With three supreme masters, they were invincible upon descending the mountain.

Ye Yaocheng was completely unaware of the Gu family's fury in the provincial capital.

Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't panic; with his current strength, he could handle it.

It's a new day again.

At dawn, Ye Yaocheng slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

A golden glint flashed in his eyes, and under the method of internal vision, his consciousness sank into his dantian, where a golden core was quietly suspended.

The golden elixir was perfectly round, with a warm, jade-like luster flowing across its surface. Most astonishing were its nine lines, each as deep as a ravine, winding and coiling like laws naturally etched into the surface.

The patterns were slowly rotating, and with each rotation, the golden elixir solidified a little more.

Now it is no longer as illusory as it was when it was first created, but rather a tangible elixir, radiating a chilling aura.

Ye Yaocheng could even hear the buzzing coming from inside the Golden Core.

That's power resonating.

Golden Core Realm! The true watershed moment in martial arts.

Upon entering this realm, one's true energy is as vast as the sea, a world apart from the previous realms.

The Foundation Establishment Realm is still relying on its own accumulation of true energy, while the Golden Core Realm can already draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to replenish itself.

But not all Golden Elixir is the same.

Most ordinary martial artists' golden cores only have one pattern, which is a basic symbol and means that they can only linger at the golden core level in this life and cannot improve.

The more lines a person has, the more terrifying their talent.

Two lines indicate a potential breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.

The three lines may offer a glimpse into the threshold of Emperor Wu's reign.

As for Jiuwen, Ye Yaocheng's breathing became slightly rapid.

There are only scattered records in ancient books. The last time a record of a nine-patterned golden elixir appeared was eight hundred years ago, but the whereabouts of that great being are unknown.

That's legendary talent.

Ye Yaocheng looked at the dazzling golden core in his dantian, and his brows gradually furrowed.

Not right.

Logically speaking, people whose essence is damaged will find it ten times more difficult to condense a golden core than ordinary people. Not only is the success rate low, but even if they succeed, the quality of the golden core will be greatly reduced.

But what about yourself?

Not only did it succeed, it even jumped straight to the ceiling.

I got nine tattoos without even realizing it.

Ye Yaocheng recalled that night on the back mountain. Could it really be that Lin Qingxue suddenly awakened her special physique, and then he drank some soup as a result?

But that doesn't make sense, so why is that?

Is it about his own background?

Or are they three masters?

He recalled the words of the Grandmaster: "Your survival is already defying the heavens; your body is no longer that of an ordinary person."

Is it...

Ye Yaocheng shook his head, unable to understand.

He simply stopped thinking about it. There were some answers he wasn't qualified to know yet. The most urgent thing was to digest this sudden power.

He stood up, his bones cracking like popping beans.

With a casual wave of his hand, a visible ripple appeared in the air; this was the true power of the Golden Core.

Ye Yaocheng smiled slightly. No matter what, becoming stronger is always a good thing.

……

In the restaurant, halfway through breakfast, Ji Mingyue put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said, "Mom and Dad, I'm going to the construction site today."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Zheng became anxious.

"No!"

He slammed his chopsticks on the table: "Mingyue, the master said we can't go there for the next month. It's dangerous, and it'll disrupt the feng shui formation!"

His expression was so serious, as if he were facing a life-or-death situation.

Ye Yaocheng almost spat out his porridge.

Seriously? You actually believed that?

He suppressed a laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly. Ji Mingyue kicked him under the table, her eyes saying, "You better tone it down."

"Dad, I'll go with Ye Yaocheng," Ji Mingyue reassured him. "With him there, everything will be alright."

Before Ji Zheng could say anything more, Li Yuxiu spoke up.

"Alright!"

She glared at him: "How old are you? Still believing in these feudal superstitions? Mingyue can go if she wants!"

As she spoke, her eyes suddenly lit up.

His gaze swept back and forth between Ye Yaocheng and Ji Mingyue, and the corners of his mouth turned up higher and higher.

"How about this?" Li Yuxiu clapped her hands, her words surprising: "You two can stay out a little longer today, you can even sleep in a hotel tonight, no need to rush back!"

The air suddenly became quiet.

Ji Mingyue: "..."

Ye Yaocheng: "..."

Even Ji Zheng, who was quietly drinking his porridge, choked.

The beads on that abacus were so sharp that you could hear them making a sound from ten miles away.

Half an hour later, Ye Yaocheng and Ji Mingyue arrived at the construction site.

This place was desolate; that was Ye Yaocheng's first impression.

There were a few workers when I last came, but now there is no one. The exposed steel and concrete stand silently in the wind, the ground is covered with gravel, and weeds are sprouting from the cracks.

Like a post-apocalyptic ruin.

Ji Mingyue walked ahead, her jade-like feet making a crisp sound on the gravel. The wind blew her long hair, which she casually tucked behind her ear.

"Tell me," Ye Yaocheng said, catching up to her side. "Why do you have to drag me into this? You don't really want to be alone with me, do you?"

He said sarcastically, "But this place doesn't seem like a date spot. How about we go somewhere more romantic?"

Ji Mingyue rolled her eyes at him. "You wish."

She snorted: "I called you here because you're a good fighter. You're a free bodyguard, so why not use you?"

Ye Yaocheng's face fell.

Okay, that's direct enough.

"So what are we doing here?" He dropped his joking expression and looked around. "Besides being desolate, I don't see anything special about this place."

Ji Mingyue remained silent for a few seconds.

The wind picked up even more fiercely, whipping up sand and dust that blinded people.

She finally spoke, her voice very low: "I received information that the recent unusual activity here may be related to the entrance to the secret realm."

Ye Yaocheng's eyes narrowed.

The entrance to the secret realm?

He suddenly looked at Ji Mingyue: "Where did the information come from?"

Ji Mingyue remained silent.

Ye Yaocheng stared at her profile, then suddenly remembered something: "Is it your system?"

Ji Mingyue glanced at him.

His eyes were complex, showing hesitation, wariness, and a hint of helplessness.

She ultimately did not answer.

But Ye Yaocheng understood; it wasn't the system, she had other sources of information.

This cheap wife is indeed extraordinary.

The two continued walking inside.

The wind grew stronger, whipping up yellow sand that lashed at his face. Ye Yaocheng squinted and shielded his eyes with his hand.

Just then, his gaze pierced through the sand and dust, catching sight of a figure.

In the open space deepest part of the construction site, a person stood with his back to them. He was wearing a gray monk's robe, the hem of which fluttered in the strong wind like a stubborn flag.

He was a monk.

Ye Yaocheng paused in his steps.

Ji Mingyue saw it too, and her brows furrowed.

The monk seemed to sense something, and slowly turned around. His face was kind and his eyes were benevolent. He was the master that Ji Zheng had invited that day.

He clasped his hands together and bowed to the two of them.

"Two benefactors."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the wind: "This humble monk has been waiting here for a long time."

Ji Mingyue's pupils contracted slightly. "Did Master know we were coming?"

Huijiang nodded: "Exactly."

Ye Yaocheng narrowed his eyes.

Wait? The timing is so precise, it's like it was calculated.

Either he has informants, or this monk truly possesses the ability to foresee the future.

Neither of them is simple.

Huijiang's gaze fell on Ye Yaocheng, and she looked at him deeply. Her eyes seemed to contain inquiry, amazement, and a hint of unspeakable meaning.

He bowed again, his voice steady, "Benefactor Ye, there is no need to be nervous. This humble monk has no ill intentions."

Ye Yaocheng remained vigilant; he never took the unknown lightly.

Ji Mingyue stepped forward, her tone calm yet scrutinizing: "Master, you've come here for more than just the feng shui of the construction site, haven't you?"

Huijiang smiled wryly, "The female benefactor has discerning eyes."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, finally settling on Ye Yaocheng's dantian. Even though they were wearing clothes, it was as if he could see right through them.

"My Buddhist name is Huijiang, and I come from the Vajra Temple in the Western Desert."

"This journey eastward is on the orders of my master to complete a mission and to find a destined person."

As he spoke, he looked at Ye Yaocheng, his eyes suddenly becoming intense.

"Today I have the pleasure of meeting Benefactor Ye, and seeing your talent, it is truly a rare find throughout the ages."

Ye Yaocheng's muscles tensed instantly. This monk could see right through him at a glance?!

That's impossible, unless this person's strength is more than a whole realm higher than his.

Huijiang, however, seemed oblivious to their wariness and continued speaking, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Esteemed benefactors, this humble monk wishes to establish a virtuous connection with you both."

He clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and said, "I wonder if it's alright?"

The wind suddenly stopped at that moment, and the yellow sand slowly fell from the sky.

Huijiang raised her head, her eyes clear yet unfathomable.