"In just eight short years, you've advanced your cultivation base to the sixth layer of Qi Refining. You haven't disappointed Fellow Daoist Chu He's expectations," Luo Mingyan said, looking at Wei Zhong below the platform with a hint of satisfaction.
"This is all thanks to Uncle Luo for finding me such a good position," Wei Zhong replied, bowing his head.
Luo Mingyan shook his head. "Ah, what's so great about being a Spirit Farmer? It's all due to your own hard work."
Now that Luo Mingyan had reached Foundation Establishment, he was no longer the same as before. Wei Zhong had to maintain at least a semblance of respect.
Ning Cankun, as Luo Mingyan's elder, didn't need to be so formal. He praised Wei Zhong, "Not only that, but Chu Zhong has also become a master spirit wine brewer over the years. The spirit wine he shares with us old-timers is even more exquisite than the Ten-Mile Fragrance from Spring Breeze Pavilion!"
Wei Zhong inwardly cheered, knowing his regular wine deliveries to the old man hadn't been in vain.
"Oh, Virtuous Nephew brewed this himself?" Luo Mingyan exclaimed. He immediately ordered a servant to bring Wei Zhong's Azure Vine Intoxication to the banquet.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Luo Mingyan invited the guests to take their seats.
Wei Zhong sat at a wine table below the stage, scanning the crowd. He noticed that everyone present was a Qi Refining cultivator, except for the four Foundation Establishment Seniors seated with Luo Mingyan on the stage. The details of their conversation were beyond the hearing of those below.
"Are those four Seniors friends of Uncle Luo?" Wei Zhong asked Ning Cankun beside him, tasting a piece of the spirit cuisine on the table.
Ning Cankun set down his wine cup with a knowing smile. "Yes and no. But they certainly will be in the future."
Wei Zhong, long accustomed to Ning Cankun's fondness for being deliberately vague, poured him another cup of spirit wine. Ning Cankun took a sip and explained:
"From left to right, those four Seniors are the fourth, fifth, and seventh True Inheritance disciples of the Azurewood Sect. As for the last one in the red robe, that's Daoist Hu Yang, a renowned Loose Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm here in Bright Moon Market."
Wei Zhong had often heard of the Azurewood Sect's seven True Inheritance disciples and Daoist Hu Yang, but this was the first time he had seen them in person.
"Among the three True Inheritance disciples, the seventh, Shen Yuqi, is an old acquaintance of Mingyan's. He possesses dual Fire and Wood Spirit Roots and is a disciple of Senior Duan, the Hall Master of our sect's Pill Hall."
"Is that Senior Duan, the one renowned for refining Foundation Establishment Pills?" Wei Zhong asked.
"Indeed, it's Senior Duan," Ning Cankun confirmed. "Mingyan's successful Foundation Establishment wouldn't have been possible without the help of this disciple of the Pill Hall Master."
Wei Zhong's understanding clicked into place.
"Among the other two True Inheritance disciples, the female Senior is Lin Muxue, the fourth True Inheritance disciple. Her mastery of the Five Elements Techniques is unparalleled, and she studies under Hall Master Yu of the Technique Hall.
Then there's Luo Zhigang, the fifth True Inheritance disciple, known as the Unbreakable Vajra. He's a Body Cultivator who achieved Foundation Establishment and is a disciple of Hall Master Zhao of the Artifact Hall."
The Azurewood Sect comprises three major halls: the Pill Hall, the Artifact Hall, and the Technique Hall. The three Hall Masters are all Core Formation cultivators of extraordinary power.
Every True Inheritance disciple of the sect has the privilege of choosing one of these Hall Masters as their mentor.
"I wonder which hall Mingyan will choose to join this time," Ning Cankun mused, raising his cup with a sigh.
Wei Zhong, however, had no interest in joining the conversation. His mind was solely focused on the fact that the seventh True Inheritance disciple had access to Foundation Establishment Pills.
...
"Junior Brother Luo's spirit wine is truly remarkable," Lin Muxue praised. "It even possesses a hint of physical nourishment."
Hearing this, the others all sampled the spirit wine.
Luo Zhigang said with a hint of regret, "If that's the case, it's a pity it's only First-Tier spirit wine. Its effects on me are negligible now, but it could still benefit you all. Regular consumption would provide a modest enhancement to your physical bodies."
"I never expected my good-for-nothing nephew to possess such talent," Luo Mingyan remarked with a mixture of surprise and pride.
"If you all enjoy it," Luo Mingyan continued, "I'll have him brew more for you another time."
"In that case, this old Daoist won't stand on ceremony," Daoist Hu Yang replied with a grin, his wrinkled face blossoming into a smile like a chrysanthemum. The other cultivators echoed their agreement.
"Speaking of timing, Junior Brother Luo's breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was rather fortuitous," Lin Muxue commented, glancing mischievously at Shen Yuqi. "Otherwise, we'd have had to scour the Secret Realm for spirit medicines again."
Luo Mingyan felt a twinge of embarrassment. As a sect disciple, he naturally understood Senior Sister Lin's reference to the Azurewood Sect's exclusive Clear River Secret Realm.
This realm, discovered by the sect's founder a century ago, had been instrumental in the Azurewood Sect's establishment in the region. Its abundant resources nurtured a variety of spirit medicines, including the raw materials needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.
"Senior Sister, please don't tease me," Luo Zhigang said. "Last time, I spent ten days searching the Secret Realm and only managed to find two auxiliary herbs—the Thousand-Knot Flower and Golden Essence Ginseng. The most crucial ingredient, the Jade Marrow Mushroom, remained completely elusive. I'm not confident I'll have any better luck if I go again, which is why I asked Brother Shen for help."
Shen Yuqi shook his head. "Between brothers like us, there's no need to talk about favors."
Daoist Hu Yang, who had been listening nearby, chimed in with genuine interest. "Oh, really? Back in my day, I bought entry to a Secret Realm at an auction. By sheer luck, I managed to find a Jade Marrow Mushroom, which I used to have Senior Duan refine a Foundation Establishment Pill for me. That's how I broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Luo Zhigang replied, "To be honest, Old Hu, the Clear River Secret Realm isn't what it used to be."
Luo Mingyan hesitated. "Senior Brother Luo..."
Luo Zhigang waved him off. "It's fine. This isn't a secret anymore. The truth will be made public soon anyway."
The Clear River Secret Realm has a long and venerable history, its precise origins lost to time. What remains clear is its abundant reserves of spirit medicine.
For generations, the Azurewood Sect has opened the Secret Realm every ten years, leveraging its resources to nurture countless outstanding disciples.
However, with continuous exploitation, the Secret Realm's resources are dwindling, unable to keep up with the sect's demands.
Luo Mingyan asked, puzzled, "Then why not simply seal the Secret Realm for several more decades?"
Shen Yuqi explained, "It's not just over-extraction. A more critical factor is the leakage of spiritual energy from the Secret Realm itself.
In other words, even if we sealed it, the environment would no longer be conducive to the growth of spirit medicines.
In fact, doing so would likely prevent our sect from ever harvesting another spirit medicine from it again."
Luo Mingyan was stunned. He had never imagined there could be such a profound reason behind his inability to find the Jade Marrow Mushroom.
Daoist Hu Yang exclaimed in alarm, "How could this be?"
The Clear River Secret Realm wasn't just a lifeline for the Azurewood Sect; it also sustained countless loose cultivators.
Lin Muxue shook her head. "The exact reason remains unknown. However, my master recently shared an intriguing theory: the Clear River Secret Realm is gradually merging with our world. The spiritual energy isn't vanishing into thin air; instead, it's being absorbed into the vast cultivation realm."
Shen Yuqi nodded in agreement. "My master also supports Martial Uncle Yu's explanation. Moreover, the Azurewood Sect isn't the only one facing this issue. The Rakshasa Sect's Secret Realm in the neighboring Netherworld Prefecture is experiencing the same phenomenon. Several years ago, they nearly abandoned their Secret Realm entirely, shifting their focus to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range."
"The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range? How dare the Rakshasa Sect provoke those demon beasts?"
"That, we can't say for sure."
Luo Zhigang added, "In any case, to address this Secret Realm crisis, the sect plans to thoroughly scour the Clear River Secret Realm during the next expedition. We'll deploy a large number of Qi Refining cultivators from within the sect and also sell a significant number of Secret Realm entry qualifications to Loose Cultivators."