Sect Master’s Immortal Journey

Chapter 232: Explanation

After much discussion, the crowd bid their farewells and went back to their respective homes.

Before Meng Zhang left, he was asked by Gu Tanghai to stay behind for a discussion. After everyone else had departed, Gu Tanghai took Meng Zhang back to Singing Sand City. They arrived at a tavern and found a secluded private room. Once seated, a waiter came and served them food and wine.

Gu Tanghai enthusiastically persuaded Meng Zhang to drink and eat, playing the role of a hospitable host. When three rounds of drinks and five flavors of dishes had passed, and the atmosphere seemed appropriate, Gu Tanghai cautiously inquired about the whereabouts of the two Foundation Building Pills that Meng Zhang had requested from the Shi Family and Luo Ye's current location.

Meng Zhang had already thought about Gu Tanghai's question. He didn't hesitate and gave a direct answer. He explained that he had given one of the Foundation Building Pills to Luo Ye's disciple, as Luo Ye had helped him greatly, and he couldn't let Luo Ye's efforts go unrewarded.

When Meng Zhang mentioned this, he looked meaningfully at Gu Tanghai, causing the latter's face to appear somewhat uneasy. Gu Tanghai was the one who had pressured the Shi Family to aid Luo Ye. As for Luo Ye himself, after completing Foundation Building, he went on a journey to seek opportunities to reach the Core Formation realm.

As for the other Foundation Building Pill, Meng Zhang gave it to Deep Earth. It was impossible for Deep Earth, the Spirit General, to remain hidden forever. Having a Foundation Building cultivator in a sect like Taiyi Sect was a significant event, and there needed to be an explanation for Deep Earth's origin.

According to Meng Zhang, Deep Earth came from a distant land and was originally a Refining Qi completion stage loose cultivator. This person had a formidable Cultivation Base and remarkable knowledge. To recruit Deep Earth into Taiyi Sect, Meng Zhang had offered him the Foundation Building Pill. As long as Deep Earth was willing to make a solemn pledge, vowing loyalty to Taiyi Sect, he could receive the Foundation Building Pill to assist in his Foundation Building.

Sure enough, after taking the Foundation Building Pill, Deep Earth successfully achieved Foundation Building, adding one more Foundation Building expert to Taiyi Sect.

Meng Zhang's explanation seemed flawless. Furthermore, Deep Earth's situation could be easily verified. Taiyi Sect had a clear understanding of the backgrounds of its disciples, and aside from Deep Earth, there were no other Foundation Building cultivators.

Originally, Gu Tanghai had been thinking about obtaining the Foundation Building Pills from Meng Zhang. After all, Meng Zhang wouldn't need them anymore after achieving Foundation Building. He was willing to pay a certain price to acquire the pills. However, with Meng Zhang's revelation that both Foundation Building Pills were no longer in his possession, Gu Tanghai abandoned the idea.

Gu Tanghai also instructed Meng Zhang not to disclose that the Foundation Building Pill used by Deep Earth came from the Shi Family. Instead, they should claim that Meng Zhang had acquired it during his last visit to Great Wind City and gave it to Deep Earth upon his return.

Meng Zhang readily agreed to Gu Tanghai's request and continued to drink with him. At a certain point, Gu Tanghai mentioned Zhang Yingying, an Alchemist from Meng Zhang's family who was originally cultivated in Twin Success Valley. He suggested that Meng Zhang should inquire with her about any knowledge she might have regarding the Lesser Foundation Building Pill.

Meng Zhang smiled and replied, "Brother Gu, you're overthinking it. Zhang Yingying isn't a direct disciple of Twin Success Valley but merely an alchemy tool. Moreover, her alchemy technique is average, so it's unlikely she has access to information about the Lesser Foundation Building Pill."

Gu Tanghai acknowledged the reasonability of Meng Zhang's explanation. Information about the Lesser Foundation Building Pill was highly classified within Twin Success Valley. Zhang Yingying, a mere First Rank Alchemist and an outsider, wouldn't likely have access to such information.

Seeing Gu Tanghai deep in thought, Meng Zhang suggested an idea, "Brother Gu, if you want to obtain the alchemy recipe for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill and clues about the two materials, you might consider seeking help from Flying Swan Sect."

Meng Zhang didn't speak without reason. When Flying Swan Sect attacked Twin Success Valley, exterminating everyone in the sect, they still occupy Twin Success Valley's mountain gate. If anyone were most likely to possess the complete heritage of Twin Success Valley and the alchemy recipe for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill, it would be Flying Swan Sect.

Hearing Meng Zhang's words, Gu Tanghai bitterly smiled a few times. Shi Family was the remnants of Purple Gold Sect and had been hunted by Flying Swan Sect for hundreds of years. Not to mention asking Flying Swan Sect for the complete alchemy recipe of the Lesser Foundation Building Pill, just appearing before them required immense courage.

With the main topic nearing its conclusion, the two chatted idly for a while, exchanged toasts, and then bid farewell to each other.

After returning to Taiyi Sect, Meng Zhang entered the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, where he extracted the relevant parts about the two materials and the alchemy recipe for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill from the Twin Success Valley's records and put them together.

This portion of information was kept separately by Meng Zhang. Only when the sect had a Second Rank Alchemist would they be allowed to borrow it.

The Lesser Foundation Building Pill required a special spirit herb called the Three-Leafed Dan Ginseng. The cultivation method involved nurturing ordinary dan ginseng for decades and, once it reached a certain level of maturity, using a secret method from Twin Success Valley to transplant it onto a three-leafed flower.

As it was not urgent to cultivate the Three-Leafed Dan Ginseng, Meng Zhang secretly instructed Daoist Clear Spirit to begin secretly cultivating both the dan ginseng and the three-leafed flowers with reliable disciples.

After dealing with the matters concerning the Lesser Foundation Building Pill, Meng Zhang went to the Pill Hall within the sect.

Due to the frequent alchemy practices, the Pill Hall occupied an independent courtyard in a relatively remote location within the sect. Inside the Pill Hall were several alchemy rooms containing alchemy furnaces of different grades for the use of the sect's alchemists. There were also several independent rooms for storing various medicinal materials.

Seeing Meng Zhang arrive at the Pill Hall, the Hall Master Zhang Yingying hurriedly greeted him. She had heard about Zhao Jiudou's pursuit of the Twin Success Valley remnants and that Taiyi Sect was targeted. She thought she might not escape this time. However, unexpectedly, Meng Zhang, just a small Sect Master of a minor sect, dared to confront the disciples of Flying Swan Sect and didn't hand her over. This made Zhang Yingying deeply grateful but also very worried.

Zhang Yingying had been extremely anxious when Meng Zhang went to accept Zhao Jiudou's challenge, but now that she saw him return safely, a huge burden lifted from her heart.

Meng Zhang smiled and said, "You don't need to worry anymore. Zhao Jiudou suffered a defeat this time, so he shouldn't dare to keep bothering us."

With Meng Zhang's reassurance, Zhang Yingying's worries finally completely disappeared, and she was deeply moved by his actions. At this moment, her sense of belonging and loyalty to Taiyi Sect had never been stronger.

The recognition and loyalty of disciples towards their sect were built up little by little.

After comforting Zhang Yingying, Meng Zhang inquired about the cultivation situation of the alchemists in the sect. Zhang Yingying felt embarrassed to say that the cultivation of alchemists in the sect was still lacking. Though Pill Hall had recruited several disciples with considerable talents and carefully nurtured them for a long time, most of them were still alchemy apprentices and could only assist in handling various medicinal materials. Only one qualified alchemist had been trained, but the success rate of pill formation was not high. Often, Zhang Yingying had to help them when they were doing alchemy.

[Read at /maxnkoga , without ads and support the work.]