Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

The Bi Xiang Tea House was the most famous teahouse in the Market of the Nine Sinks Mountain, and it offered for sale a first-class Superior Grade Spiritual Tea known as Silver Dragon Bi Xiang Tea, which was extremely popular among cultivators.

On the fifth floor of the Bi Xiang Tea House.

Upon entering a private room, Zhao Yu saw Wang Jingzhang, clad in white and extraordinarily elegant, sitting on a cushion. Beside him sat the elegantly composed and dignified Ling Lianxue in a blue dress, as well as another stunning beauty in yellow, whose delicate skin seemed almost breakable to the touch and who possessed a Third Level Qi Refining cultivation.

Wang Jingzhang grinned slightly and said, "Pill Master Zhao, you've arrived! Please, take a seat!"

Zhao Yu sat down on a cushion.

Ling Lianxue delicately stood up, presented a cup of Silver Dragon Bi Xiang Tea, and then returned to Wang Jingzhang's side.

Zhao Yu picked up the cup of Silver Dragon Bi Xiang Tea and glanced at it. He saw the emerald-green liquid with tea leaves that emitted a faint silver glow, like tiny silver dragons. He took a gentle sip—the tea's fragrance instantly filled his mouth and a warm current flowed through his body, slightly enhancing his mana.

"Excellent tea!"

After praising the tea, Zhao Yu placed the cup aside and calmly looked at Wang Jingzhang, saying, "Fellow Wang, may I inquire the important matter for which you've summoned me here?"

Wang Jingzhang smiled faintly and said, "Pill Master Zhao, I admire your alchemy! Staying with the Ling family is truly a waste of your talent. I formally invite you to join our Lingxi Wang family!"

"There are five Foundation Establishment families in Cang Country, and our Lingxi Wang family is the foremost among them! If you join our Lingxi Wang family, whatever terms the Ling family has offered you, our Wang family will double!"

"To show our sincerity, as long as you agree, my two concubines will be yours!"

As soon as these words were spoken, both Ling Lianxue and the other beautiful woman in yellow turned pale.

In fact, concubines to cultivators are like smaller wives, with the cultivators holding the power of life and death over them, and it's quite normal to gift them to one another or exchange them for cultivation resources.

Transferring a wife would make other cultivators despise and loathe Li Yunhai, but Wang Jingzhang's offering of concubines would be regarded as usual business by other cultivators.

Zhao Yu said, "I apologize, Fellow Wang! Having already made an agreement to serve as a guest elder of the Ling family for three years, I can only discuss this matter after that time!"

Zhao Yu was very content with his cooperation with the Ling family because among the five Foundation Establishment families of Cang Country, the Changyang Ling family was the weakest. The Lingxi Wang family, on the other hand, was the most powerful.

The Changyang Ling family publicly had only one Early Foundation Establishment ancestor, while the ancestor of the Lingxi Wang family was a fearsome cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

The renown of Su Bingyun could intimidate the Changyang Ling family, but it was less effective against the Lingxi Wang family. If the Lingxi Wang family were to abduct Zhao Yu and imprison him, squeezing him dry and turning him into an alchemy machine, Su Bingyun would be powerless to help.

A late-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner is considered top-tier combat power in a Golden Core sect like the Cang Ling sect.

Those high and mighty Golden Core ancestors naturally wouldn't lift a finger for a Qi Refining cultivator with no personal ties to them against a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Wang Jingzhang smiled faintly and said, "Are you worried about the Ling family giving you trouble? Don't worry, as long as you agree to become a guest elder of our Wang family, we will shield you from all troubles!"

Zhao Yu tactfully refused, saying, "Fellow Wang, let's discuss this again in three years!"

"Pill Master Zhao, are you refusing my kindness?"

Wang Jingzhang's smile receded from his face as he backhanded Ling Lianxue across the face, knocking her to the ground, and said coldly, "Since Pill Master Zhao doesn't want you, you're worthless. In a few days, I'll send you to Daoist Black!"

Despair flashed through Ling Lianxue's eyes as she sobbed without making a sound, crawling on her knees to Zhao Yu, pleading, "Uncle Zhao, save me! Please, for my father's sake, save me! Daoist Black, he will beat me to death!"

Zhao Yu frowned slightly and said, "Daoist Wang, why don't you sell her to me? I can offer a thousand Spirit Stones!"

Wang Jingzhang sneered, "Daoist Zhao, do you think I, a direct descendent of the Spirit Creek Wang family, would lack Spirit Stones?"

Zhao Yu spoke slowly, "Even if you sold her to a brothel, Daoist Wang, you wouldn't get a thousand Spirit Stones. Why be at odds with Spirit Stones for a momentary anger? Though I can't join the Spirit Creek Wang family, we can still cooperate."

"I need a large amount of ingredients for refining the Red Heart Pills, which you can sell to me at market price. In turn, I can also sell the Superior Grade Yellow Spirit Pills to the Spirit Creek Wang family at a low price. How about it?"

If Wang Jingzhang didn't agree, then Zhao Yu would have no choice but to turn around and leave. He absolutely wouldn't join the Spirit Creek Wang family just for Ling Lianxue.

A pleasant smile appeared on Wang Jingzhang's face, "Pleasure doing business!"

After Zhao Yu handed over ten mid-grade Spirit Stones to Wang Jingzhang, he took a contract, leading Ling Lianxue away from the Bi Xiang Tea House.

Ling Lianxue, pitifully grateful, said, "Thank you, Uncle, for saving my life! In this life, I am willing to serve as a slave to repay the great kindness!"

Zhao Yu said, "You don't need to thank me! I owed your father a big favor, and now it's finally repaid. Go home, you're free! I can only save you this once, the future is up to you."

Cheng Linlan and her family had also moved to Jiuchen Mountain Market. Zhao Yu went to the Cheng family to recount what had happened, then handed Ling Lianxue's contract to Cheng Linlan.

After hearing the whole story, Cheng Linlan expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Daoist Zhao, for your help! If not for you, my foolish daughter's life would have been ruined!"

"I shall take my leave!"

Zhao Yu bid farewell and left.

Cheng Linlan scolded, "You foolish girl! I've told you that Wang Jingzhang is not trustworthy! He's a high-and-mighty direct descendant of the Spirit Creek Wang family, handsome and extraordinary. Countless outstanding women want to marry him, and only a direct daughter like Ling Qianxue could become his legal wife. He never had any true feelings for you!

"But you wouldn't listen, set on marrying him as a concubine! Look at you now, you're back. But you've also completely worn out the affection between your father and Zhao Yu."

Holding onto Cheng Linlan's arm, Ling Lianxue spoke with some expectation, "Mother, I know I was wrong, and I regret it. Uncle Zhao is a hundred times better than Wang Jingzhang. Can you let me marry him, even if just as a concubine?"

Cheng Linlan slowly shook her head, "That's difficult! Your Uncle Zhao is now a distinguished Guest Elder of the Ling family, with the skill of refining Superior Grade Yellow Spirit Pills. He's already a Sixth Level Qi Refining Cultivator, and it's highly likely he will become a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator."

"As soon as he asks, the Ling family would even be willing to marry any direct daughter to him, aside from Ling Qianxue. If he wanted to take concubines, daughters from the Ling family's collateral branches would already be swarming around him."

"You had a chance when he first arrived at Jiuchen Mountain Market, but now, there's no chance left."

Ling Lianxue's bruised cheeks throbbed with pain as her heart filled with regret.