Lacking immortal stones, pills, and cultivation methods—this is the reality for nearly all grassroots Immortals.
If you only lack stones and pills, you can still slowly cultivate—after all, Immortals live long lives. But if you lack methods, then even with stones and pills, breaking through is nearly impossible.
That’s why, among all resources, cultivation methods matter most.
Likewise, the quality of your method decides how strong you are at the same realm.
If your cultivation method is powerful, your combat strength is strong; if your method is weak, your combat strength is weak.
This is exactly why the major powers of the Langya Immortal World can rule: they control the top-tier methods, and with no shortage of resources, they can train more experts.
The more experts they produce, the more stable their power—and the more resources they get.
On the other hand, grassroots Immortals who lack methods are lucky to reach the Earth Immortal realm. If someone makes it to Golden Immortal, they’re either an absolute genius or have joined a major power as a servant or slave—otherwise, reaching Profound Immortal is basically impossible.
But now, Ian Song has actually placed dozens of high-grade methods—enough to reach Golden Immortal—inside the cultivation tower. Instantly, every resident who hears the news wants to rush in.
Seeing the chaos, a Profound Immortal from the City Lord’s Mansion steps out to maintain order, announcing that as long as Flamecrest City stands, the cultivation tower will stay open.
Even so, the Immortals gathered outside refuse to leave—they all want to see those methods as soon as possible.
A few days pass.
Word spreads fast: just join Flamecrest City and you can view high-grade methods up to Golden Immortal for free. Immortals from nearby cities flock to Flamecrest, begging to join.
So in less than ten days, Flamecrest’s population hits more than fifty million.
This leaves the surrounding cities nearly empty.
Which makes those city lords seriously annoyed—but none of them dare mess with Flamecrest’s boss.
City lords farther away, hearing the news, panic that their people will run off to Flamecrest, so they slash taxes to try and keep their residents.
But honestly, the lure of methods that reach Golden Immortal is just too strong. As long as you join Flamecrest, you get them—so even lowering taxes can’t make people stay.
A month later—
Flamecrest City’s population tops ninety million.
Two months later, Flamecrest City’s population reaches 120 million.
Three months later, the population hits 150 million.
Four months later, it climbs to 170 million.
Half a year in, Flamecrest officially breaks the 200 million mark.
At the same time, Ian Song orders that from now on, new residents won’t get free housing from the City Lord’s Mansion.
With this decree, all two hundred million Flamecrest citizens feel lucky and proud—there’s a real sense of ‘I’m a Flamecrest citizen, and I’m proud of it.’
Meanwhile, during these six months, lots of the first wave who entered the cultivation tower have broken through to the Earth Immortal realm.
More than twenty thousand have made the breakthrough.
A few days later—
The City Lord’s Mansion announces a recruitment order: City Lord Ian Song is forming a City Guard Army. Any Earth Immortal who joins gets an annual salary of 5,000 immortal stones plus twelve top-grade Immortal Essence Pills.
Such generous terms are a huge temptation for those newly advanced Earth Immortals.
So on the very first day, over ten thousand Earth Immortals show up to apply.
After three days, more than twenty-four thousand have signed up.
Next, Ian appoints Adrian Moon as commander of the City Guard, with Queenie Green and Piper Willow as deputy commanders. He also assigns twenty-four Profound Immortals as thousand-man captains.
As for the hundred-man captains, Ian picks Golden Immortal demon cultivators from inside the Divine Temple.
Back when he left the Immortal-Heroic World, he brought back hundreds of thousands of demon cultivators.
Now, every one of these demon cultivators has advanced—with the best reaching Golden Immortal, and many others even Profound Immortal.
For now, though, he’s not planning to reveal this demon army. He keeps them inside the Divine Temple for secluded training.
Maybe in the future, they’ll become one of his secret legions.
For internal affairs at the City Lord’s Mansion, Ian leaves things to Lena Wei and Raina Quinn—both are pretty good at management anyway.
Suddenly, Ian remembers something—he still has that three-year duel appointment with Brandon Longwind.
Looks like it’s almost time. He wonders if that guy even has the guts to show up.
Probably not—after all, Ian once killed a third-layer Ancestral Immortal with a single sword. That story’s spread everywhere, and as a Longwind Family member, Brandon definitely knows.
Ten days later—
Over a hundred pill shops run by the City Lord’s Mansion open across Flamecrest City all at once.
The shops only sell top-grade Immortal Origin Pills and Immortal Essence Pills, and any Flamecrest citizen gets a twenty percent discount.
One top-grade Immortal Origin Pill sells for two hundred immortal stones.
With the discount, that’s forty stones off—so on opening day alone, over a hundred million Origin Pills are sold, plus tens of millions of Essence Pills.
Business is absolutely booming.
After that, sales aren’t quite as crazy, but every day they still move tens of millions of pills.
To boost Flamecrest’s prosperity, Ian issues another decree: anyone who opens a shop in Flamecrest within three years gets three years tax-free.
So in the next month, storefronts spring up everywhere—over ten thousand new shops in total.
A few months later—
Ian gets a report from a subordinate: there’s an Immortal named Brandon Longwind outside asking to see him.
"He actually came?"
Ian is genuinely surprised.
It’s been three years, and Brandon has reached the second-layer Ancestral Immortal realm. Even so, Ian doesn’t see him as a threat.
"Brother Longwind really keeps his word!"
Ian says with a smile.
"Hmph! You killed my blood brother. I can’t let that go!" Brandon says coldly.
"But you’re just not my match," Ian says, shaking his head.
"I know!"
"If you know, why come here just to die?"
"I’m a Longwind. I can’t let you look down on me. Even if I die, I won’t disgrace the Longwind name!"
Ian falls silent for a moment. "Forget it. You should just leave."
"Draw your sword. I know you have a divine sword!"
Brandon Longwind pulls the unsheathed sword from his back and points it at Ian.
"Why put yourself through this?"
"Enough talk—fight!"
As soon as the words fall, Brandon swings his sword and attacks, his Ancestral Immortal Dao manifesting behind him.
Bang!
Ian raises his hand and slaps out a palm, sending Brandon flying.
Ian’s face grows cold. "I’m giving you one last chance—leave, or I’ll have to kill you!"
"Again!"
Brandon shouts and charges again, sword swinging.
Ian has no choice but to finish him off. He can tell Brandon’s head is just too stubborn—if he spares him, he still won’t leave.