Mortal Alchemy

Zuo Yinghong gave a graceful salute, her beautiful eyes sparkling with unusual brilliance:

"I fear the Warden will ascend to the Golden Core stage before I do."

"Perhaps," Chen Ping said. "During my year of seclusion, did Senior Sister Luo Fei and Senior Sister Meng return?"

Zuo Yinghong replied, "The Warden's timing is perfect. The two fellow cultivators returned to the market a few days ago, arriving with True Person Jianjia."

"Oh? Senior Sister Jianjia is here too?" Chen Ping asked, intrigued.

He subtly expanded his vast divine sense and located Bai Jianjia. She wasn't deliberately hiding, so finding her in the market was easy.

Chen Ping immediately rose and flew out.

Bai Jianjia was meditating in a pavilion.

As a Golden Core True Person, her presence here provided a great sense of security to many cultivators. Who would dare to harbor reckless thoughts?

Sensing Chen Ping's aura, Bai Jianjia withdrew from her meditation and slowly opened her eyes.

Chen Ping landed and bowed respectfully, "Senior Sister!"

Bai Jianjia sized Chen Ping up, a hint of delight appearing in her beautiful eyes:

"Late stage Foundation Establishment? Not bad, Junior Brother. You're making steady progress, and your speed is truly impressive."

"A fortunate breakthrough," Chen Ping said with a smile. "What brings Senior Sister to Floatcloud Market?"

Bai Jianjia flicked her spatial ring, and a medicine bottle sealed in a jade box appeared:

"This is your Three Lights Divine Water, Junior Brother."

"After waiting in line for several years, the application was finally approved. Master asked me to deliver it to you."

"This is the Three Lights Divine Water?" Chen Ping examined the jade box carefully. "Such ingenious sealing techniques."

A portion of Three Lights Divine Water could increase the chances of a Foundation Establishment cultivator advancing to the Golden Core stage by thirty percent, making it a coveted treasure for countless Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Bai Jianjia smiled gently, "With Junior Brother's cultivation speed, I imagine you'll be able to use it before long."

Chen Ping bowed again, "I'm sorry to trouble Senior Sister with this journey, and for protecting my two wives along the way."

"It's no trouble," Bai Jianjia said. "I happened to run into them on the road, so I brought them back with me."

Chen Ping shook his head. Although he was in Floatcloud Market, he knew how intense the war against the demon tide was in the Eastern Wasteland Immortal City.

Even Golden Core disciples like Bai Jianjia were not idle and had to travel around.

Bai Jianjia said, "Now that I've delivered the item to you, Junior Brother, I should be going."

She slowly rose.

The exquisite and alluring figure beneath the black-patterned, gold-threaded phoenix robe was fully displayed.

However, there was no hint of lewdness in Chen Ping's eyes.

Chen Ping didn't try to stop her, but instead asked, "Is the situation in Eastern Wasteland Immortal City that urgent?"

Bai Jianjia nodded slightly:

"Now is the most critical moment. We've forced out the fourth-order demonic cultivator and the demon emperor behind the scenes."

"The four major sects are sending Nascent Soul elders into battle, trying to seize a piece of the Eastern Wasteland's territory. Otherwise, so many years of investment will be in vain."

Chen Ping nodded slowly, "Farewell, Senior Sister."

Bai Jianjia transformed into a stream of light and disappeared from Chen Ping's sight at extreme speed.

Chen Ping pondered, "…The twelve-year demon tide war killed many cannon fodder, and also forced out demonic cultivators, eliminating many hidden dangers. What a grand scheme."

Standing outside Eastern Wasteland Immortal City, Chen Ping seemed to be able to vaguely glimpse the chessboard of Eastern Wasteland Immortal City.

Many cannon fodder had died, and it was time for the Golden Core main force to enter the stage, with Nascent Soul cultivators determining the outcome, and perhaps even Transformation God Sovereigns would appear.

"When a whale falls, all things thrive, and many parasites will emerge to occupy positions of profit."

"Only one's own cultivation is true," Chen Ping sighed.

Countless cultivators had died in battle, and their contributions were exhausted in the end, but the spirit stone legacies they left behind were real. Moreover, many lucrative positions within the sect would be vacated, allowing the relatives of some important figures to occupy them.

And the cultivators who fought to the death were forgotten, completely forgotten.

In this way, new vitality could be unleashed.

Chen Ping was certain that before the demon tide war began, some powerful figures in the four major sects had received advance notice and had hoarded supplies decades, or even centuries, in advance, and then made a fortune.

The current prices were more than four times higher than before the demon tide war began.

An ordinary bottle of Qi Cultivation Pills, which used to cost two hundred spirit stones, now sold for eight hundred spirit stones.

However, the sect contribution points required remained the same.

But who would be willing to spend contribution points to buy these everyday pills? It was too wasteful to spend the contribution points earned with their lives.

It was better to save them for exchanging for Three Lights Divine Water in the future, although most people would wait until they died without getting it. But at least the Eastern Xuan Sect gave Foundation Establishment cultivators hope.

"Dark, truly dark."

Chen Ping shook his head slowly and went to find Mu Luofei and Meng Huang'er.

He was relieved that the two women had returned safely under Bai Jianjia's protection.

Chen Ping arrived at Mu Luofei's residence, where a maid told Chen Ping, "The mistress has gone into seclusion since returning."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Ping's face, "It seems that Senior Sister has resolved her inner demons and is about to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment."

Chen Ping left, reassured, and turned to find Meng Huang'er.

Meng Huang'er was currently in her own residence, placing her parents' remains.

Meng Huang'er was a bondservant of the Mu family, and her ancestors had been maids, servants, and even laborers for the Mu family for generations.

When Meng Huang'er saw Chen Ping arrive, she threw herself into his arms and began to confide in him:

"…Father and Mother passed away peacefully, without any pain."

"Perhaps this is the best ending for them. They don't have to suffer for a little bit of supplies, and they don't have to live in the family looking at other people's faces."

"They can also end their lives of being beasts of burden."

Chen Ping felt a little regret that he had never met Meng Huang'er's parents.

"Back then, after settling down in Floatcloud Market, I asked them to come and live here, but I didn't have enough money to redeem them at the time."

"Later, the demon tide war and the chaos caused by demonic cultivators cut off contact with them."

Meng Huang'er spoke calmly, clearly having resolved her inner knot.

Meng Huang'er hugged Chen Ping, her voice somewhat agitated and suppressed, "The Meng family has wanted to embark on the path of Foundation Establishment immortality for generations, and is willing to be beasts of burden for others for this purpose."

"Junior Brother, I want to establish my foundation and fulfill the family's long-cherished wish!"

"Good!" Chen Ping nodded, his eyes filled with relief.

He seemed to see the shadow of Xu Fengshan's descendants in Meng Huang'er.

Generations after generations wanted to establish their foundation, enjoy longevity, and transcend ordinary constraints, one after another, as long as the bloodline continued, they would eventually succeed.

Xu Fengshan had passed away, and the grandson he relied on the most was in the Mu family. He must have died. Xu Fengshan's lifelong wish might never be fulfilled.

Chen Ping put his arms around Meng Huang'er and said with a chuckle:

"For the next period of time, go and live in my residence. I won't let you out until you successfully establish your foundation, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Huang'er's snow-white neck immediately turned crimson, and she bit her red lips gently:

"…I'm at Junior Brother's disposal."

Chen Ping laughed heartily, put his arm around her waist, and headed to his residence.