Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 98 - 97: Zhou Yuanchen

Having resolved to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage before turning sixty, Zhou Yuanchen left everything behind half a year ago and came to the headquarters of the Yellow Sand Sect.

The Yellow Sand Sect has many regulations, one of which states that any Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation cultivator without a Foundation Establishment Pill wishing to attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage can be exempted from all chores for three years and provided with a dedicated seclusion chamber at the headquarters to assist them.

Currently, Zhou Yuanchen is focused on studying the Foundation Establishment insights of various predecessors within the Yellow Sand Sect, hoping it will aid in his own breakthrough.

So, when he received the Sound Transmission Talisman from his father Xuan Bin, he quickly made his way to a teahouse outside the Yellow Sand Sect headquarters, where he met Zhouyang, who was savoring tea.

Upon seeing them, he hurriedly stepped forward to respectfully bow to Xuan Bin, saying, "Child greets Father."

Afterward, he turned his gaze to Zhouyang, a complex expression flashing in his eyes, and respectfully bowed again, saying, "Yuanchen greets the Clan Leader."

When he left home for the Yellow Sand Sect, Zhouyang was just a toddler, and over the decades, they hadn’t met even once. If not for Xuan Bin’s prior note indicating Zhouyang’s presence, he would never recognize Zhouyang’s identity.

Now, seeing the little child from those years become a Foundation Establishment cultivator in his pursuit and also the Clan Leader of the Zhou family, one can imagine the disparity in his heart.

However, before he could complete his bow, an invisible force lifted him up, as Zhouyang waved his hand with a broad smile, standing from his seat, he said, "Brother Yuanchen, there’s no need for such formality. Though I am the Clan Leader, I am still your younger brother; how can I accept such a grand ceremony from you, Brother?"

Xuan Bin also chuckled upon hearing Zhouyang say this, commenting, "Haha, the Clan Leader is right. You two are brothers, and we are family. There’s no need for such formality between family members."

He, astute with age, clearly understands the family’s intention behind supporting his son’s Foundation Establishment, and naturally, he would not disrupt Zhouyang’s stance, lest the atmosphere becomes awkward.

Yet Zhou Yuanchen, unaware of the family’s willingness to transfer Yellow Sand Merit Points to him due to a special instruction from Zhouyang, was not overly formal after hearing his father’s words, and calmly took a seat beside them.

Of course, while his demeanor was calm, his heart was certainly not.

After all, he was fifty-eight years old, having dragged himself through the Yellow Sand Sect for decades, he understands well the saying, "No trouble without visiting the Three Treasures Hall."

With Zhouyang, the new Clan Leader of the Zhou family, suddenly coming to find him with his father, and with his father looking so cheerful.

Thinking this, his anticipation begins to grow slightly.

Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, he heard Zhouyang ask, "I heard from Fifth Uncle that Brother Yuanchen intends to attempt Foundation Establishment, but how confident are you in succeeding?"

Upon hearing this, he immediately adopted a serious expression and replied without hesitation, "The success rate for middle-grade spiritual root Foundation Establishment has always been less than ten percent. What virtue or ability does Yuanchen have that he can claim certain success? All I can do is try my utmost, expend every effort, and if successful, extend my life by a century. If not, commit my body to the Dao and die without regret!"

"What a steadfast conviction, to die without regret!"

Zhouyang praised, his expression full of admiration as he sighed deeply and said, "Brother Yuanchen’s courage is truly admirable to me. If all Zhou family members possessed such bravery and spirit as Brother Yuanchen, how could the Zhou family not prosper!"

Xuan Bin, hearing these words, couldn’t help but twitch his face, his eyes full of peculiar expressions.

If everyone acted like his son Zhou Yuanchen and attempted Foundation Establishment without a pill?

Wouldn’t that mean more deaths within the family?

Is it easy for the family to cultivate a Ninth-Layer Cultivator?

Calculating based on the situation of the Zhou family, it would take more than two thousand spirit stones from the ages of twenty to sixty for family offerings, not mentioning other costs like food, education, medical care, accommodation (consumption of spiritual veins’ spiritual qi), etc.

Why would a family spend so many resources to cultivate a Ninth-Layer Cultivator?

Just because they want them to attempt Foundation Establishment?

Of course not!

The family spends so much resources to cultivate a Ninth-Layer Cultivator, valuing their contribution to the family over the next sixty years.

The first sixty years, the family invests resources, almost unconditionally nurturing family members; the next sixty years is when these family members repay the family.

If not for such unconditional cultivation, how would past cultivators like Elder Zhou Quan, Elder Zhou Yun, and those of the "Light" generation willingly take up magical artifacts to fight for the family at over a hundred years old?

Therefore, even clans like the Chen family’s Purple Mansion Clan would not greatly encourage Ninth-Layer Cultivators in the family to attempt Foundation Establishment before sixty, as it’s certainly a loss for the family.

The success rate for middle-grade spiritual root cultivators attempting Foundation Establishment is said to be close to ten percent, but the actual situation is that only an average of every twenty to thirty middle-grade spiritual root cultivators may succeed with one.

And even significant clans like the Chen family, it’s difficult to find thirty middle-grade spiritual root cultivators in the same generation.

Meaning, if they encouraged all family members to attempt Foundation Establishment, it would likely wipe out a whole generation of excellent members before succeeding one!

If these individuals do not die, the value they bring would certainly exceed one or even two Foundation Establishment Pill’s value, perhaps at least the value of five or eight such pills!

Thus, for those cultivation clans capable of obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills, encouraging clan members to work hard to accumulate wealth for the family, then exchange that wealth for Foundation Establishment Pills, is the most normal and best approach.

Zhouyang understands this principle, he merely feels that once one embarks on the cultivation path seeking eternal life, one should bravely forge ahead if the path still lies ahead.

Otherwise, if one fears death and willingly forsakes the path to eternal life, why cultivate initially?

Of course, Zhou Xuanbin surely knows these principles too; knowing is one thing, being able to act is another.

The Three Foundation Establishment Gates test a cultivator’s mindset, magical power, and physical body. Only those who truly pass these gates can feel the allure of immortality, benefit from its advantages, and finalize their resolve in pursuing eternal life.

Thus, it’s not surprising that Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Cultivation cultivators have differing attitudes towards attempting Foundation Establishment.

Zhou Yuanchen being able to resolve himself to attempt Foundation Establishment, regardless of whether his "die without regret" remark is merely rhetoric or if he genuinely possesses a steadfast heart in pursuit of the Dao, Zhouyang is satisfied either way.

He doesn’t wish for the goodwill and Merit Points earned from the Yellow Sand Sect to go to waste!

If Zhou Yuanchen is truly unworthy, he can only apologize to Xuan Bin, his Fifth Uncle.

Fortunately, Brother Yuanchen has passed the tests given by him and the old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan; it turns out he has some standout qualities having cultivated for decades within the Yellow Sand Sect.

"Brother Yuanchen’s resolve towards cultivation is so unwavering, I am truly inferior!"

Looking at the serious Zhou Yuanchen, he sighed, then deftly shifted his words to finally reveal his intention: "Recently, my father and I alongside the grand ancestor helped Senior Zhang Yunpeng of the Yellow Sand Sect in a campaign against the Demonic Cultivators, luckily earning eight to nine thousand Yellow Sand Sect Merit Points. Upon hearing Fifth Uncle mention Brother Yuanchen’s situation, both the grand ancestor and I decided to lend these Merit Points to Brother Yuanchen to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Would Brother Yuanchen dare accept this grand gift?"

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