The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

"Peak Master Zisang, we are deeply loyal to the sect! We would lay down our lives for it!" the two answered in unison.

Chen Dong knew that a major sect wasn't a place you could come and go as you pleased. The sect rules were perfectly clear about the consequences of betrayal.

Zisang Jin nodded in satisfaction. She had witnessed Chen Dong's breakthrough to the Core Formation stage, and it had been simply incredible—even more mysterious than her own. It wasn't just for Tian Sisi's sake anymore; she couldn't let him slip away. Besides, there was Li Zhixuan. He was at the Ninth-Layer of the First-Grade Golden Core and had just refined some unknown treasure. He was practically a Nascent Soul in the making. They were both exceptional talents; she had no reason to let them go.

She then tossed out a token. "In two more years, I will be going to Lexian City to serve as a Guardian Elder. You two will go in my stead to conduct a preliminary inspection. If anything comes up, I will contact you through this token!"

Chen Dong caught the token. One side was engraved with "Cyan Sword Peak," and the other, the word "Agent."

'I know what an "Agent" is,' Chen Dong thought. It was common for them to scout ahead for a Guardian Elder who was about to take up their post. 'But I'm not a disciple of Cyan Sword Peak, so why is this being given to me? This kind of work is usually done by Direct Disciples.'

Zisang Jin's brow tightened. "What? You're not willing?"

Chen Dong nodded hurriedly. "I'm willing, I'm willing!"

This bright and beautiful young woman was not to be underestimated. A casual "reward" of a couple of kicks from her could break dozens of bones. She had leverage over him now, so arguing was not an option. Besides, with this token, Chen Dong wouldn't have to return to the sect, which was exactly what he wanted.

Zisang Jin was quite satisfied with their attitude.

"You two go and get familiar with Lexian City!"

With a wave of her hand, the sea of flowers dispersed. The two of them reappeared at the gate of a giant city, where two large words were carved into the high walls: "Lexian City."

A sheen of cold sweat broke out on Li Zhixuan's brow.

"That woman is terrifying! Just that one move, shifting from illusion to reality... I think she's even stronger than Feng Fu!"

Chen Dong nodded in agreement, but just then, Zisang Jin's sweet and innocent voice came from the token in his hand. "Am I that scary? But I'm so well-behaved and adorable!" Her voice suddenly turned cold as she said, "Li Zhixuan, you dare speak ill of me behind my back? Next time, I'll be sure to break every bone in your body!"

The two were stunned. The token could be used for surveillance! They couldn't throw it away, but they didn't want to hold it either.

With a dark expression, Chen Dong handed the token to Li Zhixuan. "Xiaoli, you hold it!"

Li Zhixuan's face darkened as well. "Lao Chen, while I appreciate the sentiment, I think it's better if you hold on to something so precious!"

Chen Dong's eyes narrowed. "Xiaoli, this is..."

The voice from the token cut off Chen Dong's threat. "Chen Dong, I gave that token to you. If you lose it, watch your bones!"

Chen Dong's hand trembled slightly. It was over; he couldn't get rid of it. Resigned, Chen Dong had no choice but to place the token in his storage ring. From then on, all of his conversations with Li Zhixuan were conducted via voice transmission.

Chen Dong shot a cold glance at Li Zhixuan and sent a voice transmission, "You've got some nerve, Xiaoli!"

Li Zhixuan's expression was calm, but he couldn't suppress a smug smile. "Mm... well, I had no choice. My Golden Core is already showing signs of forming a Nascent Soul. I've sensed my heavenly Thunder Tribulation will arrive in twenty-eight days. I need to adjust my Dao Heart and my overall state!"

Chen Dong was taken aback. 'So soon! It seems that Five Senses Calming Flower is truly a priceless treasure.'

"In that case, let's find a place to settle down first."

The two entered the city. Chen Dong knew a bit about Lexian City; it was one of the most famous cities in the Floating Shadow Realm, being the closest city to the Guardian Array bordering the Demon Realm.

They walked around for a while and discovered that the purchasing power of Spirit Stones here was more than double that of the Wangyou Realm. A basic Spirit Grass that might cost three Low-Grade Spirit Stones in the Wangyou Realm only cost one in Lexian City.

This made both of them frown. It indicated that the Floating Shadow Realm had an insufficient, even severe, shortage of Spirit Stones. Logically, with frequent wars in the Floating Shadow Realm and many resources only obtainable beyond the Guardian Array, goods should have been expensive. The reality, however, was the complete opposite.

Spirit Stones were the most fundamental cornerstone of cultivation. Whether for setting up arrays, drawing talismans, performing Alchemy, or farming, Spirit Stones were essential. They were even more indispensable for cultivation and combat. For prices to be this low, it could only mean one thing: Spirit Stone mines were incredibly scarce.

The Floating Shadow Realm's territory was even larger than the Wangyou Realm's, so it was impossible for its mineral resources to be so lacking. The only explanation was that the most fertile lands had been occupied by the Demon Races. Judging by these prices, the Human Race's situation was indeed dire. For the sake of Spirit Veins and ore mines, the Human Race would have to launch a counterattack sooner or later—and it was estimated that this would happen within sixty years.

Otherwise, the Human Race would run out of cultivation resources entirely, making their long-term survival even more difficult. Relying on the Jiuzhou Realm for supplies was wishful thinking. The Spiritual Qi in the Jiuzhou Realm had only been recovering for a little over two years, its territories hadn't fully consolidated, and many Spirit Veins and mineral veins could not be nurtured and mined in such a short period.

What the two of them didn't know was that the Cyan Sky Sect had a plan in the works to seize a mineral vein beyond the Guardian Array.

For Chen Dong, however, the low prices had their advantages. It made him, by comparison, even wealthier. He had a staggering 6,800 Top-Grade Spirit Stones, most of which came from Feng You's ring. That guy had been a true tycoon.

Instead of reporting to the Cyan Sky Sect's local branch, Chen Dong and Li Zhixuan rented two "Heaven"-grade residences. Chen Dong had thought it was too high-profile, but with Li Zhixuan's Thunder Tribulation approaching, a Heaven-grade residence would provide a better environment for him to adjust his condition. In any case, the Spirit Stones for the rental would be put on Li Zhixuan's tab—and all of Li Zhixuan's Spirit Stones were currently in Chen Dong's possession.