"The Riverside Sect is summoning me back to the sect and assigning me a significant task!"

It was clearly written on the sect's order… Given Shen Mo's outstanding performance in Hongye City and his merit in quelling the demonic infestation in the Wolf Howling Ridge, the decision had been made to recall him to the sect.

If it were only this, I would have to suspect that Hall Master Tian Zhaoquan of the Affairs Hall was up to his old tricks again! After all, I've just made some achievements in the Hongye City Defense Division. This is supposed to be a stable period for cultivation and a time to reap more benefits. Being shuffled around by a mere decree now, isn't this deliberately causing trouble for me?

However, the order also detailed Shen Mo's reward: access to the sect's Jade Pool Dungeon for one month of cultivation.

He specifically consulted Shentu Gui and discovered this reward was truly extraordinary, far surpassing rewards like cultivating in the Spirit Pond of Stars Peak.

"The Mountain River Realm, the Jade Pool Dungeon, and the Vacuous Realm are the three great Dungeons of our Riverside Sect!"

"Among the Five Great Sects in the cultivation world, our sect is unique in possessing three Dungeons. The Ghost Corpse School and the Profound Moon School don't even have one."

"The Mountain River Realm is exclusively for newly promoted inner disciples to gain experience and seek treasures... You've been there, so I won't elaborate."

"The Vacuous Realm is where the Supreme Elders enter secluded cultivation. The Spiritual Qi there is even purer and more refined."

"As for the Jade Pool Dungeon, although it's the smallest in area, the Spiritual Qi within far exceeds that of the Mountain River Realm. Moreover, it has a miraculous quality that the Mountain River Realm cannot match…"

"That is, the flow of time within this Dungeon is different from the Outer Realm!"

"Ten days passed in the Jade Pool Dungeon are equivalent to only one day in the Outer Realm. The sect is rewarding you with one month of cultivation in the Jade Pool Realm, and that's naturally calculated based on Outer Realm time."

"This means it's equivalent to ten months of cultivation within the Jade Pool Dungeon!"

"The Sect Master, Peak Master Zhou, and the others likely saw your rapid progress in cultivation and, noticing you lacked time to solidify your foundation, decided to grant this reward to help you consolidate your cultivation," Elder Shentu thus explained to Shen Mo.

Learning of the Jade Pool Dungeon's efficacy, Shen Mo couldn't help but feel tempted.

Back at the Ghost Country relic site, I passed through Death Jaw and also entered a Dungeon! I witnessed firsthand Tianshun Country transform into the Abandoned Ghost Country, a process that lasted over two months, while only two hours had passed in the Outer Realm! Looking at it this way, the Jade Pool Dungeon and the Death Jaw Dungeon achieve similar ends through different means. However, Death Jaw distorted space-time and threw Yin and Yang into disarray; it was actually somewhat more mysterious than the Jade Pool Dungeon.

Shen Mo inexplicably recalled his experience of traversing Death Jaw. That journey, although exceptionally perilous and a narrow escape from death, had significantly enhanced his underlying strength and foundation. Besides breaking through in his Cultivation Realm, he had also obtained the immortal technique, the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique. Furthermore, the abnormal changes in the Soul Refining Flag must also have an inextricable connection with Death Jaw!

According to Elder Shentu, while the Jade Pool Dungeon may not be as miraculously profound as the Death Jaw Dungeon, it excels in safety. And, it can grant me an additional nine months of cultivation time! With the demonic disaster escalating, my desire to enter secluded cultivation to advance my Cultivation Realm is mere wishful thinking. This, however, is an excellent opportunity.

With ample time, I can consolidate all I've gained since stepping into the Qi Gathering Realm. More importantly, while only a month passes in the Outer Realm, I can cultivate intensively for nearly a whole year. When I emerge from the Jade Pool Dungeon, perhaps I'll have already touched the threshold of the Spirit Sea Realm, or I might even break through to the Spirit Sea in one go. By then, in this increasingly perilous world, I would possess an even stronger ability to protect myself. Moreover, at my current age, once I step into the Spirit Sea Realm, I would also qualify to compete for the position of a core disciple in the sect. Obtaining core disciple status would make my position even more esteemed than that of an ordinary Elder. Furthermore, if the Sect's Law Master, the Peak Masters of the Sun, Moon, and Star Peaks, or the various Hall Masters were to unfortunately perish in the demonic disaster, I could also contend for their positions. This would open a path for me to ascend to the sect's high echelons, standing at the very apex among the millions of cultivators in the Red Flame Country.

The higher I stand... the easier it is to acquire cultivation resources, and the stronger my control over my own destiny! This aligns perfectly with my Carefree Path Heart.

After careful consideration, Shen Mo decided to accept the sect's kind offer and enter the Jade Pool Dungeon for a month of secluded cultivation.

However, before that, there were several pressing issues to resolve.

The first was, naturally, the position of Commander of the Hongye City Defense Division. Shen Mo was not one who coveted power. Furthermore, this position was far less appealing to him than the status of a core disciple. But he had invested a great deal of energy into the local Defense Division, having just managed to restore its former prestige. Moreover, the convenience of this position allowed him to look after his four shops, thereby acquiring a considerable amount of cultivation resources. To relinquish it so easily would truly leave a bitter taste! I might just be letting others reap the rewards of my efforts and severing a major source of income for my Baodan Pavilion and other shops.

Fortunately, the Riverside Sect had considered his situation, allowing him and Elder Shentu to jointly recommend suitable candidates. The sect would take their suggestions into account when appointing a new Commander.

Shen Mo, without needing much thought, naturally recommended Chen Mengze.

Technically, she isn't an elite from the Three Peaks and lacks the qualifications to represent the sect out in the mortal world. However, during this period, she has handled nearly all the affairs of the Defense Division on my behalf and has done an excellent job. For this, I've even shared a significant portion of my merit from slaying demons with her. This alone should earn her many points. Besides, her Cultivation Realm has reached the Qi Gathering Realm Seventh Layer, and her strength is not in the least bit inferior to some of the Three Peaks elites. As long as I can persuade Elder Shentu to jointly recommend Chen Mengze, the sect will most likely not reject our proposal.

The second issue was the Spirit Stones required for daily cultivation.

Other expenses aside for now, just considering the Spirit Stone consumption for cultivating the magic of [Martial Performance]: Every day, it would consume one middle-grade Spirit Stone. Over ten months, that's three hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to 30,000 low-grade Spirit Stones. However, in my Universe Bag, I only have just over 20,000 low-grade Spirit Stones. This can barely support my cultivation via [Martial Performance] for just over two hundred days! If I factor in other expenses, the situation becomes even more dire. Conservatively estimated, I still need over 10,000 low-grade Spirit Stones, as well as various resources worth more than 20,000 Spirit Stones, to ensure my cultivation in the Jade Pool Dungeon proceeds unhindered.

This problem, however, isn't too difficult to solve. In my Universe Bag, I still have a large quantity of refined standard-issue magic artifacts, talismans, and elixirs. Selling them in a batch to Shopkeeper Qian should allow me to recoup a good portion of the funds. If that's still not enough, I can use my considerable merit from slaying demons to exchange for some Spirit Stones. A living person can't let themselves be stymied by solvable problems!

The third issue is that during these ten months, I still need to perform alchemy, create talismans, and forge magic artifacts. Therefore, I must gather enough raw materials before entering the Dungeon. This way, I won't be delayed in earning Spirit Stones through my three auxiliary professions or in advancing my skills in them. However, the materials needed for ten months will undoubtedly be an astronomical sum! I'll need to discuss this thoroughly with Shopkeeper Qian and see if the inventory of the four shops can cover this batch of materials. By my estimation, they should be able to provide about thirty percent. For the remainder, I'll have to use the operating revenue from Baodan Pavilion and the other shops to make large-scale purchases from external sources. Fortunately, for the Outer Realm, only a month will pass. Even if the four shops suspend operations during that time, when I emerge from seclusion and sell the elixirs, talismans, magic artifacts, and other finished products I've crafted, we can still make a substantial profit!

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