Immortality and cultivation: Heaven rewards diligence, and success is inevitable.

"Junior Brother Jiang, did you come here specifically to see me?" Liu Qing asked with a fawning smile.

Liu Qing's smile was very beautiful. Some cultivators who were eating in the lobby on the first floor couldn't help but swallow hard when they saw Liu Qing's smile, and their internal energy was somewhat unstable.

Jiang Shi remained expressionless, his heart unmoved.

Even if the woman opposite him was a top-tier beauty, Jiang Shi saw her as no different from an ordinary person.

He had no heart for pity or chivalry.

Furthermore, Jiang Shi had seen many beautiful women, such as Lin Yanyi of Qingyun Sect, a beautiful woman who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, like an iceberg.

There's also the Azure Valley Master Flower Falling Rain, like a celestial fairy, incredibly beautiful.

Putting aside these two, even Jiang Shi's newly accepted apprentice, Jiang Yu, is several times prettier than her.

Because Liu Qing's beauty gives people a false feeling, based on Jiang Shi's experience in cultivating the "Hundred Illusions and Thousand Faces Technique," it is obvious that Liu Qing has cultivated some kind of technique to have her current appearance.

"I'm here for a meal." Jiang Shi skipped the small talk and went straight to the point.

"In that case, I'll stop joking." Upon hearing this, Liu Qing dropped her overly affected, fawning smile.

As the manager of Biyu Tower, Liu Qing's work ability is naturally very strong.

"The three of you, please come upstairs," Liu Qing said, inviting Jiang Shi and the others to dine upstairs.

Compared to the downstairs hall, the upstairs area is much quieter, not to mention the environment. There are four main rooms: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each containing various cultivation formations and a meditation incense burner.

"One premium private room." Liu Qing was sensible and didn't directly offer Jiang Shi a premium private room.

The supplies and spiritual food in this private room are all of the second grade.

Even a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator would not normally eat it.

This means that Ouyang Yu was quite wealthy and had just emerged from a second-grade secret realm, earning a considerable amount of money, which is why he spent so much.

Seeing that Jiang Shi was accompanied by two junior cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, Liu Qing took it upon herself to arrange a Xuan-grade private room for Jiang Shi.

In the Xuanpin private room, apart from a few main dishes which were second-grade spiritual foods, everything else was first-grade spiritual food.

This is a top-grade spiritual food, perfect for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage.

If one forces oneself to consume second-grade spiritual energy, one might not be able to consume too much, as excessive intake of spiritual energy could damage one's meridians.

Jiang Shi was unaware of the intricacies involved. He wasn't very familiar with the Jade Pavilion, so he followed Liu Qing's instructions.

They entered the Xuanpin private room together with Liu Qing.

After Jiang Shi left, the casual diners downstairs began to discuss the matter.

"This Foundation Establishment stage cultivator is the one who just entered Canglin City. Remember him well, the little girl next to him is his disciple."

"Remember, never offend them if you encounter them in public."

A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator is instructing several mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators around him.

Jiang Shi's apprentice, the young girl Jiang Yu, has already become known throughout Canglin City.

The major powers were also afraid that some of their subordinates might offend the young girl.

After all, Jiang Yu's appearance is also top-notch. Although she is not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, her girl-next-door, innocent and romantic temperament is still quite captivating.

If someone with a brain disorder does something inappropriate to them, wouldn't that be asking for trouble out of thin air?

These cultivators weren't fools; they would naturally warn their relatives and disciples beforehand to be careful.

Upstairs, in the Xuanpin private room, Jiang Shi sat down with two young girls.

Jiang Yu was somewhat at a loss when she first entered such a place.

Ouyang Lan had never been there either. Although she was Ouyang Yu's niece, she had a very low status in the Ouyang family due to her poor aptitude.

A large family like the Ouyang family in Canglin City has many members; Ouyang Lan's generation alone has dozens of members.

If it weren't for this opportunity, where Jiang Yu happened to be close to her age, allowing her to get close to and please him, Ouyang Lan would have been forced to marry out or have a son-in-law marry into the family to contribute to the clan.

This is the downside of being born into a prominent family: while enjoying the benefits of being born into a prominent family, one must also bear the disadvantages of being unable to control one's own destiny.

Fortunately, Ouyang Lan has now escaped her misery and is closer to Jiang Yu.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Lan quickly comforted Jiang Yu, who was standing to the side, and tried her best to leave a good impression on Jiang Shi.

Ouyang Lan thought it would be best if Jiang Shi took a liking to her and took her under his wing.

That way, my position will be secure, and I won't have to worry about the future anymore.

Furthermore, even if he ultimately doesn't approve of her, Ouyang Lan can still use this time to gain some benefits and improve herself.

Just like before, Ouyang Lan was asking Jiang Yu for advice on how to break through the bottleneck of the third level of Qi Refining and cultivate to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

If she can break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining and become a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, her situation within the family will be much better even after Jiang Shi leaves.

The two little girls were chatting nearby.

Meanwhile, Liu Qing was serving Jiang Shi from the side.

She poured tea for Jiang Shi while feeding him some fruits.

Jiang Shi naturally did not refuse such service, nor was there any need to refuse it.

Jiang Shi knew that these Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from the three major sects were testing him.

Testing his identity—a completely unfamiliar Foundation Establishment stage cultivator—would raise suspicions about his motives and the forces behind him.

Ouyang Yu was like this, and so was Liu Qing.

Jiang Shi was actually just himself; he didn't have any powerful backing.

Even though Jiang Shi had no power and was just a lone man, he showed no fear when facing Liu Qing, a disciple from one of the three major sects.

After all, Jiang Shi also came from one of the three major sects.

He first cultivated at Qingyun Sect, and later became a personal disciple of Hua Luoyu of Biluo Valley.

In terms of status within the Biluo Valley, he is even higher than Liu Qing.

When Liu Qing meets him in Biluo Valley, he will have to pay his respects.

In addition, Jiang Shi is also confident in his own abilities.

Having come from one of the three major sects, he was very familiar with them.

Currently, among the three major sects, the only ones who can threaten him are the Valley Master, Sect Leader, and Sect Master of the three major sects.

No one else, not even Shangguan Shuo, the city lord of Canglin City, would be his match.

Now, in the Canglin region, below the Golden Core stage, he is no longer afraid of anyone.

As for the Golden Core stage cultivators, they have always been elusive and rarely seen.

Based on Jiang Shi's experience in the three major sects and the records of Golden Core stage cultivators, unless the three major sects face annihilation, these Golden Core stage cultivators will not take action.

It's like the Golden Core stage cultivators are just legends.

I've only heard people mention it, but no one has ever seen it.

Liu Qing was unaware of Jiang Shi's identity or his strength.

Liu Qing could only sense the faint, yet palpable, dangerous aura emanating from Jiang Shi.

Even as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, she was frightened by the aura emanating from Jiang Shi.

Read the full text of Chapter 198, "Liu Qing," for free at: [link missing].