"Fellow Daoist Sun."

Chu Mu stepped forward.

"You asked me to keep an eye out for Elixirs in the pavilion, right? A batch of Body Refining Elixirs just came in today, and I set some aside for you."

As he spoke, Sun Tao handed over several Jade Bottles.

"There are three types in total, two bottles of each."

"Alright."

Taking the Jade Bottles, Chu Mu took out a bag of Spirit Stones and handed it over.

"You don’t need to give me this much."

Sun Tao grabbed a handful of the Spirit Stones and handed them back.

"Sect Disciples get a discount when buying internally."

"By the way, our Sect’s opening ceremony is in a few months. Fellow Daoist Chu, your talent for Magic is Extraordinary. Why not give it a try?"

"With my Spirit Root Talent, it’d be a waste of time."

"Not at all! Let me tell you, Fellow Daoist, talent is only one aspect. For those with special skills in other areas, Spirit Root Talent is never an issue."

"Just look at me. I also have a Pseudo Spirit Root Talent, but I became a Sect Disciple easily enough."

"It’s always better to have backing than to struggle all on your own out here."

Chu Mu was unmoved, his eyes surveying the towering city wall before them. "Me? I’m used to being free. I can’t stand being tied down."

Chu Mu then changed the subject, asking tentatively, "By the way, about Jade Emperor Valley being turned into... well, this... any inside news?"

"I’m just a lowly Outer Disciple. How would I know any inside news?"

Sun Tao shook his head with a smile. "Besides, isn’t it all perfectly clear?"

"If you look at our Sect’s history, ever since our Sect Leader Li took his position over three hundred years ago, the relationship between the Sect and the Clans has taken a sharp downturn."

"In every opening ceremony, internal promotion, and resource allocation since, there have been many restrictions placed on the disciples from the Clans..."

"But for Cultivators like us, who have no backing, this is actually a good thing."

"I heard from my master that before, the Sect was almost completely dominated by the children of powerful Clans. If you had no backing, you’d just waste away in the Sect, suffering endless bullying..."

"It was only after Sect Leader Li came to power and made his drastic reforms that people like us finally had a path forward..."

"Given the current situation, this is the most important reason why I’m urging you to join our Sect, Fellow Daoist."

"As it is now, the Longevity Sect is the only way out for Cultivators like us who have no one to rely on."

"Even if chaos erupts one day, it’s far better to fight for your own future than to be forcibly conscripted and forced to sell your life."

Chu Mu fell silent for a moment, then shook his head, still uncertain. "I’ll see. There’s no rush."

"You should think it over soon, Fellow Daoist Chu."

"Lately, I’ve had a feeling that the winds within the Sect are shifting in a very strange direction."

A hint of worry also appeared on Sun Tao’s face, but in the end, he said no more. After a few more words, he turned and walked away.

Chu Mu gazed up at the sky, a sheet of flawless azure. He glanced around, but the sprawling mountain ranges were now difficult to see, with only the towering city wall obstructing his entire view.

’These are turbulent times...’

Chu Mu sighed softly and wandered aimlessly through the city.

The valley had become a city. Everything he once knew seemed to have changed.

Chu Mu searched for familiar places, but aside from a few shop signs, everything he saw seemed foreign.

Only when he reached the D-Class Housing Area could he find any trace of familiarity.

The two-story pavilion from before still stood. The one where he had disguised himself as Li Gang had its door tightly shut, and the tracks by the entrance proved someone had moved in.

He wound his way through the streets and alleys, eventually stopping before another pavilion.

A Restriction Token appeared in his hand. With a wave, the moment the door opened, an excited roar echoed from within.

Wangcai was as sturdy as ever. Nurtured by the occasional Spirit Feeding Pills Chu Mu bought, its eyes seemed to have gained a hint more intelligence.

Tossing out a Spirit Feeding Pill, Chu Mu gently stroked Wangcai’s head, a thoughtful look on his face.

In the end, Chu Mu suppressed the thought.

The Sect and the Clans were both colossal powers. Their struggle was a terrifying vortex of a storm.

Ordinary people couldn’t get away fast enough, so why should he get involved?

Most importantly, even if he joined the Longevity Sect, he would just be a disciple at the very bottom.

If he wanted to obtain enough resources and knowledge, he would have to display enough value to be taken seriously.

With the Spiritual Radiance, he could display such value.

But wouldn’t that just be putting himself at the heart of the storm?

’During such a storm, to place yourself right in the middle of it all would be foolish!’

’If I don’t show my value, as a bottom-tier disciple, I’d just be pure cannon fodder. In a situation like this, serving myself up as cannon fodder would also be foolish!’

’Worst comes to worst, I’ll just run for it!’

Chu Mu pursed his lips, his heart suddenly feeling unburdened. The world was vast; he didn’t have to stay and die in Jade Emperor Valley. If the situation turned bad, he would just leave.

’I can still practice my Cultivation in the wilderness. If it really comes down to it, I’ll just stick to the Black Market from now on.’

He wasn’t incapable of adapting to the law of the jungle.

’To hell with Forced Labor conscription. If I don’t even live here, how could they possibly draft me?’

"Brother Mu!"

As he was lost in thought, the door was pushed open, and a pleasantly surprised voice called out from outside.

"How come you’re back so early today?"

"They’re moving the Spirit Fields today, so the Steward gave us the day off."

Chu Mu was puzzled. "Moving them where?"

"They said they’re moving some of the Spirit Fields into the city first."

"Brother Mu, you probably don’t know yet, but the northern part of the city has been designated as the Spirit Plant District. From now on, all the Spiritual Plants will be grown inside the city. They say it’s safer this way, to prevent Evil Cultivators from destroying them!"

After speaking, Xu Yuan asked curiously, "Brother Mu, you’re outside the city all year round. Have you ever run into any Evil Cultivators?"

Chu Mu frowned and asked in return, "Do you even know what an Evil Cultivator is?"

"The ones wanted by the Law Enforcement Team, right? Just like back in Nanshan Town, the ones with warrants out for them are the worst of the worst..."

Chu Mu didn’t answer. After a moment’s thought, he handed over a Storage Talisman.

"There are some Spirit Stones inside, and some Elixirs."

"You should focus on raising your Cultivation as quickly as possible..."

Xu Yuan froze for a second, then said hesitantly, "Brother Mu, are you worried that..."

Chu Mu nodded and then explained his concerns.

"Then maybe I should move out too. If something really happens, I can help out."

"Alright, you can decide for yourself."

Chu Mu didn’t make any further arrangements. Now that Xu Yuan was on the Immortal Path, he was reluctant to interfere too much with his choices.

After all, a path... is ultimately one you walk yourself. Being pushed or helped by others won’t get you very far.

After a stroll around the Marketplace, one obvious fact became exceedingly clear.

The prices of Talismans, Magical Artifacts, and even Elixirs and Spiritual Materials were all noticeably higher than before.

Given Jade Emperor City’s location and the fact that travel in the Cultivation Immortal Realm could cover a thousand li in a single day, it was clear this price fluctuation wasn’t just limited to Jade Emperor City alone.

It must be the effect of a much larger region to cause such a shift in prices.

Talismans, Magical Artifacts, Elixirs, and Spiritual Materials are daily necessities for an individual Cultivator.

For a power, they were undoubtedly strategic reserves.

’I even made a small profit.’

Sensing the various Spiritual Materials piled up in his Storage Talisman, Chu Mu was a bit speechless.

Back then, at the Jade Emperor Black Market, he had bought a huge batch of all kinds of Spiritual Materials to supplement his knowledge of Artifact Refining and conduct research experiments.

He still hadn’t even started using them.

And now the prices had soared. If he were to sell them at the current market rate, he would make at least a twenty to thirty percent profit.

That was easily a profit of several hundred Spirit Stones.

’The prices will keep rising!’

After a moment of thought, Chu Mu came to a conclusion.

The situation was tense. All useful items were being stockpiled by the various factions.

In the current climate, as soon as prices started rising, it would inevitably attract attention and deepen the anxiety of ordinary Cultivators.

After that, many Cultivators would start panic buying, desperate for any solution. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The prices would inevitably skyrocket under this wave of panic buying.

Then, since wealth moves the hearts of men, some powers would get involved, driving up the prices to make a huge profit.

And looking at the current situation, as long as tensions didn’t ease, or unless the Longevity Sect stepped in to suppress the prices, it was unlikely that these inflated prices would ever come back down.

But would the Longevity Sect step in to suppress prices?

’Right now, these shops in the Marketplace, these industries, and even the mines and Spirit Fields that are their source—which one of them isn’t connected to the Longevity Sect?’

’Even if the Longevity Sect wanted to, the vested interests within the Sect’s system would never allow it.’

And the ones who ruled Jade Emperor Valley were clearly the group with vested interests.

With his thoughts racing, Chu Mu decisively left the Marketplace and headed straight for the nearest Jade Emperor Black Market.

Although he had no intention of making a fortune from this opportunity, learning the Artifact Refining Skill required a massive amount of Spiritual Materials to support it.

It was better to be prepared and avert peril. The real, undeserved disaster would be when the prices soared in the future.

Fortunately, he had noticed in time. The prices in the Black Market were already cheaper than in the Marketplace, and while they had fluctuated, they hadn’t risen too much.

After a shopping spree, he had spent over a thousand Lower Spirit Stones in the Black Market.

His net worth in Spirit Stones was immediately cut by more than half.

His reward was a Storage Talisman packed full of Spiritual Materials.

"Hm?"

Just as he was about to leave the Black Market, a new stall he glimpsed from the corner of his eye immediately made Chu Mu stop in his tracks.

The stall had very few items: what looked like a book, a few jars and bottles, and most conspicuously, an azure Magic Robe hanging above the stall.

Chu Mu’s eyes lit up instantly. Defensive Spiritual Artifacts weren’t uncommon in the Marketplace or the Black Market, but the ones he had encountered so far were all active-defense type Magical Artifacts, like Shields and Banner Flags.

Passive-defense Magical Artifacts like Magic Robes were few and far between. Even if he found one, it was usually a low-grade item that was of little use to him at his current level.

But this Magic Robe before him, the Spiritual Light fluctuating from it... an Upper Grade Spiritual Artifact!

"This Magic Robe, what’s the price?"

Chu Mu stepped forward and asked.

"One thousand two hundred Lower Spirit Stones, non-negotiable!"

The stall owner was a young woman, her face innocent but her gaze exceptionally resolute.

She looked up at Chu Mu as she spoke, her voice cool and clear.

Chu Mu frowned. The price wasn’t exactly reasonable; a typical Top Grade Magical Artifact for Attack was usually in this price range.

But passive-defense Magical Artifacts like Magic Robes had always been rare.

Scarcity makes things valuable.

Any price was extremely reasonable.

However, after spending over a thousand Spirit Stones on various Spiritual Materials, he clearly didn’t have enough Spirit Stones left to afford it...

...