The living room was brightly lit, with a dozen or so clothes scattered on the floor. Intense moans emanated from the bedroom. Li Yun lay naked to one side, her body limp, but her eyes remained open, watching the "intense battle" between a man and a woman.
Xiang Chunyan, who had not been favored for a long time, clung to Zhang Guodong like an octopus, rising and falling with his thrusts, her cries of pain and desire overflowing.
"Oh!" Suddenly, Xiang Chunyan's body stiffened, trembling violently, her skin quickly turning pink. That last sound could have blown the roof off.
Zhang Guodong was panting. For a long time.
"Sister Xiang, I have to get up!" the woman said coquettishly, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, but she just didn't want to open them. She liked this feeling of being together.
The two fleshy worms remained entangled, and at this moment, Deputy District Chief Xiang was far from the demeanor of a powerful political woman. Her beauty was like spring water, exuding a seductive charm.
Zhang Guodong smiled wryly, his body being held tightly in his arms.
"Pfft!"
Li Yun couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh dear, you brat!" Xiang Chunyan exclaimed, blushing deeply. She had been so engrossed in the game that she had forgotten about the maid, Li Yun, watching from the sidelines.
Last night, Zhang Guodong shamelessly stayed. Before he was even halfway there, he managed to snag two beauties and take them both to bed.
Even though Xiang Chunyan was extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to push Zhang Guodong up. Her body lay sprawled out, her post-coital display appearing alluring and seductive.
"Ouch!"
Xiang Chunyan's face flushed crimson, and she grabbed a thin blanket to cover herself. But as she struggled, her body went limp and she collapsed back onto the bed.
Zhang Guodong chuckled smugly twice. He then got out of bed, somewhat pleased with himself. Two beauties at once. A blessing in disguise. He went into the bathroom to wash up. When he returned to the bedroom, he was already dressed in new clothes.
In the bedroom, Xiang Chunyan and Li Yun lay side by side, whispering to each other. The two sisters were now the closest of friends. Zhang Guodong then thought back to home: were Ye Yun and Zheng Le also considered a couple?
A thought flashed through his mind, followed by a bitter smile. It seemed the two women had reached an agreement and were truly not letting him sleep with them. This was a form of punishment.
"Guodong, are you leaving so late?" Xiang Chunyan asked in surprise.
A strong sense of reluctance welled up inside her. Come to think of it, the two of them had really rarely been intimate or spent together. "We still need to build a teleportation array to get back, ah," Li Yun quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over.
After saying that, she covered her mouth in shock and blushed as she looked at Zhang Guodong.
Being with Xiang Chunyan was so comfortable that he blurted out the existence of a "teleportation array," forgetting that she was only human.
Sure enough, Xiang Chunyan became suspicious and looked Zhang Guodong and Li Yun up and down.
"Girl, you explain to Sister Xiang. I'm going back to Peach Blossom Abode first," Zhang Guodong said helplessly, gesturing for the two women to communicate.
That girl really can't keep secrets. I thought she could keep it a secret, but she let it slip without my noticing. Luckily, it was someone very close to me.
As soon as Zhang Guodong left, Xiang Chunyan stared at Li Yun and said, "Girl, are you hiding something from me? What teleportation array?"
Li Yun's face was flushed, seemingly annoyed that she couldn't keep the secret, and she pursed her lips in response.
"What?!" Exclamations of surprise echoed from Xiang Chunyan's bedroom from time to time, but eventually the exclamations subsided.
Xiang Chunyan wore an incredulous expression. Then her eyes lit up like never before, and she hugged Li Yun tightly, saying, "Little sister, I want to cultivate too!"
"Hehe, if you want to be like me, you have to go find Guodong. I don't have that ability now, and besides, I don't have a 'demon seed' to implant a soul!" Li Yun said, rubbing and kneading Xiang Chunyan's chest with one small hand.
At this moment, Xiang Chunyan momentarily forgot that her body was still a little sore and was immersed in the scene described by Li Yun. She never imagined that her man was not human!
"Will Guodong agree?" Xiang Chunyan asked hesitantly.
"Don't worry, even if he doesn't agree, Sister Xiang, you can use your skills in bed, he'll definitely agree, hehe!"
"You little hussy, I'll scratch you!" Xiang Chunyan was mortified and immediately started teasing Li Yun.
This was just a side story.
With few cars on the streets in the early morning, Zhang Guodong drove back to Taoyuan Xiaozhu without disturbing anyone's sleep.
Xuan Qinghui and Qingzhu were not there; only Qin Lina was there. She had moved from next door to make it easier for her to cultivate.
In the past, Qin Lina, a weak woman, would not have dared to be alone in this remote place. But now, she is no longer a weak woman, but a powerful cultivator.
As soon as the car stopped, Erhei and Erqing emerged from the darkness and greeted Zhang Guodong warmly.
"Who is it?" It was Qin Lina's voice as she walked out of the room.
Only when it was Zhang Guodong did her vigilance relax.
Where is my sister Li Yun?
Qin Lina saw that Zhang Guodong was the only one getting out of the car. The thought of them being alone together that night made her heart race. Under the cover of darkness, her gaze towards Zhang Guodong became much more intense and bold.
"She's not coming back from Sister Xiang's place, so you're all alone?" Zhang Guodong said.
"kindness!"
Zhang Guodong walked past, but Qin Lina suddenly hugged him from behind. "Guodong, I..."
Zhang Guodong stopped in his tracks, and even jumped a few times, feeling the two mounds of flesh behind him. After a brief moment of infatuation, Zhang Guodong came to his senses.
Turning around, he cupped Qin Lina's somewhat bewildered face in his hands, hesitated for a moment, then kissed her forehead and said, "Go to sleep early, I have things to do tonight."
Qin Lina was somewhat disappointed, but then overjoyed. What did that mean? Did Zhang Guodong truly accept her?
Back in his room on the second floor, Zhang Guodong took off his clothes, leaving only his shorts and barefoot. His mind was completely focused on the formation.
During the day, Zhang Guodong sent a message to Xiaohu, postponing his return to the restaurant. But the construction of the formation was urgently needed!
"Although we have all the construction diagrams for the teleportation array, it will still take some time to fully understand it. First, we should set up the 'Thousand Truths' illusion array that we discovered in the 'Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Array' to prevent the aura of the teleportation array from leaking out!" Zhang Guodong clarified his thoughts.
Building a teleportation array is a massive undertaking. Furthermore, even during teleportation, there will be intense energy fluctuations. To conceal these fluctuations, it is necessary to coordinate with other arrays.
Otherwise, if someone discovers there's a teleportation array here, things could get very messy. Even top experts consider teleportation arrays rare commodities; very few have the resources to build one.
Teleportation arrays don't recognize owners; anyone can use them as long as they have enough high-grade crystals placed in the array's energy slot. Of course, to teleport to a specific destination, you need to add the array's teleportation coordinates; otherwise, it's easy to make mistakes and end up teleporting into the void—you'll be in for a world of trouble!
Regarding the arrangement of the "Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Formation"
The illusion array that Zhang Guodong had created was truly familiar to him; the name "Zhang Si Beng" was something Zhang Guodong had come up with with ease.
However, integrating a spirit-gathering array into "Thousand Truths" and making the array operate perpetually is difficult. It's easy to fail. If it fails, the array setup will be ruined.
Zhang Guodong chose the bedroom as the location to set up several formations.
They even put the bed and other decorations into the Peach Blossom Spring, leaving the bedroom empty.
How can the "Thousand Truths" formation be integrated into the Spirit Gathering Formation so that it can operate without adding crystals? Of course, this can only be attempted with a simple formation. Integrating a complex formation like a teleportation array into a Spirit Gathering Formation is not such an easy task. It might even be redundant.
Because teleportation arrays are generally one-way. As long as the sending side has sufficient energy, the other side doesn't need to. However, on the return trip, the other side requires a sufficient energy supply.
"If only we could refine the formation into a 'formation tool,' we wouldn't have to inscribe runes every time we set it up." Zhang Guodong inscribed intricate runes on the ground, somewhat missing that "formation tool."
But thinking about it, this can't be forced. "The crafting of array tools is generally not entrusted to others by cultivators, unless they are trusted weapon refiners. This is because most weapon refiners are skilled in array setup, and if you pay a little attention, the array techniques might be stolen by others."
The moment the jade was painted, it lit up.
Zhang Guodong has finished depicting most of the "Thousand Truths" formation, leaving only the part about merging with the Spirit Gathering Formation unfinished.
This step requires utmost care, otherwise all previous efforts will be in vain.
In the courtyard, Qin Lina had gotten up early. She hesitated, wondering whether to go upstairs and wake Zhang Guodong. To win this man's favor, Qin Lina seemed to be taking a gamble, clinging to Zhang Guodong relentlessly.
She loathed and was exhausted by worldly life. Now, however, the life of a cultivator brought her ease and leisure. She longed for the day when she would be powerful enough to no longer be at the mercy of others.
Just then, a series of explosions came from the second floor. Even the windows rattled.
"Sigh, we failed at the last minute!" A moment later, Zhang Guodong appeared at the door on the second floor. His clothes were tattered, but he was unharmed.
"Guodong, are you alright?" Qin Lina looked at him with some surprise and asked with concern. What happened? Didn't you sleep all night?
However, since the cultivator hadn't slept all night, it was impossible to tell. But Zhang Guodong had clearly exerted his strength, and some fatigue was visible on his face.
Zhang Guodong shook his head and gave a wry smile, saying, "It's alright, this formation is really difficult to deal with. It explodes easily, wasting a whole night of my time and energy, and costing me over two hundred low-grade crystals."
"It's good that you're alright. Come and have breakfast!" Qin Lina breathed a sigh of relief and smiled lightly.
So that's why he'd been studying formations all night; no wonder he hadn't paid any attention to her. She felt a little better now. But Qin Lina still felt a bit embarrassed by her confession last night.
"Oh? Lina, the food you cooked is the best in our area!" "You absolutely must try some!"
As soon as he finished breakfast, Zhang Guodong rushed back upstairs, much to Qin Lina's dismay. But there was nothing she could do to help; improving one's array formation skills required constant experimentation.
"The fusion process was too abrupt just now, and the energy release was too rapid. The spiritual energy was released before it could be converted. If we can improve that part, we might be able to succeed!" In the bedroom on the second floor, Zhang Guodong stood there, staring at the messy floor, deep in thought.
This is just a simple superposition of formations, which might not mean much to the average person. But for a novice like Zhang Guodong, it is a rare opportunity for experimentation and accumulation of knowledge.
Chapter 386 Invitation
Zhang Guodong studied the fusion of the "Thousand Truths" formation and the "Gathering Spirits" technique to the point of neglecting sleep and meals. But the more he delved into it, the more profound and extensive his knowledge of formations became. Naturally, the gains were enormous. Zhang Guodong's learning and acquisition of formation knowledge was extremely rapid.
Previously, I only studied the theory of formations, which was like swallowing dates whole and learning them roughly. Now that I've tried it out, I can understand many things and realize that's how it works!
Overwhelmed by this joyful achievement, Zhang Guodong momentarily forgot the passage of time. He even temporarily set aside the matter of fusing "Qianzhen" and "Juling" and began his own experiments as he pleased.
Time naturally passed quickly. Before Zhang Guodong could even process what he had just accomplished, five days had gone by!
"Cultivation knows no time, and neither does learning these formations. It takes far too much time!"
Startled, Zhang Guodong quickly continued the fusion of "Qianzhen" and "Juling." This time it went much more smoothly, the speed of the Xuanhua (mystic drawing) nearly doubled, until the moment the array talisman was completed. A huge circular rune on the floor flashed and rose up, and at the same time, sixteen slots appeared on it, which were for adding crystals.
"It's a success!"
Zhang Guodong was overjoyed. It seemed he would have more time to study formations in the future, especially through experimentation. More experimentation would allow him to master more formation knowledge.
With a pat on his storage bag, sixteen mid-grade crystals appeared in his hand. He waved his hand and embedded them into the four slots. A buzzing sound followed, and the surrounding scenery flickered briefly before returning to normal, now filled with beds, tables, lamps, and other illusory objects.
The only noticeable change was that the concentration of spiritual energy in the room suddenly increased, and after about ten minutes, the concentration of spiritual energy returned to normal.
"If the sixteen mid-grade spirit stones are not replenished, they can only last for half a month, but now with the assistance of three small spirit-gathering arrays, the spiritual energy is enough to keep it running indefinitely!"
When Zhang Guodong looked into the room, he saw shattered crystals everywhere and felt a pang of heartache. Five days of experimentation, dozens of failures, and over a thousand low-grade crystals had been wasted.
"Let's go out for a bit first," Zhang Guodong thought, not intending to tidy up the place. He felt a little hungry.
I went out for a while, had a big meal, said goodbye to my mother, Li Yun, and Qin Lina, and then came back after saying I had to go into seclusion again.
"Zhang Guodong must master the teleportation array project as soon as possible. Otherwise, he can't afford to delay things at Wanxian Restaurant, and he can't afford to delay things here either."
With a teleportation array, one can travel back and forth instantly.
This time, Zhang Guodong didn't leave the second floor for almost a month. Qin Lina and Li Yun were extremely worried. Xiang Chunyan also came two or three times during this period, but each time she came, Zhang Guodong was in seclusion, so she could only stay one night and leave the next day.
It's worth mentioning that the rooms on the second floor were quiet for the entire month.
Qin Lina said that Zhang Guodong was researching and testing formations, but why was the formation test so quiet?
I wanted to see for myself, but I was afraid of disturbing Zhang Guodong's experiment.
In fact, countless explosions occurred in that bedroom during that month. Fortunately, "Qianzhen" intercepted the sound and other vibrations, otherwise Peach Blossom Abode would have been quite a scene.
Once, just when success seemed within reach, an explosion occurred, severely injuring Zhang Guodong. "Qianzhen!" The sixteen mid-grade crystals of the formation, after intercepting the force of the explosion, also shattered.
Helpless, Zhang Guodong quickly replaced his equipment with sixteen mid-grade crystals before entering Peach Blossom Spring to heal his injuries.
Zhang Guodong consumed countless basic healing pills without hesitation, and his internal injuries healed in just two days. Once healed, Zhang Guodong immediately left Peach Blossom Spring to continue constructing the teleportation array.
do.
There were many other unexpected incidents like this, but through repeated failures and summaries, Zhang Guodong gained a wealth of experience in building teleportation arrays.
One month later, Zhang Guodong, dressed in clean clothes, finally stepped out of the second floor.
The smile on his face was a sign of satisfaction from a sense of accomplishment.
"The small teleportation array is finally completed. You don't know how complex it is until you do it yourself. If something goes wrong, it could explode and all our previous efforts would be wasted," Zhang Guodong sighed.
Thinking back on those repeated failures, it's truly disheartening. This time, just the crystals consumed, converted to low-grade, amounted to over 20,000! All of that was lost in the explosion.
The "Space Jade" used could build five or six small teleportation arrays like this!
If Xuan Qinghui were to build it, perhaps he could succeed on the first try?
In the past, Zhang Guodong would not have dared to waste resources like this. However, the second floor of Peach Blossom Spring contained a considerable amount of discarded jade, which solved Zhang Guodong's immediate problem.
"Guodong is out!"
In the courtyard, there were not only Li Yun and Qin Lina, but also a fat man with an anxious expression.
"Damn, do you know how long it's been since you left your nest?" the fat man complained as soon as he saw him. "One month and five days! That's insane, you won't eat unless you're fed!"
"More than a month?" Zhang Guodong was also surprised. He knew it had taken a lot of time, but hearing the specifics still shocked him. This thing really takes a lot of time!
"Hurry up and come with me! If you don't come out today, I'll break down the door!" The fat man grabbed Zhang Guodong and headed towards the car.
The issue of privately contracting out desert land in Ningyun County is currently a hot topic in the city. For the average person, what would they do with the desert land? Mining? The government wouldn't allow that, especially since the contract only states "planting crops," with the ultimate goal of exploring a legal approach to desert greening.
But growing crops in the desert? Aren't you just wasting your time?
The desert is extremely dry, with no water source at all. How can crops survive?
Of course, the government also offered significant incentives and demonstrated its sincerity. A twenty-year free contract, with the option to extend for another ten years if significant progress is made within that period, still free of charge. Furthermore, the government will purchase your patent. However, the progress will be tracked by dedicated personnel.
But if nothing is accomplished within twenty years, then you must pay the rent in full.
This investment advertisement did attract quite a few businessmen. However, the clause prohibiting unauthorized mineral exploration, in addition to the cultivation of crops and green products, deterred most of them.
The municipal party committee's reception hotel, located in the dead of winter, was packed with people at this moment.
In recent days, businessmen from all over the country have flocked here, all interested in that desert. Of course, the reasons for their interest remain unknown.
Zhang Guodong also received an invitation.
But because he had been in seclusion, it couldn't be handed over to him. The fat man, seeing the time was approaching, urged him several times. This time, he actually managed to catch him.
When Zhang Guodong and the fat man arrived, they had changed their clothes; they were wearing suits and their leather shoes were polished to a shine.
The fat man was the government representative of Zhangba Township and also the recommender, while Zhang Guodong was a participant. Zhang Guodong had never attended such a formal banquet before. Everything else was fine, but the suits and leather shoes made him very uncomfortable.
Two invitations were handed over, and the hostess led the two inside. As soon as they entered, the temperature immediately rose.
It was packed with people; the huge banquet hall was overflowing with people, with toasts being exchanged and people practically touching each other.
There are over two hundred people!
"So many people? That's just over 30 square kilometers of land. Wouldn't it be easy to divide it up if a few big bosses came? Are all these people contractors?" Zhang Guodong said in a low voice.
"How could that be? Most of these people are just here to make their faces known. Contracting the desert doesn't cost them anything, but these people aren't crazy. Why would they do something that makes them a laughingstock?" the fat man said, scoffing.
"Damn it!" Zhang Guodong gave him the middle finger.
The fat man suddenly realized his mistake and chuckled sheepishly, "Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue! Anyone who dares to take on a contract must have some skills."
However, after the fat man's explanation, Zhang Guodong understood. These people weren't genuinely interested in contracting the desert or contributing to afforestation; they were interested in the identities of the municipal party secretary and mayor.
Merchants had no social standing in ancient times. But even today, without government officials, they still hold little influence. Don't be fooled by their wealth; money doesn't buy power. It's all for naught.
"Huh?" Zhang Guodong glanced around and sensed a familiar aura.
"See that young man? He's the one who cultivated 'Crystal Rice.' Want to get to know him?" As Zhang Guodong pondered, the fat man nudged him, pointing to a young man surrounded by people.
"Oh?" Zhang Guodong was surprised. "So he really is a plant cultivator. Oh well."
"What?" The fat man didn't hear clearly.
"They're the same kind of people as me"
"Him?" the fat man exclaimed in surprise. He thought to himself, "No wonder he can cultivate such wonderful 'Crystal Rice.' That half-pound of 'Crystal Rice' cost me twenty thousand yuan. I had a meal with my family, and it truly is excellent. Even without any other dishes, it's delicious!"
Zhang Guodong noticed that there were not only the young man here, but also several other groups of people, all exuding the aura of plant cultivators. However, their levels were not very high. The highest was only around level eight.
Zhao Qingshan, who cultivated "Crystal Rice," was only at level four!
This piqued Zhang Guodong's interest. A mere fourth-level cultivator could cultivate "secondary spirit rice." Secondary spirit rice, like the previously mentioned secondary spirit fruit and secondary spirit medicine, is essentially the same concept; any vegetable or fruit crop that hasn't reached the "spirit level" is considered "secondary spirit level." Naturally, there are significant differences between secondary spirit level crops. For example, the vegetables and aquatic products on the first floor of Zhang Guodong's Peach Blossom Spring can be considered relatively excellent secondary spirit level crops.
"Secretary Wang of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor Zhou have arrived!"
Soon, the chatter in the crowd subsided, and everyone looked in one direction.
At the entrance, some leaders from the municipal party committee and government entered, surrounded by a crowd.
The fat man's father, Wang Yunyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Urban Committee, led the way, followed by a man in his fifties, Mayor Zhou Qing.
Other members of the Standing Committee, vice mayors, and leaders of various departments accompanied him.
As this group of people entered, many businessmen rushed forward to shake hands and introduce themselves. However, Zhang Guodong noticed that the plant cultivators did not step forward, and their eyes held a hint of disdain.
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