While Ji Jinglun entered the spiritual vein, Zhang Jingmo began concocting the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Concocting the Foundation Establishment Pill was not difficult in itself, but if one wanted to refine the highest grade pill, the difficulty was not small at all.

Fortunately, Zhang Jingmo had practiced countless times and pill concoction had long become second nature to him.

The Foundation Establishment Pill required eighty-one days. In the nearly three months, Lu Guijiu did not see Zhang Jingmo at all, but even though he did not see his master, his cultivation became more and more diligent, to the point of not sleeping or resting.

After three months, Zhang Jingmo emerged from seclusion, with two black pills on his body.

Generally, because there would be losses during pill concoction, when preparing the materials, at least three portions of materials would be prepared for consumption.

This time, Zhang Jingmo produced two pills from one furnace, which was already quite remarkable.

The stone door slowly rose and Zhang Jingmo saw Lu Guijiu standing at the entrance.

Lu Guijiu said, "Greetings to Master for emerging from seclusion."

Zhang Jingmo grunted and scanned Lu Guijiu's body up and down, gently asking, "Have you been diligently practicing?"

Lu Guijiu nodded.

Hearing this, Zhang Jingmo calculated the time and said, "Mm, this time next year, the elder specializing in weapon forging should return... At that time, I will have him forge a magic weapon for you."

Lu Guijiu nodded.

Zhang Jingmo asked a few more things about Lu Guijiu and was about to go bathe in the spiritual spring. But just as he and Lu Guijiu walked out the door, he heard a voice coming from not far away, saying, "Daoist Zhang, you've finally emerged from seclusion."

Zhang Jingmo's body stiffened and his face slightly sank. When he came out of seclusion, he had not detected this person's aura. Only now when the voice came did he realize someone was standing behind him.

Zhang Jingmo turned his head and saw a man wearing a mask. The man was not wearing the Lingxu Sect's Daoist robes, clearly not someone from the sect. Beside him, Qingfeng was kneeling on the ground, slightly trembling.

Several faces flashed through Zhang Jingmo's mind, but none matched the person in front of him. He said, "Who are you?"

The man's voice carried a hint of laughter. "Who I am is not important. What's important is that I have a request."

Zhang Jingmo had never seen someone make a request in such a righteous manner. But since this person could sneak up behind him without being detected, he was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Zhang Jingmo coldly said, "What matter?"

The man said, "I want to ask Daoist Zhang to concoct a pill for me."

Zhang Jingmo asked, "What pill?"

The man replied, "The Heavenly Core Yellow Spring Pill."

Hearing the name of this pill, Zhang Jingmo's face sank even further. He did not know the identity of the person in front of him. In the previous hundred plus lifetimes, this person had never appeared before.

The man asked, "How about it?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "I'm afraid that is beyond my abilities."  His tone was consistently indifferent, revealing neither anger nor fear. "In this world, I'm afraid there are no more than three people who can concoct the Heavenly Core Yellow Spring Pill. I, Zhang..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted. The man said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "There are also not many in this world who can concoct the Molten Fire Pill."

Zhang Jingmo did not say a word.

The man continued, "And in this world, I'm afraid only you, Daoist Zhang, can allow a sixteen or seventeen year old child to enter the fifth middle stage of Qi Refining."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingmo said, "What do you want?"

The man said, "I heard Daoist Zhang's eldest disciple is currently establishing his foundation. I am not an unreasonable person. I will give you one year's time. After a year, I will come take you away."

Zhang Jingmo: "...Do you think the Lingxu Sect has no one?"

The man laughed, "How could I think the Lingxu Sect has no one? But even with many people, Daoist Zhang can hide here for a while, but can you hide for a lifetime?"

Zhang Jingmo's hand hanging by his side slightly clenched.

The man laughed again, "The past few times I came, I was stopped by your servant boy, saying you had not returned. Indeed you were not back those previous times, but this time..."

As his words fell, Qingfeng kneeling on the side let out a shrill miserable scream. A piece of flesh fell from his mouth and a large amount of fresh blood spurted out.

The man said, "What I hate most are liars." After speaking, he bowed, then turned and left on the wind.

During this time, the restrictions on Zhang Jingmo's cave abode were not triggered even once, showing how powerful this person was.

With a cold face, Zhang Jingmo tossed a bottle of pills to the trembling Qingfeng, telling him to take them.

Lu Guijiu, who had been standing behind Zhang Jingmo without speaking, finally opened his mouth. His voice was chilly as he said, "Master, who was that?"

Zhang Jingmo turned to glance at Lu Guijiu and said, "I don't know."

At this time, Lu Guijiu's face was as unsightly as Zhang Jingmo's. But unlike the indifference on Zhang Jingmo's face, there was more of a ruthless look in his eyes.

Lu Guijiu asked, "He's very strong?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "Naturally. He has to be." After all, he wouldn't be able to enter and exit the Lingxu Sect like his own back garden otherwise. Zhang Jingmo was now at the Golden Core stage, but encountering this kind of cultivator, he could only admit defeat. Because he could not stay in the Lingxu Sect forever and would definitely need to go out and roam. So even if he sought help from the sect master, it would only bring temporary peace...

Zhang Jingmo was pondering some matters. He felt he vaguely knew that person's identity, but there was too much information in his mind and he could not grasp it for a moment.

Lu Guijiu said, "Then Master, in a year, will you really go concoct pills for him?"

Zhang Jingmo said, "We'll talk about it then."

Lu Guijiu did not say anything, because even if he did, it would be useless words. He already knew that in this cultivation world, the strong were revered.

Qingfeng, who had his tongue cut out, took Zhang Jingmo's pill and quickly recovered. With blood still on his face, he knelt on the ground repeatedly expressing thanks.

Zhang Jingmo asked, "How many times did he come before?"

Qingfeng said, "He came three or four times, each time saying he came to request pills. We only said the lord was not present, but did not expect..."

Zhang Jingmo asked, "In those three or four times, was he wearing a mask each time?"

Qingfeng said, "Yes."

Zhang Jingmo said, "I understand, you may go."

Upon hearing this, Qingfeng bowed and slowly left.

The person was wearing a mask, clearly not wanting others to know his identity, yet his actions were so high-profile, completely self-contradictory, unless... he actually had other intentions.

That person wanted Zhang Jingmo to refine the "Heavenly Core Yellow Spring Pill", a medicine that had only appeared in legends.

This medicine was said to have the effect of bringing the dead back to life and turning white bones into living beings. However, Zhang Jingmo did not quite believe in the existence of such a medicine, because in all his lifetimes, he had never seen the real thing.

Zhang Jingmo said, "I'm going to check on your senior brother." With things on his mind, he didn't pay much attention to Lu Guijiu's expression and flew off to find Ji Jinglun, who was still in the spiritual vein.

As soon as Zhang Jingmo left, Lu Guijiu's expression darkened. He looked at Zhang Jingmo's departing figure and said, "Lu Shu, how I wish Master would only look at me."

Lu Shu thought to himself, this wasn't the first time you've expressed this wish. He said, "If you were as strong as the person who just came, even if your Master didn't want to look at you, he'd have to look at you."

Lu Guijiu tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. On the back of his hand were several bright red wounds that seemed harmless. However, if his clothes were removed at this moment, it would be discovered that his entire body was covered in wounds of various sizes. Most of these wounds were caused by the "Blood Hell Heaven Scripture". Lu Guijiu's progress with the "Blood Hell Heaven Scripture" was so fast that the ambient spiritual energy was tearing his body apart before it even had time to be nourished.

Lu Guijiu's whole body was in pain, but he was no longer the little child who would go to his Master to blow on a broken finger. He swallowed all this bitterness alone, with no intention of letting Zhang Jingmo know.

After staring at Zhang Jingmo's no longer visible figure for a long time, Lu Guijiu finally left, dragging his sword. At this moment, there were only two words rolling in his mind: become stronger.

The spiritual vein of the Lingxu Sect was heavily guarded. When Zhang Jingmo arrived at the spiritual vein, the leading disciple recognized him and bowed first, then said, "Is Elder Zhang here to see Senior Brother Ji?"

Zhang Jingmo nodded and asked, "How many people are inside this spiritual vein?"

The disciple replied, "Besides Senior Brother Ji, there is one other disciple."

Zhang Jingmo calculated the time and knew that Ji Jinglun was also about to come out of this spiritual vein. So he simply found a place nearby and began to meditate.

Three days later, Ji Jinglun emerged from seclusion. As soon as he walked out of the spiritual vein, he saw Zhang Jingmo, who had been meditating at the entrance.

Ji Jinglun called out to his Master from afar.

Zhang Jingmo opened his eyes, stood up and said, "You're out. How was it?"

Ji Jinglun nodded and said, "This spiritual vein is indeed extraordinary." At this moment, his entire body was glowing with a shimmering light, and his face was full of vigor, clearly in a very good state.