Chapter 1040

Chapter 1040: Hidden Cultivation

"This is our new home!"

The happiest about the move was undoubtedly Su Ziling. She excitedly grabbed Wang Chen’s hand and ran around the house, inside and out.

She was as joyful as a child.

In recent times, Su Ziling had been living with Wang Chen in the cave abode at the bottom of the pond, and for the past year, she had been alone, guarding the home. In terms of living conditions, nothing could compare to the comfort and pleasure of this new place!

This immortal residence was divided into front and back sections, with a front yard and back courtyard, along with left and right wing rooms, easily accommodating more than ten people.

Even with just the two of them, it felt too spacious.

The back courtyard was particularly large, featuring a water pavilion built near a mountain spring, and the pond was home to dozens of koi fish.

After inspecting it, Wang Chen was very satisfied.

The several hundred thousand Intermediate Spirits were well spent.

The only issue was that the previous owner had moved all the furniture out, leaving all the rooms completely empty.

There wasn’t even a single chair to sit on.

It wasn’t that the previous owner was stingy; it was the Pawnbroker’s suggestion.

After all, the former master of the immortal residence had died unexpectedly, and keeping his used belongings was considered inauspicious.

Wang Chen didn’t mind, but he thought it would be better to redecorate it himself.

The only thing that wasn’t removed was a defensive formation set up in the residence.

Luodu Immortal City had regulations that ordinary homes couldn’t use spirit gathering formations, but defensive formations were allowed.

Although the immortal city was quite safe, having a defensive formation would only make the home more secure.

Wang Chen planned to rearrange this formation or upgrade it in a few days.

“Let’s go.”

He said to Su Ziling, “We need to buy some things; the task of decorating the new home is up to you!”

The commercial area of Luodu Immortal City, particularly in the city center and the south, was bustling with tall buildings and palatial structures all around. The wide roads were lined with shops, and the number of passing cultivators was as numerous as the fish crossing the river.

Wang Chen was both shopping and familiarizing himself with the environment.

Over the years, he had drifted from place to place without ever truly settling down. This time, moving to Luodu Immortal City to establish a base cost him a large part of his wealth, and he genuinely didn’t want to run away again anytime soon.

It was exhausting and gave him no sense of security.

Wang Chen’s plan was to stay here and lay low for about ten or eight years, then reconsider his plans after breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

He wandered from shop to shop with Su Ziling, both to get a sense of local prices and to buy and sell some items to recover his funds.

Interestingly, Wang Chen spotted refrigerators for sale in several shops.

And ice cream too!

These knockoff items had made their way to Luodu Immortal City.

Unfortunately, this world had no patent laws, and as a Golden Core true master, Wang Chen lacked the power to defend his “inventions.”

It was a pity.

Additionally, as expected, there were branches of the Four Seas Trading Association and Wanbao Pavilion here.

Wang Chen had just sold a batch of "stolen goods" through these two establishments, disposing of several spirit tools and treasures he no longer needed, along with most of his elixirs and talismans.

The purchasing prices offered by the Four Seas Trading Association and Wanbao Pavilion were quite low, but their lack of inquiry into the origins of the items made them the most reliable outlets for such transactions.

They returned home contentedly as the city lights began to glow, having purchased all the necessary tables, chairs, and stools. Wang Chen left Su Ziling to arrange everything while he pondered the future.

The cost of living in Luodu Immortal City was indeed high, even surpassing that of Qianxing Immortal City where he had previously resided.

Although Wang Chen currently had an ample supply of spirit stones, relying solely on them without replenishing would not sustain him for long.

Particularly with the Cangqing Ring in his possession, which required a staggering amount of spirit stones to recharge for another descent into the lower realms.

In reality, the Cangqing Ring continuously absorbed spiritual energy from its surroundings, but depending solely on this method for recovery would take Wang Chen at least a hundred years to fully charge it.

He certainly couldn’t afford to wait a hundred years!

Moreover, the time flow in Haotian Realm was ten times faster than in Cangqing—one year here equated to ten years there, making a hundred years equivalent to a thousand, a thought that was quite daunting.

Not to mention a hundred years; even waiting ten or twenty more years would likely see Wu Zhao and Xi Jun turned to dust.

Only his external manifestation would remain imperishable.

To alter the time flow in Cangqing, Wang Chen would need to fully master this small world.

That goal seemed even more distant.

It was pointless to dwell on it now!

Therefore, in the coming years, he couldn’t just spend without earning; while engaging in hidden cultivation and rigorous training, he also needed to consider the inflow of spirit stones.

This required meticulous planning; he couldn’t take anything for granted, especially in Luodu, a Di-level immortal city where Golden Core cultivators were hardly remarkable, and only Yuan Ying cultivators could make a slight impression.

After much deliberation, he concluded that he had to start with weapon refining!

Wang Chen sighed, called out to Su Ziling, and then retreated to the quiet room for cultivation.

Although this immortal residence couldn’t accommodate a spirit gathering formation, the quiet room was rich in spiritual energy, sufficient to support a higher-level Golden Core cultivator like himself without significant issues.

For a young cultivator like Su Ziling, any room would suffice.

The quiet room also served as the core of the residence’s defensive formations. Wang Chen first refined the entire formation, erasing the previous owner’s traces and imprints, then re-crafted two formation plates.

One formation plate was given to Su Ziling, facilitating her access and control over the residence.

Adjacent to the quiet room was a secret vault, now empty as all items had been removed.

Wang Chen intended to convert it into a weapon refining room.

In Luodu Immortal City, where land was at a premium, the price of an immortal residence was exorbitant, and shops were even more so.

Wang Chen had previously inquired at a pawnshop and quickly abandoned the idea of purchasing a storefront.

It was simply too costly.

Without his own storefront, he could only collaborate with reliable businesses for sales.

However, he still needed to conduct market research to determine which spirit tools and treasures had the best sales potential.

Additionally, his weapon refining skills needed enhancement; he had to develop unique flagship products to compete effectively.

Yet, these were secondary concerns; Wang Chen’s primary focus was to elevate the level of his main technique and bridge the gap with his cultivation level.

After much contemplation, he almost wished he could split himself in two!

Indeed, the optimal solution would be to refine an external manifestation, not the soul-piercing type found in Cangqing, but a true physical manifestation.

The challenge was that refining a true external manifestation required Yuan Ying cultivation!

No more thoughts on that!

Wang Chen set aside his concerns and commenced his training in the quiet room.

In the following days, he mostly remained at home, cultivating in solitude, occasionally venturing out with Su Ziling to savor some local delicacies and procure cultivation resources.

Living in the immortal city, Wang Chen adopted a hermit-like lifestyle.

However, this urban hermit existence was vastly different from that of the free-ranging loose cultivators; his days were much more fulfilling and carefree.

Most importantly, he felt sufficiently secure and stable.

His primary cultivation, the Preheaven Five Element Technique, advanced rapidly with continuous day and night cultivation and enhancements.

One level, two levels, three levels, progressing toward four levels, five levels!