Chapter 122 Testing

Inside the teahouse, after hearing this information, Chen Li decided to stay for a while longer. He still needed two seeds of the Thousand-Year golden core formation Spiritual Plant and hoped to find them within the Taixuan Sect's territory.

One of them was the wind immortal flower, and the other was the Fire Blazing Grass.

However, he did not approach anyone immediately. Instead, he focused on the person who released the news. After all, one must be cautious when traveling, and the fact that such a secret could be overheard in a teahouse was too careless.

When the person who released the news left the Cultivation Market, Chen Li secretly followed behind him.

Chen Li followed very discreetly. After several days of observation, he noticed this person would unconsciously reveal information in crowded places, especially where Foundation Establishment Cultivators gathered.

This immediately alerted Chen Li. After inquiring over the past few days, he learned that this Cultivation Market under the Taixuan Sect had an underground trading venue, and the golden core formation seeds were being traded there.

During these days, Chen Li had already instructed the Three-Flower Cat to memorize this person's aura. Within a hundred miles, he could know this person's location every day.

One day, Chen Li tracked him to a location outside a market. From afar, he fixed his Divine Sense on the person. Then, that person appeared to be conversing with a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

As for what they were specifically discussing, the two possessed items that shielded their auras, so Chen Li could not hear them.

Chen Li began tracking the Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Several hours later, his Divine Sense, which extended eight miles, was not detected by the target.

The opponent should only possess the Divine Sense of a common Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so there was still a gap compared to him.

After observing for half a day, the target, after winding around, returned to within the Taixuan Sect!

The target was someone from the Sect, and Chen Li now had two speculations.

First: Some Sect Cultivators were secretly stealing from the Sect by selling items, which was evidenced by the incident at the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower previously.

Second: The Taixuan Sect was setting a trap by enforcing the law. The fact that he was followed after the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower incident might be related to the Taixuan Sect.

He didn't know who had followed him last time, but the Cultivator who followed him then was also a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Now, there was another Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator, making it hard for him not to connect the dots.

Chen Li decided to observe further. Three days later, his thoughts leaned more towards the second possibility because he observed the people buying these seeds.

The day before yesterday, he saw someone who was tempted to buy the golden core formation seeds. He secretly followed that person and tracked him into a shop within the Cultivation Market.

That Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator who intended to buy the golden core formation seed went inside for a long time and did not come out.

He probed the shop with his Divine Sense and discovered that there were Formation barriers isolating it, and there was a tunnel underground.

Many people were entering and exiting this shop. Chen Li decided to capture someone for questioning.

On a dark and windy night, an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator exited the shop. Once outside, he was hit by a surprise blow in an alley by Chen Li.

Chen Li dragged this person outside the Cultivation Market. This Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, realizing he was being abducted by a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator, quickly submitted.

Chen Li obtained some information: this shop was the passage leading to the underground trading venue, and there were five or six such locations within the Cultivation Market.

Furthermore, entry required a simple secret phrase, which the attendant would recognize to grant access to the underground trading venue.

The secret phrase was: 'Shopkeeper, I wish to buy new stock, please open the way!'

Fearing he might be set up, Chen Li captured a few more people to confirm the password.

Chen Li soon found a shop, spoke the sentence, and successfully entered the underground trading venue.

The environment underground was relatively dim, unlike the markets above ground where they listed what they sold. Here, the entrances to the shops did not state what they were selling.

Moreover, the people coming and going were all disguised. Chen Li detected quite a few disguised Cultivators acting secretively.

Chen Li was, of course, also disguised. He observed the shops and the Cultivators entering the area, noticing that those entering the underground trading venue had very specific objectives, as if they all knew which shops they intended to visit.

Once someone entered a shop, the isolating Formation aura of that shop would intensify, making it very difficult for ordinary people to probe inside.

Chen Li failed to detect the aura of that Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so he withdrew from the underground trading venue.

After careful consideration, Chen Li decided to approach the person who released the news.

In the evening, in a room on the third floor of a teahouse, Chen Li had a private discussion with someone.

'Fellow Daoist, are you also looking for a golden core formation seed?' the person asked, seeing Chen Li's Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation.

Chen Li had disguised his cultivation as Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and his appearance was young, giving the impression of youth, good Aptitude, and potential to advance to the Golden Core realm.

'Yes. My surname is Li, and I am a Loose Cultivator. I heard that swallowing one seed from the Taixuan Sect allows one to form a Golden Core, so I came here to check it out,' he replied.

The Cultivator was very enthusiastic. 'Haha, Fellow Daoist, you have come to the right place! Do you need the Spiritual Plant seeds required for forging the Golden Core, and the Pill Formula?'

'Yes. I wonder if you have both!'

'Alas, I won't hide it from you, Fellow Daoist. I don't have the Pill Formula, but I do have the golden core formation seeds!'

Chen Li feigned great anger. 'Ah, then what use are the seeds to me? What good are seeds without the Pill Formula!'

The Cultivator quickly apologized, then changed the subject, 'Fellow Daoist, there is nothing that can be done about that. I only have this. Do you still want it?'

The Cultivator maintained his indifferent appearance and then asked again, looking as if he was about to leave, 'Fellow Daoist, do you still want the seeds?'

Chen Li did not expect the other party to be so nonchalant, acting as if he didn't care whether Chen Li took them or not, as if Chen Li was not the customer they were looking for.

Chen Li hesitated. 'Fine, I'll take them.'

'The underground trading venue. This token contains the shop's information; you can use this token to enter the shop!'

'You know the opening command for the underground venue, right?'

Chen Li nodded and took the token. Seeing his compliance, the person added, 'In three days, take the token to the underground trading shop for verification. Otherwise, it will expire and become invalid after three days!'

'Good, I understand.'

Chen Li was surprised by how assertive this middleman was. He finally asked, 'I wonder what seeds you have available? Could you tell me the names?'

The person seemed to have anticipated Chen Li's question. 'An Shen Flower, Hundred Blood Flower, wind immortal flower, Thousand Wind Grass, Luoyue Grass.'

After the person left, Chen Li chuckled. Only one out of the five matched what he needed. If this wasn't a trap, he wouldn't believe it!

Chen Li pondered whether he should go. After some thought, he reasoned that if entering those shops teleported them to another location for trading, and if there were Golden Core Cultivators in that other location, if the opponent checked his Storage Pouch, he would be powerless to resist and surely exposed.

Moreover, regarding matters of life and death, he could not take such risks!

He could not bring himself to entrust his life to the unknown; without absolute certainty, he dared not test the opponent's methods!

He recalled that since the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower could produce one genuine golden core formation seed, others should also be able to produce them. Therefore, he fixed his attention on those who could obtain the seeds.

Chen Li burned the token to ashes. He decided to stick to tracking people—returning to what he was good at: waiting for the rabbit.