Chapter 77 The Sixth Elder, Having Achieved Foundation Establishment

Chen Li looked at the secret technique for golden core formation Alchemy; it required three thousand-year main ingredients, and he currently possessed one thousand-year main ingredient, but none of the three main ingredients had seeds.

The shopkeeper mentioned five types of thousand-year main ingredients, and only one matched one of the three main ingredients for the golden core formation Chen Li needed. That one was the seed of the thousand-year Spiritual Plant he held.

Besides that one, Chen Li bid on another item, but even though it wasn't the formula for golden core formation, many people wanted it. Chen Li ended up acquiring two plants for over thirty thousand Spirit Stones.

However, the five types of seeds released by the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower were quite different from his Pill Formula. Chen Li wondered if the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was passing off inferior goods, or if the people from the Taixuan Sect who sold them to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower didn't know which were which, so they just gave a few randomly.

Next, they continued auctioning other types of items. Chen Li also bid on a sixth-grade 'Wind Shadow Evasion Technique' for sixteen thousand Spirit Stones, an Evasion Technique that could be cultivated all the way to the Golden Core stage.

Chen Li felt he had suffered a huge loss. He could copy this technique hundreds of times and never worry about auctioning it; just change the name every year, and it would be a 'unique' copy! However, after thinking it over, he felt his Family lacked a high-grade Evasion Technique, so spending the Spirit Stones was worth it for the Family.

"Next up is the auction for the foundation establishment pill Formula! A formula that appears every year, those who want it can come and get it!"

The shopkeeper then proceeded with auctions for various Pill Formulas. This foundation establishment pill Formula was auctioned off for over eleven thousand Spirit Stones.

This essential event, held once every thirty years, had likely been copied countless times, yet demand remained high. Although the Pill Formula could be auctioned, the Spiritual Plants required were hard to find.

However, the next Pill Formula piqued Chen Li's interest.

"We have a complexion fixing pill Formula here, a high-grade fifth-grade Pill Formula. Interested Fellow Daoists, bidding starts at three thousand Spirit Stones, including medicinal herb seeds."

Many Female Cultivators eagerly bid. Chen Li was not to be outdone; he truly witnessed the anxiety Female Cultivators had regarding their appearance today. This item actually sold for eighteen thousand Spirit Stones before Chen Li managed to secure it.

He was about to approach forty years old and already possessed the appearance of a mature youth. He didn't want to become an Old Ancestor with white hair and wrinkled skin; men also wished to stay eighteen forever!

This triennial auction event was indeed worthwhile. The auction lasted for three hours, dazzling and varied, encompassing items for cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refining up to the Early Stage Golden Core.

The famous saying of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower—There is always something that interests you, and always something you need.

...The sky had already darkened, and the auction concluded!

After leaving the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, there were at least three to four hundred people from the auction. The composition of the crowd was extremely complex. Chen Li, wearing a mask, immediately flew towards the depths of the Taihu Mountain Range.

Chen Li intentionally flew in this direction because the Beast Hunting Sect and the Golden Core Cultivator Yang Jing's Family were located deep within the Taihu Mountain Range. He was doing this deliberately, although quite a few 'Old Sixes' likely had the same idea.

After entering deeper into the Taihu Mountain Range, many people changed direction. Some headed towards Duan Ya Mountain, some to other Prefectures, and some in other directions. Chen Li went towards the Boundless Forest direction.

Chen Li concealed his aura and changed direction five times. He seemed to feel that the people from the auction were no longer following him, but he remained uneasy.

He was now at the edge, one hundred kilometers into the Boundless Forest. He fully released his Divine Sense and circled around the area for another day, just in case there were people employing superior concealment techniques.

Chen Li found another location and set up a Formation—a Second-Tier Defensive Array surrounding an empty mountain. He pasted two hundred breath concealing talismans on himself and then jogged rapidly to the side of another mountain five li away to observe.

Three days later, indeed!

Chen Li, five li away, sensed the Second-Tier Defensive Array being broken. The moment it was broken, Chen Li sensed the opponent's magical power. It seemed they even blasted that mountain. Chen Li also felt the opponent's fury!

This stop truly managed to lure out a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

Truly a top-tier 'Old Sixth'! This 'Old Sixth' must have used some kind of concealment technique; he could only sense it the instant the Second-Rank Formation was broken!

Damn it! If I had followed them to Black Magpie Mountain, the trouble would have been considerable!

A third-grade Formation could only trap an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator for a few seconds. A Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator could basically break out the moment they were trapped, as if it were nothing.

He still didn't have a fourth-grade Spirit Trapping Formation. The spirit wood had already ripened a batch, and he planned to mass-produce some upon returning.

He currently possessed a fifth-grade Poison Toad Array, but the opponent could evade it. He wasn't entirely confident in killing a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Fortunately, his Divine Sense at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage was already equivalent to that of a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator; otherwise, he really wouldn't have noticed and would have been tricked!

Chen Li used the breath concealing talismans to slowly return to the Beast Hunting Sect Cultivation Market, staying in an inn for three days. Only when he confirmed there were no issues did he return from Yuanwu Prefecture to Liangxi County.

Chen Li didn't know what item he had bid on that could attract the attention of this Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator?

He only bid on the three types of thousand-year longevity Spiritual Plant seeds, one type of thousand-year golden core formation seed, a copy of the 'Wind Shadow Evasion Technique', and the 'complexion fixing pill' Pill Formula.

Could it be those two types of thousand-year medicinal herbs for golden core formation?

...Five days later, in the Boundless Forest, a Cultivator wearing a hat was searching for some kind of aura, but he seemed to have found nothing at the moment.

At this time, a Late Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator landed. "Senior Brother, any gains?"

The Cultivator wearing the hat cursed, "That kid played a trick on me, too cunning! He must be a Loose Cultivator skilled at escaping!"

The Female Cultivator's clothes clearly displayed three characters—Taixuan Sect!

"The golden core formation Pill Formula was exposed over two hundred years ago. It has lured quite a few people over the years, how could it be him?"

The Cultivator wearing the hat shook his head, but he had a hunch that this kid had a high probability.

"Alas! I don't know either, but I feel it's him!"

"Senior Brother, when have you ever not said that?"

The Female Cultivator smiled, "Alright, let's go back. I haven't had any gains on my end either."

"The Foundation Establishment Cultivator who stole the golden core formation Pill Formula over two hundred years ago should have long since died in some corner of the Boundless Forest. Otherwise, it would have spread widely over so many years, or there would have been some inside information by now! How is it possible that after two hundred years of ambushing so many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, not a trace has been found!"

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator wearing the hat could only say, "Fine. The Grand Elder of the Sect hasn't given up every ten years. A Golden Core Cultivator investigated a hundred years ago, and now it has fallen to us Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Alas!"

The Female Cultivator asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother, you said that golden core formation Pill is truly capable of achieving Golden Core in one go?"

"It probably isn't that simple. But since the Grand Elder regards this golden core formation Pill Formula as so important, there must be a reason for it!"

The Female Cultivator nodded and said to him, "Senior Brother, you should also be achieving Golden Core soon. You've been at Foundation Establishment Perfection for twenty years already. You should try applying to Junior Martial Uncle for a golden core formation Pill!"

The Cultivator wearing the hat sighed, "It's not that simple. For that golden core formation Pill, unless you are a Disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root under the Golden Core Elders, you can apply for one without any conditions. But Cultivators like us with Double or Three Spiritual Roots must complete tasks for the Sect to earn ten thousand contribution points before we can apply for one. I only have over seven thousand contribution points now and expect it will take another ten years to reach ten thousand!"

The Female Cultivator also lamented how difficult it was to achieve golden core formation, "I really envy those Heavenly Spiritual Root Disciples who smoothly advance to Golden Core. Is the golden core formation Pill only effective for Heavenly Spiritual Roots?"

"I don't know. It probably isn't entirely so. Even those with Heavenly Spiritual Roots sometimes fail to break through to Golden Core. Although it's a small number, it proves that advancing to Golden Core isn't something achievable with just one golden core formation Pill. There must be some stage that wasn't successfully passed!"

The two walked and talked as they sped towards the direction of the Taixuan Sect...