Chapter 401 - 372: Another Task

Chapter 401: Chapter 372: Another Task

Duobao left.

He had plundered Wangxian Ridge and managed to skim some profit, though not as much as he had hoped. Besides, with a two-million-Spirit-Stone bounty on his head, it wasn’t wise for him to stay out in the open for too long.

Before leaving, he threw another task at Chen Che:

Exterminate the Demon Beasts!

"Lately, the Black Tortoise Calm Sea has been overrun with Demon Beasts. The Primordial Sect can’t spare too many hands, so you go clean it up. Go as soon as you’re done refining your pills... I’m giving you three years. You must clear them out completely!"

As he watched the Escape Light fade into the distance, Duobao’s words still echoed in his ears.

"The Black Tortoise Calm Sea!"

Thinking about the man’s parting instructions, Chen Che almost laughed in anger.

That place wasn’t even under the Primordial Sect’s jurisdiction—it was basically a Land Without Master, yet it had been dumped on him. Before, Ye Jingzhou and Thousand Eyes had, at most, only made him perform alchemy. But this Duobao was constantly piling on extra assignments.

This wasn’t just an attempt to curb his cultivation time; it was also a blatant attempt to send him to his death.

’An acting Sect Leader, is he?’

Chen Che sneered inwardly. ’So high and mighty!’

His gaze swept over Hu Yao.

Hu Yao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, traveling with two Golden Core cultivators had put him under a lot of pressure.

Especially since they had just annihilated the Ye Clan. With a guilty conscience, he had inevitably been apprehensive and afraid, worried that the visitors might have noticed something back at the sect. Of course, Chen Che was concerned about this as well:

"What places did Huang Shiwo and Qiu Tianshui visit? What did they see, and what did they do?"

"They visited a few of the Halls. Huang Shiwo spent the most time in the Alchemy Hall, where he gave some pointers to Xing Lin and a few other disciples, even publicly demonstrating the skill of Refining Without a Furnace. After that, they went to the Scripture Pavilion and the Treasure House..."

"!?"

Chen Che whipped his head around, his gaze hardening.

A bitter look appeared on Hu Yao’s face.

Visiting a few Halls was no big deal, as those were out in the open for anyone to inspect. But the Scripture Pavilion and the Treasure House were different. They represented the foundation of a power. Letting outsiders in was tantamount to revealing all your secrets.

Normally, outsiders weren’t even qualified to enter. Even disciples from within the Valley had to rely on their Contribution Points to access the upper floors.

However, these weren’t ordinary Golden Core cultivators; they had a behemoth like the Primordial Sect backing them. When they said they wanted to take a look, how could he dare refuse? He could only brace himself and let them in.

Hu Yao sighed deeply. "Please punish me, Valley Master."

"The fault isn’t yours."

Chen Che slowly shook his head.

Hu Yao was only at the Foundation Establishment realm; how could he possibly have the courage to refuse the request of a Golden Core cultivator?

Fortunately, he had long made it a habit to store his most important items in the Yellow Gourd, so his true foundation hadn’t been significantly exposed. Even after their visit to the Library Building and the treasury, they wouldn’t have been able to discern anything significant.

Therefore, he didn’t blame Hu Yao.

"When you’re weak, you have to live at the mercy of others."

Chen Che withdrew his gaze from the distance and said:

"Issue an announcement for me. We’re recruiting people to go to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea. I, the Valley Master, will personally lead the expedition. Of all the profits from the Black Tortoise Calm Sea, thirty percent will go to Jinyun Valley, and the remaining resources will be distributed based on contribution."

Since Duobao had come to his door to deliver the order, he could no longer feign ignorance.

Coincidentally, Jinyun Valley was indeed lacking in experience with unified operations. This trip to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea was a rare opportunity to take everyone out for some training and let them experience the place for themselves.

"Oh, right."

Chen Che nodded slightly, his expression flat. "Since this is a unified expedition, we should order a Flying Boat."

"A Flying Boat?"

A thought flashed through Hu Yao’s mind, and he immediately recalled the enormous Flying Boat the Ye Clan had ridden during the battle at the Black Tortoise Calm Sea. He hadn’t reached Foundation Establishment back then and had remained behind in Jinyun Valley.

Watching the Flying Boat traverse the sky, his heart had been filled with yearning.

Now, it was finally their turn!

...

"Duobao is trying to force you out of the valley!"

When Chen Che returned to the back mountain and recounted what had happened, Meng Qianxun stood with his arms crossed and a deep frown, while Meng Changtu’s expression turned cold.

Chen Xi sat before a Pill Furnace that was dozens of zhang high, continuously feeding sections of Taibai Jade Bamboo into the fire beneath it.

THUD.

The Chixia True Cauldron settled onto the ground, looking like a small mountain.

As she tended the furnace fire, Chen Xi had to form a spell seal to control the flames whenever she sensed the fire was too strong or not strong enough. Nearby, Lu Qinglian was doing manual labor, chopping the Taibai Jade Bamboo into segments.

Two Golden Core cultivators and two Foundation Establishment cultivators were now doing the work of Fire-Burning Boys.

After all, refining the Wangxian Monarch was no easy task. If Chen Che had to rely on his True Essence alone, this batch of the Great Pill would take at least three to four years to refine. But with help, it could be done in two or three months at most.

"That region of the Black Tortoise Calm Sea has become a gathering place for the Aquatic Race; it’s a complete mess. There are reports that the Undersea Palace has collapsed and a lot of treasure has emerged. The level of chaos there is far greater than before."

Lu Qinglian said, turning her head as she chopped the bamboo. The Lu Family had its own intelligence network, and even had clan members stationed there, so she was quite knowledgeable about the situation in the Black Tortoise Calm Sea.

"The Black Tortoise Calm Sea isn’t even within the Primordial Sect’s sphere of influence, yet they’re still forcing Jinyun Valley to go..."

His father-in-law raised his head slightly and stated his position directly:

"But don’t worry. When the time comes, the Meng Family will go with you."

With several Golden Core cultivators by their side, they could help each other out if anything unexpected happened.

For now, there was no other way. They would simply have to face whatever came their way.

"Let’s focus on finishing this Great Pill first. We can talk about the rest later."

Chen Che nodded slightly and sat down directly in front of the Pill Furnace.

No matter the situation, one’s cultivation and strength always came first.

...

In just one day, news about the Black Tortoise Calm Sea swept through Jinyun Valley, both inside and out.

Cultivators from within the Valley who had reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and those from outside the Valley who had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, were all eligible to sign up.

Furthermore, not only would the Jinyun Valley Master be leading the expedition, but several Chiefs would also be participating.

The arrangements for distributing the gains were also made public.

For a time, the area in and around Jinyun Valley was in an uproar.

Although no one understood why Jinyun Valley would ignore the nearby Wangxian Ridge, also in Yunzhou, to seek fortune far away in the Black Tortoise Calm Sea, many people sensed that this group expedition was a huge opportunity.

After all, the last time Jinyun Valley had mobilized on such a scale was when it annexed Chi State.

That war had increased Jinyun Valley’s territory dozens of times over, and countless families had used the opportunity to fill their coffers to the brim.

This expedition to the Black Tortoise Calm Sea was clearly another such massive opportunity.

It was important to understand that if individual Loose Cultivators went alone, they could easily be devoured, with not even their bones left behind. But with a group expedition backed by a powerful organization, such a fate could naturally be avoided.

Many cultivators could only lament that their realms were too low to catch this wave of opportunity. Those whose realms were close, however, seized the time to cultivate diligently.

While there was jubilation within the Valley, the outside world was in chaos!