Gou in the world of comprehension

Even if Chapter 1500 is given to you, would you dare to take it?

Su Fan moved with the sparse crowd to the city gate and looked up at the tall, bluish-gray city wall.

There wasn't even a shallow mark on the wall, and the smooth city bricks still gleamed with the cold light of bygone years, showing absolutely no trace of the impact of the strange beast.

He secretly thought to himself that the sects stationed nearby would probably have packed up and left long before the strange beasts from the "Mountain and Sea Realm" arrived.

Those strange beasts must have stormed into the immortal city as if it were their own territory, not even a single copper nail on the city gate was bent. The city's defenses were like paper decorations, leaving not even a decent trace of a battle.

Even if that sect abandons the city and runs away, at most they can only take their core disciples with them.

As for the independent cultivators in the city, they probably didn't even have time to be notified.

If the retreat had been more hasty, the lower-ranking disciples of the sect might have been left here to become food for the strange beasts.

After waiting in line for almost half an hour, it was finally Su Fan's turn.

He walked to the wooden table with a missing corner in front of the city gate. Behind the table sat a Golden Core cultivator with a sallow complexion. The cultivator barely raised his eyelids and only glanced at him sideways.

"I want to settle down in Cangyun Immortal City..."

The other person's voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood.

Seeing Su Fan nod, the cultivator casually took out a jade talisman with a pale white luster and pushed it over.

"This is your identity jade talisman. Drip a drop of your essence blood onto it..."

What a joke! I would never give you my lifeblood.

Even if you were given the money, would you dare to take it?

This wasn't Su Fan putting on an act; he genuinely cared about these people.

If even a drop of his essence blood were to fall into this immortal city, within three days, everyone in the city would be transformed into bizarre beings, neither human nor ghost.

However, Su Fan had plenty of ways to get away with it.

His eyes narrowed, and the Golden Core cultivator behind the table suddenly froze, his vision went black, and he shook his head to come back to his senses.

At this moment, Su Fan had already placed a jade talisman stained with blood essence on the table, but the blood was from the rogue cultivator he had killed earlier.

The cultivator picked up the jade talisman, glanced at it, and casually asked a question while marking it on the tattered booklet.

"Are you interested in joining our Cangyun Dao Sect...?"

You think you're worthy to let me join your sect?

Su Fan sneered inwardly. This Cangyun Dao Sect must have lost everything in the great war, so much so that they wanted to recruit even someone with his trashy aptitude. They were simply desperate for talent.

No wonder the Cangyun Dao Sect made a strategic retreat first when the alien beasts invaded.

But in the great battles of recent years, the sect's elite disciples have long been like expendable materials, thrown into the meat grinder of the alien beasts.

Now, wanting to replenish its ranks, it returned to the mountain gate only to find that the rogue cultivators within its territory were either dead or had fled, leaving less than one-tenth remaining.

There's no other way but to gather enough disciples at the bottom level first.

As for the mortal kingdoms within its sphere of influence, the situation was even more appalling, with countless mortals being devoured by strange beasts until not even bones remained.

After the strange beasts of the "Mountain and Sea Boundary" withdrew, the land within a radius of tens of thousands of miles is now only covered with white bones exposed in the wilderness. Not even a rooster's crow can be heard, and the deathly silence is unsettling.

However, ordinary people are like wild grass growing in the cracks of rocks, with a very tenacious vitality.

In less than a century, this land may be restored to its former glory, a place crisscrossed by paths and where the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard everywhere.

However, this predicament is also the predicament faced by all sects in the occupied areas of "New Guangtian".

It would be impossible to restore the sect to its peak in less than several hundred years.

Su Fan shook his head and said calmly, "I'm used to a leisurely life, so I won't join a sect..."

Now he's a complete and utter evil old devil. Even if he really wanted to go, he'd have to ask the sect leader of the Cangyun Dao Sect if he dared to accept him.

The Golden Core cultivator behind the table was stunned, clearly not expecting to be rejected.

These days, every single rogue cultivator who survives is desperate to join a sect for protection; this is the first time he's ever been rejected.

"Cangyun Immortal City is currently under reconstruction. Would you like to join our recruitment? The benefits are excellent..." the cultivator asked again.

Seeing that Su Fan was still shaking his head, the cultivator didn't try to persuade him further and handed over the identity jade talisman.

Su Fan took the jade talisman and stepped into Cangyun Immortal City.

As soon as he stepped through the city gate, he was shocked by the sight before him.

The city walls outside the city were intact, but the city inside looked as if it had been plowed up, with broken walls and ruins everywhere.

The once magnificent buildings are now reduced to a few charred wooden pillars leaning on the ground; the cobblestone streets are cracked, with pieces of bone stuck in the cracks.

Pale skeletons were scattered everywhere, some embedded in cracks in the walls, some pressed under broken bricks. There wasn't even a complete skeleton to be pieced together. When the wind blew, the dust it stirred up was filled with the stench of decay and blood.

Su Fan took a deep breath, and the pungent smell lingering in his nostrils instantly brought to mind the horrific scene.

The Cangyun Immortal Sect truly deserves to die!

They withdrew their own disciples, but didn't even have time to evacuate the cultivators in the city.

Of course, it's also possible that the monsters came too fiercely, and they retreated in such a hurry that they couldn't care less about others.

There were quite a few independent cultivators in the city who were involved in the reconstruction, using wooden puppets to clear away broken walls and skeletons.

But in such a large city, such a small number of people wouldn't even make a ripple, and would only make it seem more deserted.

The Cangyun Immortal Sect's main hall has set up an office in the city, specifically for handling house sales.

Su Fan went there for a while and bought a small courtyard for a bargain price.

No wonder it's so cheap. Most of the independent cultivators who come to the city join sects and will be cultivating at the mountain gates in the future, so they naturally won't buy houses.

The remaining independent cultivators, having endured years of war, were penniless and had no extra spirit stones to purchase property.

Only a few wealthy independent cultivators, either wanting to invest or wanting to leave something for their descendants, would buy several properties.

After paying the spirit stones and obtaining the land deed, Su Fan headed towards his new home.

But as soon as he reached the entrance of the courtyard, he couldn't help but curse the Cangyun Immortal Sect under his breath.

This is hardly a small courtyard; most of the walls have collapsed, there's not even a gate, and the wind just blows directly into the yard.

He stepped inside. The weeds in the yard were almost knee-high, and even in the main houses that were half collapsed, wild grass was sprouting from the cracks in the floorboards.

However, the people at the service point said that this was already the best-preserved courtyard in the entire alley; the rest had long been razed to the ground, and not a single intact brick could be found.

Su Fan's lips twitched. So what you're selling isn't houses, it's land.

Fine, land it is.

This dilapidated courtyard is dirt cheap now, but in less than a hundred years, it will definitely fetch an astronomical price.

He raised his hand and set up a magic array that covered the entire courtyard. Then he patted the Yin Gathering Secret Realm at his waist and summoned several servants, including Yaksha, Poison Fang, and Steward Yusheng.

"Hurry up and demolish this yard to rebuild it..."

After giving his instructions, Su Fan walked out of the courtyard and sat down on a rock at the entrance of the alley.

Yaksha and the others stared blankly at the weeds and broken walls that filled the courtyard.

Why would the master choose to buy such a dilapidated courtyard when there are so many magnificent mansions with carved beams and painted rafters in his personal secret realm?

But the master's orders could not be disobeyed. The Yaksha was in charge of the army of Yin creatures, and the last thing he lacked was manpower.

He raised his hand and summoned dozens of low-level zombies, letting them wreak havoc in the courtyard.

Although these zombies were not very intelligent, they were quite adept at doing manual labor such as demolishing houses and clearing rubble. In no time, the small courtyard that was about to collapse was leveled, and the weeds and rubble were cleared away cleanly.

Yaksha borrowed an experienced team of yin artifact engineers from Sister Zhen, and in just a few days, a brand new courtyard was built.

Su Fan had specifically instructed that it should be simple and unpretentious, so the layout of the courtyard was very simple.

There are only three main rooms, no side rooms or annexes.

But the interior is anything but simple. The floor of the main room is paved with marble, each stone inlaid with tiny marble fragments that sparkle in the light.

A realistic landscape scroll hangs on the front wall of the hall, with a rosewood tea table in the middle, the tabletop inlaid with marble, a rosewood carved armchair on each side, and two rows of bookshelves on the east and west sides.

The main room on the left is the bedroom, and the room on the right is the practice room. The practice room is furnished with a tatami mat, and apart from a futon, a small table, and an incense burner, there is nothing else.

The ground outside the courtyard was paved with blue flagstones, and two flower beds were set up. The flowers and plants planted there were ripened quickly and were blooming in all their colorful glory, adding a touch of vitality to the place.

There was a stone table and chairs next to the flower bed, as well as a deck chair and a low table.

For the next few months, Su Fan did not enter the Gathering Yin Secret Realm again, and Li Chongxiu specially delivered his three meals a day.

He spent almost every day lounging on a recliner in the courtyard, rocking back and forth leisurely. Next to him was a small red clay stove, where he would brew a pot of spiritual tea and sip it slowly.

As for cultivating and comprehending the Dao of Thunder, he never even touched it.

Su Fan was in no mood for that right now.

Since being provoked by that old guy, Su Fan has not recovered and is very depressed.

He even developed a resistance to cultivation, showing a somewhat reckless attitude.

He just wants to completely clear his mind and leave all his worries behind.

In his spare time, Su Fan would also wander around the city.

After several months of reconstruction, Cangyun Immortal City finally began to take shape, and even the alley where he lived was cleaned up.

Only occasionally can a few pieces of bone be found in the corner, reminding people of the catastrophe that once occurred here.

However, his courtyard was the only one standing in the entire alley; the rest had been completely bulldozed.

That day, Su Fan took another stroll around the city. When he walked back to the alley where his small courtyard was located, he saw a large group of people gathered at the alley entrance from afar.

At the end of the alley, in a vacant lot where broken bricks and tiles still remain, several people are gesturing around a tattered blueprint.

Half a pale bone was still embedded in the cracks of the bluestone slabs beneath their feet, and the dust stirred up by the wind carried a lingering smell of decay.

Su Fan knew in his heart that it seemed there would be new neighbors.

Only when they got closer did they realize that this group of cultivators was actually a large family, with more than a dozen people, young and old.

The youngest was a little girl with her hair in two buns, about seven or eight years old, chasing a gray sparrow in the open space, her skirt still covered in mud.

Upon seeing Su Fan enter the alley, the elderly man at the head of the group immediately stopped talking and came to greet him.

The old man wore a faded blue Taoist robe with frayed cuffs, a dull jade pendant for Foundation Establishment cultivators pinned to his chest, and dust embedded in the wrinkles on his face.

His movements were somewhat restrained when he cupped his hands in greeting, but his voice was very steady.

“Fellow Daoist, I am Hu Fengting. May I ask… is this neatly arranged courtyard yours…?”

Su Fan returned the greeting with a cupped hand and a smile.

"It is indeed my courtyard. Judging from your intentions, you all plan to build houses in this alley..."

Seeing Hu Fengting nod, Su Fan raised his hand to make way for him into the courtyard.

"Since you are my future neighbor, why don't you come to my courtyard, sit for a while, have a cup of tea, and then we can chat..."

Hu Fengting didn't stand on ceremony. After all, he was going to build a house in this alley and wanted to see how Su Fan's courtyard was planned so that he could avoid any taboos.

He gave a few words of advice to his family behind him, and then followed Su Fan into the courtyard.

The bluestone slabs in the courtyard were swept clean, the flowers in the flowerbeds were in full bloom, and there was a small red clay stove warming tea on the stone table. Compared with the dilapidated area outside the alley, it was like two different worlds.

Hu Fengting followed Su Fan around the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the marble floor of the main house and the books on the bookshelves. He couldn't hide his envy, but he didn't ask any questions.

The two sat down at the stone table. Su Fan brewed a pot of spiritual tea, then picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Hu Fengting.

The tea soup was a light golden color, and as soon as it was poured out, it emitted a refreshing and ethereal aroma. Hu Fengting picked it up, took a sip, and his eyes widened instantly.

A surge of rich spiritual energy slid down his throat and spread throughout his body, causing him to shudder. Even the bottleneck in his mid-stage Foundation Establishment, which had remained unbroken for many years, began to stir slightly.

He dared not delay and immediately closed his eyes to refine the essence. It took him a full half-cup of tea time to open his eyes, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his gaze toward Su Fan was filled with shock.

"Fellow Daoist, your spiritual tea..."

Su Fan raised his hand to cover his face; he had forgotten about that.

This was just the lowest grade of spiritual tea he casually picked up. If he had taken the top-grade tea stored in the secret realm, he might have been able to take Hu Fengting away.

He could only make up an excuse, speaking in a gentle tone.

"This was left to me by my master before his death. I only have this small jar left. I usually can't bear to drink it myself, but I'm sharing it with you today since you've come, fellow Daoist..."

Hearing Su Fan say this deeply moved Hu Fengting.

The two became increasingly compatible, and the other party also told Su Fan about their family's experiences.

During the ensuing casual conversation, Hu Fengting slowly recounted his family's experiences.

It turned out they were the Hu family, located near the Cangyun Immortal Sect. They weren't a large clan, but they owned a small spiritual field and lived a peaceful life.

However, on the day the strange beasts from the Mountain and Sea Realm invaded, although they were fortunate enough to receive an early warning from the Cangyun Immortal Sect, they still missed the sect's evacuation team.

With no other option, the entire family of several hundred people had to flee to the human-controlled area.

But they hadn't escaped far when they were caught up by a group of strange beasts with wingspans of over ten feet.

The clan's patriarch was the only Golden Core cultivator. In order to protect his clansmen, he risked his life to block the strange beast, and was eventually torn to pieces by it.

However, after this calamity, only a few dozen members of the family remained; the rest perished in the bellies of beasts, just like the family patriarch.

They later managed to escape the pursuit of the alien beasts, but by the time they reached the human defense line, only a dozen or so people had survived.

Now that the great war was over, and being reluctant to leave his homeland, Hu Fengting led the remaining dozen or so members of his family back to their clan after many twists and turns.

Unfortunately, the family territory has been ravaged by the strange beasts, and even the only spiritual vein has been taken away.

Left with no other choice, Hu Fengting led his family to "Cangyun Immortal City" and joined "Cangyun Immortal Sect" along with several family members.

But there are still several elderly people, women and children in the house, and we have to find them a place to live.

So Hu Fengting bought a piece of land in this alley, intending to build a house as a place for his family to settle down in the future.

Su Fan listened, feeling a mix of emotions.

Within the territory of the Cangyun Immortal Sect, there are at least eight hundred to a thousand small families like Hu Fengting's.

But after the invasion of the alien beasts, probably less than one-tenth of them could return to their homeland alive.

As they were chatting, a series of light footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate, followed by a crisp voice.

"Grandpa! What are you doing..."

The two looked up and saw the little girl with the double buns running in, the red ribbons on her braids swaying back and forth. She threw herself into Hu Fengting's arms.

The little girl looked up at Su Fan with her big, bright eyes, like black grapes soaked in water, but there was still a piece of black mud on her cheek, which made her look a little playful.

The little girl was pretty with delicate features, long eyelashes, and two dimples when she smiled.

(End of this chapter)