Chapter 5 Cultivation Learning, Who's Singing?

While waiting for Zhang An to attend the banquet, several factions emerged in Liangxi County.

These past few days, the Yun Family and the Luo Family in Liangxi County publicly announced they could accept two sets of tribute payments. The Luo Family even declared that their Old Ancestor, who was at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining, would enter secluded death-cultivation.

The Wang Family and the An Family went to the Commandery City to beg for more time, and Chen Li also publicly stated he could accept two sets of tribute payments.

After the Wang Family and the An Family begged bitterly for several days, they reluctantly agreed to offer two tribute payments, completing the roles for all five factions. The Lu Family and the Zhang Family must have been very pleased watching this.

In the Commandery City, at the Zhang Family ancestral land, a youth respectfully said to an old man with white hair and sinister eyes, "Congratulations, Old Ancestor. The Qi Refining Immortal Clans in Liangxi County finally couldn't withstand the pressure and all agreed to offer tribute."

This old man was Zhang An, the newly arrived Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Commandery City. Hearing the youth's flattery, he chuckled, "Liangxi County is all Mid-stage Qi Refining. That old man at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining probably doesn't have much Lifespan left. I don't think they dare to cause trouble. I, a Loose Cultivator, struggled to reach Foundation Establishment. Coming to the secular world is to enjoy wealth and power. If they didn't agree, I would have to visit them for tea. Let's see if they would agree then."

The youth flattered him profusely, "That is true, that is true. How could the might of the Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor be offended by a few Qi Refining Families?"

Listening to the youth's flattery, the old man felt quite pleased and said mockingly, "Heh heh, in a few more years, we will slowly raise the tribute requirements. Leeks must be harvested slowly."

The youth still smiled, "Old Ancestor is wise. Old Ancestor, the ninth wife you were looking for has already entered the sect. She is eighteen years old and has a Spiritual Root. Please open branches and scatter leaves for our Zhang Family to continue the lineage."

Hearing this, the old man's heart burned with excitement, and his smiling face showed a trace of eagerness, "Well done, you are rewarded with one qi overflowing pill."

The youth happily accepted the qi overflowing pill, extremely satisfied.

At the Lu Family ancestral land, inside the main hall, a Zhang Family member at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining and another at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining were conversing.

The one at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining asked, "Big Brother, the Qi Refining Immortal Clans of Liangxi County have been paying tribute to our clan for nearly eighty years. Why don't we extend a helping hand? Even if we don't help, we could agree to waive their tribute. Building a good relationship once a century would be nice. Why did things reach this point, isn't this going to chill their hearts?"

The Big Brother at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining replied, "Alas, Sixth Brother, I will tell you the truth today. Five years ago, the Old Ancestor went to the Boundless Forest to hunt a Fifth-level Demonic Beast and was unfortunately severely injured, dropping from the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to the Early Stage.

When the Old Ancestor fought Zhang An, he was only pretending to be sick and holding back. Also, the Old Ancestor instructed me to break through to Foundation Establishment as quickly as possible within these ten years, so we need to gather the Materials for Foundation Establishment as fast and as much as possible, especially since his condition can only last another twenty or thirty years.

So, we can only make them suffer a little first. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, it won't be too late to build a good relationship then."

The Sixth Brother at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining heard this news and found it hard to process. The Old Ancestor was severely injured, his cultivation dropped, and his Lifespan was short. He wanted to say something, but facing the Family crisis, he could only remain silent.

"Big Brother, but will they unite?"

"Heh heh, Sixth Brother, they are all Mid-stage Qi Refining. How can they unite? Don't worry, it's fine. The Old Ancestor has implicitly agreed to this!"

...

Black Magpie Mountain. Another early morning, the temperature was cool and suitable for studying the Dao of Alchemy.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Chen Li was studying. The mortal world has diligent study through cold windows; his situation was diligent study through a cold cave.

In three days, he had already memorized 'A Complete Compendium of Herb Identification' and 'A Complete Compendium of Medicinal Pill Varieties and Uses' in his mind.

Cultivators fortunately have memories superior to ordinary people. Over these three days, he only rested for a few hours. He had to memorize the images of tens of thousands of herbs, their medicinal properties, and effects, as well as the types, functions, and uses of thousands of Medicinal Pills.

These two books were the most basic foundation. Next, he still needed to read 'Basic Secret Techniques of Alchemy'.

This book mainly discussed what types of Cauldrons exist? How to fire a Cauldron during Alchemy? What kind of fire refines what kind of pill? How to control the fire? When to add ingredients? When to reduce ingredients?

After memorizing this book, he would probably only master it completely after practical application.

He spent another three days on this book before moving on to the actual refining of specific Medicinal Pills. 'Li Daoan's Notes on the Secret Techniques for Refining Seven Types of Pills' recorded the herbs, Materials, and specific operational methods required for refining seven types of pills.

These seven types of pills included the grain dispelling pill, qi overflowing pill, marrow cleansing pill, vitality replenishing pill, foundation establishment pill, San Hua Longevity Pill, and Wild Goose Breaking Realm Pill.

The refining difficulty ranged from low to high.

So, he started with the simplest grain dispelling pill, conveniently having a third-grade Cauldron to practice with. If other Pill Cultivators knew he was using a third-grade Cauldron for practice, they would definitely exclaim that it was using a cannon to kill a mosquito!

Just as Chen Li was painstakingly refining the pill, the Defensive Formation Array on Black Magpie Mountain experienced a slight fluctuation.

"Hmm? It doesn't seem man-made?" Chen Li sensed it.

When Chen Li arrived outside the mountain gate, he was stunned.

He saw a green ox ramming his Formation Array with a rhythmic 'eighty,' 'eighty.'

What the heck?

"Hey, Brother Ox, what are you doing?" Chen Li roared.

Upon hearing Chen Li's voice, the ox actually stopped ramming, turned towards Chen Li, wagged its tail, and its mouth made a sound, "Moo~ Moo~ Mou~"

Hearing the ox's 'Moo Moo Mou' sound, Chen Li couldn't help but think of some unpleasant memories, becoming momentarily dazed, as if he heard the style of a certain singer from his past life.

"Yuan'er, is that you?"

"Who is it, ptooey! Which ox is singing?" Chen Li shouted.

Chen Li quickly went next to the ox. "Brother Ox, stop singing, ptooey, stop calling, let's go down the mountain!"

The green ox seemed to understand, immediately stopped calling, and then used its hoof to point inside the mountain, seemingly indicating it wanted to enter.

Eh? Seeing this, Chen Li sent a trace of magic power into the green ox. After a while, Chen Li understood—it was a Spirit Beast, with a trace of Spiritual Qi fluctuation inside its body.

He said to the ox, "Brother Ox, you want to enter my Chen Family's gate?"

The green ox immediately wagged its tail and nodded its head in response.

Then, Chen Li learned that this ox had run away from a mortal farming Family down the mountain. After confirming repeatedly that there were no issues, the Chen Family Immortal Clan welcomed its first green ox Spirit Beast.

After entering the mountain, the Brother Ox had food and lodging for several days, always happily singing every time it saw Chen Li. Seeing the ox so happy, Brother Ox returned to its old trade: plowing the land and cultivating the second mu of spirit fields.

On the seventh day of formally practicing Alchemy, a loud laugh came from Chen Li's Immortal Cave: "Hahaha, this Old Ancestor is simply an Alchemy genius. I refined the grain dispelling pill!"

Chen Li used thirty-year-old Spiritual Yellow Ginseng as the main ingredient, added three auxiliary herbs, used the Fireball Technique for ignition, and a third-grade Cauldron as the furnace. In just a few days.

This Daoist master has succeeded.

If a newly initiated Pill Cultivator saw someone refining a grain dispelling pill with a third-grade Cauldron, they would definitely roll their eyes: "Brother, even a pig could do this."

Outside the Immortal Cave, hearing Chen Li's loud laugh, the green ox plowing the field stopped its steps, seemingly happy for the Old Ancestor, and began to sing again.

"Moo~ Moo~ Mou~"