After the Sect Master laid out several crucial sect rules for Ye Qin, he left behind a substantial sum of money earmarked for the construction of private courtyards and pavilions before departing.

Soon after, Azure Spring Peak commenced large-scale construction.

Within the Azure Pill Mountain Range, every main peak was immense, spanning tens of miles in circumference. Even within a single peak, numerous smaller, peculiar peaks existed, connected by hundreds of feet of heavy iron chains anchored deep into the rock, facilitating the daily transit for ordinary disciples.

Ye Qin selected a location midway up Azure Spring Peak, commanding a vast vista and level terrain dotted with numerous trees, choosing a site that backed against the mountain while facing the ridges to build his estate.

A multitude of outer disciples in the Qi Refining stage were hired to venture into the deep, ancient forests of the Spirit Mist Mountain Range to fell rare timber hundreds, even thousands of years old. Furthermore, the finest master craftsmen from nations such as Nan Liang and Wulan within the Azure Pill Sect were commissioned to design and erect the private estate and several accompanying pavilions.

Ye Qin himself paid little mind to the estate's construction; his requirements for accommodation were simple: as long as it was habitable, that sufficed. All the trivial matters concerning the estate's building were delegated to his newly acquired maidservant, Peng Dan, to manage.

This young girl, Peng Dan, possessed far too low a spiritual root potential and insufficient cultivation. Having given up on her own path of cultivation, she intended to settle down quietly as a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, running errands for Ye Qin—a perfect disposition for a maidservant. Upon receiving Ye Qin's instructions, she became exceedingly enthusiastic, directing the many artisans and vowing to construct the most exquisite private estate within the entire Azure Pill Sect.

Adjacent to the estate lay a premium medicinal garden spanning several hectares, now under Ye Qin’s ownership. He didn't bother planting the herbs himself, completely employing outer disciples to cultivate and tend to the garden.

Ye Qin had no intention of managing his own fields. It would take decades before he could harvest any high-value medicinal materials from the garden.

The cultivators of the Azure Pill Sect all understood a basic truth: medicinal herbs grow slowly, and the longer they live, the wealthier one becomes. A single stalk of high-grade herb centuries old, casually produced by an ancestor at the Golden Core level, could easily equal the entire worldly possessions of an ordinary cultivator.

As Azure Spring Peak began its massive construction, many ordinary disciples of the Azure Pill Sect were stirred. They appeared extremely excited.

Each year, only about three or four disciples within the Azure Pill Sect managed to successfully achieve Foundation Establishment. Due to their rarity, every newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator was destined to become the object of envy among the sect's common disciples and the hottest topic of conversation.

In a mere span of a few days, the entire history of "Uncle-Master Ye Qin" within the Azure Pill Sect was unearthed by countless Qi Refining disciples fond of gossip.

Unfortunately, Ye Qin’s history proved remarkably sparse, lacking anything truly noteworthy.

He had entered the Azure Pill Sect six years prior, remaining anonymous and unheard of for the first three years; almost no one had heard of any of his deeds.

Eventually, a diligent disciple managed to dig up a record from the miscellaneous affairs ledgers in the Administration Hall showing that Ye Qin had once accepted a mission to mine in North Camp Mountain and only returned three years later to submit his results.

This was the only manual labor Ye Qin had ever performed within the sect.

It left the gossiping disciples dumbfounded. Regrettably, the North Camp Mountain mining site had been closed two years earlier, leaving everyone to wonder what Ye Qin had been doing there for three full years.

The only spark of brilliance associated with this Uncle-Master Ye Qin was during the trials in the Withered Ridge Cave, where he somehow suddenly exhibited formidable power, securing eight map scrolls in one go. He received two Foundation Establishment Pills as a reward from the Sect Master, gifting the remaining six to his fellow sect brothers. Subsequently, other events unfolded, such as Vice Sect Master Wu’s son, Wu Zijian, leading men to maliciously seize Foundation Establishment Pills, and Ye Qin’s subsequent disappearance for three years—these matters were naturally brought up. These events had caused quite a stir within the Azure Pill Sect several years ago, and many outer disciples still remembered them.

A number of blue-robed disciples dismissed these events with disdain, scoffing that Uncle-Master Ye Qin's success was purely down to luck.

However, the majority of outer disciples strongly supported Ye Qin, arguing that it was evidence of true strength. Moreover, Uncle-Master Ye Qin was righteous; even with such great fortune, he did not forget his fellow disciples, ensuring everyone benefited—he was practically a model for the sect.

Unlike the shameless Wu Zijian, who found excuses to maliciously steal Foundation Establishment Pills from his peers, only to fail spectacularly and cause his father, Vice Sect Master Wu, to also fall from grace and lose his position as Vice Sect Master, becoming a leisurely elder instead.

It was fortunate that Uncle-Master Ye Qin had returned alive, or that Wu Zijian should have committed suicide out of shame.

Whenever the outer disciples discussed this incident, they vehemently condemned Wu Zijian.

After all, a cultivator achieving Foundation Establishment status who originated from the ranks of outer disciples, like Ye Qin, was not common in the Azure Pill Sect. Most Foundation Establishment cultivators came from the core blue-robed disciples, who had greater opportunities to acquire Foundation Establishment Pills.

Only a minority of outer disciples managed to succeed through their own effort, paying a much higher price.

Ye Qin was the quintessential example of an outer disciple achieving Foundation Establishment; naturally, the majority of outer disciples in the Azure Pill Sect, who envied and revered him, were inclined to speak favorably of him. At the very least, the outer cultivators saw a living example in Ye Qin, which greatly inspired and boosted morale.

Of course, the disciples' sudden enthusiasm for discussing Ye Qin was not entirely due to these reasons.

Every additional Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Azure Pill Sect brought substantial benefits to the sect’s lower-level cultivators.

Constructing a new estate and pavilions required vast amounts of earth, stone, and timber. The stone and precious timber of the Spirit Mist Mountain Range were exceedingly hard; even a peak ninth-level Qi Refining disciple would struggle to excavate or fell them. It required hiring at least a hundred Qi Refining disciples and taking nearly a month to complete.

Beyond that, there was the perpetual need to hire various service disciples to manage the medicinal gardens and fields, meticulously tending to the herbs within. Tending the medicinal gardens had always been the most sought-after job in the Azure Pill Sect. These disciples could earn a very stable and quite substantial income from the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

For any future needs Ye Qin might have within the sect, he usually wouldn't have to lift a finger; he could simply spend spirit stones to have outer disciples carry out the tasks.

These matters directly related to the tangible benefits of the outer disciples, naturally drawing their particular attention, even leading them to inquire about Ye Qin’s preferences.

Due to Peng Dan, Peng Yuan put himself forward proactively, offering to help Ye Qin manage the medicinal gardens and fields.

Ye Qin was already set on being an absentee owner, ignoring such trivialities. Seeing that Ye Qin didn't mind in the slightest, the young girl Peng Dan grew bolder; she made the final decision, deciding to hire her brother as the Head Steward of the medicinal garden, responsible for its overall management, adhering to the principle of promoting the worthy without prejudice regarding kinship. The brother and sister—one managed the estate, the other oversaw the garden.

Ye Qin turned a blind eye to this arrangement. After all, the spirit stones were deducted from the stipend distributed by the Azure Pill Sect, having virtually no impact on him. As long as the siblings could handle all these minor affairs, he could enjoy his peace and quiet.

After the disciples worked diligently for a month, Ye Qin’s estate was finally completed on schedule: walls of bluestone, glazed tiles for the roof, the estate divided into several courtyards both front and back.

There were numerous pavilions, including dedicated rooms for alchemy and secluded meditation.

In the main courtyard, the terraces featured carved reliefs, eaves supported by bracket complexes, and richly painted beams and carved pillars adorned with numerous birds and rare beasts. The seating within the courtyard was crafted from precious woods like red sandalwood and purple sandalwood, giving an air of solemn elegance, antiquity, and charm.

The rear courtyard featured waterside pavilions and rockeries, all constructed from top-grade azure jade and white stones quarried from deep mountain streams. In the eyes of mortal men, these might be worth a fortune, easily worth a thousand pieces of gold. However, in the eyes of cultivators, jade devoid of spiritual energy was merely material to tread upon.

Covered walkways connected the various courtyards, linked by half-moon gates, and planted with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Judging by the style, it had likely been designed after the grand estates of powerful families in the Nan Liang Kingdom or the Wulan Kingdom. Yet, even the wealthiest aristocratic families could not match such opulent grandeur. The estate alone demonstrated the artisans’ extraordinary skill.

Once the estate was completed, several Foundation Establishment senior brothers residing nearby on Azure Spring Peak came one after another to offer congratulations, making the festivities last a full fortnight before gradually subsiding.

What made Ye Qin both amused and exasperated was that, several miles from his estate, resided a white-haired old man nearing a hundred years of age, a third-level Foundation Establishment cultivator who had taken to visiting him frequently. Every visit began with him shouting at the top of his lungs, "Is Junior Brother Ye there? This old man has come to freeload another meal!"

Ye Qin still had to respectfully address him: "Senior Brother Ge, there’s plenty of food to go around!"

This white-haired old man was none other than Elder Ge, the guardian of the second floor of the Azure Pill Sect’s Scripture Pavilion. Ye Qin had first met this "Uncle-Master Ge" refining artifacts on the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion when he first joined the sect, which had startled him.

After Ye Qin returned to the Azure Pill Sect having achieved Foundation Establishment, he frequented the Scripture Pavilion to select books and naturally grew somewhat familiar with this Senior Brother Ge.

What surprised Ye Qin was that Senior Brother Ge’s estate was not far from his own residence, only a few miles away. Through repeated visits, they gradually became familiar. Old Man Ge had an open temperament and was somewhat disrespectful of seniority. Lately, he had become obsessed with the cooking done by the maid Peng Dan, visiting Ye Qin every few days.

Foundation Establishment cultivators could function perfectly well without eating or drinking for extended periods. However, Old Man Ge was addicted to the taste; if he didn't have a hearty meal of meat and fish every few days, he felt unwell.

Ye Qin didn't mind; there were several matters about which he wished to consult Senior Brother Ge. This senior brother was a master of artifact refinement. While the Azure Pill Sect had many alchemists, cultivators who dedicated themselves entirely to artifact refinement, like Senior Brother Ge, were rare.

Ye Qin treated Old Man Ge to a magnificent feast and, seizing an opportune moment, inquired about artifact refinement.

"Is there any method to refine a Dharma Artifact?"

Old Man Ge savored the lingering taste of the roast chicken leg and shook his head repeatedly. "It's difficult. Refining Spirit Artifacts only requires the innate True Fire of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But refining a Dharma Artifact absolutely demands the Samadhi True Fire of a Golden Core Uncle-Master. However, Uncle-Master Jin is constantly in secluded cultivation and will rarely intervene to refine artifacts for sect disciples, unless it is for their immediate kin or offspring."

Ye Qin naturally knew this, so he had no intention of seeking help from a Golden Core Uncle-Master. What he wanted was a solution to the problem. He asked, "Then what method do our two hundred Foundation Establishment disciples have if they need to use Dharma Artifacts?"

Old Man Ge picked his teeth. "The Azure Pill Sect’s Earth Fire Chambers can also refine artifacts, divided into Red Flame and Azure Flame types. However, the Red Flame Earth Fire Chambers can temper Spirit Artifacts, and there are over fifty of them. The Azure Flame Earth Fire Chambers, used for tempering Dharma Artifacts, number only two—extremely few. Even Sect Master Wu, the Vice Sect Masters, and the Elders must queue to use them, and the time allotted is very limited; once every four or five years might be considered fortunate. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators like us never get a turn."

Old Man Ge sighed mournfully as he spoke. Artifact refiners like him had only ever forged Spirit Artifacts, never getting the chance to refine Dharma Artifacts. He could only forge a few 'pseudo-Dharma Artifacts' for his own amusement.

He pulled out a small, golden sword, about a few inches long, from his storage pouch. "Senior Brother, my greatest wish in life is to forge a few decent Dharma Artifacts. Look at this, what do you think?" He manipulated the golden miniature sword, making it fly and effortlessly change size.

Ye Qin paused slightly. "Uh, a Golden Sword Dharma Artifact?"

Old Man Ge scoffed, tossing it to Ye Qin. "Take it to play with. This thing looks exactly like a Golden Sword Dharma Artifact. I added several formations to the blade. However, if it clashes with a true Dharma Artifact, it will shatter upon impact."

Ye Qin caught the pseudo-Dharma Artifact and immediately noticed its weight was too light, clearly indicating inferior quality. A genuine Golden Sword Dharma Artifact of the same few inches in length would weigh at least ten times more. Although this pseudo-artifact looked like a true Dharma Artifact, in essence, it was merely a disguised, smaller Spirit Sword.

"Only two Azure Flame Earth Fire Chambers? How many Dharma Artifacts can the Azure Pill Sect produce annually with that?"

Ye Qin was quite depressed. He had never visited the Azure Pill Sect’s Earth Fire Chambers and hadn't anticipated the extreme scarcity of the high-level Azure Flame chambers, forcing even the Sect Master to queue. He possessed a purple fire-attribute mineral crystal, intending to forge a Southern Bright Fire Sword. It seemed relying on the Azure Pill Sect's Earth Fire Chambers was out of the question.

Old Man Ge chuckled slyly. "Of course, the number is minuscule. It's good if the Earth Fire Chambers can produce even a few Dharma Artifacts per year. However, the Azure Pill Sect doesn't rely entirely on its own production of Dharma Artifacts. A significant portion of the Spirit Artifacts and Dharma Artifacts used by our disciples are traded for with spirit elixirs from other cultivation sects."

"The Seven Great Cultivation Sects each have different specialties. The Azure Pill Sect produces spirit elixirs, the Ancient Artifact Sect trades in flying swords, the Earth Palace offers defensive armor, the Heavenly Pool offers spirit herbs, the Myriad Poisons Gate provides poisons, the Vast Sea Sect offers unique aquatic treasures, and the Heaven Reaching Sect offers high-grade movement talismans. Trading these specialty goods allows us to acquire the Dharma Artifacts we need. If we lack a certain category of artifact, we can trade for others."

"Flying swords."

"Flying Sword Dharma Artifacts—naturally, the quality from the Ancient Artifact Sect is the best, but their flying swords are very expensive. For low-tier and mid-tier flying swords, you can find them in smaller sects. For high-tier flying swords, it’s best to approach the Ancient Artifact Sect. You should prepare plenty of spirit elixirs suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators, like the Origin Return Pills, to make the purchase easier. What grade of flying sword does Junior Brother Ye intend to buy?"

"Uh-tier, approximately how much does it cost?"

Ye Qin pondered for a moment before speaking. He had no intention of revealing his plan to forge the Southern Bright Fire Sword to Senior Brother Ge. It was something he should keep to himself.

"Top-tier?"

Old Man Ge was very surprised, then quickly shook his head like a rattle drum. "Let's not even discuss the price of top-tier Dharma Artifacts; even if you could afford it, the Ancient Artifact Sect simply wouldn't sell them. To maintain their own advantage, the Ancient Artifact Sect never readily sells top-tier flying swords."

"It’s the same as our Azure Pill Sect; we only sell common-grade spirit elixirs, rarely selling high-grade ones like Foundation Establishment Pills or Longevity Pills. We usually exchange them only for extremely precious items from the other side."

Ye Qin couldn't help but feel disappointed after hearing this. In that case, even if he provided the purple fire-attribute mineral crystal material and paid a sum of money, the cultivators of the Ancient Artifact Sect might not agree to refine a top-tier flying sword for him.

Old Man Ge noticed Ye Qin's disappointed expression and said with a grin, "Junior Brother Ye seems very interested in artifact refinement. Why don't you learn artifact refinement from me? Actually, artifact refinement is much more interesting than alchemy; there are many tempering techniques. The Spirit Artifacts you forge can be sold for spirit elixirs, which can easily fuel your cultivation. If you manage to form a Core in the future, refining flying sword Dharma Artifacts will be even easier. If the Azure Pill Sect had a Golden Core Elder specializing in artifact refinement, it would be a great honor."

Ye Qin shook his head. Forming a Core was not that easy. He smiled and said, "Senior Brother is proficient in artifact refinement; I wonder if Senior Brother knows what Nascent Essence is?"

Old Man Ge looked startled. "Nascent Essence? Why are you asking about that?"

Ye Qin replied, "I occasionally saw this term while flipping through artifact refinement formulas; it struck me as rather strange."

Old Man Ge assumed Ye Qin had seen the formula in the Azure Pill Sect’s Scripture Pavilion and didn't think much of it. "Nascent Essence is the essence of the Nascent Soul. After a Core Formation cultivator passes away, their Nascent Soul disintegrates, leaving a small amount of Nascent Essence. However, the function of this Nascent Essence was unknown for a long time until someone accidentally discovered that if a small amount of Nascent Essence is incorporated into a Dharma Artifact during tempering, the artifact can be absorbed into the body. Furthermore, it can be enveloped by one's own Nascent Soul and slowly tempered by it. After several years of tempering by the Nascent Soul, the artifact's power increases dramatically, boosting its original might by at least thirty to fifty percent. Therefore, Dharma Artifacts infused with Nascent Essence are also called Nascent Soul Dharma Artifacts. However, Nascent Essence is exceedingly rare in the cultivation world; any essence left after a Core Formation cultivator passes is treasured by their sect, and very few ever acquire it."

Ye Qin’s expression changed drastically. He slowly nodded, his heart sinking. He now understood the origin of Nascent Essence, but his hope grew dimmer. Where could he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, acquire something left behind by a deceased Core Formation cultivator?

Elder Ge added a final note here. "Even if someone obtains it, they might not use it for refinement."

Ye Qin found this strange. "Why is that? Nascent Soul Dharma Artifacts are significantly more powerful than normal Dharma Artifacts; shouldn't many people rush to refine them?"

Old Man Ge rolled his eyes. "Isn't that simple? Since the Nascent Soul tempers the Dharma Artifact, significantly boosting its power, the Nascent Soul itself must consume a great deal of vital energy. At worst, it reduces cultivation level; at the very worst, it can cause regression. Although the power of a Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact is much greater than an ordinary Dharma Artifact, the vital energy diligently cultivated by oneself is far more precious than one Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact. Who would do such a foolish thing? Wouldn't that impede their cultivation? Of course, those cultivators whose lifespan is almost exhausted and are near death are the exception. If they can let go, not caring about the loss of cultivation, they can draw the Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact into their bodies before death and temper it with their Nascent Soul. For a dying cultivator, the level of their cultivation no longer matters much. The Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact left behind for their descendants can still serve a considerable purpose."

Ye Qin was stunned; he stood dumbfounded for a long moment before realizing the implication.

"Tempering a Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact consumes vital energy?"

He was utterly chagrined; that Ancient Jade Slip had utterly deceived him. The Purple Sword Divine Monarch had boasted that his Purple Sword Art made one invincible at Foundation Establishment and Core Formation—this was the underlying reason.

Eight top-tier flying sword Dharma Artifacts, forged from supreme raw materials, forming a sword array—that alone was monstrous enough. Adding Nascent Essence and tempering it with the Nascent Soul, each sword’s power could be amplified by over thirty percent.

Who in the world, he wondered, could defeat a freakish cultivator wielding eight top-tier Nascent Soul Dharma Artifacts?

This Purple Sword Divine Monarch was indeed formidable to have provided eight sets of top-tier flying sword recipes along with Nascent Essence materials. However, the Purple Sword Divine Monarch was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator with a vast lifespan, plenty of time to gather these raw materials. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Ye Qin spent the majority of his time cultivating and simply didn't have the luxury to gather these materials.

Old Man Ge relentlessly encouraged Ye Qin to learn artifact refinement from him, as cultivators interested in his pseudo-Dharma Artifacts were rare.

Ye Qin considered it for a moment and agreed. He would have to learn artifact refinement sooner or later, and since Old Man Ge was willing to teach him, he certainly wouldn't refuse.

For the next six months, Ye Qin confined himself to secluded cultivation within his private estate, simultaneously studying artifact refinement while cultivating.

He practiced the middle volume of the Sitting in Oblivion Sutra, the Foundation Establishment cultivation method, Sitting in Oblivion Sutra: Fundamental Return to Origin: "Void Sitting in Oblivion, Selflessness and True Nature. Shedding the mortal coil and transforming the bones, impervious to dust and grime."

Perhaps because the ancient cultivators who created the Sitting in Oblivion Sutra: Gazing at Selflessness employed a method too extreme, resulting in too many deaths, only a very small number of cultivators successfully reached Foundation Establishment. As a result, those few survivors were clearly frightened and dared not continue with such reckless cultivation methods.

Therefore, this middle-volume Foundation Establishment technique instead heavily emphasized returning to nature and gradual progress, allowing the internal energy to circulate smoothly, no longer forcefully restraining and compressing the aura. It was akin to a severely ill person slowly regulating their breath with gentle warmth.

Alongside cultivation, he tended the herb garden within his Purple Mansion, refining some Foundation Establishment-level Origin Return Pills, which he consumed daily—this remained essential. After all, for Ye Qin, only spirit elixirs were the fastest way to increase his cultivation.

When refining elixirs, he placed formation flags outside the alchemy room, preventing anyone from approaching.

To avoid suspicion regarding the source of his medicinal ingredients, he specifically purchased a considerable amount of herbs from other Foundation Establishment cultivators within the sect.

Purchasing medicinal herbs, refining Spirit Pills, selling the Elixirs, and converting the proceeds back into Spirit Stones.

This way, even though his own fields had yet to yield any herbs, no one would casually question the source of his ingredients. They would simply assume his alchemy was proficient enough to earn substantial Spirit Stones purely from his skill, which he would then use to acquire more materials.

Furthermore, when Ye Qin had spare time, he followed Elder Ge in artifact forging, familiarizing himself with the techniques of quenching and tempering.

Over the span of about six months, the Azure Elixir Sect saw the successful Foundation Establishment of several new cultivators. Grand celebrations were held, and the entire sect experienced vibrant, boisterous activity at regular intervals. The majority of these Foundation Establishment cultivators were almost exclusively disciples clad in blue robes, and this included the son of an Azure Elixir Elder.

Thus, as Ye Qin remained secluded behind closed doors, he was naturally and gradually forgotten by the multitude of disciples within the sect. (To be continued; for what happens next, please visit [website address], where more chapters await. Support the author, support legitimate reading!) First Release