Chapter 662 - 449: Mulberry Fields and the Dragon Horn

An oppressive silence fell over the spacious grand hall for a few moments after Jiang Wanqin said she couldn’t.

Fang Qingyuan looked at Jiang Wanqin. Though the 110-year-old Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator was well-preserved, her face seemingly untouched by time, the weight of more than a century meant she was no longer truly young.

In the roughly 250-year lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, she had already walked nearly half the path.

Jiang Wanqin’s cultivation had now reached the Late-stage Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, just one layer shy of Foundation Establishment Perfection. In terms of time, achieving that would likely take another ten to twenty years.

But even if Jiang Wanqin reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, she still couldn’t attempt Core Formation without a thesis. Forcibly attempting Core Formation without an established thesis would almost certainly have disastrous consequences.

In truth, for someone with Jiang Wanqin’s aptitude, reaching this stage at her age was a rare achievement.

This was because Jiang Wanqin possessed merely a Middle-grade Water Spirit Root. Back on Yuanling Mountain, she had been one of the few promising young cultivators and was thus highly regarded. In the Qingyuan Sect of today, however, her Middle Grade Spirit Root Talent was utterly unremarkable.

In the current Qingyuan Sect, disciples with Middle-grade Spirit Root talent were a dime a dozen. Only those with high-grade talent received the sect’s focused cultivation resources. The Qingyuan Sect even had four or five disciples with earth-grade Spirit Roots, though they had yet to fully mature.

Of course, the Qingyuan Sect didn’t judge solely based on Spirit Root talent. Talent only indicated potential; whether a person truly succeeded also depended on their hard work and temperament.

The fact that Jiang Wanqin, with her Middle Grade Spirit Root Talent, could reach the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer at around 110 years old was entirely due to Fang Qingyuan’s favoritism.

As one of the original elders from Yuanling Mountain who had accompanied him here, Fang Qingyuan had never been stingy with Jiang Wanqin’s cultivation resources. In the last few years, he had even given her seven or eight foot-long Purple Crystal Spirit Fish. It was this support that allowed her cultivation to leap from the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, break through the late-stage bottleneck, and arrive at her current level, just one step away from perfection.

’People are nostalgic.’ As a junior he had watched grow up, Fang Qingyuan treated Jiang Wanqin like his own niece.

That senior sister was Jiang Kui. Because Fang Qingyuan had lost contact with her all those years ago, Jiang Wanqin had been forced to separate from the master who raised her. Subconsciously, this made Fang Qingyuan feel an urge to compensate her.

Furthermore, Jiang Wanqin was obedient, respectful, and good-natured. She had never done anything to gravely disappoint him, so Fang Qingyuan was quite pleased with her.

Ultimately, however, all these feelings depended on Jiang Wanqin’s own cultivation. If she failed to achieve Core Formation, their connection would be limited to her remaining century of life.

"You’re 110. You have maybe another decade or so. If you can’t reach Core Formation before you turn 130, then forget about it. When the time comes, find someone you like and marry him. I’ll provide the dowry, and you can live out the rest of your life in peace."

As Fang Qingyuan’s words fell upon her ears, tears immediately welled in Jiang Wanqin’s eyes. With a soft thud, she knelt on the floor, all trace of her earlier languor gone.

"I don’t want to marry anyone! I only want to live in the Qingyuan Sect! Please, rest assured, Martial Uncle. I will definitely achieve Core Formation before I turn 130!"

Seeing his words had finally sparked some ambition in the listless Jiang Wanqin, Fang Qingyuan decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"After the age of 130, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s chances of success diminish with each passing year. While some cultivators succeed late in life after long years of accumulation, you are not that type. Wanqin, tell me, where exactly are you stuck on your Core Formation thesis?"

Jiang Wanqin searched her memories and finally concluded:

"My cultivation has progressed very quickly these past few years, but I have no idea what my Core Formation thesis should be. When I meditate, I find myself subconsciously avoiding the topic, afraid that failing to establish a thesis will damage my spiritual state. To be honest, reaching this stage with just my Middle Grade Spirit Root Talent already makes me stronger than my master ever was. As for Core Formation... I really don’t have much confidence..."

The more Fang Qingyuan listened, the more he felt something was amiss. ’Why is she being so self-defeating again?’ He could see her character clearly now. Unlike her master, Jiang Kui, who was a competitive and unyielding Female Cultivator, Jiang Wanqin was simply too soft.

"Enough. Your problem is a lack of experience and fortitude. The sect has sheltered you too much. In all these years, you haven’t gone out to train, you haven’t had to worry about resources, and you haven’t taken on any missions. How can you possibly succeed by just hiding away to cultivate? Prepare yourself. In a few days, I’m sending you out to gain experience. Don’t even think about returning for at least five years."

Hearing that Fang Qingyuan was going to send her away for training, Jiang Wanqin’s face went pale. She subconsciously blurted out her objections:

"But Wu Gou is still so young, he needs me! Besides, the sect’s affairs are complicated. As an Elder, it would be inappropriate for me to be away for so long. On top of that... I’m not good at fighting people. I’m afraid..."

Seeing her trying to retreat before she’d even started, Fang Qingyuan took a harder stance.

"It seems five years is too short. Make it ten years of training. The sect will function perfectly fine without you, so you can stop worrying about that.

As for Jue Wu Gou, this is a crucial time for shaping his character. To be frank, if I leave him with you, I’m afraid he’ll grow up to be just as soft-willed. He has limitless potential and may have to bear great responsibilities in the future. How can he succeed with a disposition like that? After you leave, I will mentor him personally."