Eternal Life Begins with Learning

Compared to the price of a single Broken Spirit, Chu Mu felt this Imperial Gazette was definitely worth the money.

The Imperial Gazette was published by the colossal Sun Family, and its contents primarily chronicled the major events that had occurred in the Cultivation Immortal Realm over the past ten days.

Of course, "Cultivation Immortal Realm" was just a general term. In the pages of the Imperial Gazette, it essentially referred only to the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World.

By reading the three monthly issues of the Imperial Gazette, Chu Mu was able to piece things together and finally gain a true, clear, and comprehensive understanding of this Cultivation Immortal Realm.

Although the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World was named after Great Chu, it was clear that Great Chu itself was merely a mortal puppet dynasty. It had virtually no presence within the cultivation world.

In all of Great Chu, Longevity reigned supreme!

This "Longevity" referred to the Longevity Sect, the sole sect that ruled over all of Great Chu!

According to legend, the Longevity Sect alone boasted several of the fabled Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators!

It was rumored to have dozens of Golden Core True Masters.

As for experts in the Foundation Establishment Realm, they were simply countless!

If he were to draw a comparison to his past life, the Longevity Sect was like an unprecedentedly centralized dynasty, ruling over everything in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World and the mortal world alike.

But...

Based on the last few months of the Imperial Gazette, as well as what Chu Mu had seen and heard since entering the cultivation world, this "fact," in his opinion, seemed somewhat questionable.

’Where did the Longevity Sect’s power come from?’

’It came from those legendary Nascent Soul Venerables and those dozens of Golden Core True Masters. It was the absolute might of these legendary Great Divine Power Cultivators that granted them absolute rule.’

’Yet, here in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, coexisting with the Longevity Sect, there are also countless Cultivation Immortal Clans, both large and small!’

’Take the Sun Family, for example. They rule this Jade Emperor Valley where I am, as well as dozens of surrounding Marketplaces.’

’From what I’ve managed to find out, the majority of their clan members are part of the Longevity Sect!’

’The Sun Family’s only Golden Core True Master is also one of the Longevity Sect’s numerous Golden Core True Masters.’

’And according to the information revealed in these Gazettes, the Sun Family is just one of the countless clans, large and small, in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World.’

’From this small glimpse, it isn’t hard to infer the true state of affairs for cultivators in Great Chu.’

’It’s a simple comparison: if the Longevity Sect is a centralized dynasty, then the Cultivation Immortal Clans of all sizes that depend on it are like the great aristocratic houses and powerful families—you could even call them feudal lords!’

’After all, here in Jade Emperor Valley, the Longevity Sect’s presence is practically nonexistent.’

’Everything in Jade Emperor Valley is ruled by the Sun Family, like a kingdom within a kingdom. The economy, laws, personnel, and the use of force—it’s all controlled by the Sun Family, not the Longevity Sect.’

’And the Sun Family doesn’t only control Jade Emperor Valley; dozens of surrounding Marketplaces, large and small, are all under their control.’

Furthermore, a considerable number of the Sun Family’s scions held positions within the Longevity Sect. It was an intricate and complex relationship, undoubtedly difficult to untangle.

’If I need to find a backer, then the best option is... to join the Longevity Sect?’

Chu Mu silently pondered. Having been in the cultivation world for so long, he had long since seen reality for what it was.

’In this cultivation world, the path of a Loose Cultivator is too difficult, too treacherous!’

’Even with my two inheritances, even if I slowly grind away to master them, I still have to consider the future realities.’

’Namely, how to turn my knowledge into wealth, and how to access even higher levels of knowledge.’

’According to the laws of this world, both of those things are monopolized.’

’Why was that youth from Qili Village hunted down again and again?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

’It was simply because his inheritance was exposed, and he had no Cultivation and no backing. If it were me, I’d have had malicious thoughts too. In fact, any cultivator would have.’

’After all, in a world where knowledge and resources are so tightly controlled, the slightest sliver of hope is enough to drive any cultivator mad.’

’If I’m exposed, and I have no backer, my fate will surely be worse than that boy’s.’

’What I need is a platform that can guarantee the process of turning my knowledge into wealth won’t be spied upon—or at least, not by the vast majority of people.’

’And this platform must also make it easier for me to access higher-level knowledge and resources.’

As far as he understood the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World, only the Longevity Sect could meet both of these criteria.

As for the Cultivation Immortal Clans, which were bound by the ties of a single bloodline, they were clearly no place for an outsider like him.

Chu Mu opened the Imperial Gazette in his hands, and the major events of the Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world slowly came into view.

The Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world was vast, and there was always much happening.

The most prominent story was that the patriarch of the Changping Niu Family had successfully achieved Core Formation, becoming the Longevity Sect’s eighty-ninth Golden Core True Master!

Of course, no one knew if that number—eighty-nine—was real or not.

Details about the Golden Core celebration and related banquets were all laid out clearly.

Following that were other matters from various regions, such as a location being attacked by Evil Cultivators, wanted notices for certain cultivators, the appearance of a rare treasure somewhere, or a mysterious, great fog appearing in another place.

"Hm?"

Startled, Chu Mu focused his gaze. The word "Jingmen" was perfectly clear!

A mysterious great fog has appeared for the seventh time over the surface of East Lake, suspected to be an Ancient Cultivator’s Secret Realm...

Jingmen, East Lake, and a mysterious great fog on the water—there could be no mistake.

This news was about the very same mysterious fog he had personally experienced!

He had even been drawn into the fog, only to be thrown back out!

That mysterious Jade Scroll, along with the one Elder Li had given him, were still hidden away on Jade Pillar Mountain.

"Jingmen..."

Chu Mu frowned, the thought of returning to Jingmen surfacing once more.

After a moment of contemplation, Chu Mu suppressed the thought again.

’No matter what that mysterious fog on the lake is hiding, be it a Secret Realm or an inheritance, it has little to do with me right now.’

’Since this anomaly has been published in the Imperial Gazette, it’s obvious that countless cultivators will be flocking to Jingmen.’

’Jingmen has surely become a swirling vortex of chaos.’

’Even if that kid Xu Yuan had a Divine Appearance, he hasn’t refined any Magical Power, so he won’t emit any Spiritual Radiance. As long as he doesn’t do anything out of line, he shouldn’t attract any cultivators’ attention. I don’t need to worry too much about him.’

After pondering for a moment, Chu Mu closed the Imperial Gazette, pulled open his desk drawer, and revealed a wooden box.

He opened the wooden box to reveal a series of palm-sized compartments. Nearly half of them were filled with various types of grain.

There were ordinary mortal grains, as well as some Spirit Grains he had gradually purchased over the past few months.

The mortal grains were easy to come by. Here at Li’s Ore Materials, the workers like him ate common grains for every meal, except for their one serving of Spirit Rice at the end of the month. No one would notice if he took a little from the kitchen.

The only rare items in the wooden box were, of course, the several types of Spirit Grain.

There were six types of Spirit Grain in total, each in small quantities. The largest portion was no more than half a tael.

But this Spirit Grain, amounting to less than a single meal’s worth, had cost him nearly four Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

Over five months, his total income had been one hundred and ninety-three Broken Spirits.

To practice his Fireball Skill, he had to give Wang Mazi two Lower Grade Spirit Stones every month, which amounted to ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones over five months.

Of the remaining ninety-three Broken Spirits, he had spent thirty-eight on these six types of Spirit Grain.

In addition, he spent fifteen Broken Spirits practicing the Fireball Skill at the Magic Experiment Hall. Other miscellaneous expenses, such as the Imperial Gazette and daily cultivation consumables, added up to another twenty Broken Spirits.

After five months of hard work, his net worth had soared to a grand total of two Lower Grade Spirit Stones.

Gazing at the Spirit Grain before him and clutching the Spirit Stones in his hand, Chu Mu felt somewhat dazed.

’What have I even accomplished?’

’I’ve wasted so much time in this cultivation world, and it feels like all I’ve really done is buy the first level of the Blazing Fire Technique and the manual for the Fireball Skill. Seriously, that’s it.’

’And I’ve been running around in circles for so long, just for this one technique and one skill... Even now, I’m still running in circles... If nothing changes, I’ll just keep spinning my wheels in the future, with no end in sight...’

’After all, to advance my Cultivation, I’ll have to buy the next level of the Cultivation Technique, buy other Magic, buy the corresponding knowledge for all of it, go to the Magic Experiment Hall to practice, and on and on...’

’It’s an endless cycle. This Jade Emperor Valley is a veritable money pit. Once you’re in, every single thing costs Spirit Stones!’

’I bet that under Jade Emperor Valley’s interlocking system of rules, even the God of Wealth himself would be skinned alive...’

’And me... when will I ever save up enough Spirit Stones and find the right connections to turn my two inheritances into wealth?’

"I’ll start with you!"

After a long daze, Chu Mu seemed to come to a realization. His expression firmed with resolve, and his gaze locked onto the Spirit Grain before him.

’I have a Cultivation Technique, and I’ve practiced a Magic Skill.’

After stumbling along for so long, he had finally mastered the basics of being a cultivator.

’From now on, my focus has to be on the Puppetry Skill and the Alchemy Skill.’

’I have no foundation in the Puppetry Skill; I’m lacking too much of the fundamental knowledge. Even if I had the Spirit Stones, it’s not a gap I could close overnight.’

’I can only accumulate that knowledge slowly. There’s no use in rushing it.’

’The only thing I can pin my hopes on right now is the Alchemy Skill that Elder Li left me.’

’From what I’ve gathered, Elder Li obviously wasn’t some profound Alchemist. The Alchemy Skill inheritance he left behind only centers on the most basic pill in the cultivation world: the Grain Avoidance Pill.’

’Alchemy is bound to be incredibly expensive—the value of this tiny bit of Spirit Grain in front of me is clear proof of that.’

’But no matter how expensive, it’s knowledge I can learn and apply right now. And knowledge can be turned into wealth.’

’And what I lack is wealth!’

...