I Cultivate Longevity in the Cultivation Realm-Chapter 48: Interception and Slaughter

In this way, after the settlement, Zhou Changwang spent a total of 137 pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones.

Seeing the maid Xiaowei’s genuine smile at this moment, Zhou Changwang handed over the Spirit Stones with a pained expression.

"So extravagant, so extravagant."

"With this cost, relying solely on planting in the Spirit Field, when will I ever recover this expenditure?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Zhou Changwang shouted in his heart, feeling that continuing to farm like before was absolutely inadvisable.

After a year of hard work, earning only a few dozen pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, and almost suffering a loss due to the fluctuation in Spirit Rice prices... such things must not be done again.

Even if he doesn’t give up the profession of a Spirit Farmer, he must grow high-value products.

Leaving the Hexagonal Pavilion, Zhou Changwang didn’t plan to go back yet, but instead walked a bit further to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall in the Marketplace.

Though called the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, it actually entails a lot of affairs, including the renting and selling of houses as one of its functions.

Zhou Changwang entered and quickly found a steward, reportedly surnamed Bai. He stepped forward and said with clasped hands, "Steward Bai, I’m Zhou Changwang, wishing to rent a house in the Marketplace. Do you have any suitable residences?"

"Inner City or the outskirts of the Marketplace? How large an area?"

Steward Bai, a middle-aged-looking man, was clean-shaven. He asked plainly upon seeing Zhou’s approach.

"Inner City."

"I would like to rent a house with a Spirit Field. The location being remote doesn’t matter."

Zhou Changwang replied promptly.

"There are houses with Spirit Fields, but those in the West District are already rented out. There are two left in the South District."

"However, as you know, being near the Spirit Vein, the rent there is relatively expensive."

"One house has a five-acre Spirit Field, all at First-Grade Upper level, and comes with a Spirit Gathering Array. It used to be the residence of Spirit Plant Master Lu, but after joining the Qingyuan Sect and becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, he had access to high-quality Spirit Fields within the Sect and didn’t care for these anymore."

"This house has a minimum lease of three years, at 450 pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones per year."

"The other one has a seven-acre Spirit Field, also with a Spirit Gathering Array, and was previously owned by a High-Tier Cultivator surnamed Li. The lease expired three months ago, but he hasn’t renewed it and hasn’t been seen, so it’s back on the market."

"There’s still some Spiritual Medicine planted by that High-Tier Cultivator inside. Since some of the medicine hasn’t matured, we’ve left them as is. If you rent it, they could also be considered part of your property."

"The rent is more expensive though, also a three-year minimum, at 620 pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones per year."

Steward Bai didn’t mind Zhou Changwang’s level of cultivation and began the introduction without hesitation.

Zhou Changwang’s expression stiffened, asking somewhat awkwardly, "Isn’t there anything cheaper? Even without a Spirit Field is fine."

Four hundred fifty and six hundred twenty, when his entire wealth barely amounted to that—spending it all on rent? He hadn’t gone mad.

"Of course, there are options without a Spirit Field, but recently, with many entering the Marketplace, the cheaper ones have mostly been rented out. There are a few left..."

...

Zhou Changwang walked slowly out of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, feeling a bit downcast.

He had thought himself fairly well-off now, but unexpectedly, renting a house in the Inner City was this expensive.

For just a regular residence, the monthly rent was at least a dozen or twenty pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones. With a Cultivation Room, it became more expensive, at over thirty pieces per month. If it was located right on a Spirit Vein Node, it could reach as high as one hundred pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones...

This was insanity!

He remembered the fear of being crushed by a housing loan.

And yet, this was even crazier here.

This was only renting, not buying.

But one had to admit, there was a reason for the high prices.

Because in the Inner City, there was one resource that the outskirts could hardly enjoy.

That was Spiritual Qi.

The Inner City, being situated on the Spirit Vein, held far more concentrated Spiritual Qi than the outskirts. Cultivating anywhere here was equivalent to twice the effectiveness of the outskirts. If at a Spirit Vein Node, it could reach three times.

This was overwhelmingly tempting for those with cultivation goals, aiming to advance to Middle-Tier, High-Tier, or even Foundation Establishment.

It was not something they could give up.

"No wonder as soon as something happened to the Bai Family Ancestor, someone couldn’t help but make trouble.

The annual rent collected from the Marketplace is indeed substantial.

Plus all the various industries and resources..."

Zhou Changwang’s heart raced.

Of course, he was just a little Loose Cultivator, merely dreaming about these things.

...

"I heard that Zhou Changwang hunted an Iron Armor Pig, selling it for over a hundred pieces of Lower-Grade Spirit Stones. With the recent harvest from the Spirit Field, that’s several dozen more into his pocket, making him quite wealthy.

Indeed, I saw him leave the Hexagonal Pavilion only to enter the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall..."

In a dark corner, a pale-faced young man watched with a gloomy gaze as Zhou Changwang walked out of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and muttered enviously, "I wonder how many Spirit Stones he spent at the Hexagonal Pavilion and Miscellaneous Affairs Hall?

These should have been mine."

The young man gritted his teeth, following Zhou Changqing from a distance.

In the Inner City, he didn’t dare make a move.

Not just because of the many High-Tier Cultivators here, but also because of the patrolling enforcement teams.

He too was a Low-Tier Loose Cultivator, naturally not daring to act recklessly.

"It’s said that Zhou Changwang is quite adept in pest removal, with a decent mastery of the Geng Metal Finger, and having taken down an Iron Armor Pig, he must have a trick or two hidden up his sleeve, something I can’t overlook... It seems I’ll need to make a real investment."

The young man muttered, watching Zhou Changwang leave through the Marketplace’s main gate and entering the outer area, hurrying to follow and taking something from his bosom as he went.

A Spirit Talisman.

The Earth Spike Talisman.

Though the Earth Spike Talisman was a Low-tier Talisman, its creator was a renowned talisman maker among Loose Cultivators. The power of this Talisman was 60% of a standard Magic’s power.

...

Zhou Changwang had always been a cautious person.

When the fortune teller told him he was prone to a car accident, although he didn’t believe it, he still walked on the sidewalk wherever he could... Now, being in the perilous Cultivation Realm, he was naturally even more cautious.

Despite his relaxed appearance.

But this was the outskirts of the Marketplace.

The people were of mixed backgrounds, with Tribulation Cultivators everywhere.

Furthermore, many mysterious Cultivators had recently arrived from various places, making him wary of being targeted as someone’s prey.

Thus, he kept one hand inside his sleeve, always clutching a Spirit Talisman.

Suddenly, Zhou Changwang felt a surge of intense Earth Attribute Spiritual Power coming from beneath his feet.

"Is there a Tribulation Cultivator?"

His heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, he activated the Spirit Talisman in hand.

Instantly, a defensive barrier appeared before him. It was the Golden Shield Talisman he had just purchased from the Hexagonal Pavilion.

This Golden Shield Talisman was crafted by a renowned talisman maker in the Hexagonal Pavilion. Although it was only a Low-tier Spiritual Talisman, it was of premium quality, and when activated, could achieve 70% of the power of a proper Magic.

Simultaneously, sharp and pointed Earth Arrows rapidly rose from the ground beneath, colliding directly with the Golden Light Shield.

Buzz buzz buzz~!

The Golden Light Shield trembled violently and dimmed at an alarming rate, yet it continued to protect Zhou Changwang until the Earth Spikes vanished.