Chương 50: A Debt of Bones

"Don't worry. Since I've inherited your legacy, I will keep my word. I'll return your bones to the Yun Clan of Blessed Sun." Zhang Huaijin rose slowly and gave a deep, solemn bow to Yun Chaoge's remains. Regardless of what had happened to this man or what hidden schemes might be lurking in the shadows, Zhang Huaijin owed him a debt of gratitude. The legacy he'd left behind was the most precious thing the Zhang Clan could have asked for. With these resources, the family could grow steadily, step by step.

And then there was the Azure Peach Spirit Tree, a true cornerstone for the clan's future. Zhang Huaijin organized the items and then took out the fire attributed Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation manual. The Crimson Flame Spirit Ruins Scripture. This fire attribute technique could carry a cultivator all the way to the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. The spiritual power it produced was fierce, domineering, and aggressive in battle.

It also contained eight powerful techniques that made Zhang Huaijin's pulse quicken with excitement. Zhang Huaijin was a five spiritual root cultivator who primarily practiced fire techniques. But The Crimson Flame Spirit Ruins Scripture also included several devastating sword strikes. Zhang Huaijin was drawn to the sword as well. He intended to become a sword cultivator. His spiritual sense stirred, and in little less than a hour, he had committed the entire scripture to memory.

Within his body, spiritual energy coursed through his limbs and meridians, tempering his channels. The power of the Heavenly Fire Blaze Art slowly receded. Zhang Huaijin began converting his cultivation. Within a single day, he had completed one full cycle of the new technique. The spiritual energy of The Crimson Flame Spirit Ruins Scripture gradually filled his meridians. His foundation grew deeper and more solid than ever before. The Crimson Flame Spirit Ruins Scripture also contained a Qi Refining Realm method.

From now on, his clansmen would never lack for proper cultivation manuals. Of course, to practice these techniques, they would need to earn merit points. The clan didn't raise freeloaders. Zhang Huaijin's mind sank into deep meditation. Every half month, he would consume a Snow Spirit Pill to refine his cultivation. For now, Langya County Town was calm on the surface. But some of the cultivation factions sensed an undercurrent of unrest.

The Zhang Clan had killed Fang You and his people, yet the Tian Clan was acting far too calmly. Given how the Tian Clan usually operated, they should have launched a vicious retaliation. But so far, nothing. Some sharp eyed observers guessed that the Tian Clan was waiting for news about the Zhang Clan. Would Zhang Lixian succeed in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm? The Miao and Yang Clans were also growing uneasy.

They couldn't understand why the Tian Clan was targeting the Zhang Clan so relentlessly. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The Zhang Clan itself showed no outward reaction. Its members went about their duties in a normal way. But Zhang Chongwen felt like his heart might stop at any moment. Zhang Huaijin had briefly emerged from seclusion, handed everything over to Zhang Chongwen, and then immediately returned to closed door cultivation.

Zhang Chongwen felt like he might faint. Was this what happiness felt like? Alone in his quarters, Zhang Chongwen quietly organized everything, trembling with excitement. But he didn't put these treasures into the family vault. Instead, while brewing wine, he studied the jade slips containing the cultivation methods and the Heart Demon Oath. These two things filled a long standing gap in the clan's assets. Now, everything depended on whether Zhang Lixian could reach the Foundation Establishment Realm…

—— Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Zhang Huaijin had grown increasingly proficient in The Crimson Flame Spirit Ruins Scripture. In his palm, the Azure Serenity Sword flashed with endless cold light, surrounded by curling wisps of sword energy. Within his sea of consciousness, The Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram turned like a black-and-white divine millstone, constantly refining Zhang Huaijin's soul.

His soul was now stronger than that of a third level Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, pushing steadily toward the fourth level. This formidable soul gave Zhang Huaijin immense confidence. His body cultivation was also advancing at a steady pace. He had consumed most of the clan's stockpile of spirit beast blood essence. The fiendish energy within his soul grew denser by the day. Without The Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram, his soul would have been corrupted long ago.

But now, that fiendish energy was perfectly docile, completely under his control. Zhang Huaijin had selected the blood essence of seventy two different types of spirit beasts. Using the Blood Demon Bone Tempering Art, he was refining his Earth Fiend Spirit Body. The more blood essence he absorbed, the stronger his body cultivation would become. Take the Hundred Demon Roar, for example. Using just a single type of ape spirit beast's blood essence, its power was already astonishing.

One could only imagine how terrifying the true Hundred Demon Roar would be. He had absorbed the most blood essence from ape type spirit beasts, which was why he had mastered the Vajra Palm technique. Meanwhile, his qi cultivation was steadily advancing toward the peak of perfection. ——"Huaijin! Your Father is back! He's back! Our Zhang Clan finally has a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!" The next day, Zhang Huaijin was startled awake from his seclusion.

Zhang Liliang's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with overwhelming excitement. The Purple Spirit Tiger watched him warily, ready to pounce if it hadn't recognized Zhang Liliang as a member of the household. Zhang Huaijin stepped out of seclusion and looked at Zhang Liliang.

"Father is back?"

"He's back!"

"Haha! Excellent!" A smile spread across Zhang Huaijin's face. He had known it. He had believed it was possible. Zhang Lixian was talented. He was also a Tier 1, High Grade Artifact Forger, with a solid foundation built over years of accumulation. The spiritual vein at the Heavenly Crane Sect was dozens of times richer than the Zhang Clan's. His vitality hadn't yet begun to decline. And he had a Foundation Establishment Realm Pill.

With all these advantages, the right time, the right place, the right conditions, Zhang Lixian had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, becoming the first Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator in the Zhang Clan's seventy plus year history. Now, the Zhang Clan could truly call itself a Foundation Establishment Realm clan. Zhang Lixian, dressed in a black robe, exuded a calm, unruffled aura. It seemed his cultivation was already fully stabilized.

"Congratulations, Father, on reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm!" Zhang Huaijin entered the clan's main hall. All of the Zhang Clan's cultivators had gathered. Unnoticed, the number of cultivators in the Zhang Clan had nearly surpassed thirty.

"Congratulations, Clan Patriarch, on reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm!" The moment Zhang Huaijin spoke, every Zhang cultivator except Zhang Chongwen rose to their feet and shouted in unison. Each face glowed with an ecstatic smile. This was the clan's fortune. They had happened to produce a genius with a wind attribute spiritual root, allowing them to trade with the Heavenly Crane Sect for a Foundation Establishment Realm Pill. And Zhang Lixian had not let them down.

He had broken through, elevating the Zhang Clan to the status of a Foundation Establishment Realm power, the fourth such faction in Langya County.

"Excellent!"

"Send word to all the major factions in Langya County. In one month, the Zhang Clan will hold a Foundation Establishment Realm Ceremony. All fellow cultivators are welcome to attend." Zhang Lixian's voice was calm and measured, already carrying a hint of the authority befitting a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator lived for two hundred and forty years. Zhang Lixian was only fifty seven this year.

If he took care of himself, he could protect the Zhang Clan for two full centuries. That was the value of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. The path of cultivation was one hurdle after another.

"Understood!" Zhang Liliang had already begun making preparations. This was the Zhang Clan signaling its new status. It was different from the Qi Refining Realm clan it had been before. Hosting a Foundation Establishment Realm Ceremony would not only prove the clan's strength but also bring in a flood of resources. It served two purposes at once.