Chapter 168 - 125: Starting the Furnace for Alchemy

Chapter 168: Chapter 125: Starting the Furnace for Alchemy

Yun Youniu had also broken through to Late-Stage Qi Refining.

However, unlike Yun Sanniu and Yun Siniu, he hadn’t relied on the Misfortune-Breaking Pill. Like Yun Xiaoniu, he had broken through entirely on his own perseverance and effort, grinding through the bottleneck.

This meant one thing. In the future, Yun Youniu would also possess the potential to attempt Foundation Establishment. Moreover, his Spirit Root Talent was better than Yun Xiaoniu’s; he had a Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root.

He thought, "Since Yun Youniu has only recently come into contact with Body Refining Techniques, he’ll likely find it difficult to achieve Physical Body Perfection by the time he reaches Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Perfection."

Although Yun Youniu’s talent was good, he hadn’t encountered Body Refining Techniques as early as Yun Xiaoniu. Furthermore, he wasn’t receiving the Yun Family’s Body Refining Resources as financial support, which undoubtedly restricted his development.

Chen Jianghe had a feeling that Yun Huizhen’s branch might be developing too rapidly within the Yun Family, drawing suppression from the Patriarch’s branch. Otherwise, given Yu Daniu and his father-in-law Yun Xiaoqian’s status in the family, how could they fail to secure family support for Yun Youniu?

Patriarch Yun Xiaotian must have intervened. Or perhaps even Yun Bufan had stepped in.

However, Yun Xiaoniu had been appointed as a high-ranking Steward of the Yun Family this year, and his rank was incredibly high. In other words, as long as Yun Xiaoniu broke through to Ninth-Layer Qi Refining, he would be directly promoted to family Elder.

He mused, "Yun Huizhen is still too eager for quick success and instant benefits. She shouldn’t have let Yun Sanniu and Yun Siniu meddle in family affairs so early; it’s bound to arouse the Patriarch branch’s vigilance."

Chen Jianghe felt that Yun Huizhen was over-expanding the power of her branch. Currently, a third of the Yun Family’s upper management belonged to her faction. This would certainly incur the Patriarch’s apprehension.

It was fine while the Yun Family Ancestor was still alive. After all, Patriarch Yun Xiaotian and Great Elder Yun Xiaoqian were both Direct Lineage descendants of the Yun Family Ancestor. But once the Yun Family Ancestor passed away from old age, Yun Huizhen’s branch would suffer unimaginable suppression. Yun Bufan was the Patriarch’s biological son; how could the Patriarch’s branch allow other branches to surpass the main lineage?

Having taken the Lifespan Extension Pill, the Yun Family Ancestor had at least nearly twenty more years to live. That meant Yun Huizhen’s branch still had a twenty-year window for development. If Yun Xiaoniu could successfully attempt Foundation Establishment within these twenty years, their branch would have a chance to rival the Patriarch’s branch.

Chen Jianghe wrote a reply letter to Yu Daniu. It contained only one brief sentence:

"Focus entirely on nurturing Xiaoniu; it is the only way to break the deadlock."

If Yun Xiaoniu couldn’t obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill to attempt Foundation Establishment before the Yun Family Ancestor perished, there would be no point in thinking about Foundation Establishment Pills in the future. The Patriarch’s branch could never allow another Foundation Establishment Ancestor to emerge from the side branches.

After sending his reply, Chen Jianghe continued his seclusion.

Once the twelfth lunar month arrived, Chen Jianghe took down the "In Seclusion" sign from his courtyard door. However, he still didn’t step outside, continuing his Cultivation at home and drafting Spirit Talismans.

It wasn’t until late in the twelfth month, when Ruan Tieniu came looking for him, that Chen Jianghe finally ended his seclusion.

Over the course of the year, he had drafted forty-two Middle-Grade Five Elements Escape Talismans, and his Talisman Dao Skills had improved rapidly. His Talisman Success Rate for the Middle-Grade Five Elements Escape Talisman had stabilized at forty percent. If he hadn’t needed to spend an extra hour cultivating the Tidal Body Refining Technique in the second half of the year, he probably could have drawn forty-eight Middle-Grade Five Elements Escape Talismans.

His Cultivation had also reached a critical point; breaking through to Ninth-Layer Qi Refining would happen within the next few days.

Hearing the door knocker sound, Chen Jianghe knew Ruan Tieniu had likely arrived. He stepped out of his room, storing Little Black and Fur Ball into the Spirit Beast Space, while temporarily placing the Demon Beast parts in the storage room.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Chen Jianghe opened the courtyard door.

Standing outside was not just Ruan Tieniu, but also the masked Ji Wujin. Chen Jianghe truly wanted to test his Divine Sense to see if it could pierce through the mask and reveal Ji Wujin’s face. If it could block Divine Sense, he wanted one of those masks for himself.

"Brother Ruan, Fellow Daoist Ji," Chen Jianghe greeted.

He stepped out and immediately locked the courtyard door, cutting off any thoughts they might have of coming in to sit. While Ruan Tieniu might not have had such an idea, the eccentric Ji Wujin just might.

"I was hoping to sit for a while in my fellow Daoist’s elegant residence. I didn’t expect you to lock up so quickly," Ji Wujin teased.

"Fellow Daoist Ji resides in Fushou Lane in the upper tier of the Marketplace. How could I dare let you be tainted by the vulgarity of the bottom tier?" Chen Jianghe replied with a chuckle.

Ji Wujin smiled and said no more. He even looked down on Qingpin Tea House, let alone the courtyards in the Southwest District and Northwest District.

"Brother Chen, is it time for Alchemy?" Ruan Tieniu was in no mood for banter. Right now, he only wanted to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill and then head to the Southeast District to rent a Cultivation spot and attempt Foundation Establishment.

"Yes, let’s go find Alchemist Zhuang," Chen Jianghe nodded.

Though he didn’t know Ruan Tieniu’s Spirit Root Talent, he could sense that the aura emanating from him was no less than that of the Tribulation Cultivator leader from before. In other words, Ruan Tieniu was already a Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivator who had achieved Physical Body Perfection.

Chen Jianghe was deeply puzzled. Ruan Tieniu was just a Demon Hunter; where did he get the Spirit Stones for Body Refining?

Whether Ruan Tieniu had dabbled in a Spiritual Cultivation Method couldn’t be determined from his aura alone. However, Chen Jianghe felt that Ruan Tieniu likely practiced a Spiritual Cultivation Method as well. From their very first meeting, Chen Jianghe had sensed that this man was hiding secrets.

Before long, they arrived at Blessed Residence No. 136 in Fushou Lane. The three exchanged glances. Then, Chen Jianghe stepped forward and used the door knocker.

Jiang Ruxu opened the courtyard door. Seeing the two people beside Chen Jianghe, she said apologetically, "Seniors, please wait a moment. My master is currently performing Alchemy and will be finished shortly."