The Pill concocted from this Pill Formula was truly hard to describe.

It was pitch-black and gloomy, with a ring of white mist in the center. Cradled in the palm, it looked just like an eyeball, and the evil aura within seemed on the verge of spilling out. While examining the Pill, he even had the strange illusion that it was staring back at him.

"This is even more sinister than Xiao Chan’s Soul-Calling Banner!"

Chen Che mused, rubbing his chin.

On Earth Element Star, only the Immortal Dao was orthodox. The Evil Dao, Ghost Dao, and Divine Dao were all considered heterodox paths.

’A Divine Dao Cultivator from the same era as True Master Chixia... Becoming the private Tributor for an existence like that is probably not a good thing!’

He wasn’t a fool like Jia Chaoyuan, who had directly rejected the offer to become a Tributor.

A great man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.

As for a private Tributor, it was no different from a Sect or family Tributor.

The only difference was that the former was supported financially by an individual, akin to a private secretary.

The latter, on the other hand, was supported by a Sect or family and served the entire clan.

’This is a Tier Two High Grade Pill, but I have no idea what it is. He must be testing me... Never mind. I just need to focus on my Alchemy, and everything will be fine. I’ll drag this out for half a month or so and then give him the Pill!’

Chen Che put the Pill away with a smile.

Having figured this out, he was no longer worried that the Ghost-faced Golden Pill would act against him. Perhaps he could even use this opportunity to infiltrate the Primordial Sect and investigate the matter of the Divine Court Wood.

After all.

No matter how insane a Divine Dao Cultivator was, they wouldn’t target a law-abiding man like Valley Master Chen—one who was proficient in the Alchemy Dao, refined, and amicable—for no reason.

’Besides, there’s no grudge between us... HISS!’

The thought of grudges made Chen Che’s expression turn strange.

A while ago, he had bought a Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue from the Ghost Market. It was a Divine Statue that had endured the worship of countless followers for centuries, and it held an immeasurable amount of the Power of Faith. Not only had he bought it, he was even preparing to acquire more in bulk.

At this thought, Valley Master Chen suddenly felt a pang of panic.

’The place those Divine Statues came from... it couldn’t be his territory, could it...’

Because Zuo Yishan had made it very clear:

Incense and worship were the measure of a Divine Dao Cultivator’s power.

The Power of Faith born from this worship was the foundation for a Divine Dao Cultivator’s strength, its importance equivalent to Spiritual Qi in the eyes of a normal Cultivator. As for the Divine Statues that believers knelt before, they were the vessels that carried the Power of Faith, comparable to Pills or Celestial and Earthly Treasures that enhanced one’s Cultivation.

The higher the Grade of the Divine Statue, the more valuable it naturally was.

Even wild beasts protect their food, let alone a Divine Dao Cultivator.

To protect their Power of Faith, Divine Dao Cultivators would even go so far as to start a so-called "Holy War" over worship, eradicating other "Divine Spirits" and absorbing them.

’It can’t be that much of a coincidence!’

Chen Che clicked his tongue.

After all.

There were so many heretical temples and illicit cults in this world; it was impossible that the one Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue from the Ghost Market just happened to belong to the Ghost-faced Golden Pill.

’Besides, even if it is his, it’s not a huge problem. It’s just a Tier Two Middle Grade Divine Statue, after all.’

Zuo Yishan had also said it.

A Golden Core Realm Divine Dao Cultivator would have at least thousands, if not tens of thousands, of temples. Losing one or two due to natural disasters or human calamities might even go unnoticed. Only losing too many at once would arouse their suspicion.

It was like a rich man dropping a copper coin or two—he wouldn’t even notice.

’After receiving the Divine Statues this time, I’ll stop immediately. Shearing the sheep once or twice is fine, but doing it too much is asking for trouble.’

"Master, we’ve received the treasure! It’s the one you wanted..."

Just as Chen Che was heaving a sigh of relief at this thought, Rong Zhongxuan’s slightly excited voice suddenly came from outside the gate.

’It can’t be...’

Chen Che’s eyelid twitched. He instantly had a bad feeling.

Since the auction house collected a considerable number of items, he usually reviewed them every few days to avoid interrupting his Cultivation. However, items like the Tier Three Fire-Attribute Item, or other specified valuables, were to be delivered directly to him.

Of course, the list of such items also included the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Statue.

With a flicker of his Divine Sense, the courtyard’s Array parted on its own, revealing a path.

"Master, the Divine Statues!"

The first words out of Rong Zhongxuan’s mouth made Chen Che’s heart tremble.

"We received a total of five Divine Statues this time."

Rong Zhongxuan didn’t even bother to bow, directly taking out five Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva Statues from his Storage Ring and placing them one by one in the courtyard. Looking down, the Bodhisattva Statues varied in size; the smallest was half a man’s height, while the largest was a full seven feet tall.

They all depicted the Thousand-Eyed Bodhisattva, some with a male body and female face, some with green faces and sharp fangs, and some faceless with only a single giant eye.

But on every single one, a multitude of arms fanned out, each with an open eye in its palm. They were as sinister as could be.

"So many?"

Chen Che’s eyelid twitched.

However, what brought him a small measure of comfort was that the Power of Faith contained within these Divine Statues was not as immense or powerful as the one he had gotten from the Ghost Market. Four of them were Tier Two Low Grade, with only one barely reaching Tier Two Middle Grade.

’The Grade isn’t that high. It should... perhaps... possibly... probably not arouse his suspicion.’

He grumbled internally.

But in the next moment, a beaming Rong Zhongxuan said something that nearly made Valley Master Chen faint:

"Master, these five are just small fry. The real treasure is yet to come! There’s also a Tier Three High Grade Divine Statue. Master, please step back a bit, I’ll take it out for you to see..."

He raised his hand and waved, and the courtyard instantly darkened.

A colossal Divine Statue, a full thirty feet tall, suddenly materialized before them.

The moment it appeared, the once-spacious courtyard felt instantly cramped. The thousand hands fanning out behind it were like a canopy, even blocking out the sky above their heads.

The corner of Chen Che’s mouth twitched.

This one wasn’t an ordinary clay or wooden sculpture; it was a Divine Statue cast from pure gold, gleaming brightly from head to toe. The Power of Faith it contained was immense, far exceeding the sum of all the others.

Unlike the other sinister-looking Divine Statues, this one actually appeared solemn and majestic.

’Things really do reverse at the extreme. When something is sinister to the highest degree, it actually becomes this majestic...’

"The Cultivator said this Divine Statue wasn’t easy to get. He hid in the temple for a full seven days, only making his move after the Chief Priest left!"

Rong Zhongxuan tapped the Divine Statue lightly with his hand, his face alight with excitement.

"Even so, he had to kill seven guards equivalent to Foundation Establishment Cultivators to successfully remove the Divine Statue. Unexpectedly, he still alerted the Chief Priest, who, along with the Chief Priests of dozens of other temples, chased him across three whole states."

"He spent half a month shaking them off. And before he left, he told me one more thing..."

"He said that in the capital city of some Mortal Dynasty, he discovered another Divine Statue that’s a full three hundred feet tall. He couldn’t determine its Grade, but he estimated it must be at least Tier Four. He asked me to tell you to wait for his good news..."

With every word Rong Zhongxuan spoke, Chen Che’s expression grew a shade darker.

When he mentioned the Tier Four Divine Statue, Chen Che felt as if his head had been struck by a hammer, a loud ringing filling his ears.

One had to understand:

Without several centuries and the worship of millions of believers, it was impossible to nurture a Tier Four Divine Statue. Even Tier Two Divine Statues were guarded by several Foundation Establishment experts. So what about a Tier Four one? It was probably right under the nose of that Divine Dao Cultivator!

Even if these Divine Statues didn’t belong to the Ghost-faced Golden Pill, they belonged to another, equally powerful Divine Dao Cultivator.

"Tier Four!"

A trace of anticipation flickered in Rong Zhongxuan’s eyes; he had never come into contact with such a high-level item before. But then he turned, saw Chen Che’s expression, and said, stunned:

"Master, you don’t seem very happy?"

"...Where is he now?"

’How could I be happy? This is a complete disaster!’

’Lightly shearing a sheep is refreshing. But shearing it bald is just asking for a world of trouble!’

"He left about an hour ago."

"Do you know the location of that Mortal Dynasty?"

"I’m not sure. I tried to fish for information, but he wouldn’t say."

Rong Zhongxuan also seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, and his expression gradually turned serious.

But that was to be expected.

After all, for that Cultivator, the locations of these Divine Statues were equivalent to a goose that laid golden eggs. He probably even felt that the fewer people who knew, the better. Why would he easily reveal the source of his fortune to an outsider?

"Jingfeng!"

Chen Che called out in a deep voice. With a high-pitched eagle’s cry, the Little Chick came speeding from the horizon.

"You are not to speak of today’s events to anyone... When he sold you the Divine Statues, did anyone else see?"

"No!"

Rong Zhongxuan said quickly, "He’s a lone wolf who always acts alone. He even stole the Divine Statues by himself, with no companions."

Chen Che nodded.

If anyone else had found out, he would not have been merciful enough to leave them alive. That no outsiders had discovered this was a silver lining to this disaster.

As things stood now.

His only hope was to find that Cultivator and stop him.

WHOOSH~

The Little Chick rode the wind and soared into the air, carrying Chen Che out of Jinyun Valley.

...

「Half a day later.」

Chen Che returned to the Valley. He hadn’t been able to find him.

He didn’t know the man’s identity, his destination, or even what he looked like.

As for lying in wait at the Mortal Dynasty?

That was even more impossible.

To a Cultivator, Mortal Dynasties were as numerous as anthills. Within these Sixteen States alone, there were thousands upon thousands of them. The target might even be outside the Sixteen States. Besides, he had no idea when the man would strike, or where he was hiding.

Finding him among the countless masses of Cultivators would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Nevertheless, Chen Che issued two orders:

First, if that man appeared in Jinyun Valley again, he was to be detained immediately. If necessary, he was to be silenced permanently.

Second, he sent disciples to ride out with all speed to the Mortal World to keep an eye on the major Mortal Dynasties. They were to report back immediately if anything happened.

After Lu Qinglian of the Sacrificial Hall learned of this, she also vaguely guessed that those Divine Statues involved significant trouble.

But that was to be expected.

The items collected by the auction house came from all corners of the world, from the hands of all sorts of Cultivators. It was only natural that they would occasionally receive items with far-reaching implications.

...

Chen Che used his communication Wrist Wheel to send a message to Xiao Chan, asking for details about the Ghost-faced Golden Pill.

At the same time, upon returning to Earth Element Star, he immediately ducked into his study and sought out Zuo Yishan.