Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 23 War Resumes
If we set aside Breaking Bad's illegal activities and his unreliable personality, Lin Gui really could be considered Chen Li's mentor and friend.

Every time Chen Li chatted with Lin Gui, he felt he gained a lot. He quickly digested and absorbed a lot of common knowledge about the cultivation world in these casual conversations.

Summer passes and autumn comes.

Green River Square, which had been calm for just over a month, is in turmoil again.

Perhaps having ascertained the true strength of the Longevity Sect, or perhaps due to other unforeseen circumstances, both sides prepared to go to war again. Stimulated by the war, business in the market suddenly surged.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chen Li not only sold all the talismans he had accumulated during this period at a 50% markup, but also cleared out a large number of the 'guiding talismans' and 'cleaning talismans' that he had been holding onto.

He even resold the two 'amulet' and 'lightness amulet' he had on hand for self-defense at twice the price, making a fortune from the war.

This caused his wealth to skyrocket to as many as sixty-one low-grade spirit stones.

In fact, after buying the 'protective talisman' and the 'lightness talisman' twice, I not only didn't waste money, but also made a net profit of seven low-grade spirit stones by buying and selling them.

……

"Fellow Daoist, have you applied yet?" A rogue cultivator who came to Lin Gui to buy pills didn't leave after he finished buying them, but instead struck a casual conversation pose.

Compared to Chen Li's meager earnings, Lin Gui's business has been booming lately, with people coming to his door almost every moment to ask for pills, especially the Ascension Pill, which has been selling particularly well during this period.

Out of ten people, eight of them buy this kind of pill.

Chen Li was aware of the job offer the other party mentioned.

The Artifact Sect has been recruiting a large number of independent cultivators in the market recently to bolster its reputation, spending lavishly on them. Regardless of their cultivation level, anyone who dares to go to the battlefield will receive two mid-grade spirit stones, those in the mid-stage of Qi Refining will receive three more, and those in the late-stage of Qi Refining will receive ten.

Two mid-grade spirit stones are already a considerable sum of money. They can buy a first-grade low-grade magic weapon, or allow a rogue cultivator to live comfortably for three years.

Even most independent cultivators, including Chen Li himself, have never accumulated more than two mid-grade spirit stones.

Going to the battlefield just for this little bit of money?
Chen Li would only hesitate if the number were multiplied by one hundred.

But it was merely hesitation.

He's still young... or at least not old.

Moreover, their potential is limitless, and life is long enough to waste.

"I'm sorry to make you laugh, fellow Daoist. Someone like me who makes a living by drawing talismans doesn't even dare to go out into the wild normally, let alone go to the battlefield. Even if I were alive to earn money, I wouldn't be alive to spend it," Chen Li waved his hands repeatedly, mocking himself.

"You don't look like someone who makes a living by drawing talismans. Look at your muscles, the way you walk. Are you a melee fighter?" The rogue cultivator looked Chen Li up and down with burning eyes, clearly not believing him.

"I practice for self-defense."

The rogue cultivators didn't mind that Chen Li was unwilling to talk about this further; after all, when it came to the skills that allowed them to make a living, no one wanted to talk about it.

"Actually, the more sect wars there are, the less dangerous they are. Battlefields are all set up with magic arrays. Think about it, there are people all around you. As long as the array is not broken, there is almost no danger. The most dangerous thing is when the sect gate is breached."

"Why is it most dangerous after the mountain gate is breached?" Chen Li asked curiously and humbly sought his guidance.

"Although the mountain gate has been breached, those cultivators from the Longevity Sect won't just stay put and wait to die. They'll definitely scatter and flee with their treasures. What are most people fighting on the battlefield for? A few mid-grade spirit stones aren't worth risking their lives for. It's all about grabbing something for this moment. It's a pity I was a step too late when Green River Workshop broke through last time; all the good stuff was looted." The rogue cultivator spoke with spittle flying, his expression excited, as if he could already see the Longevity Sect's mountain gate breached, and countless cultivators rushing in to savor this bloody feast.

……

A few days later.

Five enormous, 'big-bellied' flying boats slowly landed at Green River Square.

A large number of rogue cultivators from the shantytown, harboring dreams of profiting from the war, boarded the flying boat in a chaotic manner, and for a time the entire shantytown and even Green River Village became much quieter.

Prices in the market quickly fell back, and Chen Li bought back the amulets and lightness charms at the normal market price.

……

"How many people do you think will come back?" Zhou Hong asked.

In the evening, Chen Li squatted at the doorway, eating from a large bowl and chatting with Zhou Hong.

"Six or seven out of ten," Chen Li said casually, shoveling meat gravy over spirit rice and eating with relish. "Sigh, can't we just live a peaceful life?" Zhou Hong sighed, her eyes reddening. "Gao Bo is one of them, and so are these rogue cultivators."

The woman was clearly reminded of the past.

"Let's not accept our fate!" Chen Li thought for a moment and said.

He couldn't empathize.

But I can understand it.

This is a shantytown, a slum in the cultivation world. It lacks all kinds of people, but it has no shortage of desperate people who want to take a gamble.

"I think you've resigned yourself to your fate!" Zhou Hong suddenly turned her attention to him and said sarcastically.

Chen Li swallowed his food, thought for a moment, and said, "My life is very precious, and I never gamble."

Zhou Hong felt a tightness in her chest. Who gave you the audacity to speak so confidently?

For a moment, I was speechless.

……

late at night.

He slowly exhaled, pressed his hands down to regulate his slightly agitated spiritual energy, then opened his eyes and accessed the game panel.

Name: Chen Li

Life expectancy: 41/100 years

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 3: 43/100]

[Cultivation Technique: Longevity Technique Proficiency: 386/400]

【Skill:】

制符：清洁符精通：60/400；静音符熟练：130/200；指路符熟练：60/200；辟邪符入门：63/100
Spell: Master of Spirit Flick: 1570/1600;
Swordsmanship: Basic Swordsmanship Expert: 61/800;
[Supernatural power: none]

His cultivation speed has been accelerating.

In just one month, his cultivation level increased by 6 points.

Besides the increased proficiency in the Longevity Technique, the growing strength of one's consciousness may also be a contributing factor.

Since breaking through to the expert level in swordsmanship, his consciousness has grown stronger day by day. This increased consciousness, in turn, accelerated the operation of the Longevity Technique, making his cultivation speed much faster.

Judging from this growth rate, it is only natural and inevitable that he will break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining and enter the ranks of mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators before winter.

In addition, his lifespan increased by another year, and the breakthrough to the level of spiritual power in a snap of the fingers was just around the corner.

The situation is very good.

"But food consumption is getting bigger and bigger!" Chen Li sighed inwardly. "Sigh, the income and expenditure have already started to be unbalanced this month."

The big market rally a while ago certainly doesn't count; it wasn't a normal situation.

As the success rate of his talisman-making continues to increase, his normal monthly income is now around twelve low-grade spirit stones. In the past month alone, he has consumed twelve spirit stones just for food, and this is only after he has tried his best to control it.

After deducting rent and other miscellaneous expenses, it costs 14 low-grade spirit stones every month.

The only way to make up for it is through savings.

"But there's no need to worry too much. With my current savings, I should be able to last another year or two. By then, I'll be a completely different person... At least I'll be able to draw two 'evil-repelling talismans' in one go!"

P.S.: I won't stay up late tonight; I'll go to bed early.

(End of this chapter)