Chapter 67 Heading to the Qingyuan Sect

Chapter 67: Heading to the Qingyuan Sect

Wang Hao withdrew from his meditative state.

A month had passed in the blink of an eye, and his cultivation had finally fully stabilized.

He had now largely adapted to the Foundation Establishment realm. Previously, the sudden surge in his strength made him feel as if the world was lagging behind him. His Divine Consciousness had grown so potent that he perceived his surroundings in slow motion, as if reality itself was moving half a beat too late.

He stood up and prepared to find the Patriarch, Wang Yanzhao.

His primary goal was to inquire about the Mystic Yin Fruit. The Ice Muscle and Jade Bone Technique could not be delayed; it was vital for his future path and raw combat strength.

The other auxiliary ingredients for the required spiritual liquid were common enough to find in the market—some were even being cultivated in Wang Hao's own Spirit Farm—but the fruit was the bottleneck.

Secondly, he wanted to see if there were any family matters that required his attention before he left.

"The Mystic Yin Fruit?" Wang Yanzhao frowned deeply. "That is a Second-Tier spiritual fruit. The Qingyuan Sect possesses them, but the price is exorbitant. A single fruit costs five to six hundred Spirit Stones. Worse, without internal connections, it is impossible for an outsider to obtain one!"

Instead of disappointment, a look of relief crossed Wang Hao's face.

As long as they were available, that was good enough. He immediately thought of Chu He and Chen Qing. Chu He was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator within the sect; calling in a favor to exchange for one Mystic Yin Fruit shouldn't be difficult.

"I need the fruit to prepare a spiritual liquid," Wang Hao said decisively. "I plan to make a trip to the Qingyuan Sect."

Wang Yanzhao looked concerned. "The Beast Tide is less than a year away. Is this matter truly so urgent?"

"The body refining technique I submitted to the family archives years ago... Old Wang, you could have practiced it too," Wang Hao explained.

"So that is the technique you are using?" Wang Yanzhao sighed. "It is indeed extraordinary. Unfortunately, the cost is astronomical. Your father has a massive family to feed; I simply cannot afford to burn resources on body refining!"

Wang Hao curled his lip in private disdain.

His "younger brothers" were a disappointing lot. Not only were their Spiritual Roots poor, but they lacked the drive to cultivate seriously.

When they were young, they were cheap to raise. But now that they were teenagers attempting to lay their foundations, they had become bottomless pits for resources.

"If that is the case, go and return quickly," Wang Yanzhao urged. "Last time, your Eighth Uncle brought back a haul of spiritual herbs. I assume you have a significant stock as well? Sell them at the Qingyuan Market and exchange them for a couple of Second-Tier magical instruments. Spirit Stones sitting in a Storage Bag are useless; only by converting them into resources can you improve your strength!"

Wang Hao nodded. "Understood. Two months should be enough time to return. Old Wang, do you need anything purchased while I am there?"

Currently, Wang Hao only possessed the Ash Calamity Sword and the Chaos Earth Seal. Both were offensive weapons. He desperately needed defensive artifacts.

Wang Yanzhao pondered for a moment. Facing the imminent chaos of the Beast Tide, preparation was key.

He produced two bottles of pills. "These are Vein Protection Pills. They should fetch over two thousand Spirit Stones. Help your father pick out one Second-Tier defensive artifact. Also, buy a batch of Mid-Grade First-Tier instruments for your younger brothers and sisters."

Wang Hao accepted the pills, bid farewell to the Patriarch, and soared into the sky on his Ash Calamity Sword.

With his Foundation Establishment cultivation, powerful Divine Consciousness, and deep Qi reserves, Wang Hao managed continuous flight for four hours before needing to rest.

This endurance far outstripped what Wang Yanzhao had been capable of when he was at the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment! A pleased smile touched Wang Hao's lips. Knowing he was stronger than the average cultivator of his rank boosted his confidence significantly.

Ten days later, a tall, elegant young master dressed in white arrived at the gates of Qingyuan Market.

It was Wang Hao.

He paid the entry fee and restrained his aura, masking his true strength to appear as a cultivator at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. He headed straight for the Wang Family shop.

The shop was no longer the desolate place it had been. With Zou Renhe the winemaker assisting, and Wang Yanzhi showing some surprising business acumen—it truly had been a case of 'even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice' before—trade was now passable.

Just standing at the entrance, Wang Hao watched several cultivators enter to purchase spiritual wine.

He stepped inside. Wang Yanzhi, busy behind the counter, looked up.

"Isn't this Nephew Wenhao? What brings you here?" Wang Yanzhi greeted him warmly.

Wang Hao exchanged a few pleasantries, mentioning he was on a purchasing mission for the family, then headed to the backyard.

There, he found Zou Renhe lounging in the sun, leisurely pouring wine from a gourd into his mouth.

Wang Hao felt a twitch of irritation. "Fellow Daoist Zou! The front is swamped, yet you are quite relaxed back here."

"Has the shipment of spiritual herbs arrived? Without herbs, how can I brew? What else is there to do but lie around?"

Zou Renhe grumbled, then glanced up. Seeing it was Wang Hao, he sobered up instantly, scrambling to his feet so fast he dropped his gourd.

"So it's the Young Master! I... this is..."

"Spare me the excuses," Wang Hao said, raising a hand to stop the performance. "How can there be a shortage? Business is good; surely there are Spirit Stones to buy materials?"

"Common herbs are easy enough," Zou Renhe explained. "But the recipe requires Blood Ginseng over fifty years old. Buying that in bulk is difficult!"

"I see," Wang Hao said.

He waved his hand, dumping a large pile of preserved Blood Ginseng from his storage. "These should keep you busy for a while!"

Many families cultivated Blood Ginseng, but their sales channels were usually fixed, planting only according to pre-orders. The sudden spike in demand from the Wang Family shop had indeed created a bottleneck.

Seeing the pile of high-quality roots, Zou Renhe's eyes gleamed. "Ah! With these spiritual herbs, this old man can brew at least three hundred jars! Enough to stock the shop for five or six years!"

Apart from his laziness, the man was competent. Since Wang Hao relied on him for revenue, he didn't press the issue further.

Wang Hao rested in the market for a day. After confirming at a sect-affiliated shop that Chu He was indeed within the sect, he departed for Qingyuan Mountain immediately.

The Qingyuan Mountain range stretched for tens of thousands of miles. The terrain was steep, filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs. It possessed a low-grade Fourth-Tier spiritual vein and several Second-Tier veins, making it the perfect foundation for the Qingyuan Sect.

Wang Hao landed at the "Guest Reception Hall," a grand red palace over ten zhang tall, situated on a peripheral peak.

Above the entrance hung a lacquered golden plaque with three large characters written in flamboyant calligraphy. As the dominant power in the region, countless cultivators came here to establish connections, visit relatives, or seek friends.

Stepping into the main hall, Wang Hao found it exceptionally spacious. In the center sat a table manned by two low-level disciples wearing Qingyuan Sect robes. They were chatting idly.

"Two Fellow Daoists," Wang Hao greeted, clasping his hands. "May I ask what the procedure is to seek an audience with someone within the sect?"

Fearing the gatekeepers might look down on a stranger and cause trouble, Wang Hao deliberately released a trace of his Foundation Establishment pressure.

Sensing his cultivation, the two disciples immediately stood straighter and returned the bow.

"Senior! You must register first. Three items: who you are seeking, your relationship to them, and your own background. Please inform us!"

Wang Hao filled out the details. However, seeing their lackluster enthusiasm—merely registering him by rote—he understood the unwritten rule: Petty officials are the hardest to deal with.

He slid thirty Spirit Stones across the table. "This humble one has an urgent matter with Fellow Daoist Chu He. I hope you can relay the message promptly!"

The Spirit Stones vanished into sleeves, and smiles appeared instantly on their faces.

"Senior, please wait! The Qingyuan Sect is vast, and the peaks are far apart. We juniors are merely Qi Refining cultivators, so the notification might take a few days. You may wait in the guest quarters to the side! Senior, please follow me!"

Wang Hao was led to a row of houses behind the main hall. The room was roughly fifty square meters with simple furniture—not exquisite, but clean.

After seeing off the reception disciple, Wang Hao sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating as he awaited Chu He’s arrival.