Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 760: Foundation Establishment Pill

The deposit was thirty Spirit Stones, and the monthly rental fee was also thirty, totaling one hundred and twenty Spirit Stones.

This price was considered mid-to-low among the Immortal Caves on the outskirts of Descending Immortal Pass, and combined with the environment, it was quite reasonable.

Song Yan didn’t say a word, handed over the corresponding Spirit Stones, and completed the Immortal Cave handover with Nangong Ling.

What a straightforward Daoist! Nangong Ling was happy in her heart.

"I wish Fellow Daoist a smooth Cultivation journey! May the Immortal Dao flourish!"

After saying a few auspicious words, the child happily left.

Standing on the platform in the Immortal Cave’s front hall, listening to the gurgling stream, and feeling the pure and peaceful Spiritual Qi of the place, Song Yan’s heart settled.

"This is the place," he said to Xiao Ju and Xiao He, "For the next three months, I will be in seclusion here to Cultivate."

Snake Babe immediately answered, "Yan Yan, don’t worry! Sister Xiao Ju will take care of me!"

As he spoke, he transformed into a snake and nimbly coiled around Xiao Ju’s arm, his golden snake eyes full of anticipation.

Xiao Ju also quickly nodded, "Senior, please go into seclusion with peace of mind. I will look after Xiao He and not neglect my Cultivation."

She looked at Song Yan, her gaze firm.

Thus, Song Yan no longer delayed. He formed a hand seal and activated the Restriction of Spiritual Power outside the Cultivation stone chamber.

Stepping inside, the stone door slowly closed behind him, completely isolating the outside world’s clamor... Time always passed quickly in seclusion.

In a blink of an eye, three months had already passed.

During these three months, a major event occurred in the Chu State Cultivation World.

A Loose Cultivator, Jiang Chaosheng, at one hundred and sixty-nine years old, attained the Golden Core Dao, becoming one of the Golden Core Cultivators among the Loose Cultivators of Chu State.

This was a truly remarkable event.

No matter where, the living conditions of Loose Cultivators were actually quite similar; even with the so-called various factions uniting and banding together for warmth, Cultivation resources were relatively scarce.

To reach the Golden Core Realm as a Loose Cultivator required talent, perseverance, and Opportunity, none of which could be lacking.

This event also greatly inspired all the Loose Cultivators throughout Chu State.

The Cultivators Within the Pass had always considered themselves Loose Cultivators, and the atmosphere in recent days was even more lively than usual.

However, Song Yan, who was in seclusion, heard nothing of the outside world and was unaware of this.

He sat cross-legged in the Immortal Cave, looking at the two golden Medicinal Pills suspended before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

These two golden Medicinal Pills were the improved Foundation Establishment Pills, refined according to the Materials and steps in the Thousand Pills Formulas.

"Hoo..." He gently exhaled a breath of turbid Qi.

The refinement of this improved Foundation Establishment Pill was truly incredibly difficult.

Song Yan already had considerable experience in refining Medicinal Pills with the Sword Qi Pill Furnace, and he had refined the Wu Xiang Pill twice more using the last moon-bearing lotus seed, further familiarizing himself with the steps.

He felt that he was already extremely proficient, with every step deeply ingrained in his mind.

Furthermore, with the detailed step-by-step instructions and precautions from the "Qian Dan Yi Fang" for prior understanding.

Even so, the first eight attempts at refinement all ended in failure.

Sometimes, he couldn’t even form the Medicinal Pill’s shape before an entire furnace of Spirit Medicine Materials was wasted.

Song Yan watched with a pained heart.

However, perhaps these failures were all necessary steps on the path to success, for on the ninth attempt, he finally felt he had grasped a bit of the knack.

Although it was still a failure, he could already see the hope of success.

On the tenth and eleventh attempts, he actually succeeded consecutively!

The final attempt, however, failed due to an operational error.

He remained silent, his expression seeming to be a mix of joy and worry.

His worry stemmed from the fact that despite such ample preparation and elaborate refinement, out of twelve opportunities, only two Medicinal Pills were successfully produced.

He couldn’t judge whether this was enough for him.

If one were to speculate based on the Aptitude of an ordinary dual Spiritual Root Cultivator, it should be sufficient.

His joy, however, came from the advantage of Sword Dao Alchemy. Due to the extreme removal of Impurities, once a Medicinal Pill was formed, there was a very high probability that it would be of excellent quality.

Of the two Medicinal Pills before him, one was brimming with Spiritual Qi and perfectly natural.

It was actually a High-Grade Pill!

Refining this Medicinal Pill completely exceeded Song Yan’s expectations.

Although the other Medicinal Pill did not reach such quality, it was still of Medium Grade.

Having exhausted all the prepared Materials and obtained two Foundation Establishment Pills, this efficiency could not be judged as good or bad, as no one could provide a comparison for him.

He didn’t care whether it was good or not; as long as he could ultimately establish his Dao Foundation, who would care about these things?

In fact, what Song Yan didn’t know was that this level, compared to ordinary Alchemists, was actually quite good.

The path of Alchemy was actually a bit more difficult than he had imagined.

After all, with ordinary Alchemy methods, he had only refined the simplest Medicinal Pills like the Qi Nourishing Pill.

However, Sword Dao Alchemy perfectly aligned with the Cultivation system of a Sword Cultivator, inherently providing a significant bonus to the success rate of forming Medicinal Pills, not to mention his own considerable talent in Alchemy.

Three months of refinement, with two successes out of twelve attempts, was already quite good.

Counting the more than a year of preparation time beforehand, this result was not surprising.

During this period, Song Yan had either been refining Medicinal Pills or entering the small illusionary Realm of the sword pellet to Cultivate.

The speed of his Cultivation progress was indeed astonishingly fast.

However, what made him feel a little regretful was that the Spiritual Qi contained within this small illusionary Realm seemed to be limited.

Thinking about it, it made sense. If the Spiritual Qi within it were infinite, he would simply find a secluded valley to hide away, Cultivate for a hundred years, and then emerge, perhaps even directly attaining the Golden Core Dao... He was dreaming a bit too sweetly.

"By my reckoning, the time is almost up."

The stone door of the Cultivation chamber opened, and Song Yan slowly walked out, the condensed aura of three months of seclusion circulating around him.

The closer he got to the Perfection Realm of Qi Refining, the more refined and pure his spiritual power became.

Xiao He was playing in the stream. Seeing him, she "whooshed" over in her snake form, coiled around his arm, and excitedly wagged the tip of her tail.

"Yan Yan! You’re finally out!"

Xiao Ju also seemed to have just finished her practice, quickly stood up, and bowed gracefully, "Senior Song."

Song Yan gently patted Xiao He’s head, his gaze sweeping over the stream and distant mountains.

Three months was not actually a very long time, and the Descending Immortal Pass outside seemed to have become even livelier.

"The time is almost right."

"Xiao Ju, please return the jade Talisman for this Immortal Cave on my behalf. I will go to Qifu Keju to retrieve a set of Talismans, and then I’ll come find you two."

"Okay."

The two people and one snake left together.

...Within Descending Immortal Pass, Qifu Keju.

The shop was still the same, with its understated elegance of dark brown heavy wood and the faint, swirling smoke of spiritual incense.

Only this time, Song Yan saw not the green-robed scholar Jiang Gudong holding an ancient book, but another person.

The beautiful young girl who served Song Yan tea was still there, her expression carrying a hint of imperceptible sadness, and when she stepped forward, she lacked some of her previous vivacity.

"Senior, I hope you are well."

She bowed slightly, "Are you here to collect the custom-made Talismans?"

"Precisely. I am Tong Chuping." Song Yan nodded, "The three-month period has expired."

Just as the young girl was about to say something, the inner room’s curtain stirred, and a middle-aged man, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe and slightly portly, walked out.

This man had a square face and wide mouth, with a carefully groomed black beard. His eyes were sharp and shrewd, and his movements carried the unique efficiency and steadiness of a merchant.

"Fellow Daoist Tong, you’ve waited long." The middle-aged man’s face broke into a smile, his voice loud and just right, "I am Su Changcai, the shopkeeper of Qifu Keju. Fellow Daoist Jiang specifically instructed me before he left that there was an important Talisman transaction. I presume it is the Pure Moon Talisman that Fellow Daoist commissioned."

Song Yan understood. It seemed Jiang Gudong was indeed, as he said that day, only temporarily minding the shop, and now the shop owner had returned.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Su."

He didn’t want to say much, only wishing to receive the Talismans quickly.

Su Changcai stroked his beard, chuckled, and motioned for the young girl to fetch the items: "Fellow Daoist Jiang said that the drawing of these Talismans went quite smoothly, and they can be delivered as agreed. The matter of the Spirit Stones can be settled with me."

The shopkeeper paused, seemingly recalling something: "He also asked me to convey to Fellow Daoist Tong that the item Fellow Daoist entrusted is indeed extraordinary, and being able to form Talismans with it is also an Opportunity. He hopes this Pure Moon Talisman can assist Fellow Daoist."

"As for other matters, he didn’t say much. He left in quite a hurry, so much so that even I, the shopkeeper, didn’t get to speak with him much."

"Thank you for the information, Shopkeeper."

Song Yan’s heart settled slightly. Jiang Gudong’s attitude indicated that the process of drawing the Talismans should have been without incident.

At this moment, the young girl emerged, holding a sandalwood brocade box about a foot long. Shopkeeper Su took it, carefully placed it on the counter, and gently opened the lid with both hands.

Inside the box, lined with velvet, three Talismans, radiating a cool moonlight, lay neatly side by side.

The Talismans had a translucent, jade-like texture, delicate as grease, with faint blue and silver halos slowly flowing upon them, and wisps of crisp, cold Qi lingering within.

The shapes of the three Talismans were slightly different.

There was also a note placed inside.

Song Yan picked it up and read it.

"The lotus petal’s lingering essence was not exhausted, fortuitously resulting in an extra Talisman. The agreement was for two, but the Spiritual Materials were sufficient, so this Talisman should belong to the owner. Left by Jiang Gudong."

Jiang Gudong not only completed the two commissioned Pure Moon Talismans but also successfully refined a third. Because the Spiritual Materials used were provided by Song Yan and "their essence was not exhausted," out of the Talisman Maker’s insistence and principles, he believed that this extra Talisman should also belong to the owner, Song Yan.

This note made Song Yan look at this person with new respect.

Normally, whether it was commissioning Talismans or entrusting the refinement of Medicinal Pills, whatever was agreed upon was what would be delivered.

If one’s skill was superb, then any surplus Materials after completing the commission would belong to the Talisman Maker or Alchemist.

This was actually an unwritten Jianghu rule in many places.

"Hmm, what pure moonlight and cold Qi! As expected of a second-tier High Grade Talisman."

Shopkeeper Su also couldn’t help but lean in to admire it, praising it repeatedly. It seemed that Shopkeeper Su had not seen it before he opened it.

Song Yan confirmed the quality of the Talismans and Jiang Gudong’s message, then nodded: "Thank you, Shopkeeper and Fellow Daoist Jiang."

Without further ado, he immediately settled the Spirit Stones.

"The transaction is complete. Fellow Daoist Tong, if you have any needs in the future, please do not hesitate to return to my Qifu Keju!" Su Changcai cupped his hands in farewell.

It must be said that both Jiang Gudong and Su Changcai left a very good impression on Song Yan.

At least, they were very sincere in their business dealings.

"Certainly."

Song Yan nodded and left Qifu Keju.

The biggest reason he went to such great lengths to commission this Talisman was the Heart Demon.

This thing was too bizarre.

Whether it had affected him, and when it would suddenly erupt to influence his thoughts, were all unknowns.

This was its most terrifying aspect.

Unseen, intangible, yet it followed like a shadow, subtly influencing people.

Song Yan dared not gamble that it wouldn’t appear at the most crucial moment of his Foundation Establishment, so it was best to be fully prepared.

The goal of this trip was perfectly achieved, even exceeding expectations.

Next, it was time to fully adjust his state and prepare to make a concerted push through the Foundation Establishment barrier.

Now, the Foundation Establishment Pill was in hand, and the Pure Moon Talisman and Wu Xiang Pill were also ready.

Everything was prepared, his thoughts clear and unhindered.

Song Yan stepped out of Qifu Keju. At the agreed-upon small courtyard entrance, Xiao Ju and Xiao He were already waiting.

Xiao Ju had returned the jade Talisman for the rented Immortal Cave to the Nangong family and settled all matters, including some daily necessities temporarily purchased by the three in Descending Immortal Pass, which had also been arranged.

Xiao He, seeing Song Yan appear, waved her small hand.

"Senior, everything has been taken care of." Xiao Ju stepped forward and reported softly.

Song Yan nodded. After confirming that everything was in order, he no longer lingered: "Mm, let’s go. We’ll head back, first to Lanxi Cave to return the Spirit Boat."

The three no longer delayed and immediately set off to leave Descending Immortal Pass. Song Yan found a secluded spot and once again brought out the Red Dust Dipper.

With a faint red flash, the flying boat steadily ascended, transforming into a streak of light, and sped towards Lanxi Cave.

The Red Dust Dipper soared over the continuous mountains and rivers of Chu State, its speed far greater than that of the boat they had taken on the way there.

During the return journey, Song Yan closed his eyes to rest, his mind even more calm and resolute than when they had set out.

As the Red Dust Dipper gradually approached the Lanxi Mountain area, Song Yan’s brow furrowed slightly.

He felt that the Spiritual Qi permeating the surrounding world seemed much more active than usual, subtly exuding an indescribable, vibrant and joyful aura.

This was not a naturally occurring Spiritual Qi fluctuation.

Xiao Ju and Xiao He also sensed a slight difference, and Xiao He curiously peered over the boat’s railing.

When the flying boat landed and the three entered the Lanxi Cave territory, the scene there confirmed their feelings.

The Lanxi Cave market no longer had its usual slow-paced atmosphere.

The entire market was decorated with lanterns and streamers; though not luxurious, it clearly had many more festive decorations.

The streets were much more crowded than usual, and most Cultivators had smiles on their faces, their steps carrying an excited sense of shared honor, and their conversations were lively.

Strange, when they left, the scene was not like this.

Just as the few were wondering, a Qi Refining Middle Stage guard patrolling nearby recognized Song Yan.

"Oh? What a coincidence, Fellow Daoist."

It was the Cultivator Song Yan had met on his first visit to Lanxi Cave.

Seeing Song Yan and Xiao Ju’s slightly puzzled expressions, he was very excited. Without waiting for them to ask, he eagerly spoke, his voice loud and filled with uncontrollable pride.

"Fellow Daoist may not know, but these past few days, our Lanxi Cave has had a great joyous event! A monumental joyous event!"

Song Yan and Xiao Ju exchanged glances, somewhat bewildered.

"May I ask, what is this joyous event?"

The man’s eyebrows danced with excitement: "Old Ancestor Jiang, he attained the Golden Core Dao a few days ago!"

"Our Lanxi Cave is now a genuine treasure land with a Golden Core Immortal Master overseeing it! Don’t you think it’s worth celebrating?"

His words were filled with pride at being a part of Lanxi Cave.

Song Yan’s heart suddenly understood.

It turned out that the Loose Cultivator Golden Core powerhouse Xiao Ju had heard about in Descending Immortal Pass was none other than Jiang Chaosheng, the mysterious Loose Cultivator who had established Lanxi Cave and protected the Loose Cultivators there for many years.