Lying Low While Cultivating Immortality in Two Worlds Chapter 108

Ancient Shu.

Ba Commandery, inside a tavern in a mortal city.

Fang Qing held a wine cup and savored the delicious dishes spread before him.

In truth, most of his attention remained fixed on the Dao-Genesis Pearl, viewing everything through the perspectives of Qin Ruxue and Xiang Dahu.

'Now that I am hiding in Ancient Shu, even if that ruin contains sothing beyond common reason, it should not be able to cross realms and affect .'

He took another sip of wine, feeling thoroughly pleased.

The previous Purple Mansion war in Yulin Commandery had finally drawn to a close. No one knew how many cultivators from Ba Commandery and Yulin Commandery had perished. Countless Dao Foundation aristocratic families had been wiped out, and the few that survived had suffered devastating losses, now eyed greedily by rogue cultivators.

'If I wanted to establish a powerful force here right now, it would be as easy as lifting a hand.'

'But everything would simply be preparing the bridal gown for soone else. There is no point.'

Fang Qing picked up his chopsticks to grab another bite when joyful music drifted over from the street.

He glanced outside and saw a wedding procession with flower-decorated sedan chairs. The bride's dowry stretched for three li, and the groom rode a tall white horse, looking exceptionally handso and refined.

"Whose family is holding this wedding?"

Fang Qing casually tossed a piece of silver to the waiter, feigning mild curiosity.

"Oh, this is the grandson of the great local hero, the head of the Fang Family Fortress. Fang Yixin is marrying the direct daughter of the Sixi rchant Guild."

The waiter, delighted by the tip, spoke with great enthusiasm. "The three fortress lords of the Fang Family Fortress are all renowned heroes of the martial world. Especially the head fortress lord, Fang Jingchun, known as ‘Iron Palms that Suppress the Three Rivers, Silver Spear that Sweeps the Eight Directions’. With a pair of iron palms and a silver spear he forged his mighty reputation and built this vast estate. The young lady from the Sixi rchant Guild is truly blessed."

"Already at the grandson generation?"

Fang Qing felt a touch of speechlessness, but then recalled that in ancient tis people often married and had children at fourteen or fifteen, and he understood.

Still, seeing the Fang family living so prosperously, he saw no need to go down and acknowledge them. It would only add unnecessary karma.

This was the way of immortal cultivation. Years passed in the blink of an eye while the mortal world changed through countless generations.

Just as Fang Qing sighed inwardly, his divine sense swept outward and caught a Qi Ingestion cultivator passing overhead.

No!

That was not an Ancient Shu cultivator. It was an Esoteric monk dressed in red robes!

In the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain, ordinary monks were equivalent to Qi Ingestion cultivators, while Gurus ranked at Dao Foundation.

'How could an Esoteric monk be here?'

'Was it not said that beneath Cloud Grazing Cliff, Esoteric monks were forbidden from crossing east?'

'Wait... Cloud Grazing Cliff has suffered repeated misfortunes and lost multiple Purple Mansion experts. Could it be that they can no longer control the situation below?'

Fang Qing's wine cup froze above the table. In his ears it seed as if a voice echoed: 'Still eating? They've co for you!!!'

'They're here!'

'Here!'

Back then, to conceal the fate of his own Dao Foundation, he had deliberately donned the disguise of an Esoteric cultivator. He never imagined retribution would arrive so quickly.

'This broken place is no longer safe. I should return to Verdant Jade Island at once.'

Verdant Jade Island.

Fang Qing returned to his Mystic Jade Cave and finally let out a long breath. 'Could my earlier sudden impulse have been connected to this?'

"Sigh... The great changes at Cloud Grazing Cliff are like a mountain pressing down on those of lower cultivation."

"Fortunately, Esoteric monks crossing east is not entirely without benefits. At least my Body-refinent technique now has a source. There is no need to travel to the Esoteric Hidden-Treasury Domain to seek it, and the danger has dropped considerably."

He imdiately decided to send Xu Hei to scout the path first.

Several months later.

Tianxin Island.

At the bottom of the sea beside the island, a semi-transparent array barrier opened, isolating the seawater and revealing an underground karst cave.

After walking through a long passageway, they arrived at a vast bronze underground palace.

Qin Ruxue held a blue array disk and perford the final adjustnts.

Her gaze fixed on the core of the bronze palace, where silver arcs of light flickered around a spatial rift.

All around the rift stood third-rank array flags covered in spiritual patterns, firmly anchoring it in place.

Ancestor Ruan, Sect Master Shi, and a black-robed demonic Core Formation cultivator stared intently at the interior of the silver arc.

Inside the arc, one could faintly see layered mountains, fields of spirit herbs, and majestic palaces stretching into the distance.

'No wonder the three ancestors and the Foundation Establishnt cultivators dare not enter directly. This is a passage ford by a spatial rift. Although the array has theoretically stabilized it enough to last a full month, who can say what will actually happen?'

'If it closes early, or worse, closes right as soone is crossing through, the spatial tearing force would be sothing even a Nascent Soul monster would struggle to escape.'

Qin Ruxue steadied her mind, walked before Ruan Zhixuan, and offered a graceful bow. "Reporting to Martial Aunt, the array inspection is complete. No issues were found."

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist Ruan, this lord already told you. With my array attainnts combined with the power of a barrier-breaking talisman, the passage can be maintained for a full month."

Heiyuan True Personage chuckled. "If the two of you are willing to join forces and add one of my treasured third-rank superior barrier-breaking talismans, we could even open a gap wide enough for Foundation Establishnt cultivators to pass through."

Upon hearing these words, Ruan Zhixuan’s expression shifted. “We have already discussed this at length. The higher the cultivator’s realm when crossing, the greater the risk of complications. Maintaining this passage at all is already a stroke of heaven’s fortune.”

“Very well. This lord’s hundred Qi Refining disciples are fully prepared and ready. Shall we begin imdiately?”

Heiyuan True Personage offered the suggestion.

“Agreed.” This ti Ruan Zhixuan and Shi Tiexin exchanged a glance and finally nodded.

Before long, squad after squad of Qi Refining cultivators gathered in the underground palace plaza. So looked around with curiosity while others cast wary glances at potential threats among the opposing group.

Miao Yifan, Li Tianlong, and the other Blue Sea Sect disciples were present, all wearing the sect’s standard blue robes.

Most of the demonic path disciples wore black combat attire, though a few were dressed in all sorts of mismatched outfits, clearly rogue cultivators recruited at the last mont.

They eyed one another warily, especially the several ninth-layer Qi Refining perfection disciples who drew widespread attention.

Xiang Dahu, stuck at only eighth-layer Qi Refining, blended in as perfect cannon fodder.

“Open!”

Qin Ruxue and another second-rank array master from the Sea-Destroying Alliance waved their array flags, unlocking the restriction leading to the spatial rift.

“Good. This lord will keep it short. As long as any of you return alive with a great opportunity, this lord guarantees Foundation Establishnt for that person and will even take them as a personal disciple to teach supre arts.”

Heiyuan True Personage flicked his sleeve, and the disciples filed through one after another.

“You may go as well. Do not disgrace our sect’s reputation.”

Ruan Zhixuan spoke softly. The Blue Sea Sect disciples imdiately followed, refusing to fall behind.

Once the last disciple had entered, Qin Ruxue activated the array flags once more and temporarily sealed the passage.

For a mont the underground palace fell into complete silence.

The Blue Sea Sect Foundation Establishnt cultivators and those from the Sea-Destroying Alliance looked at one another, having nothing left to say.

“Fellow Daoist Ruan… care to make a wager?”

Heiyuan True Personage’s voice suddenly broke the quiet. “Let us bet on which group of disciples brings back the greatest harvest. What do you say?”

“This one has never gambled in her life.”

Ruan Zhixuan’s ethereal voice replied as she sat down to ditate alongside Shi Tiexin.

Every cultivator present was at least Foundation Establishnt. Fasting for an entire month was nothing to them.

Seeing this, Heiyuan True Personage gave a cold chuckle and found himself a spot to close his eyes and rest as well.

A sensation of weightlessness struck.

When Xiang Dahu regained his senses, he found himself floating in a stretch of water.

“Bad luck.”

He was soaked through, and his face instantly paled.

Because within the pool, a powerful demonic aura suddenly erupted, unmistakably reaching the second rank!

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere as a four-ard crocodile beast several zhang long burst forth, jaws wide open as it roared at Xiang Dahu.

“A second-rank Four-Ard Crocodile Dragon? This kind of demon beast went extinct in the Minor Huan Sea long ago. Legend says it carries a trace of true dragon blood. Though only lower second rank, it can actually fight mid second-rank beasts on equal terms. I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead…”

Xiang Dahu groaned inwardly.

A secret realm was no playground for re Qi Refining disciples.

All kinds of demon beasts and restrictions lurked here. Even Foundation Establishnt cultivators could suffer grievous losses, and Core Formation ancestors themselves might fall.

The teleportation had been completely random. Being dropped right in front of a second-rank demon beast’s mouth could only be called terrible luck.

At that mont, inside his sea of consciousness, a seed character suddenly blazed with brilliant light!

Crack!

The Four-Ard Crocodile Dragon’s tail whipped forward like a steel lash, the air exploding with the force. It instantly shattered the second-rank inferior defensive talisman Xiang Dahu had frantically slapped onto himself.

He was sent flying into the air. Then a blazing sun-like radiance erupted around his body. He touched himself in disbelief. “Huh? I’m unhard… This is… second-rank Body Refinent? Wait… I can fly in midair? I… I’ve achieved Foundation Establishnt?”

The current Fang Qing was far beyond what he had once been. After forging his own Dao Foundation, the wisdom disciples he empowered were no longer half-step or quasi-Foundation Establishnt like Qin Ruxue had been. They were genuine early Foundation Establishnt cultivators!

Although they lacked the profound mysteries of a true Dao Foundation, ordinary Qi Refining path cultivators never possessed such things anyway.

Placed in the Minor Huan Sea, Xiang Dahu was now a true early Foundation Establishnt cultivator!

He dug his fingers into his arm. Amid flying flesh and blood, a dark-wood ring erged. From within it flew a white-bone banner.

With a single light shake, over a hundred second-rank demon souls appeared, clustering around a superior second-rank crimson sea python that released terrifying demonic qi.

The Four-Ard Crocodile Dragon was montarily cowed and did not dare advance.

“Evil beast, die!”

Xiang Dahu waved the Hundred Souls Banner. The crimson sea python hissed and coiled toward the crocodile dragon.

He also pulled a second-rank superior Heavy Mountain Talisman from the mystical wood ring and poured liquid mana into it. The talisman instantly flared with brilliant light, transforming into a massive earthen-yellow mountain that slamd downward!

Boom!

After a brief but fierce clash, the Four-Ard Crocodile Dragon’s corpse crashed heavily to the ground.

“It’s dead?”

Xiang Dahu landed and sighed in genuine admiration. “Young Master truly possesses heaven-piercing, earth-shaking power…”

He hurried forward to harvest the valuable materials from the beast and dug out a pale-yellow demon core.

The dragon bloodline inside this Four-Ard Crocodile Dragon was far richer than that of the flood serpents raised by the Blue Sea Sect, making a demon core far more likely to form.

“Right. This beast was guarding this spot, so it must have been protecting so treasure…”

Xiang Dahu swept the area inch by inch with his divine sense and soon discovered a small third-rank spirit plot where the crocodile dragon had made its lair.

“This is… third-rank Heavy Profound Crystal? Such a huge piece? This is pri material for crafting magical treasures!”

“And so many thousand-year spirit herbs… several of them are exactly what Young Master needs.”

Xiang Dahu imdiately began digging and cast spells to preserve the dicinal properties of the herbs.

All the disciples had received thorough training from the sect before setting out, ensuring they would recognize valuable items when they saw them.