Chapter 165: Tracking

They're all centuries-old veterans—who could possibly be fooled?

He Pingsheng nodded.

In the words of the Ancestor, these people have been feasting on Grand Void Gate for so long, they're already full.

Now the rules of Grand Void Gate have changed, there's little profit left to squeeze, and the risks are enormous—why should I still be here?

He Pingsheng had no right to judge.

Pursuing benefit and avoiding harm is human instinct.

Didn't he himself once try to flee as early as possible?

"Alright, may Senior Brother's future be brilliant! When the Master emerges from seclusion, I'll report everything truthfully to him!"

He Pingsheng had no grounds to hold back Xuan Yang.

"Then thank you, Younger Brother!" Xuan Yang grinned. "Also, the Internal Affairs Hall is the core of Grand Void Gate, vital to its operation. Now that I'm leaving, someone must shoulder the responsibility—I recommend someone to you!"

"If you think he's suitable, appoint him!"

"If you think he's unsuitable, choose someone else!"

With that, Xuan Yang clapped his hands.

From afar, a withered old man flew toward them on a sword.

The man saw He Pingsheng and immediately knelt down. "Greetings, Senior Uncle!"

He Pingsheng glanced—he wasn't this the True Person Ku Mu?

Back then, he worked for Ku Mu True Person in the Spirit Herb Valley, tending the Sunfire Blossoms.

And Wang Dun.

But Wang Dun was later killed.

Seeing He Pingsheng, Ku Mu True Person froze.

He naturally knew the Ancestor had taken on a young disciple named He Pingsheng, but he'd forgotten what the boy who once gathered Sunfire Blossom pollen looked like, and never connected the two.

Now, face to face, he suddenly realized—shocked beyond words.

"Y-you y-you…" Ku Mu couldn't speak.

Xuan Yang's face darkened. "Impolite!"

"Yes!" Ku Mu bowed again to He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng said, "No need for formalities. You're familiar with all the duties of the Internal Affairs Hall, aren't you?"

Ku Mu True Person replied, "Very familiar! I've grown up in the Internal Affairs Hall. Senior Uncle, rest assured—I'll run it to your satisfaction!"

"Good!" He Pingsheng nodded. "From now on, you're Deputy Hall Director, acting in place of the Hall Master!"

Once he secretly stole a vial of pollen from Ku Mu True Person—now he gives him the deputy position.

It settles the karmic debt.

…

Back at Jade Dragon Peak, He Pingsheng resumed his cultivation.

He didn't go to the main hall—he cultivated in his own side hall.

He took the 【Spirit Gathering Pills】 prepared by Grand Void Ancestor, unleashed unrestrained enhancement, then devoured them to boost his cultivation base.

Exactly as before: first raise all five dantians to Foundation Establishment Level One, then refine the spirit, refine the body, and practice spells.

Unknowingly, two more years passed!

He Pingsheng's five dantians had all reached Foundation Establishment Level One; his spirit refinement had caught up.

Only his body refinement lagged behind.

Because he'd run out of poison pills.

To cultivate the 【Nine Poisons Golden Body】, you need poison pills of matching rank—training the Foundation Establishment section requires poison pills from Foundation Establishment-grade beasts.

But He Pingsheng had none.

The entire sect didn't stock such things.

"Hmm…" He Pingsheng stepped out of the hall. "It's time to go out. First, to Mount Matou Market—see if I can buy second-rank poison pills!"

He waved his hand, summoned his sword, stepped onto it, and shot off with a hiss toward Mount Matou Market.

His speed was unmatched.

This sword-flight speed was far faster than when he was in Qi Refining.

…

On Tianyi Peak, in a grand hall.

Jian Zhu True Person looked at the Daoist nun before him and said coldly, "This is your last chance!"

"He's only Foundation Establishment Level One. If you can't take him down now, you'll never get another chance!"

"Yes!" Feng Daoist gritted her teeth. "Master, rest assured—I'll kill him!"

"Hmph…" Jian Zhu sneered. "Don't drag me into this. Killing him is your personal revenge—I have no grudge against him!"

"Remember: whether you live or die, it's none of my business!"

"Kill him and run—how far you get depends on your luck!"

"If you lose and he kills you, I won't lift a finger!"

"This is your Feng family's affair!"

Feng Daoist said, "Master, I understand the gravity."

A few breaths later, a streak of light shot from Tianyi Peak, heading in the direction He Pingsheng had flown.

Originally, Feng Daoist planned to catch up, kill him swiftly, then flee and never return to Grand Void Gate.

After all, He Pingsheng was the Ancestor's disciple.

But she hadn't expected she couldn't catch him at all.

He Pingsheng's sword-flight speed was simply too fast.

"Damn it…" Feng Daoist muttered as she flew. "This bastard's spiritual sense is now as strong as mine!"

"Definitely a spirit-refiner!"

"I'll have to be careful when we clash!"

"But no matter—I'll wait for him on his way back!"

Since she knew He Pingsheng was headed to Mount Matou Market, she wasn't in a hurry.

…

Less than an hour later, He Pingsheng landed at the entrance of Mount Matou Market.

He retracted his sword.

Walking into the market, he saw it was unchanged from years ago—almost identical.

The front was lined with stalls.

Every kind of item was on display: talismans, elixirs, spirit paper, materials, array plates, and more.

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense surged open, sweeping unrestrainedly across the crowd.

With so many people around, as long as he didn't stare directly at anyone, no one could tell who was using spiritual sense to spy.

A quick scan showed mostly Qi Refining cultivators; Foundation Establishment ones were rare as phoenix feathers.

The middle-aged cultivator selling elixirs was still there.

Compared to twenty years ago, he looked older.

His cultivation had reached Qi Refining Level Eleven.

He Pingsheng approached the man's stall—he'd bought the incomplete spirit-refining techniques that later strengthened his own, right from this man's stall.

"Hello, young brother…" The man, seeing He Pingsheng's youthful appearance, started casually—but before he finished "young brother," he realized he couldn't perceive the cultivator's cultivation level; his own spiritual sense vanished into the man's body like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

He instantly sensed danger and hastily bowed. "Elder, forgive my rudeness!"

"No matter," He Pingsheng said. "Besides these items, do you have anything else?"

The middle-aged cultivator asked, "What are you seeking, Elder?"

He Pingsheng said, "I need poison pills from beasts."

"Specifically, second-rank beast poison pills!"

"That… I don't have," the man grimaced. "Poison pills are rarely needed—even if someone kills a second-rank beast, they often don't bother extracting the poison pill."

"But you can check other stalls—or the guilds inside."