"Foundation Establishment Pill?" The expressions of the Ning family members shifted upon hearing the name. Their gazes toward Chen Jinshu turned visibly surprised.
"I didn't expect the Chen family to be capable of producing something like a Foundation Establishment Pill. We really underestimated you," Ning Mother remarked, casting a surprised glance at Chen Jinshu's appearance.
"Hmph! But this Foundation Establishment Pill is meant for my Second Uncle and Second Aunt. It's not for your Ning family."
Chen Jinshu casually stroked the Lüqi zither in front of her and spoke bluntly. This pill was prepared as part of her second uncle's wedding gift for Ning Lingwei. As for the second uncle's own pill, she had long since secured it through an exchange with another senior fellow disciple.
Without hiding anything, Chen Jinshu retrieved the Foundation Establishment Pill and presented it before everyone. The soft violet glow surrounding the pill was eye-catching in the open courtyard, drawing the attention of many nearby rogue cultivators.
"Since you're a top disciple of the Xuanming Sect, possessing a Foundation Establishment Pill is understandable," the Ning family's Great Elder said, his tone softening upon seeing it.
Originally, Ning Lingwei's arranged marriage by the family came with a Foundation Establishment Pill as part of her dowry. However, because she secretly married without approval, the family head would never have allowed the pill to be passed out. That's why the Ning family had shown up to stop the wedding.
In the Ning family, anyone who could establish their foundation was considered a major asset—not something they could easily give up. Now that they saw Ning Lingwei had received a Foundation Establishment Pill as her betrothal gift, their attitudes finally eased.
In any case, the Ning family wasn't at a loss. Even if Chen Wentan failed to reach Foundation Establishment, Ning Lingwei could still be used by the family as a tool. There was no loss in their eyes. Not long after, the banquet resumed. Very few cultivators held any further bias toward Chen Wentan and Ning Lingwei. One after another, they stepped forward to offer congratulations, and the atmosphere turned joyful.
The fact that Chen Jinshu had ties to the Xuanming Sect meant even a Golden Core-level family like the Nings had to show some respect. After the banquet, Chen Jinshu handed over the box containing the two Foundation Establishment Pills to her second uncle, Chen Wentan.
One was for the wedding; the other was meant to help her uncle establish his cultivation foundation.
Chen Wentan was deeply grateful for Chen Jinshu's support and promised that if he succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment, he would repay the cost of the pill dowry in spirit stones as soon as possible.
Having completed her uncle's marriage arrangements, Chen Jinshu didn't linger. She went straight to the Xuanming Sect's store in Guanghan Immortal City.
A senior fellow from the sect in the late Foundation Establishment stage had come to help; she needed to show her appreciation. Soon, in front of an elaborately decorated store, she spotted her senior brothers.
Quickly stepping forward, she addressed them: "Thank you, seniors, for coming to support us. I am truly grateful. If you ever need help in the future, feel free to come find me."
"Junior Sister Jinshu?" The senior brothers were surprised to see her. They had assumed she'd be tied up with family affairs for several days. Her swift arrival caught them off guard.
"There wasn't much left to handle. I came as soon as I wrapped things up."
"This is a wedding token from me to you. I hope you'll accept it."
Without hesitation, Chen Jinshu took out five or six storage pouches from a brocade box and handed one to each senior brother—payment for their help.
Referring to it as a "wedding token" instead of "payment" made it easier to accept among fellow sect members.
"Junior Sister, you're too kind. Since your Chen family has shops in Guanghan Immortal City, we'll certainly support you in the future," one of them responded, noting that Chen Jinshu was not stingy in the least.
"Just treat me normally. I likely won't return to the Chen family again. For me, it's already part of the past." Chen Jinshu gave a faint smile, not taking their offer to heart. The Chen family wasn't worth spending her favors on.
"I see…" The group exchanged slightly surprised looks.
"When do you plan to return to the sect?" one asked.
"Probably within the next month or two." Chen Jinshu thought for a moment.
There wasn't much reason to remain in Guanghan Immortal City. Once the sect's ship departed, she would be on it. Hearing this, the senior brothers looked at each other meaningfully before the highest-ranked among them spoke.
"If that's the case, Junior Sister, would you be interested in joining us on a certain mission? It's highly beneficial for our future cultivation."
"What kind of mission? Don't tell me you accepted a sect assignment and haven't completed it yet…" Chen Jinshu asked with a touch of suspicion.
"No, not at all. Why don't we head into the tea room to talk?" the man said, making a welcoming gesture.
"Very well."
—
In a short while, Chen Jinshu was led into an opulently decorated tea room. Bathed in golden hues that looked like sunlight streaming in, with mist rising softly, the place gave off a celestial ambiance.
"Half a month ago, we discovered a high-level fourth-rank formation a thousand li away at Qingfeng Islet. Based on our investigation, it's likely the remains of a Nascent Soul cultivator's cave dwelling. There may be rare treasures inside—perhaps even those useful for forming a Golden Core."
"Really?" Chen Jinshu's eyes flickered involuntarily.
It wasn't that she doubted them—clearly, they had verified the ruins' authenticity—but rather the unknown dangers concerned her.
While forming a Golden Core was still far off, it wasn't too early to start preparing. Some inner sect senior brothers had been stuck at peak Foundation Establishment for over a decade, completely delayed and unable to progress.
Just watching them made Chen Jinshu anxious. Now, hearing about a Nascent Soul cultivator's cave, she was tempted. And with a few capable senior brothers in support, the idea didn't seem so far-fetched.
"Do you have any more details? I'll need to prepare accordingly."
"Of course. That cave dwelling is far from simple. About fifty li from the site, poisonous insects swarm the area. The owner was likely a poison or gu cultivator. We'll need materials to counteract those toxins."
"As for the formation, we've developed a strategy to breach it, but with only eight or nine of us currently, we're still short-handed. To open a fourth-rank formation or even create a safe passage, we need more people. That's why we've been buying anti-poison items and scouting for reliable helpers."
"Naturally, we prefer fellow disciples from Xuanming Sect. Rogue cultivators lack experience and might cause problems. We want to avoid that."
"Junior Sister, do you have any suitable candidates you'd recommend?"
Hearing this, Chen Jinshu understood their intent. They planned to use a higher-tier array to neutralize the ruins' existing one, but doing so required significant manpower.
They prioritized fellow sect disciples to reduce internal strife. After all, even among themselves, conflict could arise—trusting rogue cultivators was far riskier.
"I do have a few promising candidates. But would this interfere with duties in Guanghan Immortal City?"