Chapter 134 My Golden Core Grandfather

The next morning, as the sun rose, bathing all of Black Magpie Mountain in rosy light, everyone in Morning Sun Hall awoke in succession.

Chen Li had long prepared hangover tea at Zizai Pavilion.

Everyone who woke up came over to have a cup of hangover tea with Chen Li.

When Chen Songmei arrived, she told Chen Li that she intended to study how to properly consume the drunken dragon bamboo Spirit Wine, vowing not to get drunk from just a touch next time.

After Chen Songyan woke up, he came to Chen Li, who told him to go to Dongbai Mountain to ask Xu Yunqiu to bring Chen Baizhao over.

The Teleportation Array in the Formation Comprehensive Building was fast; in less than ten minutes, Chen Songyan returned to Black Magpie Mountain with his wife and daughter.

Initially, after returning to Dongbai Mountain, Chen Songyan explained to Xu Yunqiu Chen Li's desire to see them.

When Xu Yunqiu heard that Chen Li wanted to see her, she was still a bit nervous. In her memory, she had only met Chen Li a few times.

After she and Chen Songyan confirmed their relationship, Chen Songyan brought her to Black Magpie Mountain for the first time to meet him.

The second time was during her wedding with Chen Songyan, when she met him again.

Both times, Chen Li maintained a very kind demeanor, but she always felt he was mysterious, in a way she couldn't quite describe.

She asked Chen Songyan, "Isn't Chen Li in seclusion attempting a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment?"

Chen Songyan told her that Chen Li had successfully broken through! He would announce it publicly in a few days.

Xu Yunqiu understood. Then Chen Baizhao was truly blessed to have a Foundation Establishment Grandfather!

But what Chen Songyan was thinking was that Chen Baizhao had a Golden Core Grandfather!

Chen Baizhao: My Golden Core Grandfather!

...

Accompanied by Chen Songyan, Xu Yunqiu arrived at Zizai Pavilion on Black Magpie Mountain and saw Chen Li.

Xu Yunqiu immediately performed a salute, "Greetings, Father."

Chen Baizhao babbled, calling out "Grandpa" to Chen Li word by word.

Chen Li quickly waved his hand, "No need for formalities. Today, I just wanted to see the child Baizhao and check on you."

Chen Li's gentle attitude helped relax Xu Yunqiu's mood.

Chen Li picked up Chen Baizhao, who kicked and danced, appearing very lively.

Chen Li said to Xu Yunqiu, "Yunqiu, please sit down!"

Xu Yunqiu sat down. Chen Li held Chen Baizhao, teased him for a while, and then said, "Let the child come to Black Magpie Mountain often in the future, to see his aunts and uncles!"

"Yes, thank you, Father," Xu Yunqiu immediately replied gratefully.

After a while, Chen Li quietly asked Xu Yunqiu, "Do you wish to Cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm, or even a higher Realm?"

Chen Li's unhurried words felt heavier than a thousand pounds. Xu Yunqiu listened, her heart pounding. This wasn't a simple inquiry about cultivation; it was a test of attitude and stance.

She looked into Chen Li's eyes, and it seemed as if he could see through her thoughts.

At this moment, she stood up, cupped her hands toward Chen Li, and said word by word, "Father, I am already a member of the Chen Family and am willing to follow my Family in pursuing the Great Dao!"

Chen Li smiled faintly, "Good, stand up!"

He then said to Chen Songyan, "Songyan, from now on, regarding Yunqiu's cultivation resources, as long as she needs them, you may decide."

Chen Songyan immediately replied, "Your son understands."

"Oh, right. Take some of that spirit wine back for Yunqiu to taste."

"Yes, Father!"

...

...

Day rose and set, time flowed like water. Ten days later, the Chen Family announced to the outside world that Chen Li had emerged from seclusion, having successfully achieved Foundation Establishment.

The Chen Family announced its promotion to a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan!

This news quickly swept through all the Qi Refining Immortal Clans in the Prefecture, surprising many people, though many felt it was quite normal.

It had been nearly thirty years since Chen Li established his clan in Liangxi County, Yuanwu Prefecture.

Thirty years of struggle, moving from the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment in thirty years. Achieving Foundation Establishment in one's fifties was considered poor Aptitude in a Sect, but for a Qi Refining Family, it was right on schedule.

Except for the Myriad Valley Sect, no one outside knew about Chen Li's Spiritual Root Aptitude. For the many years he established his clan, outsiders had always guessed Chen Li had a pseudo spirit root or a mixed spirit root.

But it didn't matter. Chen Li earned eighty thousand Spirit Stones from escort missions for the Alliance, and he was proficient in Formations. He must have obtained many Materials from the Alliance and exchanged them for many Medicinal Pills, right?

It seemed reasonable that he achieved Foundation Establishment now that the time was right and resources were available.

Although some people might suspect that Chen Li had obtained some minor Opportunity, since Chen Li outwardly achieved Foundation Establishment in his fifties, any Opportunity gained should have been spent on the Breakthrough, right?

If it were a huge Opportunity, why would it take him until his fifties to achieve Foundation Establishment?

They would not suspect that Chen Li had been deliberately hiding his strength, because they did not believe that advancing to Foundation Establishment was better than remaining a Qi Refining Immortal Clan. Who would willingly hide away as a Qi Refining Immortal Clan? They asked themselves and were certain they couldn't do it, so they projected that belief onto others, assuming others couldn't do it either.

Therefore, Chen Li having a small Opportunity didn't seem like a major flaw. Which Cultivator didn't have their own small Opportunity?

Among those surprised were the Yun Family of Liangxi County. Yun Chengyue didn't know who was behind that particular sound transmission stone, nor did he know which Family their ultimate fallback plan truly belonged to.

But Chen Li's advancement to Foundation Establishment made their own situation look utterly pathetic in comparison. They had been in Liangxi County for over a hundred years and hadn't produced a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet the other party established a clan and achieved Foundation Establishment in thirty years—they simply couldn't compare.

Now their Old Ancestor's life or death was unknown, while the other party managed to secure benefits from the Alliance and return safely. Their own Family was simply too useless.

In Liangxi County over the past few decades, the Wang, An, and Luo Families, who had been with them for a century, were gone, leaving only their Yun Family. If any other major disaster struck, the Yun Family might be crushed.

Yun Chengyue finally understood the feeling of his own Family's Old Ancestor turning white overnight—managing a Family was too hard.

...

The Fang Family in Liang'an County was also quite surprised. They also obtained benefits from the Alliance and returned safely, and they also attempted Foundation Establishment, but they failed, while the other succeeded.

The Fang Family Head, after failing his Foundation Establishment attempt, heard that Chen Li was also in seclusion attempting Foundation Establishment. He had actually hoped Chen Li would fail.

If the other party failed, he would have someone to accompany him in his misery; it wouldn't feel like such a failure if everyone failed Foundation Establishment, making his own failure seem less significant.

However, now that the other party had succeeded, he was the only one left feeling miserable.

The news of Chen Li's Foundation Establishment was viewed quite positively by Lu Xilou and Zhu Zelin in the Prefecture.

Lu Xilou had no concrete evidence that Chen Li had previously concealed his cultivation.

But now that Chen Li was openly a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, their status was the same as his.

Because the two newly promoted Foundation Establishment Families from Maan Prefecture had conflicts with them, he had been feeling quite constrained. Now that Chen Li achieved Foundation Establishment, the balance of power tilted in their favor.

The Chen Family and Zhu Family had a marriage Alliance, and the Lu Family also had a marriage Alliance with the Zhu Family. This essentially meant the three Families formed an invisible Alliance, all standing on the same side.

The Lu and Zhu Families also recognized this point. After the Chen Family announced Chen Li's Foundation Establishment success, both Families promptly announced congratulations to the Chen Family on their promotion, stating that the three Families would negotiate the division of territories together.

The Chen Family also announced the time and location for the Foundation Establishment Immortal Banquet: six months later, to be held in the Guest Welcoming Pavilion on Qingfeng Mountain.

Neither the Lu Family nor the Zhu Family held their Foundation Establishment Immortal Banquets in their core cultivation areas. Families generally weren't foolish enough to host an Immortal Banquet in their main ancestral lands, especially lands they had managed for many years, which were definitely not open to outsiders.

Chen Li chose this location because Qingfeng Mountain was merely a breeding farm, its architecture was complete, and there were no particularly vital secrets kept there.

The Non-Clan Cultivators there could maintain order and serve as servants and waiters.

Chen Songxuan instructed Li Chun and Luo Anyue to tidy up the Guest Welcoming Pavilion on Qingfeng Mountain and clean it thoroughly.

Chen Songxuan also ordered the two of them to instruct the others: during the Immortal Banquet, if anyone asked about the Chen Family's affairs—including their own cultivation, scale of breeding operations, Family missions, or Spirit Field harvests—they were not to disclose anything. They only needed to serve tea and water.

Although these were not vital secrets of the Chen Family, this was a test of their loyalty.

Li Chun and Luo Anyue accepted the order and returned, taking it very seriously. They began organizing and training the dozens of Non-Clan Cultivators on Qingfeng Mountain.

In recent years, after the Non-Clan Cultivators moved out of Black Magpie Mountain, they only received news from Chen Songxuan via Li Chun, who then relayed the information to them.

The information they knew was only what Chen Songxuan intended for them to know.

The acquisition of contribution points had become increasingly strict over the years. Chen Songxuan had revised the contribution point acquisition rules many times. As the number of people grew, the rules were continuously updated, tightening or loosening policies.

It was basically as strict as other Families, but still relatively lenient. Although this leniency couldn't compare to some extremely strict Qi Refining Immortal Clans, the treatment was still top-tier.

Therefore, this time was a loyalty examination. Whoever truly cared about the main Family and whoever didn't take the main Family's words seriously could supervise each other and find out.

Those who didn't take the main Family's words seriously would be noticed.