Translator: CinderTL
"Young friends, do you agree to my proposal?" Zhong Ren asked.
The five cultivators, including Song Wen, naturally opposed it.
According to Zhong Ren's plan, each of them would have to contribute two thousand high-grade spirit stones—an astronomical sum for any Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.
Yet none of the five dared to be the first to openly challenge Zhong Ren. As a result, no one responded for a moment.
In Song Wen's heart, he felt nothing but disdain for Zhong Ren's behavior.
The man was desperate to reach the Qicang Domain yet so stingy that he refused to part with even a single spirit stone.
"Since you remain silent, young friends, does that mean you tacitly agree to my proposal?" Zhong Ren pressed.
Second finally broke the silence. "The Rotting Miasma Ridge is fraught with peril. Even with a Qicang Flying Ark, crossing it will be fraught with difficulties. It is our great fortune to travel with three Seniors of your caliber. In principle, we juniors should not burden you with expenses. However, our cultivation levels are modest, and our resources are limited. We fear we cannot raise the ten thousand high-grade spirit stones required."
Fellow Daoist Yanhe speaks truly. Senior, please consider this carefully, Third echoed.
"Yanhe" was Second's title, and it's worth noting that this individual was a female cultivator.
Wei Qian proposed, "Zhong Ren, asking these five young friends to bear the full burden of ten thousand high-grade spirit stones is indeed unreasonable. Let's split it three-seven. We Divine Transformation cultivators will cover thirty percent, while the Nascent Soul cultivators will handle seventy percent."
In the end, everyone agreed to Wei Qian's proposal.
According to this arrangement, Song Wen would now need to contribute fourteen hundred high-grade spirit stones, which was still manageable. If more Nascent Soul cultivators joined later, Song Wen's share would decrease further.
Song Wen put away the Dual Polarity Sect token, ending the communication with the group.
After careful consideration, he decided against renting a Cultivation Cave. Instead, he would seek out a secluded spot outside the city to serve as his cultivation retreat.
Song Wen retrieved a jade slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.
The jade slip contained a map of the area surrounding Crimson Rainbow City, which Song Wen had purchased earlier that day.
After a quick scan, he quickly located a suitable cultivation site.
All the Spiritual Qi-rich areas near Crimson Rainbow City were already claimed. Song Wen, unwilling to create unnecessary trouble by seizing territory through force or cunning, had no choice but to venture into more remote regions.
The area Song Wen chose was a mountain range located hundreds of thousands of miles south of Crimson Rainbow City.
The mountains teemed with demon beasts and were rarely visited by cultivators, making it an ideal place for secluded cultivation.
As for the hundreds of thousands of miles distance, given Song Wen's current escape speed, it was merely half an hour's journey.
Song Wen quickly arrived at the mountain range.
The mountains stretched for over a million miles. At their fringes, traces of cultivator activity remained, mainly from low-level cultivators hunting demon beasts for cultivation resources. A small market had even been established there.
Instead of recklessly plunging into the mountains' core, Song Wen settled on the outer edges. He found a peak with decent Spiritual Qi, slew a Fourth-Tier Demonic Beast inhabiting it, and claimed the mountain as his own.
After carefully studying the surrounding earth veins, Song Wen established his Cultivation Cave at the foot of the western slope, where Spiritual Qi was most concentrated.
Afterward, he set up a defensive formation called the Stellar Cycle Formation within the Cultivation Cave.
This formation, purchased by Song Wen at the Crimson Rainbow Market, cost a staggering five hundred high-grade spirit stones, yet it was only a low-grade Fifth-Tier formation capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivator.
It wasn't that Song Wen was unwilling to buy a higher-quality defensive formation; he simply couldn't find a superior one at the time.
Next, he deployed the Fifth-Tier concealment formation he had obtained from Jiang Chao's belongings—the Five Elements Concealment Formation.
With these preparations, the Cultivation Cave was now provisionally established.
However, Song Wen didn't immediately begin cultivating.
Although there were no powerful demon beasts or cultivator activity within a thousand miles of the mountain, he remained cautious and decided to make further arrangements.
He released the Shadow King Gu and three Shadow Gu, instructing them to capture several low-intelligence demon beasts and release them into the mountain.
A mountain rich in Spiritual Qi without any resident demon beasts would easily arouse suspicion.
At the same time, Song Wen tasked the four Gu with monitoring all activity within a thousand miles.
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
Song Wen had successfully crafted three Substitute Puppets.
During this time, he had also refined several Blood Demon Pills, which he consumed to enhance his cultivation.
After storing away the Formation Flags of his two Formations, Song Wen emerged from his Cultivation Cave, soared into the sky, and headed toward Rainbow City.
The Cultivation Cave contained nothing of value, so Song Wen wasn't worried about intruders. He left only a Shadow Gu to monitor the surrounding area.
His reasons for venturing out were twofold: to purchase demon beast souls and to earn a supply of spirit stones.
The path of cultivation devoured vast quantities of spirit stones. Without a steady income, even his considerable wealth would eventually dwindle to nothing.
Song Wen planned to sell the teleportation token he had acquired from the Chi Family.
The token specified the exact time for teleportation. Once that window passed, it would become useless, a complete waste.
The Teleportation Array was scheduled to activate in six months.
Song Wen needed to sell the token before then.
Upon arriving in Rainbow City, he purchased some spiritual materials and then retreated to a secluded spot outside the city walls. There, he retrieved the Dual Polarity Sect's token.
No messages had been transmitted through the token during the past year. Song Wen's Cultivation Cave was too far from Rainbow City to receive any communications, so the token remained empty.
Greetings, Seniors and fellow Daoists. Gou Jun sends his regards.
After sending the message, Song Wen waited briefly for a response. When none came, he stored the token away.
He sent the message solely to prove to everyone that he was still alive.
Song Wen soared into the sky and headed west.
The western edge of the Qianchang Wilderness bordered the sea, a region long guarded by the Ye Family.
Worried about encountering Jiang Lanruo and Chi Qi, Song Wen decided that selling the teleportation tokens within Ye Family territory would be the safest option.
Selling them in Rainbow City, on the other hand, might attract unnecessary attention, something Song Wen wished to avoid.
On the western coast, the Ye Family had established a fortress called Fallen Dragon Pass.
A hundred thousand li behind the fortress lay Clear Leaf City, the largest cultivator city on the western coast.
The moon hung high, its silvery light bathing the clear night air.
Song Wen arrived at a mountain valley several hundred li outside Clear Leaf City.
The valley was shrouded in mist, concealing a ghost market.
Song Wen had only learned of the ghost market's existence after making several inquiries.
Passing through layers of mist, Song Wen, disguised as a peak nascent soul cultivator, entered the ghost market.
The market was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
After a cursory tour, Song Wen entered the largest shop, the Treasure Origin Hall.
The shop was overflowing with treasures of every kind: Mystic Treasures, spirit grass, medicinal pills... all manner of cultivation resources were on display.
"Senior, what would you like to purchase?" a shop assistant asked.
"I'm not here to buy," Song Wen replied. "I'm here to sell treasures. Does your shop accept external goods?"
(End of the Chapter)
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