A tea time later, Shen Long appeared at the entrance of a two-story red pavilion, above which a signboard hung, inscribed with the golden characters "Soldier Hall."
He walked in and was met with a spacious and bright hall, where numerous magic artifacts were displayed on shelves in a variety of styles, and two green-robed attendants were introducing them to customers.
"Taoist Friend Shen, the shopkeeper is upstairs; you can go up on your own,"
one of the green-robed attendants said.
Shen Long expressed his thanks and strode towards the upstairs.
Upon reaching the second floor, Shen Long saw a ruddy-faced, green-robed elder poring over account books.
The green-robed elder had a round face with big eyes and a small goatee, looking amiable and approachable.
"Shopkeeper, is the young shopkeeper not in?"
Shen Long asked with a smile.
The green-robed elder was none other than Sun Huowang, the shopkeeper of Soldier Hall, and he was at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement.
Putting down his account book, Sun Huowang said with a smile, "Yiming is out on business. Are you here to repair a magic artifact?"
He had a son and a daughter; his son, Sun Yiming, had no talent for artifact refining and was skilled at dealing with people, responsible for business negotiations, while his daughter, Sun Yiyue, had the talent for artifact refining and was inheriting Sun Huowang's mantle.
When Shen Long hunted Monster Beasts and his magic artifact was damaged, he had them repaired at Soldier Hall, where Sun Huowang charged relatively modest fees.
"Your birthday is in a few days, and I don't have much to offer. This bottle of Green Peach Brew is a small token of my appreciation. If you don't disdain it, please accept it!"
Shen Long took out a bottle of wine and handed it to Sun Huowang.
After resigning, every year on Sun Huowang's birthday, Shen Long would always present a bottle of Green Peach Brew to express his gratitude.
Without the refuge offered by Sun Huowang, Shen Long might not have survived till today, for the relatives of those Cultivators who met with accidents while hunting Monster Beasts often struggled to survive. Qin Qing and Qin Tianhe were such an example.
If Qin Qing died while hunting Monster Beasts, Qin Tianhe would have had a hard time making a living on his own.
Over the years, some Cultivators who went out to hunt Monster Beasts died unnatural deaths, leaving their children orphaned. These orphans, who struggled to survive on their own, would either sell themselves to Cultivator families or disappear mysteriously.
It was somewhat better to sell oneself to a Cultivator family; at least one could keep living, but from then on, one had to follow the family's orders. Some Evil Cultivators or evil sects specialized in collecting orphans with Spiritual Roots to use them in their Cultivation or to train them as expendable fighters.
To Sun Huowang's level of artifact refining, a bottle of Green Peach Brew was nothing extraordinary.
"I've told you so many times, there's no need to go to such expense; it's not easy for you to make a bit of Spirit Stone,"
Sun Huowang said in a reproachful tone yet still accepted the Green Peach Brew.
"It's just a bottle of Green Peach Brew, nothing much,"
Shen Long said with a nonchalant smile.
"Right, the Chen Family has been buying up hundred-year Jinlin Grass lately. Keep an eye out when you hunt Monster Beasts, and if you get some hundred-year Jinlin Grass, you can sell it to the Chen Family,"
Sun Huowang indicated.
"Jinlin Grass!"
Shen Long nodded and replied, "Thank you, Shopkeeper."
Information also counted as Cultivation Resources. Sun Huowang had extensive connections, and he tended to be better informed about the latest trends in the marketplace.
After a bit of small talk, Shen Long took his leave.
Upon returning to his residence, Shen Long activated the Soundproofing Array, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and began cultivating.
Blue dots of light emerged in the room, and as he inhaled and exhaled, these blue dots were drawn towards his mouth and nose.
Ten hours later, Shen Long came out of his dwelling and headed towards the Martial Training Garden at the top of the mountain to practice spells.
As days passed by, apart from Cultivation and spell practice, Shen Long would stroll around the square where Loose Cultivators set up their stalls, to hear about the strange and interesting happenings in the Cultivation Realm or see some rare and curious items.
Half a month had passed, and Shen Long was cultivating in his dwelling when a Sound Transmission Talisman flew in. He quickly ceased his Cultivation, snatched the talisman, clasped his fingers together, and the talisman burst, revealing the voice of Sun Yang: "Taoist Friend Shen, come to Taoist Friend Xu's place; we've got a job."
"Finally got a job."
Shen Long exhaled a breath of stale air and showed a pleased expression.
He collected the five Spirit Stones from the Soundproofing Array and set out towards the mountain.
He arrived at the entrance of a small courtyard with green tiles, where a green wooden plaque hung with the golden characters "Qingzhu Courtyard" carved into it.
The courtyard door was wide open, and he strode in.
The yard was not large, featuring a two-story green pavilion and a green Stone Pavilion.
Sun Yang and a sturdy yellow-shirted man sat in the stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.
The yellow-shirted man had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with a yellow spirit beast pouch tied around his waist.
Xu Lei, with his Qi Refinement at the seventh level, was also the only cultivator in the Monster Hunting Team who had raised a spirit beast.
"Taoist Friend Shen, you've advanced to the fifth level of Qi Refinement, congratulations!"
Xu Lei said with a grin, his voice deep and rough.
"Taoist Friend Xu, you must be close to advancing to the eighth level of Qi Refinement as well!"
Shen Long remarked.
Three years ago, Xu Lei had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refinement and was likely close to a breakthrough.
"I wish it were so, but I'm stuck at a bottleneck," he said.
Xu Lei sighed, his face filled with worry.
Every cultivator encounters bottlenecks; it's just the frequency and duration that differ. Some cultivators rarely face them, while others meet several within a single realm—each experience is unique to the individual.
"Bottlenecks are not easy to overcome, Taoist Friend Xu."
A melodious female voice sounded.
As the voice faded, a woman in her thirties wearing a purple dress and a tall, slender man in green robes walked in.
The woman in the purple dress had a beautiful face, with lofty breasts and watery, peach blossom eyes that were alluring, exuding a mature charm.
The man in green robes had honest and simple features, giving off a dependable vibe.
The man in green was Chen Qiang, and the woman in purple was Liu Xin; both were at the sixth level of Qi Refinement and a pair of dual-cultivation partners.
"Where's Taoist Friend Qin? Isn't he here yet? He's always the most enthusiastic when it comes to tasks."
Liu Xin inquired.
"I've already sent him a Sound Transmission Talisman; he's probably practicing spells with his grandson! Let's wait," Sun Yang suggested.
"Taoist Friend Xu, what monster beast are we hunting this time?"
Liu Xin asked.
"A late-stage, first-level Blazing Spider, two of them. We'll divide and conquer, as usual," Xu Lei explained.
A late-stage first-level Monster Beast was equivalent in strength to a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, not weak by any measure.
Liu Xin nodded and said, "There are only two late-stage first-level Blazing Spiders; they should be no match for us."
"Taoist Friend Xu, how did you come across the Blazing Spiders? Are you sure the intelligence is accurate?" Shen Long inquired further.
Monster Beasts do not stay in their nests all the time; they also go out to forage, so the estimation of their number and cultivation can sometimes be mistaken.
"I scouted them out myself, watching for several days. I did not find a third Blazing Spider, and as long as we don't run into second-level Monster Beasts, we'll be fine. Taoist Friend Xu's Ice Crystal Scorpion isn't just for show," Sun Yang added.
Xu Lei had raised a mid-stage first-level Ice Crystal Scorpion, passed down from his father, for two generations. But his father had died at the hands of monster beasts.
"Haha, finally there's some action!"
A delighted male voice rang out.
Qin Qing strode in, full of smiles. If he didn't go out to hunt monster beasts soon, he would not be able to make ends meet.
"Now that everyone is here, let's set off," said Xu Lei, who was not one for idle chit-chat. With a sweep of his sleeve, he led Sun Yang and the others away from their residence, activating the warning array.
Once outside the marketplace, Xu Lei raised his right hand, and a streak of blue light flew out, transforming into a flying boat with twinkling blue light and a cloud pattern on its hull.
The low-grade Flying Artifact Green Cloud Boat!
Xu Lei stepped onto it first, with Sun Yang closely following. Qin Qing and the others boarded one after another.
With a formation of a spell, the Green Cloud Boat lit up with a blue light and soared into the high sky.