As the master of the Inner World, Yang Jing was fully capable of doing this.

The only losses would be the Pure Yang Apricot Tree and the Pure Yang Treasure Pearl buried among its roots.

This was an endeavor with immense returns, so naturally, Yang Jing wouldn’t hesitate. However, he was cautious by nature and wanted to use this Immortal Vine Gourd to refine another demon-subduing treasure. One righteous, one demonic—working in tandem with the Demon-Catching Tripod, they would ensure absolute success.

By then, even if a Divine Fragment of the Demon Venerable descended by possessing a Celestial Demon, he might be able to put up a fight with his array of Divine Techniques and two Magical Treasures.

Yang Jing tapped his fingers against the gourd, his mind made up.

With the Five Fire Divine Thunder as a precedent, he was determined to refine this gourd to perfection. Simply embedding the Nine Great Thunder Prohibitions into it step-by-step would be a complete waste of the gourd’s fine quality.

Placing the gourd back into the Jade Box, Yang Jing stood up and walked out of the Quiet Chamber with his hands behind his back.

He could sense that Iron Head and Yinjiao, both at the Foundation Establishment Realm, were in secluded cultivation. Chi Yu was honing her Saber Technique. After returning from a trip to his clan, Ji Feng had brought back two young Five-Colored Kun Chickens and was now teaching them to cultivate by word and example. Only Yellow Foot was being utterly lazy, fast asleep and snoring under the shade of the Pure Yang Apricot Tree.

Yang Jing’s expression darkened. He had been occupied with many matters since returning to the Sect and had relaxed his discipline over his disciples.

Yellow Foot’s Magical Power had barely changed since their time in the Northern Domain; he had clearly been neglecting his cultivation.

’If my disciples don’t work hard, where will I, their master, get my Spirit Stones? I can’t just live off my savings, relying on my stipend as a True Disciple and my shares in the Seven Nations Ticket Shop.’

Seeing his master’s expression, Ji Feng knew immediately that his junior brother, Yellow Foot, was in for it. He coughed loudly twice, trying to wake Yellow Foot up, but the boy was sleeping like a dead pig. His snores rumbled, and drool trickled from the corner of his mouth, puddling on a tree root.

Just as Yang Jing was about to shout at him, a Spirit Talisman suddenly flew in from outside the Cave Mansion.

He caught it and inspected it, discovering that it was from Liu Ruheng of the Liu Family. The Liu Family’s Golden Core Master was waiting outside the array at this very moment.

Given such a respectful gesture, Yang Jing couldn’t very well refuse to see him.

"Carry Junior Brother Yellow Foot back to his room to sleep," he said to Ji Feng. "Also, find an advanced text on Spiritual Food techniques from the Library Pavilion for him to study. From now on, he will be responsible for all of our daily meals."

"If his cooking tastes terrible, he’ll be forbidden from eating for seven days as punishment."

Spiritual Food was less effective at enhancing cultivation than Spirit Pills, but its advantage was the absence of Elixir Poison. Moreover, it was beneficial for all types of Cultivation Techniques. This was unlike many Spirit Pills, which could only be consumed by cultivators practicing specific techniques to improve their cultivation.

Among Yang Jing’s disciples, Yinjiao and Chi Yu practiced rather unorthodox Cultivation Techniques. The only elixirs they could take during the Foundation Establishment Stage were a few common ones like the Pure Essence Pill, which most Foundation Establishment Cultivators could consume.

Relying on Spiritual Food could, to some extent, advance their cultivation.

"If Junior Brother Yellow Foot is put in charge of cooking, he’ll definitely sneak and eat the ingredients," Chi Yu said with a hint of malice. Watching as Ji Feng lifted the stocky Yellow Foot, she noted that she had just seen his eyelids twitch. He was clearly awake but was feigning sleep, worried about their master’s scolding.

"Hmph. He’ll be starved for a day every time he’s caught. I doubt he’ll have the guts," Yang Jing said, looking at Yellow Foot.

With his hands clasped behind him, he walked to the front of the array and channeled his Magical Power to open the Restriction.

There, not far from the Grand Array, stood Liu Ruheng, followed by two younger family members holding gift boxes.

With a single glance, Yang Jing could tell that the Magical Power of these two was pure. Though not old, they had already reached the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. They must be elite disciples the Liu Family was focusing on cultivating.

"Senior Brother Liu, your visit is welcome enough. There was no need to bring gifts."

Yang Jing politely welcomed Liu Ruheng into the courtyard, and they sat down beneath the canopy of the Pure Yang Apricot Tree.

"Junior Brother Yang, my wife passed away early, and I have been engrossed in my cultivation. As a result, I neglected my daughter, Yu Huan. I never imagined she was being bullied all this time, and that I would have to rely on you to see justice done. I am truly ashamed."

Liu Ruheng wore a look of shame.

Yang Jing shook his head. He knew there was little truth in Liu Ruheng’s words. However, Ren Xingzhou was now a live-in son-in-law of the Liu Family. If a few words from him could improve Ren Xingzhou’s situation, why not say them?

"It was a small matter. Ren Xingzhou and I both come from the Western Domain and share a deep bond. I couldn’t just stand by and watch his wife be humiliated."

Joy sparked in Liu Ruheng’s heart. He had never expected his out-of-favor daughter to have such good fortune.

Yang Jing’s current status in the Five Elements True Spirit Sect was far beyond that of an ordinary True Disciple. Moreover, unlike other disciples from the master-disciple lineage, he wasn’t particularly hostile toward the Noble Lineage. Although he had defeated Zuoqiu Ye of the Zuoqiu Family, causing him to suffer greatly, he also maintained an excellent relationship with Zuoqiu Feng.

This left all the Noble Families watching from the sidelines, wondering whether to win him over or just observe.

As for suppressing him, the Noble Lineage wasn’t foolish. Yang Jing had mastered the Great Five Elements Divine Light Prohibition. To suppress him would require a Nascent Soul Cultivator to take action, which would completely break the Sect’s rules. The Nascent Soul Ancestors were not so unwise.

"Junior Brother Yang, you are indeed as the legends say—a man who despises evil. This small gift is a token of my gratitude for your righteous actions. Please accept it."

As Liu Ruheng spoke, he had the two juniors behind him present the gift boxes.

Yang Jing had already glanced at them. One box contained fifty neatly arranged Mid-Tier Spirit Stones. The other held a piece of Profound Gold, of equivalent value to the Spirit Stones.

He couldn’t help but shake his head slightly, lamenting how far the Liu Family had truly fallen. Back in the Northern Domain, such a meager gift would have been too embarrassing to present to him.

"I’ve noticed that aside from your few disciples, you have no one to attend to you, Junior Brother, and must handle everything yourself. These two are juniors from my clan. They are diligent and willing to work hard. If you don’t mind, they could run errands for you under your guidance."

The two juniors’ self-control was lacking. As soon as Liu Ruheng said this, their auras immediately wavered.

Yang Jing shook his head.

"Senior Brother Liu, I appreciate the thought, but I am accustomed to austere cultivation and do not like to be waited upon. However, there is one matter that I, your junior brother, would truly like to ask of you."

Hearing the gentle refusal in Yang Jing’s words, Liu Ruheng was feeling a pang of disappointment when Yang Jing suddenly turned around and made a request, lifting his spirits.

"Whatever you need, Junior Brother Yang, my Liu Family will certainly do everything in our power to help."

"No, no, that won’t be necessary. It’s just a small thing," Yang Jing said. "I would like to purchase a shop in the Celestial Square Marketplace."

The Celestial Square Marketplace was the closest marketplace to the Five Elements True Spirit Sect. Among the many marketplaces Yang Jing had seen, its prosperity was second only to the Dong Family’s Divine Dragon City.

Even for a Golden Core Cultivator, acquiring a shop there was no easy feat.

The reason Yang Jing wanted a shop was that he had accumulated a massive amount of Merit Points. Exchanging the Spiritual Artifacts, Spirit Pills, and Talismans his disciples refined for more Merit Points from the Sect was no longer very meaningful.

It would be better to exchange them for Spirit Stones at the Celestial Square Marketplace, which would be useful later when he needed to spend lavishly to advance his disciples’ cultivation.

Furthermore, his plan to refine the Immortal Vine Gourd would require constant trial and error, resulting in a large number of experimental products.

Refining the Five Fire Divine Thunder into a Magical Treasure was an incredibly difficult task. If it was all expenditure and no income, even Yang Jing’s fortune would not be able to support it. Selling the byproducts in a shop would allow him to recoup Spirit Stones and avoid truly depleting all his resources.

"The Celestial Square Marketplace?"

Liu Ruheng’s mind settled. For established locals of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect like them, a shop in the Celestial Square Marketplace was a small matter. It was completely worth it to curry favor with a future star of the Sect like Yang Jing.

"Senior Brother Liu, the Spirit Stones to purchase the shop are not an issue. I just need you to find someone willing to sell."

Yang Jing knew Liu Ruheng had misunderstood. He had no intention of owing a favor over a mere shop.