A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu’s Rebirth as the Reincarnation Dao Ancestor - Chapter 168

Chapter 166 Four Spirit-Stabilizing Pills

Her biggest worry had always been her fourth disciple.

Her eldest and second disciples hadn’t suffered much following her.

Xuan’er, following the Old Demon Yunlu, hadn’t been mistreated either.

Her fifth disciple had family backing and had become a Core Formation cultivator years ago.

Her youngest disciple, Song Yu, was even less of a worry.

But her fourth disciple, Han Li, was also her only male disciple, the one she felt most guilty and regretful about.

“Have you seen Xuan’er?”

Hong Fu found a futon that had been prepared earlier and sat down.

Han Li then offered his mentor some spiritual tea:

“Master, rest assured, I have already seen Senior Sister Xuan’er.”

He had seen her from afar.

And that was enough.

“Back then, I understood your good intentions,”

Hong Fu sighed as she accepted the tea.

It was this disciple who had used his scheme to persuade her Hongying Mountain lineage to leave the Golden Drum Plain battlefield, saving her lineage.

If not for that, she and her two disciples would likely have perished.

In that battle, the reinforcements from the original Yue Kingdom’s six factions, Yuanwu Kingdom’s three factions, and Zijin Kingdom’s several factions suffered heavy losses.

More than half of the Core Formation stage cultivators perished.

Several Nascent Soul seed cultivators were specifically targeted by the demonic path and hunted down.

Even a powerful figure like Old Monster Qiong, considered the “number one below Nascent Soul,” perished.

Old Monster Qiong was someone who could even fight Nascent Soul cultivators for several moves.

In the end, he still couldn’t escape the encirclement and killing of more than a dozen Core Formation stage demonic cultivators.

Furthermore,

both the opportunity of the spiritual energy released from the Spirit Eye Spring and the scheme of entering the forbidden area twice continued to bring Red Tassel Mountain considerable benefits and provided her with significant assistance.

If it weren’t for these, she wouldn’t have been able to achieve Nascent Soul formation by chance.

Moreover, if it weren’t for the scheme of entering the forbidden area twice, which allowed Huangfeng Valley to secretly obtain a large amount of forbidden area spiritual herbs and use some of them to refine thousands upon thousands of Foundation Establishment Pills, Huangfeng Valley would definitely not have had a life second only to the Hidden Moon Sect after going to Beiliang Kingdom.

One of the main reasons why Patriarch Linghu hadn’t bothered her for a century was precisely this:

he feared she would expose the matter and anger the other five families of the former Yue Kingdom.

After all,

everyone was tightening their belts; where would Huangfeng Valley get the resources to spend lavishly?

If she hadn’t possessed “this secret” and “this achievement,” thus holding a small but significant grip on Huangfeng Valley’s lifeline for at least a century, she wouldn’t have had the confidence to break ties with Patriarch Linghu in a fit of anger.

In other words

, her current achievements were largely due to this disciple.

In short, she, as the master, had actually been taken care of by this disciple all along.

It’s just that she hadn’t realized it at first.

This wasn’t hard to see after she reached Nascent Soul stage and looked back.

“Master, you flatter me. I owe my good start to all thanks to your protection and care. Otherwise, back then, when I was only at the low-level Qi Refining stage, I wouldn’t have even been able to keep my first Foundation Establishment Pill upon entering Huangfeng Valley,”

Han Li said with a smile.

“Moreover, if it weren’t for you taking me in, Master, and allowing me to enjoy the shade under your big tree, and agreeing to let me participate in the Ascension Conference, which allowed me to luckily obtain my second Foundation Establishment Pill, I would have found it extremely difficult to achieve what I have today without resources.”

As the saying goes, a slow start leads to many slow starts.

The significance of those two Foundation Establishment Pills was immense.

They were the crucial fulcrum that unlocked all subsequent opportunities.

Master Hongfu himself might not have realized the importance of those two Foundation Establishment Pills,

but he understood them all too well.

“…”

The two then engaged in another round of pleasantries, catching up on all sorts of topics.

Mentioning the past, Master Hongfu suddenly asked a question that had been lingering in her mind:

“Back then, during the Yan family incident, did you foresee the Ghost Spirit Sect’s arrival? You went to great lengths to bring me, Lei Wanhe, and Li Huayuan along, knowing that the Ghost Spirit Sect’s young master, Wang Chan, would be attending the treasure-hunting event at Yanling Fortress, right?”

Han Li smiled without answering.

He neither denied nor admitted it.

“Indeed,”

Hongfu thought to herself.

Then she shook her head:

“It’s a pity. Originally, the six sects and the other two countries could have avoided a huge loss.”

This was one of the reasons why Hongfu dared to leave Huangfeng Valley and why Elder Linghu didn’t push her too far.

It was because the losses of Yuanwu Kingdom, Yue Kingdom, and Zijin Kingdom could actually be largely avoided. If the more than ten Nascent Soul level sects of the three kingdoms had known about the traitor in Spirit Beast Mountain in advance, and had taken precautions against Spirit Beast Mountain’s betrayal, or even set traps for them, then the situation would have been very different.

However, what should have been a celebration for the dozen or so sects of the Three Kingdoms was ruined by a small, flawed decision by someone, leading to a delay in information dissemination. It was too late to reverse the situation.

If the matter of the remnant soul of the Yuling Sect cultivator were to be exposed, Han Li might be hated by many cultivators, but Linghu Patriarch would be nailed to the pillar of shame.

Huangfeng Valley might even face retribution from the Three Kingdoms’ immortal sects, having lost their foothold.

“Master, isn’t this better?”

Han Li smiled.

“If you stay in Huangfeng Valley, you definitely won’t get the Spirit-Stabilizing Pill, and you certainly won’t enjoy the full support of Master Muli and the other two from Luoyun Sect.”

“Not only that, you’ll also be assigned to the front lines to fight the Mulan people, to charge into battle.”

Knowing Linghu Patriarch as he did, and given Linghu’s nature, he was absolutely capable of doing it.

“If you’re lucky, you might kill a couple of harmless Core Formation cultivators. If you’re unlucky, you might run into a Nascent Soul elder from the Mulan people, or be thrown out on a dangerous mission, where you might die at any moment.”

Sending high-level cultivators from Huangfeng Valley and the other six sects of the former Yue Kingdom on dangerous missions is something the higher-ups of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance would do.

None of the Lei Wanhe lineage from the original trajectory could escape unscathed.

Lei Wanhe and Nie Ying almost perished.

Li Huayuan died even earlier.

From this, it’s easy to see the brutality of the battlefield at the high-level cultivator level.

“Master, your arrival at Luoyun Sect is purely a matter of perfect timing, location, and people,”

Han Li said, taking a sip of spiritual tea.

“Were all of this part of your calculations?”

Hong Fu suddenly asked.

Han Li calmly put down his teacup and waved his hand:

“Master, this disciple is not so prescient.”

He simply thought Cheng Lü and his companion were easy to talk to and relatively reliable, and that their master, Master Mu Li, was likely also reliable.

He also assumed that the three Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn’t make things difficult for Hong Fu’s master. He even thought that

the three of them might accept their master.

However, he hadn’t expected Master Mu Li and Cheng Lü of the Luo Yun Sect to be so decisive.

You see, in other sects, all sorts of good things are usually piled on individuals. For example, in Huangfeng Valley, the Spirit Eye Stone would never be given to a Core Formation cultivator. But Master Mu Li of the Luo Yun Sect gave the Spirit Eye Stone to Hong Fu’s master, not Cheng Lü. What

‘s even more outrageous is that Cheng Lü knew this, but not only did he not complain, he wholeheartedly supported it.

Who could have foreseen this?

Just look at the Grand Elder of the Yan Yue Sect.

Even normal people harbor resentment, even bitterness.

“What brings you here? You didn’t just come to see your master, did you?”

Master Hongfu put down her teacup.

Han Li thought for a moment, then handed over a storage bag:

“This disciple wishes to make a deal with the Luoyun Sect.”

“This disciple needs… four Spirit-Stabilizing Pills!”

“Furthermore, this disciple needs the refining method for Mingqing Spirit Water and as many ancient pill formulas as possible.”

“Please grant my request

, Master!” Hongfu’s eyes twitched violently upon hearing this:

“Have you thoroughly researched Spirit-Stabilizing Pills?”

Han Li nodded: “The Spirit-Stabilizing Pill can not only enhance the cultivation of cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, but also calm the mind and soul, reducing the invasion of inner demons. If one takes one before forming the Nascent Soul, it can significantly reduce the difficulty and make the process much easier.”

“Refining the Spirit-Stabilizing Pill requires many precious thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and the pure liquid secreted by the Spirit Eye Tree every two hundred years as a key ingredient. In other words, Yunmeng Mountain can only refine one or two batches of Spirit-Stabilizing Pills every two hundred years.” “

Furthermore, only a few elders of the Luoyun Sect are capable of refining the Spirit-Stabilizing Pill.” “

Therefore, any Spirit-Stabilizing Pill can be fiercely sought after by late-stage Core Formation cultivators.”

“If a Nascent Soul cultivator has descendants who need it, they won’t hesitate to compete for it.”

As Han Li spoke, his knuckles unconsciously tapped lightly on the table.

“Since you know this, why do you want four at once?”

This is most of the Luoyun Sect’s stock.

“Master, look at what I’m giving you, and then we’ll see if it’s worth it,”

Han Li said calmly.

He was a man who repaid kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge. He would repay a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude.

On the other side, Master Hongfu, after glancing at the storage bag, immediately took a deep breath.

Her hand holding the storage bag trembled slightly.

There was no other reason.

The resources inside the storage bag were too abundant; even a Nascent Soul cultivator would be tempted to kill for its treasure!

Eight high-grade spirit stones!

Eight thousand

mid-grade spirit stones. Eight level-six demon cores.

Two level-seven demon cores!

And some spiritual items that aided in core formation, as well as several pill formulas using demon cores.

The demon cores and spirit stones were enough to make a Nascent Soul cultivator covet a Core Formation cultivator.

Such wealth was simply irresistible. Even she felt a moment of greed.

Then she secretly gritted her teeth.

As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted.

Han Li, having survived this long, must understand this principle.

For a Core Formation cultivator, high-grade spirit stones were definitely not something to be revealed.

Even high-grade demon cores of level six or seven shouldn’t be taken out.

But this child, as if out of his mind, took them out with an attitude of complete honesty…

How much trust does this child have in her?

Therefore,

the words of refusal that were about to come out of her mouth were swallowed back.

“I will do my best to fight for you, give me some time. By the way, I need to take this storage bag with me, you…”

“Thank you for your trouble, Master.”

Han Li had no intention of taking back the storage bag.

Master Hong Fu looked at the storage bag in her hand, glanced at the high-grade demon cores and high-grade spirit stones, then stood up, looked up, and gave her disciple a deep look before leaving in a hurry.

She didn’t know what kind of amazing wealth her disciple was carrying, but she knew very well that this might be an opportunity for the Luo Yun Sect to rise. If they seized it, it would be no problem to have more than a dozen Core Formation stage cultivators, and in the next two hundred years, it was possible to have one or two more Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Even she might benefit from it.

After Master Hong Fu had gone far away, Han Li finally let out a breath of turbid air.

…

In the council hall of the Luoyun Sect,

Cheng and Lü gasped upon seeing the contents of the storage bag.

“These demon cores are mostly water-attribute, looking like those of sea monsters.”

“The Boundless Sea has been polluted for countless years; it’s unlikely they originated within the territory of our Heavenly Dao Alliance…”

“And these high-grade spirit stones…”

Cheng and Lü exchanged glances, forming a bold guess.

“Alright, Senior Brother Cheng and Senior Brother Lü, let’s not waste time with nonsense. Would you two be willing to part with these four Spirit-Stabilizing Pills?”

Hong Fu interrupted.

She wasn’t stupid; how could she not suspect certain possibilities?

But her own disciples were so frank, and the benefits primarily served her needs. What reason did she have to investigate further?

Even if she didn’t protect her disciple’s opportunities, she should at least prevent those around her from harboring undue covetousness.

If Senior Brother Cheng and Senior Brother Lü dared to harbor ill intentions towards her disciple, she would rather betray Master Mu Li than linger in the Luoyun Sect any longer. She would definitely protect her disciple and escort him away. Whatever was owed, she would repay in due time.

Her impatient tone immediately sobered Cheng and Lü.

They exchanged another glance, shaking their heads and chuckling.

“Junior Sister Hongfu, your disciple is truly blessed.”

This was clearly a pointed remark.

“Junior Sister, why not ask him if he’d like to join our Luoyun Sect? That would fulfill your master-disciple bond. If he’s willing to join, we’ll treat him like our own child and nurture him with all our might. Once he has the status of a direct descendant of the sect, why bother with such a formal transaction for four Spirit-Stabilizing Pills?” Once

he joins their Luoyun Sect, he’ll be one of them, and the three of them could give them without breaking the rules.

After all, Nascent Soul cultivators had no need for Spirit-Stabilizing Pills.

“Two senior brothers, that child’s heart isn’t here…”

“Hmm?”

What did she mean?

“His demand for so many Spirit-Stabilizing Pills must have ulterior motives. As his master, I haven’t been able to help him much in the past. This time, Junior Sister wants to help him this time. Please grant my request, Senior Brothers.”

Cheng and Lü exchanged a few words with furrowed brows, then sighed regretfully.

If Han Li and Hong Fu didn’t have a master-disciple relationship, they certainly wouldn’t hesitate to ambush such a fat sheep of a rogue cultivator.

But they couldn’t do something as foolish as pushing their own Nascent Soul cultivators away. They

had finally managed to stabilize Hong Fu, but they absolutely couldn’t push this lineage away again. Wouldn’t they become the same as old man Linghu, a huge laughing stock among the Nascent Soul cultivators in the cultivation world?

Besides,

Han Li trusted and took good care of the Hongying Mountain lineage. He was especially generous to his junior sister Song Yu…

“Senior Brother, isn’t this fourth disciple under Junior Sister Hong Fu being a bit too nice to Nephew Song?”

“Hmm?”

The two old foxes exchanged a glance.

“How about we let Junior Nephew Song give it a try?”

“Of course we should give it a try.”

Since they couldn’t keep the person here with Junior Sister Hongfu, they might as well have the Song family girl try to persuade them. It wouldn’t hurt to   give it a shot

. The two agreed, their expressions unchanged, but inwardly they were already chuckling with delight.

“Junior Brother, actually, I suspect that kid is just baiting us, or even testing us…” “Ah? Why do you say that, Senior Brother?”   ”Any rogue cultivator who has reached the late Core Formation stage has undergone various trials and tribulations to grow. They are not easy to deal with. And who knows, that kid might be up to no good, trying to use this transaction to see our character and make Junior Sister Hongfu look down on us.”   ”Tsk…”   That’s quite possible.   Once they make a move, the probability of Hongfu siding with them is extremely low. They   might not only fail to seize the opportunity but also get themselves into trouble.   Thinking of this, the two felt a chill run down their spines:   ”Good lad, good scheme! He’s really putting himself in the game!”   ”Win him over?”   ”We must win him over!”   Their Luoyun Sect desperately needs someone like him!   ”Moreover, that kid is only a little over 150 years old, but his cultivation has reached the late stage of Core Formation, and he still has three or four hundred years of lifespan left. Even when I pass away, he will still be alive and well. His chances of forming a Nascent Soul in the future are still very high. If he can become a Daoist partner with Song, cultivate the Dao together, support each other, and jointly form a Nascent Soul, our Luoyun Sect might be able to replace the Ancient Sword Sect as the true leader of Yunmeng Mountain…”   Most of the others joined their Luoyun Sect with impeccable integrity. But if this kid joined, he would definitely be a free agent.   ”Junior Sister, let’s not make this trip. How about letting Song deliver the things?”   Cheng and Lü smiled gently.   Hong Fu: “You two senior brothers have agreed to the deal?”   Lü Luo said seriously: “Of course.”   Cheng Tiankun stroked his beard and nodded: “Junior Sister has been so tactful, how can we not help her?”   Hong Fu: Why does she feel that the two senior brothers look very cunning and foxy when they smile?   (End of this chapter)