After returning to Qingyuan Mountain, Elian found that the elder patriarch had also come back—a rare occurrence.
Seeing Elian, the elder patriarch smiled and asked excitedly, "When did you break through to the second level of Foundation Establishment?"
"Just half a year ago," Elian replied. With the help of a second-tier Spirit Peach, his vital energy had accumulated sufficiently, and the breakthrough came naturally.
Chen Qinghao, standing nearby, expressed admiration.
"Breaking through to the second level of Foundation Establishment in just six years is a speed comparable to the prodigies with Heavenly Spirit Roots."
"The Spirit Peach Tree truly is extraordinary. Even at the second tier, it can accelerate cultivation this much. If it ever reaches its peak, even Nascent Soul True Lords might covet it."
The elder patriarch smiled faintly at this and said, "All Unique Spirit Roots are marvels of the world, naturally possessing extraordinary effects."
"There's a legend about the Ji Immortal Clan, the overlords of the Six Nations, having a Five Elements Fruit Tree, a fifth-tier Nascent Soul-level Unique Spirit Root. Every century, it bears a batch of Five Elements Spirit Fruits that can even aid cultivators with Five Elements Spirit Roots in breaking through to the Golden Core stage."
"There's another tale of a sixth-tier high-grade Unique Spirit Root called the Nirvana Immortal Apricot Tree in the depths of the Eastern Wilderness's Daoist Lord's Holy Land."
"It's said that the Nirvana Immortal Apricot Tree takes a thousand years to flower, another thousand to bear fruit, and a final thousand to ripen, eventually producing three immortal apricots."
"When the immortal apricots ripen, they possess a divine quality. A mortal who smells them can rejuvenate and live up to 200 years. A cultivator who consumes one can undergo nirvana and be reborn, essentially living another lifetime. "
Having been in the Foundation Establishment stage for many years, the elder patriarch had seen and heard much more than the others. When recounting these stories, he spoke with conviction.
Hearing these legends, Chen Qinghao and Elian couldn't help but feel awe and longing.
The third elder swallowed hard and said, somewhat incredulously, "I've only heard tales of the Divine Fruit from the fabled Purple Immortal Tree that can grant immortality. I never imagined Unique Spirit Roots could possess such supreme mysteries."
"You're just uninformed," the elder patriarch chuckled and then added excitedly, "Elian's Spirit Peach Tree, though of a lower grade, is still a Unique Spirit Root. It might be his opportunity to achieve the Dao." (In this case, Unique can be considered a natural spirit root for plant like treasures)
He paused and added, "Of course, most Unique Spirit Roots reach their limit at the fourth tier. Whether they can advance further depends on chance."
"Unique Spirit Roots like the Nirvana Immortal Apricot Tree, which are almost innate plants, are likely exceedingly rare even in the vast Purple Cloud Realm."
"The matter of Unique Spirit Roots is of great importance," the third elder noted cautiously.
"In the future, aside from those who can be absolutely trusted, fewer people should be allowed near Linghu Isle."
Elian silently listened, feeling an urge to use the Primordial Purple Qi to further enhance the foundation of his Spirit Peach Tree. However, he quickly suppressed the thought.
The accumulation of Primordial Purple Qi was no easy feat. He could only gather one breath of it every ten years, and he was only halfway through accumulating his fourth breath.
The Primordial Purple Qi had extraordinary effects, not only tempering his meridians but also refining his physique. It was vital to his chances of breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage. He needed to reserve it for solidifying his foundation.
Moreover, he had a vague sense that after the Spirit Peach Tree reached the fourth tier, its potential would be exhausted. Advancing it further might require more than just a single breath of Primordial Purple Qi.
Additionally, the principle of "a treasured possession invites trouble" was deeply ingrained in him. Enhancing more Unique Spirit Roots without sufficient strength would only make him a target for others.
"Enough about this," the elder patriarch said, ending the discussion. Turning to Elian, he continued, "The reason I specifically called you back is that there's a task I'd like you to handle."
Elian raised his brows slightly but didn't speak, waiting quietly for him to continue.
"The ten-year Border State Barter Conference of Bianzhou is about to begin," the elder patriarch explained.
"I can't leave Pingyang City for too long, and Qinghao's cultivation level isn't sufficient. I'm not comfortable sending him."
"So, I want you to go to Feng County and see if you can trade for Water Essence. Also, buy some Golden Silkworm Silk."
Once the elder patriarch finished, Elian understood the purpose of the trip.
Under the Qingyang Sect's jurisdiction, Chu Kingdom was divided into three regions: Qingzhou, Yangzhou, and Bianzhou. Bianzhou itself was divided into three counties: Yu County, Feng County, and Ling County. These three counties were relatively close geographically, facilitating frequent trade.
Feng County, located in the center of the three counties and governed by the Xu Immortal Clan—a Purple Mansion family—held a Barter Conference every ten years.
The conference allowed Foundation Establishment cultivators from Bianzhou to exchange precious resources they didn't need for treasures they sought.
Across the three counties, there were about 20-30 Foundation Establishment cultivators per county. Including independent cultivators, the total number of Foundation Establishment cultivators in Bianzhou barely exceeded a hundred.
With so few cultivators at this level, opportunities to exchange celestial materials and treasures were rare. Thus, most would not miss the Barter Conference.
In fact, the event also attracted cultivators from Qingzhou, Yangzhou, and even Tianxu Mountain, all seeking valuable cultivation resources.
The elder patriarch's intention for Elian's trip was twofold: to help Chen Qinghao acquire the Water Essence needed to forge the Bright Origin Phantom Sword and to purchase some Golden Silkworm Silk.
Golden Silkworms, second-tier spirit insects, produced Golden Silkworm Silk—a valuable second-tier material used for crafting robes, treasure banners, and formation flags.
After suffering significant losses from Zuo Younian years earlier, including the massacre of a town of mortals, the elder patriarch felt the current defensive formations of several towns were insufficient.
With the family's annual surplus now exceeding 1,200 spirit stones, they had some funds to spare. The elder patriarch hoped to purchase Golden Silkworm Silk to craft more formation flags, thereby enhancing the defenses of Pingyang City and surrounding towns.
These formations needed to withstand a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attack long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Only then could the Chen family's population expansion plans proceed safely.
"I'll have Qinghao oversee Linghu Isle in your absence," the elder patriarch said, handing Elian a storage bag.
"Here are 8,000 spirit stones. During your trip to Feng County, you may also purchase some artifacts for Qinghao and Qingwan as you see fit."
"If you encounter treasures beneficial to the family or yourself, don't hesitate to spend the spirit stones."
Elian accepted the spirit stones, understanding that this was likely all the family's liquid assets pooled together.
...
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