Chapter 568: Return to the Primordial Sect

Besides these official matters, the rest was various news that had arrived.

First, the Jinghai Island Reef had officially resumed production. The miners who were previously laid off had all returned. It was estimated that within half a month, production would not only return to pre-war levels but even see a twenty to thirty percent increase.

The Primordial Sect had also sent someone to take over the Jinghai Island Reef; the person in charge was Tang Linli’s younger brother, Tang Lintao.

Second, word had spread that the Mist Rain Tower had invited Faqian City to act as a mediator for negotiations with the Primordial Sect and the Star-Picking Sect, but both sects had flatly refused. Some Mist Rain Tower cultivators then entered Primordial Sect territory directly and launched a preemptive strike.

In an instant, the flames of war ignited once more along the Primordial Sect’s borders.

Many Evil Cultivators were driven back again…

In short, it was just as the saying goes: one storm had yet to pass before another arrived.

…

He then left the Grand Array and headed toward the Pill Hall.

Several years had passed, and Zhao De’an, much like Ding Fei, had grown increasingly frail with age. He had only begun studying pills midway through his life, and because his Cultivation couldn’t keep pace, he felt more and more out of his depth as the Pill Hall expanded.

Chen Che offered him a few words of comfort and told Zhao De’an that the Pill Hall was currently short on manpower, asking him to hold on for a while longer. Once the Primordial Sect’s war was over, he would be allowed to retire to his hometown. He also bestowed three Life-extending Elixirs upon him.

As for Liang Yuan of the Artifact Hall, the situation was the complete opposite.

Liang Yuan and his apprentice had recently learned a great deal from Yu Qian. As the saying goes, you can’t bite the hand that feeds you. Yu Qian held nothing back in his teachings, which made Liang Yuan feel his Forging skills had increased dramatically. He, too, was limited by his Realm; otherwise, forging a Tier Three Weapon would be no problem at all.

Next, he visited the Sacrificial Hall, Talisman Hall, and Internal Affairs Hall in turn, mainly to get an update on the situation in each Hall.

Then, Chen Che went to the back mountain, summoned Liu Yuanqing, and planted the last batch of revived Divine Court Tree Species. Of the more than forty seeds, fewer than seventy percent ultimately germinated. While not as many as he had hoped, Chen Che was still quite satisfied.

As for the Willow Tree Demon, the wounds from the last Celestial Tribulation had already healed by seventy to eighty percent. With Spirit Stones for nourishment, it was only a matter of time before its strength returned to its peak. ‘Perhaps before long,’ he thought, ‘I’ll have to worry about its next Tribulation Crossing.’

However, for now, what concerned Chen Che the most was the search for the Earth Store Profound Tree.

One Willow Tree Demon and over thirty Divine Court Trees were enough to nearly drain Jinyun Valley of its Spiritual Qi. If he couldn’t find an Earth Store Profound Tree, he might have no choice but to disperse these trees throughout his subordinate territories.

At this thought, Chen Che wrote another letter to Yuchi Hao, asking if he knew of any Earth Store Profound Trees or places with unusual concentrations of Spiritual Qi within the Mist Rain Tower’s domain. If so, they could become Jinyun Valley’s next primary targets.

Just as Chen Che was about to enter seclusion to focus on breaking through to the Golden Core Seventh Layer, someone from the Primordial Sect unexpectedly arrived.

“A Chief Steward has graced my door! Jinyun Valley is truly honored.”

Chen Che said with a cupped-fist salute, his tone tinged with amusement.

Before him stood Tang Linli.

In addition, there were a few unfamiliar Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

“Valley Master, you flatter this junior too much.”

Tang Linli was full of apprehension. With a glance, he dismissed those around him and followed Chen Che into the main hall. He respectfully poured a cup of tea, and before Chen Che could even speak, Tang Linli stated his purpose.

“The Sect Leader requests your return to the Sect.”

This was the advantage of having his own people in the Primordial Sect. There was no need to guess at their thoughts or intentions.

He could find out with a single question.

“Return to the Sect? Why?”

Chen Che paused as he lifted his teacup.

“I suspect it’s because the Mist Rain Tower has been on the offensive lately, and our stock of pills is running critically low. On top of that, the Pill Hall is currently without a leader, so they need you to return, take command, and straighten things out.”

Tang Linli glanced aside. “Those men who came with me are Chief Stewards from the Pill Hall.”

‘Hm?’

Hearing this, Chen Che’s interest was genuinely piqued. He had originally thought Wei Yanzhou was simply trying to recruit him, but now it seemed the Sect Leader truly intended to hand over management of the Pill Hall to him.

‘On second thought, it makes sense.’

‘Perhaps now that Wei Yanzhou is a Nascent Soul True Monarch, his control over his subordinates has increased to the point where it doesn’t matter whether he hands it over or not. Of course, there’s also the idea of putting everyone to their best use.’

“Is there a time limit?”

“The Sect Leader said as soon as possible…”

“Then let’s set off.”

Chen Che had no intention of dawdling. He immediately gave instructions for the remaining matters in the Valley and set off for the Primordial Sect.

On the way, Tang Linli also told Chen Che that he had instructed his brother, Tang Lintao, who was heading to the Jinghai Island Reef, to fudge the mining accounts. He could divert a maximum of ten percent of the profits to Jinyun Valley.

Any more than that, and they would risk being discovered when the Primordial Sect audited the books.

Clearly, Tang Linli’s investment was already paying off. He was beginning to repay Jinyun Valley.

“There’s no need for that,” Chen Che said, shaking his head. “Just stick to the original quota. Don’t worry about these minor things. Focus on your Cultivation and reach Core Formation as soon as possible.”

Tang Linli was a hidden agent. While ten percent of the Ore was a considerable amount, getting discovered over it would be a net loss for Chen Che. If Tang Linli reached Core Formation, he might even become one of Duobao’s trusted subordinates.

That was when his true value would be realized.

“I understand.”

Tang Linli nodded thoughtfully. “By the way, the Sect Leader has also arranged a Cave Mansion for you on the mountain.”

…

「Primordial Mountain, Sixth Layer.」

A lush valley, brimming with life, was nestled there.

The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides. A layer of mist drifted over the peaks, and the rain that fell from it was laced with Magic Patterns that fluttered like butterflies.

This was no ordinary rain, but a phenomenon known as spiritual rain, created by the dense concentration of Spiritual Qi.

After all, the Primordial Sect had absorbed the Spiritual Qi from several major prefectures. Of course, the place with the densest Spiritual Qi in the entire Sect was still Wei Yanzhou’s Cave Mansion.

In the center of the valley stood a grand and enormous estate.

This had once been Huang Shiwo’s Cave Mansion, but it now belonged to Chen Che. The Sixth Layer also contained the valleys of Duobao, Qiu Tianshui, and Chen Jiyuan; each Chief occupied their own territory.

However, all traces of Huang Shiwo had been erased from the Cave Mansion. According to Tang Linli, even the palace had been torn down and rebuilt. The only things that remained were a few medicinal gardens.

They had been left standing simply because no one knew if Chen Che would need them.

The Cave Mansion was fully furnished and, in addition, came with a Sword-Washing Pool, a Martial Arts Arena, and a Library Building. There were even twenty-four beautiful Female Cultivators who, upon seeing Chen Che enter, all performed a deep curtsy in unison.

Tang Linli did not follow him inside.

His task was simply to escort Chen Che back to the Sect. He needed to avoid arousing suspicion, which could alert Duobao.

Once he left, only the accompanying Chief Stewards from the Pill Hall remained.

“And these are?”

Chen Che asked as he sat down, his gaze sweeping over the Female Cultivators.

“Chief, these are disciples from the Pill Hall. They are here to take care of your daily needs,” a lavishly dressed and rather young Chief Steward said, stepping forward with a cupped-fist salute.

“I don’t need them.”

“But Chief, it is truly inconvenient for you to be alone. Having some servant girls…”

“Did you not hear what I said?”

Chen Che glanced at him coolly.

The man immediately grew fearful and dared not say another word, quickly waving his hand. The female disciples performed another deep curtsy and departed, looking dejected. They had, after all, paid a hefty price to secure this assignment—

compared to gaining status through Cultivation, there was no faster way up than climbing into a Chief’s bed.

‘What a cesspool!’

Chen Che shook his head inwardly as he took in their expressions. ‘I’ve only just taken over the Pill Hall, and they’re already pulling these stunts.’

Moreover, Tang Linli had warned him that several of the Chief Stewards before him were loyal to other Chiefs. It wasn’t necessarily that they were planted as spies, but rather that all the Halls were entangled in a web of conflicting interests.

Placing their own people within other Halls allowed them to vie for greater benefits.

Seeing Chen Che remain silent, the Chief Stewards grew uneasy, unable to fathom their new Chief’s intentions. After a moment of hesitation, the young Chief Steward summoned his courage, took a step forward, and asked, “Chief, would you like to meet the other members of the Pill Hall now?”

“Very well.”

Chen Che nodded slightly.

The steward’s face lit up, and he was about to speak when Chen Che continued, “Gather all the disciples of the Pill Hall. Have them assemble at the Hall’s main building in half an hour. I want to conduct an inspection.”

‘What!?’

The Chief Stewards were stunned.

They had only intended for Chen Che to meet a few key members. ‘He wants to see everyone?’

But seeing that Chen Che had already closed his eyes, they could only withdraw obediently.

Of course, Chen Che had no intention of dedicating all his energy to the Pill Hall. Everything he was doing was simply to make his own life more comfortable down the line.

Half an hour later, the disciples of the Pill Hall had gathered before their Hall.