Fighting Others is Useless, Only Longevity Laughs at the Wind

Bright Moon Workshop is indeed different from Gathering Place or Brocade Workshop.

Or rather, the Cultivation World environment in the Eastern Region is likely more fertile and orderly compared to that in the Southern Region.

If we were to describe the lower levels of the Cultivation World in the Southern Region, it would be more about the everyday life and the harsh realities of life.

The lower-level Cultivation World in the Eastern Region, at least, has more Immortal Qi and seems less cruel.

Even mortals here can be self-sufficient through farming. Although they don't live as well as cultivators, there are few instances of cultivators indiscriminately killing mortals.

Of course, it's also possible that Chen Dengming's previous location was on the southern border, which was the territory of the infamous Yin Ghost Sect, as well as a righteous and honorable Cultivation Family like the Lin family. It's normal that the cultivation environment was harsh and cruel, as they were deliberately harming people by expelling Demon Beast.

Other prosperous regions in the south may be in a similar situation to those in the east.

Chen Dengming spent a Low-grade Spirit Stone to rent a room at an inn in Bright Moon Workshop for three nights. He was so moved by the low price that he almost cried.

In the past, in Brocade Workshop, a Low-grade Spirit Stone could only pay for three nights' lodging. You had to find an empty bridge underpass or street corner to make do for the night.

On the other hand, cultivators could freely come and go from Bright Moon Workshop.

Although it is not allowed for homeless people Rogue Cultivator to sleep on the streets at night, for fear of affecting the city's appearance, it is actually not a problem if someone secretly sleeps in a corner without being seen by the Ming family's patrol guards.

Now that Chen Dengming has plenty of money, he won't risk sleeping on the streets, and it's also inconvenient for him to release his Little Array Spirit to dance and cultivate.

After staying at the Bright Moon Workshop Inn for three days, he couldn't help but have the idea of staying in this relatively peaceful Marketplace to slowly cultivate.

Once this idea was born, it sprouted and grew in my heart like a weed.

Having finally found a peaceful cultivation environment with ample Cultivation Resources, and without the worry of earning money or toiling away for cultivation, Chen Dengming truly didn't want to endure any more hardship.

All this fighting and killing lately must be exhausting for someone like him who's never been one for brawls.

"It's time to calm down and cultivate slowly for a while. I had arranged to meet Qiangzi in Jue Lin City."

But we've gone astray and ended up in Bright Moon Workshop, which is still over a thousand miles from Jue Lin City. We should go there another time when we have some free time. The Spirit Stone I gave Qiangzi should be enough for him."

Chen Dengming pondered this in his mind, and then felt slightly ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Qiangzi, I'll have to survive for six months first, and then I'll come find you... You're a master at escaping and quick-witted, you should be able to take good care of yourself."

After this act of inner repentance, he felt much better.

He now carries enough Spirit Stone, enough to sustain him for at least six months of Cultivation Resources, which is more than enough to support his cultivation at Bright Moon Workshop for a long time.

At this point, continuing to venture deeper into the Eastern Region in search of immortal sects and factions is not out of the question.

But for the time being, this matter doesn't seem to be in a hurry.

With his current cultivation speed, even if his Cultivation Method is not good, he still has the aptitude of a High-grade Spiritual Root. Half a year is enough for him to cultivate to the ninth Qi Cultivation Ninth Level, and get close to the Qi Cultivation Tenth Level.

With greater strength, we will have more confidence and ability to cope with whatever happens along the way.

On that day, Chen Dengming spent three Low-grade Spirit Stones to buy a Breath Concealing Bead in the Marketplace.

By deliberately concealing the power of this bead and suppressing its Sha Qi, it avoids clashing with the peaceful atmosphere of the Marketplace, causing people to instinctively be wary and repulsed, and resulting in being overcharged when buying things.

He then found the manager in charge of rental matters at Bright Moon Workshop and inquired about the prices of long-term rental accommodations within the Marketplace.

An army marches on its stomach.

Before engaging in secluded spiritual practice, one must first take care of one's basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, so that everything can proceed in an orderly manner.

"A single room is in the South District. It costs five Low-grade Spirit Stone per month to rent, with a minimum lease term of six months."

"It depends on what kind of house you want. A more secluded small house is in the North District. It costs ten Low-grade Spirit Stones to rent a month, with a minimum lease term of six months."

A well-located and spacious two-courtyard house, thirty Low-grade Spirit Stone per month, minimum six-month lease."

The person in charge of renting the room looked Chen Dengming up and down, and seeing that he was wearing a high-ranking robe, he immediately smiled and spoke patiently.

"Judging from your imposing appearance and commanding presence, I suppose you're planning to rent a large mansion? A large mansion is closer to the Ming family's First-Rank Spirit Vein, where the Spiritual Qi is more abundant, so it's understandable that it would cost more."

"Thirty low-grade spirit stones a month for a mansion is too expensive."

Chen Dengming thought he was fairly well-off, but upon hearing the price, he hesitated and immediately inquired about the difference in Spiritual Qi concentration between the large and small courtyards.

In the end, I chose to rent a small house in a remote location.

Regardless of size, all the houses were Marketplace.

The large mansion is close to First-Rank Spirit Vein, so the Spiritual Qi is at most one or two tenths denser than that of the small mansion, but the price is three times higher, which is unnecessary.

If it were a place he was familiar with for a long time, like Brocade Workshop, he would be willing to spend thirty Low-grade Spirit Stone to rent a large mansion to live in.

There's no other reason than that, after using the Spirit Seizing Formation, he could summon some cultivators to cultivate in his courtyard and collect some fees as a subsidy.

Now that he's unfamiliar with the place and the people, this business is obviously impossible to do. He dares to invite others to his door, but no one dares to come and cultivate.

After choosing a place to stay and paying six months' rent—a full sixty Low-grade Spirit Stone —the manager's smile became much more genuine.

He immediately summoned a sweet-talking and sensible female cultivator to take Chen Dengming to see the house.

"Fellow Daoist, are you new to our Bright Moon Workshop? To rent a residence for six months so soon after arriving, you seem quite satisfied with the environment of our Bright Moon Workshop."

"On the way," the female cultivator said with a smile.

She wore a light purple dress, with delicate features, beautiful face, and skin as smooth as jade. Her voice was soft and sweet, and she had a subtle fragrance that was pleasant to the ear without being offensive.

Chen Dengming smiled and said, "Bright Moon Workshop is indeed a good place. I've stayed here for a few days and I feel very safe here. It's a suitable place for cultivation."

"Oh?"

The female cultivator smiled and glanced at Chen Dengming, suppressing her curiosity and not pressing for his background. She changed the subject and said with a smile, "Then you can rest assured, Brother Dao. Our Bright Moon Workshop belongs to the Ming family. The Ming family has always valued harmony and prosperity, and they attach great importance to this Marketplace. Every day, several groups of Ming Family cultivator patrol, and no one will cause trouble in the market."

Moreover, the Ming family has long offered substantial rewards for the capture and killing of nearby Demon Beast and for providing intelligence. Cultivators who successfully capture Demon Beast can also receive a considerable reward.

As a result, there were very few Demon Beast attacks around the Marketplace.

"Oh? That's not bad."

Chen Dengming smiled and nodded politely, offering no further comment or inquiry about the bounty for capturing the Demon Beast; he simply noted the matter down in his mind.

When you first arrive, others might say that you should only tell people three parts truth and seven parts falsehood.

He believed in speaking less and listening and observing more. He thought that the more he talked, the more he would reveal his true nature, allowing others to guess his depth.

The female cultivator was clearly a clever and talkative person. Without saying anything more, she led Chen Dengming to a secluded building area near the peach grove.

There are many small houses here, all built around peach groves and mountain walls, creating a tranquil environment.

Chen Dengming chose a secluded courtyard.

After the female cultivator gave a brief introduction and Chen Dengming expressed his satisfaction, she left behind the Waist Token indicating the simple Formation of the residence and departed with a smile.

"Dao, fellow Daoist, this residence is quite nice, much larger than the inn's rooms. I have more space to dance, and you're more comfortable too."

Inside the house, Little Array Spirit floated out of the array plate, her silk skirt swaying lightly, her graceful figure appearing and disappearing, happily pacing around the room.

"So much dust, it's making me uncomfortable. Luckily, my old rhinitis problem is gone since I transmigrated."

Chen Dengming looked at the dusty furnishings in the room, where every step left a clear footprint. He shook his head, found the array plate in the room, embedded a Spirit Stone in a nearby slot, and then activated the waist Waist Token in his hand that controlled the Formation in the room to begin cleaning.

The courtyard's built-in Formation has four basic functions: protection, concealment, cleaning, and soundproofing. It provides comprehensive services, saving Chen Dengming the trouble of purchasing cleaning talismans.

However, this kind of Technique Method, which is necessary for life, still needs to be learned. Chen Dengming plans to buy some in the Marketplace and learn it in the near future.

That evening.

In his newly renovated and comfortable house, Chen Dengming ate several bowls of fragrant Spirit Rice while enjoying the melted Demon Beast meat soup.

The Little Array Spirit floated in front of the table, resting its head on it. Its beautiful eyes, like clear water, gazed at the fragrant Spirit Rice, making it swallow hard.

Since being refined into a spirit, she has been a spiritual being, and can only look longingly at the delicacies she enjoyed in her previous life, unable to eat them.

This was naturally a painful thing for a woman like her who had a natural talent for food.

Seeing the Little Array Spirit's pitiful state, Chen Dengming could only offer words of comfort.

Once he becomes Nascent Soul Old Monster, he will definitely find a way to rebuild his Physical Body and bring him back to life as a human from his spiritual body.

Chen Dengming didn't even flinch at making such an empty promise, but it moved the Little Array Spirit to tears. That night, it used all its skills to help Chen Dengming cultivate even more diligently, coming up with many new postures and tricks. As a result, Chen Dengming's cultivation efficiency decreased rather than increased, and he couldn't withstand the Little Array Spirit's excessive enthusiasm.

Early the next morning.

Chen Dengming wore a blue robe over his high-ranking robe to avoid attracting too much attention and arousing jealousy.

After washing up, he went out yawning. He felt exhausted from fighting with others lately, which made him feel very tired even after a rare night of quiet cultivation.

Fortunately, he is disciplined enough.

Despite being exhausted, they still managed to complete a full training session.

The Three Yuan Spirit Gathering Technique has now completed two-fifths of its sixth level of cultivation.

If he continues cultivating for another month, he will be able to break through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level.

"The new neighbors?"

At this moment, in a courtyard several dozen meters away, a middle-aged monk with a goatee greeted Chen Dengming.

Chen Dengming turned around, smiled, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Yes! You moved in yesterday. Fellow Daoist, you're also a regular resident here? I hope you'll take good care of me in the future."

The middle-aged cultivator nodded slightly. Seeing that Chen Dengming was unremarkable, dressed plainly, and had a strange accent, he clearly came from some remote corner of the world, and his aura was weak. He immediately understood the situation.

He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "No problem, no problem. My name is Zhu Xun. I make a living by hunting Demon Beast in Bright Moon Workshop. I often sell some Demon Beast meat. If you need Demon Beast meat in the future, just ask. I'll give you a discount."

Chen Dengming exclaimed "Oh ho!" and immediately bowed in gratitude, flatteringly saying, "Brother Zhu is indeed powerful. Demon Beast are ferocious, and I, Chen, always avoid them. If Brother Zhu ever sells meat in the future, I will definitely be your supporter."

"Haha, no need for that. I have plenty of customers. Buy if you need it, and don't bother if you don't."

Praised, Zhu Xun smiled and thought that although her neighbor was a bit timid, he was very good at handling things and easy to get along with, which made her feel happy.

After Zhu Xun his neighbor Zhu Xun leave, Chen Dengming withdrew his gaze, making a judgment about the other party's strength.

"Judging from the Qi, he should be around the Qi Cultivation Fifth Level of Rogue Cultivator. He's already considered a formidable figure among rogue cultivators. This is the standard the Ming family uses when recruiting guest elders. No wonder he dares to hunt Demon Beast."

Chen Dengming thought to himself, but he wasn't interested in hunting Demon Beast for the time being.

He hadn't fully grasped the situation at Bright Moon Workshop yet.

It's hard to say exactly how strong the surrounding Demon Beast are, so we can put off training and actual combat for now; we've been fighting so much lately we're about to throw up.

Moreover, there is currently no war to be fought and no external threat. The most urgent task is to lay low and improve our strength.

He strolled out and, in the bustling Marketplace, purchased a Cleansing Technique. After inquiring about the prices of other goods, he spent five Low-grade Spirit Stones to buy some medium-grade Spirit Rice and vegetables, enough to last him a month.

After returning to his residence, Chen Dengming officially secluded himself and began his arduous spiritual practice.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

He broke through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level without any trouble, entering the ranks of Qi Cultivation High Level cultivators.

Reaching this level means that even in the Cultivation Family like the Luo Family and Zhu Families, one would be treated as an honored guest, a high-ranking retainer, receiving generous stipends and enjoying excellent resources.

However, this still only qualifies as a high-level thug.

Cultivation Family do not support idlers.

When Chen Dengming first came to the Cultivation World, his greatest desire was to become a cultivator.

After becoming a cultivator, my greatest desire is to quickly become stronger and become a Qi Cultivation High Level cultivator.

But now that he has truly become a Qi Cultivation High Level cultivator, he suddenly feels that there isn't much of a surprise.

It is unknown whether this is because he once personally killed a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Level Refining.

It was because he had fought against such cultivators several times before.

Now that he himself had reached this Strength Realm, he actually felt it was only natural and wasn't too excited.

"I've become arrogant, I've really become arrogant."

"Now that I 'Qi Cultivation High Level cultivator, I have to be a little proud. How can I not feel excited at all?"

Chen Dengming unleashed his spiritual power in front of the mirror inside the room, revealing a terrifying expression, forcing himself to be excited for a moment.

In the end, it all became boring.

I broke through like that, but I wasn't as excited as watching the Little Array Spirit dance.

Perhaps it was because of their diligent daily practice and the immense effort they put in that they were not at all surprised by this result.

However, this mindset is wrong, as it can lead to a lack of enthusiasm for cultivation and laziness in the future.

Chen Dengming silently reflected on himself, saying, "I examine myself three times a day."

During his month-long seclusion, he had cultivated the Transformation from Withered to Flourishing Art to the beginner level, and the Vajra Shield Technique to the master level.

His successive breakthroughs in the Strength Realm, and Dao techniques have directly extended his Lifespan Limit to 367 years, leaving him with 129 more years to live.

129 years, or 1,548 months.

A mere month of cultivation time is insignificant.

"Continue your cultivation until the rent expires, then you'll have to leave."

That evening, Chen Dengming went out again and purchased another batch of Spirit Rice and spirit vegetables from a Spirit Rice in the Marketplace.

On his way back, he happened to run into his neighbor, the monk Zhu Xun, who was selling meat nearby.

He immediately spent five Low-grade Spirit Stones to buy dozens of kilograms of Demon Beast meat.

"With temperatures rising, be sure to store the meat you buy properly so it doesn't spoil."

Chen Dengming bought dozens of kilograms of meat at once. Zhu Xun, his neighbor, was obviously in a good mood as well, and reminded him with a smile, "This is the meat of Demon Beast at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level. It was quite a struggle for me and a companion to hunt it."

You only eat meat, you've never hunted, you don't know how difficult it is to hunt Demon Beast. Don't waste it. I once hunted a Hyena Demon Beast, and the taste was... tsk tsk, dog meat is so delicious, even immortals would crumble. It's a pity, some of it went bad before I could sell it all."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zhu. I cherish this meat."

Chen Dengming responded politely with a smile.

Zhu Xun his hand, and only after Chen Dengming left did he realize what was happening, wondering to himself.

"I haven't seen my neighbor for about a month. The house's Formation has been kept on the go, and he rarely leaves his house. How does he make a living? He's quite mysterious."

After carrying dozens of kilograms of meat back to the house, Chen Dengming cut off a piece.

The others were all frozen by the blade energy unleashed by the Ice Spirit Blade.

He ate too much hyena meat, Qi Cultivation Fourth Level of Qi Refining, and it got stuck in his teeth.

He's indifferent to the saying, "Even a god can't stand firm when dog meat is cooked three times."

Fortunately, what Zhu Xun hunted was the meat of a Demon Beast similar to a wild boar.

He picked out a tender piece of meat from the back of the neck, which should taste better than hyena meat.

Now that his basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are met again, he intends to press on and complete his seclusion until he reaches the Qi Cultivation Eighth Level before emerging from seclusion.

At his current pace of cultivation in conjunction with the Formation, he can increase his proficiency in the Three Yuan Spirit Gathering Technique by 14 points per day.

Based on the timeline, it should only take about two months to achieve a breakthrough.

Having a peaceful environment to cultivate one's cultivation level steadily and experience the feeling of rapid improvement in strength is truly amazing.

Back in those remote, desolate places on the southern border, I never even dared to dream of such a thing.

Chen Dengming was enjoying himself immensely and had no desire to return to Shu. His current predicament was truly one of endless hardship, with no means of livelihood, his green robe now white and his temples graying. Fighting with others was utterly useless; only the pursuit of immortality and a carefree life remained.

However, while he was chatting and laughing, the situation at the Luo Family's place had taken a sharp turn for the worse over the past month, and was truly dire.

Fortunately, just the day before yesterday, Eldest Miss Lüo Lüo Bing used the Foundation Establishment obtained from the Luo family's son-in-law to break through her own limitations and successfully enter the Foundation Establishment Realm. This gave the Luo Family a much-needed respite and a new option at this critical juncture.

(I've updated over 10,000 words today! Please vote for me with your monthly tickets, my friends! I'm completely broke! Have you emptied your vote pool yet?)