256: Or a construction tycoon

Qingxu Grotto-Heaven, an open-air leisure spot.

"Hey, have you heard?"

Cultivator A leaned mysteriously toward his friend, Cultivator B.

"What now?"

Cultivator B looked at his friend, casually setting aside the Cultivation Technique in front of him.

Cultivator A lowered his voice and said cautiously.

"That Reserve Holy Son in our Sect, you remember him, right?"

Cultivator B thought for a moment.

"You mean the Reserve Holy Son who's supposed to condense a Nascent Soul within a hundred and ten years?"

"Exactly!"

"I've received word that he might already be back, and before long, he'll likely be officially appointed as the Saint."

Hearing this, Cultivator B also frowned.

"Are you kidding? He's only been gone for a year."

"Back then, in a year, you and I only went from being Mortals to the Late Stage of Qi Refining. How could he be so ridiculous?"

"Do you really think the Nascent Soul stage is as common as cabbage? Once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, you're qualified to apply to leave the mountain and serve as a Guest Elder or an Enshrined Expert for a second-rate power or Family."

"If he can become a Nascent Soul, I'll right then and there—" Cultivator B looked around and pulled out a spiked club, "I'll eat this spiked club right then and there!"

Just then, a Cultivator with a handsome face and outstanding temperament walked into the pavilion and found a place to sit and rest.

"Hey, don't disbelieve me yet," Cultivator A continued. "A while ago, Great Yu kept the news tightly under wraps to maintain stability. Recently, the situation seems to have stabilized, and some rumors have leaked out, including some about that Saint."

Mentioning this, Cultivator B also remembered something.

His hometown was in Great Yu; though he wasn't from the capital, he wasn't far from it.

Lately, he had indeed heard from his Family that the capital was unsettled. Officials were not only strictly checking travelers but also restricting cargo exports.

His Family had originally planned to go to the capital for business, but because they encountered traces of a Drought Demon before leaving, the old man felt it was an ill omen and didn't go, thus escaping a disaster.

Otherwise, as traveling merchants, who knows how many matters would have been delayed, or they might have even lost their lives.

"I've heard a bit about this too, but I don't know the details. Where did you hear it from?"

Cultivator A looked rather arrogant.

"My eldest uncle's maternal uncle's second cousin's third aunt's fourth brother's childhood friend guards the city gates in the capital."

"He saw some of what happened with his own eyes. Later, he couldn't stand working overtime for days on end, so he applied for leave. Considering his contributions, he was granted a long leave, and after returning, he told us everything."

"Is the news reliable?" Cultivator B was still skeptical; when did his friend get such talent for intelligence?

Seeing the other's doubt, Cultivator A glanced secretly at the pretty figure in the pavilion. His face flushed slightly, and his voice involuntarily rose.

"Are you questioning my intelligence-gathering abilities?"

"The afternoon he finished telling us, he was taken away that very day, supposedly to be locked up for half a month. Their entire village was placed under martial law. If I hadn't been using my status as a Disciple of Qingxu Grotto-Heaven, making it inconvenient for them to seize me directly—only warning me through the Law Enforcement Hall—I might have had to spend a few days in jail too."

"Only now that the Law Enforcement Hall has stopped watching me did I dare to come and tell you."

Cultivator A raised his eyebrows with a look of great pride, though it was unclear how he could tell such an embarrassing story with such an air of importance.

His good brother suddenly realized something and also took a secret peek behind him.

This glance left him utterly starstruck.

How could such a delicate and outstanding person exist in this world!

He was stunned for a moment, even nearly deciding on the names of his future children.

In the next second, Cultivator B had no interest in listening to the story anymore, only blushing and stealing glances behind him from time to time.

Meanwhile, Cultivator A's narration was nearing its end.

"Later, the Saint took out an Immortal Artifact—an Immortal Artifact, mind you! He insta-killed that mysterious powerhouse in one go."

"Don't you think he's badass or what?"

"Badass, badass," Cultivator B brushed him off casually, completely failing to notice his friend's face darkening.

By the time he reacted, the other was about to pounce and put him in a headlock. Just as he was about to explain, he saw the other suddenly freeze and look behind him as well.

The figure in green had already walked slowly up to the two of them and gently patted their shoulders.

"Don't call me Saint all the time from now on; it's too distant."

"I have a name, Zhou Yan. You can call me Senior Brother Zhou or Brother Zhou."

Then, two sounds resembling the shattering of Dao Hearts came from behind, and the two Disciples were instantly petrified on the spot.

After leaving these two bystanders in despair, Zhou Yan curled his lip in distaste.

He had only stopped mid-journey to check a map and rest in the pavilion for a moment. He had intended to overhear what had happened in Great Yu during his seclusion, but aside from Song Ling's rise in the imperial court surprising him slightly, the rest were just ordinary personnel changes.

Instead, he had been subjected to their mental fantasies for quite a while. Zhou Yan didn't want to know, but since their thoughts were related to him, they naturally triggered the Law of the Heart. Thus, he "saw" pink bubbles seemingly rising from them, which disgusted him quite a bit.

Sometimes, knowing too much is indeed not a good thing.

"Hmm, this is the place."

Zhou Yan finally arrived at this vast plain.

A few days ago, he had rejected the Sect Master's proposal to move into the former Sect Master's Immortal Cave (which had now become a couple's suite), but the arrangements turned out to be unexpectedly troublesome.

According to the rules, a Saint is on the same level as an Inner Sect Elder, and their residence should occupy an entire peak. Therefore, many Inner Sect Elders also serve as Peak Masters, and naturally, a Saint should also be the master of a peak.

However, after a small reform, the Sect recruited Disciples extensively, and Outer Sect Elders could also apply for their own peaks. This led to a shortage of vacant peaks, and some small lineages even had to share a peak with others.

This raised a problem: as a Saint, Zhou Yan had to live alone on a peak, but there were currently no vacant peaks available. Until one became available, he was essentially "homeless."

Given his status, he couldn't live with the Disciples, and even an independent Immortal Cave like Wang Yao's wouldn't suffice.

Thus, he became someone of transcendent status who could only sleep in a "villa," but since there were no "villas," for the sake of appearances, he would rather sleep under a bridge than in "low-cost housing."

Sect regulations were not easily changed, so both sides had to negotiate.

Zhou Yan repeatedly vetoed the Sect Master's "shortcut" proposal to "secretly finish off the Sixth, Fifth, or Fourth Elder, reclaim their main peak as vacant due to their death, transfer it to Zhou Yan's name within a set time, and then resurrect them," ultimately choosing to build a main peak himself.

Having ridden the Sect's subway, Zhou Yan knew that many places had high-quality Spiritual Veins, even surpassing many existing main peaks. Building it himself would allow him complete control and could serve directly as his Dao Arena, skipping the refinement steps.

There were still some minor setbacks during the negotiations. Building a main peak in a non-designated area counted as illegal construction and required many formalities.

So the Sect Master still suggested using some "shortcuts." After Zhou Yan refused them once more, the Sect Master reluctantly filed a report to the Old Ancestors, granting Zhou Yan permission to choose a site to establish a main peak and establishing a contract to transfer the rights of that land to him.

After reconfirming the size and environment of this open space, Zhou Yan took out the land deed.

Yuan Chenling had been entrusted to Wang Yao, and now, without the clingy "Hachikō" to disturb him, it was time to build his own little home in reality.

Zhou Yan looked at the soil, stones, and water stockpiled in his Storage Pouch and smiled slightly.

"Like I said, stockpile a bit of everything; it'll always come in handy eventually."

He signed his name on the land deed, and the contract immediately sank into the ground. A stream of light flowed into Zhou Yan's body—the familiar Power of the Earth Veins.

Everything was ready.

"Snap."

With a snap of Zhou Yan's fingers, a piece of BGM started playing.

"They say there really is a god, a solitary soul..."

"But I've never seen that door, perhaps I'm too ill-informed..."

"Just looking at the sky from the bottom of a well, a small room, then pointing fingers at this Mortal world..."

As the music flowed, Zhou Yan, like a precise 3D printer, began to rapidly level the ground, and a grand project rose from the earth.