Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Two days whizzed by, and it was time for the entrance ceremony.

Early in the morning, Chen Li, with Zhou Hong attending to him, purified and cleaned himself, then donned the Returning True Sect’s robe.

Accompanied by a senior Foundation Establishment cultivator, he ascended the mountain on foot, climbing from the foot of the mountain, one step at a time. On both sides of the mountain path stood the Qi Cultivation disciples of the Returning True Sect, appearing like a long, winding dragon.

The atmosphere was bustling.

This was a public debut; from now on, he would be a Guest Elder of the Returning True Sect, and would remain so for at least twenty years.

Most of these Sect Disciples had been cultivated since they were children. Many of them were still young boys and girls, aged eleven or twelve. When they looked at Chen Li, their faces showed both reverence and envy, along with a bit of admiration.

The gap between Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment may only be one tier, but it seemed like a chasm as vast as the heavens. Even for Sect Disciples, the majority here were fated never to step into it. How could they not feel reverence and envy towards Foundation Establishment?

Chen Li spotted Zhou Hong and Zhang Shuniang among the crowd.

Zhou Hong waved at him frantically, excitement written all over her face.

Chen Li looked at her and nodded with a smile.

Escorted by the senior Foundation Establishment cultivator, he walked step by step to the entrance of the council hall where the affairs Sect Leader Xia Hongyi had already been waiting, and at the same time, more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators had come to observe the ceremony.

Because he was becoming a Guest Elder, the entrance ceremony didn’t involve too many elaborate and tedious rituals. He simply knelt and kowtowed three times in front of the spiritual tablets of past Sect Leaders and Elders, and the simple ceremony was thus concluded.

The Returning True Sect had been established for over six hundred years.

They had produced four Golden Core cultivators in total.

An average of one every one hundred and fifty years.

The current Sect Leader was the third generation.

They had never had a break in Golden Core succession.

Of course, on the other hand, if there had been a break, they wouldn’t have lasted until now.

Introduced by Xia Hongyi, Chen Li greeted each Foundation Establishment’s presence, and each one returned the greeting in turn.

About ten Qi Cultivation disciples came in to remove the offering table and tidy up a bit before replacing it with an assortment of Spirit Fruits and refreshments. The atmosphere lightened, and seizing this opportunity, everyone began to connect, chatting and discussing various topics.

"I recently traced a Second Order Demon Beast, but I’m not confident I can handle it alone. Is there a Fellow Daoist who would like to join me?" a Foundation Establishment cultivator said. This person, surnamed Feng and named Qi, had a middle-aged face and a robust figure that gave off a strong oppressive aura.

For some reason, a persistent medicinal scent lingered around him.

"You’re out of money again!" someone joked immediately.

"Heh, my Cultivation Technique is a real money sink, no matter how much I have," Feng Qi said with a wry smile. "I can’t compare to other Fellow Daoists."

"How will the loot be divided?"

"Old rules — based on contribution!" Feng Qi said. "If Fellow Daoist Xiao is willing to go, I’m willing to give up sixty percent."

Fellow Daoist Xiao, surnamed Xiao and named Yuan, appeared old and one of the six mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Returning True Sect. He seemed somewhat tempted, but still cautiously said, "Two’s not enough, three would be better, safer that way."

"Then three it is. Any other Fellow Daoists willing to go?"

Soon another joined them.

"Good, the three of us will set off this afternoon. If all goes well, we should be back by tonight," Feng Qi said, slapping his thigh excitedly.

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist Feng, where is your cave dwelling? I’m planning on visiting to buy some Second Order Demon Beast Meat," Chen Li interjected from the side.

He had been out of Second Order Demon Beast Meat for quite some time.

"That’s easy to arrange," Feng Qi said, his face breaking into a full smile as he sensed business coming his way. He then shared the location of his cave dwelling with Chen Li. "I see you’re also a Body Refinement cultivator, Fellow Daoist Chen. Perhaps we can exchange a few pointers."

"My humble cultivation is hardly worthy of such an exchange," Chen Li quickly responded with a bow.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Chen, you’re too modest!"

The conversation eventually steered toward local affairs.

"Affairs Sect Leader, I hear that the Hongshan Sect and the Heavenly Star Sect are clashing over the demarcation of territories again," an elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator mentioned.

"Well, since we’ve ceded the land to them, let them fight. Best if they fight to the death. That place is a quagmire; lucky we pulled out early!" Xia Hongyi answered with a faint smile. "Though the area here borders the Barbaric Wilderness and is a bit desolate, it’s at least quiet and free from unnecessary troubles."

"The ancestors foresaw the troubles well!"

...

Through the narratives of everyone, Chen Li gained a better understanding of the surrounding situation. Unlike this wilderness, the central region of the Barbaric Wilderness was undoubtedly much busier and more prosperous, with the various sects jostling for a space. Where there are people, there is Jianghu, there are disputes over interests, and there are grudges.

Frictions between the sects were incessant.

From time to time, confrontations were inevitable.

Incidents like the extermination of the Longevity Sect, while not daily occurrences in the central Wilderness, were not uncommon either.

Everybody was engrossed in the conversation, and it continued until they enjoyed a banquet at noon. With that, the entrance ceremony came to an end. Although Chen Li was the main focus of the ceremony, he behaved appropriately, spoke little, and didn’t stand out.

...

That evening, Chen Li paid a visit to Feng Qi’s cave dwelling.

Feng Qi had returned from his hunt, unscathed and full of vigor.

Unlike his open and generous demeanor that morning, he was somewhat cold and perfunctory in private, evidently holding some pride in his status and looking down on a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator like Chen Li.

It was not until Chen Li mentioned buying two thousand pounds of Demon Beast Meat.

A hint of warmth crept into his smile.

...

"Certainly not cheap at all!" Chen Li thought to himself as he made his way back home.

Two thousand pounds of Second Order Demon Beast Meat cost him forty Mid-grade Spirit Stones.

That was two Low-grade Spirit Stones per pound; even he felt a twinge of pain over the expenditure.

"After entering Foundation Establishment, spending money becomes like pouring water. If it’s always outgoing with nothing coming in, my savings won’t last long like this!" Chen Li mused.

He had already inquired about it.

For the initial phase of Foundation Establishment cultivation, one bottle of Gathering Qi Elixirs requires three mid-grade Spirit Stones.

Calculating at six bottles per month,

That’s eighteen mid-grade Spirit Stones.

Of course, as part of his compensation as a Guest Elder, he could collect one bottle for free each month.

Even so, he would need fifteen mid-grade Spirit Stones every month.

A year would amount to one hundred and eighty.

Plus the meat of Second Order Demon Beasts, along with other various miscellaneous expenses, the annual cost is estimated to require as much as two hundred and fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones.

"Hiss!"

It didn’t seem significant until it was calculated, which gave quite a scare.

He had only around three thousand four hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones remaining in his possession.

It would all be spent in less than fourteen years.

He had two hundred and twenty-two years left to live, minus the fourteen years, which left two hundred and eight years. How was he to get by?

"Alas, still poor!" Chen Li sighed.

"But let’s first focus on increasing my strength. Making money is not urgent for the moment. In this world, the strong are revered after all. There’s no stability anywhere, and without strength, one bad step and you may not even survive fourteen years."

...

In the following days, Chen Li began his closed-door cultivation, not stepping outside.

Whether it was the difficulty of cultivation post-Foundation Establishment or genuinely insufficient aptitude, his cultivation progress was extremely slow. After more than a month of consecutive cultivation and consuming three bottles of Gathering Qi Elixir, there was still no change in his progression.

During this time, he managed to successfully study the Evil-Breaking Skill and the Penetrating Vision Skill before and after respectively.

...

It must be said, as a Second Order Level One technique, the Penetrating Vision Skill was quite powerful.

Under the effect of the technique, he could easily see through walls, and even half a meter deep into stone ground. What’s more miraculous was that the technique could automatically adjust the depth of penetration to see exactly what he wished to see.

It was like having automatic focus.

"Uncle, what are you looking at?" Zhang Shuniang asked curiously while wiping the table.

"I’m testing a new technique," Chen Li explained.

This technique, just like the Invisibility Technique, was somewhat indecorous, so it was better not to let others know about it; otherwise, they might think him a sleaze.

"Oh! No wonder your eyes are sparkling," Zhang Shuniang didn’t dare to ask further, only feeling that the gaze from her uncle was quite intimidating, almost as if it were tangible.

’Does it shine when I use the technique?’ Chen Li pondered in silence. This was quite a significant disadvantage.

Not stealthy enough.

It could easily give away his position.

"However, this technique is really..."

He restrained his wildly beating heart and walked out of his cave dwelling, looking left and right with a face full of novelty.

Everywhere his gaze reached, whether inside a large tree or underneath the ground, nothing could escape his vision.

On the narrow mountain path in the distance, one or two youthful Qi Cultivation disciples occasionally passed by, each brimming with youth. Watching these people, Chen Li felt as if he himself had aged.

He watched for a good while until the effect of the technique began to wobble, signaling its imminent end, and then he prepared to return to his cave dwelling.

"Hey, this Penetrating Vision Skill can actually see through Formations."

To his own Five Elements Illusionary Formation’s illusions, the visions appeared as if non-existent under the Penetrating Vision Skill, easily seen through with just a glance.

"Low-level Formations are just not reliable." He shook his head, "When I have more money, I must buy a set of higher-level Formations. This lack of privacy is too much."

...

Summer passed and autumn came.

In the blink of an eye, another three months had gone by.

The peaceful and harmonious life at the gates of the Returning True Sect had gradually calmed down the initial anxiety of Zhou Hong and Zhang Shuniang, strangers in a new place. They began to integrate into everything here.

There were sermons specifically geared towards Qi Cultivation disciples.

The newly joined children of the sect were provided with various foundational educations, truly a case of catching them young in the world of cultivation.

Compared to a Loose Cultivator who had to grope their way through everything alone, the difficulty of acquiring knowledge here was undoubtedly exponentially easier. For this reason, Chen Li went to the Director of Domestic Affairs, Xia Hongyi, to secure two outer sect disciple spots for Zhou Hong and Zhang Shuniang.

...

Nighttime!

In the quiet room.

Chen Li’s hands slowly pressed down, concluding a session of Grand Circulation cultivation.

He checked his cultivation panel.

’Realm: Foundation Establishment Level One: 2/100’

"Phew, there has finally been a breakthrough," Chen Li let out a long sigh of turbid air, "This is truly not easy!"

For over four months, his cultivation had not advanced an inch, and even though he knew that with the progression of the Cultivation Technique, his speed would inevitably increase, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat disheartened.

"My own talent for cultivation might really be a bit lacking."

He felt a slight regret in his heart, but he soon came to terms with it. If this were not the case, the original owner of the body wouldn’t have been stuck at the third level of Qi Cultivation at forty years old. In terms of talent for cultivation, he was not only inferior to Zhang Shuniang, but even Zhou Hong was far superior.

He glanced at the Longevity Skill.

"Longevity Art Foundation Establishment Chapter Mastery: 386/400"

"The Cultivation Technique will not take a few more days to advance to the expert level, and in the future, the speed of cultivation will become progressively faster."