Cultivation begins with harvest.

Chapter 250 Trading

"To think I could obtain seven Xuanxiang seeds in one go! The Refining Clouds Formation can be set up immediately, and it won't be long before it comes in handy."

Although it took 119 days to comprehend the mystery, Chen Guang didn't feel any regret. He could have spent that time at Chunyuanju anyway, and it was a good thing to be able to spend it elsewhere.

"Junior Brother, you must have gained something. Everything you wanted is in this ring. Inside are also the classics on how to cultivate century-old spiritual herbs, as well as the books on these three spiritual objects collected by the Earth Hall. I wish you all the best and hope you will soon achieve Foundation Establishment." Senior Brother He politely handed Chen Guang a storage spiritual artifact ring. As for the spiritual objects in the branch building, Chen Guang gave a few more instructions and left them to Senior Brother He to manage. The ones he wanted to take with him, such as the Star-Attracting Tree, were put into the storage spiritual artifact. The others that he wanted to give to Chan Zhi were all divided up and given to Senior Brother He in batches. He only needed to coordinate with Chan Zhi every month. He also left some spiritual plant collection tasks for Chan Zhi in the form of notes. The purpose of exchanging spiritual objects for Sui Yuan was this: to take back the Sui Yuan that could not be used.

This is Senior Brother He's job. According to his own account, he is responsible for handling these general affairs for Tianhengyuan. As for matters related to the Earth Hall, he only occasionally goes to the branch buildings with Xiantang.

After leaving the underground hall, Chen Guang did not rush back to Tianheng Plain, but instead went to the Sutra Repository.

"I already know about your entry into Tianyuan, but you still remember to visit me. That's quite thoughtful of you. Aren't you in a hurry to return to Tianhengyuan?" the Taoist from the Scripture Pavilion said with a smile.

"I do have some pressing difficulties and would like to ask a Taoist master for advice." Chen Guang was familiar with the Taoist master of the Scripture Pavilion, so he went straight to the point, holding the jade slip he had obtained from the blue-robed boy of the Mingli Hall in his hand. "I originally thought that entering the inner sect would give me more guidance, but as far as I know, I only gained a little more access to the Scripture Hall. There haven't been any changes at Tongchuan Cliff?"

"Do you want the Taoist to guide you, or to take you as a disciple?" The Taoist of the Scripture Pavilion asked directly.

"Everyone has this thought: the more one cultivates and the more one knows, the less one dares to act on one's own," Chen Guang said honestly.

"Hmm." The Taoist priest in the Scripture Pavilion nodded. "You're quite honest, but it's highly likely that both of your wishes will come true."

.

The Taoist priest in the Scripture Pavilion let out a long sigh: "You should know how long a Foundation Establishment cultivator can live. At most, it's two hundred years! How long does it take for him to cultivate Qi? The sect provides cultivation resources and environment, so it needs to handle some tasks that only Taoist priests can do. Guarding the Scripture Pavilion is one of those tasks. It's a nice job that allows me to find time to cultivate."

"The people of Xiantang may have told you that every ten years, some Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Qingheng Sect choose to relinquish their titles and leave the sect. This is because they no longer want to be bound and want to live a carefree and joyful life for a hundred years. While cultivating in the sect, all kinds of resources are provided, and naturally, one must fulfill corresponding obligations. This is inevitable. However, because of this, the cultivators who choose to stay generally have a stronger desire for the Dao. Foundation Establishment cultivation is more complicated. It is no longer just about focusing on honing one's magical power and refining the skills that interest one. There are many more things to learn and master. But is a hundred years of cultivation enough?"

Chen Guang listened carefully, but couldn't help but wonder, is a hundred years enough?

"In the cultivation world, the master-disciple relationship is the best kind of companionship in the world. Can a master just take on a disciple without teaching him wholeheartedly? If he puts his heart into it, he will waste his own resources and energy on the disciple. Will the disciple necessarily have the opportunity to surpass his master? Will the effort he puts in be equal to or even exceed what the disciple gives in return?"

"Therefore, Taoists dare not easily accept disciples, and even their teaching is not for the sake of future generations, but out of dedication to the sect. Lectures at Tongchuan Cliff are unnecessary. Thus, the right to enter the Scripture Hall is very important. The cultivation scriptures of the Qingheng Sect clearly point out the general direction, and the only confusion lies in the details. Go to Tongchuan Cliff to guard the Taoists, and go to the Scripture Hall to discuss scriptures with their disciples."

Seeking out spiritual healers to discuss and refine the details is a way to finalize the process. The path of cultivation has always been unfettered, so why not walk your own path? Even Foundation Establishment cultivators themselves may not fully understand the cultivation process, so why should what comes out of their mouths be considered golden rules?

"It doesn't matter if you're a little off-center or diagonal, as long as you're not told to go straight. You can go left or right. If you have too many questions, you can come to me and I'll try my best to help. Just don't do it too often, once or twice a year is fine."

"Yes." Chen Guang bowed deeply to the ground.

"It is only right that you perform such a grand ceremony for me," the Taoist priest of the Sutra Repository said lazily.

Chen Guang straightened up and asked, "I've heard that sometimes at Tongchuan Cliff, some outstanding disciples attract the attention of Taoist priests and are then accepted as disciples, which is a good story. I used to believe it, but now I have some doubts—"

"It's true," the Daoist from the Sutra Repository said directly. "After all, we are Daoists of the Qingheng Sect. Those who can catch the eye of the Xiantang group will naturally take on disciples when their desire for the Dao dies or when they have only twenty or thirty years left to live. Some are also benevolent and have the capacity to take on disciples. The lucky little guy from Tongchuan Cliff is mostly because of this. There is another possibility: if you are so talented that the Daoists feel you can help them with their cultivation, they will naturally scramble to take you on. Because of your disciples, some cultivators can walk a longer path on the Great Dao."

"Don't look at me like that. Even if others were fighting over you, I wouldn't take you as my apprentice."

The Taoist priest in the Sutra Repository suddenly softened his voice, but his tone became more steady. Chen Guang glanced at him briefly and saw that the Taoist priest's eyes were filled with a strange sadness, so he looked away.

"Alright, alright, enough of this rambling. If you have any problems with your cultivation, just say so. Come back next time. I don't want you coming up here unless it's to pay back the money." The Taoist priest in the Sutra Repository put down the book in his hand and became serious.

Chen Guang, of course, could not have obtained it.

After all, he was a Foundation Establishment Daoist, and he answered many questions directly, especially the Daoist of Formation, which greatly helped Chen Guang. He was not as proficient in the Dao of Spiritual Plants, but it was enough. Chen Guang spent far less time honing his magic power than Tongji, and the Daoist of the Scripture Pavilion actually discovered a lot of problems. Fortunately, he had to circulate his energy several times a day and often practiced spells to expend his magic power, so there were only some minor issues.

Chen Guang didn't appear at Fanglin Hall until it got a little dark.

The weapon he was referring to was the Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp. He had many spiritual weapons, but he lacked a regular offensive weapon. The Cotton Fire Needle was good for ambushes, and the other spiritual weapons were either for binding or as trump cards, so they could not be used for regular combat. The Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp was just what Chen Guang wanted.

Upon hearing Chen Guang's purpose, Cang Yunxian, already agile, became even more cheerful: "My lord wishes to purchase the Thousand Bright Azure Fire Lamp? This spiritual artifact was left to my Cang clan by a Daoist from the Qingheng Sect before his seclusion. The materials used are all precious, and the runes are inscribed upon it—"

"I know all that, but this price is far too high. Sixty thousand silver coins plus ten hundred-year-old spiritual herbs—those who can afford it might not even be able to afford a thousand bright green fire lamps," Chen Guang said.

Cang Yunxian smiled and said, "This is the price set by the clan. After all, this is the last work of that Taoist when he was in the Qi Refining stage. Both its quality and value are extraordinary."

"Take a look at this first. This bottle, plus 50,000 yuan, I'll take it." Chen Guang took out a jade bottle and handed it to Cang Yunxian.

Cang Yunxian was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with surprise. She took the jade bottle, quickly opened the seal, and carefully peered inside. The light blue, jade-like pill with random white patterns looked somewhat ethereal upon closer inspection. It had no scent, yet it gave off a pleasant and comfortable feeling. Just one whiff of it made one feel refreshed.

"It really is a Spirit Vein Pill!"

Cang Yunxian was somewhat flustered. She truly hadn't expected someone to exchange a Spirit Vein Pill for a Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp. The only valuable resources the clan was confident they could obtain were items like pill furnaces and array flags. The price of a spiritual artifact like the Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp was too high. Usually, cultivators would gather the materials themselves and go to the Flame Hall to find someone to refine it. This was the advantage of the sect; if there was a problem, they could find a professional cultivator to solve it.

This is merely placed here alongside other mid-grade spiritual artifacts to showcase Fanglin Hall's foundation and strength.

"According to the clan's rules, one Spirit Vein Pill can reduce the price of five thousand grains of silver and one hundred-year-old spiritual herb. Here are three pills, so you only need forty-five thousand grains of silver and seven hundred-year-old spiritual herbs. The Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp will then belong to you," Cang Yunxian said hurriedly.

Chen Guang stretched out his hand and sneered, "Then give me my pills. I won't buy them. Three Spirit Vein Pills can guarantee that any cultivator with a Grade D or higher aptitude will achieve a Transparent Body, saving a lot of cultivation time and increasing the chances of Foundation Establishment. Has Fang Lintang really received any Spirit Vein Pills in recent years? I've already made my offer. If you don't accept it, then forget it."

Cang Yunxian's forehead immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and her fingers gripping the jade bottle began to tighten: "Wait—wait, as long as you can produce three more Spirit Vein Pills, a Thousand Bright Azure Flame Lamp, and 30,000 Yuan, we can waive the hundred-year-old spiritual medicine as well."

"I'll give you one more at most, and I'll still give you 50,000 yuan. You're still getting a good deal. You can't buy a Spirit Vein Pill with ten hundred-year-old spiritual herbs. You'd need four Spirit Vein Pills." Chen Guang shook his head.

"I'll send someone to fetch the magical artifact right away," Cang Yunxian agreed without hesitation.

Chen Guang immediately took out the last Spirit Vein Pill and 50,000 silver coins he had and handed them to Cang Yunxian. 50,000 silver coins was a big deal, but Cang Yunxian didn't even glance at them. She took the jade bottle and examined it, and only then did she relax.

The upper limit of the Spirit Vein Pill is the Transparent Body. Basically, once you reach the late stage of Qi Refining, very few cultivators will still crave this kind of spiritual pill. But it's different for these rogue cultivator families. Saving cultivation time means increasing the possibility of Foundation Establishment. One more Foundation Establishment will make a world of difference for the entire family.

Chen Guang had once wondered why, with the Qingheng Sect as its backer, it only had two Foundation Establishment families, the Zhao family of Dongdu and the Dongfang family of Chaxi. Wasn't that terrible? Now he realized that while the Qingheng Sect took care of them, it was also wary of these vassal families, fearing that the sect would be invaded by the families and that the vassal families would become parasites. They provided a lot of ordinary resources, but the disciples of the rogue cultivator families could not become stewards after entering the sect. Their knowledge of how to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and the resources for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage were not as good as those of ordinary stewards. They had to find their own way and figure it out. Therefore, these rogue cultivator families probably had some grievances in their hearts.

However, as long as people are alive, everything will eventually move upwards, and it will be inevitable that some independent cultivator families will begin to establish their foundations.

"This deal is done. I have a second deal, shopkeeper." Chen Guang looked at Cang Yunxian, "I want the seeds of the Vermilion Fruit."