’It was just a transaction, after all.’ After a quick look through the register, he soon picked out a few candidates. He met with them one by one, eliminating those who didn’t suit his tastes, and finally settled on a single young concubine.

Then, the two of them signed a Spirit Contract.

According to the terms of the Spirit Contract, her service would last until she turned fifty. During this period, Lü Zhong was to provide her with monthly Pills appropriate for her current cultivation, along with a suitable place to train that was rich in Spiritual Qi. In return, the concubine had to offer up her Yin Yuan for Lü Zhong’s cultivation needs and fulfill the other duties stipulated in the contract.

Lü Zhong led the lovely concubine out the main gate, immediately drawing many stares.

The concubine’s name was Bai Ling. She was eighteen years old and had cultivated at the Jade Flower Sect for four years. Her current cultivation was at the Second Level of Qi Refining. Like Lü Zhong, her aptitude was Four Spirit Roots, but she lacked a Fire Spirit Root.

According to her, she came from a mortal family in the Outer Ring Workshop District. Her parents later died in a workshop accident, so while still young, she had no choice but to join the Jade Flower Sect to survive.

When Lü Zhong spoke with her, Bai Ling blushed the entire time, but she was able to reply in a sweet, delicate voice and didn’t resist his touch. Just as her file stated, she had a gentle disposition. Taking a female cultivator like her back as a concubine would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble.

As for her skills, besides the necessary oral techniques, she only knew the Jade Flower Technique, a Dual Cultivation Technique. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

’After all, I’m just looking for a concubine,’ Lü Zhong thought. ’I’m not looking for any flashy but impractical skills. A concubine who knows Alchemy is still just a concubine. Do I really expect her to earn Spirit Stones for me?’

’She’s just a tool, anyway. As long as she can meet my needs, that’s all that matters.’

"Listen up. As long as you know your place, I won’t treat you unfairly."

"Yes, Master," Bai Ling replied quickly.

On the way, Bai Ling reminded Lü Zhong that just bringing a concubine home wouldn’t be enough.

’Since that’s the case,’ Lü Zhong thought, ’I might as well buy a few more people to take back. After all, the estate is huge, and daily upkeep is a hassle. Besides, more people will liven the place up, so it won’t feel as cold and deserted as a tomb all the time.’

So he made another trip and spent nearly a hundred Spirit Stones, buying a strapping female Barbarian slave and three servant girls who could read and write. The female Barbarian slave alone cost him fifty Spirit Stones.

The "Barbarian" in Southern Barbarian Land referred to the Barbarian Race tribes native to the region. They were the original inhabitants. After being educated, a portion of them became civilized. Unlike the Wildborn Tribes, who still revered the Witch Dao, these Civilized Barbarians preferred to associate with the Human Race. And because some tribes had physical appearances that appealed to cultivators, they were often taken as slaves.

For instance, the Manqi that Lü Zhong had bought was from the Fox Barbarian tribe.

Her appearance closely matched that of the legendary fox maidens, but she was not of the Demon Race; their looks were merely similar. She was enormous, standing nearly eleven feet tall. Although there was no reproductive barrier between humans and barbarians, few men wanted anything to do with them—aside from a few eccentric cultivators with a taste for giantesses.

Lü Zhong chose Manqi because he valued her great strength; she could handle all the heavy lifting and carrying.

...

After settling Mei Xiang’s payment, she thanked him and left.

A while later, Lü Zhong summoned a Beast Vehicle. Considering Manqi was exceptionally large, he made a point of calling for a second one. After all, even if he was going to work her like an animal for the rest of her life, it wouldn’t do to treat her too poorly from the start. He had to at least make a good first impression.

By the time they returned to Immortal Intent Square, the estate had been completely transformed.

Not only had the dilapidated areas been fully repaired, but even the once-empty courtyard was now filled with flowers and greenery.

Li Hejun approached with her Spirit-Hosted Puppet. When she saw the five women Lü Zhong had brought back, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. However, upon hearing them address her as "First Madam," she broke into a wide smile.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel some animosity toward Bai Ling.

After all, Bai Ling was genuinely young and beautiful, and an Immortal Master who possessed a Spirit Root.

"Alright, you all can chat. I’m heading to the backyard," Lü Zhong said to the chattering flock of women.

The backyard was where he planned to set up his cultivation area. He would not only deploy a Protective Array but also establish numerous Prohibitions, turning it into a sanctuary that no one else would be allowed to enter.

Considering he was still unable to perform Array Formation on his own—especially for a Tier Two Defense Array—Lü Zhong planned to head out later to buy a Tier Two Array Map. He would then modify it, thereby achieving his goal of creating a custom prohibitory array.

There were many advantages to this approach. It would allow him to set up the Array according to the terrain, maximizing its power. The results would be far superior to simply buying a pre-made Array Flag Array Disc set. At the same time, he could draw upon the Power of the Earth Veins, which would help conserve the Spirit Stones the Array consumed.

Most importantly, a modified array like this offered the highest level of security. It would prevent an enemy who acquired a similar Array Map from easily discovering its weaknesses and breaking through it.

Lü Zhong remained busy for the better part of a year, only finally finishing his work as autumn began.