Chương 97: The Storm Brews

Zhang Huaijin entered secluded meditation. Meanwhile, in Jiangqu County, the Jiang family received the news of Jiang Wenshi's death. Zhang Huaijin had guessed correctly. The remaining Foundation Establishment Realm elder of the Jiang family had no idea what Jiang Wenshi had gone off to do. For half a month, the cultivators Jiang Wenshi had taken with him remained as silent as stones dropped into the ocean, no word, no trace. Panic swept through the Jiang family.

The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator launched a full investigation. In the end, he learned the truth from Jiang Wenshi's nephew, Jiang Wuhe.

"Useless! Absolutely useless!"

"The family has exhausted every resource searching for news of a Foundation Establishment Pill. We still have five years left! Why the rush?"

"This is nothing but disgrace for our Jiang family and now we've made a mortal enemy of a monster!" The elder's name was Jiang Wenyin. He stood at the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He was the pillar of the Jiang family, already over a hundred and ninety years old. The Jiang family's rise was entirely his doing. And now, that worthless Jiang Wenshi had thrown his life away over a single Foundation Establishment Pill… And in doing so, he had provoked someone like Zhang Huaijin.

Though the family didn't know the full story, the facts were clear: Jiang Wenshi was dead, and Zhang Huaijin had returned safely to Green Bamboo Mountain. The implication was terrifying. Zhang Huaijin could fight above his level, everyone knew that. But the gap between early stage and late stage was immense. As Foundation Establishment cultivators themselves, they understood that gap all too well. Jiang Wenyin refused to believe Zhang Huaijin had killed Jiang Wenshi with his own strength.

There was only one possibility. Someone else, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator must be backing Zhang Huaijin. But who?

"Uncle… what do we do now?" Jiang Wuhe's voice was tight with dread. He had advised Jiang Wenshi countless times. But Jiang Wenshi had been desperate for the sake of his incompetent son, and had chosen to ambush Zhang Huaijin anyway. What Jiang Wuhe couldn't understand was, Jiang Bian was only fifty-five. There was still time. With the Jiang family's connections, they might have eventually purchased a Foundation Establishment Pill. Why had Jiang Wenshi been in such a frantic hurry?

"We wait," Jiang Wenyin said slowly, his expression grave.

"We don't understand the true situation yet. We cannot act recklessly. The family cannot endure any more turmoil right now. You will remain here to guard the ancestral home. I am returning to Qingtai City to keep watch." The Jiang family had once boasted five Foundation Establishment cultivators, including two in the later stage. They had expanded beyond Jiangqu County and established a solid foothold in Qingtai City. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

But now, with the sudden loss of two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, their strength had suffered a devastating blow.

"I will do everything in my power to find a Foundation Establishment Pill," Jiang Wenyin continued.

"What the family needs now is to stay low. Keep a quiet profile. Once we understand the full situation, we will decide our next move." His analysis was calm, reasonable, logical. Jiang Wuhe nodded in agreement. No matter what, the family's hard won progress could not be allowed to crumble. —— In the Jin family's main hall, the atmosphere was just as heavy.

"And this is the result you bring me?" Jin Chenpeng's voice was ice.

"We are in-laws and allies with the Fang family. Not their servants."

"The Fang family's internal feud has nothing to do with us. Even if you wanted to suck up to Fang Tianyu, making the family lose two Foundation Establishment cultivators is your idea of competence?" Jin Chenpeng, the Jin family's perfection stage supreme elder, had a face like thunder. A layer of killing intent practically shimmered in his eyes. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators lost. Because of a power struggle between two factions of the Fang family.

Just thinking about it made Jin Chenpeng's blood boil with bitter frustration. The remaining Jin family elders sat with their heads bowed, defeated. They had sent two mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to deal with Zhang Huaijin. And Zhang Huaijin had killed them both instead… What kind of combat power was that…?

"Supreme Elder… what should we do about the Zhang family?" Jin Guang, the Jin family's clan leader, asked cautiously.

"We'll discuss that later," Jin Chenpeng snapped.

"Do you think we can afford to move against the Zhang family right now? You may have no shame, but I still do. Just make sure news of this failure doesn't leak out. If it does, I'll skin you alive with my own hands." His expression grew darker by the second.

"Guang," he said coldly, "I no longer think you are fit to be clan leader." Jin Guang's face went rigid.

"Remember, we are not the Fang family's dogs. We are their allies."

"The Fang family is not yet Fang Tianyu's to control. When he becomes a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, you can grovel at his feet. Not before. You will go to Fang Tianyu and demand two Foundation Establishment Pills to compensate for our family's losses. If you come back empty-handed… don't bother being clan leader anymore." With that, Jin Chenpeng flicked his sleeve and strode out. Jin Guang's face twisted with worry. Why hadn't they scouted the enemy's true strength before moving?

"Damn it all…" —— Three years passed in the blink of an eye. All remained calm. The Purple Spirit Tiger had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Realm. It had finished devouring the corpse of that Foundation Establishment cultivator and was now refining the energy, preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm itself. Over these three years, Zhang Huaijin's cultivation had also advanced. He now stood at the peak of the third level. The power within his Realm-Breaking Pearl was already overflowing.

A small smile touched his lips. With a single thought, the black and white energy within the Realm-Breaking Pearl surged forth like a river crashing down from the nine heavens. It flooded through his limbs, pouring directly into his dantian and slamming into his foundation. Crack. The bottleneck to the middle stage shattered without resistance. The energy spun out from his foundation, merging back into his dantian. Huaijin's aura exploded upward. In an instant, he broke through to the fourth level.

He was now a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. The black and white energy within the Realm-Breaking Pearl was completely exhausted. Spiritual energy from the surroundings began to gather, seeping slowly back into the pearl. His physical strength had increased again, now comparable to a Tier 2, upper grade spirit beast. His soul had fully stepped into the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He could now condense three more Yin Yang Divine Needles.

The power the Needles had skyrocketed, now carrying a trace of Purple Mansion Realm authority. This was his current combat strength. Having stepped into the mi stage, given his cultivation speed, he might advance one more level within five years. And this speed was only possible because of the combined effect of his two treasures, the Primordial Tai Chi Visualization Diagram and the Earth Fiend Spirit Body refined by the Realm-Breaking Pearl.

Without these two treasures, with his five spirit root aptitude, he wouldn't advance a single level even in fifteen years. That was the difference aptitude made. Wthout the Realm-Breaking Pearl, Zhang Huaijin would never have reached his current power and cultivation. After the black and white energy in the pearl was exhausted, Huaijin did not end his seclusion. Instead, he immediately ordered the family to send all the spirit beast flesh and blood stored in the family treasury.

The Zhang family members began hunting spirit beasts again, stockpiling more carcasses. Though consuming spiritual herbs produced ten times more black and white energy than spirit beast flesh, the Zhang family's supply of herbs was still far too scarce. He could not bear to waste them that way. It was better to keep them for pill refinement.