Chapter 135: Seclusion for Cultivation

In an instant, the black night became as bright as day.

Countless people bore witness to the miracle before them; such a feat was nothing short of divine.

"What a dense aura of life! What kind of great formation is this?" The Great Elder gasped in shock, feeling every hair on his body stand on end as he greedily devoured the vast currents of energy swirling around him.

The phenomenon persisted for several minutes before fading away. Yet, even the ordinary people could feel that the valley was now brimming with a more potent energy than ever before. This was only the beginning; with the support of the Spirit Gathering Formation, the Qin family valley would eventually transform into a land of pure spiritual essence.

By the next morning, everyone discovered that the valley was pulsating with vitality. Despite the season, every flower bush was budding. This was the phenomenon that occurred when spiritual energy reached a certain level of concentration.

"Like a sudden spring breeze at night, thousands of pear trees bloom."

Such a spectacular sight stunned many. The children of wealthy families, having recovered from their injuries after drinking spring water infused with medicinal pills, were so delighted by the pleasant environment that none of them wanted to leave; they were immovable. When the subject of departure was raised, they would stare wide-eyed and insist, "I have money, I am not leaving. I will pay whatever you ask."

Ever since the Master of the Qin family was slain and the clan changed hands to follow Jiang Yu, the once arrogant Qin tribesmen had become as docile as chicks. In the past, they would have grabbed these little rascals by the collar and tossed them out, but now, they were helpless and could only let them be.

Li Hao arrived that day in a convoy of three Land Rover off-road vehicles, accompanied by Xia Ning. She wore a pleated skirt and white cloth shoes, her long hair tied back with a silk ribbon that reached her waist. She looked young, beautiful, and tall. Her mere appearance drew the gaze of every young man present.

Having not seen her for over two months, one could sense an ethereal quality about her. Her beautiful eyes were clear and otherworldly, filled with a celestial aura that made her seem like a fairy descended from the heavens. This all stemmed from the pills Jiang Yu had left behind when he departed from Yuncheng. The girl had snuck into the storage room time and again, treating the pills like candy. Only after Xia Housheng discovered this and scolded her severely—confiscating the keys to the secret chamber—did she finally stop.

"What a beautiful young girl," many of the Qin elders murmured, their hearts stirred by her breathtaking appearance.

When she saw Jiang Yu, Xia Ning’s eyes welled up with tears. She ran toward him with a look of resentment and, without a word, threw her arms around him. "When will you finally agree to come back to Yuncheng and see me?"

Xia Housheng looked away, pretending he had seen nothing. As for Li Hao, he chuckled softly to himself, thinking, *Can’t you see? The reason Master Jiang does not accept you is because his heart is already occupied by someone else.* He shook his head, feeling a sense of pity for both Xia Ning and Gu Feifei. These were legendary beauties, pursued by thousands and born of prestigious backgrounds. In this world, only Jiang Yu could remain indifferent to their adoration.

"You silly girl," Jiang Yu said with a smile, patting her head.

"Eh?" Jiang Yu’s expression turned curious. How could Xia Ning possess such a dense amount of spiritual essence within her?

He turned his gaze toward Xia Housheng. As if knowing what Jiang Yu was about to ask, Xia Housheng stood up and bowed in apology. "Forgive me, Master Jiang. I failed to watch over my daughter. She snuck in and consumed quite a few of the pills you left behind. By the time I realized it, she had already eaten half of them." As he spoke, he glared fiercely at Xia Ning.

Jiang Yu was left between laughter and tears. Before leaving, he had specifically instructed Xia Housheng never to leak word of the pills; the consequences of such a discovery, even for China, would be impossible to bear. Despite all his precautions, he hadn't guarded against this girl stealing from under his nose. Had he discovered her any later, she might have finished the entire supply.

Jiang Yu waved his hand. "It is fine. What is eaten is eaten. As long as I have the materials, I can refine countless more—I only worry this girl won't be able to finish them all."

Beside them, the Great Elder’s beard twitched in disbelief. The girl had actually treated those pills like candy! When Jiang Yu had gifted him a few, he had treated them as priceless treasures, unable to bring himself to consume them. Comparison was truly the thief of joy; the Great Elder looked at Xia Ning with boundless envy.

"And the protective talismans?" Jiang Yu remembered leaving quite a few of those behind as well.

Xia Housheng stammered, whispering, "She gave many of those away too. One to this friend, one to that partner. After word of the talismans spread, it even attracted the wealthy elite from Hong Kong to Yuncheng."

Jiang Yu’s eyelid twitched. He looked at Xia Ning, who blinked her large eyes at him, acting coy.

"Fine, let it be," Jiang Yu sighed helplessly.

*Protective talismans?* The Great Elder’s heart raced, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Giving away protective talismans as casual gifts—not even the foundations of the Qin family could afford such extravagance.

Xia Ning ground her little teeth, shook her fist at Jiang Yu, and gave him a look that said, "You’re lucky you’re sensible."

Jiang Yu’s smile vanished as he looked at Li Hao. "Have you brought the things I asked for?"

Li Hao stood up and handed a briefcase to Jiang Yu. "Master, everything you left in Yuncheng has been brought here." Inside were the Azure Water Golden Flame and the Four-Leaf Green Lotus he had seized from the Shadow Killers in Yuzhou, along with the Golden Flame Coral Fruit he kept on his person. He was ready to refine the Great Medicine.

After settling his affairs, Jiang Yu retreated into the Qin family palace. Although half of it had collapsed, it was still habitable. He laid out all his medicinal ingredients, setting aside the primary herbs and the various supplementary ones. The day he stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage would be the day he awakened his divine abilities.

"Once I awaken my supreme divine ability, I can use the 'Reflecting the Heavens' immortal technique to find her reincarnation. I have waited over two thousand years for this, and for this, I have remained blind to the pursuits of Feifei and Xia Ning."

"When she perished, I defied the heavens, willing to sacrifice my entire cultivation just to have her accompany me for another lifetime. Since my rebirth, I have sought only to raise my cultivation, desperate for the moment I can see her again."

"Yunshang, wait for me." A trace of sorrow flickered in Jiang Yu's eyes.

A moment later, he cast aside all distractions. Two tiny flames flickered in his pupils, and within minutes, his eyes were ablaze. Finally, the flames erupted, manifesting as a formless fire that engulfed the void. He dared not be careless with this batch of medicine; he needed to use his full strength.

To be precise, the entire palace served as the cauldron for his alchemy. Jiang Yu sat like a monk in meditation, perfectly still. Within the flames, the massive stones of the palace glowed red-hot; after a single day, they showed signs of melting. From the outside, the ruined palace appeared like a furnace, the fire burning continuously for a day and a night.

The Golden Flame Coral Fruit shattered, its cyan juices swirling in Jiang Yu’s palms. A surging aura of life—the purest energy in heaven and earth—swirled around him. The vapor before him was the prototype for thousands of pills; if an ordinary person were to swallow it directly, the vast, violent life force would instantly rupture their body. Forget consuming it—even a single breath of the diluted wood-element essence would extend an ordinary person's life by ten or twenty years. How could the medicine that Jiang Yu went to such lengths to refine be anything common?

A single drop, once diluted, could create a thousand Foundation-Solidifying Pills. A few dozen drops could create tens of thousands of Spirit-Returning Pills. Inside the hall, a sea of wood-element spiritual energy and life force flooded every corner. These energies constantly replenished Jiang Yu, and even before the pills were formed, he was already benefiting from them.

One day, two days, three days...

The fire within the palace never died.

The first snow of the New Year fell quietly. Overnight, the earth was blanketed in silver, frozen for ten thousand miles. While all life lay dormant, waiting for the coming spring, the Qin family valley remained in full, fragrant bloom.

Jiang Yu paid no heed to this, focusing entirely on his seclusion. Whenever someone passed by, they would cast a glance toward the Qin palace; the Immortal had been in seclusion for half a month. People slowly grew accustomed to the strange phenomena, and finding the area around the palace warm, many began to gather there to rest. In time, it became a place for leisure and entertainment, where people played cards and ate hotpot in harmony.

The Fang family and the royal clan had also arrived early. Knowing Jiang Yu was in seclusion, they dared not disturb him and took up temporary residence within the Qin estate. Every day, they looked toward the palace with expressions of awe.

On this day, an off-road vehicle drove into the valley, and a middle-aged man stepped out. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Transformation Realm, and his expression was haughty, showing utter disdain for the Qin clansmen.

"Do you have business here?" Li Hao asked. Though he had not yet reached the late stage of the Internal Energy Realm, his powerful aura was no less imposing than that of the newcomer.

The man sneered, "Of course I have business. I have come on the orders of my Young Master to tell Jiang 'the Great' something. Do not think that just because you rule the secular martial arts world of China, you are the master of all. The world is vast; there are heavens beyond heavens, and men beyond men."

"As long as my Young Master lives, Jiang 'the Great' shall not hold dominion over China."

Li Hao frowned. "Who is your Young Master?"

The middle-aged man spoke with arrogance: "From the pinnacle of Zhongzhou, with a sword coming from the west—Xu Daozhi."

He looked toward the palace, infused a trace of internal energy into his voice, and roared:

"In one month, Xu Daozhi shall sit in Zhongzhou and claim the Jiangnan region."