owlsbooks Chapter 95 Temporary Settlement
Chapter 95 Temporary Settlement
Back then, in the port market of Biyue Lake, there was a small mutual aid association for cultivators from the lower levels, where they exchanged meager resources.
With the departure of Su Wanqing and Liu Xiaoying, Wang Ergou's career change, and the shift in the status of the Li Qingshan family, it had long since become a mere shell of its former self.
The bonds between them seemed exceptionally weak in the face of the cruel world of cultivation and their respective fates.
Arriving at their door at this time would only bring unnecessary suspicion and create awkwardness for oneself, aside from potentially arousing unnecessary suspicion.
Our paths have diverged, and so have our routes.
With his mind made up, Yang Changsheng stopped paying attention to the surrounding towns and refocused his gaze on the main city of Qianxuefang, which resembled a giant beast lying in wait.
He controlled the Azure Edge Sword, following the other streaks of light entering the city, and slowly descended towards the designated landing area at the massive city gate.
As soon as he landed, a surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, several times richer and purer than that of the Biyue Lake Market, rushed towards him, invigorating him.
At the same time, they could also clearly feel the invisible pressure emanating from the second-tier array that enveloped the entire city.
It was as if silently reminding every person entering the city that the order here was determined by the Lu family!
The guards at the city gate glanced at him but did not linger for long.
An ordinary rogue cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining is inconspicuous in Qianxue Market, which now gathers cultivators from all directions.
Yang Changsheng sheathed his Qingfeng sword and followed the flow of people into Qianxue Market.
His goal was clear: to find a safe and secluded place to settle down, earn resources, break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and then begin his long-planned cultivation method conversion, as well as more important future planning.
Because of what happened during this trip, it clearly proved the weakness of cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Going to settle down in Liuyun Immortal City would be a much longer journey and too risky, so the trip had to be put on hold for the time being.
When you first arrive, the first thing to do is to get familiar with the environment.
Instead of exploring on his own, Yang Changsheng found a clever young Qi Refining Level 2 guide at the entrance of the market and paid him five spirit beads.
"Senior, you've come to the right person! I'm Zhou Xiaohu, I know every nook and cranny of Qianxue Market like the back of my hand!"
The boy patted his chest, his eyes shining brightly, and began to introduce the topic with great excitement.
"Our market town was personally named by the Supreme Elder of the Lu family to celebrate Fairy Qianxue's successful Foundation Establishment and to awe all around! Look at its grandeur..."
With Zhou Xiaohu's introduction, Yang Changsheng truly appreciated the scale and prosperity of Qianxuefang City.
The streets are wide and clean, paved with hard bluestone, and lined with shops on both sides, with carved beams and painted rafters, their precious lights gleaming.
Cultivators came and went in an endless stream, their auras varying in strength, but there were almost no mortals to be seen. The weakest among them were cultivators at the first level of Qi Refining who had drawn Qi into their bodies.
The air was filled with the fragrance of elixirs, the scent of spiritual materials, the sharp metallic aura of magical artifacts, and a unique vitality and prosperity characteristic of a mid-sized cultivator's gathering place.
"Senior, do you see that towering, thousand-foot-tall spiritual mountain in the center?"
Zhou Xiaohu pointed to the core area of the market, where a majestic mountain peak was faintly visible amidst the swirling clouds and mist.
"That's the inner perimeter! The core of a second-tier high-grade spiritual vein! Only core members of the Lu family, high-level cultivators who offer their services, or distinguished guests who pay a huge sum of spirit stones can go up there to cultivate and reside. Fairy Qianxue is currently in seclusion at the 'Snow Clearing Palace' on the mountaintop to consolidate her cultivation!"
The boy's eyes were filled with admiration, and he regarded the stunningly beautiful Lu family prodigy as a god.
"The other Foundation Establishment senior in charge is Fang Yuanfang, a second-tier alchemy master hired by the Lu family at great expense! His 'Ancient Origin Pill Pavilion' is located at the foot of the inner mountain, which is a guarantee of the top quality of our market's pills."
Zhou Xiaohu, as if reciting a familiar story, said, "So, senior, safety is absolutely guaranteed in our Qianxue Market. With two Foundation Establishment cultivators in charge, who would dare to cause trouble? These surrounding shops, streets, and residential areas are all under the jurisdiction of the Lu family's law enforcement team, and the rules are very strict!"
Yang Changsheng nodded silently, feeling somewhat relieved.
According to Zhou Xiaohu, the protective array of this market was a second-tier composite array set up by an array master at a high price paid by the Lu family. It integrates offense and defense and is extremely difficult for ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators to break through.
This is indeed much safer than Bishuihu Fangshi.
Once you're familiar with the environment, the next step is to find a place to settle down.
Led by Zhou Xiaohu, Yang Changsheng arrived at the Lu Family Residence, which was directly under the Lu family.
He was greeted by a beautiful female cultivator dressed in the Lu family's standard light blue robe. Her cultivation level was at the fifth level of Qi Refining. She had a gentle smile and proper manners.
Yang Changsheng stated his needs.
"Fellow Daoist, please take a look. These places all meet your requirements. They are located in residential area C, with a quiet environment and a stable spiritual energy concentration at the first-grade high level."
After the female cultivator learned of this, she lightly tapped the array plate floating in front of her with her jade finger, and a light screen unfolded, displaying three-dimensional images of several courtyards available for rent.
"Buzz!"
The images shift and reveal a variety of locations, from exquisite and compact detached houses to courtyards with small herb gardens, and even noisy places near commercial streets.
Yang Changsheng's gaze finally settled on an image of a place called "Qingzhu Residence".
In the video, lush green bamboo surrounds an elegant courtyard.
The main house is spacious and bright, while the secondary bedrooms are arranged in a reasonable manner.
What attracted Yang Changsheng the most was the layout of the courtyard: a three-acre spiritual pool filled with spiritual energy, the water of which was crystal clear, and next to it were two acres of flat and fertile spiritual fields with soil that had a warm, jade-like color.
Next to the image, there is a text label:
Qingzhu Residence
Spiritual vein level: Tier 1, High Grade
The property includes a master bedroom, three bedrooms, a three-acre spirit pond suitable for aquatic spirit creatures, and two acres of spirit fields with excellent soil quality.
The formation includes a complex defensive formation that can withstand short-term attacks from late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, a first-grade superior-level awareness-avoidance formation that blocks the detection of divine sense of the same level, a spirit-gathering formation that strengthens the spiritual energy in the core area, and a soundproof formation.
The control method involves integrating the array's central hub into the core jade tablet in the courtyard. No manual operation is required; simply injecting mana will activate, deactivate, or switch modes.
The key is a low-grade magic artifact, a jade tablet, which can remotely control all formations inside and outside the courtyard.
Lease term: minimum three years.
The rent is 350 low-grade spirit stones per year, no deposit required.
"This 'Green Bamboo Residence' is located in a slightly remote area, but it is quiet and has a large area of production spiritual land. The formation is fully equipped and intelligent... It is extremely cost-effective for fellow cultivators who are good at production but need privacy for cultivation."
The beautiful female cultivator introduced herself at the opportune moment, her long eyelashes fluttering, her eyes filled with anticipation.
These courtyards are generally only affordable for craftspeople and late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and successful rentals come with substantial rewards.
Yang Changsheng quickly made a mental calculation.
The spirit pool can raise first-tier aquatic products with considerable profits, and the spirit field can grow valuable spiritual herbs. This is simply tailor-made for him.
Although the annual rent of 350 spirit stones is considered expensive, it far exceeds the 72 spirit stones of Biyue Lake.
But by saving him the deposit, some of the pressure was reduced, giving him time to develop steadily.
It is equipped with a complete array of defensive, awareness-avoiding, spirit-gathering, and soundproofing formations, and is easy to operate, greatly ensuring safety and privacy, making it especially suitable for his cultivation where he needs to hide his secrets.
"That's it, Qingzhu Residence." Yang Changsheng made a decisive decision.
When he handed over the spirit stones, his lips twitched slightly as he watched the original 1,942 spirit stones in his storage bag instantly decrease to 1,050.