Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Evening. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Sun stood at the Chen Residence’s entrance, pacing back and forth, looking anxious.

"Why hasn’t she come back yet?"

"That damn woman, I repeatedly reminded her several times to come back early, yet she still hasn’t returned..."

He muttered under his breath, frequently glancing at the sky; however, despite waiting from left to right, and seeing the sky gradually darkening, he still hadn’t seen his partner return.

"Nothing must’ve happened, she probably just stayed over at home!"

He comforted himself, but his heart grew heavier.

...

The second day, Madam Sun Zhang didn’t come back.

The third day, there was still no sign of Madam Sun Zhang.

Uncle Sun was fraught with worry, having not slept well for two consecutive nights, his lips blistered into a ring; he could no longer sit still. He took a day off from Zhou Hong and rushed out of the Chen Residence early in the morning, preparing to go home and see.

By this time, Chen Li had already started his seclusion.

...

Inside the quiet room, the rich Spiritual Energy infiltrated his heart and spleen.

Chen Li held a Spirit Crystal in his hand, and as he cycled the energy through his meridians, the Spiritual Energy from the Spirit Crystal leaked out, turning the small quiet room into a domain akin to a Fifth Order Spiritual Land, rich in Spiritual Energy, as tangible as if it were solid. He circulated his Cultivation Technique over and over, gradually forgetting everything, without sorrow or joy.

Even for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator accustomed to deep meditation, such a state of self-forgetfulness was something rare and sought after.

By the time Chen Li awoke from his immersion, five days had passed.

The breakthrough to the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment had been achieved without a whisper or trace.

"This breakthrough was fast, just eight days in total," Chen Li joyfully said.

He opened his property panel.

[Name: Chen Li]

[Lifespan: 56/311 years]

[Realm: Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer: 1/100]

His lifespan had increased by another three years.

He looked closely for a moment, then closed the property panel with joy and a bit of a headache.

Being a Loose Cultivator had its pros and cons.

The good side was the freedom; he didn’t have to venture on missions for any sect. The downside was that he had to rely on himself for everything. After migrating to Red Pillar City only a few years ago, he had already experienced this bitterness.

First came the problem of finding subsequent Cultivation Techniques for Longevity Skill, and fortunately, he found Ding Jian, which solved that problem.

Then there was the issue with magical techniques.

For that, he could only count on luck.

As a result, he was always missing a technique.

Now that he was at the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment, the technique that matched his level of cultivation still hadn’t materialized.

Originally, he had plenty of time to slowly gather them.

But he hadn’t expected to advance so quickly.

Fortunately, money could get things moving; with Red Pillar City’s bustling commerce, as long as you had Spirit Stones, there were plenty of shops offering intermediary services—of course, at a cost far higher than the normal auction price. Although it was more expensive, compared to relying on luck, the efficiency was much higher.

Problems that money could solve weren’t problems at all.

It wasn’t that Chen Li was impatient; rather, the present circumstances simply didn’t allow him to sit idle.

Beyond that, there was a problem with the Phantom Body Technique.

The Phantom Body Skill was a Second Order Third Level Technique, with a full level cap of Second Order Seventh Level.

It still worked for now, but by the time he reached the Seventh Layer of Foundation Establishment, it would start to lag behind. For example, a Second Order Seventh Level Technique couldn’t be executed with Phantom Body; after all, Phantom Body was equivalent to a Second Order Seventh Level Technique itself—how could it be used to execute another Seventh Level Technique?

Being unable to use it for rapid power progression was a minor issue; the key was its substantial impact on his strength.

I have to admit that a good portion of his strength now manifested in the Phantom Body Technique.

It was precisely because of the Phantom Body Technique that he had the confidence to engage in combat beyond his level. If he could utilize a Second Order Seventh Level Technique (max level being Third Order Second Level), even if he faced a Cultivator who had just entered the Golden Core stage, and if he were pushed into a corner, a desperate fight to the death would leave the outcome uncertain.

After stepping into the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, he still didn’t know his specific progress in cultivation. But based on past experience, it wouldn’t take any longer than a year and a half, and possibly less than a year, for him to reach the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer. This wasn’t too distant a goal.

He had the unfinished business of improving his Traction Skill, and there was an urgent need to develop his Phantom Body Technique further.

"Sigh, time is becoming increasingly insufficient!" Chen Li stood up from his meditative state with some frustration and walked out of the quiet room.

It was just after dawn, but the sun was already blazing.

"Master, you’ve come out of seclusion!" A maid hurried over upon seeing him.

"Mmm!" Chen Li responded nonchalantly.

The maid looked somewhat troubled, as if she had something to say but hesitated.

"Is something wrong in the residence?" Chen Li glanced at her and asked.

"Master, it’s Uncle Sun and Auntie Zhang. They’ve gone missing," the maid said straightforwardly, without waiting for Chen Li to inquire further: "It all started when Auntie Zhang asked for leave to go home, but she never returned. Then Uncle Sun went to look for her and he didn’t come back either; it’s been several days now."

Chen Li’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the news.

...

That afternoon, Chen Li visited five shops that provided brokerage services, each time paying a fee of one Top-grade Spirit Stone and setting up a trade date.

He wasn’t particular about Second Order Sixth Level Techniques.

He would accept anything of Second Order Sixth Level and above to avoid being caught off guard in the future.

Chen Li had initially wanted to acquire the method of crafting the Three Evocation Talismans, but considering he didn’t have many Spirit Stones left, and knowing that the price for such Talisman-making methods would be extremely high given the current situation, he had to reluctantly give up on it.

Of the original 1,535 Top-grade Spirit Stones, he now had only 268 left. He didn’t even know if that would be enough when the time came to trade.

"I need to draw more talismans in the coming days." Chen Li sighed inwardly.

The price of Water Element Talisms had more than doubled, and the purchase price of one high-quality talisman could probably reach ten Mid-grade Spirit Stones—a sheer profit. With his current level of cultivation and the swift regeneration of Spiritual Power thanks to Spirit Crystals, drawing three to four dozen high-quality talismans a day was completely feasible if he devoted himself to it.

...

In the evening.

After!

"Sigh, I didn’t expect such a thing to happen. If I had known earlier, I would never have let Sun return," Zhou Hong nestled in Chen Li’s chest, feeling apologetic.

"If he set his mind on going back, no one could have stopped him," Chen Li comforted her: "I’ll go check out his house tomorrow. There might be something that’s held him up!"

Recruiting Cultivators was not like recruiting ordinary people; unidentifiable individuals posed a much greater risk. When he initially recruited people, he intentionally sought those with families and permanent residences. Naturally, he was familiar with Uncle Sun and his wife’s backgrounds.

"Don’t, it’s too dangerous. I’ve heard that there are Evil Wraiths all around outside the city," Zhou Hong quickly objected, not wanting her man to take risks.

"Don’t worry, I’ll use Phantom Body to go; nothing will happen," Chen Li said.

Apart from checking on Sun’s family’s safety, he also wanted to take a look outside the city. Various rumors circulated within the city, but their truth was hard to discern; nothing could replace seeing the situation with his own eyes.

...

The next morning, a Phantom Body of Chen Li left the house.

The city gate was still bustling, with people coming and going.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But this was just a façade. A closer observation revealed that those leaving the city looked tense and anxious, while those entering appeared relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"I hadn’t realized the situation had become so severe!" Chen Li’s expression gradually turned serious.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted in the distance.

Chen Li looked up, but there were no clouds in the sky.

Clearly, the noise was made by a High-Order Cultivator; he couldn’t tell how far away it was.

He redirected his gaze, walked out of the city gate, came to a desolate area, and upon seeing no one around, performed the Void Flight Escape Skill. His body shot up like an arrow released from a bow, turned into a streak of silver light, and swiftly disappeared into the horizon.