Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

On Gu Chen's side.

After Luo Tianxing left.

He then resumed his stable life of alchemy.

If we can't obtain those two fourth-grade martial arts techniques in a short time, then so be it.

Anyway, he obtained a new fifth-grade martial art from Yamamoto Okamura.

That's enough for him to use until he reaches the fifth rank of the Sea Transformation Realm.

Next, we'll focus on developing our character and spend about six months on it.

Let's talk about it after we raise our cultivation level to the fifth grade of the Sea Transformation Realm.

He broke through from the sixth rank to the fifth rank.

We need to use the fifth-grade pill, the Sea-Transforming Pill, which is not cheap.

Gu Chen had inquired and found out that one of them cost two thousand taels of silver.

Based on the calculation that he needs at least sixty-eight to break through to the fifth rank.

That's at least 140,000 taels of silver.

His monthly salary, plus the payment for refining pills for the Cheng family, amounted to approximately 26,000 taels.

It takes about six months to save up.

The further you progress, the more expensive the resources required for cultivation become, and the more difficult it is to improve.

We need to find a way to open-source and acquire new channels to earn money.

Huangzhou, the capital city.

Inside a restaurant.

Several lay practitioners were drinking.

A city of this caliber has a permanent population of tens of millions, and it attracts a large number of skilled independent cultivators.

The few rogue cultivators currently being discussed are individuals at the fifth level of the Innate Realm.

A rogue cultivator at the fifth level of the Innate Realm might be a top expert in a county.

But in the city, they were not enough; their numbers were as numerous as dogs.

Only those who reach the fourth rank of the middle level can be considered experts in the state city.

In the Divine Dynasty, the average county town had a resident population of only a few hundred thousand.

Cities one level above county towns, such as Jiuwan City and Chiyang City, have a permanent population of around two to three million, and True Yuan Realm experts are considered top-tier combat power.

Higher-level prefectures, such as Fire Cloud Prefecture and Black Rock Prefecture, have a permanent population of around seven or eight million, and can have fifth-rank experts.

The prefectural cities above the prefectural cities are guarded by experts of the fourth or even third rank, with a permanent population of around ten to twenty million.

The prefectural city above the county seat has a permanent population of around 50 million, and is guarded by a first-rank master.

Inside this restaurant.

Several laymen were discussing something.

"Have you heard? I heard that the eldest son of the Wen family, Wen Lingtian, has become the apprentice of Chen Lei, the newly appointed chief of the Wilderness Guard of the Wilderness State," a rogue cultivator said.

"I've heard that Wen Lingtian is only twenty-three years old, yet he already has the cultivation of the late True Yuan Realm and ranks 387th on the Prodigy Ranking. He has also been taken in as a personal disciple by the newly appointed General Commander of the Desolate State, Chen Lei. He's going to be very successful in the future," a rogue cultivator replied.

"The Wen family is one of the nine top families and is not weak to begin with. They could have chosen not to rely on the power of the new governor of the desolate state, Chen Lei. Now that the Wen family has made him serve under Chen Lei, it can only be said that the Wen family has chosen a side." A rogue cultivator put forward his opinion.

He learned it from a rumor.

The newly appointed Chief of the Wilderness Watch, Chen Lei, belongs to another faction within the Central State Night Watch headquarters. He is not part of the same faction as the former Chief, Shangguan Wuqing.

The former commander-in-chief, Shangguan Wuqing, belonged to the Second Prince's faction and had been trying to win over the Wen family during his tenure.

However, the Wen family has not responded and has kept their distance.

Now that Shangguan Wuqing has left, the Wen family has chosen to get closer to the newly appointed Chen Lei.

The faction behind Chen Lei is the Crown Prince's faction.

The Wen family's choice is quite simple.

They have already aligned themselves with the Crown Prince.

Powers of the caliber of the nine top aristocratic families generally do not easily participate in the struggle for succession.

Because their base of support is located in various states.

Since they haven't established a foothold in Zhongzhou, whoever wins the succession contest won't have much of an impact on them.

However, once you choose to get involved, the consequences could be disastrous if the person you support loses.

The Wen family had remained neutral for so long under Shangguan Wuqing's recruitment, but now they have chosen to side with someone else, which must be because the Crown Prince gave the Wen family an irresistible benefit.

"I suppose so. I've heard that the Wen family has been making big moves recently. They've started to forcibly win over the powerful families within the Desolate State. No matter what level your family's power is, as long as you're within the Desolate State, you have to submit to the Wen family and hand over 20% of your family's profits to the Wen family every year. Otherwise, you'll have to move out of the Desolate State," a rogue cultivator replied.

"So domineering! Does the Wen family intend to swallow up all the powerful families in the entire desolate state? Aren't they afraid everyone will band together to resist them?"

"Resist? What kind of resistance are you talking about? The Wen family is a top-tier power with a powerful Earth Venerable Realm expert in charge. Ordinary families in the Desolate State are no match for them. Moreover, they now have an heir who has become the personal disciple of the Chief of the Desolate State Night Watch and joined the Crown Prince's forces. Who would dare to provoke them!" A rogue cultivator said, "The family I currently serve as an honorific has already received the notification."

"Either choose to submit or choose to leave. If you neither leave nor submit, the Wen family will definitely make it impossible for them to stay in the desolate state. Now I have chosen to submit to this family and have paid 20% of my annual income to the Wen family as tribute."

Most of these independent cultivators were worshippers from small families throughout the desolate state.

This incident has had a significant impact on their family, but due to the power and influence of the Wen family, they have no choice but to accept their fate.

At this moment, a rogue cultivator said, "I heard from a rumor that Wen Lingtian, the heir of the Wen family, has recently gathered a lot of powerful people under his command and started to cultivate his own team. If only we could be qualified to be chosen by him, our future would be much better than if we continued to serve as retainers in these small families."

"Let's not even think about it. I've heard about it too, but Wen Lingtian's conditions for recruiting his team are extremely strict. He only accepts those who have broken through to the True Yuan Realm before the age of thirty. We're already in our forties or fifties and are still hovering around the fifth level of the Innate Realm. I don't know if we'll have a chance to break through to the True Yuan Realm before the age of one hundred. How could he possibly want us?"

"I was just thinking about it. His recently recruited follower, the Hundred-Faced Flame Lord Duan Yanxin, is only thirty years old and has already reached the mid-stage of the True Yuan Realm. Five years ago, Duan Yanxin was ranked last on the Prodigy Ranking. Perhaps only someone like him could be noticed by that successor."

Duan Yanxin, the Hundred-Faced Flame Lord, is very famous among rogue cultivators.

This kind of cultivator, who has grown up from a rogue cultivator without any background, was able to reach the bottom of the Prodigy Ranking, and now, at the age of thirty, he has entered the mid-stage of the True Essence Realm.

He was considered a genius among the independent cultivators.

Meanwhile, Gu Chen...

After refining today's dose of pills.

Cheng Mengling came to the door.

"Brother Gu, something's happened." Her face was grave as she said to Gu Chen, "The Wen family, the top power in the Desolate State, has sent a notice to all the families and forces within the Desolate State, forcing us to submit to the Wen family from now on, become their subordinate forces, and hand over 20% of our annual income to them every year."

"The Wen family, one of the nine top families, the only dominant family power in the desolate state!" Gu Chen said thoughtfully upon hearing this.

The Cheng family is now considered a force under his protection.

It belongs to his forces.

It is impossible for us to submit to the Wen family again.

"Yes, the envoy from the Wen family gave us three days to consider. After three days, those who are unwilling to submit will either have to leave the desolate state or face suppression from the Wen family and its subordinate forces. We guarantee that any family that does not choose to submit will not be able to survive in the desolate state," Cheng Mengling said.

"Furthermore, we have also learned that Wen Lingtian, the heir of the Wen family, has become the apprentice of the new Chief of the Night Watch, Chen Lei. The Wen family has grown closer to the new Chief of the Night Watch of the Wilderness State. At this time, anyone who opposes the Wen family will suffer a terrible fate." He said this.

Cheng Mengling also looked at Gu Chen, whose master, Shangguan Wuqing, seemed to have been transferred away.

It's unclear what kind of relationship the newly appointed Chief of the Night Watch has with Gu Chen.

Would they spare the Cheng family from submitting to the Wen family out of respect for Gu Chen?

If not.

They would rather choose Gu Chen and give him 20% of their annual income than give it to the Wen family.

"The Wen family's heir has become the apprentice of the new Chief of the Night Watch. It seems the Wen family has completely chosen sides." Gu Chen understood upon hearing this.

Then he looked at Cheng Mengling and said, "What is your Cheng family thinking?"

"Of course we want to follow Brother Gu," Cheng Mengling said. "Our Cheng family owes its current success entirely to Brother Gu. As long as Brother Gu is willing to protect our Cheng family, we will not submit to the Wen family. Furthermore, we will give 20% of our annual income to Brother Gu to support your cultivation."

"Okay," Gu Chen said. "Go tell the envoy from the Wen family that your Cheng family is under my command and will never submit to the Wen family again. If he has any complaints, tell him to come directly to me."

Twenty percent of the Cheng family's annual income is no small sum.

Furthermore, as the Cheng family continues to grow stronger, his income will increase, and his main source of monthly alchemy earnings is the Cheng family.

This money tree, of course, cannot be abandoned.

The Cheng family is under his command, and there's no way they'll submit. If the Wen family is unhappy, they can come directly to him.

Although the Wen family has now chosen to side with the Crown Prince's faction.

But he wasn't without support.

It's not like they can't even protect one of their small families.