Chapter 14 Dowry and Betrothal Gifts

Three more days passed. Inside the Morning Sun Hall on Black Magpie Mountain, Chen Li was in a good mood as he looked at the brand-new hall.

Although it wasn't very large, with its carved beams and painted rafters, the Aura was magnificent, and it looked quite impressive.

Over the past few days, he had arranged some items according to his preferences. In the center of the hall stood a grandmaster's chair on a three-step platform. In front of the chair was a long table made of spiritual cypress wood. Below the steps, five grandmaster's chairs made of spiritual cypress wood were lined up on each side.

Concentric Heart Hall was smaller than Morning Sun Hall, but besides the master bedroom, it had several small rooms, enough for a few people to live together.

On this day, Chen Li took stock of the Yao Beasts he had harvested from his trip for the Crimson Sun Spirit Fruit.

First and second-level Yao Beasts: 39; Third-level Demon Beasts: 9; Fourth-level Demonic Beast: 1.

He separated the bones and skins of the first and second-level Yao Beasts. Those with enough skeletal strength were kept as Formation Materials, while those lacking strength were buried in the ground to increase the Spiritual Qi of the soil.

He did the same for the third and fourth-level Yao Beasts, though the leg bone of that Fourth-level Demonic Beast was just barely enough to serve as a Fourth Grade Formation Array material.

As for the Yao Beast meat, one would have to eat a lot to slightly improve their cultivation, and he didn't really like eating it! It was too fishy!

He could only pickle and seal the meat of the third and fourth-level Yao Beasts for when someone who enjoyed it appeared. The meat of the first and second-level Yao Beasts was also buried to increase the soil's fertility and Spiritual Qi.

None of these Yao Beasts had inner cores; inner cores only appear in Yao Beasts of the sixth level and above, so their value lay in their carcasses, bones, and flesh.

...

A few more days passed. At the Zhu Family in Lingchuan County, Chen Li was currently at the foot of their mountain; he had come to formalize his status.

His main purpose was to discuss the wedding banquet a month later, as well as the betrothal gifts and the dowry.

On the mountain, the Zhu Family's Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Zhu Baiqiu, along with Zhu Lingyue, came down to greet him.

At the foot of the mountain, Chen Li looked at the Zhu Family's Third-Rank Defensive Formation Array. It showed some skill. He also had a Third-Rank Defensive Formation Array, but he hadn't set it up on Black Magpie Mountain. It wasn't necessary, as it consumed more Spirit Stones than a second-rank one.

When the Zhu Baiqiu saw Chen Li, he felt the young man seemed ordinary, yet the steadiness in his eyes gave off a sense of security.

The Zhu Baiqiu spoke a greeting, "Nephew Chen, sorry to keep you waiting. Please follow us up the mountain for a talk."

"Greetings, Old Ancestor Zhu," Chen Li replied with a cupped-hand salute.

Along the way, Zhu Lingyue and Chen Li exchanged flirtatious glances.

Inside the main hall after ascending the mountain, besides the Zhu Baiqiu, there were members of the Zhu Family at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining and Seventh Level of Qi Refining. Chen Li greeted each of them one by one.

The one at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining was Zhu Lingyue's clan uncle, named Zhu Zelin. He was over sixty years old and hoped to reach Foundation Establishment before eighty. He was a Third-Rank Formation Master.

The one at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining was Zhu Lingyue's clan grandmother, named Zhu Baiyao. She was over eighty and a Third-Rank Formation Master of the same generation as the Zhu Baiqiu.

These three were the Zhu Family's peak combat power. After over two hundred years of development, the Family had many branches. There were over thirty Cultivators with the surname Zhu who possessed a Spiritual Root. They controlled many towns and villages in Lingchuan County, with the number of Mortals under their control reaching up to a hundred thousand.

As for Zhu Lingyue's parents, they were Mortals; since her Spiritual Root was detected, she had been separated from the Mortal world.

After they were seated, the Zhu Baiqiu first offered a few greetings, "Nephew, to be a Third-Rank Formation Master at such a young age, truly the youth are to be feared."

"I was just lucky enough to grasp a little; it's nothing much," Chen Li replied politely.

Beside them, Zhu Zelin asked, "I wonder how much Nephew Chen understands about Fourth Grade Formation Arrays? We have meditated on them for years without fully grasping them."

Zhu Zelin asked casually, not really expecting much. Being able to understand a Third-Rank Formation at the Mid-stage Qi Refining was considered being a Genius, but they had never even heard of someone at the Mid-stage Qi Refining being able to understand a Foundation Establishment level formation.

Chen Li replied, "The key to a Fourth Grade Formation Array lies in breaking out of the thinking patterns of Formations below the third rank. You cannot meditate on them using previous methods..."

Chen Li went on and on, sharing a great deal of the insights he had gained from his previous meditations on Fourth Grade Formation Arrays.

At first, the three didn't think much of it, but when he reached the method of meditating on Fourth-grade Formation Patterns, their brows gradually furrowed. There was substance here!

The three exchanged glances and gradually grew serious, beginning to take note of everything Chen Li said.

After fifteen minutes, Chen Li finished speaking. Zhu Zelin was shocked. Was this kid actually a Fourth-rank Formation Master?

"Are you a Fourth-rank Formation Master, Nephew?" Once this question was asked, all three people at the Late Stage Qi Refining present stared intently at Chen Li.

The gap between the third and fourth rank is a massive chasm that some Formation Masters might never cross in their entire lives. Even a Formation Master who has reached Foundation Establishment might only have a superficial understanding.

Only by crossing the third rank can the sky be high enough for birds to fly and the sea wide enough for fish to leap.

Beside them, Zhu Lingyue's eyes sparkled. She knew Chen Li had been studying higher-level Formations, but she had thought he hadn't gained much?

Because their Old Ancestor had meditated for who knows how many years without being able to comprehend a single complete Fourth-grade Formation Pattern.

Chen Li was silent for a moment before speaking, "I was lucky enough to comprehend some parts, but I am not yet a Fourth-rank Formation Master." Chen Li still chose to keep a card up his sleeve.

The three at the Late Stage of Qi Refining breathed a great sigh of relief, but their expressions remained shocked. Someone at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining had comprehended more than all of them researching together—what was this?

If he was considered a Formation Genius before, after this exchange, Chen Li was definitely not an ordinary Formation Genius, but one a cut above the rest.

If it had been a normal inquiry about marriage before, now it was practically a Formation Senior giving them a lecture.

"Ahem!" The Zhu Family Ancestor, the Zhu Baiqiu, broke the silence. Beside him, Zhu Lingyue felt awkward. What on earth?

The discussion about the marriage had turned into a discussion about Formations?

The Zhu Family Ancestor, the Zhu Baiqiu, got back to the point: "Nephew, you and our girl, Zhu Lingyue, are of one mind, and we all agree. I wonder how much you can offer for the betrothal gift? Everything is negotiable."

After their exchange, the Zhu Baiqiu's attitude was extremely friendly.

Chen Li seemed to have prepared long ago. He took out the skeletal and skin Formation Materials from the Fourth-level Demonic Beast he had just processed and said, "The bones and skin of a Fourth-level Demonic Beast, a bottle of qi overflowing pills, and three hundred Spirit Stones!"

Hearing these terms, the Zhu Baiqiu didn't say anything, but he was deeply shaken inwardly!

The bones of a Fourth-level Demonic Beast were Materials for a Fourth Grade Formation Array, worth two or three thousand Spirit Stones!

And a bottle of qi overflowing pills was worth around three to four hundred Spirit Stones as well?

The Zhu Baiqiu said, "Nephew Chen, this betrothal gift is too precious. How about we discuss it further?"

On the side, Zhu Zelin and Zhu Baiyao also chimed in, saying it was too valuable. The Formation lesson from earlier was already worth an unknown amount of Spirit Stones.

Chen Li looked at Zhu Lingyue and said, "It's not too precious. She's worth it!"

Listening to Chen Li's words and looking into his eyes, Zhu Lingyue was deeply moved. As their eyes met, everything was understood without words!

After some more back-and-forth, it was decided that the Zhu Family would provide the spiritual food and spiritual wine for the banquet.

The Zhu Family insisted on refusing the extra three hundred Spirit Stones, telling him to take them back for their future life together. Chen Li had no choice but to take them back!

The location for the wedding banquet was set at the Morning Sun Hall on Black Magpie Mountain. The Zhu Family's dowry was a mountain within Lingchuan County called Luoxia Mountain, which contained three acres of spiritual fields and some spiritual plants, valued at approximately one thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.