Chapter 279: Thick Earth Bears All Things
“Did the Red Tiger Squad actually hunt a Nightmare Wolf King?”
“That beast has over five hundred years of cultivation!”
When Red Tiger and his team marched through the city gates carrying the colossal carcass of the Nightmare Wolf King, the streets erupted in shock and awe.
Under normal circumstances, even the top three hunter squads in Green City would hesitate to target a five-hundred-year-old monster. The risk was too high, the kill too difficult.
The Red Tiger Squad had always been a mid-tier outfit in the loose cultivator community—competent, but small and unremarkable. They had no unique advantage, no glorious history.
But today, they had upended the hierarchy.
They hadn’t just killed a high-level monster; they had taken down a Nightmare Wolf King, a beast notorious for its vicious pack of bodyguards. To kill the king, one first had to slaughter its entire retinue of Nightmare Demon Wolves. It was a feat usually reserved for large-scale coalition raids.
Yet, the five-man Red Tiger Squad had done it alone.
Their fame skyrocketed instantly, placing them on par with the city’s elite.
However, keen observers noticed a strange omission: the mysterious fire cultivator was nowhere to be seen.
Why?
Jiang Chen had achieved his goal. He had tested his Fire Spirit Root, flexed his power, and satisfied his urge to show off. But he wasn’t foolish enough to let the entire city scrutinize him. Fame was a tool, but anonymity was survival.
He had slipped away from the team long before they reached the gates, returning quietly to his inn.
Safely inside his room, he removed the Phantom mask. The arrogant “Zhu Rong” vanished, replaced by the nondescript, mild-mannered loose cultivator, “Han Fei.”
After adjusting his disguise, he walked out and headed straight for the Trading House.
Now that he had Awakened an Earth Spirit Root, he needed to outfit himself with appropriate techniques and spells. With Tie Zhu managing the external Spirit Farm, Jiang Chen planned to personally cultivate the hundred mu of virgin soil within his new portable space.
He breezed into the Trading House, moving so fast that the pretty receptionist didn’t even have time to utter her usual “Greetings, Immortal Master.” She just blinked as he swept past—she was used to his speed by now.
Jiang Chen activated a viewing mirror and navigated to the Earth-attribute section.
As expected of the loose cultivator market, there were no complete legacies here. Everything was a fragment or a remnant. The powerful clans and sects hoarded the complete arts, ensuring their monopoly on power.
Fortunately, the five elemental attributes were common enough that even the scraps offered some variety.
Five Earth-attribute cultivation methods were available:
Thick Earth Bears All Things Technique: A foundational art. It allows the cultivator to channel spiritual power to regulate Earth Qi, enhancing perception and control. Excellent for building a base for spellcasting.
Heavy Rock Body Refining Formula: A body tempering art. It uses Earth Qi to harden muscles and bones to the density of black iron rock, eventually forming a natural protective aura.
Kun Yuan Thick Earth Scripture: Focuses on the nurturing aspect of the element, allowing the user to manipulate Earth Qi within a ten-li radius.
Myriad Stones Return to Origin Record: A specialized art for identifying and controlling ores and minerals. At high levels, it can even weaponize mineral veins.
Earth-Splitting Return to Origin Formula: An offensive art that transmits force like seismic waves, specializing in AoE damage and terrain destruction.
Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Quite a selection.”
In the past, he would have agonized over the choice, weighing cost against utility. But now? His pockets were heavy.
“I’ll take them,” he decided.
He purchased the Thick Earth Bears All Things Technique, the Kun Yuan Thick Earth Scripture, and the Myriad Stones Return to Origin Record. All were high-grade fragments, yet the total cost was less than 50 Low-grade Spirit Stones.
Next came the spells. The variety here was even richer.
Earth Dragon’s Roaring Fury: Consumes Earth spiritual power to summon a phantom Earth Dragon that blasts a shockwave of stone and force. Range: 10 zhang. High knockback.
Earth Spike Technique: Condenses Earth Qi into hundreds of stone spikes that can erupt from the ground or rain down from the sky. High damage, but easily dodged.
Earth Splitting Technique: Collapses the ground in an 8-zhang radius around the user, creating a deep trench to trap enemies.
Thousand-Layer Rock Barrier: Generates a multi-layered wall capable of tanking Foundation Establishment attacks. Explodes into shrapnel when broken to blind attackers.
There were others—Earth Listening, Quicksand Prison, Mountain-Piercing Escape, Earth Turbulence…
Since they were incomplete fragments restricted to the first one or two layers, they were dirt cheap.
Jiang Chen selected based on immediate utility: Earth Dragon’s Roaring Fury (offense/crowd control), Quicksand Prison (trapping), and Mountain-Piercing Escape (mobility).
Total cost: 44 Low-grade Spirit Stones.
He paid and left before the receptionist could even finish her “Thank you for your patronage!”
Leaving the Trading House, Jiang Chen checked the current market prices for Spirit Rice.
To his surprise, prices had dropped further.
Tier-1 Spirit Rice had returned to the 1:10 ratio—one Spirit Stone for ten jin. Tier-2 Spirit Rice was also trending downward, though slower.
It was a sign of the times. As the Immortal Sect’s disciple competition neared its end, the frantic demand for resources was cooling off. The market was stabilizing.
Fewer sect disciples meant less competition for goods, which was excellent news for a buyer like Jiang Chen.
He waved his hand and purchased 3,000 jin of high-quality Tier-2 Spirit Rice on the spot. He would convert it all into premium Spirit Wine—his current cash cow.
Business concluded, Jiang Chen found a secluded corner and contacted Shen Peng.
“Same place. Longing for Spring Teahouse.”
“Understood.”
Jiang Chen arrived first, settling into the familiar “Yi” private room on the third floor. The staff knew him well by now; despite his plain appearance, he was the VIP guest of the Shen Clan’s rising star.
Shen Peng arrived shortly after, clutching a thick ledger.
“Business is good, Brother Han,” Shen Peng said, beaming.
The 500 jin of Top-quality Spirit Rice sold for the standard 5 Mid-grade Spirit Stones. That price was rock solid.
But the wine…
“The 3,000 jin of premium Spirit Wine sold out completely,” Shen Peng reported. “Total revenue: 45,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones.”
Converted, that was 450 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
Jiang Chen took a sip of tea, masking his satisfaction. His share was 70%.
That meant a net profit of 315 Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
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