I Accumulate Spirit Roots for My Next Life

Chapter 252: Chapter 152: Settling Down in Guzhu City

Comparing Liu Hongling’s explanation with all the information he previously collected, then flying with Liu Hongling from the outer city to the inner city at a slower pace, he verified the three phases he encountered along the way, and got a good understanding of Guzhu City.

All he saw along the way were just some temporary stalls in the outer city accepting Spirit Stone transactions, most directly stating the items they needed for trade.

Resources above Tier Three are mostly bartered.

The entire Guzhu City essentially lacks a commercial atmosphere, with few shops, all located in the outer city, mostly targeting customers below Core Formation, primarily dealing in Antitoxic Pills to avoid the poisonous mist.

“In this domain, most Core Formation cultivators tend to venture into the wilderness to seek opportunities themselves,

There has always been a saying in the swamp: wade shallow waters to find fish and shrimp, enter the abyss to see true dragons.

Therefore, they rarely purchase resources.

Added to this, the mobility of high-tier loose cultivators in this domain is great, many do not stay in one place for long,” Liu Hongling explained.

Li Jizhou couldn’t entirely agree with Liu Hongling’s explanation.

Besides the fact that opportunities indeed might abound within Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, the main reason is actually that after reaching Core Formation, if cultivators do not prepare Fetus Nourishing items in advance, like the Fetus Nourishing Pill or miraculous drugs, they really have few rigid needs within the next hundred years.

No demand naturally leads to no market.

And even with demand, items like the Fetus Nourishing Pill or miraculous drugs, much like Lifespan Extension Pills, are not sold in the open by others either,

which results in a lack of commercialization at places mainly populated by Core Formation cultivators.

Actually, during the time in the Immortal City of Yan Kingdom, this situation was quite evident; most commercial customers were primarily at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and if Core Formation cultivators did not have the need for challenges, most commercial activities were conducted for their families or descendants, with very little need personally.

Until the outbreak of war between the Merchant Alliance and the Righteous Army, commercial circulation of resources above Tier Three increased.

This situation becomes more apparent as one’s cultivation realm increases.

If not for purpose-driven organizations like the Merchant Alliance, the higher the tier of cultivators, the scarcer the required resources, at most being exchanged in barters, without true large-scale commercial flow.

After taking a casual tour of the inner city, Li Jizhou bid farewell to Liu Hongling and went to the City Lord’s Mansion for residency arrangements.

Inner city residences, because the Spiritual Qi is the same, are not zoned, only distinguished by the size of the courtyard for affording.

Minimum of a ten-year lease, payable in Spirit Stones or equivalent Tier Three materials or resources.

No identity verification, and not even any information registration, just two identical jade plaques imprinted with Magical Power marks, with sporadic inspections mentioned; the two plaques need only match each other’s Magical Power marks.

Li Jizhou chose a detached courtyard located far from Guzhu True Monarch’s training arena but with high occupancy rates.

He intended to inquire about the situation of the neighbors around, but it didn’t go as desired, the reason being they also don’t know, which does confirm their policy of not registering information beforehand.

The ten-year rent for this courtyard requires fifteen hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones, or in equivalent payment a Tier Three Advanced Demon Pill or varied Tier Three Middle-Level materials, among which pill materials are valued the highest.

It can also be traded using Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, Tier Three Middle-Level Puppets, Tier Three Advanced Treasure Talismans, Fetus Nourishing Pills, etc.

Just a brief calculation, Li Jizhou found that the value of Spirit Stones in the swamp is indeed low.

In the end, Li Jizhou produced a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact as the ten-year rent.

This Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact was initially given to him in compensation for the previous Celestial Thunder Talisman debt when Ye Jingyu killed those four Tier Three Middle-Level Merchant Alliance Core Formation cultivators outside the Fire Domain and gave him the storage bag.

There were originally two Top-Grade Spiritual Artifacts in the storage bag, one fused with Ghost Shadow, leaving just this one.

This is a fire-control law flag spiritual artifact, primarily used for spell attacks, which Li Jizhou can naturally do without since he has Tier Three Fire Spirit Bai Yi.

After the jade talisman was made on site, the City Lord’s Mansion merely reminded him not to set up a Spirit Gathering Array, and said nothing else.

Everything was surprisingly smooth and simple.

Taking the house’s jade talisman, Li Jizhou did not delay and flew away.

Moments later, Li Jizhou stopped in front of the courtyard he selected,

At this time, the courtyard was sealed by an imprisonment array, appearing gray overall.

When Li Jizhou held the jade talisman and activated it with Magical Power, the one-time imprisonment array shattered instantly.

The entire courtyard was inundated with Spiritual Qi, making a small noise.

In an instant, the courtyard was renewed, as if no one had ever resided therein before.

This is the function of the imprisonment array, equipped with effects of anti-corrosion, moisture resistance, and insect prevention.

Just then, several courtyard doors nearby opened, and several people emerged one after another.

“Welcome new Daoist friend, we will be neighbors from now on.”

“Dare I ask Daoist friend’s appellation? In the future, may we team up and explore treasures in the swamp.”

“If Daoist friend needs to refine spiritual artifacts in the future, you may find me. My prices are fair.”

…

The area Li Jizhou chose is high in occupancy rate, with only this courtyard vacant nearby.

Mainly for safety considerations.

Although he lacks puppet cards currently, having only Ghost Shadow remaining, Ghost Shadow’s strength still rivals Late Stage of Core Formation.

Additionally, there are eighteen treasure talismans continuously nurtured in the Dantian for nearly twenty years now, each possessing the power to strike a Middle Stage of Core Formation.

There’s also an array formed with treasure talismans as the base, its power remains untested.

Besides, the chessboard killer array that once slew a Quasi-Fourth Tier Half-Step Dragon Transformation Great Python when wounded has three pieces remaining.

Furthermore, during a burst from Tier Three Fire Spirit Bai Yi, a Middle Stage of Core Formation cultivator is inevitably unable to withstand; under circumstances of source depletion, even Late Stage of Core Formation cultivators dare not confront its sharpness.

These still do not count the ten immortal-bound treasures nurtured in the Dantian for twenty-five years, the Immortal-Slaying Flying Sabers.

However, twenty-five years is relatively short for nurturing life-bound treasures, hence their power is still lacking, not to be counted for now.

Despite these trump cards seeming not to fear Late Stage of Core Formation cultivators, Li Jizhou still adhered to a cautious advance strategy, naturally avoiding unknown risks is preferable.

“Thank you, Daoist friends. I am Master Huangshi; I will be bothering you much in the future.” Li Jizhou cupped his fists towards everyone.

“Anyone banding here for long, isn’t it a life’s divergence at the trail’s end?

We shall mutually aid and warm through cluster.

I am Liuli, pleased to meet Master Huang,” the owner of the courtyard to Li Jizhou’s left responded with a smile.

This woman bears the aura of Middle Stage of True Core; Li Jizhou’s Late Stage of Core Formation Divine Sense did not detect any disguise fluctuations; moreover, the sense of her age matches Core Formation Middle Stage’s lifespan cap, presumably she is authentic.

With an elegant and wealthy demeanor, somewhat like a lady of stature, unlike ordinary loose cultivators.

Moreover, her aura of magical power is peculiar, Li Jizhou cannot discern its attribute.

“Pleased to meet you!”

“Master Huang, my appellation is Copper Mountain. According to the rules here, no queries after origin, nor destination. As I sense your Middle Stage of Core Formation magical power fluctuations, I intend to invite you to join our Immortal Seeking Team, exploring the myriad opportunities in the swamp.

Our Immortal Seeking Team currently has seventeen members, all above Core Formation, the leader being Late Stage of Core Formation, within the team there is even Mid-Stage Golden Core prodigy,

we also have a Tier Three treasure-seeking Spirit Rat,” another man with a bold and robust demeanor spoke freely.

“Ha~ last year, I remember you had twenty-one members, how come just seventeen so soon? Did you black each other out?” Copper Mountain hadn’t finished speaking, when an untidy, one-legged crippled Taoist across the street sneered coldly.

“Master He, there’s no point in saying that, is there? That incident was just an accident, if you don’t believe it, no one can convince you,” Master Copper Mountain didn’t get angry upon hearing it, instead looked helplessly at Master He.

Master He was once part of their Immortal Seeking Team, even recruited by him; results in an accidental entry into a secret realm a few years back, almost perished therein, ultimately had to use an unknown secret skill, and severed the vitality of one leg to retrieve a life.

“In my view, opportunities shouldn’t be forcibly sought, Master Huang, I am Xuanjin, a Tier Three Artifact Refiner, I can help refine life-bound treasures for a reward of merely one Tier Three material. I shall head back now, goodbye,” the more reticent Artifact Refiner from the right courtyard said a word and turned back into the courtyard.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Jizhou similarly cupped his hands towards the few people, and returned to his courtyard.

Encounters at random, are but surface greetings, there’s no need to mind too much.