Buy a House? Not in This Lifetime

Half a month had passed since the grand opening ceremony of the Dao Discussion Platform came to an end. During this half-month, Luo Chen had deviated from his usual routine, refraining from concocting pills. There were many reasons for this. For one, he needed time to familiarize himself with the people and affairs of the Mountain Breaker Gang. He was not short on spirit stones either. He originally possessed a hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones, and after scalping tickets, he had recouped another two hundred. As for Qi-Nourishing Pills, he had previously purchased five bottles, which was plenty for a month of cultivation. Yet none of these were the most crucial factor. The most important reason was that watching match after match—especially the battle to the death among the eighteen Qi Refinement cultivators—had yielded tremendous insights for him. They were all in the same major realm. Even though his cultivation level fell short, that merely affected the total reserve of spiritual energy in his body. In the end, the techniques used by those late-stage cultivators did not exceed the scope of what he could comprehend. After observing those battles, he gained numerous insights into spells, dharma artifacts, and even transitions between offense and defense. While such comprehension could hardly be called a legendary epiphany, it was exceptionally precious all the same. Therefore, he had to seize the time to absorb and digest it, converting it into true combat capability. After all, Gao Tingyuan was still out there, eyeing him covetously like a tiger stalking its prey. Unable to raise his cultivation realm in the short term, he chose to enhance his strength through combat methods instead. Moreover, he had the logistical backing for it. His Grandmaster-level Eternal Spring Art possessed an automatic qi-recovery effect, which was more than enough to allow him to unleash a vast number of spells. Throughout the past half-month, he had sparred with Qin Liangchen every day. While helping Qin Liangchen regain his feel and grow accustomed to his arm, Luo Chen's own spell proficiencies were soaring by leaps and bounds. And now, the time had come to reap the harvest. [Lifespan: 27/75] [Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth] [Realm: Qi Refinement Fifth Layer: 16/100] [Cultivation Technique: Eternal Spring Art (Perfect): 560/1000] [Spells: Fireball Art (Great Perfection), Carefree Wandering (Grandmaster: 712/1000), Wind Riding Technique (Grandmaster: 510/1000), Attraction Art (Grandmaster: 550/1000), Entangling Art (Perfect: 370/500), Spiritual Eye Art (Perfect: 310/500), Cleansing Art (Proficient: 201/300)] [Skills: First-Order Alchemist: Fasting Powder (Grandmaster: 840/1000), Myriad Wonders Pill (Perfect: 301/500)] [Achievement Points: 21] Looking over his current attribute panel, Luo Chen was thrilled. He had finally ground a spell to maximum proficiency. Great Perfection Fireball Art! With a thought, a fireball manifested in his palm. It was the size of a fist, brimming with intense heat. If detonated, it would pack considerable explosive force. Frowning slightly, he wondered: *Did a single fireball not change at all?* Releasing a breath of spiritual energy, the fireball abruptly shifted, transforming into a little bird. It resembled a sparrow yet looked like a phoenix, vivid and full of vitality. Were a well-traveled cultivator present, they would surely utter a gasp of admiration. Such a delicate technique of morphological transformation was something only disciples of the Five Elements Divine Sect could pull off. And not just any ordinary disciples—they had to be inner disciples at the very least, candidates with the potential to reach Foundation Establishment. Yet Luo Chen remained somewhat dissatisfied. This technique had not been granted by the Great Perfection Fireball Art. It was something he had developed over the past half-month while sparring with Qin Liangchen, combining the man's guidance with his own ponderings. It integrated a portion of the wonders of the Attraction Art. In essence, however, neither its speed nor its power had changed significantly. It merely elevated his degree of control over spiritual energy to a higher level. Oh, and incidentally, it had brought his Attraction Art to the Grandmaster tier as well. Yet this still was not what Luo Chen hoped to see. "Where on earth did the change take place, then?" Luo Chen pondered hard. Channelling more spiritual energy into his hand, he produced one small fireball after another. Soon, the count reached ten. In the past, this had been his limit, enabling him to construct his minor lethal technique, Dancing Fireflies. Suddenly, Luo Chen felt a sensation. His limit seemed to have been broken. With a mere thought, an eleventh fireball slowly emerged. Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and increased his output of spiritual energy. A twelfth! Again! A thirteenth! A fourteenth... up to twenty! Seated cross-legged upon the bed, the young man watched twenty small fireballs hover and dance around him, exuding chilling murderous intent amid their nimble movements. Luo Chen was thoroughly shaken—not merely by the sheer number, but because he felt he could keep adding more. Based on his total pool of spiritual energy, he could currently release nearly a hundred of these fireballs! Though none of them were massive fireballs pushed to their maximum state, the sheer volume was already terrifying. What did that mean? Even the first-order high-grade talisman Meteor Fire Rain contained only a hundred fireballs. And high-grade talismans typically corresponded to offensive means in the late stage of Qi Refinement. "Could there be even more to it?" Luo Chen hesitated, then slowly brought two fireballs together. *Sizzle...* Sparks scattered, and without the slightest resistance, the two merged into one. Its size doubled as well. "I can merge more than just two!" Luo Chen was usually timid, primarily when it came to combat. That was why he had agreed to spar with Qin Liangchen lately—to grow accustomed to fighting, rather than relying on passive counterattacks like during his previous two encounters with killers. Yet Luo Chen was also bold. This boldness showed in matters that did not require fighting others, such as alchemy and spells. He had dared to risk his entire fortune to refine Myriad Wonders Pills, and he had dared to practice a somewhat hazardous spell like Spiritual Eye Art without any instruction. Now, facing this new variation of the Fireball Art, he embarked on his merging experiment with both extreme caution and daring audacity. After two came three, then four, then five... Staring at the massive fireball that resembled a miniature sun, Luo Chen's eyes went wide. The next instant, Grandmaster-level Carefree Wandering and Grandmaster-level Wind Riding Technique activated on instinct. *Whoosh!* A figure bolted out of the room. Behind him, the miniature sun turned unstable, then slowly expanded. A blazing sun abruptly detonated! *Boom!* "Luo Chen, you bastard! What the hell are you doing...?" Qin Liangchen stared in dumbfounded shock at the half-collapsed house engulfed in roaring flames. "Brother Qin, if I told you I accidentally blew up the house while concocting pills, would you believe me?" Luo Chen had materialized beside him at some point, wearing an innocent expression. Qin Liangchen glared at him and spoke slowly. "Do you take me for an idiot?" Luo Chen gave an awkward chuckle and offered no further explanation. Suddenly, he remembered something and cried out, "Put out the fire!" A portion of his belongings was still inside! In the end, they did not let any outsiders help douse the flames. Qin Liangchen possessed Metal, Earth, and Water spiritual roots. While he customarily relied on Metal-attribute dharma artifacts and spells in battle, he actually knew several Water-attribute spells. With a cast of Lesser Cloud and Rain Art, a pitter-patter of drizzle descended, preserving half of the reverse-facing room. As the fire subsided, Luo Chen rushed inside. Before long, he dashed back out clutching a bronze furnace. "Thank goodness, thank goodness." "The processed medicinal herbs weren't burned, just a bit dirty. They can still be used after a wash." "Sister Xiuxiu's flowers and plants were placed outside during the day, so none were harmed." "My most treasured Purple Cloud Bronze Furnace is safe and sound too." The miniature sun had detonated in the bedroom. Naturally, the bedroom suffered the worst damage. However, the bedroom contained nothing more than a bed, a wooden table, and a few articles of clothing. They weren't worth much. When he walked out, he saw an old man stamping his feet and cursing up a storm. "A fine! You must be fined!" Qin Liangchen sighed. "Old Sun, it was just an accident while concocting pills. There's no need to fine us spirit stones, right?" "What do you mean, an accident? These houses were specially built by our sect, who hired cultivators from Mount Ailao to do it! They harmonize with the five elements and are visibly grand and splendid. Now that the house has collapsed, compensation must be paid no matter what!" Sun Shou grumbled angrily, wearing an expression of utter heartbreak. Qin Liangchen offered a flattering smile. "I'll immediately have the boys from the gang come repair the house. We'll definitely restore it to its original state for you." Sun Shou sneered. "Can the boys from your gang compare to Mount Ailao cultivators?" "Five! Five spirit stones!" Luo Chen said through gritted teeth. "Deal! Hand over the spirit stones!" Sun Shou's sneer vanished, replaced by a smile as warm as a spring breeze. Luo Chen pulled out five spirit stones with an aching heart. *This old man changes his face faster than a dog!* After taking the spirit stones, Sun Shou remarked just before leaving, "Rent for next quarter is coming up soon. Remember to pay me when the time comes." "Oh, and Little Qin, you folks need to pay your spirit stones too. If you ask me, you might as well just buy this west wing. It's not expensive, only a few thousand spirit stones." "Take care on your way out, Elder!" "Watch your step, Elder, don't trip!" Young Luo and Young Qin hurriedly saw the old man off. Afterward, they stared forlornly at the reverse-facing room billowing black smoke. Qin Liangchen said, "Buy a house? Not in this lifetime! If I ever buy one, it'll be over by the Luoyun Sect, closer to my son." Luo Chen lamented, "My house... what a sin!"