Chapter 26: The Banquet

A cultivator at the Thirty-One Aperture Realm, could they truly be this terrifying, reaching the third layer of Qi Refining?

If it were only a Lower Grade Dao Foundation, that would be true, but if it is relative to an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, wouldn't that only be the first layer of Qi Refining?

Sigh.

Chen Ci was silent for a moment, ignoring this heartbreaking fact, and began to check the items he needed to carry for his trip.

The Spirit Nourishing Bottle, this was the most important of all.

Close-fitting soft armor, Spirit Iron Short Sword.

Fifteen Soul Fixing Talismans.

Two hundred taels of gold.

Personal Dharma Artifact, a few Bigu Pills.

It seemed there was nothing else to bring.

Right, there was also that Five Fierce God Statue and the method of sacrificial refining; should he bring them along to sell at the market?

Hesitating for a moment, Chen Ci dismissed the thought. No matter how unbearable that man surnamed Ma was, he likely had a few familiar cultivators. This time, the Outer Transmission of the He Mountain Sect from every county in Xishan Prefecture would probably go to the market to look around; if they happened to run into each other, it would be a complication.

Better to hide it for another year or half a year. Even if no one was refining this Dharma Artifact, it would at most lose one or two layers of Prohibition, which would not have much impact.

Chen Ci made up his mind, mounted his horse, and looked back at his Sanyin Temple.

Although he was now a mature cultivator who had fought, killed, and encountered ghosts, and did not need to be overly cautious like the first time he went on a long journey, he still felt a strange reluctance to leave his own temple.

"Leave early and return early."

"Giddyap!"

Practice makes perfect; this time Chen Ci traveled much faster, but his tempered Dao body did not feel too exhausted from such travel. After dismounting, he circulated his Three Yin True Qi throughout his body to dispel the dust, and he immediately felt refreshed, heading all the way toward Fuhu Altar.

"Fuhu Altar."

It was still a towering building with jade eaves and corridors. After Chen Ci arrived at the entrance and stated his purpose, the young Daoist on duty did not dare to be negligent, said "Please wait a moment, Martial Uncle," and went inside to report. Before long, a middle-aged Daoist with a square face walked out. Chen Ci sensed him slightly; his cultivation was about the same as the fat man surnamed Ding, around ten apertures.

Chen Ci cupped his hands in a salute: "I am Chen Ci from Sanyin Temple in Changping County. May I ask how to address this Daoist?"

In fact, except for Direct Disciples, most cultivators only took on apprentices to handle daily chores for them and would not provide too many cultivation resources.

They barely had enough for themselves, so how could they have extra to support others?

Therefore, even though Hutou Daoren was clearly about to forge an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, his apprentices' cultivation levels were not very high. Most of those who came out to receive guests or manage affairs were of the Deacon level, and they probably did not harbor high hopes for progress in their cultivation.

The square-faced Daoist looked at Chen Ci twice and then smiled: "I am Huang Yu. Daoist Chen, you are here to deliver Essence Refining, right?"

"Exactly."

Huang Yu welcomed Chen Ci inside and smiled: "I will take you to the Internal Affairs Department to hand it over first. My master will host a banquet for all the Daoists tomorrow at noon, so please stay in the temple for the night, Daoist Chen."

"I see."

Chen Ci understood; presumably, all matters would be explained at tomorrow's banquet.

The two of them entered Fuhu Altar one after the other. Not long after, they arrived at the Internal Affairs Department, where an old Daoist was guarding a small tripod, hunched over a table recording something.

Chen Ci took out the Spirit Nourishing Bottle. The old Daoist took it, weighed it, and then smiled: "One hundred and twenty drops. You are quite diligent, Daoist."

After pouring the Essence Refining into the small tripod, the old Daoist picked up a brush to grind ink and recorded in a small booklet: "Chen Ci of Sanyin Temple, Changping County, one month's supply of one hundred and twenty drops of Essence Refining, recorded as two merits."

Two merits?

Chen Ci rubbed his chin. Beside him, Daoist Huang smiled: "My master has said that for the first offering of Essence Refining, every extra drop beyond the base will be recorded as an extra merit; from then on, it will be one merit per hundred drops."

Oh.

Chen Ci clicked his tongue; it was a pity he had refined nineteen extra drops, he should have saved them for next month.

After the two left the Internal Affairs Department, Chen Ci flicked his hand and quietly handed over two Soul Fixing Talismans, smiling: "Daoist Huang, I prefer quiet. Could you arrange a quieter place for me to stay?"

"You are too polite, Daoist. Please follow me for such a small matter."

Daoist Huang Yu flipped his long sleeves, accepted the Soul Fixing Talismans, and his smile grew even wider. He led Chen Ci to a quiet courtyard. Sensing it slightly, this was actually a Lower Grade Yin site; it seemed that ordinary people would not be able to stay here.

Cultivation is also full of human relationships and worldly wisdom everywhere.

"Daoist Chen, the entire back mountain of Fuhu Altar is my master's place of cultivation. If there is nothing, you had better not go to the back mountain. If you accidentally trigger any Prohibition, it would not be good."

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Daoist."

Chen Ci nodded in thanks and suddenly asked: "By the way, how many Daoists have come from Xishan Prefecture in total?"

"There should be thirty-seven, but only twenty-something have arrived so far. I estimate the others will arrive by nightfall."

Thirty-seven people; that is at least three thousand seven hundred drops of Essence Refining every month.

Goodness, it might not be enough to take a bath in, but it is definitely more than enough to soak one's feet. I wonder what kind of Dharma Artifact Hutou Daoren is refining or what kind of divine ability he is cultivating with so much Essence Refining; it is truly staggering.

Chen Ci sat upright on the bed, closing his eyes to rest his mind. However, it was not good to cultivate too much while away from home. He would practice the Three Yin Qi Consumption Method a few times at the Hour of the Bo and then rest.

An Upper Grade Dao Foundation, it really makes one envious!

The next day, at noon.

The main hall of Fuhu Altar.

Chen Ci sat upright at a small table, curiously examining the red liquid contained in the exquisite porcelain cup before him. He brought it to his nose and smelled it; it was quite pungent but carried a strange fragrance. Clearly, it was not fruit wine like ordinary grape wine.

To be honest, this was the first time he had attended a banquet where everyone sat at their own table on both sides of the main hall. He felt a bit curious. Originally, Chen Ci wanted to chat with the person at the same table to ask about some things, but now it was a bit inconvenient to whisper.

Dozens of maids dressed in flashy clothes brought fine wine and delicacies to the tables of the He Mountain Sect Outer Transmission disciples, but they did not leave, staying by the tables to serve. Some of the He Mountain Sect disciples were quite dissolute, pulling the maids directly into their arms to play with them, which made several people nearby laugh loudly, and it did liven up the atmosphere of the banquet.

My skin is still too thin.

Chen Ci glanced at the two beautiful maids beside him but did not actually make a move. He only drank two small sips of the fine wine himself. Don't say, this red liquid tasted quite good; although it was strong going in, it felt very comfortable going down the throat.

"Among these thirty-seven He Mountain Sect Outer Transmission disciples from Xishan Prefecture, setting aside the cultivators of Fuhu Altar, the ones with the highest cultivation should be the two sitting in the front. Their True Qi density is probably twice mine; I estimate they have the cultivation of seventy or eighty apertures, it's just that they are a bit old."

Chen Ci glanced over; those two He Mountain Sect Outer Transmission disciples both had white hair and withered skin, and their figures were thin. Just looking at their appearance, they were already eighty or ninety years old. Although their cultivation was high, they already showed signs of the Five Decays. It is estimated that they have neither the possibility of impacting the Dao Foundation nor much time left to live.

Maybe ten or twenty years.

"As for the others, those with higher cultivation than me are all older than me, and those who look younger than me have lower cultivation."

"Win twice!"

Chen Ci felt slightly more at ease; it seemed that even among the many Outer Transmission disciples of the He Mountain Sect in Xishan Prefecture, he could be considered a young man with ambition.

Just as he set down his wine cup, the attendant maid beside him very cleverly refilled it. Chen Ci was about to open his mouth to ask a question, but suddenly, the sound of a bell rang out, suppressing the clamor of the entire banquet. Every He Mountain Sect cultivator present immediately straightened their robes, and even those who had been dissolute sat up straight, not daring to act presumptuously.

Immediately after, a burly figure draped in a red Daoist robe walked out from behind the hall. His aura was intimidating, with a tiger-like head and swallow-like jaw, eyes wide open, and a thick beard that looked as if it were stained with blood. The True Qi around his body was nearly condensed into a physical substance, flowing back and forth with his breathing.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Qinhu."

"Greetings, Senior Brother."

All the He Mountain Sect Apprentices present stood up to salute, though their forms of address varied; Chen Ci also followed along and called out "Senior Brother."

"No need for formalities; I shall keep this brief."

This burly Daoist pulled at his robe, his voice like a tiger's roar: "If I attain an Upper Grade Dao Foundation, I may be listed among the True Inheritors of the mountain gate. Whoever among you renders the greatest service may be admitted under my tutelage to enter the Inner Gate together."

A True Inheritor of the He Mountain Sect?

To enter the Inner Gate together?

"The exchange list for all other pill methods and talisman books has been compiled into volumes; you junior brothers may take a look later. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I will not keep you company."

"Drain this cup!"

Hutou Daoren held a three-legged bronze tripod cup and drank the fine wine within in one gulp. Everyone at the banquet also raised their cups in unison: "Drain it!"

As the strong wine went down his throat, Chen Ci felt slightly tipsy and inexplicably had a thought arise.

A real man... should be like this!

Hutou Daoren came in a hurry and left in a hurry, but once he departed, the atmosphere at the banquet became lively once again. The fine wine and delicacies of the Fuhu Altar were indeed excellent; one could not easily enjoy them in remote places.

But when the attendant maids presented the golden booklets to each table, a few soft cries rang out in the hall, and some even knocked over their wine cups by accident.

Chen Ci's seat was near the middle, so he received his golden booklet without much delay.

Opening it, the first page of the golden booklet read:

Seven Kill Primordial Spirit True Talisman: Requires one thousand merits, only one available, can extend life by one hundred years.

(End of chapter)