Chapter 194 - 188: Going Home
Inside the Alchemy Room, time slowly flowed by. The temperature continued to rise, and the Spiritual Qi within grew increasingly dense. Faintly, a violent aura began to brew and surge.
As Gongsun Yang provided a detailed explanation, another four hours passed. The sky began to darken, and the alchemy process for the Foundation Establishment Pill was nearing its end.
"Condense!"
Gongsun Yang gave a sharp cry, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He slammed his palm down on the Alchemy Furnace once more, and one by one, the trembling elixirs slowly flew out.
A unique pill fragrance emanated from them. Just by taking a single whiff, Yu Changsheng felt his spirits surge. Even his cultivation, which hadn’t shown any sign of improvement for a long time, saw a slight increase.
The Pill Fragrance assaulted the nose. As the Foundation Establishment Pills emerged from the furnace, rings of Spiritual Qi formed tides, gathering in an orderly fashion from all directions and circling the elixirs. In the middle of the tides, a total of four Foundation Establishment Pills bobbed up and down. They were cyan all over with a restrained inner radiance, and their quality was apparent—they all had two Pill Patterns!
"Because these elixirs are so precious, I didn’t use Void Fire Quenching, just to be safe and avoid any accidents."
Gongsun Yang waved his hand. The four elixirs immediately floated over, and he placed them inside a specially made Jade Bottle, perfectly sealing away the rich fragrance.
"Hooo..."
The refining process had taken nearly four hours, during which Gongsun Yang had to maintain absolute concentration, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. He was understandably mentally exhausted.
"You’ve worked hard, Master."
Yu Changsheng nodded and said softly.
"It’s nothing. All that matters is that it was a success."
Gongsun Yang smiled faintly. After using his Magical Power to evaporate the sweat from his face and back, he took out an elixir, swallowed it, and took a short break to meditate and regulate his breathing.
"Four Foundation Establishment Pills... this should be enough for you. If not, I’ll figure something else out."
Gongsun Yang said with a smile as he handed over the elixirs.
A warmth spread through Yu Changsheng’s heart, and his expression softened. "Master, you should take one. I don’t need this many."
After all, Gongsun Yang was only at the early-stage of Foundation Establishment. Although he could refine Tier Three elixirs of the Golden Core Level, the variety he could create was limited. The value of a single Foundation Establishment Pill was no less than that of a Tier Three elixir.
"I don’t need it. I don’t have any grand-disciples to look after, so you should keep them. If you have extra, you can exchange them for resources to help raise your cultivation sooner," Gongsun Yang said, waving his hand with a smile.
Seeing this, Yu Changsheng could only nod and accept the elixirs, thanking his master once more.
After all, these were Foundation Establishment Pills with two Pill Patterns—they had a price but no market!
Even he couldn’t refine something like this himself right now.
"And that’s how you refine a Foundation Establishment Pill. You’ve seen the process. With your talent, don’t slack off on your Alchemy. After you reach Foundation Establishment, you can try to push for the rank of Third Grade Alchemist."
With that said, Gongsun Yang could no longer hide the exhaustion on his face. He gave a wave and departed.
Yu Changsheng carefully put away the finished Foundation Establishment Pills, his mind simultaneously digesting the new knowledge and turning to other matters.
’The Foundation Establishment Pills I have now... one from Elder Li, one from Shen Xingchen, plus these four... that’s a total of six Foundation Establishment Pills. It should be enough.’
’A single Foundation Establishment Pill is incredibly hard to obtain, yet I have six of them. Who would have ever imagined? Fate is a fickle thing.’
Yu Changsheng felt a bit dazed, overcome with emotion.
’Six Foundation Establishment Pills, plus a Realm-Breaking Pill. I can give the extras to the family... All the preparations are made; now I just need the right opportunity.’
’In that case, I’ll make a trip back to the family. When I get back, I’ll officially begin the process of reaching Foundation Establishment.’
Having made up his mind, Yu Changsheng spent the night preparing. The next day, he went to the Odd Demon Pavilion to pick up Yu Dahai, and they arrived in Bright Moon City shortly thereafter.
Bright Moon City, the Yu Family estate.
"It feels like I haven’t been here in ages."
Outside the Yu Family Mansion, Yu Changsheng let out a soft breath.
"Time flies. From your last visit until now, it’s been almost half a year that you’ve been in the Wanxiang Sect, Brother Changsheng. I’ve already informed the Patriarch, so they’re probably all waiting for you. Let’s go in."
Yu Dahai said from beside him, his eyes filled with reverence as he looked at Yu Changsheng.
"Alright."
Yu Changsheng nodded. As he stepped into the mansion and walked straight to the main hall, he found Yu Taoran already seated and waiting, the dining table laden with prepared dishes.
Yu Taoran stood up. He hadn’t changed much since they had last seen each other. His face wreathed in smiles, he walked toward Yu Changsheng and said:
"You’re back! Come, come, let’s eat! I heard from Dahai that you’ve become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Wanxiang Sect and even apprenticed yourself to an Elder. Our Yu Family has finally produced a true dragon among men!"
Cultivators didn’t actually require mortal food, but today was a rare occasion. Whether it was to strengthen their bonds or for some other reason, Yu Taoran had arranged for a full feast to be prepared well in advance, waiting for Yu Changsheng. None of the dishes were ordinary.
Yu Changsheng glanced around and saw that besides Yu Taoran, his eldest uncle, his parents, and others were also there waiting. He nodded, smiled, and greeted everyone before taking a seat next to Yu Taoran at his gesture.
The news of Yu Changsheng’s promotion to the Inner Sect had reached the Yu Family a while ago, and naturally, many were overjoyed. Thus, even though Yu Changsheng was seated in a place of honor, no one voiced the slightest complaint.
The dinner was a warm and pleasant affair. After exchanging pleasantries with his parents, the scene shifted.
「At midnight, in the Yu Family study.」
Yu Taoran was slightly puzzled. "Changsheng, what is it? Is something the matter?"
Yu Changsheng remained silent, simply lowering his head to take out an elixir and hand it to Yu Taoran. "I remember you’ve been consolidating your cultivation at the Qi Refining Peak for a very long time, Grandfather. With this elixir’s help, perhaps you can try to break through to Foundation Establishment."
Yu Taoran took the elixir, brought it close to smell it, and rubbed it between his fingers. After a long moment, his previously puzzled expression changed. He snapped his head up to look at Yu Changsheng, his voice filled with shock.
"Is this... a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
"Yes." Yu Changsheng nodded lightly.
Yu Taoran’s pupils contracted. A look of excitement flashed across his face, but he suppressed it a moment later. Taking a deep breath, he said with a furrowed brow, "A Foundation Establishment Pill is immeasurably precious. Our Yu Family couldn’t afford even one if we liquidated all our assets."
"Since you have one, you must keep it safe for yourself. You’re about to attempt Foundation Establishment soon, and I was just worrying that I had no resources to give you. It’s for the best that you’ve found your own solution."
The smile in Yu Taoran’s eyes widened as he gestured and returned the elixir to Yu Changsheng.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was undeniably tempting, but after weighing the pros and cons, he still chose to refuse it.
"I’ve been stuck at the Qi Refining Peak for so long, and my lifespan is limited. Even if I used the elixir to break through, that would be the end of the road for me. It would be a waste to give it to me."
"You’re still young, and your future is limitless. Take this Foundation Establishment Pill for yourself, and don’t let anyone else in the family know. You are the future of our family. Your strength is the foundation for everything else."
Yu Taoran explained, the last trace of personal desire in his heart dissipating as he spoke, his gaze utterly sincere.