Chapter 160 Rogue Cultivators of Tianhui City

Ten more days passed since the grand discussion at the Immortal Learning Tower.

During these days, Chen Li relaxed his mind at Black Magpie Mountain, fishing in the pond, brewing tea, and soaking in the hot springs at the Immortal Residence Tower, living a leisurely life.

One day, someone from the Zhu family came to deliver the news that the Zhu family's Qi Refining Old Ancestor, Zhu Baiqiu, had reached the end of his natural lifespan.

Chen Li was momentarily stunned upon hearing the news. It had been nearly forty years since he went to the Zhu family to propose marriage. The one who came down the mountain to receive him back then was Zhu Baiqiu. He never expected the world to change so quickly.

Under Zhu Baiqiu's leadership, the Zhu family had gained two Foundation Establishment Cultivators over the years, making him a highly respected Qi Refining Old Ancestor.

Zhu Lingyue and Chen Li went to pay their respects. When the proposal was made, there were Zhu Baiqiu, Zhu Baiyao, and Zhu Zelin present. Now, only Zhu Zelin remained. Times change and people pass!

The Zhu family now has two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Zhu Lingyu and Zhu Zelin. According to Zhu Zelin, Zhu Baiqiu passed away with a smile, having lived to the age of one hundred and twenty-three—a natural death.

Flowers bloom and fade, old acquaintances often depart. The person is gone, but the story continues.

...

A month later, Chen Li began preparing to set out.

On the first day, Chen Li spent the day at a Formation shop in the county city. Three days later, Chen Li's figure appeared near the Boundless Forest, where many people saw him, assuming he was going hunting for Yao Beasts.

Chen Li did indeed go to the Boundless Forest, but after appearing there, he secretly returned to Black Magpie Mountain. He deliberately showed his presence.

With his Middle Stage Golden Core cultivation, such maneuvering made it difficult for Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment Cultivators to discover Chen Li's tracks.

They only knew that Chen Li had gone to the Boundless Forest, likely to hunt Yao Beasts.

After returning to the mountain, Chen Li took the Three-Flower Cat, said a few words to Zhu Lingyue, and then set off.

Chen Li disguised his appearance and headed west. He planned to visit places from west to east along the way.

Chen Li had already decided on his identity. In the western part of the Southern Border, there were several locations inhabited by Loose Cultivators, and Tianhui City was one of them.

This city was quite famous in the Southern Border and was an important gathering place for Loose Cultivators in the west. A Nascent Soul Loose Cultivator practiced in this city.

It was also rumored that this Nascent Soul Loose Cultivator was accepting disciples, which gradually attracted many people. The sources were complex and mixed, including quite a few Golden Core Cultivators who came from other places with unknown identities.

There were only three Nascent Soul Loose Cultivators in the entire Southern Border, so this one was among them, indicating his high standing.

Therefore, his identity was a newly arrived Early Stage Golden Core Loose Cultivator in Tianhui City—Han Feiyu.

He even registered in Tianhui City, purchased an Immortal Cave, and met with one or two Golden Core Loose Cultivators in the city. Soon after, he announced he was going out to travel.

Registration in Tianhui City did not inquire about origins; regardless of your previous identity, once you arrived, you were a Loose Cultivator of Tianhui City!

Thus, by coming from the west under this identity, he left traceable evidence along the way.

...

After setting off from Tianhui City, he quickly arrived at a Cultivator city.

This city was a Golden Core force governed by a School called the Myriad Law Gate, located only about three thousand li from Tianhui City, making it his first stop for visits.

The Myriad Law Gate was the closest School to Tianhui City. It only had one Nascent Soul Cultivator, primarily focusing on making Puppets, making its overall strength inferior to the Beast Hunting Sect.

This city had a pavilion named the Inch-Gold Pavilion, a shop run by a Golden Core Cultivator. This pavilion had seven floors in total. Only those with Golden Core status could directly enter the seventh floor to trade items with the owner; it was restricted to Golden Core identity.

At this moment, Chen Li had arrived downstairs at the Inch-Gold Pavilion. The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators guarding the entrance saw Chen Li's displayed Golden Core cultivation and quickly bowed in greeting.

"Senior, are you going up to the seventh floor?"

"Yes, please inform them!"

"Senior, please follow me!"

Chen Li followed the Foundation Establishment Cultivator quickly up to the seventh floor. Each floor sold different items, and the higher the floor, the higher the price.

Upon reaching the seventh floor, he entered a reception hall where tea was already prepared.

"Senior, please have a seat. Please wait a moment; the owner has been notified and will be here shortly!"

The Foundation Establishment guard poured Chen Li a cup of tea and said this. Chen Li sat down on a tea stool and replied, "Very well."

Seeing Chen Li sitting and waiting, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator returned downstairs.

Chen Li looked around the pavilion; it was antique and elegant, with a faint scent of sandalwood.

He walked to the viewing platform and looked down. Below, people came and went. There were Cultivators and Mortals living together, suggesting this city coexisted with both immortals and Mortals.

After waiting for more than ten breaths, a Golden Core Cultivator's aura flew over from a distance.

Chen Li's Divine Sense detected this person. When the person was within twenty li, their Divine Sense also swept towards Chen Li.

Chen Li released his Early Stage Golden Core cultivation. The other party also had Early Stage Golden Core cultivation. Chen Li restrained his Divine Sense and waited for the other person to fly over.

Chen Li returned to the tea table. The other person soon landed on the viewing platform, and the two sized each other up.

Chen Li's first impression of this person was that he looked refined, appearing to be in his twenties, holding two peach pits in his hand and turning them around.

The figure Chen Li had conjured also did not look old, appearing to be in his early thirties, with the standard appearance of a Cultivator, neither an old man nor a middle-aged person.

"Fellow Daoist, you look quite unfamiliar. What is your surname?" This person spoke first.

"A newly arrived Loose Cultivator from Tianhui City, Han Feiyu," Chen Li replied neither subserviently nor aggressively.

"Oh, so you are Fellow Daoist Han. I am Wan Qingzi, the owner of the Inch-Gold Pavilion!"

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Wan."

At this point, Wan Qingzi got straight to the point: "What does Fellow Daoist wish to purchase?"

Chen Li was also direct: "Does Fellow Daoist have a golden core formation Cultivation Technique suitable for those with pseudo-mixed Spiritual Roots?"

Wan Qingzi's expression did not change upon hearing this; his demeanor remained calm.

He didn't ask why Chen Li needed this golden core formation Cultivation Technique. Since the other party was already a Golden Core Cultivator, they must be seeking it for someone else—nothing more than a good friend, partner, or nephew; it always came down to these few.

"Fellow Daoist, you've arrived just in time. Two years ago, I acquired a cave dwelling and happened upon two books. They are golden core formation Cultivation Techniques for pseudo spirit roots, which I've kept in my Storage Pouch for a long time."

Chen Li became interested. "Oh? Fellow Daoist, please tell me more."

Wan Qingzi began his introduction. "One is the 'Nine Revolutions Origin Nurturing Art,' and the other is the 'Moonlight Condensing Elixir Record.' Both are Cultivation Techniques for golden core formation with pseudo spirit roots. Have you heard of them, Fellow Daoist?"

Chen Li shook his head. "I have never heard of them."

Wan Qingzi continued, "I have glanced through these two books slightly. They are indeed Cultivation Techniques that assist in golden core formation for pseudo spirit roots. No one has tested them yet. Does the Fellow Daoist still want them?"

"Fellow Daoist, why don't you tell me the terms of the transaction!" Chen Li directly stated his stance.

Wan Qingzi understood and nodded. "Since Fellow Daoist wants them, I won't turn down a business deal. Do you happen to have any demonic beast inner cores? I only require one Sixth-level demonic beast inner core, and I will give you these two unique copies without keeping any backup."

golden core formation Cultivation Techniques were expensive everywhere, but two such techniques for pseudo spirit roots were indeed rare. However, Chen Li thought about it and felt he could bargain further.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, these two golden core formation Cultivation Techniques are not worth one Sixth-level demonic beast inner core! If Fellow Daoist still insists, I will go visit some other Fellow Daoists."

Seeing this, Wan Qingzi seemed to have anticipated it. "Fellow Daoist, I also have one golden core formation Cultivation Technique for Three Spiritual Roots, which is something from the sixth floor. How about Fellow Daoist chooses three or four items from the sixth floor?"

Chen Li deliberately acted conflicted at this moment and finally managed to squeeze out a single word: "Deal!"

Wan Qingzi smiled upon seeing this. "Straightforward! Fellow Daoist, here are the two Cultivation Techniques for pseudo spirit root golden core formation, and here is the other one. Please examine them, Fellow Daoist!"

Seeing the other party agree, Wan Qingzi promptly floated out three Cultivation Techniques. Chen Li scanned them with his Divine Sense and found that they were not gibberish; he indeed saw the key characters.

Chen Li then floated out a Sixth-level demonic beast inner core. Wan Qingzi also scanned it with his Divine Sense. The aura of this inner core was indeed that of a Sixth-level demonic beast inner core, which made him regard Chen Li a bit higher.

Sixth-level demonic beast inner cores were not as easy to obtain now as before; many Yao Beasts had become more united. Now that Chen Li possessed one, his strength could not be underestimated.

The two sides exchanged items: Chen Li gave the inner core, and Wan Qingzi gave the golden core formation Cultivation Techniques.

After obtaining them, Chen Li quickly checked them again. They were indeed golden core formation Cultivation Techniques for pseudo spirit roots, although they had quite a few requirements—definitely a method for the wealthy. But for his own use, was that a problem?

Chen Li hadn't expected to acquire three golden core formation Cultivation Techniques at his first stop! Including the 'Five Qi Facing Primordial Breakthrough Method' and the 'Turtle Pile into Core Method,' he now had five in total!

It was no wonder Foundation Establishment Cultivators struggled to find even one. At the Inch-Gold Pavilion, Foundation Establishment Cultivators would never get to see Wan Qingzi; he only entertained Golden Core Cultivators.

This meant that as one's cultivation increased, the stage also grew larger, the perspective became higher, and handling matters from a higher level became much simpler.

After the transaction, Wan Qingzi was quite satisfied. As Chen Li was leaving, he casually picked four or five Magical Artifacts from the sixth floor, all of the fifth rank, equivalent to the Late Foundation Establishment level.

After selecting them, Chen Li then asked, "Fellow Daoist Wan, do you happen to know about the Taixuan Sect using a golden core formation to condense a Golden Core?"

Out of appreciation for Chen Li's straightforwardness, Wan Qingzi replied, "Fellow Daoist Han, using that golden core formation has a Spiritual Root restriction. Only those with a Heavenly Spiritual Root or Dual Spiritual Root are qualified to use that golden core formation. Furthermore, an auxiliary Cultivation Technique is required, but I don't know the specifics!"

Chen Li nodded. This finally resolved some of his questions. Although he didn't learn the specific auxiliary Cultivation Technique, he now had a direction.

Indeed, standing at a higher level made obtaining more information much easier.

"Thank you for informing me, Fellow Daoist Wan. I, Han, shall take my leave!"

"Then, Fellow Daoist Han, farewell!"