Chương 57: The Blood Dragon Sword

Within Zhang Huaijin's spine, his blood qi surged like a boundless ocean, kicking up towering waves of crimson energy. Wondrous ripples flowed outward as the power of the Realm-Breaking Pearl intensified. Time passed. Strand by strand, blood red sword energy began to emerge. Zhang Huaijin, dressed in flowing white robes, seemed to have a phantom crimson true dragon coiling behind him, its claws bared and ready. Then, the dragon dissolved into an endless storm of blood colored sword lights.

The full physical power of his body converged into a single point. Gradually, a terrifying aura coalesced behind him. Blood light swirled as tens of thousands of threads of blood qi condensed into a single blood red longsword. The sword was a little over three feet long, its entire body a deep, dripping crimson. Vicious black lines were etched across its surface, like a true dragon coiled around a pillar of blood, or perhaps like the blood grooves running along a blade.

The pommel was covered in dense, blood red dragon scales and set with two crimson spirit stones. The blood qi within them was crystal clear, thin as silk threads, yet each one pulsed with an incredibly terrifying force. This was Zhang Huaijin's condensed Blood Spirit Weapon, the Blood Dragon Sword! The moment it took form, it was already ranked at Tier 2, Low Grade. Not only that, it stood at the very peak of Tier 2, Lower Grade.

Even against a Tier 2, Middle Grade spirit artifact, it could hold its own without being outmatched. The Blood Dragon Sword descended into Zhang Huaijin's hand like a true dragon. Fine, red sword lights continuously crawled and trembled across its surface. The moment Zhang Huaijin's palm closed around the hilt, he felt as if he were gripping a living, breathing beast. Terrifying blood qi surged upward between them. The connection between the two grew tighter and tighter.

Boundless power flowed into him, and his blood qi hummed with eager energy. As his cultivation advanced, the power of the Realm-Breaking Pearl gradually began to reveal itself. Zhang Huaijin focused his will, and the Blood Dragon Sword in his palm slowly faded away. Though Zhang Huaijin was currently only at the first level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, pursuing the path of three cultivations in one, his Soul Cultivation had already reached the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

On top of that, he possessed a Supreme Grade Dao Foundation. Setting aside his Soul Cultivation for a moment, Zhang Huaijin sensed that his raw combat power alone was enough to match a mid stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. He would even dare to fight a cultivator at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. If he added his Soul Cultivation into the mix, he would dare to clash even with a late stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Zhang Huaijin's foundation was simply too deep.

With a Supreme Grade Dao Foundation, his combat power was three times that of a cultivator with a Upper Grade Dao Foundation. That kind of advantage was enough to close the gap in cultivation levels. And that wasn't even counting his Body Cultivation. The power of the Earth Fiend Spirit Body was gradually becoming apparent. After stabilizing his new cultivation realm, Zhang Huaijin emerged from seclusion. By now, the spiritual energy on Green Bamboo Mountain had grown increasingly dense.

The spirit vein, originally Tier 1, Upper Grade, had successfully upgraded to Tier 2, Low Grade. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Zhang Lixian and Zhang Huaijin would no longer be held back by a lack of spiritual energy in their training. In fact, their cultivation speed would return to normal, or even become faster. This was Zhang Huaijin's first public appearance since breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Every cultivator of the Zhang family on Green Bamboo Mountain felt a shared sense of pride. The family had just gained a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator three years ago, and now, another one had broken through. The Zhang family now possessed two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. And both were so young! The resources and opportunities the Zhang family would receive from now on would only increase.

—— In the family's main hall, Zhang family cultivators at the late stage of the Qi Refining Realm gathered to discuss the family's future development.

"Huaijin, now that you've broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, should we hold a Foundation Establishment Ceremony?" Zhang Liangliang's eyes sparkled with excitement. He vividly remembered how much their last Foundation Establishment Ceremony for Zhang Lixian had earned the family in resources and gifts. Zhang Huaijin shook his head.

"Second Uncle, the Zhang family's foundation is still shallow. What we need right now is to keep a low profile." He paused, then added, "Besides, we should give those Qi Refining Realm families and independent cultivators some breathing room." Zhang Huaijin's words resonated with everyone present. After all, Tier 1, Upper Grade resources were still critically important to Qi Refining Realm families.

"Huaijin is right," Zhang Lixian said, nodding.

"Our family's resources are sufficient for now. What we lack is time."

"Now that our family's spirit vein has upgraded to Tier 2, we can cultivate more and more spirit fields. I hope everyone will put in extra effort." Zhang Chongwen, who held multiple responsibilities including overseeing the family's spirit fields, said, "I'll encourage the others." Because cultivators got to keep one tenth of the harvest from the fields they cultivated, their motivation was extremely high. The family had also gained a few more artifact forgers and talisman crafters.

Now that the Zhang family had two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, they rented several more shops in Langya County Town. The Artifact & Talisman Pavilion was split into two separate shops, the Artifact Forging Pavilion and the Talisman Crafting Pavilion. Furthermore, the Zhang family opened a new Pill Refining Pavilion. Combined with their Spirit Wine Shop, the Zhang family now ran four shops in Langya County Town. Each day, they earned a considerable number of spirit stones.

The number of spirit fields on the family grounds also gradually increased. The annual harvest of spirit rice multiplied several times over. The Zhang family was now entering a period of rapid development. The Mystic Iron Mine, which they were mining together with the Miao and Yang families, was also about halfway depleted. The family began planting spiritual herbs and raising spirit beasts. The Purple Spirit Tiger had officially become the family's guardian spirit beast.

As time passed, the family's foundation slowly strengthened. The number of spirit stones the family could earn each year also rose sharply. After deciding on their future development path and reviewing the family's resources, the members dispersed. Only Zhang Huaijin, his grandfather Zhang Chongwen, and Zhang Lixian remained in the main hall. Zhang Liwei was still out leading the family's Spirit Beast Hunting Team, roaming the surrounding mountain ranges.

By now, everyone in Langya County Town knew that the Foundation Establishment Realm Green Ape on Green Ape Peak had fallen. Had it been injured while chasing Zhang Huaijin and then ambushed by another spirit beast, dying alone in some hidden cave? Whatever the reason for its fall, the hundreds of Green Apes left on the mountain were now a fat prize for the major powers of Langya County. Hunting teams from every major force were taking advantage of this window to hunt the apes relentlessly.

"Lixian, Huaijin," Zhang Chongwen said, his voice grave, "the Spirit Beast Tide is only a little over two years away. Our Zhang family is now a Foundation Establishment Realm family with two of you. We'll definitely be expected to take on more responsibility." He looked between them.

"Our Green Bamboo Mountain's defensive array formation is still only Tier 1, Upper Grade. We must upgrade it to Tier 2, Lower Grade within two years. Otherwise, our mountain will become a primary target for the spirit beasts." Zhang Chongwen's words jolted Zhang Huaijin and Zhang Lixian. They hadn't realized how quickly the Spirit Beast Tide was approaching.

"You're right," Zhang Lixian said, his brow furrowed with worry.

"But upgrading the spirit vein used up most of the family's spirit stones. The only family in Langya County with a Tier 2 Array Formation Master is the Gao family." He let out a frustrated breath.

"But we don't have enough spirit stones to hire them right now." He sounded deeply frustrated. Spirit stones. You needed spirit stones for everything. The cultivation world was the same as any other, without money, you couldn't take a single step. Zhang Huaijin shook his head silently. As powerful as his combat ability was, he couldn't produce spirit stones from thin air…