Eternal Life Begins with Learning

’No street vendors?’

Chu Mu gazed at the orderly street, lost in thought.

He didn’t linger, instead stepping into the crowd and walking cautiously down the street.

However, Chu Mu paid less attention to the Cultivators on the street and more to the shops lining it.

Elixirs, Ore Materials, Magical Artifacts, medicinal herbs, Talismans, Magic...

Some sold finished goods, some sold raw materials, and others sold knowledge. There were also all sorts of other businesses, like pawnshops and inns...

Chu Mu even saw... a brothel...

The entire Cultivation Immortal Realm was clearly reflected in these storefronts.

Of course, while Chu Mu noticed these things, they weren’t his main focus.

His main focus was on the job postings in the various shops.

He was a newcomer with nothing to his name.

’How am I supposed to get by?’

Chu Mu’s face was impassive, but inwardly he was at a loss for words.

’In my past life, I worked my whole life away. When I came to this world, I landed a stable position. It was a lot of work, but at least it was secure.’

’And now, after all that painstaking Cultivation to enter the Cultivation Immortal Realm, the very first thing I have to do... is find a job?’

’Is there any way to avoid getting a job?’

Chu Mu considered this seriously, taking stock of his strengths, weaknesses, and what little he knew.

He quickly came to a conclusion.

’I have nothing, no special skills, and I’m completely clueless...’

’It looks like getting a job is really my only option!’

’And even then... there’s no guarantee anyone would hire me.’

There were many job postings along the street, and without exception, they all had Cultivation level requirements.

’It’s just like diplomas in my past life. No degree, and it’s a non-starter.’

’What kind of work doesn’t need a "diploma"?’

’Hard labor, I guess.’

Chu Mu stopped and looked at a "Help Wanted" sign at an Ore Materials shop diagonally across the street.

Mining...

Minimum Cultivation requirement... Divine Appearance...

Chu Mu lingered for a moment, committing the shop to memory before continuing down the street.

Before long, Chu Mu stopped in front of a tall building.

People streamed in and out of the building, making it far more bustling than any other shop on the street.

The building had no sign, but from the chatter of Cultivators coming and going, Chu Mu formed a rough idea of its purpose.

Stepping into the main hall, the sight that greeted him made even Chu Mu stop and stare.

The hall was spacious. Huge screens hung high overhead, flashing with colorful text. Below them was a ring of counters where uniformly dressed men and women bustled about.

’Cultivators... trade stocks?’

After a closer look, Chu Mu immediately dismissed the absurd idea.

’Is this... a job market for the Cultivation Immortal Realm?’

The colorful text on the large screens was indeed a stream of job postings. While many were the same as the ones he’d seen on the street, there were many other options as well.

Chu Mu also noticed that mixed in with the job postings were various tasks.

There were bounties for rare medicinal herbs, for Magic and Cultivation Techniques... Chu Mu even saw one looking for Dao Companions...

After observing in silence for a long time, Chu Mu retreated to a corner of the hall. He fiddled with his ring unconsciously, his mind racing.

’This is, without a doubt, a gathering place for Cultivators.’

’And while it’s not exactly what I imagined, the basic structure is the same.’

’This Jade Emperor Valley is a settlement with rules that restrain Cultivators.’

’According to the young man at the entrance, fighting is strictly forbidden within the valley. The penalty for violators is having their soul extracted to be lit as a lamp.’

It was highly unlikely that he was lying.

’But... this ban on fighting is limited to Jade Emperor Valley.’

’And... most of the jobs I’ve seen are for locations outside Jade Emperor Valley.’

Chu Mu pursed his lips, a feeling of helplessness washing over him.

’Based on what I’ve seen and heard, and my own situation, it seems this is the only first step I can take.’

Chu Mu watched the Cultivators coming and going through the hall, observing them silently.

’Could I be the only newcomer here in Jade Emperor Valley?’

’Judging by that man’s attitude, people like me—independents who’ve just stumbled into the Cultivation Immortal Realm—seem to be a common sight...’

’"Those who have not entered the Qi Cultivation Realm are not permitted to stay in the valley overnight."’

Chu Mu gently stroked the ring on his hand, looking toward the valley exit, lost in thought.

Chu Mu left the hall and returned to the street. He kept to the side, moving like a ghost and trying his best not to draw any attention.

Jade Emperor Valley, this gathering place for Cultivators, was far larger than he had imagined.

Although two main streets ran through the entire valley, the valley itself was huge. Its footprint was probably no smaller than the Commandery Cities he had seen along his journey.

Crisscrossing side streets were also lined with a wide variety of shops and the residences of Cultivators.

However, the residences along the main street were clearly much grander in scale and construction than the houses by the lake.

The Spiritual Light and Runes glittering on the houses were also clearly superior.

But what puzzled Chu Mu was that the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the valley wasn’t much stronger than what he had sensed outside. In fact, perhaps because there were so many Cultivators, the concentration was even a little weaker.

’That clearly doesn’t make sense.’

’After all, Cultivators depend on Spiritual Qi. If the concentration in Jade Emperor Valley is lower than in the mountains outside, why would it become a hub for them?’

Chu Mu pondered this, but his limited knowledge offered no clear answers.

He didn’t wander for too long. With nearly an hour left of his allotted time, Chu Mu walked along the main street, heading out of Jade Emperor Valley.

Outside the valley, the brilliant lights instantly gave way to a dead, silent darkness.

Before him were still cliffs, and all around were still mountains.

The valley, the great lake, the small town—it all felt like an illusion.

Chu Mu didn’t go far from the entrance. He found a large tree and climbed up it.

He didn’t rest. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the entrance to Jade Emperor Valley.

The man in white, the boy from Qili Village, the Clan Cultivators hunting that boy... all of it had left him with a deep-seated distrust for the character of Cultivators.

’If possible, I really don’t want to interact with any Cultivators until I have some way to protect myself.’

But clearly, things weren’t going to go as he wished.

Right now, if he didn’t make contact, there was a limit to what he could learn just by wandering around the valley.

And if he didn’t learn, he couldn’t do anything.

’The safest method is to find others like me, who’ve just entered the Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’I just don’t know if there are any in Jade Emperor Valley.’

He waited until his ring flashed, signaling that his time was up.

The cliff face in his vision remained just a cliff, completely unchanged.

It seemed things hadn’t gone his way once again.

Chu Mu rubbed his forehead, looking slightly weary.

’I found the Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’But... how do I fit in?’

’I have no Cultivation Method, no Magic... which means I have no way to protect myself.’

’I have one Spirit Stone—no, based on what I just saw, it should be called a Broken Spirit. Its purchasing power... is pitiful. I basically can’t buy anything useful with it.’

’Without enough Spirit Stones, I have no way to obtain the knowledge I want through trade.’

’Without a basic understanding of the Cultivation Immortal Realm, I can’t even determine if something is... good or bad.’

’"Getting a job" is currently the only way to break this impasse.’

’Through short-term manual labor, I can earn some Spirit Stones, accumulate some knowledge, and then, formally integrate into the Cultivation Immortal Realm.’

’But... I don’t even have that basic knowledge. How can I tell what’s risky and what isn’t?’

The ignorant know no fear.

He had seen it far too often, both in Nanshan Town and in Jingmen County.

But he was afraid. He knew fear.

’After all... who cares if I live or die?’

...