140: Chapter 140 The Secret of the Su Family

An Ziyao channeled flames to roast the large cauldron, testing it with Artifact Refining techniques.

"The heat conduction of this cauldron is excellent; it's more than sufficient as a Rank Two or even a Rank Three Pill Furnace."

An Ziyao said in a low voice, "Even if it isn't a Magic Treasure as the Fourth Young Master said, this cauldron is at least a Rank Three Magical Artifact. However, from my knowledge of Rank Three Magical Artifacts, neither their heat conduction nor their hardness comes anywhere close to this level."

As the person with the highest skill in Artifact Refining in the Family, his words were certainly not without merit.

The Su family members leaned in to inspect it, filled with curiosity about the large cauldron before them.

"It doesn't look like a Magic Treasure, but if it were a Rank Three Magical Artifact, how could a Qi Refining Cultivator possess it? Let alone bring it into a Secret Realm..."

Su Xuanxiao's thoughts couldn't help but waver.

Back then, the enemy had been instantly killed by him, leaving no time for interrogation. Furthermore, at the banquet, he had only paid attention to the physical characteristics of the Six Major Qi Refining Factions, so he had no way of knowing which faction this large cauldron came from.

Who would have thought that an obscure little faction would be carrying such an extraordinary cauldron?

Could it really be a Magic Treasure?

The Su family members took turns touching and inspecting it, but in the end, they were all completely clueless.

Su Yang said softly, "Before we understand the origins of this cauldron, let's just keep it at home as an alchemy furnace for now."

This cauldron's origins were unknown; flaunting it outside could easily invite disaster. Keeping it at home, hidden from outsiders, was the safest course of action.

It had to be said that his children's opportunities were indeed profound; they always managed to gain something whenever they went out for experience.

However, Su Yang did not ignore the lethal dangers hidden behind these opportunities. Even if his children were guaranteed to gain something, he wouldn't let them roam recklessly outside because of it.

After reuniting with his Family for a few days, Su Yang began his secluded cultivation, putting all his effort into breaking through to Qi Refining Perfection.

The Su Family's return made the various factions in Qingyuan Market both nervous and worried, and they all sent people to gather information.

Soon, news of the Su Family making a name for themselves in Luoxuan City and being promoted to a Rank Seven Qi Refining Family spread throughout the market town.

A steady stream of visitors came to the Su Family and their vassal families; some came to show goodwill and build connections, while others came to inquire about the status of other factions.

After all, with so many days having passed and no other factions returning except for the Su Family, it was hard not to speculate.

Unfortunately, the Su Family was equally in the dark and could only inform them that the various Family factions had all left Luoxuan City alive, perhaps delayed by something on the way.

...

On the streets of Qingyuan Market.

Looking at the Qin Family's threshold being worn down by visitors, Qin Chuanxing's expression flickered between light and dark.

He knew very well that the enthusiasm of these visitors did not stem from the Qin Family's own value, nor was it for him as a Cultivator; it was purely the effect of their status as a 'Su Family vassal'.

And in the eyes of these people, he, Qin Chuanxing, was worthless!

"A bunch of sycophantic fools!"

With a grim face, Qin Chuanxing walked away from the Qin Family, walking alone through the bustling marketplace. The clamor of voices filled his ears, yet he felt only a deathly silence around him.

After leaving the Su Family, he finally didn't have to Cultivate that dead-end martial path and could focus on absorbing Qi to improve his cultivation.

However, the slow progress left him unwilling to accept his fate. The Qin Family couldn't provide him with cultivation resources, and the Su Family had completely abandoned him.

To get cultivation resources, his only option was to go out for experience; the simplest and most direct way was to hunt Yao Beasts in exchange for Spirit Stones.

But those meager Spirit Stones were simply not enough. Combined with the ridiculously slow cultivation speed of a Pseudo Spiritual Root, it would take at least ten or even twenty-odd years to break through from the Qi Refining First Layer to the Qi Refining Second Layer.

Qin Chuanxing felt a sense of despair. During this time, the idea of practicing martial arts crossed his mind, but after a few days of training, he thought again that the martial path had no future and that practicing it was a complete waste of time.

He wanted to become a powerful Cultivator, pursue longevity, and replicate Su Yang's rise to success, rather than becoming a Martial Artist with a lifespan of less than a hundred years.

"Kid, I heard you stayed with the Su Family?"

A sinister voice drifted over, giving Qin Chuanxing a sudden fright.

Turning around, he saw a middle-aged man who looked like a destitute vagrant, sitting in a dark corner of the alley.

The man was looking at him with a beaming smile, a strange light swirling in his cloudy eyes.

"Who are you?"

Qin Chuanxing asked with a frown. He sensed that this person was by no means simple; a normal vagrant's voice wouldn't ring in his mind.

He thought of Spiritual Power Transmission; the other party wasn't a vagrant at all, but a Cultivator!

"How about I trade you one piece of information for another?" the man grinned. "Would you like to know what kind of Spiritual Root Aptitude the Head of the Su Family, who built the Su Family single-handedly, possesses?"

Qin Chuanxing looked wary and asked in return, "What do you want to know from me?"

The man chuckled softly. "I want to know exactly how many Cultivators the Su Family has. Besides those publicly announced, who else is there?"

Qin Chuanxing's expression froze as he roughly guessed the other party's objective.

Although his time in the Su Family was short and he hadn't been able to explore the Inner Courtyard, it wasn't hard to guess that the Su Family was hiding secrets.

First and foremost was Su Xuanming; he was publicly declared a Martial Artist, yet he had married a female Cultivator.

This left Qin Chuanxing extremely puzzled. Would a female Cultivator really be willing to marry a Mortal?

Secondly, he had never seen Su Xuanming practice martial arts, yet he always exuded a Martial Artist's aura, as if he practiced diligently every day to maintain a Martial Artist's Peak state.

One must know that if one does not practice the martial path for a single day, one's skills will regress.

Su Xuanming was busy with various business matters every day and never went to the martial arts arena after returning home, so how could he maintain a Martial Artist's Peak state?

Combining these multiple points of suspicion, Qin Chuanxing had long been doubtful.

Besides that, he felt that Su Xuanjing, Su Xuanling, and even Su Xinyou and the others of the Su Family were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.

While they seemed flawless in public, anyone who saw their daily behavior within the Family would find many inconsistencies.

Initially, Qin Chuanxing hadn't paid much attention, but when the man before him wanted to inquire about the number of Cultivators in the Su Family, an absurd conjecture popped into his mind.

Could Su Xuanming and the others also be Cultivators?

"Judging by your expression, there's been an unexpected harvest."

The man chuckled happily and suddenly stood up. His vagrant demeanor vanished completely, and his dirty robes became brand new.

Qin Chuanxing said indifferently, "There are indeed a few suspected Cultivators. I can't be certain, it's just a speculation."

"No matter. As long as you tell me what you know, I will not only tell you the Head of the Su Family's Spiritual Root Aptitude but also the secret of his rise!"

The man's words made Qin Chuanxing subconsciously take a deep breath, his heart racing involuntarily.

Why had he cultivated until now? Wasn't it just to be like Su Yang and establish a Qi Refining Family?

If he could learn Su Yang's secret, it meant he could also start from scratch and establish a Qingyuan Qin Clan!

"You tell me first, then I'll tell you about the Su Family's situation."

Qin Chuanxing forcibly suppressed his excitement and looked at the other party with fervent eyes.

"What a cautious little fellow," the man said with a smile. "It's fine to tell you first; after all, you wouldn't dare play tricks in front of me."

"You might not believe it, but the Head of the Su Family's Spiritual Root Aptitude is actually the same as yours—a Pseudo Spiritual Root!"