Golden Cores were not easy to obtain. One could either take them from Golden Core cultivators or enter ancient ruins to find their corpses and extract them. In ancient times, during great upheavals, many sects were wiped out instantly, and most of their cultivators had no time to escape.

Countless Golden Core and Nascent Soul realm cultivators perished. Yet finding the corpse of a Golden Core realm expert within ruins was no easy task. Ruins that remained undiscovered, or those whose treasures had not yet been taken, were extremely dangerous. Fewer than one in ten who entered would survive.

Back then, that group had relied on Tu Xihao's innate sense of danger to make it out alive. They had also been fortunate to find a Golden Core realm cultivator's corpse at the outer edges of the ruins without going too deep. Otherwise, no matter how strong Tu Xihao's instincts were, escaping would have been extremely difficult.

"Was it obtained from a ruin?" Lei Yunshu paused, glanced around cautiously, and asked in a lowered voice. It seemed that a Golden Core obtained from ruins carried a different implication from one obtained elsewhere.

"I believe so," Lin Zheyu replied, somewhat uncertain.

"Phew, that's good." Lei Yunshu let out a soft breath, the tension on her face easing.

"There are many kinds of treasures that can help a cultivator advance to the False Core realm. A Golden Core is just one of the most suitable options. However, Golden Cores obtained from ruins contain a very dense yao will, making them troublesome to handle. On top of that, after long-term erosion by yao will and demonic qi, it becomes extremely difficult to separate the destiny aura contained within the Golden Core."

"Golden Cores obtained from ruins are much cheaper than ordinary ones. The exact value depends on the type and grade of the Golden Core you have. But even the lowest-grade one is worth at least a high-grade spirit stone. The higher the grade, the higher the value," Lei Yunshu explained.

She blinked as she looked at Lin Zheyu, a faint suspicion forming in her mind. This Golden Core might have been obtained by killing someone for their treasure. After all, he had just mentioned hearing about people entering ruins in search of Golden Cores. This one was likely taken from someone.

"One high-grade spirit stone? So this thing is worth that much." Lin Zheyu showed a hint of delight. But after thinking it over, a Golden Core being worth only a single high-grade spirit stone was not that much. After all, it came from a Golden Core realm expert. Its true value far exceeded that.

"That Golden Core does indeed contain dense demonic qi. It seems to have come from an ancient ruin, belonging to an ancient cultivator," Lin Zheyu said slowly. When he had drawn upon the sword intent within it for comprehension, he had already noticed how dense and pure the demonic qi inside was.

"This is the Golden Core. Do you know anyone, or any place, that buys such things?" Lin Zheyu flipped his right hand, and a perfectly round Golden Core appeared in his palm.

Back when he had used Origin Force to enhance himself, he had lacked enough spirit stones and had used this Golden Core as an energy source, consuming a small portion of its energy.

"This isn't the place to discuss this. Please follow me," Lei Yunshu said in a low voice after carefully scanning the surroundings.

Lin Zheyu nodded and put the Golden Core away. He followed Lei Yunshu into a nearby restaurant and chose a private room with good privacy.

Inside the private room.

"Would it be possible for me to take a look?" Lei Yunshu asked after a brief pause.

"Alright." Lin Zheyu nodded. With a flip of his right hand, the Golden Core from earlier appeared in his palm.

"Please take a look." With a light toss, the Golden Core shot toward Lei Yunshu.

Lei Yunshu caught the Golden Core, a flash of excitement passing through her eyes.

A Golden Core! This was the culmination of a Golden Core realm expert's lifelong cultivation, the very fruit of the Immortal Dao. After all her years of cultivation, this was the first time Lei Yunshu had ever come into contact with such a treasure.

Letting out a long breath to steady herself, Lei Yunshu carefully examined the Golden Core in her hand. From her perception, just as Fellow Daoist Xiao had said, it contained extremely pure demonic qi, almost fully fused with the core itself. This was indeed a Golden Core taken from an ancient cultivator who had died long ago within a ruin.

"The pill markings on it have already been worn away by demonic qi. It would take specialized methods to properly identify it. However, this is actually the Golden Core of a sword cultivator. The sword intent within it is extremely strong, so its former owner must have been quite extraordinary. This Golden Core should be worth at least two high-grade spirit stones," Lei Yunshu said after a moment of thought, though not entirely certain.

She returned the Golden Core to Lin Zheyu and looked at him seriously. "If you trust me, I can help you make the connection."

"Then I'll trouble you with it." Lin Zheyu smiled and cupped his hands as he said, "If it succeeds, I can give you a 10% commission."

"You're too polite. We're friends, aren't we? It's just a small favor. There's no need for a commission," Lei Yunshu said with a smile, waving her hand.

It truly was a simple matter, and it would benefit her as well. By connecting two powerful individuals, she would gain favors from both sides, which was far more valuable than a 10% commission. Fellow Daoist Xiao was an exceptional genius on par with Lei Yongtao. He had opened the spiritual divine repository and awakened a spiritual divine ability. Advancing to the Shackles realm in the future was almost guaranteed.

Even though the Shackles realm was nearly the limit for martial artists, if one at that level switched to the Immortal Dao, reaching the Nascent Soul realm was almost certain, barring untimely death. In other words, this simple favor could earn her the goodwill of a future Nascent Soul realm expert. It was an extremely worthwhile exchange.

Lin Zheyu's thoughts shifted, and he had already guessed most of her intentions. He replied, "Haha, of course we're friends. In that case, I'll leave it to you, Fellow Daoist Yunshu."

He smiled faintly and accepted the favor. "If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word."

"You're too polite, Fellow Daoist Xiao. The duel between Senior Mu and Lord Lei has just ended, and the people from the Soaring Sword Sect haven't left yet. Among them, someone happens to be planning to form a false core. Please wait a moment. I'll send him a message and ask about the situation," Lei Yunshu said with a smile.

With a thought, she reached into her storage pouch. Inside, the Spirit Resonance Sphere emitted a faint glow as a message was sent out.