「The next day.」

As the golden morning sun bathed the eastern sky, Ling Qiyue and Tang Qiu Yao set off with Ling Changqing in tow.

Thanks to their disguises and Fu Yin Xue’s clandestine help, their departure from the Hanyue Continent Marketplace was completely uneventful.

Luo Ji had few cultivators under her command. Though they kept a constant watch around the Marketplace, they failed to notice anything amiss.

Of course, just to be safe, Ling Qiyue piloted the Flying Ship in a wide circle deep within the vast ocean. Only after confirming they weren’t being tailed did she accelerate their return journey toward Zenxin Island.

Half a month later, when the familiar coastline appeared on the horizon, Ling Qiyue finally breathed a true sigh of relief.

"...Senior Sister, what are we doing next?"

Ling Changqing asked. ’I’m poor again. The right thing to do is to go back to work at sea and earn more resources.’

Ling Qiyue gave him an alluring eye-roll and said, "What else could we do? You’re going to help me with Alchemy, of course!"

"Once this is finished, I’ll provide you with a supply of Cultivation Resources so you can continue your secluded cultivation."

’In any case, to prevent any accidents, it’s best to have my little junior brother stay home for now. He shouldn’t go out if he can help it.’

’Our little junior brother needs to at least reach the Late stage Qi Cultivation before he’ll have some ability to protect himself. Only then can we relax a little.’

"Alright."

Ling Changqing agreed. ’As long as I can get enough Cultivation Resources, the work itself doesn’t matter. Besides, my Alchemy Dao mastery needs to keep improving anyway.’

Not long after, Tang Qiu Yao announced to the Elders that the Patriarch was entering seclusion for Alchemy. In the meantime, she would handle all family matters, large and small.

Since this had happened more than a few times before, the Elders were already accustomed to it.

As long as the Patriarch refined more elixirs, the entire Ling Family stood to benefit, and the family’s strength would continue to grow.

Of course, for the spies planted within the family, this was anything but good news. It would make the leaders of the surrounding powers increasingly anxious.

For the next several months, Ling Changqing hardly ever left the Alchemy Room, and neither did Ling Qiyue.

Aside from Tang Qiu Yao, who occasionally came in to check on them, no other Elders or clan members were permitted to set foot inside the Alchemy Room. Violators would face severe punishment.

The newly promoted Foundation Establishment Elder, Ling Yulu, played a vital role. She personally led the family’s law-enforcement cultivator team to stand guard outside the Alchemy Room, ensuring not even a mosquito could get in.

「Inside the Alchemy Room.」

A blazing Spirit Flame burned without cease, the oppressive heat and the fragrance of medicinal herbs filling the air.

Spiritual Light shimmered from the Array Patterns and Restrictions covering the walls and floor, and a low hum emanated from within the Pill Furnace.

Ling Qiyue, her skin fairer than snow, sat primly before the Pill Furnace dressed in an apricot-yellow Magical Robe. Shrouded in Spiritual Light, her features were so elegant and beautiful, so exquisite as to be painted, that she resembled a stunningly beautiful sculpture.

Ling Changqing stood to the side, silently watching Ling Qiyue execute one Fire Control Spirit Technique after another, flawlessly adjusting and controlling the intensity of the Spirit Flame.

He had already refined two batches of Qi Nourishing and Essence Storing Pills as a warm-up. Now, it was Ling Qiyue’s turn to take over and refine the second rank Beauty Pills.

This had been their routine for several months. Ling Changqing was responsible for refining various Rank One Low Grade elixirs to accumulate experience.

Meanwhile, Ling Qiyue would personally refine various Second Grade Elixirs, such as Beauty Pills, Healing Pills, Spirit Source Nourishing God Pills, and, most importantly, the Foundation Establishment Pill.

At these times, Ling Changqing would assist her from the side, and the two worked together in perfect harmony.

’...My Alchemy Dao mastery is improving so quickly. Perhaps it won’t be long before I can try refining Rank One Middle Grade elixirs?’

Ling Changqing mused to himself.

As he observed internally with his Divine Thought, the Era Star Palace in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, and a cryptic message appeared:

[Alchemy Dao: 4175/5000 (Rank One Low Grade)]

[Primary Cultivation Technique: Profound Truth Black Water Scripture (2nd Floor) 5110/10000]

[Spirit Root: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Middle Rank Character 7330/10000]

Perhaps influenced by his Luck and Fortune, their success rate in this round of Alchemy was remarkably high. Aside from one batch of ruined Foundation Establishment Pill ingredients, all other materials were put to good use, successfully yielding elixirs.

After all, this was Ling Qiyue’s first attempt at refining a Foundation Establishment Pill with the Soul-Devouring Blood Soul Fruit as the main ingredient, which was why she had carelessly failed once.

Fortunately, the remaining sets of ingredients were not wasted. She managed to refine a total of six genuine Foundation Establishment Pills, and one of them was even a High quality Foundation Establishment Pill.

For the surrounding Foundation Establishment powers, this news was nothing short of a catastrophe.

Even the Mu Family, which was located relatively far from Zenxin Island and boasted a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivators, would find their scalps tingling with anxiety upon learning this news.

Strictly speaking, the Foundation Establishment Realm was only the true beginning of one’s cultivation journey and not some earth-shattering achievement.

Look no further than Hanyue Gate, which had multiple Golden Core and Pseudo Core masters in charge. Would they even take so-called Foundation Establishment Cultivators seriously?

Even if the Ling Family suddenly produced thirty to fifty Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they would be beneath the notice of Hanyue Gate’s upper echelons, let alone those powers with Nascent Soul Great Cultivators at their helm.

However, for low-level cultivators and minor powers, Foundation Establishment was the ultimate goal—something they would risk everything and spend their entire lives to pursue.

Ling Changqing, however, wasn’t particularly moved by this. His experiences from his past life had taught him that a modest house an ordinary person might struggle a lifetime to afford could be worth less than the cost of a single banquet for the powerful.

They say all roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome, while others are born as beasts of burden.

In the Cultivation Realm, a world of supernatural power, this polarization of resources was even more extreme.

To better control and exploit the masses of low-level cultivators, the major powers did everything they could to monopolize resources even at the Foundation Establishment Level, let alone those for the Golden Core and Nascent Soul Levels.

With the support of these resources, the Ling Family could now remain as solid as a rock even when surrounded by other Foundation Establishment powers. They could even annex several smaller powers and expand the family’s territory.

However, if the family was to undergo a true transformation and join the ranks of more powerful factions, they needed to produce a genuine Golden Core Great Cultivator.

Clearly, this was not a short-term goal.

A day and a night later, the refining process for this batch of Second stage Beauty Pills was nearing completion, and everything appeared to be going smoothly.

The soft sound of footsteps arose as Tang Qiu Yao walked in from outside. Dressed in an embroidered vermilion gown, she appeared magnificent, noble, and radiant. The golden hairpin in her cloud-like chignon trembled slightly, casting ripples of light and shadow.

"Senior Sister, you’re here!"

Ling Changqing called out, his eyes sweeping over her voluptuous, graceful curves. Beneath her bright red bandeau, her full, majestic peaks were pressed together, forming a deep, bottomless, snow-white ravine.

"This batch is almost ready, isn’t it?"

Tang Qiu Yao squeezed Ling Changqing’s palm, her beautiful eyes brimming with a smile.

"Almost. The elixirs will be ready soon."

Ling Changqing said. ’With so much material to practice on, Ling Qiyue’s Alchemy Mastery must have improved a lot, too.’

After waiting for the better part of another hour, a rumble echoed from within the Pill Furnace as the heavy lid slowly rose. Billowing Spiritual Qi gushed out, swirling toward the ceiling and coalescing into a massive, Lingzhi-shaped cloud.

A few breaths later, a milky-white Spiritual Mist emerged, holding aloft seven finger-sized, bright red elixirs that glowed with a brilliant light.

Ling Changqing immediately executed his Object Control Spirit Technique, pulling all seven of the precious Second stage Beauty Pills toward him and sealing them in a prepared Spirit Jade Pill Bottle.

Including the batches successfully refined earlier, Ling Qiyue now had a considerable number of Second stage Beauty Pills on hand.

The family couldn’t use this many internally, however, so the majority could be sold. Older Foundation Establishment Female Cultivators would certainly not be stingy with their Spirit Stones when it came to these.

Ling Qiyue performed the final few Spirit Techniques, extinguished the Spirit Flame, and deactivated the Array’s Restrictions one by one before letting out a sigh of relief.

Ling Changqing stepped forward at the perfect moment to help her up. Through the thin fabric of her robe, the wonderful sensation—soft yet surprisingly resilient—made his gaze waver for an instant.

...

A blush crept onto Ling Qiyue’s beautiful face. She shot him a coquettish glare but said nothing.

"Alright, shall we discuss how to distribute these elixirs now?" Tang Qiu Yao said in a gentle voice.

’Now that we have the resources, the right thing to do is convert them into strength as quickly as possible. We can’t just let them collect dust in the treasury.’

Ling Changqing pondered for a moment. "Senior Sister, do you think we actually have six suitable Elders at the Peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation within the family right now?"

There were certainly more than six Ling Clan Members at the Qi Cultivation 9th Layer, but not all of them were suitable candidates for receiving a Foundation Establishment Pill.

First and foremost was loyalty. Only clan members who supported Ling Qiyue were eligible; those at odds with her could forget about it.

Additionally, Elders whose lifespans were nearly exhausted and whose life force was dwindling were also unsuitable. Even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, their chances of a successful breakthrough were slim.

Finally, those with poor aptitude were also unqualified. Foundation Establishment Pills were hard to come by, so they naturally had to be given to the candidates with the greatest hope of a breakthrough.

"Five people will suffice,"

Ling Qiyue said with a slight smile. "And this best Foundation Establishment Pill is reserved for you, little junior brother. None of the others should even think about it."

As she spoke, she picked up the lustrous, perfectly round, High quality Foundation Establishment Pill that was wreathed in Spiritual Qi, and pressed it into Ling Changqing’s hand.

’Although our little junior brother is only at the Sixth Layer of Qi Cultivation and can’t use it yet, he can save it for later. After all, a High quality Foundation Establishment Pill is a treasure you find by chance, not by searching.’

"Alright. Thank you, Senior Sister."

Ling Changqing didn’t refuse. He took the elixir and carefully stored it away.

"Is there any need for such formalities between us? You’ve earned this,"

Ling Qiyue said with a smile. "I’ll get all the auxiliary resources you need for Foundation Establishment ready for you soon, too. Of course, little junior brother, you must keep this a secret. Don’t let outsiders know you have a Foundation Establishment Pill, or those annoying old coots will get restless and start scheming again."

Tang Qiu Yao added coldly, "From now on, if anyone in the family dares to offend you, no matter who they are, just kill them. We’ll take care of all the trouble for you."

Ling Changqing’s value to the family was now self-evident. If not for him, it would have been difficult for Ling Qiyue to acquire these precious resources from the ocean floor, making Alchemy impossible.

Protecting Ling Changqing was tantamount to protecting the future hope of the Ling Family. Ling Qiyue would not be foolish when it came to such a fundamental issue.

"Let’s hope there are no fools that blind,"

Ling Qiyue smiled, pursing her lips. "Alright. Now, let’s discuss how to distribute the remaining Foundation Establishment Pills."

And so, the three of them began to discuss the matter in low voices.

Such a strategic resource could not, of course, be given to the Elders for free. They would have to exchange it for a sufficient amount of Spirit Stones and family contribution points. Even those who couldn’t pay upfront would have to sign a Spirit Contract, agreeing to repay the debt in installments after their breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm.