Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Heavy snowfalls came one after another, as if they would never cease, and the north winds howled through the mountain valleys day and night, like ghosts wailing and wolves howling, chilling to the bone just to hear.

Although cultivators above the third level of Qi Cultivation and Innate Martial Artists are not afraid of heat or cold, when the temperature drops to a certain degree, they also cannot ignore the threat of the harsh winter.

As for the ordinary people, life became even more difficult.

The residents of Dongwu Stockade had huddled together in the warm cellars or sealed rooms.

Only those with the means could hibernate for the winter; the ones without enough food and supplies suffered greatly.

With the continuous rise in grain prices within the stockade, some Loose Cultivators were forced to hunt in the snowstorms.

Especially those who lived from hand to mouth, they tasted great hardship.

Many Loose Cultivators never returned after leaving.

Meanwhile, the number of cultivators in Dongwu Stockade was constantly increasing, leading to various conflicts, and the security situation became worse.

Even the Guard Hall couldn\'t suppress it!

When Wang Chen walked out of the alley that morning, he saw many unfamiliar faces.

They gathered in groups of three or five under the eaves on the street, their expressions cold and fierce, their eyes looking sinisterly at the passersby, like hungry Wolf Beasts.

There were even more refugees and beggars.

These refugees and beggars curled up in the corners, holding out broken bowls begging for alms from those passing by.

And then there were children in tattered clothes, dragging along snot frozen stiff, weaving through the crowd.

These scenes made Wang Chen wonder if he had come to the wrong place.

How did this resemble a cultivator\'s stockade? It was almost indistinguishable from the small county towns of the mortal realm!

Suddenly, he felt something off and, without thinking, reached out and grabbed.

He caught a black hand reaching toward his waist!

"Let go of me!"

A teenager, half-grown, glared at Wang Chen with a vicious expression and fierce eyes, like a wolf cub provoked to anger.

No sooner had he spoken than four or five people immediately surrounded them.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Bullying children, are you? Everyone, come and see, someone is bullying a child here!"

"Immortal Master, he\'s just a child!"

"Quick, let him go!"

Some played good cop, some bad cop; they blocked Wang Chen\'s path, and their unfriendly eyes were fixed on him, as if they had spotted a plump prey.

People around saw what was happening but no one stepped forward to help Wang Chen; instead, they showed expressions of schadenfreude, excited to watch the show.

Crack!

Wang Chen broke the thief\'s wrist, and he bellowed, "Get lost!"

The people surrounding him were as if struck by lightning, stumbling backwards involuntarily, their faces filled with shock.

The imposing aura Wang Chen revealed in an instant made them realize they had picked the wrong target and had hit an iron plate. They scrambled to escape.

Leaving behind the thief wailing miserably on the ground!

Wang Chen shook his head and casually cast a Cleansing Technique, then headed towards the market.

Those who witnessed the scene all wore a look of awe.

No one dared to block his path again!

In the Outer Domain, the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, was upheld; those with higher Cultivation Levels and greater strength were the leaders.

Those who failed to understand this basic rule were mostly eliminated.

Today was not a market day, yet the inside and outside of the market were bustling nonetheless.

Many stalls were set up in the nearby streets and alleys.

Due to its proximity to the City Lord\'s Mansion and being a key area guarded by the Guard Hall\'s cultivators, the environment here seemed chaotic, but order was relatively stable. Many were noisy and rowdy but none dared to fight.

"Immortal Master, for your great kindness and benevolence, please show some compassion."

An elderly beggar with white hair stretched out his trembling hand, beseeching Wang Chen, "Please give me something to eat, my grandson hasn\'t eaten in three days."

He was carrying a little boy wrapped in a cotton quilt, whose eyes were open, but his face was sallow and his body emaciated, lacking even the strength to speak.

This is the world of cultivators!

Wang Chen felt a surge of frustration well up in his chest but couldn\'t vent it out.

Silently, he took out two Spirit Rice balls from his Storage Bag and handed them to the old beggar before him.

It wasn\'t that Wang Chen was reluctant to give more.

But giving more could bring danger to the grandfather and grandson.

"Thank you, thank you, Immortal Master!"

The old beggar was endlessly grateful. He was about to kneel and kowtow to Wang Chen, but Wang Chen stopped him.

He watched the man feed the rice balls to his grandson, then looked around before entering the market.

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"Talisman Master Wang…"

A middle-aged cultivator came up to greet him, smiling warmly, "Are you setting up a stall again today?"

Wang Chen nodded, "Seems I\'m late."

The market stalls had a fixed number, usually first-come, first-served—of course, one had to pay the rental fee.

On non-market days, there would typically be free spots available around this time.

But today there were far too many vendors.

Wang Chen had noticed on his way here that many of the street stalls outside were selling various knick-knacks, likely items that vendors had taken from their personal collections or reserves.

They really didn\'t scorn the cold and shivering!

"You\'re not late if you come."

The middle-aged cultivator said, grinning, "I kept a few spots; I\'ll give you one for free if you want."

"Thanks."

Wang Chen handed over a Spirit Stone and two Talismans.

The man was one of the stewards assigned by the City Lord\'s Mansion to oversee the market, a Qi Cultivation sixth layer cultivator, eloquent and well-connected.

Wang Chen had dealt with him several times and was acquainted with him.

Although the steward said he\'d give a stall for free, Wang Chen couldn\'t take it seriously, so he paid the rent as usual and gave a little extra on top.

Otherwise, why would the man care about him?

The middle-aged cultivator was delighted, promptly assigning Wang Chen a spot in a great location.

Thanks to his decent skills in Talisman Crafting, Wang Chen had gained a bit of fame in Dongwu Stockade; his Magical Talismans sold well and could be used as solid currency.

Having received Wang Chen\'s extra "on the side," the middle-aged cultivator was particularly enthusiastic.

However, to Wang Chen\'s surprise, even though he had secured a good spot, his Talismans business was much worse than before, and after half a day, he had not sold even a tenth of his stock.

Some Loose Cultivators lingered for a long while, then haggled fiercely.

Wang Chen couldn\'t be bothered to haggle and put up a sign that read "Fixed Prices, No Bargaining."

As a result, his business worsened.

Later, the middle-aged steward came over to whisper, "Lately, everyone\'s been hoarding grain; the price has soared so rapidly, those with a bit of Spirit Stones are reluctant to spend them elsewhere."

Wang Chen suddenly understood.

The man lowered his voice again, "Talisman Master Wang, be careful these days; the City Lord\'s Mansion might soon conscript a group of cultivators to build a cultivation retreat for Hu Meiniang."

Hm?

Wang Chen slightly startled.

He knew of Hu Meiniang; she was the new concubine recently taken by Superior Xin Han, the lord of Dongwu Stockade, said to be from the Hehuan Sect.

But what did this conscription of cultivators for building a retreat have to do with him?

Unless there was a hidden agenda!

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First update delivered.