Chapter 453

Carefree Sect, inside a cave dwelling on Mount Guyang.

After arriving at the Carefree Sect this time, Song Qingming did not choose to stay at the inn in Yangshan Market, but came directly to Song Xinyu's cave dwelling on Mount Guyang.

Now that Song Xinyu had achieved Foundation Establishment, he already possessed a spirit mountain on Mount Guyang where he could practice independently and had taken in several Qi Refining inner sect disciples. Song Qingming was picked up by people sent by him to his spirit mountain as soon as he arrived at the foot of Mount Guyang.

Song Qingming picked up the cup of spirit tea handed over by Song Xinyu and said slowly: "Xinyu, how many Jade Dust Pills did Elder Chu refine this time? Have you found out clearly?"

"Seventh Uncle, do not be anxious. I have found out the situation clearly. Elder Chu refined a total of four Jade Dust Pills this time, but two of them were already reserved by two senior brothers of the sect, and they have likely already reached their hands."

"The remaining two were placed directly in the Merit Pavilion by Elder Chu. I went to ask about these two Jade Dust Pills a few days ago, and they have not been exchanged by anyone else yet."

"However, the merit points required to exchange for a Jade Dust Pill are truly too high. The merit points I have saved over so many years, even adding those accumulated by the family, are still not enough. Seventh Uncle, we still have to think of a way to see if we can take some spiritual items to the Merit Pavilion to exchange for more sect merit points."

Song Qingming smiled and shook his head: "Xinyu, you have contributed quite a lot to the family over the years. Your cultivation has now reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and there are many places where you need to use spirit stones. Do not touch your merit points for now."

"I have also made some preparations for coming here this time. Just take me directly to the Merit Pavilion. As long as the Jade Dust Pills are still there, I can handle the merit points myself."

Seeing that Song Qingming had made preparations before coming and insisted on not letting him help raise the merit points, Song Xinyu did not say anything more and could only nod silently.

When Song Xinyu was establishing his foundation years ago, the family had supported him with so many spirit stones. Even if Song Qingming couldn't solve the merit point problem this time, Song Xinyu had already thought about it in his heart: if it really didn't work, he would go directly to his Master and other senior brothers to borrow some merit points. He must help Song Qingming exchange for a Jade Dust Pill.

The uncle and nephew came together to the Merit Pavilion located on Qinghua Peak of the Carefree Sect. After Song Xinyu explained their identities to the Qi Refining cultivator guarding the gate, the two were quickly led inside.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator on duty in the Merit Pavilion heard their purpose and raised his eyebrows, speaking directly to Song Qingming:

"To exchange for a Jade Dust Pill, an additional 1,500 merit points are required. I just checked, and your Song family currently only has 300 merit points in the sect. If you want this item, you need to find a way to hand over spiritual items to exchange for enough merit points."

"Fellow Daoist, I have a spirit herb in my hand. Do you think it is feasible if I add this item?" After Song Qingming finished speaking, he took a long wooden box from his storage bag and handed it to the cultivator on duty.

The cultivator on duty took the wooden box, opened it, and glanced at it. His expression changed instantly. It took a while before he closed the wooden box again and looked directly at Song Qingming, asking: "May I ask, Fellow Daoist, where did you obtain this item?"

"About a dozen years ago, I obtained it from the depths of the Floating Cloud Mountain Range," Song Qingming replied calmly.

"Please wait here for a moment, Fellow Daoist. I need to take this item inside for Elder Chu to appraise, and I will reply to you later."

After speaking, the cultivator on duty greeted the Qi Refining disciple nearby to quickly serve tea to Song Qingming and the other, while he turned and walked directly up the stairs to the second floor of the Merit Pavilion.

After the cultivator on duty left, Song Xinyu, who had also seen the spiritual item in the wooden box just now, hurriedly asked in a low voice: "Seventh Uncle, what you took out just now seems to be a Tier 3 spirit herb, I shouldn't have seen it wrong, right!"

Song Qingming smiled and responded: "You are not wrong. What I gave him was indeed a Tier 3 spirit herb. Using this item to exchange for that Jade Dust Pill, I think it should be about enough!"

"More than enough. Seventh Uncle, if you had brought this Tier 3 spirit herb earlier, we could have taken it directly to Elder Chu, and we probably could have exchanged for a Jade Dust Pill immediately without having to make an extra trip to the Merit Pavilion."

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can successfully exchange for the pill. It's just a matter of spending a little more time," Song Qingming smiled and nodded.

The spirit herb Song Qingming had just taken out was something he had exchanged from Fire Phoenix more than a decade ago using many precious spiritual items and spirit wine. At that time, Song Qingming intended to use it at the Heavenly Pill Alliance auction to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill to give to Song Yuanli for his foundation establishment in the future.

Normally, the value of such a Tier 3 low-grade spirit herb certainly couldn't compare to a Foundation Establishment Pill, but the value of things like spirit herbs usually increased when taken to the Heavenly Pill Alliance to exchange for spiritual items. If one was lucky enough to be favored by an Elder of the Heavenly Pill Alliance, plus some spirit stones, there was a high chance of exchanging for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

It was just that later, Song Qingming tried his luck at the Heavenly Pill Alliance auction several times but never saw a shadow of a Foundation Establishment Pill, and this Tier 3 spirit herb was completely unused.

Later, through Song Xinyu's introduction, Song Qingming spent some effort using a Life-Extending Fruit to successfully exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill from a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Carefree Sect, and this item had been kept in his storage bag ever since. It was only now, in order to exchange for the equally precious Jade Dust Pill, that Song Qingming took it out.

On the second floor of the Merit Pavilion, the cultivator on duty from just now was standing in one place waiting patiently, holding the Tier 3 spirit herb Song Qingming had given him tightly in his hand.

Before long, with a flash of white light, a young man dressed in white suddenly appeared before him.

"Disciple greets Master." Seeing the person who arrived, the cultivator on duty hurriedly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Chu Fengping waved his hand and asked directly: "Yiping, you just said someone brought a Tier 3 spirit herb to exchange for my Jade Dust Pill?"

"That's right, Master. This person is the Clan Head of the Song family in Qinghe County, Song Qingming. I just asked him, and he said it was a spirit herb obtained from the depths of the Floating Cloud Mountain Range." After Zhao Yiping finished speaking, he immediately presented the wooden box in his hand to his Master, Chu Fengping.

After picking up the wooden box and opening it to take a look, Chu Fengping nodded: "This item is indeed useful to me. I can exchange one Jade Dust Pill for it. You can call him up directly!"

After Zhao Yiping nodded and left, it wasn't long before he brought Song Qingming back to the second floor of the Merit Pavilion.

Seeing Chu Fengping standing on the second floor, Song Qingming was also somewhat surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to bow, "Junior Song Qingming greets Senior Chu."

Chu Fengping glanced at Song Qingming lightly, suddenly feeling a trace of familiarity, and nodded with a smile: "No wonder. When I heard your name just now, it felt somewhat familiar. So you were one of those ten people at the Camel Cloud Mountain Sword Trial years ago."

"You have been diligent in your cultivation. Back then, I recall you were only at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. I didn't expect you to have reached the step of Core Formation so quickly."

"Senior is too kind. Junior actually has average talent. Being able to enter the top ten at the Camel Cloud Mountain Sword Trial back then was truly due to some luck."

Seeing Song Qingming being so humble, Chu Fengping smiled: "Being able to find a Tier 3 spirit herb in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, your luck is indeed quite good. Since you are here to exchange for a Jade Dust Pill, you must be about to attempt the Golden Core realm."

Hearing the other party ask about his Core Formation, Song Qingming did not cover up his purpose and nodded immediately.

Chu Fengping nodded and said again: "The Tier 3 spirit herb you brought is still higher in value than one Jade Dust Pill. I don't want to take advantage of you, so I will give you one more thing!"

"This talisman is called the Demon-Driving and Evil-Suppressing Talisman. It is an auxiliary Tier 3 low-grade spirit talisman that can assist a cultivator in resisting the sneak attacks of Golden Core inner demons during Core Formation. Although it is not a precious item, it will be of some use to your upcoming Core Formation. Consider it a little encouragement from me as an elder!"

Seeing Chu Fengping flick the Jade Dust Pill and a black spirit talisman into his hand, Song Qingming, full of excitement, hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and thanked him.

"Junior thanks Senior for the treasure!"

After obtaining the Jade Dust Pill, Song Qingming greeted Zhao Yiping and immediately took his leave, departing from the second floor of the Merit Pavilion.

After Song Qingming left, Zhao Yiping hurriedly stepped forward and asked with a smile: "Master, you were actually willing to give him a Tier 3 spirit talisman. Could it be that this person has high cultivation talent and really has some confidence in forming a core?"

Chu Fengping glanced at Zhao Yiping lightly and shook his head gently: "Cultivation talent alone is not enough for a cultivator to form a core. Apart from Heavenly Spirit Root cultivators like Senior Sister Bai, who are one in ten thousand, ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators wanting to succeed in Core Formation, besides talent and diligent cultivation, often depend on a bit of personal luck."

"Just now, I merely felt for a moment that this child's luck is indeed quite good, and perhaps he really might succeed in forming a core in the future. That is why I wanted to form a good connection with him in advance."

"Is this personal luck really so important for Core Formation?" Hearing his Master Chu Fengping's explanation, Zhao Yiping was even more puzzled.

Chu Fengping sighed slightly: "Your Senior Brother Lin has outstanding talent. In terms of cultivation diligence, he has always been the best among you senior brothers. He reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment before the age of a hundred, which is even faster than I was back then."

"Since he became my disciple, I have refined pills for him several times over the years and have done my best to support him. Logically speaking, his confidence in forming a core should certainly be much higher than ordinary people."

"But you know the facts. Yutian has attempted to form a core several times over the years, but it has been unsuccessful at every turn. I have thought about it over and over and cannot find the answer. Perhaps he really lacks that little bit of luck!"

After successfully obtaining the Jade Dust Pill, Song Qingming did not stay on Mount Guyang for too long. That same day, he bade farewell to Song Xinyu and left the Carefree Sect alone.

This time, not only did he obtain the Jade Dust Pill he wanted, but Song Qingming also gained an extra "Demon-Driving and Evil-Suppressing Talisman" that was useful for Core Formation, which truly surprised him.

I noticed many new book friends have arrived recently. If it's convenient, why not join the book friend group and chat together: 236038447.