Chương 106: A Fool's Gamble

That fool, Lu Anlan, had genuinely just wanted to try his luck. In the end, a thoroughly exasperated Yen Tianyang had no choice but to kill him. He had assumed the man was just a rogue cultivator without any backing, so he hadn't thought twice about it. But as it turned out, that man had been a sworn brother to Wu Anhe, a promising rising star of the Wu family. Thus, Yen Tianyang had offended the Wu family of Shangfu County. And the Wu family's power was steadily growing.

Yen Tianyang, alone and outmatched, stood no chance against them. He could only slink away from Shangfu County and try his luck elsewhere. But the things recorded on that fragment of an ancient map, they haunted him. He couldn't let go. His own breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, while aided by a Foundation Establishment Pill, owed a great debt to what he had learned from that map fragment. Without that lucky find, he wouldn't have his current battle power.

He wouldn't have his current cultivation level. So Zhang Huaijin, the man who had shown interest in the map fragment became his next target. But Zhang Huaijin was no ordinary man. Possessing a rare spirit body and terrifying combat prowess, he was the one who had single handedly led the Zhang family to prominence. During the Spirit Beast Tide, he had broken through under pressure, reaching the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. And he hadn't fought in over a decade.

His cultivation had likely advanced at least two levels higher by now. Yen Tianyang simply didn't dare make a move. After all, everyone across the Nine Counties of Qingtai had witnessed Zhang Huaijin's power firsthand. Yet the map fragment constantly tempted him, leaving his mind tangled in contradiction. Every cultivator in Langya County knew that Purple Cloud Peak was Zhang Huaijin's personal domain.

"I need a long term plan," Yen Tianyang muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper.

"I must be careful." His form vanished into thin air. —— Half a year passed before anyone realized it. Haihu formally broke through, entering the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. And Zhang Huaijin had also smashed through his own bottleneck, reaching the fifth level. As for the mysterious Pine Fish, they bred as fast as promised. Their numbers had already surpassed several hundred.

Halfway up Purple Cloud Peak, a stream over thirty metres long and nine metres deep had carved its way across the mountainside. The earth excavated for the stream had been piled atop the peak itself. The seventh level Pine Fish used its powers, subtly and constantly improving the water quality and the surrounding environment. Over a hundred young Fish were growing strong and healthy. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Once they reached maturity, they could reproduce again Zhang Huaijin wasn't worried about these Fish growing too fast. The entire Tang Kingdom, no, the vast Eastern Region Great Wilderness was filled with countless cultivators. As long as the fish tasted good, there would be no lack of customers. Of course, seeing real results was still a few years away. To sustainably harvest fish without disrupting the colony's balance, he would need at least a thousand of them.

"Oho! You've broken through?" As Zhang Huaijin emerged from seclusion, the lead Pine Fish leaped from the water, splashing a greeting. Its aura had fully recovered and was growing stronger. In just a few years, it could challenge an even higher realm.

"If you don't speak, no one will mistake you for a mute, you know!" Zhang Huaijin said, exasperated. He couldn't stand how this creature constantly sent him soul transmissions.

"Oho~ I was just bored!" The Pine Fish rolled its eyes, splashed back into the stream with a dramatic flourish, and vanished beneath the surface. Zhang Huaijin just clicked his tongue.

'There are less than seven years until the next Spirit Beast Tide,' he mused.

'It's time to hone my talisman crafting skills.' He decided to venture deep into the Purple Dusk Mountain Range, hoping to find some mid stage spirit beasts. To advance to a Tier 2, mid grade Talisman Maker, he needed the hides and blood essence of Tier 2, mid grade beasts. Furthermore, his Body Cultivation had stagnated. He also needed the blood essence of Tier 2, mid grade and upper grade beasts. Meanwhile, the Seven Colored Spirit Peach Tree had borne another batch of ripe peaches.

"Pine Fish," Zhang Huaijin transmitted, "I need to leave for a while. I'm entrusting the mountain to you."

"You can count on me!" the Pine Fish's voice drifted back, followed by a few small splashes. Zhang Huaijin wasn't worried. With the Pine Fish guarding Purple Cloud Peak, it was as solid as a fortress. If that fish had encountered anyone else, it wouldn't have been controlled, it would have already left this place. But fate, with its rise and fall, had its own designs. The fish had happened to meet him. And with its intelligence, activating the Flame Beacon Mystery Array would be trivial.

He also wasn't concerned about the fish coveting the Seven Colored Spirit Peach Tree. The tree owed its current existence entirely to the Realm-Breaking Sub Pearl. If someone tried to steal it, Zhang Huaijin could simply will it back into his possession with a thought. The tree would revert to its ordinary state in an instant. The only truly precious thing on Purple Cloud Peak was that peach tree. Everything else was secondary. —— Leaving the mountain, Zhang Huaijin first returned to Green Bamboo Mountain.

He placed the newly harvested spirit peaches into the family treasury. After a few brief instructions to Zhang Chongwen, he left quietly, keeping a low profile. Once the Spirit Beast Tide ended, Zhang Liliang was set to replace Zhang Lixian as the Zhang family's overseer in Langya County Town. Unknowingly, Zhang Lixian had already held that post for over a decade. The Zhang family now boasted four Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

For the time being, they didn't have the problem of too many high level cultivators depleting the local spiritual energy. Apart from Zhang Huaijin, every ten years, the family's other Foundation Establishment Realm members would rotate taking charge of the county town. This way, no one would feel slighted. Huaijin kept a low profile as he stepped into the Purple Dusk Mountain Range.

Within the outer perimeter of the range facing Langya County Town, most of the Tier 2 beasts had already been dealt with by the Zhang family. The other three families of Langya had also seized the opportunity, striking while the iron was hot and wiping out the wounded remnants. The number of spirit beasts in the outer perimeters of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range had become very sparse. Only lower-level beasts remained.

For most Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, entering the outer range was still somewhat dangerous. Of course, that didn't include Zhang Huaijin. At his level, a Tier 2, mid grade spirit beast was no longer a challenge. He could likely kill it in a single strike. His main targets were upper grade spirit beasts. On one hand, this would further reduce the number of high level beasts in the Purple Dusk Mountain Range.

On the other, he could harvest more beast flesh and blood, feeding them to his Realm-Breaking Pearl to accumulate its power. Most importantly, the Purple Dusk Mountain Range was rich in treasures and spiritual herbs. He could gather a hefty collection of rare resources. Any herbs he didn't need could be fed directly to the Realm-Breaking Pearl, accelerating the rate at which it stored energy At this moment, within Zhang Huaijin's soul, fifteen Yin Yang Divine Needles floated.

Each one, when clashing against other spirit artifacts, held a quality no less than Tier 2, mid grade. As soul-type techniques, they were likely potent enough to annihilate the very soul of a late stage cultivator. As a tri-path practitioner, if Huaijin unleashed his full power… He felt, within the entire Foundation Establishment Realm, he would have very few rivals.