Chapter 582

In the Fulong Mountain Range, there are countless reclusive cultivators, and streaks of light rise and fall from time to time.

However, on this day, wherever the three streaks of light emitting a slow spiritual pressure passed, the other cultivators all avoided them.

No other reason.

These three people were each Core Formation cultivators, especially the one in the lead, whose familiar appearance made everyone who saw him greet him respectfully.

There are currently only three Eight-Star Monster Hunters in the Wan Xian Society.

These three are all powerful cultivators with cultivation bases reaching the ninth level of Core Formation and incomparably rich experience in fighting.

Not only is their strength formidable, but their status is also incomparably noble, second only to those few high and lofty Nascent Soul True Persons.

Those who can be personally entertained by the Old Angler, an Eight-Star Monster Hunter, are either outstanding in strength or newly joined Core Formation cultivators of the Wan Xian Society.

Neither of these two types is easy to deal with.

In front of a low mine cave, Duan Li hesitated.

Just as he was about to give up and head to the next cave dwelling, Luo Chen suddenly called out to him.

"This place is actually quite good."

Duan Li looked at Luo Chen hesitantly, "Qingyangzi, is there some explanation?"

Luo Chen smiled, "Although the scenery here isn't much, it hides wind and gathers Qi, and the terrain trend is clear. In my view, the spiritual energy below has accumulated for many years, just hidden and not released. If you cultivate here, it will surely aid your progress by a hundred years of effort."

Duan Li was surprised, "I didn't expect you to also have research into searching for spiritual veins and locating dragon spots."

Luo Chen shrugged, "You overestimate me; I'm just borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha."

As he spoke, he pointed to an abrupt small hilltop a few miles away, shrouded in clouds and mist, its true appearance unseen.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao Buhuan's Hengyue Cave Dwelling is over there. During those half a month on Quyang Island, he chatted with me quite a bit and mentioned the situation of the spiritual lands and cave dwellings here."

"Of course, whether you believe it or not is up to you."

"Perhaps the next one will be better!"

Duan Li hesitated for a while, and finally, under Luo Chen's sincere gaze, he nodded slightly.

Then, he walked out of the cave dwelling and told the bored Old Angler of his decision to rent this cave dwelling.

"Are you sure you want to rent this Wind-Hiding Cave?"

The Old Angler frowned and said: "Do you know that although this cave's terrain is not high, it hides several ground wind vents below? It's fine for short-term cultivation, but living here for a long time will lead to an unstable form and spirit, which is a cultivation hazard."

Duan Li hesitated again.

He subconsciously looked at Luo Chen, but this time the other party shifted his gaze away.

After thinking for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

"Let's take this one; being neighbors with Fellow Daoist Xiao Buhuan is also excellent."

The Old Angler took a serious look at Duan Li, and finally glanced at Luo Chen without leaving a trace.

He remembered that before the other party made up his mind, he subconsciously looked at Luo Chen; it seemed that the other party's choice of this excellent third-rank low-grade spiritual land was influenced by Luo Chen.

"Could it be that Qingyangzi also understands searching for spiritual veins?"

Muttering in his heart, he took a jade slip from his storage bag, recorded Duan Li's name on it, and then erased the shining light point of the Wind-Hiding Cave from the previous map.

"You can take a look around here first; if you need to set up anything, you can tell me later. The Monster Hunting Division doesn't collect rent for nothing; it will include some household cultivation magic tools and arrays."

"In that case, I thank you, Lord Old Angler."

Duan Li bowed and thanked him.

The Old Angler felt depressed and took Luo Chen away from this place.

Two streaks of light floated in the sky, moving forward slowly.

The Old Angler held the map in his hand, introducing the remaining third-rank cave dwellings to Luo Chen, occasionally specifically pointing out several forbidden areas in the Fulong Mountain Range, which were the cultivation places of the Wan Xian Society's Nascent Soul True Persons; unless one had connections, it was better for loose cultivators not to approach them at ordinary times.

Luo Chen also learned the specific number of Nascent Soul True Persons in the Wan Xian Society from his introduction.

A total of seven True Persons.

Led by the Three Great Loose Immortals!

There are three other Nascent Soul True Persons who are actually not loose cultivators; they are heroes in their own right, but joined the Wan Xian Society as loose cultivators just to huddle together for warmth.

Besides them, the other True Person is the newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator, True Person Long Yuan, whose predecessor was the only Nine-Star Monster Hunter in the Monster Hunting Division.

Upon hearing this number, Luo Chen couldn't help but ponder inwardly.

Seven Nascent Soul True Persons in the Wan Xian Society can indeed be considered a behemoth.

But compared to the twelve Flow Masters of the Demon Luo Flow and the twenty True Persons of the Canghai Alliance, it pales in comparison.

Most importantly, the total number of Nascent Soul True Persons from these three parties is too small!

Yes, in Luo Chen's view, it's a bit small.

As far as he knows, among the thirty-six domains in the Eastern Wasteland, each domain has at least one and at most several Nascent Soul True Persons sitting in charge.

The total number is enough to exceed fifty.

If one adds the Nascent Soul True Persons of unknown number in the Mingyuan Sect, this number would have to be flipped upward.

In contrast, the North Sea, which has more abundant resources, shouldn't have so few True Persons.

But in an instant, he understood the reason for the gap.

The Yuanmo Sect was destroyed!

A Soul Transformation holy land is the top power with the largest number of Nascent Soul True Persons.

Once destroyed, how many stunning Nascent Soul True Persons fell within it; this is why the high-end combat power of the North Sea decreased by more than half in an instant.

In addition, due to the geographical environment of the North Sea, powerful cultivators often live in seclusion to practice, either as heroes of one side or as hidden loose cultivators who do not ask about world affairs.

Such as Fairy Feileng and True Person Langya, whom he knew, were not counted among the three major forces before the Battle of Lengguang Island.

The Wan Xian Society was established too recently to sweep up all loose cultivators.

Calculated this way, the foundation of the North Sea cultivation world can still be called terrifying.

"The cultivation places of the Three Great Loose Immortals are all in the Fulong Mountain Range, True Person Long Yuan sits in the Long Yuan Xiancheng all year round, while the other three stay within their respective territories most of the time."

"Unless they encounter major events, they won't come up to the Fulong Mountain Range."

"You can learn about the specific situation from the Monster Hunting Division's intelligence database in the future; I won't describe it to you in detail."

The Old Angler said leisurely, looking unhurried.

Luo Chen looked at his appearance, his gaze falling on the map in the other party's hand, and he smiled inwardly.

Subsequently, his hand flickered, and a jade slip appeared, which he pushed boldly in front of the old man.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Old Angler asked, feigning surprise.

Luo Chen smiled: "I saw before that Lord Old Angler was surprised many times by the physique I obtained from body refining, so I thought you, sir, might also be quite interested in body refining. It records my own insights on body refining, plus an appended third-rank body refining cultivation technique; you can take it to contemplate, perhaps you might gain something."

"During the previous assessment mission, I was grateful for your care, sir, and for sharing your knowledge many times."

"This is a small gift from me; I hope you, sir, will not decline."

This time, the Old Angler was truly shocked!

He took the jade slip hesitantly, not opening it directly, but looking at Luo Chen seriously.

"Such a gift is worth a thousand gold; it's not a small gift at all!"

Luo Chen nodded slightly.

This was indeed not a small gift!

Even though he omitted some essential points of body refining in it, and the appended third-rank body refining technique was also one of the more superficial ones among many spoils of war.

But combined, their value was enough to exceed five hundred thousand spirit stones!

If someone could rely on the knowledge within it to practice persistently, within a hundred years, they might really have a chance to cultivate an extraordinary physique.

Especially for late-stage Core Formation cultivators!

To advance to the Nascent Soul stage, one must fuse the three treasures of essence, Qi, and spirit perfectly, reaching the level of the three flowers gathering at the crown.

And the "essence" among them refers to essence blood and physique.

Without a sufficiently tough and powerful physique, one cannot carry a Nascent Soul.

Therefore, even if a Qi Refiner does not cultivate their physique, high-level Qi Refiners will not be too weak in tempering their physique.

The Old Angler is now at the ninth level of Core Formation; it's impossible for him not to consider these details.

Seeing Luo Chen's sincerity, the Old Angler thought for a moment and still put it into his pocket.

His surprise at Luo Chen's physique several times was from the heart, but he didn't expect Luo Chen to also take it to heart, so he could cater to his preferences just right.

"You are indeed thoughtful, but this gift is too heavy; it's not something that can be mentioned in the same breath as my previous efforts. If you have any other requirements, just state them all!"

Luo Chen was not polite, pointing one hand at that map.

"I want information on third-rank mid-grade and even high-grade cave dwellings; I hope you, sir, will not hide anything!"

The Old Angler raised an eyebrow, and after carefully examining Luo Chen, he nodded slowly.

He wiped his hand.

Suddenly, on the map, spiritual light trembled, and suddenly more than a dozen bright light points were revealed.

Obviously, this was another batch of ownerless cave dwellings, and their quality was excellent, even above those previously introduced to Duan Li.

Luo Chen felt relieved inwardly.

Sure enough, this old guy was someone who wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the rabbit.

Duan Li didn't send a gift, so the other party only introduced basic information, and held back the better cave dwellings.

Most of the cave dwellings visited before were inferior, and the Wind-Hiding Cave recommended by Luo Chen, although flawed, was already the best among them.

His judgment was correct!

"Qingyangzi, I must remind you."

The Old Angler patted the map and said solemnly: "The quality of this batch of cave dwellings is good, but the rent is not something an ordinary loose cultivator can bear."

Luo Chen smiled: "Isn't there the star-level discount for Monster Hunters? Besides, there's you, sir..."

The Old Angler shook his head, "Even with the discount, it's outrageously expensive. The pricing of these cave dwellings is set by the True Persons; I cannot give you any more discounts. Forget it, let me take you to see them first!"

Magic power surged, and the auspicious cloud suddenly accelerated.

The Old Angler was not at all worried about whether Luo Chen could keep up with him.

Under his guidance, Luo Chen began to browse the truly high-quality cave dwellings in the Fulong Mountain Range.

In the middle of the night, the cold was intense.

On a vast lake covered in mist, two figures stood for a long time.

"Are you sure you want to rent this place?"

"Why not?"

"You've seen the information recorded on the map. Although this Penghu has three low-grade spiritual veins and twenty-seven second-rank spiritual veins, their trend is scattered and doesn't form a major climate. The reason it is ranked as a top-tier cave dwelling is actually because of its vast geographical area, which can serve as the foundation for a sect or family. Although the Wan Xian Society is dominated by loose cultivators, loose cultivators are also people who need to consider passing on their lineage; this piece of cave dwelling is actually prepared for those people. If you really have this financial strength, why not choose the other two third-rank mid-grade cave dwellings I recommended to you? Not only is the spiritual energy concentration higher, but the price is also cheaper."

Luo Chen gazed at this eight-hundred-mile Penghu, and finally his gaze fell on the island in the center of Penghu.

This landscape was somewhat like his own cave dwelling on the Feiyan Archipelago.

Ten miles of calm lake, a small island inviting the moon.

It's just that the area is dozens of times larger.

It can indeed serve as the foundation for a sect or family!

His expression was firm, "Let's take this one; my mind is made up."

Seeing the Old Angler hesitate, he suddenly smiled: "I have a method to gather veins and raise their rank; to me, the value of this place is no less than a third-rank high-grade, so you, sir, need not worry."

The Old Angler was stunned, "A method to gather veins and raise their rank? Isn't that a secret technique that only Nascent Soul upper sects can master?"

This time, Luo Chen smiled without saying a word.

The Old Angler couldn't ask too much; after all, he had already accepted the gift, and asking more would be impolite.

But at the end, he still gave a special reminder.

"You are not the only one who has taken a fancy to this place, it's just that they are limited by financial strength. If you really want to rent it, it's best to pay the five-year rent in full at once, so as to avoid the other party using this to cause trouble."

Luo Chen frowned, "Is it not possible even with your care, sir?"

The Old Angler was helpless, "There is more than one Eight-Star Monster Hunter in the Wan Xian Society."

The implication was that the person who had taken a fancy to Penghu also had an Eight-Star Monster Hunter as a backer.

Under the night sky, Luo Chen's expression became uncertain.

Finally, looking at the thin mist drifting and wandering on the lake, he still made up his mind.

"It's only five years of rent; Luo Mou still has some family wealth!"

The Old Angler nodded inwardly.

Ordinary loose cultivators don't have such strong financial strength!

Sure enough, this Qingyangzi is that legendary Qingyang Demon Lord.

Only after killing several cultivators of the same rank, including many masters of one side, and seizing a large amount of spoils of war, could one have such wealth.

At the same time, only such a powerful demonic cultivator would dare not fear an enemy with an Eight-Star Monster Hunter as a backer.

Thinking for a moment, he added: "Don't worry, if anyone competes with you, they can only come in person. As for their backer, I will naturally mediate for you."

After all, he had accepted the gift.

This was an unexpected joy.

Luo Chen bowed, "In that case, I thank you, Fellow Daoist."

Three days later.

In the Fulong Mountain Range, on the eight-hundred-mile Penghu.

Three figures arrived flickeringly.

Wen Xiu, whose figure was becoming increasingly rounded, looked at the vast lake that seemed to have no end, and hadn't woken up from her shock even after her feet touched the ground.

It wasn't until several orders reached her ears that she slowly came to her senses.

"Tianxuan, have you remembered the contents of the list? Don't miss a single item."

"Don't be stingy with the one million spirit stones given to you; try your best to buy finished array flags."

"If the shops in the city cannot supply them, take my Monster Hunter waist token and go to the Monster Hunting Division to buy them in bulk."

"I want to gather the spiritual energy here to achieve a third-rank high-grade spiritual land to assist my full-speed cultivation!"

Wen Xiu looked at Tianxuan, who was respectful in front of Luo Chen, and couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

Master Qingyang is truly generous!

He doesn't act unless he has to, but once he does, he rents such a vast area of spiritual land as a cultivation dojo.

Even though she had seen many Core Formation cultivators throughout her life following her husband, she had never seen such an imposing existence.

Luo Chen stepped on the solid Penghu Island, his eyes filled with contemplation.

The rent for the Penghu spiritual land is nominally three million a year, and after the discount for a four-star Monster Hunter, it is still one million eight hundred thousand a year.

Five years, that's nine million!

This almost swallowed up more than half of his seventeen million eight hundred thousand in cash flow.

And this is only for five years.

After five years, he will have to renew the fee. He must consider the issue of subsequent spirit stone income.

At the same time, five years is a very subtle number.

The frequency of mission acceptance for Core Formation Monster Hunters is once every three to five years.

Setting a five-year period is to consider that if a Core Formation Monster Hunter like them unfortunately falls in a mission, they won't waste too much capital.

And the high rental price of spiritual land and the low discount rate force low-star Monster Hunters to actively accept harsh missions to upgrade their star level.

"These Nascent Soul True Persons are truly not to be trifled with; they have considered every aspect."

After a sigh, Luo Chen stood by the Penghu lakeside.

He opened his mouth and spat out a small gray round tripod, which then grew in the wind, reaching a size of a hundred feet.

Such a behemoth attracted Wen Xiu's gaze in the first instance.

The next moment, a deafening dragon roar sounded.

A giant dragon, sixty feet long and as wide as a mountain ridge, broke through the air, stretching its sturdy body in mid-air.

"Old Black is suffocating!"

The black dragon roared, then shook its head and tail, landing at the feet of the man who collected the small tripod.

Looking at the small figure in front of him, he lowered his head and bowed, "Black King greets Master!"

Luo Chen nodded calmly, "Go, from now on this Penghu is your home. Without my permission, no outsiders are allowed to enter."

Black King looked back at the endless, vast lake that he couldn't see the end of, excitement appearing in his eyes.

"Obey!"

After speaking, he dived into the big lake, splashing countless waves.

Wen Xiu watched this scene blankly, feeling that her heart had been impacted again.

Under Master Qingyang's command, besides the stunning Core Formation female cultivator Tianxuan, there was actually a third-rank mid-stage Demon King spiritual pet!

While shocked, a gentle voice reached her ears.

"Wen Xiu, I heard from Little Zhang before that you want to establish a family and spread your branches and leaves, right!"

Wen Xiu nodded blankly.

"I imagine establishing a cultivation family is quite difficult, especially needing a piece of high-quality spiritual land."

Luo Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes warm.

"You have a connection with me; why not choose a second-rank spiritual land here on the eight-hundred-mile Penghu to establish the Zhang family."

The woman was at a loss.

But it was clear that Luo Chen's tone was not just an inquiry, but also had a sense of command.

"Tianxuan, while you have time, take Wen Xiu for a tour!"

Tianxuan took the order and took the bewildered woman around the eight-hundred-mile Penghu for a quick tour.

After they all left, Luo Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief and took out a piece of black wood from his body.

"Senior, I will have to trouble you with the matter of gathering veins and raising the rank."

Han Zhan's helpless voice came from inside, "You kid, knowing that I've been busy cultivating secret techniques and modifying the Soul-Nurturing Wood, you still insist on troubling me."

Luo Chen said nicely: "There's no other way; among those I know, only you, Senior, have this ability. I have already asked Tianxuan to prepare the corresponding array tools; the rest depends on your methods, Senior."

Ordinary sects don't have such means.

But Han Zhan is different.

The Luoyun Sect he was in before was an existence that successfully applied for the opening war and obtained the qualification to establish a Nascent Soul upper sect.

Many secret techniques unknown to loose cultivators were bestowed by the Mingyuan Sect.

Among them are means for making regulated spirit stones, raising spiritual vein ranks, gathering veins to raise ranks, and establishing large immortal cities.

The super immortal city in the Xiaoyue Mountain Range—the Moon-Breaking Xiancheng—is a clear, ready-made example.

Han Zhan is not allowed to pass on these means, but setting them up personally is no problem.

Luo Chen can be considered to have taken a big advantage.

Facing Luo Chen's shameless request, Han Zhan had already agreed before, but before starting, he still asked for the God-Sealing Luo Pan from Luo Chen.

This treasure can serve as the foundation for the array.

After Han Zhan drove the Soul-Nurturing Wood, took the God-Sealing Luo Pan, left Penghu Island, and began to observe the trend of the local spiritual veins, Luo Chen showed a relieved smile.

Walking leisurely on the solid ground like a stroll, he looked around and muttered to himself.

"Years of running around, cultivation delayed, resulting in a cultivation base crawling like a turtle, still stuck at the fourth level of Core Formation."

"Now, I have finally obtained a temporary place of rest."

"Next, it should be a stage of accumulating and waiting for the right moment."

As he spoke, Luo Chen walked toward the depths of Penghu Island.

Under the mist and water smoke, the red-robed Daoist's figure became increasingly blurred, finally disappearing without a trace.

(End of chapter)