Chapter 951: Family Legacy Has Someone

On Silver Serpent Island in the South China Sea, a secret chamber was filled with numerous fire-attribute runes carved into its stone walls. A pale green alchemy furnace stood in the center, encircled by a crimson magical formation over ten zhang wide. Red runes pulsed continuously, and a ball of crimson flame enveloped the bottom of the furnace. A green firebird pattern was etched onto the furnace's surface. Its lid gently vibrated, releasing a rich, unusual fragrance.

Wang Qingqi stood nearby, his expression stern. A young man in red robes, in his early twenties, sat on a meditation cushion, looking nervous.

The young man in red was Wang Jiyu, Wang Qingqi's fifth-generation grandson. From a young age, he showed a strong interest in alchemy, and Wang Qingqi had carefully nurtured him as his successor.

Wang Jiyu had already established his foundation, possessing a cultivation level of Foundation Establishment Stage Three, and was currently learning to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

Soon after, Wang Jiyu changed his hand seals, striking a magic formula onto the formation plate. The flames quickly extinguished, and the runes on the magical formation dimmed, as if they had never existed. He quickly stepped forward, opened the alchemy furnace, and saw three pale blue pills inside.

"It's a success, Grand-Patriarch! Your grandson has refined Foundation Establishment Pills!" Wang Jiyu said excitedly, knowing that being able to refine Foundation Establishment Pills would allow him to hold higher positions, which was greatly beneficial for his personal development.

"Only three Foundation Establishment Pills, what's there to be so happy about? Pride leads to complacency, while humility leads to progress. Look at you, thinking you're so great. There's always someone better, and a higher heaven beyond the sky." Wang Qingqi admonished him with a stern face. Though he spoke like this, he was secretly very pleased. Wang Jiyu had succeeded in refining the pills after only five attempts, which was much better than Wang Qingqi's own initial attempts. Of course, Wang Jiyu's current achievements were inseparable from Wang Qingqi's guidance.

Currently, there were four people in the clan capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills: Wang Qingqi, Wang Qiuyan, Wang Tianbei, and Wang Jiyu. Wang Qiuyan and the other two had all been taught by Wang Qingqi. The difference was that Wang Jiyu had been personally taught by Wang Qingqi since the age of five, living with him and learning everything from basic alchemy knowledge to operating the furnace and refining pills.

"Yes, Grand-Patriarch, your grandson will certainly remember." Wang Jiyu repeatedly agreed, his expression respectful. Wang Qingqi was the clan's foremost alchemist, deeply respected by the clansmen. Many envied Wang Jiyu for being personally taught alchemy by Wang Qingqi.

"In a few days, there will be a combat assessment. You are to challenge the Illusory Demonic Pagoda and try to clear as many floors as possible. If you perform as poorly as before, I won't be so lenient with you. Besides alchemy, you also need to improve your combat experience. This way, when you're dispatched for missions or traveling, you'll have the power to protect yourself. Understand?" Wang Qingqi spoke earnestly. Back when the clan was struggling, there was only one Rank 2 alchemist, and Wang Qingqi was constantly occupied, either refining pills or researching ancient pill formulas. His cultivation relied entirely on consuming pills, leading to impure spiritual power. Later, when he attempted to break through to the Core Formation stage, he failed. Had Wang Changsheng not acquired a Longevity Fruit, he wouldn't have had a second chance to attempt Core Formation. Wang Qingqi did not want Wang Jiyu to repeat his mistakes. Besides teaching Wang Jiyu alchemy, he also urged him to challenge the Illusory Demonic Pagoda to improve his combat experience. This way, whether Wang Jiyu was traveling or engaging in combat with others, he would possess the ability to protect himself, which would benefit his future development. He strictly forbade Wang Jiyu from taking large quantities of pills, emphasizing that spiritual power still needed to be cultivated bit by bit by oneself. Relying entirely on the power of pills would only result in a flashy but useless display.

Besides Wang Jiyu, other clansmen who studied alchemy under Wang Qingqi also underwent regular combat experience assessments by Wang Qingqi.

It was also fortunate that the clan possessed an Illusory Demonic Pagoda, allowing clansmen at the Qi Refinement stage to gain practical combat experience. Only after their combat experience improved would they join the clan's demon-hunting teams at sea.

This was unlike before, when they would just practice a little and then head out to sea with the clan's demon-hunting teams.

"Yes, Grand-Patriarch, your grandson is confident he can clear the fifth floor." Wang Jiyu said with full confidence. While refining pills, he had not forgotten to cultivate, and would frequently go to the martial arts hall to spar with other clansmen.

"Uncle Nine and Aunt Nine's Nascent Soul Ceremony is about to be held. You will stay by my side then, and I will introduce you to them. You must strive to do well and not disgrace me."

"Yes, Grand-Patriarch, thank you." Wang Jiyu expressed his gratitude, his expression becoming highly excited. To his knowledge, there were thousands of cultivators in the clan, but only a handful of clansmen ever had the opportunity to meet the venerable patriarch Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan. With Wang Qingqi's introduction, he was determined to seize this chance. He had heard Wang Qingqi say multiple times that Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were the clan's guardians, and that their significant contributions were why the clan was where it was today.

As the clan grew, it became increasingly difficult for most clansmen to meet Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan, with only a few individuals of high seniority or exceptional talent occasionally having the chance.

Wang Qingqi nodded and instructed, "Alright, take a break, then continue refining Foundation Establishment Pills. This time, you need to refine a few more. That way, I can speak well of you to Uncle Nine and Aunt Nine." Wang Jiyu agreed and resumed refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

Heavenly Gales frequently swept through the Gale Sea Region year-round. These gales varied in size; large ones could devastate medium-sized islands, while smaller ones could be resisted by cultivators using array formations.

At the intersection of the Red Moon Sea Region and the Gale Sea Region lay a vast, boundless expanse of ocean. Gales frequently swept through, their constant roaring echoing across the waters.

On a small island, over a hundred li in size, a pale blue water barrier enveloped more than a dozen light-green lizard beasts on the beach. Nine Foundation Establishment cultivators were controlling an array formation to attack the beasts, each holding a shimmering blue formation plate. The lizard beasts had large patches of sharp spines on their bodies, along with some blue patterns. Their skin was wrinkled and covered with raised bumps, making them quite ugly. Despite their immense size, the lizard beasts were surprisingly fast. They occasionally spat out sharp, greenish wind blades, attacking the array formation. The formation's defense was exceptionally strong; facing the attacks of over a dozen Rank 2 lizard beasts, the blue water barrier remained completely still. Dense green wind blades struck the blue water barrier, like mud falling into the ocean. The surface of the blue water barrier rippled with water patterns but remained undamaged.

Countless blue lights emerged within the blue water barrier, transforming into thousands of blue water arrows. Faced with such a powerful assault, the dozen or so lizard beasts couldn't hold on for long. They were pierced through by the dense blue water arrows and fell into a pool of blood.

"Haha, this Azure Waves Demon Slaying Formation is truly powerful! Wind Lizard Beasts are known for their thick hides and flesh, yet they died so quickly." A man in red robes, in his early thirties, laughed heartily, speaking with some excitement.

"Of course! This is an array formation sold by Silver Serpent Pavilion. Silver Serpent Pavilion is a shop established by the Wang family of Silver Serpent Island, and the array formations, puppet beasts, and magical artifacts they sell are all of excellent quality. Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Li has a wide network; to think you could even commission a superior array formation! Fellow Daoist Li, I heard the Wang family invited you to attend their venerable patriarch's Nascent Soul ceremony. When you achieve great success in the future, don't forget us." A beautiful middle-aged woman winked at a blue-robed man in his early forties, saying with a smile.

The blue-robed man smiled, a proud look on his face. "Heh heh, Fellow Daoists, you flatter me. I'm merely a rogue cultivator. I'll probably be among the last to enter and will likely be seated at the very back upon reaching Silver Serpent Island, so I probably won't even get to see the venerable Wang family patriarch."

"That may be so, but to be able to attend the Wang family patriarch's Nascent Soul ceremony, Fellow Daoist Li, the Wang family clearly values you. Have you prepared a congratulatory gift? There are many demonic beasts in this sea region. Let's delve a bit deeper. With the array formations and demon-attracting incense sold by the Wang family, we can definitely eliminate many demonic beasts." The man in red robes looked into the distance and suggested.

The blue-robed man was somewhat tempted. He was a rogue cultivator who frequently sold goods to the Wang family. Since Wang Qiuli had invited him to the venerable Wang family patriarch's Nascent Soul ceremony, he naturally needed to prepare a good gift. With enough spirit stones, he could certainly purchase a fine present.

"I think we should just forget it! I heard that a mutated Rank 3 Flood Dragon-headed Whale has been active in the nearby sea recently. Several cultivation families have been annihilated by it, and multiple Core Formation cultivators who came to encircle and suppress this beast failed. Two Core Formation cultivators were even injured by it. I think we should go somewhere else! If we hadn't discovered the Wind Lizard Beast's lair, we wouldn't have come to this sea region in the first place."