"For just a modest sum of spirit stones, I'll take them out for you!"
The simple, kindhearted Luo Chen.
Upon hearing these casual, unabashedly murderous words, his innocent heart received quite a tremendous shock.
Were people in Tianlan Immortal City really this wild and uninhibited?
He couldn't resist asking, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a grudge against them?"
Chu Kui blinked. "No past enmity, no current grievance."
"Then why..."
"Bah! Isn't this just addressing what people urgently need, providing what they require? Fellow Daoist Luo, don't you have a need for this kind of service?"
Chu Kui thumped his broad chest and said with utmost confidence, "Leave this matter to me, and you'll have nothing to worry about!"
Luo Chen shook his head.
He was far from reaching the point of taking up arms against those two factions.
In fact, under Sima Huiniang's efforts, the relationship between the Geng family and the Luotian Association had already eased considerably.
Before long, the other party would move back into Biyou Valley.
As for the Divine Craft Sect, it was nothing more than a minor matter of losing some face.
If something like that warranted going to war, then cultivators might as well quit cultivating and spend every day flushed with anger, blasting each other with magical instruments.
Naturally, the vigilance that ought to be kept still had to be maintained.
Currently, the Luotian Association was in a state where everything waited to be rebuilt and rejuvenated, a time to recuperate and gather strength.
As long as they weathered this recent period, the Luotian Association could truly take root in Tianlan Immortal City.
Lightly stirring up war?
Extremely foolish!
Seeing Luo Chen shake his head, Chu Kui could not hide his utter disappointment.
Catching that disappointed look in his eyes, Luo Chen could not help feeling curious. "Since you are so... chivalrous, Fellow Daoist Chu, surely there are many people in Tianlan Immortal City who need your help! Why seek out only my Luotian Association?"
Chu Kui replied as if it were only natural, "Because I felt you could afford my price, of course!"
Luo Chen's eyes flashed.
Chu Kui chuckled and poured them both another cup of Taibai wine.
"It's not that I went out of my way to pry, but your wealth, Fellow Daoist, is nowhere near as shabby as others might think."
"Oh? How can you tell?"
Chu Kui pointed beneath their feet, then toward the mountainside above.
"Renting a Tier 2 immortal cave right upon arriving in Tianlan, and even seeking out an Ice Fort cultivator to make an advance booking for a top-grade Tier 2 immortal cave—that isn't how some broke cultivator from out of town behaves."
"Some might think you're putting on airs."
"Not me! After all, someone who can casually lease Danxia Peak for ten years must have very deep pockets."
Luo Chen nodded with understanding.
He knew that his series of actions upon arriving in Tianlan Immortal City were not hidden.
With even a bit of deliberate inquiry, anyone could find out.
This went against his personal maxim of not flaunting wealth.
However, he was not alone; he led an organization, and he had displayed remarkable strength.
Only by possessing both wealth and power could he and the Luotian Association face fewer obstacles during their initial growth.
Managing an organization and traveling alone as an independent cultivator required fundamentally different mindsets.
The latter called for extreme caution, prioritizing survival above all else.
The former, however, was best served by bold, sweeping moves where interests came first.
Only by projecting sufficient power could one earn the respect of others.
What puzzled Luo Chen was: "Since you have no enmity or grudge with the Divine Craft Sect, why didn't you go find them? And then turn around to deal with my Luotian Association?"
"Pfft!"
Chu Kui scoffed.
"Those paupers can't afford my fee."
Luo Chen grew intrigued.
He smiled and asked, "May I ask what Fellow Daoist Chu's fee schedule looks like?"
"Simple!"
A golden gleam flared in Chu Kui's eyes.
"For dealing with a faction made up of early Foundation Establishment cultivators like the Divine Craft Sect—one hundred thousand! For just a hundred thousand spirit stones, I'll take action once on your behalf."
"If it's against a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, two hundred thousand!"
"I also take orders on late-stage cultivators. However, the specific price has to be negotiated based on the specifics—for instance, whether the target possesses some formidable magic treasure, whether they have a powerful backing, and so on."
"In short, as long as the spirit stones are in place, any enemy will be utterly crushed!"
Luo Chen was stunned.
Was the business of taking assassination contracts categorized so meticulously?
And what was more!
Wasn't this price a bit outrageous?
One hundred thousand, two hundred thousand—how many years would ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators without powerful trade skills have to scrape together before they could amass that kind of sum?
Drinking a cup of wine, Luo Chen swallowed hard.
Setting down his cup, he asked, "May I ask what you usually do for a living, Fellow Daoist?"
Chu Kui sighed and said gloomily, "What else could I do? I don't have any specialized crafts; I've only achieved a bit of skill in the way of combat. So normally, I just rely on rewards from the Dao Discussion Platform, serve as an enshrinement elder for a few minor cultivation clans, and occasionally pick up some commission requests to scrape by!"
"Alas, every bit of it is hard-earned sweat and blood!"
Luo Chen nodded in genuine agreement.
Yes, hard-earned sweat and blood.
You sweat, and others bleed.
Chu Kui also recognized that Luo Chen was not the type whose mind was consumed with killing and fighting.
Today's business definitely wasn't going through.
However, having treated the man to Tier 2 spirit wine, forging a good connection was still essential.
"Developing an organization isn't like wandering as an independent cultivator like us; there are just too many facets involved."
"Trouble is bound to crop up down the road."
"I hope that when the time comes, Fellow Daoist will remember me."
"The same words hold true: with spirit stones in place, everything gets crushed!"
Luo Chen naturally agreed.
Getting to know an individual who could be considered a supreme expert even among the Foundation Establishment stage was undeniably of great benefit to him.
Besides, the man wanted nothing else—only spirit stones.
Problems that spirit stones could solve were not problems.
Once his pill business was on track, Luo Chen would soon have no shortage of spirit stones.
Just as Luo Chen was about to say more, he noticed Chu Kui turn his head to look in a certain direction.
Sensing something, Luo Chen looked over at the same time.
In the next moment,
clouds and mist suddenly scattered, and water vapor surged outward.
A sharp, newly born aura abruptly burst out from lower down the mountainside.
Beside him came Chu Kui's surprised gasp.
"Which lucky fellow has advanced to Foundation Establishment to join our ranks?"
Luo Chen rose abruptly to his feet.
"My apologies, but our little drink ends here today."
Chu Kui raised his eyebrows, immediately realizing what was happening.
"Then until another day, when fate brings us together again."
"Certainly, and next time, I'll be the host!"
Cupping his hands, Chu Kui glanced once more at the immortal cave where the aura was surging upward, summoned a white cloud, and departed Luo Chen's cave.
Once he had gone,
Luo Chen looked toward the recessed cliffside cave diagonally below with an air of anticipation.
It was Duan Feng!
Just moments ago, the other man had clearly emitted the aura of the Foundation Establishment stage.
This meant that he had reached the very final stage of the realm breakthrough.
At this juncture, disturbances were the absolute worst thing that could happen.
Yet Tianlan Peak was teeming with cultivators.
As a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, Chu Kui had noticed it immediately.
Luo Chen's divine soul foundation was very strong, and being close by, he had sensed it quickly as well.
Now, as the aura spread, more and more people noticed that Duan Feng was undergoing Foundation Establishment.
Streaks of spiritual sense swept out unscrupulously, trying to pinpoint the exact location.
Luo Chen's brows furrowed. Without turning his head, he called out,
"Xiao Ling, guard the cave!"
Then, leaping forward, he landed outside Duan Feng's immortal cave in the blink of an eye.
Without any concealment, he released the well-tempered, smoothly contained spiritual power fluctuations of his Foundation Establishment cultivation.
His keen eyes swept across all directions.
"Fellow Daoists, there is nothing to see."
"By order of the immortal city, no one is permitted to disrupt the cultivation of any cultivator on Tianlan Peak."
"Please withdraw!"
Following his open spiritual sense transmission, the probing senses paused briefly before retreating one after another.
Just as Luo Chen said,
fighting was forbidden on Tianlan Peak as well.
If anyone violated the ban, no matter which of the seven sects was currently on duty in Tianlan Immortal City, severe punishment would follow without mercy.
They were merely curious.
There was no need to invite trouble just out of curiosity.
Feeling all the spiritual senses recede like the tide, Luo Chen let out a sigh of relief.
Even with his powerful divine soul foundation, under the gaze of so many spiritual senses, he had felt immense pressure.
Among them, there was no lack of mid, and even late, Foundation Establishment figures!
Turning around,
Luo Chen looked at Duan Feng's cave and resisted the urge to go inside and look.
During a breakthrough, disturbances were strictly taboo.
Even when he himself had established his foundation back then, when Nangong Jin tried to seek him out, Wang Yuan had stopped him in person.
Now the times had changed, and circumstances were different.
It was his turn to act as Duan Feng's protector.
"It should be soon, right?"
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen set up a defensive formation outside the cave, just in case.
...
Three days later!
A long whistle suddenly shattered the silence, then was immediately cut short, leaving no lingering echo.
Inside Duan Feng's immortal cave.
Two figures sat facing each other.
Looking at Duan Feng across from him, whose aura was sharp and whose spiritual power fluctuations rose and receded like waves—surging one moment and pulling back the next—Luo Chen smiled with gratification.
"Congratulations, Little Duan, Fellow Daoist!"
Duan Feng had initially intended to put on a dignified front and utter a deeply moved "Fellow Daoist" to Luo Chen.
In the end, that "Little Duan" nearly made him break his composure.
Shaking his head, he still broke into a smile.
"Finally established my foundation!"
His words carried deep sighs and lamentations.
It felt as though those few words encompassed all the hardships of the journey.
Luo Chen poured a cup of spirit wine for him personally to offer congratulations.
After clinking cups, Duan Feng said with lingering emotion, "Foundation Establishment was actually this arduous. If you hadn't simulated it for me before I went into seclusion, I might have failed at the step of gathering the surging spiritual power to liquefy it."
Luo Chen naturally knew how difficult Foundation Establishment was.
Back then, he had relied entirely on sheer willpower, grinding through step by step.
While the hardships varied from person to person, those with poor aptitude always faced far greater difficulty.
Suddenly,
Duan Feng stood up.
"Hmm?"
To Luo Chen's surprise, the other man stepped away from the stone table and bowed deeply toward him.
"Along this journey, thank you for your constant support. I, Duan Feng, am endlessly grateful!"
Luo Chen's mouth opened slightly, then he grinned.
"You rascal!"
In the end, he did not dodge aside.
Instead, he openly and calmly accepted the bow.
"What do you plan to do next?"
Duan Feng pondered and said, "Cultivation techniques aren't an issue; I just need to follow the proper steps and practice the Foundation Establishment chapter of the Canghai Wave-Severing Art."
"For the next few years, the main priority will still be stabilizing my realm."
Luo Chen nodded. That was only natural.
Back when he had established his foundation, it took him a full three years to completely stabilize his realm.
Right now, the spiritual power fluctuations that Duan Feng could not fully control showed that his condition was not optimal.
Under such conditions, encountering battle was the most dangerous thing.
Just like Huo Hu!
Clearly having just broken through to Foundation Establishment, he had hurriedly left the Flame Alliance and audaciously sought out people to fight.
What was worse, he had even dared to deploy a magic treasure in combat.
Far too childish!
Combat strength never simply meant that having a higher cultivation realm or better weapons made one stronger than others.
Only power one could truly master counted as one's own true strength!
In this regard, Wang Yuan had done the best.
Luo Chen was also handling it impeccably now.
Even though he had numerous lethal moves, in his past battles he had consistently employed the methods he was most confident in.
He didn't mindlessly unleash the Blazing Sun Art just because it was powerful.
Any technique required the right timing and circumstances to execute.
However...
Luo Chen sighed. "Very well, then go into seclusion for a few years. As for the Artifact Hall, I'll have Liu Qiang and your apprentices keep a closer eye on it."
He sighed because the Luotian Association was short on manpower.
Yet in the face of Duan Feng stabilizing his realm, no matter how short-handed they were, everything else had to yield.
Unexpectedly,
Duan Feng chuckled.
He shook his head. "Stabilizing my realm doesn't necessarily require seclusion."
"Oh?" Luo Chen was surprised.
Duan Feng smiled. "Have you forgotten how I purified my spiritual power during the Qi Refinement stage?"
Luo Chen furrowed his brows, searching his memory.
Soon, he remembered.
In his memory, back when Duan Feng was forging implements, he used the process of hammering forging materials for magical instruments to purify his spiritual power step by step.
"Could it be that you can still use that trick after Foundation Establishment?"
Duan Feng nodded gently.
"Indeed. This is a derived method combined with my Duan family's smithing arts, which that old... old man sent someone to pass on to me."
He paused. Though his expression looked a bit unnatural, it was noticeably more open and at ease than in the past.
"I was able to successfully establish my foundation thanks to so much support from you."
"I have no other way to repay you. The Luotian Association is your life's work, so naturally I should contribute my part."
Luo Chen remarked with emotion, "Actually, there's no need to rush."
"No!"
Duan Feng disagreed. "Though you might not place much importance on the Artifact Hall, over the past full year, I've found that it actually has great prospects for development."
"If managed well, it can also bring in substantial profits for the Luotian Association."
"Besides, after Foundation Establishment, the demand for resources increases drastically."
"Now that I've established my foundation, I can't just keep waiting around for you to hand out miraculous spirit pills to me!"
That last line was delivered in a teasing, bantering tone.
Luo Chen couldn't help laughing as well.
Indeed, he wasn't some babysitter.
If the Artifact Hall could get up and running, in the future it would become a third source of revenue alongside the Pill Hall and the Medicine Hall, which managed hundreds of spirit fields.
Walking on three legs was always better than walking on one or two.
As the master of the Artifact Hall, the share of spirit stones Duan Feng could receive would also increase substantially.
"Oh, right!"
Suddenly,
Duan Feng flipped his palm, and two spheres appeared in his hand.
The spheres were silvery-white, and the silvery material atop them churned and flowed like liquid.
Seeing the two spheres, Luo Chen's heart stirred.
"Are you sure?"
Duan Feng nodded solemnly. "Certain. These two objects are indeed magic treasure embryos!"
As he spoke, his breath grew audibly heavier by several degrees.
Not just him—
even Luo Chen, who had been mentally prepared, couldn't help pursing his lips tightly.
Chapter 240