Chapter 33 The Ten-Year Change

Ten years later, Liangxi County still had four Qi Refining Immortal Clans.

Among them, the Luo Family Head Luo Sheng had advanced to the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, the An Family had also advanced to the Seventh Level of Qi Refining, and the Yun Family Head had changed; he was at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, while Yun Tiancheng had retired to become the Old Ancestor.

As the world changed, Chen Li also announced to the public that he had advanced to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Taihu Mountain Range, the discussion hall of the Luo Family's ancestral land.

In the last Yao Beast riot, almost all the losses at the Foundation Establishment level and above for the Luo Family were Non-Clan Cultivators; the direct line Foundation Establishment Cultivators suffered no losses.

At this time, the Luo Family had two more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, both of whom were among the Four Qilin Sons of this generation.

Luo Haoyun was one of them; he had reached Foundation Establishment eight years ago at the age of nineteen, showing great promise for reaching the Golden Core stage!

On the high platform, the Luo Family's Golden Core Old Ancestor Luo Heng said, "Luo Haoyun, as you go out to travel this time, you must act with a low profile and keep your hands clean when doing things. Remember! A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall!"

Luo Haoyun cupped his hands and replied, "Please rest assured, Old Ancestor. Luo Haoyun is now also at the Foundation Establishment stage, and every word and action represents the Luo Family. I naturally understand!"

Luo Heng nodded with satisfaction and said, "Mm, Luo Haoyun, you are a Golden Core Seed. I don't want to keep you tied to the Family all the time; a period of travel is necessary, but be careful in everything and do not look down on the people of the world."

Luo Haoyun nodded and stated, "I will keep your instructions in my heart, Old Ancestor."

After Luo Haoyun and the others left, only two people remained in the hall: one was the Luo Family's Golden Core Old Ancestor, and the other was the current Luo Family Head at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

"Luo Haoyun's Aptitude is indeed too good, but his pride is too high. After he reached Foundation Establishment, I let him settle in the Family for eight years. Although there has been some change, it's still not much."

"Old Ancestor, the child is still young. He reached Foundation Establishment at nineteen; he's just a bit young and aggressive!"

"Sigh, true. By the way, that Yang Family said they have taken a fancy to our Beiguang West Lake and hope we can make a deal!"

"Old Ancestor, Beiguang West Lake has ten acres of High Grade Spiritual Fields, and the spiritual water contained in the lake can make Spiritual Plants, Spiritual Plants, and spirit rice grow better and mature slightly faster. We absolutely cannot give it to that Yang Family!"

"Sigh, that fellow Yang Jing came to me with a 'request' letter from that Grand Elder of the Beast Hunting Sect who hasn't returned for a hundred years. Does our Family even have a choice?"

"This is too much!"

...

At the Yang Family ancestral land, ever since the Grand Elder who hadn't returned for a hundred years came back to the Beast Hunting Sect, as his former Master, Yang Jing had been living very smoothly for the past ten years.

A group of Loose Cultivators at the Qi Refining stage joined the Yang Family, and many Family Cultivators also came to seek refuge.

Even some Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators had come to join. Over the past ten years, he had successively gathered thirty Female Cultivators with Spiritual Roots as wives and concubines. In ten years, he had truly spread his branches and leaves, enjoying every night.

In these years, the Yang Family had dozens of children, and more than a dozen of them had Spiritual Roots.

In the main hall, a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator who had come to seek refuge was saying to Yang Jing, "Family Head, rest assured! With the letter from the Beast Hunting Sect's Grand Elder, the Luo Family won't say a word!"

Yang Jing had enjoyed worldly desires for these ten years and hadn't cultivated for ten years. His whole person appeared bloated, not looking at all like a Golden Core great Cultivator.

"That's good. You said there's something in Beiguang West Lake?"

"Yes, otherwise there wouldn't be those ten acres of High Grade Spiritual Fields at Beiguang West Lake, and the Spiritual Qi contained in that lake water cannot be faked!"

"The Luo Family isn't stupid either. If we can think of it, they must have already investigated it!"

"The Luo Family's methods are inferior. As long as you leave it to me, Family Head, I will definitely investigate it for you."

"Our Beast Hunting Sect has over a hundred acres of such Spiritual Fields, and many methods to speed up ripening. I hope you can find something different!"

"Understood, Family Head!"

...

At the Beast Hunting Sect, on the highest peak, there was a magnificent building where the two Grand Elders of the Beast Hunting Sect were currently located.

The Nascent Soul Cultivator who looked like a middle-aged Cultivator and hadn't returned for a hundred years was named Grand Elder, and the other old man Nascent Soul Cultivator was named Grand Elder.

Inside the building, the two were drinking tea on two grandmaster chairs. At this time, Grand Elder said, "Junior Brother, did that Nephew Yang come to find you again?"

"An ill-fated relationship from a hundred years ago. After all, we were Master and Disciple once; once I finish helping, the sentiment will be severed!" Grand Elder said expressionlessly.

"Let's not talk about him. In these ten years, I still haven't been able to Breakthrough to the Middle Nascent Soul Stage. Although the Middle Stage Bottleneck has loosened slightly, it's still not enough! I might need to go out and travel again!"

"Ah, Junior Brother just came back and is going out again?"

Grand Elder nodded. "I'll have to trouble Senior Brother to guard the sect for another period of time. I will announce a hundred-year seclusion to the outside world and then leave quietly!"

With things as they were, Ling Yi nodded in agreement. He was one thousand one hundred years old and had been at the Early Stage Nascent Soul for seven hundred years. He had tried many methods, but advancing in Nascent Soul cultivation was truly difficult.

Grand Elder was only over seven hundred years old, and since there was hope for the Middle Nascent Soul Stage, he certainly wouldn't just sit and wait for death.

The two chatted for a while longer, evaluating each Golden Core in the sect.

Regarding Jin Yue, the evaluation was: Early Stage Golden Core cultivation; his cultivation has been difficult to advance for a hundred years. He has the fate of a Golden Core and is not suitable for vigorous cultivation.

Regarding the Hall Master of the Hunting Hall, the evaluation was: Late Golden Core Stage cultivation; his cultivation is close to Perfection, and he can attempt to condense a Nascent Soul within a hundred years.

Regarding the Alchemy Pavilion head Gui Qiutang, the evaluation was: Middle Stage Golden Core cultivation; his cultivation is close to the Late Stage, and he can attempt to condense a Nascent Soul within two hundred years.

...

A few days later, the Beast Hunting Sect announced that Grand Elder was in seclusion for a Breakthrough, and no one was to disturb him.

This news quickly swept through the entire Nanwu Kingdom. When Jin Yue in the sect heard this news, he breathed a great sigh of relief.

He hadn't dared to kill anyone for the past ten years because most of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining Cultivators from ten years ago had advanced to Foundation Establishment, and that group of Cultivators seemed to have sensed that someone was targeting them.

Therefore, these promoted Foundation Establishment Cultivators would go out in groups or follow the majority of the sect's Disciples.

In a dense forest of the Beast Hunting Sect, at a small mountain pavilion, a Sound-Isolating Barrier was set up.

"Pavilion Head Gui, the Qi Refining Human Pill I've been taking seems to have hit a Bottleneck. My cultivation has stagnated and hasn't progressed!"

"That's normal. These three bottles of Medicinal Pills are Foundation Establishment Human Pills; only these few bottles were refined in the last ten years. The previous batch of Foundation Establishment human materials has been exhausted. You'll have to find a way!"

Jin Yue took them and said, "Alright, a small matter. In some time, it will be time to kill some of these Foundation Establishment Cultivators!"

...

Another two months passed. At Black Magpie Mountain, in the Concentric Heart Hall, Zhu Lingyue finished her seclusion today and achieved a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Zhu Lingyue was very happy. She was all over Chen Songmei, whom she hadn't seen for several months, with hugs, kisses, and cuddles.

"Husband, I have a few bottles of qi overflowing pills left. Let's distribute them among the eldest and the others!"

Chen Li took them and nodded. The qi overflowing pills for the Family's cultivation Breakthroughs were once again insufficient; he had to find a way.

In these ten years, the Formations sold—first, second, and third tiers—totaled over sixty thousand Spirit Stones.

Now, the spirit rice fields consisted of four acres at Luoxia Mountain and five acres at Black Magpie Mountain, a total of nine acres for planting spirit rice, while the rest were for planting Spiritual Plants.

With an average of 400 catties per acre, these nine acres produced about 3,600 catties a year, totaling 36,000 catties in ten years. After deducting about 2,000 catties for tribute and the food consumed over the years, about 30,000 catties remained.

These 30,000 catties hadn't been sold, but to cover expenses, he had also sold a 500-year-old Longevity Pill Spiritual Plant, gaining 12,000 Spirit Stones.

Now only one 500-year-old Longevity Pill Spiritual Plant remained.

The major expenses over these ten years included 30,000 Spirit Stones for hundred-year-old qi overflowing grass, and 4,000 Spirit Stones a year to maintain the daily operation of the Second-Tier Defensive Arrays on the four mountains, totaling 40,000 in ten years.

In ten years, the tribute was paid three times, totaling about 500 Spirit Stones; this wasn't much.

Adding in the previous Spirit Stones, the Family's Spirit Stones were now almost gone. Counting the pockets, they were truly empty; it was time to open the things from the Opportunity Land!