CHAPTER 412: 225, THE WARMTH AND COLDNESS OF HUMAN EMOTIONS

"100,000 spirit shells..."

On the vast expanse of the Two-Yue Wasteland, the horse carriage rolled along. Xu Xing, who sat inside, swayed back and forth with the bumps of the carriage.

"With just 100,000 spirit shells, you can help me sneak into Xuan Turtle City?"

Having lowered his head for a long time, Xu Xing raised his eyes to look at the Old Monk in front of him, his hand tightly clutching his Storage Bag.

Making this decision seemed to be extremely difficult for him.

"Of course. I have connections in Xuan Turtle City. The manager of Dinghefeng is my nephew. As long as I arrange for you to be ’recruited’ as a temporary worker, you can easily blend into Xuan Turtle City."

The Old Monk moved closer to Xu Xing and whispered about his connections.

"What about after that?"

"How do we infiltrate the Chu Kingdom?"

Xu Xing showed an interested expression, his hand clutching the Storage Bag slightly loosening, as if he had been persuaded by the Old Monk.

With his status as a True Monarch of the Immeasurable Sect, entering the Chu Kingdom wouldn’t be difficult. All he needed to do was show the token from his sect. But his "true body" was currently being watched by Kang Han and Helan Lianjiang. If his identity were exposed and his trip to the Chu Kingdom leaked, it would be disastrous. Large sects from the North Yue Country, like the Immeasurable Sect, would surely have outposts in Xuan Turtle City and Dragon Lake City—a city under the Pill Cauldron Sect of the Chu Kingdom. If his identity were revealed, the sect members stationed at these outposts would be the first to know. They would then come to verify his identity to prevent impersonation and deception.

"Working as a laborer in Xuan Turtle City, you can earn at least 3,000 to 4,000 spirit shells a year. It’s much easier than making money in other markets."

"If you work hard at some side businesses, within a hundred years, you could earn at least 500,000 to 600,000 spirit shells."

"And if you’re lucky enough to get a position like my nephew’s at Dinghefeng, bringing outsiders into Xuan Turtle City, earning referral fees, and getting tens of thousands, or even more than a hundred thousand spirit shells as a share, you’ll strike it rich!"

The Old Monk didn’t directly answer Xu Xing’s question. Instead, he rattled off the many benefits of getting into Xuan Turtle City.

After this, he finally got to the point. "The simplest way to join the various sects in the Chu Kingdom is to possess a unique skill."

"Either you reach the Returning Core Realm and are granted a Green Cloud Symbol by the City Lord’s Mansion, allowing you to ascend directly, or you have a skill. The easiest skill to acquire is to go to Dinghefeng, learn the art of Spiritual Feasts, and become a Second Level Spirit Chef..."

The Old Monk explained patiently and persuasively.

"If that’s the case..."

"Then... I’ll have to ask for your help to enter Xuan Turtle City, Senior."

Xu Xing untied his Storage Bag and carefully poured out 10,000 spirit shells. "I’ll give you the rest after we’re inside Xuan Turtle City."

"Alright."

The Old Monk rubbed the spirit shells and grinned. "I always conduct legitimate business, no cheating or swindling. You’ll have to pay the remaining 90,000 spirit shells sooner or later, so I’m not in a rush."

「Arriving in the South Yue Nation,」

Xu Xing and the Old Monk separated from the Zhou Family caravan. Along with a female cultivator surnamed Zhao, the three of them headed to Xuan Turtle City together.

The female cultivator surnamed Zhao was also a guard recruited by the Zhou Family Commerce Association midway through their journey.

In the Two-Yue Wasteland, many wild beasts often attacked traveling merchant convoys.

Therefore, most merchant groups welcomed cultivators who wished to join, as it was mutually beneficial.

This Miss Zhao had overheard the Old Monk and Xu Xing planning to travel to Xuan Turtle City together and, feeling tempted, asked to join them.

"Little Zhao, your family is a cultivating family and possesses some wealth. There’s no need for you to risk going to Xuan Turtle City."

"Once you’re in Xuan Turtle City, if you end up at the bottom, we male cultivators can endure some hardship, but it might not be the same for you female cultivators."

Halfway there, the Old Monk, noticing Miss Zhao’s repeated hesitation, advised her to give up on accompanying them and return home to live her life as a young miss.

Cultivators at the Immortal Base realm, though considered bottom-level, could still live a wealthy and respected life among mortals without issue. This was even truer for those from cultivating families. Even a small cultivating family was far better off than a freelance cultivator.

"I ran... I mean, I left home intending to make a name for myself!"

"My Lishuang Zhao Family is renowned for its weaving skills. Once I’m in Xuan Turtle City, I’ll quickly rise from the bottom and join the Embroidered Clothes Pavilion!"

Hearing the Old Monk’s "disparaging" words, Miss Zhao immediately retorted, bristling like an agitated cat.

Xuan Turtle City hosted outposts of various sects from the Chu Kingdom. Every year, these sects would select suitable cultivators from within the city to join them.

The Embroidered Clothes Pavilion was one such small sect in the Chu Kingdom, famous for its mastery of weaving, one of the Hundred Cultivation Arts.

Weaving...

Upon hearing this, Xu Xing subconsciously touched the Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, glancing at the Azure Fire Wolf Spider sleeping inside.

This spirit beast had been with him for more than 160 years. Back then, after he successfully broke through and established his Immortal Base, his fellow disciples at the Sea Light Separate Courtyard had gifted him this spirit beast as a congratulatory present. Besides guarding the home, the Azure Fire Wolf Spider could also produce spirit silk once a year, which could be used to weave magic clothes.

The evolution of spirit beasts is too slow... After the Azure Fire Wolf Spider advanced to a first-level spirit beast, I’ve often fed it Spirit Pills. Yet, it’s still just a first-level spirit beast; the only difference is it has progressed from the early to the middle stage.

Xu Xing was rather speechless.

The resources he had invested in the Azure Fire Wolf Spider were definitely enough for an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator to advance from the early stage to the late stage. However, he also knew he couldn’t blame the Azure Fire Wolf Spider; its aptitude wasn’t bad. After all, even a non-True Lineage disciple of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, like Fengping Valley, had cultivated for over 400 years and only reached the Late Immortal Foundation Stage, still unable to break through to the Returning Core Realm.