It was deep into the night, and the cold had settled in. On a mist-covered lake, two figures stood in silence for a long while.

"Are you sure you want to rent this place?"

"Why not?"

"You've seen the details on the map. This Surging Lake area does have three low-grade spirit veins and twenty-seven second-tier ones, but they're all scattered. The only reason it's listed as a top-tier land is because of its sheer size. It's big enough to serve as the foundation for a sect or a family. Most members of the Society are rogue cultivators, but they're still human. They think about passing things on. This place is really meant for that. If you truly have the wealth, why not go with the other two mid-grade ones that I recommended? The spirit energy there is denser, and they're cheaper too."

Luo Chen gazed across the eight-hundred-li Surging Lake, and then his eyes settled on the island at its center. The landscape resembled his own cave residence in the Flying Swallow Archipelago. A tranquil lake stretching ten li, with a small island bathing in moonlight. Of course, this one was dozens of times larger. It could truly serve as the foundation of a sect or family.

He had made up his mind. "I'll take this one. I've made up my mind."

Seeing the Angler hesitate, he suddenly smiled. "I've got a method to gather the spirit veins and raise their grade. To me, this place really is no worse than a top-grade third-tier cave residence. You don't need to worry."

The Angler was stunned. "A method to gather veins and raise their grade? Isn't that something only upper sects can do?"

This time, Luo Chen only smiled and said nothing. The Angler did not press further. He had already accepted the gift, and asking more would be improper. Still, he offered one last reminder. "You're not the only one eyeing this place. Others are just held back by their finances. If you really want it, you'd better pay five years' rent upfront. Otherwise, someone might use that as an excuse to give you trouble."

Luo Chen frowned. "Even with you backing me, that won't work?"

The Angler sighed helplessly. "Well... I'm not the only eight-star demon hunter in the Society."

The implication was clear. The other persons eyeing it also had an eight-star demon hunter backing them. Luo Chen's expression shifted uncertainly. But after a moment, he looked across the drifting mist on the lake and made his decision. "It's only five years of rent. I can afford it."

The Angler nodded. As expected, Azure Yang was probably the rumored Devil Lord Azure Yang. Otherwise, it was difficult to explain the sheer amount of cash he had on hand. There was really only one way for a rogue cultivator to amass such wealth: by killing cultivators of the same realm and seizing their possessions. At the same time, only a cultivator of that caliber would dare face an enemy backed by an eight-star demon hunter without fear.

After some thought, he added, "Don't worry. If anyone wants to contest it, they'll have to come at you themselves. Don't worry about whoever is backing them. I'll handle that." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He had accepted the gift, so he had to put in a little work. It was entirely worth it, however.

Luo Chen cupped his hands. "In that case, thank you."

***

Three days later, three figures arrived at the eight-hundred-li Surging Lake in the mountain range. Wen Xiu, whose bump was now starting to show, stared at the lake stretching beyond sight. Even after her feet touched the ground, she remained stunned. Only when several instructions sounded beside her did she slowly come back to her senses.

"Heavenjade, did you memorize everything on that list? Don't miss a single item. Buy as many formation flags as you can, and don't skimp on the money. I just gave you a million, and that should do. If you can't get enough from the shops in the city, take my demon hunter token and get them in bulk from the division. I want to draw in all the spirit energy here and turn this place into a top-grade third-tier spirit land!"

Wen Xiu watched Heavenjade standing respectfully before Luo Chen and could not help but feel choked by his sheer presence. This man was truly imposing. He certainly wasn't the spendthrift type, but when he did make a decision, he went all in. She had been with her husband for a long time and met many Adepts, yet she had never seen anyone with such boldness.

Luo Chen stepped onto the solid ground of Surging Island, deep in thought. The listed rent for the Surging Lake spirit land was 3 million a year. Even after the discount, it still came to 1.8 million annually. Over five years, that totaled 9 million, exactly half of what he had in spirit stones. And this covered only five years. After that, he would have to renew the lease. He needed to start thinking about future sources of income.

In fact, the five-year term was no coincidence. Golden Core demon hunters usually took on missions once every three to five years. A five-year lease accounted for the risk that one might die during a mission, so the loss would not be too great. At the same time, the pricey rent and limited discounts pushed low-tier demon hunters to take on harsher missions in order to raise their rank.

"These Sages truly have thought through every aspect."

Luo Chen sighed and stepped to the lakeshore of Surging Island. He opened his mouth and spat out a gray cauldron. It spun as it flew out, then expanded until it reached a massive size of one hundred zhang. The sheer scale of it drew Wen Xiu's gaze at once.

In the next moment, a deafening roar echoed. A massive flood dragon burst forth and unfurled its powerful form in midair, a full sixty zhang long and thick as a mountain ridge!

"DAMN, THAT WAS SUFFOCATING!!!" roared Black King, shaking its body through the air like a wet dog shaking off the water. Then, he stretched down in front of the tiny figure on the shore. He looked at Luo Chen and bowed. "Greetings, Master!"

Luo Chen nodded calmly. "Go. From now on, this Surging Lake is your new home. Without my permission, no one else is allowed in."

Black King turned back and looked at the mist-covered lake stretching beyond sight. Excitement filled his eyes. "Understood!"

With that, he dove straight into the lake, sending up countless splashes. Wen Xiu stared at the scene, her mind shaken once again. It wasn't just Heavenjade; he even had a mid-stage Demon King under his command...

As the shock lingered, a gentle voice sounded. "Wen Xiu, I heard from Zhang Jiadi that you're planning to build your own family, right?"

Wen Xiu nodded blankly.

"It's not easy to establish a cultivation family. At the very least, you'll need a decent piece of spirit land." Luo Chen clasped his hands behind his back and said gently, "Since we've got some fate between us, why not pick a second-tier spirit land here and set up your estate?"

The woman stood at a loss. It was clear from Luo Chen's tone that it was not merely a suggestion but also a command. "Heavenjade, while we've got time, take Wen Xiu around and show her the place."

Heavenjade nodded and grabbed the bewildered woman, dragging her away on a tour of the area.

Once everyone left, Luo Chen finally let out a breath and took out a piece of black wood. "Senior, I'll have to trouble you with gathering the spirit veins and raising their grade."

Han Zhan's helpless voice came from within the Soul-Nurturing Wood that now served as a vessel. "You brat, you know I've been busy cultivating and refining the Soul-Nurturing Wood, and you still drag me into this?"

Luo Chen replied politely, "I don't really have a choice. You're the only one capable of this. I've already had Heavenjade prepare the necessary materials; next is up to you."

Let alone rogue cultivators, even most major sects had no way of doing such things. But Han Zhan was no homeless vagrant, and the Falling Cloud Sect had successfully applied for a Frontier War and obtained the qualification to establish itself as an upper sect. In the process, the Nether Origin Sect had granted them many secret arts unknown to the general public. These included methods for producing spirit stones, upgrading spirit veins, gathering spirit veins to raise their grade, and constructing large immortal cities. The grand immortal city in the Howling Moon Mountains, Moonbreak, stood as a clear example. Han Zhan was not allowed to pass on these methods, but using them for personal purposes posed no issue.

Luo Chen had gained quite a bargain from this. Han Zhan had already agreed to his shameless request, though before starting, he asked for the Divine Seal Compass. This treasure would serve as the core of the formation. The piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood thus left Surging Island with the compass to survey the terrain and trace the flow of the earth veins.

Only then did Luo Chen finally relax and allow a smile to surface. He walked across at an unhurried pace and looked at the surroundings as he murmured softly to himself, "After years of running about, my cultivation was delayed, and I am still stuck at the fourth stage. But now... I've finally got a place to settle down. It's time to build up and make a real breakthrough."

With that, he walked toward the center of Surging Island.

Beneath the thin mist that covered the water, the figure of the red-robed Daoist grew increasingly indistinct, until it vanished completely.