Chapter 1533: Chapter 480: Cultivation, Dan Medicine, and Frost Ash Association Loopholes Exposed

Cai Qiu Calendar, Year 291, November 18th, Nighttime

Top floor of Jiang Mansion’s tallest building, tranquil meditation room

Xia Hong sat cross-legged on the Lotus Platform with his eyes closed, surrounded by clouds of crimson medicinal power enveloping him like a cocoon of blood. A dark red bone appearance hovered silently behind him, covered in molten rock patterns, approximately eight zhang tall. The crimson veins on its exterior were clearly visible, almost fully formed.

Hoo... hoo...

As Xia Hong’s breaths became increasingly prolonged, the absorption speed of the crimson medicinal power continued to accelerate, causing the cocoon’s color to thin. His bone appearance also kept growing and expanding, albeit almost imperceptibly, as such change eluded the naked eye.

Buzz......

A long time passed, and when the final wisp of medicinal power was absorbed by the bones, the bone appearance behind Xia Hong suddenly emitted a buzzing sound before fully setting.

Simultaneously, Xia Hong’s tightly shut eyes opened. After sensing slightly with a clenched fist, his pupils were filled with frustration.

"The bone appearance’s growth is almost negligible. At this efficiency, it will take at least five years to solidify the Golden Body to nine zhang; my strength remains at 75 Jun, completely unmoved. Without the support of the Washing Marrow Pill, relying solely on the Twelve Blood Scripture Skills, the growth in power is almost negligible..."

The Bone Gathering Pill of Great Xia is merely the mid-grade Bone Shedding Pill from this feudal town. Not knowing was fine, but after experiencing the high efficiency of the top-grade Bone Shedding Pill, Xia Hong naturally cannot be satisfied with cultivation using the Bone Gathering Pill.

"The Bone Condensing Pill is the low-grade Bone Shedding Pill, while the medicinal power of the Bone Gathering Pill is more than thirty times that of it. The best top-grade Bone Shedding Pill has medicinal power over fifteen times that of the Bone Gathering Pill. My absorption efficiency far exceeds the norm; if I had a sufficient supply of top-grade Bone Shedding Pills, my breakthrough to the late-stage Xianyang might be reduced by half, possibly in less than three years..."

Xia Hong acknowledged his slight greed.

He had reached the Xianyang Level in September of the seventh year of Great Xia and successfully broke through to the mid-stage Xianyang in the ninth year, propelled by the incense fire cultivation through ritual offerings, completing the entire process in just two years;

Now, in the twelfth year of Great Xia, only three years have passed since his mid-stage breakthrough. His bone appearance has grown from six zhang to eight zhang, with just one zhang left to reach the late-stage Xianyang.

His cultivation efficiency need not be compared with others; kindred knowledge of the average age at the Xianyang level in Nine Towns and Moao River already indicates his cultivation speed is terrifying.

"Being unselfish is impossible, the gap is simply... too vast!"

Xia Hong couldn’t help but sigh internally. Presently in Great Xia, the disparity with the Four Vassals of Moao River is indeed too great, regardless of incorporating Jiangxia, Muyin, Chui Mountain’s Three Towns. Even if Great Xia could annex the remaining Five Towns in one go, the gap remains astonishingly wide.

The disparity is so vast that, if not for Blood Miasma Plain and Bone-Eroding Path’s barriers, the two feudal towns could relentlessly push southward with all their might, and even if Xia Hong employed all means including systematic measures, it’s likely he still couldn’t withstand it.

Such a scenario is a first for Xia Hong since arriving at Ice Abyss fifteen years ago, instilling a profound sense of urgency within.

Unable to return to Great Xia, he can only find ways to enhance his strength.

"Only the final two remain!"

Looking at the two remaining Bone Gathering Pills before him, Xia Hong shook his head, preparing to use them, yet his hand halted just as he reached out, followed by raising his gaze to the exterior, his eyes revealing a trace of brilliance.

"Subordinate pays respect to the Lord!"

Before long, Jiang Xinfan approached briskly from downstairs, holding a bag with excitement on his face, respectfully greeting before handing the bag directly to Xia Hong.

"Lord, we managed skillfully. Subordinate and Ji Hong acquired a total of 6 Bone Burning Pills from the Frost Ash Association, each priced at 750,000 taels; 30 top-grade Bone Shedding Pills, priced at 300,000 taels each; 20 Washing Marrow Pills, priced at 370,000 taels each, totaling 20,900,000 taels in silver."

He really did obtain them!

Xia Hong accepted the three silver pill bottles, opening them in succession. Seeing the three types of Dan Medicine inside, his expression instantly brightened, curiously asking, "Such precious Dan Medicine, you and Ji Hong managed to acquire them, yet you don’t know who your superior in the Frost Ash Association is?"

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When reunited in Lu River Valley, Xia Hong had already asked Jiang Xinfan, knowing that he and Ji Hong, although part of the Frost Ash Association, were essentially ignorant of the upper echelon.

Previously, he didn’t see an issue; any organization with one-directional contact could simply set complex contact methods and exercise caution. It’s not overly challenging to ensure no contact between upper and lower members.

But now, there is some puzzlement, that they could acquire three types of precious Dan Medicine strictly controlled by the Four Vassals without meeting directly. How is that possible?

Could they put something somewhere casually and the latter take it later?

Letters and some cheap items can work that way, but millions of taels worth of Dan Medicine like that, isn’t that reckless thinking?

"The Worldly Noble Tavern, we connect through the Worldly Noble Tavern..."

Understanding Xia Hong’s confusion explicitly, Jiang Xinfan proceeded to carefully and completely describe the process of acquiring Dan Medicine and the Frost Ash Association’s operational rules in detail.

After Jiang Xinfan’s thorough explanation, Xia Hong basically understood the overall operation of the Frost Ash Association.

Ultimately, it’s about two key points:

The first point is a loose organizational structure; except for the bottom-level branch being relatively tight-knit, the rest, ranging from the county city’s main branch to the highest headquarters, is extremely decentralized in both personnel and organization.

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