Dengjin Mountain was one of only two places in the Chidi Mountain Range that possessed a second-grade spiritual vein.
Back when the turmoil erupted in Tengyun Market and Xu Pingyang wiped out the Chang family the former rulers of Dengjin Mountain the place was taken over by the Ma Battalion as a cultivation base.
Aside from Ma himself, only a few scattered cultivators remained on the mountain to handle chores and tend to the spiritual fields.
But after both Xu Pingyang and Ma perished at Li Ye's hands, the mountain once again became a land without a master. Under Li Ye's direction, it was temporarily placed under the jurisdiction of Pingyang Mountain.
Now that he wanted to make use of the second-grade spiritual fields there, no one dared to say a word in protest.
After all... Li Ye had reaped quite the harvest from the recent auction.
Although many of the spiritual plants he acquired weren't immediately useful, they significantly enriched his collection.
In the future, should he ever need a specific spiritual essence, he could simply plant what was required and harvest it at will.
As for pill recipes suited to his cultivation, the main ingredients for both the Wood Vitality Pill and the Blood Essence Pill had already been planted.
Aside from those, the two toxic pills he acquired at the auction Blood-Melting Pill and Witherbone Powder piqued his interest greatly.
The Blood-Melting Pill could deteriorate blood and flesh, weakening a cultivator's physical form, while the Witherbone Powder attacked the very marrow, crumbling a person's core foundation.
When combined, the two poisons could severely damage an unprepared cultivator upon contact.
Even if one managed to counteract the poison quickly with an antidote, the lingering effects would take time to heal greatly hindering combat effectiveness in the meantime.
More importantly, these toxins were especially effective against physically powerful body cultivators and spiritual beasts.
They could cripple such enemies' physical combat capabilities, drastically reducing their strength.
"If these poisons are successfully refined, I could trap my enemy in a formation, release the toxins… and that alone might be enough to deal with them!"
Li Ye chuckled to himself as he calculated, "Even if I run into a powerful opponent, I'd have a major edge…"
With years of agricultural cultivation deepening his mastery of miscellaneous arts, even though his cultivation level remained relatively low, his combat ability especially when paired with spirit tools he had acquired was already formidable among Foundation Establishment cultivators.
He now had the confidence and strength needed to safeguard his cultivation path.
Lost in thought, Li Ye decided to head to Dengjin Mountain to plant the Blood-Melting Flower and Witherbone Grass he had on hand.
His plan was to secure his current resources first, then sort through his techniques and miscellaneous arts one by one no need to rush into cultivation.
But just as he was about to set out, his expression shifted slightly. He turned back toward the palace hall, retrieved the command token from his waist, and casually activated the grand formation opening a passage through it.
.......
"Hahaha! Brother Deng, your mastery of Daoist arts is truly profound this exchange has been immensely enlightening for me… Come! Allow me, Li Ye, to offer you a toast!"
Li Ye, looking genuinely pleased, raised his cup to Deng Tiancheng in a gesture of respect.
"Brother Li, you're too kind! We both recently advanced to Foundation Establishment, yet your dual mastery of alchemy and formations is truly astonishing. I, Deng Tiancheng, am deeply impressed!"
At this moment, Deng Tiancheng showed no trace of arrogance, his tone warm and friendly.
The two drank and chatted, discussing the Dao in good spirits. The atmosphere was harmonious and full of mutual appreciation.
About halfway through the feast, Deng Tiancheng suddenly spoke up:
"For someone like you, Brother Li breaking through to Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty and already so accomplished in both alchemy and formations even in my Jiuding Valley, we have no one of your caliber.
If you could secure better cultivation resources, even reaching the Golden Core stage wouldn't be out of reach!"
"If we joined forces, and news of any Golden Core-grade spiritual material surfaced within the sect, no one could rival the two of us. But such an opportunity won't come from staying in this desolate land… Brother Li, are you truly unwilling to join Jiuding Valley?"
His expression was earnest, filled with sincerity as if offering a genuine partnership to compete for power and resources within the sect, all in pursuit of the Golden Core.
But Li Ye simply set down his cup and sighed softly.
"Brother Deng, your goodwill is something I deeply appreciate."
"But I truly have no desire to get entangled in sect politics. While the Chidi Mountains may be somewhat barren, my skill in alchemy more than makes up for it…"
"Even if no grand opportunities present themselves, I'm confident I can steadily cultivate here in seclusion."
"As for the Golden Core... it's such a distant and uncertain goal. I see no reason to expend energy on chasing it too early."
Looking at Li Ye's expression which held not a hint of falsehood Deng Tiancheng could only shake his head and smile wryly.
"Very well… each man has his path. Since you have your plans, I won't press further."
He had already invited Li Ye once before when Li Ye first hosted a gathering of cultivators. At the time, Li Ye had refused outright.
Deng had assumed Li Ye was just playing hard to get, holding out for better terms.
But now it was clear Li Ye had been entirely sincere from the beginning.
Deng could only sigh in resignation.
Still, just because the invitation was declined didn't mean the friendship should be lost.
Smiling once more, he raised his cup again and said:
"Regardless, our friendship stands. Should I ever come asking for pills or formation help in the future, I hope you won't turn me away again!"
"Oh come now, Brother Deng!"
Li Ye chuckled. "Why would I turn away a job brought straight to my door?"
"So long as you don't mind my humble skills, I'll do everything I can."
Both were interested in maintaining a good relationship and after just a few more exchanges, the mood returned to a pleasant, friendly tone.
"Whew…"
With a turn of his spiritual power, Li Ye instantly dispelled the lingering effects of the alcohol. The tipsy look he wore just moments before vanished, replaced by sober clarity.
Gazing in the direction Deng Tiancheng had left, he shook his head.
"If this were back in my Qi Refining days, I might've been tempted. But now, I hold too many cards, and I'm not lacking in spiritual fields. Why would I jump into your muddy waters?"
"Besides, even if Jiuding Valley truly has access to Golden Core-grade materials, who's to say you wouldn't take them for yourself first? If there's only one shot and I get left out, wouldn't I have worked for you for nothing?"
It wasn't that Li Ye was overly cynical just realistic.
Even Foundation Establishment opportunities were enough to drive Qi Refining cultivators into frenzies.
The chance to form a Golden Core with its five hundred years of lifespan was even more irresistible. No Foundation Establishment cultivator could ignore that kind of allure.
If there was truly only one such treasure, the chance of Deng turning on him was nearly one hundred percent.
No matter how nice his words were now, they meant little in the long run.
Right now, Li Ye had collected a wealth of pill recipes and rare herbs this was the perfect time to settle down, farm, and officially embark on the cultivation path.
And as for true fortune...
Beneath this geothermal fire lay the broken remains of the Heavenly Craft Hall, a super-scale ancient mechanism palace from the era of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Compared to that kind of heritage, what was Jiuding Valley a mere Golden Core sect worth?
Who could say there weren't hidden treasures in that lava palace perhaps even Golden Core or legendary Nascent Soul-grade spiritual items?
With all these advantages, Li Ye was more than happy to continue being the "local tyrant" of the Chidi Mountains in comfort.
He'd have to be crazy to go work for Jiuding Valley like a servant.
Rubbing his chin with a playful look, Li Ye mused:
"Still, Deng Tiancheng is indeed a promising disciple of a major sect. His access to information and resources is far superior to mine. Staying on good terms with him serves my interests too."
"I imagine he's thinking the same. As long as the secrets of the lava palace remain hidden, we'll get along just fine…"
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