This was a method verified by predecessors, and it was truly feasible.

Just this alone made Lingyuan City a treasure land for Jia Ren, suitable for improving Proficiency Levels.

"Yang Daoyou, why did you use your body to grow medicine?"

Yang Shengwu had used the Wish Bizarre to revive Yun Niang, so why had he ended up in such a state?

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator, no matter where they were, was not weak.

How could he have ended up using his body to grow medicine?

"Wishes vary from person to person, and the prices paid are different," Yang Shengwu said.

"I traded my lifespan as the price; my flesh and blood were transformed into a Medicine Spirit Body."

"Yun Niang is here, so I cannot leave Lingyuan City. As long as I am alive, I must cultivate Spiritual Medicine to pay the high living fees."

Weren't there supposed to be no entry fees for Lingyuan City? Jia Ren wondered.

Yang Shengwu saw Jia Ren's confusion and explained, "Senior, you are new to Lingyuan City and unfamiliar with the rules."

"Cultivators who are new to Lingyuan City and have not made wishes to the Wish Bizarre are exempt from the city residence fee. But once you make a wish, things will no longer be the same."

"Lingyuan City will charge different entry fees based on the type of wish you make."

"Common wishes, such as for Magical Treasures, Cultivation Techniques, secret techniques, and Spiritual Roots, are categorized as the first type, with a monthly living fee of one to one hundred Abyss Coins."

"Special wishes, such as resurrecting others or extending one's lifespan, demand a high price. It is impossible to leave the city, and the monthly living fee starts at one thousand Abyss Coins."

"I have to pay the living fees for both myself and Yun Niang, which amount to a thousand Abyss Coins each month. My savings lasted for just over four years, and now they are almost gone."

"If that weren't the case, Yun Niang wouldn't have gone to work. I have no skills, and there are no Magical Beasts to hunt within the city, so I could only take the quickest route to earning Abyss Coins by becoming a Medicine Man."

"The worst off are the cultivators whose lifespans are about to end. Even if they wish to continue living, they must pay at least three thousand Abyss Coins a month."

With Yang Shengwu's Cultivation Level at the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, it should not have been difficult for him to live in the city with Yun Niang.

Yet, Lingyuan City had unfathomable unwritten rules.

Yang Shengwu had asked around before, but no one had disclosed these unwritten rules to him. When he made his own wish, he became completely trapped in Lingyuan City.

No matter how ruthless the exploitation, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

Cultivators in Lingyuan City were all subjected to exploitation, powerless to resist.

People do not suffer from scarcity, but from inequality.

They had paid a painful price and did not wish for newcomers to escape this ordeal.

Under this vicious cycle, more and more unknowing people were being tricked.

Once you boarded the bandit ship and invested a large amount of sunk cost, it was not so easy to leave anymore.

To stay in Lingyuan City, one had to put forth all their effort, allowing a multitude of parasites to feast on their blood.

This was why Yang Shengwu, upon seeing Jia Ren, had advised him to leave.

He could only decay together with Lingyuan City; Jia Ren still had a chance and should not sink into the mire as well.

Lingyuan City still has managers?! Jia Ren thought, shocked. Sucking the marrow from one's bones is no worse than this. I never expected Lingyuan City to hide so many things, each a huge trap. Ordinary cultivators only see the splendor of Lingyuan City and don't perceive the darkness hidden beneath; they're bound to fall into its trap. The managers of Lingyuan City are even more disgusting for coming up with such malicious methods. Truly hateful!

"Who is the manager?" he asked.

Understanding Jia Ren's thoughts, Yang Shengwu laughed. "Those who offered themselves to the Wish Bizarre for power."

"Many Nascent Soul Cultivators in Wish Bizarre City are profiteers, and they will do their utmost to maintain Lingyuan City."

"Don't be foolish. The farther away from here you are, the better."

Wherever there were people, there were power and desires; Lingyuan City was no exception.

The Wish Bizarre, Nascent Soul Cultivators, and the millions of cultivators tied to the war chariot that was Lingyuan City.

Even a Divine Transformation Cultivator coming in person would be helpless.

Moreover, Press Bizarre Demon-Sealing Magical Treasures and materials could not be brought into Lingyuan City. Without resolving the core Wish Bizarre, it was impossible to shatter this city of sin.

Jia Ren understood why he had not received the true information about Lingyuan City; perhaps it had been intentionally suppressed by certain Sects and powers.

Unable to resolve the plight of Lingyuan City, the only thing they could do was censor the information to prevent this abyss-like metropolis from swallowing up more cultivators.

Lingyuan City was not just about fulfilling wishes through the Wish Bizarre; it was also an abyss of degeneration.

Jia Ren felt fortunate to have met Yang Shengwu; otherwise, he might never have gotten the true information about Lingyuan City.

He wouldn't risk approaching the Wish Bizarre, wouldn't risk making a wish. The ultimate result would be leaving Lingyuan City, missing the opportunity to use this place to his advantage.

"How can I... save you?" Jia Ren asked, looking at Yang Shengwu, his eyes inevitably filled with a trace of bewilderment.

Yang Shengwu is bound to the Wish Bizarre. Even if I used the exchange method and my main body wielded the Demon-Sealing Tower Treasure like a divine weapon from heaven, sealing the Wish Bizarre wouldn't solve the problem. Let alone whether it's possible to seal the Wish Bizarre, even if it could be done... would Yang Shengwu be willing? Would the millions of cultivators tightly bound to Lingyuan City be willing? They are all obstacles to sealing the Wish Bizarre!

"Lingyuan City is a dreadful morass for most people, but for me, it represents miracles and hope," Yang Shengwu said, turning his head to gaze at the distant Yun Niang, a tender look flashing in his eyes.

"I have lost her once and do not wish to lose her a second time."

"My limit is the Foundation Establishment; I do not aspire for the Great Dao. Being able to spend my life with her is already the best outcome."

For Yun Niang's sake, Yang Shengwu had been willing to plunge into the Demonic Path to take revenge on the Five Elements Sect. Now that Yun Niang has been revived, how could he possibly leave Lingyuan City? Jia Ren mused.

He sighed and did not continue.

I should let go of my desire to help others and respect their fate. Yang Shengwu has already made his choice, so I must respect that choice.

"Being a Medicine Man ultimately isn't a long-term solution," Jia Ren then said.

"This technique doesn't consume lifespan, does it?"

Jia Ren was very interested in the Medicine Man technique. The secret technique that Yang Shengwu practiced came from Lingyuan City, and there was a high probability that it wasn't a genuine secret technique and would fail outside of Lingyuan City. If I could understand the creative thought process behind the Medicine Man technique, there might be a possibility of replicating it outside. I wouldn't use cultivators to practice the Medicine Man technique, but rather Corpse Refining... to cultivate medicine. Whether it would be successful or not, I have to try it.

"My body has been transformed into a Medicine Spirit Body by the Wish Bizarre, and I have switched to cultivating the Five Qi Pharmacopoeia. This is a Cultivation Technique specifically created for Medicine Spirit Bodies. Together, they can rapidly accelerate the growth of Spiritual Medicine."

"The higher the Cultivation Level, the faster the acceleration of growing Spiritual Medicine. As a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, daily cultivation can roughly increase the potency of the nurtured Spiritual Medicine by one hundred days. In three years, I can mature a Thousand-Year Snow Lotus."

"Besides some materials in Lingyuan City being obtained through the power of the Wish Bizarre, most come from Medicine Men. The number of Medicine Men in the city is beyond your imagination."

Jia Ren went to Yang Shengwu's side and examined him carefully. The Snow Lotus Yang Shengwu was growing on his hand had already reached over five hundred years in potency.

"Stop practicing this technique; you have severely drained your essence," Jia Ren stated.

The depletion isn't as light as he made it sound; it also affects one's own essence. In serious cases, it can cause a fall in Realm and impact lifespan.

"This technique is malicious! The more you use it, the quicker you die!" Jia Ren exclaimed.

"You didn't revive Yun Niang just to see her for a dozen years, did you?"

Jia Ren's words caused a drastic change in Yang Shengwu's expression; he bowed his head and remained silent.

"I'll be staying in Lingyuan City for a while. I'll need your help," Jia Ren said.

Aside from Lingyuan City's fake secret techniques, there must be genuine Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities. Whether I can buy real treasures will depend on my discernment. The second point is that the materials are precious, complete, and cheap, although their sources are indeed disgusting. But I'm not a paragon of morality, nor do I have the power to stop it. It's better to make proper use of them instead, to upgrade my Proficiency Levels in Alchemy, Talismans, Artifact Refining, and Formation. It might even become a means to help destroy Lingyuan City in the future. I've already reached the Middle Stage of the Golden Core, but most of my cultivation skills are still at the Foundation Establishment Stage level. My Talisman skills are stuck at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and my Fu Wan are still Second Order. The only consolation is that my main research is in Bizarre Talisman. My Artifact Refining and Formation skills are the same. What would the power be like if I learned Golden Core Talismans and produced Third Order Talisman Pill? One hundred and eight Third Order Talisman Pills might be enough to kill a Nascent Soul Cultivator; that would become a terrifying offensive technique. The cost of producing Third Order Talisman Pills is high; even with my wealth, I probably couldn't afford to use them... even once. But I have the Bizarre Mirror. If I could produce a true Third Order Talisman Pill, the copied and manifested Talisman Pill would also have astounding power. As long as I confirm that the Wish Bizarre won't affect me, I can use Lingyuan City to grow at an astonishing speed.

"You still want to stay in Lingyuan City?!" Yang Shengwu exclaimed.

"Doesn't this change your mind?" He shook his hand, which now grew a Snow Lotus, his expression a mixture of disappointment and reluctant understanding.

Jia Ren laughed loudly. "Although the prosperity here is illusory, it is indeed useful to me."

"I can't persuade you, and you can't persuade me," Yang Shengwu conceded with a sigh, then fell silent.

"I'll take your five-hundred-year Spiritual Medicine now!" Jia Ren declared. He plucked the five-hundred-year-old Snow Lotus growing on Yang Shengwu's left hand and said with a smile, "Record the prices of Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicine and Magical Treasure materials for me; I have great use for them."

"Real Spirit Stones can be exchanged for more Abyss Coins. Find me a way to do that."

Jia Ren tossed over a River Mountain Bag containing ten thousand Spirit Stones.

I'm not short on Low-grade Spirit Stones. Too many cultivators have offered them as payment; I can't even spend them all.

Yang Shengwu sighed again, caught the River Mountain Bag, and didn't refuse.

"I'll come back another day!" Jia Ren said before leaving Yang Shengwu's residence, pondering as he went.

Through Yang Shengwu, he now understood the rules of Lingyuan City's operation and would no longer be deceived.

Lingyuan City certainly has exchanges of interest with the Great Sects. Many Sects have Alchemists and Artifact Refiners in Lingyuan City, where abundant materials are available for practice at cheap prices. As long as their talent is decent, they can be nurtured into Pill Dao Masters or even Alchemy Grandmasters. That's one point! The second is exchanging real Spirit Stones and treasures for Abyss Coins. The latter circulates only within Lingyuan City and has little intrinsic value, but the real Spirit Stones and treasures one can obtain in exchange give them value. This is a startling chain of interests. Cultivators who arrive here clueless will soon have their real treasures consumed by false ones. By then, if they want to leave Lingyuan City, they will leave with nothing, unable to take a single 'treasure' with them. Outside the city, they have nothing, while inside lies a 'glorious future.' Very few become aware, and in the end, most will return to Lingyuan City. This is Lingyuan City's method of killing without bloodshed. Every cultivator who enters Lingyuan City is a lamb to the slaughter. Lingyuan City collaborates with many Sect forces; there must be genuine Nascent Soul Cultivators here. I must act cautiously. First, I need to get the treasure of the Xuan Shui Sect!

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