Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

The biting cold felt like a venomous snake, relentlessly burrowing into the bones through the pores of the skin.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Gu An suddenly choked on a mouthful of salty black water, and a tearing pain shot through his chest, as if his internal organs had been ripped out and ground in a millstone.

He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and what he saw was a dark and oppressive dome, with countless stalactites hanging like sharp swords overhead, shimmering with a cold luster in the faint phosphorescence.

Beneath him lay a hard, slippery pebble beach, half his body submerged in the dark water. With a splash, a current surged in, pushing him even more forcefully toward the shore.

"He's not dead..."

Gu An moved his fingers, feeling the rough texture of rock against his fingertips.

The real pain finally put his mind at ease.

He tried to prop himself up, but heard a sickening "crack" sound coming from inside his body. It was his bones resetting and his broken meridians reconnecting.

The previous spatial teleportation was nothing short of a nightmare. The raging spatial turbulence was like countless invisible blunt knives, slashing him thousands upon thousands of times. If he hadn't burned that wisp of dragon soul essence at the last moment, protecting his heart and dantian, he would probably have become a pile of minced meat floating on the water by now.

Gu An gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and sat up cross-legged.

He immediately looked at himself.

Within the dantian, the once vibrant green Yi Wood True Qi, infused with dragon energy, had become dim and lifeless, its volume reduced by more than half, leaving only a pitiful little clump huddled in a corner, trembling.

That precious trace of dragon soul essence had been completely burned away, leaving not even ashes.

"What a huge loss..."

Gu An's lips twitched, a pang of heartache shooting through him. That was a chance to establish his foundation, and he'd just used it as a one-time life-saving charm.

However, as his divine sense swept across his entire body's meridians, the pain in his eyes gradually froze, turning into astonishment.

The meridians... have changed.

Although his meridians had been tempered by the "Hundred Refinements Golden Body Technique" and were wider and stronger than those of ordinary people, he was still ultimately a mortal body.

But now, after being burned by the Dragon Soul Fire and reshaped by the compression of spatial power, his meridians have actually taken on a faint dark golden hue. Although they look tattered and cracked all over, their inherent toughness is more than ten times stronger than before!

It's like pig iron being refined into steel.

Even more strangely, the remaining trace of Yi Wood True Qi in his body, when flowing through these dark golden meridians, actually carried a trace of extremely faint yet domineering water attribute aura.

Aquatic wood.

But this moisture was not a gentle, nourishing sensation; rather, it was a deep, cold chill, as if it came from the deepest hell.

"This is... a mutation?"

Gu An reached out his hand and flicked his fingertips lightly.

A wisp of dark blue spiritual energy shot out and struck the water in front of him.

Without causing a splash, the wisp of spiritual energy instantly merged into the black water, then darted through the water like a nimble fish, finally piercing through a passing strange fish without a sound.

"Like a fish in water..."

A glint of light flashed in Gu An's eyes.

A blessing in disguise. Although his cultivation level plummeted and his dragon soul was exhausted, his body seemed to have developed a peculiar adaptation to this cold, damp aquatic environment.

For him right now, this is undoubtedly his biggest bargaining chip for survival.

After confirming his own condition, Gu An turned to look at the distance.

Amidst the pile of rocks about 30 feet away from him, a striking red stood out.

Shen Wan lay there quietly, half of her body buried in the mud. Her once magnificent wedding dress was now tattered, and her exposed skin was as pale as a corpse that had been submerged in water for three days.

Gu An frowned and dragged his heavy legs over.

He checked her breathing.

Her breath was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Her condition was even worse than Gu An's. The "living Yi Wood Poison" that had been suppressed had now launched a full-scale counterattack, spreading hideous black lines under her pale skin, and even her face was covered with strange poisonous patterns.

"What a troublemaker."

Gu An sighed and rummaged through the surviving storage bag for a long time before finally finding a slightly damp "Rejuvenation Pill".

He looked at the pills with some reluctance, then at Shen Wan's face, which looked like it could die at any moment.

"This is the last one... You owe me a debt you'll never be able to repay in this lifetime."

Gu An muttered to himself, pried open Shen Wan's mouth, stuffed the pill inside, and then channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into her to help her neutralize the medicinal effects.

After doing all this, he plopped down on the ground and began to look around at his surroundings.

Upon seeing this, Gu An's brows furrowed tightly.

This is neither an underground river nor an ordinary karst cave pool.

Before me stretched a vast expanse of water.

The black water was as calm as a giant mirror, stretching to the horizon and merging with the oppressive dark dome.

There is no wind, no waves, and even the air is deathly still.

But beneath the calm surface, Gu An could sense immense and terrifying auras swirling within. These were enormous aquatic monsters, each emanating a power no weaker than that of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, with some even comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators deep within.

In the far distance, in the darkness, faint, dim lights could be seen flickering.

The lights were not stationary, but were moving slowly.

That's a boat.

And there was more than one.

"The underground sea..."

Gu An muttered to himself.

The Qingmu Sect's records never mentioned such a vast sea deep underground. It was like a forgotten corner of the world, isolated from the surface.

"cough……"

A faint cough came from beside me.

Shen Wan woke up.

She slowly opened her eyes, and her once clear and cold eyes were now bloodshot and looked particularly turbid.

"Where...am I?"

Her voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

"I'd like to know too." Gu An shrugged and pointed to the dark sea in front of him. "It looks like an underground sea, and... it's not very peaceful."

Shen Wan struggled to prop herself up, her gaze falling on the water in front of her.

At first, her eyes looked somewhat confused.

But when she saw the moving lights in the distance and the occasional phosphorescent bubbles rising on the water, her pupils contracted sharply, and a very strange expression appeared on her face.

It was shock, it was fear, but it was also mixed with a hint of... relief at escaping from a desperate situation.

"The Sea of ​​Chaotic Stars..."

She slowly uttered four words.

"The Chaotic Star Sea?" Gu An raised an eyebrow. "What kind of place is that? The name doesn't sound like a good place."

"Of course it's not a good place."

Shen Wan took a deep breath, seemingly to calm herself down. "This is the largest underground black market in the cultivation world, and also a den of thieves, evil cultivators, and wanted criminals."

"Legend has it that in ancient times, this place was once a landmass. Later, it was sunk during a battle between powerful beings, connecting with the underground river and forming this special underground sea. Because it is located at the intersection of several major sects and has a complex terrain and is teeming with monsters, it has become a famous 'no man's land'."

Shen Wan turned her head and looked at Gu An with a complicated expression: "Here, there are no sect laws, no distinction between good and evil. The only rule is—survival of the fittest."

"As long as you have the strength and spirit stones, you can buy anything here. Whether it's a magic weapon for murder and robbery, a cauldron for absorbing spiritual energy, or even... Foundation Establishment Pills."

Upon hearing the words "Foundation Building Pill," Gu An's eyes lit up slightly.

"That sounds like a nice place."

Gu An grinned, which aggravated the wounds on his face, making him look somewhat ferocious. "For 'dead' people like us, there is no more suitable hiding place than this."

They are now considered "dead" by outsiders.

The Green Wood Sect thought they were dead, while the Blood Blade Sect and the Corpse Puppet Sect wished they could grind them to dust. If they were to appear on the surface, even the slightest trace would attract endless pursuit.

But this chaotic sea of ​​stars is different.

This place is already a den of iniquity, and the addition of two rogue cultivators of unknown origin is like throwing two grains of sand into the ocean, which will not cause any ripples at all.

Don't get too excited yet.

Shen Wan poured cold water on the idea, saying, "Although there are no sects chasing us here, the danger level is no less than outside. Every cultivator here is a ruthless character who crawled out of piles of corpses. Killing and robbing treasures is commonplace here, and they even... eat people without spitting out the bones."

"and……"

Shen Wan pointed to the few lights in the distance, "See those boats? Those are patrol boats of the 'Black Shark Gang.' They are the local thugs in this edge of the sea, specializing in hunting lone cultivators or capturing newcomers to be mine slaves and food."

Gu An looked in the direction she was pointing.

The lights in the distance were gradually growing larger.

With the help of the dim light, Gu An finally saw the shape of the ship.

It was a jet-black ship, crafted from the bones of some enormous demonic beast. The sails were made of unknown human skin, painted with a grotesque, blood-red skull.

At the bow of the ship stood several burly men, shirtless and covered in tattoos. They held harpoons and chains, their greedy and ferocious eyes scanning the waters.

On both sides of the ship's side, rows of dried corpses hung, swaying with the rocking of the ship, as if silently warning those who came after.

"Black Shark Gang..."

Gu An narrowed his eyes and cautiously probed with his divine sense.

There were about twenty people on the boat.

The leader was a one-eyed man with a powerful aura, likely at the eighth level of Qi Refining. The rest of the henchmen were mostly at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining.

If it were at its peak, Gu An might have been more wary.

but now……

He glanced at his hands, which were covered in scars but were now bursting with power due to the reshaping of his meridians, and then felt the mutated spiritual power within his body, which, though weak, carried a trace of dragon might and water-evil energy.

"No rules?"

Gu An suddenly laughed.

The smile looked particularly sinister in the dim light, even more eerie than the corpses hanging on the ship.

"That would be best."

He slowly stood up, patted the dirt off his body, and put the broken sword "Piercing Clouds," which was only half intact, back into his waistband.

"In the sect, I have to act like a grandson, follow the rules, and be mindful of others' feelings."

"Here..."

Gu An looked at the approaching black ship and said in a low voice, "As long as your fists are strong enough and your heart is ruthless enough, I am the rule."

He turned to look at Shen Wan and extended a hand.

"Can you still move?"

Shen Wan looked into his eyes, which gleamed with a wild light in the darkness, and felt a strange tremor in her heart.

She suddenly realized that this man might have been born to live here.

That ruthlessness born from desperate circumstances, that adaptability to chaos and slaughter, is simply tailor-made for this chaotic star sea.

"He won't die."

Shen Wan gritted her teeth, grabbed Gu An's hand, and used it to stand up.

"That's good."

Gu An pulled her behind him, his gaze returning to the black ship.

"We're new here and don't know anyone. We're just missing a guide and a boat."

"Since someone has offered it to us, then we'll... gladly accept it."

……

On the Black Shark.

The one-eyed giant was carrying a jug of strong liquor, chugging it down while cursing.

"Damn it, what bad luck! We've been wandering around for three days and haven't seen a single ghost! If we can't catch this 'fat sheep,' how are we going to explain ourselves to the gang leader?"

"Boss, this outskirts is desolate enough, there aren't many easy targets for us to fleece," a henchman said with a fawning smile. "How about we venture deeper into the area?"

"Go my ass! Do you think we can go to the depths? That's grounds for Foundation Establishment cultivators to do major repairs!"

The one-eyed man kicked one of the henchmen in the butt. "Open your eyes wide... huh?"

Before he finished speaking, a glint of light suddenly flashed in his single eye.

On the rocky beach ahead, two figures could be vaguely seen moving about.

"Someone's there!"

Overjoyed, the one-eyed man immediately threw away his wine jug, drew his ghost-headed saber from his waist, and shouted, "Quick! Get closer! Don't let them get away!"

"It looks like a virgin that just fell from above! It must have something good on it!"

The black ship changed course, like a shark that had smelled blood, cutting through the waves and charging menacingly toward the shore.

The henchmen on the ship yelled and brandished their weapons, their eyes filled with cruelty and greed.

In their eyes, the two ragged, weak figures were like meat on a chopping board, at their mercy.

however.

They didn't see it.

The man standing on the shore, facing the black ship brimming with murderous intent, did not flee; instead, he slowly raised his head.