Family Cultivation: Evergreen of the Song Family

"Why did you call me here in such a hurry?" Wu Jie's slightly ethereal face was full of reluctance. With the New Year's Eve approaching, he, Song Qingyu, and Song Luzhou were preparing for the refining of the [Minor Creation Pill].

This matter was of utmost importance to him; it was a milestone in his alchemy career, and he wished he could personally guide the two of them.

Just as they were getting to the crucial part of selecting the alchemy materials, Song Changsheng urgently summoned them over, so naturally he didn't give them a pleasant look.

Song Changsheng was already used to Wu Jie's temper. He handed him a jade bottle containing an unknown elixir and said, "I came to see you because I have some questions about elixirs. These are elixirs that I obtained from a sea tribe. They are a bit hard to identify."

"What good pills could those idiots from the sea tribe have? Would they even understand the pill formulas if we just showed them to them?" Wu Jie made no attempt to hide his disdain for the sea tribe's alchemy skills.

Despite saying that, he was still quite interested. He knew Song Changsheng's abilities very well; his knowledge was so extensive that it was hard to believe he came from a small family.

Most spiritual materials and pills can be identified at a glance. If even he can't tell their origin, then the pill must be extremely rare.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the elixir was a brilliant gold color, with patterns on its surface resembling auspicious clouds, faintly radiating a hazy golden light.

He couldn't help but gasp in astonishment: "It's just a top-grade fourth-tier pill, yet it actually has Dao patterns growing on its surface?"

"Dao patterns, aren't those only found in pills of the sixth rank or higher?" Song Changsheng couldn't help but ask.

He had initially noticed the patterns on the surface of the pill, but because of the pill's grade, he didn't think about it that way. He didn't expect Wu Jie to think so too.

This is obviously not in line with common sense.

Noticing his astonishment, Wu Jie couldn't help but say with a hint of smugness, "Don't you understand?"
When pills of the sixth rank or above are produced, they will attract a heavenly tribulation. If they cannot overcome it, they will become a pile of waste. If they can overcome it, they will reveal Dao patterns that are in harmony with heaven and earth.

The key point is the heavenly tribulation, not the grade of the elixir itself.

There are some special cases below the sixth rank, such as the [Heaven-Seizing Creation Pill], which has no specific rank, but the moment it is formed, it will inevitably face divine punishment, because its existence is intolerable to the Heavenly Dao.

This is not the first time such a thing has happened in history. Although fourth-order pills are relatively rare, they do exist.

I think I already have the answer in my heart.

This pill should be the [Enlightenment Pill], one of the few fourth-tier pills that will face a heavenly tribulation.

Its effects are somewhat similar to the [Dao Ze Dan] you took before, but only slightly.

The sudden enlightenment is something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought; this is common knowledge.

The benefits of sudden enlightenment are so profound that once you've experienced them, you'll never want to experience them again.

Just like Zhang Ming, who had been stuck at the foot of the mountain for many years, after listening to your sermon, he had an epiphany and broke through his own bottleneck.

Because of this, people are practically willing to do anything for you, which shows how obsessed and persistent people are with the pursuit of enlightenment.

But this event is inherently random, and many people will never encounter it in their entire lives.

And it!

Wu Jie pointed to the jade bottle in Song Changsheng's hand and said, "It has such an ability; after taking it, one can simulate the state of sudden enlightenment to the greatest extent."

The time required depends on the individual's understanding and comprehension.

This is not some incompetent thing like the "Enlightenment Tea." Don't be fooled by the fact that it's only a fourth-grade top-quality tea; to refine it, one would need to be at least a Nascent Soul level expert.

If you want to sell it, put it on the black market; plenty of people are willing to go bankrupt for it.

Especially for those old folks whose lifespans are nearing their end, this is a lifeline!
It would be almost impossible to refine the Enlightenment Pill without the full support of a great sect that has existed for thousands of years.

It's hard to believe that something like this would fall into the hands of a siren.

"You're quite lucky. This thing is useless to sirens, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten any."

"So this is the legendary Enlightenment Pill." Song Changsheng realized, his heart beating slightly faster.

Although you might not recognize it, its name is legendary.

This is the only fourth-tier pill that can be effective even for Nascent Soul True Monarchs, and legends about it have never ceased in the cultivation world.

“If that’s the case, your previous assumptions might be overturned,” Zhuang Yuechan suddenly said from the side.

At first, Song Changsheng thought that these pills were provided by the human force that cooperated with the Sea Yaksha clan, but now it seems that this is not the case.

At least this [Enlightenment Pill] is definitely not it.

First of all, no one would be foolish enough to trade such a precious elixir. Even if there were such a fool, they wouldn't choose a sea monster as their trading partner.

This thing is less attractive to sirens than a single [Thousand Beast Pill].

It was most likely obtained through some other channel. Even Ye Shi Nu probably didn't know how precious it was to human cultivators. Otherwise, he could have traded it with that human force for a hundred bottles of [Thousand Beast Pills].

This is probably the main reason why Yashnu didn't carry it with him.

Song Changsheng said thoughtfully, "The luster on the surface of this pill is slightly dim, unlike the previous [Thousand Beast Pill] and [Ten Absolute Body Refining Pill]. It doesn't seem to be a product of recent years, so it must have come from a different source."

"Those who can refine this type of pill are all grandmasters of alchemy. They usually leave a mark that represents their identity. If you examine it carefully, you might find something useful," Wu Jie reminded him.

Putting myself in his shoes, as a fellow alchemist, if he were to refine a batch of pills with Dao patterns, he would certainly leave his own mark.

Song Changsheng carefully examined the jade bottle inside and out, and sure enough, he found a pattern on its inner wall.

It was a narrow-necked vase with a lifelike little flower inserted inside.

His pupils contracted sharply; he had seen a similar pattern before.

He immediately summoned Song Qingxi via telepathy and asked directly, "Is the treasure bottle containing the [Taiyin Gui Water] still there?"

Song Qingxi was taken aback, then quickly took it out and said, "Yes."

Turning the bottle upside down, a similar pattern was indeed seen on the bottom, except that instead of a pattern, a willow branch was inserted inside. (See Chapter 54 of this volume for details)

Clearly, there must be a connection between the owners of these two items, most likely they are from the same sect, which is a common phenomenon in the cultivation world.

However, the origins of these two items seem to be completely unrelated.

One was buried on White Dragon Island, and the other fell into the hands of the Sea Yaksha clan.

It is unknown how long this elixir has existed, but this treasure bottle is at least several thousand years old.

"So, this Enlightenment Pill must have been obtained in the waters near the Twin Islands. It couldn't have been any further away; there's no such coincidence in the world."

"Could there be some kind of ancient ruins nearby?" Song Changsheng raised an eyebrow. The existence of hidden sects overseas was no secret; they varied in size, and some were quite powerful.

These sects had almost no communication with the outside world, which meant that if these forces were destroyed, no one might even know it.

During the expansion of various cultivation communities near the East China Sea, there have been numerous instances of discovering relics on the seabed or distant islands.

If the relics of the Star Fruit Tree and the Enlightenment Pill truly exist, their profound heritage must be extraordinary.

"That old yaksha seems to know more than I thought, it's just a pity that I don't have the power to pry it out of him right now," Song Changsheng thought with some regret.

In the vast ocean, a slight error can lead to a huge mistake. With the limited manpower the Song family has now, unless they hit the jackpot, they have no chance of finding it.

Of course, sharing this news with Wanxiang Palace might be more efficient.

But after thinking about it, Song Changsheng gave up.

The Song family is not yet qualified to cooperate with Wanxiang Palace. If it were a relic of a similar or even greater size than Wanxiang Palace, they might not even get a sip of soup.

Let's wait until the Song family has the strength to wipe out the remnants of the Sea Yaksha before we find the answer ourselves.

What he's worried about now is whether the pills Ji Shinian took also contain these patterns. If the Myriad Manifestations Palace gets there first, then he'll really get nothing.

He carefully placed the Enlightenment Pill back under its protective barrier and put it away, as he needed it for his upcoming seclusion.

At this point, only the last two jade boxes remained.

The couple each opened one; the one in Song Changsheng's hand was a spirit fruit shaped like a peach and entirely blood red.

"This is the [Blood-Weeping Fruit], a fourth-grade low-level fruit. It's a great way to replenish life essence and can save your life in critical moments."

"However, it shouldn't be of much use to you." Wu Jie said, looking at Song Changsheng.

Song Changsheng directly stuffed it into Zhuang Yuechan's hand: "I don't need it, but my wife is going to go down the mountain to travel, so I'll feel more at ease if she takes this with her."

"Can't wait to go down the mountain?"
Hehe, I told you long ago that you have received too many opportunities, and they are too abundant. Even if you secluded yourself and cultivated diligently for a hundred years, you still wouldn't get what you want.

"Some things can only be truly understood when life hangs in the balance," Wu Jie chuckled.

"What's that in your aunt's hand?"

At this moment, Song Qingxi's gaze was drawn to the jade box in Zhuang Yuechan's hand.

All eyes turned to it, and there lay a jet-black vine, shaped like a dragon, about a foot long.

"This is the [Evil Dragon Vine], it's not a good thing, it's extremely vicious."

Its juice can be refined into pills, and just one drop is enough to poison a Purple Mansion cultivator to death in no more than a quarter of an hour.

Its juice is colorless and odorless, and it is impossible to detect unless one is well-versed in pharmacology or has a keen intuition.

If all the juice from this section were concentrated into a single pill, even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to withstand it.

"However, this thing isn't just for harming people. For poison cultivators, it's a rare treasure. Even if you don't need it, you can sell it for a high price on the black market," Wu Jie said calmly.

"Such a vicious thing! No wonder it's kept on a high shelf." Song Changsheng couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. Such a small piece could actually poison a Golden Core cultivator. The cultivation world is indeed treacherous and unpredictable.

Originally intended to be sealed in the family treasury, it seems best for him to keep it himself to avoid accidentally causing a tragedy.

"Did you go ransacking a house? You brought back so many treasures." Wu Jie asked curiously, looking at the table full of pills.

Song Changsheng couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "More or less."

"How's the Soul Purification Pill you were asked to refine coming along?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jie immediately said somewhat guiltily, "It'll be soon, it'll be soon."

Song Changsheng frowned slightly and said, "Are you still thinking about that Creation Pill?"

"There's only one month left until New Year's Eve. Once I've verified the feasibility of that method, I'll definitely get you the [Soul Purification Pill]," Wu Jie quickly assured him.

"Fine, do whatever you want."

He knew that Wu Jie was currently obsessed with the Creation Pill, so it was better to guide him than to block him. Once he succeeded or ran into a wall, everything would be fine.

After saying that, he looked at Song Qingxi and said, "These bottles are [Blood Tempering Pills], and these are [Thousand Beast Pills]. They are not very useful to cultivators. Find an opportunity to distribute them to the family's spirit beasts."

These two bottles contain the [Ten Absolute Body Refining Pills]. I'll take one bottle, and you and Yuechan can each take one of the remaining two.

There's also this..."

Song Changsheng took out Ye Minghong's inner core and a porcelain bottle from his bosom, and carefully instructed, "Give the Demon King's inner core to Master Lu to refine the [Breakthrough Pill], which will be used to reward the family cultivators who performed outstandingly in this battle in the Twin Islands."

This porcelain bottle contains [Dragon Elephant Essence Blood], which I obtained from Song Daoling. Find some time to go to the Great Yu cultivation world and ask the Medicine King to help refine a batch of [Dragon Elephant Pills] for your aunt as protection. If you can't find him, go to Luoxia City and ask your master to intervene.

"All you do is order Xi around. Why don't you go yourself for something this important?" Wu Jie sneered.

Song Changsheng shook his head slightly and said, "My cultivation level has become somewhat unstable. I plan to go into seclusion to break through in the coming days. I also need to use the Enlightenment Pill to comprehend the laws. Time is of the essence and I cannot afford to delay."

The Medicine King and I are old acquaintances; he wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for me.

"What? You only broke through to the Golden Core stage a short time ago, and you're about to break through again?" Wu Jie said, dumbfounded.

"It was not my wish, but rather a matter of chance."

These words sounded a bit offensive, but they were Song Changsheng's true thoughts; it was definitely not his intention.

According to his plan, he will need at least another 20 to 30 years to mature before attempting to break through to a higher level.

But he has experienced so much recently, and with such abundant resources, his realm has miraculously begun to loosen.

Plans obviously can't keep up with changes, and he doesn't intend to deliberately suppress his cultivation level. After all, according to the intelligence provided by the Myriad Manifestations Palace, the strongest opponents he will face in the elimination rounds have almost all broken through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

Even for those who haven't broken through yet, there are still ten years left, so no one can say for sure.

These are all top geniuses carefully selected and cultivated by various powerful forces, and he dares not be careless in the slightest.

To break into the top three or even win the championship, one's cultivation level certainly cannot fall behind; at the very least, one must be on the same level as them!

...(End of chapter)