Fuck Me, Even Bandits Cultivated?

Chen Xun did not enter immediately. Instead, he led Big Black Ox to one side. The Ascension Convention would not officially begin for several more days; this was currently the entry period for independent cultivators.

He quietly observed the group of independent cultivators. They wore all sorts of clothing—some wore bamboo hats, some masks—each more mysterious than the last.

They all stepped into the mist, then vanished from sight. Chen Xun suddenly understood.

"Moo~ Moo!" Big Black Ox seemed rather impatient. Why were they not going in yet?

"Let's go!"

Chen Xun shouted, pulled the Bandit Mask from his robes, and slipped it over his head before leading Big Black Ox into the thick fog.

Buzz—

A humming sound rang out. The mist gradually dispersed, and a brand-new world appeared before their eyes.

Nine Stars Valley was far larger than he had imagined, stretching beyond the horizon. Countless independent cultivators walked through the valley amid waves of hushed whispers.

The surroundings were packed with street stalls, yet there were no cries of vendors hawking their wares. Chen Xun had never seen any of the items laid out there, and could not even name them.

There were also some pavilions in the distance, permanent stations for minor sects and schools that came every year to purchase things from independent cultivators.

"Awesome..."

"Moo~~"

Chen Xun led Big Black Ox slowly through the valley, keeping far from the vendors before stopping on the spot to observe. What they used in trade was not gold or silver, but hexagonal crystals known as spirit stones.

Quite a few independent cultivators also took out pills to barter for other goods. Chen Xun's throat went dry as his eyes opened wide.

Big Black Ox had a face full of bewilderment. What was all this? Where had they gotten these things? How had they lived for so many years without seeing a single one?

"Old Ox, we're country bumpkins."

Chen Xun swallowed hard, his heart pounding furiously. It was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden—making a spectacle of himself at every turn.

Big Black Ox kept nodding, its bell-sized eyes opening wider and wider. It rubbed against Chen Xun and pointed its head in a certain direction.

"Whoa, are those spirit herbs?"

Chen Xun looked that way, his feet moving of their own accord. He walked to a young girl's stall and saw the three stalks of spirit herbs there, lush and emerald-green, radiating faint spiritual energy.

They were completely different from ordinary medicinal herbs. Whether in their patterns or their fragrance, they were practically two different species.

The girl had been lowering her head as she sorted her wares when she suddenly saw two human legs and four bovine hooves.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have..."

The girl slowly raised her head with a smile, only for her expression to change drastically. What kind of getup was this? "What do you want?!"

"Miss, don't misunderstand. We're good people." Chen Xun revealed a friendly smile. "We're just looking."

Cold sweat broke out on the girl's forehead. Why did that smile beneath the face covering feel so terrifying? This man was definitely no good sort. He might once have been a bandit who robbed homes and plundered travelers.

"O-Okay... go ahead and look."

The girl scooted back while still seated, her expression tense. That face covering carried such a powerful Sense of Oppression.

"Miss, how do you tell the age of a spirit herb? I once—"

"Are you buying it?"

"Not for now. I don't have any spirit stones."

"Do you have pills that improve cultivation? Those can be exchanged too."

"Not for now."

"Then what are you asking for?"

The girl spoke irritably. She had already been frightened half to death, and now she was being toyed with besides.

"Sorry to disturb you."

Chen Xun felt a little embarrassed. He led Big Black Ox away, realizing that cultivators did business completely differently from mortals. He would have to change his way of thinking too.

Whenever they saw someone standing at a stall, they would stand some distance away and listen to them explain the names and functions of the items.

After doing this back and forth, they had actually gained quite a lot. They learned a little about talismans, inscription brushes, cinnabar, pills, and more.

"Old Ox, I've remembered all of it. At least we'll have a few things to say when we brag in the future."

Chen Xun was in high spirits, having learned quite a few new things. "Come on, let's go look at that one."

"Moo~ Moo~" Big Black Ox cried happily. It had remembered them too.

Beside one stall, a white-bearded old man stood spiritedly, surrounded by quite a few independent cultivators as he proclaimed, "This is a Qi Boosting Pill. Take it over a long period, and one bottle can raise your cultivation by one level!"

"This old man spent seven times seven, forty-nine days refining it. It is effective even for Qi Condensation Stage 5. Three Low-Grade Spirit Stones—Honest and Fair to All!"

After saying this, he opened one bottle. Spiritual energy and medicinal fragrance came washing over them. Quite a few independent cultivators nearby were tempted and were just about to take out their spirit stones.

"That old swindler is scamming people at the Ascension Convention again!" Several furious shouts suddenly came from afar.

"Everyone, this old man has suddenly felt something in his heart. My cultivation may have improved again. I'll return tomorrow!"

The old man's expression changed. With a sweep of his hand, he immediately fled, vanishing into the sea of people. His movements were so practiced that he clearly had done plenty of such unscrupulous things.

"Fellow Daoists, do not believe that man. Those pills are all fake and have absolutely no effect after consumption."

The people who had rushed over hurriedly cupped their fists toward the crowd. There was fury in their eyes; they had clearly been deceived badly.

The surrounding independent cultivators all returned the salute in thanks, a wave of lingering fear rising in their hearts. They had nearly been conned, and there had been no way to tell that the pills had any problem at all.

After the crowd dispersed, Chen Xun clicked his tongue and sighed. "Old Ox, look. There are swindlers in the Cultivation World too. They're no different from us mortals."

"Moo Moo!"

Big Black Ox nodded gravely, its pupils trembling. It had believed that old man's nonsense just now as well.

Chen Xun led Big Black Ox onward, eavesdropping everywhere and gathering information. His behavior was exceedingly sneaky, though he did not realize it himself.

"The Ascension Convention will begin in three days. The Ten Great Immortal Sects of the Qian Kingdom will be gathered here. If one gets in, it'll be like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate."

"Haha, we should stop dreaming. We'd already be lucky to enter an ordinary immortal sect. How could the Ten Great Immortal Sects be a place for people of such mediocre aptitude as us?"

"True, but if we don't take a chance, our hearts will never be at peace."

"Each of the Ten Great Immortal Sects has set up five trials in the center of the valley. Those without great wisdom and great perseverance should forget about it."

"I hear there are plenty of casualties every year. If you aren't at Qi Condensation Stage 7, it's best not to go."

"Alas."

Several independent cultivators shook their heads and sighed as they passed Chen Xun. The road to immortality was like ten thousand soldiers crossing a single-log bridge, fraught with endless difficulties. How could it compare to those extraordinarily gifted people, who were taken away the moment they were born?

"The valley center, the Ten Great Immortal Sects, five trials."

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox memorized the key points again. They exchanged a smile, feeling as though they had profited once more.

"Old Ox, let's go over there. It looks like they're selling weapons."

Chen Xun shouted excitedly. Forging iron was his specialty, after all. He led Big Black Ox over, where quite a few people had gathered as well.

They stood at the edge of the crowd, but the truth disappointed Chen Xun. These were not weapons, but magical artifacts—not something made through mere blacksmithing.

Quite a few flying swords and strangely shaped objects were laid out there, all requiring magical power to wield.

"Really awesome."

Tears of envy flowed from the corner of Chen Xun's mouth. If he turned the Mountain-Splitting Axe into a magical artifact, he might truly be able to split a mountain with one swing in the future.

"Moo~"

Drool flowed from the corner of Big Black Ox's mouth as well. If its horns could be refined into magical artifacts, who could possibly withstand a Black Ox Charge?

Man and ox seemed to share the same thoughts, each beginning to fantasize. Their drool kept flowing, making the surrounding independent cultivators frown deeply. Where had these bumpkins come from? Even the ox was cut from the same cloth.

They paid no attention to the looks of others and spotted another stall.

"Old Ox, they're all skills... no, spells."

Chen Xun was so excited that he could barely speak coherently. He led Big Black Ox closer once again, startling the burly independent cultivator man. Fuck me, even bandits cultivated?

"Object Manipulation Art," "Fireball Spell," "Aura Concealing Art," "Body Immobilization Spell," and other spells were displayed in dazzling array, simply spread out on the ground.

Chen Xun and Big Black Ox kept swallowing. They wanted every single one of them. They lacked spirit stones; for the first time, they felt so desperately poor.

"Fellow Daoist, have you found anything you like?"

"Big Brother, where did you get all these spells? So many..."

"What do you mean by that?"

The burly man frowned. Was this guy planning to return to his old trade here? He quietly pulled out a talisman, preparing to call for help.

"Big Brother, don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand. I'll come buy them next time when I have spirit stones."

Chen Xun hurriedly waved his hands. He had lost his composure a little, and he dragged Big Black Ox away at a run, his heart still pounding wildly. He was simply too excited.

"What the hell was that?"

The burly man put the talisman away again, glaring viciously in the direction Chen Xun had left.