Chapter 66: Casual Talk

Su Yuan paused his hoeing motion and turned his head to look toward the foot of the mountain. The cave dwelling formation and the Mind Echo activated simultaneously, allowing his true body and subconscious to see the scene at the mountain foot at the same time. The two perspectives overlapped, giving Su Yuan a sense of wonder. He realized that Mind Echo was still the more advanced power;from this perspective, he could sense the formation’s spying gaze. Using the formation’s perception, he locked eyes with his own mind high above;the formation still couldn’t find the exact location of the mind, but the mind could clearly perceive the formation’s spying. This feeling was extremely strange. After sensing it for a while, he finally focused his attention on the entrance. Four disciples stood at the cave dwelling’s entrance, continuously discussing among themselves. “Senior Brother Su lives here, right?” one disciple hesitated as he looked at the mountain in front of him. “This cave dwelling should be fourth rank, right? This is the residence of a Nascent Soul elder. Are you sure?” another disciple said doubtfully. “That’s right,” Zhuge Jian shook his head. “I just asked the sect leader. The sect leader confirmed that this is the cave dwelling.” “I’ll go knock on the door!” Nangong Huoyu said as she stepped forward. The moment she approached the formation gateway, the formation automatically opened a door. Su Yuan’s voice came from inside the formation. “So it’s you all. Come up to the mountain top!” Zhuge Jian and the others were stunned. Zhuge Jian hurriedly said, “Alright, Senior Brother Su!” The group exchanged glances and quickly ascended the stone steps. A stone staircase led straight to the mountain top. They did not ride swords but politely walked up step by step. Upon reaching the top, the four saw Su Yuan still working in the fields, hoeing the earth. All four were a bit stunned, clearly not expecting Su Yuan to be farming at this moment. Su Yuan put down his hoe, walked out of the field, and smiled as he led them into a vacant courtyard. With a wave of his hand, he produced a tea table and several chairs. “You came pretty quickly. Please, all take a seat!” Su Yuan smiled and guided them to sit down. Zhuge Jian and Nangong Huoyu quickly bowed, then the four took their seats. “Senior Brother Su, we…” “Don’t rush!” Su Yuan waved his hand. He took out tea leaves and put them into the teapot. With a gesture, the spiritual water from the mountain top’s spring swiftly flew into the teapot. Su Yuan spread out his left hand, and a ball of flame appeared from thin air, gently burning beneath the teapot. Nangong Huoyu’s expression flickered, and as she looked at the flames, a faint realization stirred in her heart. Zhuge Jian noticed Nangong Huoyu’s reaction and was immediately surprised. He focused intently on Su Yuan’s tea-making movements, as if he saw the essence of heaven and earth—the burning fire refining, the gentle vitality circulating. Within that small space, fire and wood, the Dao essence was boundless. Zhuge Jian was completely absorbed;Nangong Huoyu’s eyes were fixed tightly, while the other two disciples did not notice Su Yuan’s actions but looked around curiously at the fourth-rank cave dwelling. Su Yuan glanced at the two disciples and shook his head slightly. After a while, the tea was ready. Su Yuan poured tea for everyone one by one. “Thank you very much, Senior Brother Su!” the four said together. Su Yuan smiled and nodded. As the four drank the tea, their previously complicated emotions gradually calmed down. Only then did Su Yuan slowly say, “You came to find me about the Blackwood Forest incident, right?” Hearing this, Zhuge Jian’s calm mood immediately stirred with excitement again. “Was it really Senior Brother Su who acted? We are so grateful! The four of us came today especially to thank you. We should have come earlier, but due to the rules of Immortal Seed Valley, we couldn’t enter.” Nangong Huoyu also showed admiration and gratitude. The other two disciples looked somewhat stunned, clearly initially doubting that it was really Su Yuan who helped. Su Yuan waved his hand. “That night, I observed the stars and predicted you would be in trouble. So I used the Big Dipper constellation to intervene. It was just my best effort. I’m glad I could help you escape. Luckily, you left two strands of hair for me to locate you—consider yourselves fortunate!” Zhuge Jian breathed a sigh of relief. “I see. Luckily, before we left, we asked Senior Brother to simulate the situation. In the secret realm, we indeed encountered danger exactly as you described. We successfully escaped the deadly calamity and even gained some benefits.” He exchanged glances with the three others, then solemnly took out a purple-sealed wooden box from his pocket and handed it to Su Yuan. The box was covered in intricate patterns, seemingly a very advanced sealing formation. “This is a treasure we obtained inside the secret realm. The seals on it are extremely complex;we have not opened it yet. Please accept it, Senior Brother Su.” Su Yuan glanced at it and said, “We’re all disciples of the same sect. Seeing fellow disciples in danger, I naturally must act, even if it costs some spiritual stones. It’s no big deal!” Zhuge Jian was stunned, his hand holding the wooden box stiffening a little. Nangong Huoyu gave Zhuge Jian a side glance and transmitted, “Spiritual stones!” Zhuge Jian suddenly understood, hurriedly putting down the wooden box and taking out a storage pouch. “Our lives were saved by Senior Brother. How could we let you spend so much? This is the spiritual stones we raised together as a token of thanks!” Su Yuan cleared his throat. “No need to spend so much.” He sent his divine sense into the storage pouch. There were a great many spiritual stones inside. After counting carefully, there were over nine million spiritual stones. Previously, he had used many spiritual stones to refine the cave heaven spiritual treasure, leaving the pouch almost empty. Now these stones came just in time. He was somewhat surprised. “So many spiritual stones? Are you not going to cultivate Foundation Establishment?” He could tell all four had not yet reached Foundation Establishment. Zhuge Jian shook his head. “Foundation Establishment doesn’t consume that many spiritual stones, only about twenty thousand. The most important Foundation Establishment spiritual items, we also obtained from the secret realm. We just need to make some adjustments, then we’ll be ready to establish foundation!” “Only twenty thousand spiritual stones?” Su Yuan’s expression was a bit strange. Zhuge Jian was stunned and hesitated before asking, “Senior Brother Su, how many spiritual stones did you spend to establish foundation?” Su Yuan hesitated but said, “I spent two hundred million spiritual stones when I established foundation.” “Two hundred million? Not twenty thousand?” Nangong Huoyu’s beautiful eyes widened greatly, and her mouth dropped open. The others were also dumbfounded, momentarily doubting if they had heard correctly. Su Yuan took a sip of tea. “I’m different from you. I was trying to build a perfect Dao foundation. I also arranged an internal formation, so the spiritual stones consumed were a bit more.” “How is that possible? Senior Brother, what’s the difference between the perfect Dao foundation and the supreme Dao foundation?” Zhuge Jian couldn’t help but ask. But after saying that, he immediately realized, “Sorry, that’s a secret of Senior Brother’s. I shouldn’t have asked.” Su Yuan thought for a moment and asked, “How old are you?” “Thirty,” Zhuge Jian replied. “That’s fine,” Su Yuan said. “I left my inheritance in the Scripture Pavilion of Three Peaks. It contains the concepts of the perfect Dao foundation. It’s a method I created myself.” He glanced at Zhuge Jian’s dantian and sensed his foundation slightly. Then he said, “I suggest you spend another thirty years studying my secret inheritance. Establish foundation by sixty years old, and it will still be fine. I wouldn’t actively advise others, but you once helped me, so I can’t bear to see you use such an ordinary foundation to establish foundation.” Zhuge Jian twitched the corner of his mouth. “Mine is already a supreme Dao foundation. I even prepared a third-rank spiritual item. Is that still ordinary?” “Go and take a look yourself,” Su Yuan paused and said, “Of course, you only need to study the first three volumes. The later scriptures aren’t necessary. The first three volumes are enough.” The four exchanged glances, all somewhat curious. At that moment, Su Yuan turned his head again to look toward the mountain foot. Zhuge Jian said with surprise, “Senior Brother Su, do you have guests? Should we leave first?” “Heh heh, it’s nothing,” Su Yuan waved his hand. His gaze looked toward the mountain foot and saw a figure through the formation—Xu Guangwen. At this moment, Xu Guangwen’s heart was truly turbulent. After successfully succeeding as peak master, Xu Guangwen immediately asked Sect Leader Su Yuan about his background. Unexpectedly, Sect Leader gave him a book to look at. What book? “Biographies of Past Founders” After glancing through it, he caught the keywords! Reserve Peak! The first peak masters of the seven peaks were all Founding Founders! At this moment, he was completely dumbfounded! He finally understood why, despite his merits and strength, he had never become the peak master of Hidden Peak. Now he knew. Hidden Peak was Reserve Peak, prepared for the founders. What kind of people were Founding Founders? The biography said they combined talent, comprehension, fate, supreme techniques, and fortune all in one body, destined to become peerless ancestors! The seven major sects’ seven great flourishes in history accompanied the legendary rise of each Founding Founder! Such a person could no longer be judged by ordinary standards! Now, the eighth Founding Founder has appeared! Though still young and inexperienced, the next great rise of the Seven Extremes Sect was imminent! At this moment, it was crucial to seize the opportunity and cling tightly to the Founder’s leg. Yet he was actually competing with the Founder for the peak master position? Xu Guangwen hurriedly said goodbye to the sect leader. Then he came to Su Yuan’s cave dwelling entrance. “Peak Master Xu? What business do you have?” Su Yuan’s voice came from inside the formation. Xu Guangwen cupped his hands. “I apologize for any previous offenses. I feel unworthy of the peak master position. Please, Peak Master Su, take it back.” “No! That’s not up for discussion! You are the new peak master of Three Peaks. I won’t take on this responsibility!” “But the supreme techniques matter…” “I’ve already put all the supreme techniques into the Scripture Pavilion!” “But, but I don’t know them! If I recruit core or true disciples in the future, I won’t be able to teach them!” Xu Guangwen complained. “Simple, just learn them yourself,” Su Yuan said. Xu Guangwen was stunned and fell into thought. It seemed logical, but something felt off. “Can I meet with you for a detailed talk?” “Then come up!” The formation opened. Xu Guangwen took a deep breath and quickly ascended to the mountain top. He saw Zhuge Jian and the other qi refining disciples there and was also surprised. Then he bowed his head and said, “Greetings, Founder!” This scene stunned Zhuge Jian and the others, who dared not sit and all stood to the side, looking confused. Founder? What is that? Su Yuan was almost thrown off balance by Xu Guangwen’s move. “What are you doing?” Su Yuan rolled his eyes. “Founder? I’m only eighteen!”