Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 169 Another Year

The situation unfolded exactly as Xiao Yuan had predicted.

Of the Tianxing Sect's territory, the Zhenhuan Sect only took two adjacent markets. The rest, including a third-tier spiritual land's mountain gate, a cultivation city, and four markets, were divided and annexed by the Hongshan Sect and several neighboring sects.

Of course, this is only what is visible and apparent.

As for whether Zhen Huanzong received a larger share in private, Chen Li had no idea.

At least the cultivation techniques in the Scripture Pavilion have become much more abundant. Even the annual stipend for Foundation Establishment cultivators has doubled, from fifty mid-grade spirit stones to one high-grade spirit stone. At the same time, each person also received a one-time war reward of ten high-grade spirit stones, which is quite generous.

Since it was still winter and the war had just ended, it was a time for rest and recuperation, and the entire sect was relatively quiet. However, it would probably be busy again next spring.

……

The cold wind howled, making a sound like ghosts wailing and wolves howling. The distant mountain peaks were covered with layers of snow, a silvery white color, like a thick quilt or towering white waves rolled up by the sea.

However, in these frigid mountains, there is a rare geothermal hot spring with steam rising from it.

Taking advantage of the post-war leisure, and feeling that his wives and concubines were inevitably feeling a bit stifled staying at home in the mountain gate, Chen Li brought the two women to this hot spring place that he had discovered by chance, to relax and have some fun.

Outside, the wind was biting and snowflakes were falling, but inside the hot spring, it was warm and comfortable.

The contrast between ice and fire offers a unique experience.

"Husband... Husband, no, wait! Someone... someone will see us!"

Zhang Shuniang leaned weakly against the rock wall, gently biting her red lips. Most of her body was submerged in the water. Her smooth, creamy face was flushed from the heat and covered with beads of sweat.

"Don't worry, this is the middle of nowhere, and there's no one around. Nobody will come here!" Chen Li reassured him.

The water splashed loudly, stirring up ripples in the hot spring pool.

Zhou Hong, watching from the side, blushed and her eyes were watery with desire. She spat lightly, swam over, and mischievously gave Chen Li a light kick on the butt.

Zhang Shuniang couldn't help but gasp, her whole body trembling slightly.

"Whee!"

Zhou Hong chuckled and was about to retreat when Chen Li grabbed her and pulled her in front of him, saying, "Now that you're here, you think you can just leave!"

……

Soaking in a hot spring for too long won't actually relieve fatigue; in fact, it will make you feel even more tired.

Chen Li is alright.

After all, he was a body cultivator, and his body was as strong as an ox.

The two women were soaked until their bones were soft and their flesh was mushy, leaving them weak and powerless.

Chen Li decided not to rush back. Instead, he set up formations and dug caves by the hot spring, preparing to stay for a few more days.

The night is quiet.

Inside the Yin-Yang Five Elements Gathering Spirit Array, it was as warm as spring.

I couldn't feel the slightest bit of the cold outside.

Using animal hides as cushions, the three of them lay together on a huge rock by the hot spring, looking at the gloomy clouds overhead and talking about their private matters.

“Thinking back to my days at Green River Lane now feels like a long time ago,” Zhou Hong suddenly said.

"Yes!" Chen Li sighed. Looking back on those difficult days of barely surviving, they didn't seem so bitter anymore.

“Sigh, eleven years have passed in the blink of an eye… By the way, why did you fall for me back then?” Zhou Hong asked curiously.

"Ah!" Chen Li thought helplessly.

Why are you suddenly asking this question?

Why is that?
At that time, he had only recently transmigrated and his cultivation level was low. He lived in constant fear and rarely left his home. The only woman he knew was you.

Moreover, he's young and good-looking.

What more could you ask for?
"This... perhaps this is fate!"

"Hmph, I felt there was something strange about your eyes back then, even though you pretended to be so serious, you old lecher!" Zhou Hong said with a haughty snort.

Zhang Shuniang, who had been listening for a while, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Chen Li felt a tightness in his chest.

This must be referring to the original owner of the body!

After all, he's not that kind of person at all.

“Shuniang, you should say something fair!” Chen Li said.

“Husband, I think my sister is right! Hehe!” Zhang Shuniang said playfully.

"You're lying through your teeth!"

……

The scenery of this world is mostly pristine and unpolluted, with snow-capped mountains, steaming hot springs, a variety of wild delicacies readily available, and beautiful wives and concubines by your side.

Even in the cold winter, outdoor excursions can still be quite enjoyable.

Of course, if a group of ordinary people were here, it would be a different story.

Putting aside the harsh winter, although monsters are rare here, there are plenty of hungry beasts, and one could easily end up in their bellies and die a violent death.

The three of them spent six days in a row, soaking in the hot springs to their hearts' content, before finally returning home satisfied.

……

In the days that followed, Chen Li's life returned to normal.

Back to the usual busy schedule.

Fortunately, he has gotten used to this kind of life.

To be honest, I had a few days of fun and relaxation, but I also felt a bit guilty.

Time passes day by day.

Shortly after November began, he had maxed out his Earthshaking skill.

A fully leveled Earthshaker spell is incredibly powerful, like a small-scale earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9. With a single stomp, the earth cracks and the strata are compressed and deformed. If cast from a mountaintop, its power is even greater.

A single Earthshaking spell can cause a mountain to collapse and the mountain to shake, easily creating a landslide.

This technique is Chen Li's most powerful offensive technique to date.

He felt that it could be used not only against enemies from underground, but also against enemies on the surface.

Unfortunately, the Earthshaking Technique requires hand seals, which severely limits its application. Otherwise, in a life-or-death battle, he could suddenly use the Earthshaking Technique and easily secure victory while his opponent is off-balance.

A month later, Chen Li also maxed out his Earth Escape Technique.

Compared to the original Earth Escape Technique, the max-level Earth Escape Technique not only allows for faster burrowing speed, even faster than a normal person can run, but also lasts for a longer duration, lasting for more than half an hour.

Moreover, even rocks are no longer an obstacle to burrowing underground; they can be easily passed through.

In just about ten seconds, he can teleport to a depth of 100 meters underground. At such a depth, ordinary earth-shaking techniques are completely ineffective.

The entire True Sect, below the Golden Core stage.

Perhaps he isn't the strongest.

But when it comes to escape skills, if he's second, no one dares to claim first.

Whether it's the art of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, the art of invisibility, or the art of escaping underground, all are preparations for escaping when encountering danger.

He believed that even if he were to face pursuit by a Golden Core cultivator one day, he would have... the ability to escape.

……

With both of these spells reaching the maximum level.

Chen Li finally had the energy to study the Illusionary Body Technique, which consumed a great deal of spiritual energy.

night.

After reading the contents of the jade slip, Chen Li thought to himself:

"This technique is practically like creating a clone."

The illusory body he created was like another body to him, with sight, hearing, touch, and smell. It could be manipulated to perform various actions. Except for the fact that it could only be maintained for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn (about half an hour) and that it could not fight, it was practically no different from a clone.

"I wonder what changes will occur after I level up?" Chen Li couldn't help but feel a little excited.

……

There is no time in the mountains.

In the blink of an eye, the snow melted, spring arrived, flowers bloomed, and all things came back to life.

Another new year has arrived.

Chen Li is fifty-two years old.

So much happened last year, so many people died. Fortunately, time heals all wounds. The Huanzhen Sect has finally emerged from its grief, and with the addition of a new batch of disciples, it has regained some of its former liveliness.

“Every time I come here, I can smell a strong medicinal odor!” Xiao Yuan said with a smile.

Since that war.

The two became closer and visited each other frequently.

"That's how body tempering works! I now have to take a medicinal bath every other day," Chen Li said with a hint of helplessness.

He felt like he was being marinated in herbs.

Even after each medicinal bath, you wash again with clean water.

There was still a lingering medicinal scent on him.

"Back then, Feng Qi was also...sigh, what a pity." Xiao Yuan sighed as he thought of Feng Qi. He and Feng Qi used to have a good relationship, but he never expected that Feng Qi would die tragically on the battlefield. "This medicinal bath of yours must have cost a lot, right?"

"Twelve mid-grade spirit stones per portion."

"Hiss!" Xiao Yuan gasped upon hearing this: "Once every other day, that would cost at least 20 high-grade spirit stones a year. Tsk tsk, this body tempering is really not something ordinary people can afford."

Actually, it's much more than that.

Including the cost of Body Tempering Pills, second-tier demon beast meat, and Spirit Gathering Pills, his annual expenses are now close to thirty pills. It is only because his income from drawing talismans is quite substantial that he can cover most of it.

Otherwise, with the little savings he had, he wouldn't be able to make ends meet for more than a few years.

The two chatted for a while.

Xiao Yuan then got down to business: "The matter of the Fire Cloud Sect that you asked me to inquire about last time has yielded some results. It just so happens that I am acquainted with a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Artifact Sect, which is how I managed to find out the details."

He handed over a map as he spoke.

Chen Li accepted it and thanked him profusely.

I never expected that just mentioning it casually would get the matter done, and that they would even make a special trip to the Artifacts Department.

"Oh, don't be so polite, it was just a small favor! But I still have to advise you, the Fire Cloud Sect is really too far from here. Even at your speed, it would take you ten days to fly there without sleep. You should think twice before you go!"

……

After Chen Li saw Xiao Yuan off.

He then returned to the talisman-making room and carefully studied the map.

This map is quite rough, clearly drawn from memory, but it should be fairly accurate.

"The Fire Cloud Sect said it was in the heartland, but I didn't expect it to be this remote!"

From the True Sect to the Fire Cloud Sect, Chen Li counted that they would pass through sixteen sects of varying sizes along the way, and the journey was estimated to be between ten and twenty thousand miles.

"This world is probably bigger than I can imagine!" he thought to himself.

He once flew to an altitude of 10,000 meters, but still could not see the slightest curve of the horizon.

Chen Li hesitated for a long time while looking at the map, but finally made up his mind: "Once I have mastered the Illusionary Body Technique, I will go there."

Ten or twenty thousand miles is not as far as one might imagine.

With a Foundation Establishment Level 3 cultivation, it would naturally take about ten days to fly using a mid-grade second-tier flying sword. However, with a max-level Rainbow Transformation Technique, it wouldn't take that long at all; it would only take a day and a night, or at most two days, to reach the destination.