Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 189: Nine Pills Golden Liquid

Following the implementation of the encouraged childbirth policy, the Wang Clan had welcomed 100 new cultivators into its ranks.

Although Wang Guang’an had taken over a dozen of the most promising talents overseas, the main branch still retained 80 new bloodlines. This number was increasing by more than ten annually; within a decade, another 100 would join the fold.

Furthermore, as the base population of cultivators grew, the rate of new births would multiply exponentially.

In ten years, the eldest of this new generation would be nearly 20. Those with Dual Spiritual Roots would be approaching the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

The Qingyuan Sect had sealed its mountain. While they still demanded tribute, their administrative grip on the region would inevitably loosen. This was the perfect window of opportunity for the Wang Clan to expand aggressively.

Wang Hao set a small objective: Produce one Foundation Establishment cultivator every year.

By the time the Qingyuan Sect reopened its gates, the Wang Clan would boast one Golden Core Patriarch and 20 Foundation Establishment experts. At that point, the Sect would find the Wang family too thorny to easily manipulate.

After all, with two hostile neighbors—the Blazing Heaven Sect and the Infinite Palace—watching covetously, the Qingyuan Sect would be wiser to court the Wang Clan rather than suppress it. The Wang family, having originated from their ranks and being the weaker party, was a far more natural ally than the external aggressors.

Of course, this was merely Wang Hao’s rough blueprint. Whether they could maximize this ‘Golden Decade’ depended on execution and circumstance.

The linchpin of this plan was Wang Guang’an. His odds of reaching the Golden Core realm were not absolute. Before departing, he had told Wang Hao that his success rate exceeded 50%, largely to reassure the clan.

Fifty percent was not low. Most cultivators, even with the aid of spiritual items, struggled with a mere 30 or 40% chance.

After returning to the Qingyuan Market with Wang Yaozu, the two did not linger. They immediately led their clansmen back to the family estate.

Wang Hao had no immediate plans to travel overseas. His cultivation had not yet reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, meaning his exploration would be limited to the safe zones around Wanxiang City. Furthermore, the family had just survived a war; his presence was needed to stabilize morale.

With Wang Guang’an presiding overseas, there was no need for concern on that front.

Overseas. The Hidden Spirit Islands.

In a secluded cultivation chamber deep within the backyard of the Danfu Pavilion, Wang Guang’an sat cross-legged.

Dominating the room before him was a massive blue cauldron. Beneath it, a raging Pill Fire roared, licking the metal base with tongues of flame. A faint, medicinal fragrance permeated the air, thick with spiritual energy.

After three years of grueling practice, he had finally broken through to become a Tier 3 Alchemist. After a period of consolidation, he had begun the monumental task of refining the Nine Pills Golden Liquid.

The cultivation resources overseas were truly abundant. Wang Hao had provided the bulk of the auxiliary herbs, and Wang Guang’an had acquired the remaining high-age ingredients at auctions, albeit at a steep price.

He had a Tier 3 pill furnace. He had the two Golden Yuan Fruits provided by Wang Hao. If he failed now, he could only blame the heavens for a wretched fate.

Before beginning, he had issued a strict order to Wang Wenyan and the others: unless the sky was falling, he was not to be disturbed.

Refining a Tier 3 pill—especially one designed to break the shackles of a major realm—was a task of excruciating difficulty. He needed absolute focus. A single moment of distraction could spell disaster.

He had been in seclusion for over two years now.

The first batch had been a failure. He had ruined it. This second batch was his final hope.

His years of alchemy experience had taught him that emotional volatility was the alchemist’s greatest enemy. The first batch failed precisely because his heart wavered. Before starting this second attempt, he had meditated for six full months, stilling his mind until it was as calm as a frozen lake.

Now, his eyes were closed, but his Divine Sense was fully active, wrapped tightly around the concoction boiling inside the blue giant cauldron.

Time inside the chamber seemed to stagnate. Only the flickering tongues of fire marked the passage of moments.

Suddenly, a refreshing, soul-permeating fragrance erupted from the furnace.

Wang Guang’an’s eyes snapped open.

His gaze fixed on the cauldron, burning with intensity. He suppressed the rising tide of excitement in his chest and slowly rose to his feet, his expression solemn.

‘The final chance,’ he whispered, his voice trembling with determination. ‘I will not make the same mistake twice. I will succeed!’

He formed a series of complex seals with both hands, shooting a beam of spiritual light into the furnace. The fire beneath roared, intensifying violently for a brief moment before settling.

Hum.

A subtle fluctuation rippled through the air, and the furnace went still.

Wang Guang’an’s Divine Sense had already confirmed the result, but he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. He raised his left hand, and the heavy lid of the cauldron lifted into the air.

Flash!

A brilliant golden light flooded the room. Inside the crucible, a viscous blob of golden fluid flowed like living mercury, emitting an intoxicating aroma.

Wang Guang’an produced a jade bottle. With a gentle point of his finger, the golden liquid levitated from the furnace and streamed smoothly into the container.

His hands shook as he stoppered the bottle. He checked the scent. He checked the color. Flawless.

‘Nine Pills Golden Liquid…’

He threw his head back and let out a roar of laughter.

‘I have finally done it! Hahahaha!’

His unrestrained, triumphant laughter echoed through the cave dwelling for a long time. It was the release of years of suppression and anxiety.

Finally composing himself, Wang Guang’an straightened his robes and walked out of the chamber.

If the outside world knew he had consumed two priceless Golden Yuan Fruits to produce a single portion of Nine Pills Golden Liquid, he would be mocked to death for his wastefulness. But for the Wang Clan, this was a pioneering achievement—a key to a new era.

‘Wenyan pays respects to the Ancestor! Congratulations on your exit from seclusion!’

Wang Wenyan, who had been waiting outside, bowed deeply upon seeing him.

With the Wang Clan’s operations expanding overseas, Wang Yanfeng—a Tier 2 Alchemist—had shifted his focus to teaching and managing the younger generation. Wang Wenmei had been in seclusion for years, converting her cultivation technique. Although there were clansmen senior to Wang Wenyan, she was, without a doubt, the most capable manager.

Wang Guang’an had followed Wang Hao’s advice and entrusted the shop entirely to her. Over the past few years, despite external suppression, the Danfu Pavilion had survived. It paid its rent and even funneled resources back to the clan members for cultivation. Wang Guang’an knew that even he might not have managed the business as deftly as she had.

He nodded in satisfaction. ‘Has anything major happened at the shop?’

‘Business is stable,’ Wang Wenyan reported efficiently. ‘We have secured our regular customers, so retention is high. However, acquiring new customers remains difficult due to the suppression.’

‘You have done well. Maintain the status quo,’ Wang Guang’an instructed. ‘The Wang Clan will remain dormant for now; stability is our priority. I have exited seclusion only briefly. I will be entering a long-term Deep Seclusion immediately. The shop is in your hands.’

Wang Wenyan was surprised. The Ancestor had been in seclusion almost constantly since arriving overseas. She had expected some action upon his emergence. But she was shrewd enough to know when not to ask questions.

‘Ancestor, rest assured,’ she said firmly. ‘Wenyan will guard the shop with her life. No one will disturb you.’

Wang Guang’an had no choice. He planned to attempt the Golden Core breakthrough immediately.

He couldn’t afford to wait. He was over 220 years old. The Great Limit was approaching.

Although a Foundation Establishment cultivator could theoretically live to 240, few died of natural old age. Decades of combat, injuries, and the stress of cultivation often shortened that span. Wang Guang’an had suffered severe injuries in his past; even if he was fully recovered now, his lifespan had undoubtedly been compromised.

If he waited any longer, his blood and Qi would begin to decline, and the chance would be lost forever.

Forming a Golden Core was not a quick process. Some cultivators spent decades in seclusion—longer than it took a Golden Core expert to break through to Nascent Soul. While the conventional timeframe was two or three years, Wang Guang’an had to prepare for the long haul.

If his lifespan ran out during the critical moment of the breakthrough… that regret would haunt him even as a ghost.

Ideally, he should have rented a superior cave dwelling. While the Spiritual Qi at the shop was sufficient, the environment was too noisy.

Wanxiang City was backed by a Nascent Soul Sect. They rented out high-grade caves on the Tier 4 Spiritual Vein. For 10,000 or 20,000 Spirit Stones, Wang Guang’an could have secured a quiet, Spirit-rich sanctuary.

But he had to consider the family.

Purchasing the herbs to practice his alchemy, along with the auxiliary ingredients for the Nine Pills Golden Liquid, had cost nearly 100,000 Spirit Stones. The funds he had brought from the clan were nearly exhausted.

If he spent a fortune renting a cave, the young cultivators who had followed him overseas would starve. They were too young and their cultivation too low to hunt Demon Beasts in the open sea. Relying solely on Wang Yanfeng to support them was already a strain. He could not add to their burden.

If he failed, the family’s massive investment would be a total loss. It would take them decades to recover.

Every Spirit Stone saved was a lifeline for his descendants.

After a brief meeting with the Foundation Establishment clansmen to issue final instructions, Wang Guang’an turned his back on the world and entered the darkness of the cultivation chamber once more.