Spirit Seizing, Recruiting Subordinates

"Brother Chen, look, this is the Spirit Seizing Array Disk. Although it's only a first-tier array disk, it's still a Spirit Seizing Array, so its value is much greater than other first-tier array disks."

Jiang Qiang nervously and respectfully took out a colorful round disk and handed it to Chen Dengming.

Chen Dengming took it and examined it, finding the lines on the array disk intricate and engraved with many strange runes.

But he could roughly tell it was a type of formation. However, the array disk looked a bit old and ancient, unlike a newly made one.

"Why doesn't this array disk have any spiritual energy fluctuations?"

Hearing this, Jiang Qiang chuckled, "Brother Chen, this array disk hasn't been activated yet, so how can there be spiritual energy fluctuations? Also, to activate this array disk, you need to purchase a set of formation flags."

"I still have to pay to buy it?" Chen Dengming frowned.

Jiang Qiang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said with a smile, "Not necessarily. I can actually make them myself, it just takes some time. If you're not in a hurry..."

Chen Dengming's brows relaxed. "That's fine, I'm not in a hurry to use it. Once this Spirit Seizing Formation is set up, can it really arbitrarily seize specific spiritual energy from the surroundings?"

Jiang Qiang nodded. "Exactly! If you have a Fire Spiritual Root, once the Spirit Seizing Formation is set up and configured to seize the surrounding fire-attribute spiritual energy, it will naturally help your cultivation speed increase significantly.

In principle, the Spirit Seizing Formation is similar to the Spirit Gathering Formation in assisting cultivation, but it's more precise. However, it consumes more Spirit Stones.

Also, when cultivating with this formation, you need to frequently change your cultivation location. After all, if the spiritual energy of a certain attribute in an area is depleted too much, it will take some time to recover."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Chen Dengming was quite pleased.

When cultivating, he could use this Spirit Seizing Formation to seize the Gold Spiritual Energy from the surrounding air first, to aid his cultivation.

Once the Gold Spiritual Energy in the vicinity was depleted, he could then seize Wood Spiritual Energy. Wouldn't that mean there wouldn't be as much conflict between seizing Gold Spiritual Energy and Wood Spiritual Energy? There wouldn't be much internal conflict, and his cultivation speed would naturally increase considerably.

However, the specifics would depend on the cost of Spirit Stones for this formation.

Chen Dengming asked a few more questions, and after confirming his idea could be implemented, he said, "By the way, was it just for this array disk that Hutong Street put out a warrant for your arrest?

And since you didn't want to give this array disk to Qian Yuan of Hutong Street, why did you so easily take it out for me?"

Jiang Qiang took a deep breath, knowing he had to explain. His expression was a mix of anger and indignation. "It wasn't solely for the array disk, but also for the production blueprints of the array disk. However, I've already destroyed the blueprints, but I still remember them in my mind.

This one I'm giving you is the original array disk I found in a mountain forest, along with the blueprints.

That guy surnamed Qian wants to capture me to enslave me and study the method of making the Spirit Seizing Formation to continue working for him. But how could I work for him? He's a beast!"

So there's a grudge. What did that beast Qian Yuan do to him that made this person rebel? Chen Dengming thought to himself.

Jiang Qiang continued, "If I give the array disk to you, I might still have a chance to live. But if I go back, it would be worse than death. Of course, I'm willing to take a gamble."

As he spoke, Jiang Qiang paused and looked at Chen Dengming with a sincere expression. "Brother Chen, your strength is formidable. If you're willing to escort me to Jingxiu Workshop, which is two thousand miles to the west, I'm also willing to draw out the blueprints for making the Spirit Seizing Array Disk for you."

Chen Dengming shrugged. "What use would I have for that? I can't make it myself, and selling it would be troublesome.

Oh, right. Last time you asked me to help, you only paid me one Low-grade Spirit Stone as compensation. Should I add some money now?"

Jiang Qiang's expression was strange and regretful, then he gave a wry smile and cupped his fists. "Brother Chen, as you can see, I've been on the run for a long time and am truly at my wit's end. Besides this array disk, I really have nothing else..."

"Alright. I was just joking."

Chen Dengming put away the array disk, patted Jiang Qiang's shoulder, and mused.

"How about this, I won't escort you to Jingxiu Workshop, but I'm willing to offer you another path, which is to follow me.

I won't exploit you like that guy surnamed Qian, and I can provide you with a certain degree of safety. You can consider it."

"Follow you...?" Jiang Qiang's expression was hesitant.

He wasn't foolish. Qian Yuan was a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Level. Although Chen Dengming's displayed strength was formidable, he was only at the Qi Cultivation Second Level, and unlikely to be Qian Yuan's match.

"Having you follow me isn't about directly declaring war on Qian Yuan, but it will at least provide some safety."

Chen Dengming saw through Jiang Qiang's thoughts at a glance and said with a faint smile, "Actually, like you, I am also an enemy of Qian Yuan. Qian Yuan once put out a warrant for me, and I don't know if he's rescinded it yet."

"You were also wanted?" Jiang Qiang was surprised.

Chen Dengming smiled. "That's right. When I was in the Innate stage, I killed a cultivator under him, and he put out a warrant for me."

Jiang Qiang was shocked. "It was you? But you, you are now..."

He was a bit stunned. He knew about that warrant.

But it's only been half a year, right? How did that mortal in the Innate stage become so strong?

He hadn't connected the dots when he heard the Yellow-robed Cultivator mention offending someone, and then Chen Dengming made his move.

"You, Brother Chen, I later heard that you seemed to have gone to the Lüo Family? To refine something for Eldest Miss Lüo, refining Gu?"

Chen Dengming nodded. "That's right! I just left the Lüo Family."

Jiang Qiang's face immediately broke into a smile. "Good, Brother Chen, I'll follow you from now on."

"Good!"

Chen Dengming smiled. As expected, the Lüo Family's influence was immense. Just mentioning the Lüo Family, and the man immediately pledged his allegiance.

He then directly took the troublesome and awkward relics of the Yellow-robed Cultivator – the Low-grade Lotus Magic Shield, four Low-grade Spirit Stones, and two Talismans – and offered them to Jiang Qiang as a gift.

"Since we're brothers now, I'll return the compensation you gave me before, and add some more as a greeting gift from your elder brother."

"Take it, don't refuse. If I have things to do in the future, I'll have you handle them, and of course, you won't be doing it for free."

Chen Dengming had been skilled at winning people over and recruiting followers in his past life in the martial world, establishing the grand Chen Family and training numerous loyalists and shadow guards.

He had previously lamented that starting over in the Cultivation World left him with no one to run errands for him.

Now that he could recruit a desperate Cultivator like Jiang Qiang, who possessed a valuable skill, it was naturally a great thing.

In the future, many tasks could be delegated to Jiang Qiang, freeing him from having to do everything himself and delaying his Cultivation.

Jiang Qiang sheepishly refused for a moment before tightly gripping the Spirit Stones and accepting them gratefully. Suddenly, he felt a knot of tension in his nerves loosen, and his hope for the future was rekindled.

In truth, fleeing two thousand miles away to Jinxiu Workshop wouldn't necessarily guarantee a better life.

He would be in unfamiliar territory there, and the situation might even be worse.

Moreover, a distance of two thousand miles would require five to six days and nights of flying on a Magic Item just to reach.

Demon Beasts roamed the wilderness at night, and a single misstep could lead to death.

Being able to stay in the Gathering Place was naturally the best outcome.

With the strength of Boss Chen, as long as Qian Yuan himself didn't make a move, only two or three people from Hutong Street might pose a threat. However, those two or three might not even come out to pursue him.

Next, Chen Dengming personally escorted Jiang Qiang to a secret residence not far from the Gathering Place.

This place had an Illusion Formation set up by Jiang Qiang, ensuring a certain level of safety.

Along the way, he had basically figured out why Jiang Qiang had rebelled against Qian Yuan, confirming that he wasn't a traitor like Fang Tianhua Ji.

It turned out that Jiang Qiang had privately kept two sets of formation plates and diagrams he found in the mountains. However, people from Hutong Street discovered clues in the same area.

Qian Yuan demanded that Jiang Qiang hand over the formation diagrams and plates. Jiang Qiang only produced one set of formation plates and Formation Flags, refusing to give up the diagrams. This led to a conflict, and Jiang Qiang's Dao Companion was accidentally caught in the crossfire and died.

Jiang Qiang escaped in the chaos, consumed by grief and rage, and has been completely estranged from Qian Yuan ever since.

Chen Dengming listened with a sigh, finding Qian Yuan's methods of enslaving people too brutal.

Although Jiang Qiang was a formation master he had personally trained, he hadn't given him the most basic respect, even oppressing him step by step, which led to such dire consequences.

Now, it was good that this hard-earned formation master was his.

After settling Jiang Qiang and agreeing on the methods and times for future contact, Chen Dengming left directly, returning to the Gathering Place.

He now possessed a Golden Silkworm Gu and a Blood Centipede Gu as trump cards, along with other Gu Poisons and the ability to instantly cast the Great Fireball Technique and Golden Spear Technique. With his Cultivation about to break through to Qi Cultivation Third Level, he felt he could initially establish a foothold in the Gathering Place.

At the very least, as long as he didn't directly confront the leaders of forces like Xu Ning and Qian Yuan, his own safety would be largely guaranteed, and he would no longer be someone who could be easily manipulated.

"My cooperation with the Lüo Family has been successful. Lüo Bing even has a three-year pact with me. Although outsiders are unaware of it, it makes it convenient for me to leverage their influence. My business cooperation with Xu Ning, from what I can see, can continue."

Chen Dengming moved swiftly like the wind, calculating in his mind.

He wasn't particularly interested in establishing a faction in the Gathering Place like Xu Ning and others. Body Seizing, however, was quite appealing.

If he could earn more Spirit Stones with less effort and later recruit people to work for him and run errands, reducing the energy he spent on trivial matters, he would be very pleased.

However, this idea of seeking great benefits with minimal effort was something everyone would have; it all depended on how he managed things in the future.

Soon, Chen Dengming arrived at the seemingly dilapidated Gathering Place.

The faint Spiritual Might emanating from him caused some mortals to immediately move out of the way and bow respectfully.

Chen Dengming slightly lowered his bamboo hat and headed directly to Master Hu's Magic Item shop in the east of the city.

Having been away for several months, the first thing he would do upon returning was to inquire about the recent situation in the Gathering Place.

As a merchant and a member of a neutral faction, Master Hu was naturally the most ideal person to converse with.

Furthermore, he had promised that if he made money, he would definitely commission a suitable Magic Item saber from Master Hu's shop. Now was the time to fulfill that promise.