The atmosphere in the private room was peculiar. Bai Jiao, charming and sweet, seemed to realize that she had revealed too much, and her expression became awkward and slightly anxious.

But what was strange was this.

The others, it seemed, had all guessed something, yet no one continued to broach the subject.

Only the keen-eyed Zhong Yongxi seemed to want to say something, but after the old Mr. Zhong Jixiang sitting next to him kicked him, he immediately stopped talking.

After that, no one brought up anything about the elixir pills again.

Ji Liangchuan, however, put away his arrogance.

So without guessing, Shen Qiang knew that he must have believed that Cheng Xinyi's recently popular Gathering Qi Powder and Divine Grade Pei Yuan Pill definitely had something to do with him, and now he was not mentioning it probably because he would investigate later.

This matter, originally, was not significant.

Before, Shen Qiang did not want others to know because at that time he was too weak.

He had no power to contend against the true strong ones in the Cultivation World.

Therefore, keeping a low profile was the only way to survive.

But now it was different, Shen Qiang had the Beautiful Demon Fox Chu Qing by his side, and the Dark Department's Xiu Ju.

He had a once-evolved Plague Source.

His cultivation had basically caught up with ordinary people of his age.

And he had the backing of the Dragon Group.

So even if others came to know about this, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

Because when they realized Shen Qiang's value and could not simply oppress him with brute force, the only thing they could do was to curry favor.

For Shen Qiang, this was all beneficial and not harmful at all.

However, making it public now was still a bit premature, because according to Shen Qiang's previous thoughts, he would need to at least have the strength of the Nascent Soul Stage or above to present himself as an alchemist.

Otherwise,

without the support of a prestigious sect, those who dared to come over and take advantage of Shen Qiang would undoubtedly be numerous.

So, even if Bai Jiao's slip of the tongue might have let those present guess something, it was not a big deal.

After all, it was no secret that Shen Qiang had a master who was skilled in alchemy.

After a brief awkwardness,

the atmosphere among everyone heated up again.

Ji Liangchuan said very little.

Most of the time, it was Bianyi who talked; this guy knew about antiques, understood magical treasures, and was clear about the major forces in the Cultivation World, so when discussing various stories of the Cultivation World, he was very much at ease, making sure no one felt bored.

Watching them eating and chatting with laughter,

Shen Qiang's mood also became much more comfortable.

After all, Shen Qiang was now making the final preparations to enter the Cultivation World.

Because from the beginning until now, Shen Qiang had been essentially hovering on the edge of the Cultivation World.

In Huaxia, with a population of 1.4 billion,

there were only about one in a thousand who were cultivators.

And among them, more than half remained below the Foundation Establishment Stage, and seventy-five percent had not reached the Nascent Soul Stage, and this number also meant that, among the less than one-thousandth of the population who were cultivators, three-quarters were minor fish below the Nascent Soul Stage.

They had their own circles, their own rules, their own codes of conduct, their own pride, and their own confidence.

They seemed to be detached from the social order of ordinary people, yet they were also restricted by it.

For Shen Qiang to grow stronger and advance, it meant that, whether he was willing or not, he would have to deal with them in the future.

Moreover, society has been developing very quickly.

It's different from ancient times.

In ancient times, Cultivators might hide away in some remote mountains, not encountering another of their kind for years, or even decades.

But now, it's different, with convenient transportation and diverse means of communication.

Earth has become like a small village.

Any event, any news, can spread in a very short amount of time.

If necessary, even if separated by thousands of miles, you might find them standing before you a few hours later.

So, to enter this circle blindly is certainly not feasible.

Because the first impression is very important.

Once that impression is formed, it's very difficult to change.

Moreover, it's the same when entering any circle: if your starting point is too low, no matter how hard you work, it's difficult to rise and change people's perception of you.

For example, in a new class or a new job, if you perform poorly right from the start and botch things up, even if you work hard and are diligent afterward, they will still think you're not good.

The same principle applies to the Cultivation World.

The moment you enter the Cultivation World, whatever kind of person you are will be deeply engraved there, just as if someone has given you a nickname that everyone knows; by then, it will be very hard for you to shake it off.

Shen Qiang's starting point is already very high now.

Wanxin Hesheng and Cheng Xinyi, due to business matters, won't discuss Shen Qiang's affairs with outsiders, and the same is true for the Dragon Group's marketplace.

So from the beginning to now, those in the Cultivation World who have come into contact with Shen Qiang probably started with the use of the Nine-Branch Flower Needle Technique; after that, it was Shen Qiang driving out the Life-extending Hall, followed by Shen Qiang declaring he would take down Bianyi, and then the battle with the Zhang Family in Shanghai.

These events have already made a portion of the Cultivation World vaguely aware of Shen Qiang's existence.

They also have a general understanding of Shen Qiang's prowess.

But up until now, Shen Qiang had never truly taken the initiative to establish any connection with the Cultivation World.

Because to be successful within a circle, you must have sufficient strength, and with good popularity and patronage, you will thrive.

Otherwise, if you enter hastily, you'll face setbacks everywhere.

After all, pride runs deep in the bones of every Cultivator; without enough strength, who will care about you?

But now,

Shen Qiang has preliminarily gained the qualifications to truly enter the Cultivation World.

At least within the small circle of Cultivators in Provincial City, Shen Qiang is already considered a top figure.

If he can maintain good relations with Wanxin Hesheng and Cheng Xinyi, with the silent support of the Zhong Family behind him, and the help of the people beside him, it won't be long before Shen Qiang soars to the skies.

By then, with his own Cultivation surpassing the Nascent Soul Stage, surrounded by many strong allies, and being friends with several heirs of prominent families,

How could the Cultivation World not take Shen Qiang seriously?

Who would dare to ignore Shen Qiang's presence?

So now, when seeing Xu Nan, Bai Jiao, and Ji Liangchuan, although each of them is reluctant, sitting together obediently to eat, Shen Qiang knows that the day of his ascent is not far off.

After the meal,

everyone bid farewell and left.

Shen Qiang had a conversation with Kong Richeng for a while. This Kong Richeng, coming from a declined lesser family, only had himself and a cousin as Cultivators in his generation, and while his Cultivation was at the Yang God Realm, his cousin hadn't even entered the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Essentially, there was little difference between him and a Loose Cultivator. Previously, he had always worked as a security supervisor for an Ordinary company, with an annual salary of only a couple hundred thousand. With studying abroad becoming popular in Provincial City, his son also went overseas, found a girlfriend there, and just recently, his son's fiancee, whom he had never met, got pregnant, so he decided to let them get married.

In such a situation, when he heard Bianyi offer him 5.5 million to help his son buy a beautiful residence abroad and hold a decent wedding, with the only condition being to work for three years afterward, he immediately agreed.

After learning of this situation, Shen Qiang smiled and said to him, "Work well with Shen Bian, and you'll become even wealthier."

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