Cultivation Begins From The Desert

Zhang Yunpeng's request is quite simple.

The Yellow Sand Sect currently has neither a Tier Four Refiner, nor a Tier Four Alchemist, and certainly not a Tier Four Array Master.

So his request is for the Zhou Family to help the Yellow Sand Sect refine Foundation Establishment Pills in the future, and to accept some high-tier artifact refining and array formation commissions.

Zhouyang naturally agreed to such small matters.

Not to mention that helping the Yellow Sand Sect in alchemy and artifact refining is not free of charge; just the willingness to provide materials to him and his Dao companion Xiao Ying for improving their artifact refining skill and alchemy is reason enough not to refuse.

Speaking of which, the Yellow Sand Sect has truly been going through hard times these recent years.

It's not just the continuous fall and death of high-tier cultivators at the Purple Mansion Stage, but also a gap in the achievements of those skilled in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation.

Now, among the entire Yellow Sand Sect, within the categories of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation involving pills, artifacts, talismans, and arrays, there isn't a single Tier Four Master to be found.

If it weren't for the sect treasure vault holding a considerable number of spiritual elixirs and magical artifacts previously refined, the Yellow Sand Sect's current Foundation Establishment cultivators would face a predicament of having no artifacts to use upon successfully creating their Purple Mansions.

If this situation isn't quickly resolved, even with Zhouyang's patronage, the future of the Yellow Sand Sect would certainly not look promising.

Of course, to Zhouyang and the Zhou Family, the downfall of the Yellow Sand Sect is ultimately beneficial for them.

The Cultivation Realm is relentlessly harsh; with limited resources, the more you take, the less others have, and vice versa.

Zhouyang can ensure not to actively plot against the Yellow Sand Sect, but if they fail to strive, he won't act as a saint and forgo benefits.

After reaching an agreement with Zhang Yunpeng, he returned to the clan with a Foundation Establishment Pill given by Zhang Yunpeng.

This Foundation Establishment Pill is naturally part of the benefits promised when Zhouyang agreed to serve as a Honored Guest Elder of the Yellow Sand Sect, providing the opportunity to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills at standard prices every fifty years. Although he doesn't hold it in high regard now, there's no reason to waste it.

Upon returning to the clan, he informed the clan cultivators about the cooperation with the Yellow Sand Sect to host a major auction, and had the news spread out. After arranging everything, Zhouyang set off for the Rhino Horn Continent.

By this time, after three years of ongoing transfers, the Zhou Family had successfully relocated nearly two hundred cultivators to the Rhino Horn Continent.

And after these cultivators' efforts over the years, the Tier Five Spirit Mountain, Lingxi Peak, had finally gained some liveliness.

The name of Lingxi Peak was chosen by Zhouyang, while the name of the Rhino Horn Continent remains the same as before.

"Although the Spiritual Qi of Lingxi Peak is dense, this mountain is a solid stone mountain, with nearly seventy percent of the mountain being rock, meaning most areas cannot be developed into spirit fields or medicinal gardens."

"The current plan of the clan is to excavate part of the surface rock of the mountain without damaging the spirit veins and fill it with soil. Thus, after a dozen or twenty years, the earth filled will absorb the Spiritual Qi and transform into arable spirit fields."

"Additionally, to fully utilize the Spiritual Qi of this Tier Five Spirit Mountain, the clan intends to undertake major construction projects to build caves and separate courtyards on the mountain. After these are completed, aside from areas requiring constant guardianship, clan cultivators can concentrate on Lingxi Peak for cultivation."

"Gathering in one place on a mountain allows clan members to deepen mutual bonds, share cultivation experience, and promote collective progress."

On Lingxi Peak, Zhouyang, having recently arrived here, was inspecting the entire spirit mountain together with Zhou Guangxiang, while listening to the spirit mountain development plan presented by the latter.

Unless necessary or concerning major affairs, such as devising a plan like the "New Home Plan," Zhouyang generally refrains from overseeing clan administration now, only occasionally listening to the decisions made by the clan leader and elders, observing if there's room for improvement.

This time, after listening to Zhou Guangxiang's words, and pondering for a while, he found no room for improvement. Hence, he nodded slightly and said, "Very well, this plan is well-executed; proceed as planned."

After speaking, light flickered in his eyes, and he intently looked at Zhou Guangxiang and asked, "In these three years with Elder Xu, you must've learned quite a bit. How long do you think it will take you to advance to a Tier Four Array Master?"

Although Xu Song used to be a Tier Five Array Master, after becoming a Ghost Cultivator, he could no longer create arrays for normal cultivators' use, only arrange Demon Arrays.

This also applies to areas involving artifact refining.

Thus during Zhouyang's three-year recovery period, he specifically arranged for Zhou Guangxiang, stationed on the Rhino Horn Continent, to learn array knowledge directly from Elder Xu, enabling an expedited advancement to a Tier Four Array Master.

"Elder Xu is undoubtedly a master in the realm of arrays, and under his guidance for three years, I've made significant progress in arrays, with great gains."

"However, Tier Four Arrays are exceedingly profound and complex; despite Elder Xu's teaching, I've only grasped about half. To truly advance to a Tier Four Array Master, it requires at least five more years of focused closed-door meditation and comprehension!"

Having understood the purpose behind Zhouyang's inquiries from their previous interactions, Zhou Guangxiang's expression was somewhat unusual while providing his answer.

Sure enough, when Zhouyang heard his words, his brows furrowed slightly, as if somewhat dissatisfied.

But soon enough, Zhouyang's expression relaxed, as if he had thought of something, and calmed down.

"Let's not mention this for now. Have you thought about the matter of becoming Dao companions with Xuanxuan?"

"Now that Rhino Horn Continent has been brought under the clan's control, if you do not quickly leave descendants, I would have to choose someone else to handle this matter. You should know that Guangqing and the others are already starting to marry and have children!"

Zhouyang's expression softened and he didn't bring up the issue of advancing to Tier Four Array Master anymore, instead revisiting the old topic of Zhou Guangxiang's marriage.

This matter is closely related to the reforms he plans to implement in the Zhou Family next, and he cannot afford to take it lightly.

He even went out of his way to transfer Liu Xuanxuan to Rhino Horn Continent so that she could have more opportunities to interact with Zhou Guangxiang.

Now, it's time to lay all cards on the table.

Zhou Guangxiang seemed to have anticipated his question and immediately responded, "Uncle, I've made up my mind. I am willing to become Dao companions with Xuanxuan and pursue the Dao together!"

"Good, very good, excellent!"

A flicker of a smile appeared on Zhouyang's face, and he repeatedly expressed his satisfaction.

He looked at Zhou Guangxiang with a bright smile and said in a loud voice, "Since you're in agreement, I will have the clan announce the news. After the grand auction ends in two years, I will personally host your wedding ceremony. Alongside, we can also celebrate your ascension to the Purple Mansion. We will double the celebrations!"

"Everything will follow Ninth Uncle's instructions."

Zhou Guangxiang nodded, having no objections to Zhouyang's arrangements.

"Then it's settled. When you return to the clan, take Xuanxuan with you. Once your child is born, we will announce the great news!"

With his smile blossoming, Zhouyang decisively sealed the deal.

Subsequently, Zhouyang took Zhou Guangxiang's place in overseeing Rhino Horn Continent, while Zhou Guangxiang returned to the clan to prepare for the grand auction.

Lingxi Peak is a Tier Five Lower-Grade Spirit Mountain. The cultivation effects here are undoubtedly much better than at Red Tiger Mountain. Zhouyang will mostly cultivate here in the future, if there are no other matters.

His cultivation cave had long been established, it was the cave once inhabited by the "Golden-Horned Rhinoceros" and the "Heart-devouring Demon Wolf". This was the Spiritual Eye location of the Spirit Vein, where the Spiritual Qi was the most abundant.

Additionally, the Cold Spring inside the cave not only aids him in practicing the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique", but it's also the best quenching substance for Artifact Refining.

In the cave, as Zhouyang cultivated and circulated his power, golden spiritual light shot out from his body, forming a golden spiritual cloud about ten feet wide atop his head, voraciously absorbing the rich Spiritual Qi within the cave like a whale swallows water.

After the Spiritual Qi is refined by the golden spiritual cloud, its essence is drawn into Zhouyang's body, transforming into his own Magical Power, while the impurities are expelled.

If anyone were to witness the phenomenon Zhouyang was producing during his cultivation, they would immediately recognize that his cultivation technique must be a top-tier technique that directly points to the True Immortal Dao.

Ordinarily, only such top-tier techniques would produce such a grand spectacle during cultivation.

After cultivating for an unknown period, Zhouyang suddenly formed a spell with his hands, opening his mouth to take a breath. The golden spiritual cloud on top of his head swiftly transformed into myriad golden rays, which then retracted into his body and were no longer visible.

"Indeed it is a five-tier Spirit Vein. Cultivating here for one day replicates the effect of one and a half days at Red Tiger Mountain. Had I been cultivating on a Tier Five Spirit Vein right after ascending to the Purple Mansion, I wouldn't have stalled at that one layer for over twenty years!"

Upon finishing his cultivation, Zhouyang felt the effects with delight evident on his face.

The higher the level of the Spirit Vein, the faster a cultivator's cultivation advances, this is indisputable.

A Tier Three Spirit Vein struggles to sustain a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator's practice, Tier Four barely allows normal practice, while Tier Five can genuinely accelerate their cultivation speed.

If one continuously cultivates on a five-tier Spirit Vein, even without frequently taking elixirs to boost cultivation, someone of Zhouyang's age could easily reach the Ninth Layer of the Purple Mansion before turning four hundred.

This is fundamentally why major sects occupying high-tier Spirit Veins have far more high-tier cultivators than those in small sects.

Without a heaven-defying technique like the "Qianyang Immortal Light" to eliminate erysipelas, even major sects' Purple Mansion Cultivators cannot frequently take Spirit Pills to enhance cultivation, thus highlighting the importance of high-tier Spirit Veins.

Similarly, without taking Spirit Pills to enhance cultivation, the cultivation speed of a cultivator on a Tier Six Spirit Vein, given equal Spirit Root talent, would naturally surpass that on a Tier Five Spirit Vein.