First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

"Wow—home is so comfortable!"

Upon returning to the valley, Li Zhihua shouted loudly.

Xu Mu and Li Zhiyuan smiled.

Xu Mu felt this even more keenly; one must always be careful in the world of cultivation, especially when one is a low-level rogue cultivator.

Returning to the comfort zone of the mortal world is like being a god; one feels completely relaxed, and returning home brings even greater comfort.

At this moment, all the little animals ran over to welcome them.

The two tiger cubs have grown up and become adult tigers. They were driven out of the valley by the tiger king, so they can no longer be seen now.

The rules for monsters are more cruel than those for humans.

Once tiger cubs grow up, they have to find their own territory; the tiger king will not take them in just because they are his sons.

When the tiger king gets old and its strength declines, they will probably turn around and seize this territory, driving the tiger king away.

Xu Mu did not interfere with this.

He didn't care when the little animals started fighting each other.

He is the owner of this place, not a community mediator, so apart from a few clever little animals, the animals in the valley are often replaced, so it's hard to tell.

The most clever little animals are those who know how to act cute in front of Li Zhiyuan and Li Zhihuan, and can get the sisters to feed them, instantly raising their status in the animal group.

Those with the highest status, of course, are the Tiger King and the Spirit Monkey, who can do things for Xu Mu, receive rewards from Xu Mu, and are also the strongest.

When Xu Mu finally returned after a year, they rushed over to fawn over him.

The two sisters happily played with the small animals, while Xu Mu merely dealt with them briefly before heading to check on his own house.

I haven't been back for a year, and the house has become a bit dilapidated. The exterior walls are covered with vines, mushrooms are growing in the corners, and there are even holes in some places. I don't know if they were gnawed by rats. It looks like it needs to be renovated.

He first used his magic to clean the dust in the room.

After playing with the animals for a while, the two sisters went inside to tidy up, washing and drying whatever needed to be washed.

It was afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly.

After cleaning up, Xu Mu went to tend to the medicinal herb field.

The medicinal herb field had been abandoned for a year and was now covered with weeds, requiring weeding and reclamation.

Before I left, there were still some first-grade spiritual herbs in the field that hadn't matured yet, but now they've vanished without a trace, probably eaten up by the small animals long ago.

He couldn't be bothered to pursue the matter, since it was something he had expected.

The most important thing is fertilizer.

He stored the fertilizer back then, and now he can directly plant medicinal herbs.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the fertilizer, he took out a few hoes and began to till the field again.

Birds chirped in the trees, men tilled the fields, and women washed clothes and cooked, returning to a peaceful rural life.

As night fell, after dinner, the three of them lay together on a lawn in the valley, watching the moon and counting the stars, their heads close together, filled with contentment and happiness.

……

early morning.

The faint sunlight spilled into the valley.

Xu Mu returned to his daily life: farming, cultivating himself, sharpening his sword, and lighting a fire.

Although the lower level of the Samadhi True Fire has been ignited, one must continue to cultivate it, allowing the fire to burn ever brighter, which will aid in alchemy and combat.

Taking time out of his schedule, he disguised himself as an old man and went into the village to carry manure, while using a trick to let his "apprentice" make an appearance.

This phantom cannot speak, nor can it be touched, so it only needs to make an appearance and then find an excuse to let the "apprentice" leave, so as not to be exposed by the villagers.

Later, this apprentice will replace him, so that he won't be so old and still alive, making people think he's a god.

Next, as usual, he treated the villagers.

The villagers missed him after he hadn't visited for a year.

Now, spring has turned to autumn, several elderly people have passed away in the village, and Zhang Xiucai has also entered his sixties. His eldest son has gotten married, and his youngest daughter has also married.

The second son, Zhang Yu'an, is just over twenty years old and is studying hard to pass the imperial examinations. He is not yet married.

When Xu Mu met him, he had matured a lot and looked much more tired.

Official positions are not easy to obtain; everyone who pursues this path will feel competition and pressure from all sides.

"Sir, do you think... I have such a blessed appearance?" he asked sincerely.

Xu Mu shook his head slowly: "You are eager to find an answer for your future, but I cannot give you one."

Just remember, the path is under your own feet; don't be fixated on the outcome.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Yu'an bowed respectfully.

As for whether he had figured anything out, Xu Mu didn't care.

He can talk a lot of nonsense, but while reasoning is one thing, putting it into practice is the real skill.

After dealing with the villagers, Xu Mu took the initiative to ask Zhang Xiucai to have tea together, hoping to ask him for a favor.

"Buying excrement?" Zhang Xiucai asked in surprise.

Xu Mu nodded: "I want to expand the medicinal herb garden, which requires a lot of manure for irrigation. Bishi Village alone is not enough."

Scholar Zhang scratched his head and said, "The villagers also need to use their own excrement, so we really can't give it all to you..."

"It's alright, manure is gold in the ground, how could I be greedy?" Xu Mu laughed.

Scholar Zhang nodded and immediately said he would contact the county's manure factory to purchase manure.

If they were to buy waste, they would definitely buy it from city dwellers. Rural areas not only need to use it themselves, but they might even have to spend money to buy it in order to ensure their crops yield a harvest.

Many people specialize in the trade of excrement and amass great wealth; it's not an industry that ordinary people can easily enter.

Xu Mu did all this in order to cultivate more second-grade spiritual herbs in preparation for practicing the second-stage alchemy technique.

Originally, with the ancient divine cauldron, he should have learned the second-stage alchemy technique long ago, but alchemy is a technical skill that requires not only learning but also practice.

Practice requires a lot of materials, which is the key reason why many alchemists stop at the first stage.

Xu Mu could grow them himself, but he didn't know if the spiritual energy in the valley was enough to nourish so many spiritual herbs.

Therefore, he could only focus on fertilizer and try to expand production.

Now, let Zhang Xiucai handle the manure matter. If things go smoothly, he will provide funds to continue purchasing manure.

……

After finishing the fertilizer business, Xu Mu began to renovate his house.

Living in this valley is inconvenient in many ways; without some skill, it's really impossible to stay here.

Li Zhihua assisted him from the side, pouring him tea when needed, showing great care and consideration.

Li Zhiyuan is responsible for doing housework; she is gentle and virtuous.

With these two adorable cats by my side, every day is fulfilling and happy.

After more than a month of such busy work, the house was finally renovated, and the medicinal herb field was reclaimed and expanded.

After the medicinal herbs are planted, we await the harvest.

"This is the life of cultivating immortality," Xu Mu exclaimed.

The gods that mortals fantasize about should actually look like this.

Cultivate your mind and character, seek the Tao and the truth, instead of scheming and fighting to the death for cultivation resources.

Unfortunately, this was just his personal wish. The reality is that resources are limited, people's hearts are unpredictable, and people fight everywhere for the sake of cultivating immortality.

"Thanks to you, young master, we have such a life," Li Zhihua said with a grin.

"We are a perfect match, envying neither mandarin ducks nor immortals," Li Zhiyuan said with a smile, holding Xu Mu's arm.

"What do you mean 'two'? It's the three of us!" Li Zhihua immediately emphasized.

"Yes, yes." Li Zhiyuan nodded.

Xu Mu smiled and patted their heads.

If I could live like this forever, that would be wonderful.