Hiding in a concealed spot, he observed the two cultivators' spell battle for a brief moment.
Chen Dengming's expression gradually grew peculiar.
From the perspective of a martial arts grandmaster who had spent decades fighting in the martial world, the fight between those two cultivators in the distance looked more like they were standing in place exchanging talismans and magic tools, playing a turn-based game.
Although they frequently made quick movements, dodges, and so on, no more exquisite combat techniques were involved; it was entirely brainless mid-to-long-range bombardment, with the victor decided by whose spirit shield broke first or who was hit first.
Perhaps they were hiding their true strength. Besides, given the range of this sort of Daoist magic and magic tools and their power, I couldn't withstand two hits even with the Indestructible Vajra Zen Skill. The distance is too great for ordinary gu poison to be effective, and as for the Blood Centipede Gu, that's a bit risky.
Chen Dengming calculated inwardly, feeling that if he unleashed Green Hill Mad Dragon to throw a thirteen-zhang blade Qi, perhaps he could "reach" those two at mid-to-long range without suffering from having too short a reach and getting beaten.
Yet against martial arts ultimate moves like Green Hill Mad Dragon, he could only execute it about three or four times, and whether it could shatter that formidable-looking spirit shield remained unknown.
If he still couldn't shatter the spirit shield after three or four tries, the one in danger would be him.
Naturally, that was under the premise of not counting the Blood Centipede Gu.
With such a calculation, this cultivation world was indeed too dangerous; casually running into one or two suspected low-tier cultivators posed a fatal threat to him. Back in the Nanxun Kingdom, very few people could threaten his life.
Flash!
Seeing that the battle over there was about to end, Chen Dengming swiftly executed his lightness kung fu and moved far away.
The rest of the journey was smooth and uneventful, and Chen Dengming soon approached the bustling and chaotic rogue cultivator zone.
Yet he did not enter directly at once.
Instead, he cautiously wandered among the deserted mountain forests around the periphery, observing the situation within the rogue cultivator zone and the people coming and going from afar.
As a veteran of the martial world, Chen Dengming naturally would not act like a greenhorn, rashly scouting the map with his face the moment he arrived in an unfamiliar area; a bare minimum observation while "maintaining a safe distance" was indispensable.
Unfortunately, having come to the cultivation world now, it was no longer like being in the mortal martial world where he had numerous subordinates to command, and everything had to be built up from scratch; thus, it required even greater caution and step-by-step vigilance.
A day passed quickly.
Chen Dengming had already deliberately taken off his luxurious outer robe and wrapped it up, then made his tied-up hair slightly disheveled so that he no longer looked so glossy and opulent, appearing more travel-worn instead.
By now, he had basically observed the general situation inside the rogue cultivator zone clearly.
This so-called rogue cultivator territory didn't even have a gate sign or a wicker fence, entirely resembling a gathering place of over a thousand various houses haphazardly pieced together.
Some houses were wooden sheds, while others were stone or earthen houses, but there were also relatively imposing pavilions or bright verandas. The roads extended in all directions, and the streets varied in width, looking completely devoid of planning.
To be honest, this sort of cultivation environment truly left him somewhat dumbfounded.
He even saw from afar that some dwellings had vegetable gardens outside.
Only the vegetables planted seemed somewhat out of the ordinary, lush and full of vitality, looking like spirit herbs.
Some experts with powerful auras who seemed like cultivators were wearing clothes less luxurious than his own, holding hoes to reclaim land and directing mortal Xiantian beings to spread nightsoil—a truly jaw-dropping sight.
It was precisely seeing this scene that prompted him to immediately take off his luxurious garments, avoiding trouble caused by such a minor detail of attire.
Naturally, a small number of dwellings within the rogue cultivator zone were extremely clean, appearing out of place with their surroundings, and the intensity of the aura faintly emanating from inside gave Chen Dengming a feeling similar to the yellow-robed cultivator he had encountered on the road earlier.
In short, this place was completely different from the cultivation lands he had imagined.
If one stripped away those cultivators with powerful auras and the frequent battles that had broken out several times over the past day, this place felt more like a secular marketplace.
What kind of cultivation is this? The lofty immortal Qi that Fairy Lüo and the others had before is completely absent here.
Chen Dengming sat on a wooded hillside, frowning as he rubbed his chin, before suddenly snapping to his senses.
Fairy Lüo's tone earlier had also been full of disdain toward the rogue cultivator zone, calling rogue cultivators unprincipled.
Corresponding to what he was witnessing right now, it seemed rogue cultivators were instead closer to mortals, lacking immortal Qi while possessing more mortal warmth and touch with reality.
However, seeing that it was about to get dark, Chen Dengming could not afford to continue staying outside the gathering place to observe the environment and instead entered the settlement, preparing to settle down first.
Anyone with common sense knew that the wilderness was unsafe, and Fairy Lüo had also said that demon beasts existed in this world.
A short while later, the sky grew dark.
In the blue-gauze night sky, stars were scattered like dots.
Within the chaotic rogue cultivator zone, however, it was quite lively at this time, with fish and dragons mixed together in the night market, shoulders rubbing against shoulders.
In some dimly lit and ambiguous low-rise houses, there were even some quite rhythmic sounds ringing out.
Several rather luxuriously decorated art houses and brothels formed a sharp contrast with the surrounding low, dim wooden houses. They were entirely brightly lit with lanterns, and even dispatched some gorgeously dressed women of great temperament to solicit customers at the entrance, striking all sorts of flirtatious poses with soul-capturing glances.
An indifferent gaze was cast down from the opposite pavilion, loftily looking down upon the women below who had been manipulated into playthings and money-making tools, before sweeping across the low-tier cultivators not far away who were lining up to receive temporary residence rights for the shed houses. A trace of disdain flashed in those eyes.
At this moment, Chen Dengming was wearing tattered clothes with disheveled hair and a broken blade strapped to his back, mingling in the queue to wait in line, preparing to secure a job to do first—at least to resolve the issues of housing and food.
Starting over from scratch in the cultivation world, within this chaotic and dilapidated rogue cultivator gathering place, all resources for food, clothing, housing, and transportation were clearly priced.
If he wanted a place to stay and a bite to eat, he had to figure out a way to put in labor himself.
These women probably did this just to survive for the sake of food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
Without a trace, he glanced at the busy women under Zanhua Tower not far away and shook his head inwardly.
Judging by the aura of these women, they should all be at the Xiantian level, counting as big shots in the mortal martial world, but here...
Yet now he had also figured out that the Xiantian beings of this world possessed empty strength while lacking proficiency in martial arts.
Most Xiantian individuals had all eight meridians open from birth, and in an environment filled with spiritual Qi, naturally reached the eighth layer of Xiantian.
Because they were true Xiantian beings rather than those who cultivated through acquired effort, as long as they possessed spiritual roots, they were born with spirituality and could directly practice certain Daoist arts; once they accumulated enough spiritual Qi, they could break through to become cultivators.
This starting point was undoubtedly much better than mud-legged fellows from the Nanxun Kingdom like Chen Dengming.
Chen Dengming still had to cultivate all the way to the eighth layer of Xiantian, then slowly temper and purify his Xiantian inner strength, cultivating and transforming it into spiritual Qi before he could break through to become a cultivator.
Meanwhile, the sole obstacle for native Xiantian beings to become cultivators was their spiritual roots.
This also resulted in very few cultivators in this native world studying martial arts.
Even though they had learned immortal magic, the stationary output and snake-like dodging they displayed in battle were quite an eyesore, further illustrating their poor practical combat skills.
Yet from what he saw before his eyes, it was indeed hard to imagine that such businesses existed in the cultivation world, running places like Platinum Han and Heaven on Earth.
This actually reminded him of what some online webnovels he read in his past life described—that the environment after ascension was terrible, and even the whole world was a twisted, evil world where ascension was a conspiracy.
Now, his sights and experiences upon coming to the cultivation world, though not as absurdly fabricated as in novels, indeed had a rather large gap compared to his imagination.
Still, he was gradually getting used to it now, and even adapting quickly.
It felt just like when he originally transmigrated into the martial world of the Nanxun Kingdom.
Back then, he had also gradually stood up by fighting his way through the marketplace at the very bottom of the martial world.
Coming to the cultivation world now was merely like experiencing a life of struggle and striving all over again.
Who said that cultivators had to be lofty and grand, extremely kind, drifting on the wind with immortal Qi, and even farting sweet-smelling air?
Facts proved that cultivators were still human, at least not true immortals yet.
Just like great heroes in the martial world who also had mortal emotions and desires, the Qi Refining Stage could not even achieve inedible penance, needing to eat, drink, and relieve themselves just the same, with urine that smelled just as foul.
"You're up. You look very unfamiliar, just arrived here? What did you do before?"
Soon, the queue reached Chen Dengming.
A cultivator at the Qi Refining First Layer holding a brush in hand looked Chen Dengming up and down and said indifferently.
Chen Dengming cupped his fists politely and smiled, "Immortal Master, I'm a newcomer. I used to run about the martial world just selling fish, and I'd like to get a job to make a living."
Listening to Chen Dengming's unpleasant dialect accent from who knows what small nook, the cultivator frowned, casually swiped his brush across the thin booklet, and snorted.
"Since you used to be a fishmonger, then go catch fish. There are spirit fish in Lingyue Lake ten miles outside the gathering place, which is the territory of the Golden Character Workshop. Catch one and hand over the greater half; catch two and hand over one and a half. Go!"
The cultivator casually tossed out a token with a faint fluctuation of spiritual Qi.
Chen Dengming caught it immediately, slightly dazed. He was really being assigned to catch fish, and on top of that, catching one meant handing over the greater half, leaving him with just the fish head? This cut was brutally ruthless, yet on the surface, he wore a smile and expressed his thanks.
Turning to leave, he glanced at some mortals in the street corners and alleys scavenging for food left over by cultivators to stave off hunger, and could not help letting out another internal sigh.
Others ride tall horses, while I alone straddle a donkey. Looking back at the wood-carrying fellow, my heart compares the difference.
Compared to the numerous mortals who weren't even Xiantian, he at least still had a way to survive.
Moreover, he possessed medicinal pills, cultivation techniques, and gu-path ultimate arts, possessed spiritual roots enabling him to cultivate, and his Golden Finger panel was a heaven-defying magic treasure—practicing martial arts could extend his life, each lifespan higher than the last, promising an unbounded future of myriad years of longevity, everlasting life, and an attainable Great Dao.
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