Seek help from Enforcement Division Cultivators? With their nature of plucking a feather from each passing goose, it'd be odd not to get skinned entering there.

The other Enforcement Division Cultivators might be all right, and there might still be a chance to leave safely. But falling into the hands of Qi Yulong... It might be better to fall into the hands of a Bizarre Cultivator than him.

First, I'll apply for the Inner City Residence Permit.

Having reached the Qi Refinement Seventh Level, the first thing Jia Ren wanted to do was move into the Inner City and obtain the right to reside there.

Ever since meeting Qi Yulong, he dared not stay under his true identity.

The Enforcement Division Cultivators wielded significant power; the moment they knew his identity, given Qi Yulong's vindictive nature, trouble would begin.

One can only be a thief for so long; there's no such thing as guarding against a thief forever.

Don a disguise to stay in the Inner City. The troubles that might be brought by Jia Ren's true identity could thus be dissolved into invisibility.

The idea of a new disguise had already formed while he was at his Cave; he deliberately hid his Cultivation Level at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement, while his disguise was at the Seventh Level.

One, at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement, mixed in the Outer City. The other, at the Seventh Level, resided in the Inner City. They were like people from two different worlds, never intersecting, making it difficult to connect them.

Having left the Inner City, he handed over his Inner City Token.

Jia Ren found a secluded and uninhabited corner in the Outer City to change his appearance.

His bones CRACKED as his figure gradually grew taller, and his face remarkably transformed into that of a stern, cold man.

He slightly adjusted the aura of the Thousand Fantasies Face and released the Spiritual Power Fluctuation of the Turtle Breath Technique.

He changed his Robe; from head to toe, everything was completely new.

A tall, stern, and cold man appeared; his aura was gloomy, giving off the impression of being difficult to approach. The new disguise meant fewer interactions with outsiders, reducing the chance of exposure.

After everything was done, Jia Ren headed back to the Inner City.

"I want to reside in the Inner City."

The Guards treated someone at the Qi Refinement Seventh Level much better, without their previous arrogance, and led him to the Inner City residence registration point.

"Fellow Daoist, your name and identity, plus a fee of Five Spirit Stones for the creation, and we will make you a specialized Inner City Token."

"Zhen Yi, Loose Cultivator."

Jia Ren was clear on the Inner City's rules, and he promptly paid the Five Spirit Stones.

They said it was custom-making, but it was actually just taking an unassigned Inner City Token, infusing Jia Ren's aura into it, and then sending the corresponding aura into the Inner City Formation.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on becoming a member of the Inner City."

"Do you need information on renting a stone house?"

They had long formed a fixed interest chain; every Loose Cultivator renting would do so through their introduction to the Inner City stone houses.

The price was not cheap. Jia Ren couldn't be bothered to waste more time and readily agreed.

A broker led Jia Ren to select a residence in the Inner City.

"Smoky Willow Lane stone houses are cheap and very close to Cloud Attire Pavilion, and many female cultivators in the alley leave their doors half open. Their looks and temperament are incomparable to those in the Outer City. If Fellow Daoist is interested, you might choose this place."

"Black Street Lane is mixed with all sorts of Loose Cultivators, including many who hunt demons; you could find peers to exchange knowledge with."

"Heavenly Arts Lane has a better environment, mostly inhabited by cultivators with Cultivation techniques and their family members, but the rent is not cheap."

Heavenly Arts Lane it is!

Compared to other lanes, Heavenly Arts Lane was more to his liking, and who knows, he might even be able to find new inheritances of Cultivation techniques.

The rent was Four Spirit Stones a month, not cheap. Switching to the cheapest, Smoky Willow Lane and Black Street Lane, three Spirit Stones a month would suffice. There were advantages, though; the main path was paved with bluestone slabs, and the cleanliness and hygiene were far superior to other places.

After settling down, Jia Ren realized he had fallen into quite a pit.

"Does Fellow Daoist possess Cultivation techniques, and are you taking disciples?"

Not long after Jia Ren arrived, quite a few Loose Cultivators shamelessly visited.

The vast majority were inquiring and seeking to become apprentices, with many cultivators harboring the idea of learning Cultivation techniques.

This was knowledge that could be passed down to descendants, and with generations of inheritance, a family clan might develop in the future.

Unfortunately, not many Loose Cultivators truly mastered Cultivation techniques; valuable teachings were not imparted lightly. Without demonstrating any Cultivation techniques, even if there were circles, you couldn't squeeze into them.

Jia Ren cleaned the stone house from top to bottom and settled down.

With a flip of his palm, Wang Qian's Storage Bag was taken out.

The interior was plump, nearly filled within the Ten Directions Storage Bag, containing no small number of items.

After hesitating for a moment, Jia Ren did not open it.

He feared that upon seeing the riches inside, he couldn't suppress the greed that would arise. Sometimes, good and evil are but a thought apart.

Now that I have a new residence, I should set up a Guardian Formation. The cost is not cheap...

Jia Ren still had over two hundred Spirit Stones in hand. This was not an insignificant amount to an average Loose Cultivator, yet to think of purchasing a formation...

He walked out of the Formation Instrument Shop.

The price was indeed steep.

To lay out a Spirit Gathering Array cost three hundred Spirit Stones, and to install it within the Inner City, one also had to pay the Inner City an extra monthly fee in Spirit Stones.

There were many types of guardian formations. The Maze Formation was the cheapest, only capable of confusing mortals. The Spirit Eye Technique could easily see through it, yet even this cost fifty Spirit Stones.

Besides hiring a formation master, there were also simplified Array Plates. Their power was reduced, but they were convenient to carry, and most Loose Cultivators could set them up using the accompanying guide.

The Primordial Maze Formation cost three hundred Spirit Stones.

The Impregnable Formation cost five hundred Spirit Stones.

The Jade Light of Clear Water Formation cost one thousand Spirit Stones.

The Vajra Subduing Demon Formation started at two thousand Spirit Stones.

Too expensive! Formations were indeed not something the average cultivator could afford; Loose Cultivators could only weep at the thought.

Wang Qian hasn't come out yet?

Wearing a disguised face and aura, Jia Ren walked on the streets of the Inner City, looking toward the direction of the Law Enforcement Office from afar.

Luckily, he saw the three Bizarre Cultivators who had threatened Wang Qian leave, each with an unpleasant expression. Their shriveled Storage Bags testified to their encounter.

Only Wang Qian was nowhere to be seen for a long time. Could he have gotten into trouble?

Just as Jia Ren was about to leave, he finally saw Wang Qian.

Gone were his Magic Artifact and Taoist Robe; even his Storage Bag had vanished without a trace.

Compared to the three Bizarre Cultivators, his situation was even more dire. The Enforcement Division really devoured people without spitting out the bones. Qi Yulong hadn't made things difficult for him? Surprising.

Wang Qian took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, about to contact Jia Ren, when Jia Ren's voice suddenly reached him, "Wang Daoyou, let's talk after you leave the Inner City."

Recognizing Jia Ren's voice, Wang Qian quickly left the Inner City.

Jia Ren had left a step earlier. He shifted his appearance and aura back to his original form, and also changed his Spiritual Power and aura fluctuations back to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement.

His new identity had to be completely separated from his Jia Ren persona; no one else could know, ensuring his safety.

"This is your Storage Bag."

Jia Ren found a secluded place and tossed Wang Qian's Storage Bag over to him.

"Thank you, Daoist Jia."

Wang Qian caught the Storage Bag. He reached into it, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes.

He had been cautious, leaving a secret restriction inside the Storage Bag. Besides his own spiritual sense, if anyone else used the Storage Bag, the secret restriction would be destroyed.

From beginning to end, Jia Ren had never opened the Storage Bag. Such character was admirable, truly a rarity in the Cultivation World.

Thinking that developing the site alone was too inefficient, he indeed needed a helping hand.

"Daoist Jia, my invitation to you is sincere. Please consider it again," Wang Qian said earnestly, continuing to persuade him. "Cultivator... the scale of the Cave is not small; from then on, you won't have to worry about Spirit Stones."

Jia Ren's face showed a pensive expression. The Cave was real, but he wouldn't venture into the depths of the Great Wilderness to risk his life.

"I have an acquaintance I'm quite close with. If Wang Daoyou needs, I can introduce him to you."

He wouldn't go himself, but he could pass it to Yang Shengwu and take a cut afterward. Yang Shengwu was trapped in the quagmire of troubles with the Talisman Cultivators' Association, with no Spirit Stones to be earned. He could remain a safe middleman, avoiding risks and still reaping benefits.

Wang Qian refused decisively, stating solemnly, "I only trust Daoist Jia. If you change your mind, remember to find me."

The interests involved were too great. If Jia Ren's character hadn't been tested over time and proven trustworthy, Wang Qian would never have extended the invitation twice.

"By the way, I haven't yet thanked you, Fellow Daoist, for your assistance."

"Five hundred Spirit Stones, please be sure to accept them."

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