White-robed Maid felt a surge of joy. After all, she earned a commission, and the more the customer bought, the more she made.
Swiftly, she browsed through the various bookshelves, ultimately bringing back a pile of items, including scrolls and Jade Scrolls.
Wang Hong meticulously inspected each item, discarding the unsuitable ones to the side. In the end, he selected thirty-two pieces, a combination of Jade Scrolls and books.
White-robed Maid could hardly contain her excitement, smiling so much that her two dimples showed. She said, "Twenty Jade Scrolls, twelve books, totaling twelve thousand six hundred Spirit Stones. I can waive the six hundred Spirit Stones for you. You just need to pay twelve thousand Spirit Stones."
Wang Hong inquired, "I don't have enough Spirit Stones on me. Can I offset the payment with Spiritual Medicine?"
"Of course, that's acceptable," White-robed Maid replied, but she was also a bit worried that Wang Hong might not have enough Spirit Stones.
Wang Hong took out a Jade Box and handed it to White-robed Maid. "What about this?"
White-robed Maid opened the Jade Box, glanced inside, and quickly closed it. She said, "I can't be certain about this. Please wait a moment."
After saying that, she hurriedly walked toward the Back Hall. A quarter of an hour later, the white-robed maid followed a scholarly-dressed man out of the Back Hall.
Wang Hong's heart skipped a beat; he couldn't discern the man's cultivation level, but he was at least a Foundation Building cultivator.
The scholarly-dressed man bowed to Wang Hong and said, "Young friend, may I take a look at the Spiritual Medicine you showed earlier?"
Wang Hong respectfully handed over the Jade Box. The scholarly-dressed man opened it, sniffed, and chewed on a small piece of root.
"This is indeed a three-hundred-year-old Scarlet Blood Ginseng, enough to help a mid-Foundation Building cultivator break through to the later stage. It's worth around thirteen to fourteen thousand Spirit Stones. Let's settle at fourteen thousand, shall we?" the scholarly-dressed man stated seriously.
Wang Hong agreed immediately. He had inquired extensively and knew that the Scarlet Blood Ginseng could assist cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks from the Qi Cultivation stage to the Nascent Soul stage, depending on the year of the Spiritual Medicine.
Although Scarlet Blood Ginseng was not easy to cultivate, some major powers had managed to cultivate a few. Despite being rare, it wasn't excessively scarce, or else it wouldn't be readily available.
The scholarly-dressed man handed Wang Hong a Storage Bag. "Two thousand Spirit Stones, please confirm."
Wang Hong took it, scanned with his spiritual sense, and the amount was correct. He bid farewell and left.
Back at his residence, Wang Hong didn't rush to delve into the cultivation techniques. Such matters required long-term study and couldn't be rushed.
He placed all the Jade Scrolls and books in the Library, open for anyone to borrow based on contributions. He was pleased at the thought of having subordinates skilled in alchemy, artifact forging, and talisman crafting.
Having come from the military, he firmly believed that individual strength was far less significant than collective strength. Any peak expert couldn't do without the support of a powerful organization.
Personal struggles in everything would consume his time, leaving no room for cultivation.
Regardless of anything, cultivation couldn't be compromised. Cultivation level was fundamental. No matter how skilled a Qi Cultivation cultivator was in various techniques, they still couldn't compare to a Foundation Building cultivator's slap.
Wang Hong consumed a Condensing Qi Pill, allowing the medicinal power to assimilate through meditationthe most efficient way of cultivation for him at the moment.
After refining the elixir, Wang Hong immersed himself in the Space to read.
Having twenty-five times the time within the Space gave him the confidence to learn multiple skills. Unfortunately, after numerous attempts, he found that cultivation couldn't be practiced inside.
Balancing daily cultivation and learning made Wang Hong's life quite content.
However, on the third day, someone came knocking on his door.
Lin Family's legitimate son, Lin Yun, dressed in white, hands behind his back, narrow eyes gazing down at others with a condescending demeanor.
Lin Yun spoke with a nonchalant tone, "You must be Wang Hong. Although my brother was not promising, he wasn't someone anyone could just kill."
Wang Hong, looking bewildered, asked, "Which brother of yours? Who killed him? The deceased can't come back to life; you must mourn and move on."
"Humph!" Lin Yun snorted coldly. "It seems you don't want to admit it. Yin Wolf, come out!"
A middle-aged man in a black robe, with a hooked nose and triangular eyes, emerged from the followers. This person was Yin Wolf, and at this moment, he wore a sycophantic smile on his face.
Yin Wolf then recounted in detail the events of the night when Wang Hong and his group encountered enemies, killed them, and returned to the city.
Wang Hong burst into laughter after hearing the account. "Your fabricated story is quite entertaining. However, we have no grievances or conflicts. Why would you frame and slander me?
Moreover, if you want to frame me, can't you at least be serious and make the story more believable?
With my Qi Cultivation at the fourth level, leading a group of mortal soldiers to wipe out a bunch of Immortal Cultivators. Do you even believe that yourself?"
Lin Yun began to doubt the credibility of his words. These people simply didn't possess such strength.
Yin Wolf deeply bowed to Lin Yun and said, "Everything I said is true. If there's a single false word, may I not die a peaceful death."
Wang Hong sneered, "What's the use of such an oath? Your appearance alone screams 'villain.' I even suspect that you might have killed the deceased for treasures. Then you shifted the blame to me, letting yourself off the hook."
"Lin Young Master, all of this is just his side of the story. Who knows what malicious intentions he might have?" Wang Hong added with a contemptuous tone.
Lin Yun, maintaining his indifferent demeanor, said, "Since you are involved in this matter, go down and accompany my incompetent brother in death. Of course, if it turns out later that you were wrongly accused, I'll kill this person to accompany you in burial."
Angered by these words, Wang Hong retorted, "What do you want then? Let's settle this outside the city."
Since fighting wasn't allowed within the city, Wang Hong wasn't afraid. There were several Golden Core cultivators in the city, and Lin Family wouldn't dare to openly defy them.
"Tomorrow someone will challenge you on the Life and Death Platform," Lin Yun declared before turning away.
"I'll accompany you to the end. If you die, don't blame me," Wang Hong shouted from behind.
Although battles couldn't be privately fought within the city, irreconcilable conflicts still arose, leading to the establishment of the Life and Death Platform system.
One party could register on the Life and Death Platform and issue a challenge. The other party could choose to accept or decline. Forcing the opponent to accept wasn't allowed. Once a challenge was accepted, life and death were at stake.
The next day, Wang Hong received a challenge letter from the Life and Death Platform. It was from a Lin Family cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Cultivation, aiming to challenge him.
"I don't accept. Tell him I'm busy with Alchemy and have no time," Wang Hong snorted. Previously, he might have spoken boldly, but he wasn't foolish enough to go willingly to his death.
The third day, another challenge letter arrived, again from the same sixth-level Qi Cultivation cultivator.
The eleventh day brought a change; this time, it was a fifth-level Qi Cultivation cultivator.
"I don't accept" Against a fifth-level opponent, he had no chance of winning. The last time he defeated a fifth-level cultivator, it was by using Spirit Stones to crush them.
Wang Hong had mediocre talent, practiced ordinary techniques, and hadn't mastered any powerful Magical Arts or secret techniques. Facing challenges from higher tiers would most likely lead to his demise.
For several days, Wang Hong showed no intention of accepting any challenges.
He continued his daily cultivation, delving into Alchemy and talisman crafting.
On the twenty-fifth day, Lin Family finally sent a cultivator named Lin Dong, a fourth-level Qi Cultivation cultivator. This time, Wang Hong didn't hesitate to accept.
Not fighting earlier had been a matter of prudence. If he didn't have the courage to face a same-tier opponent, there was no point in cultivating.
Of course, courage was one thing; being adequately prepared was another. This time, Wang Hong brought a large number of spirit talismans and Spirit Wine. Using a Magical Weapon consumed too much Spiritual Energy, so it was better to be prepared for any eventuality.
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