Boundary City is a place where various powerful factions coexist, but when issues arise, they can only come together to discuss matters. There isn't a single unified governing organization.
As a result, while Boundary City can unite against the Demon Clan during times of war, there are plenty of conflicts and rivalries among its factions during peacetime.
Fights like the one happening inside Wang Hong's shop are quite common in Boundary City.
Compared to Azure Void City, the safety here is far less assured.
Previously, Wang Hong was merely known as a second-tier Alchemist. He had no direct conflicts of interest with others, and, in fact, many people came to him seeking assistance.
Furthermore, he hadn't displayed any coveted items, so as the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." This allowed people to coexist peacefully.
However, now that his shop had opened, he had seized the interests of others, and the resources circulating within his shop were enough to make others envious.
It's clear that such conflicts and fights would become more common in the future. As an Alchemist, Wang Hong wasn't suited for regular combat.
He needed to maintain the image of a dedicated Alchemist, as Alchemists were supposed to focus solely on their craft and weren't skilled in combat.
If he were to engage in frequent fights, he might as well close his shop altogether.
Prolonged combat would inevitably reveal all of his capabilities to the public, leaving him with fewer cards to play in future battles.
Moreover, it would consume a significant amount of his time and energy, affecting his cultivation.
Therefore, he needed to find a Foundation Building Cultivator to guard his shop long-term. Having a Foundation Building Cultivator present would significantly reduce the frequency of conflicts.
After all, without a high chance of victory, people would think twice before causing trouble.
Wang Hong contemplated suitable candidates in his mind, and his first thought was naturally Zhang Chunfeng.
However, Zhang Chunfeng had come here for a sect-related training mission. He frequently had to leave the city for assignments, and it seemed like his mission would be concluding soon, with his return to the sect imminent.
Soon, he thought of a suitable candidate and sent out a Transmission Talisman.
A short while later, Ling Shuai arrived at Wang Hong's residence, carrying Little Ling Xue in his arms.
Ling Shuai appeared quite exhausted, with slightly disheveled hair. He had been running around with the little girl, enduring the hardships of outdoor life, which had taken a toll on his appearance.
As soon as Little Ling Xue saw Wang Hong, she extended her tiny arms towards him. Children are simple in their desiresthey love those who often provide them with delicious food and fun.
Every time she came to Wang Hong's place, she received tasty treats. Over time, in her young heart, Wang Hong became synonymous with delicious food.
Wang Hong reached out and picked up the little girl, holding her in his arms. He then retrieved a small pastry from his Storage Bag, which he had made using Spirit Wheat.
"Ling Fellow Daoist, I brought you here to discuss something with you," Wang Hong said after pouring a pot of Spirit Tea and serving them both a cup.
"What's the matter? Please, go ahead, Wang Fellow Daoist," Ling Shuai replied after taking a sip of tea.
"It's , Ling Fellow Daoist, you are aware that I recently opened a small shop. I'd like to invite you to manage it for me. In return, during your tenure, I will provide all the Spiritual Objects required for Little Ling Xue's care free of charge. Additionally, I can offer you two Nourishing Essence Pills each month. What do you think?" Wang Hong presented these generous terms.
The rewards Wang Hong offered were quite substantial within their industry.
"Wang Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be so generous. As long as you can provide the necessary resources for Ling Xue's care, I am already deeply grateful," Ling Shuai replied. He had been tirelessly running around every day for the sake of his daughter's health. Even without the additional compensation of two Nourishing Essence Pills, he would have readily agreed.
In Ling Shuai's heart, Wang Hong had essentially saved Ling Xue's life. Moreover, Wang Hong's provision of Spiritual Herbs and other items at cost had alleviated a significant amount of his financial burden, creating a debt of gratitude towards Wang Hong.
After Wang Hong and Ling Shuai discussed and finalized the arrangement, the next day, Ling Shuai brought his daughter to the shop to watch over it. This way, the little girl wouldn't have to endure the hardships of being outside with her father.
Although Ling Shuai occasionally had to be dispatched by Boundary City for battles, it occupied only a small portion of his time.
With the shop's affairs sorted out, Wang Hong found himself with more leisure time. In addition to his daily cultivation, he enjoyed tea, indulged in wine, prepared delicious meals, and delved into the study of Rune in his personal space. Rune was the foundation of many techniques in the Cultivation World, so studying it extensively was never a waste of time.
At present, Wang Hong's personal space had reached a total area of 125 acres, and time inside it passed 154 times faster than in the outside world. This meant that spending half a year in the space would only equate to one day in the external realm.
Wang Hong, as a Nascent Soul, didn't experience aging inside the space. The relationship between a Cultivator's Nascent Soul and their physical body was one of mutual dependency. The Nascent Soul needed to reside within the physical body and relied on it for nourishment. Without the sustenance of the physical body, the Nascent Soul would quickly dissipate and die. Conversely, if the physical body lost its Nascent Soul's guidance, it would become inert, losing all function and vitality, akin to lifeless wood and stone. It would soon decay and turn into dust.
Cultivators needed to reach the Nascent Soul stage to briefly separate their Nascent Soul from their physical body. It was only during the Soul Transformation stage that they could truly project their Nascent Soul outside.
The aging of a Cultivator primarily stemmed from the aging of their physical body. The physical body had a limited lifespan, and when that lifespan was exhausted, its functions would decline, leading to aging and death.
After the physical body's death, a Nascent Soul belonging to a lower-tier Cultivator would revert to three souls and seven spirits. If it couldn't be reborn or reincarnated, it would wander the world until it eventually dissipated. Only a few souls could cultivate into ghosts, extending their lives in another manner.
A Cultivator's Nascent Soul was condensed from three souls and seven spirits, whereas Mortals had only three souls and seven spirits, lacking a Nascent Soul.
Wang Hong's personal space seemed to have a special function that allowed his Nascent Soul to leave his physical body and enter the space without dissipating for an extended period. However, outside the space, the same benefits didn't apply. Thus, Wang Hong had to return to his physical body periodically, eat, and stretch his muscles.
At this moment, Wang Hong's Nascent Soul was drifting through the space, inspecting various Spiritual Objects. The mountain of Demonic Beast corpses had shrunk slightly, but with time inside the space passing over a hundred times faster than the outside world, considering the current quantity of demon-hunting trees, it would take a considerable amount of time to deplete them.
Wang Hong had already collected a Storage Bag full of demon-hunting tree seeds. If he only supplied himself and his subordinates, they should last for several years.
In addition to the mountain of Demonic Beast corpses, there were also two smaller mountains made up of Spirit Wine within the space. Each of these smaller mountains occupied around one acre of space.
One mountain contained first-tier Spirit Wine, and the other second-tier Spirit Wine. The wine barrels were stacked on top of each other, forming towering piles.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]