Chapter 336: Ancestors through Generations

"This!"

Both brothers were stunned when Wang Xun spoke, secretly clicking their tongues in amazement. As a descendant of a Golden Core Immortal, the spiritual root Wang Xun described was on a completely different level from what the Li family possessed. The Li family's Serpent-Dragon Treasure Tree was merely between the Fetal Breath and Qi Refining stages, yet what Wang Xun presented was already Foundation Establishment level. This instantly silenced the two. Wang Xun, seemingly oblivious, explained:

"This Wanling Flower can dispel worries and prolong life; its blossoms are like red jade. Consuming it regularly calms the mind, clears distracting thoughts, and enhances cultivation. Should one be on the brink of death, chewing and ingesting this flower can sustain the body and cling to life."

"Based on my family's many years of experience, even Foundation Establishment cultivators can sustain themselves for several days with it. The more one consumes, the less effective it becomes, but if the quantity is sufficient, it can safely sustain life for half a month."

Li Yuanjiao was instantly moved upon hearing this. He stared at the reddish-yellow, almond-sized kernel, his mind stirring as he mused:

"My Huagian Mountain happens to have a spiritual spring; I wonder if it can nourish this spiritual root. This flower can be consumed for cultivation in daily life, given as a gift, or sold to noble families—all are good options."

After all, being able to sustain life for several days might seem insignificant to a small family like the Li's, merely postponing death. Yet, for larger noble families, it was indeed an excellent spiritual item. Combined with certain elixirs and talismans, it could enable a Foundation Establishment cultivator, otherwise fatally wounded, to return home.

For great clans like the Xiao family, with countless spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines, as long as one still breathed, the chances of survival—whether preserving cultivation or life—significantly increased.

Wang Xun smiled faintly, watching the two lost in thought.

"As for the Suiyuan Pills, my Wang clan also possesses them, and even better elixirs," he continued. "It's just that those items are useless to me, so I didn't bring them; I only have a few bottles of Suiyuan Pills meant for bestowal."

After speaking, he took out a jade bottle from his storage pouch and flicked his finger. A pill flew out—snow-white, crystalline, and pleasantly fragrant. Wang Xun said with a smile:

"These Suiyuan Pills are potent and certainly not inferior goods. You may take a look. However, merely exchanging them for these few pills might lead my family to accuse me of bullying the weak or using power to oppress others, which would be inappropriate."

The Suiyuan Pill, when taken for the first time, can increase the possibility of Foundation Establishment, and it is also an excellent cultivation elixir. It is not inherently rare, and the materials needed for refining it are not expensive. However, because the pill formula and materials are monopolized by the Three Sects and Seven Gates and used only for rewarding disciples, it is quite rare in Yue Country.

In Wang Xun's view, these were merely a few everyday auxiliary pills, nothing significant, so he naturally felt it was inappropriate.

Li Yuanping simply observed it closely, sensing a fragrant aroma filling the room. Li Yuanjiao, however, widened his eyes at the sight of the pill, startled, a chill running down his spine, and he blurted out:

"Is this a Suiyuan Pill?!!!"

The Li family had indeed seen Suiyuan Pills before. Li Tongya had taken one back then, and there were records in the clan. Li Yuanping, not keen on cultivation and not often studying, didn't know about it, but Li Yuanjiao had thoroughly read and memorized all the records.

The Suiyuan Pill the Li family had obtained was white, with grey, curled patterns on it, and a single breath would cause dizziness. The Suiyuan Pill before them, however, glowed softly, was smooth and delicate like a jade bead, and filled the room with a pleasant fragrance, completely different from their familiar pill.

He was greatly shocked and speechless for a moment. Only a terrifying question remained in his mind:

"If this is a Suiyuan Pill... what did our ancestor take back then?!"

Wang Xun glanced at Li Yuanjiao, a thoughtful expression on his face, and subtly moved the small cup on the table.

"'Suiyuan' means 'to achieve its essence and remove its superficial impurities'," Wang Xun began. "Its main ingredient is the Lanhu Spirit Grass, supplemented by twelve other herbs, cultivated with the 'Three Lower Fires'..."

Wang Xun seemed to understand pharmacology and alchemy. As he observed Li Yuanjiao's expression, he slowly recounted the details. Li Yuanjiao reacted, a chill running down his spine, and he whispered:

"Senior, if a pill has grey, curled patterns, an overwhelming spiritual aura, and its efficacy is similar to Suiyuan, do you recognize what kind of pill that would be?"

"Grey patterns?"

Wang Xun pondered for a moment, his expression turning somewhat cold, and he whispered:

"In Jiangnan, many cultivate mixed-house-one-furnace techniques, preferring to use human blood and vitality as ingredients. Mortal essence connecting with spiritual energy creates patterns; these are likely pills made from others' vital essence! The quantity and quality of pills produced by this method far surpass ordinary elixirs; it is a technique of 'different house, same furnace'."

"If the patterns are grey, it means a certain Immortal Foundation was even used, often by direct descendants of demonic sects. Consuming it leads to a great surge in cultivation, with astonishing medicinal effects."

Though his voice was not loud, the words struck like a clap of thunder. Li Yuanjiao dazedly took a step back, looking incredulously at the person before him. With a gasp caught in his throat, he stifled out:

"Thank you, Senior! We will choose that spiritual root then!"

He agreed verbally, but a sudden realization dawned in his mind. Most of his doubts were resolved, and he felt an increasing chill:

"Uncle once said: he was of mediocre talent, believed he had a nine-out-of-ten chance of death during Foundation Establishment, but unexpectedly, it happened smoothly. So it was... so it was... the pill was problematic?!"

"So that's it... no wonder Uncle found Foundation Establishment so easy back then! No wonder... yes, for Uncle to become Mahara's bait, he had to successfully establish his Foundation. If he failed and died, Mahara would certainly look elsewhere for that destiny, and the bait would be lost..."

Wang Xun continued conversing with Li Yuanping as if nothing had happened. He took out a jade box, carefully placed the heaven-and-earth spiritual root inside, handed it to Li Yuanping, and whispered:

"I will cultivate in this side courtyard for a few days. The patriarch can stay by my side; there's no need to worry about me fleeing with the sword..."

Li Yuanjiao dazedly listened to their polite exchanges. He unconsciously left the side courtyard, still lost in thought, Wang Xun's words echoing in his mind:

"In Jiangnan, many cultivate mixed-house-one-furnace techniques, preferring to use human blood and vitality as ingredients, hence the patterns; perhaps they are pills made from others' vital essence..."

Wang Xun spoke vaguely, but his gaze and implications were extremely clear. Pills made from "vital essence" were, in plain terms, human pills! They used the blood and vital essence obtained from annual massacres!

He dazedly walked into the main hall. Li Yuanping watched his brother with a face full of worry, calling out to him repeatedly. Li Yuanjiao, as if waking from a dream, quickly took off the storage pouch from his waist.

Li Yuanjiao's gaze was solemn, his expression grim. He lightly patted his storage pouch, taking out several jade bottles, which clattered as they spilled across the table. Without a second thought, he picked one up and poured its contents into his palm:

This pill was a Jade Sprout Pill, the most common elixir for the Qi Refining stage. Most of them originated from Cloud Pill Peak of the Azure Pool Sect. The Azure Pool Sect's pills were known for their superior quality and were highly regarded by rogue cultivators, making them easily recognizable.

This Jade Sprout Pill was pale yellow, with nothing unusual visible on its surface. Li Yuanjiao repeatedly swept his spiritual sense over it, finally discovering faint, curled patterns.

The alchemist's methods were exquisite, making these patterns almost imperceptible. Being colorless, they were even harder to notice.

Li Yuanjiao's eyes were slightly red as he quickly emptied out a string of pills from his storage pouch. After rummaging for a while, he found the Serpent Essence Pill that Xiao Yuansi had refined for the Li family last year, and hurriedly poured it into his palm:

This pill was pale red, one size smaller than the previous one. Its surface was smooth and perfectly round. Li Yuanjiao examined it repeatedly, over a dozen times, but could not find a single trace of a pattern.

"Indeed! Indeed! No wonder the Azure Pool Sect collects blood and grievances every year—most of this blood must have been used for this!"

"The Azure Pool Sect releases hundreds and thousands of pills annually for consumption, and more than half of Yue Country relies on them alone... how many more circulate in the market?"

Li Yuanjiao slowly closed his eyes. Among the Li family, who hadn't taken these pills? Only a few individuals of the Xiyue generation had just started their cultivation journey and hadn't taken any medicine yet...

Li Yuanping, seeing his brother's inexplicable behavior, grew anxious. Li Yuanjiao, his voice low, whispered:

"Brother Ping, all the pills released by the Azure Pool Sect are refined from mortal blood and vitality... it's just that their techniques are so superb that they extract the grievances, leaving only blood and vital essence, making it indistinguishable from an ordinary ingredient..."

"The pill Uncle took back then was not a Suiyuan Pill at all. The Chi family knew that Chijing Gong would never take that pill himself; he would save it for our family. They specifically refined it using someone else's Immortal Foundation... who knows... it might have been from Vast Sea!"

After Li Yuanjiao meticulously explained his deductions, Li Yuanping stood rooted to the spot. He stared at his brother for several breaths without speaking. He slowly sank onto the main seat, his face clouded with confusion, and he murmured:

"They ate them, everyone ate them. How many cultivators in Yue Country don't take pills..."

"The Azure Pool Sect has existed for a full five hundred years. Rogue cultivators, sect cultivators, clan cultivators—whether they knew or not—their ancestors began eating them, they themselves ate them, their grandfathers ate them, and their forefathers also ate them."

"You and I are also cannibals, the disciples and grand-disciples of cannibals."

It took him a long time to digest this shocking news, and then he asked with a trembling voice:

"In your opinion, Brother... do the other noble families know?"

"I don't know."

Li Yuanjiao slowly shook his head, his expression complex, and said:

"It's hard to say about the Yuan family, but Xiao Yuansi is a gentleman; he certainly wouldn't know about this. As for the Xiao family, who have held power for many years, if someone claims that venerable person doesn't know, I simply wouldn't believe it."

On the summit of Lijing Mountain.

Li Qinghong's pale, slender hand slowly clenched. The bluish-grey mirror vaguely reflected her beautiful features. The spiritual sense amplified by the magic mirror not only covered the entire Lijing Town, but she heard the two men's conversation with absolute clarity.

"So... that's how it is."

She recalled the pills she had taken, wondering how many men, women, children, or elderly people's blood and vitality had been used. She suddenly felt a wave of nausea. Beside her, Lu Jiangxian was dumbfounded, his heart sinking.

"The Azure Pool Sect... what kind of trick is this! Oh no, now the entire Yue Country, and even all of Jiangnan, has consumed these pills..."

He was momentarily unable to recover his senses. Lu Jiangxian, after all, came from a society where law and order flourished, and he had internally drawn a line for the Li family:

"No massacres, no blood sacrifices... after all, he truly couldn't bear to watch such things... if the Li family also got involved, he would simply blast them to death with a flash of profound light."

"But how should this be judged now!"

Lu Jiangxian's limited knowledge was primarily in witchcraft and talismans. His understanding of alchemy was confined to a few pill-refining books, so he naturally couldn't identify the problem with this pill.

Not to mention, when Li Tongya took the pill back then, he was merely an ignorant novice. If Wang Xun hadn't mentioned it, he would have remained completely unaware of the issue.

"Oh well, oh well. If one unknowingly eats human flesh buns, can that truly be counted as a crime..."

He plunged his head into the mirror, which radiated profound light. This cleared the minds of the people down the mountain, awakening them from a state where inner demons interfered and mental obstructions gradually arose.

Watching the several people gradually regain clarity, Lu Jiangxian faced another dilemma. But what if the Li family, knowing these pills were refined from blood and vitality, still consumed them in the future... how should that be judged then?

"Logically, if I didn't interfere before and start now, the flaw would be too obvious. Moreover, these pills are refined from pure blood and vitality, which won't trigger the talisman seed's warnings, and I can't possibly watch the Li family constantly."

Lu Jiangxian sighed softly, shrinking himself within the mirror's world, and whispered:

"The world is murky; how can one ascend cleanly? Let's take it one step at a time. Now that the Li family has their own alchemist, they have room to maneuver. Let's see how they handle it."

While the Li family members were still reeling from the revealed information, in the side courtyard, Wang Xun had slowly picked up the long sword before him, remaining motionless for a moment, an expression of contemplation on his face.

"This Li family still follows the righteous path, which is rare under the rule of these few in Jiangnan," he mused. "But I wonder how long they can last in this murky world..."

The young man's eyebrows subtly twitched, revealing a hint of compassion. Even his Wang family could only seclude themselves from the world; what could a mere Foundation Establishment family accomplish?

Worldly affairs were like a raging torrent; even the True Lord in his own family could only protect their clan. How could they care for so much else?

"The Heavenly Dao is flawed, and we are powerless," he murmured. "If my Wang family's Daoist methods hadn't always advocated reclusion, we would probably have been destroyed in that great calamity long ago."

Wang Xun brought two fingers together and lightly stroked the greenish-white sword. His eyes, pure and kind, yet filled with pain and guilt, were reflected in the clear and bright sword light.

Although he came from a great clan, he had traveled the world. He was just unfamiliar with Southern customs. Knowing that the Li family dared not offend him, he could have simply given them a few pills to satisfy them and thus incur less karma.

But along the way, only under the Li family's rule were there laughter and strict laws. So, he found the Li family endearing and wished he could give them more good things. Thus, he took out that heaven-and-earth spiritual root and presented it to the Li family as a return gift.

"Jiangnan is truly just like the books described: many factions intertwined, everyone caught in circumstances beyond their control. Only the Xiuyue Sect can be considered upright."

As he thought of this, a doubt couldn't help but arise in Wang Xun's mind, and he mused:

"That True Monarch is no benevolent figure, yet the Xiuyue Sect has consistently abided by rules for so many years, acting cautiously and never daring to transgress even slightly, adhering to the rules set by the Immortal Lord. It's truly peculiar."

He thought long and hard but couldn't figure it out. Wang Xun, born with a Sword Heart, was not adept at contemplating such schemes. He promptly shifted his thoughts, feeling the sorrow, anger, and lamentation within the spiritual essence of the Azure Ruler Sword.

"That Li family Sword Immortal truly died unjustly."

Wang Xun gave a bitter smile. He had traveled in the North, where the Buddhist sects were utterly stagnant, year after year the same: Mahara eternally Mahara, commoners eternally commoners, a scene of utter despair.

But Jiangnan was the complete opposite: constantly turbulent, filled with schemes and killings. One day someone might breakthrough to Qi Refining, forge a magical artifact, and annex another clan; the next day, they might be killed, their cultivation destroyed, and their clan wiped out. Honestly, it wasn't any better.

Placing the Azure Ruler Sword on his lap, Wang Xun formed hand seals and cast a spell, extracting streams of white sword intent. He murmured:

"But if I truly had to choose, I'd rather be born in Jiangnan; at least there's a path forward."