Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 152 Cultivation

Chen Li got up and left the quiet room.

The sky outside was already slightly bright. The summer morning was cool and breezy, birds were chirping, and the air was filled with the fragrance of grass and trees.

He walked into the courtyard, circulated his internal energy, and the next moment, it was as if an invisible flame ignited on his body, the surrounding air distorted, and his figure became extremely blurry.

He stomped his foot lightly.

As if injected with high explosives, the ground shook violently, the soil within a radius of several meters churned violently, and several large trees were blown off at the roots and collapsed with a loud bang.

"The power hasn't increased much?" Chen Li thought to himself.

But it's normal.

Cultivation is a gradual process; the first and second levels of Foundation Establishment are merely quantitative changes, not qualitative ones.

"I'm currently at the second level of Foundation Establishment, which is equivalent to having a second-tier, third-level magical defense. The attack of Zhou Tian Gang Jin is a bit weaker than its defense, but I estimate it can still surpass the power of a typical second-tier, low-grade magic weapon!" Chen Li thought to himself.

This is the advantage of secret techniques.

It improves as one's cultivation level increases.

Unlike spells, whose power is almost fixed, many low-level spells have become useless as his cultivation level increases, unable to keep up with his progress.

"Sigh, I really want to find a mid-Foundation Establishment opponent to test my skills!" He was eager to try.

However, the thought had barely crossed his mind when he suppressed it with reason and it vanished without a trace.

Only by keeping a low profile can one live a long life in this world.

“Husband!” Zhang Shuniang came out.

Did I wake you up?

"No, I had already started preparing. I'll cook for you."

"Ok!"

His breakthrough was so quiet that no one noticed, and Chen Li didn't plan to make it public. Zhou Hong is still at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and Zhang Shuniang has also stalled after breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining. It's unknown how long it will take before she can enter the late stage of Qi Refining.

This is the general talent level of ordinary people; they may never even reach the Foundation Establishment stage in their entire lives.

He sighed.

They continued testing the changes in the second layer of the foundation.

……

For the next few days, Chen Li stayed indoors, meditating and practicing his internal energy to stabilize his cultivation level.

Seven days later.

Chen Li checked the game panel.

Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 2: 2/100

"Seven days for one step forward? That's slower than the six days for the first level of Foundation Establishment... It'll take about two years to reach the third level of Foundation Establishment." Chen Li calculated in his mind:
"At this rate of progress, it is estimated that we should be able to achieve the completion of the foundation building stage within fifty years."

Fifty years later.

He's only a hundred years old.

Compared to a lifespan of nearly three hundred years, only one-third has passed.

This is equivalent to an average person around thirty years old.

They are still young and vigorous, in their prime, at the age of thirty.

"At that time, we won't have to be so careful anymore. The world is so big, we can come and go as we please."

The desolate west is merely a borderland.

The Realm is even more of a frontier within a frontier.

"I wonder what kind of world the human heartland is like. It must be incredibly prosperous!" Chen Li stood up, lost in his random fantasies.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he decided to test the effects of practicing the Immortal Muscle Jade Bone Technique during this period.

He first used a hemostatic treatment on himself.

Immediately, he took a sudden step forward and punched the stone wall, his figure like a phantom, with a faint sonic boom echoing around him.

He didn't dare to use too much force yet, only applying about half of his strength.

There was a loud noise of "Boom!"

Debris flew everywhere.

A large crater, about 30 to 40 centimeters in diameter, was punched into the wall.

At the same time, his arm broke off, and his right hand was covered in blood and a blurry mess.

"Hiss, the bone strength is still far from enough!"

He carefully felt his severed arm with his intact left hand, adjusting the bone, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain. Then he took a piece of rag from his storage bag, tied it up to immobilize the severed arm, and waited quietly for it to heal.

"Sigh, he only got what he deserved!"

It took a full half hour for the broken bone to fully heal.

At this moment, he felt the control token of the formation in his arms pulsate slightly.

Then they knew someone had come to visit.

Chen Li used a cleansing spell to remove the bloodstains from his body, tidied his appearance, and then got up and left the quiet room.

Guo Xingquan arrived, and Chen Li activated the formation to welcome him into the cave.

Guo Xingquan smiled broadly, clearly in a good mood: "Why don't you plant some spiritual herbs and flowers in your cave? Although the harvest isn't much each year, it's still a source of income."

Seeing the joy on his face, Chen Li knew he had clearly advanced to the second level of Foundation Establishment: "I'm too lazy to bother with it."

The courtyard of his cave dwelling was where he usually practiced, so why waste it on growing spiritual herbs and flowers? He wouldn't even consider the income of a dozen or twenty mid-grade spirit stones a year.

"I haven't congratulated you yet on successfully advancing to the second level of Foundation Establishment," Chen Li said with a smile.

"Hahaha, I can't hide it from you, fellow Daoist! I just broke through to the second level of Foundation Establishment the day before yesterday! Alas, I've truly witnessed the difficulty of Foundation Establishment cultivation. It took me nearly ten years just to reach the second level!" Guo Xingquan said with a beaming smile.

"Fortunately, the True Skill emphasizes gradual accumulation before unleashing its full potential. I've heard that the first level is the most difficult, so things should go much smoother from here on out!"

"Fellow Daoist, you've finally reaped the rewards of your hard work!" Chen Li chuckled in agreement. "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist, you've been at Foundation Establishment for three years now, and you'll probably be close to..." Guo Xingquan's words trailed off as he suddenly stared intently at Chen Li, sensing a faint overflow of spiritual energy emanating from his body—a clear sign that he had recently broken through. A look of astonishment crossed his face.
"Hiss, you actually... advanced too."

"Uh, yes!" Chen Li was slightly embarrassed when he saw Guo Xingquan's surprised expression. "I didn't mean to hide it from you, fellow Daoist."

Guo Xingquan's smile faltered slightly. Although he knew the other party didn't want to discourage him, he still felt a mix of emotions: "I understand, I understand. Fellow Daoist, you truly have amazing talent."

Chen Li quickly added a few more words of modesty.

……

After seeing off Guo Xingquan, who was somewhat depressed.

"Why did you leave so soon? You didn't even have a sip of tea," Zhou Hong said, coming over to clear the table, puzzled.

"I guess he's busy with something!" Chen Li said helplessly.

Zhou Hong handed over a wedding invitation, her face showing a hint of envy: "Look, Gu Mengqing brought it over this morning. He left right after delivering the invitation, and we couldn't persuade him to stay no matter what we did. He just had a big, healthy son and came over to invite us to his baby's one-month celebration."

Chen Li took the invitation, opened it, glanced at it, and said with some surprise, "I didn't hear him mention it when I came over last year for the New Year."

Gu Mengqing was much older than him, practically an old man, but unexpectedly, in his old age, he had a son.

"I only got pregnant during the New Year holidays, and my belly wasn't showing yet. It's bad luck to say it out loud," Zhou Hong said with a smile.

……

That afternoon, Chen Li went to the Sutra Repository.

The second level of Foundation Establishment also only has three techniques: Summoning Wind and Rain, Resurrection of the Dead, and Earth Escape Technique.

Summoning Wind and Rain: This is a spell that manipulates celestial phenomena. It is quite complicated to activate and has little power.

Resurrection of the Dead: Activates the remnant soul of a corpse, bringing it back to life. Once the spell ends, the corpse dies completely.

Earth-遁术 (Earth-遁术): As the name suggests, it involves using the earth to escape.

Chen Li chose only one earth-遁术 (earth-遁术, a technique for escaping underground), intending to study it slowly.

Once a spell reaches the second tier, its cost-effectiveness decreases.

Spells and hand seals have become increasingly complex and take too long to activate, making them difficult to use in combat.

Chen Li's enthusiasm for learning new techniques has greatly decreased, but the technique of escaping underground is a rather good way to escape.

When you're out and about and encounter danger, you can hide in the ground to avoid most of the danger.

……

A month later.

Luan falls into the city.

"Eldest brother and sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, come in quickly!" Gu Mengqing and his wife came out to greet them with rosy cheeks and joyful expressions. Seeing Chen Li's family arrive, they felt honored.

Ordinary independent cultivators cannot usually find a Foundation Establishment cultivator to help them.

"Today is your child's one-month celebration, a joyous occasion. No need for these traditional customs." Following local custom, Chen Li offered a few words of blessing to the child, then presented him with a jade pendant-shaped ritual object.

"This jade pendant has the effects of warding off evil spirits, calming the mind, and protecting the body. Remember to have your child wear it at all times."

Gu Mengqing accepted it with gratitude; it was indeed a top-grade magic artifact.

It's really a big deal.

Then, Gu Mengqing's friends who came to attend the full moon celebration also hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

Zhang Shuniang smiled, her gaze never leaving Chen Li. She and Chen Li were in perfect harmony. In less than a year, she had shed her girlish naiveté and exuded the charm of a newlywed, becoming more and more radiant and beautiful.

"This little one is even smiling at me, not shy at all. Can I hold him?" Zhou Hong teased the child and said to Gu Mengqing's wife.

"Look what you're saying, sister-in-law. This child is very restless at night and only calms down during the day," Gu Mengqing's wife said with a smile, handing the child to Zhou Hong.

Zhou Hong carefully took the child, held him in her arms, and smiled like a loving mother: "This child looks just like you. Look at his eyebrows and eyes, they're practically identical."

"My old man is no match for me," Gu Mengqing's wife said with a smile, watching the child closely.

Gu Mengqing didn't have many friends either.

Only two tables were set up.

Chen Li and his two companions occupied a table by themselves, and were personally entertained and served by Gu Mengqing and his wife.

The rest of the people sat at another table.

Perhaps because Chen Li, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was present, the atmosphere was somewhat restrained and unable to become lively.

……

That evening, after I returned home.

"What's wrong with her? She looks like she's lost her soul." Chen Li looked at Zhou Hong sitting on the bed, seemingly absent-minded, and couldn't help but laugh.

“Let’s have a child!” Zhou Hong suddenly said softly. “I’m not young anymore. In a few years, I’ll have wrinkles around my eyes, but you’re still young. I don’t want to be all alone when I’m old.”

Chen Li paused, a sudden surge of complex emotions welling up within him. He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his.

"What nonsense are you thinking? You're not old at all. Even if you get old and lose all your teeth, I'll always be with you... If you want to have children, then go ahead and have them. We can raise seven or eight of them, it's not like we can't afford it."

"Ugh! How can a cultivator be so fertile? I've heard that it's much harder for a cultivator to get pregnant than for a mortal. I don't even know if I can give birth at all." Zhou Hong laughed through her tears and playfully hit Chen Li.

"As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. The more you work hard, the more you will surely reap the rewards," Chen Li said with a smile.

Zhou Hong gave Chen Li a charming sidelong glance, then got up and walked towards the door.

Where are we going?

"I'll go and call Shuniang over!" Zhou Hong said.

What is this for?

Chen Li was completely confused.

Soon, Zhou Hong pulled Zhang Shuniang, whose face was flushed, over and said, "You're lucky today."

Under the dim oil lamp, the light and shadows flickered, and the two women, one bright and cheerful, the other shy and demure, were more beautiful than flowers.

P.S.: I finally made it in before midnight.