Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Thirty-three Years, an End at Last

Upon arriving at the Immortal City, he went to Cyan Dragon Mountain and presented a formal card of introduction.

Huang Yan was quickly received by Meng Qingyi, the Sect Leader of mundane affairs.

Meng Qingyi smiled. "I am Meng Qingyi, the current Sect Leader of mundane affairs for the Immortal City. A pleasure to meet you, Daoist Huang."

Despite facing the sweet and lovely young woman, Huang Yan’s expression remained placid. He smiled and returned the greeting, "I am Huang Yan. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sect Leader Meng."

At Meng Qingyi’s direction, the two entered the main hall and took their seats.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they waited until a serving girl had brought them Spirit Tea. Only then did Meng Qingyi ask with a hint of confusion, "Daoist Huang, may I ask what business brings you to our Immortal City?"

Huang Yan’s introductory card had only stated his identity.

Naturally, Meng Qingyi would not dare to neglect a visiting Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Purple Cloud Valley.

However, she had no idea why Huang Yan had come, which was why she was now asking so directly.

Huang Yan smiled and stated seriously, "To be perfectly honest, I have come to the Immortal City for an audience with your senior sister, Fairy Dai."

"See Senior Sister Dai?" Meng Qingyi looked confused. "Are you and Senior Sister Dai old acquaintances, Daoist Huang?"

Huang Yan, however, had no intention of answering her question. He simply smiled and said, "Fairy Dai is well aware of the specifics. I must ask you to announce my arrival to her, Sect Leader Meng."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Meng Qingyi knew he was likely telling the truth.

She gave a wry smile and shook her head. "If you wish to see Senior Sister Dai, Daoist Huang, then I’m afraid I must disappoint you. In fact, she left the Immortal City last year to travel, and I don’t know her current whereabouts."

"She left to travel?" Huang Yan was stunned to hear this.

Meng Qingyi nodded and added, "Although Senior Sister Dai is not in the Immortal City, our Master has been here in seclusion. If your business is truly urgent, Daoist Huang, I could report it to our Master for you?"

Huang Yan shook his head. "The matter is not urgent. I will wait here in the Immortal City for Fairy Dai’s return."

The Daoist companion he was to marry was Dai Sangyu. As for meeting Fenglan Master... that was a matter for his own patriarch.

After seeing Huang Yan off, Meng Qingyi’s eyes were filled with suspicion. She couldn’t figure out what he was up to.

’Could Senior Sister Dai have owed him a favor, and now he’s come to collect?’ After a moment of thought, she ultimately decided she should report the matter to her Master.

After all, Purple Cloud Valley was the hegemon of the Western Realm of the Western Wilderness. Even if Senior Sister Dai reached Core Formation, the Immortal City’s power would still be far inferior.

She couldn’t afford to be careless when it involved Purple Cloud Valley.

To her surprise, however, when she told her Master that Huang Yan had come looking for Senior Sister Dai, her Master merely sighed.

He simply instructed her not to concern herself with the matter and said nothing more, leaving Meng Qingyi utterly baffled.

’What in the world is going on?’

...

Zhang Tie and Gumu Sheng focused on managing their families, Cheng Yao was leading the Wang family down the right path, and Bai Qing was cultivating diligently.

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

By collecting six hundred thirty Spirit Stones each year, the total in the Foundation Establishment Fund had reached four thousand two hundred seventy Spirit Stones after three years of gatherings.

This sum had already surpassed the value of a single Foundation Establishment Pill.

Therefore, at this year’s gathering, Li Ping solemnly announced that the Foundation Establishment Fund had fulfilled its purpose. From now on, no one would need to contribute Spirit Stones annually!

Furthermore, the gatherings would no longer be held annually but would instead take place at irregular intervals.

Hearing Li Ping’s words, the other four all looked as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Their relief wasn’t because they were reluctant to part with their Spirit Stones, but from the sense of relaxation that comes after finally seeing a long-term commitment through to the end.

Li Ping smiled as he took in their relieved expressions.

Thirty-three years ago, when the Friends Association was founded, who could have guessed that they would actually accomplish what they had sworn to do in their oath?

Of the seven sworn siblings, five—including Li Ping—had successfully reached Foundation Establishment. The only exceptions were Teng Feng, who had unfortunately perished in a beast tide, and their seventh brother, Bai Qing, who was the only one left.

Moreover, Bai Qing had recently cultivated to the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Level. He was only one Foundation Establishment Pill away from attempting his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment!

In one year, Bai Qing would travel to the Cyan Cloud Secret Realm in Jixia to gather Spirit Medicines. He would earn military merit, which he could then exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

With four thousand two hundred seventy Spirit Stones to back him up, Li Ping could outfit him with an impressive set of gear. As long as Bai Qing wasn’t reckless and his luck held out, gathering enough military merit to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill shouldn’t be a problem.

With his Three Spirit Roots aptitude, his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment with the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill were quite high.

...

Since everyone was free from their obligation from now on, the mood was celebratory.

Everyone was ecstatic that night, and the banquet was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

They excitedly discussed what equipment to purchase for Bai Qing with the funds, while also offering him guidance on Magical Combat tactics for various scenarios.

Spirit Talismans, Dharma Artifacts, pills for rapid Magical Power recovery...

They feasted until dawn. Then, Zhang Tie and the other two took their leave, leaving only Bai Qing behind. They knew their big brother wanted to discuss purchasing the equipment with him.

They all trusted their big brother implicitly, certain he would never misappropriate any of the Foundation Establishment Fund.

After all, their big brother had contributed the most to the Foundation Establishment Fund; the contributions of everyone else combined barely equaled his own.

Even with Cheng Yao, who had reached Foundation Establishment by a stroke of luck without using the fund, their big brother hadn’t treated her unfairly and had given her plenty of compensation.

They were completely won over by their big brother’s character.

Once the other three had left, Li Ping smiled at Bai Qing. "Bai Qing, we’ve been discussing this all night. What are your own thoughts on the matter?"

Bai Qing shook his head with a wry smile. "Don’t ask me, Big Brother. What ideas could a mere Qi Refining Cultivator like me possibly have? I’ll go with whatever everyone else decides."

"Alright." Li Ping nodded.

Drawing on the results of the all-night discussion, he began to list the equipment they planned to purchase for Bai Qing’s journey.

First were the artifacts. Li Ping’s plan was to purchase three offensive Tier One Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts and three defensive Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts for Bai Qing.

The reason they weren’t purchasing Tier Two Dharma Artifacts was mainly because it consumed an enormous amount of Magical Power for a Qi Refining Cultivator to wield one, and the power they could unleash was limited. It was simply better to use Tier One Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts.

The same logic applied to Talisman Treasures. With a Qi Refining Cultivator’s Magical Power, it would take far too long to activate one, making them completely unsuitable as a conventional means of Magical Combat.

Considering that Dharma Artifacts might be damaged during Magical Combat in the secret realm, they would purchase three of each, for both offense and defense.

Second were Spirit Talismans.

A Spirit Talisman’s power is sealed within it when it is created and requires only a slight guidance of Magical Power to be released. Therefore, there was no need to worry about its grade; the more powerful it was, the better.

Li Ping planned to equip Bai Qing with twenty of his own self-made Tier Two Lower Grade Spirit Talismans, as well as ten Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans.

Of course, he wasn’t yet capable of creating Tier Two Middle Grade Spirit Talismans himself. He would tell Bai Qing he’d happened to purchase them from the black market.

With so many Spirit Talismans in hand, Bai Qing would even possess the combat strength to defeat a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Finally, for pills that could rapidly restore Magical Power, Li Ping had prepared the Tier One Upper Grade pill: the Purifying Origin Pill.

A single Purifying Origin Pill could restore about one-third of a Qi Refining Ninth Level cultivator’s Magical Power in a short period. It had a miraculous effect in battle, making it far more expensive than pills designed to advance one’s Cultivation.

And Li Ping had prepared a full five bottles of these pills for Bai Qing!

...

A few days later, he handed the Storage Bag containing all the supplies to Bai Qing.

Li Ping smiled warmly. "Go on. I’ll be waiting for the day you successfully reach Foundation Establishment!"

Bai Qing replied gratefully, "Thank you, Big Brother. I will not fail everyone’s expectations."

Although the Cyan Cloud Secret Realm would not open for nearly a year, the journey was long.

Thus, Bai Qing would be departing soon, led by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Immortal City.

That was why Li Ping had given him the items in advance.

...

Not long after Bai Qing’s departure, Li Ping received a visitor who left him both surprised and delighted.

The white-haired Daoist Ji had made a special trip to the Immortal City to visit him.

Looking at Daoist Ji, whose white eyebrows nearly drooped to his cheeks and whose advanced age was plain to see, Li Ping’s heart ached.

Daoist Ji was already over one hundred and ten years old this year. By Li Ping’s estimation, his lifespan would likely come to an end within the next few years.

He had originally planned to return to the Jiang Kingdom soon to see his old friend one last time, but he never expected Daoist Ji to come all the way to the Immortal City to visit him personally.

He couldn’t help but chide himself, "Brother Ji, at your age, why trouble yourself with a trip to the Immortal City? I should have been the one to return to the Jiang Kingdom to visit you."

In response, Daoist Ji was quite composed. He smiled and said, "Brother Li, you needn’t blame yourself. This old man was simply bored sitting at home. I took this trip as a chance to get out and wander while I still have the time."

After speaking, Daoist Ji gestured for the young woman who had been standing beside him to come forward.

Li Ping had noticed the woman from the start but hadn’t paid her much mind. It was only now, at Daoist Ji’s gesture, that he turned his gaze back to her.

She was a tall, slender woman with a refreshing and distinguished air about her. She appeared to be in her twenties, the prime of her life.

In fact, while Daoist Ji and Li Ping had been exchanging pleasantries, she had been secretly sizing Li Ping up.

Now, at Daoist Ji’s prompting, she stepped forward and spoke with poised confidence, "Ji Shuwen pays her respects, Senior!"

"There’s no need for such formality. Please, sit." Li Ping nodded with a smile.

The moment the young woman spoke, he already knew who she was.

Daoist Ji had once told him that he had a granddaughter with a Dual Spirit Root who had joined the Crimson Flame Sect, a Core Formation-level Sect in the Yun Kingdom. This was undoubtedly her, Ji Shuwen.

At the time, he had promised to lend her a helping hand when it came time for her Foundation Establishment.

Thinking of this, he swept his Divine Sense over Ji Shuwen and found that her Cultivation had, as expected, already reached the Qi Refining Ninth Level.

’As expected of a Dual Spirit Root cultivator from a major Sect. To have reached this realm at only twenty-eight years old...’

Li Ping praised her inwardly, but he steered the conversation directly to the matter at hand. "Brother Ji, Shuwen must be preparing for her Foundation Establishment, then."

Daoist Ji smiled and nodded. "Nothing gets past you, Brother Li. I have, I admit, shamelessly come to find you this time precisely for Shuwen’s sake."

With that, he looked at his granddaughter. "Shuwen, you explain."

"Yes, Grandfather." Ji Shuwen nodded in agreement and began to explain in a clear, straightforward manner.

Li Ping listened patiently, nodding from time to time.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.