Cultivation Begins From The Desert

The uproar over Clan Leader Zhou Minghan exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills soon settled.

The vast majority of the Zhou Clan members, after calm consideration, understood the importance of this matter and turned to support this rule.

As for the few who did not understand or support it, they had to suppress their opinions, unable to influence the situation at large.

Zhouyang personally oversaw the entire Jade Spring Peak for nearly a month. After punishing several individuals who were secretly gossiping, no one dared to slander or attack the family's Foundation Establishment Cultivators anymore.

"Xiao Jiu, thank you, thank you for giving Yao'Er this opportunity!"

On Haoyang Mountain, when Zhouyang visited his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu, Zhou Xuan Yu, having already heard the news, gratefully held his hand, choking up in thanks.

Behind Zhou Xuan Yu, Zhou Yuanyao also excitedly stepped forward, hugging Zhouyang from behind, saying, "Brother Nine, you're the best! Yao'Er knows you care the most about her!"

"Foster Mother, you speak too highly. You should thank Great-Grandfather. He made great sacrifices for this matter!"

Zhouyang, full of emotion, looked at his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu, fully understanding her feelings at this time.

Although this foster mother had successfully established her foundation, the Foundation Establishment Pill had always been a regretful matter in her life.

This time, Clan Leader Zhou Minghan's exchange of a Foundation Establishment Pill for Zhou Yuanyao finally helped her mend this regret, healing the invisible rift in the hearts of the grandparent and grandchild.

Then, he pulled Zhou Yuanyao, who was hanging on his back, down with both hands and looked at the young girl, saying, "And Yao'Er, you are just a step away from Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, but you must not rush to consume the Foundation Establishment Pill to establish your foundation as soon as you reach Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation."

"You must realize that the opportunity only comes once. If you rush into Foundation Establishment unprepared and encounter any accidents, not only will you have a life-long regret, but your foster mother and great-grandfather will also endure criticism from other clan members due to your failure!"

Zhou Yuanyao has a middle-grade spiritual root; even with the Foundation Establishment Pill, her chance of successful Foundation Establishment is only sixty to seventy percent. Although this probability is not low, there is still a significant risk of failure.

If she fails, the Zhou family cannot provide her with a second Foundation Establishment Pill, even though her mother is a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and her great-grandfather is one as well.

Therefore, Zhouyang must admonish this clan cousin, who is half his age, to understand the significance of this Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Rest assured, Xiao Jiu, foster mother and your great-grandfather will be watching over Yao'Er. We will not give her that Foundation Establishment Pill until we are sure she has met all the requirements for Foundation Establishment."

Zhou Xuan Yu naturally understood Zhouyang's concerns. Zhou Yuanyao had lived alongside the Zhou family's Foundation Establishment Cultivators since childhood and had close relationships with several of them, being like the little princess of the Zhou family, cherished by the family elders and contemporaries.

This resulted in her being nearly forty years old, yet having never ventured out or gained experience aside from participating in the expansion battle at the New Oasis, causing concern over her maturity.

Therefore, Zhou Xuan Yu even decided that after Zhou Yuanyao's cultivation reached Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, she would take her to other large oases for training for five or six years, ensuring her mentality was mature and stable before giving her the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Although Zhou Yuanyao was spoiled, she had always been obedient to Zhouyang's words. At this moment, she hurriedly nodded and responded, "Yes, Brother Nine, rest assured, Yao'Er will not disappoint mother, great-grandfather, or you. I will definitely become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"

"It's good that you understand these things."

Zhouyang nodded and then mentioned to his foster mother, Zhou Xuan Yu, about moving to the New Oasis for seclusion.

Zhou Xuan Yu had agreed to this nine years ago, but due to being in seclusion all these years, she hadn't gone. Now, upon hearing him bring it up again, she agreed without any objections.

However, Zhou Yuanyao was required by Zhouyang to remain on Haoyang Mountain to continue learning alchemy from her father, Zhou Xuanhao.

He had his reasons for this.

Since he brought Xiao Ying back to the Zhou family, Zhou Yuanyao had been displeased, feeling that Xiao Ying had taken her Brother Nine, expressing her dissatisfaction openly and privately.

Zhouyang understood Zhou Yuanyao's mindset, so he had deliberately kept the two girls apart over the years and minimized his appearances before Zhou Yuanyao to dilute her attachment and affection for him.

Moreover, Zhou Xuan Yu, despite previously having the notion of matchmaking her daughter with Zhouyang, abandoned that idea after Zhouyang brought Xiao Ying back, instead supporting Zhouyang's decision.

Zhou Xuanhao, for his part, gave Zhou Yuanyao numerous alchemy tasks to prevent her from having idle thoughts.

With the elders united in opposing this notion, Zhou Yuanyao realized her prospects were dim, and despite feeling aggrieved, she could only suppress her thoughts and quietly resign herself to the situation.

This time was no exception.

After discussing Zhou Xuan Yu's move to the New Oasis for seclusion, Zhouyang visited the "Earth Element Spirit Milk" underground on Haoyang Mountain. After several decades of recuperation, the stalactite pillar showed signs of producing "Earth Element Spirit Milk" again.

Since this was an essential auxiliary spiritual object in refining Foundation Establishment Pills, Zhouyang valued this item greatly.

Upon seeing the signs of "Earth Element Spirit Milk" production, he immediately sent a message for Zhou Guangxiang, cultivating at Red Fox Ridge, to come to Haoyang Mountain and set up a Water Avoidance Array in the underground chamber to protect the stalactite pillar, preventing the "Earth Element Spirit Milk" from being diluted by river water.

Zhou Guangxiang was now a Tier Two High-Grade Array Master, mastering all the Zhou family's arrays except the Tier Three Arrays, making setting up a Water Avoidance Array a breeze.

After handling the "Earth Element Spirit Milk," Zhouyang directly took his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu and Zhou Guangxiang back to Red Fox Ridge.

Upon returning to Red Fox Ridge, Zhouyang asked his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu to wait outside the mountain first, while he returned to the cave dwelling to prepare Xiaoying mentally.

Unexpectedly, upon returning to the Purple Cloud Cave, he found Xiao Ying soundly asleep on the bed, a moon-white butterfly with a wingspan of six to seven feet draped over her like a blanket.

This moon-white butterfly was none other than the culprit behind the poisoning of hundreds of mortals in Nightlight Town, the "Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly."

Upon first witnessing this scene, Zhouyang was truly frightened, thinking something had gone wrong with the girl.

Fortunately, he discovered the girl's aura was normal in the next moment, which prevented him from immediately brandishing his sword to slay the beast.

Nonetheless, his sudden intrusion and the magical power fluctuation he emitted in surprise startled the "Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly" on the bed, causing the demon beast to flash white and hide within the Warm Jade Bed beneath Xiao Ying.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ying, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly let out a soft moan and woke up.

Zhouyang saw this, and his heart relaxed a bit. He hurriedly went forward to support the young girl and asked, "Ying'Er, what happened just now? Why was the [Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly] on you?"

"Ah, are you talking about Little Butterfly, Zhou Lang? I was experimenting just now. I found that Little Butterfly's [Illusion Dream Technique] can not only be used to attack enemies but can also help someone realize beautiful dreams while sleeping, serving to refine one's temperament!"

Xiao Ying first let out an exclamation and then answered Zhouyang's question with a full smile.

"Little Butterfly? Did you make the [Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly] your spirit pet?"

Zhouyang was stunned, but he quickly grasped the key point.

"Yes, originally, I intended to follow your orders, Zhou Lang, to get rid of Little Butterfly. But unexpectedly, Little Butterfly was timid and afraid of death. Once it saw me, it was so scared that it used its innate [Illusion Dream Technique] to create an illusion to beg for mercy. I found it pitiful and agreed to take it in as a spirit pet!"

Xiao Ying nodded lightly, then recounted the process of subduing the "Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly."

Zhouyang, listening to her words, was terrified.

"That was too reckless! How could you be so reckless? It is a demon beast; what if it's just using illusions to confuse you? How can you trust it so easily and allow it to cast spells on you?"

He looked at the young girl with a face full of annoyance, extremely upset with her for being so easily trusting of a demon beast.

The "Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly" is, after all, a Tier Two High-Grade Demon Beast. If it really took the opportunity when Xiao Ying was indulging in an illusion to strike, Xiao Ying, even being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, might not survive the ambush.

The young girl, however, didn't mind his anger at all, just smiled slightly and said, "No way, have you forgotten the characteristic of my [Calamity-Transcending Cyan Lotus] divine technique, Zhou Lang? Even if Little Butterfly wanted to harm me while I was dreaming, it couldn't possibly break through the protective divine technique to hurt me."

Upon hearing her say this, Zhouyang remembered that the "Calamity-Transcending Cyan Lotus" divine technique from the "Qinghua Calamity Crossing Scripture" she practiced had a characteristic that many other divine techniques did not have, which was automatic protection.

As long as the young girl encountered danger, this divine technique would automatically trigger to protect the master. If the "Illusory Spirit Jade Butterfly" dared to harm the girl's body while she was asleep, it would certainly trigger the divine technique.

Thinking of this, he slightly eased his expression, somewhat helplessly hugged the girl and stroked her head, saying, "Okay, you're right this time, but don't be so reckless in the future. Even if you want to experiment, at least have someone as your guardian!"

The girl enjoyed his gesture, couldn't help but slightly squint her eyes and nodded gently, "I will remember what Zhou Lang said."

Zhouyang took this opportunity to talk about the situation with his foster mother, Zhou Xuan Yu.

He spoke skillfully, first recounting Zhou Xuan Yu's deeds before her demonization in a storytelling manner, making Xiao Ying initially sympathetic and compassionate towards this foster mother, and then explaining how Zhou Xuan Yu was forced into the Demonic Path and how she remained inwardly dedicated to the Immortal Dao.

Finally, he tightly hugged the girl's delicate body and whispered, "Although foster mother was forced into the Demonic Path, I can swear to you, as your husband, that after returning to the clan, she never harmed an innocent person. She has absolutely no connection with those ferocious demonic cultivators!

"No need to say more, Zhou Lang. I trust you. Let's go to meet foster mother!"

The girl got up from her dao companion's embrace, gently placed her jade hand over Zhouyang's mouth to stop him from saying more, and looked at him with deep emotion.

A thousand words were not as meaningful as one sentence, "I trust you."

Hearing the girl's words, Zhouyang's body trembled, and a feeling of "having such a wife, what more could a husband ask for" arose spontaneously. His face was full of gratitude and affection as he clasped her delicate hand, saying, "Ying'Er, rest assured, if I, Zhouyang, am ever unfaithful to you in this life, let me be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!"

The two of them gazed at each other affectionately for a long time, indulging in the moment, before finally, with smiles on their faces, hand in hand, walked out of the cave, personally inviting Zhou Xuan Yu into the Purple Cloud Cave as a guest.

Later, Zhou Xuan Yu, on behalf of the late Mrs. Zhou, Lin Yuting, accepted the tea from her daughter-in-law, Xiao Ying.

Nevertheless, Zhou Xuan Yu did not stay at Red Fox Ridge but chose to live in seclusion in the Mortal Town.

As a demonic cultivator of the Blood Demon Dao, the Spiritual Mountain Blessed Land did not aid her cultivation. The reason she cultivated at Haoyang Mountain before was merely to sit at the Spirit Mountain for the clan.

Now each Tier Three Spirit Mountain of the Zhou Clan had Foundation Establishment Cultivators, so she no longer needed to do such things.

After the matter of Zhou Xuan Yu, the feelings between Zhouyang and Xiao Ying deepened, making him realize that he had neglected and spent too little time with his dao companion in the past.

So, in the following six months, he did nothing but accompany Xiao Ying, exploring the Cultivation Realm, and even made a trip to the Baisha River Oasis.

One day, Zhouyang and Xiao Ying, after six months of travel, returned to Red Fox Ridge for a few days of cultivation when the old clan leader, Zhou Minghan, sent a flying sword communication summoning him to the Jade Spring Peak.

"This child Yuan Jing was just recently promoted to clan elder, and this time the clan assigned him to be the shopkeeper at Jade Spring Tower. First, to develop his management skills, and second, because Xuan Jin is getting on in years and has repeatedly applied to return to the clan to wait peacefully for the end."

"However, it has been almost half a year, and he still hasn't arrived at Baisha River Oasis to complete the handover with Xuan Jin. From my experience, he is likely in grave danger!"

At Jade Spring Peak, as soon as Zhouyang arrived, he was called into the cave by the old clan leader, Zhou Minghan, to explain the reason for summoning him.

Zhou Yuanjing, in terms of seniority, was Brother Eight to Zhouyang. He had been a family elder for less than three years since being promoted to Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation. He managed to reach Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation due entirely to the prosperity of the Zhou Family, consuming various elixirs to achieve this cultivation level.

Zhouyang did not expect that, just as this Brother Eight struggled to become a family elder, he would fall outside without a trace or reason.

The unexplained death of a family elder was the reason Zhou Minghan summoned him back to the clan.

After hearing Zhou Minghan's words, many thoughts raced through his mind, and he suddenly asked, "How was Brother Eight's magical artifact equipment?"

Zhou Minghan, upon hearing this, immediately said, "According to the records I found in the family, Yuan Jing had on him two Tier Two High-Grade Attack Spiritual Artifacts, one Tier Two High-Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact, nine Tier Two High-Grade Spirit Talismans, and one Tier Two Middle-Grade Puppet Beast!"

Currently, the Zhou Family is quite prosperous, with several Tier Three Refiner, Alchemists, and a Talisman Maker within the clan, meaning that they lack no magical artifacts or spirit talismans. As a family elder, Zhou Yuanjing naturally had substantial possessions.

"Brother Eight was an experienced family elder with magical combat and, with such equipment, even if two or three loose cultivators of the same cultivation attacked him, they might not be able to kill him. This matter is strange!"

Zhouyang slowly shared his deductions, and when his gaze met with that of the old clan leader, Zhou Minghan, they both saw a trace of worry in each other's eyes.