Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 130 Ending early
The cultivation world has a clear hierarchy.

After the Foundation Establishment female cultivator took the tree heart, it was the turn of the ordinary True Realm cultivators. They were busy for a while, taking out the most essential spiritual materials from the tree demon until they filled their storage bags. Only then were the remaining rogue cultivators allowed to step forward.

The Foundation Establishment female cultivators ate meat, the ordinary True Realm cultivators drank soup, and the remaining rogue cultivators picked up the scraps.

It's only because this tree spirit is so large that there probably wouldn't even be a trace of it left.

Although the tree demon is a second-tier demon beast, only the area near the heartwood is considered a spiritual material; the rest is just ordinary wood. Even so, the quantity is still extremely large, amounting to dozens or even hundreds of cubic meters.

This part of the wood is very different from ordinary wood. It is dense and emits a brilliant bright blue color with a mysterious natural pattern. The color becomes brighter towards the center, indicating a higher grade of spiritual material. The surface emits a hazy glow.

"It's a shame not to make beads from this wood!" Chen Li thought to himself, marveling at the sight.

Of course, what was left for the rogue cultivators was only about the first tier. The most valuable part had long been taken by the people of the True Realm Sect. It was worth a total of two or three hundred mid-grade spirit stones. If divided among thousands of cultivators, each person could only get twenty or thirty low-grade spirit stones.

However, such a rare gain was enough to make these independent cultivators happy.

In an instant, magical artifacts flew about, and everyone used their own methods to dig at the tree stump.

"Boom boom boom!"

……

"Ah, my magical artifact is broken, broken!"

Someone cried out in alarm, holding the broken ritual implement in two, heartbroken and beating their chest in despair.

"Foolish! You're digging for a low-grade magic artifact."

"You really have no knowledge at all. This is a first-grade spiritual material. You're trying to fight it head-on with a low-grade magic weapon. Who knows who will be stronger?"

The crowd erupted in laughter and angry banter.

Many people were so frightened by this that they immediately stopped. A low-grade magic weapon is worth at least one mid-grade spirit stone. If it breaks, they will be devastated and lose a fortune.

Chen Li and his group gathered together and occupied a spot.

Chen Li followed the crowd and dug up a few pieces of wood. This wood was very heavy, with a smooth texture and a slightly crystalline appearance, as if it had been glazed. It also faintly emitted a refreshing fragrance.

Zhou Hong looked at it and liked it quite a bit, saying that it could be used to make some small furniture.

……

The weather is getting colder and colder; winter is fast approaching.

As time went by, this three-month forced labor was gradually coming to an end.

The harsh environment here has left everyone disheveled, with dull eyes, looking like beggars. The temporary camp has been moved more than ten times, and almost every seven or eight days, the camp has to move forward by more than ten miles.

Death was a constant threat, and even in temporary camps, safety was not guaranteed. People were often poisoned, and their bodies were not discovered until the next morning.

So much so that Chen Li had to use insect-repelling techniques to drive away insects before going to bed each time.

Less than ten days before the forced labor was to begin, the cultivators of the Zhenhuan Sect suddenly announced a period of rest.

"What's going on? Why did you suddenly have to take a break again?" Zhang Yan asked.

Inside Chen Li's hut, a group of people sat around a warm fire, roasting their prey and chatting.

A skinned deer, skewered on a thick wooden stick, drips its grease under the licking flames, sending sparks flying.

"Something's definitely up to no good. Even that Foundation Establishment cultivator has disappeared without a trace. Something big must have happened!" Chen Li thought for a moment and said, "Do you remember the last time we rested?"

"You mean... there's danger again?" Zhang Yan said with a serious expression.

The last time we rested was when we encountered the river monster, and we rested for a full five days.

“That’s for sure!” Chen Li said.

Zhao Chang'er slapped his thigh hard: "There are only a few days left of this corvée labor. In that case, we might as well let us go back."

With his shamelessness and easygoing nature, he quickly became familiar with everyone, and even set up a temporary hut next to the two of them.

"Given the Zhen Huan Sect's strictness towards its subordinates, it's already good enough that it's not delayed. To think it's ahead of schedule? That's just wishful thinking!" Zhang Yan sneered upon hearing this.

Zhao Chang'er sighed, "I think these True Sect disciples are having a rather dull time, even busier than us." They only see the thief getting beaten, but not the thief eating meat.

"Why are you saying all this!" Chen Li changed the subject, looked at Zhang Yan, and laughed, "I haven't congratulated you yet, Shuniang has broken through to the fourth level of Qi Refining so quickly!"

After the battle with the gray bees, Zhang Shuniang's long-standing stagnation suddenly eased, allowing her to successfully advance to the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

"This girl does have some talent for cultivation!" Zhang Yan said modestly, but couldn't stop smiling. "It's just that her personality is too soft, she'll have a lot to worry about in the future."

"More experience will help."

……

This time, tens of thousands of people were conscripted for corvée labor, and more than twenty people were assigned to foundation-building positions. Although each group was separated, they were actually not far apart, only a few miles apart. News of their work soon arrived.

It's not some second-tier monster.

Instead, they encountered a terrible evil spirit.

It is said that one group was wiped out overnight, with only a few cultivators, including the Foundation Establishment cultivator, escaping unscathed.

These Foundation Establishment cultivators have been searching for the whereabouts of this evil spirit these days.

The temporary camp was immediately filled with panic.

Chen Li immediately gave up his habit of practicing swordsmanship and spellcasting in the wild every night.

In the dead of night, in the desolate wilderness, all alone, this was almost tantamount to suicide. Fortunately, he had never sold any of his exorcism talismans and had a total of 170 of them. In addition, Zhou Hong also had 20 talismans on him, so he was not worried and his family was safe.

Time passes day by day.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Various rumors circulated in the temporary camp.

Some say that someone who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage died.

Some say that more than one person died.

Some say he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed by an evil spirit and killed several of his companions.

Chen Li didn't know exactly what had happened either.
Just three days before the end of the corvée labor, a high-speed beam of light flew rapidly toward them early in the morning. Accompanied by a terrifying pressure, the temporary camp, which had been extremely noisy just moments before, instantly became completely silent.

The Golden Core Ancestor of the True Sect has finally arrived!

"It seems something really serious has happened!" Chen Li thought with alarm.

"Will something happen?" Zhou Hong leaned on Chen Li's shoulder, watching the departing Golden Core Ancestor, and asked worriedly.

"It shouldn't be like that, otherwise these Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't have waited until now to summon the Golden Core Ancestor." Chen Li comforted him, "Alas, there's nothing we can do about it anyway, let's see!"

Hearing the commotion, Zhang Yan and Zhang Shuniang came out of their house: "Even the Golden Core Ancestor has arrived, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"I hope so!" Chen Li said.

But deep down, it stirred a desire for power.

Without strength, one cannot even guarantee their own safety in this world.

The Golden Elixir is too far away.

Foundation Establishment was already within his grasp.

Let's start by building the foundation.

We must establish a foundation!

……

Just as Chen Li and the other rogue cultivators were anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle, the cultivators from the True Soul Sect suddenly came over and announced that the corvée labor was ending early and that they could return home on their own.

P.S.: I had to go out today, so that's all.

(End of this chapter)