CHAPTER 362: CHAPTER 392 LU YUANSHAN’S AMBITION

As the third stage on the path of cultivation, Crystallization Stage cultivators are considered powerful figures in the Cultivation Realm.

In the Chu Kingdom, where the Golden Core Stage is the pinnacle of power, Crystallization Stage cultivators are capable of founding sects, revered by the royal family, and worshipped by millions of mortals.

At its peak, the Cyan Mountain Sect only had one Crystallization Cultivator, Li Chaoge, the wife of Lu Ping.

To advance from the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment to the Crystallization Stage, a cultivator needs to condense the Foundation Establishment True Essence in their dantian into a crystal structure similar to the Five Elements Crystals.

Similar to a Golden Core, it can be considered a prototype of the Golden Core. If one wishes to form a Golden Core later, one needs to refine and polish it on the basis of crystallization.

Crystallization also naturally has its types.

Fire attribute cultivators compress and condense the fire attribute magical power within their bodies, and ultimately form a fire attribute crystal.

Other attributes like water and wood work the same way.

If one has a Five Elements Crystal, they can refine the Five Elements Power within it to assist in crystallization, achieving double the result with half the effort, increasing the success rate of crystallization by about fifty percent.

If not planning to use Five Elements Crystals or other Heavenly and Earthly Treasures to break through, the success rate of crystallization is about ten percent.

This means that out of ten attempts to reach the Crystallization Stage, there might be one success.

Even if the breakthrough fails, the worst result is the scattering of Foundation Establishment True Essence, causing the cultivator’s cultivation to deteriorate.

Fortunately, this scattering of Foundation Establishment True Essence is recoverable through self-restoration.

It just requires some time and effort, taking three to five months to recover, or up to a year to fully heal.

Once magical power and Qi Blood are replenished, the cultivator can attempt the Crystallization Stage breakthrough again.

Compared to Foundation Establishment and forming a Golden Core, crystallization is the easiest.

"What I mean is, if you want to break through to the Crystallization Stage in one go, you should prepare in advance before reaching the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and acquire one or two Jia Wood Crystals for the preparation."

"Cultivation is a race against time. If you can save the time spent in multiple secluded crystallizations, it will benefit your future cultivation."

The Jia Wood Crystal is what will aid Lu Yuanshan’s breakthrough.

"Father, forgive my bluntness..."

Lu Yuanshan chuckled wryly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Naturally, I want to obtain one or two Jia Wood Crystals to increase the crystallization success rate massively."

At this point, Lu Yuanshan changed the topic, showing a bitter expression. "But father, do you know the current market price of the Five Elements Crystals?"

Lu Ping knew that these items were very expensive, costing fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones, which ordinary cultivators could not afford.

He listened quietly to Lu Yuanshan continue.

"Although our Lingxi State is part of the Water and Wood Continent, abundant with Jia Wood Crystals and Ren Water Crystals, these crystals are still not cheap."

"A single Jia Wood Crystal costs at least a million spirit stones today."

"The price of Ren Water Crystals is similarly high."

"What I mean is, unless we save the sect this immense amount of spirit stones, I’d rather not rely on the Five Elements Crystals to crystallize."

"Father, without the Five Elements Crystals, I will achieve crystallization!"

These were Lu Yuanshan’s heartfelt words and aspirations.

Lu Ping listened quietly and, feeling the Cyan Mountain Sect was still short on spirit stones, also felt that the current price of the Five Elements Crystals was indeed high.

A million spirit stones are equivalent to a hundred Foundation Establishment Pills.

If the Cyan Mountain Sect could produce the Five Elements Crystals through its spiritual veins or ore veins, it could significantly boost the sect’s economic growth.

Otherwise, the sect would find other ways to obtain them, aside from purchasing with spirit stones.

For example, through exploring cave mansions and finding treasures.

"You have over six months left to think it through yourself."

Having said this much, Lu Ping didn’t continue to discuss the topic, nor would he discourage Lu Yuanshan from not using the Five Elements Crystals in the future for crystallization.

The eldest son’s ambition is a good thing, not necessarily having to crystallize the way he did, using the Five Elements Crystals.

Crystallization doesn’t pose great risks, so Lu Yuanshan was free to make his plans.

Upgrading from the seventh to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, a leap of two small realms, given Lu Yuanshan’s current cultivation speed and the Cyan Mountain Sect’s resource support, should be achievable within half a year.

The current development trend of the Cyan Mountain Sect, that is, the goal, is to first strive to cultivate Lu Yuanshan into a Crystallization Cultivator.

The strength of Lu Changfeng, Lu Zhiwei, and others will also be enhanced simultaneously.

After discussing the future development trend of the Cyan Mountain Sect with his father for a while, Lu Ping inquired about the situation of the Little Cold Mountain Spirit Vein.

The Little Cold Mountain Spirit Vein is mainly used for raising Cloud Stepping Beasts, and it’s being developed jointly with the Zhang family.

Since the sect wants to nurture Crystallization Stage cultivators, the sect’s spirit vein must be upgraded to a tier that can support Crystallization Stage cultivation.

The spirit vein at Little Cold Mountain is of Tier Two High-Grade.

The Cyan Lotus Mountain Spirit Vein is still under the effect of the Three-star Spiritual Vein Upgrade, still undergoing enhancement, and its tier is still Tier Two High-Grade for now.

However, this is just a matter of time.

The Three-star Spiritual Vein Enhancement takes half a year for the spiritual vein tier to rise, and it can be completed in that time.

Therefore, after some time, the Cyan Lotus Mountain Spirit Vein can finish its upgrade, rising to the Tier Three Lower Grade level.

All in all, it should be completed before Lu Yuanshan’s crystallization breakthrough.

Notably, the Water and Wood Cave Heaven in that small world has a Tier Four Spiritual Vein.

A Tier Four Spiritual Vein can meet the cultivation needs of Golden Core cultivators.

Moreover, the water and wood spiritual qi within it can aid Lu Yuanshan’s cultivation.

Concerning the Cyan Mountain Sect’s spiritual veins, Lu Ping had no concerns.

Referring to the situation at the Little Cold Mountain Spirit Vein, Lu Yuanshan gave a simple account.

He specifically talked about the cooperative relationship with the Zhang family.

After all, Lu Ping could float over himself to see the developments there firsthand.

Currently, what concerned Lu Ping more was the Zhang family, their cooperative relationship with the Cyan Mountain Sect, and how far this has progressed.

All of these were being managed by Lu Yuanshan.

"On Little Cold Mountain Spirit Vein, the Zhang family’s current number of cultivators is nineteen, an increase of two,"

"The cultivation of Zhang Deming, the Zhang family patriarch, has reached the Eighth-Layer Qi Cultivation. In a year or two, he should be able to achieve Foundation Establishment,"

Lu Yuanshan briefly described the current strength of Zhang family and then mentioned the cooperative relationship between the Cyan Mountain Sect and the Zhang family.

The relationship between both parties is currently under a master-servant agreement.

Zhang family, being a vassal family, is under the protection of the Cyan Mountain Sect.

Of course, the Zhang family annually pays a tribute in spirit stones to the Cyan Mountain Sect, totaling three thousand spirit stones.

After all, the Zhang family’s current economic situation isn’t prosperous; they are investing in spirit fields and medicinal gardens on Little Cold Mountain with the Cyan Mountain Sect’s support, which is costly.

These investments are still in their early stages, with economic returns expected to materialize after a year.

On this point, Lu Yuanshan wasn’t overly worried, since in terms of investing in medicinal gardens and spirit fields, the Cyan Mountain Sect had previously achieved economic growth by expanding its spirit fields and medicinal gardens when dealing with financial shortcomings.