Chapter 97: Sudden Insecurity

Last night, Su Jingzhen enjoyed a rare, restful sleep.The next morning, he didn’t wake up until the sunlight streamed through the window.

The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the small golden text floating before him.

【Time left until the host’s Dantian shatters: 493 days!】

The reminder about his Dantian was always pinned at the top, emphasizing its importance.

However, as usual, Su Jingzhen ignored it.

Next came the daily fixed points update.

【Daily Fixed Points: Shuang Jiang: 15, Zhang Xiu: 4, Feng Qingya: 2, Luo Yuebai: 2】 Seaʀᴄh the ηovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

【Remaining Usable Points: 272】

Although he had known the results, seeing the points actually added to his panel still made his heart race with excitement.

This was incredible—waking up every day to 23 points!

This was something he wouldn’t have dared to imagine in the past.

“Life is meant to get better and better. I need to quietly accumulate my strength and amaze the entire cultivation world one day!”

A confident smile appeared on Su Jingzhen’s lips.

A wild ambition quietly took root in his heart.

Quietly accumulating power with his golden finger, and then exploding in a dazzling display, stunning everyone—that was indeed the most exhilarating thing he could think of at the moment.

Facing the morning sun, he practiced a few rounds of “Python Scales Power” under the peach tree.

As the saying goes, “It’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.”

After experiencing the effects of practicing “Python Scales Power” in the peculiar environment of the canyon, the results he got in Peach Blossom Alley were now extremely unsatisfactory to Su Jingzhen.

The same technique, performed in different places, yielded vastly different results.

In comparison, practicing in Peach Blossom Alley felt like a complete waste of time to Su Jingzhen.

He thought to himself that he should frequently visit the peculiar environment in the canyon.

After finishing his practice, Su Jingzhen instinctively went to the kitchen to make some food, only to find that he had used up all the ingredients the day before.

With a wry smile, he tidied himself up and left the school.

Today, going to the market had a purpose.

Although Su Jingzhen now held a significant position in Linjiang City, he still donned his usual black cloak before heading to the second floor of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

However, upon stepping onto the main street, Su Jingzhen noticed that there were noticeably fewer pedestrians. The people commonly seen wearing black cloaks like his were almost nowhere to be found.

The Clear Wind Mountain incident had ended, and while some still wanted to pick up any leftover treasures, most had already left and returned to their usual places.

Su Jingzhen also noticed that some familiar shops on the main street had closed down, their owners having fled Linjiang City with their belongings overnight.

He raised an eyebrow, understanding the situation. With the Evil Moon Sect now ruling Linjiang City, fear and uncertainty were widespread.

Many people believed that the demonic cultivators of Evil Moon Sect were all ruthless and evil. Staying in the city under their rule seemed like a dangerous gamble. Hence, escaping while Evil Moon Sect was still busy elsewhere seemed like the best option.

Su Jingzhen knew that in the next couple of days, anyone with some means or connections would likely leave Linjiang City.

Ultimately, those remaining would be the truly lower-tier cultivators in the early or middle stages of Qi Refining, who couldn’t survive in other cultivator gatherings and could only gamble their lives here.

“In such chaos, while it’s easy to lose one’s life, it also brings opportunities. Whether these people can seize them remains to be seen,” Su Jingzhen mused to himself as he quickly arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

Regardless of how deserted the streets were, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and the neighboring Flower Moon Pavilion seemed unaffected.

The female cultivators on the second-floor terrace of Flower Moon Pavilion continued to flaunt themselves, and there were still queues at the various counters inside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

This was perhaps the confidence brought by the backing of powerful forces.

Su Jingzhen walked into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion with practiced ease and headed to the staircase at the back of the first-floor hall.

Amidst the envious and curious glances of others, he easily ascended to the second floor using his alchemist badge.

Upon reaching the second-floor landing, he saw Feng Qingya holding a cyan jade cup, sitting on a chair by the staircase.

Feng Qingya greeted Su Jingzhen with a smile, making him pause in surprise. It seemed as though she had been waiting for him specifically.

“Master Su, good morning. We’re old acquaintances now, so why do you still come here dressed like this?” Feng Qingya spoke with her usual seductive smile, though there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Today, Feng Qingya had decided to understand Su Jingzhen’s true nature. Previously, no matter how much she tried to charm him at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, he remained as calm as a monk.

However, at Cuiliu School, he had behaved like a lovesick fool. These two extremes were too disparate. Since she intended to bring Su Jingzhen under her influence, she needed to gauge his depths accurately.

Upon hearing her words, Su Jingzhen removed his cloak without hesitation. Indeed, there was no need for pretense here.

“You make fun of me, Miss Feng. I’m just naturally cautious,” he replied with a slight smile. Without waiting for her to speak further, he produced a jade bottle from his storage pouch.

“I came to trade with you again, Miss Feng. Shall we do it here or at our usual spot?”

Seeing the jade bottle in his hand, Feng Qingya’s eyes lit up slightly. She set down her jade cup and walked over to him with a graceful, willow-like movement. Her scent reached him before she did.

“Has Master Su refined more pills? Then of course, let’s use our usual spot. It’s more convenient there.” She blinked at him, her tone carrying a hint of shyness.

In her demeanor, the phrase “usual spot” seemed to carry a subtle, ambiguous undertone.

Within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Feng Qingya’s clothing was always minimal—bold, passionate, and uninhibited.

As she walked ahead, her perfect figure was accentuated by her tight-fitting dress, with her rounded curves swaying gently with each step.

Su Jingzhen tried to avert his gaze, focusing instead on the carpet beneath their feet.

Yet, he couldn’t help but notice her bare, jade-like feet, smooth and gleaming as if one hand could encompass them completely.

He swallowed nervously, realizing that today’s transaction would be a true test of his resolve.

Feng Qingya, in some respects, was far more formidable than Luo Yuebai.

With Shuang Jiang gone and facing Feng Qingya alone, Su Jingzhen suddenly found himself doubting his ability to maintain his composure.