Chapter 3: Uninvited Guest

“You’re just too honest…”

After returning from Chunxi Restaurant, Su Jingzhen was still savoring Zhang Xiu’s last words.

“Honest? Maybe.”

The matter of Dantian’s fragmentation, Zhang Xiu had concealed from Yan Xia, hoping that Su Jingzhen and Yan Xia would first settle their differences.

But Su Jingzhen knew that this secret couldn’t be kept hidden for long.

He didn’t want to have children in the future and have Yan Xia quarrel with him about it.

Cultivators, Dao Companions were mutually compatible, with no forced constraints. If one felt uncomfortable, they could simply part ways. There were countless cases of people being kicked out.

After all, there are only a few people like Sister-in-law Zhang Xiu who keep the moral integrity for Dao Companion.

If they weren’t on the same path from the start, it was better to fail early on.

Although Su Jingzhen understood the reasoning, he still felt a pang of disappointment as he lay on the stone bed in his quiet room.

After all, his first blind date after crossing over had failed, and he had been ridiculed.

It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to accept.

【502 days left until the host’s Dantian is permanently shattered!】

At this moment, a line of golden text appeared before his eyes again.

Since Dantian’s fragmentation, this reminder had appeared every day.

Su Jingzhen still didn’t understand what was going on.

It seemed like a golden finger, but there was only this simple prompt.

No matter how he tried, there was no other reaction.

“I should try something else.”

Every time he saw this reminder, Su Jingzhen’s sense of urgency would increase.

Over 500 days seemed like a long time, but as time passed, the situation would only worsen, and the power he could use would dwindle.

The Qi-refining Stage is divided into nine layers, with the first three layers being the initial stage, the fourth to sixth layers being the intermediate stage, and the seventh to ninth layers being the later stage.

After achieving the Great Perfection, one can establish a foundation.

When Su Jingzhen first crossed over, he had reached the third layer of Qi-refining, but now he was left with only one layer. Although it was still in the initial stage, the difference was like heaven and earth.

If he wasted more years, he wouldn’t even be able to maintain this one layer, and that would be a complete failure.

“I must save myself, and I can’t be driven out of Peach Blossom Alley during this period.”

Su Jingzhen muttered to himself, already standing up and walking to the small furnace.

The spiritual energy in Peach Blossom Alley was ordinary, but it was still in the cultivation realm, and his body could receive nourishment at any time.

This was the only chance to repair his Dantian. If he left here and returned to the mortal realm, it would be completely over.

In Linjiang City, the Huayang Sect had set up a spirit-gathering array, which continuously gathered the sparse spiritual energy from a hundred miles around.

The closer one got to the center of the array, the more abundant the spiritual energy became.

In this world, people are divided into ordinary people and cultivators based on their spiritual roots.

Regions were also divided by spiritual energy, with the mortal realm and the cultivation realm being separate.

Areas with abundant spiritual energy and gathered cultivators were considered part of the cultivation realm.

Naturally, places with abundant spiritual energy were already occupied, and lower-level cultivators couldn’t access them.

Powerful sects like the Huayang Sect, which relied on array formations, could create a place like Linjiang City with decent spiritual energy, but they wouldn’t give it away for free.

The rent for Peach Blossom Alley was relatively low compared to other streets, but the academy’s occupied area was not small, and it cost 50 low-grade spirit stones per year.

With Su Jingzhen’s current financial situation, he wouldn’t be able to pay the rent next month.

At that time, the Cultivation Enlightenment Academy would be forced to close, cutting off all income sources.

He could only go to the outer regions of Linjiang City, where he could still slightly benefit from the edge of the spirit-gathering array.

However, there was no Huayang Sect management there, and the area was extremely chaotic. With Su Jingzhen’s current cultivation, he might not survive for three days.

Thinking about this, Su Jingzhen directly took out the small furnace from the corner.

After wiping off the dust on the furnace’s surface, several spiritual patterns engraved on it were revealed.

This was a small flame array formation engraved on it. Su Jingzhen placed his hand on the spiritual pattern and slightly infused it with spiritual energy, and a fierce flame erupted inside the furnace.

The entire quiet room was illuminated in a bright red light.

“This thing can still be used. I hope I can recover my previous skills.”

Before crossing over, the original owner’s Dantian was broken, but he remembered that he could refine alchemy with one hand.

He even successfully refined a low-grade pill at his peak.

This was why, despite having a mixed spiritual root, his cultivation had reached the later stage of Qi-refining.

However, after crossing over, many of the original owner’s memories and skills were lost.

There were many occupations for cultivators, such as alchemists, array masters, and equipment masters…

Alchemists held a high position among cultivators.

However, cultivating an alchemist was extremely difficult, almost impossible for ordinary scattered cultivators.

This was a technique that burned money.

After crossing over, Su Jingzhen’s rent was already a problem, and he didn’t have the financial resources to support his alchemy plans.

Therefore, even though the original owner had a certain foundation, Su Jingzhen couldn’t afford to play along.

But now, with no other way to make money, he could only take a risk.

If he succeeded, he might be able to repair his Dantian. If he failed, he would only be forced to leave Peach Blossom Alley!

It was better to take a chance than to drag out a miserable existence.

…

It was already late at night, and Qi-refining Stage cultivators generally needed to rest.

But at this time, Su Jingzhen was extremely anxious.

He found a recipe for a Qi-recovery pill left by the original owner, as well as two remaining medicinal materials.

He had already ruined one attempt at making the pill.

Looking at the pile of medicinal waste he had created, he felt infinite regret.

Although the medicinal materials weren’t expensive, they still cost one low-grade spirit stone each.

Ordinary alchemists had a low success rate, and it was already considered good if three or four pills could be refined from ten medicinal materials.

This was still under the condition of becoming an alchemist, and Su Jingzhen didn’t know how much medicinal material he would need to practice.

Looking at the twenty-five spirit stones and one remaining medicinal material in his storage bag, Su Jingzhen felt like crying.

“Ah, I’ve already decided to take a risk, no need to think about it anymore.”

After muttering to himself, he picked up the remaining medicinal material.

“I’ll just have to refine it, and I’ll go buy some medicinal materials tomorrow.”

However, at this time…

“Bang!”

A sudden loud noise came from the courtyard.

Su Jingzhen stopped moving his hands.

As a cultivator, his senses were extremely keen, and he was certain he hadn’t misheard.

He extinguished the fire in the furnace and directly pushed open the door.

The rain had already stopped, and the surroundings were quiet.

Su Jingzhen’s expression became slightly more serious.

“Could it be a stray cat?”

Under the eaves, a piece of broken tile lay scattered on the ground.

“Who’s there?”

No one responded, and Su Jingzhen felt a sense of doubt, but he didn’t think much of it.

As he was about to go back inside, he saw a few peach blossoms floating over.

He furrowed his brow and walked towards the peach tree in the courtyard.

As he approached, Su Jingzhen’s heart grew heavier.

He smelled a fishy smell lingering in the air.

Suddenly, he saw a black figure leaning against the peach tree.

Su Jingzhen felt a bit tense.

He was only a Qi-refining initial stage cultivator, and if the visitor was malicious, he might not be able to resist.

If he called for help, although he got along with his neighbors, cultivators were known to be ruthless and wouldn’t risk their lives to save him.

The only one who could come was sister-in-law Zhang Xiu, but she had gone to the Huayang Sect after the blind date and had set up an array at her home. He couldn’t ask her daughter, Ning Yao, to come over.

If he used the Huayang Sect’s signal to warn them, the sect’s people would come, but it would be a costly affair.

If he made a mistake, it would be a loss.

In the end, he was just too poor.

“Who are you? Why are you sneaking into my private residence at night?”

Su Jingzhen mustered up his courage and asked.

The other party still didn’t respond, not even moving a muscle.

“Who are you, exactly? If you don’t give me an explanation, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

As he said this, Su Jingzhen took two steps forward.

The other party still didn’t move.

Su Jingzhen’s heart was filled with doubt, and he took another step forward, trying to get a clear look at the other person’s face.

However, when he finally saw the person’s face, he was suddenly shocked and retreated several steps!