The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 182: Chapter 40: Final Preparations Before the Tai Chi Promotion

This provided Loose Cultivators with some avenues for advancement. After all, Loose Cultivators needed to advance as well.

If all paths were blocked, problems would arise frequently, which wasn’t conducive to stability.

And a Two-Star Low-Grade Spirit Vein was sufficient for a Tai Chi Cultivator to advance, and even enough for a Duality Cultivator’s normal cultivation.

Of course, as an environment for advancing to the Duality realm, it might be slightly lacking and would require some special measures.

Zhang Deming arrived and activated his Hidden Breath Skill in a different way, causing his aura to instantly become more powerful. This, combined with the fact that the Vine already possessed the strength of a Tai Chi Technique, created a convincing effect.

Zhang Deming disguised himself as a Tai Chi Loose Cultivator who had just arrived in Celestial Spirit City.

He found the rental office and expressed his desire to rent a Cave Mansion for a period of time.

Because Zhang Deming directly asked to rent a Two-Star Cave Mansion, the one who received him was a Tai Chi Cultivator.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries before getting down to business. Yann Dunming looked at Zhang Deming and asked,

”I wonder, what kind of Cave Mansion does Fellow Daoist require, and for how long do you need to rent it?”

Zhang Deming smiled. ”I’ve had some insights in my cultivation and plan to enter a period of quiet meditation to see if I can achieve a breakthrough.

Therefore, I need a quiet place with abundant Spiritual Power.”

Hearing this, Yann Dunming gave Zhang Deming a surprised look and said, ”Then I must congratulate you in advance, Fellow Daoist.”

Zhang Deming chuckled. ”I’m just giving it a try. Whether I succeed or not is another matter.”

Yann Dunming smiled, not dwelling on the topic. He said, ”Given your requirements, Fellow Daoist, I recommend the Jia-character Five, Seven, and Sixteen Cave Mansions.”

As Yann Dunming spoke, he operated a virtual projection screen powered by an Array.

Images of the three Cave Mansions appeared directly on the Light Screen.

Looking at the Light Screen, Yann Dunming continued, ”These few are the quietest environments we have.”

Zhang Deming looked at the Cave Mansions. ”They look quite nice, but what about the Spiritual Qi concentration?”

Yann Dunming smiled. ”You can rest assured on that point, Fellow Daoist. These are all located on the nodes of a Two-Star Spirit Vein.

Since we dare to list them as Two-Star Cave Mansions, we would never allow them to be substandard or leave you dissatisfied, Fellow Daoist.”

Zhang Deming asked, ”Can I go take a look?”

Yann Dunming nodded. ”Of course. This way, please.”

With that, Zhang Deming followed Yann Dunming’s lead to the first so-called Two-Star Cave Mansion.

Yann Dunming opened the Restriction on the Cave Mansion. It wasn’t really a cave; architecturally, it was a small courtyard.

It was a small, elegant courtyard built on the mountainside, with two decent-sized plots of Spirit Fields beside it.

The entire courtyard was exquisitely crafted, and behind the main bedroom, there was a Cultivation Secret Room.

This was the key feature of the Two-Star Cave Mansion. The Spiritual Qi inside the secret room was very dense, as it was in the bedroom.

Because it was normally kept under a Sealing Restriction, the Spiritual Qi seemed exceptionally dense the moment he entered.

”How is it? I haven’t disappointed you, have I, Fellow Daoist?

Our East City Spirit Vein is considered one of the better ones, even among Two-Star Low-Grade Spirit Veins.

So, with your Tai Chi Cultivation, Fellow Daoist, you don’t need to worry about the Spiritual Qi concentration at all,” Yann Dunming said.

Zhang Deming nodded and continued to wander around the small courtyard for a moment. Just as he was about to head to the next location, he froze.

”Experience Points +1.”

’This... It’s only been about three minutes since I came in, right? So the Spiritual Qi concentration here is ten times that of Qingyou Pool on Little Hui Peak?’

’In that case, I’d get at least four hundred and eighty Experience Points a day?’

Zhang Deming asked, ”Your Two-Star Cave Mansions, how many Spirit Stones are they to rent for a month?”

”Five hundred Spirit Stones a month. Don’t find it too expensive, Fellow Daoist. After all, this is a Two-Star Cave Mansion, which is technically lodging for Duality Cultivators,” Yann Dunming replied.

But Zhang Deming was ecstatic. ’That’s right! How could I have forgotten about this?’

’I was only thinking that twenty-five thousand Experience Points was equivalent to two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, but why should I absorb Spiritual Power directly from Spirit Stones?’

’This Spirit Vein costs five hundred a month, but passively generates around fifteen thousand Experience Points. That’s equivalent to one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones! A net profit of one thousand Spirit Stones, three times the cost! Wasn’t that a fantastic deal?’

’I could max out my Experience Points in less than two months, and it would only cost me one thousand Spirit Stones.’

’Why would I spend two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones?’

This sudden, pleasant surprise put Zhang Deming in a much better mood.

”Let’s go see the next place!” Zhang Deming said.

Yann Dunming nodded, and the two headed toward the second location.

Of the three places, two were small courtyards, and one was a true Cave Mansion.

In the end, Zhang Deming chose the second location, which was also a small courtyard on the mountainside, because that one had an additional Non-Star Spiritual Spring.

”We have two rental payment methods here. One is to pay every seven days, and the other is to pay monthly.

The seven-day option is paid in advance, with no security deposit.

The monthly option requires a one-month deposit, with payment due at the end of each month.

The reason we have the first option is specifically for Tai Chi Cultivators who are trying to break through.

So, which method will you choose, Fellow Daoist?”

Zhang Deming said, ”I’ll choose the first option. The seven-day payment puts less pressure on my Spirit Stone supply. After all, my funds are a bit tight, and coming up with a five-hundred-Spirit-Stone deposit all at once would be a burden.”

Yann Dunming nodded in understanding.

Never mind five hundred Spirit Stones; the net worth of a typical Tai Chi Cultivator was only around a few hundred Spirit Stones.

Those who had over a thousand were considered quite well-off.

A normal Tai Chi Cultivator’s daily expenses and monthly income were typically around a few dozen Spirit Stones, and that was for the better-off ones.

For someone like Zhang Deming to spend several hundred Spirit Stones to rent a Two-Star Cave Mansion, it was clearly only for special circumstances like a breakthrough.

If it were for daily living, the vast majority of Tai Chi Cultivators couldn’t afford it.