Chapter 159: Loess Foundation Nourishment

In the front hall of the Serene Heart Cottage, a faint fragrance of tea drifted through the air.

"The rampage of the Yellow Wind Cult has led to the downfall of numerous cultivation clans, leaving quite a few treasures scattered about..."

Examining the Daoist manual in his hands with careful scrutiny, Jiang Chen felt a wave of emotion.

The *Yellow Earth Foundation Establishment Formula*, a Qi Condensation-tier legacy focusing on the cultivation of yellow earth *qi*, could not compare in profundity to esoteric techniques like the *Earth Lung True Flame Scripture* or the *Lesser Wuxiang Scripture*, but under ordinary circumstances, it was still a rare and precious treasure in the outside world.

After all, a complete Qi Condensation inheritance was enough to prop up a minor cultivation family. Back then, the An family relied on nothing more than the mediocre *Green Grain Formula*. Yet today, such an inheritance had fallen into the hands of an Inspiration-stage cultivator, only to be slain by the Black and White Elders due to the chaos in Qinghe County, and brought back to the Taiping Sect.

"Have there been any reports of foreign cultivators above the Qi Condensation realm so far?"

Casually putting down the *Yellow Earth Foundation Establishment Formula*, Jiang Chen cast his gaze toward the Black and White Elders.

At this, the Black and White Elders shook their heads.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, so far, we have not found any traces of foreign Qi Condensation cultivators within Qinghe County."

Knowing what Jiang Chen was concerned about, the Black and White Elder detailed the various developments in Qinghe County during this period.

They had patrolled Qinghe County repeatedly during this time, hoping to unearth that mysterious cultivator who had previously plotted against the Taiping Sect. But let alone that mysterious cultivator, they hadn't even encountered a single unfamiliar Qi Condensation cultivator. Essentially, everyone they ran into during this period was either at the Inspiration stage or were martial artists.

Hearing this, Jiang Chen nodded. That mysterious cultivator had gone completely silent ever since suffering injuries last time, clearly showing a high degree of caution. It was quite normal for him to leave no traces now; the other party might have given up entirely, or perhaps was lurking in the shadows, silently licking their wounds and waiting for an opportunity.

"You have both worked hard this time. Now that the situation can be considered stable, you should take some time to rest."

"These two magic swords are weapons I have just finished refining. I shall now bestow them upon you to refine for yourselves; they should enhance your strength to some extent."

Glancing at the visibly exhausted Black and White Elders, Jiang Chen patted his storage pouch and produced two magic swords: the Black-Eyed Sword and the White-Headed Sword.

With Qinghe County in such a chaotic state, the Black and White Elders deserved immense credit for allowing him to cultivate in peace. Naturally, rewards were in order. More importantly, only if the Black and White Elders possessed sufficient strength could they serve him more effectively.

Hearing this and sensing the aura emanating from the Black-Eyed and White-Headed swords, the hearts of the Black and White Elders jolted violently.

As martial artists, although they had harnessed the power of spellcasting through the use of demon skins, their fundamental strength remained true *qi*. Ordinary magical instruments were virtually useless to them. Yet, the instant these two swords appeared, they felt an almost instinctual attraction toward them.

"Many thanks to the Sect Master for the reward!"

Accepting the magic swords, the Black and White Elders bowed deeply to Jiang Chen.

Shortly thereafter, brimming with excitement, the Black and White Elders left the Serene Heart Cottage. They were already eager to begin refining the two magic swords.

"The environment of Changfeng County is unique. The *qi* most commonly cultivated by its practitioners is earth *qi*, followed by wind *qi*. Most of the items these cultivators brought back are related to this."

After the Black and White Elders departed, Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he looked over the pile of miscellaneous items they had brought back.

Aside from the *Yellow Earth Foundation Establishment Formula* inheritance, the Black and White Elders had scavenged numerous other odds and ends from the cultivators and martial artists of Changfeng County. While their value could not compare to the Qi Condensation manual, they still far exceeded ordinary goods. Among these items, the most abundant were various spiritual ores.

"Scarlet copper, a first-grade fire-attribute spiritual ore, is a commonly used material for forging magical instruments; many fire-attribute magical instruments make use of it. Dark iron is also a first-grade spiritual ore and a common material for forging magic tools, though unfortunately, the quantity of both ores is somewhat lacking, meaning they can only serve as supplementary materials."

Taking out two mineral stones—one red and one black—Jiang Chen fell into deep thought. Both stones had undergone preliminary refinement, exuded a faint spiritual radiance, and were about the size of a fist.

"Changfeng County is plagued by wind and sand, and its environment is harsh. Although many places are unfit for human habitation, a great number of spiritual mines lie hidden beneath its surface. Because of this, many cultivation families in Changfeng County take mining as their primary livelihood."

"In addition, Changfeng County produces many artifact refiners, surpassing Qingyuan County in this regard."

With the two mineral stones in hand, various thoughts flashed through Jiang Chen's mind. Up to this point, the Taiping Sect had yet to truly control a single spiritual iron mine. Whether he wished to delve into artifact crafting or nurture his gold-devouring mouse, Rat Tianjiao, an adequate supply of spiritual ores was essential.

"With order broken and chaos breeding, there are indeed many opportunities in Changfeng County right now."

"The only cause for concern is that the origins of the Yellow Wind Cult remain shrouded in mystery. There must be a powerful faction supporting them behind the scenes; otherwise, it would have been impossible for the cult to develop so rapidly in its early stages. If I wade into the muddy waters of Changfeng County, I might draw their attention. However, regardless of the circumstances, Foundation Establishment cultivators are unlikely to enter the fray personally. After all, once a Foundation Establishment cultivator strikes, the nature of this rebellion will change entirely."

As these thoughts collided, Jiang Chen began to entertain some notions regarding Changfeng County.

Changfeng County was currently in utter turmoil; the Yellow Wind Cult was aggressively seizing cities and territory, beating the government forces back in a series of defeats. For ordinary cultivators, Changfeng County was undeniably a perilous place, but for those with sufficient strength, it was absolute ground zero for great opportunities.

After all, when order prevailed, even if your strength was not weak, so long as you weren't powerful enough to dictate the rules, you had to act with restraint in many matters or risk drawing a fierce backlash.

"If I travel to Changfeng County under the guise of the Mist Flood Dragon, I should be able to reap some benefits. I can even use the opportunities of magical combat to continuously hone my spells and further enhance my strength. Before that, however, I need to successfully refine the Flood Dragon Water-Shrouding Armor so I can have a greater degree of certainty. After all, the environment of Changfeng County is not actually suited for the Mist Flood Dragon to fully display its prowess."

Having started down this line of thought, Jiang Chen began to seriously consider the possibility of entering the fray in Changfeng County.

During this period, he had also been comprehending the spells innate to the Mist Flood Dragon, making considerable progress. However, raising all of these spells to the realm of Great Accomplishment would still require some time, and magical combat would serve as an excellent catalyst.

Furthermore, he wished to gather certain materials to forge a magical instrument truly suited to himself. As his cultivation had advanced to the fifty-five apertures, the original Crane Cry Immortal Needles were becoming somewhat inadequate.

At that very moment, a strange fluctuation of spiritual *qi* surged within Fish-Whisper Island, immediately capturing Jiang Chen's attention.

"Is the breakthrough finally happening?"

Guessing what was afoot, his figure flickered, and Jiang Chen left his courtyard.