Entering Zone 5
The next morning, Qian Luo changed her tattered storage bag and put the one engraved with an orchid totem on her waist. She placed a few spirit stones, a few first-grade pills, a few spirit plants in it, and other important things in the Nine Treasures Storage Bracelet.
“Awooooooo!”
Chi Zhao ate the silver-red butterfly fire and rolled over while howling with a satisfied look on his face: "It's delicious, a new flavor!"
Qian Luo twitched her lips, said goodbye to the other female cultivators, and got into the carriage: "No need to see me off, goodbye!"
"Qianluo, you must come back to see us!"
"Qianluo, try to get a good ranking!"
"Qianluo, you can do it! Our Lan family can also produce an alchemist!"
This time, she became the hope of the whole village.
Lan Caiying coughed a few times and galloped along on his spirit horse. In the sea of clouds and fog, there were many flying spirit vehicles, all of which were carrying alchemists, all heading to the teleportation array to participate in the Alchemy Conference of District Five.
The teleportation array in District 6 has never been so busy. To cross the barriers, some areas use official spirit ships, and some areas use teleportation arrays. In order to save time, District 6 has opened a teleportation array.
There are so many people now that the staff can’t even collect the money fast enough. It’s just like the scene during the Spring Festival travel rush on Blue Star: “Don’t worry, come one by one!”
"Twenty people in a group. Those who have paid spirit stones line up on the right, and those who haven't paid spirit stones line up on the left!"
The monks were all excited, but in front of the serious officials, they all restrained themselves. Since Jiang Baizhi arrived in District 6, he has vigorously rectified the lazy discipline and negative work attitude.
The welfare of the official staff in District 6 has been greatly improved, doubled compared to before. They are evaluated on performance, clock in on time, and are strictly managed, so they get paid more. Even a person who slacks off at work will complete his work seriously.
Qian Luo took a look and found that most of them were second-grade and third-grade alchemists. Because the first-grade alchemists were pressured by their family elders to advance, the second-grade and third-grade alchemists couldn't wait to go out and see different scenery. They were all young faces, and their cultivation was around the Foundation Establishment stage.
Qianluo was not conspicuous inside.
"Thank you..." Lan Caiying walked her to the door, her eyes soft. "Fangshu is also very grateful to you. She was upset in the wooden house before, and you helped to calm her down. Now she is much better, like a normal person. Actually, Mingzhu only gave you a magic weapon, but your kindness to us far exceeds it."
The man looked at the girl in front of him. Sometimes he had the same trance as his wife, and would treat the person in front of him as his own daughter. Even the monks passing by would take a second look.
"It turns out that the monk from the Lan family came to send his daughter to participate in the competition!"
Qian Luo heard it and smiled slightly without denying it. She handed Lan Caiying a bottle of fourth-grade Guling Pill and said with a smile: "No need to thank me. Meeting is fate. I am just repaying a cause and effect."
Lan Mingzhu has paid off her karma. Now that the karma is clear, she should look for what she really wants and do what she wants to do.
"Okay..." Lan Caiying looked down at the jade bottle, then raised her eyes again. There was no one in front of her. She left quietly.
…
Qian Luo almost fainted when she saw the price of the teleportation array: "3000 low-grade spirit stones..."
The good mood is gone!
A staff member, in a busy moment, picked up the fallen notice and said, "Everyone's been attending the Alchemy Conference in District Five recently. The teleportation array is exhausted. Shouldn't we pay for maintenance? Shouldn't we get paid for working overtime?"
A cash-strapped cultivator grumbled, "But it's too expensive. Normally, it only costs 2,000 low-grade spirit stones per person."
The staff shook their heads. "How complicated are the usual procedures? Now, as long as you have money and an ID, you can pass. No need to rely on connections to get a certificate."
A round-faced monk nodded and said, "That's right! Normally, I'm not allowed to go out even though I've prepared a lot of materials!"
A pink-robed monk chimed in, "Three thousand spirit stones per person is already a great deal! My brother works in District 4, and he said it's now five thousand spirit stones per person, and there's a ton of people vying for it!"
"The monks in the Fourth District are richer than us!" someone disagreed.
"Then if you can't afford the spirit stones, just leave them here! Raising the price will also prevent people from taking advantage of the situation and becoming illegal residents in District 5!"
"How can you talk like that!"
Wherever there are people, there are quarrels. Qian Luo closed her eyes, paid the money and left. Unfortunately, she had already spent three thousand low-grade spirit stones before she even reached the fifth area, and only had seven thousand low-grade spirit stones left.
Magic stones cannot withstand the test of time!
…
Area 5 Teleportation Hall
After a team of twenty people entered the complex magic circle, a blue light flashed before her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a different scenery.
It was clearly inside the teleportation array hall, but it felt different.
District Six values ancient architecture and ancient costumes. District Five also has these, but the majority of people wear casual clothing. The architecture is not overly antique, but has a more antique atmosphere.
The teleportation hall is very large, like a high-speed rail station. There are various signposts to help people find their way. The windows are clean and bright, and the tiles on the floor can illuminate people's faces.
In order to take care of the Qi-cultivating monks, the temple is equipped with men's and women's toilets, a 24-hour convenience store, and the Jubao Pavilion that is spread across all nine districts also has a small branch here.
After emerging from the formation, a staff member used a strange machine to scan her ID and face. After confirming that everything was correct, they gave her a temporary residence permit, a delicate bracelet. The instructions had a line of small print on it: "This temporary residence permit is issued for the Alchemy Conference. You must leave three months after the conference. Otherwise, you will be expelled and the consequences will be at your own risk."
Except for alchemists who have received the gold medal.
No wonder you only need to pay money to access the teleportation array this time. It turns out that District 5 has already come up with a countermeasure. Anyone who wants to take the opportunity to stay will be expelled.
The female staff member kindly reminded: "Welcome to District 5. If you hold a temporary residence permit, you can get a 20% discount at all hotels, supermarkets, Jubao Pavilion and other places!"
"You can wear the bracelet here directly. If you lose it, you can go to the service center next to the teleportation hall to replace it. Thank you for coming, and I hope you have a wonderful experience~"
After Qianluo put it on, the bracelet directly displayed her basic information. It can also be used to recharge spirit stones and facilitate shopping, which is equivalent to a smart phone.
While she was playing with the bracelet, someone next to her said, "Hello, excuse me."
Qian Luo turned around and saw a round-faced female cultivator in pink clothes with large, bright eyes. She smiled shyly, "My name is Tao Yue, and I'm in the early stages of foundation building. We just met at the entrance of the Transmission Hall in Area 6. Do you remember me?"
Oh, it turned out to be the pink-robed monk who had said that her brother worked in the fourth district.
"I'm Lan Qianluo, and I'm also in the early stages of foundation building. What can I do for you?"
Seeing that the other party did not reject her, Tao Yue immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes curved, and she asked tentatively, "Can we team up and travel together? This is the Fifth District, which is very unfamiliar to us monks from the Sixth District. I heard that there are many scammers here, and I am not very reassured. So I hope you can stay in the hotel with me, go shopping with me, and be my travel partner and team member?"
She pointed to the cyan medal on her chest, which displayed three stars. "I'm also here to participate in the Alchemy Conference. I'm a third-rank alchemist."
Qian Luo narrowed her eyes. Her green medal was unique, shining with a silver luster. The three stars inlaid on it represented the rank of alchemist.
Tao Yue took the initiative to explain, "This is the alchemist medal awarded by the Immortal Cultivation Alliance's Alchemy Conference. Most of them are cyan, with stars representing rank. The top ten in this alchemy conference received gold medals, which are different from ordinary alchemists like us. I heard that alchemists of rank seven and above receive red medals!"
She blinked. "You're a cultivator from the Lan family, and I'm from the Tao family. You see, we're not only from the same district, but also from a large family in District 6. How about we travel together? I think you should be alchemists too. How about I give you some basic information about the alchemy association?"
She discovered that although the girl in front of her came from the Lan family, she did not know any relevant information. She was probably a cultivator from the Lan family's side branch who had not received any systematic training and was pulled in to participate in a confused manner.
"After we settle down, shall we go check out the Alchemy Association's division?"
Qianluo thought about it and realized that District 5 was crowded with people and the personnel were complex. It would be more reliable to travel with a group than alone. The girl in front of her was simple-minded and had no intention of harming anyone, so she could give it a try.
As for what she meant by team members, the Lan family had never participated in the Alchemy Conference before, and Qianluo was not familiar with the competitions of the Alchemy Conference.
"good."
Tao Yue immediately jumped up and down: "Great!"
She held Qianluo's arm affectionately and said, "Qianluo, is this your first time in District 5? I told you not to trust the people here. I got ripped off last time I came. So this time I wanted to find someone I know to accompany me, but no one had time, so I had no choice but to come to you."
Qianluo was curious: "He was slaughtered?"
Tao Yue immediately started talking, chattering non-stop, "District Five's economy is booming, and Treasure Pavilion has opened numerous branches, giving rise to a scalper industry. Last time, I came to District Five hoping to buy some century-old spiritual plants to use in my alchemy, but because they're so popular and there are so many alchemists in District Five, they sold out within a few days of being put on the shelves. I was walking down the street feeling incredibly discouraged, until someone told me they had a supply at a reasonable price, but I needed a deposit."
"I was very cautious at the time and asked if I could get a batch of supplies first. Then he gave me a batch of genuine spiritual plants and said he would give me the rest after I paid for the goods. After we agreed on a time and place, he gave me the remaining spiritual plants. I thought they were real at the time, but later when I got home, I found out they were all illusions!"
"I thought I'd found a treasure, but it was all fake, an illusion! Those people are really good at illusions. The first zero they give you is real, but everything after that is an illusion. They cheated me out of 10,000 low-grade spirit stones!"
"Damn scammers! I couldn't find them even after returning to District 5. Anyway, the staff at Jubao Pavilion also told me that there have been a lot of scammers these days. They even have stalls in Xiuxian Market, selling half real and half fake goods. Once discovered, they quickly closed down."
Qianluo didn't expect that the scammers in District 5 were so rampant and mixed, so it was better to be careful.
Tao Yue sighed, "My family should have accompanied me to this alchemy conference, but as you know, due to recent family changes, no one could spare the time to come with me. When I saw you in the Transmission Hall of District 6, I wanted to say hello, because the Lan family's jade pendant can't be faked."
Qian Luo: “…” Shameful, the jade pendant is real, but the person is fake.
Tao Yue was really simple-minded. She took out a round jade plate and said, "This is my jade plate flying saucer. Come on, get on. I've already booked a room online!"
Faced with such enthusiasm of Tao Yue, Qianluo couldn't think of a way to refuse.
There was a stir in the spirit beast bag, and Chi Zhao climbed out with a grunt. He saw a little girl with a round face and big eyes. She rushed up and rubbed him, her eyes shining: "Oh my God, Qianluo, your cat is so cute, so fat, and so big!"
"Don't touch me! You damn woman!" If you don't work hard, you will become a woman's plaything. Chi Zhao has seen too many women kneeling before his handsome figure, and every one of them wants to rub his handsome face hard!
In the lower three districts, Liu Xiaoqing and the others rubbed his face. In the sixth district, the female cultivators of the Lan family rubbed his face. Where is he now? Who is rubbing his face again? What's going on with this strange woman in front of him? There are so many women around the stinky master!
"Oh my god, he can even talk. He must be at the Foundation Establishment stage! Qianluo, your parents are so kind to you. They actually found you such a pet. How adorable!"
Tao Yue has been deeply attracted by Chi Zhao's cuteness, mainly because Chi Zhao's appearance is really suitable for female cultivators, with a round face, big eyes, a proud look, a cute short tail, and a pair of adorable horns. The talking furry creature makes her even more adorable!
Qian Luo looked at Chi Zhao, who was in great pain, and coughed softly a few times: "This is the spirit pet my grandmother gave me. She has been dead for many years."
"Oh... I'm sorry..." Tao Yue looked guilty. She accidentally touched upon Qian Luo's sad past. She deserved to die!
Along the way, Tao Yue didn't dare to speak loudly, for fear of making Qian Luo unhappy again.
Under the envious gaze of the Qi-cultivating monks, the two flew all the way to the hotel that Tao Yue had booked, the Yaoguang Hotel. Qian Luo looked at the luxurious decoration and the grand, high-end and upscale interior in front of her, and silently glanced at the price list next to it.
5 medium-grade spirit stones per person per night, 150 medium-grade spirit stones per person per month!
Qianluo covered her head: "...I want to change hotels."
Tao Yue paid the bill neatly, looking puzzled. "This is already the best value hotel. Because of the Alchemy Conference, all the hotels have raised their prices. The five-star hotel next door costs 10 mid-grade spirit stones a night!"
"Besides, I've already paid the bill! I've paid your share, too!"
Qianluo's eyes widened: "How long have you been ordering it?"
Tao Yue blinked innocently, "The Alchemy Conference will last for two months. After it's over, I want to go shopping, so I booked it for three months."
450 medium-grade spirit stones for one person in three months, and 900 medium-grade spirit stones for two people in three months!
Oh my god! Tao Yue is so rich!
"It's okay. The staff gave me a discount. After the Alchemy Conference, prices fluctuated. Finally, the staff gave me a special price of only 688 medium-grade spirit stones!"
Qian Luo: “…Great, great.” But she doesn’t have that much money!
Tao Yue saw her dilemma and pushed her in: "Don't worry about money. You will be responsible for my food and drink these days. We should help each other!"
"Have a good rest! I'll take you to the Alchemy Conference for evaluation tomorrow! After the evaluation, we can register for the Alchemy Conference!"
She swiped the card to open the door and put the room card into Qianluo's hand: "See you at the door at nine o'clock tomorrow, see you there!"
Qian Luo looked at the room card in her hand, wanting to cry but unable to. When would she be able to stop being trapped by money?
The two returned to their room.
…
At the same time, two girls from the hotel next door were checking the list of alchemists. Shui Qingyan kicked off her slippers, lay down on the bed, and sighed, "You have a lot of competitors. Some of them are already fourth-grade alchemists at such a young age. There are even some from the upper three districts who are already fifth-grade alchemists!"
The gorgeous and cool girl flicked her finger, and all the names appeared in the air. There were more than a hundred people. She lightly scanned them, and the corners of her mouth curled up: "My opponents have never been them."
She has higher goals: to become a fifth-grade alchemist, a sixth-grade alchemist, and a seventh-grade alchemist. She wants to step over the Danhai Volcano step by step and go further...
However, a beautiful face suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Jiang Feiyao frowned. Why did he think of her? Would she also participate in the alchemy conference?
"Who is it! Who is it! Tell me!" Shui Qingyan pestered her, looking gossipy. "Do you know something?"
The girl's eyes were light and cold: "No, I just thought of the people I hate."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
