181: Chapter 181 Thinking Too Far Ahead

"A feeling that it's worth a bet."

Zhou Changgeng thought about these words repeatedly and didn't ask further.

"Revered Master, as for your visit this time, the wanbao mirror is one thing, but don't pretend about the other matter."

Sun Boyong didn't look at him.

"If you want to persuade me to go back, just say it."

"Go back?"

"I'm not going back," Zhou Changgeng's answer was crisp and neat. "How is that kid Huang Bai doing now?"

Sun Boyong tapped his fingers twice on the gourd: "He gained the appreciation of the Sect's Grand Elder, and half a year ago, he brought back a cart of third-tier spiritual ore from outside. He's currently at the height of his fame."

Zhou Changgeng's face gradually darkened.

Huang Bai, the person who forced him to leave the Tianhai Sect back then.

"Unless one day I can stand at a height in the Dao of Artifact Refining that he can only reach by looking up. Otherwise, what would I go back for? To be his foil?" Zhou Changgeng's voice was kept very low, but every word was as hard as iron.

Sun Boyong didn't try to persuade him; he knew this Disciple too well.

Stubborn, more stubborn than iron.

He left stubbornly twenty years ago, and now he still stubbornly refuses to return.

"The threshold of a Third-Tier Artifact Refining Master—you know yourself where you fall short." Sun Boyong tossed the gourd aside and stood up to stretch his muscles. "It just so happens that during these three months, while upgrading that kid's treasure mirror, I will take you through the entire process of third-tier Artifact Refining. Whether you can gain enlightenment depends on yourself."

Zhou Changgeng's body swayed slightly, a surge of warmth rising in his heart.

"Then what are we waiting for?" He pushed his chair back. "Revered Master, you stay seated; I'll go light the furnace."

Sun Boyong shook his head as he watched his troublesome Disciple rush into the back hall, then picked up the three jars of spirit spring brew from the floor and weighed them in his hands.

"The wine is good, and the person is good too."

He moved the three jars of wine behind the counter to hide them, then sat back down in that charred reclining chair, placing the wanbao mirror on his knees and beginning his research.

When Su Cheng emerged from Qingfeng Alley, the morning market in the Prefecture City had become completely bustling.

Various stalls were set up along the street: some selling spirit talismans, some selling Medicinal Pills, and an unshaven Loose Cultivator was using magic to perform tricks for children.

He wasn't in a hurry to return to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and walked slowly along the street for a while.

There were several pieces of information from the conversation just now that needed to be digested.

Hall of Ten Thousand Souls, the number one demonic Sect in Canghai Prefecture, a Nascent Soul Great Sect, the Dao of the Divine Soul, soul devouring banner.

The hundred soul banner is the signature Magical Artifact of Black Rock Palace.

The soul devouring banner is the signature Magical Artifact of Hall of Ten Thousand Souls.

The underlying frameworks of the two are thirty to forty percent similar; this is likely no coincidence.

The known chain of information is this: the demonic Cultivators of Black Rock Palace in Pingling Prefecture hold hundred soul banners, and the refining method for the hundred soul banners comes from the inner Legacy Jade Slips of Black Rock Palace.

And Sun Boyong said that the core frameworks of the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls's soul devouring banner and the wanbao mirror are remarkably similar, and the core of the wanbao mirror happens to be derived from the hundred soul banner.

Therefore, it's a reasonable deduction: the refining method for Black Rock Palace's hundred soul banner most likely originates from the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls.

There exists some kind of Legacy relationship between a Demonic Path Sect in a remote small prefecture and a Nascent Soul-level Demonic Path Great Sect that spans two prefectures.

Then the question arises: back then, when the Blazing Fire Sect colluded with Pingling Prefecture Cultivators to invade Qinghe Prefecture, the main force on the Pingling Prefecture side was Black Rock Palace.

If Black Rock Palace has origins with the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls, was there a deeper mastermind behind that war?

Su Cheng sat down at a roadside tea stall, ordered a bowl of Spirit Spring Green Bud tea, and began piecing these fragments together while drinking.

He couldn't piece them together.

There was too little information; whether the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls and Black Rock Palace truly have a Legacy relationship is currently just speculation.

Even if there is, with a distance of two prefectures between them, would a Nascent Soul Great Sect bother with the petty squabbles of a small prefecture?

That area of the Monster Beast Mountain Range doesn't amount to much on the map of the entire Prefecture City.

"Thinking too far ahead." Su Cheng finished the last sip of tea at the bottom of the bowl and placed a copper coin on the table.

The urgent priority is not to speculate on the intentions of a Nascent Soul Great Sect, but to make the next few moves steadily.

He returned to the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and explained the situation to Fang Zhenhai: Zhou Changgeng would be coming to the chamber over the next three months, and at that time, give him whatever he needs—no quotes, no approvals, and no bargaining required.

"I'll oversee this matter personally," Fang Zhenhai replied quickly.

Su Cheng added: "The chamber will also cover all the living expenses of Senior Sun and Senior Brother Zhou in the Prefecture City. Prepare more spiritual wine, and pick the strongest ones."

Fang Zhenhai noted it down.

For the next three days, Su Cheng went nowhere, staying in the chamber's guest room to Cultivate in seclusion, waiting for Su Chengyuan.

On the evening of the third day, a streak of flying light swept in from the southwestern sky and landed on the square in front of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce.

Su Chengyuan was still wearing the same dark gray Cultivator's robe he had when he left home, looking travel-worn but full of spirit.

His cultivation at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage was stable, and the rhythm of spiritual energy flowing through his Meridians was a bit more harmonious than when they last met.

When the father and son met, Su Cheng first led him into a secret room on the second floor of the chamber.

After the door was closed, Su Chengyuan's first words were: "Your mother asked me to bring you a few changes of clothes."

Su Cheng took the Storage Pouch and opened it to see several sets of neatly folded robes on top, hand-sewn, with a few pieces of dried spirit fruit tucked beside them.

"Your mother said you don't know how to take care of yourself out here and was afraid you'd look slovenly and embarrass yourself." Su Chengyuan's expression was relaxed as he said this; in the secret room, there was no need to maintain appearances, and he could be himself.

Su Cheng put away the robes. "How is Mother's health?"

At the mention of this, a clear smile appeared on Su Chengyuan's face.

"Very good. Your mother has been taking those Medicinal Pills you left behind, diluted, for over half a year. Her complexion looks younger than when we first got married."

Su Cheng didn't say anything, but a weight in his heart eased slightly.

"What about Sister?"

"Things are stable on your sister's side too. People from the Zhenpin Pavilion deliver resources every three months, and those folks from the Tiangang Sect are protecting your sister like a precious treasure now, rarely letting her leave the Sect gate. Her cultivation progress is very fast.

Her last letter said she was still consolidating her Foundation at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Given her talent and the current supply of resources, she is expected to push for the Middle Stage next year."

Having confirmed the safety of the two people he cared about most, Su Cheng turned his attention to Family matters.

"And the clan?"

"The Clan Chief's cultivation has also reached the Qi Refining Ninth Layer." There was a hint of complexity in Su Chengyuan's voice. "He now tells everyone he meets that the Su Family ancestors are protecting them and that Yun Ling has done them proud. He smiles so much every day he can't close his mouth.

The Old Ancestor also broke through the Bottleneck of the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining and reached the ninth layer.

The cultivation levels of the Family Disciples have generally risen as well, with the fastest children already reaching the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Refining."

Over in Qinghe County, your cousin Yunhao is managing things quite well, and there haven't been any troubles."

At this point, Su Chengyuan's expression became very interesting—the kind of look where he clearly had something to say but was embarrassed to say it directly.

Su Cheng waited for a while.

Su Chengyuan finally couldn't hold it in any longer and spoke with a slightly smug tone: "But that's because none of them know my cultivation level."

Su Cheng remained silent, gesturing for him to continue.

"The Clan Chief pulled me aside for a drink last time and asked where Chenger had gone, why he hadn't been seen lately. I said he went out for experience, and I didn't know exactly where he was.

Then the Clan Chief sighed and said that although Chenger's natural talent isn't as good as Yun Ling's, he is clever, and it's good for him to go out and explore, as long as he doesn't get into big trouble."

Su Chengyuan's mouth pursed slightly, the smugness impossible to hide.

Looking at the "I have a secret but I can't tell anyone, so I'll just show off in front of you" expression on his father's face, Su Cheng suddenly understood.

His father's cultivation was at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, which was an existence that crushed everyone else in the Su Family.

But he couldn't reveal it; he couldn't let anyone notice anything unusual, at least not for now.

Su Cheng smiled and praised his father for being impressive.