A Show of Sincerity, Three Foundation Establishment Pills

"Hah, without even noticing, winter is almost here again." Bending his head as he slipped into the clothing shop, Luo Chen shook off the specks of light snow clinging to his clothes. He couldn't help sighing with emotion. The last time winter had arrived was still fresh in his memory. In the blink of an eye, nearly a full year had flown by. So much had happened over this past year that even if he gathered someone around a stove to brew tea and talk over the past, he wouldn't even know where to begin. He only knew one thing for certain. In May of last year, he had been at the third layer of Qi Refining. Now, in less than two years, he was already at the ninth layer of Qi Refining and had begun making preparations for Foundation Establishment. Such speed of progression was utterly astounding! He was confident that even if the proud geniuses of the great sects saw it, their jaws would drop in shock! Yet none of this had come from thin air. To consume so many resources every single day, persisting for hundreds of days—if all of that were converted into spirit stones, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be horrified by the sum. Only Luo Chen, with his knack for generating wealth, could sustain such rapid cultivation. He gave a greeting to the old woman in the clothing shop. After exchanging the secret phrase and donning his mask, Luo Chen once again stepped into the underground hall of the Zhenlong Black Market. This was the second month after the inner city of Dahe Market had been destroyed, and it was also the second time the Zhenlong Black Market had opened as scheduled. The moment he entered, Luo Chen sensed a familiar gaze fall upon him. The other party made no attempt to hide it, but the gaze held no malice either. Feeling the gentleness of that look, Luo Chen nodded in the man's direction. It was Tianxingzi. *This senior certainly keeps me in mind!* Luo Chen chuckled softly. Just as he was about to find a secluded corner to sit down, a cultivator in black robes walked up to him. "Senior Murong, our master has arranged a new seat for you. This way, please!" "Oh?" Luo Chen paused, but he did not refuse. He followed the man past crowds of loose cultivators. In the end, he was seated upon a gold-thread sandalwood chair situated on the outer edge of one flank. The moment he sat down, countless eyes darted toward him. And for good reason: the seats on both flanks had always been reserved for Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. Even when there weren't enough Foundation Establishment True Cultivators present, those spots would simply remain empty rather than ever be offered to Qi Refining loose cultivators. *Is this one of the perks of the VIP treatment Tianxingzi mentioned?* When he first took his seat, Luo Chen felt a slight twinge of awkwardness. However, he quickly grew comfortable with it. After serving as guild master of the Luotian Association for so long, he was already accustomed to others looking up to him. Occupying an edge seat normally meant for Foundation Establishment was hardly a big deal now. Besides, sitting in a place like this brought tangible advantages. If he took part in the bidding for a treasure he wanted, most Qi Refining loose cultivators would think twice before contesting him. This was the intimidating aura conveyed by mere "seating." Unless an item was an absolute necessity, ordinary loose cultivators wouldn't deliberately offend an important figure to the death; everyone understood the wisdom of quitting while ahead. Only after sitting down did Luo Chen realize he had arrived quite early today. There were only around a hundred people in the hall, and not a single other Foundation Establishment cultivator had shown up yet. A black market cultivator served him hot tea, and he leisurely savored it. Yet as more and more people filtered inside, he began to notice something unusual. A handful of newcomers radiated an aura completely distinct from that of Qi Refining loose cultivators. Among them, several bore auras he found intimately familiar. The Breath Concealment Spiritual Art did far more than merely suppress breath and mask spiritual fluctuations. Once cultivated to Great Perfection, its wondrous applications were legion, including the ability to imitate the auras of others. Naturally, that also made him exceptionally sensitive to the auras of those around him. *The one faintly giving off misty moisture is Wang Haichao!* *Nangong Jin is here too.* *That female cultivator wearing a veiled hat should be Li Yixian, the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Li family, if I'm not mistaken.* *In that case, the other familiar, aged Foundation Establishment cultivator chatting with them must be the Duan family's ancestor, Duan Qiankun.* Who would have thought that today's black market would assemble the leaders of all four native Foundation Establishment factions of Dahe Market? Nangong Jin in particular kept casting glances over toward Luo Chen. He seemed curious as well as to why a mere Qi Refining cultivator was seated alongside them. Even if it was only the lowliest seat on the edge. Luo Chen kept his composure, continuing to leisurely enjoy his tea and pastries as though he possessed immense backing. His nonchalant posture actually caused the group to look away. *Perhaps he is a distinguished guest of Tianxingzi,* they all thought to themselves. Luo Chen said nothing, nor did he harbor any desire to converse with them. The more words spoken, the greater the chance of a slip; he might inadvertently expose his true identity. Once the crowd had swelled to over two hundred, Tianxingzi rose to his feet and announced the start of today's auction. And the very first magical instruments brought out finally helped Luo Chen understand why today's black market auction had gathered all four native Foundation Establishment factions. "Twenty sets of Fengdu Dharma Robes, medium-grade magical instruments." "When worn by a cultivator, they can ward off the invisible attacks of low-tier ghosts." "Starting bid is five hundred spirit stones per set. Each bid increment must not be less than fifty spirit stones!" "Everyone, if you please!" Without hesitation, practically the moment the final word left his mouth, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators struck in quick succession. In the end, each took five sets, settling at an average price of seven hundred spirit stones per set. Such coordinated bidding left everyone in the hall scarcely daring to breathe. Tianxingzi, the master of the black market, seemed to have anticipated this long ago and paid no mind to their collusive bidding. Perhaps this price fell well within his acceptable margins. "The second lot: Green Firefly Lanterns, superior-grade magical instruments, ten in total." "Activating this instrument allows one to detect nearby ghosts and unleash a blast of Solar Baleful Qi, launching an area-of-effect strike against all ghosts below Foundation Establishment in the vicinity." "Starting bid is five hundred spirit stones each. Each bid increment must not be less than fifty spirit stones." This time, before Tianxingzi could even utter the invitation, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators placed their bids without hesitation. The end result saw each of them take two lanterns, closing at an average of eight hundred spirit stones. Of the remaining two, one was won by a Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator in the hall. The other was claimed by Luo Chen, who bid eight hundred and fifty spirit stones. While slightly higher than the average price paid by the Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was fifty spirit stones cheaper than what the Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator had paid. Such was the advantage brought by sitting in this seat. With the Green Firefly Lantern secured, Luo Chen finally grasped the purpose of these native Foundation Establishment experts gathering here. It was simple! Today, the Zhenlong Black Market had put forth a massive batch of pre-ordered magical instruments. Though their grades were not high, every single one of them was undeniably an excellent item specially tailored against ghosts and yin spirits. Luo Chen had also been keeping an eye on the news around Dahe Market lately. While the major native factions were expanding their territory and gathering resources, they were simultaneously dispatching teams to explore the Dahe ghost city. The things inside were of immense value! If nothing else, the properties established in the inner city by those smaller sects and individual clans were still trapped within. The people certainly couldn't be saved, but the goods had to be retrieved. Furthermore, so many cultivators had perished inside; the sheer volume of inheritances left behind was enough to make anyone salivate. With the Fengdu Dharma Robes and Green Firefly Lanterns, venturing into the inner city for exploration would no longer be an impossible task, but a pursuit bolstered by powerful assets! Even so... *Just what is the background of this Zhenlong Black Market? In merely two short months, they've managed to gather so many resources specifically tailored against yin spirits and ghosts.* *Dharma robes, magical instruments... they even have talismans and pills ready.* After spending another hundred spirit stones to win a Netherworld Pill, Luo Chen fell into deep thought. Within the Eastern Wilderness cultivation world, very few factions possessed the ability to manufacture magical instruments in bulk. In the Jade Cauldron Domain, among the seven sects of this domain, there was a Golden Core faction called the Flame Alliance that specialized in forging. The fact that these Green Firefly Lanterns unleashed Solar Baleful Qi aligned closely with the Flame Alliance's standard forging techniques. Beyond the Jade Cauldron Domain, there was Tianfan City nearby. Further out was the Star Transformation Sect. Was the Zhenlong Black Market a subordinate organization of one of those factions? Or did they share a partnership? Luo Chen was not the only one harboring such suspicions; the four native Foundation Establishment experts were likely speculating along the same lines. Yet no one dared to ask outright. Tianxingzi's strength was unfathomable. For someone who put forward so many resources every time, heaven only knew what cards he held; at the very least, he was no weaker than the native Foundation Establishment cultivators. If one thought higher, he might well be on Mi Shuhua's level, or even comparable to a sect Foundation Establishment expert. "A corpse of a Tier 2 Jinming spirit monkey, seventy percent intact. The most important components, its eyes, have been removed, but the remaining materials are completely undamaged." "Available piece by piece, or as a whole for a buyout price." "Starting bid is two thousand spirit stones." Having attended several black market auctions, Luo Chen had grown familiar with the various rules here. For instance, the patterns of starting bids and increments. For starting bids under five hundred spirit stones, people could basically bid as they pleased. From five hundred to a thousand, it was ten per increment. For starting bids of a thousand or more, increments began at fifty spirit stones. Whenever five thousand or more was involved, the default increment was a hundred. This rule had only been refined recently. It was designed to avoid situations where someone offered a single spirit stone on an item worth thousands just to disgust others. The Zhenlong Black Market had no desire to see bidding patrons fly into a fury over such trivial matters. Seeing the Tier 2 demon beast corpse, Luo Chen felt a slight pull of interest. The main ingredient for Emperor's Flowing Syrup required the bone, blood, and flesh of an identical demon beast. Although the Jinming spirit monkey's most valuable assets were its eyes, for his purposes, the intact bone, blood, and flesh held far greater worth. *Should I place a bid?* Luo Chen hesitated for a single instant. In that single instant, Wang Haichao shouted an offer of five thousand spirit stones, securing the Jinming spirit monkey corpse outright. Luo Chen furrowed his brow; that price was rather low. It was, after all, the corpse of a Tier 2 demon beast. Even missing its most vital material, with a beast core included, it should have been worth at least six or seven thousand! Still, his regret lay only in the price. Luo Chen felt no real remorse. A month had passed, and he was still feeling his way through the recipe for Emperor's Flowing Syrup. Even if he acquired the corresponding primary materials, he couldn't immediately brew it. Furthermore, the corpses of certain demon beasts were difficult to preserve. Very well, he would reconsider once he thoroughly understood the pill recipe! "A stalk of Language-Passing Grass, a Tier 2 spiritual herb. Fed to a spirit beast, it can help dissolve the transverse bone in the throat ahead of time." "Three Qi Refining puppets of formidable combat strength, comparable to the mid-layer of Qi Refining. Indispensable treasures for guarding gates, watching courtyards, scouting ahead, and hunting for treasures." "A Purple River Daoist Robe, an ultimate-grade defensive dharma robe whose defensive power is no weaker than a dedicated defensive magical instrument." ... One treasure after another was auctioned off in smooth succession. The final prices never failed to astonish the crowd. After experiencing this long enough, Luo Chen couldn't help marveling that operating a platform brought in vastly more wealth than running a small business. He toiled away concocting pills for a month, yet his earnings were hardly greater than the cut taken by the black market. Furthermore, the goods here weren't necessarily all gathered by the Zhenlong Black Market itself. Many of them had been consigned in advance by loose cultivators seeking to avoid trouble. As long as the items sold, the organizers collected a proportional commission. It was practically a business of pure profit without capital! Soon, the first phase of the auction drew to a close. Tianxingzi stepped down and walked directly toward Luo Chen without hesitation. This scene did not escape the eyes of the four Foundation Establishment cultivators. Casting a sound-isolation barrier, Tianxingzi greeted him with a chuckle. "Little friend, I trust you have been well?" "Senior looks hale and hearty; your cultivation must have advanced greatly once more!" Flattery smoothed the way in any transaction, and Luo Chen was well versed in it. Tianxingzi shook his head. "This old man is advanced in years and holds no hope of Core Formation in this life. Whether my cultivation advances or not hardly matters. What does matter is..." "How has that Foundation Establishment alchemist friend of yours decided?" *It seems he places great importance on collaborating over the Blood Burning Pills!* Confirming this thought, Luo Chen wasted no time and replied immediately: "He said it's no problem, but..." Here came the crux! Tianxingzi perked up. "Whatever conditions you have, feel free to name them!" Luo Chen didn't stand on ceremony, stating bluntly, "Though the Blood Burning Pill is only a Tier 1 pill, the difficulty of concocting it is extremely high, and the demand for primary materials is substantial." "Therefore, we require your side to supply the corresponding raw materials at fair market value." Tianxingzi nodded. "That is only natural. Now that Hundred Herbs Hall has relocated, many medicinal ingredients are indeed difficult to purchase." "How about this: provide me with a list, and I will do everything in my power to procure whatever can be found." Luo Chen produced a list on the spot and handed it over. Such efficiency pleased Tianxingzi greatly. It showed that Luo Chen had come with genuine sincerity. Taking the list, he skimmed down it at a glance. Fire hound whip, Phantom Nether Grass, North Sea jade conpoy, Explosive Ape monster blood, Earth Fire Fiend, Snow Fox monster blood, Underworld Yin Fiend... Upon finishing, he looked up in astonishment. "Concocting the Blood Burning Pill requires so many materials?" No wonder he was so surprised. Not only did the list contain an enormous variety of medicinal ingredients, but many of the materials clearly conflicted severely in medicinal properties. For example, the Explosive Ape monster blood and Snow Fox monster blood: though specified at Tier 1 quality, one possessed an explosive nature while the other was freezing cold. This went far beyond mere balance of yin and yang; their properties were extreme and could never be incorporated into the same medicine. Then there were the two baleful energies, the Earth Fire Fiend and Underworld Yin Fiend, which were Tier 1 and Tier 2 respectively. What kind of pill could possibly require two baleful energies of different tiers and conflicting attributes? And what in the world was a fire hound whip? Luo Chen smiled and said nothing. Naturally, these were not solely raw materials for the Blood Burning Pill. Interspersed among them were the primary ingredients for multiple pills, including the Myriad Wonders Pill, Nether-Passage Pill, and Blood Fiend Pill. First, this served to baffle Tianxingzi, preventing him from guessing the true primary materials of the Blood Burning Pill. After all, there was definitely a major faction backing him, and they might well employ experienced high-tier alchemists. If they deduced the recipe of the Blood Burning Pill in reverse from the primary ingredients, he would suffer a massive loss. Second, Luo Chen was genuinely in dire need of these primary materials. Hundred Herbs Hall and Spirit Source Studio had moved away. Xianzhu Residence had been wiped out. There were many things he had no means of collecting. At present, the Luotian Association had even halted the concoction of Myriad Wonders Pills. As for the North Sea jade conpoy, though it was cheap, no ordinary faction could purchase and resell it in bulk except for Hundred Herbs Hall with its backing from the Medicine King Sect. It was, after all, a specialty from another domain. The Nether-Passage Pill was an incomplete recipe, but after studying it for so long, Luo Chen had gained some insight. He was fairly confident he could complete it. If paired with the system to achieve basic mastery, he stood an eight or nine out of ten chance of success. When that time came, he could concoct the pill to enhance the foundation of his divine soul. As for that final Underworld Yin Fiend, it was a consideration for Wang Yuan, just in case. Seeing Luo Chen smile in silence, Tianxingzi understood. The other party was using this partnership to purchase other resources he desired! In the process, he had also concealed the proportions of raw ingredients for the Blood Burning Pill. A clever little tactic. He gave Luo Chen a deep look, then carefully tucked the list away. "Rest assured. Since I have agreed to this partnership, this old man will naturally do his utmost to satisfy the requests of you and your friend." "As a show of sincerity, allow me to share a piece of news with you, little friend!" Luo Chen looked at him curiously. What sort of news could serve as a show of sincerity from a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator? "Foundation Establishment Pills!" "I have already secured a line on three of them. Before long, they will be delivered to Dahe Market." *Huu!* A low, heavy breath escaped from the man before him. Tianxingzi was extremely pleased with his reaction. He was confident that no one could remain composed in the face of such "sincerity." Luo Chen also realized he had lost his composure and quickly steadied his breathing. No wonder he had reacted so strongly—it was a Foundation Establishment Pill, after all! Moreover, this old man had claimed last time that they were difficult to acquire. Yet he turned around and told him he had secured "three!" Three, not one or two! Had it been one or two, Luo Chen truly wouldn't have reacted so violently. Given his aptitude, he was genuinely worried that one or two wouldn't do the trick. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used the one Mi Shuhua had given him back then as a convenient favor to hand over to Qin Liangchen. Three pills, however, meant he would have three chances to charge at Foundation Establishment. Even a donkey should succeed with three attempts! So it turned out that when someone said they were "difficult to acquire," they didn't mean one or two, but larger quantities! Luo Chen's voice came out somewhat dry and raspy. "Senior..." "Hold on!" Tianxingzi raised a hand. Just as Luo Chen thought he was about to impose conditions, the old man smiled. "Securing these three Foundation Establishment Pills cost me a great deal of favors. Therefore, regarding the price... five thousand spirit stones each. What do you think?" Was five thousand spirit stones considered cheap or expensive? Expensive, of course! No matter how highly praised, a Foundation Establishment Pill was ultimately just a Tier 2 pill. Ordinary Tier 2 pills cost merely three to five hundred spirit stones per bottle at baseline. Selling Foundation Establishment Pills individually for one to two thousand each already showed immense deference to the property of "increasing breakthrough chances." Back at the Jade Cauldron auction, the five Foundation Establishment experts had each won a pill for a mere two thousand spirit stones. Yet for an ordinary loose cultivator, this price was dirt cheap. First, there were simply no channels to buy them. Second, even if one or two appeared at an auction, they almost always commanded astronomical closing bids. The last Foundation Establishment Pill had fetched an astounding six thousand eight hundred spirit stones! The competition was simply too fierce! Finally, this was a price Luo Chen could comfortably afford. Who was he? Master of the Luotian Association, an esteemed alchemist. He could now boast to anyone with full confidence: "I am a man of considerable wealth!" All three added together amounted to only fifteen thousand. If nothing else, he currently possessed sixteen thousand five hundred spirit stones in savings on his person. After the last auction, his fortune had dropped from twenty thousand to nine thousand five hundred. In the month that followed, the Luotian Association had earned him another eight thousand! At today's auction, his minor purchases of the Green Firefly Lantern and Netherworld Pill had cost him less than a thousand spirit stones. In other words, if Tianxingzi produced the three Foundation Establishment Pills right this moment, Luo Chen could purchase them on the spot! It was only a pity that the man said he would have to wait a while. "Thank you, Senior. I am very satisfied with this price!" "When the Foundation Establishment Pills arrive, please be sure to notify me at once." Luo Chen expressed his gratitude with utter sincerity. Since the other party had displayed such sincerity, he could hardly be stingy in return. "As soon as the materials are procured, I will certainly have my friend concoct the Blood Burning Pills for your side as swiftly as possible." Tianxingzi chuckled heartily. "Then, here's to a fruitful collaboration!" "To a fruitful collaboration!" Foregoing the subsequent free-trading phase, Luo Chen departed from the Zhenlong Black Market ahead of time. Only upon stepping outside did he realize that the snow in the streets had grown heavier and heavier. This winter might well turn out to be the finest winter he had ever seen. Luo Chen was thoroughly elated. After concealing his aura, he melted into the dark night.