Chapter 43: Three Years Later

Time passed steadily. Song Qingming had originally thought he would only be stationed at Lingyuan Mountain for one additional year, but unexpectedly, his extended stay lasted over three years. It was only now, after the relocated members of the Liu family had stabilized, that his ninth uncle, Song Changxin, finally returned to Lingyuan Mountain.

Only then did Song Qingming pack his belongings and return to Funiu Mountain. His sixth brother, Song Qinghe, seemed to have taken a liking to the place; although his own period of stationing had ended, he had unexpectedly and proactively applied to remain at Lingyuan Mountain.

Under his meticulous management, the two acres of spiritual fields on the mining platform had seen their spiritual energy stabilize. What was once a desolate landscape of overgrown weeds and jagged rocks had now transformed into a vibrant spiritual land, glowing with spiritual light and lush with green leaves.

Three years had added a touch of maturity and composure to Song Qingming's delicate features. By now, he was no longer as lost regarding his path of cultivation as he had been when he first arrived at Lingyuan Mountain.

Not only had Song Qingming become a mid-grade talisman crafter, but his cultivation was also progressing steadily. Relying on the support of the *Jade Profound Scripture* and the fragmented map over these three years, he had broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement a few days ago. Within the Song clan's "Qing" generation, aside from his third brother Song Qingze, Song Qingming's cultivation level now firmly surpassed all his other siblings.

Song Qingze possessed exceptional spiritual roots and had been far ahead of the rest of the "Qing" generation since he began his cultivation. A month ago, Song Qingming received news from Funiu Mountain that Song Qingze had begun secluded cultivation to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement. Given his spiritual root aptitude and the clan's heavy investment, his cultivation had likely already stepped into the late stage of Qi Refinement.

Song Qingze was only thirty-four years old. Reaching the seventh level of Qi Refinement at this age put him on par with the direct descendants of great Foundation Establishment clans. Following his current progress, he would certainly reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement before the age of fifty. If he could obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill by then, there would be hope for him to establish a foundation.

It was a pity, however, that he was in a weak Qi Refinement clan like the Song family. If he continued to stay in the clan, the Song family would certainly be unable to provide him with a Foundation Establishment Pill. The entire Song clan's annual income was no more than four or five hundred spirit stones; after deducting the consumption of the clan's cultivators, they could only save about a hundred to two hundred spirit stones per year. In years of disaster or war, they even had to take spirit stones from the treasury to provide subsidies. Even with two hundred years of accumulation, they had only managed to save a little over two thousand spirit stones.

A single Foundation Establishment Pill cost at least ten thousand spirit stones and was a rare item that was often unavailable even if one had the money. In the State of Wei, only the Xiaoyao Sect would sell a small amount every ten years, and only families that had rendered great service to the sect were eligible to purchase them. Under such circumstances, Qi Refinement clans below the Foundation Establishment stage essentially had no chance.

The reason the Qian family of Qinghe County had been able to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill four years ago was because their ancestors had once rendered great service to the Xiaoyao Sect, and it was only in Qian Guangyao's generation that the opportunity to exchange for a pill had arrived.

If he were to leave the State of Wei and travel to other countries tens of thousands of miles away, even if a Qi Refinement clan like the Song family could produce ten thousand spirit stones, they might not be able to successfully purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill. They might be targeted before they even returned to the State of Wei; by then, the clan's centuries of savings could be lost in an instant, and they might even risk the lives of the entire clan.

Now that Song Qingming had completed his six-year stationing mission, he had at least six years of free time for cultivation. Upon returning to his cave dwelling at Funiu Mountain, he quickly applied to the clan to go to the Fuyun Mountain Range for experience.

His cultivation was currently progressing steadily. Over the past few years, by crafting mid-grade spiritual talismans, he had accumulated a significant amount of spirit stones. He did not lack the medicinal pills or spirit stones needed for cultivation, and he had even saved several hundred spirit stones on him.

Having been confined to Lingyuan Mountain for these years while his ninth uncle was away, Song Qingming had not dared to act recklessly against the demonic beasts invading the formations for the sake of safety. When encountering high-level demonic beasts, he had to release communication talismans to call for clan reinforcements. He felt that his combat abilities had diminished significantly, and he had long wanted to find a place to temper himself and practice the magical powers and divine abilities gained from practicing the *Jade Profound Scripture*.

This was also a plan he had long formulated: to spend a few years gaining experience in the Fuyun Mountain Range and, while at it, inquire about news of where Foundation Establishment Pills might be found.

In the entire State of Wei, aside from the Xiaoyao Sect, Foundation Establishment Pills only circulated in the black markets near the Fuyun Mountain Range. Although he was still far from Foundation Establishment, he wanted to make preparations early. Although he possessed a Water Spirit Fruit equivalent in value to a Foundation Establishment Pill, how to exchange the fruit for the pill was a problem that currently caused him some headaches.

Taking the Water Spirit Fruit directly to the Xiaoyao Sect would, of course, be the safest course of action for him. However, now that the Liu family incident had occurred, the Xiaoyao Sect would certainly suspect the origin of the spiritual fruit he carried. Even if he told the truth, it was inevitable they would not believe him. If they used spiritual items like a God-Inquiry Talisman on him, the matter of the Water Spirit Fruit might still be explainable, but if the secret of the fragmented map he carried was leaked, Song Qingming would be utterly doomed.

It was difficult for cultivators below the Golden Core stage to resist the questioning of a second-grade God-Inquiry Talisman. Once he stepped into a place like the Xiaoyao Sect, his fate would be difficult to control; only by forming a Golden Core in the future could he escape such dangers.

Upon arriving at the Treasury Pavilion, Song Gucai saw that his cultivation had broken through again and could not help but feel a sense of envy. However, he did not overthink it, believing that Song Qingming's rapid cultivation was surely due to the credit of the spiritual fruits he had consumed years ago.

When Song Qingming applied to the Fourth Elder, Song Gucai, for three years to leave the clan for experience, he did not expect that his actions would actually alarm the Clan Leader, Song Gushan.

Song Gushan had served as the leader of the Song clan for nearly thirty years. Although he had no obvious great achievements regarding the clan's development over these years, he was steady in character and broad-minded, making him a highly respected leader. During his decades in office, no major incidents had occurred within the Song clan, and the family had always progressed steadily.

Song Gushan had just celebrated his hundredth birthday last year. Although he appeared radiant on the surface, the lifespan of a Qi Refinement cultivator was at most one hundred and twenty years; he now had only about a dozen years left.

He had intended to offer some words of caution, but after several exchanges, seeing the unwavering determination in Song Qingming's eyes, Song Gushan finally nodded and agreed to let him go out for experience.

"Qingming, although you have been to the Fuyun Mountain Range before, you must be extra careful when traveling. The cultivation world is full of deception and people who will use any means for profit; you must never trust others lightly. This high-grade spiritual talisman is a gift from me for your protection; consider it a small token of affection from an elder. The clan is not yet very wealthy, so do not disdain it."

After speaking, Song Gushan handed over a cyan spiritual talisman, his face full of gratification. Among the young cultivators of the clan, there were not many like Song Qingming who proactively proposed going out for experience. After all, it was naturally more beneficial to a cultivator's path to travel more; while bitter cultivation within the mountains was safer, overly comfortable cultivation made it easier for a cultivator to encounter bottlenecks.

"Qingming thanks the Clan Leader for the precious gift."

Song Qingming took the talisman and saw that it was a rare high-grade Cyan Light Talisman, likely a treasure from the Clan Leader, who was a high-grade talisman crafter. Although he did not lack talismans at the moment—having purchased several high-grade talismans in Guiyun Market last time—even if he could not use such an item immediately, he could exchange it for spirit stones in the market to buy other things. For him, anything that could be converted into spirit stones was always better in abundance. After storing the talisman in his storage bag, Song Qingming bowed to the two elders and slowly withdrew from the Treasury Pavilion.

Watching Song Qingming depart, Song Gucai spoke softly to the Clan Leader, Song Gushan, with a hint of reluctance: "Fifth Brother, Qingming is one of the most promising members of the younger generation. Is it perhaps a bit reckless to let him go to the Fuyun Mountain Range alone?"

After listening, Clan Leader Song Gushan paused and said, "Rest assured. Last time, in such a perilous situation in the Fuyun Mountain Range, Qingming was able to return safely and even unexpectedly obtained a stroke of fortune. This shows that he is not only composed in the face of crisis but also a person of great destiny. Going out to gain more experience will be beneficial to their future paths."

(End of Chapter)