The Fatal Weakness of Yue

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Was this truly the formation of a golden pill?

Qi Yuan looked inward, observing the Five Elements Golden Pill within his dantian. It was perfectly round, radiating the distinct energies of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The five colors shimmered in harmony, clearly distinguished from one another.

The golden pill glowed constantly.

Every half hour, he exhaled a wisp of white mist, which his body naturally absorbed. It expanded his meridians, refined his magic power, strengthened his physique, and nourished his spirit.

The Bu Tian Pill he had taken before also began to undergo subtle transformations. Normally, cleansing one's spiritual roots would take at least a hundred years. However, the white mist exhaled by his golden pill accelerated the process significantly.

At this rate, in just twenty years, his cultivation aptitude would likely improve to dual spiritual roots.

According to conventional knowledge, forming a golden pill was simply a breakthrough. Aside from the increase in lifespan and magic power, there were no additional effects. Qi Yuan had studied the Reversed Five Elements Art thoroughly, but nothing in it explained this strange phenomenon. The only logical conclusion was that it had something to do with the wisp of white mist from the Chaos Cauldron.

That mist had altered his golden pill, causing it to release a constant flow of nourishing energy throughout his body.

After years of exposure to this mist, Qi Yuan had a strong feeling—his body would become even more abnormal in the future.

Did the Chaos Cauldron possess consciousness?

The thought startled him.

He had tried communicating with the Chaos Cauldron before, but it had never responded. A treasure of this level should have some form of self-awareness, like a spiritual artifact.

Yet, for some reason, it remained silent, unwilling to reveal itself to him.

Did it consider him too weak?

Qi Yuan knew that unraveling the Chaos Cauldron's mysteries would take time. For now, he decided to let things unfold naturally.

More pressing matters awaited. He needed a bath to cleanse himself.

Not only was his body covered in dust, but thick layers of impurities had been expelled during his breakthrough. A foul stench clung to his skin, a sign of the deep cleansing his body had undergone.

After half an hour, he stepped out of the bath, refreshed. Dressed in a sky-blue robe, with a simple wooden hairpin securing his hair, he adjusted his appearance before heading toward the insect chambers.

In the first chamber, two Blood Jade Spiders rested. Under his careful nurturing, the once-small creatures had grown to half the size of their mother. Their strength had already reached the second level.

By the time they reached the fourth level—comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage—they would be strong enough to pull the Xu Tian Cauldron. However, with the Xutian Palace's opening still in the distant future, these spiders would likely reach the fifth level by then.

As soon as Qi Yuan entered, the Blood Jade Spiders scuttled toward him, wrapping him in strands of silk as they played.

Normally, they sprayed silk at their prey, but now, he found himself entangled by their playful mischief.

After interacting with them for a while, Qi Yuan took out the Sun and Moon Bag and carefully stored them away. Then, he moved to the second insect chamber.

Inside, two ten-foot-long Flying Centipedes rested. Their eight legs bristled with razor-sharp barbs, each capable of leaving deep wounds. Their exoskeletons were tougher than most spirit beasts of their kind, and their movement speed far exceeded that of their peers.

Qi Yuan had largely left them to their own devices after subduing them. Their unpredictable appetite kept them constantly shifting between hunger and satiation, yet despite this, they had already reached the third level.

This was a testament to Lu Tianmeng's careful breeding techniques.

Taking out another spirit beast bag, Qi Yuan stored the Flying Centipedes as well.

Finally, he visited the spirit medicine garden, harvesting all the herbs he had planted.

As for the sound transmission notes left outside, he destroyed them. After years in the Chaos Star Sea, names and identities faded into obscurity—who would still remember him?

Stretching out his hand, Qi Yuan recalled the Inverted Five Elements Formation and the Lihuo Yang Thunder Formation. The formations turned into streams of light, swirling in his palm before disappearing into his sleeve. Then, without a trace, he vanished from the mountain.

Some of the plants outside had transformed into low-grade spiritual herbs, but they were of little use to him now. There was no need to collect them and waste space in his storage bag.

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*The Frontline Base Camp of Yue*

Qi Yuan concealed his aura, making it appear as though he was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Revealing his true cultivation would attract unwanted attention.

If a cultivator advanced quickly from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, it might raise eyebrows among Jindan cultivators. However, a Nascent Soul expert wouldn't even consider it worth their time.

But a rapid breakthrough to the Jindan stage in just a few years? That would set off alarm bells. If Nascent Soul cultivators caught wind of it, they would stop at nothing to hunt him down.

No matter where he fled, they would not let him escape.

This was why he had chosen not to form his golden pill within Yue State.

After several years away, Qi Yuan returned to the base camp, only to find that many familiar faces were gone.

A quick inquiry revealed the reasons—some had sustained serious injuries and returned to their sects to recuperate, others had died in battle, and a few had been reassigned to different duties after earning merits in war.

Qi Yuan sighed. The battlefield was ruthless.

As he reflected, a familiar figure passed by—a plump man. Recognizing him, Qi Yuan called out, "Brother Chen, wait a moment!"

The man turned, squinting before breaking into a wide grin. "Brother Qi! It's been years, yet you haven't changed a bit."

Qi Yuan noticed the man's sluggish aura and stagnant cultivation. He immediately realized—Brother Chen had failed to break through.

It puzzled him. Advancing a minor realm wasn't difficult. Why had he failed? It wasn't as if he was attempting a major breakthrough like the Jindan stage.

"Brother Chen, what happened with your cultivation?" Qi Yuan asked.

Fatty Chen's expression dimmed. "Two years ago, during my seclusion, the Demonic Path launched a large-scale attack on the base camp. The six demonic sects struck with full force, pushing deep into Yue Kingdom. I had to interrupt my breakthrough to fight, and in doing so, I damaged my foundation."

"What was the final outcome? Are the six sects still holding Jingu Yuan?"

Fatty Chen's expression turned resolute. "Yue Kingdom and cultivators from neighboring nations joined forces. Under Fairy Nangong's leadership, we managed to divide the demonic forces and eliminate most of them. We successfully reclaimed the Jingu Yuan battlefield. However, Cheqi Kingdom and Jiang Kingdom have completely fallen into demonic hands."

Could Yue Kingdom, even with support from Zijin and Yuanwu, mount a successful counterattack?

Qi Yuan knew the real problem—the Yue Kingdom's fatal weakness was its lack of power.

Having ventured deep into the heart of the six demonic sects, he had gained a rough understanding of Tianluo Kingdom's strength. If those sects launched a full-scale invasion, Yue Kingdom wouldn't stand a chance.

He needed to speak with Nangong Wan. If Yue Kingdom was truly beyond saving, he would take everyone to the Chaos Star Sea.

There was no point in clinging to a doomed nation.

Reaching into his storage bag, Qi Yuan retrieved a bottle of elixirs. "Brother Chen, this will heal your foundation. Take it and rest for a while—you'll recover soon enough."

Fatty Chen hesitated. "Brother Qi, this is too precious. Such elixirs are rare…"

Qi Yuan tossed the bottle into his hands. "Then consider it my betrothal gift. Speak well of me when it comes to Qiaoqian's marriage."

Without another word, he strode toward the command tent.

Fatty Chen stared at the elixir bottle, his heart swelling with gratitude. He swore to himself—he would defend Qi Yuan and Qiaoqian's marriage to the death.

And if his injuries healed? If he reached the late Foundation Establishment stage?

Then he would become the Chen family's ancestor.

And when that happened… who would dare to oppose him?

(End Of Chapter)