Chen Renfeng sat on the back of a white crane, gazing down at the enormous Immortal Mountain suspended in the air. From above, the trees were lush and green, and Spiritual Energy swirled thickly around them. Pavilions and towers stretched for dozens of miles, winding around the mountainside.
Chen Renfeng gestured for the white crane to fly lower. He saw several lakes hidden in the dense forest, along with several farmlands where golden rice grew, seemingly wrapped in Spiritual Energy. Several orchards were also filled with all kinds of fresh fruit.
Finally, halfway up the mountain, there were several broad streets lined with shops. Cultivators rode mounts through the streets, while others hurried along on flying swords. Everyone was looking around and purchasing things.
Chen Renfeng grew curious when he saw this. He also wanted to learn more about this world so he could plan how to return, so he signaled for the white crane to land on the street.
The white crane swooped down and landed in a sparsely populated part of the street. Chen Renfeng jumped off. He could feel the passing cultivators sweeping him with their divine senses. He did not conceal his Void Refinement Stage cultivation either, so those people withdrew their divine senses, turned around, and left.
The white crane suddenly cried out. Her wings spread, and after spinning once, she transformed into a red-robed fairy. Chen Renfeng was so startled that he retreated several steps, his eyes wide.
The white crane covered her mouth and laughed. "Immortal Elder, what do you want to buy at the market?"
Hearing this, Chen Renfeng quickly recovered and pretended to cough. "I'm just taking a look around. Is there anything you want to buy?"
Seeing this, the white crane put on a pitiful expression. "Immortal Elder, we're short on food and household supplies. Give me two Spirit Stones so I can go buy them!" Her eyes remained fixed on his Storage Bag.
Only then did Chen Renfeng realize that the white crane was not merely his mount but also the housekeeper. She was responsible for everything from eating and drinking to relieving themselves. He gave her two Spirit Stones every month, and she had also been sent to him by Ancestor Lu when he arrived in the Immortal Realm.
Chen Renfeng was generous this time. He took out one hundred Spirit Stones and gave them to the white crane, telling her to buy more and saying that he had made a small fortune. The white crane happily accepted the Spirit Stones and put them into her Storage Bag. The two agreed to meet here in an hour. After agreeing, the white crane happily hopped away.
Chen Renfeng watched the white crane's back and secretly examined her with his divine sense, only to find that he could not see through her cultivation.
As Chen Renfeng walked along the street, Daoist friends kept greeting him. He could only grin foolishly in response. When he reached the entrance of a jade shop, he stopped and came up with an idea.
Chen Renfeng walked inside. A shop assistant sitting behind the counter saw him enter and asked with a smile, "Daoist friend, are you buying jade artifacts or selling them?"
Chen Renfeng handed over the Twin Fish Jade Pendant. The shop assistant took it and played with it for a while before holding up three fingers.
Chen Renfeng shook his head.
The shop assistant raised one more finger.
Chen Renfeng still shook his head and was just about to say that he was not selling the jade.
The shop assistant angrily said, "Daoist friend, your jade is indeed good, but it's worth four Spirit Stones at most. I can't offer any more."
Hearing this, Chen Renfeng realized that he had been misunderstood and quickly said, "Daoist friend, can you replicate this Twin Fish Jade Pendant?"
After hearing that, the shop assistant examined it carefully again and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I can make the shape, but I can't replicate the runic formation on the pendant. You should try somewhere else." With that, he handed the pendant back.
Chen Renfeng was somewhat dejected and pressed him further. "There's really no other way?"
The shop assistant had failed to make a sale and no longer bothered with him, looking annoyed as though he wanted to drive him away.
Chen Renfeng calculated that swapping out the Twin Fish Jade Pendant would not work. He needed to quickly find a way to rescue Chen Qing and Bai Xue from the pendant. However, he knew very well that if mortals came out of the Small World inside the pendant, the Spiritual Energy flooding into their bodies would instantly cause them to burst apart and vanish into smoke.
Chen Renfeng left the shop and sat on the steps outside, wondering whether he could create a Small World and move the two of them into it. After considering it for a while, he shook his head. A Small World required a powerful expert at the Golden Immortal Realm to open up. On this Immortal Mountain, Ancestor Lu was probably the only one capable of it. If he sought his help, the secret would no longer be safe.
In the end, only one plan remained: Chen Qing and Bai Xue would cultivate as well. Once they established their foundations, perhaps they would be able to refine the Spiritual Energy that entered their bodies. Then, the three of them could search for a way back together.
Chen Renfeng was also thinking about what excuse he could make if White Deer Immortal asked him for the pendant...
Suddenly, the shop assistant came out and scolded him, "Daoist friend, if you're not buying anything, don't sit in front of my shop. You're blocking customers who want to come inside."
Chen Renfeng had only just arrived and could not be bothered to argue with him. He stood up and was about to leave when an idea suddenly struck him. He took a Spirit Stone from his Storage Bag and clenched it in his hand before asking, "Daoist friend, where can I find shops selling cultivation techniques and pills in the market?"
The shop assistant rolled his eyes at him.
Chen Renfeng shook the Spirit Stone in his hand. "Daoist friend, if you take me to the shops, this Spirit Stone is yours. If I buy genuine goods, I'll give you another Spirit Stone."
Hearing this, the shop assistant was overjoyed. "Is that really true?"
Chen Renfeng handed over the Spirit Stone. The shop assistant took it and examined it, his forehead sweating with excitement. This was a High-Grade Spirit Stone, and one could be exchanged for one hundred ordinary Spirit Stones. Even his monthly wages were not this much.
He had run into a God of Wealth.
The shop assistant hurriedly closed the jade shop's door and sealed it with a talismanic art. Then he enthusiastically led Chen Renfeng onward.
Chen Renfeng examined him with his divine sense. The shop assistant should have been a Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator.
The shop assistant first took Chen Renfeng to a bookstore. The place was very large, with dozens of bookshelves. Among the Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow grades, there were more than a hundred lowest-grade Yellow Grade cultivation techniques, while there were only ten Black Grade techniques. There were definitely no Earth Grade or Heaven Grade techniques.
The Three Thousand Great Daos were quite comprehensive, though easy to begin and difficult to cultivate. He picked up the Law of Reincarnation and carefully read several chapters. It was the same as the one he cultivated, so he trusted this shop.
The shop also had books on refining pills. He did not understand them very well, but he took some anyway.
After Chen Renfeng finished choosing, he paid one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones. The bookstore assistant copied more than a thousand books and stored them in a Storage Bag before handing it to him.
When Chen Renfeng walked out, the bookstore assistant was so happy that he could barely close his mouth. He even secretly stuffed two High-Grade Spirit Stones into the jade shop assistant's hands.
The jade shop assistant then took Chen Renfeng to a pill shop. The pill shop assistant packed two portions each of the Foundation Establishment Pill, Purple Gold Pill, and Golden Core Pill for the Foundation Establishment Stage and Golden Core Stage. This time, Chen Renfeng paid only one Spirit Stone. These low-grade pills were all used by cultivators to feed their mounts and pets.
Chen Renfeng took the pills and was about to leave when the jade shop assistant hurriedly gestured to the pill shop assistant. The other man immediately understood and quickly asked, "Daoist friend, our shop just received a batch of Primal Essence Pills. They're of immense benefit to the growth of the primordial spirit."
Before Chen Renfeng could reply, the jade shop assistant hurriedly asked, "What benefits do they have? Tell us quickly!"
The pill shop assistant glanced around before lowering his voice. "These pills came from Pure Yang Emperor's White Jade Palace. The Daoist friend who took them last time has already broken through to the Body Integration Stage."
The jade shop assistant exclaimed in astonishment, "Such incredible pills—how much are you selling them for?"
The pill shop assistant held up one finger.
"One High-Grade Spirit Stone?" the jade shop assistant guessed.
The pill shop assistant shook his head.
"Ten High-Grade Spirit Stones?" the jade shop assistant guessed again.
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