The arrival of Father Zhou Xuanhao and Mother Lin Yuting finally made Zhouyang's daily life no longer so tedious.
Since he was seven years old, their family had been apart more than together, and now they were finally able to reunite and live together, all three cherished this beautiful time immensely.
Zhouyang even stopped his daily cultivation. If he wasn't helping his mother outside to create an oasis, digging in the desert for unique desert delicacies and plants, he was listening to his father recounting various strange tales he had seen and heard at the marketplace. His days were full and joyful.
Yet, this family was ultimately made up of cultivators, so even during casual chatter, they couldn't help but discuss matters related to cultivation.
One day, while Zhou's father and Zhouyang were talking about his past experiences visiting other cultivation clans, Father Zhou Xuanhao's expression suddenly shifted as he looked at Zhouyang and asked, "Yang'Er, the old Clan Leader said that the [Haoyang Cave] here would be entrusted to you in the future. Do you have any plan for the development and utilization of the spirit vein here?"
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang awkwardly replied, "Dad, that's a hard question for your child. I've been busy with cultivation over the years, and honestly haven't thought about that aspect yet."
"Prioritizing cultivation is right," Zhou Xuanhao nodded, acknowledging Zhouyang's answer, then with a look of encouragement, he said, "But now that you've reached a bottleneck period, you might as well start planning. Just as your mother and I are both here, you are welcome to share your ideas, and we can help you assess them."
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang realized that his father already had ideas in mind, and this was just a minor test.
To be honest, he was slightly critical of his father and other elders' habit of testing the younger generation before doing anything.
Even though they were considered younger generation, they were all in their thirties and forties, nearly grandfather-aged in the mundane world, yet always treated like children by their elders. Anyone would inevitably feel discontent.
Even if they passed the test and received praise from elders, what of it?
Was he supposed to celebrate like a child being praised and ask the elders for treats?
While inwardly grumbling, he outwardly appeared thoughtful as he pondered, before finally looking up with difficulty and said, "Your child has limited knowledge and truly can't conjure any good ideas for construction matters. Father, with your vast experience, I still need your guidance on this matter."
"Haha, it's rare to see a matter that Yang'Er doesn't understand!"
Zhou Xuanhao burst into laughter, seemingly thrilled to see Zhouyang stumped.
It's no surprise, as during idle chats over these days, except when he was narrating some peculiar tales from the cultivation realm that Zhouyang couldn't interject in, any other topics concerning customs or governance found Zhouyang offering unique insights to the point Zhou Xuanhao, as a father, couldn't reply immediately.
Zhou Xuanhao didn't know how his son, always cultivating within the family, became so knowledgeable about everything, but he felt he couldn't exercise any fatherly authority over him.
If not for Zhouyang's youthful appearance and being a son he watched grow up, if someone claimed he was a Golden Core entity who cultivated for centuries, Zhou Xuanhao wouldn't doubt it.
It just so happens that he utterly couldn't express his frustrations to anyone, lest he be laughed at!
Knowing this, it was easily understood why he was so pleased now.
In this moment of joy, he finally regained his confidence as a father. With a proud look towards Zhouyang, he listed:
"The spirit vein in [Haoyang Cave] is deeply buried underground, surrounded by rock, so establishing spirit fields like at Jade Spring Peak is impossible!"
"But this isn't all bad. The rocks on the spirit vein, nourished by Spiritual Qi over time, are much harder than ordinary rocks, perfect for building a Spirit Beast Chamber to rear some low-tier demon beasts. Slaying demons for meat could be a good source of income."
"Additionally, you could borrow some storage bags from the old Clan Leader, dig more spiritual soil from the spirit fields at Jade Spring Peak to spread outside the cave, planting some spirit elixirs demanding higher Spiritual Qi from Tier Three and Four."
"Finally, [Haoyang Cave]'s spiritual attribute leans towards the fire attribute, indicating the earth fire magma layer is quite shallow. After your Foundation Establishment, you can gather some spirit stones to invite the Chen Family Ancestor from Jinsha Marketplace to help create an earth fire channel. By then, the clan's alchemists and artifact refiners can refine high-tier elixirs and magical artifacts without needing to rent an earth fire chamber at Jinsha Marketplace."
Zhou Xuanhao, having lived for nearly a century and spent long periods residing in the Cultivator Marketplace, often representing the Zhou Family visiting other cultivation clans, has cultivation insight far beyond what a "young man" like Zhouyang could match.
The advice he offered, though seemingly straightforward, was actually a result of methodical investigations around Haoyang Cave's spirit vein, tailored to conditions, and painstakingly devised.
Every piece of advice was the optimal choice, considering all circumstances.
Though Zhou Xuanhao didn't articulate these thoughts, Zhouyang, having been an office worker in his previous life, knew it clearly.
Then he recalled that he had just complained about his father's lack of consideration for the younger generation, and couldn't help but feel both ashamed and regretful. Bowing deeply, he said to his father with a face full of remorse, "Father, your wisdom is far beyond me. I am ashamed, sitting atop a Treasure Mountain without realizing its worth, truly a disgrace to our clan, and undeserving of the favor of our old Clan Leader and the elders!"
"Why should my son feel this way?"
Zhou Xuanhao looked at Zhouyang with some surprise at this gesture, completely puzzled as to why Zhouyang had suddenly become so solemn.
"Uh, Father, please don't mind me. I just feel ashamed in my heart and slightly lost my composure."
Zhouyang, feeling embarrassed, quickly exercised his Magical Power to suppress the strange emotions in his heart, raised his head with a forced smile to find an excuse to muddle through.
"Hmm, knowing shame is indeed a good thing. At your age, having achievements in cultivation such as yours can inevitably foster arrogance, looking down on peers and even elder cultivators. This mindset is very harmful! As your father, I suggest you go out and see more of the world outside, exchange more with cultivators beyond our clan. When you have encountered and heard of various geniuses in the cultivation realm, you will realize that your current accomplishments in the grand scheme of the cultivation realm are not much at all!"
Zhou Xuanhao nodded gently, and without probing further into the reasons for Zhouyang's shame, advised him with the teachings of life.
"Father is right. I actually have this intention, but this matter should wait until after you have completed your task before informing the old Clan Leader."
Hearing Zhouyang mention "that task," Zhou Xuanhao couldn't help but fall silent.
Consuming the Earth Element Spirit Milk to attack the Foundation Establishment Stage could be a near-death experience. Success or failure depends entirely on fate; saying anything more at this point is unnecessary.
Seeing this, Zhouyang cursed himself inwardly for bringing up such an inappropriate topic and quickly diverted the conversation, "Father, since you have suggested establishing the Spirit Beast Chamber, and considering we have nothing else to do currently, why not try implementing this method now to see if it is viable?"
"Very well."
Zhou Xuanhao's eyes flashed slightly, nodding to avoid the heavy topic.
Establishing a Spirit Beast Chamber was quite simple; directly summoning a Flying Sword to cut through the stone walls was enough. Zhouyang and Zhou Xuanhao, one at the Eighth-Layer Qi Cultivation and the other at the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation, both wielding Tier Two Top Grade Flying Sword artifacts, found this labor not too taxing.
In less than six months, the father and son made use of a deep cave created by Poisonous Fire Scorpions from outside to construct four circular stone chambers over two hundred zhang long, one zhang wide, and seven chi high.
These circular stone chambers had thick stone walls on all sides, making it impossible for Tier Two Demon Beasts within, unless they were Gold-Eating Rats skilled at tunneling and earth escaping, to flee from these chambers.
The Zhou Family also raised a Tier One Middle Grade Demon Beast known as the Phoenix Crowned Fire Chicken on Jade Spring Peak. This demon beast can grow to weigh forty to fifty kilograms at most, with firm and chewy meat… most importantly, it is filling and highly favored by low-tier loose cultivators.
Zhouyang planned to introduce a batch of Phoenix Crowned Fire Chickens from Jade Spring Peak into the Spirit Beast Chamber after reaching Foundation Establishment to observe the results.
And soon after the Spirit Beast Chamber was completed, the Earth Element Spirit Milk began to overflow from a thousand-year-old stalactite.
The spilled Earth Element Spirit Milk was amber-like in color, exuding an enticing fragrance, but the amount was little, less than one liter.
"Taking half should be enough for me. The remaining Earth Element Spirit Milk, Yang'Er, you should keep safe and later give it to the old Clan Leader."
Being an alchemist, Zhou Xuanhao naturally collected the Earth Element Spirit Milk himself, gathering it in a Jade Bottle and then pouring half into another Jade Bottle which he handed to Zhouyang.
Then, he gazed deeply at his wife and child standing beside him, and after a full quarter-hour, he let out a sudden laugh, "Well, everything that needed explaining has been explained, today no one is allowed to cry, just quietly wait for my good news!"
"Husband!"
Lin Yuting called out softly with tearful eyes, tightly gripping the man's hands, unwilling to let go.
Though she had advised him and understood his choices, as the moment finally arrived, she, as a woman, could not help but cry.
In contrast, Zhouyang showed unusual calmness at this time, locking eyes with his father Zhou Xuanhao, gently nodding, then reaching out to hold his mother Lin Yuting while softly advising, "Mother, let's go. Father now most needs peace of mind. We cannot allow him to carry worries while attempting his breakthrough!"
"Take care of your mother, don't let her do foolish things!"
Magical Power surged over Zhou Xuanhao's body as he gently pushed his wife's hands away, then turned and walked into the secluded chamber without looking back, lowering the chamber door with a "boom."