Verdant mountains and white clouds receded swiftly, as though time were being rewound.
A light skiff sped along, leaving countless mountains behind in the blink of an eye.
Luo Chen stood aboard the flying boat, gazing toward the vast sea of bamboo in the distance.
Beside his ears came Tao Yisheng's excited chatter at the prospect of returning to his sect.
"It's ten thousand li from here to Azure Pill Valley. At our flying boat's top speed, it will take merely a few hours!"
Luo Chen chuckled. "Is there any need to rush so much?"
Tao Yisheng scratched the back of his head and grinned foolishly. "If we get back earlier, I can be of more help to my elder sister!"
"The two of you siblings truly share a deep bond," Luo Chen said with feeling.
He had finally realized that although Tao Wan and her brother seemed at odds when they were together, their affection for each other ran exceptionally deep.
When Tao Yisheng had first met him, the young man had gone out of his way to win him over and forge ties, almost certainly for the sake of this contest for the Dao Seed. His goal had been to find an ally for his sister.
As for Tao Wan, while she appeared haughty and stern on the outside, she genuinely cared for Tao Yisheng from the bottom of her heart. Whether sending him off to Yuanzhao State or stubbornly making him stay in Tianlan Immortal City, she had done it all to keep him away from the whirlpool of sect politics. She had even prepared a superior-grade immortal's cave on Tianlan Peak as well as abundant cultivation resources for him well in advance.
To have a kin who cared so intimately and acted purely for one's sake without calculating gains and losses was already a tremendous blessing in a cultivator's life.
Of course, whether the way one showed affection was seen as suitable by the recipient remained a matter of perspective.
Looking down at the thousand-li bamboo sea beneath his feet, Luo Chen asked curiously, "This place is extraordinarily rich in resources. Why has no faction leased it after all these years?"
Tao Yisheng glanced aside and smiled. "Daoist Brother, you probably don't know the story behind it! Although this place nominally belongs to Tianlan Immortal City, Azure Pill Valley briefly managed it when our sect first settled in the Jade Cauldron Domain. It was only due to a great war later on that we temporarily gave up this bamboo sea. Later, when the immortal city was established, the bamboo sea was incorporated into its jurisdiction, and our sect master at the time agreed. But afterwards, when the ancestor of my Tao clan took charge of Azure Pill Valley, he attempted to buy this territory back from the other six sects. One thing led to another, and this bamboo sea became disputed territory. Given that, what ordinary rogue cultivator faction would dare lease it?"
Understanding dawned on Luo Chen at once.
When he had first arrived in Tianlan Immortal City, Shi Lan had introduced many prime locations to him, among which was this thousand-li bamboo sea. Though the rent was steep, it still failed to reflect the true value of the land. Yet despite that, nobody had leased it.
Now it became clear that such history lay behind it.
Luo Chen shook his head. "It is a pity that the resources in this bamboo sea are going to waste for nothing."
Tao Yisheng gave a cold sneer. "What does it matter if it goes to waste? We would rather leave it vacant than let others have it. This land belongs to my Azure Pill Valley in the first place!"
Ordinarily, Tao Yisheng acted naive and straightforward, treating others with gentle amiability. Yet occasionally, he would reveal the arrogance typical of a great sect disciple, just as he did now.
Luo Chen did not take it to heart. The young man had the backing to be proud, unlike someone like him who had crawled up from the very bottom and had to think thrice before taking any action.
Still, looking at the boundless bamboo sea below, Luo Chen could not help wondering how many spirit stones the Luotian Association could reap every year if they could lease it. At the very least, it would be over a hundred thousand—no, perhaps even far more than that!
No wonder the Tao clan ancestor had once sought to take back this bamboo sea by force when he helmed Azure Pill Valley.
Luo Chen clicked his tongue. A prime place like this was something the current Luotian Association had no hope of swallowing anyway. Putting such thoughts aside as the flying boat drew further from Danxia Peak, his mind wandered, freed from worrying over petty gains. Instead, he struck up a conversation with Tao Yisheng regarding Azure Pill Valley's upcoming Dao Seed contest.
"The Dao Seed contest is actually not complicated," Tao Yisheng explained. "As long as a disciple of our sect has reached the late Foundation Establishment stage and is no older than one hundred and fifty, they may participate!"
When Luo Chen had first heard about the requirements, he had been somewhat puzzled. Azure Pill Valley had over a hundred cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage. If someone near the end of their lifespan seized the Dao Seed position only to perish the very next year, would that not be a laughingstock? Now it seemed the condition of 'not exceeding one hundred and fifty years of age' was specifically designed to prevent such a scenario.
Even so, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator under the age of one hundred and fifty was unequivocally an outstanding genius. Perhaps only a great sect could possess the luxury to establish such a rule.
No—in the entire Jade Cauldron Domain, across all Seven Jade Cauldron Sects, only the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and Azure Pill Valley, with its mastery of alchemy, had the confidence to do so.
"At present, there are about thirty people in my Azure Pill Valley who meet this condition," Tao Yisheng continued. "Roughly seventy percent of them will likely take part. My sister's primary rivals are Shangguan Yan, He Yuanqing, Fu Li..."
A dense roll call of over a dozen names followed, making Luo Chen's eyelids twitch.
Grand as Azure Pill Valley was, it was ultimately just one Golden Core sect among the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects. Its internal struggles were fierce indeed!
Toward the end, Tao Yisheng's tone suddenly grew grave. "And finally, there is Eldest Senior Brother Danyangzi!"
Hearing that, Luo Chen was taken aback. "Was he not stripped of his Dao Seed title? How can he still participate in this True Disciple Sword Contest?"
Tao Yisheng shook his head. "How could I fathom the minds of the higher-ups? It is said Eldest Senior Brother Danyangzi committed a grave mistake and was thus stripped of his Dao Seed title. But that blunder was not unforgivable. Moreover, the Jade Cauldron Domain is currently undergoing turbulent times, so the younger generation truly needs a powerful leader to step forward. Eldest Senior Brother Danyangzi is truly formidable!"
Luo Chen remained puzzled. "From what I know, he occupied the Dao Seed position for over a decade and accumulated vast connections. If he takes part, will your sister and the others stand any chance?"
At this, Tao Yisheng's expression relaxed considerably. In a brisk tone, he said, "After all, he is someone who committed an offense, so in this True Disciple Sword Contest for the Dao Seed, Eldest Senior Brother is placed under restrictions. Throughout the entire sword contest, from beginning to end, he must complete everything alone and cannot recruit any helpers."
"Not even from the first round through the third?"
"That's right!"
With that explanation, Luo Chen's expression eased as well.
Over the past two years, he had gathered considerable information regarding Azure Pill Valley's True Disciple Sword Contest for the Dao Seed. It was safe to say that claiming the Dao Seed position without any helpers was extraordinarily difficult. If someone truly succeeded under such conditions, they would be an unrivaled prodigy unseen in Azure Pill Valley for a thousand years! Anyone would acknowledge such a figure as their leader.
With the atmosphere lightening, their topics of conversation became far more relaxed.
Luo Chen asked out of curiosity, "Why do you address everyone else by their names, yet refer to your eldest senior brother solely by his Daoist title?"
"Because many of the senior brothers and sisters participating don't possess a Daoist title!" Tao Yisheng replied as if stating the obvious.
Seeing Luo Chen's confusion, he explained in detail. As it turned out, in Azure Pill Valley, only cultivators with exceptional alchemy skills were granted a Daoist title. Even if their cultivation realm was lacking, they would still receive respect throughout the entire sect. This set them entirely apart from other great sects.
The current Seven Sons of Azure Pill were every one of them exceedingly brilliant Tier 2 alchemists. Eldest Senior Brother Danyangzi was renowned as a master of both pills and the sword; not only were his combat methods superb, his alchemy skills stood at the very pinnacle of the Seven Sons of Azure Pill. Aside from him, figures like the elderly Huanghezi and Xuan Yunzi of the Yuxuan He clan held cultivation realms merely at the early Foundation Establishment stage, yet through their remarkable alchemy skills, they had secured places among the Seven Sons and earned everyone's reverence.
To this, Luo Chen could only marvel that Azure Pill Valley, a great sect built on the Dao of alchemy, truly placed immense value on technical talent. Perhaps this was why, among the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects excluding the overlord Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, Azure Pill Valley possessed the greatest number of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. They never forgot their roots and placed great emphasis on nurturing alchemists—not only providing material resources, but also granting exceptional status and prestige.
Thus, amidst their conversation, the flying boat continuously cut through the clouds, drawing closer and closer to Azure Pill Valley.
***
Evening clouds tinged with gold; weary birds returning to their nests.
A flying boat swept across the sky from the west.
Aboard the vessel, Tao Yisheng continued introducing Azure Pill Valley's circumstances to Luo Chen from time to time. In particular, upon entering the territory of Azure Pill Valley, he pointed down toward various mountain ranges and cities, naming which Golden Core Master's descendants resided in each.
Luo Chen found it fascinating. He had originally assumed great sects gathered everyone in one place, not expecting that a portion of their people would spread out to live beyond the mountain gates. Or rather, strictly speaking, it was not beyond the mountain gates either; this entire region was collectively known as Azure Pill Valley.
As Tao Yisheng had put it: a vast thousand li of land, fifty towering peaks—only together did they make up Azure Pill Valley!
The thousand li was merely a rough estimate, but those fifty peaks, large and small, were genuinely scattered throughout this land.
As they skirted a quiet, grand mountain, Tao Yisheng slowed the flying boat.
"This is Mount Qingcang, home to the disciples of Azure Pill Valley's lower court. It is essentially established for the Golden Core clans within the valley. Occasionally, some disciples with outstanding talent are recruited from outside and placed here to lay the foundation for their cultivation. To be completely honest, not long ago I was still struggling inside there myself."
Listening to Tao Yisheng's words, Luo Chen looked at the spiritual-energy-rich Mount Qingcang, his eyes filled with wonder.
The density of spiritual energy here had already reached the Tier 2 level, far surpassing Danxia Peak. And this was merely an outer court of Azure Pill Valley?
He shook his head inwardly. A great sect was truly magnificent and extravagant!
As they spoke, he spotted in the distance an enormous mountain piercing into the clouds, looming like a barrier before the horizon.
"Once we pass Mount Yuanhua, we will be inside the true Azure Pill Valley." Tao Yisheng pointed toward the lofty peak, then turned the flying boat's prow toward a relatively lower mountain nearby.
Luo Chen was puzzled. "Are we not entering the valley?"
Tao Yisheng smiled. "I can enter the valley, but Daoist Brother, you do not possess an official status yet, so you must wait a day."
Status?
Luo Chen understood at once. "A retainer status for the Tao clan, right?"
"Yes, precisely that."
Now Luo Chen had no further questions. To assist Tao Wan, he needed a formal public identity. After all, this was an internal contest of Azure Pill Valley. With his current strength, he was clearly unqualified to become an Azure Pill Valley retainer. But becoming a Foundation Establishment retainer for the Tao clan was entirely natural.
Glancing back at the towering Mount Yuanhua, Luo Chen felt a pang of yearning. He could sense an unimaginably abundant spiritual energy welling from that mountain gateway. Cultivating atop it for a single day would be worth ten days of his normal efforts! With such a cultivation environment, no wonder Azure Pill Valley had so many late Foundation Establishment cultivators who were not yet advanced in age.
By comparison, rogue cultivators truly lived like dogs.
Before long, the flying boat touched down amid a golden-hued mountain range.
"This is my Tao clan's ancestral grounds, Mount Xiaonan!"
Mount Xiaonan! The very place where the Tao clan's ancestor, Master Nanshan, had attained the Dao. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had even taken it as his Daoist title, going on to helm Azure Pill Valley for a century! Though times had changed, the Tao clan's foundation remained. Even without producing another Golden Core cultivator over the past two hundred years, they had still managed to retain this ancestral land of Mount Xiaonan.
Just as they landed, three Qi Refinement cultivators flew over.
"Brother Yisheng, you're back!"
"How come it's your turn to guard the mountain today?" Tao Yisheng stowed the flying boat. Though he looked weary, he still managed a smile for these clan juniors.
A fair-faced youth among them said, "The clan elders are arguing again. They've been arguing for a long time, especially lately—they hold meetings every three to five days."
"Arguing?"
Tao Yisheng frowned, instinctively glancing back at Luo Chen.
The youth looked over with curiosity as well.
Tao Yisheng's face turned stern. "This is Danchenzi, a master alchemist of his generation and a future retainer of our Tao clan. Why haven't you greeted senior yet?"
The three juniors looked at Luo Chen in surprise, then bowed respectfully. Luo Chen smiled and nodded in return.
Tao Yisheng pulled one of the youths aside to question him closely before walking back.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Daoist Brother."
"No matter." Luo Chen waved a hand as he took in the surroundings.
"Your immortal's cave has already been arranged. Please follow me!"
Tao Yisheng dismissed the three juniors with a wave and led Luo Chen up Mount Xiaonan. However, as they flew, the look of worry on his face was unmistakable.
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth curved slightly.
Given the strength of his soul, a casual spiritual sense transmission from an early Foundation Establishment cultivator like Tao Yisheng could never escape his eavesdropping. The content had been about why the Tao clan elders were arguing.
The heart of the contention was none other than himself!
The True Disciple Sword Contest and the fight for the Dao Seed were right around the corner, and the other true disciples had long since prepared their candidates. Tao Wan alone had left the alchemist slot vacant, leading other cultivators in Azure Pill Valley to assume she intended to forfeit the contest.
The Tao clan elders naturally knew the inside story, yet they lacked confidence in Luo Chen's alchemical attainments. Above all, Luo Chen had demanded several steep conditions, which made it all the harder for the clan elders to stomach.
How dare a mere rogue alchemist harbor such an enormous appetite?
Whether it was the various pill formulas collected and developed by Master Nanshan in his era or his insights on forming a core, these were the core heritage of the Tao clan. For Tao Wan to hand them over to Luo Chen would not be easy.
In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme, and she was indeed very strong! But within a clan, one had to account for lineage branches, seniority, etiquette, and numerous other troublesome affairs. Even with Tao Wan's formidable ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivation, her hands remained bound by many constraints.
'Tao Wan manages outside affairs impeccably, but the interior of the Tao clan remains a complete mess!' Luo Chen thought.
Chapter 326