What about the Five Elements Sect? How are they faring?

Jia Ren, with the help of the Parasitic Spirit Mark, dispatched Spirit Insects in all directions to act as his eyes, roaming everywhere to gather intelligence for him.

Cultivators riding Magic Swords circled above the Market. Occasionally, they gathered, mustering their sword light and Magic Swords to slash at the Demon Cultivators who emitted a cold, sinister demonic aura.

"Demon Cultivators must be executed!"

"All Demon Cultivators who invaded the Great Wilderness Market must be killed!"

Thousands of sword lights swirled above the Great Wilderness Market, executing the Demon Cultivators. The arrogant and once-unrivaled Demon Cultivators finally met their doom.

The Black Soul Sect, by eliminating the resistance forces in the Great Wilderness Market, effectively cleared the path for the Heavenly Sword Sect. The Heavenly Sword Sect then seized the opportunity to move in like a cuckoo occupying another's nest. The Heavenly Sword Sect didn't want to inherit just the empty shell of a market. Whether it was to seize control of the Great Wilderness Market or to maintain its stability and prevent a prosperous market from declining, eliminating the Demon Cultivators to restore order was their imperative duty. As long as Demon Cultivators remained in the Great Wilderness Market, the safety of the Loose Cultivators couldn't be guaranteed, and those who survived would try every means to escape.

"Damn Heavenly Sword Sect!"

The Black Soul Sect's main forces fled in a sorry state, leaving behind a group of slow-reacting Demon Cultivators. In the sky, grim sword lights occasionally descended, killing all cultivators exhibiting a malevolent aura. When the sword lights subsided, the Great Wilderness Market was scarred with pits from the battle, and the blood saturating the ground seemed to dye the entire Market red.

The battle for the Market thus concluded, with the Heavenly Sword Sect emerging as the ultimate victor, gaining sole control over the Great Wilderness Market.

After the battle calmed, bolder cultivators began to emerge, checking for danger. Gradually, more and more Loose Cultivators left their hiding places. The Black Soul Sect's cultivators had occupied the Great Wilderness Market for no more than half a day, yet over sixty percent of the cultivators had died at the hands of Demon Cultivators—a truly horrific scene of carnage. The survivors' eyes still held panic and fear, and they desperately wanted to flee. But where could Loose Cultivators escape to? Without the safety of a caravan and the protection of numerous powerful individuals, it was perilously dangerous for a lone person to cross thousands of miles of desolate land to leave the Great Wilderness Market.

"The Great Wilderness Market will regain stability. Anyone who dares to fight within the Market will not be tolerated by the Heavenly Sword Sect. As long as the Heavenly Sword Sect stands, we will not allow external enemies to invade the Great Wilderness Market or threaten the safety of the cultivators within."

"Outside the Great Wilderness Market, a large number of Demon Cultivators still lurk, so be extremely cautious when venturing out."

"Accommodation costs in the Market and stall fees will be waived for the next three years."

"Report any Demon Cultivators or Bizarre Cultivators inside the Market. Once their identity is confirmed, one-third of the Demon Cultivator's or Bizarre Cultivator's assets will be given as a reward."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect will establish a branch in the Great Wilderness. We will offer double Spirit Stone rewards for contributions to construction..."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect is recruiting miners, offering six Spirit Stones per month. After the mining is completed, each Loose Cultivator may receive additional compensation of thirty to one hundred Spirit Stones."

"..."

The news reached the ears of the hidden Loose Cultivators in the Great Wilderness Market, and everyone could see the Heavenly Sword Sect's determination to stabilize the situation. The establishment of a branch by the Heavenly Sword Sect and the recruitment of miners attracted many surviving Loose Cultivators to sign up. After all, life had to go on. Without Spirit Stones and cultivation resources, daily necessities like clothing, food, shelter, and transport weren't sustainable long-term. The Heavenly Sword Sect, not inferior to the Five Elements Sect, was vibrant and youthful, with a relatively clean reputation, making it a decent choice. Moreover, with 'wolves' lurking outside, would anyone dare to leave the Great Wilderness Market? This single strategy ensured the Loose Cultivators would remain calmly in the Market, preventing an exodus. With no rent or stall fees and offers far exceeding previous conditions, Loose Cultivators who were short on funds eagerly joined.

The Heavenly Sword Sect had just occupied the Great Wilderness Market, a place with myriad needs to be addressed. They also planned to establish a branch there to maintain order. The Spirit Stone Vein was substantial. Mining it was a long-term task that couldn't be completed quickly, and the sect's own disciples couldn't personally undertake it all. Other sects wouldn't sit idly by as the Heavenly Sword Sect monopolized the benefits; it wouldn't be long before another great battle reignited.

Jia Ren made sure it was safe before leaving his dwelling, gazing towards the direction of the Five Elements Sect. The mountain where the Five Elements Sect was located still had flames burning, unextinguished for a long time. The sect's grounds had fallen into ruin, the fate of its disciples unknown. Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Yuding Sect were gathered in distinct clusters, clearly separated, with no outbreak of hostilities between them.

Are the two major sects cooperating? Alone, a single sect could not swallow the Large Spirit Stone Vein of the Great Wilderness. Still watching with covetous eyes from the shadows were Thousand Beasts Mountain and the Black Soul Sect. The Five Elements Sect was only crippled, not destroyed; they still had to be wary of their possible resurgence. This wasn't trouble that a single sect could resolve alone. An alliance between the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Yuding Sect was therefore logical. Whatever agreement was reached between the two sects was not something he could know.

Was Yang Bingzhi still alive?

Jia Ren took out the Mother-Child Resonating Bell, gently shaking it to check if Yang Bingzhi was still alive.

Is he dead?

For a long time, there was no response from the bell, and Jia Ren's expression became somber. After a while, the Mother-Child Resonating Bell finally rang, and a look of joy appeared on Jia Ren's face.

Yang Bingzhi was still alive. It's good that he's alive.

Moments later, a Sound Transmission Talisman flew over and landed in his palm.

"Daoist Jia, I have some good news for you. A significant number of the Five Elements Sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivators have perished. The Pill Hall is currently refining Foundation Establishment Pills. It might take as little as three to five days, or as long as half a month, to produce them."

"Once the Foundation Establishment Pills are refined, I will deliver them to you. I'll contact you again with the specific time."

Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Five Elements Sect had perished, but the sect still possessed the medicinal ingredients to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. With some time to stabilize, it wouldn't be difficult to use these Foundation Establishment Pills to create a few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

There is hope for the Foundation Establishment Pills! I just need to wait for the good news!

Subsequently, Jia Ren focused on cultivating peacefully, remaining in seclusion. With Black Soul Sect cultivators loitering outside the Market, his safety wasn't guaranteed, so the cultivation of the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water Technique had to be temporarily suspended. After finishing the last of the Black Dragon Fish, his progress in the fourth level of Body Refinement stalled after only a few days, forcing him to pause that cultivation. Lacking the Spiritual Medicines for Alchemy and with an insufficient number of Spirit Insects, it was impossible to perform King Insect Fusion. Jia Ren could only devote his time to general cultivation and increasing the Proficiency Level of his Talismans. The effects of Master Level quality Spirit Enhancement Pills were quite good, and his daily cultivation progress was not slow. His primary focus for Talismans was the Featherweight Talisman, and he was getting ever closer to Great Grandmaster Level Complete.

Every few days, Jia Ren would go to the Market to purchase items he needed. With Loose Cultivators having suffered heavy casualties, and many of them gone to mine or help build the Heavenly Sword Sect's new branch, the Market was very quiet despite the waiver of stall fees. There were few stalls, and the goods for sale were extremely scarce. The shops along the street remained in their dilapidated state, long unmanaged. Shops related to the Five Elements Sect, such as Pill Cauldron Pavilion, Heavenly Talisman Shop, and Tianyuan Auction House, were long deserted. Only Datong Rice Shop had been taken over by the Heavenly Sword Sect, responsible for selling Spirit Rice and ordinary rice to ensure no shortage in the food supply for Loose Cultivators. The Heavenly Sword Sect also had capable individuals who understood that food was the key to stabilization. In a short period, they had managed to settle down the Loose Cultivators of the Great Wilderness Market, preventing them from immediately thinking of fleeing, which was commendable.

Tianbao Pavilion is still there.

The Heavenly Sword Sect had a good relationship with the Yuding Sect, and the two sects were still cooperating. Tianbao Pavilion belonged to the Yuding Sect, making it one of the few stable shops.

Jia Ren changed his appearance, entered the shop, and purchased the Spiritual Medicines needed to refine Spirit Enhancement Pills. It would have been impossible to collect a complete set of these Spiritual Medicines elsewhere. The Yuding Sect was primarily an Alchemy-focused sect and thus wasn't short of Spiritual Medicines. The only downside was that the overall prices were high, much more expensive than buying or collecting Spiritual Medicines from street stalls.

"Fellow Daoist, you are also an Alchemist! My apologies. Please wait a moment."

Ten sets of Spiritual Medicines for refining Spirit Enhancement Pills and ten sets for refining Profound Water Pills were delivered. Satisfied, Jia Ren took the ingredients straight to his rented Cave Abode.

The Proficiency Level of the Profound Water Pill was not far from Grandmaster Level, and with a little effort, it could break through. By then, consuming Grandmaster-level Profound Water Pills, the efficiency of condensing Xuan Yuan Heavy Water could be improved further, and the lethality of Xuan Yuan Heavy Water would also gain a significant boost. The Spirit Enhancement Pill was still some distance from reaching Grandmaster Level, but with another ten days to half a month of refining, it too could be improved to Grandmaster Level, aiding in accelerating his cultivation.

"One Spirit Stone per day for an Alpha-grade Cave Abode."

The rental price for a Cave Abode was half of what it had been before, a fair deal compared to the Five Elements Sect. Jia Ren paid a sum of Spirit Stones and received the Token for Alpha-7 Cave Abode. He entered the Cave Abode, skillfully activated the Earth Fire, and started refining Spirit Enhancement Pills.

His Flame Control Pill Technique became increasingly refined, his Proficiency Level steadily rising, approaching a state of near-perfection. Jia Ren could manage to open nine Earth Fire vents, perfectly controlling the Earth Fire's temperature. His Alchemy speed reached three times what it had been when he first used Earth Fire, and the effects of the Elixirs he produced became increasingly outstanding.

When a batch of Elixirs was complete, nine Profound Water Pills lay neatly arranged, each a Supreme Grade Profound Water Pill difficult to acquire in the outside world. After refining nine batches of Profound Water Pills in one go, only one batch had a minor mishap, resulting in six Pills with slight imperfections, while the other eight batches each yielded a perfect nine.

Finally!

Jia Ren checked the Proficiency Panel; at that very moment, the Proficiency Level of the Profound Water Pill reached Grandmaster Level. The process and insights of refining Profound Water Pills flowed through his mind, optimizing the Alchemy process and bringing it closer to perfection.

Again!

He placed the Spiritual Medicines into the Alchemy Furnace, adding each ingredient with precision, his movements fluid and natural like flowing clouds and water. Before long, the Elixirs were ready, yet no fragrance of Elixirs was discernible. The medicinal power was perfectly integrated into the Elixirs, with not a trace leaking out—a return to simplicity and true nature. This was a state of mastery many Alchemists could only dream of achieving.

Jia Ren used a spell to open the furnace lid, revealing nine Profound Water Pills nestled inside. Each was crystal clear, resembling a superior-grade blue gemstone. Each Profound Water Pill bore ethereal Elixir Patterns, beautiful to behold. Profound Water Pills bearing Elixir Patterns would never disappoint.

A smile touched Jia Ren's lips as he satisfactorily stored away the Profound Water Pills. From now on, he could switch to using these Profound Water Pills with Elixir Patterns.

After finishing the Profound Water Pills, he switched to refining Spirit Enhancement Pills. Perhaps because the Profound Water Pills had just reached Grandmaster Level proficiency, the refinement of the Spirit Enhancement Pills was positively affected. Their quality became even more outstanding, with all ten batches successful—not a single failure. The quality of these Spirit Enhancement Pills surpassed those he had refined previously by a noticeable margin.

Not bad!

Jia Ren put away the Elixirs and left the Cave Abode, satisfied.

He had just left when he saw a familiar woman. A Steward, smiling obsequiously, was leading the way for her.

"Fairy Luo, Alpha-1 Cave Abode has been reserved for you. You may refine Elixirs at any time."

Luo Yuzhu followed the Steward towards the prime Alpha-1 Cave Abode.

Jia Ren acted as if he hadn't seen her, and they passed each other without a word.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

Just then, Luo Yuzhu called out to Jia Ren.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.