When it comes to cultivating immortality, it naturally starts with upgrading the herb garden.

Over the past six months, Song Chen has also learned about a strange phenomenon in Fengye City.

That is, cultivators who come from the mortal world are easily discriminated against, have a very low status, and are jokingly called "lowly people".

Because they were afraid of being discovered, the truly "inferior" people hid their abilities very well. Therefore, the cultivators devised a criterion for judging the "inferior."

Those with dark skin have definitely worked the ground; they are "lower people."

Those with rough, calloused skin from hard labor are called "lowly people".

People who can't speak clearly are obviously uncultured and are considered "inferior."

In short, anyone who meets these criteria is judged to be "inferior".

Although being labeled as "inferior" doesn't significantly impact daily life, being "inferior" truly means being considered inferior in many situations.

For example, law enforcement monks will treat "lower people" worse, and if someone is accidentally killed by a "lower person," they can be exempted from a lot of punishment, and so on.

Song Chen's disguise did not change his skin color; his face was still dark, which made him easily mistaken for an "inferior person."

However, "inferior people" can be judged by standards, or they can be judged by the opposite standards.

For example, a Qi Refining Peak cultivator who speaks fluently and possesses skill, even if he has dark skin and a muscular body, will not be judged as an "inferior person".

However, proving this process is quite difficult without the advantage of cultivation.

Song Chen ignored the law enforcement cultivator beside him, and put the magic technique into his storage bag as if no one else was there, preparing to leave directly.

You can choose to ignore law enforcement monks; this is a useful tip.

Unless there is a direct conflict, law enforcement cultivators will not deliberately cause trouble for others; at most, they will target the weak and seek out some minor gains.

"Stand still! Are you deaf? Leave behind the forbidden incantation!"

The law enforcement cultivator shouted at Song Chen.

Song Chen looked puzzled. The law enforcement cultivators today seemed to be different from usual.

He paused, turned around, and suddenly realized what was happening.

It was Iron Faceless!

This law enforcement monk, relying on his background, almost never played by the rules and was used to acting arrogantly and domineeringly.

Tie Wumian arrogantly said, "That's right, that's it. Hand over the incantation and pay a fine of two hundred spirit stones, or we'll send you to the Enforcement Hall as a guest!"

He had been observing Song Chen from the air for some time, and it was clear that Song Chen was looking for shops to buy magic techniques!

"Lowly people", rich people, magic formulas.

Putting all three together, isn't that a perfect excuse for blackmail?

"Do we still have to pay a fine?" Song Chen's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"What? You have a problem with being called 'lower'?"

Tie Wumian was displeased. His peak Qi Refining cultivation was on full display, and several onlookers were frightened and ran away.

A smug smile played on his lips as he thought to himself, "Another large sum of money. How should I spend it?"

Song Chen chuckled and said, "Useless!"

"What?"

Caught off guard, Tie Wumian's furious eyes were about to erupt when Song Chen's figure dissolved into a puddle of mud and disappeared without a trace.

"Movement technique? When...?"

Having already run ten miles, Song Chen, who was sprinting along the rooftops, shook his head:

"He's a complete waste. His peak Qi Refining level divine sense couldn't even detect me when I had already run away."

In terms of raw strength, Song Chen is not inferior to Tie Wumian.

His profound spiritual foundation can offset the impact of divine sense, and his magical artifacts provide a stable and solid backing for combat. In addition, with a large number of talismans, most peak Qi Refining cultivators are not necessarily a match for Song Chen.

It's just that considering the background, it's inconvenient to take action.

Once you have cultivated to a high level, you will naturally come and repay the debts owed to you as a "lowly person" today!

......

Inside the secret room on the top floor of "Quiet Moon House".

Song Chen was completely naked, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Although the third-order spirit gathering array is relatively complete and there is no difference in the transmission of spiritual energy between houses, the concentration of spiritual energy still varies within a single house due to differences in height.

The reason is that the third-order spirit gathering array is located directly above Fengye City, and there will always be some loss when transmitting spiritual energy from top to bottom.

Even if the third-order spirit gathering array has very little loss of spiritual energy, perhaps only a difference of less than one point.

Without consistent, accumulated practice over time, one can hardly perceive the difference.

The method of improving physical strength through the Body Condensation Technique is to infuse the body with spiritual energy. The more concentrated the spiritual energy, the better the effect of the infusion.

Song Chen drew upon spiritual energy, and a powerful aura surged into his body, flowing into all the meridians, rather than into the dantian in his abdomen.

The body and muscles, under the infusion of spiritual energy, expand and contract along the meridians, steadily and continuously increasing in strength.

He only stopped cultivating when a feeling of fullness filled his internal organs, fearing that his body could not withstand it.

"A day has three hours, which need to be divided into three periods, each with a three-hour interval between them."

Song Chen roughly estimated the limits of his body and the upper limit of his daily cultivation time, and after several days of trying, he had reached a conclusion.

Excessive cultivation time damages the meridians and weakens the foundation, while insufficient time greatly diminishes the effect of body condensation, resulting in less effort for less reward.

The effects of body condensation on physical strength are minimal, with only subtle changes each time, but its value lies in its cumulative effect over time.

Generally, cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining would not choose the laborious method of infusing spiritual energy into their bodies, which takes five or six years to achieve, in order to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Compared to methods such as tempering the body through unusual celestial phenomena or solidifying the body through medicinal baths, this approach is superior.

This method is not only slow, but also difficult to judge its effectiveness, which is really a test of one's patience.

With such obvious drawbacks, the advantages are equally obvious.

Safety!

Other tempering methods are fast but come with the risk of death, and while they are effective, they may damage the foundation.

Moreover, most cultivators who do not choose this method are worried about missing the golden age of Foundation Establishment at thirty.

Song Chen is only nineteen this year, with plenty of time, and this natural approach is just right.

"The path to foundation building is long and arduous; how dare I seek speed?"

......

The auction began a few days later.

Mid-sized auctions almost exclusively attract cultivators at the Qi Refining stage, with the highest level not exceeding the early Foundation Establishment stage, and absolutely no Golden Core cultivators.

The auctioned items are mainly composed of resources needed for the Qi Refining stage.

Song Chen and Du Fei went together, traveling side by side.

He originally intended to come alone and make a low-key purchase, but agreed to come with Du Fei at Du Fei's insistence.

There was really nothing we could do.

The auction venue was very large; a square was temporarily converted into the auction location.

"This identification token is needed for both the auction process and the settlement of spirit stones afterward. Please keep it safe."

Song Chen held the bronze plaque, infused it with a wisp of spiritual energy, and the plaque shone brightly, confirming his identity.

The two walked side by side, heading straight for the ordinary seats below, without going to the VIP seats above.

Those seats were reserved for talents from major families and sects; they couldn't be bought even with money, and were not something an unknown junior like Song Chen could get his hands on.

Song Chen and Du Fei took their seats.

A hooded monk sat beside him, his face obscured.

The exposed hand was fair and slender, suggesting she was a female cultivator.

Song Chen glanced at it briefly before looking away.

Cultivators continued to arrive at the entrance, with several Foundation Establishment cultivators flashing past the doorway before heading upstairs to the VIP seating area.

A figure caught Song Chen's attention.

It's Zhang Jiu.

Song Chen lowered his eyelids slightly, his gaze fixed intently on him.

It had been some time since I last saw him. He had aged considerably, his hair was streaked with white, and his face looked quite haggard. His cultivation had improved, reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining.

The latter walked towards the VIP seats but did not see Song Chen.

However, even if you saw him, you probably wouldn't recognize him, since Song Chen still has his skin-refining technique intact.

Song Chen takes good care of his skin every day, so it can last for at least another year and a half.

A year and a half is neither a short nor a long time, but enough to break through one's cultivation level.

At that time, Song Chen, having reached the peak of Qi Refining, will have a certain ability to protect himself and can regain his original appearance to go to the Cave Mansion area to prepare for Foundation Establishment.

However, Song Chen was puzzled by Zhang Jiu's movements.

With the Zhang family wiped out, how could Zhang Jiu, a rogue cultivator, still be allowed to attend the VIP seats?

Before Song Chen could figure it out, a massive number of Night-Shining Talismans gathered at the auction center.

In an instant, the auctioneer was illuminated.

The host was a well-dressed, middle-aged man with slicked-back hair.

"This auction will be hosted by the Jiang family of Wandaobo!"

Du Fei said, "So it was organized by the Jiang family!"

Upon hearing this, Song Chen asked in confusion, "The Jiang family?"

"Brother Song, haven't you heard? The Jiang family is a super cultivation family with five Foundation Establishment cultivators. A Golden Core cultivator specially opened a manor in the Cave Abode area to provide them with a place to live. They have a certain say in Fengye City."

Du Fei explained.

A look of realization dawned on Song Chen's face, but his mind was filled with a flood of thoughts.

"The Jiang family?"

Zhang Jiu apparently changed his surname to Jiang for a period of time.

The high-ranking steward of the Zhang family also has the surname Jiang, and Aunt Jiang and Zhang Jiu seem to be related by blood.

Therefore, it can be inferred that Zhang Jiu is likely related to the Jiang family. After the Zhang family was destroyed, he may have sought refuge with the Jiang family, or the Zhang family may have originally had connections with the Jiang family.

In any case, it has nothing to do with Song Chen anymore.

Anyway, Song Chen has already changed his appearance, so it's hard for anyone to discover his true colors. Besides, the Zhang family was the one who acted immorally in the past.

Even if the Jiang family takes it seriously, they won't have the moral high ground; instead, they'll only get themselves into trouble.

Song Chen's gaze fell on the auction, no longer paying attention to Zhang Jiu.