Chapter 563: Celestial Star Cave
Chapter 563: Celestial Star Cave
Lu Chen watched as Shen Ye departed, descending from the cloud-filled skies to land in an expansive, boundless square. He intended to learn more about Zhongzhou before making any decisions.
The square bustled with cultivators, most of them at the Qi Refining realm, with a noticeable proportion of Foundation Establishment cultivators—about one or two out of every ten people, a significantly higher ratio than in Donghuang.
"May I ask how much this flying sword is worth, fellow Daoist?" Lu Chen inquired, pointing at a third-grade flying sword displayed at a stall.
The stall owner, a good-natured young man, looked up at Lu Chen and replied, "Seven thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones, and the price is final."
Lu Chen walked away silently and browsed through several other stalls, inquiring about various spirit herbs, artifacts, and pills, gauging their prices.
"The prices here are noticeably higher than in Donghuang," he murmured to himself, a hint of worry crossing his face.
Compared to the prices he was familiar with, treasures in the Liuyang Realm were significantly more expensive than in various parts of Donghuang, by about three to five percent.
"Hmm, this isn't necessarily a bad thing," Lu Chen reassured himself. "After all, I mostly sell treasures, so as long as I get through the initial difficult period, it shouldn't be a problem."
His immediate priority was to find a dwelling with spacious spirit fields and rich, pure spiritual energy where he could remove the numerous spirit plants and beasts from the Gluttonous Beast Pouch and cultivate them.
While the Gluttonous Beast Pouch was a fifth-grade treasure capable of significantly slowing the loss of vitality, keeping the spirit plants inside for extended periods would still have some impact on their health.
Moreover, delaying their planting would also mean postponing the harvest of light spheres, which was unacceptable to Lu Chen.
"Spirit fields... Spiritual energy..."
"The best resources are controlled by those large sects and powers, but now that I've reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, I can't just join a sect and start over like I used to." Lu Chen pondered his options.
If he were to join a sect, he would immediately rule out the smaller ones. They tended to have average strength and poor risk resistance, offering little protection to Lu Chen. Their spirit fields and spiritual energy wouldn't be much better, and the variety and grade of spirit seeds they possessed were likely unimpressive, making them less attractive to Lu Chen in his current state.
Joining a large sect or power had its drawbacks too. Given that Lu Chen was already at the late Foundation Establishment stage, gaining their trust in a short time would be challenging, and he didn't have the luxury of time to start from scratch.
"Does that mean I have to return to being a rogue cultivator?"
"I suppose it's not impossible if I can find a suitable environment for cultivation."
As these thoughts raced through Lu Chen's mind, a sharp voice pierced the air. "Senior, are you visiting Dujuan City for the first time? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Turning toward the source of the voice, Lu Chen saw a shrewd-looking young man gazing at him. The youth was at the peak of the Qi Refining realm, just a step away from Foundation Establishment if one were to judge by his spiritual power.
"Yes, it's my first time in the Liuyang Realm," Lu Chen acknowledged candidly. His out-of-place appearance made it obvious that he was new to the area.
"Feel free to ask me anything, senior. I enjoy collecting all sorts of information, and I'm known as the jack-of-all-trades in Dujuan City," the young man said with a sycophantic smile.
"Good. I do have some questions, and if you answer them satisfactorily, this mid-grade spirit stone is yours," Lu Chen said, his expression calm. A spirit stone the size of a pigeon egg, shimmering with brilliance, arced through the air and landed in the young man's palm.
A simple restriction then enveloped the two of them, preventing their conversation from being overheard.
"Please ask away, senior. I'll answer to the best of my knowledge," the young man said eagerly.
"Sure!" The youth eagerly obliged. "The Zhongzhou Continent is located in the heart of the Yunxu Domain and is home to numerous powerful sects, making it a cultivation sanctuary within the entire Yunxu Domain. It is divided into seven realms, and the Liuyang Realm is one of them. Each realm is far more expansive than regions like Donghuang or Beihei."
The youth, named Lu Xuan, continued enthusiastically, painting a vivid picture of the continent.
"Which powerful sects and forces are present in the Liuyang Realm?" Lu Chen interrupted, eager to gain a better understanding.
"The most famous is undoubtedly the Liuyang Daoist Sect. They occupy nearly a third of the Liuyang Realm and are an undeniable force to be reckoned with. It is said that there are immortal masters within the sect, countless blessed lands, and they even possess a 'Small Heavenly Realm'," the youth replied, his eyes sparkling with admiration for the sect.
Lu Chen nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.
"Below the Liuyang Daoist Sect are numerous other powerful sects scattered throughout the Liuyang Realm. Many of these sects house Golden Core True Lords, but compared to the Liuyang Daoist Sect, they pale in comparison, like fireflies beside the bright moon," Lu Xuan explained.
"In addition, there are some extremely powerful and influential forces. Two of them stand out in particular. One is the Hai Lou Merchant Guild, which spans the entire Liuyang Realm. They are said to possess a high-grade treasure-level tower filled with countless treasures, and they traverse various realm domains."
"The other is the Celestial Star Cave. They possess eighteen star caves, each with its own unique wonders, and they, too, occupy numerous blessed lands. However, compared to ordinary sects, the Celestial Star Cave is relatively loose in its structure, resembling more of a loose cultivator alliance. Countless powerful loose cultivators gather within, regardless of their backgrounds, whether they are righteous sect masters or demonic cultivators."
"For those who cherish their freedom and dislike constraints, the Celestial Star Cave is a better choice than a traditional sect. Within, only strength and wealth matter. As long as you possess sufficient might and spirit stones, even secret realms can be yours."
"The Celestial Star Cave?" Lu Chen's heart stirred.
According to this enthusiastic youth, the Celestial Star Cave boasted eighteen star caves, each with its unique wonders. Perhaps one of them would be suitable for cultivating the Yuan Magnet Spirit Tree or the Purple Violet Thunder Fruit.
Moreover, the Celestial Star Cave's indifference to backgrounds and focus on strength and spirit stones made it an ideal choice for Lu Chen, who possessed numerous unorthodox spirit plants. He might finally be able to cultivate them openly without having to sneak around.
"Thank you for this valuable information, young brother." After a moment, Lu Chen removed the restriction around them and bid the youth farewell with a gentle smile.
Obtaining such crucial information for just one medium-grade spirit stone was indeed a worthwhile exchange.
"Joining the Liuyang Daoist Sect would require a long time to gain sufficient resources, and they might uncover my unorthodox spirit plants and treasures. A righteous sect like that would unlikely let me off easily," Lu Chen mused, deciding against joining the Liuyang Daoist Sect.
"It seems that joining the Celestial Star Cave might be a good choice. With spirit stones, I can acquire a normal or even excellent cultivation environment, and under the protection of this formidable force, I can tend to my fields in peace, undisturbed by external forces, and my actions won't be constrained."
The prospect intrigued him greatly.
"I'll inquire further, and if it suits my needs, I shall choose the Celestial Star Cave."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
