Cultivating Immortality in a Family: I Prove Immortality Through the Chaotic Dao Realm

Chapter 144 Checking in at Aoba Mountain, Accompanying the Idols of the Marketplace

Back at the nameless peak, Su Yueshang and Chen Qian bid each other a reluctant farewell.

He gave Chen Qian a final, deep look, said no more, and transformed into a hazy stream of light, soaring into the sky and rapidly disappearing towards the direction of the Drunken Moon Palace.

Chen Qian watched her leave, clutching the spiritual sensing talisman Su Yueshang had given him tightly in his hand, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The biggest gain from this trip was the mountain of low- to mid-grade spirit stones, especially the high-grade spirit stone, which laid an incredibly solid foundation for his future cultivation.

But the shadows of the pioneering wars and the invasion of the Demon Alliance always loomed over his mind.

Strength, oh strength, it's still not enough.

After calming himself down, Chen Qian returned to the Realm of Destiny, planting some newly acquired spiritual plants and herbs in the Hundred Herbs and Jade Garden, and throwing the first and second-tier spiritual materials he had never seen before into the Chaos Pool.

These things add up to a considerable value, but as long as they are new, the greatest beneficiaries should be given to the Destiny Wheel Realm first, as strengthening its foundation is the most important thing.

When Su Jin and I were studying and practicing the art of weapon crafting, we used first-grade iron essence to create many small items, including some small chains.

Chen Qian took one; although it was of low grade, it was sturdy and durable.

I pierced a hole in the shell of the newly acquired Divine Pearl and made it into a necklace to wear around my neck.

Upon careful observation, I could indeed feel a gentle and soothing aura slowly seeping into my consciousness, making my soul feel clear and comfortable.

This item can gradually and subtly nourish one's spirit over time, making it a decent accessory.

They arrived at Thousand Scales Mirror Lake and found Qingman and Ziyao, who were using the Spirit Pet Resonance Contract to communicate and nurture the spirit of the salamander.

Both women are less than a month pregnant, and there are no signs of pregnancy yet.

But Chen Qian still showed great care and concern, after all, she was a mother and he didn't want them to be overworked.

Qingman and Ziyao nodded obediently in agreement, saying that they would pay more attention and get enough rest, and that their husbands would not need to worry.

Chen Qian then gave the two women some resources that could be used to cultivate Dao soldiers, and after observing the Thunderscale Salamanders in the lake with them for a while, he drifted away.

Although the salamander leader is still at the top level of the first tier, his aura is clearly more robust than it was a few months ago, and his bloodline has also been purified, making him much stronger in combat.

The entire salamander population has nearly doubled in size, and there are now five salamanders of superior quality at the first tier.

Chen Qian planned to wait until it reached eight heads before officially beginning the contract and training of the Dao soldiers.

It won't take too long to achieve this goal, since the time flow in the Destiny Wheel Realm is now three times that of the outside world.

Now, it is Qingman and Ziyao's cultivation that are restricted.

With only the fourth level of Qi Refining, it would be difficult for them to form a contract with a top-tier first-order salamander leader, let alone eight first-order superior-grade soldiers.

But Chen Qian certainly wouldn't come himself, since he hadn't cultivated any beast-taming techniques.

We can only leave everything to time! Fortunately, both women are progressing very quickly in their cultivation.

........................

Although they had been in the Wheel of Fate for several days, only one day had actually passed in the outside world.

Driving Xuanxiao alone, he continued towards Qingye Mountain. This half of the journey went smoothly without any further incidents.

Dozens of miles away from Qingye Mountain Market, Chen Qian sensed Chen Yunyi's family nameplate.

This was, of course, because he had sent a message to Chen Yunyi from a thousand miles away, and she had arrived at the market to greet him in advance.

The wife's elder sister, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, stood atop a small hill, watching Chen Qian retract his Xuanxiao sword hundreds of feet in the sky and gracefully descend.

Chen Yunyi was still wearing a moon-white fairy dress, looking absolutely beautiful and graceful. Her slender waist accentuated her long, slender legs, and her full figure exuded an aura of frost, making her someone to be admired from afar but not to be touched.

"Sister Yunyi." Chen Qian was not affected by her aura. His eyes were filled with longing, and his voice was gentle and warm. He moved closer to her within half a zhang.

Chen Yunyi paused, still unable to adjust to suddenly being so close to someone.

Even if this person is Chen Qian.

She took a small step back, her slender feet barely touching the ground, and leaned back slightly.

Before she could speak, Chen Qian took another half step forward and grabbed her trembling, evasive hand.

Anyway, there was no one else around.

Can I still let you run away?

"Chen Qian, you... don't be so presumptuous." Chen Yunyi could no longer maintain her cool expression; two blushes crept up her cheeks, and her voice trembled slightly.

The words spoken sound like a reprimand, but the tone is actually quite gentle.

Chen Qian was confident he had her figured out, but he also knew she was easily embarrassed and he couldn't push her too hard.

So he let go of her hand, but didn't step back. He looked into her eyes and said, "Sister Yunyi, I missed you."

Chen Yunyi's breathing suddenly became unstable, and she could no longer maintain the mental state that she had cultivated through the Xuanming Ice Soul Scripture.

She turned to the side, smoothed a strand of hair from her temple, and said with feigned composure, "Now that we're here, let's go into the market first."

"Okay." Chen Qian nodded casually.

He knew that Chen Yunyi wouldn't verbally respond to his words, but her silence was already an attitude.

Chen Qian didn't pull his hand back too far; it just hung naturally at his side, his face still bearing a warm smile, as if the inappropriate intimacy from just now had never happened.

Chen Yunyi took a deep breath, circulated the Xuanming Ice Soul Scripture, and forcibly suppressed her surging emotions. That cool demeanor once again covered her face, but the blush that had not yet faded from her ears gave away a hint of what was going on.

She nodded slightly, said nothing, turned around and floated away towards the market, her clothes fluttering, like a fairy from the moon palace stepping into the mortal world.

Chen Qian chuckled and followed her at a leisurely pace, keeping a distance of just one step from her, which neither appeared distant nor gave her room to maintain her composure.

The two walked together, and Chen Qian occasionally asked questions about what he saw, to which Chen Yunyi gave brief and cool answers.

The closer you get to Aobayama Town, the denser the population becomes.

Some travel in groups, some ride on demonic beasts, some fly on swords, and some wield flying magical artifacts.

There were also caravans carrying goods, herds of camels and steeds.

The atmosphere of cultivation has become much stronger, which is a completely different concept from the family's residence.

Soon, the two officially entered the area of ​​Aoba Mountain.

The first thing that catches the eye is the vast outer area.

As Chen Qian knew, although this place was not as exquisite as the inner workshop, it was not as dirty and dilapidated as he had imagined, a gathering place for rogue cultivators.

Neatly planned areas are separated by bluestone paths. Most of them are uniformly designed and arranged stone huts or sturdy pine houses, with roofs covered with rainproof blue tiles or plant leaves, clean and tidy.

Many houses have also cultivated small plots of spiritual fields in front of and behind them, planting low-level spiritual plants or ordinary fruits and vegetables, adding a touch of life to the area.

The streets were bustling with people, mostly independent cultivators in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining, as well as many ordinary families and children running and playing in safe areas.

Every so often, one could see market guards dressed in uniform gray robes with the character "钱" (money) embroidered on their cuffs patrolling. Most of them were at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily as they maintained basic order.

The air was filled with the faint smell of cooking, medicinal herbs, and a hint of sweat. The environment and security were acceptable, noisy yet full of vitality.

A pale yellow light curtain, visible to the naked eye and covering the entire outer area, appeared and disappeared, radiating a gentle yet undeniable suppressive force.

This is part of the outer extension of the second-tier superior-grade array "Rock-Suppressing Mountain Array" that covers the entire Qingye Mountain Market. It doesn't have much power, but it can play a role in monitoring, reconnaissance, and some suppression.

The moment Chen Yunyi appeared on the main road of the outer district, the effect was immediate. The noisy sounds seemed to be soothed by an invisible wave for a moment.

Whether it was a wandering monk hurrying about, a street vendor, or a patrolling guard, all eyes were drawn to this place.

Many people looked at him with awe and a hint of barely perceptible admiration.

"It's Fairy Chen!"

"Greetings, Fairy Chen!"

"This junior greets Senior Chen!"

Along the way, cultivators kept stopping to respectfully greet Chen Yunyi, using different titles but all with extremely respectful attitudes.

Chen Yunyi was already used to this. She kept her eyes straight ahead, only nodding slightly in the direction of the bow. Her cool and aloof face remained unchanged, and her steps were perfectly steady.

This aloof and unapproachable aura only serves to highlight her snow-capped beauty, making her seem like a snow lotus from a high mountain, someone no one dares to defile.

Chen Qian followed behind, taking in all of this, and understood the influence his wife's older sister had in the market.

At the same time, they keenly noticed some gazes falling on them, filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a few hints of hostility.

Clearly, the presence of such a close and distinguished male cultivator beside Fairy Chen was enough to attract the attention of those in the market.

The two passed through the outer area and went up the mountain, soon arriving in front of a more solid and dense light screen.

This is the entrance to the inner chamber.

The great formation has a long opening, several meters long, that remains open year-round, allowing people to enter and exit freely.

This place is bustling with people coming and going, and is quite lively.

Chen Qian noticed that everyone entering and leaving had a token engraved with the three characters "Qingye Mountain" hanging from their waists.

As they passed through the entrance and exit of the grand formation, the tokens would subtly flash, unnoticed by Chen Qian unless he had activated his Divine Eye Technique.

This must be the effect of the array's ability to identify personnel.

Qingye Mountain is merely a market town established by three Foundation Establishment families, and most of its visitors are Qi Refining cultivators.

If a major repair occurs at the Foundation Establishment stage or above, the formation will immediately issue an early warning and quickly notify the family patriarch stationed there.

At the entrance, several core cultivators of the Qian family, dressed in superior armor and with cultivation levels reaching the late stage of Qi Refining, stood guard.

When they saw Chen Yunyi, they were quite respectful and friendly.

The leading cultivator was named Qian Youyu, a middle-aged man at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Fairy Yunyi!" His gaze swept over Chen Qian with a questioning tone.

Chen Yunyi said calmly, "Chen Yunqian, a member of the Chen family."

Without a word, the guards immediately stepped aside, clearly showing their complete trust in Chen Yunyi's guarantee.

Qian Youyu smiled and bowed to Chen Qian, then took out a market token and said, "Brother Chen, is this your first time visiting Qingye Mountain? Then let's do a simple registration."

He discovered that he couldn't see through Chen Qian's cultivation level, so his attitude naturally became even more respectful.

"Thank you for your help, Brother Qian."

Chen Qian knew the procedure, so he naturally had no objections upon hearing this.

Soon, with Qian Youyu's help, Chen Qian squeezed out a drop of blood and extracted a wisp of magic power, which he then injected into the market token.

The token emitted a burst of blue light, recording Chen Qian's information and connecting with the restrictions of the market array, thus successfully completing the transaction.

As members of the three families in the market, they naturally do not need to pay spirit stones.

Moreover, although the tokens issued are the same style as those for ordinary people, the materials are different.

Chen Qian looked at the token in his hand. The front was engraved with the three characters "Qingye Mountain" and the back was a mountain peak. The material was jade.

The tokens worn by Qian Youyu and the others were made of the same material, clearly indicating that this was a unique material belonging exclusively to the Chen, Zhao, and Qian families.

The people who frequently entered and exited the inner workshop wore signs made of iron or wood.

Seeing that Chen Qian was curious about the material of the token, Chen Yunyi explained it to him telepathically.

Those residing in the outer neighborhood will be issued wooden tokens and will need to pay one spirit stone per month as a residence management fee.

Those who reside in the inner quarters will be issued an iron token, and the monthly residence management fee is five spirit stones.

The residence management fee is simply a fee for staying and passing through.

To live in the market, one must either rent or buy a house.

Of course, you can run a shop or work for a shop; people can usually live inside the shop.

If you are staying for a short period and have plenty of spirit stones, then renting an inner cave dwelling or staying at a spirit inn will provide you with better living conditions.

Within the market area, it is not allowed to sit or rest on the street or in any random place.

Otherwise, the patrol team will arrest them and punish them with hard labor, as the market has a large number of sacred sites, mines, and workshops that all need manpower.

They don't hold back when it comes to arresting people.

Therefore, living in a market town is not easy.

For independent cultivators to live in the inner quarters, unless they are hired by a shop, they simply cannot do so unless their cultivation level is at the late stage of Qi Refining.

The Qingye Mountain Market earns hundreds of thousands of spirit stones annually from this residential management fee alone, but most of it is invested in the operation of the grand formation.

These formations, which can be used for families, markets, and sects, must be combined with the terrain and connected to the earth's veins. Establishing them is no simple matter.

The annual maintenance also requires a large amount of spirit stones. If it is not attacked for a long time, it can also nourish the earth veins and slowly improve the quality of the spirit veins.

The Ten Thousand Swords Paying Homage Formation of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain in Cangfeng Pavilion is the most famous sect formation in Li Kingdom.

It is said that it has not been attacked for more than a thousand years. The fourth-order low-grade spiritual vein of Wanjian Mountain has been nurtured for a thousand years and officially advanced to the fourth-order middle-grade level more than a hundred years ago.

After obtaining the token, Chen Qian bowed to Qian Youyu to take his leave, and then, accompanied by Chen Yunyi, crossed the gap in the formation and entered the inner chamber.

Qian Youyu watched the two figures leave, his gaze fixed on Chen Qian, his brows furrowed, looking thoughtful.

Another late-stage cultivator from the Qian family, seeing Qian Youyu's expression, looked somewhat puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Youyu, do you know this newly arrived young man from the Chen family?"

"I don't know him. This is the first time I've met him," Qian Youyu said, shaking his head.

"Oh, seeing how respectful you were to him, I thought you knew him," the Qian family cultivator said with a puzzled tone.

"This person is no ordinary person. He is young, but his cultivation level is unfathomable."

Qian Youyu felt somewhat emotional.

He had cultivated for twenty or thirty years before advancing to the late stage of Qi Refining, but he felt immense pressure in front of Chen Qian.

"But the name Chen Qian seems familiar. I think I've heard the elders mention it, but I can't quite place it right now."

“Oh, right.” Another Qian family cultivator joined the discussion. “I think I vaguely remember that too.”

"When did the Chen family produce such a genius? It's truly astonishing."

(End of this chapter)