Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 616: Loose Cultivators are Penniless, Immortal Second Generations are Goldmines - Novel Cool

Chapter 616: Loose Cultivators are Penniless, Immortal Second Generations are Goldmines

Chapter 616: Loose Cultivators are Penniless, Immortal Second Generations are Goldmines

High above on the back of the Mythical Dragon, the Red Robed Daoist gazed into the sky, his sleeves fluttering in the sea breeze.

Under the watchful eyes of the young cultivators, some filled with curiosity, others with caution, and most with reverence, he maintained a calm demeanor. Slowly, he rose into the air and eventually boarded the magnificent flying vessel.

His gaze swept across the young cultivators before finally settling on an old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

"Senior Sang, it's been a while. How have you been?"

Senior Sang's wrinkled face contorted into a bitter smile, or so it seemed, giving off a sense of reluctance.

He cupped his hands towards Luo Chen, "It's been a mix of ups and downs, with some twists and turns. Come, this way please. Let's go inside and chat."

Luo Chen's eyes scanned him, feeling that Senior Sang's aura was somewhat different from before.

However, with the invitation, he wouldn't refuse.

In a new place, to ensure a stable cultivation journey, one must make connections.

It wasn't about forming factions, but having more connections would undoubtedly make many things more convenient.

Soon after, at Senior Sang's invitation, Luo Chen followed him into the main hall of the flying vessel.

After they left, the young Foundation Establishment cultivators from Divine Origin City on the flying vessel finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling less restrained.

"That must be Senior Qingyang!"

"It has to be. Last year, I only caught a glimpse of him, and I didn't associate the title of Qingyangzi with the Demon Lord Qingyang. But now, looking at him again, this Golden Core Cultivator exudes a restrained aura, with deep and mysterious eyes. He seems ordinary, but standing there, he's like a deep pool whose depths are impossible to fathom, giving off a bone-chilling sense of fear."

"Indeed, my Huaqing Sect is also a renowned Nascent Soul stage sect in the southwest. We have numerous Golden Core cultivators, but none of the mid-stage Golden Core elders can match the pressure this Demon Lord brings. Only a late-stage Golden Core elder can rival him."

"To make a name for oneself among countless loose cultivators, how could one be weak? This person may not have exquisite means, but his combat experience far surpasses that of our sect's elders. We are actively seeking challenges outside to bridge this gap, striving to match our strength with our cultivation realm, or even surpass it."

"I've heard that he's also proficient in artifact crafting. If we could invite him to join our Xu family..."

"Haha, don't even think about it. This demon cultivator's origins are mysterious, and he has many enemies. Your Golden Core family can't afford to bear such karma."

"I wonder why Senior Sang invited him aboard. What could be the reason?"

...

In the hall, Luo Chen sat down casually.

Senior Sang poured him a cup of tea and then sat down beside him.

Luo Chen held the steaming cup, inhaling the fragrant aroma, and knew that this tea was undoubtedly a premium grade.

With such a warm invitation and the host's humble gesture of pouring tea, it couldn't be just a casual chat.

Since that was the case, he didn't need to feign politeness.

"Senior Sang, if you have something to say, please be direct!"

"Qingyangzi's straightforwardness saves me from beating around the bush."

Obviously, Luo Chen's directness put Senior Sang at ease.

"You must be finishing your term and returning to the Flying Dragon Mountain Range, right?"

"Mhm," Luo Chen nodded.

"Me too," Senior Sang agreed. Their mission durations were similar, which explained their coincidental arrival and departure. "And my request is simple. I hope you'll accompany me on the journey back."

That's it?

Luo Chen furrowed his brows, "I'm used to traveling alone. With so many people on this ship, it might slow me down."

Senior Sang advised, "Don't you fear encountering robbers on the way?"

"Er..."

For a moment, Luo Chen was taken aback.

"Senior Sang, are you joking? I'm a Golden Core cultivator. Who would dare rob me under normal circumstances? Moreover, even if someone dares to challenge the mighty, as long as they're not late-stage Golden Core cultivators, I'm confident in my freedom of movement. And for late-stage Golden Core cultivators to engage in robbery, it's too demeaning."

But Senior Sang shook his head, "Qingyangzi, don't have such a rosy view of the Northern Sea. You should know that the term 'robbery' originated in our Northern Sea cultivation world. There are indeed cases of powerful cultivators resorting to robbery."

Luo Chen was astonished, "Really?"

Senior Sang lowered his voice, "Don't you know that Blood Scatterer, one of the Three Hermits of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, engaged in similar activities during his late-stage Golden Core?"

Alright then!

This time, Luo Chen was truly stunned by this secret.

Blood Scatterer had been a robber during his late-stage Golden Core!

This was too... unconventional!

Seeing Luo Chen's expression, Senior Sang heaved a sigh of relief and quickly seized the opportunity, "The sea route is perilous, especially with the current turmoil in the Northern Sea. There are desperate cultivators who would risk it all. You must be cautious! Why not travel back with us? It might be slower, but it'll definitely safer."

Amidst Luo Chen's hesitation, he eventually turned to Senior Sang.

"Sang Lao, our friendship hasn't reached that point, so it's not like you're only thinking of me, is it?"

These words, like a sharp sword, pierced through the old man's illusion.

Sang Lao's face turned slightly awkward, wanting to make some excuses, but under Luo Chen's intense gaze, he eventually sighed.

"I was injured, and to protect this boatful of people, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. That's why I need stronger assurance."

"Injured?" Luo Chen's gaze swept over Sang Lao, and he immediately understood the source of the dissonance between the old man's aura and body from their first encounter.

Sang Lao no longer tried to hide it, speaking frankly, "I previously accepted a mission from the Divine Origin City's Celestial Prodigies, responsible for protecting them as they gained experience in the first defense line. It should have been an easy task, but I didn't expect these core members of the great sects and prominent families to be so arrogant. Several of them joined forces, attempting to kill a third-rank Demon King."

"To be honest, they do have some skills. A third-rank initial stage Demon King is indeed not their match."

"But the commotion they caused was too loud, and it dragged on for too long, attracting even more formidable beings."

"To prevent any casualties, I had to step in personally and fought against several Demon Kings. Although I managed to kill them all, I was also severely injured."

"Now, returning to Dragon Abyss Immortal City will take three to five days at the earliest, or seven to eight days at the latest. It's not a long distance, but it's not short either. If we encounter any trouble, losing a few people from this boat would be more than I can handle, given the influence of their backers."

"That's why I've come to seek your help, fellow Daoist."

Sang Jiugong spoke slowly, revealing the whole story.

Although Luo Chen didn't know how much of the story was true, it seemed coherent and plausible.

Luo Chen listened quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Seeing that Luo Chen wasn't moved, Sang Jiugong's tone became slightly more urgent, "Fellow Daoist, even Huangfu Song had to retreat in the face of your power. You must be an extraordinary cultivator. With your protection, we will surely be safe."

"Moreover, the route back has a low probability of trouble, and we might not encounter any real problems."

"Qingyangzi, how about I, Sang Jiugong, owe you a favor?"

First, he praised Luo Chen, then clarified the low risk, and finally, he offered a favor.

He had lowered his stance significantly.

Luo Chen looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Their favor wasn't that cheap! But after a moment's thought, Luo Chen vaguely realized Sang Jiugong's true intention.

Sometimes, owing someone a favor isn't necessarily a bad thing! Friendship is about give and take. In the absence of mutual interests, taking the initiative to be at a disadvantage and owe someone a favor means establishing a connection between the two parties.

Clearly, this time, Sang Jiugong's earnest request was just a small matter.

The favor owed was also just a minor one, which wouldn't require much effort to repay in the future, not to the extent of life-saving gratitude.

But this was a good start!

Sang Jiugong was clearly using the pretext of requesting protection to formally establish a connection with him, the master of Penghu, Qingyangzi!

After realizing this, Luo Chen chuckled in his heart.

It wasn't even a roundabout request; it was a huge circle.

However, this matter was entirely beneficial to him, and he had no reason to refuse.

Under Sang Jiugong's gaze, Luo Chen slowly nodded.

"Since that's the case, let's travel together!"

Hearing this response, Sang Jiugong finally relaxed, his face breaking into a brilliant smile, like a blooming chrysanthemum.

Subsequently, Luo Chen sent out a divine sense transmission.

The Black King, bored in the sea, muttered and then shrunk his size, climbing onto the flying vessel and curling up in a room.

Sang Jiugong, on the other hand, instructed his subordinates and then returned to the main hall to discuss cultivation insights with Luo Chen.

In the cultivation world, exchanging cultivation insights wasn't just talk.

However, this was usually done among sect and family cultivators.

Furthermore, they didn't just exchange verbally; they also organized regular small and large competitions, even cross-sect competitions, to validate their cultivation progress.

In comparison, loose cultivators exchanged insights much less frequently.

Luo Chen had been at the Ten Thousand Immortal Assembly for five or six years and occasionally exchanged insights with the Old Fisherman, mostly seeking advice on body refinement.

This time, when exchanging insights with Sang Lao, Luo Chen didn't have high expectations, as Sang Lao's cultivation was one small level lower than his.

Unexpectedly, Sang Lao, with his long years of cultivation, did provide Luo Chen with some minor insights.

...

"The path of spirit planting is said to have many rules and high thresholds, but in reality, it's not that complicated."

"To become a good spirit planter, first consider the potential of the spirit plant, then its growing environment, and finally, your own spirit planting skills."

"The logic is simple. If it's just ordinary wildflowers and weeds, even with our extraordinary abilities, we can't possibly cultivate a tree that reaches the heavens in barren yellow soil."

"Why was the Northern Sea so eager to start a war? It's because the deep sea, where demonic beasts dwell, contains many uncharted high-grade spirit lands."

"These Spirit Lands not only aid in our cultivation, but they also have numerous Spirit Plants growing on their territories."

"These Spirit Plants have never been harvested by human cultivators like us. Demonic Beasts have long lifespans and can afford to wait, and some demonic beast races even guard specific Spirit Plants, continuously harvesting their fruits. This results in these Spirit Plants having extremely long growth periods, often spanning thousands of years, or even tens of thousands of years. One can say that if the war of expansion succeeds, the benefits from Spirit Plants will undoubtedly be a significant part of the gains."

"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but the current master of the Heaven Splitting Stream in the Demon Origin River is someone who, in his early years, participated in the war of expansion and harvested a precious Fifth Rank Herb from a barren island. He offered it to the Demon Origin Sect, and the Demon Origin Sect's Nascent Soul old ancestor was greatly pleased. He specially nurtured the master of the Heaven Splitting Stream from the Core Formation stage to the Nascent Soul stage. Tsk tsk, this opportunity is something we dream of!"

Apart from being at the fourth layer of the Core Formation stage, Sang Jiugong was also a Spirit Planter.

It was because of his exquisite Spirit Planting skills that he couldn't bear to take them to his grave, so he decided to leave behind a legacy before his lifespan neared its end.

In recent years, he had started taking disciples and establishing a sect.

The location of his sect was not within the Flying Dragon Mountain Range but on an ordinary third-rank spirit vein island within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly's territory.

Strictly speaking, he was no longer a loose cultivator.

However, no one paid much attention to this matter.

After all, among the seven Nascent Soul True Immortals of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, three of them had sects or families.

Listening to Sang Jiugong's eloquent speech, Luo Chen's memories of Spirit Planters and related matters resurfaced.

He was no stranger to this path.

In the past, when he was in the Luo Tian Sect, he had Yuan Dongsheng, a Spirit Planter, under his command. Yuan Dongsheng had even cultivated Spirit Trees and Spirit Flowers outside his Heavenly Wave Peak cave mansion.

Although that person had passed away, the knowledge he left behind remained in Luo Chen's mind.

At this moment, as Sang Jiugong spoke, Luo Chen nodded in agreement while asking about certain herb cultivation matters that he was interested in.

Indeed, Sang Jiugong was a Spirit Planter who had cultivated a Fourth Rank Herb, and he provided answers to Luo Chen's doubts, even offering speculations and suggestions within his capabilities for areas he was not proficient in.

Towards the end of their conversation, Sang Jiugong sighed.

"It's not that I'm greedy for benefits, but bringing these talented individuals from Divine Origin City to the Three Ocean Defense Line is truly because they have extraordinary backgrounds and are well-off. Befriending them will also benefit my Earth Mulberry Sect."

Luo Chen was puzzled, "But these people are not cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, why didn't you go and befriend loose cultivators within the assembly?"

Sang Jiugong scoffed at this.

"Loose cultivators?"

"They are not worthy of trust."

"There's a saying that goes, 'Those who have fixed property have a fixed heart, and those without fixed property have no fixed heart.' Without a fixed heart, one indulges in evil and extravagance, and there's nothing they won't do for themselves. Qing Yangzi, I believe you should understand the meaning of this saying!"

Luo Chen fell silent.

How could he not understand this reasoning?

Loose cultivators had no fixed abode and wandered the four seas.

The distinction between good and evil was just a thought away; they could be humble gentlemen in front of others and masked bandit cultivators behind their backs. How could one easily trust them?

On the contrary, cultivators with fixed industries had sects or families backing them, preventing them from acting recklessly. Even if they committed evil deeds, they would have to face the consequences of escaping the temple but not the monk!

Luo Chen, too, would prefer to befriend sect cultivators.

However...

"Sang Lao, it seems you have a different view of me!"

"Haha!"

Sang Jiugong laughed, "Others may not know you, Qing Yangzi, but I have some understanding. That Eight Hundred Mile Peninsula, I believe it hasn't been idle these years!"

Luo Chen raised his eyebrows and then smiled in understanding.

Looking outside, he sighed.

"In that case, these cultivators from Divine Origin City are quite a treasure."

"Indeed, they are the future hopes of various powers. Given time, as long as they don't fall, they will surely lead a faction. Befriending them will bring great benefits to both us and our future generations."

At this point, Sang Jiugong suddenly pointed outside.

"Qing Yangzi, are you interested in befriending one or two of them?"

"Me?" Luo Chen hesitated.

Sang Jiugong nodded, "Yes, with your reputation as Qing Yang Demon Lord outside, these future talents who have been sheltered by their elders since childhood will feel both reverence and curiosity towards you. If you take the initiative to befriend them, they will surely be overjoyed."

At this, Luo Chen became genuinely interested.

It wasn't for the sake of future connections but because he remembered Sang Jiugong's previous words—these people had extraordinary backgrounds and were well-off! In other words, they were rich!

His original plan was to establish the reputation of the Sunyang Shop to earn money from the loose cultivators of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.

But most loose cultivators were poor!

Earning money from the poor was not as satisfying as earning from these "Immortal Second Generation"!

(End of Chapter)

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