Chapter 129: Level Eleven, Cultivation Family

There's nothing to think about!

He Pingsheng directly tossed the Water Elemental Spirit Apricot into his mouth.

He chewed lightly.

A burst of fragrant aroma exploded in his mouth.

Huh…

This taste is exquisite.

It's like eating a celestial fruit.

Originally, He Pingsheng had thought that eating the Water Elemental Spirit Apricot would unleash boundless spiritual energy for him to absorb.

But he overestimated it.

No spiritual energy.

All the flesh flowed into his abdomen, yet no sensation of qi arose within.

Yet, miraculously, He Pingsheng felt a powerful force surge forth from his dantian, like a raging flood, violently rushing along his meridians.

Once!

Twice!

Three times!

After a few breaths, he felt a certain constraint within his body suddenly shatter.

The flesh barrier broke.

Qi Refining Level Eleven, achieved effortlessly.

It was that simple.

Cultivate.

Since his cultivation base has reached Level Eleven, he can now enhance the other four dantians as well.

Not only the dantians, but his Spirit Refinement and Body Refinement can also be upgraded.

He Pingsheng sat cross-legged again and began his quiet cultivation.

Time passed slowly.

Before he knew it, two more years had passed.

He raised all five dantians, along with his Spirit Refinement and Body Refinement, to Level Eleven.

He stepped out of the small courtyard.

He Pingsheng stood beside the cliff, gazing at the endless sea of clouds before him, his brow furrowed.

How should he proceed from here?

If he merely sat in quiet meditation from now on, he feared he would be unable to advance further.

He must descend the mountain and seek opportunities.

If he cannot find an opportunity, he truly will not break through.

But where could he find such an opportunity?

That was the question.

"Little brother, Master said you've emerged from seclusion—hurry to Yuning Palace, she has something to tell you!" Tian Xiaoqing appeared before He Pingsheng without warning.

He Pingsheng was startled: "You're at Level Twelve too?"

"Mm…" Tian Xiaoqing sighed softly, "I broke through to Level Eleven a year ago, then swallowed the Water Elemental Spirit Apricot you gave me and reached Level Twelve!"

"Later, I swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill too!"

"But I didn't have the same fortune as Sister Zhao or Brother Xu—I never ascended to Foundation Establishment."

"Uh!" He Pingsheng rubbed his forehead and said, "Um… I still have two Foundation Establishment Pills. How about…?"

"Not yet!" Tian Xiaoqing smiled. "Actually, I've already swallowed three Foundation Establishment Pills—none worked."

Her smile was bitter. "I'm waiting. Maybe the opportunity hasn't come yet. Even if I swallowed another now, it'd likely be wasted."

"I have a feeling."

He Pingsheng nodded.

If swallowing multiple Foundation Establishment Pills hasn't broken the barrier, then waiting is all that's left.

Wait for the opportunity.

Maybe he'll break through in three or five years. Maybe in thirty or fifty.

Or perhaps he never will.

That's the fate of most people.

He Pingsheng could refine top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills. Theoretically, giving one to Tian Xiaoqing would allow her to break through.

But after thinking it over, He Pingsheng decided not to give it to her.

His bond with Tian Xiaoqing wasn't deep enough. If it were a high-grade pill, giving it wouldn't matter.

But a top-grade pill is different.

After the incident with Yuning, He Pingsheng couldn't be sure Tian Xiaoqing wouldn't speak out.

If she did, trouble would be immense.

In the cultivation world, there is such a thing as the "Heavenly Oath."

Just swear an oath.

But it doesn't work on low-level disciples.

The Heavenly Oath is a rule.

And cultivation rules are only accessible to Nascent Soul cultivators.

Thus, the Heavenly Oath only binds those at Nascent Soul level or above—it has no effect on Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, or Golden Core cultivators.

That's why, when the sect investigated whether He Pingsheng had killed Linglong and Yude, they didn't make him swear an oath.

Because it's useless for low-level disciples.

"Alright, I'll go see Master first. I wish you breakthrough soon, Sister!" He Pingsheng said. "If you need a Foundation Establishment Pill, I still have two—one low-grade, one mid-grade!"

"Whenever you want, I'll give it to you!"

With that, He Pingsheng left immediately, heading toward Yuning Palace.

The array at the entrance of Yuning Palace opened sequentially.

He Pingsheng walked inside.

"Disciple greets Master!"

He bowed to Yuning.

Yuning nodded. "Don't bow to me."

"Come here—I have a task for you."

He Pingsheng stepped before his Master.

Master said: "Didn't your senior brother Hou Muxian break through to Foundation Establishment a few years ago?"

"Yes," He Pingsheng nodded.

Though inwardly he wondered: ever since hearing his senior brother broke through, he'd never seen him again—where did that guy disappear to?

Precisely speaking, since emerging from the secret realm, he'd barely seen him—eight years now.

"Actually, Hou Muxian is from the cultivation family Hou Clan!"

"The Hou Clan has ties with our Grand Void Gate—his ancestor was once an Elder of Grand Void Gate, a disciple of our Supreme Elder, Grand Void Ancestor!"

"The current head of the Hou Clan has entered a life-or-death bottleneck, hoping to break through to the Golden Core realm."

"So all responsibilities of the Hou Clan now rest on your senior brother's shoulders."

"And in a few days, it will be your senior brother's wedding day. You will represent me, and represent Xiuzhu Peak, to deliver a wedding gift."

As she spoke, Yuning handed He Pingsheng a jade box.

He Pingsheng took the jade box. "Yes… May I ask where the Hou Clan is located?"

Yuning said: "Not far from Grand Void Gate. I have a map here—if you ride a crane, you'll arrive in about two hours."

He Pingsheng glanced at the map.

Hou Muxian's Hou Clan was quite distant from Grand Void Gate, but closer to a sect called the Beast Taming Sect.

"His wedding is in three days," Yuning added. "You may leave early or depart on the day itself."

"Just deliver the gift to him."

"Once the task is done, do as you please."

"Go early, return early!"

"Yes," He Pingsheng nodded.

Yuning asked: "Did you eat the Water Elemental Spirit Apricot?"

"Yes," He Pingsheng said. "My talent is too low—I hit a bottleneck at Qi Refining Level Ten, so I had no choice but to swallow the apricot to force a level increase."

Yuning said: "Don't force anything. When the opportunity comes, it will come."

He Pingsheng walked out of Yuning Palace holding the jade box, yet his heart was filled with deep confusion.

He Pingsheng walked out of Yuning Palace with the jade box, yet his mind was filled with confusion.

Hou Muxian is the senior disciple of Xiuzhu Peak's Yuning Palace. As Master, shouldn't Yuning go herself?

After all, this is her disciple's great joy.

And more—Master's attitude suggested I am the only one going to offer congratulations.

This makes even less sense.

It's understandable if others don't go, but shouldn't the rest of the senior brothers go together?

At the very least, among the nine senior brothers, the other eight should all go!

The Master should go even more.

It's strange, very strange.

He Pingsheng couldn't fathom the social nuances behind it.