After a night of rest, Wei Zhong woke up refreshed, realizing that cultivation required a balance of work and relaxation.
For decades, his cultivation had felt incomplete. Now he understood what was missing.
"Ling'er, do you still have any energy left?"
Xie Linghua playfully slapped Wei Zhong's thigh, feigning annoyance. "Senior, you really exhausted me last night..."
Wei Zhong smiled and retrieved a jar of his homemade Azure Vine Intoxication. "This spirit wine is called Azure Vine Intoxication. It has a mild nourishing effect on the body. Drink some daily—it will greatly benefit you."
Xie Linghua looked surprised. "Azure Vine Intoxication? Is this the same Azure Vine Intoxication sold in the shops under the Azurewood Sect's True Inheritance?"
Wei Zhong playfully pinched her nose. "Exactly. In fact, True Disciple Shen obtained the Wine Recipe from me."
"So the rumors from the Li Family about you being connected to the Azurewood Sect's True Inheritance were true after all."
Wei Zhong shook his head. "It's merely a matter of mutual benefit."
As he spoke, Wei Zhong's gaze fell upon her fair, slender legs. Overwhelmed by desire, he indulged in another intimate moment with her.
This moment stretched into two days.
Afterward, Wei Zhong sat alone in the Cultivation Chamber, feeling somewhat vexed.
"Ultimately, it's all about food and lust," he muttered. "A single woman has kept me from cultivating for two days. And with so many Yingying Yanyan around, how will I ever focus?"
Wei Zhong shook his head and turned his gaze inward.
The Body Nourishing Art had not only healed his foundational injuries and replenished his Lifespan but also maintained his physical form at its peak.
After two and a half days of indulgence, Wei Zhong felt no fatigue whatsoever. On the contrary, he felt invigorated, as if his vigor only grew with each encounter. If Xie Linghua hadn't given out, he could have continued indefinitely.
*This art truly nourishes to the core,* he thought.
Wei Zhong conjured a Water Mirror, which reflected the image of a middle-aged man. Having achieved Foundation Establishment, his apparent age was now around forty, mirroring his physical appearance.
His face was sharply defined, his skin pale yellow with a hint of fair complexion. Most striking were his deep-set eyes, which seemed to carry the weight of years within their depths.
*I'd give this face a six out of ten,* Wei Zhong mused, *and add two points for my Foundation Establishment cultivation base.*
The Water Mirror shattered, and Wei Zhong resumed his cultivation.
However, after only two months of cultivation, Wei Zhong received a message that compelled him to leave his Grotto-Heaven. He found himself in an ancient-style Cultivation Chamber, its atmosphere steeped in antiquity.
Stepping out of the Cultivation Chamber, Wei Zhong found himself facing the outside world. Behind him stood an elegantly antique small building—the new residence Wei Zhong had ordered his subordinates to construct. Situated atop a Second-Tier mid-grade spirit vein node, its spiritual energy concentration rivaled that of his gloomy Immortal's Cave.
Wei Zhong clasped his hands in greeting, addressing the white-robed cultivator before him:
"Senior Luo, it's an honor to have you grace us with your presence. Please forgive this junior's inability to offer a proper welcome due to my cultivation seclusion."
The white-robed Daoist was none other than Luo Mingyan, the Azurewood Sect's Eighth True Disciple.
Compared to his earlier, exuberant demeanor upon achieving Foundation Establishment, Luo Mingyan now exuded a profound, restrained aura. His entire bearing had transformed since his initial breakthrough.
*Did he get a lesson in humility at the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range?*
"Haha, Chu Zhong, now that you've reached Foundation Establishment, we should treat each other as equals."
"Then, if you'll allow me to be so bold, may I call you Elder Brother Luo?"
"Excellent, excellent."
Wei Zhong instructed Xie Linghua to set out a table and chairs, which she adorned with spirit wine and Spirit Food. As they settled in to enjoy the unique scenery of Black Lake Island, they began to converse freely.
"Now that Brother Chu has achieved Foundation Establishment, Fellow Daoist Chu He must be smiling in his grave," Luo Mingyan remarked with a hint of melancholy.
Wei Zhong inwardly struggled to suppress his urge to retort, already planning to one day reintroduce Chu He to the Cultivation World and give everyone a good scare.
"Indeed, it's all thanks to my uncle's support. Without him, how could I have ever achieved my current cultivation base? Now that I've finally reached this level, I long to repay him, but the opportunity is gone forever..."
Luo Mingyan sighed deeply at the mention of Chu He's passing, recalling the countless fellow disciples he had witnessed perish in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.
Qi Refining cultivators were treated like insignificant firewood thrown into the blazing furnace of the development campaign, while even Foundation Establishment cultivators struggled to survive. As a True Inheritance Disciple, Luo Mingyan himself had faced death's door countless times.
Decades of hard-won experience had taught him to cherish his own life above all else, valuing survival far more than any opportunity. The once-sharp, ambitious spirit of his youth had long since dulled.
"Speaking of which, Brother Chu's feat of slaying the Candle Daoist as a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator has caused quite a stir among cultivators."
*Here it comes,* Wei Zhong thought. The Li Family had already widely publicized his victory over the Candle Daoist and his appointment as their Guest Elder. He wasn't surprised that Luo Mingyan, as a disciple of the Azurewood Sect, would have heard about it.
Wei Zhong allowed a hint of pride to show on his face. "Oh, it was nothing. The Candle Daoist was already gravely wounded. I merely took advantage of his weakened state to claim an easy victory."
Luo Mingyan shook his head.
"Fellow Daoist Chu, there's no need to be so modest. The two Loose Cultivators who faced the Candle Daoist before were utterly defeated. The fact that you, Brother Chu, managed to defeat him proves you possess considerable skill."
Wei Zhong merely smiled, saying nothing, seemingly basking in the praise.
No one knew the details of his battle with the Candle Daoist. Only those two senior experts could deduce some of the events from the traces of their clash. Given their lofty status, they wouldn't waste time explaining their deductions to the Azurewood Sect, a mere Golden Core sect.
"With your capabilities, Brother Chu, you could surely advance further. Why then are you unwilling to join our Azurewood Sect as a Foundation Establishment Guest Elder?" Luo Mingyan asked, genuinely puzzled.
Wei Zhong understood that Luo Mingyan was genuinely perplexed. As a True Inheritance disciple, Luo Mingyan had no need to pressure him.
"Ah," Wei Zhong sighed, "Others may not know, but surely you do, Brother Luo. With my meager low-grade spirit root, achieving Foundation Establishment was already a stroke of luck. I dare not even dream of reaching higher realms.
Rather than wasting a century in futile cultivation, I'd rather enjoy the rest of my days. Marrying, having children, and establishing my own cultivation family—isn't that another valid path?"
Luo Mingyan remained silent. As a True Inheritance Disciple of the Azurewood Sect, he had a long future ahead of him, filled with promise. He simply couldn't empathize with Wei Zhong's mindset.
But lack of empathy didn't mean rejection or opposition.
"Then I wish you, Old Brother, a house full of wives and concubines, and a harmonious, fulfilling family life."
The two clinked glasses.
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Brother Luo."
Luo Mingyan drained his cup of spirit wine in one gulp, his eyes lighting up slightly.
"Could this be Azure Vine Intoxication?"
Wei Zhong nodded, smiling. "Indeed. I drew some inspiration from Fellow Daoist Hu Yang and refined the Azure Vine Intoxication technique. Unfortunately, I could only reach the peak of First-Tier quality; it's proving difficult to advance to Second-Tier."
Luo Mingyan shook his head. "Even this level of spirit wine is exceedingly rare. I never imagined Brother Chu's brewing skills were so exceptional. To gift that Wine Recipe to my friend without charge... truly..."
Wei Zhong looked puzzled. "Hmm? Is there a story behind this?"
"Old Brother, you wouldn't believe it, but my good brother made a fortune in spirit stones using that Wine Recipe in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range."