Gou Dao and Cultivation of Immortals, Start from Farming

Li Mu quickly collected the remaining spiritual materials on the battlefield one by one, especially the eighth-level virtual spirit crystal. Although it had been consumed by the large formation, there was still a large amount of virtual spirit power left inside it, which could still sustain one or two more consumptions of the large formation.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Li Mu looked around to make sure that nothing was left out. Without staying for long, he flew to the Black Mysterious Turtle and hid himself in the Painting World Treasure House between its neck.

Li Mu's figure then disappeared. The Black Spirit Turtle paddled its thick limbs and quickly left the sea area according to the instructions of its master.

Time flies, two years have passed.

In the spiritual realm of Zhongzhou, on the edge of a slightly desolate giant city, a man dressed in an ordinary cloth shirt, his face obscured by the shadow of a bamboo hat, slowly approached. This man was Li Mu.

The passage to the three realms has been open for a hundred years. The forces of the Demon Abyss have invaded, and the strong men of the Immortal Realm are also ready to make a move. Under the double oppression, the once prosperous Wanbao City is now desolate and no longer glorious.

The mottled marks on the city walls are the imprints of time and war. Most of the once prosperous shops on both sides of the street have closed down. Occasionally, a few are still barely holding on, but they are deserted and sparsely populated.

The original owners of Wanbao City - the human monks, are now like lost dogs, living under the roof of others in this ruined giant city. The light in their eyes has disappeared, and is replaced by confusion and fear about the future.

On the contrary, the monks of the Demon Abyss swaggered through the streets and alleys with the attitude of a winner. There was a bit of pride and arrogance in their laughter. This land completely belonged to them.

At the same time, the figures of the immortals also appeared from time to time. They either flew through the air proudly, or walked away silently in a low-key manner. But no matter what posture they took, they revealed a kind of detachment and indifference that did not belong to this world. There seemed to be some kind of delicate balance between them and the monks of the Demon Abyss, and they jointly dominated the fate of this ruined giant city.

Under his spiritual consciousness, Li Mu saw this scene and felt mixed emotions.

Li Mu sighed and stepped into Wanbao City with heavy steps. He came here to purchase high-level spiritual materials needed for the formation, but he never expected that Wanbao City, which was once famous for spiritual material trading, would fall into such a state.

The shops on both sides of the street that were once bustling with people and stocked with a wide variety of spiritual materials are now mostly closed. There are a few that have their doors half-open, and the goods inside are sparse and of poor quality, which can hardly meet his needs.

Li Mu shuttled through the narrow alleys with a frown on his face, thinking to himself: Could it be that in such a huge Wanbao City, there is no place to trade high-level spiritual materials?
Li Mu hesitated whether to leave and look for other ways, but finally stopped at a tavern with simple decoration and a little bit of liveliness.

The waiter moved enthusiastically among the crowd, holding a tray steadily in his hands with a variety of spirits and snacks on it, delivering what the guests at several tables needed.

Seeing Li Mu enter the store, the waiter immediately smiled and greeted him: "Sir, please come in! Are you here for a meal or to stay overnight? Although our food here is not as good as before, we still have a full range of wine and snacks. I guarantee you will be satisfied."

Li Mu took off his bamboo hat, revealing his dark hair and slightly tired face, and responded: "First, bring me a pot of hot wine to warm myself up. Then prepare some side dishes for me."

"Okay, I wonder what you would like to eat, sir. Our signature spiritual dishes include 'Yunwu Spiritual Chicken', which is made from century-old spiritual chickens fed with spiritual herbs unique to Yunwu Mountain. The meat is tender and full of spiritual energy. One bite will surely make you feel refreshed. We also have 'Bishui Green Fish', which is a rare spiritual fish caught from the Bishui River outside the city. The meat is delicate and melts in the mouth. It is rich in water-attributed spiritual energy, which is of great benefit to the practice of water-attributed exercises." The waiter introduced the spiritual wine and spiritual dishes like the back of his hand. He was talking excitedly, and it was obvious that he was very proud of his own spiritual wine and spiritual dishes.

Li Mu listened to the waiter's introduction, his index finger moved slightly, and he nodded slightly, saying: "Then let's have a pot of your best spiritual wine first, and then order these two signature spiritual dishes."

"Okay, sir, please wait a moment, the delicious food and wine will be here soon!"

The waiter responded and turned to tell the kitchen to prepare, but then he seemed to remember something, stopped, turned to Li Mu and said, "Oh, sir, due to the current turbulent situation, food and spiritual materials are hard to come by. Do you think you should pay a part of the deposit first?"

Hearing this, Li Mu did not show any displeasure. He nodded in understanding, took out ten medium-grade spirit stones from his storage bag, handed them to the waiter, and said, "These are enough for the deposit. Keep them first."

The waiter took the spirit stone, smiled widely, and thanked him repeatedly: "That's enough, that's enough, thank you very much, sir, please wait a moment, and the good wine and food will be served to you soon."

After saying that, the waiter turned around and walked quickly to the kitchen to prepare the spiritual meal.

Li Mu picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. His eyes involuntarily fell on the other five tables of diners in the restaurant. The light in the restaurant was a little dim, but it also reflected the faces of the diners just right.

At a table near the door sat four demon cultivators wearing black robes, the unique style of the Demon Abyss. They were at the Nascent Soul stage. Their clothes were embroidered with complicated demon patterns, which shone with a dark light, making them look mysterious and majestic. The leader, the Incarnation Demon Cultivator, had a stern face, raised eyes, and a disdainful smile on his lips. He was talking loudly about their brilliant achievements in the most recent battle. His words were full of contempt and ridicule for the cultivators of the Immortal Spirit Realm. His fingers tapped the table from time to time, making a "thump thump" sound. He was filled with evil energy, which made people feel afraid.

At a table in the corner, several human cultivators sat with their heads lowered. Their clothes were plain and simple, and their faces showed a bit of haggardness and helplessness. They spoke to each other in very low voices, and occasionally looked up at those demon cultivators, with a hint of complex emotions flashing in their eyes, including anger, unwillingness, but more of a compromise and helplessness towards the reality.

One of the elderly cultivators who was drinking alone, with gray hair and an old face, sighed and whispered, "The world has changed. The former glory of our human race has now become dust under the feet of others. Some cultivators, in order to survive, even switched to the magic path and became running dogs of those demonic forces."

"You old immortal! What did you say?" The leading demon cultivator seemed to have heard the older cultivator's whisper. He raised his eyebrows, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Brother Qiu, that old guy is originally from the Wan family in Wanbao City. There's no need to bother with him." A demon cultivator nearby tried to dissuade him.

However, Brother Qiu did not seem to intend to give up. He stood up, with a cold light flashing in his eyes, and walked towards the elderly Lianxu monk step by step.

The atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly became tense. Other diners looked at him in surprise. Some sympathized with the human cultivator, some watched indifferently, and more people were afraid of the power of the demon cultivator and did not dare to speak easily.

Upon seeing this, the shop owner hurriedly stepped out from behind the counter and greeted Brother Qiu with an apologetic smile: "Hey, senior, our shop didn't provoke anyone today. Please be magnanimous and don't take this old customer of ours seriously."

The divine demon cultivator stopped walking, glanced at the shop owner, and sneered, "Humph, this old guy has a dirty mouth and insulted our Demon Abyss forces. Do you think he should be taught a lesson?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper secretly groaned in his heart. He knew that this demon cultivator had climbed up to the power of the Demon Abyss and he could not afford to offend him, but he could not just watch the fight in the shop. "Oh, senior, you don't know that this old senior was once very glorious, but now he is lonely and his mind is a little unclear. You see, his nonsense is not sincere. How about this, I will buy you the wine and food today as an apology to you gentlemen, what do you think?" The shopkeeper hurriedly advised.

The Transformed Demon Cultivator glanced at the old man with a grim look in his eyes. He knew that he was no match for the old man, so he said, "Well, since the shopkeeper is so kind, I will give you face today. However, this old guy better pay attention to me in the future, otherwise, hmph!"

The shop owner nodded and bowed quickly: "Yes, yes, I will definitely teach him a lesson and make sure this won't happen again in the future."

After that, the shopkeeper turned to the Void Refining Monk and pleaded in a low voice: "Senior Wan, please control your temper! My small shop can't stand it! The livelihood of my family, old and young, ..."

Hearing this, a complex look flashed across the eyes of the Lianxu old man - Wan Renfeng, and he sighed helplessly.

"Forget it. I was rude about what happened today." The voice of the old man Lianxu, Wan Renfeng, was hoarse and low. After he finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave the tavern.

Seeing that the storm was about to subside, Li Mu suddenly spoke in a calm and powerful voice, interrupting the steps of the old man of Lianxu, Wan Renfeng: "Fellow Daoist Wan, can you please stay? If you don't mind, why not have a drink with me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the old man in the Lianxu Sect - Wan Renfeng pause, but the diners in the tavern also looked at him sideways. In an era like this where demon cultivators are rampant and human cultivators have a low status, Li Mu's invitation undoubtedly seemed abrupt and bold.

However, seeing that Li Mu's cultivation aura was also at the initial stage of the Refinement Void Realm, the other diners were no longer surprised.

Nowadays, low-level cultivators all specialize in the path of magic, climb up to the power of the Demon Abyss, or turn to the fairy world and become affiliates of the fairy clan. Only some cultivators with deeper cultivation can stick to the bottom line of human cultivators, unwilling to go along with the power of the Demon Abyss, and even more unwilling to be inferior to the fairy clan.

Suddenly hearing the invitation from other cultivators, Wan Renfeng couldn't help but feel a little curious. He turned around and looked at Li Mu. He saw that this young Lianxu cultivator had a calm face, firm eyes, and exuded an extraordinary temperament. He didn't have any vicissitudes of life, unlike their unique aura that was tortured by difficulties.

Wan Renfeng felt the indifference emanating from Li Mu, and could catch something unusual from the other party's aura. He couldn't help but nod secretly in his heart.

"Thank you for the invitation. Since my fellow Taoist is so interested, I would like to obey your command!" Wan Renfeng responded with a smile, walked straight to Li Mu and sat down opposite him.

Li Mu smiled and nodded, signaling the waiter to add another set of bowls and chopsticks.

The two men sat opposite each other, clinked their glasses, exchanged pleasantries, and told each other their origins. It seemed as if at this moment, all the disturbances and fights in the outside world were isolated, and only the two of them were left in this small tavern, enjoying the rare tranquility and peace.

As the wine went on for three rounds and the dishes were served, the topic between the two people gradually deepened.

Li Mu also learned from the other party about the situation of Wanren Peak and some changes in Wanbao City.

Wan Renfeng sighed softly, a trace of helplessness and sadness flashed in his eyes, and he transmitted his thoughts: "Friend Li, you may not know that Wanbao City was once one of the most prosperous cities in Zhongzhou Spirit Realm. The human cultivators traded spiritual materials and exchanged what they had here, and it was extremely prosperous. However, since the passage between the three realms was opened, the forces of the Demon Abyss invaded, and the strong men from the Immortal Spirit Realm also descended, this city has gradually lost its former glory."

Wan Renfeng paused, and continued to transmit his thoughts to Li Mu, saying, "The cultivators of the Demonic Abyss are tyrannical and rampant, while the Immortal Clan is superior. The cultivators of the human race are caught between the two, and survival is becoming increasingly difficult. In order to protect themselves, many cultivators have to switch to the path of magic, or become dependent on the Immortal Clan and become their vassals. Cultivators like us who are unwilling to surrender can only linger in this ruined city."

Hearing this, Li Mu frowned slightly and asked in his mind, "Fellow Daoist Wan, is there no human cultivator who will stand up to resist?"

Wan Renfeng smiled bitterly and sent a message to Li Mu, saying, "Resist? How easy is that! The Demon Abyss cultivators have several extremely powerful Demon Gods, and the Immortal Spirit Clan has several Immortal Emperors who are even more unfathomable. However, our human race no longer has extremely powerful cultivators. We only have the human race's Immortal Sect relying on the Immortal Spirit Realm. As for these independent cultivators, how can we compete with them? Moreover, the human race cultivators are not united. Many people have already lost their fighting spirit and are willing to become vassals of the Demon Abyss or the Immortal Spirit."

Li Mu was silent for a moment, a glimmer of enlightenment flashed in his eyes, and then he went straight to the point and asked: "Fellow Daoist Wan, I came to Wanbao City this time to purchase some high-level spiritual materials, but now it seems that this place is no longer the Wanbao City of the past. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Wan has other ways to trade for high-level spiritual materials?"

Hearing this, Wan Renfeng's eyes flashed with a hint of hesitation, and then he transmitted his thoughts: "Friend Li, to be honest, most of the high-level spiritual materials in Wanbao City are now controlled by the Demon Abyss cultivators and the Immortal Clan. It is difficult for ordinary cultivators to obtain them, let alone trade them. However, I do know that there is an open black market in this city, and perhaps you can find the high-level spiritual materials you need."

A hint of joy flashed in Li Mu's eyes, and he quickly asked through telepathy, "Oh? Where is the black market that Daoist Wan mentioned? Can you introduce it to me?"

Wan Renfeng looked around and confirmed that no one was paying attention before he sent a telepathic message: "Daoyou Li, this black market is located underground in Wanbao City. The entrance is extremely hidden and only a few people know about it. However, a special token is required to enter the black market, otherwise you cannot enter at all."

Li Mu nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Wan, how can I obtain this token?"

Wan Renfeng transmitted his thoughts, "The tokens are usually issued by the managers of the black market, and only the monks who have been approved by them can obtain them. However, I have some connections with the managers of the black market, so perhaps I can introduce them to you."

Li Mu happily said, "Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Wan. I wonder when Fellow Daoist Wan can introduce me to someone else?"

Wan Renfeng smiled slightly and said, "Friend Li, don't worry. The black market usually opens at midnight. I will take you to see the manager of the black market later."

Li Mu nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Brother Wan."

The two continued to drink and talk, and time passed quietly. As the night deepened, the guests in the tavern gradually dispersed, leaving only Li Mu and Wan Renfeng.

Wan Renfeng stood up, looked at Li Mu and said, "Friend Li, it's almost time, let's go."

Li Mu nodded, then stood up and followed Wan Renfeng out of the tavern. (End of this chapter)