[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the sixth day of the sixth month]
Finally settled in Stone Gate City!
Rented a small courtyard in the south of the city, fully equipped with excellent facilities and protections, including a high-level Spirit Gathering Array for cultivation. Just right for three people to live in.
However, the rent is very expensive, costing five hundred top-grade Spirit Stones a month.
In a great realm like the Qinglong realm, only top-grade and the rare top-grade Spirit Stones are used for transactions. Even with a million top-grade Spirit Stones on hand, I still feel financially stretched.
The person at the rental place suggested that if we didn’t want to spend money, we could dig our own cave dwelling at Jieshi Ridge, or join the Eastern Star Alliance to work for half-price rent.
Outdoor adventures are dangerous, and considering joining the Eastern Star Alliance is also not a priority for now. Better to plan ahead, seeking ways to earn Spirit Stones.
Zheng Yougong invited out, perfect timing to ask him about profitable business ventures in Stone Gate City.
Returned ho late to find Xie Jingshan had sealed the courtyard gate from the inside, not letting in. Anan wouldn’t do such a foolish thing, so it must have been him.
He’s audacious beyond belief!
...
[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the seventh day of the sixth month]
Xie Jingshan is still begging for forgiveness, I’ll pay no mind!
If he can break the array I set around his room, I’ll take his family na!
Anan says we are childish, but it’s Xie Jingshan who started it, what does it have to do with ?
After yesterday’s investigation, I discovered that the quickest way to earn Spirit Stones in Stone Gate City is dragon hunting.
In Jieshi Ridge exist the Earth Dragon Clan, a dragon’s entire body is treasure.
Originally, this area’s Earth Dragon Clan was managed by Biyou Palace’s Dragon Herding Departnt, but ever since the Winged Dragon appeared in the Qinglong realm, the Earth Dragon Clan united to destroy the Dragon Herding Departnt, retreating into the depths of Heaven-Swallowing Gorge and not erging.
I also recently learned the difference between the two Dragon Herding Sects in the Qinglong realm.
Biyou Palace’s Dragon Shepherds select suitable candidates from a young age to live and cultivate in the dragon territories, forming strong partnerships with young dragons. Despite so minor tactics, most dragons willingly follow and fight alongside them.
Moreover, a Biyou Palace Dragon Shepherd would only ever herd one dragon in a lifeti, once selected, it will not change.
Fulong Sect is different, cruel in approach, favoring violent dostication and forced confinent, and a shepherd can ta multiple dragons if capable.
Ironically, after the appearance of the Winged Dragon, Biyou Palace suffered the most, with over ninety percent of their shepherds losing their dragons. So were lightly injured by their dragons, while others were killed by them.
Zheng Yougong said this verifies the old saying, "Not of my tribe, their heart is surely different." He believes Fulong Sect’s thods are correct.
Even after the Winged Dragon’s appearance, while so dragons controlled by the Fulong Sect rebelled, the majority couldn’t escape and remain under its control.
Yet now, Biyou Palace insists on negotiating peace with the Winged Dragon, hoping to return to peaceful coexistence.
Zheng Yougong also ntioned that if it weren’t for the Mahayana Immortal Monarch from Biyou Palace, whose Azure Dragon grew up together and was like a brother to the Immortal Monarch, proving the viability of Biyou Palace’s dragon herding thod, the disaster could have led to Biyou Palace’s destruction.
Currently, Biyou Palace is beset internally and externally, unable to protect too much, leaving the Earth Dragon Clan in Jieshi Ridge unprotected and prey for local cultivators.
A Golden Core Stage Earth Dragon’s starting price at auction is at least a million top-grade Spirit Stones, with final prices yet unknown.
Sadly, dragons are large, have mastery in various restrictions and divine skills, making them extrely difficult to capture. In Stone Gate City, at least five Golden Core cultivators and twenty peak Foundation Establishnts are needed to enter Heaven-Swallowing Gorge in search of dragons.
Dragon hunting is too dangerous, so Anan and I decided not to participate.
Anan is still studying water alchemy and artifact refining, while I plan to first refine and consign the Five Elents Thunder Pearls for sale.
...
[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the twelfth day of the sixth month]
Trapped for five days, Xie Jingshan managed to co out!
I was utterly perplexed until I saw him feeding Jixiang in the afternoon, then it hit .
That traitor! I’ll toss it into the Lotus Platform Cave Heaven to help the Flower-Furred Rat raise its young!
Zheng Yougong ca to see again, Xie Jingshan ingratiated himself, letting tend to my affairs while he, impersonating , accompanied Zheng Yougong, promising to apologize for last ti.
With only three clones of myself, I was grateful to let him handle the small matters.
Watching Xie Jingshan transform into my likeness felt strange.
The Imperial Decree Golden Book has been restored, and it continues to absorb Incense Fire Power from the Iron Palm realm ceaselessly, with a recent surge I suspect due to Guangling expanding in Xiting Continent, ho to the Iron Palm Sect.
The Long-Haired Water Ghost has finished purifying, forming a Dharma Body that, apart from its annoying appearance, no longer carries the Yin Ghost’s aura and appears quite righteous!
I plan to refine the remaining Incense Fire Qi into incense money to save up for purchasing Yellow Springs Flower and Three Paths River Water at the Black Demon Mountain Ghost Market.
The new "Golden Snake Sword Palm" has been improved and officially in practice today.
I’ve also bought three Nascent Soul Stage cultivation techniques available on the market in Stone Gate City. Despite only being Mystic Grade Mid-Level, they serve as a reference, comparing Nascent Soul cultivators in the Qinglong and the Earth Spiritual realms.
Money flows like water, earning requires effort!
...
[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the twenty-second day of the sixth month]
Anan took on an escort mission in the city, simultaneously scouting Black Demon Mountain.
Sothing happened with Xie Jingshan, as I saw Zheng Yougong with a furious look on his face, who then ran off straight away.
Good news arrived today, I finally received a reply from the Supre Elder at the Eastern Star Alliance base.
Apparently, she was injured that day from the battle thod’s aftermath, and one of the combatants was a well-known demon head from the Upper Realm. Fearing being targeted by him, she retreated to a distant realm for a while.
She said she’ll attempt to communicate with the Beidou Star Alliance for our release, although it’s unlikely. She advised us to remain patient and stay in the Qinglong realm for a while, which also benefits our cultivation.
Fortunately, I wasn’t relying on the Supre Elder to save us, so I am not disappointed.
Consigning my Five Elents Thunder Pearls went smoothly; the Jugu House shopkeeper tried to trick , luckily I was cautious, greeting him with an apology saying I found another consignnt store offering slightly higher prices.
The Jugu House shopkeeper visibly panicked, and despite his age, tried to maintain a facade. When I was selling at markets, he was still playing in the mud and sniffing.
Eventually, he confessed. Initially, sales were poor, but those who bought them returned to buy the rest, placing deposits for more.
I used the new Water Thunder Pearl and Jian Palace Thunder Pearl as bait to negotiate a price increase for the shopkeeper from fifty to fifty-five top-grade Spirit Stones each, promising to supply a hundred a month exclusively.
After covering the costs, more than enough to pay my share of rent.
I’ll limit the sale of Water Thunder Pearls and Jian Palace Thunder Pearls, priced at three hundred top-grade Spirit Stones, providing only two per month.
Given their imnse power, if Qinglong realm prices weren’t so high, I would keep them as reserves instead of selling.
But the largest auction house in Stone Gate City listed an Earth Grade Low-Level Cultivation Technique, starting at fifty thousand top-grade Spirit Stones.
Spirit Stones are never enough, I’ll continue selling like this for now, and when demand for Thunder Pearls increases, I’ll covertly sell in the black market.
...
[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the first day of the seventh month]
Xie Jingshan finally found work, no longer living off his savings.
Despite knowing nothing, with his family background in business, he convinced the owner of a failing elixir shop in Stone Gate City to give him three months. If he can’t revive the shop, he won’t take a penny in wages.
If successful, he’ll receive thirty percent of the net profit monthly.
Xie Jingshan is capable, but it’s exhausting for !
He gave a stack of elixir formulas, all endorsing Face Stabilizing Elixirs, Muscle Enhancent Pills, and Scar Removers for male and female cultivators to preserve looks and physique, asking to refine them, offering a cut.
No point refusing money, just need to work a bit harder.
...
[Jia Shen, Year of the Monkey, the sixth day of the seventh month]
It’s been exactly a month since arriving in Stone Gate City, and Anan has returned from Black Demon Mountain, slightly injured. She said things over there aren’t stable, it’s more peaceful in Stone Gate City.
But this trip earned her a bounty of three thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, so she plans to rest for a few days before continuing study in alchemy and artifact refining, then take up another reward mission.
Xie Jingshan started getting busy too, repairing the shop by day and cultivating by night.
For , everything is proceeding steadily.
After finishing the elixirs Xie Jingshan needs and the Thunder Pearls for Jugu House for next month, I’m planning to make a trip to the Black Demon Mountain Ghost Market with Anan.
User Comments
0 comments from readers