Chapter 102: Heavenly Origin Golden Cauldron

Even before a maiden was sent over, I had already made mental preparations for this, but when facing Zhang Jian now, I still felt an innate shyness.

Zhang Jian gave a faint chuckle and waved his hand.

Since he walks the path of the mortal world, it's natural he wouldn't avoid women, and his cultivation method imposes no such restriction.

"Of course, if the young master doesn't like them, they can be replaced!"

Hearing this, the two maidens glanced at Zhang Jian, somewhat nervous.

Since childhood, they had been bought by a great clan, screened for physique, and given special training, all to know their backgrounds thoroughly.

They themselves could only stay in the Zhang household; if they couldn't remain before this incomparably handsome young master, they could only end up in the quarters of other young masters.

Although the other young masters of the Zhang family are outstanding, none can compare to this eldest young master.

Not only is he handsome, he is also the youngest genius and talented scholar of Fengyang Commandery.

Furthermore, he is the next head of the Zhang clan, esteemed by the commandery.

"They look fine; let's keep them!"

Having received Zhang Jian's approval, the two maidens exchanged a glance and then stepped forward together to kowtow.

"Thank you, young master; we servants will wholeheartedly attend to you and relieve your worries!"

Zhang Jian revealed a faint smile.

Such maidens have many future uses; they can be concubine-in-waiting, or even if not taken as a concubine, they can serve as spies for the future inner household.

……

After washing up, Zhang Jian calmed his mind again and contemplated the 《Paulownia Mountain Purity Treasure Record》 together with the orthodox auxiliary method 《Golden Cauldron Marvelous Method》.

As for the other method of contemplative spirit nurturing, and the 《Nine Heavens Wind-Riding Thunder-Control Method》, Zhang Jian temporarily set them aside.

And Zhang Jian's choice of the Heavenly Origin Cauldron from the 《Golden Cauldron Marvelous Method》 as his personal magical implement was also well considered.

The 《Golden Cauldron Marvelous Method》 actually includes not just one method for forging cauldrons.

Among the more famous are the Earth Cauldron suited for earth-spirit-root cultivators, the Origin-Nurturing Cauldron, the Demon-Dispelling Cauldron, and other well-known cauldrons.

Zhang Jian chose the Heavenly Origin Cauldron because it is a cauldron suited for the path of qi fortune, possessing a special suppressive power that can quell qi backlash and offers strong defense.

Most importantly, it inherits the lineage of the personal magical implement of the Ancestral Master of the Paulownia Mountain Dao Orthodoxy, the State Altar King Cauldron.

It is said that the Ancestral Master of the Paulownia Mountain Dao Orthodoxy was an ancient sage king who also once founded a state; he once forged a State Altar King Cauldron to suppress the state's qi fortune and rule over vast lands.

In the future, the Heavenly Origin Cauldron can be forged into nine cauldrons, transforming into the Nine Cauldrons that suppress the earth, absorb the spirit of heaven and earth, and nurture one's innate Dao embryo.

This perfectly complements the marvelous method in the 《Paulownia Mountain Purity Treasure Record》.

According to Zhang Jian's research, in the 《Paulownia Mountain Purity Treasure Record》 there is a marvelous method in the Fate-Testing Foundation Establishment stage that can greatly enhance one's ability to refine the dantian.

This is also the foundation of gathering and accepting spirit.

It is also condensing one's dantian into an Origin-Accepting Cauldron.

Only when this Origin-Accepting Cauldron takes shape can one gather the spirit of mountains, rivers, and the state altar, withstand the backlash of the state's qi fortune, and even directly absorb qi fortune as spiritual mechanism to increase one's Dao cultivation.

If one forges a substantive personal cauldron implement, the effect is further enhanced.

Naturally, it also possesses extremely strong defensive power, which exactly suits Zhang Jian's thoughts.

……

"However, the materials for forging cauldrons are indeed extraordinary: the Heavenly Origin Gold Mother born of utmost yang and rigidity, the Earth Mother condensed from the source of earth, the Nine Heavenly Metals, and a special forging flame are also needed!"

Inside the ancestral hall, after slightly contemplating, Zhang Jian immediately felt trouble.

The secret method of the Origin-Accepting Cauldron is fine; he grasped it quite easily, and the Origin-Accepting Cauldron only requires abundant innate qi, or one could try to refine pills to supplement innate qi.

He himself is an innate cauldron implement, so he could achieve it directly in one step.

But the materials needed to forge the Heavenly Origin Cauldron are no small matter.

Although he has just entered the cultivation world, he also knows that each of these main materials is worth a fortune.

Each of the Nine Heavenly Metals is already an exceptional spiritual material, and the two main materials, the Heavenly Origin Gold Mother and the Earth Mother, are surely rare treasures of heaven and earth.

"Perhaps we could first contact the Clearwater Dragon Palace and the Phoenix Spirit Mountain God!"

Zhang Jian's gaze flickered.

As a mountain god, Feng Ling should not be unfamiliar with such primary materials and might be able to give him some help.

But doing so would require leaving the Zhang household of Phoenix Stream County and returning to the commandery seat once again.

But after calculating the time, he also plans to return to the commandery seat.

He must actively prepare for next spring's imperial examination.

After the provincial exam, comes the Ministry of Rites metropolitan exam, and then the palace exam hosted by the Emperor of Great Qian.

Although the worth of civil officials in troubled times is greatly discounted, this can be an opportunity to probe the depths of the Great Qian court!

Having encountered this, Zhang Jian will surely not miss it.

If he can attain the jinshi degree, it will also help the Zhang clan recruit virtuous talents!

……

Deep in Phoenix Nest Mountain, Feng Ling's whole body was enveloped in a layer of rich nine-colored flames; behind her, intense nine-colored divine light emerged, within which a huge phoenix divine bird gradually appeared.

The intense spiritual energy on her surface seemed to transform into a great vortex that merged into her body.

The completeness of the phoenix soul not only allowed her origin to recover, but also granted her the inheritance of the phoenix divine beast lineage.

At this time her cultivation likewise advanced rapidly; after cleansing the resentment on her body, she emanated a layer of heavenly-earthly spiritual essence, a sacred phenomenon where the spiritual mechanisms of all things gather.

The innate foundation of a divine being began to surface.

After a moment, she opened her eyes.

Through the spirit-communication seal deep in her mind, she sensed the incoming message; her eyes twitched, and her form turned into a streak of nine-colored divine light that fell into the depths of Twin Phoenix Mountain.

That was a huge cavern's interior, and what the eye could see inside was multicolored gold-colored raw ore.

What first caught the eye was an enormous gold ore stone several zhang tall, its entire body emanating the pure yang of utmost rigidity and positivity, within which a faint crimson-gold light glimmered.

"This thing should be the Qianyuan Gold Mother, very rare, huh?"

She gazed doubtfully into the mountain's interior, where various ores were piled up like small hills.

Phoenixes do not alight where there is no treasure.

She had long sensed that deep within the Double Phoenix Mountain Range the mineral veins were rich, and there were also not a few rare Phoenix Blood Spirit Gold, but those Phoenix Blood Spirit Gold had been swindled away in large amounts by King Mian's pill-refining furnace.

But what remained was still a considerable amount.

"Bring it all over for Brother Zhang Dao to have a look, to see if anything is missing!"

At this moment, the Spirit of Phoenix Ridge had a faint smile on her jade-like countenance; with a wave of her hand she swept the entire mountain interior clean, and instantly left the mountain interior.

……

In Fengxi County, after Zhang Jian had arranged all affairs properly at the Zhang residence, he then took Zhang Lu and the two maidens, with a squad of soldiers escorting numerous supplies, preparing to head for Fengyang Commandery.

Anyway, since they had to return to Fengyang City, Zhang Jian also prepared plenty of gifts for several elders of the Qi family and a few cousin girls this time.

On the mountain road, Zhang Jian still rode a tall horse, his mind and spirit still circulating magical power, while simultaneously contemplating the cultivation secrets of the Nascent Yuan Cauldron.

In cultivating such a wondrous method, there must be no slip; otherwise, lightly one loses magical power, heavily one injures the dantian, which would affect one's foundation.

But when he had only reached the midpoint of the road, Zhang Jian's gaze turned to the surroundings of the mountain path, and he signaled the troops behind to be on alert.

As far as his eye could see, a dense black wind suddenly appeared upon the mountain ridges.

"A demon?"

Zhang Jian felt somewhat strange; at this time, a demon creature actually came forward to attack him on its own?