"Junior Brother Xu, I bring good tidings."

"What tidings?"

"Guess!"

Ye Shanhu offered a mysterious smile.

Uh..

Xu Changshou smiled wryly. Guess whether I'll play your guessing game?

"Senior Sister Ye, how could I possibly divine such a thing? It is better if you just tell me."

Ye Shanhu tapped her Storage Bag, withdrawing a jade bottle used for holding pills, and handed it to Xu Changshou.

"This is.. a Qi Gathering Pill."

Xu Changshou unstopped the bottle and peered inside. Ten ordinary Qi Gathering Pills rested at the bottom. Their quality was acceptable, comparable to those peddled by the Sect, though slightly inferior to the ones Ye Shanhu usually provided him.

"Senior Sister Ye, what is there to marvel at concerning Qi Gathering Pills?"

"These are no ordinary Qi Gathering Pills."

"In what way are they extraordinary?"

"I refined these Qi Gathering Pills with my own hands." Ye Shanhu beamed, her face radiating undisguised pride.

Xu Changshou could not hide his astonishment. "Senior Sister Ye, do you mean.. you know how to refine pills?"

"Indeed! I can now forge pills. I have become a Pill Refiner," Ye Shanhu declared haughtily.

"Congratulations! Congratulations to Senior Sister Ye on becoming a Pill Refiner."

Xu Changshou cupped his hands in a smiling salute, genuinely pleased for her success.

It appeared this was the good tidings she spoke of.

"Senior Sister Ye, what realm has your pill refining technique reached? Could you forge a Foundation Establishment Pill?" Xu Changshou asked curiously.

"Not yet! However.."

Ye Shanhu sighed, her tone deflating. "The Foundation Establishment Pill is a second-grade Spirit Pill. If a cultivator at the Qi Condensation realm wishes to refine a second-grade pill, their cultivation base must reach the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation at the very least."

"I see."

Xu Changshou nodded slightly, sinking into deep contemplation.

Once he amassed the necessary spiritual herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill, he could easily entrust Ye Shanhu to refine the furnace for him.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was a treasure of immense value, widely hailed as a supreme gem among elixirs.

Entrusting such precious materials to a stranger was a recipe for disaster; it was infinitely safer to rely on someone he trusted.

"Senior Sister Ye, when I collect the spiritual herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill, will you help me refine it?"

Xu Changshou asked, his tone half-joking.

"You?"

Ye Shanhu rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with disdain. "Junior Brother Xu, do you truly believe the herbs for a Foundation Establishment Pill are so easily plucked from the earth? Put it out of your mind. It is utterly impossible."

Xu Changshou scratched his head. "Are the spiritual herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill truly that elusive?"

"They are!"

Ye Shanhu spoke with grave seriousness. "To refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, thirteen spiritual herbs are required: four primary stalks and nine auxiliary roots.

Because the Foundation Establishment Pill defies the heavens, the cost of its components has surged to astronomical heights.

The auxiliary herbs are relatively common; with enough Spirit Stones, they can be acquired.

But laying hands upon the primary ingredients is a monumental trial. There are four in total: Four Immortal Grass, Linglong Fruit, Blood Cherry Blossom, and Emperor's Flowing Syrup."

"The soil and harvests of the Four Immortal Grass, Linglong Fruit, and Blood Cherry Blossom are ruthlessly guarded by the five great Immortal Sects. It is entirely impossible for a single leaf to fall into the hands of bottom-dwelling cultivators.

Yet the most elusive of all is the Emperor's Flowing Syrup. This is a divine boon from the heavens, incomparably rare. Even the treasuries of the five great Immortal Sects possess meager reserves."

Xu Changshou narrowed his eyes. "What makes it a divine boon from the heavens?"

"The Emperor's Flowing Syrup originates from the void beyond, drifting down from the firmament. As to when or where it descends? The likes of us could never divine such heavenly secrets. Furthermore, the very instant it falls, it must be captured within a pristine jade vessel. The moment it graces the mortal earth and absorbs its worldly filth, the Emperor's Flowing Syrup loses its spiritual essence entirely."

Hearing Ye Shanhu's explanation, a bitter taste flooded Xu Changshou's mouth.

These four supreme ingredients were already priceless, yet they were heavily hoarded by the five great Immortal Sects. For a lowly Qi Condensation cultivator like him to amass the materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill was akin to a mortal grasping at the moon.

Stepping into Foundation Establishment was an arduous trial; securing a Foundation Establishment Pill was a brutal struggle, and merely collecting its ingredients was a perilous journey of its own.

However, no matter how steep the path, he had to collect them. This was his sole path to defying the heavens.

As long as the five great Immortal Sects possessed the spiritual herbs, he would tear them from their grasp, no matter how treacherous the methods required.

Xu Changshou secretly ground his teeth.

Next, he sought Ye Shanhu's guidance regarding the nine auxiliary herbs. As she recited their ancient names, Xu Changshou carved every syllable into his memory.

From this breath onward, he would exhaust every ounce of his cunning and strength to hunt down these ingredients.

"Ah, that reminds me, Senior Sister Ye. I wish to exchange for some Spirit Gathering Pills. Where might be the most suitable venue?"

Xu Changshou shifted the flow of the conversation.

"You seek Spirit Gathering Pills?" Ye Shanhu was visibly taken aback.

To burn Spirit Gathering Pills for cultivation was an egregious luxury. Let alone a lowly Miscellaneous Disciple, even the privileged scions of minor mortal clans dared not consume them in large quantities.

"I do," Xu Changshou affirmed.

Ye Shanhu nodded in understanding. "That is reasonable. Now that your cultivation base has reached the tenth layer of Qi Condensation, swallowing common Qi Gathering Pills is akin to throwing stones into the sea.

As for Spirit Gathering Pills, it is wisest to seek them at the Sect's Duty Peak.

The Sect maintains a suffocating grip over the flow of Spirit Gathering Pills. They rarely surface in the outer markets, and even when they do, their purity is highly suspect."

"I understand. Many thanks, Senior Sister Ye."

"Ah, I nearly forgot the most crucial matter."

Ye Shanhu's expression grew solemn as she recalled her task. "Junior Brother Xu, I have uncovered traces of the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn you asked me to seek."

"Truly? Where has it surfaced?"

Xu Changshou's blood hummed with anticipation.

He lacked only the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn to draft the Thunder Explosion Talisman.

The sudden revelation of its whereabouts naturally thrilled his Dao heart.

Ye Shanhu leaned in. "Three months from now, the Wanxian Pavilion will host an intimate auction. According to whispers leaking from the Wanxian Tower, the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn is among the treasures slated for the bidding block."

"The Wanxian Pavilion?"

Xu Changshou nodded imperceptibly.

He recognized the name. Like the Wanbao Pavilion, it was a sprawling merchant sect dealing in myriad cultivation resources, operating out of the grand market controlled by the Wanxian Tower.

The master pulling the strings of the Wanxian Pavilion was none other than the overlord of the Wanxian Tower, the Wu Zhou Old Demon.

It was widely acknowledged that the Wu Zhou Old Demon commanded more worldly wealth than any other figure in the entire Dongyu Cultivation World.

Not only did he grip the Wanxian Tower and the Wanxian Pavilion, but the legendary Wanxian Market-hailed as the paramount trading hub beneath the heavens-was also his personal domain.

A pivotal reason the Wanxian Market swelled to such monstrous proportions was the ocean of illicit wealth flowing through its shadows.

Innumerable treasures plundered through bloodshed and slaughter, cursed items that upright establishments wouldn't dare touch, could easily find a buyer in the Wanxian Market.

Take Xu Changshou's Crimson Refining Sword and Azure Edge Sword, for instance. Both blades belonged to the Hehuan Sect and were pried from the cold, dead hands of their previous owners.

Ordinary markets and proper immortal pavilions would balk at handling such tainted goods, terrified of provoking the wrath of the Hehuan Sect.

But the Wanxian Tower's market held no such dread. Shrouded by the formidable might of the Wu Zhou Old Demon, they swallowed all stolen goods with insatiable greed.

Three months remained until the auction commenced. Xu Changshou calculated his breathing cycles; the timeline was manageable.

He had petitioned Li Daotu for a half-year seclusion, exempting him from Sect duties during that span. With a buffer of three months, he possessed ample time to travel to the Wanxian Tower and return.

"Junior Brother Xu, the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros Horn is a supreme material for forging Pseudo-Artifacts. A swarm of cultivators will vie for its ownership. Even if you secure the winning bid, you will draw murderous stares. You must tread with utmost caution."

"Rest assured, Senior Sister Ye. I will guard my life well."

Xu Changshou nodded slightly. When it came to fleeing for his life, so long as he avoided the terrifying suppression of a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator, he held absolute, unwavering confidence.