Coldlight Island was one of the largest islands in the southeastern part of the Northern Sea. Its landmass was immense, nearly as vast as two Jade Cauldron Domains. It held countless mineral deposits, spirit plants, lakes, and mountains. It was practically a small continent. With such abundant resources and numerous spirit veins, many forces had been drawn here to settle and thrive.

Among all these forces, Jadecold City stood out as the most famous and the strongest. The reason was simple. Its city lord was a Sage called Jadecold. Rumor said that back when she was an Adept, she had ties with a Sage from the Primordial Devil Sect. With that backing, she took sole control of Jadecold City and its fourth-tier spirit vein. But after taking control of the city, she acted nothing like an ordinary cultivator. She did not found a sect or establish a clan. She remained an independent cultivator and focused solely on cultivation within the fourth-tier spirit vein.

Her indifferent conduct left many of Jadecold City's prime resources unused. Because of this, the forces across Coldlight Island sought her approval and gradually moved into Jadecold City. They set up all kinds of businesses. Each year, they only had to hand over a portion of their profits in exchange for her protection. Under this arrangement, Coldlight Island became a place of mixed forces. It was chaotic, yet still held together under a single authority.

After entering the city, Luo Chen walked along the streets and fell into thought. Sage Jadecold appeared detached, yet she did not miss a single bit of the profit that was hers to claim. This approach freed her from the burdens of managing a sect, and she could devote herself entirely to cultivation. This model seemed viable; perhaps he could learn from it?

However, to adopt such a model required absolute strength. He had to be able to control and protect an entire region, just as he had done in the Flying Swallow Archipelago. At present, he could only exert that level of control in remote and barren areas. In prosperous areas, he simply lacked the strength to suppress everyone else. Even if he seized territory, his relatively low cultivation would invite covetous eyes, and trouble would follow without end. Thus, it would be wiser to rely on a powerful force. It was always good to have friends.

Luo Chen suddenly stopped. He turned around and calmly looked at a young man who had abruptly halted behind him. The man wore coarse clothes and bore a smile that seemed charming at first sight, though a hint of cunning lurked beneath it.

Seeing that Luo Chen had noticed him, the man quickly cupped his fist. "I am Liu Zhenwei. Greetings."

"Get to the point," Luo Chen said coldly.

Liu Zhenwei paid no mind to Luo Chen's cold attitude. "You look new to Jadecold City. You probably don't know the place well. I've lived here for over a hundred years. I know every street and alley. For a small fee, I can be your guide and help you get through the month-long trade fair without any trouble."

Luo Chen listened in silence. Then he shook his head. "No need."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left. Liu Zhenwei froze for a moment. It was the first time he had seen an outsider reject him so directly, without even asking the price. But he had finally found a target. There was no way he would let it slip away so easily.

He hurried after him. "Trust me, without someone guiding you, you're bound to lose out in trade. The same item could go for a thousand spirit stones in the south, but only five hundred in the north. Take cave residences, three major Golden Core families run the rentals. The prices are the same, but the spirit energy density varies. If you hire me, I'll help you pick the best value cave residence."

***

He talked nonstop as they walked, but the red-faced young man remained unmoved. Liu Zhenwei's expression darkened, and he suddenly stepped in front of Luo Chen. "You may not know this, but fighting isn't forbidden in Jadecold City!"

Luo Chen looked at him coldly and uttered, "Move!"

Liu Zhenwei wanted to scold him, but the moment he met Luo Chen's eyes, he faltered. When he came back to his senses, the red-faced young man had already vanished into the bustling crowd. At that moment, three people approached from behind.

"Brother Liu, why didn't you hold down that man and woman?"

"Did you ask for too much and he turned you down? You should've lowered it a bit. Once we hook him, we can take him somewhere quiet and deal with him."

"You can't go too low either, or he'll get suspicious. Come on, Brother Liu, what actually happened?"

Under their questioning, Liu Zhenwei opened his mouth, his face flushing red. In the end, he could only force out, "I don't know either!"

How could he possibly understand the depth of Luo Chen's illusion spell? Mirror Flower Water Moon was now a normal function of his eyes, and he could use it to the fullest even as a fire-element cultivator. Against those below his realm, the spell never failed. Against peers, Luo Chen was confident he could trap them without their awareness. Only when fighting above his realm did he refrain from using it due to fear of backlash.

Liu Zhenwei was merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. In front of Luo Chen's gaze, he didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell.

***

On a relatively quiet street, Luo Chen curled his lips. Jadecold City was said to be chaotic, and it truly was. These so-called guides were everywhere, and that alone revealed the bigger picture. With his divine consciousness, there was no way he would miss the scheme between Liu Zhenwei and his companions.

"Still, the fact that fights aren't banned here is a bit of a problem. Not exactly a great place to live," Luo Chen muttered. He stopped before a shop and looked up. A few pale-gold words stood out on the sign: "Jadecold Cave Residence Management Office"

Luo Chen was not unfamiliar with Jadecold City. He had read the Chronicles of Jadecold City years before coming here. The Flying Swallow Merchant Caravan had also gathered ample intelligence for him over multiple trips. He could move about freely without a guide.

This management office was one of the three major forces handling cave residence rentals in the city. The prices were high, but their reputation was the best. He might find a suitable cave residence here. Hence, he did not hesitate and stepped inside with Heavenjade.

*** 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

An hour later, a white-haired old man slowly led a man and a woman into a remote mountain valley. The valley was secluded, but not desolate. It was filled with vibrant exotic flowers and plants, especially orchids.

As they walked, the old man explained, "Jadecold City may have a fourth-tier spirit vein, but the concentration of spirit energy changes quite a lot in various places. It's really not easy to manage. So the Sage handed things over to the Zhou, Wu, and Qian families. This is Cave Residence Jia Nine, to the north of the city and quite a distance from the trade fair plaza. It's a bit out of the way, but the spirit energy is a solid third tier. It's perfect for you, Fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he scrutinized Luo Chen and settled on Heavenjade. It was necessary to reveal a Golden Core cultivation for them to rent a third-tier cave residence. Hence, Luo Chen had Heavenjade reveal hers instead and kept his own hidden. In this way, he could temporarily hide his actions. Of course, Heavenjade was still unfamiliar with such matters, so Luo Chen had to handle the negotiations. He glanced around and nodded in satisfaction. The location was remote, but it was quiet and the spirit energy density was solid. With proper security, there would be no concerns.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, what about the price?"