Chapter 127: Earning Spirit Stones

Since Song Qingming returned the remains of the Xiaoyao Sect cultivator, Xu Cheng Ziyan had made inquiries at the Law Enforcement Hall these past few days and finally learned the full story of the matter.

The owner of the storage bag and jade box was named Mo Rongshan, a cultivator who had joined the Xiaoyao Sect many years ago. Although he was a three-element spiritual root cultivator, his cultivation talent was quite average. He was able to reach Foundation Establishment because he had some backing in the sect; Mo Rongshan had an elder in his clan who happened to be a personal disciple of a Jin Dan Elder of the Xiaoyao Sect.

Sixty years after reaching Foundation Establishment, Mo Rongshan had stumbled his way to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment. He was not very outstanding among the hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Xiaoyao Sect. Foundation Establishment cultivators like him, who were seen early on to have no chance of reaching the Jin Dan realm, were mostly sent by the Xiaoyao Sect to outside markets to help the sect manage its industries.

During the beast turmoil two years ago, Mo Rongshan, who was stationed in Gaoyang County, received a mission from the sect and led a team of Qi Refining cultivators to support the front line at Guiyun Market. Unexpectedly, a few days after they left Gaoyang County, Mo Rongshan's soul lamp within the sect suddenly went out.

At that time, it was the height of the beast turmoil, and all high-tier cultivators of the sect had missions. They could only send a few Foundation Establishment cultivators to search along the way, but they found no traces, assuming they had met their end in an attack by high-tier beasts.

Unexpectedly, not long after, news came from Gaoyang County that the patriarch of the Hu family, a Foundation Establishment clan within the territory, had absconded with most of the clan's spiritual items and inexplicably abandoned his own clansmen to flee the State of Wei.

The remaining cultivators of the Hu family only discovered over a month later that their only Foundation Establishment ancestor and many important spiritual items of the clan had suddenly disappeared. For this reason, they, who were completely unaware, even foolishly invited Xiaoyao Sect cultivators to investigate the matter.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the Hu family patriarch had followed Mo Rongshan's group and left Gaoyang County that day, and had disappeared shortly after returning. Only then did the Xiaoyao Sect accidentally clarify the matter: it turned out that the Hu family patriarch had coveted a spiritual item on Mo Rongshan, and thus took the risk to collude with several rogue cultivators from outside to attack Mo Rongshan and his group.

Afterward, under the thunderous fury of the Xiaoyao Sect, the Hu family of Gaoyang County was completely erased from the records, and all cultivators were sent to the Xiaoyao Sect's mines for long-term servitude. It was just that the Xiaoyao Sect had issued wanted posters in several nearby countries for over a year, but had yet to find the fleeing Hu family patriarch and her accomplices.

"It is fortunate that after you obtained Senior Brother Mo's relics, you did not greedily trigger the restrictions on them. I only learned later that the jade box contained a powerful spiritual item of the sect, and it had a powerful restriction set by a Jin Dan Elder of the sect. If you didn't know the operation method, and rashly triggered the restriction on it, even someone like me might have lost my life on the spot."

"Is it that powerful?"

Hearing Xu Cheng Ziyan describe the danger in the jade box, Song Qingming gasped. After obtaining the items, he had indeed been greedy a few times, but because his cultivation was truly too low, he had no confidence in breaking the restrictions on his own, and he couldn't take them out to ask others for help.

After much thought, Song Qingming finally sent the items back to the Xiaoyao Sect, thinking that even if he couldn't get a reward, he could at least become a familiar face to the Xiaoyao Sect, and if he were lucky, he might even find a way to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

To be honest, he himself never expected that this would actually give him an opportunity to exchange for Foundation Establishment. Although gathering eight thousand spirit stones in two years was still somewhat difficult for him now, he still had a Water Spirit Fruit in his hand. If he couldn't gather enough in two years, he would just have to take it out and try.

"I really didn't expect you to obtain an opportunity to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill from Senior Uncle Li. If I had had such good luck back then, I wouldn't have had to risk my life to break through the Foundation Establishment realm." Seeing Song Qingming lost in thought, Xu Cheng Ziyan teased him again.

Song Qingming shook his head and smiled bitterly, "If I can't gather that many spirit stones within two years, this is just empty talk. Eight thousand spirit stones—where is that such a simple matter for me?"

Xu Cheng Ziyan, hearing this, pondered for a moment and said, "Daoist friend Song, if you really can't come up with that many spirit stones by then, I can also help you introduce someone to transfer this opportunity to other sect cultivators. You could at least get a few thousand spirit stones, which is better than the Law Enforcement Hall just giving you two hundred spirit stones to dismiss you."

"Many thanks, Captain. If that really happens, then it is just my fate. I will have to trouble you to worry about it then." After saying this, Song Qingming took a small jade bottle from his storage bag, handed it to Xu Cheng Ziyan, and continued, "I have been well taken care of by you on the mountain these days. I came in a hurry this time and didn't prepare any good gifts. This elixir was specially brought by me from Qinghe County. I hope you won't mind, Captain Xu!"

"This is... a Beauty-Returning Pill? It seems a bit off; it shouldn't be an ordinary Beauty-Returning Pill, right?" Xu Cheng Ziyan looked at the elixir, placed it aside, and asked with a hint of displeasure on her face.

"It is indeed not an ordinary Beauty-Returning Pill. It was refined by a clanswoman of mine based on an ancient prescription. The effect is several times better than an ordinary Beauty-Returning Pill." Seeing Xu Cheng Ziyan's expression, Song Qingming thought she had little interest in the Beauty-Returning Pill and hurriedly explained awkwardly.

"It doesn't matter. Although this kind of elixir is of no use to me, those disciples below have long wanted it. Your gift is timely, so many thanks, Daoist friend Song." Xu Cheng Ziyan nodded calmly, letting the female disciple beside her, whose eyes were shining, put away the elixir Song Qingming had gifted.

After staying in the cave dwelling for a while longer, Song Qingming bid farewell to Xu Cheng Ziyan and returned to Yangshan Market at the foot of Mount Guyang.

Song Qingming first went to the west side of the market to rent a cave dwelling for a long term, and then sent a letter home. Next, he would stay here at Mount Guyang to find ways to earn spirit stones, and he would not return to Mount Funiu for these two years. In the letter, Song Qingming roughly explained the process of returning Mo Rongshan's relics so that his clansmen on Mount Funiu wouldn't worry if he didn't return for a long time.

Next, he would devote himself to preparing the spirit stones for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

When he came from Qinghe County, Song Qingming had brought a total of 4,600 spirit stones. He had spent 500 spirit stones wandering around Yangshan Market for a few days earlier, and after renting the cave dwelling, he had exactly 4,000 left. To gather enough spirit stones to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill, he needed at least another 4,000.

Over the next few days, Song Qingming began to drift through Yangshan Market, taking all the spiritual items he could sell to the market to sell. Even the White Jade Sword and Black Gold Shield that had been with him for many years were exchanged for spirit stones. He also sold two of the three second-tier magic tools he had obtained when exploring the senior's cave dwelling with Old Daoist Chen, which allowed him to gather another 2,000-plus spirit stones.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 128 =====

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