The second letter was indeed from San Sun. After Fang Jinyu arrived, as an unlucky chicken was beheaded, a black spirit pig, a blackbird, and a black-robed cultivator considered their brotherhood complete.
"Eldest brother, second brother."
"Eldest brother, third brother."
"Second brother, third brother."
After greeting each other, a huge black spirit pig trotter and a blackbird wing grabbed Fang Jinyu's shoulders. Then, to Fang Jinyu's bewilderment, the black spirit pig and blackbird took out a green Hundred-Treasure Box.
When Fang Jinyu opened it, he discovered there were 30 Foundation Establishment Fruits inside.
Fang Jinyu couldn't help but ask, "Do you want me to refine the Foundation Establishment Elixir?"
"This stupid bird's few female friends need it."
"It's this stupid bird that needs a few female friends." Dao Wusan pointed at San Sun, who was standing at the side. Dao Wu San was the name of the Core Formation stage black spirit pig.
As for why it had such a name? It was because the king of black spirit pigs was called Dao Wuyi.
Fang Jinyu said, "The Foundation Establishment Elixir isn't useful for all spirit beasts, especially for spirit birds. Elixirs with powerful spirit energy will be better for them."
Since Fang Jinyu studied alchemy for almost half a year, he started to know more about alchemy.
After all, species other than humans might look for an alchemist to refine elixirs.
Dao Wusan grinned and said, "This stupid bird's female friends are all humans."
Fang Jinyu was speechless.
Fang Jinyu thought, "Nowadays, do cultivators like to play such an exciting thing?"
Thus, Fang Jinyu, who felt that he had grown old, could only ask, "Then how many Foundation Establishment Elixirs do you need, second brother?"
San Sun flapped its wing and said, "Not many. Ten is enough." San Sun thought, "I have no choice since I have too many female confidants."
Fang Jinyu nodded and said, "No problem." Meanwhile, his eyes flickered as he thought, "With having 30 Foundation Establishment Fruits as a shield, I can finally sell the Foundation Establishment Elixirs I have."
The Foundation Establishment Fruits couldn't be stored for long, just like the Foundation Establishment Elixirs. However, the Foundation Establishment Fruits could be stored for as long as ten years at the cost of reducing their medicinal properties by half.
A Foundation Establishment Fruit that had lost most of its medicinal properties was considered a waste to other alchemists and could no longer be used for alchemy.
However, Fang Jinyu could still refine them into Foundation Establishment Elixirs.
It was because Fang Jinyu had already achieved perfection in refining the Foundation Establishment Elixirs.
Meanwhile, Dao Wusan said, "Third brother, if you have any extra, give me two."
Fang Jinyu could not help but look at the black spirit pig strangely.
"Is it because the Foundation Establishment Elixirs I gave you last time weren't enough?"
However, Dao Wusan started to stammer.
"His close female friend's son needs the Foundation Establishment Elixir." Seeing it, San Sun immediately exposed Dao Wusan.
Fang Jinyu finally understood why they could get along and have such a good relationship. It was because they were jackals from the same tribe!
"No problem," Fang Jinyu said.
Fang Jinyu immediately agreed and left under the pretense of refining elixirs.
The next day, Fang Jinyu sent over 20 elixirs.
Fang Jinyu still sent extra elixirs to them.
Afterward, Fang Jinyu, who had gained a favorable impression of them, finally understood why they had so many Foundation Establishment Fruits. They discovered a Foundation Establishment Fruit tree two years ago that had grown for over a thousand years. Ultimately, they had joined hands and hidden it. Every time they needed it, he would take some Foundation Establishment Fruits and claim they bought them from the Spirit Beasts City.
It was also the reason why San Sun went to Spirit Beasts City.
However, all the Foundation Establishment Fruits on the tree had now been picked. Furthermore, the Foundation Establishment Fruit tree couldn't produce fruit for ten years since it was affected by the shifting spiritual energy.
"A thousand-year-old Foundation Establishment Fruit tree has enough spiritual energy to produce 200 to 300 Foundation Establishment Fruits at once. However, there are only 70 fruits this time…."
Fang Jinyu finally realized the severity of the consequences of the reduction in the harvest of Foundation Establishment Fruits.
Suppose the shifting spiritual energy could affect a thousand-year-old Foundation Establishment Fruit tree. What about the situation for the Foundation Establishment Fruit tree that had only grown for a hundred years? A dozen fruits would be considered a great fortune if they could be produced.
As for the Foundation Establishment Fruit tree that hadn't even grown a hundred years, it couldn't withstand the shifting spiritual energy.
Fang Jinyu glanced at the letter in his hand.
It was obviously Qin Haoyue's letter of challenge. The Tianling Sect strictly forbade their disciples from fighting in private, but they didn't ban public challenges.
However, a public challenge had to go through a declaration process. It would take at least one month.
"As expected of one of Su Yier's bootlickers…." Fang Jinyu thought for a moment. Afterward, he looked at the remaining Foundation Establishment Elixirs and Foundation Establishment Fruits in his hands. Suddenly, he came up with an idea.
If he really did that, his reputation as a kind and honest man would be completely spread throughout the 72 peaks of the Tianling Sect. He might even become popular outside the sect…
Thus, Fang Jinyu rejected the idea.
Although he was trying to maintain his image as a kind and honest man, he didn't want to become famous because of it! Moreover, if he really did that, he wouldn't just be making an enemy of Qin Haoyue. He would be making an enemy of the Qin family.
The Qin family could be considered a noble cultivation family in Nine Desolations.
There were rumors that the Qin family once had a Nascent Soul stage cultivator! Therefore, there was a hidden energy in the Qin family's headquarters that could threaten the Nascent Soul stage cultivators!
"With the Qin family's background, the public challenge must go through the one-month declaration process. After all, it's the rule set by the Grandmaster. If that's the case, I'll be able to take the opportunity to cultivate that great divine power."
The great divine power that Fang Jinyu was referring to was the one recorded in the supreme wind-thunder scripture. It required the cultivator to rank 2 in the Foundation Establishment stage—the myriad transformation technique!
Cultivating the myriad transformation technique would require many spiritual items, including rare items.
Initially, Fang Jinyu wanted to collect all the required items in the Lingdu Secret Realm. However, he was immediately thrown out of the Lingdu Secret Realm after he obtained two magic treasures. Fortunately, the items were found by the sect's disciples, and they all contributed to the sect in exchange for merit points.
It was because, not long ago, the Nascent Soul stage Grandmaster suddenly ordered that disciples only use their merit points to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Elixirs in the Tianling Sect from now on. Although most inner disciples didn't know what happened, they thought the Nascent Soul stage Grandmaster was pitying the difficulty of cultivation for the ordinary disciples when they saw the method was more cost-effective in using merit points to exchange for it. Hence, everyone was grateful.
It was naturally a piece of good news to Fang Jinyu. Many spiritual items that he couldn't exchange previously could now be exchanged.
When Fang Jinyu collected all the spiritual items, he began cultivating the wind-attribute great divine powers.
Although the supreme wind-thunder scripture contained lightning-attribute great divine powers, lightning-attribute spiritual items were exceedingly rare. Hence, even though Fang Jinyu knew the lightning-attribute great divine powers were more powerful, he could only choose to cultivate the wind-attribute great divine powers.
As the saying goes, "A clever homemaker couldn't cook without rice."
The myriad transformation technique was a great divine power that could both attack and defend. Moreover, it could improve Fang Jinyu's speed. Fang Jinyu could even use his wind-attribute spiritual root to experience the Nascent Soul stage cultivator's unique technique of switching between reality and illusion in advance when he successfully cultivated the great divine power.
It would be challenging to develop such incredible power, though.
Fortunately, both Fang Jinyu and his cheats were powerful.
Thus, after half a month, Fang Jinyu emerged from his closed-door cultivation. With his hard work and perseverance, he had finally reached the beginner level in cultivating the myriad transformation technique!