Chapter 634: Counting Spirit Items, Meeting Gao Gao Yuyao Again

Although silencing the other party would indeed be more secure, the person had brought him quite a few benefits; killing them without cause was something he still found difficult to do.

In the nearly two hundred years since he began cultivating, Song Song Qingming's hands had been stained with the blood of many cultivators, but to this day, he had never acted on a whim to kill; in most cases, it was merely for self-preservation.

In this cultivation world fraught with crises, it is indeed difficult for a cultivator to remain an absolute saint if they wish to survive. However, the Dao of Heaven has its cycles of karma; cultivators who commit too many evil deeds are also easily backlashed by their own fate.

He had never revealed his true face to the other party, and he had made them swear a blood oath. Regardless of how one looked at it, by doing this, Song Song Qingming had already done his best to cover up the matter.

However, the "Heaven Star Gate" was not a major sect. Even if the matter were to come to light one day, with the Xiaoyao Sect as their backer, the Song family would not need to fear the other party coming to their door. At worst, they would just have to pay some compensation.

Thinking of this, Song Song Qingming's heart slowly relaxed, and he soon transformed into a streak of white light, disappearing from where he stood.

Two days later, several streaks of light appeared in the northeast corner of Qinghe County, heading straight for the tallest spirit mountain in the county. Seeing the familiar scenery before them, Song Song Qingming and his companions, who were standing on the flying boat, all revealed faint smiles.

From the time they left Mount Mount Funiu for the East Sea cultivation world until now, having finally safely crossed Mount Mount Yunwu and returned to the territory of Qinghe County, nearly two months had passed. The three of them had traveled back and forth for over a hundred thousand miles, and now, they had finally returned home.

After returning to Mount Mount Funiu, Song Song Qingming took out all the spirit items harvested from this trip to count them. He handed the low-tier pills and items of little value to Song Song Yuanfang, instructing him to place them in the family's Treasury Pavilion first.

As for the remaining Foundation Establishment Pills, Water Spirit Fruits, and other more valuable items, Song Song Qingming kept them on his person, intending to wait until someone in the family needed them before handing them out.

On this trip to the East Sea cultivation world, the three of them first harvested a Five-Element Spirit Item to assist in Core Formation and four Foundation Establishment Pills at "Tiandan City."

Then, on the way to the "Hundred Flowers Palace," they accidentally killed that "Black-Scaled Beast," obtaining a Demon King's inner core and several other beast materials from the Demon King's body.

Following He He Mengxin and the others to participate in the Luolongdao Trade Fair, they exchanged for a third-tier mid-grade "Red Dragon Pill" and a Water Spirit Fruit of similar value to a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Finally, a few days ago while crossing Mount Mount Yunwu, they obtained two third-tier low-grade "Gilded Spirit Fruits," as well as the mature third-tier spirit fruit tree that they had already transplanted and brought back.

Among these spirit items, the Five-Element Spirit Item "Heavenly Fire Profound Bead" used to assist in Core Formation was naturally intended for Huang Huang Siyuan's use. After returning, Song Song Qingming quietly handed this item directly to her.

The third-tier mid-grade "Red Dragon Pill" was reserved by Song Song Qingming for when he would break through his cultivation level in the future. Taking this level of pill directly when a cultivator breaks through a bottleneck can have a slight auxiliary effect on the breakthrough.

The two third-tier low-grade "Gilded Spirit Fruits" obtained in the Yunshan Range were also spirit items that could directly enhance the cultivation of a Jin Dan cultivator after being refined. Song Song Qingming and Song Song Qingyu both happened to have use for them, so they each took one.

As for the inner core from the Demon King, Song Song Qingming planned to ask Chu Chu Fengping when he went to Mount Mount Guyang in the future to see if they could cooperate again to refine a batch of high-tier pills.

For the remaining materials from the Demon King, some could be used to draw third-tier talismans, which Song Song Qingming picked out directly. He prepared to take the rest to the Xiaoyao Sect's Merit Pavilion to see if he could exchange them for other high-tier talisman-making materials.

The Water Spirit Fruit exchanged at the "Luolongdao" Trade Fair, combined with a Jade Marrow Golden Ganoderma in the Song family's back mountain spirit herb garden that would mature in about ten years, was enough to gather the main ingredients for a furnace of Foundation Establishment Pills.

Once the other auxiliary spirit herbs were gathered, Song Song Qingming could ask Chu Chu Fengping or a master alchemist from the "Heavenly Pill Alliance" to help refine another furnace of Foundation Establishment Pills.

This trip to the East Sea cultivation world had some twists and turns, but overall, it was relatively smooth, and it exceeded the expectations of Song Song Qingming and his companions, as they obtained some other spirit items.

Having been away for more than two months, Qinghe County remained the same, with no major events occurring. However, news came from Mount Mount Guyang that was somewhat unexpected for Song Song Qingming.

Bai Bai Yuxian, who had been in seclusion for over a decade, had emerged from her seclusion cave last month. This time, she had not successfully broken through her cultivation to reach the Nascent Soul realm.

Fortunately, although Bai Bai Yuxian failed to condense her Nascent Soul this time, she was not as severely injured as Yao Yao Ganshu had been last time. After taking healing pills, she only needed to rest peacefully for a few years to slowly recover.

Hearing the news of Bai Bai Yuxian's failed Nascent Soul breakthrough, although Song Song Qingming had been mentally prepared for it, he still couldn't help but sigh slightly in his heart.

Even a cultivator with a Heaven Spirit Root, possessing the top-tier cultivation talent in the cultivation world, found it so difficult to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, let alone people like Song Song Qingming and his companions whose spirit root aptitudes were relatively ordinary.

However, the matter of condensing a Nascent Soul was still a bit early for Song Song Qingming, whose cultivation was only at the fourth layer of Jin Dan. To impact the Nascent Soul realm, he first had to raise his own cultivation to the ninth layer of Jin Dan; otherwise, taking too large a step would be useless.

A few days after returning to Mount Mount Funiu, Song Song Qingming let Song Song Qingyu take Huang Huang Siyuan to Mount Mount Tuoyun to replace Xu Wu Ziyuan, who had been helping them garrison there.

Before going to the East Sea, in order to ask Xu Wu Ziyuan to help look after Mount Mount Tuoyun, Song Song Qingming had spent spirit items worth over a thousand spirit stones to win her favor.

After all, he didn't know how long it would take to return at that time. If something were to happen on Mount Mount Tuoyun before he returned, Song Song Qingming would indeed have had a hard time explaining it to both the Xiaoyao Sect and the Jin Yun Pavilion.

Song Song Qingming himself went directly to Mount Mount Guyang, intending to inquire about and find a third-tier spirit planter to help go to Mount Mount Funiu and transplant the third-tier spirit fruit tree they had obtained not long ago.

As long as this third-tier spirit fruit tree was cared for properly in the future, it could bear a mature third-tier spirit fruit every few decades; it was a spirit item that could enhance the foundation of the Song family in the future.

After arriving at Mount Mount Guyang, Song Song Qingming originally wanted to visit Zhao Zhao Menglian, a third-tier mid-grade spirit planter, but it turned out she had just gone into seclusion not long ago, leaving Song Song Qingming to face a closed door.

Upon hearing from the disciples below that Zhao Zhao Menglian's seclusion this time might take two or three years, Song Song Qingming was immediately disappointed and dismissed the idea of asking her for help.

According to Song Song Yuanxue, the "Gilded Fruit Tree" brought back by the family from Mount Mount Yunwu had to be transplanted into the spirit herb garden within two months; otherwise, if the time was too long, the spirit tree would lose its spiritual energy, which would inevitably damage the origin of the spirit tree.

Once that happened, the immature spirit fruits on this spirit fruit tree would likely lose their vitality and ripen prematurely, which would be a huge loss. He had to find another third-tier spirit planter quickly.

Although Song Song Qingming had served as a guest elder of the sect for decades, apart from the Jin Dan elders in the sect, he might not know as much about the low-tier cultivators of the sect as a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had stayed on Mount Mount Guyang for years.

Helpless, Song Song Qingming turned and came to the spirit mountain on the other side of Mount Mount Guyang where Xu Wu Ziyuan's cave dwelling was located, intending to ask her for news about other third-tier spirit planters on Mount Mount Guyang.

Ever since Daoist Daoist Guangling's lifespan was running low a few years ago and he resigned from his post as an elder of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, under the personal appointment of Supreme Elder Li Mu, Xu Wu Ziyuan, who had condensed her Jin Dan latest in the Xiaoyao Sect and had no specific duties, took over the post of elder of the sect's Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

Serving in this position, although relatively busier than other sect elders on a daily basis, allowed her to oversee tens of thousands of low-tier disciples and numerous vassal families under the sect. It was considered a lucrative post, and for Xu Wu Ziyuan, who had just condensed her Jin Dan and was still lacking cultivation resources, it was a position that suited her quite well.

After Xu Wu Ziyuan successfully condensed her Jin Dan, for the convenience of her own cultivation, her cave dwelling had been moved to the west side of Mount Mount Guyang, atop a third-tier low-grade spirit vein with relatively rich spiritual energy.

Just as he arrived outside Xu Wu Ziyuan's cave dwelling, a female disciple dressed in purple soon came to greet him; she was one of Xu Wu Ziyuan's disciples.

"Greetings, Uncle Song!"

Song Song Qingming looked closely and realized that the cultivation on this person was vastly different from when he last saw her. He quickly smiled and said, "I haven't been here for a long time. I didn't expect that you have already successfully reached Foundation Establishment. This is truly a joyous and congratulatory event."

"Your master and I can be considered old friends. Take this spirit talisman as a congratulatory gift for your Foundation Establishment. I hope you won't mind it!"

Seeing the second-tier low-grade spirit talisman handed over by Song Song Qingming, the purple-clad woman hurriedly bowed to thank him and happily led him into Xu Wu Ziyuan's cave dwelling.

Compared to the magnificence, beauty, and fragrance of Zhao Zhao Menglian's cave dwelling, Xu Wu Ziyuan's place had always been relatively quiet and elegant. Apart from some necessary daily items, there were not many luxury goods in the cave dwelling.

Just as he entered the door, Song Song Qingming saw Xu Wu Ziyuan walking out with a woman in yellow; the two were talking and laughing, appearing extremely intimate.

Song Song Qingming looked closely at the face of the woman in yellow, his expression slightly shaken, and he said softly:

"Fairy Gao, long time no see!"

The woman in yellow standing with Xu Wu Ziyuan was none other than her fellow junior sister, Gao Gao Yuyao.

Ever since they went to explore the Floating Yunshan Range together years ago, although Song Song Qingming had seen Gao Gao Yuyao a few times later, there had been no further interaction between them. After Song Song Qingming condensed his Jin Dan, he hadn't seen her for many years.

Today's Gao Gao Yuyao, although her appearance didn't look much different from back then, with the passage of time, her face now had a lot more signs of weathering, and she was much more mature than before.

Gao Gao Yuyao's age was not much different from Song Song Qingming's; she was now about one hundred and eighty years old, which was already quite old among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even for someone who had taken beauty-preserving pills, she could not completely maintain her appearance without change.

Seeing Song Song Qingming's figure, Gao Gao Yuyao's face also revealed a hint of surprise. She hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Uncle Song!"

"Fairy Gao, please don't be so formal. You and I have known each other for many years; from now on, we can address each other as peers."

Hearing this, Gao Gao Yuyao did not stand on ceremony and smiled, nodding slightly, "Then Gao Yuyao won't be formal with Fellow Daoist Song. You came to find Senior Sister, surely you have something to discuss. I also happen to be going back to cultivate, so I won't stay here to disturb you."

Seeing this, Xu Wu Ziyuan exhorted before she left, "Junior Sister, go back and cultivate with peace of mind. Once Senior Brother Chu finishes refining the Du Yuchen Pill, I will naturally do my best to strive for one for you. Cultivation cannot be rushed; I hope you can stabilize your Dao heart well."

"Yes! Gao Yuyao understands. Many thanks to Fourth Senior Sister for worrying about me!" As soon as Gao Gao Yuyao finished speaking, she greeted Song Song Qingming, then walked away quickly and alone.

After Gao Gao Yuyao left, Song Song Qingming asked Xu Wu Ziyuan with some curiosity, "Did Fairy Gao come here to seek spirit items for Core Formation?"

"Indeed. When Master passed away years ago, she exhorted me to take good care of these fellow junior sisters. However, everyone has their own opportunities, and I can only do my best."

"Junior Sister Gao has failed to condense her Jin Dan twice over the years. Even if I can strive for a Du Yuchen Pill for her this time, given her current situation, I'm afraid it will still be difficult to achieve success." Xu Wu Ziyuan shook her head slightly after speaking, sighing helplessly.

"Junior Sister is right! Everyone has their own opportunities. Compared to other geniuses in the sect, our cultivation talents can only be considered average, but we were still able to step onto the Jin Dan path."

"Fairy Gao might have her own opportunities in the future. We should just do our best in everything; Junior Sister Xu shouldn't be too pessimistic about this."

"If Senior Brother Chu needs me to come forward and help, Junior Sister Xu can also send me a message. I have known Fairy Gao for many years; if it's just a small favor, it's only right to help."

Hearing Song Song Qingming say this, Xu Wu Ziyuan hurriedly waved her hand, "Senior Brother Song is too polite. I am now in charge of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, and I can be considered to have some say in the sect. It shouldn't be difficult to ask for a favor from Senior Brother Chu."

"By the way! Senior Brother Song, what is the matter you came to find me for today? You haven't told me yet. Why don't we go inside and have some tea while we talk?"

"That's fine! Then I will trouble Junior Sister Xu!" Seeing Xu Wu Ziyuan's warm invitation, Song Song Qingming hurriedly said politely, then followed her into the cave dwelling.

After leaving Xu Wu Ziyuan's cave dwelling, Gao Gao Yuyao, who stepped onto her flying sword and prepared to return to her own cave dwelling, had Song Song Qingming's figure she had just seen appear in her mind from time to time, making her unable to help but sigh in her heart!

When Gao Gao Yuyao first met Song Song Qingming on Mount Mount Caolu years ago, the other party was just a cultivator from a small family with extremely ordinary talent.

She didn't expect that in just over a hundred years, the delicate young man who still appeared a bit cautious in front of her back then had now successfully condensed his Jin Dan and become the "Old Ancestor Song" who dominated one side of the Wei Kingdom.

And she, a proud daughter of heaven who was born into a Foundation Establishment family, was highly valued by her elders, and was able to join the Xiaoyao Sect as an inner disciple at a young age, had now failed to condense her Jin Dan several times, and could only watch others stand on high ground helplessly. How could she not feel a sense of helplessness in her heart?

However, in the cultivation world, personal opportunity is an ethereal thing. Even if you are a person with outstanding spirit root talent, it doesn't mean you will definitely have a smooth path for the rest of your life and be able to enter the Jin Dan realm as you wish.

In the Xiaoyao Sect, there were many Core Formation seeds of the same generation as Gao Gao Yuyao who had higher talent. Even with the strong support of the sect, they still found it difficult to cross the huge threshold of Core Formation.

Moreover, for the many Foundation Establishment disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, only a small portion of Foundation Establishment cultivators could cultivate to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment and have the opportunity to impact the Jin Dan realm.

Gao Gao Yuyao was able to cultivate to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment early and impact the Jin Dan realm twice; her performance among her peers of Foundation Establishment cultivators was actually considered quite good.

It was just that in the Wei Kingdom cultivation world over the years, Xu Wu Ziyuan and Song Song Qingming, who had successfully condensed their Golden Cores, had both been good friends by her side, which made Gao Gao Yuyao feel a bit more unwilling in her heart about her failure to condense her Jin Dan.

However, although Gao Gao Yuyao had failed to impact the Jin Dan realm twice, her own lifespan had not yet exceeded the two-hundred-year limit for impacting the Jin Dan realm. Plus, she still had Xu Wu Ziyuan, a Jin Dan senior sister, to help her, so she still had another chance to condense her Jin Dan. She didn't need to be too desperate about this point.

——

After chatting with Xu Wu Ziyuan over tea in the cave dwelling for a while, Song Song Qingming slowly stated the purpose of his trip.

Hearing that Song Song Qingming wanted to find a third-tier spirit planter for help, Xu Wu Ziyuan thought for a moment and soon recommended a candidate to him.

Unlike high-tier alchemists and formation masters who were relatively hard to find, apart from Zhao Zhao Menglian, there were four or five other third-tier spirit planters in the Xiaoyao Sect.

These talents, who were relatively important to the sect, basically stayed in the sect's back mountain spirit herb garden on a daily basis. Without receiving any sect missions, they would not go out easily.

The third-tier spirit planter Xu Wu Ziyuan recommended to Song Song Qingming was named Wei Wei Jingliang.

Although this person had only just broken through to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment not long ago, his spirit planting skills had already reached the third tier more than twenty years ago. He was considered a third-tier spirit planter with a relatively good level in the Xiaoyao Sect. Transplanting a third-tier spirit fruit tree should not be a big problem for Wei Wei Jingliang.

Through Xu Wu Ziyuan's introduction, Song Song Qingming soon met Wei Wei Jingliang himself in the sect's Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.

Although his appearance was not ugly, because Wei Wei Jingliang had stayed in the sect's spirit herb garden for years and rarely went out to deal with people, he looked like a bitter cultivator who didn't talk much.

After Song Song Qingming introduced him briefly, Wei Wei Jingliang, upon learning that it was a mission issued by a guest elder of the sect in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, only thought for a moment before readily agreeing.

This mission was not very difficult for Wei Wei Jingliang, and he had the opportunity to get closer to a Jin Dan cultivator. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse. Wei Wei Jingliang, who had quickly accepted the mission, followed Song Song Qingming back to Mount Mount Funiu.

Arriving at the Song family's back mountain spirit herb garden and seeing the "Gilded Fruit Tree" that Song Song Qingming and his companions had transported back, Wei Wei Jingliang first stepped forward to carefully examine the roots of the fruit tree.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the fruit tree itself, Wei Wei Jingliang, with the help of Song Song Yuanxue and several other spirit planters of the Song family, carefully transplanted it into the Song family's spirit herb garden.

After successfully completing the mission of transplanting the spirit fruit tree, Wei Wei Jingliang smiled and said to Song Song Qingming on the side, "Uncle Song, although this fruit tree lost some spiritual energy during the transportation, the origin of the fruit tree has not been damaged."

"It only needs to be cared for and cultivated for a period of time. Once the spirit tree adapts to the environment in the spirit herb garden, it should be able to slowly recover, and it will not affect the spirit fruits on the tree."

"I have also taught the method of how to care for this spirit fruit tree to Fellow Daoist Song Yuanxue. If there are any changes later, Uncle Song can send a message to the sect's Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to inform me, and I will come to handle it then."

Seeing the "Gilded Fruit Tree" that was slowly recovering its spiritual energy on the side, Song Song Qingming nodded to Wei Wei Jingliang with satisfaction, then took out six hundred spirit stones he had prepared in advance and handed them to him personally.

Seeing that the spirit stones Song Song Qingming took out were a bit more than what was agreed upon in advance, Wei Wei Jingliang immediately began to decline, not daring to take more. However, under Song Song Qingming's very persistent attitude, Wei Wei Jingliang finally accepted all the spirit stones.

"Nephew Wei, although these spirit stones are not much, they are a token of my Song family's appreciation. This fruit tree is now an important spirit item of my Song family. I hope that in the future, you will try not to mention this matter to others, so as to prevent those with ulterior motives from finding out, which might bring trouble to my Song family in the future."

Wei Wei Jingliang immediately understood Song Song Qingming's meaning and hurriedly nodded, "Uncle Song, please rest assured. I usually just like to fiddle with some spirit herbs and spirit grasses in the spirit herb garden; I am definitely not a meddlesome person."

"You have also been a bit tired for more than a month. If you are not in a hurry to go back, you can rest on the mountain for two days. You can also be considered a distinguished guest of my Song family. In any case, we should fulfill our duties as hosts."

"Then! This disciple will respectfully obey!"

After obtaining the other party's consent, Song Song Qingming arranged for Song Song Yuanxue on the side to take Wei Wei Jingliang to the "Hui Xian Pavilion" on the top of the mountain first, and also asked someone to take some spirit items unique to the Song family from the Treasury Pavilion to give to him.

Although Song Song Qingming was a Jin Dan cultivator, he still respected and was willing to befriend talents who were outstanding in cultivation skills like Wei Wei Jingliang. That night, he specially set up a banquet in the "Hui Xian Pavilion" on the top of the mountain to treat the other party well.

Song Song Yuanxue had followed Wei Wei Jingliang to transplant the "Gilded Fruit Tree" for more than a month and had learned a lot of knowledge about spirit planting from him. Both of them were people who liked the skill of spirit planting. After finally having some free time, they had many common topics during the banquet.

After transplanting this third-tier spirit fruit tree, which was very important to the family, Song Song Qingming, who had finally found some free time, prepared for a while and then began his seclusion cultivation. (End of chapter)