Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 143: A fleeting moment
The next day, when I got up, it was already bright outside.

Chen Li was helped to get dressed by Zhou Hong.

Zhou Hong's face was rosy, and her pair of watery eyes exuded a stunning allure.

Living environment influences one's temperament, and upbringing influences one's physical condition.

When we first met, she was sharp-tongued and fiery, with the demeanor of a wild and unruly cultivator. Now, after so many years, not only has her body become more mature and voluptuous, but her temperament has also become gentle and tender, making her almost unrecognizable compared to before.

He couldn't resist kissing her.

"You're so annoying!" Zhou Hong was secretly pleased, but she scolded him, "I just applied lip rouge, and you've smudged it again. Didn't you have enough yesterday? You're still feeling sore today. You're such a bull."

"Hehe, a lifetime wouldn't be enough!" Chen Li laughed.

"If only it could last a lifetime," Zhou Hong thought to herself.

……

After washing up, Chen Li went into the dining room.

Zhang Shuniang had already prepared breakfast and was waiting. When she saw Chen Li come out, she hurriedly brought out the food that had been kept warm from the kitchen. She ran around, her face flushed, as busy as a nimble little bird.

Chen Li stopped her and asked about her recent cultivation progress.

She learned that she had already reached the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining several months ago, but there had been no sign of her breaking through.

This is a situation that most people will encounter. It's not that their cultivation is not fast enough, but that they are stuck at a bottleneck and unable to break through it for a long time.

Chen Li offered a few words of encouragement.

After having breakfast, he left the cave.

In the early morning, the mountains were shrouded in thick fog.

The air was fresh, but it was mixed with the smell of decaying wood and leaves. He didn't use any magic; his body naturally rose into the air and headed to the mountain peak.

His purpose in this trip was to find a suitable shop to consign the fifty-odd golden amulets he had recently drawn.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators within the mountain gate each have their own ways of making money.

The simplest way is to plant some spiritual flowers and herbs.

Each Foundation Establishment cave dwelling has a courtyard of several acres, all of which are third-tier spiritual lands rich in spiritual energy. By hiring a few mortal servants with planting experience, one can plant whatever one wants and still reap a harvest of a dozen or twenty mid-grade spirit stones a year.

In addition to salary and mission rewards.

Each year, I can earn two or three high-grade spirit stones.

With this income, it's impossible to live a very comfortable life, but it can barely cover the annual expenses of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, life will be a bit tight, and buying a good set of magic weapons, robes, or formations is basically out of the question.

Of course, if you choose to lie flat.

There is little prospect for the future.

With that kind of income, life must be easy and enjoyable.

Secondly, there are craftsmen like Chen Li.

The three arts of cultivation are alchemy, weapon crafting, and talisman making. Although talisman making ranks last, it is better than some but not as good as others.

Finally, there's the management of commerce. The shops, large and small, in Luanluo City and its various markets, as well as some large merchants, are all controlled by Foundation Establishment forces.

Especially those large Foundation Establishment families, with their vast size, numerous talents, and infiltration into all walks of life, still make a fortune every day after paying exorbitant rents.

Whether it was the Changsheng Sect in the past or the Zhenhuan Sect now, they basically did not collect any taxes from Luanluo City and its major markets, or rather, they collected taxes in a special form.

That's the rent.

Whether it's the shantytown at the foot of the mountain or the houses in Luanluo City, they are all for rent only, not for sale.

As for the shops, Chen Li knew that they required bidding, with auctions held every ten years, and only those who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage could participate. Unfortunately, he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage too late; by now, the shops in Luanluo City and its various markets had already been snapped up several years ago. However, on the other hand...

If he had established his foundation a few years earlier, he might have been swept into the sinking ship of the Longevity Sect, and it's uncertain whether he would still be alive today.

Chen Li flew down from the sky and walked about a hundred meters to a talisman shop belonging to the Zhen Huan Sect. He quickly negotiated a price with the shopkeeper, agreeing to pay 22 low-grade spirit stones per talisman and to deliver the talisman once a month.

After resolving this minor matter, Chen Li went to the medicine shop and bought fifty bottles each of Qi Gathering Pills and Body Tempering Pills before quickly returning.

……

Since joining the True Soul Sect, Chen Li has been cultivating leisurely and peacefully within the sect.

Time flies like an arrow; a year and a half has passed in the blink of an eye.

One late night.

'Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 1: 37/100'

Cultivation Technique: Longevity Technique (Foundation Building Chapter) Grandmaster: 1632/3200

In the quiet room, Chen Li opened his eyes and checked the game panel: "Phew, I've improved a little again!"

He did some quick calculations:
"The last time was ten days ago... Once the Longevity Technique reaches its maximum level, it should be able to be shortened to about six days."

The cultivation speed during the Foundation Establishment stage is much slower than that during the Qi Refining stage.

This is only the first to second level of Foundation Establishment. As cultivation progresses, it will inevitably become slower and slower, not to mention encountering bottlenecks along the way. If one can achieve Foundation Establishment perfection within fifty years, that would already be very good.

"Fifty years from now, I will be a hundred years old. If Zhou Hong is unable to establish her foundation by then..."

He quickly stopped himself from thinking about it anymore.

Over the past year, Zhang Shuniang's cultivation level has advanced to the fifth level of Qi Refining, while Zhou Hong is still hovering around the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Chen Li sometimes wondered what exactly cultivation aptitude was, feeling it was like intelligence, predetermined at birth. The two of them had no shortage of pills and even possessed a third-tier spiritual land, yet their cultivation speed remained incredibly slow.

Although Zhang Shuniang was slightly more qualified than Zhou Hong.

However, compared to those inner disciples, she is still quite lacking. This year, Zhang Shuniang is already twenty years old, while the standard for inner disciples of the True Sect is to be at the seventh stage of Qi Refining before the age of twenty.

Chen Li had also taught Zhou Hong the full-level Longevity Skill (Qi Refining Chapter).

Unfortunately, after Zhou Hong practiced it, her cultivation not only didn't speed up, but she almost lost her breath and nearly went into qi deviation.

Clearly, this longevity technique was optimized based on him; it was completely tailor-made for him.

"The two-year grace period is almost over, and things won't be so leisurely from now on." Chen Li patted his robes and stood up from the futon.

However, he wasn't particularly afraid.

He hasn't been idle these past two years.

He has maxed out both Zhou Tiangang Force and Evil-Slaying Technique.

In particular, the max-level Zhou Tian Gang Jin is both offensive and defensive, with defensive power comparable to a second-tier level 2 spell. It is activated instantly, although it can only last for about 30 seconds, but that is enough to end a battle.

Moreover, his greatest advantage is his versatility; he has an extremely strong ability to survive in all kinds of situations.

Investigation techniques include far-sightedness, ground hearing, auspiciousness-seeking and misfortune-avoiding techniques, qi-observation, and clairvoyance.

The attacks include the Zhou Tian Gang Force, swordsmanship, magical artifacts, and various auxiliary attack techniques such as Flash and Rebuke.

There are techniques for escaping, such as the Magnetic Slippery Escape Technique, the Invisibility Technique, and the Breath Concealment Technique.

Whether it's cultivators, evil spirits, or massive demonic beasts, he has corresponding methods to deal with them. As long as he doesn't encounter anything too powerful, he, with his mid-Foundation Establishment strength, might not be without a fighting chance.

P.S.: It's inevitable during the Lunar New Year... That's all for today!