Ten Years of Mortal Life

Stone chamber.

Zhou Yi circulated his mana, and the Rivers and Mountains Cauldron appeared in his hand out of thin air.

He gently tossed it out, and it swelled to the height of a person against the wind, slamming heavily against the stone wall.

Boom!

The ground shook, and shattered stones flew everywhere.

A large pit appeared in the stone wall of the cave, with spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards for two or three zhang.

"To have such power after only preliminary refinement, as expected, cultivators cannot be without magical artifacts. The difference is like a martial arts master equipped with heavy firearms!"

Zhou Yi refined the Rivers and Mountains Cauldron with his blood essence, and could control it as easily as his own limbs. He could control its size at will, and could smash it with a thought.

"However, the mana consumption is a bit too high!"

In just a dozen breaths, Zhou Yi's mana was almost completely exhausted. Just as he was thinking of taking back the treasure cauldron, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.

Immediately, he leaped and landed inside the Rivers and Mountains Cauldron.

In this way.

The Rivers and Mountains Cauldron flew through the air, and Zhou Yi flew with it. The speed was not as fast as qinggong, but he had truly left the ground!

"It's a pity it's not weapon control, it can only be considered riding."

Before his mana was exhausted, Zhou Yi took the Rivers and Mountains Cauldron back into his abdomen to nurture it.

With the long-term nurturing of mana, the power of the blood-refined spiritual weapon gradually increased. It became closely connected to the master's flesh and blood, and the mana consumption for activating it would also be greatly reduced.

"Even if the spiritual weapon grows slowly, one day, it will transform into a true Rivers and Mountains Cauldron."

"One cauldron to suppress rivers and mountains, sun and moon, heaven and earth!"

Zhou Yi had high hopes for the Rivers and Mountains Cauldron. In the future, he would refine spiritual materials and objects into the cauldron. Even if it took thousands or tens of thousands of years, it would eventually transform into the strongest treasure in the world.

"Now that I have a magical artifact, even an Innate Grandmaster can't withstand the power of the cauldron. Can I be a little reckless?"

"No! I'm only at the second level of Qi Refining, like an ant in the cultivation world."

Zhou Yi quickly cut off this dangerous thought, repeatedly warning himself that keeping a low profile was the key, and caution was the path to longevity!

He pushed open the boulder blocking the entrance of the cave.

The mountain was shrouded in a thin mist, and the cold wind howled, causing his Daoist robe to flutter.

Zhou Yi used his qinggong to fly and jump, descending the mountain along the forest path.

He had not been to the mortal world for ten years. When he was thirsty, he drank mountain spring water, and when he was hungry, he roasted wild animal meat, truly becoming a bitter cultivator isolated from the world.

Pengshan County was not far away. It would only take one or two hours to travel back and forth using qinggong, but Zhou Yi deliberately used this to temper his state of mind.

"A master is lonely! Only by enduring boredom and loneliness can one achieve the true path of longevity!"

Zhou Yi cultivated in the mortal world, but he would not allow himself to be immersed in it. He remained detached and independent, watching the changes in the court and the vicissitudes of life from an outsider's perspective.

This comparison of being away from the mortal world, and the mutual comparison with the experiences of the mortal world, gave him many insights.

Wandering in the mortal world can maintain humanity, so as not to become a cold stone.

Secluded cultivation outside the world is to stabilize the Dao heart, so as to protect the Longevity Dao Fruit.

Half an hour later, he could already see the official road ahead.

The noisy voices of pedestrians and the sound of wheels turning gradually entered Zhou Yi's ears, as if soundproof glass had suddenly shattered, and the silent picture became real in an instant.

At this time.

Zhou Yi should have composed a Daoist poem to express the feelings in his heart, so as to appear immortal.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the education. He racked his brains for dozens of miles from the mountain to the foot of the mountain, and only came up with the disjointed phrase "Returning to nature one day," and couldn't think of anything else.

So he simply let out a long roar.

"I, Old Devil Zhou, am back!"

Startling a forest of birds!

Jinglong 10th year.

The Laba Festival.

Bai Estate.

Winding corridors, pavilions, rockeries, and strange stones, one of the most famous mansions in Shenjing.

In recent years, Emperor Jinglong has relied heavily on the imperial family. Many members of the royal family hold important positions. Prince Anhua holds the position of Governor of the Capital Garrison, with high status and authority, and his only direct daughter also enjoys much glory.

As for the former Governor, Sun Xiangming, he was executed for embezzling 100,000 taels of military pay, and his family was exiled to the Northern Frontier to serve in the army.

After all, he had rebelled. Not executing his entire clan was already the emperor's benevolence!

Emperor Jinglong followed Chancellor Zhang's last words, using relatives and nobles to compete with civil and military officials.

The emperor mediated in the middle, not allowing the east wind to overwhelm the west wind, nor allowing the west wind to overwhelm the east wind, and his throne was already as stable as Mount Tai.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Chen Jinyu went to Rongning Hall early to pay her respects, chatted with Princess Rongchang for a while, and then returned to her own small courtyard.

The plum blossoms in the courtyard were in bloom.

The flowers were white with a hint of red, and the petals were smooth and translucent. Perhaps because the soil where the plum tree was planted was fertile, a delicate fragrance could be smelled from afar, penetrating straight to the heart and lungs.

Chen Jinyu sat on a stool by the window, looking at the plum blossoms in the courtyard, and closed the Military System.

"Miss, it's windy, put on a cloak!" The maid, Luzhu, came over with a cyan silk cloak.

The standard for the young masters and misses of the Bai Estate, in addition to a wet nurse from childhood, was four governesses, two personal maids, and five or six servant girls to sweep the house.

Chen Jinyu was only staying at the Bai Estate, but she was extremely loved by her adoptive parents, so she was treated accordingly.

Just then.

A few replies came from the door.

"Greetings, Granny!"

"Qingmei, is Miss in?"

"Yes!"

After a moment, an old woman stormed in; it was Chen Jinyu's wet nurse, Granny Hu.

In her forties, wearing a blue cloth shirt, her wrinkled face looked like tree bark.

"Miss, those harlots in the kitchen are too outrageous. I went to ask for a bowl of Laba porridge and they didn't give me any. When the Second Master's maid went to ask, they immediately brought out a food box. I really have no face to live..."

The old woman wailed a few times, and seeing Chen Jinyu's indifferent expression, her voice gradually lowered.

Chen Jinyu waited for her to stop, waved her hand and said, "Hu嬷嬷, go and fetch my share of Laba porridge, then leave."

"Ah? Miss, I..."

Hu嬷嬷's face twitched when she heard this, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

A cold light flashed in Chen Jinyu's eyes, and Nanny Hu felt the temperature in the room suddenly drop. She shivered and quickly retreated.

"That greedy old thing."

Luzhu pouted her small mouth and couldn't help but mutter, her voice just loud enough for Chen Jinyu to hear.

"You go down too."

Chen Jinyu shook her head slightly. Because of her adoptive parents' care, such as staying in Rong'an Hall the longest when paying respects, and her adoptive father always bringing back delicious and fun things when he went out.

Perhaps the value was not comparable to a meal in the estate, but the meaning it represented made the real young masters and misses envious.

The more envy, the more jealousy!

"I wish I were a man!"

Chen Jinyu continued to recite the Military System. This book on military affairs, which she begged her adoptive father to find, recorded the military system of Fengyang Kingdom, a secret military transmission that could not be seen by the top families of Shenjing.

Immersed in the book of deploying troops and generals, as for fighting with the young masters and misses of the estate?

Utterly boring!

Chen Jinyu knew that she was only staying temporarily and would leave the Bai Estate sooner or later, so why make things difficult for her adoptive parents.

Night fell.

The north wind swept the ground.

The branches outside the window swayed, reflecting on the paper like ghosts.

Squeak!

A subtle sound, and the sleeping Chen Jinyu suddenly woke up, her eyes shining brightly in the darkness.

"Since you've come, why act like a thief on the roof!"

As she spoke, several thin rays of light shot out, with the sound of thud, thud, thud as they entered the wood.

"What a girl, you're quite ruthless."

A figure fell from the beam, with white hair, but a face as rosy as a child's. The cyan Daoist robe he wore was worn and faded, and it was unknown how many years it had been since it had been changed.

"Breaking into a woman's boudoir, according to the law, one can be killed without question!"

Chen Jinyu waved her hand and three more rays of light shot out. Only now could she see the appearance of the hidden weapon, which was actually silver needles as thick as cow hair.

"The technique is good, but unfortunately..."

The old Daoist spoke slowly, his figure neither dodging nor evading, allowing the silver needles to pierce the three vital acupoints of the philtrum, heart, and lower yin.

"...ingenuity cannot overcome strength, a waste of great talent!"

As the voice fell, the three silver needles could no longer move forward even a millimeter, and hung straight in the air, as if fixed by an invisible force.

Chen Jinyu's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but exclaim.

"Innate Grandmaster!"