Chapter 710

Two days later, outside the Merit Hall of Mount Guyang.

After receiving the letter sent by Xu Ziyuan to go to the Wu Guo early in the morning, Song Qingming led Huang Siyuan and the others to rush here to meet with Xu Ziyuan and the others, and boarded the large flying boat transporting materials for the Sect.

This time going to the Wu Guo, the Merit Hall happened to need to transport a batch of materials to "Seven Star Workshop," so Xu Ziyuan arranged for everyone to take the Sect's large flying boat together.

Traveling like this, although the speed is slower than controlling their own flying boat, it is safer, and it's nothing more than wasting a few more days.

Shortly after Song Qingming and the others boarded the flying boat, Li Wutong, Chu Fengping, Zhao Mengling, and Fang Baixuan also arrived here one after another.

Seeing that Song Qingming's cultivation base had broken through to the Jin Dan seventh layer so quickly, a look of surprise also appeared on everyone's faces, and they stepped forward one after another to congratulate him.

Song Qingming had formed his Jin Dan for only a little over a hundred years, and his cultivation base had broken through to the Jin Dan seventh layer so quickly. In the Xiaoyao Sect, only Bai Yuxian and Chen Xuanxin could do this.

Although Law Enforcement Elder Li Wutong's cultivation base had also reached the Jin Dan seventh layer, he had spent two hundred years to reach this realm, which was still much worse than Song Qingming's.

Seeing this time that Song Qingming had already caught up with him in cultivation base, Li Wutong also felt a burst of emotion in his heart and couldn't help but be shocked by Song Qingming's cultivation speed.

When he first met Song Qingming back then, the other party was just a small Qi Condensation cultivator standing in front of him trembling. In less than two hundred years, Song Qingming had actually cultivated to a realm on par with him.

Compared to Li Wutong's shock, there was a bit more envy on the faces of Chu Fengping and Zhao Mengling.

They had both formed their Golden Cores for more than two hundred years and could be considered old-school Jin Dan cultivators who had formed their Golden Cores for many years in the "Xiaoyao Sect."

It's just that their cultivation bases were still stuck at the Jin Dan sixth layer realm, stuck in the Jin Dan mid-stage and unable to go any further.

Now seeing that Song Qingming had actually broken through to the Jin Dan seventh layer one step ahead of them, Chu Fengping and Zhao Mengling were also very envious of Song Qingming's cultivation speed. After getting on the flying boat, they immediately took the initiative to step forward and exchange cultivation insights on breaking through to the late stage of Jin Dan with Song Qingming.

Fang Baixuan, who formed his Jin Dan the latest, although his cultivation base was only at the Jin Dan second layer, seeing Song Qingming and the three discussing the matter of breaking through the cultivation realm, also took the initiative to join in, humbly standing on the side and listening to Song Qingming teach and explain his experience when breaking through his cultivation base.

After the group chatted on the flying boat for half an hour, a streak of light suddenly flew over and landed under the flying boat. Before long, a middle-aged man with a slightly fat figure brought a few gorgeously dressed women and walked onto the flying boat with a smile.

Seeing Zhang Tieyang walking in front, Song Qingming and the others hurriedly stopped their conversation and shifted their focus to him.

Zhang Tieyang, who had just arrived on the flying boat, seeing that everyone had arrived and it seemed like only he was missing, and always being relatively smooth in his actions, hurriedly took the initiative to step forward and bow to everyone to apologize: "Sorry! Zhang came a step late and kept everyone waiting for a long time. I am truly ashamed, and I hope all Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters will not blame me!"

Zhao Mengling, standing in front, waved her hand upon hearing this: "Haha! We are all fellow apprentice brothers, how can we care about such small matters? Junior Brother Zhang, your words are too distant."

After Zhang Tieyang greeted Song Qingming and the others, he signaled the three beautiful women behind him to step forward and greet everyone one by one.

In Zhang Tieyang's active introduction, everyone learned that these young and beautiful women he brought were actually his Dao companions who had accompanied him for many years, and they couldn't help but cast him a meaningful look one after another.

In the cultivation world, it is not a strange thing for some high-tier cultivators with status to marry a few low-tier beautiful female cultivators. Among those present, it was not just Zhang Tieyang. When Song Qingming cooperated with Chu Fengping to refine elixirs back then, he often went to his cave dwelling and saw several Dao companions beside Chu Fengping.

However, it is a bit uncommon for someone like Zhang Tieyang to like to bring many wives and concubines with him when going on a long journey, which shows that he really likes these Dao companions of his.

"Since everyone has arrived, I will have someone go and notify Junior Sister Xu. We should be able to set off immediately."

Seeing that Zhang Tieyang had arrived, Zhao Mengling turned around and sent a sound transmission to the disciple behind her. Soon, someone went to notify Xu Ziyuan, who was counting spiritual items in the cargo hold under the flying boat.

Before long, at Xu Ziyuan's order, the flying boat slowly rose from the ground to the high sky, and then passed through the "Mount Guyang" protective mountain array and flew rapidly toward the southwest.

After the flying boat started moving, everyone didn't stay outside for too long. After greeting each other, they soon returned to the rooms arranged for everyone by Xu Ziyuan on the flying boat to rest.

Song Yuanhao and the others, who were leaving the Wei State for the first time, were all a bit excited looking at the fresh scenery outside the window, gathering together to discuss the fresh things outside they had heard about before.

After the flying boat left the Wei State, it went all the way south and soon entered the vast "Taiyuehu."

Located in the middle of the Floating Yunshan Range cultivation world, "Taiyuehu" is also a dangerous place where beasts run rampant. Deep in the lake, there is a cave dwelling built by a Nascent Soul beast emperor, and few cultivators dare to approach it.

Whenever there is beast turmoil, the beasts in "Taiyuehu" will also attack nearby countries and sects under the drive of high-tier beasts. Surrounding countries like the Wu Guo and Pei State are also deeply affected.

However, the pressure of the number of beasts here is much smaller compared to the beast army moving south from the northern border, and it generally ends completely after about a year of turmoil.

Back then, when Song Qingming went to the Wu Guo for the first time, he traveled directly through the lake with Yao Ganshu and the others. Walking this path would definitely run into some beasts, and even Jin Dan beast kings were very likely to be encountered, which was relatively more dangerous.

However, this time, because the "Xiaoyao Sect" group set off in advance and was not in a hurry, Xu Ziyuan did not let the flying boat travel directly through "Taiyuehu," but chose to move forward along a safer route closer to the lake shore.

After the flying boat had been moving for a few days, Song Yuanfang, who had been taking turns guarding the door, suddenly knocked on the door of the room where Song Qingming was cultivating alone. After going out to inquire, he learned that it was Zhang Tieyang, who was acquainted with him, who had come to visit.

Seeing this, Song Qingming hurriedly asked Song Yuanfang to arrange tea and came to the door himself to greet him.

Zhang Tieyang was originally a loose cultivator. After forming his Jin Dan, because he had many Dao companions and descendants, he had been living without a fixed place and had the idea of finding a third-tier spirit mountain to create a cultivation family.

However, in the cultivation world, spirit veins above the third-tier located in human territory are, without exception, basically controlled by major sects and cultivation families above the Jin Dan level.

It was obviously not easy for Zhang Tieyang to obtain a spirit vein from their hands, but cultivating a third-tier spirit vein from scratch outside would require at least one hundred thousand spirit stones, which was something difficult for a Jin Dan cultivator of loose cultivator origin like him to take out.

Over these years, Zhang Tieyang had been searching for spirit mountains nearby without success. Finally, in the beast turmoil a few years ago, he obtained a rare opportunity. After agreeing to help deal with the beasts, he successfully joined the "Xiaoyao Sect" and became a Guest Elder of the Sect.

Later, after the "Xiaoyao Sect" defeated the beast army and recovered the lost territory, Zhang Tieyang was ordered to go directly to "Mount Tiexian Castle" to help the Hu family guard this place together.

Therefore, Zhang Tieyang soon brought his Dao companions and relatives and descendants to the Wei State and completely took root in "Mount Tiexian Castle," creating a new cultivation family here.

This was also a promise the "Xiaoyao Sect" made to Zhang Tieyang when they invited him to help deal with the beast army back then.

After Zhang Tieyang went to "Mount Tiexian Castle," with the cooperation of the Sect, he quickly began to repair the damaged spirit mountains and workshops, reorganized the cultivation families under his command, and soon controlled the entire "Mount Tiexian Castle."

With him, a Jin Dan cultivator, sitting in town, the defense line against beasts here at "Mount Tiexian Castle" was immediately restored. Even the nearby "Mount Tuoyun" took the initiative to get closer to Zhang Tieyang, and hadn't sent messages to the Song family for help in the past few years.

The Hu family, who originally controlled "Mount Tiexian Castle," had only Foundation Establishment cultivators left who could come out and speak after Hu Qingyun, a fake Jin Dan ancestor, was seriously injured at "Guiyun Workshop" and was in seclusion to heal. Their prestige in "Mount Tiexian Castle" had plummeted and they could only stand on the sidelines.

Nowadays, the person managing the size of affairs in "Mount Tiexian Castle" has gradually become Zhang Tieyang, who had just moved in not long ago, and the Zhang family he had just created.

After Hu Qingyun successfully formed his Jin Dan back then, the Hu family was infinitely glorious for the Sect, managing the most important spirit vein in the northwest of the Wei State, "Mount Tiexian Castle," and even overshadowed the Zhao family of Donglin County, which also possessed a fake Jin Dan cultivator, vaguely having the momentum to be on par with the Qinghe Song family in the northeast.

Didn't expect that the Hu family had only managed "Mount Tiexian Castle" for a few decades when the beast turmoil arrived and "Mount Tiexian Castle" was captured by the beast army. The family not only lost a large number of cultivators and mortals, but even the ancestor Hu Qingyun was seriously injured.

Even if Hu Qingyun's injuries heal in the future, they will face the suppression of Zhang Tieyang, a Jin Dan fourth-layer cultivator, in "Mount Tiexian Castle." The Hu family's days in the future will definitely not be the same as before, and they will inevitably begin to decline.

Fortunately, the power transition in "Mount Tiexian Castle" this time was not too bloody. As long as the Hu family is willing to take the initiative to make concessions, Zhang Tieyang dare not make things too difficult for them due to the influence of the Sect.

Song Qingming just opened the door and found that it wasn't just Zhang Tieyang who came, but even his three Dao companions were standing outside the door with him. He was also a bit surprised and didn't know whether he had anything to do with coming to find him.

"Haha! Senior Brother Song, I came to visit because I had nothing to do. I don't know if Senior Brother has time for us to disturb you for a while!" Upon meeting, Zhang Tieyang, who always had a smile on his face, immediately bowed and saluted.

"Junior Brother Zhang, what are you talking about? You and I have known each other for many years and are now fellow apprentice brothers, so there is no need to be so distant. Everyone, please come in and sit down first!" Seeing this, Song Qingming also hurriedly reached out to invite Zhang Tieyang and the others into the room.

As soon as they entered the door and sat down, Zhang Tieyang immediately let the three Dao companions who followed him take the initiative to step forward and greet Song Qingming one by one. Although Zhang Tieyang himself looked average, his few Dao companions were somewhat outstanding in appearance, and their cultivation bases had all reached the Foundation Establishment realm.

Being a guest for the first time and being the other party's Dao companions, Song Qingming was also a bit embarrassed and hurriedly took out a few second-tier spirit talismans from his person as a meeting gift to give to the other party.

After the group chatted and exchanged pleasantries in the hall for a few sentences, Zhang Tieyang looked around and suddenly asked: "Senior Brother Song, why don't I see Senior Sister Huang?"

"Siyuan is meditating and cultivating in the inner room. Junior Brother Zhang, is there anything you want to find her for?"

Zhang Tieyang nodded with a smile upon hearing this: "During the last beast turmoil, I was lucky enough to kill a beast king with Senior Brother Jin. Afterward, the Sect rewarded me with a beast king inner core."

"I came here to find Senior Sister Huang to ask if she could use this item to help me refine a furnace of elixirs, so as to improve my cultivation base."

Seeing that Zhang Tieyang came to find Huang Siyuan for help in refining elixirs, Song Qingming was slightly stunned before immediately replying: "Junior Brother Zhang killed a beast king for the Sect and should naturally receive these rewards."

"However, for this matter of refining elixirs, Junior Brother should find Senior Brother Chu first. His alchemy technique has already broken through to the third-tier mid-grade, and the chance of success will be greater. Siyuan has only just advanced to a third-tier alchemist not long ago, and if she doesn't handle it well, I'm afraid she will waste the beast core in your hand."

"Haha! Senior Brother Song doesn't know. This time during the beast turmoil, the Sect harvested a large amount of alchemy materials, and Senior Brother Chu has been busy refining elixirs for the past few years and has no time at all."

"I have already looked for him several times, but I haven't been able to get an accurate answer. To tell you the truth, I came here to find Senior Sister Huang because Senior Brother Chu introduced me to come here himself." After Zhang Tieyang finished speaking, a look of embarrassment also appeared on his face.

This time during the beast turmoil, the "Xiaoyao Sect" killed more than a dozen beast kings, and the Sect treasury was indeed piled up with various high-tier beast materials, which was indeed enough to keep Chu Fengping, this alchemist, busy for a while.

Hearing Zhang Tieyang's explanation, Song Qingming also immediately understood and nodded: "Oh! So that's how it is. Since Junior Brother took the initiative to come to the door, I definitely can't let you run for nothing."

"However, I don't understand alchemy, so whether I can help with this matter depends on Siyuan. Junior Brother Zhang, wait a moment, I will ask them to invite her out immediately."

After Song Qingming finished speaking, he immediately gave Song Yuanfang, who was standing on the side, a look, asking him to invite Huang Siyuan, who was in seclusion, out.

"Haha! With Senior Brother Song's words, I can rest assured. This time, I have already collected all the other auxiliary materials for refining elixirs, and I also have a copy of the elixir formula here. It's just missing a third-tier alchemist."

"Speaking of which, I am a bit envious of Senior Brother Song for having Senior Sister Huang, this third-tier alchemist, as a virtuous helper. Mount Funiu will definitely continue to flourish, and in the future, I will have to rely on Senior Brother Song and Senior Sister Huang to take care of me."

"Junior Brother Zhang, your words are wrong. Nowadays, you have joined the Sect to manage Mount Tiexian Castle. The benefits you can get are much more than my barren place of Mount Funiu, and you will definitely be able to achieve something in the future."

"Sigh! Senior Brother Song doesn't know. Mount Tiexian Castle was ravaged by beasts before and is already a ruin. I have already spent quite a few spirit stones just to repair those workshops and mines."

"The Sect is urging me every day to speed up the restoration of Mount Tiexian Castle's operation, and those people from the Hu family are deliberately not cooperating with me. I am now sitting on pins and needles, caught in a dilemma." After Zhang Tieyang finished speaking, he sighed slightly at the corner of his mouth.

Song Qingming waved his hand with a smile upon seeing this: "Haha! Junior Brother has just entered Mount Tiexian Castle not long ago, don't be so anxious. Some things still need to be taken slowly."

"Junior Brother Zhang can form a Jin Dan and has so many good companions, living such a carefree life, why do you need to envy someone like me who is suffering in cultivation."

Hearing what Song Qingming said, Zhang Tieyang looked at the few Dao companions sitting beside him and nodded with a smile: "Senior Brother Song's words are right. Thinking of someone like me who is of loose cultivator origin, my natural talent is naturally not as good as those major sect personal disciples. Being able to have today's achievements is already not a wasted life."

"Since ancient times, how many people can walk the path of longevity? Someone like me with dull talent doesn't want to waste all my time in this kind of boring cultivation. It's better to be carefree, so as not to regret it in the future."

In the cultivation world, although most cultivators are single-mindedly seeking the Dao and will not be too greedy for external things like wine, sex, wealth, and qi, so as not to shake their Dao-seeking heart.

However, there are also many high-tier cultivators like Zhang Tieyang who, after having a certain status, live transparently and like to marry many wives and concubines to enjoy life.

Although Song Qingming's own Dao-seeking heart is very firm, he does not oppose Zhang Tieyang's idea.

After all, the path of cultivation is too difficult. Not to mention cultivating to ascend to the upper realm, even the Nascent Soul realm barrier can block most of the Jin Dan cultivators like them. Cultivating for a lifetime, everyone cannot just be for the illusory longevity! Just as the two were talking, Huang Siyuan, who received Song Yuanfang's message, had already arrived at the guest hall outside. Seeing her walk over, Zhang Tieyang, who was sitting in a chair, hurriedly got up and took the initiative to bow and salute.

"Seen Senior Sister Huang!"

Huang Siyuan also immediately returned the salute upon seeing this, and then said softly: "Yuanfang told me everything just now. I don't know what kind of elixir Junior Brother Zhang wants to refine. Can you show me the elixir formula first!"

Zhang Tieyang, upon hearing this, had a bamboo slip appear in his hand with a flash of spiritual light, and then sent it directly to Huang Siyuan's hand.

"I obtained this elixir formula twenty years ago when I was traveling in the Tianhai Alliance in the south. I have also collected all the auxiliary spiritual herbs needed to refine the elixir."

"However, because I didn't have a beast core in my hand before, I haven't found anyone to try refining this elixir. Senior Sister Huang, please take a look first to see if you can open the furnace to refine this elixir."

Huang Siyuan put the bamboo slip in front of her and carefully probed it with her spiritual sense before nodding to Zhang Tieyang: "There is no problem with this elixir formula. As long as the alchemy materials are fully prepared, there should be a seventy or eighty percent chance of refining it."

"If Junior Brother is at ease, you can leave this elixir formula with me first. Let me study it, and after I go back, I can open the furnace to refine the elixir."

"Oh! Then thank you, Senior Sister Huang. If this elixir can be refined into two or more, I am willing to take out one as a reward. I hope Senior Sister will not dislike it."

Seeing Huang Siyuan agree to help refine the elixir, Zhang Tieyang was also very happy in his heart. He stepped forward and bowed to thank her again before leaving with his few Dao companions with satisfaction.

During the more than a month that the flying boat was moving forward, Song Qingming didn't go out much. Instead, Zhao Mengling and Chu Fengping, who wanted to ask him for advice, took the initiative to come to the door several times and exchanged cultivation insights with Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan.

Although Chu Fengping's cultivation base had just broken through to the Jin Dan sixth layer for not long, there was still a distance before he could cultivate to perfection and impact the late stage of Jin Dan.

However, Chu Fengping's lifespan was only a little over three hundred years and was relatively sufficient. He himself was a third-tier mid-grade alchemist and could be considered the Jin Dan Elder in the Sect who was least short of cultivation elixirs. If nothing unexpected happened, it shouldn't be difficult for him to break through to the late stage of Jin Dan.

But how long it would take for him to successfully break through, and whether he could touch the bottleneck of condensing the Nascent Soul in the future, this was a bit hard to say.

Although Zhao Mengling's cultivation base had reached the peak of the Jin Dan sixth layer, her lifespan had already exceeded four hundred years, and she was injured in the beast turmoil a few years ago and hadn't fully recovered yet.

This time going to the Wu Guo to participate in the "Star Assembly," Zhao Mengling, like the former Sect Master Yao Ganshu, had the main purpose of wanting to find high-tier elixirs for healing, so that her injuries could recover faster and not delay her Dao path too much.

Although both were at the Jin Dan sixth layer, theoretically both had hope of cultivating to the Jin Dan ninth layer peak to impact the Nascent Soul realm.

But from the perspective of personal Dao path prospects, Zhao Mengling was actually not as good as Chu Fengping, who had a lower cultivation base. Even the Jin Dan late-stage bottleneck that was right in front of her, she might not necessarily have the opportunity to break through.

Song Qingming finally cleared up their doubts, making Chu Fengping and Zhao Mengling return satisfied. Unexpectedly, Zhang Tieyang also came on this day. On this day, Song Qingming, who was meditating and cultivating in the room, suddenly heard a sound transmission fly in at the door, hurriedly opened his eyes to end his meditation, and walked out.

"Seventh Great-Uncle, Senior Uncle Xu just sent someone to pass a message that we have already arrived in the Wu Guo."

Hearing Song Yuanhao's report, Song Qingming walked to the window and took a look. Although he hadn't been to the Wu Guo for decades, Song Qingming recognized the unique scenery of the Wu Guo outside at a glance.

"Since we have already entered the Wu Guo, we should arrive at Seven Star Workshop in at most a day or two. Go and notify Yuanfang and the others, and let everyone pack their things and prepare to get off the boat at any time."

Although this trip to the Wu Guo took a few more days, the journey was very smooth and they didn't encounter many beasts, which also made everyone feel that their luck on this trip was quite good.

A day later, the flying boat successfully arrived outside "Seven Star Workshop." After Xu Ziyuan handed over the invitation sent by the "Star Sect," everyone soon entered the workshop.

Still the same as before, the Xiaoyao Sect group all stayed in the "Guyang Pavilion" arranged by the Sect, waiting for the upcoming "Star Assembly" to open.

Although there was still more than half a month before the "Star Assembly" was held, "Seven Star Workshop" had already become lively.

After settling down, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan took the Song family group and soon followed the crowd into the workshop to see if there were any spiritual items they needed to purchase. (End of chapter)