Cultivation: Starting with a Dual Cultivation Technique at the Immortal Rank

63: Chapter 63 The Deacon Comes Only for the Great DaoGu Manqing sat down without ceremony, her gaze quickly scanning the spiritual plants in the pavilion and the spiritual tea on the table. A hint of appraisal flashed in her eyes before she got straight to the point:

”Senior Brother Li, I assume Murong Xue has already mentioned the purpose of my visit. My situation is simple: True Spirit Root, Qi Perfection, and two failed attempts at Foundation Establishment.”

She held up two fingers, her tone as calm as if she were detailing a failed investment.

”The first time, I used a Medium Grade foundation establishment pill rewarded by the Sect. I failed due to insufficient preparation, and my Foundation was damaged.”

”It took several years of recuperation and over ten thousand Spirit Stones from my savings to barely recover. For the second attempt, I exhausted everything to exchange for a better quality High Grade foundation establishment pill, but I still failed, and the cracks in my Dao Foundation worsened. Now, as you alchemists would say, my situation is one of accumulated pill toxins and an unstable Foundation.”

She looked at Li Yifei, her gaze as sharp as a blade. ”According to the rules, the success rate for someone like me on their third Foundation Establishment is less than ten percent. From any perspective, this transaction is a losing deal.”

”But I’ve heard that miracles happen at Yifei Peak. Qin Mengyao is a living example. So, I need a definitive answer: what kind of success rate can you give me? Is this ’investment’ worth it?”

Her catchphrase slipped out, treating her own path of Dao entirely as a transaction to be negotiated.

Hearing this, Li Yifei wasn’t repelled; instead, he found it quite interesting.

Dealing with this kind of person was worry-free.

Instead of answering directly, he asked, ”Senior Sister Gu, what kind of success rate do you think a perfect quality foundation establishment pill could give you?”

”What?!”

Gu Manqing’s usually calm and capable face finally showed a violent change in expression! Her pupils constricted sharply, and her breath hitched!

”Perfect... quality?” She almost squeezed these words through her teeth, her voice trembling slightly.

As a Talisman Hall Deacon, she understood the value of resources all too well. A perfect foundation establishment pill was simply something that couldn’t be measured in Spirit Stones!

It was an Opportunity, a legend, a near-hundred-percent success rate! It was a supreme treasure that could reshape a Dao Foundation and wash away pill toxins!

Li Yifei watched her lose her composure and calmly took out a jade bottle. As he uncorked it, that unique, perfect Dao charm and pill fragrance instantly filled the air.

”See for yourself.”

Gu Manqing’s gaze was fixed intently on the jade bottle, her body trembling slightly with excitement.

She could even feel the spiritual power within her, which had become sluggish due to the two failures, beginning to stir under the allure of the pill’s fragrance!

It was real!

This realization made her mind go blank for a moment.

But she had been shrewd all her life. After a brief lapse, she forcibly suppressed the stormy waves in her heart and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

”Good, very good!” She stared intently at Li Yifei. ”The ’goods’ of this transaction are of immeasurable value. Now, let’s talk about the ’price.’ What do I need to pay to become your Dao Companion? And what do I get in return? I need clear terms.”

Li Yifei smiled.

”It’s simple.” He pushed the jade bottle toward her. ”Give me your person and your loyalty. From now on, you will be part of the Yifei Peak Family. Your Talisman skills must also serve the Family.”

”In exchange, you get this perfect foundation establishment pill. After your Foundation Establishment, Yifei Peak will cover all the resources you need for your Cultivation—Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and high-level Talisman Legacies. You only need to Cultivate in peace and branch out the Family for me. Senior Sister Gu, do you think this transaction is worth it?”

Rapid calculations began in Gu Manqing’s eyes.

Freedom in exchange for a path to the heavens.

Loyalty in exchange for infinite resources.

What she gave up was her ethereal personal will, but what she gained was a tangible increase in Realm and the hope of longevity.

For someone who had failed twice and was almost in despair regarding her path of Dao, this calculation was too easy.

The answer was self-evident.

”It’s worth it!” She stood up abruptly, all hesitation gone from her eyes, replaced only by the determination and heat of someone grabbing a life-saving straw.

She gave Li Yifei a solemn and deep curtsy. This time, it was not the etiquette of a Deacon, but a bow of belonging between Dao Companions.

”Husband above, I, Gu Manqing... am willing to be your Dao Companion and will act according to your ’rules’ in this life!”

A transaction concerning the great dao of longevity was thus finalized.

After sending away the satisfied Gu Manqing, Li Yifei told her to go back and prepare; she could move into Yifei Peak in a few days.

Silence returned once more to the Guest Reception Pavilion.

Li Yifei picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and began calculating in his mind.

In the afternoon, a maid came to announce again that the next Deacon was already waiting outside the pavilion.

Li Yifei nodded, and soon, a graceful figure walked in.

The newcomer was the Mission Hall Deacon, Feng Qianyu.

She looked about twenty years old, wearing a form-fitting green dress with intricate cloud patterns embroidered in pale gold thread along the hem, which flickered as she walked.

She was tall with a slender waist, her figure swaying gracefully as she moved, possessing a touching charm.

Her features were extremely beautiful, her peach blossom eyes shimmering with a smile that seemed to see through people’s hearts. A slight curve was always on her lips, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

The feeling she gave off was not Su Yanran’s coldness, Murong Xue’s flamboyance, or Yue Chaner’s gentleness, but rather a sense of mystery as if everything was under her control.

”Feng Qianyu of the Mission Hall greets Senior Brother Li.”

”Senior Sister Feng, please take a seat.”

Feng Qianyu sat down gracefully. She wasn’t as eager as Gu Manqing, nor as reserved as the other women. Instead, she curiously sized up Li Yifei, her peach blossom eyes seemingly wanting to see through him from the inside out.

”Senior Brother Li’s Yifei Peak truly lives up to its reputation. The richness of the Spiritual Qi here even surpasses the Immortal Caves of many inner Sect Elders.”

”Senior Sister, you flatter me.”

Feng Qianyu covered her mouth and laughed, finally getting to the point. ”I assume Senior Brother knows why I’m here. Like Senior Sister Gu and the others, I’ve come for the Foundation Establishment Opportunity. However, unlike Senior Sister Gu, I don’t come with nothing but myself.”

She leaned forward slightly, a pleasant fragrance wafting into Li Yifei’s nose, and her voice dropped a few notches.

”I know that Yifei Peak is currently very powerful, but its Foundation is still shallow, especially in terms of intelligence, where it’s almost a complete blank.”

”Although Senior Brother has many Dao Companions, their circles are ultimately limited, and the information they get is fragmented and delayed. A powerful force cannot be blind and deaf.”

She paused and said confidently, ”And I, Feng Qianyu, am the best intelligence expert in the Outer Sect. As long as Senior Brother nods, I can establish a complete intelligence system for Yifei Peak within half a year.”

”From the movements of the Sect’s upper echelons to the secrets of the Outer Sect Disciples, everything will be within Senior Brother’s grasp. I wonder what Senior Brother thinks of the weight of this bargaining chip?”

After speaking, she looked at Li Yifei with a smile, waiting for his answer.

After hearing this, a smile appeared on Li Yifei’s face.

He looked at Feng Qianyu and spoke slowly, ”What Junior Sister Feng says is indeed something Yifei Peak urgently needs. A complete intelligence system is of immeasurable value.”

The smile in Feng Qianyu’s eyes deepened.

However, Li Yifei’s tone shifted. ”But this intelligence system is also what Junior Sister Feng yourself needs most, isn’t it?”

The smile on Feng Qianyu’s face stiffened slightly.

Li Yifei continued, ”You’ve operated in the Outer Sect for years, and your ability to gather intelligence is unmatched. You must have had a plan to build a larger intelligence network long ago. Unfortunately, hindered by your cultivation and status, with no power, no money, and no one to use, your plan could only remain on paper, leaving you to linger in the Outer Sect.”

”You came to me because Yifei Peak can provide you with the platform to realize your ambitions. This is a win-win situation, so how can it be used as a bargaining chip in a transaction?”

Li Yifei’s words were incisive, directly piercing through all of Feng Qianyu’s calculations.

A flash of surprise crossed Feng Qianyu’s eyes, and then that smile returned to her face, but this time, it held a hint more sincerity.

She didn’t argue, because everything Li Yifei said was the truth.

”Senior Brother Li has a Wisdom Eye; I am impressed.” She admitted frankly, then shifted the topic again, throwing out her true trump card. ”Since that’s the case, I will show my true sincerity.”

”I’ve studied your criteria for choosing Dao Companions and Concubines: beauty, talent, and purity. In fact, there are still many female Disciples within the Sect who meet your requirements. Some of them find it difficult to visit in person due to their status, but they might not necessarily be without thoughts on the matter.”

A sharp light flashed in Feng Qianyu’s eyes. ”For example, the famous Princess Yunshui.”