Living as a Mortal: Grinding Experience Starting from the Underworld

Zhang Feng did not step out of his cave dwelling and began a long period of seclusion.

In the first year, Zhang Feng used the time to stabilize his cultivation. He received a congratulatory jade slip from Wan Qing, but he refused to acknowledge it.

In the second and third years, Zhang Feng mastered the "Underworld King's Technique" to perfection, and his soul refining and body refining broke through to the third level.

He received two more jade slips from Wan Qing, but ignored them as well.

In the fourth year, Zhang Feng mastered the "Myriad Laws Sword Technique" to perfection and learned the two spells that came with it: "Ten Thousand Swords Unleashed" and "Ten Thousand Shadows Sword Shield," one for offense and one for defense.

Before Zhang Feng learned the sword technique, he could not comprehend these two techniques no matter how hard he practiced.

Since comprehending the [Sword Skill] in the Netherworld, Zhang Feng has had a vague foundation to learn these two sword techniques.

He received a fourth jade slip, also from Wan Qing, but ignored it.

In the fifth year, Zhang Feng learned the core technique of the "Thousand Waves Technique," namely "Layered Waves."

This method emphasizes the circulation of spiritual energy like layers of waves stacking up, which can accumulate power during an attack, making the attack stronger with each strike.

In defense, one can stack layers of protection for oneself or dismantle the enemy's offensive in layers.

Escape can be achieved by stacking speed; with each layer of "waves," an astonishing speed can be unleashed.

Whether used for escaping or fighting the enemy, it is highly effective.

Upon receiving the fifth jade slip, Wan Qingliuyin was already furious and ignored it.

In the sixth year, Zhang Feng began to use the Core Formation Flame to refine the first magical artifact he obtained from the Netherworld, the Shadow Needle.

Before he had mastered his own signature magic weapon, he used this needle for self-defense.

Having received the sixth jade slip as well, Wan Qing's words were clearly threatening, but he ignored them.

In the seventh year, Xiaoqing and Xiaohong awoke from their slumber, and Zhang Feng helped the two demons learn the "Demon Control Technique".

Upon receiving the seventh jade slip, Wan Qing calmed down and wanted to meet with the person, but ignored him.

In the eighth year, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong mastered the "Demon Control Technique" to perfection and, by using Soul Beads, reached the peak of the fourth level of cultivation.

Both of them possessed extraordinary talents, but Zhang Feng had not yet found any records of them in the monster records of the Chaotic Star Sea, so he did not know if they had any other supernatural abilities.

In the same year, he received the eighth jade slip, again from Wan Qing, who proposed exchanging rare refining materials for Yinming Beast Crystals.

Zhang Feng fell into deep thought. At this moment, his natal magic weapon had not yet been refined, and he was indeed lacking in rare refining materials.

The "Thousand Waves Manual" provides two types of magic weapon blueprints. One is the "Thousand Waves Ruler," which combines escape, defense, and offense into one, but its three abilities are average and there is no outstanding one.

Zhang Feng was very fond of the "Langshui Sword," a weapon heavily focused on offense.

After all, the "Thousand Waves Technique" itself focuses on defense and escape, while magic weapons should focus on offense.

However, its main material requires the hard horn or claw of a water-attribute monster, and the higher the level of the monster, the better the magic weapon will be.

After eight years of seclusion, he had improved everything that could be improved, and all that remained was to refine his natal magic weapon.

Besides, I still have an ordinary magic weapon for self-defense, so I should go and see Wan Qing.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Feng responded to Wan Qing's telepathic message for the first time in eight years.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I have only recently reached the Core Formation stage and have been in seclusion to consolidate my cultivation. Therefore, I have not been able to reply to your messages in a timely manner."

"The items you suggested for exchange are exactly what Zhang Mou wanted. We can meet on the third floor of the White Gate Pavilion in three days."

Following the address left by Wan Qing, Zhang Feng sent out a communication jade slip.

……

Three days later, Zhang Feng went to the first floor of the White Gate Pavilion and bought a large amount of intelligence to find out what had happened in the Chaotic Star Sea during the decades he had been in seclusion to form his core.

Zhang Feng probed the message jade slip with his divine sense and quickly browsed the recent situation in the Chaotic Star Sea.

Nothing major happened. The Zi Ling Sect Master of the Miao Yin Sect in Tianxing City, backed by the Star Palace, became famous in the Chaotic Star Sea for a time.

The Myriad Sounds Sect and the Extreme Yin Island frequently clashed and fought.

Wan Tianming, the leader of the Wanfa Sect, sent his disciples to secretly communicate with the Grand Elder of the Star Palace, plotting to instigate an internal war among the demonic forces.

The rest are all trivial matters.

Decades have passed, and the once-famous legend of the ghostly fog on Suihan Island has now disappeared without a trace.

After Zhang Feng finished investigating the intelligence, the plot was exactly as he knew it, and thankfully no unexpected events occurred.

As I strolled up to the second floor, I was greeted by Bai Chen, the young master of Baimen Pavilion.

"Hey, Fellow Daoist Zhang, it's been decades! How's your cultivation technique going?"

"I also have several powerful Nascent Soul cultivator techniques here. Would you like to observe and try them out, fellow Daoist?"

Bai Chen strolled over to Zhang Feng and introduced him with a smile.

Zhang Feng gently swept his divine sense over the person. This person's cultivation was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage. How could he be so bold?

Moreover, Zhang Feng did not conceal his Core Formation cultivation level, so why was this person not afraid?

Or perhaps they're backed by a powerful force and are too arrogant, but that doesn't make sense.

As the young master of such an intelligence center, he should at least be able to read people's expressions and be very shrewd.

Looking into his eyes, they were cloudy and dull, as if shrouded in gloom, his spirit unclear.

Something unusual must be going on, so Zhang Feng chose to deal with it normally.

"Thank you for the recommendation, young friend. I have other matters to attend to today, so I won't bother you any longer!"

After saying that, Zhang Feng strode towards the third floor.

"Uh! Fellow Daoist Zhang, only Core Formation cultivators are allowed on the third floor, you cannot..."

Bai Chen wanted to stop Zhang Feng from entering the third floor, but was shocked to find that Zhang Feng had directly passed through the restriction and entered the third floor.

Impossible. He had looked through all the cultivation techniques his father had collected, and they were all just ordinary techniques. How could they be used to form a core?

"Young Master, it's time to take your medicine. Your consciousness is unreliable these days, it needs to be treated, otherwise you might run into a formidable senior."

"He's going to cause trouble again!"

The middle-aged cultivator stood beside Bai Chen and offered his advice.

"What did you say? What illness could this young master possibly have? It's just a minor Core Formation stage; this young master can break through it in a few years of arduous cultivation."

Bai Chen's eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was unusual.

"Sigh~"

The middle-aged cultivator sighed, took out a spirit-clearing talisman, and stuck it on Bai Chen's forehead.

"Hmm, Little Zhong, which cultivator did I deceive this time? Have I apologized?"

Once Bai Chen regained his senses, he immediately asked, clearly already quite familiar with this situation.

"Young Master, this is the information about that senior. Once you have mastered your cultivation technique, you can go and apologize to him."

The cultivator surnamed Zhong took out a jade slip and handed it to Bai Chen.

……

On the third floor, in a secluded room, Wan Qing was already waiting.

"Wan Qing congratulates young friend Zhang, oh no, fellow Daoist Zhang, on successfully forming your core."

As soon as they entered the secret room, they heard Wan Qing's unfriendly tone.

Zhang Feng remained unmoved. He scanned her with his divine sense and realized that after decades, Wan Qing had already broken through to the mid-stage of Core Formation. She truly lived up to her reputation as Wan Tianming's daughter.

"Congratulations, congratulations! I haven't yet congratulated you on your further advancement in cultivation!"

"Sigh~ I have no prestige! It took me eight telepathic messages over eight years to finally see your true face."

Wan Qing spoke softly, sighing repeatedly.

"Heh, fellow Daoist is joking. Fellow Daoist Wan left a tracking mark on me and has been following me ever since. I was really scared and had no choice but to do it."

Zhang Feng remained expressionless. Wan Qing in Tianxing City dared not make a move, and even if she did, Zhang Feng was confident he could stall until the Star Palace Guard arrived.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, what makes you say such a thing? When did I leave a trace on you? Don't slander someone's reputation out of thin air."

Wan Qing smiled slightly, as if those things were not her doing.

"Fellow Daoist, you're quite shameless. Alright, let's get straight to the point!"

"How would you like to make the exchange, fellow Daoist?"

This wasn't the first time Zhang Feng had experienced Wan Qing's temperament, so he wasn't surprised.