Chapter 162: A Place of Spiritual Prosperity, Times Have Changed (Ten thousand words update, please subscribe!)

The battle of Core Formation cultivators in Dahe Market turned the once most prosperous inner city into a ghost city.

Thousands of cultivators were buried within it, which could truly be considered a tragedy.

But for the remaining loose cultivators who survived, it was truly a great opportunity!

Those who could live in the inner city were mostly people with profound realms and wealthy family backgrounds.

Such existences, besides having a skill, often operated industries in the outer city area or the Guyuan Mountain Range.

They died, and these resources were vacated.

Countless people began to fight for these things.

Moreover, the most important opportunity did not lie here!

Spiritual energy!

As time passed, loose cultivators discovered that the spiritual energy around Dahe Market was becoming increasingly concentrated.

Its concentration was almost no less than renting an ordinary house in the inner city at the beginning.

This strange change made everyone pleasantly surprised.

According to a family cultivator, the clan elders judged that the spiritual energy blocking array set up by the Yuding Sword Sect was destroyed, which led to the first-tier spiritual vein in Mount Luofeng recklessly venting out.

Thereby creating a place of spiritual prosperity within a thousand miles.

Such a judgment had high credibility.

Because it is rumored that most sect holy lands have this concentration of spiritual energy.

Great sect powers would fence off high-level spiritual veins to form an environment suitable for high-level cultivator cultivation.

But for first-tier spiritual veins, they often would not fence them off, but release them to provide spiritual energy for low-level disciples to cultivate.

This first-tier spiritual vein in Dahe Market covered an extremely wide area, and its spiritual energy foundation was quite profound.

If it were in a sect, it would also be released.

Unfortunately, this was not a sect place, but a gathering place for loose cultivators.

Therefore, in the past, Yuding sword cultivators used arrays to fence off and block it, trapping it in the inner city.

Now that the blocking array was destroyed by a great battle, the concentrated spiritual energy of this spiritual vein was finally enjoyed by all the loose cultivators without power or influence.

Because of this change, some late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who originally planned to leave Dahe Market also stayed behind.

Where else could you find a place of spiritual prosperity that didn't cost money?

The million great mountains of the Eastern Wasteland?

No one is a fool; besides daily activities, everyone is seizing the time to cultivate.

Because everyone knows clearly that after the sword cultivators of the Yuding Sword Sect return, they will definitely fence off the vast spiritual energy again.

By then, they will have to spend spirit stones to enjoy this kind of welfare again.

Luo Chen is also one of those seizing the time to cultivate.

He spent several days finally negotiating the herb supply business with Elder Zhou of the Lianyun Alliance.

In this way, the Luo Tian Society could restart the refining of Jade Marrow Elixirs.

After handling these trivial matters, Luo Chen's cultivation time also became regular.

Inside the cave, Luo Chen was naked, walking out of the copper furnace.

While changing spirit stones for the gathering spirit array, he sighed with emotion.

"Fortunately, I purchased a large batch of resources before, so I don't have to worry about the supply of cultivation resources for a short time."

He had two large-scale resource purchasing actions before.

One was after Pang Renxiong arrived, Dahe Market fell into chaos, and he was afraid that various things would rise in price, so he spent five thousand spirit stones to buy a large batch of resources.

The other time was planning to run away.

Once running from the underground mine to Changyin Mountain and falling into the deep mountains and marshes, safety and cultivation were the most important things.

So, he spent several thousand spirit stones again to buy many things like Dust-Transforming Elixirs, Calming Incense, and Pei Yuan Spirit Liquid.

Later, after reaching cooperation with Deacon Miao Wen, these hoarded resources were not consumed much.

Now that sect industries like the Spirit Medicine Pavilion had left, others might worry about cultivation resources, but he didn't have to worry at all.

"These resources should be enough to support my cultivation for half a year."

"In half a year, the order should be almost restored, and the people of the Yuding Sword Sect should also be coming back."

Dahe Market is very important!

This was what Luo Chen inferred from the information he collected from many people.

Whether it was the establishment of the Dao-Discussion Platform, the resources of the million great mountains, or the geographical advantage of the bridgehead, these were all reasons why the Yuding Sword Sect valued this place.

Especially after he learned from Sima Xian that Dahe Market was very likely being built as an immortal city model, he was even more certain of his inference.

The Yuding Sword Sect could absolutely not abandon Dahe Market!

And half a year was the time Luo Chen estimated based on the Yuding Sword Sect's reaction time to Fei Bowen's death last time.

Regardless of the sect's decision-making time or the time to travel here.

Half a year was a very suitable number.

"However, these currently have little to do with me."

Everything was ready, and the surging blood and Qi in his body were enough to support him in operating the Evergreen Technique many times.

"The Bright Spirit Breaking Evil has been entered for a long time; besides the tempering of will, it also has a weak gain for the soul."

"Plus the growth of physique, now even without Calming Incense, I can fully operate the Evergreen Technique four times a day."

"If I add the five times of Calming Incense, then it is nine times!"

Nine times of full-strength operation, each time for half an hour, meant consuming at least five hours.

In the middle, there still needed to be a pause to rest.

Spending so much time cultivating the natal technique every day, if it were in the past, Luo Chen would only feel that time was not enough.

Because at that time, he still had many magic techniques that needed to be cultivated.

But now, most of the magic techniques had already been perfected.

The only ones that needed attention were optimizing the Fireball Technique, as well as the Earth Mountain Technique and the Wave Technique.

The former was his current strongest trump card, while the latter two were preparing for the second-tier magic technique "Mountain Collapse."

"Calculating like this, after alchemy, time is barely enough."

Luo Chen smiled slightly, took out a jade bottle from his storage bag, and poured out an elixir.

The color was light green, and the smell was elegant.

It was clearly the Spirit Elixir from Deacon Miao Wen.

Seeing the elixir, he remembered Deacon Miao Wen.

Luo Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This one was also miserable enough!

He came forward to protect Xieyue Valley, sent him a top-grade array, the Small Five Elements Array, and helped invite Luo Tianhong to treat Qin Liangchen's severed limb.

As a result, in the end, he didn't even get the dividends of the Luo Tian Society for a month.

If you add these five bottles of Spirit Elixir, the other party was simply losing miserably!

He lost miserably, so he earned miserably!

"However, this elixir is second-tier, and it still needs me to decompose it with the Heart-Mind Hand."

Luo Chen focused his mind, his right hand formed a seal with one hand, and strands of light green spiritual power emerged.

The light green elixir in the air, stimulated, spun around.

Suddenly, the outermost layer of the elixir skin cracked, and a wisp of medicinal liquid seeped out.

"Is this the semi-finished spiritual fruit Pang Renxiong mentioned?"

"I don't know what kind of strange spiritual fruit the main material is, to be able to melt the medicinal power into the fruit."

These thoughts emerged in his mind, Luo Chen raised his head and opened his mouth, inhaling lightly.

That wisp of medicinal liquid, like the nectar of the gods in the sky, flowed down, falling into Luo Chen's mouth.

"One-tenth, almost there!"

Forming a seal with one hand again, the light green spiritual power threads wrapped the remaining Spirit Elixir layer by layer, so that its excess medicinal power would not volatilize in vain.

This was the wonderful use of the Heart-Mind Hand.

It could decompose various herbal medicines and also seal part of the medicinal power.

In alchemy, it has a great effect.

He didn't expect it to have an effect on the elixir of semi-finished spiritual fruit.

Separately packaging this Spirit Elixir,

Luo Chen fell into deep cultivation with the help of Calming Incense and Moon Grass.

His whole person was like a big tree, motionless.

About half an hour later, Luo Chen opened his eyes, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"Mi Shuhua did not deceive me!"

When Mi Shuhua said that the Spirit Elixir refined by the Yaowang Sect had an excellent auxiliary effect for purifying spiritual power.

Its wonderful use was no less than a complete version of a sect technique.

Now it seems, the other party underestimated the effect of the Spirit Elixir.

Just from that one operation of the Evergreen Technique, he felt that the spiritual energy absorbed, after being converted into spiritual power, was quickly purified to the extreme by the medicinal power of the Spirit Elixir.

The speed was so fast that even Luo Chen didn't expect it at all.

If it were said that in the past, the purification speed of spiritual power for ordinary loose cultivators was one, the purification speed brought by the Great Perfection Evergreen Technique was about five.

Then under the blessing of the Spirit Elixir's medicinal power, Luo Chen's purification speed reached ten!

Moreover, this speed was not just a simple increase of one time.

The purification effect of the Great Perfection Evergreen Technique only occurs when operating the technique.

But operating the Evergreen Technique once only takes half an hour.

It involves capturing external spiritual energy, pulling it into the body, absorbing and refining it, and finally purifying it.

That is to say, the time left for Luo Chen to purify is only seven or eight minutes.

In this short time, it is impossible to purify all the captured spiritual energy.

He could only leave the excess in the body and passively compress and convert it.

After multiple cultivations, a lot of unpurified spiritual power would accumulate in the body, and only after reaching the limit would the Evergreen Technique take care of these.

But now, the speed has doubled.

That is to say, within the limited time, more spiritual power can be purified.

"Just in that short time, the spiritual energy I absorbed was all converted, and there was even spare energy!"

"And this is just normal cultivation."

"If I swallow the elixir and refine it with the Evergreen Technique, wouldn't I be able to purify more?"

Thinking and doing.

Resting for a while, Luo Chen took out a Dust-Transforming Elixir and swallowed it into his abdomen.

With the help of the remaining Spirit Elixir medicinal power, Luo Chen cultivated again.

The sky broke dawn, and the morning mist dissipated.

Luo Chen flew out of the spiritual vein cave with a look of joy.

His cultivation speed, under the blessing of the Spirit Elixir, almost doubled!

If he had enough Spirit Elixir, the time he previously estimated to reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in five or six years could be shortened again.

The premise was enough!

Luo Chen's joy gradually subsided.

Spirit Elixir is not like ordinary elixirs; it is not so easy to obtain.

Even when the Spirit Medicine Pavilion was there, there was no such thing on the shelves.

Only at auctions would some occasionally leak out.

"The Spirit Elixir on hand, a total of four bottles, forty pills, one-tenth at a time. That is to say, it is barely enough for me to cultivate for about four hundred days."

"I still lack many, many Spirit Elixirs!"

"So where are they?"

Wang Yuan has a bottle, which he gave away, so naturally, he was embarrassed to ask for it back.

Moreover, he is not short of Spirit Elixir for a short time.

From a long-term perspective, he is also not short of that one or two bottles.

Therefore, he needs to find a relatively stable channel to buy.

"Stable?"

"When the order of Dahe Market was still there, there was no such thing as stable Spirit Elixir."

"Therefore, it has to fall on the channels that have this thing."

Luo Chen's eyes flickered, and he had some plans in his heart.

Since he had decided to fight and no longer drift with the tide, some things must be considered long-term.

Not just Spirit Elixir, but other things as well.

In the Luo Tian Society.

A conversation was proceeding slowly amidst the clicking of an abacus.

"Currently in the society, there are very few early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, spending only eighty low-grade spirit stones a month."

"Inside the Alchemy Hall, there are thirty mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and according to their respective positions and contributions, the salary standard fluctuates around fifty spirit stones. The monthly salary expenditure is around 1,500."

"On the Battle Hall side, it is dominated by seventh and eighth-level Qi Refining cultivators, supplemented by a small number of mid-stage elites. Their salary standard is also set by you personally, Luo Chen, one hundred per month, so the expenditure is 3,000 low-grade spirit stones."

"The Jin Tang and Merit Hall have fewer people and slightly lower realms, with an expenditure of 1,000 spirit stones last month."

Hearing this, Luo Chen's eyebrows moved slightly.

He raised his hand, and Murong Qinglian stopped playing with the abacus.

In fact, with the intelligence of cultivators, there was no need for an abacus at all.

But involving many incomes and expenditures, it still had to be combined with account books and an abacus to be clear and easy to understand.

"The treatment of the Jin Tang should be raised in the future."

"Hmm?"

Murong Qinglian was surprised, but since it was a decision made by Luo Chen, she no longer expressed doubt.

In fact, before, she didn't quite agree with the salary standard Luo Chen set for the cultivators in the society.

It wasn't too low, but too high!

Late-stage cultivators were almost all paid one hundred spirit stones a month.

You know, in the past, large sect shops only paid sixty or seventy spirit stones a month.

Considering the Battle Hall, which involved life and death, it didn't matter if it was raised a bit, but one hundred spirit stones a month was still too high.

But after the phenomenon appeared that talents from some small powers were dug away by various families and the Dajiang Gang, while few people left the Luo Tian Society, she realized how wise the high salary Luo Chen gave was.

If you don't give a high salary, even if the Luo Tian Society has no external enemies, it will gradually fall apart.

How could there be such good days where two people sit peacefully and calculate accounts.

Reality is very skinny!

Early and mid-stage cultivators have no choice, but late-stage cultivators have plenty of room for choice.

Those old people from the Poshan Gang are not like Murong Qinglian and Zeng Wen, who have extremely deep friendships with Luo Chen besides interest connections.

Just like that Li Wanchun from the Wanbao Building, there are plenty of people who want to recruit him.

"You continue!"

Luo Chen poured a cup of tea, blew on the heat, and sipped it into his mouth.

"Hmm!"

Currently in the Luo Tian Society, besides Luo Chen and Wang Yuan, there are nine ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators.

Among these nine, basically all of them hold important positions in various halls.

Therefore, their salaries once reached three hundred spirit stones a month, which is another huge expenditure.

"Finally, there is your and Caiyi's salary, which is five hundred spirit stones a month."

After a series of calculations, Murong Qinglian finally let out a long breath.

She calculated the final number for Luo Chen.

"A total of 11,700 low-grade spirit stones were spent last month."

This huge number, if taken out, would be enough to make any loose cultivator feel moved, red-eyed, and even have murderous intent.

But Luo Chen could already face it calmly.

He asked, "Currently in the society's account, how many spirit stones are there?"

"26,000 spirit stones!"

Luo Chen raised his eyebrows, "How could there be so many?"

In his calculation, there shouldn't be so many; at least it should be halved.

Murong Qinglian smoothed her hair that hung down and smiled, "You forgot, a batch of medium-grade Jade Marrow Elixirs was refined when you were still in the Poshan Gang. For that batch, we don't need to bear any costs; it's pure profit!"

"Hehe, I forgot about this matter."

Luo Chen remembered that during the Xieyue Valley battle, he specially put away that batch of Jade Marrow Elixirs.

Calculating carefully, that batch of elixirs was worth at least 15,000!

If you deduct this 15,000 that was obtained for free, the Luo Tian Society currently has a surplus of about 11,000 spirit stones a month after normal operation and deducting all expenditures.

"How do you intend to give the salary of Hall Master Wang Yuan?"

Facing this question, Luo Chen had a plan in his heart early on.

He said without hesitation, "3,000!"

"So high?" Murong Qinglian showed surprise, and her throat felt dry. "This is almost the same as the Foundation Establishment period offering of a small sect, right?"

"He is worth this treatment!"

The decisive tone made Murong Qinglian startle.

She remembered what Old Qin had said about the battle of destroying the Fu family, where Wang Yuan broke the array alone.

Finally, she nodded.

"Then let's follow the Foundation Establishment period offering standard of 3,000!"

Lowering her head, she recorded this sum in the account book.

Luo Chen watched this scene and couldn't help but feel excited; everything was moving in a good direction.

Operating the Luo Tian Society, after a month, he, the president, could net 8,000 low-grade spirit stones a month.

This benefit was truly too great!

If said out loud, it would be enough to make all Qi Refining loose cultivators, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators, red-eyed.

But in reality, this is a very normal income.

They are all medium-grade Jade Marrow Elixirs, sold for fifty spirit stones a bottle, and the gross profit is more than 20,000 every month.

He doesn't need to share it with anyone else now.

If it were according to the cooperation conditions Deacon Miao Wen reached with him at the beginning, sharing half, he would still have to take out 4,000.

Although 4,000 low-grade spirit stones a month was already two or three times more than the Poshan Gang period.

But it was still too little, not worthy of his identity as an alchemist.

8,000, not much, not little, very reasonable!

Luo Chen didn't take away all the spirit stones in the account.

He left 15,000 spirit stones as the Luo Tian Society's working capital and only took away his normal 8,000 income for this month.

After receiving this batch of spirit stones from Murong Qinglian, Luo Chen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He had already accumulated considerable family wealth, and had the contribution of Gao Tingyuan's storage bag, plus this sum of spirit stones.

His family wealth had already soared to 20,000.

This sum of spirit stones, if in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, could even be considered for buying a magic treasure.

No, perhaps some cultivators who had just entered Foundation Establishment, after spending all their family wealth, still didn't have this much savings.

Luo Chen knew how difficult loose cultivators were.

The reason why Mi Shuhua spent so much effort on him after having the Poshan Gang was nothing more than for a long-term future.

It was just that he progressed too fast, and Mi Shuhua happened to be seriously injured, so he wanted to harvest early.

Unfortunately, Mi Shuhua didn't wait for such a time to make a big profit.

Things in the world are not as people wish, and it's not just aimed at Luo Chen alone.

Among all living beings, how many can be smooth and successful?

As strong as Pang Renxiong, all...

"Calculate, Mi Shuhua, Deacon Miao Wen, Pang Renxiong, the endings are all quite miserable."

"Could I be a master-killer?"

"No, I shouldn't have a master!"

Luo Chen sneered, got up, and left.

Murong Qinglian, who remained in the room, was confused; why did Luo Chen sneer for no reason?

"Why did you pull me out?"

"Isn't there a lack of bodyguards now!"

"What about Zhou and Liu?"

"Zhou Yuanli has accumulated enough recently, and the spiritual energy of Dahe Market has become abundant again, so he plans to go into seclusion to impact the ninth level of Qi Refining."

Luo Chen stopped his steps and spread his hands, "And their strength is indeed a bit low."

"They are okay; joining forces to deal with ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining is not a problem." Wang Yuan also stopped suspiciously.

"But for the place I'm going to next, their strength is indeed not enough."

Luo Chen smiled slightly, and under Wang Yuan's gaze, he stretched out his hand and rubbed his face wildly.

A moment later, a face that was similar but not the same appeared before him.

Do you still have to disguise?

Wang Yuan was helpless, his body shook, and a burst of bone-trembling sounds erupted all over his body.

His whole person was a few inches shorter, standing shoulder to shoulder with Luo Chen, about the same height.

Wiping his face with one hand, he also disguised himself.

After being fully prepared, Luo Chen took Wang Yuan and stepped into a familiar alley.

While walking, he asked via sound transmission, "To what extent has your research on means against ghosts progressed?"

"Not perfect enough yet."

"Low-level ghosts dare not approach someone like me with vigorous blood and Qi, but in the eyes of powerful ghosts, I will instead become a sweet pastry."

"That is to say, the matter of entering the inner city to explore has to be put aside?"

"Are you in a hurry?"

Luo Chen shook his head, "I'm not in a hurry, but other powers are already organizing manpower, preparing to enter the inner city."

"Then let them take the lead!"

Wang Yuan's footsteps stopped.

Looking at the familiar entrance, he hesitated, "Zhenlong Black Market?"

Luo Chen nodded, "Times have changed; now in the Zhenlong Black Market, both you and I must be careful."

After speaking, he lifted the curtain and walked in.

Wang Yuan did not hesitate and followed in.

They gave the secret signal, showed the embroidered ball magic tool, and the two stepped into the luxurious underground hall a hundred zhang wide once again.

As soon as they stepped in, Wang Yuan tensed up.

He finally understood why Luo Chen said times had changed.

Just because in the black market at this moment, there were quite a few people exuding Foundation Establishment auras.

(End of chapter)

. ===== CHAPTER 163 =====

This was simply because, at this moment, there were already quite a few people in the black market exuding the aura of Foundation Establishment.

(End of chapter)