Hide in the world of gods and demons

Chapter 96 The Journey (Part 2)
When Yu Cheng saw the stack of low-grade talismans, the corner of his mouth twitched.

This is truly... a miracle of quantity.

"The effect of the exorcism talisman is still a bit weak. For Qi Refining stage cultivators, it's best to use a level 9 first-tier exorcism talisman," Yu Cheng advised.

Chen Li felt helpless.

Where did he get the exorcising talisman?

He had never even heard of Green River Lane.

Fortunately, Yu Cheng, being experienced and adept at handling favors, quickly took out three bills from his storage bag with a smile and handed them over: "I have a few here, but they are useless to me, so I'll give them to you for self-defense."

A level 9 first-tier exorcism talisman is already the pinnacle of first-tier talismans.

It's on the same level as the Golden Light Talisman.

It was certainly not useless to him.

Even if he is useless, there are many younger generations who can use him.

It was just to do someone a favor.

Since this was something that could save his life, Chen Lizhang couldn't refuse it outright. He could only shamelessly accept it with both hands and then sincerely thank him.

……

Because a powerful evil spirit was encountered nearby.

Shortly after returning, the team set off again.

On the way, he couldn't help but touch the talismans on his chest again.

I still have lingering fears.

He has encountered many dangers over the past year.

But this was undoubtedly the most dangerous one.

When he was targeted by that evil spirit earlier, he was so shocked that his whole body stiffened and he could hardly muster the will to resist. If it weren't for the stack of talismans that greatly delayed the time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Once we settle down in Luanluo City, we must purchase more exorcism talismans. I wonder how much they cost."

In the days that followed, he dared not stray from the group and wander around again.

He may seem powerful now, but he is only at the Qi Refining level. In this world full of dangers, he can hardly even protect himself. Not to mention him, even the Foundation Establishment ancestor of the Yu family is extremely cautious and prudent, fearing that he might encounter dangers he cannot handle.

Fortunately, the rest of the journey went exceptionally smoothly.

Apart from a few more attacks by low-level monsters, they did not encounter any other significant danger.

……

three days later.

The forest is gradually thinning out, and traces of human activity can be seen starting to appear.

Once they arrived here, they were basically safe, and the atmosphere in the group became lively again. Their expressions relaxed, and they resumed their initial chatting and laughing.

After walking for another half day, we emerged from the forest, and the scenery changed once again.

Large fields appeared on both sides, and since it was already late autumn, all the crops in the fields had been harvested.

A few farmers and children were carrying baskets, picking up any leftover grains in the fields.

These people were dressed in a tattered, grayish fabric of indistinguishable quality, and their hair was shiny and matted together from not washing it for a long time.

As for their feet, they weren't wearing shoes at all; they were all barefoot, with their trouser legs rolled up high, covered in sores of all sizes, and their bodies were covered in mud.

Seeing a large group approaching, they all turned to look this way, their faces contorting into stiff, awe-inspiring, and obsequious smiles. Several children tried to run over to see what was going on, but were held back tightly by the adults.

These people have clearly been malnourished for a long time.

He was sallow-faced, emaciated, and extremely weak.

Many people look sick at a glance.

One of the women, a petite woman, was holding a crying baby. She looked haggard, as if she were in her forties or fifties. When the baby started to cry, she quickly tore open her tattered clothes, revealing her shriveled breasts with little milk, and began to breastfeed in public without a care in the world.

Is this the secular world?
Chen Li suddenly felt a mix of relief and inexplicable apprehension.

Fortunately, I transmigrated into the body of a cultivator.

What if I were to transmigrate into the body of a farmer?

That would truly be worse than death.

After walking through the farmland for a while, some low and dilapidated buildings came into view in the distance. Most of these houses were made of logs and thatch, and without exception, they were all broken, miserable, poor and dirty, which seemed to be the synonym for this place.

Compared to Chen Li's 'overreaction', the others had long been used to it.

This area is already within the core region of Luanluo City in the Changsheng Domain, but it still feels vast and sparsely populated, with forests, swamps, and wetlands everywhere. Often, you can travel for a long time without seeing any villages.

Even the pedestrians on the road were few and far between.

These people held cultivators in great awe. Upon seeing them from afar, they would voluntarily hide to the side and dare not approach them at all. If they did not have time to hide, they would kneel down in fear.

They were afraid that these gentlemen, who were clearly cultivators, would blame them.

This situation only improved a little after another day of walking.

The population began to grow denser—relatively speaking.

Occasionally, you can also see some towns—residential areas with more than 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, the situation of ordinary people here has improved slightly. There are fewer patches on their clothes, and their faces and hair show signs of being regularly cleaned. Occasionally, there are also wealthy people wearing gold and silver and dressed in gorgeous clothes.

……

In the evening, the group finally stopped to rest in a secular small town.

The city lord of the small town, an old cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refining, learned that the Yu family patriarch was in the group. He immediately offered up his city lord's mansion and contacted wealthy families in the town to arrange accommodations for the rest of the group.

Chen Li didn't know how things were in other places.

However, in the Longevity Domain, the mortal world is directly managed and guarded by cultivators.

They eliminated all hidden dangers and risks in the area they guarded, discovered local talents with cultivation abilities, and gathered various resources to continuously nourish the cultivation world with nourishment from the secular world.

Chen Li and his group were arranged to stay at an inn for one night.

Prices here are extremely cheap.

Gold is not the most commonly used material; silver and copper are the primary materials used, while spirit stones are completely unnecessary.

However, considering that Green River Square is an enclave far from the core area, the journey to and from it is not only arduous and dangerous, but it is no wonder that the prices are so outrageous, with the transportation cost alone far exceeding the value of the goods themselves.

After a long journey of half a month, Chen Li and Zhou Hong were exhausted. After dinner, they took a short walk around the neighborhood and then went straight to bed.

The team set off again early the next morning.

This time, the number of people following along was reduced by more than half.

……

Two days later.

Luanluo City is already in sight.

This is a cultivation city nestled on the mountainside.

From a distance, the area was shrouded in mist, with towering white city walls resembling a giant white dragon coiled around the mountainside, concealing the city's protective formation. Even from several miles away, Chen Li could sense the obscure and terrifying fluctuations of magical power.

On the winding mountain road leading to Luanluo City, cultivators came and went in great numbers.

Many cultivators also flew through the air using their magical artifacts, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere with their whistling sounds.

No matter how you look at it.

Compared to Green River Inn, it's worlds apart.

"Luanluo Mountain possesses a third-tier spiritual vein, but unfortunately, most of its spiritual energy has been intercepted by the Longevity Sect. The spiritual energy allocated to Luanluo City is only equivalent to the effect of a first-tier spiritual vein. Nevertheless, it is still quite rare," Yu Fanzhen explained to Chen Li.

"Where is the Longevity Sect?"

“It’s located at the top of the mountain!” Yu Fanzhen said.

Chen Li looked up.

The area was shrouded in mist and clouds, making it impossible to see anything.

This year-long chaotic war eventually ended in a compromise between the two sides. The Longevity Sect remained standing, relying on its strong foundation as a Golden Core sect, and firmly controlled its core area.

However, other areas had to be abandoned.

The reason why the Yu family patriarch was so eager to return from Green River Village was because he had received a letter of approval and a promise from the Longevity Sect.

On the one hand, an aging Foundation Establishment cultivator, nearing the end of his life, is devoid of desires and will not harbor any unwarranted ambitions.

On the other hand, it's to avoid being recruited by other forces. Also because they are old and don't have much time left, such people are more dangerous than ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. As long as they are given a promise, they are willing to do anything for the sake of their family and the continuation of their bloodline, and they don't care about their lives at all.

Just like the Golden Elixir Ancestor of the Longevity Sect.

……

Chen Li and Zhou Hong followed the flow of people into Luanluo City.

It felt as if I had broken through some barrier and entered another world.

"What a rich spiritual energy!"

The spiritual energy here is even richer than that in the inner courtyard of the Yu family mansion.

Chen Li felt a surge of energy, and as he breathed in the air, even the dormant spiritual energy within his body began to circulate spontaneously.

The area is warm like springtime, with lush greenery lining both sides of the streets, and rows of buildings standing side by side in the distance, bustling with people.

Everyone kept looking around, extremely excited.

Chen Li and Zhou Hong exchanged a glance.

They both saw the joy on each other's faces.

“Fellow Daoist Chen…” The Yu family patriarch walked over with a smile on his face, clearly in a good mood: “Now that we have arrived in Luanluo City, we have to part ways with you for the time being. The Yu family has lived here for a long time and has some reputation and influence here. If you need anything, you can come to me.”

Chen Li quickly clasped his hands in thanks.

After giving a brief explanation and providing the Yu family's address, the Yu family patriarch told Shangyu Fanzhen to part ways there.

After the Yu family left, the remaining rogue cultivators quickly dispersed in small groups, each going their own way.

"Brother, where do we go next?" Zhao Lin asked.

"We're all unfamiliar with this place, and everyone is tired from the journey. Let's find an inn that provides food and lodging first, settle down temporarily, and then slowly look for a place to stay!" Chen Li said.

These words struck a chord with Zhang Shuniang, who unconsciously nodded repeatedly.

She really didn't want to leave anymore.

She had fainted from walking earlier, and after resting during the day, she felt too embarrassed to continue riding on the camel after getting off. She persevered through the rest of the journey by gritting her teeth.

Fortunately, no one objected to Chen Li's words.

The group quickly found a small inn to stay in.

A single room costs one low-grade spirit stone per day, while a larger double room isn't any more affordable, requiring two spirit stones.

Everyone booked two days.

Fortunately, the room rate included meals.

Two simple side dishes, one meat and one vegetable, plus unlimited spiritual rice.

Forget about anything else unless you pay extra.

After a quick meal, the group didn't chat much and immediately went back to their rooms to sleep. Chen Li slept soundly from the afternoon until the next morning.

They didn't wake Zhou Hong, who was still fast asleep.

Chen Li stuffed some dried meat into his stomach to fill it up.

He then went to the inn and wandered around.

The streets were bustling with people, and monks were everywhere.

There were also many ordinary people among them, most of whom served as servants or did low-level jobs that cultivators were unwilling to do. Compared to the stinking Green River Ward, this place was undoubtedly much cleaner.

Because Luanluo City is a city that winds around the mountainside, the city appears extremely long and narrow.

The narrowest part is only four or five hundred meters wide, and the widest part is no more than two miles.

In just over ten minutes, you can walk from the hewn rock to the white wall that is more than ten meters high.

However, it is quite long; walking along the mountainside across the entire city would probably take more than an hour.

The project was obviously a massive undertaking when it was built.

“Living here is living; being in Green River Square is being alive.”

This area is full of shops.

Chen Li browsed through the shops one by one. He had only intended to check the prices and had no intention of buying anything, but he soon couldn't resist anymore.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this robe? If the price is right, I'll take it." Chen Li stared at a blue robe and turned to the shopkeeper.

"Fellow Daoist has excellent taste. This first-grade top-quality robe is woven from second-grade spider silk, making it impervious to water and fire. It is embroidered with six practical magic arrays: Golden Light, Fire Repelling, Spirit Gathering, Wind Transformation, Spring-like, and Dust Repelling. The price is also reasonable, only sixty mid-grade spirit stones. You can take it away." The shopkeeper was invigorated when he saw a big customer arrive and spoke enthusiastically.

All you need is!

Chen Li felt a toothache upon hearing this.

I only spent thirty-five mid-grade spirit stones to buy that second-tier magic sword.

The price of a first-tier top-grade magic robe far exceeds that of a second-tier magic sword; there's simply no reasoning with that.

I was just really attracted to it.

This robe is embroidered with a golden light magic array, which can be passively triggered to cast a golden light protective spell every day. In case of sudden danger, it's like having multiple lives. That's the value of this robe.

Next, Chen Li used all his skills to engage in a fierce bargaining battle.

In the end, he used his gray mid-grade magic robe as collateral to negotiate a price of forty-five mid-grade spirit stones.

When he came out, he was already wearing his new robes.

He stroked the robe with delight, feeling its smoothness: "It's definitely worth the price. Wearing it gives me a strong sense of security, and it even changes my aura."

Chen Li continued to wander around.

I bought more than ten books at the bookstore.

In a large religious artifact shop marked with the Changsheng Sect logo.

He bought a top-grade first-tier magic weapon, the Spirit Phoenix Hairpin, for 25 mid-grade spirit stones.

Then we went to visit a talisman shop.

At a price of thirty low-grade spirit stones each, ten exorcism talismans were purchased, costing nearly three mid-grade spirit stones.

Then, I inquired about the prices of some commonly used symbols one by one.

I discovered that the talismans here are much cheaper than those at Green River Inn.

Exorcism Talisman: One low-grade spirit stone.

Lightness Talisman: Two low-grade spirit stones.

Arrow-avoiding talisman: Two low-grade spirit stones.

Demon-repelling talisman: Three low-grade spirit stones.

Amulet: Four low-grade spirit stones.

The above prices are for shops; the prices at street stalls will obviously be even cheaper.

"In such a large cultivation city, there are obviously more talisman masters, making the competition even fiercer. It's not an easy job. Fortunately, the price of protective talismans is still considerable," Chen Li sighed.

Then he asked about the price of the Golden Light Talisman.

The price was found to be the same as the Exorcism Talisman, costing only thirty low-grade spirit stones.

"Sigh, what a loss!" His heart sank, and he immediately lost all interest in anything.

I bought three Golden Light Talismans at the price of three mid-grade spirit stones each, but I didn't use any of them. In addition, after the raid on the leader of the Spirit Fox Gang, I still had five Golden Light Talismans left, except for one for Zhou Hong to protect herself.

"If I had known, I should have sold a few and kept one... Three would have been enough. I've lost six mid-grade spirit stones."

……

When Chen Li returned, Zhou Hong was already up.

"You're back. I was just looking for you... Did you buy a new robe?" Zhou Hong's eyes lit up when she saw Chen Li's blue robe.

"I bought one for you too!" Chen Li had changed his mood and said with a smile, taking out the Spirit Phoenix Hairpin from his storage bag: "I've been saying for a long time that I wanted to buy you a new hairpin, but I haven't found a suitable one yet, so I kept putting it off. Today I finally found an opportunity to buy this top-grade first-tier magic artifact. Do you like it?"

Zhou Hong quickly covered her mouth, touched, and said, "I like it, I like everything you bought."

"Let me put it on you and let you try it on!" Chen Li said.

Zhou Hong felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey. She hummed in response, turned her back shyly, and casually took off the hairpin she had been wearing, placing it aside. Chen Li stepped forward and put it back in her hair.

He then chuckled and his strange hands reached out haphazardly.

"Ugh... wait, the door's not closed yet!"

(End of this chapter)