There was no mistake—definitely no mistake!
The dilapidated mega-city before him was indeed the once-renowned Longyuan Immortal City.
Back when the Yuan Demon Sect still stood, it had been one of the brightest jewels among its sect properties.
It was said that in those days, high-tier cultivators came and went like drifting clouds, and the powerful gathered here like dragons coiled in the deep, beyond count.
The reason it had fallen to its present state lay in that great war a century ago.
Following the collapse of the Yuan Demon Sect, Blood Sanren was the first to strike, heading personally to Longyuan and forcefully executing a Nascent Soul Perfected Person stationed here.
Though that battle had lasted only a brief moment, its destructive force had been devastating, reducing nearly half of Longyuan City to ruins.
Over the century since, the cultivators of the Myriad Immortals Association had continually rebuilt, gradually restoring it to what it was today.
Yet rogue cultivators were creatures of habit—mending patches here and there without the overall planning of a top-tier great sect. Wherever something was needed, they repaired only that.
Moreover, reconstructing a super-city of this scale required at least a Tier-4 formation master to oversee the entire picture!
Among rogue cultivators, there was no shortage of people proficient in other auxiliary crafts, but when it came to formations, they were few and far between.
A Tier-4 formation master?
At least for now, no one had heard of such a figure among the rogue cultivators of the Northern Sea.
Add to that the Three Sanren leading the Myriad Immortals Association rarely managed affairs at all—elusive as divine dragons whose heads were seen but never their tails—with only Moon Sanren making slightly more frequent appearances.
All of this had resulted in what was supposed to be the association's capital turning into the unassuming, unglamorous sight it was today.
"Don't worry, Master. Though Longyuan City looks battered and dilapidated on the outside, it is fully equipped within, with facilities of every size and purpose," Zhang Jiadi consoled him.
Luo Chen surveyed his surroundings. Looking upon the bustling streets with people streaming to and fro and the unfamiliar storefronts lining the avenues, his heart settled slightly.
It seemed he had jumped to conclusions.
"As for spiritual grounds and cave dwellings, Longyuan City's spirit vein was damaged in that clash between Nascent Soul Perfected Persons. Even though experts were later hired to repair it, they only managed to restore a single Tier-4 cave dwelling. The rest of the spiritual energy remained uncontained, blanketing the whole city and forming scattered Tier-2 cave dwellings."
Luo Chen frowned. "Then how are Golden Core cultivators like us supposed to cultivate?"
Facing this question, Zhang Jiadi calmly pointed toward a distant direction.
Luo Chen looked up. Across the towering city walls, he could faintly make out an expansive mountain range winding and undulating in the distance.
"What is that place?"
"The Dragon Taming Mountain Range!"
With a touch of envy in his eyes, Zhang Jiadi said, "That was once the site of an external palace belonging to the Yuan Demon Sect. Several Tier-4 spirit veins crisscross within the mountains, making it a true cultivation haven for immortals. Most of the high-tier rogue cultivators in our Myriad Immortals Association, as well as Three-Star Demon Hunters and above, choose to cultivate there."
At these words, the stone weighing on Luo Chen's heart finally dropped.
It was a major power, after all; if it didn't even possess a proper spiritual ground of its own, that would be far too disgraceful.
Yet according to Zhang Jiadi's description, the Dragon Taming Mountain Range contained several Tier-4 spirit veins, and it had merely been an external palace of the Yuan Demon Sect?
If such a spiritual ground were in the Eastern Desolation, those Nascent Soul sects would fight tooth and nail over it!
Luo Chen could only marvel at how fabulously wealthy a Soul Formation sacred ground had been.
Merely a few peripheral scraps had become the foundation for the Myriad Immortals Association.
Presumably, the other leftovers scattered across the Northern Sea had also left everyone gorged to overflowing!
*I must definitely go to this Dragon Taming Mountain Range,*
Luo Chen thought to himself. Afterward, he followed Zhang Jiadi and his wife to their residence in Longyuan City.
It was a modest two-courtyard compound, decorated quite tastefully inside. It wasn't nearly as shabby as they had made it sound!
After all, Zhang Jiadi was a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
Even as a rogue cultivator, he wouldn't fare too poorly.
What was more, the private trade this couple conducted brought in far more than ordinary rogue cultivators earned, so maintaining a property like this in Longyuan City was hardly a strain.
Upon returning home, Zhang Jiadi immediately offered his personal cultivation room to Luo Chen.
However, Luo Chen declined.
In the end, it was merely the difference between Tier-2 mid-grade and low-grade; to him, there was hardly any distinction.
That evening, the couple specially hosted a banquet to welcome Luo Chen and Tianxuan.
During the meal, Luo Chen inquired extensively about Longyuan City and the Dragon Taming Mountain Range.
"The City Lord of Longyuan is that rumored Nine-Star Demon Hunter. After advancing to the Nascent Soul stage fifty years ago, he has been in secluded cultivation inside the city's Tier-4 cave dwelling, supposedly consolidating his new realm."
"His true name cannot be verified. The Daoist title he used as a demon hunter was Longyuanzi, which seems like an alias he casually took up after seeing Longyuan City."
"It is precisely because he holds the fort here that Longyuan City can stand tall in the Northern Sea as the main city of the Myriad Immortals Association even without a defensive grand array."
"As for the Dragon Taming Mountain Range, the conditions to settle there are quite stringent."
"An ordinary rogue cultivator, even one at the Golden Core stage, must take part in three Three Oceans Campaigns before qualifying. And that is merely the qualification—the spirit stones required to lease a dwelling there are an astronomical sum. I've heard that even the poorest pseudo-Tier-3 cave dwelling costs five hundred thousand spirit stones a year. A cultivator at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment working tirelessly to hunt demon beasts for a whole year could barely earn that much, and would even have to supplement it with their own craft earnings."
"As for the Tier-3 low-grade cave dwellings that are standard for Golden Core cultivators, the price starts at seven hundred thousand spirit stones. Mid-grade doubles that, and a high-grade cave dwelling requires a whopping three million spirit stones a year—completely out of reach for ordinary rogue cultivators."
"Of course, there are many experts cultivating in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range right now. As far as I know, there are well over a hundred Golden Core cultivators alone! Tsk-tsk, to tell the truth, when I first heard that the Myriad Immortals Association had so many Golden Core rogue cultivators, I was astonished too."
"Husband, you're looking at it the wrong way," his Dao companion, Wen Xiu, chimed in, supplementing his words from time to time. "In truth, more than half of those Golden Core Masters weren't born rogue cultivators to begin with. Over the past century, due to various reasons—either their sects were destroyed or their clans fell into ruin, coupled with the oppression of major powers—they had no way to survive, so they came to the Myriad Immortals Association to eke out an existence."
Luo Chen had been quite surprised at first, but with Wen Xiu's explanation, he could understand.
There was a ready-made example right before him!
Yan Nantian!
He hadn't been a rogue cultivator either; he had hailed from the Yan Clan of Laoyan Island. After the clan was destroyed by the Moluo Stream, he was forced into exile across the Northern Sea cultivation world.
His end had been miserable, though.
A place like the Flying Swallow Archipelago was secluded, but lacked the protection of a major faction. In the end, Luo Chen had come knocking at his door, leaving him nowhere to run in a wretched demise.
Looking at it from the opposite perspective, for someone in Yan Nantian's predicament, the Myriad Immortals Association would have been a far better refuge.
With this example in mind, Luo Chen understood why the association possessed such a massive number of Golden Core rogue cultivators.
Wen Xiu poured wine for Luo Chen and Zhang Jiadi, sat down, and explained further, "Furthermore, those hundred-plus Golden Core cultivators of the association aren't all cultivating in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range. Some are stationed across other islands belonging to the association. For instance, on Thousand Stars Island along the route we took, there are three Golden Cores stationed on permanent rotation."
Luo Chen nodded in understanding, then asked in puzzlement, "According to what you've said, with lease prices in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range so exorbitant, how could these people sustain it year after year?"
Zhang Jiadi smiled faintly.
"Could it be that Master has forgotten the privileges of Star Demon Hunters I mentioned earlier?"
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. "Do the discounts you spoke of apply to cave dwelling rental prices as well?"
Zhang Jiadi nodded, taking out his Two-Star waist token.
"Indeed. What I said earlier applies to ordinary rogue cultivators, but for Star Demon Hunters, there is a separate standard."
"The star rank corresponds to a discount!"
"A One-Star Demon Hunter receives a ten percent reduction on cave dwelling rent."
"A Nine-Star Demon Hunter receives a ninety percent reduction."
Luo Chen furrowed his brow, then quickly grasped the phrasing. By his usual reckoning of discounts, the percentage paid was inverted:
One star meant paying ninety percent, while nine stars meant paying only ten percent!
Ten percent of the original price!
Luo Chen felt a surge of excitement. If he truly became a Nine-Star Demon Hunter, wouldn't renting a Tier-3 low-grade cave dwelling cost just several tens of thousands of spirit stones a year? Even a Tier-3 high-grade cave dwelling, the dream of Golden Core cultivators, would cost a mere three hundred thousand a year.
As long as a Golden Core cultivator wasn't utterly incompetent, they could easily come up with that sum.
And how could anyone capable of becoming a Nine-Star Demon Hunter be incompetent?
*The Myriad Immortals Association binds so many resources so deeply to the Star Demon Hunter ranks!*
*It seems that if I want to save money, I must become a Star Demon Hunter.*
Luo Chen weighed the matter in his mind.
He currently possessed immense wealth, with eighteen million spirit stones in 'cash' alone, not to mention various miscellaneous resources.
Yet before such exorbitant rental rates, even this massive fortune would eventually run dry.
Only by securing 'local registration' could he sustain his normal cultivation going forward.
*Indeed, no matter where you go, real estate is always the most lucrative business. Even being a landlord collecting rent yields boundless wealth.*
After sighing with emotion, Luo Chen rose from the table, bringing the welcoming banquet to an end.
Returning to his room, he did not rest immediately.
Instead, he requested the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from Tianxuan and inspected it.
Han Zhan was still busy.
Ever since Luo Chen had purged the foul baleful energy from the Soul Nourishing Wood, Han Zhan had been tirelessly treating the item.
According to him, once it was ready, he could bid farewell to the Ten Thousand Soul Banner entirely and lodge his soul body inside the Soul Nourishing Wood.
After all, there were too many yin souls in the banner; residing there for an extended period carried the risk of being assimilated.
The Soul Nourishing Wood was the most suitable sanctuary for a remnant soul.
In a century or two, he might even restore his Nascent Soul to its original state without a physical body!
Seeing that Han Zhan showed no sign of stirring, Luo Chen retrieved the Soul Nourishing Wood from the banner and handed it to Tianxuan.
"I've been lacking a handy magical treasure lately, so I'll keep the Ten Thousand Soul Banner for my own use for now. Keep Senior Han's Soul Nourishing Wood on your person!"
Tianxuan found it a bit strange that her master and Senior Han, who had always been inseparable, were parting ways today without notifying the other.
However, it was her master's command, so she dared not pry.
After Tianxuan left with the Soul Nourishing Wood, Luo Chen let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.
It was as though, in that single instant, some heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
***
The following day.
Early in the morning, Luo Chen and Zhang Jiadi hurried out, returning only around noon.
He had completed his registration with the Myriad Immortals Association, officially becoming a rogue cultivator under its banner and qualifying for its protection.
Not only that, but he had also registered as a Star Demon Hunter.
"Next, Master only needs to wait for Longyuan City to issue your assessment mission."
"You must be quite familiar with the assessment missions. Tell me about them."
Zhang Jiadi cleared his throat and explained in detail.
The assessment missions for Star Demon Hunters had only been refined over the past few decades.
In the beginning, there were no assessment missions; anyone who registered immediately became a One-Star Demon Hunter.
Later, however, it was discovered that some rogue cultivators lacked any drive after registering. They used the status of a One-Star Demon Hunter to dodge wartime drafts for the Three Oceans Defensive Line while exploiting the association's perks to the fullest. From then on, the Demon Hunting Bureau under the association began adding rules and closing loopholes one by one.
"Actually, Master need not worry. One-star assessment missions are not difficult at all."
"Either you escort and transport some goods over short distances, or you hunt down a few Tier-2 demon beasts, and you'll pass."
"In the past, people even spent spirit stones to have others complete the missions for them. It was only recently that inspectors were appointed to accompany and oversee the mission process."
"With Master's capabilities, a mere one-star mission will be as easy as turning over your hand!"
Luo Chen felt relieved upon hearing this.
If it was merely hunting a few low-tier demon beasts, he was thoroughly practiced and had nothing to worry about.
Returning to the courtyard, only he and Zhang Jiadi were present; Tianxuan and Wen Xiu were nowhere to be seen.
Luo Chen was not puzzled.
Before leaving this morning, Tianxuan had mentioned that she would have Wen Xiu show her around Longyuan City to familiarize herself with the local environment.
That way, it would be easier for her to handle matters for Luo Chen in the future.
With no one else around, Zhang Jiadi felt somewhat uneasy being alone with another grown man.
Luo Chen suddenly asked, "How many months has it been?"
Zhang Jiadi blinked in surprise, then a trace of warmth touched the corners of his mouth. "Five months already. It just doesn't show much yet."
"What about the future? What are your plans? You must have thought about it."
The warmth at Zhang Jiadi's lips faded slightly, and his tone grew somber. "I have. I was born a rogue cultivator, but Ah Xiu used to come from a cultivation clan, so she understands more. In this day and age, protecting a child so they can grow up safely... relying solely on the two of us would mean watching over them day and night, or disaster will strike sooner or later."
"Her idea is to establish a cultivation clan, recruit low-tier cultivators as vassals, and have the clan escort the child through life."
"My aptitude isn't very good, and I am getting on in years; I have no hope of advancing to the Golden Core stage in this lifetime. Therefore, as long as one doesn't reach four stars, there is practically no difference between three stars and two stars for a demon hunter."
"Because of that, I gave up on advancing my star rank and chose instead to secretly sell off most of my hunting spoils in private to acquire more spirit stones."
"These spirit stones are the capital for founding our clan in the future."
At this point, he looked cautiously at Luo Chen.
"Master, regarding this matter, I hope you can keep it confidential for me."
If word got out that he had broken the rules and disposed of hunting spoils privately, he would face severe punishment from the Demon Hunting Bureau, and might even lose his life.
He couldn't afford any mishaps, because he had an unborn child waiting for him.
Previously, this had been a tacit understanding between him and Luo Chen.
But after spending time together, he preferred to lay it bare and get a definitive answer, rather than living on edge every day.
Under his expectant gaze, Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Your affairs have nothing to do with me. I naturally have no reason to blab."
Then, shifting the conversation, he asked about a detail from earlier.
"Why is four stars so fundamentally different from the first three? Isn't it just a matter of discounts on resource exchanges?"
"Discounts are only one part of it." Having obtained Luo Chen's promise, Zhang Jiadi visibly relaxed. He pointed toward the Dragon Taming Mountain Range. "In truth, the grades of the cave dwellings over there are also tied to star rank. Only a Four-Star Demon Hunter can lease a pseudo-Tier-3 or higher cave dwelling. While this rule is not explicitly stated, it is an unspoken norm."
"How so?"
"The Myriad Immortals Association is, in the end, a rogue cultivator faction where the weak are prey to the strong. Internal strife here is no less fierce than in the outside world. Master has cultivated to the Golden Core realm, so you surely understand how much a cave dwelling's grade enhances one's cultivation. Especially for us Foundation Establishment cultivators: once we reach the ninth layer, if we wish for a smoother core formation, it is best to first adapt to the spiritual energy environment of a pseudo-Tier-3 spiritual land. But pseudo-Tier-3 spiritual lands are so precious that thousands of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators have their eyes on them. Without sufficient strength, there will be an endless stream of enemies coveting, challenging, and even seizing your spot."
Luo Chen frowned. "Doesn't the Myriad Immortals Association intervene?"
Zhang Jiadi spread his hands. "They only lease to us; why would they care about what happens afterward? Perhaps Golden Core Masters value their dignity and disdain to snatch pseudo-Tier-3 spiritual lands, but fellow ninth-layer Foundation Establishment and Great Perfection cultivators won't care about Jianghu chivalry. Under such circumstances, four stars is both a symbol of status and a display of power. Only this can cut off the covetous eyes of endless potential enemies."
Luo Chen nodded inwardly upon hearing this.
For someone at the Foundation Establishment stage to claim a demon hunter star rank typically attainable only by Golden Core cultivators, they had to be formidable indeed!
Trying to covet the cave dwelling of such a person was no different from seeking death.
"Then what about me?" Luo Chen suddenly asked.
"If I were to lease a Tier-3 high-grade cave dwelling with the status of a One-Star Demon Hunter, what would happen?"
Zhang Jiadi froze, his mind momentarily failing to catch up.
He looked cautiously at Luo Chen. "Dare I ask what Master's exact realm is?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Mid Golden Core."
A marvelous expression crossed Zhang Jiadi's face. With such a cultivation realm, he actually dared to seek a Tier-3 high-grade cave dwelling that ordinary Golden Core rogue cultivators could only dream of?
He forced a smile. "Why must Master insist? In truth, a Tier-3 low-grade or mid-grade cave dwelling should be more than enough for you..."
"No, I want a Tier-3 high-grade cave dwelling. Based on your experience and insight, analyze it for me: what situation would arise then?"
Zhang Jiadi gave a bitter smile. "What else could happen? Those whose realms are lower than yours, those whose realms are equal to yours, and even those whose realms are higher than yours but lack the financial means will swarm in. Even if Master secures a Tier-3 high-grade cave dwelling, I'm afraid you won't find a single moment of peace during your cultivation."
Luo Chen fell into thought, then slowly said, "In other words, I must first earn a star rank matching my strength—or an even higher rank—to display sufficient power outwardly before I can spare myself those troubles."
"That is indeed the case," Zhang Jiadi agreed.
Seeing that Luo Chen understood, he breathed a sigh of relief as well.
Without realizing it, alongside his initial wariness and fear toward this Golden Core cultivator who held his secret, a sense of closeness had grown.
If he truly founded a cultivation clan in the future, his Foundation Establishment cultivation alone might not be enough to protect it.
If he had this seemingly reasonable Golden Core cultivator backing him, everything would be secure.
The conversation came to an end here.
Seeing that midday had passed and Tianxuan and Wen Xiu had not yet returned, Luo Chen did not linger with Zhang Jiadi, retiring to his room to continue grappling with the Origin Core Art.
This secret technique was truly worthy of being one of the two great secret techniques among the Luoyun Sect's Three Arts and Two Techniques.
Its difficulty far exceeded that of Locking the Beaded Curtain.
Over the past six months or so, Luo Chen had failed six or seven times, nearly once every month.
It was only because the Hidden Dust Sand in his hands was of sufficiently high quality that it hadn't been ruined already.
Even so, according to Han Zhan, this batch of Hidden Dust Sand could at most endure another three or four attempts.
Any more, and even if he succeeded, the quality of his second Golden Core wouldn't be very high, and its ceiling would be glaringly limited.
He could forget about refining a second Nascent Soul after breaking through in the future.
Luo Chen had no wish to end up in such a state, so whenever he had free time recently, he spent it pondering how to make a cleaner entry into the art.
If he weren't flush with time and still waiting to settle into an appropriate cultivation environment, he would have been tempted to spend achievement points on the system to master it directly.
For now, saving wherever he could was best.
By evening, Tianxuan and Wen Xiu finally returned.
When Luo Chen emerged, Tianxuan shared her experiences of the day, mentioning that she would need to go out again tomorrow.
Luo Chen did not stop her. After all, he would be devoting most of his time to cultivation in the future; the more familiar Tianxuan was with the local lay of the land, the more she could assist him.
Not only that, but he also took out one million spirit stones from his savings and handed them to her.
"Take these!"
"What's the point of just looking without buying? You can use this to get a feel for the prices in Longyuan City."
"Keep whatever is left over so you won't need to ask me every single time you need petty amounts of spirit stones."
Overwhelmed by the favor, Tianxuan accepted the standard spirit stones, her fluttering heart finally steadying.
Time trickled by as Luo Chen chipped away at the Origin Core Art with steady, grinding effort.
Just as he was growing impatient, news finally arrived.
A voice transmission talisman flew brazenly into the Zhang family courtyard.
Luo Chen pinched it out of midair, and the divine sense embedded within echoed in his sea of consciousness:
*Meet at the Demon Hunting Bureau; the assessment mission is ready.*
Luo Chen's gaze sharpened, and he murmured, "Finally ready, is it..."
He rose to his full height, shed his white robe, and put on the third red robe that Cheng Haixin had prepared for him.
Furthermore, his long hair, left loose during quiet cultivation, was bound behind his head with a jade hairpin.
Standing before a water mirror, he looked at his reflection.
Though his ruddy red face marred his appearance somewhat, his features were defined and bold, his posture straight and tall like a verdant pine. Beneath the well-fitted, lavish red robe, a finely crafted jade belt taken as battle spoils was cinched at his waist, complemented by the hairpin in his hair. At first glance, he even cut quite an elegant figure.
This look was rather conspicuous.
It clashed entirely with the low-profile style favored by rogue cultivators.
Yet the Luo Chen in the mirror smiled with satisfaction.
In a place like the Myriad Immortals Association where the weak were meat for the strong, being conspicuous had its own benefits!
At the very least, it would spare him pointless annoyances from the weak.
Tucking the Ten Thousand Soul Banner into his storage ring, he completed his preparations.
Without bidding farewell to Zhang Jiadi and his wife, Luo Chen strode straight out of the courtyard and headed directly for the Demon Hunting Bureau in the heart of the city.
***
A cluster of neither new nor old palaces stood at the very center of Longyuan City.
Upon the main hall in the middle hung a plaque carved with three characters: *Demon Hunting Bureau*. This was the headquarters for the Star Demon Hunters of the Myriad Immortals Association!
Standing outside, Luo Chen watched an endless stream of cultivators entering and leaving.
His sharp eyes drifted over them from time to time, lingering even on those who were merely at Qi Refining.
*These rogue cultivators might not possess very high realms or pure magic power. But every one of them carries a notable aura of ferocious malice. It is obvious they are veterans who lick blood from blade edges, far richer in combat experience than peers of the same realm.*
*Rumor has it that the term 'plunderer cultivator' originated from the pirates of the Northern Sea before spreading into the other major provinces.*
*Seeing them now, the demeanor of these rogue cultivators matches the rumors completely.*
After observing for a moment, Luo Chen hesitated no longer and strode directly into the Demon Hunting Bureau.
The moment he entered, a hearty laugh rang out.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, long time no see!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly, cupping his hands toward the white-haired elder. "Old Angler, long time no see."
The old man's true name was unknown; rogue cultivators throughout the association referred to him as Old Angler.
He looked thoroughly unassuming.
Yet anyone who judged him by appearances would be gravely mistaken.
Old Angler was over four hundred years old, possessed a cultivation at the ninth layer of Golden Core, and was one of only three Eight-Star Demon Hunters in the bureau!
With a realm so high and strength so immense, even Luo Chen had to treat him with care.
Seeing Luo Chen's impeccable etiquette, Old Angler returned a Daoist salute.
Dispensing with pleasantries, Luo Chen went straight to the point.
"May I ask what my assessment mission is?"
"No rush!"
Old Angler chuckled slyly. "Let me introduce two fellow Daoists first. This time, your assessment mission will be conducted together. Getting acquainted beforehand will help improve your success rate."
He then clapped his hands.
The crisp clap echoed through the hall.
Two figures strode in from outside.
Yet the moment he laid eyes on the pair, Luo Chen's brows furrowed.
*What kind of assessment mission requires three Golden Core cultivators to carry out together?*
Chapter 595