Chapter 443 - 328: A Step Further
The message from the Mountain Demon Sect only mentioned a suspected encounter with a mysterious Spirit Refiner.
They could verify part of it on their end first.
Perhaps the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object had fallen into the hands of one of their other subordinate Foundation Establishment influences.
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
The Demon Spirit Sect Leader quickly began contacting the subordinate Foundation Establishment influences Pang Feng had mentioned.
「A short time later.」
He had received replies to all his messages.
"Supreme Elder, none of them have taken any action."
"Mm."
Pang Feng nodded. This confirmed that it was indeed the work of a Spirit Refiner. As for whether it was *the* mysterious Spirit Refiner, that couldn’t be determined with one hundred percent certainty.
At this point, Pang Feng was already working with an assumption.
’He would assume that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object appearing in the Mountain Demon Sect’s territory was taken by the mysterious Spirit Refiner, who also killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Mountain Demon Sect.’
The Demon Spirit Sect Leader then asked a fitting question.
"Supreme Elder, if this mysterious Spirit Refiner has truly appeared in our territory, what should we do?"
"Losing one’s life over a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object is, ultimately, considered normal. If we don’t hear reports of any other subordinate Foundation Establishment influences being attacked, then we don’t need to be overly concerned."
"Yes!" Having received his instructions, the Demon Spirit Sect Leader responded quickly.
’If the mysterious Spirit Refiner is making a move, it means the Celestial Cloud Sect is making a move. And there’s no reason for the Celestial Cloud Sect to act against us first. Not only does the Celestial Demon Sect have a deep-seated conflict with them, but their overall power is also clearly weaker than before.’
Deeper conflict, and weaker too.
Any rational decision-maker in the Celestial Cloud Sect would know what choice to make.
’This Spirit Refiner might not even be from the Celestial Cloud Sect.’
Friction between the subordinate Foundation Establishment influences of the Celestial Cloud Sect and their Demon Spirit Sect was a normal occurrence.
Had the Celestial Cloud Sect been in the weaker position, Pang Feng, as a Supreme Elder of the Demon Spirit Sect, would certainly not have thought this way.
He would have seen it as a provocation by the Celestial Cloud Sect against the Demon Spirit Sect, an act intended to trigger a conflict.
Pang Feng himself might not have even noticed that his current line of reasoning was entirely aimed at avoiding a direct conflict with the Celestial Cloud Sect.
If they wore down the Celestial Cloud Sect’s strength, it would mostly just benefit the Celestial Demon Sect.
If the Celestial Cloud Sect truly did move against them, the Ghost-Controlling Sect might even take the opportunity to cause trouble.
Geographically speaking, the Demon Spirit Sect’s territory was not as favorable as the Celestial Demon Sect’s.
...
「Celestial Cloud Sect.」
After Fang Yun returned to the sect,
he explained what had happened in the Demon Spirit Sect’s territory. After completing the sect’s procedures and paying a modest amount of Contribution Points, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object, the Jade Dew Spirit Water, was officially his.
Back in his cave residence,
Fang Yun immediately went into seclusion.
He intended to refine and absorb the Jade Dew Spirit Water to rapidly advance his cultivation.
Since he had used the most primitive method for preserving a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object, it was best to absorb the Jade Dew Spirit Water as quickly as possible.
After half a month of preservation with this method, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object would begin to lose some of its spiritual nature. As more time passed, even more would be lost.
After adjusting his condition, Fang Yun
quickly began to absorb the Jade Dew Spirit Water.
Among Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects that enhance one’s cultivation, Jade Dew Spirit Water was a gentle type. Generally, any such spiritual object related to water tended to be mild.
The absorption process for such Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects was relatively pleasant.
The Jade Dew Spirit Water shrank, bit by bit.
In Fang Yun’s Qi Sea, his liquid Spiritual Power was visibly rising.
It hadn’t even been three years since his breakthrough to the Peak of Foundation Establishment.
Getting his hands on the Jade Dew Spirit Water, a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object, felt amazing.
「Seven days later.」
Fang Yun had completely absorbed the Jade Dew Spirit Water.
Having finished his cultivation, Fang Yun immediately checked the state of his Qi Sea.
’In four more years at most, I should be able to reach the true Peak of Foundation Establishment. This Jade Dew Spirit Water has accelerated my cultivation by at least twelve years.’
When he first reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment, he had estimated it would take him about eighteen or nineteen years to reach the true peak.
The rapid advancement in his cultivation thrilled Fang Yun.
The next step was to reach the true Peak of Foundation Establishment as quickly as possible. Once he did, he could start preparing for Core Formation.
Speaking of Core Formation, over a year ago, his master, Xiong Xingfeng, had failed in his attempt to break through to the Core Formation stage during his seclusion.
Without any supplementary items, a Dual Spirit Roots cultivator had about a ten percent chance of successfully breaking through to the Core Formation stage during seclusion.
The environment the sect provided for Core Formation seclusion was considered quite good among Core Formation influences. With the environment’s aid, the chance of success increased slightly, pushing it just over ten percent.
Overall, the chance of a successful Core Formation was still too small.
For a cultivator with Three Spirit Roots, a True Spirit Root, the chance of a successful Core Formation without any supplementary items was only about five percent.
As for a Mixed Spirit Roots cultivator attempting Core Formation, the possibility of success was minuscule. A Four Spirit Roots cultivator had a one percent chance at most, and for a Five Spirit Roots cultivator, the chance was practically negligible.
The poorer the Spirit Root, the less effective supplementary items were.
This was also why the Celestial Demon Sect wasn’t worried about Fang Yun succeeding in Core Formation after learning he possessed Five Spirit Roots.
After Xiong Xingfeng’s failed attempt at Core Formation, his condition was considerably worse than Bai Heyan’s had been after his own failure. Xiong Xingfeng’s cultivation had now regressed to the Late-stage Foundation Establishment.
After half a year of recovery, Xiong Xingfeng returned to his position as a Management Elder of Artifact Casting Peak.
After coming out of seclusion, Fang Yun began refining medicinal pills.
Time flew by in a flash.
「A little over two weeks later.」
It was now early November.
While Fang Yun was in the middle of his regular cultivation, Song Qiaoqiao came to see him.
Song Qiaoqiao had come to see Fang Yun about one specific thing.
"Fang Yun, I’m going into seclusion for Core Formation!" Song Qiaoqiao said, getting straight to the point.
It had been a little over two years since she reached the true Peak of Foundation Establishment.
From the look of her, Song Qiaoqiao was clearly ready.
"Once you succeed in your Core Formation, we will have both fulfilled our agreement with your great-grandfather," Fang Yun remarked upon hearing the news.
As a Dual Spirit Roots cultivator, Song Qiaoqiao wouldn’t just have a Low-grade Golden Core Pill to aid her Core Formation seclusion; she also had a Core Formation Spiritual Object.
The Core Formation Spiritual Object didn’t come from the sect; it was a personal possession of her great-grandfather, Zhong Yankun.
Back when Song Qiaoqiao was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, Zhong Yankun had already prepared a great many things for her.
It was because he had made these ample preparations that Zhong Yankun had set the condition: only after Song Qiaoqiao successfully achieved Core Formation within one hundred years would he permit her and Fang Yun to formally become Tao Companions.
Counting the years, eighty-seven had already passed of the hundred-year agreement.
Zhong Yankun had paved much of Song Qiaoqiao’s future path for her. With the help of a Low-grade Golden Core Pill and the Core Formation Spiritual Object, her chance of a successful Core Formation was already close to forty percent.
A nearly forty percent chance of success in Core Formation was already very high.
This was four times her normal chance of achieving Core Formation.
When Zhong Yankun first made that agreement, it was fundamentally for Song Qiaoqiao’s benefit.
Now, with Fang Yun’s continuous growth, especially after his Spirit Root was cleansed, if Zhong Yankun knew the current situation, his original mindset might have changed significantly.
"Yes, I will definitely succeed in my Core Formation!" Looking at Fang Yun, Song Qiaoqiao was brimming with confidence about her seclusion.
With a nearly forty percent chance, Song Qiaoqiao had set a simple goal for herself: success was the only option.
"Have you settled things at Dan Cloud Peak?"
"All settled. I’ve temporarily given the Management Elder position to Elder Wan."
"That’s good." Fang Yun nodded. "I’ll go with you to the Main Peak."
And so, the two of them headed for the Main Peak, Cloud Summit.
They moved at a relaxed pace on their way to the Main Peak, giving them plenty of time to talk.
In front of the seclusion cave on the Main Peak reserved for elders,
Zhong Yankun was waiting for them.
"Great-grandfather."
"Supreme Elder."
"You’re here." Zhong Yankun greeted them with a slight nod.
’Back then, the agreement hadn’t placed high demands on Fang Yun. It was hard to imagine what his chances of Core Formation would be. If given the chance to set the terms again, he would require Fang Yun to also break through to the Core Formation Stage.’
’Only with both Tao Companions at the Core Formation Stage could their life together be truly long and enduring.’
"Qiaoqiao, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Object is in here. And this contains the Low-grade Golden Core Pill."
Zhong Yankun took out a specially-made wooden box and a small, specially-crafted jade vial.
Everything Song Qiaoqiao needed for her Core Formation came from her great-grandfather.