Chương 128: A Foundation of Strength

Across the entire Qingtai Prefecture, nay, the whole of Bing Province! Storm clouds were gathering. Every cultivation force of note was scrambling to bolster their strength. The weaker families clung desperately to their heritage, praying to survive the coming storm. The stronger ones, however, schemed and plotted, eyeing the beast tide as an opportunity to expand their influence and line their coffers with greater profits. The Zhang family now commanded over two hundred cultivators.

With four Tier 2 experts anchoring their ranks, they stood second only to the Gao family in Langya County Town. Moreover, the family controlled two Tier 2 Spirit Veins, a resource base that many would envy. But no one dared cast so much as a covetous glance toward Purple Cloud Peak. Huaijin's combat prowess had been legendary twenty years ago. In the two decades since, he had rarely stirred from his seclusion. Yet the question lingered in every cultivator's mind: just how terrifyingly powerful had he become?

Across the land, the great cultivation forces began to muster their troops and consolidate their defenses. And the long-silent Blood Lion Mountain stirred back to life, its war machine grinding into motion once more. Cultivators from the Fang and Zhou families had already arrived ahead of schedule, laying the groundwork for the coming conflict. Meanwhile, within the Purple Dusk Mountain Range, spirit beasts swarmed in untold numbers.

Their baleful aura rose like a dark pillar, blotting out the heavens and casting a pall of dread across the region. Zhang Liliang, having broken through to the second level, continued his vigil over Green Bamboo City. The Zhang family no longer worried about scarce resources. Zhang Lixian, meanwhile, had spent years patiently polishing his cultivation base. He had consumed a Tier 2, mid-grade One Qi Pill, and with its aid, the bottleneck had shattered of its own accord.

He surged into the fourth level, becoming a genuine Mid-Stage Tier 2 cultivator. Without delay, he returned to Green Bamboo Mountain to take personal command of the family's defenses. With a Mid-Stage expert watching over their ancestral home, the Zhang clan members felt not a shred of anxiety. As for Zhang Liwei, he stood at the peak of the second level. A born warrior at heart, he chose to follow Huaijin once more to the front lines at Blood Lion Mountain.

After all, slaying spirit beasts offered a sure path to amassing merit points, and Liwei had never been one to shy away from battle. Time slipped by like water through fingers. Ten months vanished in the blink of an eye. Huaijin emerged from his seclusion, departing Purple Cloud Peak and returning to Green Bamboo Mountain. The mysterious pine fish had made astonishing progress, its cultivation base now hovering at the peak of the eighth level. The lake it inhabited had expanded considerably.

Were it not for the Celestial Peach Tree anchoring Purple Cloud Peak's spirit vein, the fish's relentless burrowing would have long since collapsed the entire mountain. But the results spoke for themselves. The lake now teemed with nearly three thousand pine fish. They could reliably produce resources for the family, steadily generating a stream of spirit stones. The mysterious pine fish, however, had finally halted its tireless labor. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

It now devoured a full half of the spiritual energy produced daily by Purple Cloud Peak. Without the Celestial Peach Tree's stabilizing influence, the peak's reserves would have been exhausted long ago. The mysterious pine fish eyed Huaijin's Celestial Peach Tree with undisguised longing. But then it recalled their previous clash of souls, and a flicker of fear passed through its eyes. It wisely decided to behave itself and stay put. In this new life, it had finally glimpsed a sliver of hope.

It had no desire to die halfway to its goal. —— On Green Bamboo Mountain, bamboo groves cloaked the slopes from summit to foothill. The emerald stalks swayed gently in the mountain breeze, and a profound stillness hung over the land. All the Zhang family members were making intensive preparations. The list of those destined for Blood Lion Mountain had already been finalized. And just as Huaijin arrived back at Green Bamboo Mountain, he was greeted with welcome news.

"Wujian has broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm?" A smile spread across Huaijin's face.

"Indeed! The boy's luck finally turned," Zhang Chongwen said, his frame having grown somewhat stooped with the weight of years. Zhang Wujian was the son of Zhang Liliang. Years ago, when Liliang had failed his own Foundation Establishment attempt, he had sunk into a period of deep despair. But he had eventually found his footing again, throwing himself into cultivation with renewed determination. And Wujian had been blessed by fortuitous timing. The family lacked for nothing these days!

Though Wujian possessed only a Four-Spirit Root aptitude, he never wanted for cultivation resources. He had also distinguished himself as a skilled artifact forger. By the age of forty, he had already reached the pinnacle of the Qi Refining stage. And at that critical moment, a Foundation Establishment Pill appeared in the family treasury. Drawing upon his long-standing contributions and accumulated merit points, Zhang Wujian secured the pill, and succeeded in his breakthrough without a hitch.

Amidst the chaos of the beast tide, the family had gained a new pillar of strength. This was cause for great celebration. Huaijin nodded slowly, agreeing with Zhang Chongwen's sentiment. The path of cultivation, after all, sometimes turned on a single stroke of fortune. Zhang Hanren was a bitter reminder of that truth. He had missed his chance by a mere matter of months, Huaijin had obtained a Foundation Establishment Pill shortly after Hanren's window had closed. But Hanren could not afford to wait.

He had attempted a breakthrough on his own, staking everything on a desperate gamble, and in the end, he had passed away in quiet despair. Such was the cruel caprice of fate. When Zhang Wujian had reached the peak of Qi Refining, a Foundation Establishment Pill had appeared in the treasury at precisely the right moment. He had competed against others, won the pill through his merits, and broken through smoothly. High atop Purple Cloud Peak.

Upon learning of Zhang Wujian's success, Zhang Rende fell silent for an entire day. If only his father had delayed his attempt perhaps the outcome would have been different. But what was done could not be undone. Everything was fated. Mortal schemes could not alter heaven's design. Zhang Chongwen, watching Huaijin's pensive expression, seemed to be stirred by old memories. His face darkened with sorrow. That Foundation Establishment Pill should have been Zhang Hanren's.

But the fates had conspired against him, a cruel and senseless twist. Zhang Hanren had been the eldest of the Zhang family's third generation, and Zhang Chongwen's own beloved eldest grandson. He had commanded great respect throughout the clan. Even now, whenever his name was spoken, grief tightened every heart.

"Has Father returned yet?" Huaijin asked.

"He arrived yesterday. Everything is ready on the family's end. When will you depart?" A flicker of worry passed through Zhang Chongwen's eyes. Though the Zhang family's strength had grown considerably, the beast tide was still a brutal, bloody war. There would inevitably be casualties. But those who enjoyed the blessings of cultivation resources also bore the weight of responsibility.

During the beast tide, every force aligned with the orthodox path was bound to heed the summons of the Purple Mansion clans and march to Blood Lion Mountain.

"No time like the present. We'll leave tomorrow. Arriving early will give the clan members a chance to familiarize themselves with the terrain and the battle lines." Zhang Chongwen nodded in agreement. Zhang Wujian had just broken through and was currently in seclusion, stabilizing his newly forged cultivation base. And though the demonic cultivators had seemingly vanished from sight, they would never pass up the perfect opportunity presented by the beast tide.

Green Bamboo City, in particular, would shine like a beacon to their wicked eyes. At that moment, Zhang Lixian, having caught wind of Huaijin's return, hurried over. The three of them conferred and decided to revise their plan. Zhang Lixian would travel in secret to Green Bamboo City and stand guard there, a silent sentinel against the shadows. Green Bamboo City's population had now surpassed one hundred thousand souls.

To a demonic cultivator, it was a veritable feast of fresh blood and vital essence, a fat, succulent plum ripe for the plucking. And mortal humans were the bedrock of the Zhang family's existence. They could not be allowed to come to harm. Zhang Wujian's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm was nothing short of a timely rain for the Zhang family.

With two Tier 2 cultivators guarding Green Bamboo City, one of whom was a Mid-Stage expert like Zhang Lixian, and bolstered by the city's array formation, even a Late-Stage cultivator would be forced to retreat in defeat if they dared attack. By the time such a threat materialized, Zhang Wujian would likely have stabilized his cultivation base and be ready to join the defense.