The ring held countless cultivation manuals. Choosing the right one would take time.

However, there was no need to rush; he was not short on time now and could slowly sort through them at his leisure.

With all five spirit roots, he would do best with a method that cultivated all five elements together. That should narrow the search considerably.

The manuals were in complete disorder. Even after two days of sorting, he had barely made a dent.

Gu Changhuan slowly sorted through the jade slips, searching for a cultivation method suitable for his practice.

The Heavenly Fire World-Burning Art could take a cultivator to Body Integration. It produced a spiritual flame powerful enough to burn the heavens. Unfortunately, it cultivated fire alone.

The Azure Lotus Salvation Scripture, once the exclusive method of an ancient sect, extended to Great Ascension. Whatever its value in combat, Zhenlingzi praised its extraordinary healing powers at higher levels: flesh could regrow over bare bones, and severed limbs be restored in an instant.

In Zhenlingzi's records, there was once a Human Race Body Integration stage cultivator who practiced this method. During battles between the Human Race and other races, he saved countless cultivators. Even Zhenlingzi himself had been healed by this person.

Zhenlingzi thought highly of it, but it too cultivated only one element.

The Nine Firmament Thunder Art was the lightning method Zhenlingzi had practiced in his later years. It allowed the user to condense nine innate bolts of true lightning, each immensely powerful. It could even help withstand heavenly tribulations.

More remarkable still was its Lightning Escape Technique. Such techniques were rare, and this one could carry its user ten thousand li in an instant. It had saved Zhenlingzi's life several times.

Unfortunately, Gu Changhuan lacked a Lightning Spirit Root and could not cultivate this technique. If Gu Changhuan were a lightning-attributed cultivator practicing Zhenlingzi's technique, relying on the cultivation notes left by Zhenlingzi would save him much effort and spare him many detours.

There were many good techniques, but most were single-attribute. Multi-attribute ones were even fewer.

Gu Changhuan inspected the jade slips until his Divine Sense was completely depleted before stopping. Although he had not found a suitable five-element technique, the various profound technique manuals and records had greatly broadened his horizons.

There were also various legacies. As a Human Race Great Ascension cultivator proficient in all four paths of Alchemy, Artifact-refining, Formations, and Talismans, Zhenlingzi naturally left some legacies within the ring.

Especially in the path of Spiritual Talismans, Zhenlingzi had exceptionally outstanding talent in talisman-making, even creating several types of spiritual talismans with immense power and wondrous applications.

Unfortunately, the spiritual talismans created by Zhenlingzi were too profound. Gu Changhuan, having never learned talisman drawing, could not understand Zhenlingzi's talisman insights at all.

Yet among Zhenlingzi's personal records, he found a few remarks on alchemy. Every word seemed to place an extraordinary teacher at his side. Even the notes on first-tier middle grade alchemy made him feel that he might soon improve his skills.

The highest legacy of the Gu Clan was only a Third-Tier High-Grade Alchemy legacy, while Zhenlingzi's legacies started at the seventh tier!

It was just a pity that these legacies were of too high a grade, incompletely recorded, and too scattered. Organizing them would not be a short-term task.

Once he had put them in order, he could select some of the lower-tier notes and teachings to exchange with the clan. He would have to do so in absolute secrecy.

After all, profound legacies were extremely important to clans and sects. If word leaked, the Gu Clan would face danger.

Beyond the cultivation methods, craft legacies, and practical notes, Gu Changhuan was most interested in pill formulas. Zhenlingzi had left plenty, but all were for pills of the seventh tier or higher.

Not a single low-tier pill formula.

This made Gu Changhuan feel somewhat regretful.

In the days after returning to Emerald Maple Mountain, Gu Changhuan stayed indoors organizing jade slips. Gu Wanhao did not pay it much mind, as it was normal for cultivators to not leave their residences for several months at a time.

These past few days, Gu Changhuan's life had been quite peaceful and fulfilling, but there were some undercurrents surging on Emerald Maple Mountain.

The reason was none other than the Foundation Establishment Pill brought back by Gu Wanchang.

Gu Wanchang's visit to the auction had been no secret, and the clan knew he had brought back a Foundation Establishment Pill. Its late Qi Condensation cultivators were eager for a chance at it. Those at the ninth layer were visiting relatives and friends, trying to borrow enough contribution points to apply.

According to Gu Clan rules, only Qi Condensation Ninth Layer cultivators under sixty years of age were qualified to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill. One Foundation Establishment Pill required fifty thousand Clan Contribution Points to exchange.

Qualified cultivators needed to prepare fifty thousand Contribution Points, then submit an application to the Patriarch. The Patriarch would convene a clan Elder meeting, and the final ownership of the Foundation Establishment Pill would be decided by vote.

Fifty thousand Contribution Points was certainly not a small sum. Most Qi Condensation stage cultivators could not produce it, forcing them to borrow from all sides.

Currently, there were four clan members qualified to exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill, all from the Gu Clan's Shi generation.

On this day, a meeting was taking place in the clan's council hall.

The gathering included two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Gu Wanchang and Gu Wanhua, along with several other clan elders.

Everyone rose to greet Gu Wanchang. He was not the most senior by generation, but he was the patriarch and a Foundation Establishment cultivator. His authority was well established; none dared put on airs before him.

Gu Wanchang sat in the main seat and said:

"All Elders, please rise. Today's meeting has only one main matter: the clan currently has one Foundation Establishment Pill, but the Foundation Establishment candidate has not yet been decided.

"Four people have applied: Gu Shiwen, Gu Shiyang, Gu Shilang, and Gu Shixin. You are the mainstays of our clan. Tell me who should receive it."

Although there were currently four candidates, everyone understood in their hearts that among the four, Gu Shiyang and Gu Shixin both had Quadruple Spirit Roots. Even if they obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, their chances of successful Foundation Establishment were relatively small.

An elder with a red face and a swollen, ruddy nose spoke first:

"Shiwen and Shilang both have good aptitude, but Shilang married long ago. I think this Foundation Establishment Pill is more suitable for Shiwen."

Preserving one's Primordial Yang through celibacy improved the chance of Foundation Establishment. Shiwen and Shilang had similar aptitude in their main spirit roots, but Shiwen had kept his Primordial Yang intact, giving him the better chance.

The plainly dressed Elder sitting opposite him said:

"Shilang is a First-Tier High-Grade Talisman Master. If he establishes Foundation successfully, the benefits he brings to the clan would be greater."

"Shiwen is also a First-Tier High-Grade Formation Master!" said an Elder who was quite acquainted with Gu Shiwen.

"To be fair, within the Nine Perches Mountains, Talisman Masters are more in demand than Formation Masters," the plainly dressed Elder added.

Gu Wanhua, sitting in the secondary seat, deeply agreed. The Nine Perches Mountains bordered Demon Beast territory, and rogue cultivators often entered to hunt demon beasts, so Spiritual Talismans were very popular within the Nine Perches Mountains.

The demand for Formations was not as great. After all, ordinary cultivators could not afford Formations. Even if they could, Formations only needed proper maintenance to last a long time, unlike Spiritual Talismans which were consumables.

Although the several Elders had different opinions and some personal bias, overall they were still considering the Gu Clan's interests.

"Since we disagree, let us vote. Under clan rules, each Foundation Establishment cultivator has two votes, and each Qi Condensation cultivator has one. Raise your hand if you favor Gu Shiwen."

Gu Wanchang and Gu Wanhua both raised their hands. Gu Wanhao did not attend the meeting; he was refining Meridian-Protecting Pills. Emerald Maple Mountain had Third-Tier Middle-Grade Earth Fire and Spiritual Springs, both of which could increase alchemy success rates.

However, before entering seclusion, he had stated that his two votes should go to Gu Shiwen.

Besides the Foundation Establishment stage Elders, two other Elders also voted for Gu Shiwen.

Thus, there was no suspense. The Foundation Establishment candidate was Gu Shiwen.

Gu Shiwen obtaining the Foundation Establishment qualification was not just because he had good aptitude and had not lost his Primordial Yang.

The clan already had Gu Wanhua, a second-tier low grade Talisman Master who largely met its needs. Another talisman maker would be a useful addition, but Formation expertise was a weakness shared by all four clans of the Nine Perches Mountains.

Taking the Gu Clan as an example, most of the Formations the Gu Clan used now were left by the founding ancestor. For so many years, the Gu Clan had never lacked Second-Tier Alchemists, but had never produced a Second-Tier Formation Master.

Formation work demanded talent. Without it, even a century of dedicated study might take a cultivator no further than first-tier middle grade. Gu Shiwen was only forty, yet already a first-tier high grade Formation Master. His aptitude was clear.