Chapter 793: Development and Changes, Missing Spiritual Elixir (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Bai Jingyun, his voice choked with sobs as he spoke, appearing very sad.

"When I last saw Fellow Daoist Bai, his body was still quite sturdy. What happened?"

Hearing Bai Jingyun's words, Song Qingming's face showed a trace of surprise. After taking the letter Song Yuanfang took the initiative to hand over, he asked him another question.

Song Yuanfang, who was in charge of family trivialities, bowed and replied: "Reporting to Seventh Great-Uncle, the surroundings of Bai Shiling have been quite stable recently, and nothing major has happened.

Last year, I did hear Changze say that Fellow Daoist Bai was ill, and I even had him send some elixirs to visit.

At that time, Changze only sent a message back saying that Fellow Daoist Bai had caught a cold and there was nothing serious, so I didn't pay attention to it later. It was my negligence."

Song Qingming nodded slightly, opened the letter in his hand, scanned it carefully, and then stood up and said to Song Qingyu beside him: "Fellow Daoist Bai and I were old friends back then. Now that it's likely the last time, I should go and see him.

After I return from Bai Shiling, I will continue to play this game of chess with you!"

"Hmm! Yuxin will be back in a while, and I was just thinking of asking her to accompany me to Chiyan Market. Seventh Brother, go ahead and be busy, don't worry about my trivial matters."

After greeting Song Qingyu, Song Qingming took Song Yuanfang and Bai Jingyun out the door, then went to "Chiyan Market" to take the teleportation array to "Bai Shiling," thousands of miles away.

Just after walking out of the teleportation array, Song Qingming saw Song Changze and several other Song family elders stationed at the market waiting to the side.

"Greetings, Chen Chen Laozu!"

Song Changze's cultivation had now reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, making him the person with the highest cultivation among all the Song family's Foundation Establishment elders. As long as he polished his cultivation for a few more years, he could prepare at any time to impact the Jin Dan realm that all Foundation Establishment cultivators yearned for.

However, forming a core was not an easy task. Even though Song Changze had good talent and had broken through to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment early, he still needed full preparation to have confidence in successfully stepping into the Jin Dan Great Dao.

Over the years, besides daily cultivation, Song Changze had also been working hard to cultivate the "Guiyuan Technique" passed down by Song Qingming. Although he had not yet fully mastered this technique, he could be considered to have achieved some success.

After Song Qingming's spiritual sense swept over Song Changze and the others, he nodded slightly and immediately waved his hand, signaling them to stand up.

Walking on the streets of the market, Song Qingming looked at the cultivators coming and going, feeling that "Bai Shi Market" was much more prosperous than a few years ago, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Ever since the Song family set up teleportation arrays in the two places, the connection between "Chiyan Market" and "Bai Shiling" in recent years had not only reduced the Song family's defensive pressure on the front line, but the exchanges between the two markets had also become much closer.

Many cultivators living around Qinghe and Pingyang counties would organize themselves in groups to go to the surroundings of Bai Shiling to hunt monsters and search for spiritual opportunities.

Under the arrangements of Song Yuanfang, Liu Yuxin, and others, "Bai Shi Market" also began to imitate "Guiyun Market" by setting up the Flying Cloud Guard, recruiting cultivators to go deep into the Fuyun Mountain Range to explore information on various monster territories.

Then, they compiled all of this into books and distributed tasks to the market through the market's Law Enforcement Team to help and encourage cultivators who wanted to go deep into the Fuyun Mountain Range to hunt monsters.

Back when he was still in the Qi Refining stage, Song Qingming had joined the "Flying Cloud Guard" for a period of time during his first trip abroad, so he was naturally very familiar with the process of them issuing tasks.

Therefore, when Song Yuanfang and others took the initiative to propose forming an exploration guard team belonging to "Bai Shi Market," Song Qingming immediately nodded in approval and took the initiative to give them many suggestions.

In the few years since the guard team was formed, under the strong support of Song Changze and others, more and more cultivators came to "Bai Shi Market" to hunt monsters. Not only were the monsters around the market cleared out, but the influence of human cultivators was also slowly extended northward for more than a thousand miles.

With more and more monster-hunting teams in the market, the spoils of these cultivators hunting monsters also made the entire "Bai Shi Market" and the surrounding "Chiyan Market" and other places more prosperous.

Today's "Bai Shi Market" could be considered the largest market in the north of Wei State, second only to "Guiyun Market." It was not only famous throughout Wei State, but even many sects from surrounding countries had come here to open shops.

Although "Bai Shi Market" was operated in cooperation between the Song family and the Xiaoyao Sect, the Song family held the most shares in the market and was also the party that benefited the most from the entire market.

The Song family had been developing quite fast over the years, and there were more and more family cultivators. But after expanding its territory northward, the Song family also had many more family industries. So far, the operation of the entire family could be considered quite stable.

After coming out of the market, Song Qingming refused the accompaniment of Song Changze and the others, and only took Song Yuanfang and Bai Jingyun to the Bai family.

Located hundreds of miles southeast of "Bai Shiling," there was a high mountain standing among the peaks, named: "Yuping Mountain."

This mountain was hundreds of feet high, surrounded by clouds and mist, emitting bursts of spiritual light, looking like an immortal holy land from a distance.

This "Yuping Mountain" had a first-grade top-quality spiritual vein, which was originally a place occupied by monsters in the Fuyun Mountain Range.

Since the Jin Dan immortal clan, the Qinghe Song family, expanded its territory northward more than ten years ago, "Yuping Mountain" was quickly incorporated into the territory of human cultivators and was now the holy land of the Bai family, a cultivation family under the Song family.

Not far from the foot of "Yuping Mountain," two cultivators walked together toward the foot of the mountain and soon arrived under a plaque with a stone tablet.

"Eh! Something major must have happened to this Bai family. Even the mountain gate is unguarded. Could it be that the Bai family Chen Chen Laozu has already passed away?"

After the middle-aged man said this with some deep meaning, he patted his waist with one hand and took out a white communication talisman, then cast a spell to send it into the mountain-protecting formation in the distance.

Another fat scholar with a round figure sighed helplessly upon seeing this:

"Sigh, Senior Bai's lifespan is nearing its end, and passing away is only a matter of time. I don't know if this Yuping Mountain can still be peaceful after the Bai family Chen Chen Laozu is gone."

Hearing the worry in the fat scholar's mouth, the middle-aged man shook his head hurriedly: "Fellow Daoist Lu, you are overthinking this.

I heard long ago that Bai Jingyun of the Bai family has already become a disciple under that Chen Chen Laozu of Funiu Mountain.

Even if Senior Bai is gone in the future, no one in Bai Shiling will dare to have designs on the Bai family. Otherwise, if Funiu Mountain investigates later, they will have to bear the consequences."

"To tell you the truth, I have heard about this matter too. It is said that Senior Bai had some friendship with that Chen Chen Laozu of Funiu Mountain when they were young, which is why he made an exception to accept Bai Jingyun.

In this cultivation world, there are many cases of people leaving and tea cooling. If Senior Bai is gone, who knows if the Song family will still manage the affairs of Yuping Mountain.

Otherwise, if there really was this layer of relationship with the Song family, why would the Bai family specially invite us to discuss an alliance?

I think Senior Bai is mostly aware of this matter, knowing that he cannot rely on them in the future, which is why he invited us two families to discuss this as a precaution, so as to find more retreats for the Bai family."

The middle-aged man nodded slightly after thinking for a moment: "Brother Lu's words also make some sense. Although Bai Jinghua has good cultivation talent, it is hard to say whether he can reach Foundation Establishment in the future.

Senior Bai took care of our two families quite a bit back then. No matter what, we have to come and see. Now that our families are all in this vicinity, forming an alliance is beneficial and harmless.

It's just that, apart from Senior Bai, the highest cultivation in the Bai family is only at the seventh layer of Qi Refining. I'm afraid they can't continue to be our leader. In the future, we will have to rely on Brother Lu to take care of us."

"Brother Lu, rest assured. When we form the alliance later, I will naturally recommend you to take over as the leader of the alliance. In the future, our three families will advance and retreat together."

"Hehe! Easy to say, easy to say. Forming an alliance is for everyone's benefit. As long as you agree, I will naturally not decline. In the future, our three families will advance and retreat together."

Just as they were talking at the foot of the mountain, they suddenly felt a burst of spiritual energy fluctuation at the mountain gate ahead, and immediately after, a white-clothed old man wearing Bai family attire walked out quickly.

The middle-aged man and the fat scholar hurriedly stopped talking and bowed to greet him.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, Fellow Daoist Zheng, your arrival is a great honor. Please forgive me for not welcoming you from afar!"

"Sigh! Our three families have been of one mind for many years, why be so polite! I wonder how Senior Bai is? We would like to pay him a visit first."

Hearing the two people before him ask about their Chen Chen Laozu, the Bai family cultivator's face immediately showed a trace of ugliness, and he nodded slightly: "The Chen Chen Laozu is on the mountain, but he is unwell, I'm afraid it's not convenient to see you now.

This time I invited the two of you here to discuss the alliance of the three families. The two fellow daoists should come up the mountain with me first. After we discuss it, I will see if I can lead you to see the Chen Chen Laozu."

"Oh! If it's not convenient for Senior Bai, then that's fine. Let's go up the mountain then!"

Seeing the somewhat ugly expression on the Bai family cultivator's face, the Lu and Zheng duo who came to visit also flashed a look of deep meaning in their eyes.

Just as the three finished greeting and were about to walk toward the mountain gate, a streak of escape light suddenly lit up in the sky in the distance and flew quickly toward the location of "Yuping Mountain."

Seeing this scene, all three faces showed surprise. The middle-aged man walking in front hurriedly asked with a smile: "This is... a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Fellow Daoist Bai, there are distinguished guests coming to Yuping Mountain today, why didn't you say so earlier? May I ask which senior is coming?"

Hearing this, the Bai family cultivator shook his head hurriedly: "This, the two fellow daoists have misunderstood. There has been no major event in my family recently. As for which senior is coming to visit, I am not very clear either."

Facing the Bai family cultivator's answer, the Lu and Zheng duo both had changes in their expressions. Seeing that the visitor was about to arrive, they hurriedly followed the Bai family cultivator to greet them.

After a white escape light flashed, Song Qingming appeared in mid-air with Song Yuanfang and Bai Jingyun, then controlled the "Phantom Boat" to land slowly.

"Sixth Uncle, I'm back!"

"This... this is Song Chen Chen Laozu! Why did he come?"

As the Patriarch of the Song family, Song Qingming rarely appeared in front of low-tier cultivators, but Song Yuanfang managed many of the family's worldly affairs and often came into contact with cultivators from subordinate families. Seeing Song Yuanfang, the Great Elder of the Song family, standing respectfully behind Song Qingming, the three people below immediately realized that the green-robed man standing in front should be the high and unreachable Song Chen Chen Laozu they spoke of.

Seeing Song Qingming, a Jin Dan cultivator, suddenly appear, the three people standing below were all very shocked, finding it hard to believe that this high-and-mighty Song Chen Chen Laozu had actually come to "Yuping Mountain" in person.

Ever since forming his core, the management of subordinate families in the family had basically been handled by Foundation Establishment elders like Song Yuanfang. Song Qingming basically would not interfere with these trivial matters in the family over the years.

Apart from seeing off peers like Huang Shengyue who had friendship with him back then when they passed away, he basically would not appear at subordinate families at other times.

Moreover, the Bai family of "Yuping Mountain" was just a small cultivation family established not long ago, and it could not compare to a thousand-year-old clan like the Huang family. How could it be worth Song Qingming, a Jin Dan Chen Chen Laozu, valuing it so much as to come in person?

Even if Song Yuanfang, the Great Elder of the Song family, had come today, it would have been giving the Bai family extra face.

Not only were Lu and Li shocked to see this scene, but even the Bai family cultivator was stunned on the spot, his face full of surprise.

It wasn't until Bai Jingyun, who had just returned, called out to him again that he reacted and hurriedly stepped forward to kneel and bow to Song Qingming.

"Junior..., greets Chen Chen Laozu!"

Song Qingming saw this and glanced at the few people, waved his hand lightly to signal them to stand up, and then let Bai Jingyun lead the way, walking onto "Yuping Mountain" first.

It wasn't until Song Qingming and the three had walked far away that the Lu and Li trio who remained in place slowly recovered from their shock. They looked at each other, seemingly still unable to believe what had just happened.

"Uh... Fellow Daoist Lu, Fellow Daoist Zheng, let's go up the mountain first! You two fellow daoists please first."

"Ah! Fellow Daoist Bai, please first."

Hearing the Bai family cultivator's words, the Lu and Li duo, who had reacted, immediately nodded and responded with a smile.

It was only after walking two steps forward that they took the initiative to stop their steps, and it wasn't until the Bai family cultivator walked in front that they bowed and followed.

In a cave dwelling on the peak of "Yuping Mountain," Bai Yunhua, whose hair was already white and who was as thin as a stick, was lying on a sickbed. With his eyes closed, it seemed that only a faint breath remained connected to this world.

In a large hall outside the sickbed, three Bai family cultivators sat together, their faces all somewhat ugly.

One of the middle-aged men with a full beard stood up and paced twice, then turned and asked: "Big Brother, you said Jingyun went to Funiu Mountain this time, can he really invite people from the Song family? The people from the Lu family and the Zheng family will probably arrive in a while. If no one from the Song family comes, I'm afraid it won't be easy for us to discuss the alliance with them."

An old man sitting by the stone table sighed upon hearing this: "You all know that although Jingyun is a disciple of the Song family Chen Chen Laozu, he is only a nominal one. How could I have much certainty about this matter?

Before, the Chen Chen Laozu warned us repeatedly not to disturb the Song family.

It wasn't you who insisted on this idea, letting Jingyun go to Funiu Mountain to report the news. Now you are asking me instead."

After the white-clothed old man finished speaking, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, seemingly dissatisfied with the inquiry just now.

The middle-aged man was also unhappy upon hearing this: "Big Brother, don't you understand the situation now? Once the Chen Chen Laozu passes away, do you think the Lu family and the Zheng family will still follow our lead like before?

If we want to keep our current status, how can we rely on just a few of us? This is a last resort because there is no other way.

If you have any better ideas, then say them out. It's not like we won't listen to you."

"Alright! Fourth Brother, say less. You've been arguing for so many days, aren't you tired? Big Brother, the matter is already settled, don't think too much. Just wait for the result with peace of mind!

When the people from the Lu family and the Li family come up later, I will go and deal with them first to hold them off. We will discuss everything after Jingyun returns."

Another old man sitting by the stone table comforted the two, then stood up and walked out.

Just as he reached the door, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy suddenly walked in quickly.

"Big Uncle, Second Brother... he's back. I saw he also brought two people, and they will be here soon."

"Oh! Great, it must be that the Song family has come. I knew it, that kid Jingyun is smart and won't let us down.

Big Brother, you stay here. Fourth Brother, come out with me to welcome them. Don't let them think we have lost our manners."

Hearing what the boy said, the people in the hall immediately changed from their previous sorrow and showed a few more smiles, walking quickly out of the cave dwelling.

A quarter of an hour later, Song Qingming, sitting in front of Bai Yunhua's sickbed, was carefully checking Bai Yunhua on the sickbed with his spiritual sense.

And the few Bai family cultivators just now, along with Bai Jingyun, stood carefully to the side, lowering their heads and not daring to look at Song Qingming.

Before, they let Bai Jingyun go to Funiu Mountain to report the news, just wanting to try their luck to see if the Song family would send one or two cultivators to visit Bai Yunhua's situation as before.

To borrow the Song family's arrival to let surrounding cultivation families know the relationship between the Bai family and "Funiu Mountain," so as to keep the Bai family's current status from being shaken in the short term.

The few never expected that this nominal disciple, Bai Jinghua, could actually invite Song Qingming over, which really gave them a big fright.

Standing in the cave dwelling, trembling, they faced Song Qingming, this Jin Dan Chen Chen Laozu, and really didn't dare to step forward to talk, so they could only lower their heads and accompany him to the side.

After checking Bai Yunhua, Song Qingming's face gradually showed more doubt. He turned to the few Bai family cultivators not far away and asked: "When Jingyun became my disciple, I once bestowed a second-tier top-quality longevity elixir upon Fellow Daoist Bai. Have you ever seen this item?"

Bai Yunhua was a cultivator of similar age to Song Qingming. Although his lifespan was nearing its limit, Song Qingming had bestowed a second-tier longevity elixir upon Bai Yunhua back then. Logically speaking, it should have been able to extend his lifespan by at least five years.

Hearing the news that Bai Yunhua was dying suddenly at "Funiu Mountain," Song Qingming felt somewhat strange in his heart, so he came to check it himself.

Through his spiritual sense probe just now, Song Qingming felt that there was no vitality left in Bai Yunhua's body, and his face was gray, which was clearly a sign that his lifespan had been exhausted.

Realizing that Bai Yunhua had not taken the longevity spiritual item, Song Qingming felt more curious about the whereabouts of the second-tier "Longevity Elixir" he had bestowed back then, and his cold gaze turned to the few Bai family members to the side.

"Second-tier top-quality Longevity Elixir? This... this, reporting to Chen Chen Laozu, we have never heard of this item."

"Yes! Chen Chen Laozu, please be clear. After Grandfather returned back then, he didn't mention any longevity elixir to us, and the Chen Chen Laozu's relics are all here, and there is no second-tier top-quality spiritual elixir."

Facing Song Qingming's inquiry, the few Bai family cultivators standing nearby hurriedly knelt on the ground to explain, and even turned out all the storage bags left by Bai Yuhua.

Before long, with a clatter, the few poured out everything in Bai Yunhua's storage bag and carefully brought it before Song Qingming.

Song Qingming glanced at it lightly and found that these were all ordinary spiritual items of little value, with only a few second-tier low-quality talismans and magic tools of average quality having some value, and there was no "Longevity Elixir" at all.

Seeing this situation, Song Qingming turned to look at the crowd again, his tone cold:

"This elixir was bestowed by me to Fellow Daoist Bai back then, but Fellow Daoist Bai did not take the longevity spiritual item, and now this elixir is nowhere to be found. There should be an explanation for this.

To tell you the truth, this second-tier top-quality Longevity Elixir was refined by my Song family. As long as this item is still on Yuping Mountain, I will definitely have a way to find it.

If any of you took it, or know the whereabouts of this elixir, as long as you say it now, I can give Fellow Daoist Bai some face and let bygones be bygones with you."

Back then, Song Qingming bestowed the longevity elixir upon Bai Yunhua, nothing more than wanting him to live a few more years so he could give Bai Jingyun more guidance.

He didn't expect that Bai Yunhua didn't take this longevity spiritual elixir, which caused his passing to be a few years earlier. Now that his vitality had dissipated, there was no way to save him.

Bai Yunhua had cultivated for a lifetime and could pass away in his own home, which was not a very sad thing.

It was just that he clearly had a second-tier top-quality "Longevity Elixir" in his hand but didn't have time to take and refine it, which really made Song Qingming somewhat unable to understand where this valuable elixir had gone.

Seeing that Song Qingming's face was already somewhat displeased, the few Bai family cultivators present hurriedly knelt and begged for mercy, all claiming that they had never seen or heard that their Chen Chen Laozu still had such a precious second-tier top-quality elixir in his hand.

Seeing that these Bai family people had already been scared out of their wits and didn't seem to be talking nonsense, Song Qingming's doubt deepened, and he asked again: "Since you didn't take it, then has Fellow Daoist Bai been anywhere over the years, or encountered any trouble? Do you know?"

"Reporting to Chen Chen Laozu, since moving to Yuping Mountain, Grandfather rarely went out. Over the years, apart from the surroundings of Yuping Mountain, we have indeed never seen him travel far."

"Oh! This is really strange. A good second-tier top-quality elixir shouldn't just vanish into thin air!

Since you can't find it yourselves, then I will send someone over to help you find it properly!"

"Master, I think I know where the elixir is!"

Just as Song Qingming was about to turn and leave the cave dwelling, Bai Jingyun, who had been standing to the side without speaking, suddenly spoke up. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 794 =====