The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

All the Cultivator Mansions in the city were owned by the Cyan Sky Sect. Some were available for rent and were graded into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

This was basically the case in every city.

A Yellow Level mansion cost ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones a year and was just a simple cabin with a basic Spirit Gathering Array.

A Profound Level mansion cost one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones a year. Not only did it have a Spirit Gathering Array, but it also provided Earth Fire for Alchemy and Artifact Refining, making it the most popular tier among the city's Cultivators.

An Earth Level mansion cost ten Middle-Grade Spirit Stones a year and came fully equipped with a hot spring bath, a Heart Calming Array, an Earth Fire Pill Furnace, and more.

A Heaven Level mansion was an upgrade from the Earth Level, representing the pinnacle of luxury. Its Spirit Gathering Array was built directly on a branch of a Spirit Vein. Given the Spiritual Qi density in the Floating Shadow Realm, it was more than enough for a Golden Core Cultivator's needs, but it cost thirty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones per year.

Setting aside the cost, let's talk about the Spiritual Qi. This was the advantage of a world rich in it. In a place with insufficient Spiritual Qi, a Golden Core Stage Cultivator without supplements like pills or Spirit Stones would find that the daily intake of Spiritual Qi was not even enough to sustain their cultivation. Not only would their Realm cease to advance, but it might even regress.

For example, if a Golden Core Stage Cultivator were to live in a Yellow Level mansion, they would need to use Spirit Stones every day to aid their cultivation.

For Chen Dong and Li Zhixuan, their Cultivation Techniques were advanced enough that an Earth Level mansion would have been sufficient, allowing them to meet their needs without extra Spirit Stones. However, since Li Zhixuan was preparing to undergo his tribulation, they opted for the best they could get.

Once they had settled on a place, Li Zhixuan holed himself up inside and didn't come out. He hadn't fully refined the Five Senses Calming Flower and naturally needed to make the most of his time.

Chen Dong, on the other hand, had just broken through to Extreme Dao Foundation Establishment and had no need for arduous cultivation. He spent his days wandering aimlessly around the city. Firstly, he was carrying out Zisang Jin's patrol mission—'wandering aimlessly could be considered patrolling, right?' Secondly, he was trying to find news about Murong Qing.

His initial lack of knowledge about the Demon Race, and his failure to recognize the Five Senses Calming Flower, had dealt a considerable blow to his confidence. Using his status as a Cyan Sky Sect disciple, he borrowed numerous jade slips from the Lexian City Lord's Mansion to frantically catch up on his studies.

So, Chen Dong spent his days wandering and his nights cultivating and reading the jade slips.

The City Lord of Lexian City was the Nascent Soul Cultivator tasked with guarding it. He was usually in closed-door cultivation; in the ten days Chen Dong had been here, he hadn't seen the man once. Meanwhile, the jade slips he was reading had begun to cover topics like Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Arrays in the Floating Shadow Realm.

Although it was all basic information, nothing exceeding the second tier, Chen Dong was enjoying himself. Because he could use his status as an Inner Sect Disciple to get them for free, he didn't have to spend any Spirit Stones. Third-tier materials corresponded to the Golden Core Stage, and for those, his Inner Sect Disciple status was no longer enough; he would have to pay.

Today, Chen Dong came again to exchange the jade slips he had finished reading. His Inner Sect Disciple Token granted him access to the outer areas of the City Lord's Mansion.

Having come for ten consecutive days, the guards were familiar with Chen Dong. They gave his disciple Token a cursory check and let him in. He made his way to the Library Pavilion with practiced ease, returned the old jade slips, and requested Third-tier Array and Alchemy slips.

Each third-tier jade slip cost ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones and only recorded some basic techniques, pill recipes, and array diagrams. This was the discounted price for Cyan Sky Sect disciples. They had to be returned within a month and could not be copied. Even so, the Library Pavilion only had a handful of third-tier jade slips. To get anything more advanced, one would have to return to the Cyan Sky Sect or buy it from a merchant at a high price.

'It makes sense,' he thought. 'Golden Core Stage cultivators are already the pillars of the Floating Shadow Realm. As for Divinity Transformation Stage experts... I haven't even heard of any existing.'

Spending one hundred and eighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones, Chen Dong borrowed all the third-tier jade slips in the Library Pavilion at once, too lazy to come back and exchange them every day. The only reason he'd come daily before was because they wouldn't let him borrow multiple free ones at a time.

As Chen Dong was leaving the City Lord's Mansion, he happened to see a Female Cultivator returning, riding a fiery horse-like demonic beast. She wore a flowing white dress, not the cyan robes of the Cyan Sky Sect. She was at the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment, but she wasn't using Sword Control or flying on her qi—she was riding a beast, which made Chen Dong look twice.

Standing a short distance away, he heard the guards call out, "Greetings, Young Lady!"

Although these guards were at the Qi Refining Stage, they were not disciples of the Cyan Sky Sect.

Cyan Sky Sect disciples were not permitted to leave the mountain until they entered the Inner Sect and joined a Sword Peak. Even those who went out for experience, such as by joining the City Defense Army, were at the Foundation Establishment Stage at minimum.

These guards were the City Lord's household retainers. And this "Young Mistress," Chen Dong had heard, was the City Lord Fu Xiao's Direct Disciple—Meng Yingluo. She was also the only one of Fu Xiao's Direct Disciples still at the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment; the others were all at the Golden Core Stage.

This City Lord, Fu Xiao, was the Peak Master of Sharp Sword Peak. His strength was rumored to be at the late-stage Nascent Soul. He had been appointed to guard Lexian City in a time of crisis after the All Heaven Guarding Array was deployed. For that reason, his power was undoubtedly formidable.

Chen Dong had no desire to start a conflict with a Cultivator who had such a powerful background. Even though Meng Yingluo shot him a cold glare, he just wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Stop!" Meng Yingluo called out coldly.

Chen Dong tried to pretend he hadn't heard, but in a flash, Meng Yingluo appeared before him. She stared at him icily and said, "I told you to stop. Are you deaf?"

Chen Dong sighed and gave a helpless salute. "My apologies, I didn't realize you were calling me."

"Hmph! What kind of nonsense is that? Who else would I be calling if not you?"

The area in front of the City Lord's Mansion was sparsely populated. At that moment, aside from a few distant passersby, Chen Dong was indeed the only one around.

Chen Dong frowned slightly. "May I ask what this young lady needs?"

Meng Yingluo was taken aback. "'Young lady?' Not only did you fail to greet your Martial Aunt, but you call me 'young lady'? Are you hoping to become a servant in my household?"

Now it was Chen Dong's turn to be stunned. 'She's starting trouble just because I didn't salute her and call her Martial Aunt?'