Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 103 Eighth Level of Qi Training
Time flies, winter goes and spring comes.

In the blink of an eye, it's that time of year again when the ice and snow melt and all things come back to life.

During this period, Chen Li successively mastered the first-level sixth-grade disease-curing technique, the first-level first-grade cleansing technique, the first-level first-grade far-seeing technique, the first-level first-grade insect-repelling technique, and the first-level second-grade earth-hearing technique.

Aside from healing spells, the lower-level spells were now completely easy for Chen Li to master, requiring only an hour or two to learn.

Far-seeing technique: By channeling spiritual energy into the acupoints of the eyes, one can see distant places.

Insect repellent: to drive away insects, ants, flies, and mosquitoes in the surrounding area.

Earth Hearing Technique: One can hear subtle sounds from afar through the earth.

Of course, these techniques are ones that Chen Li finds useful and might be useful in certain situations, but they are not very useful. He doesn't plan to practice them to a high level.

As for learning cleaning techniques, it was simply because he was too lazy to draw cleaning talismans anymore.

Although he was also very curious, what would be the effect of a master-level Cleansing spell, comparable to a first-tier fifth-level spell, once he mastered the Cleansing spell to its peak?
During this period, Zhou Hong, who had been stuck at the fifth level of Qi Refining for nearly three years, finally broke through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.

At less than thirty years old, he has advanced to the sixth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from becoming a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. This is already considered quite talented among rogue cultivators.

Of course, they can't compare to a 'genius' like Chen Li.

……

This world also has festivals, which take place about half a month before spring plowing.

The residents of Green River Lane are mostly free-spirited cultivators who don't care much about such things, but the festive atmosphere in Luanluo City is quite strong.

The first day of the new year.

Zhao Lin, Zhang Yan, and others followed local customs and visited the village, bringing New Year's gifts.

"Why bother with all this fancy stuff and waste money? You guys aren't exactly living a comfortable life," Chen Li said with a smile, glancing at the New Year's gifts that had been delivered—mostly spirit wine, spirit tea, and pastries.

"We must not disregard propriety. If it weren't for your kindness, brother, we wouldn't be here. We might have died in Green River Lane long ago." Zhao Lin said respectfully, "I will always remember your kindness, brother."

"Yeah yeah!"

"If it weren't for our brother giving us business, we might have already turned to highway robbery and made a living by risking our lives."

Gu Mengqing, Guo Wu, and the others quickly chimed in with their own opinions.

Zhang Yan was tongue-tied and concerned about his reputation. He wanted to say something to express his gratitude but couldn't bring himself to do it. His lips moved a few times, but in the end, he could only manage a few dry laughs. His face was stiff, and he felt completely out of place with these people.

Chen Li chuckled; these people's flattery was clearly excessive.

I just need his help.

But he didn't care either.

Relationships based on mutual interests may seem fake, but they are the most reliable.

"You've come at the perfect time. I was planning to talk to you all again some time ago," Chen Li said. "I was wondering if you're still interested in the business of buying and selling magical artifacts and talismans?"

The price of Buddhist ritual implements has rebounded significantly during this period.

Mid-grade magic weapons are now generally priced at 2.5 mid-grade spirit stones or more, while low-grade magic weapons have risen to 1.3 spirit stones.

This price is not far from the normal price of previous years.

Chen Li didn't want to wait any longer.

Ready to cash in and secure the profits.

"Look at what you're saying, this is a gift from our elder brother, we couldn't be happier!" Zhao Lin said quickly, his face beaming with joy.

"Alright! Let's start after the New Year then," Chen Li decided.

……

A few days later, Chen Li went to Zhao Lin's house and gave Zhao Lin a mid-grade magic weapon, three low-grade magic weapons, and twenty amulets to test the waters.

To my surprise, it sold out in just two days.

In this way, Chen Li began to ship out goods one after another, and his spirit stones quickly became plentiful.

A month later.

late at night.

In a quiet room set up in the basement.

Chen Li opened his eyes, a look of joy on his face.

"Finally, I've reached the eighth level of Qi Refining!"

He calculated that it had taken him seven months in total.

"The speed is getting slower and slower. It will probably take a year to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining."

He opens the properties panel.

Name: Chen Li

Life expectancy: 42/138 years

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 8: 1/100]

[Technique: Longevity Technique Master: 1517/1600]

【Skill:】

制符：清洁符专家：121/800；静音符精通：21/400；指路符精通：11/400；辟邪符精通：185/400；避箭符熟练：54/200，轻身符熟练：35/200，护身符熟练：185/200
法术：清洁术熟练：3/200;远目术熟练：3/200;驱虫术熟练：5/200，灵力弹指宗师：3200/3200;地听术熟练：8/200;呵斥术大师：1215/1600；闪光术专家：321/800;掌心雷大师：535/1600;牵引术大师：123/1600；止血治疗术熟练：15/200；祛病术入门：85/100；寒冰术熟练：15/200，护身术精通：125/400
Swordsmanship: Basic Swordsmanship Master: 475/1600;
[Supernatural power: none]

Chen Li glanced at the spell.

"I have mastered the Rebuke Technique, Palm Lightning, and Guiding Technique. I still only have the Spiritual Finger Flick at the Grandmaster level. In addition, I have mastered the Flash Technique, which I have focused on practicing, and I have also mastered the Protective Technique."

“I’m not afraid of anyone during the Qi Refining stage, but if I were to face someone at the Foundation Establishment stage…” Chen Li shook his head.

The last time I killed a second-tier demon beast, I only had the advantage of terrain.

And he had a sharp weapon in his hand.

It was purely by chance.

It's not that their own strength is really that great.

A challenge beyond one's level—difficult!

It's extremely difficult.

Almost impossible.

Despite having mastered so many spells, some at the expert or master level, they are all low-level spells. The power of any one of them does not exceed the seventh level of the first rank, making them only suitable for surprise attacks.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator is well-prepared, even their defenses would be difficult to break through.

He got up from the meditation cushion.

"Sigh, time to sleep!"

……

"You broke through!"

The next day, after dinner, Chen Li went to the Bai family to chat with Bai Jinwang, only to be seen through by Bai Jinwang's words.

"I was fortunate enough to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining last night!" Chen Li took a sip of the spiritual tea handed to him by a maid and said calmly.

I have to say, they really know how to enjoy life.

He not only took three beautiful concubines, but also provided five maids.

They're really living a more and more comfortable life.

But after so long, the third concubine's belly still showed no signs of pregnancy.

Bai Jinwang clicked his tongue and said sourly, "Eighth level of Qi Refining, so young and already at the eighth level of Qi Refining, his talent and aptitude are quite good, not inferior to the disciples of the sect."

"Sigh, I'm not young anymore. I just look young, but I'm actually forty-two," Chen Li said modestly.

"I really couldn't tell." Bai Jinwang paused for a moment, then straightened up. "You have a knack for maintaining your health. Do you use some secret technique?"

"Just body tempering!" Chen Li raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Want to learn? I'll teach you!"

Bai Jinwang rolled his eyes upon hearing this, then lay back down on the recliner like a salted fish: "With my old arms and legs, what am I going to do learning body cultivation? Do you want me to die even sooner?"

The two chatted and joked for a few moments.

Chen Li then asked, "I've always heard people talk about evil spirits, but I don't know what they are. Do they refer to ghosts?"

“You’re only half right. ‘Evil spirit’ is a general term. In fact, ‘evil’ and ‘spirit’ are different. Ghosts and zombies can be called ‘spirits,’ but ‘evil’ refers to an extremely evil thing, an extremely strange existence. What I encountered back then was this evil thing?” Bai Jinwang’s face still showed some lingering fear and a hint of resentment as he spoke.

Chen Li immediately understood.

It turned out to be the case.

It seems that what I encountered during my migration was also an evil entity.

Chen Li was curious and was about to ask again when he heard a rapid knocking on the door of his neighbor's house next door.

"Big brother, big brother! Open the door quickly!"

It was Guo Wu's voice from Zhao Lin's group of four.

"Looks like someone's looking for me. I can't chat with you anymore, I'll be going now." Chen Li's expression changed slightly as he stood up and said. Hearing the anxious tone in that voice, he knew something was wrong. "Go on, go on, it's not like I want to chat with you." Bai Jinwang snorted.

Chen Li walked out of the Bai family home.

He saw Guo Wu standing at his door, pacing back and forth anxiously like an ant on a hot pan, sweating profusely. He quickly stepped forward.

Hearing the commotion, Guo Wu quickly turned around and saw Chen Li. His expression relaxed slightly: "Brother, something's happened!"

"Come in and we'll talk!" Chen Li said in a low voice, opening the courtyard gate but not entering the house.

He activated a silence note, and only after the faint light of the silence note enveloped the surroundings did he speak: "Speak, what happened? Why are you in such a panic!"

"Brother, Zhao Lin and the others have been arrested." Guo Wu swallowed hard and said.

He then quickly recounted the whole story in detail.

For the past month, the four of them have been selling goods at the market for unaffiliated cultivators every day, and they are selling high-value magical artifacts. Moreover, they have a steady stream of goods. As the saying goes, profit moves people's hearts. Although they acted cautiously, they were still targeted by someone.

The three of them had just left the market this evening.

They were suddenly intercepted by a group of people and taken away without any power to resist.

Fortunately, the four-person team still had a backup plan.

Guo Wu was one of the backup plans.

He did not participate in selling goods, nor did he contact the group in public. Whether going to the market or returning, he would only follow them from a distance, just in case anything happened and news could be sent out.

Unexpectedly, this second-strike measure finally paid off.

"Do you know who took them away?" Chen Li asked, his brows furrowed.

"I don't know, but I do know where they were taken!" Guo Wu quickly replied.

He remained quite cautious, neither panicking on the spot nor recklessly attempting a rescue. Afterwards, he followed the group of people into a building before rushing over to find Chen Li.

Chen Li nodded approvingly: "That makes things easier."

He glanced at the sky outside and realized it was already getting dark: "There's no time to lose, let's go now, we should still make it in time."

Chen Li called out to Zhou Hong, closed the courtyard gate behind him, and hurried after Guo Wu.

On the way, he quickly changed his expression.

His heart was filled with murderous intent.

"I've been cultivating my character for half a year, and I never expected to see blood again. Sigh, this world... Why is it so hard to live a peaceful life!"

……

At this moment, inside a large mansion.

Zhou Dongbo, the leader of the Tianhe Gang, sat calmly in the main seat, watching his subordinates torture the three captured men while sipping his tea. He put down his teacup and said:
"You'll have to tell me sooner or later, why suffer all this trouble?" Zhou Dongbo said slowly, "Tell me, where did you get so many magical artifacts, and where did you hide the money from selling them?"

"Pah!" Gu Mengqing spat out a mouthful of blood: "I already said that these magical artifacts are not ours. We are just selling them for others."

"Then tell me who's behind you?" Zhou Dongbo asked.

"You can't afford to offend the people behind me, so let us go." Gu Mengqing sneered, "Be careful you don't bring disaster upon yourself."

Zhou Dongbo and his men laughed loudly: "You think I can't afford to offend you? Perhaps you come from a Foundation Establishment family or the Longevity Sect? Judging from your accents, you must all be from Green River Workshop. You're all just desperate fugitives with worthless lives."

Gu Mengqing immediately fell silent and stopped talking.

"The remaining two, don't you have anything to say? If you do, and we receive the spirit stones and magic artifacts, I will release you immediately," Zhou Dongbo asked. Seeing no response for a long time, he finally grew impatient, his expression hardening.
"Looks like leaving three people is too many. Let's take one out!"

The three bound men's expressions finally changed drastically.

It began to struggle violently.

"Wait, no!" Zhao Lin shouted hurriedly.

The words have not yet fallen.

With a soft "splatter," blood splattered all over his head and face. He turned his head with difficulty and saw that Han Zhihao's head had been smashed and his body was convulsing unnaturally.

"Actually, keeping one is enough. Tell me, I'll give you one chance, only one chance," Zhou Dongbo said calmly, his cold eyes fixed on Zhao Lin, devoid of any emotion.

"Since you spoke first, you go first. I'll count to ten!"

"Ten, nine, eight..."

Zhao Lin's face turned deathly pale, his heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat poured down his forehead: "I...I..."

At a time of difficult decision-making.

"Boss, two men have arrived at the door. They say they are the people you are looking for," a subordinate quickly approached and reported loudly.

"The person I'm looking for?" Zhou Dongbo was taken aback, completely bewildered. It wasn't until he saw the barely suppressed joy on the faces of the two kneeling figures that he understood, yet remained somewhat surprised, and smiled:

"Let him in, we want to see what kind of quality he is."

"Yes, Gang Leader!"

Before long, two people were led in by the gang members.

It turned out to be Chen Li and Guo Wu in disguise.

"Fellow Daoist, you truly have great courage, putting righteousness first. It's rare indeed. What brings you here to redeem people?"

Chen Li glanced around, then paused slightly when he saw the corpse on the ground. His expression turned cold as he said, "This is my man. He's been working for me selling goods all this time. It's not right to kill him for no reason."

"Oh, so what?" Zhou Dongbo asked with interest, like a cat playing with a mouse.

He has nine men with him.

He himself was a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and he had seen all sorts of grand scenes.

As long as it's not a Foundation Establishment cultivator personally present, who has he ever been afraid of?
His men burst into laughter and shouted.

at this time.

Chen Li activated his reprimand technique instantly. With the clang of his longsword being drawn, he flashed past a gang member. The smile on the gang member's face had not yet faded, and the fear caused by the reprimand technique had just begun to form when his head was already detached from his body.

A column of blood shot into the sky.

Chen Li moved like lightning, heading straight for Zhou Dongbo.

In the blink of an eye, four more gang members had their heads blown off along the short seven or eight-meter stretch of road.

Zhou Dongbo seemed completely unaffected by the reprimand technique. His expression changed instantly, and he reacted extremely quickly, swiftly extending his hand from his sleeve to activate the golden light talisman. At the critical moment, with a "boom," Chen Li's second-tier longsword was firmly blocked by the golden light protective shield.

The sword strike was ineffective.

Zhou Dongbo turned pale with fright and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

An incredibly blinding light flashed in the other person's eyes, instantly blinding him. He then felt the golden protective shield vibrate repeatedly.

Chen Li's attacks were like a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye he had already unleashed four or five sword strikes, causing the golden protective shield to dim rapidly.

He could no longer contain the maddening fear in his heart, and while desperately backing away, he screamed hysterically.
"I am the fifth-generation descendant of the Zhou family's patriarch, you cannot kill me..."

Before the words were even finished, the golden protective shield shattered.

A cold glint pierced through the center of his forehead and emerged from the back of his head, leaving a gaping hole in his forehead.

"I"

Zhou Dongbo opened his mouth, uttered his last word, and fell backward, his eyes wide open in death.

He couldn't understand why he died here, even until his death.

It was just a routine robbery. He hadn't provoked any other Foundation Establishment families or the Longevity Sect. He had done this countless times and always escaped unscathed.

Why this time...?

After killing Zhou Dongbo, Chen Li didn't stop for a moment, quickly killing the rest of the gang members present, leaving many corpses lying on the ground.

He then rushed to the door, snapped the neck of the last gang member, and dragged the body into the hall.

He used his sword to cut the ropes binding Zhao Lin and Gu Mengqing, and said to them in a deep voice, "Search them and take all the valuables with you. We can't stay here any longer; we're leaving right away!"

The two men snapped out of their daze from the lingering effects of the reprimand and, without hesitation, dragged their injured bodies and began searching the corpses lying on the ground one by one with Guo Wu.

Chen Li then used his Earth Listening Technique.

I listened quietly for a while.

Soon they found another fish that had escaped the net, hiding in a large vat, ignoring the fish's cries and pleas for mercy.

A sword pointed at the head.

That resolves everything.

Chen Li returned to the hall, looked at Zhou Dongbo's body, and recalled his dying words. His expression darkened slightly. After thinking for a moment, he folded the body and put it into his storage bag.

Then he put Han Zhihao's body into the storage bag as well, leaving no trace.

A minute later, the group finished packing and quickly left the mansion, disappearing into the darkness.

P.S.: This chapter is from yesterday.

(End of this chapter)