62: promise

"The news was sent back by Shen Nan."

Du Qinghong explained with a smile on his face:

"After that kid went to the Cangye Sect, it seems he's made a bit of a name for himself among the Utility Disciples. I don't know what method he used, but he specifically sent this news to me and urged me to inform Brother Han. He also said that if there's a chance, you two could have a detailed talk..."

"Shen Nan?"

Lu Xian's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise upon hearing this.

He then remembered that during the last Cangye Sect Recruitment Ceremony, that youth happened to be ranked three hundred and first. It was only because he himself had voluntarily given up his spot that the boy managed to take it.

Time flies; nearly three years had passed in the blink of an eye.

"Yes, it's Shen Nan. He said that for some unknown reason, this year's Cangye Sect recruitment has been moved forward by half a year. I'm not sure if it's true or not."

Du Qinghong was also filled with doubt.

The triennial Recruitment Ceremony had been a custom of the Cangye Sect for hundreds of years, with instances of it being early or late being few and far between. It was no wonder Du Qinghong was skeptical.

Lu Xian, however, fell into deep thought.

If the news was true, he would have little more than a month left.

With his current strength, meeting the Outer Sect standard was a certainty, but many of his subsequent preparations had been disrupted.

For example, refining a new set of formation bases for the "A Bridge of So close yet so far".

This was the key to immediately connecting the [teleportation rooms] of the two locations after he entered the Sect, so it had to be resolved first.

There were also various upgrade Materials; although the consumption for the same type of building was halved, he still needed to collect some.

Lu Xian looked up at Du Qinghong and saw that his cultivation was still stuck at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, with no progress for over a year.

Having come to a decision, he asked:

"Brother Du, this is a choice for you as well. Have you thought about whether you want to enter the Cangye Sect with me, or stay in Qingyun City to manage this business?"

This was undoubtedly a fork in the road of life.

Hearing this, Du Qinghong's heart leaped. He knew that Brother Han was giving him a chance to choose his future.

He took a few deep breaths and asked solemnly, "Brother Han, if you go to the Cangye Sect, will the scale of the business here in Qingyun City... change?"

Lu Xian knew his concerns and smiled slightly. "Rest assured, it won't just stay the same; it will only expand in the future. At that time, I will arrange for someone else to coordinate with you."

The so-called "someone else" was naturally Lu Xian himself; he would only need to use the Hundred Forms Thousand Illusions Art to disguise himself slightly.

He had planned for this long ago.

"Brother Han, then... then I'll stay in Qingyun City. Getting a few hundred Spirit Stones every month is great, much better than being a Utility Disciple in the Cangye Sect."

Having received a definite answer, Du Qinghong was extremely firm.

He had a very good mindset and knew his own Aptitude well.

Rather than going to the Sect to be free labor and struggling for a slim Opportunity for promotion, staying in Qingyun City was far more practical.

Lu Xian was slightly moved and said slowly, "Brother Du, I won't say much else, but I can give you a promise—within ten years, I will guarantee you reach Foundation Establishment!"

These words were like a thunderclap!

This promise was incredibly weighty.

After all, even those Great Families could not guarantee that their direct descendants would definitely reach Foundation Establishment.

But Lu Xian had that confidence!

Everyone has their cheats. According to his estimation, once he entered the Cangye Sect and obtained a higher-level Cultivation Technique, he could begin planning for Foundation Establishment.

In three years at most, he would surely succeed!

By then, with the steady stream of resources from various buildings, it wouldn't be difficult to forcibly push someone to Peak Qi Refining and then help them reach Foundation Establishment.

With a "boom," Du Qinghong felt his mind go blank, and his whole body froze.

He was so excited that he couldn't speak for a long time.

He knew Brother Han was no ordinary person, but he never expected to receive such a promise!

"Brother, brother, you really are my savior!"

Du Qinghong was moved to tears, and in his excitement, he actually wanted to rush forward and hug Lu Xian's leg.

"Go on, go on... Just focus on managing the business in Qingyun City well. The situation in the city might be a bit turbulent lately, so you must be careful in your actions, especially regarding the Zhang Family..."

Lu Xian waved his hand with feigned disgust.

From the struggle between the Kong and Zhang families, he had already sensed the coming storm.

"Also, did you retrieve the wood essence soil I asked you to order last time?"

"I got it, it's all here!" Du Qinghong took out a large bag of soil.

"Very good. Keep a close eye on any news from the Cangye Sect recently to see if this matter has already spread."

With that, Lu Xian did not stay any longer.

He turned and stepped into the second basement level, returning to the Shantytown courtyard via the teleportation array... and went straight to the [livestock pen] to check the panel.

[Level 2 Effect: Can raise all Rank 1 livestock (including wolves, tigers, leopards, etc.); the effect of Body Refining through flesh and blood is enhanced.]

[thick earth spirit fungus: One spirit fungus can be harvested daily within a pen. Condensed from demon power, eating it can transform demon energy into spiritual energy, increasing mana.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Low-Grade Spirit Stone * 600, Thunder Cloud Tiger cub * 1, wood essence soil * 10 jin]

Lu Xian was quite interested in the properties of the "thick earth spirit fungus." As for carnivorous Yao Beasts... perhaps the texture of their meat would be firmer?

He didn't think further and simply said, "Upgrade!"

The Spirit Stones and wood essence soil dissipated into specks of light as expected, while the soil in the pen released a faint wood-attribute aura.

Meanwhile, the change in the Thunder Cloud Tiger cub was intense.

The cub was lifted into mid-air by an invisible force, letting out a terrified roar.

In the next moment, with a loud "bang!", it actually exploded into a mist of blood that filled the air, dividing evenly into ten portions that drifted precisely toward the ten stalls.

Although Lu Xian was standing right there, not a single drop touched him.

"...Truly simple and crude."

He had a new understanding of the upgrade process.

These Materials were more like a "catalyst," a symbol of attributes; once collected, they could trigger the building's latent effects.

Shaking his head, Lu Xian looked at the Level 3 [livestock pen] effects.

[livestock pen: Level 2]

[Level 3 Effect: Can raise Rank 2 livestock; the effect of Body Refining through flesh and blood is further enhanced.]

[Internal Yao Core: Rank 2 livestock have a probability of condensing a Yao Core that only Rank 3 Yao Beasts possess. Yao Cores can be used to feed other Yao Beasts to accelerate their growth.]

[When consumed by Cultivators, it can cause vital energy and blood to surge in a short period!]

[Note: Gauge your Physical Body's endurance carefully to prevent exploding and dying.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Mid-Grade Spirit Stone * 3, Yao Core (Rank 3) * 1]

"Yao Core?"

Lu Xian was slightly stunned.

He had indeed never heard of a Rank 2 Yao Beast being able to form a core.

And these upgrade requirements actually called for a Rank 3 Yao Core?

That would be a Great Yao Beast comparable to a Golden Core True Person!

This item would likely be hard to come by.

There was no need to think too much about it in the short term.

Reining in his thoughts, Lu Xian began to patrol the upgraded livestock pen.

Soon, in the corner of a Gray-Backed Yak's stall, he discovered a fungus that was pitch black and shaped like a lingzhi mushroom beneath the damp soil.

That must be the "thick earth spirit fungus."

With a slight movement of his mana, Lu Xian summoned it into his palm from a distance and examined it closely.