Mortal: Traveling Between Two Realms with Mei Ning to Pick Up Trash

Zi Ling picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

"What are you planning to do about the Giant Shark Gate?" she asked.

Zhou Yu thought for a moment.

"Elder Wan won't let me go. The news might not get out, but out of so many people, I'm the only one who came back. I won't go to the Giant Shark Sect's stronghold again."

Zi Ling nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with his answer.

"In Tianxing City, although the Giant Shark Sect doesn't dare to make a move openly, they will still use some underhanded methods," Zi Ling said.

Zhou Yu thought for a moment, "From now on, I'll just disguise myself when I go out and deal with the Giant Shark Gate less."

Zi Ling glanced at him again, remained silent for a few moments, and then suddenly asked a question.

"Are you interested in officially joining the Wonderful Sound Sect?"

Zhou Yu was taken aback, not expecting the other party to be so direct, and thought for a while.

"Sect Master, my cultivation level is too low. I'm afraid joining the Wonderful Sound Sect will not be of any help to me."

"These are not problems," Zi Ling interrupted Zhou Yu, her tone calm. "What Miaoyin Sect lacks right now is trustworthy people. Since you are willing to risk your life to save Sister Zhuo, I naturally trust you."

Zhou Yu thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Sect Leader, but I am used to being carefree and may not be able to stay for long."

Looking at Zhou Yu's serious eyes, he remained silent for a moment.

Zi Ling shook her head slightly. "Never mind, I won't force you. Your behavior reminds me of a senior."

Zhou Yu's heart skipped a beat. Senior? Could it be Han Li?

Zi Ling took another sip of tea. "No rush. Once you've made up your mind, just tell Si Yue."

Zhou Yu glanced at it; this was a way of telling the guests to leave.

"In that case, Sect Master, I shall take my leave now."

Zi Ling nodded slightly.

Zhou Yu turned and left the room.

Zi Ling watched the other person's departing figure without paying much attention. The most important thing now was the opening of the Void Heaven Palace. Once she broke through to the Golden Core stage, the Wonderful Sound Sect would naturally recover.

……

On the way back to the inn, Zhou Yu thought for a moment.

Three superior-grade Qi-nourishing pills.

Zi Ling never hesitates to give things away, such as Foundation Establishment Pills and Qi Cultivation Pills, without saying a word or wasting time.

Such people are either genuinely generous or they are investors.

Zhou Yu felt that both were true.

However, based on the current situation, the Void Heaven Palace should open within the next twenty or thirty years. Zi Ling should be focusing all her energy on that and won't have time to worry about her own small Qi Refining stage.

That's good. Now I have more resources, so I can start cultivating properly.

……

It was already past midnight when we got back to the inn.

There weren't many people in the inn's lobby. The old lady behind the counter had long since gone to sleep. Zhou Yu tiptoed upstairs, pushed open the door, and went inside.

I don't know if the news has spread to the Giant Shark Sect yet, but Elder Wan will find out sooner or later. He certainly won't let it go easily then. I don't plan to leave the city in the short term. I'll just stay in the city to cultivate, deliver goods, and wait for things to calm down.

Although Miaoyinmen refused to officially join, the relationship remains, and they should still be able to continue delivering goods.

Zhou Yu took off his clothes, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep shortly afterward.

……

In the days that followed, Zhou Yu's life became extremely simple.

Every morning, I go to that store to pick up the goods, and then deliver them back.

I didn't go out for a stroll or browse the market in the afternoon; I spent all my time cultivating.

Occasionally, Zhou Yu would flip through books at night, recognizing pills, materials, and monsters. After reading so many books, the edges of the pages had become frayed, and Zhou Yu had also memorized the general contents of the books.

Miaoyinmen has been carrying out delivery missions, but hasn't assigned any special tasks.

Occasionally, you might catch a glimpse of Wen Siyue. When you do, you simply nod to each other, chat for a few minutes, and then disperse.

It took Zhuo Ruting more than a month to recover from her injury. Afterwards, she made a special trip to see him and treated Zhou Yu to a meal as a way of thanking him.

There was no movement from the Giant Shark Gate, and no one even came to keep watch. Zhou Yu was on edge when he first went out, but a month passed and nothing happened.

Zhou Yu remained vigilant. Elder Wan was a petty and narrow-minded person who wouldn't let things go easily, so it was always better to be careful.

……

In the first month, I reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Zhou Yu made his breakthrough on a rainy afternoon, with the sound of rain pouring down outside and water flowing from the eaves.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, and the vortex of energy in his dantian suddenly expanded, with spiritual power surging into his limbs and bones, making him feel warm and comfortable.

Zhou Yu opened his eyes and clenched his fist. His spiritual energy was much stronger than before, so activating the Immortal Binding Net shouldn't drain it all in one go like it used to.

He tried channeling his spiritual energy into the sword, and it lit up slightly, becoming brighter than before, but still provided no feedback. However, this at least indicated that the sword was indeed no ordinary object; it was just that his current cultivation level was insufficient.

In the second month, I reached the seventh level of Qi Refining.

This breakthrough occurred in the middle of the night.

Zhou Yu stood up, walked around the room a couple of times, and stretched his stiff legs.

The effects of the Peiyuan Pill are more noticeable than last month; Ziling really gave me something good.

In the third month, he reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Zhou Yu noticed his cultivation speed was slowing down. It wasn't that the Qi Cultivation Pill was no longer effective, but rather that the spiritual energy required for the later stages of Qi Refining was several times greater than that for the middle stages. The same pill, which used to be able to advance him through a small realm, now...

He could only move forward a small step at a time. He calculated that at this rate, it would take about a month to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining.

There was no rush; I continued my cultivation routine step by step. I delivered goods, cultivated, and ate as usual every day. Before I knew it, three months had passed.

Three months later, one morning, Zhou Yu broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

On an ordinary morning, as usual, I sat cross-legged on the bed and circulated the "Canglang Technique." Suddenly, the vortex of energy in my dantian vibrated violently and then expanded by a large circle.

Spiritual energy surged from the dantian, flowing through the meridians throughout the body. Every inch of skin, every muscle, and every bone felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, making it incredibly comfortable.

Zhou Yu opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Nine layers of Qi refinement.

From the fifth level of Qi Refining to the ninth level in three months, with the Heavenly Spiritual Root and the Qi Cultivation Pill, this speed is not exaggerated, but it is definitely not slow either.

He took out his sword and infused it with spiritual power.

The blade gleamed.

It wasn't the faint glow of before, but a clear, silvery-white aura that stretched from the hilt to the tip, making the whole knife seem to glow.

He tried to push his spiritual power to its limit, and a thin blade of light faintly condensed on the tip of the knife. Although it was only about an inch long, it was enough to make a light mark on the wooden table.

Zhou Yu sheathed his sword, in a good mood.

Pack your things away and open the window.

The morning sunlight streamed in and fell on the floor in front of the bed, making it feel warm and cozy.

He leaned against the window frame, watching Tianxingcheng slowly wake up.

It's been three months.

……

As usual, he went to the shop that day to prepare for his mission.

As soon as he entered, he saw Wen Siyue sitting behind the counter. Zhou Yu looked her over and walked towards her.

Wen Siyue looked up and saw Zhou Yu smiling; he seemed to be in a good mood.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, how have you been?"

Zhou Yu cupped his hands in greeting and sat down opposite her. "May I ask what brings Miss Wen here?"

Wen Siyue wasn't in a hurry. She took a sip of tea before speaking, "I need your help to deliver a letter."

"Sending a letter?" Zhou Yu asked.

"Hmm." Wen Siyue took out a letter from her sleeve. "Deliver it to a place outside the city and give it to the recipient. It's nothing important, but make sure it's done by a reliable person."

Zhou Yu picked up the letter, glanced at it, and asked, "Outside the city? Where is that?"

"About thirty miles southeast of Tianxing City, there's a small market town," Wen Siyue said. "It's not in the city center, but it's not far either. Just go out the south gate and walk southeast along the coast. When you get there, just give it to a senior surnamed Liu."

Zhou Yu memorized the address and put the letter into his storage bag.

When will it be delivered?

"No rush, it can be delivered the day after tomorrow," Wen Siyue stood up. "But be careful on the road, the area outside the city is not the same as inside the city."

Zhou Yu nodded.

"understood."

He stood up, turned to leave, and Wen Siyue added another sentence behind him.

"By the way, Senior Liu has a bad temper. Once you arrive, don't say too much. Just hand over the letter and leave."

Zhou Yu responded and left the shop.

……

Back at the inn, Zhou Yu changed into an inconspicuous gray cloth outfit and checked his frequently used items from his storage bag.

He applied the disguise cream to his face, making his skin tone two shades darker. He looked at himself in the mirror again to make sure he wouldn't be easily recognized before leaving the house.

He had walked through the south gate of Tianxing City several times, so it wasn't unfamiliar to him.

Once outside the city gate, the roads were much narrower than those inside the city, with low shrubs and scattered trees on both sides, and fishing boats dotting the sea in the distance.

Zhou Yu did not fly on his sword. The area outside the city was different from the area inside the city. Flying in the sky would be too conspicuous and would make him easy to be spotted. He walked along the coast at a moderate pace, his eyes scanning his surroundings from time to time.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, he noticed someone behind him.

It wasn't one person, but two, one in front and one behind, about a hundred paces apart, following at a leisurely pace. When Zhou Yu quickened his pace, they quickened theirs too; when Zhou Yu slowed down, they slowed down as well. They were clearly coming for him.

Zhou Yu's heart sank.

Could it be someone from the Giant Shark Gate?

Without looking back, he continued walking forward, his mind racing. He couldn't discern the cultivation levels of the two opponents, but they were at least at the late Qi Refining stage, and perhaps even the Foundation Establishment stage.

A head-on confrontation is not worthwhile; he can't win alone.

The only option is to keep running forward; at least reaching Senior Liu should be safe.

Zhou Yu remained calm and continued walking slowly.

The two people behind him did not quicken their pace, but followed at a leisurely pace, maintaining a distance of about a hundred paces.

Zhou Yu knew in his heart that they were waiting.

The road leading out of the south gate of Tianxing City becomes increasingly desolate and less frequented as you head southeast. A little further on is the rocky beach. Beyond the rocky beach, there are practically no people on the roadside. That's where the real action begins.

As long as he doesn't stop there, as long as he keeps moving forward, they won't make a move prematurely.

Zhou Yu did not change his speed or direction.

Upon reaching the rocky area, Zhou Yu shot out almost instantly.

I heard hurried footsteps and a low shout behind me.

"Chase him! Don't let him get away!"

Two whooshing sounds rang out simultaneously, and the other party also accelerated. Zhou Yu did not turn around, but he could feel the spiritual pressure behind him. One was a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator, and the other was an early Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Elder Wan didn't come, but he sent someone at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, which is considered a sign of respect for him.

Since the stalls selling random stones were not very large to begin with, Zhou Yu arrived at the market very quickly.

After entering the market, the other party did not make a big show of it and slowed down, but kept getting closer. Did they want to capture him alive?

Zhou Yu frowned slightly.

Just then, a sign on the roadside caught Zhou Yu's attention.

Green Bamboo Pavilion.

Zhou Yu's expression shifted slightly as he walked inside.