"Just crush them, and it's done!" Qin Liangchen spoke with a bold air, his words brimming with unmistakable confidence.

Luo Chen found himself half-doubting this bravado.

However, upon reflection, Qin Liangchen's rise from obscurity, establishing a family and career in the challenging environment of Dahe Market, and even sending his son to the prestigious Luoyun Sect—second only to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect—clearly spoke to his exceptional capabilities. He must possess some extraordinary traits.

The rules for the two gangs' eighteen-man life-and-death duel had gradually been revealed over the past few days as word spread.

The only restriction was that participants must be below the Foundation Establishment realm, with no limitations on methods. The only specific limitation was the use of talismans, strictly capped at ten per participant.

This rule had been proposed by Mi Shuhua of the Poshan Gang.

Presumably, this was to prevent the Dajiang Gang, backed by the wealthy Lianyun Trade Alliance, from equipping their fighters with a massive stockpile of talismans.

Compared to spells and enchanted artifacts, talismans had the advantage of being activated quickly, with power comparable to spells of the same tier.

If someone truly prepared dozens of talismans and waged a battle of spirit stones, the fight would be as spectacular. No Qi-Refining Realm cultivator could possibly counterattack under such a barrage of talismans.

Having already issued his warning, Luo Chen refrained from saying anything more. In truth, as an outsider, he couldn't possibly know more than the upper echelon of the Poshan Gang. Even the inside information casually shared by Sun Shou might not be entirely accurate.

The two chatted for a while longer until the aroma of cooking wafted out from the kitchen.

"Time to eat!"

Luo Chen eagerly ran home and brought out the braised powder boar leg he had been stewing all morning. For once, he wasn't just freeloading; he contributed a dish too!

"Here, try my wife's cooking. Before Xiaohu joined the sect, he couldn't bear to leave her cooking behind," Qin Liangchen greeted him enthusiastically, and Luo Chen didn't hold back, picking up a piece of meat with his chopsticks.

"Mm, not bad, it's delicious!"

Murong Qinglian smiled and shook her head, pouring each of them a cup of rice wine.

Qin Liangchen drank his wine first before grabbing a piece of Luo Chen's stewed meat.

"You live alone, so I bet you just eat whatever's convenient. What I think is, from now on..."

He widened his eyes as if the taste in his mouth was something unexpected. He immediately picked up another large piece of meat, this time chewing it more carefully.

"It melts in your mouth, fatty but not greasy, and there's a faint herbal aroma, like mint—fresh and invigorating.

"Wife, it seems Little Luo's cooking might even surpass yours!"

Praise flowed freely as Qin Liangchen showed no restraint, frequently picking up more pieces of meat.

Murong Qinglian, however, was surprised. It was rare to see rogue cultivators who put such effort into their food. After tasting a bite of Luo Chen's meat, she couldn't help but squint her eyes in satisfaction.

"Little Luo, your cooking is truly delicious."

Luo Chen chuckled sheepishly, without a trace of modesty.

In fact, his cooking skills seemed to be quite remarkable. It was likely thanks to his mixed heritage from Sichuan-Chongqing in his previous life and his mother's constant nagging that honed his culinary skills.

Though he wasn't particularly skilled at handling raw ingredients, he had mastered the use of spices and seasonings, capturing the essence of Sichuan cuisine. Later, it was even through his cooking skills that he managed to get a beautiful girlfriend.

Unfortunately, when he went to the big city to work hard, life was about more than just food.

Ah, the past is like the wind, best left unspoken!

After transmigrating, Luo Chen discovered that the ingredients in the cultivation world were absolutely top-tier. From the meat of spirit beasts and demonic beasts to vegetables and fruits, everything infused with spirit energy had its unique flavors.

The original owner of this body also had unique insights into certain medicinal materials.

Combining the two, Luo Chen often managed to improve his meals using limited resources.

The occasional snacks he made—like beef jerky or stir-fried bitter hazelnuts—received high praise from Wang Yuan, Chen Xiuping, Gu Caiyi, and others.

Technically speaking, cultivators weren't supposed to care much about food.

Actually, that only applied to late-stage cultivators. Low-stage cultivators couldn't survive solely on wind and dew, fasting for centuries.

In fact, constantly channeling violent external spirit energy often caused damage to their meridians during refinement. As a result, dietary supplements were popular among low-stage cultivators, second only to pills and medicinal baths.

Luo Chen was no exception; no matter how tough life got, he always ensured a steady supply of spirit rice and demonic beast meat. Without these foods infused with spirit energy, his body wouldn't have been able to withstand the rigors of cultivation.

The three of them ate, drank, and chatted together.

When they learned that Luo Chen was an alchemist, Qin Liangchen and his wife were deeply surprised.

Luo Chen, in turn, was curious about what they currently did for a living. After some inquiries, he learned that they were also in business.

"The Ancient Plains are rich in resources. Back then, my wife and I led people to conquer Purple Moon Lake, which is abundant in a type of spirit fish," Qin Liangchen explained. "Though the gang took most of the profits, the remainder alone is enough to support our family's cultivation."

His boastful words carried unmistakable pride in their mountain-hunting endeavors back then.

From this small glimpse, Luo Chen could roughly understand why the Dajiang Gang and the Lianyun Trade Alliance coveted the Poshan Gang's safe mountain routes.

Just one spirit fish resource allowed the Qin couple, both at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, to live such a prosperous life. And this was after the Poshan Gang took most of the profits, leaving the Qin family with only a small share.

As the three continued chatting, they suddenly looked up together.

A sharp whistle tore through the air like a thunderbolt in a clear sky.

In the distance, a golden streak of light shot forth from the western horizon, hurtling toward Dahe Market like a meteor.

"What is that?"

The golden light moved so fast that one moment it was on the horizon, and the next it was right before their eyes.

Luo Chen hurriedly stood up, his eyes fixed intently on the golden streak.

After about five breaths, the golden light slowed down, leaving behind a faint trail as it sliced through the air, then dove into the heart of the market like a bird returning to its nest.

The Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion!

Qin Liangchen walked to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder, and gazed at the white streak left in the clear sky, taking a deep breath.

"A sword cultivator—one from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect."

They had upgraded their sword orbs into enchanted treasures and now soared through the sky on sword light. They are Golden Core sword cultivators! Sword orbs as enchanted treasures, traversing on streaks of light. A single sword from the west!

Luo Chen was deeply shaken.

It was his first time witnessing the power of high-tier cultivators in this world. Even with just a fleeting glance, the thunderous momentum of their flight and their commanding presence left his mind restless for a long time.

"Among cultivators of the same tier, sword cultivators boast the strongest attacks and fastest escape speeds. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect thrives at the edge of the Great Million Mountains because of its abundance of high-level combat power, " Qin Liangchen said as he gestured toward the horizon.

He then rubbed his chin and said, "This Golden Core master is probably here to oversee the opening of the Dahe Market Debate Platform."

Luo Chen asked curiously, "Is it really worth it to send a Golden Core Adept for a mere debate platform?"

"Haha, Little Luo, you don't understand." Qin Liangchen laughed, pointing to the small, enclosed mountain behind the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion. "The Debate Platform is one of the few major industries of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Once operational, it generates an incredible amount of spirit stones if managed properly.

"Moreover, while each market only has Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed, their infrastructure is built to Golden Core standards.

"For instance, the defensive formation in Dahe Market's inner city is a formation at the level of the Golden Core Realm—capable of withstanding attacks from a third-tier beast king."

"However," Qin Liangchen added, "because sword cultivators struggle with ascension, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect lacks the numbers to station Golden Core cultivators at every market."

I got it,

thought Luo Chen

The infrastructure was designed for Golden Core Realm cultivators, but due to a lack of cultivators at the Golden Core Realm, Foundation Establishment cultivators had to hold the line.

"This Golden Core Adept probably just arrived ahead of schedule because of their speed" Qin Liangchen speculated, gazing at the distant horizon.

He added thoughtfully. "When the Debate Platform opens, many inner and outer disciples responsible for various tasks should arrive as well."

Just as he predicted, about one hour later, several streaks of light appeared faintly to the west of Dahe Market.

Seven different-colored streaks flanked a massive flying boat, escorting it as it glided steadily toward Dahe Market.

Of course, the flying boat only seemed to be moving steadily, but that was only in comparison to the blinding speed of the earlier sword streak from the west. In reality, they were traveling incredibly fast.

From the moment they were first spotted to when they hovered above Dahe Market, less than half an incense stick’s time had passed.

Such an open and grand display naturally drew the attention of the entire Dahe Market.

Countless people looked up, their gazes fixed on the seven figures standing on flying swords and the shadowy flying boat circling above. Soon, numerous figures emerged from the flying boat.

One by one, Qi-Refining cultivators either rode flying sword artifacts or used the Wind-Control Seal to descend from the boat. Like a swarm of mayflies, they entered the inner city one after another.

Once everyone had disembarked, the flying boat gradually shrank and, as if summoned, shot into the towering Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.

After that, nothing remained in the sky. It was as if the earlier scene had been a mere illusion.

However, within Dahe Market, whether local rogue cultivators or visiting ones, everyone understood that the true masters of this place had arrived. The name of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.