Opportunity, this word holds an irresistible allure for the bottom-tier cultivators in the Cultivation World.
Born in the lower echelons of the Cultivation World, with poor aptitude, no family backing, and unable to join prominent sects, they have to cultivate with mediocre techniques and scarce resources. How can they change their circumstances?
Two words: opportunity.
As long as they actively seek opportunities, all situations can be improved. Perhaps, they might chance upon a great opportunity and instantly soar to greatness like a dragon in the wind and clouds.
Of course, there may not be as many opportunities as one would hope in the Cultivation World, waiting for later generations to discover. Only heaven knows.
Regardless, many cultivators in the Cultivation World are enamored by the pursuit of opportunities, much like how ordinary people in Meng Zhang's past life pursued lotteries.
According to the plan of the high-level members of the Zhao Family, Meng Zhang, who was full of youthful vigor, should be easily swayed. Upon hearing the news about the abandoned mine, he should have taken it as his opportunity and immediately gone to investigate. However, unexpectedly, Meng Zhang seemed to be overly cautious or had deep reservations towards the Zhao Family, and he never went to explore the mine, foiling the Zhao Family's calculations.
Historically, the Zhao Family's cultivators have always patrolled the surrounding areas on Crimson Feather Eagles as a tradition. Recently, a Zhao Family cultivator on patrol accidentally discovered the traces of Ghost Path cultivators near the abandoned mine.
Ghost Path cultivators are ruthless and cruel, having committed many atrocities in the Cultivation World. The news of their appearance alarmed the high-level members of the Zhao Family. They were preparing to report the Ghost Path cultivators' presence to the Twin Success Valley for surveillance when a Zhao Family cultivator secretly monitoring the situation noticed that the Ghost Path cultivators were being hunted down by Flying Swan Sect cultivators.
The abandoned mine seemed to be the hideout of the Ghost Path cultivators. In order to protect their hideout from being discovered, the Ghost Path cultivators deliberately led the pursuing Flying Swan Sect cultivators away. After confirming that the abandoned mine was indeed the Ghost Path cultivators' hideout, the high-level members of the Zhao Family were filled with greed.
Any Ghost Path cultivator who can roam freely in the Cultivation World must have a Foundation Building cultivation base at the very least. Moreover, the reputation of Ghost Path cultivators in the Cultivation World is even worse than the most ferocious bandits.
A Foundation Building-stage Ghost Path cultivator's lair should contain substantial wealth. The Zhao Family, which has been passed down for many years, has occasionally had Foundation Building-stage cultivators among its members. Over a decade ago, during the catastrophe caused by the sand monster, the Zhao Family lost its only Foundation Building-stage cultivator.
To maintain the family's prestige and protect their interests from being seized, the Zhao Family must cultivate another Foundation Building-stage cultivator as soon as possible.
Speaking of Foundation Building, it's inevitable to mention the Foundation Building Pill, a type of auxiliary pill used in Foundation Building.
After many years of practice in the Cultivation World, the Foundation Building Pill is among the most cost-effective, with minimal side effects and aftereffects. There are several different recipes for the Foundation Building Pill, and after countless years of research by predecessors and numerous practical tests, their effects are relatively similar.
When a Refining Qi completion-stage cultivator attempts to break through to the Foundation Building realm, they can only take one Foundation Building Pill at a time.
Within the territory of the Flying Swan Sect, only they have the ability and resources to refine Foundation Building Pills. One Foundation Building Pill is priced at ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, but in reality, they are often in short supply and cannot be bought even with spirit stones in hand.
Most of the Foundation Building Pills refined by the Flying Swan Sect are used to supply their disciples, and only a small portion is distributed to closely-related vassal forces as a way to strengthen relationships.
Spirit stones are the common currency in the Cultivation World, but strategic resources like Foundation Building Pills cannot be obtained solely with spirit stones.
Of course, not having Foundation Building Pills does not necessarily mean one cannot achieve Foundation Building. For cultivators with excellent spiritual roots like Meng Zhang, there is still a high chance of success in Foundation Building even without using Foundation Building Pills.
For cultivators with mediocre spiritual roots attempting Foundation Building without external aids, they would have to face the risk of near-death. Although there is a small chance of success in forcefully attempting Foundation Building without assistance, it requires great courage and luck.
Some sects and families possess secret methods that allow Foundation Building without using Foundation Building Pills, but these methods often come with various restrictions or hidden dangers.
Additionally, there are heavenly materials coveted by even Gold Core Daoist Masters that have the ability to assist in Foundation Building. However, whether any cultivators can afford to be so extravagant and use these heavenly materials for Foundation Building is unknown.
The reason Twin Success Valley is renowned for having ten Foundation Buildings is because they refine a special pill. Its original name is lost to time, and people call it the Lesser Foundation Building Pill.
The Lesser Foundation Building Pill's effects are at most 30% of a genuine Foundation Building Pill. However, countless Refining Qi completion cultivators are crazy about it.
Just like the Foundation Building Pill, the Lesser Foundation Building Pill is not easy to refine, and most of them are used internally within Twin Success Valley. A small portion of the Lesser Foundation Building Pills are sold outside, priced at six thousand low-grade spirit stones, but they are often bid up to seven to eight thousand low-grade spirit stones per pill. And frequently, the goods are already reserved before they are even put up for sale.
Ten years ago, after the Zhao Family's Foundation Building-stage cultivator died, they managed to purchase a Lesser Foundation Building Pill from Twin Success Valley for the friendship price of seven thousand low-grade spirit stones.
After Zhao Yanbei, the Zhao Family's patriarch, consumed the Lesser Foundation Building Pill, he failed to achieve Foundation Building, wasting the pill.
The best age for Foundation Building is before sixty years old. While it's not impossible to achieve Foundation Building after sixty, the chances of success become very slim.
Generally, sects or families do not allocate Foundation Building resources to cultivators above sixty years old.
Zhao Yanbei, the patriarch of the Zhao Family, is already fifty-two years old, and he has limited time to attempt Foundation Building.
In order to obtain Foundation Building Pills or Lesser Foundation Building Pills, the Zhao Family is frantically tapping into its internal potential and demanding resources from outsiders.
Although the neighboring Taiyi Sect is somewhat weaker, they still possess some strength. If the Zhao Family could swallow them whole, it would surely yield significant gains.
The Zhao Family has numerous cultivators, and some of them are Refining Qi late stage cultivators. If they truly wanted to break through Taiyi Sect's mountain gate and annihilate them, it would not be difficult.
However, the Cultivation World operates under rules; it is not a realm where one can act recklessly solely based on strength.
Both Taiyi Sect and the Zhao Family are vassal forces of Twin Success Valley. If the Zhao Family heedlessly exterminated Taiyi Sect today, it might be exterminated by Twin Success Valley tomorrow.
Similarly, while Twin Success Valley is subservient to the Flying Swan Sect, the Flying Swan Sect cannot recklessly annihilate Twin Success Valley without reason.
If there were no rules, the Cultivation World would have long fallen into chaos.
As long as one does not possess the strength to dominate the Cultivation World, they must adhere to certain rules and play within the game's boundaries.
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