sect leader could only refine a furnace of only five to seven Foundation Establishment Pills every ten years.

Such a small number was not even enough to be distributed to the members of Yellow Sand School’s main branch, what more a small cultivation clan like the Zhou clan, which was attached to Yellow Sand Sect.

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Thus, if a small cultivation clan like the Zhou clan wanted to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, they would either exchange it for a main ingredient to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill or cooperate with other cultivation clans to refine one.

Zhou Yang had heard of the Chen clan since he was young. They were a cultivation clan that had existed for over seven hundred years. The current clan leader of the Chen clan was not only an Advanced-Stage Zifu Cultivator Expert, but he was also a Grade-4 Intermediate-Tier Alchemist.

And yet, because the Chen clan leader was not born in a sect, it was impossible for him to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill from Yellow Sand School for his descendants to consume.

Therefore, when the Chen clan leader had reached the Advanced Stage of Zifu, he started to organize a Foundation Establishment Meeting every thirty to fifty years where invited and willing immortal cultivation clans or Rogue Foundation Establishment Experts would send a team to join the Chen clan leader to hunt Grade-4 demon beasts in the Boundless Sand Sea to obtain a Grade-4 Demon Core. Only then would they be able to obtain the right to bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill once it had been refined.

This was how the Zhou clan acquired the Foundation Establishment Pill more than sixty years ago.

At that time, not only did they drain the Zhou clan’s treasury, but also caused the Zhou Jian, the Zhou clan’s second Foundation Establishment Cultivator and clan leader after Zhou Yuquan from the Hua generation, to be seriously injured. His lifespan had also been greatly reduced to less than two hundred years and he passed away prematurely.

Zhou Jian was the biological grandfather of Zhou Qian.

When Zhou Minghan revealed to him that the Zhou clan was preparing to participate in the Foundation Establishment Meeting, Zhou Yang’s heart was filled with excitement, but there was also a hint of worry.

It wasn’t because he only had ten years to prepare himself. He was worried that the clan leader, Zhou Minghan, would participate in the Foundation Establishment Meeting.

Despite Zhou Minghan being a cultivator at Advanced-Stage Foundation Establishment Level 7 and a Grade-3 Advanced-Tier Artifact Refiner, a Grade-4 demon beast had strength equivalent to that of a Zifu Cultivator. Zhou Minghan would not be strong enough to deal with such a demon beast if the latter attacked the former at full strength. The clan leader could get himself killed.

Zhou Minghan was the Zhou clan’s leader and only Foundation Establishment Cultivator. If he became seriously injured or killed, it would be a terrible news for the entire Zhou clan and would very likely lead to the destruction of the clan.

By then, even if Zhou Yang had succeeded in obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill, he would not be able to feel at ease for the rest of his life.

After thinking about it over and over again, he finally mustered up the courage to ask, “Clan Leader, I once heard that after crossing over twenty thousand kilometers to the east side of the Boundless Sand Sea 40,000 Li and into the Broken Cloud Mountain Range, one would be able to reach the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun Continent. Immortal cultivation resources are abundant there. Even the Foundation Establishment Pill can be bought in the markets there with spiritual stones. Why don’t we go there to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill, instead? Why must a Foundation Establishment Cultivator like you risk your life to hunt Grade-4 demon beasts?”

Zhou Yang had learned of the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun Continent from the notes of an Artifact Refiner written in an artifact refinement book over the past few years.

He had asked Zhou Quan about it but even the elder, who had lived for more than a hundred years, had only heard of the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun continent. He didn’t know much about the specifics of the place.

Zhou Yang had also wanted to ask the clan leader about it upon his return from Qingping Mountain. But unfortunately, he had immediately gone into Closed Door Cultivation and temporarily forgot about this matter. Now that they were discussing the Foundation Establishment Pill, Zhou Yang finally recalled the place.

And it was just as Zhou Yang had expected. As the clan leader and a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Zhou Minghan did know quite a bit about the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun Continent.

“I’m surprised that you know of the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun continent. Unfortunately, what you’ve read was only about the prosperity of the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun continent. You don’t know how many dangerous places we have to go through and demon beasts and bandits we would have to deal with just to reach the place.

“We’re talking about crossing twenty thousand kilometers of the Boundless Sand Sea. Forget about the Grade 3 and Grade 4 demon beasts. There are even rumors that there are Grade-6 demon beasts with strengths comparable to Nascent Soul Cultivators living in seclusion in the depths of the mountain range.

“If you want to go through Broken Cloud Mountain Range without yet being Zifu Cultivator, the only question to ask is whether you will turn into food for a demon beast. 

“Even if you were lucky enough to cross Broken Cloud Mountain Range, reach the immortal cultivation world of Liuyun Continent, and buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, do you think that a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be able to safely return to the far west region with such a treasure?”

Zhou Yang was instantly rendered speechless.

Possessing such a treasure was not a crime, but it was equivalent to placing a large target on his head!

The clan leader was right. A spiritual item like the Foundation Establishment Pill was too precious. It was so precious that even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would easily be killed if they carried it with them.

If a small clan like the Zhou clan obtained such a treasure, they would usually let a Level 9 Qi Refinement Cultivator consume it immediately. Otherwise, if outsiders were to know about it, it would very likely lead to the destruction of the clan.

That was why the clan leader had told him earlier to cultivate to Qi Refinement Level 9 before the Foundation Establishment Meeting within ten years. Otherwise, when the clan obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, it would not go to him.

“I understand. Please rest assured, Clan Leader. I will definitely cultivate to Qi Refinement Level 9 before the Foundation Establishment Meeting and not let you and the clan’s efforts go to waste!”

His jaws tightened as he looked at the clan leader with a determined gaze as if he had been given a military order..

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