Chapter 1528: Craftsman Wang Qingqi

He had one daughter and three sons. Wang Ping'an was a mortal. Wang Qingyang had a four-spirit root. Wang Qingzhi was a quiet, reserved person who died at the hands of the Nine Nether Sect. Wang Qiuming, Wang Qingzhi's most outstanding descendant, possessed a firm devotion to cultivation.

Like Wang Changsheng, Wang Qiuming used Earthly Fiend Qi to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and Heavenly罡 Qi to the Core Formation stage. His advancement to the Nascent Soul stage didn't surprise Wang Changsheng. As far as he knew, only a handful of cultivators in the entire Dongli Realm still used ancient methods to reach Core Formation, and most of them subsequently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage upon successful Core Formation.

Now, Wang Changsheng was worried about Wang Qingqing. Frankly, he wasn't very optimistic about her. As his biological daughter, he didn't want her to endure too much hardship, so he had always kept her in the rear, focusing on artifact refinement. This might not be beneficial for Wang Qingqing, as she lacked real-world experience; her only significant trial was the Flying Immortal Ruins.

Wang Qingqing's life had been difficult; she first lost her husband, then her son. Consequently, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were even more reluctant to let her take risks. Such excessive indulgence was not good for her.

Wang Qingshan and Wang Qingling were able to form Nascent Souls because they had fought their way through countless battles and gained extensive experience. They had traveled widely and interacted with many cultivators. In contrast, Wang Qingqing had spent most of her time in the Five-Dragon Sea Domain.

The Wang family had risen too quickly, accumulating numerous enemies. The Demon Race and Yellow Dragon Island were overt adversaries, in addition to many competitors. As the only daughter of the Azure Lotus Immortals, Wang Qingqing would easily become a target for hostile forces if she ventured out alone.

Wang Changsheng knew well that not all his descendants could reach the Nascent Soul stage. Among his many descendants, Wang Qingqing, Wang Qiuming, Wang Tianqi, and Wang Youwei were considered more outstanding. While Wang Qiuming had successfully entered the Nascent Soul stage, the fate of the other three remained uncertain.

"Grandson pays respects to Grandfather, Grandmother, and Tenth Aunt."

Wang Qiuming bowed, his expression filled with excitement.

"Rest well, don't be careless, and make sure there are no lingering issues."

Wang Changsheng earnestly instructed him, then took out a small blue porcelain bottle and handed it to Wang Qiuming.

"Let that Golden Crown Flood Dragon be Qiuming's personal spirit beast!" Wang Ruyan said with a smile. "Consider it a congratulation for Qiuming's Nascent Soul formation. Any clan member who reaches the Nascent Soul stage can possess a Tier 3 Flood Dragon as a personal mount."

Wang Ruyan smiled and added that while Wang Qiuming's personal strength was considerable compared to ordinary cultivators, there was still a noticeable gap when compared to Wang Qingling.

The Tier 3 Flood Dragons raised by the Wang family were all low-grade Tier 3. They were pythons transformed into flood dragons, their bloodlines strictly enhanced by medicinal pills. Their advancement was quite difficult and slow, which was logical; everything had its pros and cons. If pythons could easily advance after transforming into flood dragons, other forces would have long since overwhelmed the Wang family.

In the South Sea cultivation world, owning a Tier 3 Flood Dragon as a personal spirit beast was a matter of great prestige.

Wang Changsheng strongly agreed. After cultivators of the Ouyang family reached the Core Formation stage, they could own a Tier 3 Tiger-Qilin Beast, which represented a family's deep foundation. The Wang family currently did not possess as many Tier 3 Flood Dragons. Perhaps in the future, when the Wang family developed into a prominent cultivation family, their Core Formation cultivators would also be able to own Tier 3 Flood Dragons as personal mounts.

As the saying goes, "one generation plants trees, the next enjoys the shade." The Wang family's ancestors had struggled tirelessly, facing death without fear, to secure the family's present prosperity.

After a brief chat, Wang Changsheng instructed Wang Qiuming to go to Azure Lotus Peak to meditate and cultivate. Wang Mengfen arranged for someone to rebuild Wang Qiuming's residence.

Wang Qingling and the others returned to their respective homes and duties.

Wang Changsheng went to Wang Qingqi's residence to visit him.

Wang Qingqi's face was ruddy, and he sported a walrus mustache. After many years, he seemed to be in good spirits, and a strong medicinal fragrance emanated from him.

"Ninth Uncle, you've come at just the right time! Your nephew has acquired some excellent tea."

Wang Qingqi took out an exquisite tea caddy and personally brewed the tea, its aroma filling the air.

The uncle and nephew sat in the stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

There were few remaining clan members of the "Qing" generation. When they were young, the family faced extreme difficulties, leading a harsh existence. Wang Qingqi, witnessing the clan's lack of medicine, resolved to study alchemy. He became the family's first Tier 2 alchemist and later its third Tier 3 alchemist.

Wang Qingqi was advanced in age and deeply devoted to alchemy. He had trained a large number of Tier 2 alchemists. Wang Changjie, who studied alchemy under him, had become a Tier 3 alchemist through Wang Qingqi's dedicated guidance.

Wang Qingqi spent most of his time researching new pill recipes. As the family's influence expanded, their ability to gather materials steadily improved, and they acquired numerous ancient pill recipes. Wang Qingqi was engrossed in studying these ancient formulas, many of which listed spirit herbs that had long been lost. Finding substitutes for these required extensive time for experimentation, and it was only after multiple failures that a new recipe might be successfully developed.

Some tasks were exhausting and difficult. If Wang Qingqi undertook them now, his descendants would not have to bear such burdens; if he did not, the challenges would be passed on to them.

All major powers possessed their unique secret elixirs. The Wang family was too weak in alchemy, a deficiency that could not be remedied merely by acquiring more alchemy texts. A deep foundation required the accumulation of time. Wang Qingqi aimed to be a pioneer in this regard; he intended to research and develop a new, unique pill recipe exclusively for the Wang family.

"Qingqi," Wang Changsheng said, his face showing concern, "I heard from your Ninth Aunt that you've been researching a secret medicine lately? Don't overwork yourself; cultivation is important. The family isn't short on medicine now."

Wang Changsheng's expression was concerned. It was already quite impressive that Wang Qingqi could refine Core Formation spiritual items.

"Ninth Uncle," Wang Qingqi replied, "I know my limits. I'm not like Seventh Brother or Eighth Sister, who can cultivate in seclusion for years or even decades. I can't do that. For me, researching new pills is both a joy and a mission. If I develop them now, our descendants won't have to work as hard, and our family must have its own unique secret elixirs."

Wang Qingqi's gaze was incredibly resolute. While the Wang family had made significant achievements in artifact refinement, alchemy was their weak point. He was determined to research and develop a unique secret elixir for the family.

Wang Changsheng showed an expression of approval. "We are very happy that you think this way, your Ninth Aunt and I. But don't overexert yourself. By the way, are any of your descendants particularly outstanding? I could offer them some guidance."

Wang Jiyu had originally been Wang Qingqi's most promising descendant, but he had inadvertently led powerful enemies onto Azure Lotus Island, causing significant losses to the family, and was consequently punished for treason.

Family rules were merciless, but people had compassion. Given Wang Qingqi's great contributions and hard work, Wang Changsheng was willing to take extra care of Wang Qingqi's descendants.

"No, they're not very promising, so there's no need to trouble Ninth Uncle," Wang Qingqi responded. "Ninth Uncle, I've come to terms with it, and you don't need to worry about your nephew. My only wish now is to research and develop our family's unique secret elixir during my lifetime. We cannot be beholden to others."

By the end of his statement, Wang Qingqi's eyes were shining, and his expression was somewhat agitated.

This was both his responsibility and his honor.

Wang Changsheng nodded. The Taiyi Immortal Sect possessed the Three-Essence Heart Guarding Pill, and the Three Flames Palace had the Three Flames True Spirit Pill. These unique secret elixirs were rarely passed down; the occasional one or two that did circulate often fetched exorbitant prices at auction, as their healing effects were truly remarkable. The Zhenhai Sect also had its unique secret elixirs, but the materials required for their refinement were exceedingly rare, making it difficult to even gather a single set of ingredients. In a sense, unique secret elixirs also represented a family's deep foundation.

"Oh, and Qingqi, this Purple Lotus Cauldron is for your alchemy. It's a Dharma Treasure-grade alchemy furnace, much better than the one you're currently using."

With a flick of his wrist, Wang Changsheng produced a small, exquisite purple alchemy furnace and handed it to Wang Qingqi.

The purple alchemy furnace had three legs and two handles, and a purple lotus flower was carved into its body.

Wang Qingqi repeatedly affirmed his gratitude, accepting the Purple Lotus Cauldron with a smile.