The outside world was simply too dangerous.

Even with Long Ao—a dual Spirit Root genius—acting as a shield, safety was far from guaranteed.

Therefore, participating in this so-called ‘Striving Conference’ was completely out of the question. Jiang Chen’s greatest ambition, perhaps his only wish, was to farm honestly and cultivate in peace.

At his current stage, fame and glory meant absolutely nothing to him.

“By the way, Senior Brother Long,” Jiang Chen asked curiously, breaking the silence. “Do you know that guy ranked first? The one called Mo something?”

Long Ao nodded. “I know him. His name is Mo Sha. His strength is extremely terrifying.”

This was the first time Jiang Chen had heard such a description come from Long Ao’s mouth. He was genuinely surprised.

Long Ao lifted his wine pouch, took a heavy swig, and spoke with a rare solemnity. “That guy is ruthless and cruel. He has an extreme personality and never gives up until he achieves his goal.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen immediately banished any thought of ever interacting with such a person. If he were to provoke a maniac like that, even having Chen Tian as a backer probably wouldn’t save him.

The two chatted casually for a while longer, the conversation mainly revolving around the upcoming formal disciple competition.

Long Ao believed his chances of taking first place were slim. Among the formal disciples returning this time, there were several formidable individuals; Mo Sha was merely one of them.

Not long after, Storm Crane 7 approached the Loose Cultivator Market.

The crane didn’t land but hovered near the pier originally reserved for the giant flying sword. Jiang Chen said his goodbyes and immediately jumped off the crane’s back.

Long Ao thought for a moment before calling out, “If you encounter any trouble, use the Communication Talisman to let me know. The distance between the two cities isn’t too far. I should be able to make it in time.”

Jiang Chen certainly wouldn’t refuse such kindness. He agreed promptly, “Alright. Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Storm Crane 7 soared into the sky with Long Ao on its back, disappearing over the horizon with incredible speed.

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze, murmuring to himself, “I didn’t expect Senior Brother Long to be cold on the outside but warm on the inside.”

Leaving the flying pier, he found a random inn nearby and booked an ordinary room.

Once inside, he changed his appearance. He transformed from a distinguished Cloud Sea Sect disciple into an unremarkable, listless Loose Cultivator.

However, he didn’t contact Shen Peng immediately.

Instead, he walked down the main street of the Loose Cultivator Market to investigate the current prices of Spirit Rice.

Overall, there hadn’t been any major fluctuations. The Cloud Sea Sect’s internal prices were higher due to the surge in demand from the formal disciple competition.

As for the Loose Cultivator Market here, Tier-2 Spirit Rice was particularly scarce, leading to inflated prices.

Tier-1 Spirit Rice, on the other hand, was much more affordable.

This price disparity was exactly why many sect disciples preferred to come here to exchange their rice. Within the sect, the Harvest Alliance held a monopoly and manipulated prices at will. Here, however, competitors were everywhere.

There were over four shops dedicated solely to exchanging Spirit Rice. Although the base prices were relatively uniform, they competed by offering various preferential benefits.

After memorizing the day’s exchange rates, Jiang Chen headed toward the district that sold pills.

The Loose Cultivator Market was vast; one could essentially say that all of Green City was part of the market. Different districts specialized in different goods.

For example, the area near the north gate, close to the Dark Forest, sold items related to monsters and demons.

Pills and spirit talismans were concentrated near the east gate. Some outlets were proper shops opened by established factions, while others were simple stalls set up by individual Loose Cultivators.

“Vitality Pills! Freshly made Vitality Pills!”

“Recovery Pills! Ten times a night, guaranteed!”

“Freshly picked Minghua Grass! Who wants some?”

Amidst the chaotic hawking, Jiang Chen approached a stall run by a ragged cultivator.

This person sold only one type of item: Vitality Pills.

A black cloth was spread on the ground, covered with numerous cheap, small porcelain bottles.

Seeing a potential customer, the stall owner immediately perked up. “Five pills per bottle! Three Low-grade Spirit Stones for one bottle!”

Jiang Chen paused. “Can I take a look?”

“Of course.” The stall owner popped open a bottle and poured a single Vitality Pill onto his palm.

However, he didn’t hand it over. He kept it in his open hand, displaying it from a safe distance.

Although Vitality Pills weren’t particularly valuable and were extremely common, some people still liked to snag freebies or had sticky fingers.

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the pill.

Almost immediately, the corner of his mouth twitched.

If he wasn’t mistaken—though the brewing technique was passable—this Vitality Pill definitely had issues.

Its color was yellowish, and while it was large and round, resembling his own Top-quality Vitality Pills at first glance, the details revealed the truth.

The color was the biggest giveaway. Normally, a high-quality pill should lean toward amber, a hue created by the addition of honey. This one definitely lacked honey. Furthermore, the proportion of licorice was far too high.

It was undoubtedly a Vitality Pill—no question there—but the stall owner had ruthlessly cut costs during the brewing process.

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze and lost interest.

Seeing this, the stall owner tipped the pill back into the bottle. “Want it?”

He pointed excitedly at the surrounding stalls. “Only here can you buy five High-quality Vitality Pills for three Low-grade Spirit Stones!”

Jiang Chen curled his lip. “Whether it’s expensive or not—you know better than I do. Goodbye.”

He turned and walked away, unwilling to waste another second on the swindler.

The stall owner spat on the ground behind him. “Pah… pauper! If you can’t afford it, don’t look!”

Next, Jiang Chen checked several other stalls specializing in Vitality Pills, comparing them all against his own standards.

The quality varied wildly.

Only one pill shop—backed by a local cultivation family in Green City—sold pills that were relatively decent.

Standing in a quiet corner, Jiang Chen pondered his findings.

Currently, it looks like the entire Loose Cultivator Market has only one shop selling Vitality Pills that achieve high quality without cutting corners.

For him, this was undoubtedly good news.

But he hadn’t come to Green City today specifically to sell pills.

He retrieved Shen Peng’s Communication Talisman from his small storage pouch and sent a message.

“Where are you? I’ll send someone immediately to welcome you!” Shen Peng’s voice replied quickly.

“No need. Just give me an address. I’ll go myself.”

Soon, Shen Peng provided the location.

After noting the address, Jiang Chen set off.