Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

Zhao Yu's brow furrowed slightly as he said, "Brother Xiahou, isn't it customary that there's only one mandatory mission every ten years?"

Xiahou Zhenyu implied obscurely, "According to custom that is indeed the case, however, this time the Sect Master personally ordered your mission, which does not violate the sect's rules."

Zhao Yu immediately realized that most likely it was the Fairy Colored Spirit taking advantage of the situation, aiming to distance him from the Dan Ling Sect.

The Great Sects naturally wouldn't support Foundation Establishment Cultivators without expecting something in return, so it was perfectly normal for the Sect Master to order the conscription of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to participate in the development decrees. If Zhao Yu didn't go, other Foundation Establishment Cultivators would still have to.

Xiahou Zhenyu said with a sympathetic face, "To compensate you, the sect has specially allocated 60,000 contribution points from the sect to you. However, you must also guard the Canglong Mountain Range for thirty years and may not return to the sect without an imperial decree."

Although the resources in the Canglong Mountain Range were rich, the area was also incredibly dangerous. Moreover, most of the Third Order Spirit Veins within the Canglong Mountain harbored powerful demons.

Zhao Yu's destination, the small Yuanyuan Market, only possessed a single Second-Order Low-Grade Spirit Vein, which naturally could not compare to cultivating within the confines of the Dan Ling Sect.

A flicker of ardor passed through Xiahou Zhenyu's eyes as he said, "However, Brother Zhao, this development decree is also an opportunity. Under the development decree, any cultivator who captures and can hold a Spiritual Land for a year will own that land."

"This is also a chance to establish a Foundation Establishment family! Disciple Zhang, Disciple Tuoba, and I have all applied to go to the Canglong Mountains. If the four of us join forces, we can surely secure several plots of Spiritual Land as the foundation for our families!"

In the northern wilderness of the four states, almost all Spiritual Lands were already owned, occupied by the Great Sects and Foundation Establishment families, leaving new Foundation Establishment Cultivators only able to find First Order or lesser Spiritual Lands for settling their kin.

The Canglong Mountain Range was vast and possessed countless resources. Deep within, there were even many Second and Third Order Spirit Veins, and securing one Second Order Spirit Vein could form the foundation of a Foundation Establishment family for generations.

The development decrees issued jointly by the Five Great Sects naturally aroused the interest of many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the northern wilderness.

Zhao Yu nodded slightly, then chatted a few more sentences with Xiahou Zhenyu before the latter took his leave.

Zhao Yu said indifferently, "Lingxiu, you heard. In three months, I will leave the sect for the Canglong Mountains, unable to return to the sect for thirty years. If you do not wish to accompany me to the Canglong Mountains, then I will leave you to cultivate within the sect. I can give you three months to consider."

Shangguan Lingxiu smiled radiantly and said, "My lord, there is no need for three months, I can answer you now. My mother taught me that husband and wife are one, and we should share our joys and hardships. Since my lord is going to the Canglong Mountains, I should accompany you. Of course, if my lord thinks I'm clumsy and burdensome, I can stay behind, and I will not hinder you!"

Zhao Yu gave a slight smile and with a wave of his hand, several jade bottles fell into Shangguan Lingxiu's hands, "Take these pills for consumption, come back for more if they run out."

"Superior Grade Yellow Spirit Pill, Superior Grade Red Jade Pill!"

Shangguan Lingxiu took the jade bottles, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Shangguan Lingxiu, being an Inner Sect Disciple of the Dan Ling Sect, also received two Spirit Stones every month, and one Red Jade Pill each year. If she wanted more resources, she would need to earn them on her own.

Top-grade pills like the Superior Grade Yellow Spirit Pill and Superior Grade Red Jade Pill were generally only accessible to a few expert Alchemy elders' direct disciples within the sect.

Should Shangguan Lingxiu decide to stay at the sect, Zhao Yu wouldn't force her to accompany him to the Canglong Mountains, but he also wouldn't provide her with cultivation resources, leaving her to fend for herself.

After receiving the news, Zhao Yu immediately went to the sect's interior, using the newly acquired 30,000 sect contribution points to exchange for a Hundred Herb Radiance Pill that could enhance Early Foundation Establishment Mana, a Beast Soul Spirit Pill that could enhance Mid Foundation Establishment Mana, a Tricolored Mist Spirit Pill that could enhance Mid Foundation Establishment Mana, and a Hundred-Refining Beast Spirit Pill that could enhance Late Foundation Establishment Mana.

In Dan Ling Sect, the pill recipes that could enhance the mana of Foundation Establishment Cultivators were also exceedingly rare, basically controlled exclusively by the Colorful Fairy and a few Pill Master elders raised by the sect from childhood; they were never shared externally.

Zhao Yu could only obtain Spirit Pills through purchase and then rely on his ability to assimilate Dao Fruits to analyze these pill recipes.

Three months later, at a spacious square within Dan Ling Sect, thirty-two Spirit Boats, each a hundred zhang long, were moored.

Dense crowds of mortals, like ants, lined up in long queues, slowly boarding the boats.

These mortals were either relatives of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, members of Qi Refinement Cultivation families attached to various Foundation Establishment Cultivators, or warriors recruited from the Mortal World by families of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

For the development of places like Canglong Mountain Range, mortals were indispensable in addition to cultivators, for all cultivators originated from mortals. Without a large population for support, the death of a cultivator meant the reduction of one.

Cultivators would enter Canglong Mountain to slaughter demon beasts and eradicate Evil Spirits, while mortals cultivated the land, built cities, and proliferated. It could take years, even decades, to transform that region into a habitat suitable for humans.

It is said that in the ancient times, the Northern Barrens also used to be a Cultivation Holy Land. Later, for unknown reasons, human cultivators either died or left the area. Without the protection of cultivators, the people of the Northern Barrens perished, and it slowly turned into a dangerous land inhabited by various demon beasts.

Later, a Golden Core cultivator from the Great Qian Empire led a large number of mortals to migrate there, cutting through brambles and thorns, killing countless demon beasts and Evil Spirits to gradually carve out the territory of four countries. Stay connected through empire

A cloud drifted leisurely from afar and landed on a Flying Boat.

Xiahou Zhenyu, looking at the slowly approaching cloud, laughed heartily, "Junior Brother Zhao, your Soaring Cloud Technique is really not up to par; you still need more practice!"

As the cloud dispersed, the figures of Zhao Yu and Shangguan Lingxiu appeared.

Zhao Yu was dressed in a white Daoist robe, looking handsome and extraordinary. Shangguan Lingxiu, however, was garbed in a dusty grey Daoist robe, her hair braided into thick plaits, and with strands of hair falling over her forehead covering much of her face, appeared very plain and simple, a far cry from her previous beauty.

"I shall diligently practice this technique in the future, Brother!"

Zhao Yu chuckled lightly, leading Shangguan Lingxiu to sit down next to Xiahou Zhenyu.

Xiahou Zhenyu expressed regret, "Why is Junior Sister dressed like this? It's such a pity!"

Zhao Yu said, "Lingxiu's beauty is too striking; I made her dress this way to avoid attracting trouble!"

Shangguan Lingxiu's beauty was among the top within Dan Ling Sect, filled with beautiful women. Although she only had a mid-grade Spirit Root and average aptitude, many male cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage still desired to take her as their Dao Companion.

Zhao Yu currently held only the First Level of Foundation Establishment, his main cultivation technique, the Earth Elemental Skill, was also remarkably mediocre, far inferior to top-tier heritages like the Mystic True Scripture of the Primordial Dao.

He possessed several Spiritual Artifacts, yet most of them were Low-Grade, and his cultivation of the Golden Sha Beast God Body had only reached the Fourth Level. If one discounted the White Ghost Emperor, a Second-Order mid-grade Ghost, he was merely an ordinary Loose Cultivator at Foundation Establishment.

As Zhao Yu did not plan to expose his trump card, the White Ghost Emperor, easily, he had no choice but to let Shangguan Lingxiu dress down to avoid trouble.