Chapter 73: Qi and Blood Furnace, Qi-Drawing Pill Formula

During dinner, the entire Xu family gathered together.

Bai Jing asked about the trip to the commandery capital.

Yang Ronghua smiled and replied, "Mother, everything went smoothly."

"Are your parents well?"

"All is well. My elder brother now also has a son named Yang Ruifeng."

"That's good. This also fulfills one of your wishes."

After a while, Xu Mingwei looked at Xu Chuan and said, "Father, Zhao'er should also begin martial cultivation. This child is busy with family affairs and may not have much spare time.

Let him be entrusted to you to take to Jade Cold Pool, like Xueji and Yunnu, to stay by your side."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly and looked at Xu Dezhao, "Starting tomorrow, will you come with Grandfather to the mountain every day?"

The next day.

The east was already white, dawn light faint.

Distant mountains appeared like blue-black ink, gradually dyed with golden brilliance.

Xu Mingshu brought Xu Dezhao, riding the white tiger together with Xu Mingxian, heading to Jade Cold Pool.

Here there were a hundred acres of medicinal fields. The tall Black Iron Fruit tree had grown extremely robust.

Mountain wind brushed past, and several strings of wind chimes hanging under the bamboo house eaves made soul-cleansing pleasant sounds.

"Aunt Xueji, the air here seems fresher than down the mountain." Xu Dezhao turned his head and smiled.

"It's because your grandfather has planted many rare medicinal materials, which have some effect of gathering heaven and earth power."

"So that's how it is. Grandfather is amazing!"

Xu Chuan was already here.

Xu Mingshu carried Xu Dezhao down from the white tiger, then went over with Xu Mingxian to pay respects.

The white tiger very skillfully walked to lie down under the Black Iron Fruit tree to rest.

It seemed to have already formed a habit.

"Xueji, focus on martial arts. Yunnu can teach Zhao'er when he has time."

"Yes, Father."

Although Xu Mingshu also wanted to experience the joy of being a teacher, she knew her martial progress wasn't as good as her younger brother Xu Mingxian's.

Not wanting to fall behind others, she could only train more diligently.

"Yunnu, first help Zhao'er build his foundation. Once he's entered the door of martial arts, let him cultivate on his own, with occasional guidance.

As for other things, he needs to walk and comprehend on his own."

"Yes, Father."

"What about you, Zhao'er? Do you understand Grandfather's words?"

Xu Chuan looked at Xu Dezhao with a slight smile. Toward his eldest grandson, he couldn't help but be gentler.

"Grandfather, don't always treat Zhao'er like a child. Zhao'er is no longer a child."

Hearing this, all three of them smiled.

Not just Xu Dezhao, even Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingxian were still children in Xu Chuan's eyes.

"Oh, then tell me, what did you understand from Grandfather's words just now?"

"Fifth Uncle will lead Zhao'er into martial arts. From then on, what realm Zhao'er can reach will require Zhao'er's own diligent practice.

Just like how people differ, Father is usually steady but shows his edge when encountering matters. Second Uncle is intelligent. Aunt Xueji is lively. Fifth Uncle is cool and aloof."

Xu Dezhao spoke slowly in his childish voice, yet brightened the eyes of all three.

"Hey, little Zhao'er, who are you calling lively?" Xueji pretended to be angry, then asked, "What about your grandfather?"

"Grandfather is peaceful, steady. It seems nothing in the world can stump Grandfather."

"Little brat, I thought you'd say something amazing. Aren't you just flattering your grandfather!" Xueji grinned.

"This isn't flattery from Zhao'er. It's what's in my heart."

"It's quite genuine." Xu Mingxian grinned.

Xu Chuan rubbed Xu Dezhao's head and smiled, "Truly worthy of being my Xu family's legitimate eldest grandson. In the future, you'll definitely be stronger than your father."

Among the Xu family's third generation, no one had yet been granted a talent ability but just now, Xu Chuan made a decision to bestow upon him [Qi and Blood Furnace].

Xu Dezhao's martial talent was already quite good. Even without this talent ability, under the Xu family's current resource cultivation, he could progress smoothly but with [Qi and Blood Furnace], he would definitely make even greater progress.

For people like Xu Mingyuan and Xu Mingshu, reaching innate perfection and then switching to the immortal path was the best choice. If they continued on the martial path like Xu Mingwei, it would only waste time but Xu Dezhao in the future could, like his father, walk the path of cultivating both immortal and martial arts.

After a while, Xu Chuan brought Xu Dezhao alone into the bamboo house.

After a long while, Xu Dezhao came out to practice martial arts with Xu Mingxian in the western clearing.

Xu Mingshu cultivated alone near the white tiger.

Xu Mingwei practiced martial arts even more diligently, getting up before dawn broke and resting only at midnight. Of course, he also attended to Xu family affairs in between.

Fortunately, the Xu family governed well, and the servants all respected and were grateful to the main family.

Therefore, there weren't miscellaneous trivial matters.

Mostly about whether there were enough hands during busy farming seasons, or arranging school for children of appropriate age, arranging martial practice for those with good bone structure, and rewarding merit or punishing faults.

All only required his agreement or disagreement, making the decision.

Other matters would be handled properly by those below.

It was the same with Xu Mingyuan. Now he no longer needed to travel outside daily. He only needed to make decisions on major matters and grasp the general commercial direction.

Regarding expanding business to the commandery capital, he discussed it with Xu Chuan.

In the end, they dispatched several capable industry leaders to cooperate with the Chang family to open branch stores.

Having the Chang family act as a protective umbrella, the Xu family naturally had to give up quite a bit. Xu Mingyuan decided to yield fifty percent of profits.

This arrangement wasn't truly to seek profit for the Xu family, but to plant a nail in the commandery capital to gather information on the movements of the great families.

If matters involved themselves, they could receive warnings and prepare responses.

Time flew by. Two months passed in a blink.

Yang Ronghua was pregnant again.

Xu Mingshu and Xu Mingyuan successively reached peak Postnatal realm.

During this time, Xu Mingyuan secretly sent people to contact the Chang family in the commandery capital to reach cooperation. For all businesses in the commandery capital, they gave half to the Chang family.

The Chang family, having witnessed the Xu family's business acumen, repeatedly stood up for them, allowing these businesses to take root in the commandery capital.

Xu Mingyuan purchased fifteen Qi-Drawing Pills from the Chang family at three thousand two hundred taels each, and obtained ten more through Xiao Changyuan's channels at three thousand five hundred taels each.

Five of them were taken by Xu Chuan to research medicinal properties. The remaining twenty were distributed to Xu Mingyuan and Xu Mingshu to help them comprehend heaven and earth power and break through to the innate realm.

Xu Chuan, relying on the [Divine Farmer's Hundred Herbs] talent ability, consumed Qi-Drawing Pills and identified seventy percent of the herbs.

The rest, based on changes in medicinal properties and the principle of sovereign, minister, assistant, and messenger, he deduced several substitute herbs.

After half a year of continuously testing various herb dosage combinations, he obtained a similar Qi-Drawing Pill formula, with even stronger efficacy than the original and requiring cheaper medicinal materials for refinement.

Afterward, they reclaimed more medicinal fields and planted these herbs.

Of course, Xu Chuan never neglected cultivating the "Innate Five Elements Creation Art" each day.

With these Qi-Drawing Pills, although they couldn't compare to true grade pills, frequent consumption could greatly aid innate realm cultivation.

If taken once every three days, cultivation speed could be doubled. However, even the aristocratic families in the commandery capital couldn't afford such extravagance.

Because even with the formula, without someone skilled in pill refining, the expenses were still considerable.

As for the Xu family, one pill only cost several dozen taels.

After improvement, the formula's medicinal material costs dropped from over a thousand taels initially to four or five hundred taels. And Xu Chuan had outstanding talent in pill refining, one furnace could produce seven or eight pills.

Therefore, they could supply the cultivation of innate martial artists in the family in large quantities.

Additionally, the Xu family sold small quantities of Qi-Drawing Pills within their sphere of influence, selling to county seat aristocratic families and wealthy households at four thousand taels per pill, rapidly accumulating vast wealth.

In a blink, it was the year-end sacrifice.

Xu Mingwei broke through to innate perfection. His cultivation method reached completion, filling his incomplete spiritual roots.

Like Xu Chuan, he continued tempering, wanting to raise his spiritual roots to true spiritual roots.

Two months later.

Xu Mingshu broke through to the innate realm.

One month later, Xu Mingyuan also broke through to the innate realm.

With large quantities of Qi-Drawing Pills, both lived up to expectations.

Under the Xu family's unreserved efforts, dozens in the guard force became first-rate martial artists, and seven or eight advanced to peak Postnatal realm. All were absolutely loyal to the Xu family.

Their entire families had migrated to Dongxi Village.