Inside Qianji City.

After Qin Ming finished reading the jade scroll in his hand, he immediately decided to rent a cave mansion here to settle down first.

Then Qin Ming and Lan Bing Fairy walked along the main street and headed to the Steward Hall inside the Immortal City.

Inside the Steward Hall, all were cultivators from the Netherworld Sect handling the mundane affairs of the city.

Therefore, renting a cave mansion was also something that required dealing with them.

Just the income from renting cave mansions alone made the Netherworld Sect immensely wealthy.

Along the way, Qin Ming used Divine Thought to scan and found that the most powerful cultivators in this Qianji City were only at the early-stage Divinity Transformation from the Netherworld Sect.

However, Qin Ming couldn’t guarantee if there were other cultivators disguised like him who had secretly infiltrated the city.

After all, it was a place mixed with various individuals, and there might be some who disguised their intentions and waited for opportunities.

The jade scroll given by Baili Hui previously mentioned an incident that occurred several years ago, enough to serve as a warning to all newly arrived cultivators in Qianji City.

The security environment within Qianji City was well-managed by the Netherworld Sect, so there was no fear of major chaos.

However, outside the city, in such a chaotic environment, various tribulation cultivators were rampant.

The cultivators within the Immortal City also belonged to different small groups, always traveling together for safety.

Only those cultivators with strong abilities dared to travel alone.

Several years ago, there was a Nascent Soul Stage tribulation cultivator who attempted to rob a caravan, only to find a cultivator from Divinity Transformation Stage with concealed cultivation inside one of the caravan’s vehicles...

Later, the fate of that Nascent Soul Stage tribulation cultivator was disastrous, losing all accumulated over hundreds of years, and ended in death and ruin...

Such incidents are not uncommon in the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp area.

After Qin Ming and Lan Bing Fairy entered the Steward Hall of Qianji City, an old man in a black robe at mid-stage Nascent Soul quickly set aside his work and greeted them with a hand salute:

"I am Sikong Wang from the Netherworld Sect. You two seem unfamiliar, where might you be from?"

Qin Ming knew this was the other party probing their background, so he casually made up a reason: "I am Lii Qianjie, and this is my dao companion, Linglong Fairy... both are loose cultivators from the Demon Ancient Wasteland, hearing of numerous opportunities in the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp, we come to try our luck and aim for a breakthrough in our later-stage bottleneck."

"Aiming to break through later-stage cultivation, admirable indeed!"

The Nascent Soul Steward from the Netherworld Sect was quite tempted upon hearing Qin Ming and his companion were rootless loose cultivators, and said:

"Since the two of you are loose cultivators, why not join our Netherworld Sect? With your demon cultivation skills, you can choose any cave mansion in Qianji City freely, enjoy various tributes, without having to take much risk, isn’t it wonderful?"

"Sorry, Fellow Daoist Lii cannot agree, I am accustomed to being independent, not interested in joining any power, and seek to quickly break through my cultivation bottleneck..." Qin Ming politely declined the offer.

Upon hearing this, Sikong Wang from the Netherworld Sect furrowed his brow, surprised that someone with deep and unfathomable demon cultivation was actually a dedicated cultivator.

Otherwise, being able to simultaneously invite two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would have been a great accomplishment.

But Sikong Wang didn’t force it, as it was a matter of mutual willingness.

Although the Netherworld Sect was a demonic sect, it had a good reputation.

Otherwise, it couldn’t have attracted so many loose cultivators here.

"Alas! What a pity, never expected two dedicated cultivators..."

"The cave mansions in Qianji City are divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. On the main peak, Black Obsidian Peak, A-grade cave mansions have the richest Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, featuring a Tier Five Spiritual Vein environment, followed by B-grade, with a Tier Four Spirit Vein..."

"Below that are areas within the city; the core area of the inner city has Tier Three Spirit Veins... while the outer city has Tier Two, and so on." Sikong Wang took out a map jade slip and handed it to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming just glanced slightly, and immediately decided, "Then Fellow Daoist Lii will take the cave mansion here."

Sikong Wang looked where Qin Ming pointed, only to see it was one of the largest and most secluded A-grade cave mansions on Black Obsidian Peak.

"The A-grade Chenn Mansion, with a Tier Five High-Grade Spirit Vein environment, is not cheap... it costs three thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones a year... with a minimum rental of ten years."

Qin Ming agreed straightforwardly, "Then it’s here, let’s rent it for one hundred years first..."

"Okay, Fellow Daoist Lii, I will handle it for you immediately..." Sikong Wang immediately said with a smile, then quickly realized and exclaimed: "What did you say?! One hundred years??"

...

...

Qianji City, atop Black Obsidian Peak.

Qin Ming and Lan Bing Fairy had moved into their newly rented cave mansion, and for this, paid a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.

However, these Spirit Stones for Qin Ming were just a drop in the bucket.

From the storage pouches previously looted from Venerable Shentu and Venerable Demon Spirit alone, Qin Ming had enough Spirit Stones for hundreds of years of expenses in Qianji City.

Indeed, killing and robbing yields golden rewards...

Qin Ming flew around the mountain once, quite satisfied with the cave mansion here.

This place had a separate, independent peak, surrounded by several acres of rich Tier Five High-Grade Spirit Field, in a tranquil environment.

Outside, it had individual restriction arrays, covering all its aspects.

Moreover, the mountain had complete facilities including an Artifact Refining Room, Alchemy Room, and Secluded Cultivation Chamber, making the high rent justified.

Then.

Qin Ming pointed to a cave mansion next to him and said to Lan Bing Fairy by his side, "From now on, you will cultivate here."

"I estimate it won’t be long before my true self ascends to the Spirit Realm."

"During this time, just cultivate quietly here and wait."

Lan Bing Fairy nodded, "Okay."

A few days later.

Just as Qin Ming finished arranging his cave mansion, the external restriction suddenly transmitted a fluctuation.

He immediately had a thought, and a golden communication talisman flew in from outside.

Qin Ming casually caught the communication talisman. Upon inspecting it with his divine thought, he learned that a few fellow cultivators renting nearby had come to pay a visit.

After all, as they were of similar cultivation levels, when they heard of a new neighbor moving in nearby, it was common courtesy to get acquainted.

Although Qin Ming wasn’t fond of socializing, a bit of interaction was necessary.

Otherwise, living in seclusion for tens of decades without any social contact would inevitably draw attention from those with ulterior motives.

Being too low-key is not necessarily a good thing.

After all, this place ultimately belongs to the Netherworld Sect’s territory.

Qin Ming only needed to maintain daily interactions and some necessary socializing.

With this in mind, he called upon Lan Bing Fairy to go out and greet them together.

After removing the restriction on the cave mansion, what appeared before Qin Ming were five Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

"Haha! Greetings, fellow cultivator. We heard that a new fellow cultivator recently moved in, so the few of us, who are neighbors from nearby cave mansions, came to visit."

"I am Master Yaochen, residing in the adjacent Chia Mansion, and I’m a Tier Four Low-Grade Alchemist..."

Among them, an old man in a gold robe, at the early-stage of the Nascent Soul, greeted Qin Ming and Lan Bing with a kind expression and a smile.

"I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Yaochen to be a Tier Four Pill King. I’ve long admired your reputation."

"I am Lii Qianjie, and this is my dao companion, Linglong Fairy... Fellow cultivators, please come inside for a chat."

Qin Ming immediately stepped aside, also responding with a smile.

The five visitors, seeing Qin Ming and Lan Bing Fairy both at the mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, were all equally surprised.

After all, they were mostly early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, with only one at mid-stage.

Even though their cultivation levels were a notch lower than Qin Ming and Lan Bing, these individuals all possessed unique skills, hence they didn’t assume an inferior posture.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lii! Greetings, Fellow Daoist Linglong!"

"Greetings to all fellow cultivators!"

Thereafter.

Qin Ming welcomed the four into his new cave mansion.

After some pleasantries.

Once seated in the courtyard outside, the golden-robed old man named Master Yaochen introduced them individually to Qin Ming: "This is Fellow Daoist Wul Zhongxian, early-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, residing in the Chia Mansion, and a Tier Four High-Grade Refiner."

Wul Zhongxian looked rather young, with a stern face and a robust figure, dressed in a black robe.

Qin Ming and Lan Bing also greeted, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Witch."

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lii."

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Linglong."

Next, Master Yaochen pointed to a young female cultivator nearby, who was quite attractive, much more so than Lan Bing Fairy, who was currently disguised as an ordinary woman.

Of course, if Lan Bing Fairy revealed her true form, no one could compare to her in terms of charm or appearance.

"This is Fellow Daoist Shii Susu, a Tier Four Middle-Grade Array Master, residing in the adjacent Chia Mansion. The restriction arrays on the peaks around us were all her handiwork, haha!"

Qin Ming gave Shii Susu a serene smile, "Haha! So, it was Fellow Daoist Shii’s masterpiece, truly impressive!"

Shii Susu quite enjoyed the compliment from Qin Ming and raised her chin proudly, "Just a minor task. Lately, I have been attempting to become a Tier Four High-Grade Array Master."

Upon hearing this, even the other visitors couldn’t help but look in astonishment.

Following that.

Master Yaochen introduced another visitor to Qin Ming, "This is Fellow Daoist Luoo Jinghong, a powerful poison cultivator often seen in the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp... should Fellow Daoist Lii need materials in the future, you may trade and purchase from him."

"So, Fellow Daoist Luoo is the renowned poison cultivator, truly at home in the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp... impressive!" Qin Ming immediately gave him a thumbs-up, offering praise.

The poison cultivator named Luoo Jinghong was a stern-faced middle-aged man, not very talkative.

But out of courtesy, he nodded slightly in return to Qin Ming.

"Lastly, this is Fellow Daoist Que Tianyin, a Tier Four High-Grade Puppet Master from the Celestial Puppet Sect..."

Qin Ming glanced over; Tier Four Puppet Masters were indeed rare, especially from a sect specialized in puppetry.

Moreover, the name Celestial Puppet Sect was something Qin Ming had come across in literature, seemingly a major sect within the Profound Celestial Spirit Realm.

Judging by his background, this individual’s origin was extraordinary.

Additionally, Que Tianyin was at the mid-stage Nascent Soul, the highest among the group.

Both Master Yaochen and Shii Susu had joined the Netherworld Sect, enjoying the sect’s generous offerings, while their cultivation cave mansions were free of cost.

It’s speculated that the Detoxification Pills, used to control and oppress loose cultivators in Qianji City, as well as the city’s arrays, were the handiwork of these two.

Once Master Yaochen finished the introductions, he told Qin Ming, "Besides the four of us, there are two other fellow cultivators residing on nearby peaks, but they have been away on business for several years. When they return, it will not be too late to introduce them to Fellow Daoist Lii."

Immediately, he paused and asked, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Lii, what cultivation technique or expertise might you possess? It will aid us in exchanging skills in the future..."

They naturally speculated that an ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul’s means couldn’t afford such a Tier Five High-Grade cave mansion, rented for a hundred years.

This new neighbor, Fellow Daoist Lii, must indeed possess some unique skills like themselves.

Qin Ming smiled and replied lightly, "Lii is a free-spirited person, usually tending to some fields, managing flowers and plants."

"Additionally, I have some knowledge of the Alchemy Dao and occasionally manage to refine a Tier Four Middle-Grade Spirit Pill..."