Chapter 390: Return to the Loose Cultivator Market!
Leaves yellowed and fell; hibernating insects burrowed deep into the earth. The temperature plummeted with each passing day, ushering in the biting cold of winter.
Jiang Chen’s life had completely settled back into its familiar rhythm: cultivating, cooking, alchemy, artifact forging, and the occasional idle chat with friends. Having achieved Perfection in the Five Elements, he could now cultivate anytime, anywhere. The elements existed in a cycle of mutual generation; whenever one type of spiritual power grew, the other four naturally followed suit.
Unfortunately, his cultivation had already peaked at Foundation Establishment Perfection. The only path forward was breaking through to the Golden Core realm. However, without absolute certainty, Jiang Chen refused to even entertain the thought. He didn’t even want to hear the words “Golden Core” until he was fully prepared.
If there was one thing he truly coveted right now, it was the Golden Light Talisman. That heaven-defying item could withstand the apocalyptic might of a heavenly tribulation head-on.
Sadly, due to the ongoing matters with the Return to Ruins Secret Realm, Chen Tian and the others were swamped, leaving him with almost no opportunities for a private meeting. He had asked around, and while many had heard of the top-grade spirit talisman—its reputation was legendary, after all—no one actually knew the specific materials or runes required to inscribe it.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath of the crisp winter air, his eyes gleaming with pragmatic determination. “As long as I can get my hands on the material list and the rune schematics, I can replicate it perfectly. And I definitely won’t stop at just one.”
It was just a pity that his current cultivation realm and sect status were too low to access that tier of classified information. Otherwise, he would have already crafted a few just to test them out.
Stepping out of the Spirit Farm, he casually plucked a cucumber from the vine. He gave it a quick rinse in the irrigation ditch before taking a bite.
*Crunch.*
The crisp flesh snapped between his teeth, releasing a burst of fresh, sweet flavor. The winter chill had seeped into the vegetable, giving its juices a refreshing, icy bite that elevated the taste entirely.Da Huang trotted over, tail wagging furiously as it flashed an ingratiating, goofy grin. Looking at the dog’s silly expression, Jiang Chen held the cucumber in his left hand and vigorously rubbed the hound’s head with his right. “How is it that the bigger you get, the clingier you become?”
The dog was now the size of a calf, packing a tremendous amount of physical power. If Jiang Chen weren’t a cultivator, he would have been easily bowled over. Fortunately, Da Huang knew to hold back. At most, its wildly wagging tail would slap against Jiang Chen’s thigh with a sharp *thwack*.
After playing for a bit, Jiang Chen returned to his stone house and began preparing breakfast.
Porridge, as usual. However, instead of using Top-quality Spirit Rice, he used the premium grains harvested from the Foundation Fortifying Abundant Soil Rice. With no outsiders around, there was no need to hide his wealth.
For a side dish, he smashed the remaining half of his cucumber and tossed it in a light dressing. And, of course, the staple: two fried eggs and two boiled eggs. Ever since his flock of pearl chickens had expanded, both he and Da Huang had been eating more eggs. Infused with trace amounts of Spirit Qi, their rich flavor was simply unmatched.
Just as he was about to dig in, a faint vibration buzzed from the Jade Green Gourd.
“Hello?”
“Fellow Daoist Cai, it’s Shen Peng!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Yun Na just gave birth to a daughter! We’re throwing a celebration. Will you come?”
“Ah?”
“Ever since you handed things over to Fellow Daoist Lin, we haven’t seen you in ages. We really miss you!”
Jiang Chen felt a headache coming on. He was just about to politely decline when a sudden realization hit him. The last time he had assumed the identity of “Zhu Rong” to flex his strength, he had lent a hand to the Red Tiger squad. To this day, he still hadn’t received his cut of the Spirit Stones.
Although Lin An had handled all subsequent transactions with The Shen Clan, the “Zhu Rong” persona had never been compromised. Weighing his options, Jiang Chen decided to attend The Shen Clan’s banquet and collect his outstanding debt along the way.
Breakfast finished, he summoned the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost and shot into the sky.
In the past, his trips to the loose cultivator market had always been aboard Fire Peak’s giant flying swords. They were fast and incredibly stable, devoid of any turbulence. But now, at Foundation Establishment Perfection and armed with the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost, he had the freedom to travel solo.
Down below, Da Huang tried to chase after him, but its master shrank into a black dot in the blink of an eye. By the time the dog realized what was happening, Jiang Chen was gone. Nearby, the rooster shot Da Huang a look of utter disdain, silently mocking the hound’s overconfidence.
…
…
The route to the loose cultivator market remained the same. As Jiang Chen surfed the winds on the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost, he spotted the familiar giant flying swords cruising ahead. However, compared to his current ride, they lacked both speed and aesthetic flair.
“What kind of flying artifact is that?”
“It looks incredibly high-grade! I want one!”
“Why does it look so familiar? I feel like I’ve seen it before…”
As Jiang Chen blew past the massive transport sword, the formal disciples aboard—both veterans and rookies who had been promoted less than half a year ago—stared in blatant envy. Some even daydreamed about one day soaring through the skies just like him.
Jiang Chen smirked. “I never thought I’d be the one flexing on people like this.”
He had to admit, it felt fantastic. He finally understood a fraction of what Long Ao must have felt back in the day. Still, he had no intention of stopping to chat. Instead, he channeled his spiritual power, activating one of the Shattered Moon Flowing Frost’s innate abilities. A layer of silver frost rapidly encased his body. His speed instantly doubled, tearing through the sky like a streak of moonlight and leaving the transport sword far behind.
As Green City loomed on the horizon, Jiang Chen bypassed the official flying docks. He touched down on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, retrieved the Phantom mask, and pressed it to his face. In an instant, he transformed back into Zhu Rong, the rugged fire spirit root cultivator, and strode toward the city gates.
It had been nearly half a year since his last visit, but neither Green City nor the loose cultivator market had changed much. The bustling streets looked exactly as he remembered them. The only noticeable difference was a slight dip in the transient population, a direct result of Huang Yuanhua’s cave dwelling being cleared out.
It didn’t take long for Jiang Chen to gather intel on the current state of the Red Tiger squad.
Ever since they had paraded a Nightmare Wolf King through the streets, their reputation had skyrocketed. They had recruited heavily and now firmly held a spot among the top five most influential factions in Green City.
However, their core roster had shifted. Red Tiger remained the captain, but the vice-captain position had changed hands from Zhang the Scabby to Li Tie, who had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment. As for the other two original members, Wang Linxun and Zhou Cui: Wang Linxun had left the team entirely, while Zhou Cui stayed behind.
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow at the news. “Logically speaking, those five were thick as thieves. How did things fall apart after only half a year?”
He clearly remembered their absolute unity during their last expedition. They had been willing to risk everything just to help Li Tie reach Foundation Establishment. Yet, based on the rumors, a severe crisis of trust had fractured the group.
Not that it mattered to him. Their interpersonal drama was none of his business; securing his Spirit Stones was his only priority.
Among the fractured group, the easiest target to track down was the former vice-captain, Zhang the Scabby. Although she had left the Red Tiger squad, she remained highly active in the loose cultivator market. She now operated as a solo mercenary, occasionally filling in for monster-hunting teams that were short on manpower.