Chapter 2221: Jade Flower Mountain Jiang Family, Yun Zhi Brewing

The Yuyang Mountain Range stretches for hundreds of millions of miles, filled with countless treacherous peaks. It is perennially shrouded in dense fog and teems with unusual insects and exotic beasts.

This is the ancestral home of the Jiang family, a cultivation aristocratic family. Over 60,000 years ago, the Jiang family was merely a small clan, with their highest cultivation limited to the Nascent Soul stage. Later, a family member named Jiang Taixu emerged. Possessing a unique spiritual physique, he ascended to the Soul Transformation stage in over 300 years and the Void Refinement stage in over 1,500 years. Under Jiang Taixu's leadership, the Jiang family rapidly grew and prospered.

In less than three millennia, the Jiang family boasted over twenty Soul Transformation cultivators and two Void Refinement cultivators.

The Jiang family's rise was so swift that rumors spread, suggesting Jiang Taixu was a powerful cultivator who had taken over another's body to restart his cultivation, or that the Jiang family had acquired the Celestial Void Jade Scroll.

When the Celestial Lord Xuanling's Dao field appeared on Xuanling Continent, Jiang Taixu and his Dao companion entered to seek treasures, obtaining many valuable items. This marked the beginning of the Jiang family's golden age.

During its peak, the Jiang family had three Integration stage cultivators and dozens of Void Refinement cultivators. However, a great racial war later erupted, and Jiang Taixu and his Dao companion were killed by experts from the Yaksha clan. Following several major disasters, the last Integration stage cultivator perished under a grand celestial tribulation. From that point on, the Jiang family began its decline.

While it's true the Jiang family has declined, they are still formidable, like a lean camel being larger than a horse. Compared to their heyday, they may be diminished, but they currently possess five Void Refinement cultivators and numerous relatives by marriage and old friends, making them a force not to be underestimated.

In the northwestern part of the Yuyang Mountain Range lies a vast valley, easily accessible from all directions. Outside the valley stands a green stone tablet, over ten zhang tall, inscribed with the three glittering golden characters "Yuyang Valley," constantly shimmering with spiritual light.

This is a market established by the Jiang family, situated directly beneath their watchful eyes.

Inside the valley, roads crisscross, each street over ten zhang wide. They are bustling with people, a surging tide of humanity, making them quite crowded.

Shop assistants on both sides of the streets eagerly called out, beckoning customers. Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli walked along the crowded streets, observing as they went.

Along their way, they saw many wine shops selling various spiritual wines.

Before the Jiang family rose to prominence, spiritual wine was their primary source of income. After their prosperity, the Jiang family made even greater advancements in winemaking, developing several exclusive spiritual wines. There were as many as five types of sixth-tier spiritual wines, with Cloud Ganoderma Brew being one of them.

Cloud Ganoderma Brew is crafted from Cloud Ganoderma fruits and various thousand-year-old spiritual herbs. It nourishes meridians and invigorates muscles and bones. The Cloud Ganoderma fruit tree has very demanding environmental requirements, blooming after 3,000 years, bearing fruit after another 3,000 years, and maturing only after yet another 3,000 years. Each tree yields no more than a hundred fruits per harvest, making Cloud Ganoderma Brew extremely rare and sought after.

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli came to Yuyang Valley primarily to acquire Cloud Ganoderma Brew.

While Xuanling Continent is rich in cultivation resources and many miraculous elixirs could help Wang Ruyan's injuries, most are either exclusive specialties of foreign races or controlled by major powers. Comparatively, obtaining Cloud Ganoderma Brew from the Jiang family offered a higher chance of success.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli arrived at the entrance of an eighteen-story red pavilion. Adorned with carved beams, painted rafters, and ornate eaves, a gilded plaque above the entrance displayed the three silver characters "Zuixiao Tower" in elegant calligraphy, shimmering with spiritual light and highly conspicuous.

As they stood at the doorway, a rich aroma of wine wafted from within the building, filling their nostrils before seeming to vanish.

This was a shop opened by the Jiang family, specializing in spiritual wines.

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli entered. The spacious and bright hall featured shelves made of Yuyang wood, displaying various wine jars and pots. Dozens of attendants, dressed in uniform red shirts, were introducing spiritual wines to customers.

They did not linger in the main hall but proceeded directly upstairs.

The layout upstairs was similar, with many wine pots and jars displayed on shelves, and the air was filled with a rich wine aroma.

Upon reaching the fifteenth floor, they found it did not sell spiritual wine. Instead, it was furnished with tables and chairs, and two Nascent Soul cultivators guarded the stairwell. Behind them, a faint red light screen was visible, clearly a barrier.

"Please wait a moment, seniors," one of the Nascent Soul cultivators politely said, "the manager is currently attending to other guests."

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli agreed, sat down, and waited quietly.

Half a quarter of an hour later, a tall, slender middle-aged man and a graceful young woman in a red dress descended from upstairs. After a dazzling spiritual light emanated from their bodies, they effortlessly passed through the red light screen.

"Please take care, Madam Mu," the middle-aged man politely said, watching the young woman in red leave.

The middle-aged man looked at Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli and gestured for them to follow. "I am Jiang Yunxu, the manager of Zuixiao Tower. Fellow Daoists, please come upstairs."

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli followed Jiang Yunxu to the sixteenth floor. The sixteenth floor was elegantly furnished, with many paintings adorning the walls, depicting scenes such as a solitary figure drinking under the moon or a banquet, all related to spiritual wine.

There were also more than a dozen colorful potted plants.

"We are from the Wang family of Azure Lotus Island. We have long heard of the Jiang family's renowned spiritual wines and have come specifically to purchase some," Wang Qingfeng politely stated their origins.

"The Wang family of Azure Lotus Island! So it's Fellow Daoist Wang. May I ask what spiritual wine you wish to purchase, or would you like me to introduce some?" Jiang Yunxu said enthusiastically, though he had never heard of the Wang family of Azure Lotus Island. The human-controlled territory was vast, and the Wang family, established less than a thousand years ago, had not participated in any particularly significant events, thus their name was not widely known.

While some disciples of major powers had heard of Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's deeds in the Xuanling Grotto-heaven, most were unaware that Wang Changsheng had left Zhenhai Palace and established his own family.

The Jiang family's spiritual wines were famous, and cultivators often came from far and wide seeking them out, so Jiang Yunxu was accustomed to such visitors.

"We wish to purchase Cloud Ganoderma Brew," Wang Qingfeng replied truthfully.

"Cloud Ganoderma Brew? This is a sixth-tier spiritual wine; it's difficult to brew. Only VIPs of this establishment can pre-order it," Jiang Yunxu spoke with a troubled expression. Rarity dictated value, and items sold in bulk were rarely truly precious.

Sixth-tier spiritual wines were the Jiang family's hallmark for attracting high-level cultivators, so they were naturally not sold readily.

"Only VIPs can pre-order? How does one become a VIP? And how long would it take to receive the order?" Wang Qingfeng continued to inquire.

"You must spend over one hundred million spiritual stones in this establishment, and delivery will be within a millennium," Jiang Yunxu stated truthfully.

Wang Qingfeng frowned. He had anticipated on their way here that obtaining Cloud Ganoderma Brew wouldn't be easy, as it was, after all, a sixth-tier spiritual wine, difficult to brew.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, could you make an exception? A higher price is not an issue; we are willing to pay double, no, triple the price," Dong Xueli spoke earnestly. Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had shielded them from hardships, and now it was their turn to show filial piety.

Obtaining the Cloud Ganoderma Brew sooner would allow Wang Ruyan to recover earlier.

"It's not a matter of spiritual stones," Jiang Yunxu politely explained. "The Cloud Ganoderma fruit tree takes nine thousand years to yield its fruits. Additionally, some spiritual herbs have unique growing environments, and sixth-tier spiritual water, Cold Moon True Water, is also required. Brewing it is truly difficult."

Jiang Yunxu spoke courteously. The Jiang family was not short on spiritual stones, and if they didn't raise the threshold, even an abundance of Cloud Ganoderma Brew wouldn't be enough to meet demand.

"My parents are from Zhenhai Palace. We humbly ask Fellow Daoist Jiang to make an exception for us, considering Zhenhai Palace's reputation. We would be immensely grateful." Wang Qingfeng invoked Zhenhai Palace, knowing their family's name wasn't widely recognized and Jiang Yunxu might not otherwise show them deference.

"Zhenhai Palace!"

Jiang Yunxu was skeptical, unable to ascertain if Wang Qingfeng's claim was true or false.

After a moment's contemplation, Jiang Yunxu took out a green jade slip and handed it to Wang Qingfeng, saying, "Our family is currently collecting these items. If Fellow Daoist Wang can provide any one of them, I can sell you a pot of Cloud Ganoderma Brew. It's not that I'm trying to make things difficult for you; due to certain special reasons, the production of Cloud Ganoderma Brew has decreased in recent years."

Rarity dictates value. To acquire Cloud Ganoderma Brew, they would need to exchange it for cultivation resources the Jiang family required.