Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 352 [Defying Fate] [Void Teleportation] (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Ji Yuan withdrew both hands, and Lingtai Fangcun Mountain and Canglan Sword each transformed into a speck of cyan and a speck of blue spiritual light, which he then returned to his dantian.

He then brought up the control panel and looked at the status of the level 5 [Cave Abode].

[Cave Dwelling: lv5 (cannot be upgraded)]

[Effect 1: Calms the mind and concentrates energy; daytime spiritual energy concentration +40%, nighttime spiritual energy concentration +60%.]

[Effect 2 (Defying Fate): Cultivating within the cave can slowly improve one's aptitude, up to a maximum increase of 10%.]

[Effect 3 (Void Teleportation): A level 5 cave dwelling can be extended with the "Teleportation Array" building.]

[Upgrade Requirements: Cultivation level reaches Nascent Soul stage; 70000 mid-grade spirit stones; 1 beginner teleportation array diagram; 2 fourth-tier demon cores; 100 strands of mortal energy. (Not yet achieved)]

Ji Yuan: "???"

What the hell is this "three magical effects"?

Defying fate and changing one's destiny?

And what about the upgrade conditions, and what exactly is "mortal energy"?

Before Ji Yuan could even express his surprise, he noticed a new line of small characters on the building panel, or more precisely, next to the "Cave Abode" section.

【Worldly Aura: 0 wisps】

The changes brought about by the upgrade of this [Cave Abode] are so significant that Ji Yuan needs to carefully analyze them.

The first level of effectiveness is self-explanatory; it's just a standard upgrade.

Moreover, since the development of the [Spirit Vein], the spiritual energy concentration enhancement effect of the [Cave Abode] has become dispensable.

Oh no, it should be said that it's the icing on the cake.

Next is the second effect, "defying fate". Aptitude... spiritual roots can only determine whether one has the talent for cultivation.

When Ji Yuan was still in the Water Dragon Sect, he once heard Hua Yaoyue mention that nowadays it seems that having a single spiritual root is good, but that won't be the case in the future.

Ji Yuan asked why.

Hua Yaoyue said that true practitioners possess all five senses.

Therefore, we must find a way to make up for the missing spiritual roots now.

At that time, pseudo-spiritual roots like Ji Yuan's will be superior to those of heavenly spiritual roots.

Once all cultivators have all five roots complete, what will determine their cultivation speed?

It naturally comes down to their qualifications.

Hua Yaoyue said that this also has different levels, but it is extremely difficult to detect, so places like the Canglu Continent, which are in remote corners of the world, do not have this ability.

"As for aptitude, I'd say it's average, neither good nor bad."

But now it can be increased by 10%, and according to the information from the panel, as the [Cave Abode] continues to be upgraded, the spiritual effect of "Defying Fate" can also be further improved.

It's currently at 10%, but if it could be increased to 100% later, the effect would be quite different.

"It can even improve something like aptitude. This building's spiritual effects truly live up to its name of defying fate."

Another one is this third effect.

In short, you can obtain a new building, the [Teleportation Array], which is the building that Ji Yuan had been longing for.

But he has been struggling to find a way in.

Ji Yuan even tried the teleportation array on Qingfeng Island of the Water Dragon Sect, which could accept fixed-point teleportation orders.

The so-called test was to get Kong Xifeng to give him the teleportation array.

Although Kong Xifeng was unwilling at the time, she had no choice but to agree because Hua Yaoyue was present.

Even after agreeing, Ji Yuan didn't see any text appear above the teleportation array.

He knew that thing wouldn't work.

"I didn't expect that only a level 5 cave dwelling could accommodate a teleportation array. Does that mean I need to place one teleportation array inside the cave dwelling and another in another location to use it? Or is it something like connecting to other teleportation arrays...?"

Ji Yuan was somewhat curious about this.

As for the upgrade requirements, the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul stage and the availability of spirit stones are the two standard requirements.

Ji Yuan had never heard of a basic teleportation array diagram, and he didn't even know how the array was classified into different levels.

The main problem is that I don't have the connections.

However, based on his guesses, the teleportation array used inside the Abyss Continent should be a basic teleportation array.

A cross-continental teleportation array like the one connecting the Canglu Continent and the Jiyuan Continent should be a mid-level teleportation array.

What about the next advanced teleportation array? How far can it teleport you?

The reason for this is unknown, but since the panel has given this condition, we will definitely have to work hard afterward.

Finally, there was this unknown worldly aura, which Ji Yuan quickly obtained the answer from the panel after a little perception.

This so-called "worldly aura" simply means that one should not try to escape the mortal world, but rather to experience it, communicate and interact with ordinary cultivators, rather than detaching oneself from the mortal world and becoming aloof. Only in this way can one obtain this worldly aura.

"One hundred strands of worldly energy? Let's see how it goes. It'll be so long before I reach the Nascent Soul stage; maybe I'll just gather enough naturally."

Even reaching the Nascent Soul stage is still a long way off, let alone reaching the level 5 [Cave Abode].

What Ji Yuan didn't expect was that the [Cave Abode], which seemed to have gradually fallen out of the top tier, was able to return to the top tier after an upgrade.

Both of these effects are extremely important.

That makes sense. How could a cultivator's cave dwelling not be important? It's just that it hasn't been upgraded to a sufficient level before.

With this matter resolved, the day Ji Yuan was to leave was drawing closer.

Three days later, Mu Xueyao told Ji Yuan that she had made an appointment with the Zhou family.

They also told him the meeting place in Winter City, and all he had to do was go to the shop called "Wine Seeker" after he arrived.

They also gave us tokens of our meeting.

However, Ji Yuan was powerless to stop Mu Xueyao from staying and showing her reluctance.

Another one is Mr. Tie Fu, who also visited Ji Yuan's cave once.

The implication was that he also wanted to go to Winterfell, but kept complaining about how expensive the teleportation fee was.

But he certainly didn't mean for Ji Yuan to pay for the teleportation fee; he just wanted to borrow some spirit stones from Ji Yuan.

The cost of 5000 mid-grade spirit stones for a single teleportation is a significant financial burden for any early-stage Core Formation cultivator.

Ji Yuan was also very curious about how Liu Yuan managed to take out 10,000 mid-grade spirit stones at once when he left.

Returning to the present, Ji Yuan has consistently avoided engaging with Mr. Tie Fu.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to part with the 5000 mid-grade spirit stones, but rather that he didn't want to bring a friend along.

Having friends over will make you more cautious.

If I go there alone now, it's like someone with nothing to lose having nothing to fear.

No matter who he meets, Ji Yuan is never intimidated!

Well...except for the Nascent Soul stage demon.

Well, let's leave aside peak Core Formation cultivators. As for late Core Formation cultivators, Ji Yuan feels he's currently no match for them, but with Zhu Dian around, escaping shouldn't be a problem.

As the days passed, Ji Yuan finally obtained another Purple Cloud Stone, and the day the teleportation array was to be activated finally arrived.

The only person Ji Yuan needed to say goodbye to a second time was Mu Xueyao.

After a reluctant farewell, Ji Yuan transformed into a beam of light and embarked on his journey to Winter City alone.

He transformed into a streak of light and arrived straight at the teleportation port located in the very center of West City.

This place is usually sparsely populated, and even those who do come and go are mostly Core Formation cultivators.

Ji Yuan didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he only used the shape-changing talisman to change his appearance and did not hide his aura.

With the cultivation level of the early stage of Core Formation, one can be respected wherever one goes.

Just like arriving at this teleportation port.

Guided by the beautiful maid, Ji Yuan handed over the teleportation token he had been given earlier and made his way through layers of obstacles until he finally arrived at the core of the teleportation port.

This is an extremely spacious hall; to be precise, the hall only has four walls, as the top is openwork.

In addition, there are these four walls. Ji Yuan scanned them and found that the walls were also very abnormal.

It didn't look like an ordinary wall, but rather like a magical artifact crafted by a weapon refiner, with numerous array patterns densely carved on it.

Ji Yuan took a few more glances and found that most of them were similar to the array patterns he currently had.

But he couldn't figure out exactly how it was started.

It's either that my understanding of formations is insufficient, or that only a cultivator specializing in teleportation formations can understand it.

"It seems the idea of ​​building my own teleportation array is truly a pipe dream, but thankfully, I have buildings, and my buildings can be upgraded."

Ji Yuan mentally complained, but then noticed a young man in a gray robe walking over beside him. His face was unusually pale, as if he were suffering from severe kidney deficiency.

Another thing that stood out was the huge medicine gourd he carried on his back.

"At such a young age, to already possess the cultivation of the Core Formation stage, one must likely be from one of the Eight Sacred Lands."

Ji Yuan subtly activated the Canglan Sword within his dantian.

"Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps also interested in this array formation?"

The pale-faced man stepped forward and bowed slightly.

Ji Yuan didn't answer immediately, but instead looked him up and down, then said as if belatedly realizing something:

"Oh, I am Huang Hun from the Soul Refining Hall. May I ask your esteemed name?"

Ji Yuan thought to himself, "As expected," and then returned the greeting, "Nameless rogue cultivator, Chang Geng, greets Fellow Daoist Huang."

Before Huang Hun could ask any more questions, Ji Yuan took the initiative to explain, "This is my first time using this teleportation array, so I was a bit curious. I am not proficient in this array technique, and I have disappointed you, fellow Daoist."

Upon hearing this, Huang Hun's eyes genuinely flashed with undisguised disappointment.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to bother you."

Despite being told it was a disturbance, the yellow spirit didn't leave; instead, it stopped right next to Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan then took the opportunity to observe the other cultivators.

There aren't many people, only about twenty at the moment. Half of them are Core Formation cultivators, and the rest are Foundation Establishment cultivators and Pseudo-Core Formation cultivators.

However, these Foundation Establishment cultivators who can use the teleportation array... judging from their clothes and appearance, they are either rich or noble.

There were several Core Formation cultivators, and even their guards.

Or perhaps it's an elder in the family who's with them.

"Their foundation is still quite profound. I wonder what the Martial God Continent and Demon God Continent that Master spoke of are like."

As Ji Yuan was pondering this, he heard Huang Hun beside him say:

"The secret of this teleportation array has always been controlled by the Black and White Temple. We outsiders have no way of getting a glimpse of it."

"Moreover, it is said that only array masters who have started learning teleportation array patterns from a young age can possibly comprehend the wonders of teleportation."

Huang Hun sighed as he spoke, as if he were extremely regretful.

"Judging from what you're saying, fellow Daoist, you're a formation cultivator?" Ji Yuan didn't respond to the question, but instead asked it himself.

"I wouldn't call myself a formation cultivator, I'm just quite interested in it."

Huang Hun smiled sheepishly, and usually, such a statement would be considered modesty.

...The Soul Refining Hall, the Core Formation cultivator, seems to have a decent temperament.

This inevitably made Ji Yuan think of the Soul-Eating Willow he needed. Well, whether there are any results or not, let's just try our luck.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, are you heading to Winter City to return to your sect?"

"I guess so. My sect ordered me to return, otherwise I would have liked to stay in this Western Border City for a few more years."

As Huang Hun spoke, a hint of regret flashed across his face.

"Well... actually, this is my first time going to Winter City. Could you please give me some directions? Of course, if it's inconvenient, that's fine too. I can get familiar with it once I get there."

Ji Yuan wore a polite smile.

"What's the harm in that? Waiting around is boring anyway, so I'll explain it to Fellow Daoist Chang Geng in detail."

Huang Hun waved his hand and then began to explain the situation of Winter City to Ji Yuan in detail.

Ji Yuan listened attentively and even made a detailed comparison with the information he had obtained from Mu Xueyao.

Indeed, quite a few differences were discovered.

For example, the places Mu Xueyao mentioned are mostly frequented by independent cultivators, places that prioritize cost-effectiveness.

But what Huang Hun was referring to were places that disciples of the Holy Land often frequented.

The price is a bit high, but the quality is guaranteed.

Furthermore, no matter where the topic is, Huang Hun can always be associated with places of ill repute.

For example, female cultivators in a certain place are skilled in the arts of ice and fire, or female cultivators in another place are skilled in fighting in groups.

In an instant, Ji Yuan understood why this Fellow Daoist Huang looked so listless.

As for the Soul-Eating Willow, Ji Yuan couldn't inquire about it.

Only when the cultivators of the Black and White Temple said they were ready to depart did Ji Yuan hurriedly send out his communication talisman.

He expressed his gratitude and said that once they arrived in Winter City, he would definitely treat Huang Hun to a meal to express his thanks.

Huang Hun initially refused, but after some back and forth, he eventually agreed.

And so, through these back-and-forth exchanges, the two naturally developed a friendship.

That's just how spiritual practice is.

Beyond the fighting and killing, it's mostly about human relationships and social interactions.

The same goes for the Nine Luminaries Stone; if it weren't for the social niceties with Wenjiu, it would have been really difficult to obtain this item.

In just a short while, all the cultivators who were going to use the teleportation array were ready.

The late-stage Core Formation cultivator who activated the teleportation array then began to take action.

Putting aside the fixed-point teleportation order, this was actually Ji Yuan's first time using a teleportation array, so it was inevitable that he was a little nervous.

The black and white temple cultivators first summoned a continuous stream of spirit stones from their storage bags and sprinkled them on various nodes of the teleportation array.

He then activated the array plate in his hand, and immediately the four oval walls began to close with a series of "click-clack" sounds.

The sky gradually darkened.

Only the ground and the spirit stones at the four corners emitted a dim white light.

Activating the teleportation array to Winter City costs approximately 50000 spirit stones. So, the Black and White Temple makes a considerable profit each time it's activated!

After Ji Yuan had thought about it, he noticed that the surrounding energy began to vibrate.

"Whoosh—"

A clear voice came from below before Ji Yuan could react.

He then realized that his body had already floated up...

"..."

"Winter City, we've arrived."

Welcome everyone!

As the light shone on his body again, Ji Yuan heard a deep male voice.

He looked up and saw an identical building, an identical iron-clad face armor, and a late-stage Core Formation cultivator clad in black and white robes.

If Ji Yuan hadn't been able to clearly sense the changes in his surroundings, he would have thought he hadn't moved at all.

Some Foundation Establishment cultivators bowed to the late Core Formation cultivator on the high platform, while some Golden Core cultivators simply transformed into streaks of light and left.

"Fellow Daoist Chang Geng, let's go too."

"Please, Fellow Daoist Huang."

Ji Yuan had just arrived and was unfamiliar with the place, so Huang Hun naturally led the way.

The two of them transformed into streaks of light and departed.

It was only after leaving this teleportation port that Ji Yuan realized he had truly arrived in Winter City.

Back when we were still in West City, it was early autumn, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the mountains were all yellow.

But what about Winterfell now?

Everywhere Ji Yuan could see was covered in silver, with snow blanketing the mountain peaks.

Even now, a light, misty snow is still falling from the sky.

Seeing that Ji Yuan had slowed down, Huang Hun also slowed down and transmitted his voice:

"Fellow Daoist Chang Geng, is this perhaps your first time seeing such a snowy day?"

Ji Yuan knew that he already had a slight accent from Winter City, so it wouldn't be appropriate to say that it was their first meeting.

"No, it's just that I haven't seen this scene in decades, and I'm a little nostalgic."

"Haha, I didn't expect Brother Chang Geng to be such a sentimental person."

Huang Hun chuckled, and the two of them once again vanished in a flash of light.

As Ji Yuan walked through this Winter City, he realized that it truly lived up to its name as the Demon City.

Because among the cultivators I've seen, nine out of ten are demonic cultivators.

While they couldn't be described as radiating overwhelming demonic energy, they were certainly exuding a palpable aura of demonic power.

They don't look like good people either.

Even a cultivator like Huang Hun, whose face was deathly pale, looked like a normal person.

The rest of the body has all sorts of things, like outward-turned bones, human bodies with bull heads, and floating half-ghosts.

...It seems I'll need to be more presentable next time I change identities.

Ji Yuan thought to himself.

So he and Huang Hun went to a restaurant in Winterhold and enjoyed a meal of Northern cuisine.

The flavors are indeed quite different.

Whether it's the spirit fish from the North Sea or the monsters from the northern desert, the taste and texture of the dishes are completely different from what Ji Yuan had tasted before.

Overall, it's pretty good.

During this meal, Ji Yuan inadvertently revealed his expertise in formations.

Huang Hun immediately changed "Fellow Daoist Chang Geng" to "Brother Chang Geng".

The person's enthusiasm level is completely different.

Another formation fanatic. Seeing his reaction, Ji Yuan couldn't help but think of Yun Qianzai, wondering how they were doing on the Desolate Ancient Continent.

We still need to complete the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible, then we can find a way to go and see them.

After finishing lunch, Huang Hun was about to return to his sect.

Ji Yuan also needed to find himself a cave dwelling, so the two agreed to meet again next time and then went their separate ways.

For Ji Yuan, this was just a minor episode on his path of cultivation, and he didn't take it too seriously.

Therefore, he spent the next ten days wandering around Winter City and rented a cave dwelling in the "Golden Core Cultivator Area".

There was no hiding.

Ji Yuan knew when to hide and when not to hide.

If the Abyss Continent is a place where might makes right, then the demonic cultivators are even more so.

Sometimes, simply having the cultivation level of the Core Formation Realm can prevent ninety percent of disputes, something Mu Xueyao had repeatedly reminded her of before setting off.

After settling into his new cave dwelling in Winter City, Ji Yuan waited for nearly two months until he forged the "Blood Killing Sword" before preparing to make contact with the Zhou family.

With both Azure Wave Swords in hand, one can unleash six Paths of Purple Heaven Divine Thunder.

Moreover, the Blood Slaughter Sword is inherently unparalleled in its killing power, and with the combined effect of these two, it would be a significant boost to Ji Yuan's strength.

is the day.

Ji Yuan emerged from his secluded cave and had been in Winter City for almost three months, yet the snow was still falling heavily.

According to Zao Muxueyao, there are only two months without snow in this Winter City; the rest of the time it is winter.

The name Winterhold comes from this.

...but it's impossible to plant peach trees at the entrance.

As Ji Yuan was watching, he suddenly saw a gray streak of light fly back from outside and land on the mountain peak next to him.

He turned his head and saw his new neighbor, a woman in black with half of her face covered in iron armor. She was dressed quite smartly and carried a huge golden bow on her back.

The armor only covered the upper half of her face, but judging from the lower half, she should be quite pretty.

The two happened to make eye contact. She clasped her hands in a fist salute to Ji Yuan, then hesitated before saying, "I have been away from home for three years. May I ask when you moved here, fellow Daoist?"

Ji Yuan didn't speak, but just frowned.

The woman immediately replied, "That's right. This place used to be inhabited by one of my good friends, but unfortunately... he didn't have much time left, hence the question. I had no other intention."

After saying that, she prepared to return to her cave.

Ji Yuan then said calmly, "I moved here three months ago and have not seen your friend."

The woman paused briefly, then sighed deeply, bowed to Ji Yuan once more, and turned away.

People come and go; most of them are just some fallen Core Formation cultivators.

Ji Yuan glanced back at his cave dwelling. Having lived here for so long, he hadn't yet discovered that someone had died here not long ago. It seemed that the Black and White Temple had handled the aftermath quite well.

After quickly sensing the surroundings and confirming that nothing had been overlooked, Ji Yuan transformed into a beam of light and left the cave.

Nowadays, he carries the Reversed Jianghu Formation with him whenever he goes out. Inside his cave, the Reversed Big Dipper Formation is always active. If he encounters an enemy that the Jianghu Formation cannot defeat, he can then use the Reversed Big Dipper Formation at the Heavenly Craft Workshop.

"According to what Mu Xueyao said earlier, if you want to contact the Zhou family, you have to go to a shop called Xunjiuke in the east of Winter City."

Ji Yuan's cave dwelling was in the south of the city, but before he went to the east of the city, he made some arrangements in another place in the south of the city before heading to the east.

After arriving in the east of the city, he searched carefully for two more days before finally finding a small tavern nestled among several tall buildings.

For two or three years, the sky has been covered in snow.

Therefore, the plaque was very unclear, and if Ji Yuan hadn't carefully searched with his divine sense as he walked, it would have been difficult to find.

Pushing open the door, the room was slightly dim, but you could see two or three drunkards slurping their drinks. This was a characteristic of Winterfell, perhaps because of the frigid weather or other reasons, which led to a large number of people drinking throughout the city.

Ji Yuan glanced at them; they were just a few Qi Refining stage cultivators, except for the shopkeeper, who was an early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

"Senior, may I ask what kind of spiritual wine you require?"

The gray-robed man tried to sense the cultivation level of the person in front of him, and upon discovering that it was as vast as the sea, he immediately understood.

"Bone Nightmare Intoxicating Wine".

Ji Yuan reached out and tapped on the table, immediately creating a barrier that blocked the gaze of the Qi Refining cultivators.

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then replied almost instinctively, "One thousand eight hundred a cup."

Ji Yuan flipped his right hand, and a bone ring immediately appeared in his hand.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper became even more respectful. He took the item with both hands, carefully inspected it, and then returned it with both hands, saying softly, "Please follow me, senior."

After saying that, he turned and went into the inner room.

Ji Yuan followed.

After passing through the main room and two side doors, Ji Yuan knew he had arrived at a tall building next door, but he had no idea which room it was.

He tried to release his divine sense, but found that both the left and right corridors had the ability to block his divine sense.

Finally, he followed the shopkeeper into a luxurious room. The shopkeeper bowed slightly and said, "Senior is a distinguished guest of my Zhou family. My young master will come to personally receive you shortly. Please wait a moment."

After he finished speaking, a beautiful young maidservant brought him fruit and tea at the door.

Seeing that the six ragged maids still wanted to stay and serve him, Ji Yuan waved his hand and refused, "Just tell your Zhou family's young master to come over quickly, I don't have time to stay here any longer."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The shopkeeper bowed repeatedly, but when he turned to look at the maids, he frowned unhappily. "Didn't you hear what the senior said? Hurry up and get out."

"Please wait a moment, senior. If there's anything you need, please feel free to ask me."

After saying that, the shopkeeper bowed and left.

At this moment, Ji Yuan, now transformed into a gaunt old man, even had eyes that resembled those of a hawk, captivating and imposing without anger, coupled with his blood-red eyes and a heavy, chilling aura emanating from him.

He does indeed have some of the old devil's demeanor.

He kept releasing his divine sense, only to find that as soon as his divine sense touched the wall, it was immediately trapped, unlike the mineral in his storage bag that could isolate divine sense.

The kind of material that can be ignored by the divine sense is actually something that can make the divine sense feel trapped.

The rest are the fruits and vegetables on the table, which all look to be of good quality.

But Ji Yuan didn't dare to eat it. In this demonic territory, you can never be too careful.

Before long, Ji Yuan saw a middle-aged man in fine clothes walk in laughing. "I heard that the distinguished guest from the Western Border City has finally arrived. I've been waiting for quite a while."

Ji Yuan slowly looked up and glanced at the newcomer, only to see that the newcomer's eyes were slightly red.

It doesn't seem like he's cultivated some kind of demonic art; rather, it seems like it's caused by stress and anxiety... He's also in the early stage of Core Formation, truly worthy of being the young master of the Zhou family.

Even a long-established Nascent Soul family, though weakened, is still a force to be reckoned with.

In Ji Yuan's opinion, the identity of this young master Zhou should be similar to that of Li Changhe.

They are all from the same old-established Nascent Soul families, and they are all sons of noble families.

I was delayed by something a while ago and only just got here now, I'm sorry.

Ji Yuan stood up, casually cupped his hands in greeting, and then sat back down.

Zhou Jin looked slightly embarrassed upon seeing this, but he quickly masked it and went straight to sit down opposite Ji Yuan.

"My name is Zhou Jin. May I ask how you should address me?"

When Mu Xueyao contacted the Zhou family before, she only mentioned that she had an elder in her family surnamed Li.

So Ji Yuan then said, "Li Changgeng."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Chang Geng in person. My apologies for my rudeness."

Zhou Jin, who had just sat down, stood up again and cupped his hands in greeting.

Upon seeing this, Ji Yuan understood somewhat. It seemed that the Zhou family's problems had not been resolved yet, otherwise they wouldn't be so eager to ask for help... The problem might be quite serious.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. How do we trade these Void Stones?" As Ji Yuan spoke, he tapped the table with his eagle-claw-like right hand, producing a dull sound.

When it came to serious matters, Zhou Jin's expression became much more formal.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke:

"Our Zhou family only accepts transactions involving spirit stones. We do not accept anything else. Furthermore, we only accept large orders. If you only need a few pounds or ounces, let's part ways amicably."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan seemed to become somewhat interested.

These smuggled Void Stones are already considered black market goods, so it's reasonable that the Zhou family only wanted to trade them for spirit stones. However, this large order...

"How are spirit stones calculated, and what constitutes a large amount?"

Ji Yuan raised his eyelids slightly and spoke slowly.

Zhou Jin raised his right hand and held up his index finger. "Ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones per pound, no bargaining. As for how much... minimum purchase of ten pounds. If you can't even finish ten pounds, then don't bother asking."

One jin costs 10,000 spirit stones, and the minimum purchase is 10 jin.

In terms of price alone, it's not actually that expensive.

The goods that Ji Yuan had acquired at previous auctions were all much more expensive than this, and the quantity... it wasn't that Ji Yuan couldn't handle it, but doing so would inevitably raise suspicions of flaunting his wealth.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that the purpose of getting this thing was to improve my strength.

If you miss such an opportunity because you're afraid of losing money, then you're putting the cart before the horse!

"Um."

Ji Yuan nodded slightly.

"Hmm, you mean... how much does Fellow Daoist need?" Zhou Jin perked up when he saw Li Changgeng nod.

Given the Zhou family's current situation, if they could trade these Void Stones as soon as possible, they would be rid of a major problem.

"Let's start with fifty jin, and we can trade the rest later."

Fifty jin is equivalent to five hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and this... is Ji Yuan's entire fortune at present. The output of the [spiritual vein] over the past ten years is all contained in these five hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

If you want to continue trading, you'll have to wait for the [Spirit Vein] to continue producing more, or you'll have to earn spirit stones yourself.

Ji Yuan never imagined that one day he would have to worry about spirit stones!

But it's good that 500,000 spirit stones are just a heavy pile of stones on my person, but if I trade them, they can be converted into strength and transferred to me.

"Fifty...fifty jin?"

Upon hearing the number, Zhou Jin instinctively thought she had misheard.

In the past, if these 500,000 mid-grade spirit stones were placed in front of the Zhou family, they would at most nod in approval.

But the current Bone Nightmare Sect... ever since the Bone Nightmare Old Demon took power, they've turned on us and discarded us like a used tool, it's utterly despicable!

"What, you can't produce it?"

Ji Yuan countered with a question.

"No, no, we can take it out. Is it for a transaction now or something...? Our Zhou family is fine with anything," Zhou Jin quickly said.

If they could obtain these 500,000 mid-grade spirit stones, the Zhou family's current situation would definitely be much better.

"If you can take it out, let's trade now."

Ji Yuan had already prepared all the spirit stones before setting off, so upon hearing this, he took out a storage bag and threw it on the table.

Five hundred thousand spirit stones were treated as casually as throwing away trash.

"Alright, you can count them now."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jin released his divine sense and invaded the storage bag. When he saw the boxes piled up with mid-grade spirit stones, he was still somewhat shocked, especially since he found that most of the spirit stones were still brand new, without the slightest trace of use, and not even a trace of spiritual energy had dissipated.

He then realized that Li Changgeng in front of him was definitely from one of the Eight Sacred Lands!

These spirit stones were obviously just mined from the spirit vein and had not yet circulated among cultivators. Zhou Jin could not think of any other possibility besides the Eight Sacred Lands and the Black and White Temple that could control such a spirit vein and freely take out 500,000 of them to trade for Void Stones.

The most likely candidate is Heavenly Craft Valley, because they are the ones who refine weapons and are most likely to need this Void Stone.

A moment later, Zhou Jin also took out a storage bag and solemnly placed it on the table.

It's still parallel to the storage bag that Ji Yuan released.

"Fifty catties of Void Stones are all here. Please take a look, fellow Daoist."

Ji Yuan could tell whether it was real or fake with a quick scan of his divine sense. In any case, these Void Stones wouldn't stay in his hands for too long, so he wasn't worried.

"Okay, deal."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Yuan took the storage bag containing the Void Stone, while another storage bag full of spirit stones fell into Zhou Jin's hands.

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

The spirit stones arrived surprisingly smoothly, without any mention of credit or advance payment. Zhou Jin was extremely pleased, and even his gaze towards the old demon before him became much more amiable.

"If you need these Void Stones again in the future, just send me a message, and we can trade here."

As Zhou Jin spoke, she handed over a golden communication talisman.

Ji Yuan took it and casually put it away. "Alright, I'll contact you later."

Zhou Jin glanced at the door, smiled, and said, "It's still early. How about we find somewhere to enjoy ourselves some more?"

"No, I have matters to attend to at the sect, so I'll head back first."

As Ji Yuan spoke, he got up and walked towards the door.

"Then I'll see you off, fellow Daoist."

When we entered earlier, we went through the tavern next door, but now we are openly and legitimately going through this tall building.

Ji Yuan took a few more glances; it was a pill shop called "Xuan Dan Fang".

So the Zhou family is skilled in alchemy?

Ji Yuan guessed, then transformed into a streak of light and flew away. Behind him, Zhou Jin leaned against the doorway on the second floor, her hands tucked into her sleeves, watching the streak of light disappear into the distance.

"Li Changgeng, one of the Eight Sacred Lands, I wonder which school he came from."

"Forget it, Father has already made his decision anyway, there's no point in thinking about it anymore."

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Jin shook his head, then transformed into a beam of light and headed straight for the north of the city.

After returning to the south of the city, Ji Yuan did not immediately go back to his own cave. Instead, he changed his shape-changing talisman and used the "Concealing Breath Technique" to arrive at another cave with the help of a fake elixir.

This was the preparation he made before leaving home.

Having learned from his previous experience dealing with Plum Manor, Ji Yuan was worried that the Void Stone might also be problematic. Therefore, the best course of action after obtaining it was to find a place to use it as soon as possible.

Even if the Void Stone has some kind of tracking method, it won't be able to find out your true location.

After Ji Yuan arrived at the cave in his flying boat, he released the Reversal of the Martial World Formation.

On his way to this cave, he had already decided which buildings he would use the fifty catties of Void Stone to house.

A one-off deal like combining a meditation room and a spirit field is definitely not feasible.

We finally managed to get fifty catties of Void Stones; it would be such a waste if we only used them to contain one building.

Ji Yuan selected three buildings.

[Pigsty], [Fishpond], and [Wine Cellar].

The price for taking in fishponds and pigsties is 20 catties of Void Stones.

The wine cellar weighs ten jin.

They add up to exactly fifty pounds.

Moreover, these three buildings are the kind that Ji Yuan uses quite often.

There's no need to elaborate on the pigsty and the fishpond.

Both of these produce are essential items that Ji Yuan urgently needs. Moreover, once the [Fish Pond] is housed within the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, the two Frost Dragons will no longer need to stay in the Spirit Beast Bag and can move freely in the [Fish Pond].

The same applies to the wine cellar. If this building were portable, it would make it much easier for Ji Yuan to brew spirit wine.

By then, the Nine Netherworld Burning Longevity Wine can be brewed as soon as possible.

After making the selection, Ji Yuan released these three buildings in the temporarily rented cave.

The fishpond and wine cellar are the simplest.

Fish ponds are basically set up in every cave dwelling; Ji Yuan only needs to put a few fish in them.

The remaining wine cellar was even simpler; Ji Yuan only needed to take the spirit wine from his storage bag and put it in.

And so the building was completed.

The pigsty was the only problem, so in the end Ji Yuan went to the city and found a shop selling spirit pigs and bought a few piglets.

This is how the [Pigpen] building was reopened.

Three days had passed by the time everything was ready.

Ji Yuan arrived at the cave, took out the fifty catties of Void Stone, and then summoned the Spirit Platform Mountain from his dantian.

At first, it was a flash of inspiration, but by the time it flew to Ji Yuan's front, it had already transformed into a small mountain the size of a palm.

It spins endlessly above this pile of void stones.

Ji Yuan made a decision and chose to house the building.

Immediately, layers of space appeared in his mind; this was the interior of Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

There are five floors in total.

Jiyuan currently only houses three buildings.

The chicken coop is on the first level, which is also the bottom level. The remaining cave dwellings and spiritual veins are on the third level.

Ji Yuan first selected the [Fish Pond] and took it in with a single thought.

A twenty-pound Void Stone suddenly flew up from the ground and was absorbed into the Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.

Then a bright building appeared in Ji Yuan's mind, and this building moved with his thoughts, meaning that he could place it wherever he wanted.

As for the fishpond, it should naturally be placed on the third floor, in front of the cave. When you get tired of cultivating, you can come out and fish for the true dragon.

As for the pigpen, there's no choice but to put it on the bottom floor; placing it next to the chicken coop would be just right.

The remaining [wine cellar] is naturally on the second floor.

It's placed below the cave dwelling. When you have nothing to do, you can go down to the underground wine cellar, take a few jugs of wine, and have a few drinks.

Isn't this life wonderful?

After taking in these three buildings, Ji Yuan discovered that his natal magic weapon had finally undergone a slight change.

(End of this chapter)