A Golden Core True Master?!

Inside the marketplace, Chen Che’s heart jolted. Ding Fei didn’t recognize the newcomer, but Cao Xiong standing beside him was already stunned into silence. Hearing the commotion, Rong Zhongxuan, Lu Qinglian, and Rong Shisan rushed over, only to freeze on the spot, their limbs rigid.

They had recognized the Golden Core True Master.

For a moment, their gazes were filled with nothing but tension.

A Cultivator an entire Grand Realm higher was like a lion in a herd of gazelles. All you could do was pray he wasn’t here for you...

’I’ve been exposed!?’

Chen Che’s mind raced. Xiao Chan, True Master Chixia, True Master Chilong’s Cave Mansion, the Mysterious Shell, the Primordial Sect disciples and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had died at his hands...

If even one of these secrets got out, it would lead to the complete annihilation of Jinyun Valley.

A heavy silence fell.

It was as if the entire auction house had gone quiet in that instant.

Everyone present felt the world go still, their own heartbeats thundering in their ears.

Just as Chen Che was lost in speculation, the Golden Core True Master in the black robe and ghost mask took a single step and seemed to appear right before him. Not only Chen Che, but everyone else present failed to react in time.

’Is he going to make a move?’

The hairs on Chen Che’s body stood on end.

However, to his surprise, the man simply brushed past him and walked straight into the auction house. His voice drifted over quietly:

"Where is the Dragon Fish Pill?"

"Hm?"

Chen Che looked up.

"Senior is asking you, where is the Dragon Fish Pill from the auction?"

Cao Xiong trotted into the auction house, turning his head to say this. He then hurried to catch up with the ghost-faced Golden Core, bowing obsequiously with a fawning smile. "Senior, please don’t be offended. These are just Cultivators from a small place. They’ve never seen a Golden Core True Monarch before, so they were momentarily dazed..."

"The Dragon Fish Pill is inside the auction house."

Chen Che replied, glancing at Cao Xiong from the corner of his eye.

’Ah! Right, right, right!’

’Whatever you say. I’ve never seen a Golden Core True Master before.’

"Bring it out for me to see."

The black-robed Golden Core seemed to float into the auction house.

Everyone exchanged glances. What was the origin of this person?

’Is he from the Primordial Sect?’

’Not the Sect Leader, but another one of their Golden Core True Masters?’

Chen Che followed him inside.

Inside, Lu Qinglian had already served Fragrant Tea, while Rong Zhongxuan respectfully presented the pill. Rong Shisan and Hu Yao stood to one side with their hands clasped. Their posture showed the utmost respect for this Golden Core True Master.

"So this is the Dragon Fish Pill?"

The man poured the pill out, examined it, then lightly scraped off a bit of powder and flicked it into his mouth to taste.

"It does indeed have the effect of aiding Foundation Establishment, and it’s even better than a Foundation Establishment Pill. However, I’ve never heard of this pill before, and from the taste, it doesn’t seem like the handiwork of True Master Chixia. I wonder who True Master Chilong found to refine it..."

’This is a Cultivator from the same era as True Master Chixia,’ Chen Che thought.

He also noticed that the man wore a pair of black gloves of an unknown material. At a glance, not a single patch of skin was exposed on his entire body. The eyes behind the ghost mask were like two balls of fire, yet looking into them sent a bone-deep chill through you.

"How about we take it back for the Cultivators in the Sect to study?"

Cao Xiong groveled. "There are many Pill Masters in the Sect. Perhaps they can figure something out."

"Do you think I don’t know the level of those Pill Masters in the Primordial Sect? They’re nothing but a bunch of useless gluttons! While this pill is effective, it’s merely a Tier Two High Grade Elixir. It’s not worth my time. Besides..."

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill responded coldly, his gaze sweeping over the tense faces of Lu Qinglian and the others before he casually tossed the pill back to Chen Che.

"Why would I steal from a group of juniors?"

A trace of disappointment appeared in Cao Xiong’s eyes, but he kept the smile on his face.

Of course, he knew the man wasn’t truly this magnanimous; he simply looked down on the pill. If it had been something he truly coveted, he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to flatten the entire Jinyun Valley.

"Good tea!"

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill sat there and took a deep breath. The fragrant steam rising from the tea transformed into a misty dragon and flowed into his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

In this state, the ghost mask looked even more terrifying, as if smoke were pouring from all seven orifices.

"Where are the pills you refined? Bring a few vials over."

As soon as he spoke, Ding Fei and Rong Zhongxuan quickly went to fetch them. In a few moments, several vials of pills were placed on the table.

Everyone stood with hands clasped, watching as the Ghost-faced Golden Pill unhurriedly opened the vials and appraised them one by one.

They exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes filled with apprehension.

Chen Che, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought.

"Not bad!"

Under everyone’s anxious gazes, the Ghost-faced Golden Pill finished tasting the last pill and finally spoke.

"The medicinal effect of every pill is quite good. Rich and potent, yet not crude. Their efficacy far surpasses those on the market. To have such a masterful Alchemy Skill at such a young age, you truly live up to the name of an Alchemy Dao genius. This trip was not in vain."

"You praise me too much, Senior."

Chen Che cupped his hands.

"Valley Master Chen."

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill’s gaze turned toward him, his tone suddenly becoming formal. "What is the highest tier of pill you can refine right now? Tier Three, is it possible?"

"Replying to Senior, not yet. But I can skillfully refine most Tier Two Middle-grade Elixirs."

Chen Che replied.

Although he could already refine Tier Two High Grade Elixirs, he had no way of guessing the man’s intentions, so he held back.

"Mm, you’re not yet twenty. You’re still young, so you can learn slowly." The Ghost-faced Golden Pill casually tossed out a Token, his tone gentle. "From this day forward, you are a Pill Master Tributor of the Primordial Sect. However, you will be mine, personally."

"Here is a Pill Formula. Refine it for me. I will come to collect it at the end of the year."

With that said, the Ghost-faced Golden Pill took out a Pill Formula and gently placed it on the table.

"What does he mean by a ’personal’ Tributor?"

Holding the Token, Chen Che narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction the Ghost-faced Golden Pill had departed. He then picked up the Pill Formula from the table, and his brow furrowed deeply.

"This is..."

...

"In less than two years since Ye Jingzhou’s death, he has managed to build Jinyun Valley to such a state. This young Valley Master is truly a rare talent."

Several hundred yards away from the auction house, the Ghost-faced Golden Pill strolled with his hands behind his back, casually observing his surroundings.

"Senior, aren’t we taking the Pill Furnace?"

Cao Xiong followed behind, asking with a fawning smile.

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill said casually, "Leave it. I was planning on cultivating a Pill Master anyway, and he seems suitable. If he turns out to be unsuitable, I can always take it back..."

Over the years, he had supported many Pill Masters, but none had met his standards.

Of course, it wasn’t that there were none, but those people were mostly True Monarch Disciples. It was extremely rare for someone to reach this level through self-study. At least, the Primordial Sect couldn’t produce such a talent.

"By the way, have you found Sun Hao?"

"Not yet."

"Heh!"

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill sneered, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"Such a large Sect, yet it can’t find one traitor, can’t find one Beast Taming genius. It’s a good thing this Valley Master Chen was right here in Jinyun Valley, or you probably wouldn’t have been able to find him either. No wonder the Star-Picking Sect has been suppressing you all these years..."

This concerned the upper echelons of the Primordial Sect, so Cao Xiong didn’t dare to interrupt.

"When do we make our move?"

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill naturally knew Cao Xiong’s limits and didn’t linger on the topic.

"At the end of the year!"

Cao Xiong quickly replied, "The Messengers have already begun to deliver the message to the various clans and factions."

The Ghost-faced Golden Pill nodded slightly.

...

...

"Whew!"

After the Ghost-faced Golden Pill left, Ding Fei closed the door with a trembling hand. The pressure from those two had been immense.

Fortunately, they hadn’t shown much malice.

Otherwise, Jinyun Valley would have been in grave danger.

"Is there a problem with the Pill Formula?"

At this moment, the others, having wiped the cold sweat from their brows, noticed the strange expression on Chen Che’s face. They all crowded around to look at the Pill Formula in his hand.

"Netherworld Grass, Cold Yin Bone, Frost Condensing Bamboo, Tongyou Fruit... These are all Tier Two High Grade Spiritual Objects, and they’re all Yin Attribute Materials? Can a human even consume a pill made from these?"

Lu Qinglian’s brow furrowed the moment she saw the Pill Formula.

The others also looked confused.

Even if they didn’t understand pills, after so many years of Cultivation, they knew the basics. Pills were naturally about balancing yin and yang. If one consumed such an extreme pill without practicing a corresponding Cultivation Technique, it could very well lead to death.

Over on the side, Rong Zhongxuan opened the container of Materials left by the Ghost-faced Golden Pill. A wave of Yin Sha Qi immediately gushed out, and a sinister wind swirled around them, making the room feel like a Ghost Realm.

Ding Fei, whose Cultivation was lower, couldn’t help but shiver.

"How many Golden Core cultivators does the Primordial Sect have?"

Hu Yao asked.

Like Chen Che, he was relatively new to Cultivation and had only recently reached Foundation Establishment. The Primordial Sect was a distant concept to him.

"It’s unclear. The Primordial Sect has a history of several hundred years. Aside from its founding ancestor, it’s perfectly normal for them to have recruited a few Golden Core True Masters. And to us, a Golden Core True Master is like a Divine Dragon in the heavens... If he doesn’t choose to appear, who among us can ever hope to see him?"

Lu Qinglian said calmly.

In all her years with the Lu Family, today was only the second time she had ever seen a Golden Core True Master.

"However, from what he said when he was appraising the Dragon Fish Pill, it sounded like he’s from the same era as True Master Chixia... And that he knows True Master Chixia quite well!"

Rong Zhongxuan mused, rubbing his chin.

Clearly, Chen Che wasn’t the only one who had caught the implication of those words; he had as well.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The moment he finished speaking, Lu Qinglian refuted it outright.

"A Golden Core True Master has a lifespan of eight hundred years. True Master Chixia passed away five hundred years ago. If he’s from the same era, doesn’t that mean he’s over a thousand years old? How could a Golden Core True Master have such a long lifespan?"

"If extending one’s life were so simple, Ye Jingzhou wouldn’t have had to sacrifice Jinyun Valley, and True Master Chixia wouldn’t have passed on."

Hearing this, everyone agreed it made sense.

Rong Zhongxuan slapped his forehead, feeling that his earlier speculation had been too absurd.

"Not necessarily!"

Just then, Chen Che suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at him in surprise. He folded the Pill Formula, put it away, and then met their gazes, speaking slowly.

"While one’s lifespan cannot be extended, that doesn’t mean there aren’t Magic Techniques in this world that allow one to live a second life."

Everyone exchanged a look, their expressions changing at once.

Chen Che glanced at the Materials on the table.

He added a thought internally:

’Of course, this pill might not be for a human to consume.’

Sure enough.

The moment he refined the pill, Chen Che knew he had guessed correctly.