Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 188 "The Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!" [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"What? Junior brother, you're going out? And you want me to go to Liancheng Mountain? You're not going to go to such a good place, junior brother?"

Forget-Worry Island.

When Ji Yuan came to bid farewell to Hua Yaoyue, he happened to meet Feng Zhitao, who was there.

He then told the whole story.

"I don't want to go out either, but I have no choice, sigh."

Ji Yuan shook his head and sighed.

"That's true. Otherwise, with your personality, you would definitely hide on Worry-Free Island and stay there for hundreds of years, like a coward, hmph."

Feng Zhitao crossed her arms over her chest, supporting the abyss, and tilted her head slightly.

"What a pity, we'll have to trouble you this time, Senior Sister."

Ji Yuan didn't respond and changed the subject.

"It's no trouble at all. I should thank you for giving me such a great opportunity... Is there anything I can help you with? If so, please don't hesitate to ask, Junior Brother."

In some ways, Feng Zhitao and Yun Qianzai are not much different; they both have the same mouth.

Yun Qianzai liked to manifest his divine powers.

Feng Zhitao has a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

"There's nothing I can do to help right now, but if there is, I certainly won't stand on ceremony with my senior sister," Ji Yuan said solemnly.

"it is good."

Feng Zhitao wanted to say something more, but then she received a message from Master Xuanshui: "Then I'll go to the sect leader's place first. If you need anything, just send me a message, junior brother."

"Okay, then thank you in advance, Senior Sister."

"You're too kind."

Feng Zhitao waved her hand and piloted the flying boat away from Forget-Worry Island.

Before Ji Yuan could turn around, he heard Hua Yaoyue's voice behind him, "What, the Rotten Firefly Shaded Locust Tree wasn't enough for you? You have to go outside and get some yourself?"

Ji Yuan: "!!!"

Turning around, Ji Yuan faced Hua Yaoyue, who was lying on the soft chair, and could only smile helplessly, "No one is more wise than Master."

"Nothing I do can escape Master's discerning eyes."

"Alright, stop flattering me." Hua Yaoyue bluntly called him out, and Ji Yuan didn't feel embarrassed at all.

"It would be good for you to go out for a walk."

Hua Yaoyue stood up from the soft chair, and Ji Yuan tactfully took a step back.

"You have many tricks up your sleeve, and you are quite diligent in your cultivation, but you must remember one thing."

"Please enlighten me, Master."

Ji Yuan pricked up his ears, knowing that what Hua Yaoyue was about to teach was definitely the most important part of cultivation.

Hua Yaoyue didn't rush to answer, as if she was thinking or organizing her thoughts. She walked out of the pavilion and into the flower bushes.

Ji Yuan followed closely behind her, silently waiting for her answer.

"Having methods alone isn't enough; you also need to use them wisely. Honing your own skills and outmaneuvering others are two different things... Do you understand that?"

"have."

Ji Yuan blurted out, "No matter how much you hone your skills, you'll only become familiar with the techniques. But when facing real combat... the enemy is alive, not dead."

"So you understand what I mean?"

Hua Yaoyue stopped in her tracks, still using a questioning tone.

Ji Yuan took a deep breath.

"kill!"

"Once you feel you've improved, go kill people and monsters! Only in this way can you maximize your strength."

When facing Hua Yaoyue, Ji Yuan dared to say anything.

Having spent so many years together, he naturally knew that his master was neither a demonic cultivator nor a purely righteous one.

"Rude."

In short, Hua Yaoyue said, "But she's not wrong either."

"If you hide away and cultivate on your own, you're just creating something out of nothing. You'll never know how many tricks your enemy has up their sleeve. That's why, in battles between people of the same level, the demonic path is often more powerful than the righteous path."

After Hua Yaoyue finished speaking, she finally turned around and looked at Ji Yuan, her last disciple, and slowly said:

"To survive, to go far... it's not as simple as you think. Even if you manage to survive for a while, when the real storms come, without sufficient strength, you'll still be someone else's stepping stone. Do you understand?"

Ji Yuan took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Hua Yaoyue.

"Your disciple will remember your teachings."

Seeing his expression, Hua Yaoyue suddenly burst out laughing.

The laughter left Ji Yuan completely bewildered.

This was the first time he had ever seen Hua Yaoyue smile like that.

"Do you know why I have this realization?" Hua Yaoyue asked.

Ji Yuan blurted out, "Because Master has a natural talent..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Yaoyue interrupted, "Because I was once like you, finding a secluded island to hide away and secretly cultivate, and later..."

"And then?"

When Ji Yuan heard Hua Yaoyue recount her past for the first time, he couldn't help but ask her more questions.

"Then I died."

Hua Yaoyue's simple words stirred up a storm in Ji Yuan's heart.

Damn it, my master is a real old monster!

Reincarnation?

Or is it possession for cultivation?!

Ji Yuan really wanted to ask, but he didn't dare.

"Alright, you can go now."

After giving her instructions, Hua Yaoyue then asked the guests to leave.

Ji Yuan left behind nearly a hundred jugs of wine before taking his leave.

On the way back to Misty Island, Ji Yuan was still pondering what Hua Yaoyue had said. At first glance, it seemed like a lot, but upon closer inspection, it was nothing more than six words.

Those who should lie low, should lie low; those who should be killed, should be killed!

You can't keep killing, and you can't keep hiding forever.

"I just didn't expect that Master had died once... Judging from her current condition, she must have been reincarnated and started cultivating again."

"It doesn't seem like the behavior of someone who has possessed another's body."

If Hua Yaoyue were willing to speak, like today, she would have spoken on her own without Ji Yuan having to ask.

But if she doesn't want to talk about it, even if Ji Yuan asks, she won't tell him.

After returning to Misty Island, Ji Yuan began preparing the things he would need for this trip.

Moreover, this time he went out as a demonic cultivator, so it was quite different from before.

When it comes to fighting demonic cultivators in Ghost Seeking Pool, the first thing to do will naturally be the Yin Ghost Formation. As for other things... spiritual artifacts are fine, but spells like the Water Dragon Technique cannot be used.

Using this is no different from showing your ID card.

"It's a pity I didn't learn any of the techniques from the Joyful Palace or the Medicine King Valley, otherwise I could have had another layer of disguise."

In comparison, formations are not so bad. These things don't distinguish between good and evil; they can be used when necessary.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan took out a storage bag from the storage bag inside the storage bag.

The things inside are what he has accumulated over the years. There aren't many things, just three magical artifacts in total.

One is a mid-grade offensive spiritual weapon called "Bone-Melting Yin Claw," and the other is a low-grade protective spiritual weapon called "Black Demon Armor."

There is also a magical artifact, which is quite demonic.

It is called "Blood Marrow Bead".

It can absorb the essence and blood of others to nourish itself, and when used at a critical moment, it can temporarily enhance its strength... without any side effects.

The only consumption is the depletion of the Blood Marrow Bead. If you want to continue using it, you have to keep replenishing it with essence and blood.

The three magical artifacts commonly used by demonic cultivators were prepared by Ji Yuan for his identity as a demonic cultivator.

Although it consumed a lot of spirit stones.

But it was all worth it. Not only did it increase my skills and abilities, but it also made my disguise more convincing.

With just these three magical artifacts and his own Yin Ghost Formation... any righteous sect would spit on them.

The magical artifact had already been refined, and Ji Yuan spent several more days familiarizing himself with it.

Afterwards, he took out the spirit beast bag he had prepared in advance and went to the dense forest on the west side of Misty Island, where he collected 8000 spirit-devouring bees.

He even took the second-tier queen bee with him.

Once these creatures have developed a fighting force, they will naturally be put to use. Moreover, keeping over 4000 at home to allow them to continue breeding is sufficient.

Ji Yuan then retrieved the Frost Dragon from the Cloud Rain Marsh.

There might be a use for it on this trip. Even if it isn't needed, it should be carefully nurtured so that it can be promoted to a second-tier demon beast.

Once everything was ready, Ji Yuan went to Wanwu Island again, found Bai Piao, and talked with him for a whole day.

The next day, Ji Yuan, who had just taken off in his flying boat, looked back at Misty Island.

Once I leave, I don't know when I'll be back.

But it's all worth it to improve your strength. Just like Hua Yaoyue said, relying solely on hiding will ultimately lead to your death.

If you can survive, then survive; if you must die, then kill!

"Let's go."

Ji Yuan thought to himself, then urged the flying boat to head straight south.

……

Two months later.

Having used five shape-changing talismans and changed his identity five times along the way, Ji Yuan finally arrived safely at Da Ai City within the territory of Huan Xi Palace.

Since entering the territory of the Joyful Palace, Ji Yuan has visited several cities.

These cities, including the current Great Love City, are all the same.

Ji Yuan's most obvious feeling was that there were many places for dual cultivation. These places for dual cultivation did not only have many female cultivators, but also many male cultivators.

Their practice of this dual cultivation method can be considered mutually beneficial.

"It's a pity that when I transmigrated here, I ended up in the territory of the Water Dragon Sect. If I had another chance to transmigrate, I would definitely want to go to a place like the Joyful Palace."

Ji Yuan was lost in thought.

My second feeling was—chaos!

The literal meaning of "chaos" is quite chaotic, whether it's due to the large number of cultivators undergoing tribulation or the numerous battles.

Since Ji Yuan went south and entered the territory of Huanxi Palace, he could clearly feel that there were more battles, even in the city.

It really gives you that feeling of "if I don't like you, I'll start a fight."

Fortunately, he was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and ordinary cultivators would respectfully address him as "senior" when they saw him.

It was at best a close call.

Upon arriving in Da'ai City, Ji Yuan first found a place to stay, and then spent three days wandering around the city to learn about the situation.

Three days later, he returned to the courtyard where he had settled.

I summarized and analyzed the information I had gathered, and then compared it with the information I had received from Bai Piao.

In Da'ai City, there are 20 Foundation Establishment cultivators on the surface, 15 of whom are members of the Joyful Palace, and the remaining 5 are independent cultivators who have settled here.

Occasionally, a Golden Core cultivator from the Joyful Palace would come here to stay.

This spectacle alone is enough to show that Da Ai City is a large city.

For example, in Linshui City, which Ji Yuan previously guarded, there were only three Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of whom were official personnel of the Water Dragon Sect. There wasn't a single Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator.

Another piece of news is about Gui Xuntang, since that's Ji Yuan's destination.

That place... is not only famous in Da'ai City, but also known to many people throughout the entire Huanxi Palace region.

To be precise, Ghost Seeking Island is actually a gray area.

Because it contains not only demonic cultivators, but also many righteous cultivators who have been chased and fled there. In addition, there are many demonic beasts inside that can produce rare and precious materials, so there are quite a few cultivators who risk going in to seek cultivation resources.

In short, it's quite chaotic.

There are many Qi Refining cultivators and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators inside, who have formed several factions and fight their own battles.

It is said that in the deepest part of this Ghost Seeking Pool, there are even Golden Core cultivators, but whether this is true or not is unknown.

Such chaotic places... only exist in the territory of Huanxi Palace south of the Falling Star River, and only in the territory of the Corpse-Driving Mountain north of the Falling Star River.

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for Shangxi's Demonic Sect...

So, the Corpse-Driving Mountain and the Joyful Palace are the demonic sects of Shangdong.

"It seems that the Rotten Firefly Shadow Locust I'm looking for must be inside, and there are many demonic cultivators there, which is perfect for me to acquire an identity."

However, it's impossible to just walk up to them directly; it would take a lot of effort to find them yourself.

Foundation Establishment cultivators should have the...prestige of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

So after Ji Yuan had a pretty good understanding of Da'ai City, he used a shape-changing talisman to change his appearance into that of a burly man with a bushy beard before he could leave the house with peace of mind.

He wandered around, and no matter who he met, he would glare at anyone who looked at him, perfectly embodying the image of a fierce Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Half a day later, he arrived at a tavern in Da'ai City.

Inside were mostly Qi Refining cultivators. Once Ji Yuan entered, the previously noisy tavern instantly fell silent.

They all stared at him in astonishment.

Despite its vast size, the Great Love City still has relatively few Foundation Establishment cultivators; it's far from being as numerous as dogs.

Ji Yuan remained silent, coldly observing them. After a short while, all the cultivators hurriedly paid for their drinks and left.

Only then did he turn around and look at the shopkeeper, who was on the verge of tears.

"Come on, look at you, you pathetic sight."

Ji Yuan casually tossed a mid-grade spirit stone onto the table, and the shopkeeper, who had been frowning, immediately beamed with a fawning smile. "May I ask what brings this senior here?"

"If there is anything I can do to help you, please feel free to ask. I will do my best to help you, even at the cost of my life."

Ji Yuan didn't rush to speak, but instead casually closed the shop door.

The shop owner's heart, which had just been at ease, immediately jumped back into suspense.

"Bai Piao, do you remember him?" Ji Yuan asked directly.

"Bai Piao?" The shopkeeper paused for a moment upon hearing the name, then immediately asked anxiously, "Senior, do you have any news about him?"

"He was my closest friend. I haven't heard from him since he left this city and went north. How is he doing now?"

Ji Yuan stared at him without saying a word.

The initially agitated shopkeeper calmed down, took a deep breath, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Ji Yuan, saying, "This junior was impetuous; please forgive me, senior."

"It's alright, he's fine now, you don't need to worry."

"That's good, that's good."

"He's the one who told me I could find you."

The shopkeeper's fawning smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "May I ask what brings you here, senior? My name is Wu Yunbo, and I will do my utmost to assist you."

"I want to enter Ghost Seeking Pool, and ideally, I should be able to find the Foundation Establishment cultivators inside directly."

Ji Yuan got straight to the point, without any unnecessary words.

"Enter the Ghostly Pool?"

Wu Yunbo's furrowed brows immediately relaxed. "That's not difficult. As for finding a Foundation Establishment cultivator, since you yourself are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it's even simpler."

"Oh? Tell me more."

Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, picked up a pot of spirit wine from the table, looked at it, and then put it into his storage bag.

"Currently, there are four Foundation Establishment forces in Ghost Seeking Pool: Heavenly Fire Cave, Divine Eagle Palace, Blood Prison Helmsman, and Crimson Dragon Gang."

"Among them, the Divine Vulture Palace is the strongest, with a total of 12 Foundation Establishment cultivators. The strongest of the Divine Vulture Palace Masters is a Pseudo-Core Formation Realm expert. The remaining Heavenly Fire Cave and the Crimson Dragon Gang are about the same strength, with about 8 Foundation Establishment cultivators each. The Blood Prison Helm is the weakest, with only 5 Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"That's about all the power there is. There are also some Foundation Establishment cultivators hiding inside, but I don't know anything about them."

Ji Yuan listened attentively and had only one feeling.

This man, being a tavern owner, certainly knows a lot of information.

"Of these four forces, which one acts in a more righteous manner?"

Wu Yunbo raised an eyebrow. "Senior, once you're in the Ghost Seeking Pool, what righteous path is left?"

Ji Yuan laughed heartily.

"Excellent, excellent."

It's not that I'm afraid of demonic paths within, it's that I'm afraid of righteous paths within demonic paths!

"In that case, if I want to join a faction, which one do you think would be more suitable?" Ji Yuan casually waved over a chair and sat down.

"this……"

Wu Yunbo was hesitant to say anything, but he was willing to ask him for clarification.

But when it came to recommending a faction himself, he was hesitant to speak up.

If the recommended faction is good, then everything is fine. But what if the faction I recommended causes this senior to suffer losses...

Then it'll be like, "If I can't kill them, I can at least kill you!"

Ji Yuan saw his concerns, waved his hand, and said directly, "Which faction inside can you contact? I'll find them myself."

Wu Yunbo immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"These four forces all have strongholds in Great Love City. If you're not in a hurry, you can learn about them all and see which force is suitable to join."

Wu Yunbo then provided the locations of these four strongholds.

As for the map inside Ghost Seeking Pool, Ji Yuan didn't ask.

If you dare to follow the map in Ghost Searching Pool, you're asking for trouble... Ji Yuan looked at the white paper in his hand, on which were written the locations of four strongholds.

He looked down at the white paper, then looked up at Wu Yunbo in front of him, and suddenly smiled:

"Which faction do you belong to?"

"Wh...what?"

Wu Yunbo's expression changed slightly. "Senior, what do you mean? I am just a rogue cultivator in Great Love City."

Unbeknownst to him, Ji Yuan was already stroking a communication talisman in his hand.

Wu Yunbo's eyes widened instinctively.

Ji Yuan slowly got up and looked into the inner room of the tavern.

He crossed his arms and smiled slightly, "Since you've come, why not come out and greet me? Or is it... something you can't bear to be seen?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cloud of black mist emerged from the crack in the inner room door, eventually landing behind Wu Yunbo and transforming into a figure in black robes.

"May I ask which fellow Daoist has graced us with their presence?"

The person in front of me was covered by a black robe and a ghost face; I could only tell he was a man from his voice.

Seeing this, Ji Yuan touched the beard on his chin, and then activated the Yin Ghost Flag in his storage bag. In an instant, a wave of Yin energy spread around him.

He laughed, his "hehehe" laughter echoing throughout the entire tavern.

"I will not change my name or surname when I walk or sit."

"The Demonic Cultivator—Qiu Qianhai!"

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(End of this chapter)