In the realm of Space, the five acres of Spiritual Herbs required for the Foundation Establishment Pills had finally ripened.
To refine the Foundation Establishment Pills, one needed a total of 108 different types of Spiritual Herbs36 primary herbs and 72 secondary ones. These herbs matured at different times, yielding a total of 500 Alchemy materials from the five acres of land.
Inside the Alchemy chamber, Wang Hong meticulously organized 100 sets of materials. He arranged the Alchemy Furnace, ignited the Spirit Fire, and began the refining process. He was well-versed in every step of this procedure.
With 30 sets of materials in each batch, after the first batch was done, he obtained 140 Foundation Establishment Pills. The second batch yielded 150 pills, the third 155 pills, and surprisingly, the fourth batch, with only 10 sets of materials, produced 60 pills.
He now had 505 Foundation Establishment Pills in total from the 100 sets of materials, which seemed like a considerable amount. However, he knew that he would likely consume most of them himself.
With his current team, including the ten individuals recruited by Liu Changsheng, he needed to nurture over 60 people to reach the Foundation Building stage. Most of them had poor aptitudes and lacked Spiritual Roots, so the demand for Foundation Establishment Pills would be substantial.
In the future, as his influence expanded and his team grew, the need for Foundation Establishment Pills would only increase.
After experiencing several battles, he realized that in the Cultivation World, Qi Cultivation cultivators were barely qualified even as cannon fodder. To have even a slight foothold and be a significant force in battles, one had to at least reach the Foundation Building stage.
As for selling more Foundation Establishment Pills to the outside world, he currently had no such plans. Selling one or two pills wouldn't make a significant difference for him. If he sold too many, it would attract the attention of various powers, which could be a death sentence.
After collecting the Foundation Establishment Pills, Wang Hong and Little Peng had a meal together and then sent a Transmission Talisman.
It didn't take long for Wen Lan to arrive at his residence.
They sat down at the tea table, and Wang Hong brewed a pot of Qiu Long Tea, which had grown in his own cultivation space. With more than a hundred times the normal growth rate, he now had an ample supply for himself.
"Wen Lan, how many years have you been with me?" Wang Hong casually asked as he took a sip of tea.
"It's been twenty-two years," Wen Lan replied.
"Time flies, doesn't it? Back then, Skinny Monkey was just a little kid. In the blink of an eye, it's been over twenty years. You've worked hard all these years," Wang Hong said with emotion.
"I didn't really feel it was hard. In fact, I consider myself fortunate for the choice I made. Not long ago, I met a former comrade from our days in the Personal Guard Unit, Li Yuntian. He's now working in a Refinery Workshop, doing heavy and menial tasks. He earns only half a Spirit Stone per month, and because he can't even gather enough Spirit Stones, he doesn't even know if he has Spiritual Roots. Being with you is like being on the battlefield again, always leading us to victory. That's what makes life meaningful," Wen Lan expressed his feelings.
"If you ever come across them in the future and they're not doing well, help them out. You can get reimbursed for the Spirit Stones you spend. Even though they chose to leave, it's not betrayal; they simply chose their own paths. After all, they were once my soldiers, comrades who fought side by side with me. I remember Li Yuntian even took an arrow for me back in the day.
Next time you meet him, if he's willing, you can suggest he go to Skinny Monkey's distillery for work. They need extra hands over there, and the benefits are quite good."
Wang Hong instructed Wen Lan. He was willing to provide some form of support for his former subordinates who had left. These were the people he had brought in, and they had shed blood and risked their lives together in countless battles.
However, it was unlikely that they would be able to enter his inner circle again. Offering a decent livelihood was one thing; allowing them to regain the same trust and status as before was another. If those who left were allowed to return and were given the same treatment as others, it would set a bad precedent and influence others negatively.
"Alright, I'll talk to him next time I'm in Azure Void City."
Wen Lan had wanted to help Li Yuntian when he last saw him, but he wasn't sure how Wang Hong would react at the time, so he refrained from extending assistance.
He also knew the current situations of several old comrades, and as far as he knew, none of those who had left had fared well. Even a regular worker in Wang Hong's shop had a much better life than them.
"As for this matter, let's discuss it when you get back to Azure Void City. I called you here today for something else."
Wang Hong took out a jade vial and handed it to Wen Lan.
"There are ten Foundation Establishment Pills inside. Take them back and try to start your Foundation Building. I have no idea how many Foundation Establishment Pills someone without Spiritual Roots like you would need to complete the process."
Wang Hong admitted to his uncertainty. He had read about cultivators with five Spiritual Roots succeeding despite having poor aptitude, but there were no records of how those without Spiritual Roots could achieve Foundation Building.
"Ten... ten pills? That's so many!"
Wen Lan's hand trembled slightly. Foundation Establishment Pills were usually highly sought after, and people often fought fiercely for just one or two pills.
He had never imagined that he would one day have ten Foundation Establishment Pills.
"Yes, take these for your Foundation Building. But remember, keep it a secret. After you succeed in Foundation Building, return the remaining pills to me, and also share your experience with me. I have some Foundation Building experience recorded here, and I'll give it to you as well."
Wang Hong handed Wen Lan a jade scroll containing his own cultivation experience.
"Thank you, East Master!" Wen Lan deeply bowed and then accepted the jade scroll.
Wen Lan took the Foundation Establishment Pills provided by Wang Hong, returned to his residence, and spent several days meditating to adjust his state of mind and Spiritual Energy to the optimal condition.
Afterward, he left his place and went to South City Street, where he entered an inconspicuous door. This place was where temporary Foundation Building cave mansions were available for rent in Boundary City.
Across from the entrance gate, several teahouses had people peeking out of the windows facing the street, watching this side with curiosity. These individuals were sent by various factions to keep an eye on Foundation Building cultivators, to understand their situation in a timely manner.
If someone from an opposing faction succeeded in Foundation Building here, it would warrant increased vigilance. If an opportunity arose, they might even secretly eliminate them.
For lone cultivators without affiliations, they would try to recruit them into their own factions.
If it was a Disciple from a friendly faction who succeeded in Foundation Building, they would pretend not to have seen and offering congratulations was out of the question.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]