Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes: I Possess the Heavenly Book of Merit

The path on the west side is longer and quieter than the one on the east side.

The bamboo groves on both sides grew even denser, their leaves blocking out the sun and allowing only dappled sunlight to filter through. Walking along this path, the outside noise seemed to be shut out, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the bamboo leaves.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a detached house finally came into view.

The house was small, with only one main room and one side room, surrounded by a low fence. Some kind of vine climbed the fence, bearing pale purple flowers that emitted a faint fragrance.

Sure enough, a wooden plaque hung on the door, with the words "Yi Qi" engraved on it.

Yu Yan stepped forward, took out the jade token, and affixed it to the door.

The jade plaque glowed faintly, and with a soft "click," the restriction on the door opened.

He pushed the door open and entered.

The spiritual energy here suddenly became much denser. Just by taking a small breath, Yu Yan felt the spiritual energy within his body fluctuate.

Fifty spirit points a month is quite a good deal.

The house wasn't big, but it was very clean.

The main room contained a wooden couch, a futon, and a low table. On the low table were a teapot, teacups, and a dish of spiritual fruits. The side room was empty and could be used to store miscellaneous items.

Yu Yan walked around the room, then went to the window and opened it.

Outside the window is a bamboo grove, its shadows swaying gently, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. In the distance, the eaves of other houses can be faintly seen, but separated by the bamboo grove, they remain undisturbed.

He took a deep breath.

Most importantly, he finally had a way to earn more spirit stones and pills for cultivation by drawing and selling talismans.

Even if he has great comprehension and modifies the cultivation technique to suit himself perfectly, without the pills he can use to break through, it will still be too difficult to improve his cultivation level.

…………

Zhou Yan stood at the crossroads, his hands behind his back, a mysterious smile on his face.

When Yu Yan came out from the west path, his eyes lit up and he quickly went to meet him.

"All packed up? Come on, I'll take you to a nice place."

As he spoke, he grabbed Yu Yan's sleeve and pulled him outside without saying a word.

Yu Yan staggered a couple of steps as he was pulled, and before he could even speak, he was dragged through the bamboo forest and out of the gate of the Tianyuan Dojo.

"Brother Zhou, where are we going?"

"A good place." Zhou Yan didn't even turn his head, his steps quickening.

"Let me tell you, you can skip the other places in the three lower levels of Yunmeng Immortal City, but you absolutely must go there."

He kept muttering to himself as he walked, but his pace was anything but slow.

After walking through several streets and around several intersections, the surrounding environment gradually became more bustling.

The shops lining the streets were no longer selling magical artifacts and elixirs, but had been replaced by restaurants, teahouses, and pavilions with red lanterns hanging in the air.

The sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from those pavilions, melodious and lingering.

Through the half-open window, one could vaguely see women dressed in light clothing inside, some playing the zither, some dancing, and some leaning against the window, smiling at the passersby on the street.

Zhou Yan quickened his pace.

Finally, he stopped in front of a pavilion.

Yu Yan looked up.

The building has three stories, and above the entrance hangs a plaque with three large gilded characters:

Desire Immortal Pavilion.

Two servants stood at the door, their features delicate and their clothes blue, but their cultivation levels were not concealed at all; they were clearly both at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Are cultivators at the sixth level of Qi Refining here to serve as servants to greet guests?

Upon seeing someone approaching, they immediately bowed in greeting:

"Please come in, esteemed guests—"

Zhou Yan took a deep breath, a look of rapture on his face.

"Brother Yu," he turned his head, his eyes shining.

"Do you know the benefits of this Desire Pavilion?"

Yu Yan remained silent.

Zhou Yan didn't wait for his reply and continued speaking to himself:

"The girls here are all cultivators! From the early to late stages of Qi Refining, as long as you have enough spirit stones, you can have them all! They're all as beautiful as celestial beings, and they even know how to serve you! Last time I came, I chose a girl surnamed Liu, and her looks, her figure, and so..."

As he spoke, a look of lingering enjoyment appeared on his face, his eyes narrowed into slits, and a wistful smile hung at the corners of his mouth.

"You have no idea, that night, I..."

He talked on and on, completely absorbed in his memories.

Yu Yan listened quietly, and when he finally stopped to catch his breath, he silently turned around.

"Huh?" Zhou Yan was taken aback. "Brother Yu, where are you going?"

"Something's up."

Without turning his head, Yu Yan quickened his pace and turned into a side alley in a few steps, disappearing into the night.

Zhou Yan stood there, stunned for a long while, before she came to her senses.

"This person..."

He shook his head, turned around, and with that intoxicated look back on his face, strode across the threshold of the Desire Immortal Pavilion.

Yu Yan walked along the alley, gradually moving away from that place of revelry and debauchery.

The surrounding noise gradually faded away, replaced by the tranquility that night should have.

Following his memory of where he came from, he walked through several streets and arrived at a wide square.

The square was very large, several tens of feet square, paved with neat rows of bluestone bricks. Around the square stood several tall buildings, each one magnificent, with people coming and going at their entrances, creating a lively atmosphere.

Wanhuohang (万货行)

The largest trading place in the lower three levels of the Immortal City.

Yu Yan had already incurred a debt of seven hundred low-grade spirit stones as soon as he entered the city. Although Zhou Yan didn't care much, it was still not good to delay the debt for a long time.

Besides, there's not only rent, but also food, resources needed for cultivation, and so on—all of these require spirit stones.

The few spirit stones left in the storage bag cannot be used for pleasure-seeking.

Therefore, he needs to return to his old ways, exchanging talismans for spirit stones to gain a foothold in the immortal city and improve his cultivation.

First, you need to buy some talisman paper and cinnabar.

Yu Yan looked up.

This building is taller than the surrounding buildings, with five stories, and there is a constant flow of people coming and going at the entrance.

He stepped onto the stairs.

Two guards stood at the entrance, both at the Foundation Establishment stage, clad in armor, with long swords at their waists, their eyes sharp as lightning. They glanced at Yu Yan, but said nothing, nor did they try to stop him.

Yu Yan stepped over the threshold and entered the building.

The scene before him made even someone as experienced as him momentarily dazed.

It's really big inside!

The lobby on the first floor was several tens of feet square, not much smaller than the square outside.

The dome hangs high, about five or six zhang tall, and is painted with various exquisite murals, depicting immortals ascending to heaven, monsters roaming, mountains and rivers, as well as the sun, moon and stars.

Around the hall was a circle of counters, behind which stood waiters dressed in uniform, both men and women, all at the late stage of Qi Refining cultivation.

There were queues in front of each counter, with people buying, selling, having their treasures appraised, and haggling over prices.

In the center of the hall, dozens of tables and chairs were set up and filled with people. Some were drinking tea, some were chatting, some were looking through jade slips in their hands, and some were playing with the magical artifacts they had just bought.

The place was bustling with noise and excitement, yet everything was orderly and orderly.

Yu Yan glanced around and nodded to himself.

This is the largest trading area on the lower three floors.

It's said that behind the Wanhuo Store are the three major families on the upper three floors, as well as Master Yunmeng himself. Trading here guarantees you won't be double-crossed or scammed.

Safety first.

For a newcomer like him, there was no more suitable place than this.

Yu Yan walked towards the nearest counter.

Behind the counter stood a young shop assistant with a round face and a beaming smile. Upon seeing Yu Yan approach, he immediately bowed respectfully.

"Fellow Daoist, what would you like to buy? Or is there anything you wish to sell? Our All-Purpose Store buys all kinds of spiritual herbs, demon beast materials, magic tools, talismans, and pills at fair prices, and we treat everyone honestly."

"In addition, all our products below the second tier are manufactured by our own people, so we only accept talismans and other items of the second tier and above."

"However, if we want to sell anything, we need to take 10% of the price of the goods."