Death of Xing Gaohan
Translator: Cinder Translations
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"Xing Gaohan is dead?"
Song Wen stared at Chu Qian in shock, his face filled with disbelief.
"Are you sure this news is true? Xing Gaohan is a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. How could he be killed?"
Chu Qian replied, "The news is absolutely reliable. It has already spread within Fangzhudao."
"How did Xing Gaohan die?" Song Wen asked.
Chu Qian explained, "According to the public announcement from the Xing family, Xing Gaohan died while trying to force a breakthrough past the late-stage Nascent Soul bottleneck, which led to a demonic eruption and caused his death."
Song Wen spoke solemnly, "That's impossible. A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dying from a failed breakthrough is inconceivable."
Chu Qian smiled, "Most cultivators outside the family also don't believe this explanation. There are rumors that Xing Gaohan was killed by someone within his own family."
Song Wen pondered for a moment. "That's unlikely. Xing Gaohan was the strongest cultivator in the Xing family. Regardless of whether others in the family could have killed him, killing him would be akin to destroying their own foundation. It benefits no one in the family."
Chu Qian added, "What you don't know is that Xing Gaohan didn't die recently—he's been dead for several years. The Xing family kept it a secret, and only when Xing Wenyao advanced to the late stage of the Nascent Soul did they release the news of his death."
A flash of astonishment crossed Song Wen's eyes. "Are you saying Xing Gaohan's death is connected to Xing Wenyao?"
Chu Qian nodded, "That's the rumor, though there's no solid evidence. But enough about this, the matters of the Xing family from Fangzhudao have nothing to do with us on Wu Ji Island. Come, senior, let me toast you."
After clinking cups, Song Wen asked, "Young Friend Chu, do you have any way of getting a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Chu Qian responded, "You're looking to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill? It's not something easy to acquire. On all of Wu Ji Island, only a limited number of them are refined each year, and they've long been divided among various factions."
"What about Jade Essence Grass and Seven Star Grass?" Song Wen inquired again.
Song Wen had the recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill, obtained from the alchemical knowledge in an underwater tomb.
It was worth noting that the recipe for the Foundation Establishment Pill in the Unordered Sea was essentially the same as the one on the Tianyuan Continent.
Like on Tianyuan, the spiritual materials needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill were incredibly rare. Once the main herbs were found, they were usually snatched up by major factions, rarely circulating in the market.
"Senior, are you planning to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill yourself?" Chu Qian suddenly realized something and added, "Do you have any Heavenly Spirit Fruits?"
Seeing Song Wen nod, Chu Qian's face lit up with excitement.
"How many Heavenly Spirit Fruits do you have?"
"Three."
"Senior, I can help you acquire the Jade Essence Grass, Seven Star Grass, and other auxiliary herbs. But the Foundation Establishment Pill we refine will be split between us."
Seeing how excited Chu Qian was, Song Wen decided to cool his enthusiasm a bit.
"I've never refined a Foundation Establishment Pill before, so the success rate is not guaranteed."
Chu Qian was unconcerned. "Senior is a third-tier alchemist. A mere Foundation Establishment Pill should be nothing for you. Give me some time, and I'll prepare the materials—except for the Heavenly Spirit Fruit—and deliver three portions to your cave dwelling."
...
The next day.
Song Wen went to the Mission Hall to accept a new task, receiving 500 mid-grade spiritual stones and 20,000 contribution points. The reward was generous, but when compared to the recipe for the third-tier Demon-Attracting Incense, it seemed a bit lacking.
As soon as he returned to Ji Yin Island, he contacted the Shadow Gu left on the island.
From the Shadow Gu, he learned that everything on the island had been normal during his absence.
There were no foreign cultivators entering the island, and the two sisters, An Tong, hadn't left the island without permission.
Back in his cave, Song Wen took out the highly toxic spiritual materials he had just purchased from Chu Qian and began cultivating the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" technique.
That day.
Song Wen sat cross-legged in his cave, two deep green auras emitted from his nostrils. As they touched the ground, the rocks immediately corroded, forming two small pits, releasing a pungent, acrid smoke.
His skin turned bluish-gray, and beneath the surface, black veins twisted like branches of a tree, resembling traces left by poison insects crawling all over his body.
Suddenly, Song Wen's eyes snapped open, and with a slight movement of his mind, a large green cauldron appeared in front of him.
The green cauldron had fully solidified, and Song Wen gently tapped it with his fingers, producing a clear "clang" sound.
"The 'Ten Thousand Poison Body' is now perfected. There is no need for further cultivation of this technique," Song Wen thought to himself.
He took out an alchemy furnace, summoned the Earth Core Refining Flame, and began refining Blood Spirit Pills.
Two days later, the Blood Spirit Pills were successfully refined. Song Wen consumed one, and while circulating the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique," he enhanced his cultivation and refined the Gui Yuan Qi.
Time passed slowly, and after some time, Song Wen received a transmission from An Tong.
[Senior, a visitor wishes to see you.]
Song Wen didn't immediately stop his cultivation. The visitor was Chu Qian, and when Chu Qian got close to Ji Yin Island, the Shadow Gu monitoring the outskirts had already informed Song Wen.
Several hours later, Song Wen finished his cultivation and exited his cave. He headed to the island's eastern side, where the An Tong sisters had established a spiritual field and built a pavilion to receive visitors.
Chu Qian was already waiting in the pavilion, while the An Tong sisters were preparing tea nearby.
"Young Friend Chu, I was just refining pills, which delayed me a bit. Thank you for your patience," Song Wen said apologetically as he hovered into the pavilion.
Chu Qian stood and smiled. "It's my fault for visiting unexpectedly, disturbing senior's seclusion. Your alchemy is important, and I am happy to wait."
"May I ask why you've come today, young friend?" Song Wen inquired as he sat down in the pavilion.
Chu Qian didn't respond immediately, understanding that the two sisters were leaving to give them privacy for their discussion. Once the two sisters walked away, Chu Qian spoke.
"I've already gathered the required spiritual materials for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill, including Jade Essence Grass and Seven Star Grass. I have three sets prepared, and I'd like you to take a look."
As he spoke, he handed Song Wen a storage bag.
Song Wen opened the bag and saw the materials inside, including the Jade Essence Grass.
"Young friend, you really work swiftly. In less than two months, you've gathered three sets of Foundation Establishment Pill materials."
Chu Qian smiled and replied, "Senior, I must confess that to gather enough Jade Essence Grass and Seven Star Grass, I asked my father to intervene. I visited several Golden Core elders in the inner sect and had to go through many difficulties to gather all of them."
Song Wen furrowed his brow. "Although the Foundation Establishment Pill is valuable, surely it's not worth such an effort on your part?"
Chu Qian responded, "It seems senior doesn't know about the event a year from now."
"A year from now? Is there some significant event happening?"
Chu Qian continued, "This matter doesn't have much to do with senior. Every fifty years, Wu Ji Island conducts a power assessment for the various families attached to the sect. Based on their strength, management rights for certain sect properties are redistributed. The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators is an important indicator of a family's strength. This year marks the end of the fifty-year period, which is why the Foundation Establishment Pill has become especially valuable, and its price will skyrocket."
Song Wen laughed. "So, young friend, you plan to take advantage of this opportunity to make a big profit."
Chu Qian replied, "With a third-tier alchemist like you around, it would be a shame to miss such a great opportunity. Please, senior, refine the Foundation Establishment Pill as soon as possible. It takes time to consume the pill and improve one's cultivation, and if we miss the timing, the price of the pills will drop significantly."
"Rest assured, young friend. I will start refining the pills as soon as possible."
(End of the Chapter)
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