The Steady Way: Keep a Billion Tricks in Reserve

A wave of wild joy surged and crashed in Xu Qian's chest, nearly making him throw back his head and howl at the sky, roaring out all the frustration, fear, and despair he had endured over the past month.

He instinctively clenched his fists, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force. An embarrassingly juvenile aura of "I can roam the Heavenly Prison at will, and Demons are all ants" nearly burst through the top of his head.

I'm going to confront Zhou Kang right now! I'll tell him I'm a one-in-all-eternity Longevity Seed and make him call me Dad whenever he sees me from now on! Block C, Block B—my ass! I'm going to swagger sideways through this place!

The thought was like a devil's whisper, brimming with temptation.

Yet just as that breath was about to burst free, the caution and risk-management instincts drilled deep into his bones by his previous life as a Corporate Slave came crashing down over him like the iciest bucket of water.

He shuddered violently.

Wait! Calm down! Xu Qian, fucking calm down!

I got carried away! I almost got carried away! What the hell have I even accomplished yet?

The Longevity Dao Fruit was heaven-defying, sure, but he was still a pathetic weakling! It was true that the Dao Fruit automatically increased his cultivation every year, but his current cultivation was zero! Even after a year's growth, he would only be at Houtian Early Stage! That old fox Zhou Kang was probably far beyond that realm already!

Invulnerable to All Methods? Untainted by Karma? They sounded incredible, but the phrase "none below a supreme Great Power can detect it" itself meant that there were still Great Powers capable of noticing him! He had no idea how deep the waters of this Immortal Martial World truly ran!

What would happen if a weak Longevity Seed with no backing, one who had only just awakened, was exposed?

Would he be worshipped as an auspicious omen? Dream on! Far more likely, he would be seized by some terrifying existence and sliced apart for research, or imprisoned and used as Humanoid Great Medicine for cultivation!

A man is guilty because he possesses jade! That was an iron law true even beyond the western seas!

At the thought of those possible consequences, the faint swell of arrogance that had just emerged in Xu Qian's heart was instantly strangled out. Cold sweat nearly broke out on him again.

Stay hidden! I must stay hidden! he issued himself the sternest warning in his heart.

His wild delight receded as swiftly as the tide, replaced by an extreme calm and... excitement?

That was right—excitement!

He possessed such a heaven-defying cheat, yet he had to disguise himself as the most ordinary person and silently grow in the shadows, like a spider weaving a vast web in the darkness, waiting for prey to deliver itself to his door—or... waiting for the day he became strong enough to disregard every rule!

This felt even more exhilarating than immediately leaping out to show off and slap faces!

He sat back down on the hard plank bed, wisdom—or so he believed—gleaming in his eyes. Memories of those Hiding Path School and Steady Path School novels from his previous life flooded back.

Yes! That's it!

He threw a hard punch and set the core strategy for surviving and developing in this dangerous world—

"Develop steadily, keep a billion tricks in reserve!"

He would carve those eight words into his soul!

As for the specifics?

Xu Qian began calculating at high speed:

First, his persona could not collapse! He had to maintain the image of the timid, cowardly, somewhat dull young prison guard he had been before—indeed, he had to act it even more convincingly! In the eyes of Zhou Kang, Old Wang, every other prison guard, and every prisoner, Xu Qian had to forever remain an inconspicuous background extra, someone who could be ignored entirely!

Second, his cultivation had to be hidden! The cultivation automatically gained from the Longevity Dao Fruit, along with the slight acceleration brought by absorbing Sha Qi, all had to be strictly concealed! He had not yet obtained the Turtle Breath Art, but he needed to find a similar Breath Concealment Method as soon as possible! Until he possessed absolute power to protect himself, he could not let anyone see his true realm!

Third, his abilities had to be used cautiously! "Invulnerable to All Methods" was a life-saving trump card. He could not test it carelessly, much less expose it. "Untainted by Karma" had to be fully exploited as well—minimize entanglements with the outside world, observe silently, and never take the initiative to provoke trouble.

Fourth, resources had to be acquired cleverly! The Heavenly Prison was a treasure trove. The prisoners, the library, even this dense Sha Qi—all of it was a resource. But every method of acquiring them had to remain hidden and arouse no suspicion. He had to be like spring rain, moistening all things silently.

Fifth, time was on his side! With infinite life, impatience was the last thing he needed. Spending ten years, a hundred years, even a thousand years tempering his foundation and improving steadily—that was the proper path. Every action had to take "safety" as its highest principle!

Having thought it all through, Xu Qian felt his thoughts flow freely and his spirit become refreshed.

He walked beneath the ventilation opening again and looked out at the Heavenly Prison's nightscape, still dark yet seemingly containing limitless possibilities. A profound curve touched his lips, one only he himself understood.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be a happy prison guard. Sweep floors, deliver meals, stay hidden and cultivate.

Starting tomorrow, I'll care about grain and vegetables. I have a prison cell, facing Sha Qi, where spring blossoms bloom.

He could almost see it: one day in the future, when the Gods and Devils of all heavens fought until heaven collapsed and earth split apart, this little prison guard would slowly stroll out of the Heavenly Prison, yawn, and then casually bury every last one of them...

Of course, that was a very long way off.

For now...

He returned to his bed and tried actively guiding the Longevity Dao Fruit, focusing even more intently on absorbing the surrounding Yin Sha Qi. Though the speed remained slow, the solid feeling of truly growing stronger filled him with incomparable satisfaction.