Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

Wangyue Cave is located outside the Purple Bamboo Forest in Gutian Town.

The shortest route to Zizhulin passes through Gutian Town.

Gutian Town is the most prosperous area within a ten-mile radius, bustling with activity and teeming with people year-round.

Thanks to the protection of the Li family, the town has always been thriving.

Counting the days, it had been more than half a month since Yu Luoning last came here. But this time, as soon as she stepped into the town, she keenly noticed that there were many more cultivators.

She couldn't help but tug at the hem of the man beside her's robe. "Young master, don't you think there are more cultivators now?"

Li Yunyu strolled leisurely through the crowd, saying, "This place is the closest to the secret realm; all those with ambition have come to try their luck."

I thought it was just a small, secret realm, but I didn't expect so many people to come. With her cultivation level, what kind of good opportunities will she be able to find?

Yu Luoning said worriedly, "The competition will definitely be fierce then."

"Obtaining a chance at immortality depends entirely on one's own abilities."

"What if there's a murder-for-treasure scenario?"

Li Yunyu stopped and quietly looked at Yu Luoning.

Although his eyes were covered by a white silk ribbon, Yu Luoning still felt that his eyes were definitely saying, "Are you an idiot?"

Yu Luoning chuckled dryly twice.

"Anyway, I might be envious of other people's opportunities, but I will never actively try to seize them. What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not... well, I won't force it... no, I won't force it."

Li Yunyu scoffed lightly: "You don't provoke trouble, but you're also timid and afraid of trouble. Little darling, this kind of mentality isn't suitable for cultivation."

Yu Luoning's eyes widened: "Why?"

"The path to immortality is narrow, like a thousand armies crossing a single-plank bridge. If you can fight for it, why not?"

Yu Luoning was speechless.

It was still early, and Li Yunyu pointed to the inn ahead: "Let's rest first. Go buy some dry rations and put them in that Qiankun bag. The secret realm is treacherous; we don't know when we'll be able to get out."

Yu Luoning nodded obediently, since she hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet.

Of all things under heaven, eating is the most important.

You should never neglect your own stomach, no matter what you do.

The streets were filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, selling everything from talismans and animal hides to medicinal herbs and elixirs.

Many of the monks were dressed in coarse cloth shorts, looking no different from ordinary people.

Suddenly, two burly men with ruddy complexions walked by, cursing and swearing:

"The Azure Sky Sect is overreaching! They say we have to pay them a high-grade spirit stone to enter the secret realm? They're dreaming!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! They're a legitimate sect, and their disciples are standing there. We can't beat them, so we'll just have to pay up."

"I'm just worried about the financial loss. What if we go in and don't get a single penny, but even lose a high-grade spirit stone? That would be a complete disaster!"

Yu Luoning's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

A high-grade spirit stone?

She only received three low-grade spirit stones a month after working at the Li residence, and those stones could be exchanged for thirty taels of silver.

How many taels of silver is a top-grade spirit stone?

This Biluo Sect is robbing a bank!

"Young Master," Yu Luoning leaned closer and whispered, "The head steward said that only the top sects can be called sects. This Biluo Sect charges tolls so arrogantly, is this sect very powerful?"

Li Yunyu's eyes darkened, and he unusually patiently began to explain.

"The Biluo Sect is considered a lower sect in the southern part of the Eastern Treasure Continent. But even as a lower sect, it is a local hegemon in this remote place, with countless sects and manors relying on it. It is a local tyrant."

Upon hearing this, Yu Luoning asked again, "What about the Li family and the Feng family? Do they also have to pay spirit stones to enter the secret realm?"

"Yes. Unless absolutely necessary, one should not arbitrarily make enemies of a sect."

Li Yunyu said, "These sects have very deep connections behind them, and no one knows which powerful figures they are connected to. There are other continents besides Dongbao Continent. If we provoke those madmen from those hidden sects, Dongbao Continent will likely suffer devastation."

Yu Luoning nodded.

It seems I need to study the sect system of this world more thoroughly in the future, starting with the Eastern Treasure Continent.

To avoid accidentally offending someone later without even knowing it, and ending up dead without even knowing how you died.

Yu Luoning visited several shops and bought various pastries.

"Mung bean cake, hibiscus cake, osmanthus cake, in short, I'll take all your pastries."

While directing the boss, Yu Luoning stuffed a piece of brown sugar rice cake into her mouth.

The food in the Qiankun Bag can stay exactly as it was when it was first put in, so I can stock up on a lot. Who knows if the flow of time in this secret realm is different from that in the outside world? If I stay in there for several years, it will be troublesome if I run out of food.

Sigh, eating only sweets can get cloying.

So she turned around and went into the steamed bun shop, tavern, butcher shop next door... In short, she bought a lot of things until her Qiankun bag could no longer hold them.

Li Yunyu sat on the carved south platform facing the street in the restaurant, resting his chin on his hand, quietly watching Yu Luoning on the street.

Just as he was lost in thought, a person walked out of a private room in the restaurant. Li Yunyu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned his head to look at him.

The man was dressed in a black robe and exuded an aura of imperial authority that made people's knees go weak. He was clearly a top-tier genius from an unknown but extremely low-key family.

Behind him followed a burly man as tall as an iron tower, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt with sleeves exposed, a red-eyed black snake coiled around his exposed arm, and a black iron tiger-head belt that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

The man in black noticed Li Yunyu and gave him a slight nod with a deep gaze.

Li Yunyu remained calm and politely returned the greeting.

At this moment, Yu Luoning was squatting in front of the talisman stall.

"Give me a whole bunch of these purification charms!"

She held the empty purse in her hand, but felt no guilt whatsoever.

After all, the young master is paying the bill.

However, this was too much money, and her conscience would occasionally ache.

But if you spend too little, you feel like you haven't gotten enough of a good deal, and you're not satisfied.

So, he wavered between a pang of conscience and the desire to take advantage of loopholes, and finally managed to appease himself.