“When did that happen?” Tie Zhu gasped, staring at Jiang Chen with wide, unbelieving eyes.

It had only been a few days since their last meeting, yet his senior brother had already achieved Foundation Establishment. And not just barely—he hadn’t gotten stuck at the Qi Condensation Perfection bottleneck at all. It was a smooth, effortless breakthrough.

Comparing himself to Jiang Chen was like comparing a pebble to a mountain; it only bred despair.

“You haven’t heard?” Jiang Chen asked.

Tie Zhu shook his head, looking bewildered. “How would I have heard? I’ve been stuck underground for ten days.”

Jiang Chen chuckled lightly. “I broke through on the 38th layer of the Earth Vein.”

Tie Zhu froze. Then, realization dawned on his face. “I remember now! When I first arrived down there, people were gossiping about a Wood Spirit Root cultivator who had successfully established their foundation right in the vein. I never imagined… that was you, Senior Brother!”

Jiang Chen nodded. “Indeed, it was.”

Tie Zhu, suddenly flustered, patted his robes as if looking for something. “This… I… I didn’t prepare a gift.”

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively. “Your own breakthrough is the greatest gift you could give me. Don’t worry about it.”

Tie Zhu’s eyes welled up with tears. He sniffed, visibly choked with emotion. If not for Senior Brother Jiang’s timely reminder to visit the vein, he would still be stuck at the late stage of Qi Condensation, likely for years.

The eruption of Yellow Earth Essence in the Earth Vein was periodic, yes, but it rarely caused the Spirit Stone deposits to collapse and release such a dense flood of attribute-less Spirit Qi. This was a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck for an Earth Spirit Root cultivator.

He could have used this momentum to push for core disciple status, but instead, he had rushed here to thank Jiang Chen.

Suddenly, Tie Zhu’s gaze drifted past the house and landed on the expanded fields. He gasped, slapping his forehead. “Right! When a Spirit Farmer reaches Foundation Establishment, the sect grants an additional acre of Grade-2 Spirit Farm. I missed the soil loosening! I should have been here!”

Seeing the genuine guilt on the big man’s face, Jiang Chen smiled. “Missed it? So what? It’s not the end of the world. During the initial reclamation, I hired plenty of Earth Spirit Root disciples to infuse earth energy while tilling. It’s fine.”

Tie Zhu still looked uneasy, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “But… I have to do something for you, Senior Brother. I can’t just take your advice and food without giving back.”

Jiang Chen pondered for a moment. He looked at Tie Zhu’s hulking, rock-like frame.

“Alright,” Jiang Chen said. “I’ve been meaning to expand my storage. I want to build a basement under the hut. If you’ve got all that pent-up energy, why not put it to good use?”

Now that Tie Zhu had reached Qi Condensation Perfection, his control over Earth Spirit Qi was precise and powerful. Excavation and reinforcement would be child’s play for him.

The two immediately began planning the dimensions. Jiang Chen had already designed the layout in his head, so the instructions were quick. They would open an entrance right in the kitchen floor, creating a secure underground cellar for his brewing equipment and wine storage.

Tie Zhu got to work immediately.

Rumble.

The ground beneath the hut vibrated as Tie Zhu manipulated the soil, compressing and moving it with his will.

Da Huang and the pearl chickens, who had been napping peacefully, bolted out of their nests in terror. They scrambled away from the vibrating house, not stopping until they reached the safety of the far ridge.

Watching the still-shaken dog and the panicked chickens, Jiang Chen wore a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying their distress.

By noon, the basement was taking shape.

Thanks to Tie Zhu’s efficiency, the excavation was nearly complete. The cellar was a spacious 7×7 meter square with a three-meter ceiling, accessed directly from the kitchen. It was cool, dry, and perfectly reinforced.

While Tie Zhu took a break to recover his spiritual energy, Jiang Chen started lunch.

Knowing that Earth Spirit Root disciples had hearty appetites, especially after heavy labor, he steamed a massive pot of Top-quality Spirit Rice.

For the main courses, he stuck to robust, home-style cooking: A sizzling plate of Top-quality Spirit Beast Meat, stir-fried with potent red chilies. A large tureen of Top-quality Winter Melon and Pork Rib Soup. And a platter of scrambled Top-quality Pearl Chicken Eggs with peppers.

Tie Zhu sat at the table, eyes wide. This was his first time tasting Jiang Chen’s cooking, and the aroma alone was making his mouth water.

The stir-fry glistened with oil and chili paste, smelling spicy and savory. The soup was clear, with translucent melon chunks and tender ribs falling off the bone. The eggs were fluffy clouds of yellow, dotted with bright red spice.

Jiang Chen set down the bowls. “Dig in.”

Tie Zhu hesitated, waiting for Jiang Chen to take the first bite of the slightly charred meat. Once protocol was satisfied, he dove in.

He loved meat, so he went straight for the stir-fry. He shoveled a large piece into his mouth, chewed a few times, and his eyes bulged.

The meat was seared crisp on the outside but remained tender and springy inside. Then the heat hit. The spicy aftertaste was intense, a slow burn that built with every chew.

After just a few bites, he started hissing and huffing from the spiciness, sweat already beading on his forehead.

“Junior Brother Tie,” Jiang Chen said between bites, “I just remembered something.”

Tie Zhu quickly gulped down a spoonful of the soothing melon soup to quell the fire in his mouth. “What is it?”

“I’ve heard that if you get stuck at the Qi Condensation Perfection stage, you need a Foundation Pill to break through.”

Jiang Chen recalled Elder Hua and Wang ze mentioning this. The pills were rare and prohibitively expensive for ordinary disciples. Worse, different Spirit Roots required specific formulations.

“For Earth Spirit Roots,” Jiang Chen continued, “the pill requires a rare main ingredient called [Earth Lotus], found only deep in Earth Veins.”

If he remembered correctly, a single stalk of Earth Lotus used to cost eighty Mid-grade Spirit Stones. But that was the old price. With the [Grand Competition for Formal Disciples] approaching, the market for cultivation resources was exploding.

Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks and retrieved the Spirit Light Mirror gifted by Chen Bo. He injected a pulse of Wood Spirit Qi.

The mirror surface shimmered, displaying a scrolling list of spirit plant prices.

Tie Zhu paused his eating, leaning in with curiosity.

Jiang Chen navigated to the entry for [Earth Lotus] and checked the current transaction price.

Both men froze.

Current Price: 100 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

“One hundred…” Tie Zhu whispered, his face pale. “Just for the flower?”

If the raw ingredient was that expensive, the finished pill would be astronomical.

Unfortunately, the Spirit Light Mirror only tracked raw materials. It used to list pill prices, but the [Pill Alliance] had protested the transparency, forcing the feature’s removal.

“One hundred Mid-grade stones,” Tie Zhu muttered, doing the math. “I’d have to mine for at least five years to save that much. Unless I work non-stop loosening soil for others… maybe then.”

Jiang Chen frowned. He put away the mirror and pulled out a Communication Talisman—the one connected to Lin Yu.

He injected his Qi. The connection snapped open almost instantly.

“It’s barely noon. Are you inviting me to lunch?” Lin Yu’s voice chirped.

“I have a question to ask.”

There was a palpable pause. Lin Yu sounded disappointed, but she didn’t throw a tantrum. “Oh. Hold on.”

A moment later, a more mature voice came through.

“Jiang Chen is looking for me?” Lin Yan sounded surprised. Her first thought was that he had failed Yu Caiqing’s test and was calling to beg for assistance. Why else would he reach out now?

“Senior Sister Bai,” Jiang Chen said, skipping the pleasantries. “I need a price check. What’s the current market rate for an Earth Spirit Root Foundation Pill? The one with Earth Lotus as the base.”

Hearing that the question had nothing to do with Yu Caiqing or his mission, Lin Yanlet out a sigh of relief. Then, her tone turned sharp.

“You’ve already established your foundation. Why are you asking about this? And specifically for an Earth pill?”

Jiang Chen glanced at the anxious, sweating Tie Zhu beside him. “Asking for a friend.”

Lin Yanpaused, likely calculating. “The market is volatile right now. Water, Wood, and Fire pills are relatively cheap—you can find them for around two hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones. But Metal and Earth?”

She scoffed. “Those are premium. You’re looking at a minimum of three hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones per pill.”