Ximen Changkong and Gu Xinlan proceeded with extreme caution, no longer daring to openly travel on their swords for fear of attracting a large number of demonic beasts.
At the edge of the Yunluo Mountains, they encountered Gu Yangyu, who had arrived shortly after, and reported the unusual situation of the demonic beasts in the Yunluo Mountains.
Unbeknownst to them, Gu Yangyu already knew.
After the three returned to Yunjian Mountain, the sect's higher-ups began discussing countermeasures, and conscripting affiliated forces became a consensus.
The number of cultivators each force would recruit needed to be decided
through discussion. Generally, recruitment would be proportional to the actual situation of each affiliated force, for example, conscripting half the cultivators from each affiliated force.
With the beast tide imminent, the Yunjian Mountain higher-ups were highly efficient, deciding on the recruitment of affiliated forces in just one day.
They
also dispatched sect disciples to inform the various affiliated sects and cultivation families of the sect's decision.
These affiliated forces were instructed to arrive at the designated location on Cloud Sword Mountain within the stipulated time.
"Master, I wish to return to the clan to personally deliver the sect's summons," Ximen Changkong requested.
Gu Yangyu nodded in agreement, saying, "You've been at the Foundation Establishment stage for many years; it's only right that you return to the clan. Let Xinlan accompany you. It's time to inform the clan elders about your marriage."
"Yes, I understand."
Years ago, when Ximen Changqing's parents perished, he had also requested to return to the clan, but Gu Yangyu refused.
He wasn't allowed to leave the sect until he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, lest he be targeted by malicious individuals outside.
The two packed their belongings, prepared many gifts, and traveled together to Qingyang Mountain. Traveling by flying spirit boat, they could reach Qingyang Mountain in three or four days at most.
At this moment, in Qingyang Mountain, Ximen Changqing had emerged from seclusion and immediately contacted Sang Xiaoyu.
"Cousin, you've really advanced to the seventh level of Qi Refining! Congratulations!"
After two years apart, Sang Xiaoyu was naturally delighted that Ximen Changqing had indeed advanced to the late stage of Qi Refining.
"Hehe! Little Fish, you must work hard too. By the way, have you tried refining the Spirit Nourishing Pill?" Ximen Changqing asked.
Sang Xiaoyu nodded excitedly: "Cousin, I've already refined several batches of Spirit Nourishing Pills, with honey added, but the success rate is only 50%." "
Just a few batches, reaching 50% is quite remarkable."
He was quite satisfied with the result. After a pause, he entered Sang Xiaoyu's secluded cultivation cave and took out a top-grade magic artifact alchemy furnace: "Xiaoyu, this is a top-grade magic artifact alchemy furnace. After getting used to it, you can try refining first-grade top-quality pills."
"A top-grade magic artifact alchemy furnace! It was made by my cousin?"
Sang Xiaoyu's eyes widened, somewhat incredulous. This cousin always gave her great surprises, even things that she found hard to believe.
"Shh! This is a secret. Xiaoyu, you have a good talent for alchemy, but my talent isn't bad either."
He smiled slightly, took out a bottle of ice jade honey, and handed it to Sang Xiaoyu.
Through casual conversation with Sang Xiaoyu, Ximen Changqing learned that the three major families had been hunting demonic beasts in Yunmeng Mountain for the past two years.
Yunmeng Mountain was quite large, with Yunmeng Marsh to the south and Yunmeng Lake to the north. The demonic beast resources there were more than those in Duanren Mountain and Baihu Mountain combined, naturally requiring more time.
Among them, Yunmeng Marsh is the most dangerous, teeming with poisonous insects and beasts, where one can easily fall victim.
Several cultivators from the three major families perished there.
Yunmeng Marsh also produces various rare spiritual herbs needed by the cultivation world, and many rogue cultivators and family cultivators have perished there in pursuit of these herbs.
The four-year monster-hunting campaign yielded substantial gains for the three Foundation Establishment families.
Their greatest achievement was that their descendants broke through cultivation bottlenecks and entered higher realms during the monster-hunting process.
Sang Xiaoyu and Ximen Changyu made a small fortune through alchemy and talisman-making. They sold their pills and talismans in batches, using the spirit stones to purchase more spiritual herbs and talisman paper.
Now, both of their skills have reached the upper-grade first rank, making them important talents in the Ximen family.
Currently, only Ximen Yunjin and Ximen Renshan among the family's higher-ups know that Sang Xiaoyu is an alchemist, and they have not revealed this.
"Xiaoyu, once you advance to the first-tier top-grade alchemist and become the family's number one alchemist, you can inform the family and ask them to accept you.
In the future, whenever the family needs to refine spiritual herbs, they will let you do it, and may even spend resources to train you."
This was something Ximen Changqing had already planned. Without pushing Sang Xiaoyu's skills to a sufficiently high level, it would be difficult to impress the old fogies in the family, and Xiaoyu would have difficulty gaining the family's approval.
"Cousin, I will work hard." Clearly, Sang Xiaoyu had already agreed to this.
"A flying spirit boat? How can there be a flying spirit boat?" Looking up at the sky, Ximen Changqing frowned.
After the clan's protective formation was activated, the flying spirit boat flew directly to the mountaintop and stopped in front of the council hall. Ximen Changkong and Gu Xinlan came out.
"Grandpa, Second Uncle, Third Uncle..."
Ximen Changkong bowed to the clan elders with great respect, and Gu Xinlan beside him followed suit.
"Changkong, you're finally back. You've already reached the second level of Foundation Establishment. That's fast. And who is this fairy?" Ximen Rende smiled. He had already advanced to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.
After being injured at White Tiger Mountain and recovering, he had unexpectedly advanced to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment. He
obtained two Purple Moon Pills refined by the Pan family, saving eighteen years of arduous cultivation. After two years of seclusion, he finally advanced to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Grandpa, this is my junior sister, Gu Xinlan, who is also my mentor's daughter." Holding Gu Xinlan's hands, Ximen Changkong introduced her boldly.
Gu Xinlan wasn't shy at all, already considering herself her senior brother's Daoist partner.
Ximen Rende looked over in surprise, smiling as he said, "So you're the daughter of True Person Gu? My apologies for my rudeness. How is True Person Gu?"
"My father is well. He asked me to bring some gifts for my grandfather,"
Gu Xinlan answered boldly and directly, startling the Ximen family's higher-ups.
Anyone who wasn't a fool would understand that the relationship between these two was extraordinary, and they were likely to become Daoist partners soon. Their coming together must have been for this purpose.
The gifts from Gu Yangyu were naturally of high quality, quite precious for the Ximen family, and the intention was clear: this was the dowry being delivered first.
What kind of betrothal gifts the Ximen family needed to offer to catch the eye of a Core Formation True Person was a bit of a problem.
Afterwards, Ximen Changkong informed the family's higher-ups about the early beast tide and the sect's conscription of various families.
The Ximen family was originally conscripted with 150 combat points, but Gu Yangyu intervened, reducing the number to 120.
However, this requires deploying five more skilled technicians to offset the thirty combat power points.
Combat power points are determined by a cultivator's cultivation level: one late-stage Qi Refining cultivator equals one combat power point, three mid-stage Qi
Refining cultivators also equal one combat power point, early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators equal thirty combat power points, mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators equal fifty combat power points, and late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators equal seventy combat power points.
Gu Yangyu's intervention was a form of support for the Ximen family, as their five cultivators in the Four Arts of Immortality wouldn't need to fight against the demonic beasts.
The
thirty battle points exchanged for thirty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were crucial for preserving the family's strength.
The Ximen family would send one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, reducing their battle points by seventy, leaving fifty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
With seventy or eighty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, the family had more than enough, and could draw some from affiliated Qi Refining families.
With the addition of five cultivators in the Four Arts of Immortality, the Ximen family would need to send ten, but since they wouldn't need to fight the demonic beasts, sending more wouldn't have much impact.
The demonic beasts were gathering rapidly, and the beast tide was approaching. The sects had given each family very little time to prepare; the Ximen family would have at most five days to prepare before setting off for Cloud Sword Mountain.
Ximen Changkong told the clan elders that after the beast tide, he and Gu Xinlan would become Daoist partners, and their dual cultivation ceremony would be held at Yunjian Mountain.
In a secret room, Clan Chief Ximen Rende, Grand Elder Ximen Renzhi, and Alchemy Pavilion Elder Ximen Renshan gathered together.
Whether it was the Yunjian Mountain summons or Ximen Changkong's marriage, they had to take it seriously.
"I really didn't expect that Changkong would not only be valued by the Grand Elder of Yunjian Mountain, but also be chosen as his son-in-law. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
Ximen Rende frowned slightly, sighing inwardly.
Beside him, Ximen Renzhi sighed, "Brother, this matter is beyond discussion. The Ximen family's past is seven hundred years old. Those people from back then are long gone.
There's no need to think too much about it. The Ximen family has nothing left for others to covet. It's good to have a marriage."
"Second brother is right. With Changkong as our son-in-law, the Ximen family will definitely be taken care of in the future. This time, the sect's recruitment only includes thirty combat points."
Ximen Renshan was quite optimistic about this marriage. He had a sharp eye and could tell at a glance that Gu Xinlan genuinely liked Ximen Changkong.
"Elders and Foundation Establishment cultivators have the right to know about the Ximen family's ancestral affairs. Now that Changkong has reached Foundation Establishment, is he a disciple of Cloud Sword Mountain?"
Thinking about the ancestral affairs made Ximen Rende feel uneasy, even though the situation was complicated back then.
But this sect had indeed occupied the Ximen family's ancestral sacred mountain.
Ximen Renzhi frowned and analyzed seriously, "Brother, it's not advisable to tell Changkong about this. He's already a core disciple of Yunjian Mountain."
"I'm about to marry the daughter of the sect's Grand Elder. Letting him know about these past events would make him uncomfortable.
So many years have passed; there's no point in dwelling on our ancestors' affairs. With the Ximen family in its current state, can we still hope to reclaim Cloud Sword Mountain and bring glory to our ancestors?"
Ximen Renshan nodded repeatedly, having long since given up hope for their ancestors' past glory. He was content just to maintain the foundation-building family status.
"Alright, it's settled then. Let's not talk about those old stories."
Ximen Rende made the decision and looked at his two brothers: "Gu Yangyu's dowry has arrived. Our betrothal gifts can't be too meager. Do you have any objections?"
Upon hearing this, both brothers frowned. The Ximen family was a foundation-building family; what good things could they possibly have that would catch the eye of an eighth-level Core Formation cultivator?
After some deliberation, Ximen Renzhi suggested, "Brother, all we need to do is show sincerity. There's no need to go out of our way to collect rare treasures. Our family's foundation is shallow, and we can't afford to damage it."
"Show sincerity?"
"A thousand-year-old blood ginseng, three six-hundred-year-old purple lingzhi mushrooms, and plenty of spirit fruits, spirit fish, spirit wine, and spirit tea—that's enough."
"Is that really enough?"
"Brother, we're a Foundation Establishment family. It's normal that we can't offer rare treasures. Preparing more low-level supplies will best demonstrate our sincerity."
Ximen Rende nodded. "It seems that's the only way. There's no rush. This time, Cloud Sword Mountain only gave us five days for the recruitment. That's the most urgent matter."
"Brother, let me lead the team of ten cultivators skilled in the four arts of immortality. Bring Yun Jin, Chang Qing, Chang Yu, and Sang Xiaoyu."
To offset the thirty combat power points, the Ximen family mobilized a relatively large number of skilled individuals, and Ximen Renshan volunteered to participate.
"Sang Xiaoyu?" Ximen Rende was completely confused.
Ximen Renshan explained, "Brother, Sang Xiaoyu's alchemy skills are at least mid-grade first rank. This is all thanks to your grandson's training."
"That's right," Ximen Renzhi chimed in. "That kid Changqing made a fortune during the Qingyunfang disaster. Afterwards, he discovered the fox demon cave,
which contained at least a thousand mid-grade first-rank spiritual herbs—more than enough to train an alchemist." Ximen Rende smiled.
He couldn't possibly guess how much wealth his grandson possessed, but it was at least tens of thousands, perhaps even more.
Having identified ten talents in the four arts of immortal cultivation, the three continued selecting late-stage Qi Refining clansmen. Time was of the essence; they needed to finalize the selections as soon as possible.
Outside Sang Xiaoyu's cave, Ximen Changkong and Gu Xinlan walked side by side. This was where he had lived before going to Yunjian Mountain.
Looking at his childhood home, Ximen Changkong was filled with emotion, his eyes slightly reddening.
His happiest times, his most beloved mother, were all gone.
He had longed countless times to return here and reunite with his mother, but instead received news of their deaths.
Things had changed, and besides sighs and sorrow, his heart was filled with boundless hatred; avenging his loved ones had become an obsession.
"Big brother, sister-in-law," Ximen Changqing greeted boldly.
"Sister-in-law?" Gu Xinlan was somewhat surprised, but still very happy, a faint smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.
Ximen Changkong composed himself, looked at his younger brother, slightly surprised, and said with satisfaction, "Not bad, you've already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. Here, take this."
"Big brother, the cultivation resources the family sent you, you haven't touched them?" Ximen Changqing had seen many of the resources in the storage bag.
Ximen Changkong said calmly, "The sect doesn't lack cultivation resources. It's not good to refuse the family's kind offer, so I've kept it for you. There's also one for Xiaoyu. Where's Xiaoyu?"
"Cousin Changkong, I'm here."
Sang Xiaoyu was trying to refine pills using a top-grade magic artifact furnace in her cave. She had increased her success rate by ten percent and was very happy.
"Xiaoyu?"
Ximen Changkong's expression froze, a wave of shock washing over him. Sang Xiaoyu looked so much like his mother.
For a moment, he even thought his mother had returned.
"Senior brother, this?"
Gu Xinlan was also full of surprise. Back then, when Sang Mulan went to Yunjian Mountain, Ximen Changkong was eleven years old, and Gu Xinlan was eight. Naturally, she remembered Sang Mulan's appearance.
"Little Fish looks just like her mother."
Ximen Changkong sighed with emotion, placing the storage bag in Sang Xiaoyu's hands. He caught a whiff of the medicinal fragrance emanating from her and exclaimed in surprise, "Little Fish, you're an alchemist?"
"A first-tier, high-grade alchemist," Sang Xiaoyu replied without hesitation.
Ximen Changkong looked pleased. "That's truly impressive, a first-tier, high-grade alchemist already."
Back then, the Ximen family hadn't intended to take in Sang Xiaoyu, fearing she would bring trouble upon themselves. It was he who invoked Gu Yangyu's powerful backing to reassure the family.
Ximen Changqing didn't mince words, proudly declaring, "Brother, I'm not bad either; I can refine top-grade magic weapons."
"Top-grade magic weapons, not bad, very good, hahaha!" Ximen Changkong laughed heartily, his mood unusually good.
Before returning home, he had worried that Sang Xiaoyu wasn't doing well in the Ximen family, thinking Ximen Changqing was at most at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Unexpectedly
, his two most cherished relatives had become a first-tier high-grade alchemist and a first-tier top-grade weapon refiner, respectively. Ximen Changqing's seventh-level Qi Refining cultivation surprised him greatly. Although his achievements were greater, reaching the second level of Foundation Establishment, he possessed a tenth-grade fire spirit root, lived in a major sect, and received substantial support from the sect. The Ximen family was merely a Foundation Establishment family; how could they compare to Yunjian Mountain? "Chang Kong." Ximen Yunsong walked over. Even after so many years, he recognized his nephew at a glance. "Second Uncle." Ximen Chang Kong nodded in greeting. Ximen Yunsong smiled, looked at the four of them, and said softly, "The family has decided that Changqing and Xiaoyu will both be conscripted. Changqing is a weapon refiner, and Xiaoyu is an alchemist. You will be responsible for weapon refining and alchemy; there won't be any danger." "Second Uncle, I'm already at the seventh level of Qi Refining; it would be best if I were a combatant." The once-in-a-century beast tide—it would be a great pity not to experience it. "Changqing, the once-in-a-century beast tide is very dangerous, far more so than hunting demonic beasts at White Tiger Mountain. Many clansmen will perish. You are a promising weapon refiner; the family won't let you take such a risk," Ximen Yunsong explained. Ximen Changkong commanded, "Changqing, listen to your second uncle, focus on refining the weapon, and don't cause trouble." "Alright! I'll refine it then." Ximen Changqing looked helpless, but thought to himself, "Will I really refine it honestly?" After inquiring about the family's preparations, Ximen Changkong suddenly changed the subject, looking at Ximen Yunsong and asking seriously, "Second Uncle, what exactly happened when the Sang family was wiped out? Is there really no clue at all?" Ximen Yunsong sighed and shook his head, saying, "There really is no clue. The family has done its best." Hearing this, Sang Xiaoyu's face darkened, while Ximen Changqing thought of Song Tianjiang, who knew more than anyone else.
Ximen Changkong was filled with resentment. The murderer who killed his loved ones had remained at large, and he didn't even know who to turn to for revenge.
"They didn't leave a single clue? Who was it, and why did they do this?"
Ximen Changkong's sword-like eyebrows were raised, and his eyes seemed to spit fire.
"From the destroyed spiritual veins, we can tell they were very powerful, at least four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators. They seem to have some deep-seated hatred for the Sang family," Ximen Yunsong said with a frown.
"Four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators? There shouldn't be many forces in Cangzhou that can mobilize four or five Foundation Establishment cultivators!" Ximen Changkong seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
Ximen Yunsong nodded and said, "Indeed, there aren't many, but who can guarantee that they weren't outsiders or a group of forces working together?
There are five Foundation Establishment heretical cultivators in the nearby Jiguanshan Mountain, making them the most suspicious. But destroying spiritual veins doesn't seem like their style."
Hearing this, Ximen Changqing's eyes twitched. The executioners who wiped out the Sang family were none other than those beasts from Jiguanshan Mountain.
Unfortunately, these beasts were merely executioners, and Jiang Tianxie was just a lackey; the mastermind behind it all remained elusive.
Even killing these two wouldn't constitute true revenge unless they could trace the mastermind.
Currently, Ximen Changkong was only at the second level of Foundation Establishment; even with considerable strength, he was no match for Xiong Jinpeng and Jiang Tianxie.
Revenge couldn't be rushed; patience was essential.
Ximen Changqing had several moments where he couldn't resist revealing the executioners who murdered his parents.
But for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to hold back, at least until he reached Foundation Establishment.
"Brother, once I reach Foundation Establishment, let's storm Jiguanshan together. Regardless of whether they are the murderers or not, these evil cultivators must be eliminated."
In Ximen Changqing's view, the evil cultivators of Jiguanshan were a problem that had to be dealt with. Only by removing this thorn in their side could the family expand its influence to Linhaifang.
The East Sea was rich in resources, and Linhaifang was prosperous. Opening shops there would greatly enhance the family's foundation and facilitate access to resources in the East Sea.
As for the mysterious immortal sect behind Xiong Jinpeng, since they dare not show themselves, they must have reasons for not doing so openly, so there's no need to be overly afraid.
Furthermore, Ximen Changqing has no intention of killing Xiong Jinpeng openly.
Back then, Xiong Jinpeng destroyed the Sang family secretly; why should killing him be done openly?
"The beast tide is imminent. Let those evil cultivators of Jiguanshan live a few more years."
Ximen Changkong glared angrily. He was aware of the surprise attack on Qingyang Mountain by Xiong Jinpeng and his group of five.
In that battle, Xiong Jinshu was severely injured, and the cultivation of five members of the Ximen family was crippled.
In just three days, the Ximen family was ready. In addition to the family cultivators, there were ten Qi Refining family cultivators who had been transferred.
The leading Foundation Establishment cultivator was the strongest, Ximen Cangjian. Ximen Rende had recently broken through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment and needed to stay in the family to consolidate his cultivation.
Most of the direct descendants of the Ren and Yun generations participated in the battle, while only Ximen Changfeng and Ximen Changge from the Chang generation participated.
As for Ximen Changqing and Ximen Changyu, they were to stay behind to refine weapons and make talismans, and would not serve as combatants.
The direct descendants of the family had the most potential, and if they were to perish, it would be a great loss to the family.
However, if the direct descendants were to hide in the face of danger, the unity of the family would be greatly affected.
Normally, family resources are tilted towards the direct line, so that they can serve as the backbone in critical moments.
The Pan and Wu families also prepared quickly. Neither family had their combat points reduced; each had 150 combat points.
Besides one late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, they needed 80 late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
The two families almost emptied their late-stage Qi Refining clansmen, each drawing more than ten cultivators from their affiliated Qi Refining clans.
The three teams met at Qingyangfang and headed to Yunjian Mountain together, so they could support each other on the way and avoid danger.
Ximen Changkong and Gu Xinlan were not in a hurry to leave; they traveled with the teams. With the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the three teams would be safer.
None of the three families had flying spirit boats; they traveled by carriage. Each carriage could carry ten people. The Ximen family had six carriages, while the Pan and Wu families each had nine.
Hearing that the Ximen family used five skilled clansmen to replace thirty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, the Pan and Wu families were very envious.
However, this was due to Ximen Changkong's influence and Gu Yangyu's personal intervention; they couldn't obtain it through their own efforts.
Even at the carriage's fastest speed, without stopping, it would take them a month to reach Cloud Sword Mountain.
The time allotted by Cloud Sword Mountain was very tight; they couldn't rest along the way and could only keep traveling.
Ximen Changqing wanted to take a look into the Nine Heavens Space, but he couldn't find the slightest opportunity.
To prevent evil cultivators from causing trouble during the beast tide, Cloud Sword Mountain dispatched multiple enforcement teams to patrol the counties of the six states.
If any evil cultivators were found causing trouble, they would be immediately executed.
If the evil cultivators were powerful, their names would be recorded and reported to the sect, where the Core Formation elders would personally handle the situation.
Dispatching a large number of enforcement teams to patrol the counties while leaving the affiliated families of those counties to fight the beast tide itself seemed to be a way of preserving strength.
But as affiliated forces, they dared not say much; this was the tragedy of being at the mercy of others.
Five hundred miles away from Cloud Sword Mountain, in a small valley, the three major families temporarily resided, awaiting the sect's next orders.
Also arriving were nineteen Foundation Establishment families from Cangzhou, the Danqing Sect from Linhai County, and some rogue cultivators who had come voluntarily to earn spirit stones. Of
the nine Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Danqing Sect, six were present, along with over one hundred Qi Refining cultivators.
It was clear that the stronger the affiliated force, the more heavily they were mobilized.
There were a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators from Cloud Sword Mountain in the small valley. With the family here, they were safe. Ximen Changkong and Gu Xinlan released their flying spirit boat and returned to the mountain gate.
After nightfall, Ximen Changqing cleared a simple cave dwelling, set up a restriction at the entrance, and then entered the Nine Heavens Space.
"So fragrant! It's getting more and more lively and pleasing to the eye."
Since the space had been planted with a large number of abundant level spirit flowers, the fragrance had appeared, and the environment was even more beautiful.
Five hundred Ice Jade Bees flew around, adding to the liveliness. In short, being inside was very comfortable.
With the beast tide imminent, the family cultivators would soon be joining the battle. Ximen Changqing had to do something to minimize the losses for the family cultivators.
The shelves in the cave dwelling were stocked with many good items: over a hundred high-grade magic artifacts, twenty top-grade magic artifacts, and dozens of first-tier high-grade talismans.
At this time, the family cultivators had no shortage of magic artifacts or talismans, but once the great battle began, both magic artifacts and talismans would be lost, inevitably leading to shortages.
He had to step forward to provide reinforcements for the family's cultivators, and he had to keep a low profile.
"One night is only a few days. Let's refine a few batches of healing and spirit-restoring pills first, the kind without any poison." He took out a mid-grade magic weapon pill furnace and prepared to start refining.
When he set off from Qingyang Market, he had purchased first-grade high-quality spiritual herbs in advance, enough to refine five batches of healing pills and five batches of spirit-restoring pills.
These pills were prepared for the family's cultivators, so naturally, they had to be mixed with ice jade honey to prevent them from consuming pills containing poison.
"Twenty-one first-grade high-quality healing pills and nineteen first-grade high-quality spirit-restoring pills, not bad."
A few days later, Ximen Changqing finished refining all ten batches of pills and left the space with a thought.
This amount of pills was naturally not enough for the family's cultivators, so he could only distribute them to a few direct descendants.
"Brother Changqing, what a coincidence."
Just as he stepped out of the cave, a teenage girl walked towards him; it was Pan Yulian.
Ximen Changqing was somewhat surprised. After not seeing her for many years, this little girl had grown even more beautiful and spirited.
"Sister Yulian, you're only thirteen years old, and you're being conscripted too?" Ximen Changqing sighed inwardly; the Pan family must be running out of people.
Before, he had been sitting in the carriage the whole time and hadn't gotten off even once. Last night, he was in a hurry to enter the space to refine pills and hadn't paid attention to anything else.
Pan Yulian nodded and said, "I'm here to refine pills. The clan leader won't let me hunt demonic beasts."
Ximen Changqing smiled knowingly, "What a coincidence. I also have to stay behind to refine artifacts. It's so annoying."
"Annoying? Brother Changqing, here, have a spirit peach and you'll feel better." The Pan family seemed to have many spirit peach trees; every time they met, it was always spirit peaches.
Ximen Changqing accepted the spirit peach and then handed Pan Yulian a golden pear.
Pan Yulian's eyes lit up with joy, "A top-grade spirit fruit, so cute! Thank you, Brother Changqing. I have another spirit peach, here you go."
Ximen Changqing wouldn't let the little girl suffer a loss, so he handed her another golden pear, making Pan Yulian grin from ear to ear.
Not long after, Pan Yuruo, Wu Xuansong, and the others arrived. They had made prior arrangements, wanting Ximen Changqing to refine top-grade magic artifacts for them if needed.
Ximen Changqing didn't refuse; as long as the quantity wasn't too large, he didn't mind having these people owe him a favor.
"Changqing, are those young men from the Pan and Wu families here to have you refine weapons?"
"Yunjian Mountain will assign you weapon-refining tasks, but you might not have much time. You need to prioritize refining weapons for your clansmen."
Ximen Yunlong and the others came over and advised him.
"Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Second Brother, Third Brother, please share the spirit pills that the Pan family exchanged." He took out forty high-grade pills and gave ten to each of the four men.
The four were overjoyed to receive ten pills each.
Soon, the tasks assigned by Yun Jian Mountain arrived. The twenty-three Foundation Establishment forces of Cangzhou, along with the accompanying rogue cultivators, were to deploy defenses at Black Eagle Mountain, ten thousand miles to the west.
There lay a mid-grade third-tier spiritual vein, a property of Yun Jian Mountain, with over five thousand acres of cultivated spiritual fields, garrisoned by twenty-five Foundation Establishment cultivators and over five hundred Qi Refining cultivators.
A mid-grade third-tier array, with several late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, would be sufficient to withstand attacks from Core Formation cultivators.
During beast tides, tens of thousands of low-level demonic beasts would frequently attack the array's light barrier.
Even the strongest third-tier array couldn't withstand the continuous onslaught of massive numbers of demonic beasts; reinforcements were essential.
Cangzhou had gathered sixty Foundation Establishment cultivators and over two thousand Qi Refining cultivators, who would become the true defensive force after entering Black Eagle Mountain.
However, they had no command authority; all actions had to be obeyed by Yun Jian Mountain. Their command to guard the array was a matter of obedience.
They were ordered to break through the protective formation and fight the demonic beasts outside, and they had no choice but to obey; there was no room for negotiation. Talented cultivators
from various sects, skilled in the four arts of cultivation, also went along, responsible for providing the combatants with consumed magical artifacts, talismans, and pills.
To better control these subordinate forces, Cloud Sword Mountain specifically dispatched a Core Formation cultivator to oversee the operation. Any cultivator who disobeyed would be dealt with directly.
This Core Formation cultivator was Shui Haoxuan, a taciturn middle-aged man at the fourth level of Core Formation, who always had a cold face and seemed to owe everyone something.
A few days later, a massive force of several thousand people arrived at Black Eagle Mountain.
Cloud Sword Mountain's reward and punishment system was officially announced, not much different from previous recruitment drives.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator who fell would receive 50,000 sect contribution points as compensation, and a Qi Refining cultivator who fell would receive 1,000 sect contribution points.
Killing a high-grade Tier 1 demonic beast would reward 100 contribution points, a mid-grade only 50, and a low-grade only 20.
Killing a Tier 2 high-grade demonic beast rewards 1000 contribution points, a mid-grade beast 500, and a low-grade beast 200.
Foundation Establishment cultivators receive half the contribution points for killing a Tier 1 demonic beast.
Cultivators responsible for the four arts of immortal cultivation—alchemy, weapon crafting, and talisman making—also receive contribution points, awarded based on task completion, with higher rewards for exceeding targets.
Sect contribution points belong to the clan, while individual contribution points belong to the individual, but these points can be gifted to each other.
Yun Jian Mountain's compensation was rather stingy; a mere 50,000 sect contribution points were only enough to exchange for half a Foundation Establishment Pill.
A Foundation Establishment family would need to lose two Foundation Establishment cultivators to exchange for one pill.
Qi Refining cultivators were even less valuable; it would take the loss of a hundred to gather enough for one pill.
As affiliated forces, even if they harbored resentment, they had no choice but to obey. Yun Jian Mountain stated that helping the sect resist the beast tide was the obligation of all affiliated forces.
They couldn't dwell on losses, nor could they expect full compensation from the sect.
Fortunately, hunting demonic beasts could earn contribution points; if enough were hunted, a large number of contribution points could be obtained.
To prevent the excessive exchange of Foundation Establishment Pills, Yun Jian Mountain set an exchange limit of only fifty pills. After that, only other cultivation resources could be exchanged.
Furthermore, to prove the killing of a demonic beast, the corpse of the beast needed to be handed over to Yun Jian Mountain, for which the sect would provide an additional compensation in spirit stones equal to half the market price.
For example, a hunted first-tier high-grade demonic beast is worth 500 spirit stones. After handing it over to Cloud Sword Mountain, one can obtain 100 sect contribution points and 250 spirit stones.
In reality, it's still a loss; 100 sect contribution points are only worth 100 spirit stones, totaling only 350 spirit stones, which is like selling it to Cloud Sword Mountain at a 30% discount.
But the calculation can't be done that way. Contribution points can be exchanged for Foundation Establishment Pills and many cultivation resources that can't be bought outside, which are incomparable to spirit stones.
The demonic beasts in the Cloud Luo Mountains are widely distributed and diverse, with low-level demonic beasts having low intelligence.
Organizing a large number of demonic beasts is an extremely complicated task.
For this reason, more than a month has passed, and the demonic beast army has not yet been fully assembled. The participating cultivators from various Foundation Establishment forces are all recuperating.
And the four talents of cultivation are about to receive their mission.
At the highest peak of Black Eagle Mountain, Shui Haoxuan, a fourth-level Core Formation cultivator, sat in a chair with a cold expression. Beside him were several of his disciples, the one in front missing an arm.
"Master, news from the Yunluo Mountains indicates the demon beast army won't arrive at Black Eagle Mountain for at least two more months. We have plenty of time to prepare," the one-armed cultivator said.
Shui Haoxuan reprimanded him harshly, "Plenty of time? Do you know how many demon beasts have gathered, or how many more will be sent as reinforcements? Can Black Eagle Mountain's great formation withstand such a devastation?"
"Master is right. This disciple was reckless."
Shui Haoxuan looked at his disciples and said irritably, "Listen up, all of you. This century-old beast tide is no child's play.
None of you have experienced it before, so I can't blame you. But if anyone fails to perform well or makes a mistake, don't blame me for disregarding our master-disciple relationship."
With that, he smashed the table next to him with his palm, and the disciples were too frightened to look up.
He seemed to enjoy their trembling appearance, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry too much.
As long as you do well, you will be rewarded accordingly. By the way, the sect and the various families' Four Arts talents should get busy too."
"Master, this is the plan I devised," the one-armed cultivator handed over a jade slip.
Shui Haoxuan pressed the jade slip to his forehead, opened his eyes wide, and roared, "Insolence! Is this all the tasks each family has? Why is the Ximen family's ten cultivators the same as a family with only five cultivators?"
Zhao Yong looked fearful and hurriedly explained, "Master, the talents in the four arts from each family are generally too poor in aptitude. Too many would be impossible to complete. As for the Ximen family, it was Junior Brother Changkong who specifically instructed us to do so."
"Insolence! No matter whose disciple Ximen Changkong is, that's no excuse for favoritism. The Ximen family's cultivators must be the same as the others, with more, not less!"
Shui Haoxuan scolded, then focused his gaze and said, "The workload for each family's cultivators will be doubled. Those who don't complete it will receive no contribution points."
"Yes, disciple understands."
Shui Haoxuan waved his hand contentedly, instructing his disciples to prepare immediately.
Zhao Yong, along with several junior brothers, personally went to assign the tasks.
"Senior Brother Zhao, are you sure we don't need to take care of the Ximen family? What if Senior Brother Ximen asks?"
"Senior Brother Ximen just has a bit of a temper, but he's usually quite considerate of us.
" Zhao Yong said impatiently, "This is Master's decision. Why don't you go and discuss it with Master?"
"Senior Brother is joking, Junior Brother wouldn't dare." The two disciples shrank back in fear.
There are a total of 180 cultivators in the four arts of cultivation at Black Eagle Mountain, 30 at Cloud Sword Mountain, and 150 from affiliated forces and independent cultivators.
When Zhao Yong issued the task, the cultivators at Cloud Sword Mountain remained relatively calm, but the cultivators in the four arts of cultivation from the various Foundation Establishment forces were somewhat frustrated.
The task exceeded the capabilities of most Foundation Establishment families, which annoyed them.
"Come on! Distribute the materials. It must be completed within ten days. This is only the first wave of tasks. The beast tide will last at least five years. I'll have to trouble you all."
Ximen Changqing was slightly surprised. The tasks assigned to each family were heavy, but the Ximen family's seemed even heavier, practically impossible to complete under normal circumstances.
However, with the Nine Heavens Space and Ximen Changqing, a master of all four arts, the task could be completed easily.
"Senior, this task is too heavy; it's impossible to complete," a family cultivator frowned and objected.
He was a first-tier low-grade weapon refiner, and even with elixirs, he couldn't complete the task.
Zhao Yong smiled calmly: "If you don't complete it, you won't get sect contribution points. If the materials are ruined, you'll have to pay for them."
"Senior." "
The tasks for the Cloud Sword Mountain disciples are the same as yours; no one is exempt."
After assigning the tasks, Zhao Yong left with several junior brothers.
Ximen Renshan frowned deeply. The task given by Cloud Sword Mountain was too heavy; with the Ximen family's strength, it was simply impossible to complete.
Zhao Yong not only didn't favor the Ximen family, but actually increased the task by ten percent.
"Third Uncle, my pill-refining success rate is barely enough. If I keep refining pills, the success rate will definitely drop by 10% or 20%."
Ximen Yunjin is just one step away from becoming a first-grade high-level alchemist, and he feels immense pressure for this mission.
This time, the Ximen family has ten talents in the four arts of cultivation: five are alchemists, three are weapon refiners, and two are talisman makers.
"Alas, this is the tragedy of affiliated forces. Not only are we conscripted to risk our lives at the front, but we are also harassed." Ximen Renshan said with resentment, but
he was helpless. "Third Uncle, Fifth Uncle, don't worry. Xiaoyu can complete 40% of the pill-refining task by herself. I'll take care of weapon refining, and Changyu will handle the talisman making."
Ximen Changqing said with a smile, and winked at the two of them.
"Xiaoyu, what is the success rate of the Nourishing Spirit Pill?" Ximen Renshan asked.
Sang Xiaoyu smiled, "The success rate of pill formation is at least 70%."
"70%? That's amazing!"
Everyone was greatly surprised, not expecting this little girl to be so capable.
Ximen Renshan blushed, too embarrassed to reveal his own success rate.
After the younger generation left, Ximen Renshan stroked his beard and said seriously, "Yunjin, Xiaoyu is a talent. She must become a member of the Ximen family.
Let that brat Changyu keep a close eye on her. If he loses her, see how I deal with him."
"Don't worry, Third Uncle, Changyu and Xiaoyu have been inseparable since childhood. She won't run away."
Ximen Yunjin smiled knowingly, having the same plan in mind.