Chương 59: The Second Dwelling

"So the Zhang family's winemaking technique, that was what you obtained back then?" Zhang Huaijin spoke slowly, his voice measured.

"That's right." Zhang Chongwen's eyes glittered with a sharp light.

"But aside from the winemaking technique, I also got a map." This was a secret he had guarded for decades.

"What kind of map? What does it show?" Zhang Lixian asked. Zhang Huaijin sat up straighter as well. He hadn't expected his grandfather to still harbor such a secret.

"The location of the next cultivation dwelling." Zhang Chongwen's gaze swept across his descendants.

"That cultivator from back then left behind more than just one dwelling. The one we found was only the first." Boom. Zhang Chongwen's words crashed like waves through the hearts of Zhang Lixian and Zhang Huaijin. Just what level of strength had the owner of these dwellings possessed? Not only had he left behind multiple dwellings, but he had also left a Foundation Establishment Realm Pill. A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator couldn't possibly have done this.

Could it have been a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?

"Where is this dwelling located?" Zhang Lixian asked, a flicker of heat kindling in his chest. The first dwelling had contained one Foundation Establishment Realm Pill. Might this one hold another? If they could claim it… would the Zhang family produce yet another Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator? Zhang Huaijin had clearly arrived at the same thought.

"The map's markings are somewhat faded," Zhang Chongwen admitted.

"It will take careful searching. But I am certain it lies deep in the inner reaches of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range." As he spoke, a glow flashed from his storage pouch. A slightly decayed parchment map appeared in his hand. Zhang Lixian took it and slowly unfolded it. Zhang Huaijin leaned in to look. The map was indistinct in places, but the location it pointed to was unmistakably within the Purple Dusk Mountain Range. The Purple Dusk Mountain Range was home to many spirit veins.

Most of those veins were occupied by spirit beasts. The range was divided into inner and outer sections. In the outer section alone, there were over a dozen tier 2 spirit veins. Most were the territories of spirit beasts. The three Foundation Establishment Realm clans of Langya County also had their family compounds in the Purple Dusk Mountain Range. As for the Zhang family of Green Bamboo Mountain, they had nurtured their own spirit vein up to tier 2, low grade.

That added one more tier 2 spirit vein to the outer section of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range. Everyone in Langya County now knew that Green Ape Peak no longer had a Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beast guarding it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. In other words, it was ownerless. But because the beast tide was imminent, no one had yet made a move to claim it. The Purple Dusk Mountain Range was vast, bordering the Tang Kingdom.

Rumors said that deep in the range, there was even a Nascent Soul Realm spirit beast. The Zhang family had already thoroughly explored most of the outer section. None of it matched the map. Zhang Chongwen's deduction was almost certainly correct, this dwelling had to be in the inner reaches.

"The first dwelling contained many formations," Zhang Chongwen continued.

"That proves the owner was well, versed in Array formation arts. I thought that if we could find this second dwelling, we might be able to obtain its formations as well." Zhang Huaijin nodded.

"Father, Grandfather. Leave this to me." He turned to Zhang Lixian.

"Father, you stay and guard the family. Don't hold back on resources. The Azure Peach Spirit Tree will mature again in a few months. Have the clan members consume its fruit to strengthen themselves. Right now, we have far too few Ninth Level Qi Refining Realm cultivators." Zhang Lixian and Zhang Chongwen exchanged a glance, then nodded. Back when Zhang Huaijin was at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm, he had slain a second level Green Ape.

Now that he had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, his combat power would be even greater. Though Zhang Huaijin hadn't yet made a move, Zhang Lixian knew in his heart that he probably could no longer defeat his own son. Zhang Huaijin had become the Zhang family's strongest fighter.

"Alright. Be very careful," Zhang Chongwen said. Unknowingly, Zhang Huaijin had become the pillar of the Zhang family. Zhang Huaijin put away the map, made his arrangements, and left Green Bamboo Mountain directly. Meanwhile, the Zhang family began preparing for the beast tide. Half of the resources in the clan treasury, except for spirit stones, could be exchanged for half the usual merit points. Spirit stones were reserved for wartime.

The mountain's defensive formations required massive amounts of spiritual energy to run. Once the spirit vein's energy was drained, spirit stones would be needed to supplement it. News of Zhang Huaijin's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm had not yet leaked. Thanks to the heart demon oaths the clan members had taken, the risk of information getting out was now minimal. Green Bamboo Mountain itself was one of the smaller branches of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range.

Zhang Huaijin, dressed in white, walked through the range. In his sea of consciousness, The Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram spun continuously, concealing his presence. Any spirit beast he encountered died instantly. At his current level, if he met that old Foundation Establishment Realm Green Ape again, he could probably slay it in no time. Zhang Huaijin passed by Green Ape Peak. The apes there had already been scattered and hunted down. The mountain was still unclaimed.

When the beast tide ended, whoever could seize this spiritual mountain would depend on each family's skill. Zhang Huaijin entered the inner reaches of the Purple Dusk Mountain Range alone. Unlike the outer section, the spiritual energy inside was denser, but also wilder and more chaotic. Tier 2 spirit veins were common, and the number of Foundation Establishment Realm spirit beasts began to increase.

Zhang Huaijin kept a low profile, searching continuously through the mountains, narrowing down the area based on the map's markings. Ten days later. His figure appeared before a narrow, cramped peak. All around stood towering, thousand foot mountains. Ancient, lush trees rose straight up toward the sky. The roars of beasts echoed endlessly, overlapping one another in a continuous cacophony. The air was thick with the stench of decay and rot.

"It's actually here?" Zhang Huaijin looked at the map in his palm, then at the scene before him. Ten days. Ten days He had been searching and now he finally found it. He scanned his surroundings. Within a three hundred meter radius, there were no spirit beasts in sight. Zhang Huaijin stepped forward, his spiritual sense spreading outward as he probed the area. After about fifteen minutes, he noticed something unusual. He moved closer. His Tier 1, Upper Azure Serenity Sword materialized silently and shot forward.

It embedded itself in a crack between two rocks. Crack. Suddenly, a cracking sound echoed from all around. Where the sword had struck, the earth sank. Like quicksand, a three meter wide pit slowly opened up. A wave of rancid air rushed out. Zhang Huaijin was extremely cautious. He activated his Mystic Nether Shield and stepped inside. He summoned his Purple Spirit Tiger from the spirit beast pouch and left it hidden near the pit to guard against outside spirit beasts.

Zhang Huaijin had just reached the Foundation Establishment Realm and currently possessed only one tier 2, low grade spirit artifacts. His spiritual sense told him that there was no danger ahead. So he moved quickly. After some time, a glimmer of light appeared before Zhang Huaijin's eyes. It was a stone chamber several hundred meters in size. Most of it was hidden behind a golden light barrier. Faint ripples of the formation's energy flowed outward.

"This is… the Geng Metal Profound Light Formation!"