Chapter 54 - 53: The Friendship of Chen and Yu

Chapter 54: Chapter 53: The Friendship of Chen and Yu

"That’s great! I was worried you wouldn’t have enough spirit stones, but now that you’re a Talisman Master, you’ll definitely be able to accumulate the cultivation resources needed to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining." Yu Daniu was genuinely happy for Chen Jianghe.

"Daniu, my Talisman Dao has just reached the entry level, and I haven’t accumulated many spirit stones yet. You’ll have to give me another two years for those eight spirit stones," Chen Jianghe said apologetically.

"Brother Jianghe, what are you saying? I don’t lack cultivation resources in the Yun family, so there’s no use for me to have spirit stones anyway." Yu Daniu spoke generously, "Once my second and third children are tested for spirit roots, the family will reward me with a Misfortune-Breaking Pill. It’ll allow me to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining.

"Brother Jianghe, you know what? I never thought this day would come.

"Things are looking up. Everything is looking up for us now.

"Now that you’ve become a Talisman Master, you won’t have to worry about the resources needed to reach Late-Stage Qi Refining. We brothers will both be Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators in the future."

Chen Jianghe smiled and nodded, completely agreeing with Yu Daniu’s words. It was true—everything was getting better. The two of them had once possessed the lowest potential in the Mutual Aid Alliance, but now, they both had the capital to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining.

"Right, Brother Jianghe, do you still have any spirit stones on hand?" Yu Daniu asked suddenly.

"I have five left." Chen Jianghe took out the five spirit stones.

"Five spirit stones, huh? I have three on me, and Huizhen should have a dozen or so. That’s enough," Yu Daniu calculated.

Chen Jianghe looked puzzled. "Enough for what?"

"Brother Jianghe, you have talent in the Talisman Dao, so you can’t let it go to waste. Let’s pool our money together and buy you a spirit beast to help breed the Little Cyan Fish. That way, you’ll have enough time to draw spirit talismans and improve your Talisman Dao skills," Yu Daniu said, his honest face showing an extremely serious expression.

Chen Jianghe was momentarily speechless. Yu Daniu’s words touched him deeply from the bottom of his heart. To be honest, before this, he had only considered Yu Daniu an ordinary friend—an ally and friend, much like his relationship with Gao Peiyao. However, Yu Daniu treated him as a blood-related older brother.

For a moment, Chen Jianghe felt a complex mix of emotions. He didn’t want to get too deeply involved with anyone. Once relationships ran too deep, he would naturally become entangled in karma. He couldn’t stay at Jingyue Lake forever, but if his bond with Yu Daniu became too profound, he would have to take Daniu’s feelings into consideration when it was time to leave. Moreover, his lifespan was long. As long as he cultivated steadily, his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future were very high. A hundred years from now, if Yu Daniu’s descendants encountered trouble, would he step in to help or stand idly by?

"Brother Jianghe, Xiaoniu and the others are still young, and Huizhen and I don’t need spirit stones right now. Besides, you’re a Talisman Master now. You’ll be able to pay me back in a few years at most. It won’t delay Xiaoniu and the kids’ cultivation at all," Yu Daniu consoled him, seeing that Chen Jianghe remained silent and assuming he felt burdened by taking so many of his spirit stones.

"..."

Chen Jianghe settled his thoughts. There was no need to be a loner. He was a cultivator, not a monk severing all worldly ties. Besides, even monks had mortal desires.

"Daniu, I appreciate your kindness."

"Brother Jianghe, Huizhen and I—"

"Daniu, listen to me," Chen Jianghe interrupted with a smile. "Actually, I’ve already bought a Spirit Awakening Pill to nurture a spirit beast."

"Huh?" Yu Daniu paused, then his face lit up with joy. "I knew it! With your intelligence, Brother Jianghe, you must have thought of this ages ago."

"But you still need to buy a Unity Lock. Otherwise, you won’t be able to communicate with the spirit beast, and it’ll be hard for it to help you breed the Little Cyan Fish."

Chen Jianghe nodded. "Yeah, once the turtle I’m raising enters the tier and becomes a spirit beast, I’ll buy a Unity Lock."

As time passed, they finished their spirit wine and medicinal cuisine. After chatting a bit more about Yun Bufan, they parted ways.

Returning home, Yu Daniu couldn’t wait to tell his wife that Chen Jianghe’s Talisman Dao had reached the entry level. This brought a look of joy to Yun Huizhen’s face as well. She knew the relationship between her husband and Chen Jianghe. Naturally, it was for the best that Chen Jianghe had talent in the Talisman Dao. Perhaps he could even help their children in the future.

At this moment, the thought of acting as a matchmaker for her younger sister surged in Yun Huizhen’s mind again. Now that Chen Jianghe had reached the entry level in the Talisman Dao, he might just catch her sister’s eye.

***

After parting ways with Yu Daniu, Chen Jianghe immediately headed to the shop that sold spirit grass. Spirit grass and spirit pills were not sold in the same store. After all, Pill Masters needed spirit grass for alchemy, and physicians also required it to develop potions or poisons.

He directly purchased four stalks of Clear Spirit Grass. Just in case Little Black really managed to nurture a few more Little Cyan Fish spirit beasts right as Yun Bufan attempted his Foundation Establishment breakthrough, Chen Jianghe wouldn’t dare leave his breeding waters. Therefore, it was best to stock up on enough Clear Spirit Grass for Little Black in advance.

Besides, even if he bought five or ten stalks, it wouldn’t be a waste. As long as Little Black ate them, the resources were being put to perfect use. Even if Little Black failed to meet his requirements, Chen Jianghe would still do his best to nurture it, provided he had the spare energy after advancing his own cultivation. The fundamental reason he had set a quota for Little Black was simply a lack of spirit stones; he couldn’t afford to buy more resources.

Now that his Talisman Dao had reached the entry level, he would gradually stop worrying about spirit stones as his Talisman Dao skills improved. Thus, there was no need to be too harsh on Little Black. Going all out to nurture Little Black and adding to his trump cards was the true path to success.

Buying the four stalks of Clear Spirit Grass cost three spirit stones and twenty grains of spiritual sand, leaving him with only one spirit stone and eighty-two grains of spiritual sand. This made Chen Jianghe deeply feel the pinch of not having enough spirit stones. And this was with his income from the Talisman Dao. Without it, he couldn’t even fathom how many years he would have had to endure to acquire these resources.

Upon returning to his breeding waters, he didn’t immediately bury himself in drawing spirit talismans. Instead, he sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat to cultivate. He absorbed the water-element spiritual qi drifting across the lake’s surface, recovering his depleted magical power and restoring his essence, qi, and spirit to their peak condition.

Three hours later, the evening breeze blew past, gently fluttering the corners of Chen Jianghe’s clothes. He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of sharp light flashing through his profound gaze.

He took out the sandalwood box, retrieved the Qi Storage Pill from inside, and popped it into his mouth, swallowing it down. Immediately, a surge of burning heat rose in his abdomen, and the pill’s potent medicinal efficacy began to spread through his meridians.

Chen Jianghe formed a finger technique, creating an invisible Gang Shield over his body to slow down the dissipation of the Qi Storage Pill’s medicinal efficacy. He then circulated the Returning Origin True Water Technique, absorbing the medicinal efficacy with all his might. The energy traveled through his twelve primary meridians, completing a grand circulation. With every completion of a grand circulation, he absorbed ten percent of the Qi Storage Pill’s efficacy, lessening the pressure on his minor meridians by a fraction.

Five hours later.

Chen Jianghe sank his qi into his dantian, slowly concluding his cultivation. He opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Compared to the first time he took a Qi Storage Pill, this time he managed to refine seventy percent of the pill’s medicinal efficacy. The effects rivaled more than a year of arduous cultivation.

He still had one Qi Storage Pill left in his possession. By the time the Fish Sleep Stage arrived, all the pill poison would have been expelled from his body, and he would be able to consume it again. If he could consume four more Qi Storage Pills within the next three years, he would definitely be able to break through to Fifth-Layer Qi Refining.