Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

After his lunch, Chen Li braved the rain and made a trip to Zhang Yan’s house to inquire about his plans.

This time, Zhang Yan was straightforward.

Without any hesitation, he quickly agreed, which surprised Chen Li.

"You’re not going to think it over?" Chen Li asked curiously.

This wasn’t like Zhang Yan at all!

Too decisive.

"What’s there to consider? I’m not stupid. Recently, many people have moved to the foot of the mountain. If you hadn’t come to me, I was just about to discuss this with you. It seems we think alike," Zhang Yan said.

"That’s great!" Chen Li stood up and said, preparing to take his leave, "The situation is getting more chaotic by the day; it’s safer to live at the foot of the mountain."

...

The spring rain drizzled down incessantly.

Every year at this season, the basement would become damp, and water would drip severely from the rock layers. Moreover, since he would be moving tomorrow, Chen Li simply gave himself a day off.

Although he was taking a day off, there were still a few neither large nor small matters to attend to.

The first was the purchase of Blood Ink.

The Golden Light Body Protection Talisman was a First Order Ninth Grade talisman, the highest level talisman during the Qi Cultivation Stage. To draw such a talisman, one must use Second-Order Blood Ink. Ordinary commonly used First-Order Blood Ink simply couldn’t be used to craft such talismans.

While there were practitioners of Complete Qi Cultivation, in a certain sense, they were still considered within the scope of the Ninth Layer of Qi Cultivation—merely in a state where their cultivation had reached the peak of the Ninth Layer, not a separate stage classification.

The second thing was to purchase a batch of various cultivation supplies, such as elixirs, to be prepared for any unexpected situation. Once war broke out, the sect’s supply of these strategic resources would inevitably be disrupted.

What worried him most was the Foundation Establishment Elixir. He didn’t know whether the sect would continue to supply it normally under the current circumstances.

Although he already had one, it clearly wasn’t safe.

After informing Zhou Hong, Chen Li donned his straw raincoat and hat and walked into the curtain of rain. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The streets were deserted, with only the occasional passerby in a hurry.

He hurried to the elixir shop, handing his raincoat and hat over to the greeter.

"Shopkeeper, the prices of Qi and Blood Elixirs and Qi Replenishing Pills haven’t increased, have they?" Chen Li asked.

Truthfully, with his level of cultivation, the effects of these elixirs were becoming weaker and weaker; at best, they were better than nothing.

Just like the Qi and Blood Elixir, its effects were nowhere near as good as Second-Order Demon Beast Meat.

Unfortunately, Second-Order Demon Beast Meat was a rare item everywhere. Over the past six months, he hadn’t seen anyone selling it. After finishing the supply of Second-Order Demon Beast Meat he had at home, Chen Li had once again resorted to buying Qi and Blood Elixirs as a substitute.

"It’s still the old price. How much do you want to buy?"

"Let’s go with one hundred and fifty bottles of each!" Chen Li thought it over and said, one hundred and fifty bottles would be half a year’s supply.

"That will be three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones in total!"

After paying, Chen Li rushed to the talisman shop and bought five jars of Second-Order Blood Ink at fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones per jar, estimating it would last a long time. Finally, he made a trip to the sect’s rice shop and purchased five hundred catties of mid-grade Spirit Rice before returning home.

...

Nightfall.

In the talisman creation room.

Chen Li picked up a book on the Yuan Magnetism Evasion Skill and began to study.

The Yuan Magnetism Evasion Skill was a First Order Ninth Grade technique that utilized the force of the earth’s magnetism to glide through air and land while flying, its speed making it one of the top-flight skills during the Qi Cultivation Stage.

Though he already possessed the Wind Control Skill and furthermore, had upgraded it to Grandmaster level, the effect was comparable to a Second Order Level One technique and in terms of speed, it far exceeded that of flying with the finest flying sword. Learning another flight skill seemed somewhat redundant.

However, after much contemplation, Chen Li decided to learn it anyway.

The essence of the Wind Control Skill was merely a First Order Level Seven technique, two grades lower than the Yuan Magnetism Evasion Skill. Even at its peak, it would be just a Second Order Level Two technique, while the Yuan Magnetism Evasion Skill, if mastered, could reach Second Order Level Four.

In the future, the two techniques could transition smoothly with one taking over where the other left off.

"It’s a pity I haven’t been able to get my hands on the Golden Light Body Protection Skill," Chen Li sighed inwardly, "The Yu Family might have it, but to actively ask for it would mean owing them more favors... Sigh, I’ll wait and see, maybe I can find it at an auction!"

...

The next morning, the rain had stopped.

Chen Li and Zhou Hong left their house and met with Zhang Yan to head down to the foot of the mountain, where they found the person in charge of housing rentals.

"You Loose Cultivators are all ungrateful wretches; at the slightest sign of trouble, you scurry away faster than anyone. Had it not been for the sect providing cultivation resources and protection, you wouldn’t have your current peace. You should be grateful," the person in charge, who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, began lecturing Zhang Yan about moving here from Luoluo City with a long face, prattling on, "It’s only because the sect has fallen on hard times. Back when the Golden Core Ancestor was around..."

"You old man, I just want to rent a house, what’s with all the nonsense?" Chen Li interrupted.

The person in charge huffed and stopped criticizing them, though he kept a sullen face for the whole process thereafter and acted obnoxiously old-fashioned when describing the properties.

The group eventually chose a house near the outer perimeter and settled in.

"Was that old man on the wrong pills or what?" Zhou Hong complained as soon as the old man left, having been infuriated the whole way.

"After all, he is one of the sect’s people; considering the current situation, it’s only natural he’s anxious. Just ignore it," Chen Li remarked.

It was rare for the sect to recruit outside Loose Cultivators—the disciples were groomed from a young age, and they often shared the sect’s fortunes and misfortunes with extremely high loyalty to the sect. A sect elder like him, used to former glories, couldn’t easily come to terms with the current decline.

"Sigh, ever since the Golden Core Ancestor of the sect passed away, this region has never been peaceful," Zhang Yan sighed with furrowed brows, "Nobody has an easy time!"