Cultivation: Being Immortal

Chapter 71

Zhonghang Sect，Feilai Peak.

Feilai Peak is the residence of Elder Chen Mingyang, one of the eight elders of Zhonghang Sect. Chen Mingyang's Dao companion, Ouyang Qing, also lives here, along with their disciples.

Chen Mingyang and Ouyang Qing have only a few personal disciples, totaling about ten people. However, Chen Mingyang has many named disciples, although their status is not as high as personal disciples.

Cao Ying has been under Ouyang Qing's tutelage for over a year, and her cultivation has reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. It's not that she can't progress faster, but Ouyang Qing has been asking her to moderate her cultivation.

Rapid cultivation progress is not always beneficial as it can lead to weak foundations. During the Qi Refining Period, there are many spells, techniques, and other knowledge to learn. If one ends the Qi Refining Period prematurely, they might neglect these things, which could pose future risks. Therefore, Ouyang Qing requests Cao Ying to slow down her training.

However, Cao Ying's aptitude is evident. Despite reducing her training time, she learns other things, like spells, very quickly. It takes others several years to go from learning to mastering a spell, but Cao Ying can achieve mastery in just a month or two, which is astonishing.

With such talent and charm, Cao Ying receives much care and affection from her senior brothers and sisters at Feilai Peak. Moreover, she is not arrogant but rather lively and adorable, making her even more likable.

"Master, are you there?"

One day, Cao Ying came to Chen Mingyang's room where he makes potions and shouted loudly.

Chen Mingyang's disciple opened the door and spoke to Cao Ying in a gentle manner. If someone disturbed Chen Mingyang while he was doing alchemy, they would get scolded badly.

"When will Master finish making potions? I need to speak with him."

"It will take a little while, probably an hour. What do you need from my Master?"

"I won't tell you, hehe."

"Little junior sister, my Master is very busy. He may not see you."

"If he doesn't see me, I will go complain to him and make him punish you."

Cao Ying put her hands on her hips, behaving very arrogantly. Chen Mingyang's disciple was speechless. The little junior sister had power, even though she had only been here for a little over a year, she had found out about Chen Mingyang's weak spot.

"Cao Ying, come in."

A voice came from the Alchemy Room, and Cao Ying chuckled as she immediately walked into the Alchemy Room.

"Junior Martial Sister, don't go into the inner room. There is a strange fire inside that your Qi Refining Period can't withstand. Don't get hurt, just wait here."

Chen Mingyang's disciple stopped Cao Ying. The temperature inside the alchemy room was extremely high. Only after he reached the Building Foundation stage was he allowed to enter. He had to maintain his protective aura to avoid being harmed by it. It was possible that Cao Ying, at the Qi Refining Period, would be burned before reaching the front.

Cao Ying didn't barge in. She waited until Chen Mingyang finished alchemy before seeing him. Chen Mingyang appeared to be around forty, with a disheveled appearance. His hair and beard were messy, and his clothes were wrinkled. Standing next to the stunningly beautiful Ouyang Qing, they looked completely mismatched.

However, Chen Mingyang didn't care about his appearance. He was obsessed with alchemy and as long as it didn't hinder his alchemy, he didn't care about anything else.

"Master, master, I made some delicious food. Please try it quickly."

Upon seeing Chen Mingyang, Cao Ying immediately took out several baskets from her storage ring. Inside were piping hot dishes, with delicious colors and aromas.

"Cao Ying, it's not embarrassing to not know how to cook, but don't lie to me. These are clearly the specialty dishes of the masters from the inner Shanshi Canteen. When did you start making them yourself?"

Chen Mingyang sat down and started eating, but he couldn't help but mention Cao Ying's cooking. What she made, seriously, the famous dishes from Shanshi Canteen that those master chefs are known for, he has been eating them for decades, you know.

"Master, I spent my spirit stones on this, I bought it, isn't it mine? No difference."

Cao Ying wasn't the least bit guilty about her cooking being pointed out, on the contrary, she felt justified and confident. If she spent the money, then it's hers, right?

"Alright, alright, it's yours. Little Cao Ying, I can feel your filial piety. So, why is Little Cao Ying being so kind today? Trying to ask for something from Master?"

"Master, you're really smart. I want to ask you for a few Building Foundation Pills, not too many, maybe ten or eight will do."

"Are you planning to eat Building Foundation Pills like food? And you want ten or eight of them?"

"Three or five would also be fine."

"With just one meal, you couldn't even exchange for the dregs of a Building Foundation Pill. And you want to exchange for three or five?"

"Oh, Master, please help me out. In the future, I will praise you more in front of my master."

"Do I need your praise?"

Chen Mingyang frowned, feeling unhappy. He believed he was intelligent and talented, so why would he need others' praise?

"Really? Who got kicked out of the room by my master last month?"

"Ahem, it's none of a child's business, mind your own business."

"Master..."

Cao Ying's first plan failed, so she tried another plan. She directly activated her coquetry mode and approached Chen Mingyang from behind, giving him a shoulder squeeze and a leg punch.

"No, no, no, I can't handle this. Just tell me, what do you need the Building Foundation Pill for?"

Chen Mingyang fell for it. He and Ouyang Qing didn't have children, not because they didn't want to, but because they were too afraid.

The higher the cultivator's cultivation level, the more difficult it is for them to have children. This is because the baby needs to absorb the mother's nutrients inside the mother's body, but the cultivator's body naturally rejects it at the Nascent Soul stage. Female cultivators at this stage have to pay a heavy price to give birth to descendants. Not only does their cultivation progress stop, but it may even regress.

Therefore, female cultivators at or above the Nascent Soul stage hardly give birth, unless it is true love that knows no bounds. In fact, female cultivators at the Golden Core Period also have fewer children.

It is because they don't have children themselves that Chen Mingyang and Ouyang Qing both love children very much, especially the younger and cuter ones.

Cao Ying is lively and adorable, it's true. She is still young, only fourteen years old. In front of their ancient ancestors who are hundreds of years old, there isn't much difference between her and a baby.

The identity of a personal disciple in the cultivation world is very serious. When a disciple apprentices oneself to a master, it is treated like the relationship between a parent and child. "One day as a teacher, lifelong as a father" is not just empty words. Like the previous masters Cao Ying had at the Shanxue School, they had a normal student-teacher relationship. But here, the master treats a personal disciple as a potential successor, and sometimes the personal disciple's status might even surpass that of their own children.

Chen Mingyang and his wife treat Cao Ying as their own daughter. When Chen Mingyang saw Cao Ying starting to act spoiled, he couldn't resist being kind-hearted.

"Master, a few days ago I heard from Martial Uncle Jiang that my uncle has been searching everywhere to buy Building Foundation Pills. Master, you also know that I grew up without parents since I was young, and it was my uncle who took care of me through thick and thin. It was not easy. I still remember when I was eight years old..."

Cao Ying immediately began her performance, cruelly pinching herself on the thigh and forcibly squeezing out a few tears, starting to sob.

"Stop! Where did you learn these messy things, and who taught you?"

"Master, I haven't performed yet, ah, no, I haven't finished speaking yet."

"You tell me who taught you this, I have to break his leg."

"I read it in my book."

"Um, read less of those messy books. If you have no books to read, come to my room. I have the most complete foundation of alchemy in Yun State, and my many years of alchemical experience."

Chen Mingyang rolled his eyes. Zhonghang Sect definitely didn't have these messy books. It must be Cao Ying who read them recklessly when she was in Yunzhong City. Probably books bought by her uncle, it's not nice to scold someone's uncle.

"Okay, Master, then the Building Foundation Pill..."

"Just a Building Foundation Pill, do you have to work so hard? Go find your senior brothers, they definitely have extras with them."

Chen Mingyang said, his several disciples were the core of alchemy in Zhonghang Sect. Outside, they were also advanced alchemists. Just a Building Foundation Pill, they wouldn't care about it.

"Wow, great! Then, goodbye, Master."

"Don't stop massaging my shoulders yet, it's only been a few times."

"I'll go tell Master and ask him to give you a shoulder rub. I'll leave first."

Without looking back, Cao Ying ran away quickly. Chen Mingyang's face turned dark, asking Ouyang Qing to give him a shoulder rub. It would probably turn him into a ball, even if he had three times the courage.

·······

"35,000, 35,000 spirit stones, with no additional bids from any taoist friend. This Building Foundation Pill belongs to this taoist friend."

In the Star Gathering Tower auction, Lin Jiang sat among the crowd wearing a cloak, watching the Building Foundation Pill's price rise from 20,000 to 35,000. He didn't bid any further.

It's not that he couldn't afford the price, but he didn't want to be a fool. Including the commission fee, it would cost around 40,000 spirit stones, which exceeded Lin Jiang's bottom line.

"Clang"

"Congratulations to taoist friend number 74 for winning the Building Foundation Pill. Please come to the backstage for the handover. Now, we move on to the next item for auction..."

(Translated by Gravity Tales 😨)

After a while, seeing no one else bidding, the auctioneer put down the hammer and announced the end of this auction. The Building Foundation Pill was won by the mysterious person in cloak, number 74.

After finishing the auction for the Building Foundation Pill, Lin Jiang quietly left. The Star Gathering Tower is the top commercial establishment in Yunzhong City, and they usually auction around ten Building Foundation Pills each year. If he didn't succeed this time, he could just come back next time. He had plenty of time to spare.

Returning the cloak, Lin Jiang quietly went home. On the way, he glanced at Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao. They were already in a deep sleep. A few days ago, Lin Jiang secretly went to the fake black market in the city and bought a Demon Core. He split it in half and gave it to them to consume. They ate it and fell into a deep sleep. He didn't know when they would wake up.