The Treasure of a Golden Core

---Ten days later, Little Ring Mountain

Wei Gu, the newly promoted elder of the Array Formation Hall of the Chongming Sect, looked at the Jade Slip in his hand with a worried expression, and then whispered to Han Xundao, the steward of the Merit Points Hall opposite him:

"Junior Brother Han, isn't the amount of array flags needed a bit excessive? You should know that, from myself down, there are fewer than ten entry-level array masters in the Formation Hall. How can we possibly handle this task?"

Since Wei Gu's fortunate Foundation Establishment, Han Xundao had shown him much more respect. After all, if it were before, hearing the former make such excuses, he would probably have already brought out the sect elders to pressure him. But this time, Han Xundao spoke kindly:

"Senior Brother Wei is well aware that the sect has been busy with many battles these days. The battle flags were just a pre-arranged order. Afterwards, what sect won't need drums and horns? What sect will have enough armor and weapons?"

After Senior Brother finishes his work here, he'll probably have to take all the disciples from the Formation Hall to Senior Brother He's Artifact Hall to help out. It seems Senior Brother Wei is really working hard."

Wei Gu's expression grew even more troubled upon hearing this, but Han Xundao, seeing this, spoke up to comfort him again:

"As our teachers know, Senior Brother Wei has a heavy burden. At Wild Fox Mountain, they are already recruiting advanced array masters to serve him. The junior brothers in charge of the outer sect's construction department are also working overtime to guide the earth fire and cold springs for Senior Brothers to use in refining arrays and crafting weapons."

Hearing this, Wei Gu's expression improved slightly. He carefully put away the Jade Slip in his hand and then bid farewell to Han Xundao. Like most of his peers, Wei Gu felt that the latter was somewhat arrogant and snobbish, so their relationship was not very good, and therefore he did not exchange any pleasantries.

This time, the quota of array flags sent by the Merit Points Hall was several hundred. Although most of them First Tier and the standard array flags did not require much effort from the array master, the date was set too hastily. Therefore, Wei Gu really had no confidence.

As he walked towards the treasury to select spiritual materials, his mind was filled with the numerical combinations of various spiritual items. He hadn't even figured it out by the time he reached the treasury entrance. However, he did see an acquaintance in front of the sect's treasury.

"Why is Senior Sister Zhang back?"

Standing in front of the Chongming Sect Mansion's treasury was an old woman adorned with jewels; she was none other than Zhang Le, who had married into the Shan Household and become the mistress of the house.

Wei Gu hadn't had much interaction with this plain-looking senior sister before. It was only after he became Zhang Qingran's disciple that their relationship grew closer.

When Zhang Le saw Wei Gu approaching, a smile appeared on her face. Their close relationship was one reason, but the latter was now considered a powerful elder within the Chongming Sect. As the matriarch of the family, Zhang Le naturally needed to maintain this relationship.

She said with a faint smile, "My aunt's 150th birthday is in ten days, so I'd better come early to show my filial piety."

"Oh, so that's how it is." No wonder Wei Gu didn't care much about his master. Zhang Qingran hadn't spoken much with anyone in the Chongming Sect over the years, and apart from often being taught array formations by her, Wei Gu knew very little about his mentor.

To be honest, Wei Gu didn't even know the exact year and month of his master's birthday, let alone know, like Zhang Le, that he had traveled all the way from the Shan Household to offer his congratulations.

Thinking of this, Wei Gu began to consider the congratulatory gift he needed to prepare. Just as he was lost in thought, he heard Zhang Le speak up from the side, "When I heard that Senior Sister Ye had achieved the Dao Foundation Establishment, I should have come back to express my gratitude, but I had family matters to attend to and couldn't refuse, so I was delayed."

Wei Gu was preoccupied with his current tasks and his master's birthday celebration, so he didn't pay much attention to what Zhang Le said, only replying somewhat perfunctorily, "Oh, I see."

After speaking, Wei Gu stopped Zhang Le from speaking again, bowed apologetically, and said:

"Junior Brother is also on a mission assigned by Martial Uncle Ye, so it's rare for him to stay for so long. Now that Senior Sister is back, after Junior Brother has settled everything, he will gather the other disciples to welcome her back."

When Zhang Le heard that Wei Gu had other duties, he wouldn't blame him, so he didn't dare to delay the latter. After the two parted, he went alone to Zhang Qingran's residence.

Despite being born and raised by the Chongming Sect, the Chongming Sect clan has undergone tremendous changes since her marriage, making it difficult for her to find her way around.

Fortunately, a group of senior disciples from the Punishment Hall who were swimming above the low peak recognized her as their senior sister and came down to pay their respects to her.

The leading inner disciple was distinguished by his imposing presence, dressed in a black brocade robe adorned with tortoise shell patterns and cross-shaped designs. Zhang Le could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

The Cloud-Treading Colt ridden by this group of disciples were also quite remarkable. After batches of improvements, they were almost a completely different species from when they were first bred.

These spirit beasts played a particularly outstanding role in the Chongming Sect's operation to eliminate bandit cultivators. The elite cavalry built from them were unanimously relied upon by the leaders of various factions as a powerful backup plan. Even many people who had spent years Foundation Establishment and were rumored to be able to obtain False Core died in their ambushes.

Shan Shijie, the head of the Jade Moon Shan Household, had long coveted this spirit beast, but the ones sold outside were not of good quality, Chongming Sect had no intention of selling them, so the trip could not be made.

Moreover, the Chongming Sect's Beast Garden has produced more than just spirit beasts like the Cloud-Treading Colt in recent years; its spirit beasts are not only used for battles.

If the Mountain-Breaking Ant Tiger can be trained to be obedient, one pangolin can be used to mine high-level mineral veins; its usefulness is equivalent to that of six cultivators of the same level.

Although the Green Fuzi is of low grade and lacks combat skills, it can drip a drop of Green Fu Clear Dew every ten days, which is a wonderful substance for nourishing high-grade Spirit Plant such as the Three Origins Vine. If one persists in this practice, it is not uncommon to shorten its fruiting period by one-third.

There is also the Star-Bone Magpie, which enjoys eating gold dust and can be used to purify the raw materials for magical Law Artifact; Water-Mirror Toad, which is good at eating spiritual insects and guarding spiritual fields.

Just as the Sect Leader Kang Da explained to his disciples when they were beginning their studies, the so-called myriad arts of cultivation, though seemingly distinct, are actually interconnected.

Duan Anle has put in a lot of effort in managing the Beast Garden over the years. Despite his young age, he has managed the affairs of the Beast Garden in an orderly manner. He has also diligently cultivated his internal strength in the Beast Garden, which has led to significant progress in all departments and divisions within the Chongming Sect. His achievements are truly remarkable.

Of course, the fact that the Beast Garden could be run to such a thriving state is something that even a matriarch of a small family like Zhang Le could only envy, and even many established Golden Core sects might not be able to achieve.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Le was naturally envious, but her burning gaze quickly subsided, and she turned to the disciple from the Punishment Hall who was speaking and said softly, "Please, nephew, lead me to Madam Zhang's residence."

The Punishment Hall was a crucial place that Jiang Qing had put a lot of effort into organizing back then. Even though the leading disciple recognized Zhang Le's true appearance, he did not let his guard down. He carefully asked the latter to hand over the token and examined it carefully before he could finally relax.

He turned around and solemnly instructed, "I will personally lead Uncle Zhang to pay his respects to Madam Zhang. You all continue with your tasks and do not delay the orders given to you in the hall today."

After hearing this, the remaining disciples of the Punishment Hall continued to roam above Chongming Sect as ordered.

Zhang Le followed the inner disciple, and as he looked around, he noticed that after many years, not only were there many unfamiliar disciples in the sect, but also many new buildings had been added.

After all, Sect Leader Kang Da wouldn't be reluctant to use the large sums of resources he gained from his campaigns on his disciples.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the Spirit Vein of Little Ring Mountain have a low upper limit, Kang Dabao might have already followed the Two Instruments Sect back then and moved other people's palaces and halls to his own mountain for his own use.

It is foreseeable that even if Little Ring Mountain is the place where Chongming Sect was restored, it will gradually become a remote place with a much greater symbolic meaning than a practical one.

At that time, Sect Leader Kang will probably only arrange for some unambitious disciples to go inside and take care of it, at least to prevent the spiritual fields that Zhou Yixiu and Kang Rongquan of the Chongming Sect had worked so hard to cultivate from scratch from being abandoned again.

The disciples of the Punishment Hall were quite familiar with the courtyard where Zhang Qingran lived, and the two arrived there in no time.

After bidding farewell to the distinguished disciple, Zhang Le handed the talisman in his hand to the two young Daoist boys at the door. A moment later, a young maid led him inside.

At the outermost edge of the courtyard is a small grove of Second Tier Gold-Bone Bamboo, one of the best materials for refining array flags. A narrow path has been carved out inside, seemingly neglected, with the branches and leaves of the Gold-Bone Bamboo growing vigorously on both sides, almost touching the middle of the path. Even Zhang Le, who has become quite plump and robust due to his old age, finds it difficult to walk.

Fortunately, the maid had a black jade staff in her hand. When she led the way, she only waved it slightly, Gold-Bone Bamboo on both sides of the narrow path would bend down and make way for her because it disliked the jade's aura.

After passing through the misty bamboo forest, Zhang Le saw a woman dressed in a plain Daoist robe, sitting on a boulder, practicing her spiritual cultivation.

Her two long, smoky blue sleeves cascaded down the green rocks, and her jade-like fingers occasionally tapped lightly on the stone surface beneath her, drawing out specks of fluorescent light. Even without close scrutiny, Zhang Le could tell that the beautiful woman's eyes held a hint of weariness.

However, her dark blue hair, loosely tied into a bun, exuded a refined and alluring aura, a result of her cultivation.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew out from the bamboo forest, carrying dewdrops that landed precisely on her delicate, crescent-shaped eyebrows.

The female cultivator seemed to sense Zhang Le and his companion's arrival. Her beautiful eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and as she opened her eyes, she trembled slightly, causing a few dewdrops to fall onto her eyelashes, making her eyes, which were just about to open, appear to hold the stars and the moon, and adding great color to them.

"Your unfilial granddaughter greets your great-aunt."

"Hmm, get up," Zhang Qingran said, her tone not revealing much satisfaction. She simply gestured for the already wrinkled and white-haired Zhang Le to climb the boulder and sit down next to her.

The pretty maid, having received a wink from the former, obediently withdrew to prepare food and water.

Before Zhang Le arrived, he hadn't expected that his elder would show such a listless demeanor, something he hadn't seen before. So, he didn't know how to start the conversation and simply sat quietly to the side, sipping his drink.

However, upon witnessing this scene, Zhang Qingran felt a surge of resentment. But she concealed it well, and even Zhang Le, standing to the side, couldn't fathom the source of her melancholy.

There is a reason why Zhang Qingran is in this state. If it is true that Zhang Qingran was coerced by Fei Shuhe means in the past, then she was forced to submit to Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, after the latter formed Middle-Grade Golden Core and was granted a title, the resentment in Zhang Qingran and Yuan Xiyue's hearts vanished in an instant.

It's no wonder the two women were initially arrogant but later became obsequious, because most people in this world behave this way.

Zhang Qingran used to complain that Sect Leader Kang Da whipped her too hard, and that he was insensitive to Sect Leader Kang Da. But all these resentments subsided after he Core Formation.

In fact, even the eldest wife Fei Shuhe, completely dispelled the spells cast on her and Yuan Xiyue the moment she returned to the mountain from Ying Prefecture.

The former was also insightful about human nature. He was indeed afraid that the two women would abandon him and run away, but he also knew that even if he used flying swords and talismans to drive them away, he might not be able to get rid of these two beauties.

This cannot be said to be the two women willingly degrading themselves. After all, if they were in each other's shoes, no one could honestly say that they could definitely stick to their original intentions and escape from this former "devil's den".

However, Zhang Qingran then faced other troubles.

Those close to him all know that even though Sect Leader Kang Da has a bad reputation and is always portrayed as someone who "bullies women" when he goes out, he can actually be considered a loyal and devoted man.

When the Foundation Establishment, there were only four wives and concubines. After the foundation was completed and the house was renovated, there were still only two couples in the house.

Zhang Qingran had always been someone who never competed or fought for anything, but now that she's finally realized she wants to, she finds herself unable to compete with anyone.

Needless to say, the first wife Fei Shuhe, still relies heavily on the Kang Dabao Ying Prefecture Fei Household, and the two still share the affection of a poor but loving couple.

Therefore, from an outsider's perspective, even if the Kuang Household's clansmen were to go mad and insist on marrying a princess to the Sect Leader Kang Da, the latter might not accept it, Fei Shuhe's position as the principal wife would remain unshakable;

Yuan Xiyue was in a similar situation to Zhang Qingran, was a practitioner of the Buddha Mother Wisdom Consort Dao. She had spent decades studying how to please the Ming King. If she were to serve him diligently, she could keep the Sect Leader Kang Da resting for several days and give birth to several children in succession, which shows how much he favored her.

Zhang Qingran believed that she was no less beautiful or attractive than this vixen, but to be honest, with her blockheaded nature—she had been slapped on the buttocks but didn't even know to change her position—how could she possibly compete with Yuan Xiyue?

Moreover, their family backgrounds are incomparable. The Yuan Household is the largest power in Ding Prefecture, apart from the Miasma Cage Court Senior Cultivator Wufeng Shangxiu. Even though they are in other states, they have never stopped responding to and supporting the series of new policies of the Marquis of Martial Peace's Residence.

Not to mention the Yuan Household members who have left their hometown and are scattered throughout Cloud Horn Prefecture, even the family head Yuan Buwen has repeatedly worked with the two Pill Masters, Xu Liuxian Bian Hu, to kill three Outer Dao False Core. To be honest, this can even be described as diligent.

Therefore, Yuan Xiyue, despite her many despicable methods, still managed to conceive, and although her family background was far inferior to that of the head wife, it was still far superior to that of Zhang Qingran, whose family had long been destroyed. She could still provide assistance to the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Huo Ying, besides these two, was considered kind and harmless, but she was already quite old and naturally unable to serve the emperor. However, when Sect Leader Kang Da was not cultivating, he would occasionally take some time to visit and talk to her. This was a rare treat for Zhang Qingran, which naturally made her unhappy.

However, Zhang Qingran understood the situation and ultimately did not vent her resentment on Zhang Le was returning to his ancestral home.

The latter had written to her many times before, and Zhang Qingran knew what he wanted to say. Seeing that Zhang Le remained silent for a long time, she assumed that he was too shy to ask her directly, so she very considerately spoke up:

"A batch of Cloud-Treading Colt will be released from captivity a month later. At that time, take my letter to your Senior Brother Duan and see if he can allocate a small amount to the Shan Household separately. That way, your hard work won't have been in vain."

As Zhang Qingran spoke, a sense of exhaustion welled up in her heart.

It's a pity that the Zhang Household of Double Brightness can't help him like the Yuan Household and Yuan Xiyue did. Instead, he has to go to great lengths to plan for them.

However, Zhang Qingran did not expect that after hearing Zhang Le's words, the joy in his eyes was only fleeting, and he immediately put on a serious face. "Granddaughter thanks Grandmother for her care, but my visit today is not solely for this matter."

Zhang Qingran raised her beautiful eyebrows, a hint of surprise in her eyes. But before she could ask a question, Zhang Le, sitting opposite her, quickly leaned close to her ear and whispered something:

"To be honest, my husband seems to have discovered a Storage Bag at the Golden Core level a month ago!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingran's pretty face lost all composure, and she hurriedly asked, "Where is it?"

"It seems to be at the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household."