Reaching Purple Mansion took longer than Foundation Establishment. It would be more than a month before there was any result, and some cultivators needed several months.

Gu Shiwen inside his cave dwelling cast a technique to draw in clear water, washing away all the foul-smelling filth from his body before finally stepping outside.

This filth consisted of the impurities stored within a cultivator's body since birth. Successfully establishing their foundation allowed them to expel eighty to ninety percent of these impurities.

Gu Shiwen showed no surprise upon seeing the two people waiting outside his cave dwelling. He walked over to Gu Wanhao, bent at the waist, and made a formal bow.

Gu Changhuan took half a step back while Gu Wanhao supported Gu Shiwen upright.

"You have already successfully established your foundation, making you one of our peers. Why do this?"

Gu Shiwen insisted, "Without you, the patriarch, Twenty-First Aunt, and the others, I would never have had this chance. Please let me thank you properly, Twelfth Uncle."

Seeing how insistent Gu Shiwen was, Gu Wanhao stopped trying to hold him back.

When Gu Shiwen straightened, Gu Changhuan smiled. "Congratulations, Twenty-Ninth Uncle!" He had barely recognized him at first. The last time they met, Gu Shiwen had been a scruffy, bearded man; now he was neatly dressed and looked quite different.

Gu Shiwen retrieved a disc-like object from his Storage Bag and handed it to Gu Changhuan.

"Something I made. Take it; you may find it useful."

Gu Changhuan politely declined for a moment before accepting it. This was an established custom within the Gu Clan: elders who achieved Foundation Establishment were expected to give a gift to the juniors present, regardless of its value, purely for the sake of a good omen.

"Now that you too have reached Foundation Establishment, we should ask the patriarch to choose a day for your celebration," Gu Wanhao said, stroking his beard.

"Also? Has someone from the other three families broken through as well?" Gu Shiwen immediately caught the implication.

Gu Wanhao nodded.

"It is Yu Ruyi of the Yu Clan. The invitation arrived at the clan yesterday."

"Yu Ruyi must only be in his thirties, surely?" Gu Shiwen said in surprise.

"Indeed. The Yu Clan has produced a fine talent! But our Gu Clan will not fall behind either." After chatting briefly with Gu Shiwen and noticing his weary appearance, Gu Wanhao added, "You must be exhausted after your extended seclusion for the breakthrough. We will not disturb you further."

Indeed, fatigue weighed heavily on Gu Shiwen. After bidding farewell to the two, he returned to his cave dwelling, collapsed onto his bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

That sleep lasted three full days and nights.

Gu Wanhao inspected Gu Changhuan's alchemy skills and grew even more pleased upon discovering his rapid progress.

"It seems your talent in alchemy far surpasses mine!"

He let out an appreciative sigh.

Gu Changhuan dared not take the credit. The sole reason for his rapid advancement was Zhenlingzi's manual.

He retrieved a jade slip from his Storage Bag.

"I picked this up previously at Cloudheaven Market. It is an alchemy manual left by a Senior named Zhenlingzi. Please take a look, Grandfather."

Naturally, Gu Changhuan could not present the entire manual; he offered only a heavily edited portion.

Gu Wanhao extended his Divine Sense into the slip. After reading just a few lines, he said in excitement, "This is at least the alchemy insight of a Golden Core cultivator! It is a priceless treasure for any alchemist. Changhuan, you have rendered another great service!"

Gu Changhuan demurred, claiming it was merely good fortune.

News of Gu Shiwen's success soon spread across Emerald Maple Mountain. Relatives came to his cave hoping to cultivate a closer acquaintance with the new Foundation Establishment cultivator. To their disappointment, all its defensive Formations were active, and nobody answered their Communication Talismans.

Unable to keep pounding on the door, they could only wait for the upcoming celebration.

The Foundation Establishment Celebration was ultimately scheduled for the fifteenth day of the ninth month.

Meanwhile, Yu Ruyi's celebration at the Yu Clan was set for the tenth day of the eighth month.

The Fang and Zhang Clans had gained new Foundation Establishment cultivators a few years earlier. They would have no spare funds for another Foundation Establishment Pill for more than a decade.

When the day of the celebration arrived, Gu Wanhao led Gu Changhuan and Gu Shiyou toward the Yu Clan.

The Yu Clan lived on Mount Yan, which had a third-tier middle grade spirit vein but no spiritual spring of the third tier or above. Its founding ancestor had excelled at making talismans, and selling them remained the clan's main source of income.

Mount Yan was beautiful, but its most unusual feature was the ancient fire-attribute tree at its summit.

Gu Changhuan knew that ancient tree was a Third Tier Low Grade specimen. Its leaves resembled ginkgo leaves but displayed brilliant rainbow colors. Yet the tree neither blossomed nor bore fruit; it had been planted personally by the Yu Clan's founder. Though dazzling to the eye, it served no practical purpose.

Even for Artifact Refining, its wood made only mediocre Third Tier Low Grade material.

Furthermore, the tree grew at an agonizingly slow pace, gaining only a few meters in height over three hundred years.

Still, the Yu Clan had once produced a Purple Mansion expert, so they would hardly chop down an ancestral spiritual plant planted by their founder just to sell it for Spirit Stones. They simply maintained it carefully.

Visiting today, Gu Changhuan hoped to see if the ancient tree held any hidden secrets. Having studied Zhenlingzi's jade slips, his knowledge of spiritual objects far surpassed anyone else in the Nine Perches Mountains.

Mount Yan was not far from Emerald Maple Mountain. They arrived in just two hours.

At that moment, Yu Ruyi was personally greeting arriving guests outside.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Yu! I have brought a small gift to celebrate. I hope you will accept it."

Gu Wanhao offered with customary politeness.

"You are too kind. As one of the finest alchemists in the Nine Perches Mountains, you honor me simply by coming," Yu Ruyi replied.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gu Wanhao's group was guided to their seats in the banquet hall.

Gu Wanhao enjoyed considerable renown in the Nine Perches Mountains, and the occupants of the neighboring table greeted him as soon as he appeared.

"Brother Gu, it has been a long time!"

The speaker was an old man with white hair and a remarkably youthful face. The emblem on his robe marked him as a member of the Fang Clan.

Behind him stood Fang Xin'ai and another youth.

"Brother Fang, it truly has been years since we last met!"

"Changhuan, Shiyou, this is Senior Fang Haotian of the Fang Clan. Come and pay your respects!"

Gu Wanhao introduced them.

Gu Changhuan and Gu Shiyou hurriedly stepped forward to bow.

"Greetings, Senior Fang."

"Greetings, Senior Fang."

Naturally, Fang Haotian had no intention of putting on airs before juniors. He smiled and bade them rise, though his expression flickered with surprise the moment he clearly saw Gu Changhuan's face.

"Is this Gu Shan and Yurong's son?"

"Your eyes are as sharp as ever, Brother Fang. He is indeed my grandson," Gu Wanhao replied.

Gu Changhuan felt no surprise. He was well aware of his mother's roots in the Fang Clan, but...

It seemed his mother was related to Fang Haotian in some way.

Fang Haotian regarded Gu Changhuan with a gratified expression while Gu Changhuan maintained a polite smile.

"Yurong lost her elders young. I knew when she married. And now her child is this grown! Time spares none of us."

He sighed softly.

"What are you saying, Brother Fang? With your current realm, achieving another breakthrough within your lifetime remains entirely possible."

As a late-stage Foundation Establishment seventh layer cultivator, Fang Haotian might indeed advance further before reaching his lifespan limit if he encountered the right Fated Chance.

While Gu Wanhao and Fang Haotian conversed, Gu Changhuan and Gu Shiyou remained silent and obedient in their seats.

Gradually, however, Gu Changhuan began to feel restless.

With some time still remaining before the official start of the celebration, his curiosity regarding the Yu Clan's ancient tree grew stronger, and he longed to take a closer look.

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