Hearing this, Gu Changhuan felt a warmth in his heart and couldn't help but smile.

"Patriarch, rest assured. My travels went smoothly. I merely obtained a good item that will be of great use to the clan, so I came back first."

Gu Wanchang listened to his words and carefully examined him again, only feeling relieved after confirming that he was truly unharmed.

"Oh? What good item has made our Changhuan so happy?"

Gu Wanchang knew very well that this grand-nephew's standards were extremely high. Ordinary Spiritual Objects could not catch his eye.

Gu Changhuan smiled mysteriously. Instead of answering directly, he took out the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula and handed it straight to Gu Wanchang.

"Patriarch, please take a look."

Seeing Gu Changhuan act like this, Gu Wanchang's curiosity was piqued.

Could it be a Pill Formula the clan did not possess?

Gu Wanchang took the piece of paper. As soon as he saw the three large characters for "Foundation Establishment Pill" at the top, his body jolted three times.

The hand holding the Pill Formula trembled slightly.

"This... this is the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula! Changhuan, where did you get this? Can you be certain it is genuine?"

It was no wonder Gu Wanchang lost his composure. The ability to produce Foundation Establishment Pills themselves was far too important for a clan. It was no exaggeration to say that this single piece of paper was just as significant as the Ancient Cultivator Cave Abode they had previously discovered. In some aspects, it might even surpass it.

Gu Changhuan helped the trembling Patriarch sit down, feeling a bit of bittersweet sorrow in his heart.

"Patriarch, rest assured. I bought this formula from a Rogue Cultivator and have already checked its underlying principles. It should undoubtedly be a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill Formula. Oh, right, why not let Grandfather examine it? Grandfather is already a Second-Tier High-Grade Alchemist; he can surely identify the authenticity of the Pill Formula better than I can."

In truth, Gu Changhuan was certain this was a genuine Pill Formula, but having his grandfather confirm it once more would make the Patriarch feel much more at ease.

Gu Wanchang's eyes went wide. He hurriedly took out a Communication Talisman and sent it to Gu Wanhao.

At this moment, Gu Wanhao was instructing the younger generation of the clan in alchemy.

Suddenly, a Communication Talisman flew over. After reading it and discovering Gu Wanchang was looking for him, he assumed something urgent had happened and didn't dare delay.

He threw out a quick sentence: "We will stop here for today. Come back another day."

Then, he abandoned his group of apprentices and left.

The poor apprentices were thus abandoned in the Hundred Arts Office by the number one Alchemist of both the Gu Clan and the Nine Perches Mountains.

"Why did the First Elder suddenly leave? He had only just started giving me some guidance!" someone complained.

"What do you have to complain about? I didn't even receive half a sentence of guidance! Did you hear me saying anything?" someone else grumbled resentfully.

"Alright, alright. Didn't the First Elder tell us to come another day? Being able to watch him personally refine pills today is already our good fortune. Think of how many people envy us! Stop complaining," someone comforted.

But regardless of individual feelings, everyone's attitude was generally good. They all wanted to learn more. Whether for their own sake or the clan's, this was a good thing.

After Gu Wanhao hurriedly arrived, before he could even steady himself, Gu Wanchang stuffed a piece of paper into his hand.

"Ninth Brother, why are you in such a hurry to find me... This is the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula!"

Gu Wanhao's voice suddenly rose sharply at the end of his sentence.

Then, without waiting for Gu Wanchang to say anything, Gu Wanhao tightly furrowed his brows and began muttering to himself. He was clearly checking whether the Pill Formula would work.

Gu Wanchang and Gu Changhuan did not dare disturb him. This was especially true for Gu Wanchang, who watched Gu Wanhao while practically holding his breath, terrified that he would frown and declare the Pill Formula a fake.

"Foundation Establishment Pill, balance, Spiritual Power... so that's how it is. Truly, a genius..."

Still wanting more, Gu Wanhao reluctantly pulled his attention away from the Pill Formula. Only then did he notice that Gu Changhuan was also present.

"Why is Changhuan back? Did you encounter some difficult problem while traveling?" he quickly asked.

Gu Wanchang, however, couldn't wait any longer. He stared fixedly at Gu Wanhao.

"Twelfth Brother, first tell me—is this formula genuine or not?!"

Gu Wanhao was momentarily stunned, and then his face lit up with joy.

"I have just worked through the formula; it is genuine! Where did this formula come from? Could it be..."

As he spoke, Gu Wanhao's eyes turned toward Gu Changhuan. Seeing Gu Changhuan smile and nod, he burst into loud laughter.

In truth, where this formula came from or whose hands it passed through wasn't important. What mattered most was that the formula had already reached the Gu Clan!

However, obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill Formula was a major event worthy of being recorded in clan history. If it was accomplished by his own biological grandson, didn't that make it all the better?

Knowing the formula was genuine, Gu Wanchang was naturally just as thrilled.

But before he could even laugh, Gu Changhuan spoke up.

"Patriarch, Grandfather, don't be in such a hurry to celebrate! Refining the Foundation Establishment Pill requires so many kinds of spirit medicines! I've only visited the Gu Clan's Spirit Medicine Garden once or twice. I don't know, of all the spirit medicines on this Pill Formula, how many are we still missing in the Gu Clan?"

Gu Wanhao and Gu Wanchang restrained their laughter. Indeed. If they lacked the spirit medicines required to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill, then having the Pill Formula alone was just empty talk.

Gu Wanhao knew exactly what was in the Gu Clan's Spirit Medicine Garden better than anyone. He carefully read the Pill Formula again.

"Refining the Foundation Establishment Pill requires thirty-six kinds of spirit medicines. Among them, of the three Main Ingredients, our Gu Clan only has Mystic Ice Grass. As for the thirty-three auxiliary ingredients, the Gu Clan currently has seventeen kinds. We still lack Thousand-Faced Flower, Seven-Orifice Seed, Jade-Pattern Spirit Leaf..."

Gu Wanhao listed the lacking auxiliary ingredients one by one. Gu Changhuan listened quietly, recording them on a Jade Slip.

The variety of spirit medicines in the Gu Clan's Spirit Medicine Garden was greater than he had imagined, though most of them overlapped with what he had in his space.

Once Gu Wanhao finished speaking, Gu Changhuan took out three potted spirit medicines from his Storage Bag.

"These are the Thousand-Faced Flower, Monkey’s Delight, and Lamp-Dew Stamen that I collected at Linyao Market. They're all alive and can be replanted. Thus, we are only short thirteen auxiliary ingredients."

Gu Wanhao looked at the three potted spirit medicines as if they were priceless treasures, but then he suddenly sighed.

"Even so, we still lack thirteen auxiliary ingredients, not to mention that Heavenly Spirit Fruit and Fire Velvet Mushroom are both extremely hard to find. It seems that wanting our Gu Clan to produce one or two more Foundation Establishment cultivators before the Beast Tide arrives will be impossible."

Gu Wanchang thought for a moment and said, "Relying solely on the strength of our Gu Clan alone is unlikely, but if we count the Yu Clan and even the other two families, there is still much we can do."

Gu Changhuan's eyes lit up. Indeed, the four families of the Nine Perches Mountains all had Purple Mansion foundations. It wouldn't be surprising if the Spirit Medicine Gardens of the other three clans contained the spirit medicines needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. If they pooled the strength of all four families together, gathering the ingredients needed for one batch of Foundation Establishment Pills before the Beast Tide arrived wasn't impossible.

Why hadn't he thought of that? There was no substitute for experience!

"Since that's the case, we shouldn't delay. I will make a trip to the Yu Clan first." Gu Wanhao immediately sprang into action.

Gu Wanchang cautioned him,

"When you reach the Yu Clan, be careful. Don't let the Yu Clan think our Gu Clan has grown arrogant just because we have a Purple Mansion Ancestor."

Gu Wanhao felt both amused and exasperated. He was over a hundred years old; how could he do something so lacking in discretion?

"Patriarch, rest assured. When have I ever made such a mistake?"

After saying this, he left in a great rush.

"Has there been some friction between our clan's disciples and the Yu Clan's disciples?"

Gu Changhuan asked. Gu Wanchang wasn't someone who spoke without reason. Since he had given such a warning, there had to be a cause.