Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

A preposterous night.

At dawn, Chen Li awoke.

In the bedroom, the scent of the previous day’s pleasures lingered, with beauties sleeping soundly on either side. Chen Li lay still for a while, but soon moved the arms and legs that were on him and resolutely got up from his comfortable bed.

He put on his robe.

Seemingly feeling a person less by her side, the soundly sleeping Shu muttered in her sleep and turned around to cuddle Zhou Hong, revealing a sight of spring and emitting a fragrance like white jade.

Chen Li couldn’t help but chuckle, his mouth curling in a disdainful smirk, and he gently pulled the thin blanket over the two of them.

He was very satisfied with his life now, his cultivation was progressing smoothly, the great Dao was within sight, he had a lovely wife and beautiful concubines at home, and with the support of his sect, he had plenty of leisure time when not on missions.

Compared to the Qi Cultivation Stage, his life was better by countless times.

He left the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and went to the talisman-making room, ready to make talismans.

He took out fourteen talisman papers and laid them out in a row.

As long as he was at home and not in seclusion, the first thing he did every morning was to draw talismans.

Ever since his Foundation Establishment, he had rarely received any windfalls, relying solely on talisman-making for his livelihood.

Fortunately, compared to the time when he had just established his foundation, his spiritual power had increased by more than fifty percent, and now he could draw fourteen Golden Light Body Protection Talismans in one go.

He closed his eyes, concentrated, and calmed his breathing for a while.

Feeling completely calm inside, without a single ripple, he picked up the brush, dipped it in blood ink, and began to draw.

His brush moved rapidly, like a dragon or snake on the page.

One!

Two!

...

Fourteen!

Every single one was a success, not a single failure.

Of course, for Chen Li, who had already become a grandmaster of the Golden Light Body Protection Talisman, failure was a rare occurrence.

As the blood ink slowly dried, he collected each of the Golden Light Body Protection Talismans, stacked them neatly, and placed them in his storage bag.

"Another three Mid-grade Spirit Stones."

The consignment price for each Golden Light Body Protection Talisman was twenty-two Low-grade Spirit Stones, fourteen amounted to three hundred and eight Low-grade Spirit Stones, and after subtracting the cost of talisman paper and blood ink for the year, the net income was about ten Top-grade Spirit Stones.

And his family’s annual expenses amounted to roughly six stones.

That left a surplus of four.

However, this was under the condition that Chen Li did not use medicinal baths to assist in the cultivation of the Immortal Muscles Jade Bones Skill.

If he used medicinal baths, this sum of money was nowhere near enough.

He had already inquired at the medicine shop recently.

The prescription required more than a dozen types of spiritual medicine, each costing twelve Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Even if he took a medicinal bath ten times a month, he would need more than fourteen Top-grade Spirit Stones a year, adding up to twenty a year.

Thinking of this, the place where his arm had once been severed seemed to throb with pain once again.

"Maybe I should try the medicinal baths for a while and see the effects before deciding. With my current savings, I should be able to last a year or two," Chen Li thought to himself. "As for buying a large capacity storage bag and magic artifacts, those can be put off for now. No rush!"

He made up his mind.

...

After practicing his swordplay, Chen Li hurried to the sect’s medicine shop.

The medicine shop not only sold pills but also purchased and sold medicinal herbs.

He had no need for secrecy, so he directly handed the transcribed prescription to the shopkeeper to prepare ten portions according to the prescription.

The experienced shopkeeper examined the prescription carefully and asked, "Chen, this is a prescription for a Second Order medicinal bath; the brewing process is complex and tedious, and each step must be completed in order. The control of the heat is extremely crucial—a ruined brew would not only decrease the medicinal effects but could also produce toxins. Are you experienced in this, Chen?"

"Not really. Do you have any advice, shopkeeper?" Chen Li humbly asked for guidance.

"You’re too courteous, Chen. I wouldn’t dare to ’advise’ you. However, our medicine shop trains some mortal herbal apprentices every year. They’re skilled in identifying, cultivating and decocting herbs, and each has a contract. Purchasing one could save you a lot of trouble," the shopkeeper suggested with a smile.

Chen Li had not expected that the medicine shop would have such a business and thought it was quite convenient, as it was simply a matter of Spirit Stones. He asked, "How much for an herbal apprentice?"

"To report to you, Chen, the price varies depending on their appearance and experience, but the highest doesn’t exceed one Mid-grade Spirit Stone. I will call all of the apprentices to come over so you can choose carefully," the shopkeeper instructed a server to bring the apprentices over.

The server responded respectfully, and shortly after, brought over a group of young men and women.

The oldest were around fifteen or sixteen, the youngest only twelve or thirteen, each with above-average looks.

Such is the wicked feudal society.

Chen Li examined them and eventually chose a girl who looked quiet, gentle, and had callouses on her hands from hard work.

They then negotiated the price and bought her contract.

Next, he gathered ten portions of medicinal herbs, a hefty bundle.

Chen Li led the girl out of the medicine shop.

The girl was called Bai Wei, fourteen years old. When asked, her hand clutched her clothes, her face tight and anxious. Chen Li asked her a question, and she answered obediently. According to her, she had been sold by her parents at the age of five to become an apprentice, and she had no memory of her family matters.

As for how to handle the medicinal herbs, she became spirited, talking non-stop and making clear points.

"The method of decocting herbs differs according to their properties; some must be decocted in a clay pot instead of an iron pot, and others can only be simmered over low heat, as high heat would destroy their properties..."

"Alright, alright, Bai Wei, right? I’ll take you to the general store later, and if you see any utensils you need, we’ll buy them!"

"Yes, master," Bai Wei replied respectfully.

With Bai Wei’s guidance, Chen Li bought a large number of decoction utensils at the store, figuring that since he had bought one maid, he might as well buy a few more to ease the burden on Zhou Hong and Zhang Shuniang.

He then entered another establishment that specialized in the trade of mortal servants and bought two young female servants for rough tasks at the price of ten Low-grade Spirit Stones each.

...

As it turned out, buying these three maids was indeed the right decision.

Preparing the medicinal materials was laborious; in the process, they were required to boil and simmer over low and high flame repeatedly. With Bai Wei directing the two other maids and with help from Zhou Hong and Shuniang on the side, they were busy until nightfall before the medicinal bath was finally ready.

"Ouch, it’s so hot!" Zhang Shuniang tested the water temperature in the bath and said to Bai Wei, "Do I have to soak in it right now? Can’t we wait for it to cool down a bit?"

"Second Madam, the best medicinal effect is achieved like this. If it cools down, the efficacy will be greatly reduced," Bai Wei quickly advised.

"Alright, all of you, leave," Chen Li said.

After a group of chattering maidens left, Chen Li stripped off his robes and immersed himself in a tub filled with medicinal herbs.

He couldn’t help but groan.

The scalding medicinal power seeped continuously into his body through his skin, and soon his skin turned bright red. Chen Li dared not hesitate and immediately started practicing the Immortal Muscles Jade Bones Skill.

The next moment, an even more turbulent heat surged into his body, as if flames engulfed him, causing unbearable pain throughout.

"Such potent medicinal power!"

Chen Li clenched his teeth and endured the pain with great difficulty.

Only after a full hour did the intense heat gradually subside.

The murky medicinal liquid had now become slightly clear, all its power absorbed, devoid of its original pungent scent. He continued to practice the Immortal Muscles Jade Bones Skill until he exhausted all his Spiritual Power, and then he opened his eyes.

"Twelve Mid-grade Spirit Stones gone, just like that!"

Chen Li sighed, feeling a pang of distress as he sensed his bones, "But there is some effect. One day’s cultivation here is comparable to half a month’s effort under normal circumstances!"

The cost was indeed a bit too high, but fortunately, it was still manageable for now.

He stepped out of the tub and cast the Cleaning Skill to remove the remaining medicinal residue on his body. Raising his arm to take a sniff, he still detected a hint of the medicinal scent, which he reckoned would likely remain for several days before it could be completely removed.

He reached out with one hand, and with a sweep of Spiritual Power, his robes flew into his hands from afar. After putting on his magic robe, he walked out of the door:

"Master!" the two maidservants greeted respectfully.

"Go clean up," he commanded.

"Yes, Master!" they replied.

...

The Earth Escape Skill, as a Second Order second-level spell, is much more complex than the Penetrating Vision Skill, a Second Order first-level spell.

It involves six incantations and five hand seals.

The invocation of Spiritual Power is also more intricate.

A single mistake would lead to the effort becoming futile.

Among them, there was one incantation and two hand seals that Chen Li had never encountered before. Fortunately, the sect lacked for nothing except for companions.

Unlike the Qi Cultivation Loose Cultivators outside, the Foundation Establishment cultivators within the sect would usually learn a few spells. Chen Li, thick-skinned, sought advice from several Fellow Daoists before he finally caught onto some clues.

Even so, it still took Chen Li more than a month to make a breakthrough.

In his quiet room.

He silently chanted the incantation.

His hands formed hand seals, a blur of motion.

The next moment.

A faint yellow light enshrouded him.

At the same time, the ground rippled like water’s surface.

"Finally succeeded!" Chen Li was overjoyed in his heart.

"Escape!"

"Eh? Why can’t I sink in?" Chen Li stomped his foot, but the ground remained solid: "Did the spell fail?"

It wasn’t until he noticed that the ground here was made of rock that it dawned on him.

He left the quiet room and quickly walked over to the courtyard.

With a thought, his body suddenly sank and he quickly disappeared into the soil.

"Is this underground?"

Darkness, suffocating, unable to breathe.

Soil enveloped his body tight like a liquid, devoid of any gritty sensation, and he could only sense his surroundings with a vague Spiritual Sense.

"About one to two meters from the surface..."

Chen Li felt he wasn’t far from the ground and was somewhat relieved.

Then, he began to attempt underground travel.

The traveling speed wasn’t fast, nearly the pace of a slow jog. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

But without the ability to see and relying only on his senses, he still nearly collided with rocks several times.

The underground of the cave dwelling’s courtyard was a crisscross of roots and boulders, which greatly hindered his Earth Escape, forcing him to navigate around them.

It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes later, sensing that the spell was about to fail, that he hurriedly emerged from the soil, his body clean and free of any dirt.

...

Several days later.

The wilderness!

A silhouette flew rapidly through the sky, and suddenly it swooped down.

"Earth Escape Skill!"

In the instant the figure touched the ground, it vanished into the earth without a trace.

This silhouette was none other than Chen Li.

After traveling underground for several hundred meters, he emerged from the soil and patted his robe, which was free of any non-existent dirt.

"To fly in the sky and escape through the earth, no big deal, very good, very good!"

"It’s a pity it only works in soil, which is a bit limiting..."

In places like stone mountains or forests where roots are abundant, it was very difficult to use Earth Escape Skill. Moreover, even in the soil, there were many rocks underground, preventing too deep an escape.

Chen Li felt slightly disappointed, wondering if the spell’s effectiveness would improve once its level was raised?

ps: Wishing everyone a happy Valentine’s Day.