Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Chen Li didn't try to persuade further; during their casual conversation, he also took the opportunity to inquire about some odd news and local customs to broaden his horizons.

"The Longevity Domain is relatively safe only in a few marketplaces; elsewhere, monsters are rampant. Of course, that's almost everywhere in the Western Desolation. It's the same all over. Otherwise, why would it be called the 'Desolation'? It doesn't even have a proper name.

Here, there are few mortals, few cultivators, and mostly just monsters.

Just on my way here, I encountered them three times. If it weren't for the experienced merchant caravan and a Foundation Establishment senior leading us, I'm afraid we wouldn't have made it here."

'It seems I need to plan carefully before leaving this place,' Chen Li thought to himself.

Chen Li then inquired about the marketplace where he had stayed before.

Facing Chen Li's questions, Lin Gui was an open book, getting excited and animated. He clearly had a bit too much to drink.

However, after only a few words, someone came to Lin Gui looking for medicine, and he hurriedly left Chen Li to attend to the business.

"It's going to be lively around here from now on!" Chen Li thought to himself.

Looking at the situation, it seemed future choices were either sudden death or eventually fleeing.

This kind of business could only be done in broad daylight... problems were inevitable at dusk or dawn.

Observing his neighbor Lin Gui busying about like a diligent bee, Chen Li internally scoffed while leisurely leaning back in his chair, rocking it back and forth. For a moment, he enjoyed the leisurely mood of watching flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard, as clouds unfurled and drifted across the sky.

He counted on his fingers; it had been almost four months since he'd arrived in this world.

From initially wandering anxiously and worrying about next month's rent,

to now not only having his basic needs met... for the most part.

And also having some power... at least in this shantytown, he no longer had to live too cautiously.

He was no longer anxious about his shortening lifespan... he had gained a year.

"Indeed, without the pressure, my mood has become much more relaxed, and I don't feel like there's a huge boulder pressing on my chest every day," Chen Li mused to himself.

Just then, with a "creak,"

the door opened.

Zhou Hong walked out with a chamber pot in hand, went to a big tree across the street, and skillfully tossed the contents.

The tree was lush and leafy, with leaves like umbrellas.

A breeze blew, causing the leaves to rustle and dance.

The tree had good reasons for its robust growth.

"What's the story with the person living next to you?" Zhou Hong asked, not in a hurry to leave, bringing her chamber pot over to Chen Li to gossip.

Time is the best healer; Zhou Hong seemed to have recovered from her sadness during this time.

There's a truth to becoming accustomed to a stench after dwelling long in a fish market. At least, even though the chamber pot was only a meter away from him, Chen Li kept his composure—his resistance was high: "A Loose Cultivator from outside, he makes Yang Strengthening Elixirs."

"That's convenient for you," Zhou Hong glanced at him and sneered.

"I never use that stuff," Chen Li said dryly, his mouth twitching. After speaking, he smacked his lips, feeling something was off.

"Who knows?" Zhou Hong replied, then sashayed away with her chamber pot.

Carrying the can for the original owner again.

He would have accepted it if there were any memories... but he had none.

No benefits, and still repeatedly taking the fall for the original owner.

Chen Li opened his mouth, intending to call out to her retreating figure with a few chosen words, but he feared he might not be able to save face.

This woman was fierce by nature and merciless with her words.

Now that she was a widow, she was even more untouchable.

Forget it, don't stoop to arguing with a woman.

No sooner had Zhou Hong left than Lin Gui came up very familiarly, with a sleazy look on his face, "Fellow Daoist, you really shouldn't mess with that woman. She's wild at heart, fiery like a blaze. If she gets her hooks into you, you're done for."

Absolutely on the same wavelength!

Chen Li raised an eyebrow, about to offer his own opinion.

There was a "bang."

The door next door had been forcibly pushed open.

Chen Li was so scared that he quickly shut his mouth tight.

Zhou Hong's gaze was cold and piercing as she stared at Lin Gui.

Her red robe danced without any wind, her body faintly surrounded by spiritual power, exuding a slight but unmistakable sense of oppression, as if her cultivation had improved significantly during this time.

"Oh no, my elixir, my elixir is going to burn!" Lin Gui turned pale from fright, gave a sheepish smile, and hurriedly scuttled away with a mix of walking and running.

Zhou Hong withdrew her gaze, then shot Chen Li a sideways glance before turning around and with a "bang," she closed the door heavily again.

A look of innocence was on Chen Li's face, I didn't say anything though.

"Sigh, it seems that going out brings about too much trouble, forget it, I better not even sit here." Chen Li, who had been affected by the trouble, picked up the chair and also turned back to his room.

...

Life in this otherworldly realm was monotonous for Chen Li.

Just like on Earth.

But there were a few better points.

Here you don't have to worry whether the late-night snacks you order will cause your abs to be buried and forever unseen.

Neither do you need to worry that a too comfortable life might lack excitement and become dull and boring.

Of course, you don't have to worry about a sudden urge to use the bathroom and then desperately not being able to find one...

After over ten days of continuous refinement, his swordsmanship had finally truly entered the expert level.

If proficient-level swordsmanship was like an old car with parts rusted over forty-one years, then expert-level swordsmanship was like refurbishing that same old car and oiling it up again.

The car was still the same, the horsepower was the same, but it was now much faster, and the handling had become much better.

On the body.

That meant Chen Li suddenly felt a transformation.

Muscles that he once had to consciously control now operated as naturally as breathing, and his control over his body had stepped up a notch.

...

The wilderness on the outskirts of the slum area.

This area was overgrown with weeds and the trees were sparse.

A figure moved swiftly, his steps as if shrinking the ground beneath him, appearing to stroll leisurely yet covering six or seven meters with every step, faster than a typical person's jog.

After walking for a few minutes, his speed began to increase, faster and faster, the breeze turning into a strong wind, and that strong wind slowly becoming a typhoon.

Throughout this process, he kept lowering his body to reduce his center of gravity, making his steps shorter to minimize the time his body was airborne. Even so, while running, he still felt as though he could be blown away by the typhoon at any moment.

"Is this the lift generated when one reaches a certain speed?" he wondered.

After running for another dozen seconds, he suddenly stopped:

"Whew, that was too thrilling."

He turned his head to glance at a small tree in the distance that he had marked in his mind, roughly estimating the distance.

He realized that in less than half a minute, he had run well over a mile.

"Without a flying sword or other flying artifacts, I reckon most Loose Cultivators couldn't catch up with me," Chen Li thought to himself. "I just wonder how effective the Featherweight Talisman is?"

Chen Li took out a Featherweight Talisman he always carried with him, hesitated for a long time, his expression changing, yet in the end, he couldn't bring himself to activate it and feel its effects.

After all, it's worth two Spirit Stones, sigh, too wasteful to use.

"I'll just ask Lin Gui later. If I ask in detail, it should be the same."

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