Chapter 275: Temporary Residence

Chen Luo walked slowly along the riverbank, observing the performances of passing merchants.

Medicine King City’s layout was perfectly designed. From above, it resembled a massive circular metropolis. Apart from the central mountain peak containing spirit meridians, the entire city consisted of sloping terrain. Wooden structures lined the hillsides, and a large river flowed north to south, dividing the city in half. The residents of Medicine King City lived along the river’s edge.

There was no distinction between inner and outer city districts.

Houses grew more expensive the closer they were to the mountain peak. Spiritual energy also became increasingly abundant. Only the most powerful Immortal Cultivators could afford to live halfway up the mountain.

Before a wooden courtyard, Chen Luo knocked on the door.

“Who are you looking for?” A servant poked his head out, eyeing Chen Luo with suspicion. He didn’t recognize the man - as a door attendant, his memory was excellent, allowing him to remember all the household’s important guests.

“I’m looking for Mei Qin,” Chen Luo said, stating a name.

This was the female cultivator he’d met on the Flying Boat. She’d struck a deal with him earlier - the first Core Formation Technique he obtained after arriving in the Southern Heaven Domain had been traded for by Mei Qin. After parting at the marketplace, Mei Qin had left him her contact information.

Originally, Chen Luo hadn’t intended to trouble Mei Qin. They weren’t particularly close. However, settling in Medicine King City proved excessively complicated. The city strictly regulated the entry of foreign Immortal Cultivators. To obtain residency, one needed either a local Immortal Cultivator’s sponsorship or to make a significant contribution to the city.

Immortal Cultivators could also gain residency by obtaining an Alchemist qualification. But beyond the arduous assessment process, this qualification came with its own set of problems. It entailed a series of subsequent Dan Refinement tasks, which contradicted Chen Luo’s initial purpose of going into seclusion. After considering his options, he ultimately decided to ask for help from this Shimei he’d met only once.

“Senior Brother Chen?!”

A voice filled with delight came from inside.

Mei Qin, who had been alerted by the sound, instantly appeared at the door. She hadn’t expected Chen Luo to actually visit her clan. When she received his message earlier, she’d thought he was joking.

Back on the Flying Boat, when she’d first made a deal with Chen Luo, she’d asked him to help her clan set up defensive Formations. He’d refused then. She never imagined he’d come seeking her out months later.

“I’m passing through Medicine King City and looking for a place to stay,” Chen Luo said with a smile.

“Please come in,” Mei Qin said, immediately pulling Chen Luo toward the house.

The door attendant nearby tactfully shrank back, not daring to ask any questions.

Mei Qin was from a cultivator family in Medicine King City. She had been detected to have cultivation aptitude since childhood. Due to her mother’s connections, she was sent to Qiong Hua Sect and became a disciple of Profound Mystery Peak. Later, she followed her mother to establish Chi Xia Peak.

Her return this time was because of a family crisis. Her father had passed away, and the main family of Medicine King City lost the protection of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. That’s why she risked coming back. Along the way, she sought Chen Luo to exchange for a Formation, all for her family’s sake. For this, she even dared to reveal the Sunflower Water True Manual.

The Mei Clan’s courtyard was large, but the family members were few. Those with cultivation aptitude were even fewer. When Chen Luo entered, he only saw three descendants with aptitude, while the rest were ordinary people. The inheritance of cultivator families was the same. It wasn’t that children born to cultivators would necessarily have Spirit Root aptitude. One could only say the probability was higher than ordinary people.

“These three children have decent Spirit Root aptitudes. If Senior Brother is interested, you could guide them.”

“Indeed, they are quite promising.”

Chen Luo sensed the children’s spiritual energy and found that two possessed mid-grade Spirit Roots, while one had a high-grade Spirit Root. While not as exceptional as his disciple Mu Xiaoyu, they were still considered outstanding among ordinary cultivators, with a higher chance of reaching Foundation Establishment compared to rogue cultivators.

“This is your Grandpa Chen. He’ll be staying with our Mei Clan for a few days. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, seize the opportunity to ask him,” Mei Qin hinted to the three juniors.

“Greetings, Grandpa Chen.”

The three children bowed respectfully, their eyes curiously observing the elder.

They wondered what kind of existence could warrant such solemn treatment from their Great-Grandmother. Despite appearing youthful and being addressed as “Shimei” by Chen Luo, Mei Qin had actually been cultivating for over two centuries. Achieving mid-stage Foundation Establishment in two hundred years was no small feat, and within the clan hierarchy, she held the status of a Great-Grandmother. Some clans with faster generational turnover even addressed her as a “Patriarch,” performing full prostrations upon meeting.

Mei Qin had long grown accustomed to this, but Chen Luo was experiencing his first taste of being a “Great-Grandfather.” Seeing the three children’s faces brimming with curiosity, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Three little trinkets. Consider them gifts.”

Chen Luo retrieved three First-Tier Magic Artifacts from his Pouch of Holding and handed them over. These artifacts had belonged to the Peak Lord of Rocksolid Peak, whom he’d defeated earlier. The spoils from that victory had been substantial, and he’d yet to examine them properly. As an Outer Peak Lord, the man would have accumulated numerous such rewards. Moreover, Chen Luo’s possession of the Peak Lord’s Pouch of Holding wasn’t his only advantage—he also held similar treasures from the Peak Lord of Heartsword Peak and others.

“Many thanks, Grandpa Chen.”

The three juniors received the Magic Artifacts with delighted expressions. They hadn’t expected this “Grandpa Chen” to be so generous. Though the First-Tier Magic Artifacts appeared crude, they would fetch exorbitant prices in any Marketplace. Artificers, as one of the Four Arts of Cultivation, held equal status to Alchemists.

Many Rogue cultivators who reached Qi Refining Perfection might not even possess a single Magic Artifact.

“Senior Brother, you’ve spent too much.”

Mei Qin was equally pleased. It seemed this Senior Brother hadn’t completely severed his “human nature.” She’d heard numerous rumors about Great Cultivators in the Perfected Realm.

This group of cultivators was nearing Core Formation, each having severed their worldly attachments. Some had even gone to the extreme of cutting off all emotions and desires, solely focused on successfully passing the Demonic Heart Tribulation. Compared to them, Chen Luo’s ‘humanity’ was clearly much more pronounced.

From this perspective, Senior Brother Chen still has quite a distance to go before reaching Core Formation, Mei Qin concluded based on her own experiences.

After offering Chen Luo some Spirit Tea, Mei Qin arranged for him to be accommodated in the Mei Clan’s location with the most abundant spiritual energy. Chen Luo readily accepted her arrangement.

He never considered such favors as burdens, for cultivation was also about refining one’s heart.

How can one refine their heart without experiencing the mortal world?

Moreover, he cultivated the Demonic Heart Art, which required him to seek out his own ‘Demonic Heart’ later on. How could he possibly follow those who chose to sit in isolation on mountain peaks, severing all emotions and desires?

“Have you set up the Black Tortoise Formation Flags I gave you?” Chen Luo asked casually.

“They’re already in place,” Mei Qin replied, her eyes lighting up. “I tested their effectiveness - they can defend against attacks from the Foundation Establishment Realm.” Without further ado, she led Chen Luo to the location where the Black Tortoise Formation Flags had been deployed.

Mei Qin had purchased this set of Formation Flags from Chen Luo, so she was naturally aware of his status as a Formation Master. Now that he was asking about their arrangement, it was clear he intended to personally help her set up the Formation.

“The positions are good, but these points here could use some adjustments.”

With a single glance, Chen Luo identified several flaws in Mei Qin’s setup - common mistakes among non-Formation Masters. They often believed that hiding Formation Flags deeper would make them safer, but this wasn’t actually true. For a Formation Master, once a Formation is activated, the location of the Formation Flags doesn’t matter. Deliberately hiding them could even lead to suboptimal positioning, leaving vulnerabilities.

Spiritual energy flickered as threads of light emerged from Chen Luo’s fingertips, connecting to the underground Formation Flags. They began shifting positions to correct the flaws.

In no time, Chen Luo had revised Mei Qin’s Black Tortoise Formation. He patched the visible flaws and added several auxiliary Restrictions, enhancing the Formation’s power by ten percent.

“Many thanks, Senior Brother!”

Mei Qin didn’t understand what Chen Luo had modified, but she could clearly sense the formation’s power had increased.

This was the advantage of having a Formation Master personally intervene.

It was truly regrettable that Formation Masters were so scarce. Each one was a figure as elusive as a divine dragon, rarely seen in public, making it impossible to invite them home for assistance.

After helping Mei Qin refine the formation, Chen Luo settled into the Mei Clan residence.

The long journey had finally come to an end, and he could rest at last.

In his room, Chen Luo took out the gourd containing Guiyuan Pills. He tilted it twice, and two pills with intricate patterns fell into his palm.

“Empty?”

He shook the gourd, confirming it was truly devoid of pills. The supply of pills refined from resources at Gu Demon Mountain and the God Lake Immortal Sect had been completely consumed.

“I’ll need to acquire new spiritual materials. Medicine King City should have plenty.”

After consuming the pills, Chen Luo sat cross-legged with eyes closed, beginning his daily cultivation practice.