CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199: JUEHE VALLEY

As the auction came to an end, the market, after a few bustling days, also returned to tranquility.

Even the sky began to drizzle, and deep in the bamboo forest, several bamboo shoots stood tall, unbeknownst to many.

Yet the alleys and taverns still remain topics of conversation among a few loose cultivators and clan cultivators.

Regarding the person who purchased the wine formula, everyone couldn’t help but speculate.

After all, only the Xu Family and Mo Family could vanish from the market so quietly.

Especially the Mo Family, who runs the tavern’s spiritual cuisine business, which has improved their business quite a bit in recent days.

Many cultivators are anticipating the Supreme Profound Spirit Wine, though even if it is released, they won’t be able to afford it.

This does not hinder their expectation.

But it’s destined to be fruitless.

...

In the Ye Family shop’s courtyard room, Ye Jingcheng raised his hand, and the lid of the Three-legged Three-Heaven Taihe Furnace soared upwards.

Inside, a total of ten Spirit Cultivation Pills were revealed, two adorned with Pill Patterns, significantly increasing their value, while the remaining eight were enveloped in Spirit Fragrance.

"This Tier Two Pill Furnace indeed surpasses the Cyan Elephant Furnace by far!" Ye Jingcheng stored nine of them and gave one to the Red Flame Fox beside him with a slight sentiment.

The Red Flame Fox nodded humanely and chirped twice in approval.

Ye Jingcheng continued wiping the furnace walls, summarized his thoughts, and then stepped out of the courtyard.

These past few days, he has been studying the pill furnace and practicing furnace refinement, which is his achievement since returning from Sha Yun Mountain.

Only by continuous furnace refinement can one understand the pill furnace, and now he can achieve perfect refinement in just a few breaths one out of three times.

Besides familiarizing himself with the pill furnace, the Golden Scale Beast also consumed the Demon Beast Inner Core and is preparing to make a breakthrough.

Once the Golden Scale Beast successfully breaks through, he will then communicate with the Three-Colored Cloud Deer, possibly quickly reaching the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment.

This anticipation made Ye Jingcheng quite excited.

Leaving the courtyard, entering the inner courtyard where many Spirit Beasts are housed, recently, some notable Spirit Beast cubs began appearing, making evident progress compared to before.

This is another significant advantage the Ye Family has to restrict the Li Family.

It is also a trend the Ye Family is gradually showcasing.

Ye Jingcheng estimates that Ye Haicheng’s breakthrough shouldn’t be far off.

Almost at the moment Ye Jingcheng opened the room door, Ye Xinghe also stepped out from the side.

"Uncle!" Ye Jingcheng cupped his hands, and Ye Xinghe responded with a smile:

"Jingcheng, over the past three days, we received a hundred Ban Li Orders, the best coverage yet, with three individuals meeting the requirement for fifty Ban Li Orders, and need elixir refinement!"

"And at the Li Family front, it’s even more deserted now, even though they are next to the Xu Family shop, few people enter."

Ye Xinghe’s face was full of joy, for the long-time rival Li Family he once looked down upon but never had the chance to teach a lesson.

The Ye Family had many considerations, now he delightedly sees them being dealt with harshly.

"However, here is a pill formula for you to review." Ye Xinghe took out three jade talismans.

Ye Jingcheng received them, pressed them to his brow, and checked them.

Two were relatively ordinary Tier One High-Grade Pill Formulas, one the Ye Family already had, specifically the Green Water Pill, the other being a Tier One High-Grade Body Forging Pill.

He was pleased with the latter pill formula.

In the future, not only could he consume some himself to improve his physical strength, but also a good option for the four Spirit Beasts.

During magical combat, he certainly remains the safest.

Although the four Spirit Beasts could be saved with the Treasure Book Treasure Light, if they suffered fatal wounds, they wouldn’t wait for his rescue.

And the last pill formula was a Tier Two Blood Burst Pill.

This Tier Two Blood Burst Pill has only one effect: briefly enhancing a cultivator’s or Spirit Beast’s physical strength and eruption.

But the after-effects are severe, requiring at least three months of weakness, known as the utmost of elixirs, similar to the secret technique used by the Mad Corpse Fiends last time.

Moreover, crucially, this pill formula is only half-complete.

The other half is missing.

"The cultivator with the Blood Burst Pill formula is the loose cultivator who auctioned the wine formula, and he’s scheduled for a transaction in Juehe Valley north of Taihang Market!" Ye Xinghe’s next words startled Ye Jingcheng.

"Doesn’t seem like someone from the Li Family, but highly likely from other families!" Ye Xinghe remarked.

The Ye Family’s Ban Li Order prohibits dealings with Li Family members and purchasing their elixirs.

Other restrictions are minimal, so the chance of leaking is substantial.

But even if the Li Family knows, as long as the Ban Li Order’s effect spreads, the Li Family’s loose cultivator market in Taihang Commandery will have already shrunk considerably.

Unless they devise something similar.

But even if they do, they can’t challenge the Ye Family, as the Ye Family’s main industry remains Spirit Beast cubs and Spirit Beast cultivation.

This is something the Li Family can’t replicate or copy.

Their only option is to eliminate Ye Jingcheng.

"I’ll duplicate this half of the jade talisman, then send it to that cultivator, either for market trade or no deal; our Ye Family has only one Alchemy Master, cannot leave the market!" Ye Jingcheng outright rejected.

Ye Xinghe nodded in agreement, appreciating Ye Jingcheng’s decision.

Though Ye Jingcheng is in Foundation Establishment, with two Tier Two Spirit Beasts and Magical Artifacts as well as Talisman Treasures, this world wouldn’t spare those who scheme against you without counter-scheming.

If there’s a trap, it surely involves the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment.

Currently, other families dare not act openly but covertly using Li Family’s name is normal.

Even the Chu Family wouldn’t miss an opportunity if available.

Taihang Commandery covers approximately thirty counties and towns, a large area, but split among six families, it becomes considerably smaller, like the Ye Family, now controlling only four counties and towns.

Regarding the jade talisman duplication, Ye Jingcheng has been studying pill formula derivation for a long time, now an opportunity to practice deriving the pill formula.

To those wishing to plot against him, Ye Jingcheng wouldn’t nobly return the pill formula intact nor duplicate nor adopt it.

Too noble; he just couldn’t do it.

"Alright, let’s settle this matter!" Ye Xinghe exclaimed, nodding, proceeding to arrange it.

The two Tier One jade talismans were also duplicated; many loose cultivators provided pill formulas, primarily refined by Jing Yun and Ye Haiyun.

Ye Jingcheng refined very few.

Unless it’s Tier Two Elixirs, then Ye Jingcheng refines, sustaining his own cultivation.

And life returned to calm once more.

Ye Jingcheng continued studying pill formulas, cultivating, sipping Spirit Tea during leisure, training the Jade Qilin Snake, living comfortably.

Only the Li Family felt tortured, even exerting pressure through the family towards the sect.

Even sect cultivators came to inquire, but the Ye Family responded that though Ye Jingcheng’s spirit roots are Four Spirit Roots, they’re extremely pure, with exceptional perception, coupled with family resource inclination, cultivating exceptionally fast.

Hosting sect cultivators for tea, gifting a small Snow Fox, they leisurely returned to the sect.

Ye Jingcheng also wished to inquire with Ye Jingteng, only to learn he declared a closed-door retreat.

This surprised Ye Jingcheng, as Ye Jingteng only recently broke into the Early Stage of Foundation Establishment, should primarily consolidate cultivation, with no need for a closed-door retreat.

After ten days, numerous Li Family cultivators emerged at stalls, selling Spirit Pills.

This scene slightly recovered some decline, but the stall prices can’t compare with shop prices.

Ye Jingcheng became even more leisurely, sometimes amusing the Spirit Beasts in the inner courtyard.

However, at this time, Ye Xinghe walked in with a gloomy face.