Chapter 103: Foundation Establishment Clues! Trade and Risk!

Wang Shan became the Elder of this pioneer camp, and his days have indeed become much more comfortable.

Before, if he wanted to get any materials, he had to hustle to the trading district himself, or boldly approach Xiong Ba.

Now it's different: with a word from Elder Wang, the resources that can be mobilized in the camp are given to him first for selection. Of course, Family Contribution Points still have to be paid; brothers keep accounts straight, and Wang Shan understands that rule.

That day, he stood with his hands in his pockets, pacing inside his stone house, which was much larger than the others'. In the corner were piles of newly collected Spirit Plant seeds and low‑tier beast materials, and the Spirit Plant Points on his system panel had also risen a little.

"The gathered Qi materials are about seven or eight, this stuff can sustain cultivation for a while," Wang Shan muttered to himself. "But no matter how much Body Refining is twisted, it's still mundane. Foundation Establishment, it must be built!"

The string in his mind stayed taut on the words "Foundation Establishment Pill." This thing isn't a common cabbage; it doesn't just appear. The main ingredient, Purple Monkey Flower, is something only a few have even heard of.

"Bear Leader!" Wang Shan decided and went straight to Xiong Ba.

Xiong Ba was shirtless, huff huff, lifting a stone the size of a millstone to train his strength. When he saw Wang Shan enter, he casually tossed the stone aside, and with a "Boom", the ground trembled three times.

"Old Wang brother, rare guest! What's up, another new pill to present to big brother?" Xiong Ba wiped his sweat and grinned.

Wang Shan also smiled: "Bear Leader, you're joking. The pills are indeed there, but I came today to inquire about something from you."

"Oh? Speak." Xiong Ba swallowed.

"Leader, you've roamed the Man Yun Mountain Range for years and have many contacts; I'd like to ask whether there's any way, in those mountains or near Heishi Town, to obtain… hmm, some especially rare Spirit Plants or pills?" Wang Shan's words were a bit vague.

Xiong Ba's eyes flickered: "Especially rare? How rare? Old Wang brother, you're now an Elder; anything the camp can provide, just ask. If the camp doesn't have it, then it's a different story."

"Rarer than second‑tier materials, perhaps… a key ingredient for forging some special pills," Wang Shan weighed his words.

Xiong Ba pondered briefly: "I see… I know a few old guys who specialize in delving deep into remote forests; maybe they know something. But those slick veterans are each as sharp as monkeys, they won't let a rabbit go unseen."

"Please, Leader, recommend me; after the matter succeeds, I'll repay you greatly," Wang Shan bowed.

"Easy enough! Little brother, your pills and Talisman are the best reward!" Xiong Ba pounded his chest. "Come, I'll take you to meet Old Knife Scar; that fellow has been roaming the mountains for decades, as familiar with them as the monkeys."

The "Old Knife Scar" Xiong Ba mentioned was an elderly man with a dark complexion and a truly fierce scar across his face, his cultivation at the eighth level of Body Refining, yet his gaze sharper than many ninth‑level Body Refiners. He lived alone in a secluded stone cave, its entrance draped with air‑dried beast skins and herbs.

"Old Knife Scar, my brother Wang Shan, Elder Wang, wants to ask you something," Xiong Ba's voice remained booming.

Old Knife Scar squinted, examined Wang Shan, and in a hoarse voice said: "Bear Leader's face must be honored. What does Elder Wang wish to ask?"

Wang Shan didn't beat around the bush: "Old Master, I, a junior, seek a Spirit Plant called Purple Monkey Flower; have you ever heard of or seen it?"

"Purple Monkey Flower?" Old Knife Scar raised an eyebrow, his eyes flickered. "That name is fresh… Elder Wang, what do you intend to use this flower for?"

"To forge a pill that greatly benefits cultivation," Wang Shan replied, his heart tightening; the old fellow's reaction was theatrical!

Old Knife Scar fell silent for a moment, as if recalling. "A purple, monkey‑shaped Spirit Plant…" he spoke slowly. "Many years ago, deep in the Man Yun Mountain Range, at a place called Ghost Sorrow Cliff, I once saw from afar a strange purple little flower clinging to a sheer cliff. Its shape… actually resembled a crouching little monkey."

Wang Shan's heart pounded; the system panel promptly popped up a prompt: 【Target description matches Purple Monkey Flower 85%, growth environment compatible.】

"That place is extremely sinister!" Old Knife Scar continued, "I only glanced from afar and felt my whole body hair stand up. Around that cliff, at least three third‑tier peak Crimson Flame Flying Lizards were perched; that creature can spew a mouthful of fire that can melt stone! I wouldn't dare get close."

Third‑Tier peak beast! Wang Shan inhaled, the difficulty was no small matter.

"Old Master, could you describe in detail the location of Ghost Sorrow Cliff and the surrounding beasts?" Wang Shan tried to keep his tone calm.

Old Knife Scar chuckled, showing a yellow tooth: "Elder Wang, this information… isn't given for free."

"Come!" Wang Shan, already prepared, said: "Old Master, name your price."

"I won't ask for much," Old Knife Scar extended five withered fingers, "five Second‑tier Essence Spirit Pills, ten Second‑tier Sharp Gold Talismans. In addition, you must guarantee that this information is known to heaven and earth, known to you and me, and must not be told to a third person."

"Five Essence Spirit Pills? Ten Sharp Gold Talismans?" Wang Shan frowned, "Old Master, that price isn't low. One Essence Spirit Pill can fetch plenty of good stuff in Heishi Town."

"Elder Wang, this is exclusive information, earned at the cost of my life," Old Knife Scar was unmoved. "That Ghost Sorrow Cliff, without my guidance, you'll stumble in and likely lose your life there. A few pills, a few talismans, for a chance—whether it's worth it, you weigh yourself."

Xiong Ba listened nearby, saying nothing, merely watching with keen interest. He knew Wang Shan was determined to obtain this information.

Wang Shan weighed a moment; Old Knife Scar had indeed grasped his intent. "Pills and Talisman, I can give you. In quantity, three Essence Spirit Pills, five Sharp Gold Talismans, plus five Swift Movement Talismans—how about that? As for secrecy, I, Wang Shan, keep my word."

Old Knife Scar's eyes rolled, seeming to calculate. The Swift Movement Talismans Wang Shan offered were hot commodities in the camp, able to save lives at crucial moments.

"Add two Return Spring Pills, top‑grade!" Old Knife Scar added a line item.

"Deal!" Wang Shan nodded.

Only then did Old Knife Scar nod in satisfaction, rummaged from his chest a weathered beast skin, sketched on it with a charcoal pen while saying: "Ghost Sorrow Cliff lies to the southeast of the Man Yun Mountain Range, past Black Wind Ridge, then about three hundred li further inland… that place is perennially shrouded in miasma, and Crimson Flame Flying Lizards like to nest on sun‑facing cliffs…"

He spoke in great detail, even mentioning hidden paths and possible patrol patterns of the beasts.

Wang Shan silently memorized the information while letting the system scan the beast‑skin map.

Map information accuracy 90%. Warning: Energy fluctuations abnormal in target area; besides the known third‑tier Crimson Flame Flying Lizards, there is a high probability of fourth‑tier Beast activity. Recommendation: Zhuren act cautiously.

Fourth‑tier Beast?! Wang Shan's eyelids twitched. Body Refining before a fourth‑tier Beast is no different from a snack. It seems this Purple Monkey Flower is hotter than imagined.

After seeing Old Knife Scar off, Xiong Ba leaned in: "Old Wang brother, you're so keen; that Purple Monkey Flower can't be just an ordinary treasure, can it?"

Wang Shan gave a wry smile: "It's indeed a fine thing, but getting it is as hard as scaling the heavens. That place may harbor fourth‑tier Beasts."

"Fourth tier?!" Xiong Ba was also startled. "Goodness, that's a death march. Old Wang brother, heed my advice, this matter should be considered carefully. For a Spirit Plant, risking your life isn't worth it."

Wang Shan nodded: "The Leader is right. However, this Spirit Plant is very important to me. I think… perhaps we could organize an elite squad to scout. Of course, the risk is huge, and I can't guarantee success."

Xiong Ba stroked the steel beard on his chin, a glint flashing in his eyes: "Organize a squad? Old Wang brother, you mean you want to borrow the camp's manpower?"

"Exactly." Wang Shan said calmly, "If we succeed in harvesting the Spirit Plant, besides the portion I need, the rest of the harvest I'll give the main share to the participating brothers, and all the pills and talismans needed for the operation will be covered by me. If the Leader wishes to lead the team personally, the Leader may claim thirty percent of the profits."

Xiong Ba's eyes lit up. Wang Shan's pills and talismans were hard currency. Moreover, something that made Wang Shan value them so highly, even at great cost, must be incredibly valuable.

"Fourth‑tier Beasts aren't a joke," Xiong Ba said gravely, "but riches lie in risk. If there's that much profit, taking a chance is worth it." He paused. "Old Wang brother, you must tell me the bottom line: what exactly does the Purple Monkey Flower do? Don't just say it benefits cultivation greatly; there must be more."

Wang Shan looked at Xiong Ba, knowing that without revealing some truth, this man wouldn't loosen his tongue. He lowered his voice: "Bear Leader, to be frank, this item… may be related to the legendary Foundation Establishment."

"Foundation Establishment?!" Xiong Ba inhaled a cold breath, his copper‑bell eyes bulging. He knew all too well the weight of those words. The entire pioneer camp, including himself, who doesn't yearn to take that step?

"I can't guarantee the specifics 100%, but it's worth a gamble," Wang Shan said.

Xiong Ba remained silent for a long while, his fists knuckling audibly. Finally, he slapped his thigh: "Let's do it! Old Wang brother, for the sake of 'Foundation Establishment', I'll go crazy with you! But first, the pills and talismans must be plentiful and of the highest quality! I'll select the expedition members—must be the camp's top hands. As for the profits, I want forty percent, since it's a life‑risking venture!"

"Alright! As the Leader dictates!" Wang Shan agreed plainly. He knew this was the only option for now. Xiong Ba's joining could greatly raise the chance of success.

The two discussed a few more details, and Xiong Ba cheerfully went to select the personnel.

Wang Shan returned alone to his stone house, his mood somewhat heavy. The information on Purple Monkey Flower was secured, but the accompanying risk far exceeded his expectations.

If a fourth‑tier Beast is roused, the entire expedition team could be wiped out.

Moreover, such a large‑scale operation cannot guarantee that no rumors will leak.

Heishi Town is not far from here, and the people of Wan Jia are still active there.

If they were to learn of our whereabouts, or become interested in the Purple Monkey Flower…

"What a hassle…" Wang Shan rubbed his brow. He felt as if he were walking a tightrope, each step filled with the unknown and danger.

But for Foundation Establishment, and to shake off Wan Tianjue's shadow, this path he must continue.

He began to feverishly forge pills and Talismans, especially the Armor Coagulation Talisman and the Sharp Gold Talisman, as well as the more potent healing Return Spring Pill.

The Spirit Plants in the system space were also coaxed by him into batch after batch.

All of this, for the upcoming journey into the depths of the Man Yun Mountain Range.

That will be a true high‑stakes gamble.